Trapping device for reaction by-products generated in an etching operation

Abstract

The present invention relates to a capturing device of reaction byproducts generated in an etching process, and aims to provide a capturing device of reaction byproducts generated in an etching process, which can capture and load reaction byproducts contained in unreacted gas discharged after performing a process in an etching process chamber in a semiconductor manufacturing process in a powder form and then discharge only the unreacted gas in a gas state to a scrubber, by a multiple flow path conversion structure, a multiple capturing structure, and a multiple loading structure at a position between a vacuum pump and the scrubber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for capturing reaction by-products generated in an etching process, and more particularly to a device for capturing reaction by-products in powder form contained in unreacted gas discharged to a scrubber via a vacuum pump after performing an etching process chamber in a semiconductor manufacturing process at the front end of the scrubber through multiple flow path conversion structures, multiple capture structures, and multiple loading structures. Background Art

[0002] Generally speaking, semiconductor manufacturing engineering generally includes pre-engineering (Fabrication Engineering) and post-engineering (Assembly Engineering). Pre-engineering refers to the process of processing a specific pattern and manufacturing a semiconductor chip by repeatedly performing the process of depositing a thin film on a wafer in various process chambers (Chamber) and then selectively etching the deposited thin film. The post-engineering refers to the process of assembling the finished product by separating the chips manufactured in the pre-engineering individually and combining them with the lead frame.

[0003] During the deposition or etching of thin films on the wafers, a gas injection system injects required process gases, such as silane, arsine, boron chloride, hydrogen, nitrogen, and gaseous water, or precursor gases for thin film deposition, into the process chamber under high-temperature conditions. This generates a large amount of hazardous gases, including various undeposited reaction byproducts, unreacted flammable gases, corrosive foreign matter, and toxic components, within the process chamber.

[0004] To this end, in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, in order to allow the unreacted gas exhausted from the process chamber to be discharged after purification, a scrubber is provided at the rear end of the vacuum pump used to convert the process chamber into a vacuum state. The scrubber is used to purify the exhaust gas exhausted from the process chamber before discharging it into the atmosphere.

[0005] However, because the scrubber can only purify reaction byproducts in gaseous form, if the reaction byproducts in particle form contained in the unreacted gas exhausted from the process chamber are not captured in advance, it may cause structural problems such as solidification and blockage of the reaction byproducts at the initial entry point of the scrubber.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a device that can solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and capture the reaction by-products in the form of particles contained in the unreacted gas by being located between the vacuum pump and the scrubber.

[0007] Prior art literature

[0008] Patent Literature

[0009] (Patent Document 1) Korean Patent Gazette Registration No. 10-0311145 (registered on September 24, 2001)

[0010] (Patent Document 2) Korean Patent Gazette Registration No. 10-0564272 (Registered on March 20, 2006)

[0011] (Patent Document 3) Korean Patent Gazette Registration No. 10-0631924 (registered on September 27, 2006)

[0012] (Patent Document 4) Korean Patent Gazette Registration No. 10-2209205 (registered on January 25, 2021) Summary of the Invention

[0013] In order to solve the problems mentioned above, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a device for capturing reaction by-products generated in the etching process by capturing the reaction by-products contained in the unreacted gas discharged after the process is performed in the etching process chamber in the semiconductor manufacturing process in powder form through multiple flow path conversion structures, multiple capture structures and multiple loading structures at a position between the vacuum pump and the scrubber, and then discharging only the unreacted gas in gaseous state into the scrubber after loading.

[0014] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives and solve the existing problems, the present invention provides a device for capturing reaction byproducts generated in an etching process. The device is characterized in that it is used as a capture device for capturing reaction byproducts contained in unreacted gas discharged to a scrubber via a vacuum pump in a semiconductor manufacturing process, and includes an internal capture tower. The internal capture tower includes:

[0015] The first capture structure guides the flow of unreacted gas flowing from the upper part to the lower part through the outer profile, captures and loads the reaction by-products, and performs multiple captures on the reaction by-products again in the lower part;

[0016] The second trapping structure guides the unreacted gas flowing from the outer side to the central portion and causes it to descend, while trapping the reaction by-products and loading them together with the reaction by-products captured at the lower portion of the first trapping structure;

[0017] The third capture structure guides the unreacted gas flowing into the central portion to the outer portion and simultaneously captures and loads the reaction by-products in a multi-step manner;

[0018] The fourth capturing structure guides the unreacted gas flowing in from the outer side to the central portion and causes it to descend, while capturing and loading the reaction by-products; and

[0019] The fifth capture structure captures and loads the reaction by-products while guiding the unreacted gas flowing into the central part to the lower part through the outer profile and captures the reaction by-products again multiple times; thereby, the unreacted gas flowing into the gas inlet of the outer shell is converted to the outer profile or the central part and sequentially descended and the reaction by-products are captured and loaded, and only the remaining unreacted gas is discharged to the gas exhaust port.

[0020] As a preferred embodiment, it is characterized in that the first capture structure, the second capture structure, the third capture structure, the fourth capture structure and the fifth capture structure are combined with each other using respective spacer components in a manner with a certain distance between the upper and lower parts, and the support part equipped on the upper surface of the lower plate of the outer shell supports the fifth capture structure in a manner with a certain distance between them, thereby supporting the overall load of the first capture structure to the fourth capture structure.

[0021] As a preferred embodiment, it is characterized in that: the first capture structure includes: a capture plate, which captures reaction by-products while inducing the flow of the inflowing unreacted gas to the outer contour; and a capture cylinder, which is installed on the lower surface of the capture plate and is composed of multiple capture cylinders and multiple sections in order to perform multiple captures of reaction by-products from the inflowing unreacted gas and thereby act as a filter.

[0022] As a preferred embodiment, it is characterized in that: the capture cylinder portion is composed of multiple capture cylinders with different diameters installed in multiple sections at a certain interval, and multiple holes are arranged in multiple sections along the surrounding surface in each capture cylinder. The size of the hole formed on the capture cylinder located on the outermost contour is the largest, and the closer to the inner capture cylinder, the smaller the diameter of the hole formed.

[0023] As a preferred embodiment, it is characterized in that: the second capture structure includes: a capture plate, which captures and loads reaction by-products while inducing the unreacted gas flowing in from the outer side to the central part; an exhaust pipe, which is installed in a manner that passes through the central part of the capture plate from top to bottom, and discharges the unreacted gas to the lower part while preventing the captured reaction by-products from flowing out; and a flow guide plate, which is installed around the lower end of the exhaust pipe, and improves the capture efficiency by limiting the upward flow of the discharged unreacted gas to a certain spatial area.

[0024] As a preferred embodiment, it is characterized in that: the capture disk is a disk with a diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the shell body constituting the shell, which blocks the unreacted gas from directly falling to the side of the lower third capture structure.

[0025] As a preferred embodiment, it is characterized in that the upper part of the exhaust pipe protrudes in a manner such that it is located inside the capture cylindrical part of the first capture structure, and the lower part is located at the upper end of the capture plate part of the third capture structure, and a plurality of holes for the inflow of unreacted gas are arranged in multiple patterns around an area on one side of the upper part of the protruding part.

[0026] As a preferred embodiment, it is characterized in that: the third capture structure includes: a capture disk, which captures and loads the unreacted gas while inducing the flow of the unreacted gas to the outer contour and causing it to descend; a capture plate portion, in which a plurality of capture plates with a plurality of holes are installed in a circular arrangement on the upper surface of the capture disk, so that the unreacted gas flowing in from the top is retained and caused to flow to the outer contour while capturing and loading the reaction by-products; and a barrier wall portion, which is circularly surrounded at a certain distance from the outer contour of the capture plate portion, thereby preventing the captured reaction by-products from flowing out while discharging the unreacted gas.

[0027] As a preferred embodiment, it is characterized in that: the capture plate further includes: a strip-shaped flow path guide portion, which protrudes vertically downward along the circumference, thereby guiding the downward flow of the unreacted gas.

[0028] As a preferred embodiment, it is characterized in that: the formation height of the capture plate portion is higher than the barrier wall portion.

[0029] As a preferred embodiment, it is characterized in that: the barrier wall portion is formed by at least two barrier walls without holes formed therein and arranged in a circular shape at a certain interval.

[0030] As a preferred embodiment, it is characterized in that: the fourth capture structure includes: a capture plate, which captures and loads reaction by-products while inducing unreacted gas flowing in from the outer profile to the central part; and an exhaust pipe, which is installed in a manner that penetrates the central part of the capture plate upward, and is formed with an expanded pipe portion at the upper part in order to prevent the captured reaction by-products from flowing out while discharging the unreacted gas to the lower part.

[0031] As a preferred embodiment, it is characterized in that: the capture disk is a disk with a diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the shell body, which blocks the unreacted gas from directly falling to the side of the fifth capture structure.

[0032] As a preferred embodiment, it is characterized in that: the expanded pipe portion adopts an oblique line shape that gradually tilts toward the outside toward the upper portion, and multiple holes are arranged along the circumference to form a plurality of holes for inducing the discharge and flow of unreacted gas.

[0033] As a preferred embodiment, it is characterized in that: the fifth capture structure includes: a capture disk, which blocks the downward movement of unreacted gas flowing from the upper part to the central part, and captures and loads the gas while inducing the flow to the lower part for discharge through the outer contour; a gas receiving portion, which is installed on the lower surface of the capture disk along the circumferential direction, and after inducing the flow of the unreacted gas to the lower part, it allows the gas to flow into the interior for storage; and a capture plate portion, which is installed on the lower surface of the capture disk on the inner side of the gas receiving portion, and is composed of a plurality of capture plates with a plurality of holes arranged in a multi-section quadrilateral in order to prevent the unreacted gas flowing in from flowing out while only discharging the unreacted gas after multiple captures to the gas exhaust port.

[0034] As a preferred embodiment, it is characterized in that: the gas containing portion is formed in a manner that the length protruding toward the lower side is shorter than the capture plate portion, and multiple coupling portions are formed outward along the periphery and coupled to the supporting portion protruding upward from the lower plate of the shell.

[0035] As a preferred embodiment, it is characterized in that: the capture plate parts are spaced apart at a certain interval in such a way that the corner parts do not touch each other when the capture plates are arranged in a quadrilateral, so that unreacted gas can flow in, and the size of the holes formed on the capture plates arranged in the outermost quadrilateral is the largest, and the closer to the capture plates arranged in the inner quadrilateral, the smaller the holes formed.

[0036] The device for capturing reaction by-products generated in an etching process applicable to the present invention with the above-mentioned features can, at the front end of the scrubber, through flow direction conversion and multiple vortex generation structures, capture and load the reaction by-products contained in the unreacted gas discharged through a vacuum pump after the process is performed in the etching process chamber in the semiconductor manufacturing process in a powder form and only discharge the unreacted gas in a gaseous state.

[0037] The present invention can extend the maintenance cycle of the scrubber and extend the service life of the capture device to more than 3 months by equipping the scrubber with the capture device for removing reaction byproducts contained in the unreacted gas at the front end of the scrubber as described above.

[0038] As described above, the present invention is a useful invention having various advantages and has good industrial application prospects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1This is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of a reaction by-product capture device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 2 This is a perspective view illustrating an internal capture tower of a reaction by-product capture device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 3 It is an exploded perspective view of an internal capture tower according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 4 This is an exploded perspective view illustrating the lower side of an internal capture tower according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a first trapping structure according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a second trapping structure according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a third trapping structure according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a fourth trapping structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a fifth trapping structure according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the capture tendency within a reaction byproduct capture device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the gas flow inside a reaction byproduct capture device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 12 FIG. 1 is a flow velocity pattern diagram of a reaction by-product capture device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] <Description of Reference Signs>

[0052] 1: Outer shell 2: Internal capture tower

[0053] 11: Shell body 12: Upper plate

[0054] 12a: Gas inlet 13: Lower plate

[0055] 13a: Gas exhaust port 13b: Support portion

[0056] 21: First capture structure 22: Second capture structure

[0057] 23: Third capture structure 24: Fourth capture structure

[0058] 25: Fifth capture structure 211: Capture disk

[0059] 212: Capture cylinder 212a: Capture cylinder

[0060] 212b: hole 213: spacer

[0061] 221: Capture plate 222: Discharge pipe

[0062] 222a: hole 223: flow path guide plate

[0063] 224: Spacer 231: Capture plate

[0064] 232: Capture plate 232a: Capture plate

[0065] 232b: hole 233: barrier wall

[0066] 223a: barrier wall 234: flow path guide

[0067] 235: Spacer 241: Discharge tray

[0068] 242: discharge pipe 242a: expansion pipe

[0069] 242b: hole 251: capture disk

[0070] 252: Gas storage part 252a: Joint part

[0071] 253: Capture plate 253a: Capture plate

[0072] 253b: hole 254: spacer DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0073] Next, the structure and function of the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in the process of describing the present invention, if it is determined that the detailed description of the relevant known functions or structures may make the gist of the present invention unclear, the relevant detailed description will be omitted.

[0074] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of a reaction by-product capture device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2This is a perspective view illustrating an internal capture tower of a reaction byproduct capture device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 This is an exploded perspective view of an internal capture tower according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is an exploded perspective view illustrating the lower side of an internal capture tower according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] As shown in the figure, the capture device applicable to the present invention is a device that is arranged between a vacuum pump and a scrubber and captures and loads the reaction by-products contained in the unreacted gas discharged through a vacuum pump after an etching process is performed in a process chamber (not shown) in a semiconductor process in a powder form through multiple flow conversion structures, multiple capture structures, and multiple loading structures, and only discharges the remaining unreacted gas in a gaseous state to the scrubber.

[0076] To this end, the capture device includes: a housing 1 for receiving and accommodating unreacted gas flowing in from an upper gas inlet and then discharging the unreacted gas to a lower gas outlet; and

[0077] The internal capture tower 2 is composed of multiple capture structures with a certain distance between them in the upper and lower sections. In order to prevent the unreacted gas flowing into the shell from directly falling to the lower gas outlet and remaining, the flow path is converted to the outer contour or the central part in turn, and the flow path is made to fall and the reaction by-products are captured and loaded, so that only the remaining unreacted gas is discharged.

[0078] The shell 1 is of a vertical type that allows the gas discharged from the vacuum pump to the scrubber to flow in from the top and be received and then discharged to the bottom, and includes: a shell body 11 for receiving the gas that flows in; an upper plate 12, formed with a gas inlet 12a protruding in the upward direction; and a lower plate 13, on which gas exhaust ports 13a are installed protruding in the upper and lower sides.

[0079] The housing structure, shown in the figure according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprising the housing body 11, the upper plate 12, and the lower plate 13, is shown as a vertically elongated cylindrical structure. However, the present invention is not limited to this shape and may also be constructed in any desired shape, such as a square cylinder or a polygonal cylinder. However, for ease of explanation, the following description will be based on a cylindrical shape.

[0080] The shell body 11 is in the shape of a hollow box inside, which can serve to store the inflowing gas, thereby utilizing the first capture structure 21, the second capture structure 22, the third capture structure 23, the fourth capture structure 24 and the fifth capture structure 25 installed in multiple layers along the vertical direction inside to condense and capture the reaction by-products contained in the inflowing unreacted gas in powder form.

[0081] The upper plate 12 can function as a lid to cover the upper portion of the housing body 11 , and can also function as a gas inlet 12 a protruding upwardly mounted for gas to flow in.

[0082] The lower plate 13 can serve as a lid to cover the lower portion of the open shell body 11, and can also allow the unreacted gas after capturing the mixed reaction by-products to be discharged to one side of the scrubber through the gas exhaust ports 13a protruding from both sides of the upper and lower portions.

[0083] Furthermore, a support portion 13b is provided on the upper surface of the lower plate 13 to secure the internal capture tower 2 and support its load. Specifically, by securing and supporting the fifth capture structure 25 located above the lower plate at a predetermined distance from the upper surface of the upper plate, the combined load of the first to fourth capture structures 21, 24, which are connected in multiple stages above the fifth capture structure 25, can be supported.

[0084] In addition, the lower plate 13 is equipped with a support frame (not shown) that can be constructed in any form at a certain height and movable wheels installed at the lower portion thereof, so as to facilitate the movement of the capture device when movement is required.

[0085] In addition, the lower plate 13 may also be of a fixed type installed on the floor of a factory or on a fixed frame.

[0086] The internal capture tower 2 is composed of five capture structures vertically extending from the upper end to the lower end, thereby capturing reaction by-products and performing multi-loading. The structure is as follows.

[0087] At the uppermost end, a first trapping structure 21 is provided for guiding the flow of unreacted gas flowing in from the upper portion to the lower portion through the outer profile, while trapping and loading reaction byproducts and multiply trapping the reaction byproducts again at the lower portion.

[0088] At the lower end of the first capturing structure 21, a second capturing structure 22 is provided to guide the unreacted gas flowing in from the outer side to the center and cause it to fall, while capturing the reaction by-products and loading them together with the reaction by-products captured and dropped from the lower part of the first capturing structure.

[0089] A third trapping structure 23 is provided at the lower end of the second trapping structure 22 for guiding the unreacted gas flowing into the center portion to the outer periphery and for multiply trapping and storing the reaction byproducts.

[0090] At the lower end of the third trapping structure 23 , a fourth trapping structure 24 is provided for guiding the unreacted gas flowing in from the outer side to the center portion and causing it to descend, while trapping and storing the reaction byproducts.

[0091] At the lower end of the fourth capture structure 24, there is a fifth capture structure 25 that guides the unreacted gas flowing into the central part to the lower part through the outer profile, captures and loads the reaction by-products, and then captures the reaction by-products again in the lower part and loads them onto the upper surface of the lower plate, and then discharges only the remaining unreacted gas to the gas exhaust port of the outer shell.

[0092] The first through fifth capture structures 21, 25 are connected and secured between adjacent capture structures using spacers, spaced at a desired height, depending on the structure of the capture structures. By using these spacers, adjacent capture structures can be separated and secured without direct contact, thereby providing the necessary space for unreacted gas flow switching while ensuring smooth movement and enabling capture and loading.

[0093] As a method for coupling via the spacer, a spacer of the desired length may be placed between the upper and lower capture structures. A threaded coupling rod or bolt may be inserted into the hollow interior of the spacer, and then coupled using a nut. However, the above coupling method is only one embodiment, and coupling may also be performed using a variety of known coupling methods, including embedding and welding.

[0094] As an embodiment, a process of capturing particulate reaction byproducts contained in unreacted gas exhausted after an etching process is performed in a process chamber using the capturing device constructed as described above is exemplarily described below.

[0095] When performing etching processes using BCl3 and N2 in a process chamber, BCl3 forms non-volatile residues when it comes into contact with oxygen (O) or water (H2O) due to its greater reactivity and oxygen uptake. For example, a reaction such as 2BCl3+O→B2O3+6Cl occurs.

[0096] In addition, when used as an etching precursor during an etching process on an Al2O3 film, B2O3 (non-volatile) and AlCl3 (volatile) substances are generated.

[0097] Therefore, by equipping a capture device applicable to the present invention, a multi-stage capture structure can be used to multiple capture and load the reaction by-products in the unreacted gas discharged after the etching process and flowing into the scrubber via a vacuum pump, and then only the remaining unreacted gas in a gaseous state is supplied to the scrubber, thereby preventing the initial entrance part of the scrubber from being blocked.

[0098] Next, each capture structure constituting the internal capture tower 2 will be described in more detail.

[0099] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a first trapping structure according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0100] See Figures 1 to 4 as well as Figure 5 The first capture structure 21 includes: a capture plate 211, which captures reaction by-products while inducing the flow of unreacted gas flowing in through the gas inlet 12a of the upper plate 12 of the shell body 11 to the outer contour; and a capture cylinder 212, which is installed on the lower surface of the capture plate 211 and is composed of multiple sections of multiple capture cylinders 212a in order to multiple capture reaction by-products from the flowing in unreacted gas and thereby act as a filter.

[0101] The capture disk 211 is a circular disk with a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the housing body. When unreacted gas flowing in through the gas inlet 12a located in the center of the upper plate 12 of the housing body 11 collides with its surface, it evenly diffuses and directs the flow from the center toward the outer periphery, causing it to descend toward the distal end. At this point, reaction byproducts contained in the inflowing unreacted gas condense on the upper surface of the capture disk, where they are captured and stored as a powder.

[0102] The capture cylinder 212 is coupled to the lower surface of the capture disc 211 and is composed of multiple capture cylinders 212a of varying diameters, spaced apart and arranged in multiple stages. In one embodiment, three capture cylinders are formed in multiple stages, but the present invention is not limited to this number. Any multiple stage structure comprising at least two or more capture cylinders can achieve multiple captures.

[0103] In each capture cylinder 212a constituting the capture cylinder portion 212, a plurality of holes 212b are formed in a multiple arrangement along the surrounding surface. The hole 212b formed on the outermost capture cylinder 212a is the largest, and the diameter of the hole formed becomes smaller as the capture cylinder approaches the inner side. By adopting the method described above where the hole size becomes smaller as the capture cylinder approaches the inner side, the unreacted gas that has passed through the hole on the outer capture cylinder needs to pass through a relatively small hole when moving to the capture cylinder on the inner side. As a result, collision with the capture cylinder surface occurs, and the flow velocity difference caused by passing through the smaller hole forms a vortex, thereby delaying the movement of the unreacted gas and improving the capture efficiency on the surface of each capture cylinder.

[0104] Furthermore, multiple spacers 213 are mounted on the lower surface of the capture disc 211, ensuring that the first capture structure 21 remains suspended above the second capture structure 22. The length of the spacers can be adjusted to a sufficient height to prevent the upper end from becoming blocked by the lower surface of the capture disc, even when the innermost capture cylinder of the capture cylinder 212 protrudes from the exhaust pipe, onto which the second capture structure 22 is mounted. By vertically mounting the spacers at this height, unreacted gas, which is captured while sequentially passing through the capture cylinders, can flow and descend through the upper portion of the exhaust pipe and the holes formed along its periphery.

[0105] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a second trapping structure according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0106] See Figures 1 to 4 as well as Figure 6 : The second capture structure 22 includes: a capture plate 221, which captures and loads the reaction by-products while guiding the unreacted gas flowing in from the outer side to the central part; an exhaust pipe 222, which is installed in a manner that passes through the central part of the capture plate from top to bottom, and discharges the unreacted gas to the lower part while preventing the captured reaction by-products from flowing out; and a flow guide plate 223, which is installed around the lower end of the exhaust pipe, and improves the capture efficiency by limiting the upward flow of the discharged unreacted gas to a certain spatial area.

[0107] The capture tray 221 is a circular disk with a diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the housing body. It prevents unreacted gas flowing downward through the outer contour of the capture tray 211 of the first capture structure 21 from directly descending to the third capture structure 23. Instead, it guides the gas toward the exhaust pipe 222 located in the center of the capture tray 221. At this point, the reaction byproducts contained in the flowing unreacted gas condense on the upper surface of the capture tray, where they are captured and stored in a powdered state.

[0108] In addition, the capture tray 221 will also simultaneously load the reaction by-products that are captured and dropped in the capture cylindrical portion 212 of the first capture structure 21 located above.

[0109] The discharge pipe 222 is formed by perforating the central portion of the capture disk 221 and protruding upward and downward. The upper portion protrudes in a manner such that it is located inside the capture cylindrical portion 212 of the first capture structure 21, and the lower portion is located at the upper end of the capture plate portion of the third capture structure 23.

[0110] Furthermore, the exhaust pipe 222 is constructed with multiple holes 222a arranged in a multi-layered pattern around the upper portion of the upwardly protruding portion, allowing unreacted gas to flow in laterally and be discharged downward. This structure allows unreacted gas passing through the capture cylinder 212 of the first capture structure 21 to flow in through the upper opening and side holes of the exhaust pipe, ensuring a good exhaust flow. The size of the holes 221a formed is larger than the holes 212b formed around the innermost capture cylinder 212a of the capture cylinder 212 of the first capture structure 21. This allows the difference in flow velocity between the unreacted gas that directly collides with the exhaust pipe 222 and the unreacted gas that directly passes through the holes to form a vortex, thereby improving capture efficiency.

[0111] The flow guide plate 223 is a donut-shaped disc installed around the lower end of the exhaust pipe. It prevents unreacted gas discharged through the lower end of the exhaust pipe from immediately rising back to the capture disc 221 after discharge, causing it to accumulate in the lower space of the capture plate portion of the third capture structure 23. This is because the lower end of the exhaust pipe descends to a position corresponding to the upper portion of the capture plate portion 232 of the third capture structure 23. Therefore, if the flow of unreacted gas is not restricted, it will immediately rise to the upper space after exiting the exhaust pipe, resulting in a decrease in capture efficiency in the capture plate portion 232.

[0112] Therefore, the flow path guide plate is preferably formed with a diameter equivalent to the diameter of the upper region of the capture plate portion of the third capture structure 23 in which a plurality of capture plates are arranged in a circle, thereby achieving an adjacent or contacting state and acting as a cover.

[0113] Furthermore, a plurality of spacers 224 are mounted on the lower surface of the capture plate 221 to maintain the second capture structure 22 suspended above the third capture structure 23. The spacers may be of any length sufficient to allow the flow path guide plate 223 formed at the lower end of the discharge pipe projecting downward from the center of the second capture structure 22 to be positioned above the capture plate portion 232 of the third capture structure 23.

[0114] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a third trapping structure according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0115] See Figures 1 to 4 as well as Figure 7 The third capture structure 23 includes: a capture disk 231, which captures and loads the unreacted gas while inducing the flow of the unreacted gas to the outer contour and causing it to descend; a capture plate portion 232, in which a plurality of capture plates 232a having a plurality of holes 232b are installed in a circular arrangement on the upper surface of the capture disk, so that the unreacted gas flowing in from the top is retained and caused to flow to the outer contour while capturing and loading the reaction by-products; and a barrier wall portion 233, which is circularly surrounded at a certain distance from the outer contour of the capture plate portion, thereby preventing the captured reaction by-products from flowing out while discharging the unreacted gas.

[0116] The capture tray 231 may also include a strip-shaped flow guide 234 protruding vertically downward from its periphery to guide the downward flow of unreacted gas. The flow guide 234 prevents unreacted gas that descends through the outer contour of the capture tray from flowing directly toward the center of the lower surface of the capture tray. Instead, it guides the gas downward to a height corresponding to the height of the flow guide and is supplied to the fourth capture structure 24, thereby improving the efficiency of capturing reaction byproducts.

[0117] The capture disc 231 is a circular disc with a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the housing. When unreacted gas flowing in from the exhaust pipe 222 of the second capture structure 22 collides with its surface, it evenly diffuses and directs the flow from the center toward the outer periphery, causing it to descend toward the distal end. At this point, reaction byproducts contained in the inflowing unreacted gas condense on the upper surface of the capture disc, where they are captured and stored as a powder.

[0118] In the capture plate portion 232 and the barrier wall portion 233, the capture plate portion 232 is formed at a height higher than the vertical height of the barrier wall portion 233, thereby forming a lower step structure in the outward direction. This structure allows unreacted gas discharged to the outside through the holes 232b formed in the plurality of capture plates 232a constituting the capture plate portion 232 to flow over the upper end of the barrier wall portion 233 toward the outer periphery.

[0119] In addition, the unreacted gas may also flow toward the outer side through the spaces between the plurality of capturing plates 232 a arranged in a circular pattern.

[0120] The barrier wall portion 233 is formed by at least two barrier walls 223 a without holes being arranged in a circular shape at a predetermined interval.

[0121] Unreacted gas that has passed through the barrier walls can only flow outward through the gaps between the barrier walls 223a. Therefore, although there is some hysteresis in the flow of unreacted gas, the capture plate 232 is formed higher than the barrier walls 233, allowing the unreacted gas to flow outward through a variety of different flow paths.

[0122] Furthermore, a plurality of spacers 235 are mounted on the lower surface of the capture plate 231 to maintain the third capture structure 23 suspended above the fourth capture structure 24. The spacers may be of any length sufficient to ensure that the lower end of the flow path guide 234, which projects downward from the peripheral end of the capture plate 231 of the third capture structure 23, is aligned with the upper end of the expanded-tube-shaped discharge pipe 242 of the fourth capture structure 24.

[0123] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a fourth trapping structure according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0124] See Figures 1 to 4 as well as Figure 8 The fourth capture structure 24 includes: a capture plate 241, which captures and loads reaction by-products while inducing the unreacted gas flowing in from the outer profile to the central part; and an exhaust pipe 242, which is installed in a manner that passes through the central part of the capture plate 241 upward, and is provided with an expanded pipe portion 242a at the upper part in order to prevent the captured reaction by-products from flowing out while discharging the unreacted gas to the lower part.

[0125] The capture tray 241 is a circular disk with a diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the housing body. It prevents unreacted gas flowing downward through the outer contour of the capture tray 231 of the third capture structure 23 from directly descending to the fifth capture structure 25. Instead, it guides the gas toward the exhaust pipe 242 located in the center of the capture tray 241. At this point, the reaction byproducts contained in the flowing unreacted gas condense on the upper surface of the capture tray, where they are captured and stored in a powdered state.

[0126] The exhaust pipe 242 is formed by perforating the center of the capture tray 241 and protruding upward. A flared portion 242a is formed at the top, gradually sloping outward. This allows the unreacted gas, after descending from above and colliding with the upper surface of the capture tray 241, to rise again, bending again at a predetermined angle along the flared portion before returning. This creates a delay in the space formed by the area of ​​the capture tray 241 and the height of the exhaust pipe 242, thereby improving capture efficiency.

[0127] At this point, if the expanded portion 242a formed at the upper end of exhaust pipe 242 does not create a flow for the unreacted gas to be discharged, exhaust efficiency will decrease. Therefore, multiple holes 242b are formed along the periphery of expanded portion 242a to guide the discharge and flow, thereby allowing some unreacted gas to be discharged. Furthermore, the holes formed in the expanded portion can create vortices by generating a difference in the flow rate of the unreacted gas, further improving the efficiency of capturing reaction byproducts.

[0128] To ensure smooth exhaust flow of unreacted gas, the inner diameter of the exhaust pipe 242 is preferably larger than the inner diameter of the exhaust pipe 222 of the second capture structure 24. However, the present invention is not limited by the relative inner diameters described above.

[0129] Therefore, the moving flow path of the unreacted gas descending in the vertical direction from the peripheral end flow guide part 234 of the capture disk 231 of the third capture structure 23 to the side of the fourth capture structure 24 will form a flow in which a part of the unreacted gas flows into the installation space between the flow guide part 234 and the exhaust pipe 242 in the upper side area and descends through the upper end of the exhaust pipe, or forms a downward flow in which the reaction by-products are captured and loaded after colliding with the capture disk 241 in the lower side area and rise and then flow into the exhaust end through the multiple holes 242b formed in the expanded pipe part 242a of the exhaust pipe 242.

[0130] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a fifth trapping structure according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0131] See Figures 1 to 4 as well as Figure 9The fifth capture structure 25 includes: a capture disk 251, which blocks the downward movement of the unreacted gas flowing from the upper part to the central part, and captures and loads the gas while inducing the flow to the lower part for discharge through the outer contour; a gas receiving portion 252, which is installed on the lower surface of the capture disk 251 along the circumferential direction, and after inducing the flow of the unreacted gas to the lower part, it allows the gas to flow into the interior for storage; and a capture plate portion 253, which is installed on the lower surface of the capture disk 251 on the inner side of the gas receiving portion 252, and is composed of a plurality of capture plates 253a with a plurality of holes 253b arranged in a multi-section quadrilateral in order to prevent the unreacted gas from flowing out while only discharging the unreacted gas after multiple captures to the gas exhaust port 13a.

[0132] The capture disk 251 is a circular disk with a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the housing. When unreacted gas flowing in from the exhaust pipe 242 of the fourth capture structure 24 collides with its surface, it evenly diffuses and directs the flow from the center toward the outer periphery, causing it to descend toward the distal end. At this point, reaction byproducts contained in the inflowing unreacted gas condense on the upper surface of the capture disk, where they are captured and stored as a powder.

[0133] The gas containment portion 252 is installed along the circumference of the capture plate 251 at a predetermined distance inward from the lower outer portion thereof, thereby preventing stagnation in the flow of unreacted gas and guiding it smoothly. While the gas containment portion 252 is illustrated as a cylindrical structure in one embodiment, a polygonal cylindrical structure is also possible.

[0134] In addition, the length of the gas receiving portion 252 protruding toward the lower portion is relatively shorter than that of the capture plate portion 253 , thereby ensuring smooth inflow of the unreacted gas.

[0135] Furthermore, a plurality of coupling portions 252a are formed outwardly along the periphery of the lower end of the gas containment portion 252, which couple to the upwardly projecting support portion 13b of the lower plate 13 of the housing 1. By utilizing this coupling arrangement, the fifth capture structure 25 as a whole is maintained at a predetermined height upward from the lower plate of the housing.

[0136] The support portion 13b supports the overall load of the internal capture tower 2 while ensuring that the unreacted gas flows smoothly through the lower side of the fifth capture structure 25, and the lower plate 13 can serve to load the reaction by-products that are multi-captured by the capture plate portion 253 located on the upper side when they fall.

[0137] In the capture plate section 253, the capture plates 253a arranged in a quadrilateral on the outside have the largest width, while the capture plates 253a located on the inside have the smallest width. By adopting this configuration, the capture plates 253a can be arranged in multiple stages from the outside to the inside in a quadrilateral arrangement with a constant spacing. In this case, they can be formed to the same height.

[0138] Furthermore, when the capture plates 253a are arranged in a quadrilateral pattern, they can be spaced apart at certain intervals to prevent the corners from touching, thereby allowing unreacted gas to flow in. This configuration ensures smoother exhaust flow toward the gas outlet 13a protruding between the capture plates 253a forming the quadrilateral arrangement in the center of the lower plate, i.e., the innermost portion of the capture plate portion 253, compared to a configuration where the corners are connected. Furthermore, the gaps described above can generate a difference in the flow rate of the unreacted gas, forming a vortex flow and thereby improving the capture efficiency of reaction byproducts.

[0139] In addition, regarding the size of the hole 253b formed in the capture plate 253a, the size of the hole 253b formed on the multiple capture plates 253a arranged in the outermost quadrilateral is the largest, and the closer to the multiple capture plates 253a arranged in the inner quadrilateral, the smaller the diameter of the hole 253b formed.

[0140] By adopting the method as described above in which the size of the holes formed on the cylinder closer to the inner side becomes smaller, the unreacted gas needs to pass through a relatively small hole when moving to the capture plate 253a located on the inner side after passing through the hole 253b of the capture plate 253a located on the outer side. Therefore, a collision with the surface of the capture plate 253a and a flow velocity difference caused by passing through the smaller hole will occur and a vortex will be formed, thereby delaying the movement of the unreacted gas and thereby improving the capture efficiency on the surface of each capture cylinder.

[0141] Furthermore, a plurality of spacers 254 are mounted on the upper surface of the capture plate 251 to maintain the fourth capture structure 24 suspended above the fifth capture structure 25. The length of the spacers may be any length sufficient to maintain the lower surface of the capture plate 241 of the fourth capture structure 24 spaced apart from the upper surface of the capture plate 251 of the fifth capture structure 25.

[0142] The reaction by-product capture device applicable to the present invention constructed as described above can allow the unreacted gas discharged from the vacuum pump after the etching process is performed in the process chamber to flow into the interior through the gas inlet 12a of the shell 1 installed in a vertical form. Then, the unreacted gas cannot directly fall to the gas exhaust port 13a, but is made to pass through the internal capture tower 2 composed of the first capture structure 21, the second capture structure 22, the third capture structure 23, the fourth capture structure 24 and the fifth capture structure 25 as described in the above content. The flow rate is delayed through multiple flow path conversion structures, multiple capture structures and multiple loading structures, and the reaction by-products contained in the inflowing unreacted gas are condensed and captured in the form of powder in the state of forming a vortex. Finally, only the unreacted gas in the gaseous state is discharged through the gas exhaust port and supplied to the scrubber.

[0143] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the capture tendency within a reaction byproduct capture device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the gas flow inside a reaction byproduct capture device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 12 FIG. 1 is a flow velocity pattern diagram of a reaction by-product capture device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0144] Figure 11 (A) is the reaction by-product capture area, and Figure 12 (B) in the figure represents a gas flow path.

[0145] As shown in the figure, the reaction by-product capture device applicable to the present invention can allow the unreacted gas that quickly flows into the interior through the gas inlet of the shell installed along the vertical direction to pass through the internal capture tower composed of the first capture structure, the second capture structure, the third capture structure, the fourth capture structure and the fifth capture structure installed from the top to the bottom, and through multiple flow path conversion structures, multiple capture structures and multiple loading structures, the reaction by-products and powder forms contained in the flowing unreacted gas are condensed and captured under the state of flow velocity hysteresis, and then only the unreacted gas in the gas state is quickly discharged through the gas exhaust port.

[0146] The present invention is not limited to the specific preferred embodiments described above. Without departing from the gist of the present invention as required by the claims, persons having general knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs may make various modifications and implementations, and the changes are included in the scope described in the claims.

Claims

1. A device for capturing reaction by-products generated during an etching process, characterized in that: As a capture device for capturing reaction by-products contained in unreacted gas discharged to a scrubber via a vacuum pump in a semiconductor manufacturing process, the capture device includes an internal capture tower (2), wherein the internal capture tower (2) includes: A first capturing structure (21) which captures and loads reaction by-products while guiding the flow of unreacted gas flowing from the upper portion to the lower portion through the outer profile and performs multiple captures of the reaction by-products again at the lower portion; The second capturing structure (22) guides the unreacted gas flowing from the outer side to the central part and makes it descend, while capturing the reaction by-products and loading them together with the reaction by-products captured at the lower part of the first capturing structure; The third capturing structure (23) guides the unreacted gas flowing into the central portion to the outer contour and simultaneously performs multiple capture and loading of the reaction by-products; The fourth capturing structure (24) captures and loads the reaction by-products while guiding the unreacted gas flowing in from the outer side to the central portion and causing it to descend; and The fifth capturing structure (25) captures and loads the reaction by-products while guiding the unreacted gas flowing into the central portion to the lower portion through the outer shell, and performs multiple captures on the reaction by-products again; thereby, after the unreacted gas flowing into the gas inlet of the housing (1) is transferred to the outer shell or the central portion, it is sequentially lowered and the reaction by-products are captured and loaded, and only the remaining unreacted gas is discharged to the gas discharge port. The first capture structure (21) includes: a capture plate (211) that captures reaction by-products while inducing the flow of the inflowing unreacted gas to the outer contour; and a capture cylinder (212) installed on the lower surface of the capture plate (211). In order to multiple-capture the reaction by-products from the inflowing unreacted gas, the capture cylinder is composed of multiple sections of multiple capture cylinders (212a) and acts as a filter.

2. The device for capturing reaction byproducts generated during etching according to claim 1, wherein: The first capture structure (21), the second capture structure (22), the third capture structure (23), the fourth capture structure (24) and the fifth capture structure (25) are combined with each other at a certain distance from each other using respective spacer components (213, 224, 235, 254), and the support portion (13b) provided on the upper surface of the lower plate of the housing (1) supports the fifth capture structure (25) at a certain distance, thereby supporting the overall load of the first capture structure (21) to the fourth capture structure (24).

3. The device for capturing reaction byproducts generated during etching according to claim 1, wherein: The capture cylinder portion (212) is composed of a plurality of capture cylinders (212a) having different diameters installed in multiple sections at a certain interval. In each capture cylinder (212a), a plurality of holes (212b) are arranged in multiple arrangements along the surrounding surface. The hole (212b) formed on the capture cylinder (212a) located on the outermost contour is the largest, and the diameter of the hole formed becomes smaller as it approaches the inner capture cylinder.

4. The device for capturing reaction byproducts generated during etching according to claim 1, wherein: The second capture structure (22) includes: a capture plate (221) that captures and loads reaction by-products while guiding the unreacted gas flowing in from the outer side to the central part; an exhaust pipe (222) that is installed in a manner that passes through the central part of the capture plate from top to bottom, and discharges the unreacted gas to the lower part while preventing the captured reaction by-products from flowing out; and a flow guide plate (223) that is installed around the lower end of the exhaust pipe to improve the capture efficiency by limiting the upward flow of the discharged unreacted gas to a certain spatial area.

5. The device for capturing reaction by-products generated during etching according to claim 4, wherein: The capture disk (221) is a disk having a diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the shell body constituting the shell, and blocks the unreacted gas from directly falling toward the side of the lower third capture structure (23).

6. The device for capturing reaction by-products generated during etching according to claim 4, wherein: The upper portion of the exhaust pipe (222) protrudes in a manner such that it is located inside the capture cylindrical portion (212) of the first capture structure (21), while the lower portion is located at the upper end of the capture plate portion of the third capture structure (23), and a plurality of holes (222a) for unreacted gas inflow are arranged in a plurality around an area on one side of the upper portion of the protruding portion.

7. The device for capturing reaction byproducts generated during etching according to claim 1, wherein: The third capture structure (23) includes: a capture disk (231) that captures and loads the unreacted gas while inducing the flow of the unreacted gas to the outer contour and causing it to descend; a capture plate portion (232), in which a plurality of capture plates (232a) having a plurality of holes (232b) are installed in a circular arrangement on the upper surface of the capture disk, so that the unreacted gas flowing in from the top is retained and caused to flow to the outer contour while capturing and loading the reaction by-products; and a barrier wall portion (233) that is circularly surrounded at a certain distance from the outer contour of the capture plate portion, thereby preventing the captured reaction by-products from flowing out while discharging the unreacted gas.

8. The device for capturing reaction by-products generated during etching according to claim 7, wherein: The capture plate (231) further includes a strip-shaped flow path guide portion (234) vertically protruding downward along the periphery, thereby guiding the downward flow of the unreacted gas.

9. The device for capturing reaction by-products generated during etching according to claim 7, wherein: The capture plate portion (232) is formed to have a height higher than that of the barrier wall portion (233).

10. The device for capturing reaction by-products generated in an etching process according to claim 7, wherein: The barrier wall portion (233) is formed by at least two barrier walls (223a) without holes being formed therein and arranged in a circular shape at a certain interval.

11. The device for capturing reaction by-products generated in an etching process according to claim 1, wherein: The fourth capture structure (24) includes: a capture plate (241) that captures and loads reaction by-products while guiding the unreacted gas flowing in from the outer profile to the central portion; and an exhaust pipe (242) that is installed in a manner that passes through the central portion of the capture plate (241) upward, and is formed with an expanded pipe portion (242a) at the upper portion in order to prevent the captured reaction by-products from flowing out while discharging the unreacted gas to the lower portion.

12. The device for capturing reaction by-products generated in an etching process according to claim 11, wherein: The capture disk (241) is a disk having a diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the shell body, and blocks the unreacted gas from directly falling toward the side of the fifth capture structure (25).

13. The device for capturing reaction by-products generated in an etching process according to claim 11, wherein: The expanded tube portion (242a) is in the form of an oblique line that gradually tilts outwards from the upper portion, and multiple holes (242b) are arranged along the periphery to guide the discharge and flow of unreacted gas.

14. The device for capturing reaction by-products generated in an etching process according to claim 1, wherein: The fifth capture structure (25) includes: a capture disk (251) that blocks the downward movement of unreacted gas flowing from the upper part to the central part, and captures and loads the gas while inducing the flow to the lower part for discharge through the outer contour; a gas receiving portion (252) that is installed on the lower surface of the capture disk (251) along the circumferential direction, and after inducing the flow of the unreacted gas to the lower part, it is allowed to flow into the interior for storage; and a capture plate portion (253) that is installed on the lower surface of the capture disk (251) on the inner side of the gas receiving portion (252), and is composed of a plurality of capture plates (253a) with a plurality of holes (253b) arranged in a multi-section quadrilateral in order to prevent the unreacted gas that has flowed in from flowing out while only discharging the unreacted gas after multiple captures to the gas discharge port (13a).

15. The device for capturing reaction by-products generated in an etching process according to claim 14, wherein: The gas receiving portion (252) is formed in a manner such that the length of the gas receiving portion protruding toward the lower side is shorter than that of the capturing plate portion (253), and a plurality of coupling portions (252a) are formed outwardly along the periphery and coupled to the supporting portion (13b) protruding upward from the lower plate (13) of the housing (1).

16. The device for capturing reaction by-products generated in an etching process according to claim 14, wherein: The capture plate portion (253) is spaced at a certain distance from each other when the capture plates (253a) are arranged in a quadrilateral so that the corner portions do not touch each other, thereby allowing unreacted gas to flow in. The size of the hole (253b) formed on the capture plate (253a) arranged in the outermost quadrilateral is the largest, and the closer to the capture plate (253a) arranged in the inner quadrilateral, the smaller the hole (253b) formed.

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