Exhaust system for a semiconductor processing line

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of semiconductor processing, and particularly relates to an exhaust system for a semiconductor processing line. The semiconductor processing line comprises a plurality of semiconductor processing devices, each of which is provided with a processing chamber. The exhaust system is used for exhausting the plurality of processing chambers of the semiconductor processing devices. The exhaust system comprises an exhaust station, the exhaust station comprising an exhaust pump arranged close to the semiconductor processing line; a sliding rail arranged on the top of the semiconductor processing line, wherein the sliding stroke of the sliding rail covers the plurality of processing chambers; and a docking pipeline slidably arranged on the sliding rail and in communication with the exhaust pump, the docking pipeline selectively docks with one of the plurality of processing chambers by moving on the sliding rail. According to the exhaust system for the semiconductor processing line, a set of the exhaust system composed of the exhaust station and the docking pipeline can achieve the purpose of vacuumizing the plurality of processing chambers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of semiconductor processing technology, and specifically relates to an exhaust system for semiconductor processing lines. Background Technology

[0002] This section provides only background information relevant to this disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.

[0003] In semiconductor manufacturing processes, fixed exhaust systems require one local exhaust device per semiconductor processing equipment. When the exhaust valve on one exhaust device cannot be fully closed, the exhaust pressure of the entire system drops, affecting the exhaust performance of other parts using the same system. Mobile exhaust systems, on the other hand, must be moved from their storage location to the semiconductor processing equipment and back after use. Due to this frequent relocation, mobile exhaust systems have a higher failure rate. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The first aspect of this application provides an exhaust system for a semiconductor processing line, the semiconductor processing line including multiple semiconductor processing equipment, each semiconductor processing equipment having a processing chamber, the exhaust system for exhausting multiple processing chambers of the multiple semiconductor processing equipment, the exhaust system including: an exhaust station including an exhaust pump disposed near the semiconductor processing line; a sliding rail disposed at the top of the semiconductor processing line, the sliding rail having a sliding stroke covering multiple processing chambers; and a docking pipe slidably disposed on the sliding rail and connected to the exhaust pump, the docking pipe selectively docking with one of the multiple processing chambers sequentially by moving on the sliding rail.

[0005] The exhaust system of the semiconductor processing line in this application embodiment includes an exhaust station and a docking pipe. The docking pipe is slidably mounted on a sliding track, which covers multiple processing chambers on multiple semiconductor processing equipment. This allows the docking pipe to be connected to multiple processing chambers sequentially by sliding, achieving the purpose of connecting multiple processing chambers through one docking pipe and evacuating multiple processing chambers. Compared to one exhaust system corresponding to one semiconductor processing equipment, the exhaust system of the semiconductor processing line in this application embodiment has the advantage of simple structure and reduces the structural instability risk of multiple exhaust systems. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of specific embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. Wherein:

[0007] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the exhaust system for a semiconductor processing line according to an embodiment of this application.

[0008] Figure label:

[0009] 100. Semiconductor processing equipment;

[0010] 10. Exhaust station;

[0011] 20. Sliding track;

[0012] 30. Connecting pipe; 31. Pipe section; 32. Adapter; 33. Conical exhaust hood;

[0013] 40. Cable chain;

[0014] 200. Ceiling. Detailed Implementation

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are merely exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in the following description, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of the present disclosure.

[0016] The accompanying drawings illustrate various structural schematics according to embodiments of the present disclosure. These drawings are not to scale, and some details have been enlarged for clarity, and some details may have been omitted. The shapes of the various regions and layers shown in the drawings, as well as their relative sizes and positional relationships, are merely exemplary and may deviate from reality due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions as needed.

[0017] In the context of this disclosure, when a layer / element is referred to as being "above" another layer / element, the layer / element may be directly above the other layer / element, or there may be an intermediate layer / element between them. Additionally, if a layer / element is "above" another layer / element in one orientation, then when the orientation is reversed, the layer / element may be "below" the other layer / element.

[0018] like Figure 1As shown, an embodiment of this application provides an exhaust system for a semiconductor processing line. The semiconductor processing line includes multiple semiconductor processing equipment 100, each with multiple processing chambers. The exhaust system is used to exhaust air from the multiple processing chambers. The exhaust system includes an exhaust station 10, a sliding rail 20, and a docking pipe 30. The exhaust station 10 includes an exhaust pump located near the semiconductor processing line. The sliding rail 20 is located at the top of the semiconductor processing line, and its sliding stroke covers multiple processing chambers. The docking pipe 30 is slidably disposed on the sliding rail 20 and communicates with the exhaust pump. The docking pipe 30 selectively docks with one of the multiple processing chambers by moving on the sliding rail 20.

[0019] Specifically, semiconductor processing equipment 100 generally includes at least one processing chamber, which can be used to perform various processes on semiconductor components such as wafers, including but not limited to etching processes, deposition processes, ion implantation and heat treatment. Some of these processes require the use of specific processing gases, and the gas environment in the processing chamber often needs to be in a vacuum state. In order to maintain this vacuum state, an exhaust system connected to the processing chamber must be continuously operated.

[0020] The exhaust system of the semiconductor processing line in this embodiment includes an exhaust station 10 and a docking pipe 30. The docking pipe 30 is slidably mounted on a sliding track 20, which covers multiple processing chambers on multiple semiconductor processing equipment 100. This allows the docking pipe 30 to sequentially connect with multiple processing chambers via a sliding mechanism, achieving the purpose of sequentially connecting multiple processing chambers through a single docking pipe 30 and evacuating the multiple processing chambers. Compared to one exhaust system corresponding to one semiconductor processing equipment 100, the exhaust system of the semiconductor processing line in this embodiment has the advantage of simple structure and reduces the structural instability risk of multiple exhaust systems. Specifically, the exhaust station 10 and the sliding track 20 can both be mounted on the ceiling 200 at the top of the semiconductor processing equipment 100.

[0021] Furthermore, to improve the sealing performance of the connection between the docking pipe 30 and the processing chamber, embodiments of this application also provide a conical exhaust hood 33 corresponding to multiple processing chambers at the end of the docking pipe 30, and each processing chamber has an exhaust port at its top that connects with the conical exhaust hood 33. The area of ​​the conical exhaust hood 33 is larger than the area of ​​the exhaust port, thereby allowing the conical exhaust hood 33 to completely cover the exhaust port. Sealing gaskets are provided around the periphery of the conical exhaust hood 33 and the periphery of the exhaust port, thereby improving the sealing performance of the connection between the docking pipe 30 and the processing chamber.

[0022] Because the docking pipe 30 needs to move frequently and connect with the semiconductor processing equipment 100 that requires venting, in order to ensure that the docking pipe 30 can accurately slide to the designated semiconductor processing equipment 100, the embodiments of this application provide a transmitting sensor around the conical exhaust hood 33 and a receiving sensor corresponding to the transmitting sensor around the exhaust port. Specifically, both the transmitting and receiving sensors can be infrared sensors. The transmitting sensor emits an infrared signal towards the semiconductor processing equipment 100, and the receiving sensor around the exhaust port of the designated semiconductor processing equipment 100 receives the infrared signal emitted by the transmitting sensor. Both the transmitting and receiving sensors are electrically connected to the controller of the exhaust system. The controller determines whether the docking pipe 30 has slid to the designated semiconductor equipment based on the infrared signal emitted by the transmitting sensor and the infrared signal received by the receiving sensor, thereby achieving the purpose of the docking pipe 30 sliding to the designated semiconductor processing equipment 100 and connecting with the exhaust port.

[0023] In the embodiments of this application, given the limitations of the sliding direction of the sliding track 20 and the docking pipe 30, in order to reduce the workload of the sliding track 20 and the docking pipe 30 (for example, the sliding track 20 and the docking pipe 30 need to be frequently adjusted to accommodate multiple communication ports on multiple semiconductor processing equipment 100), the embodiments of this application configure the docking pipe 30 as a combination structure including multiple pipe segments 31 and multiple adapters 32 connecting the multiple pipe segments 31. The multiple pipe segments 31 are rotatably connected together through the multiple adapters 32, thereby achieving the purpose of multi-directional rotation and communicating with the semiconductor processing equipment 100 in multiple directions. Specifically, the adapter 32 includes a connecting pipe and a drive motor for driving the connecting pipe to rotate. The drive motor achieves the purpose of adjusting the direction of the docking pipe 30 by driving the connecting pipe to rotate.

[0024] According to an embodiment of this application, the exhaust system further includes a multi-pleated exhaust pipe connecting the exhaust pump and the docking pipe 30. During the sliding of the docking pipe 30, the multi-pleated exhaust pipe is in a corresponding telescopic state. The multi-pleated exhaust pipe can be made of plastic or metal, and it can telescopically move along with the docking pipe 30. Furthermore, the exhaust system also includes a drag chain 40 disposed near the sliding track 20, with the multi-pleated exhaust pipe housed within the drag chain 40. The drag chain 40 guides and protects the multi-pleated exhaust pipe, reducing the risk of damage during telescopic movement.

[0025] According to an embodiment of this application, the exhaust system further includes a pressure sensor disposed within the conical exhaust hood 33. When the conical exhaust hood 33 is connected to the exhaust port, the pressure sensor monitors the pressure within the conical exhaust hood 33. The exhaust pump draws gas from the processing chamber through the exhaust pipe to create a vacuum environment within the processing chamber. To achieve this vacuum state, an embodiment of this application includes a pressure sensor within the conical exhaust hood 33. The pressure sensor monitors whether the gas environment within the processing chamber is in a vacuum state, thereby allowing for reasonable control of the evacuation time of the exhaust system into the processing chamber.

[0026] According to an embodiment of this application, the exhaust system further includes a drive device. The drive device is connected to the sliding rail 20 or the docking pipe 30 and is used to drive the sliding rail 20 or the docking pipe 30 to slide within the stroke range of multiple processing chambers. In embodiments of this application, the drive device drives the sliding rail 20 or the docking pipe 30 to slide in a linear direction. The drive device can be a linear motor, a wax motor, a hydraulic drive device, or a pneumatic drive device. Specifically, according to an embodiment of this application, the drive device includes a hydraulic cylinder and a hydraulic rod. The hydraulic rod is connected to the sliding rail 20 or the docking pipe 30, and the hydraulic cylinder drives the sliding rail 20 or the docking pipe 30 to slide within the stroke range of multiple processing chambers via the hydraulic rod.

[0027] Furthermore, the exhaust system in this embodiment also includes a controller. The controller is connected to a transmitting sensor, a receiving sensor, a pressure sensor, and a driving device. Based on the received exhaust signal from the semiconductor processing equipment 100, the controller drives the sliding rail 20 or the docking pipe 30 to slide towards the designated semiconductor processing equipment 100 via the driving device. While moving, the docking pipe 30 transmits a signal via the transmitting sensor. When the signal transmitted by the transmitting sensor is received by the receiving sensor on the semiconductor processing equipment 100, the receiving sensor sends the received signal to the controller. The controller then controls the docking pipe 30 to stop sliding and drives the adapter 32 on the docking pipe 30 to rotate, thereby connecting the conical exhaust hood 33 on the docking pipe 30 to the exhaust port of the processing chamber. When the pressure sensor inside the conical exhaust hood 33 detects that the pressure inside the processing chamber has reached a preset pressure, the exhaust system stops working and disconnects from the semiconductor processing equipment 100.

[0028] It should be noted that the exhaust system for semiconductor processing lines in this application embodiment can be applied to semiconductor device processing lines, display processing lines, memory processing lines, and processor processing lines, etc.

[0029] The embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. However, these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. To achieve the same purpose, those skilled in the art can devise methods that are not entirely identical to those described above. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Various substitutions and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of this disclosure, and all such substitutions and modifications should fall within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. An exhaust system for a semiconductor processing line, the semiconductor processing line comprising multiple semiconductor processing machines, each semiconductor processing machine having a processing chamber, the exhaust system being used to exhaust air from multiple processing chambers of the multiple semiconductor processing machines, characterized in that, The exhaust system includes: An exhaust station, the exhaust station including an exhaust pump disposed near the semiconductor processing line; A sliding track is disposed at the top of the semiconductor processing line, and the sliding stroke of the sliding track covers the plurality of processing chambers; A docking pipe is slidably disposed on the sliding rail and connected to the exhaust pump, and the docking pipe selectively docks with one of the plurality of processing chambers by moving on the sliding rail; The connecting pipe includes multiple pipe sections and multiple adapters connecting the multiple pipe sections, and the multiple pipe sections are rotatably connected together through the multiple adapters; The exhaust system also includes a drive device connected to the sliding rail or the docking pipe, for driving the sliding rail or the docking pipe to slide within the stroke range of the plurality of processing chambers; The driving device includes a hydraulic cylinder and a hydraulic rod. The hydraulic rod is connected to the sliding rail or the docking pipe. The hydraulic cylinder drives the sliding rail or the docking pipe to slide within the stroke range of the multiple processing chambers through the hydraulic rod.

2. The exhaust system for a semiconductor processing line according to claim 1, characterized in that, A conical exhaust hood is provided at the end of the docking pipe corresponding to the plurality of processing chambers, and an exhaust port that docks with the conical exhaust hood is provided at the top of each processing chamber.

3. The exhaust system for a semiconductor processing line according to claim 2, characterized in that, A transmitting sensor is arranged around the periphery of the conical exhaust hood, and a receiving sensor corresponding to the transmitting sensor is arranged around the periphery of the exhaust port.

4. The exhaust system for a semiconductor processing line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The exhaust system also includes a multi-pleated exhaust pipe that connects the exhaust pump and the docking pipe, and the multi-pleated exhaust pipe is in a corresponding extension and retraction state during the sliding of the docking pipe.

5. The exhaust system for a semiconductor processing line according to claim 4, characterized in that, The exhaust system also includes a cable chain disposed near the sliding track, and the multi-pleated exhaust pipe is disposed within the cable chain.

6. The exhaust system for a semiconductor processing line according to claim 2, characterized in that, The exhaust system also includes a pressure sensor disposed inside the conical exhaust hood. When the conical exhaust hood is connected to the exhaust port, the pressure sensor is used to monitor the pressure inside the conical exhaust hood.

7. The exhaust system for a semiconductor processing line according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The exhaust system also includes a controller that controls the connection between the docking pipe and the processing chamber of the designated semiconductor processing equipment.

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