A valve device, a cleaning method, and a mechanical device

Abstract

An embodiment of the present application provides a valve device, a cleaning method, and a mechanical device. The valve device includes a cleaning component, a first lifting component, and a second lifting component, and the cleaning component is disposed on the second lifting component. Among them, the first lifting component is used to control whether the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve is in a closed state; the second lifting component is used to control the cleaning component to clean the swing valve when the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve is in a closed state. In this way, the first lifting component can isolate the vacuum on one side of the vacuum chamber, and the swing valve can be cleaned during the operation of the device without stopping the working process of the mechanical device; the second lifting component can automatically clean the swing valve without removing the swing valve for cleaning, improving the cleaning efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and particularly to a valve device, a cleaning method, and a mechanical device. Background Art

[0002] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor memories, various process treatments need to be performed on wafers using a semiconductor etcher. Since most process treatments need to be carried out in a vacuum environment, the semiconductor etcher includes a vacuum chamber and a process chamber, and the vacuum chamber and the process chamber are isolated by a swing valve.

[0003] However, the small door plate on the side of the swing valve close to the vacuum chamber is closely attached to the side wall of the vacuum chamber. If the small door plate needs to be cleaned, the entire semiconductor etcher must be stopped, and then the small door plate is removed and cleaned separately, which brings great inconvenience to the production process and reduces the production efficiency of the semiconductor etcher. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a valve device, a cleaning method, and a mechanical device. The valve device can isolate the vacuum environment of the vacuum chamber and clean the small door plate on the side of the swing valve close to the vacuum chamber, improving the production efficiency of the semiconductor etcher.

[0005] The technical solution of this application is implemented as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of this application provides a valve device, which is installed in a mechanical device including a vacuum chamber and a process chamber. A swing valve is provided between the vacuum chamber and the process chamber, and the valve device is provided at the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve;

[0007] The valve device includes a cleaning component, a first lifting component, and a second lifting component, and the cleaning component is provided on the second lifting component; wherein,

[0008] The first lifting component is used to control whether the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve is in a closed state;

[0009] The second lifting component is used to control the cleaning component to clean the swing valve when the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve is in a closed state.

[0010] In a second aspect, an embodiment of this application provides a cleaning method, which is applied to the valve device. The valve device is installed in a mechanical device including a vacuum chamber and a process chamber. A swing valve is provided between the vacuum chamber and the process chamber, and the valve device is provided at the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve; the valve device includes a cleaning component, a first lifting component, and a second lifting component, and the cleaning component is provided on the second lifting component. The method includes:

[0011] Control the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing gate valve to be in a closed state through the first lifting component;

[0012] Control the cleaning component to clean the swing gate valve through the second lifting component.

[0013] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a mechanical device, which includes a vacuum chamber, a process chamber, a swing gate valve, and a gate valve device as in the first aspect.

[0014] An embodiment of the present application provides a gate valve device, a cleaning method, and a mechanical device. The gate valve device is installed in a mechanical device including a vacuum chamber and a process chamber. There is a swing gate valve between the vacuum chamber and the process chamber, and the gate valve device is arranged at the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing gate valve; the gate valve device includes a cleaning component, a first lifting component, and a second lifting component, and the cleaning component is arranged on the second lifting component; wherein, the first lifting component is used to control whether the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing gate valve is in a closed state; the second lifting component is used to control the cleaning component to clean the swing gate valve when the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing gate valve is in a closed state. In this way, the vacuum on one side of the vacuum chamber can be isolated through the first lifting component, so that the swing gate valve can be cleaned during the operation of the device, avoiding equipment damage caused by frequent downtime; the swing gate valve can be automatically cleaned through the second lifting component without being disassembled for cleaning, improving the cleaning efficiency; in addition, since the swing gate valve can be conveniently cleaned through the gate valve device, the product cleanliness is improved, thereby improving the overall operation efficiency of the device. Description of the Drawings

[0015] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor etching machine provided for the related art;

[0016] Figure 2 A partial structural diagram of a semiconductor etching machine provided for the related art;

[0017] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of a gate valve device provided for an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 4A A side view structural diagram of a gate valve device provided in an embodiment of the present application

[0019] Figure 4B A front view structural diagram of a gate valve device provided in an embodiment of the present application

[0020] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of a cleaning method provided for an embodiment of the present application

[0021] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the application scenario of the cleaning method provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of a mechanical device provided by the embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0023] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. It can be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the relevant application, rather than limiting the application. In addition, it should be noted that, for the sake of convenience of description, only the parts related to the relevant application are shown in the drawings.

[0024] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the technical field to which this application belongs. The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing the embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0025] In the following description, "some embodiments" are involved, which describe a subset of all possible embodiments. However, it can be understood that "some embodiments" can be the same subset or different subsets of all possible embodiments, and can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0026] It should be noted that the terms "first / second / third" involved in the embodiments of the present application are only used to distinguish similar objects, and do not represent a specific order for the objects. It can be understood that "first / second / third" can be interchanged with a specific order or sequence when allowed, so that the embodiments of the present application described here can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described here.

[0027] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor memories, a semiconductor etching machine needs to be used to perform various processings on a wafer. Since most processings need to be performed in a vacuum atmosphere, the semiconductor etching machine includes a vacuum chamber and a process chamber, and the vacuum chamber and the process chamber are isolated by a swing gate valve.

[0028] See Figure 1 , which shows a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor etching machine provided by the related art. As Figure 1 shown, the semiconductor etching machine 10 includes a vacuum chamber 101 and a plurality of process chambers 102, such as Figure 1 process chamber B, process chamber C, and process chamber D in , and each process chamber 102 is connected to the vacuum chamber 101 through a swing gate valve 103.

[0029] See Figure 2, which shows a partial structural schematic diagram of a semiconductor etching machine provided by the related art. As Figure 2 shown, when maintaining the chamber, the small door panel 1032 on the side close to the process chamber 102 (also known as Chamber) can be easily cleaned. However, the position of the small door panel 1031 on the side close to the vacuum chamber 101 (also known as VTM) is close to the side wall of the VTM, so the position of the small door panel 1031 cannot be cleaned. If you want to clean the small door panel 1031, the whole machine has to be stopped to remove the small door panel 1031 for cleaning.

[0030] However, in the related art, the method of cleaning by removing the small door panel is very inconvenient, and if the downtime is too much, the output of the semiconductor etching machine will be significantly reduced; but if the small door panel on the side close to the vacuum chamber is not cleaned for a long time, it will also affect the product quality, especially for those products with high cleanliness requirements.

[0031] Based on this, the embodiment of the present application provides a valve device. The valve device is installed in a mechanical device including a vacuum chamber and a process chamber. A swing valve is provided between the vacuum chamber and the process chamber, and the valve device is arranged at the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve; the valve device includes a cleaning component, a first lifting component and a second lifting component, and the cleaning component is arranged on the second lifting component; wherein, the first lifting component is used to control whether the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve is in a closed state; the second lifting component is used to control the cleaning component to clean the swing valve when the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve is in a closed state. In this way, the first lifting component can isolate the vacuum on the side of the vacuum chamber, so that the swing valve can be cleaned during the operation of the device, avoiding frequent downtime and causing damage to the device; the second lifting component can automatically clean the swing valve without removing it for cleaning, improving the cleaning efficiency; in addition, since the swing valve can be easily cleaned by the valve device, the product cleanliness is improved, thereby improving the overall operation efficiency of the device.

[0032] The following will describe each embodiment of the present application in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0033] In an embodiment of the present application, refer to Figure 3 , which shows a structural schematic diagram of a valve device 20 provided by the embodiment of the present application. As Figure 3 shown, the valve device 20 is installed in a mechanical device including a vacuum chamber and a process chamber. A swing valve is provided between the vacuum chamber and the process chamber, and the valve device is arranged at the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve;

[0034] The valve device 20 includes a cleaning component 201, a first lifting component 202, and a second lifting component 203, and the cleaning component 201 is disposed on the second lifting component 202; wherein,

[0035] The first lifting component 202 is used to control whether the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve is in a closed state;

[0036] The second lifting component 203 is used to control the cleaning component 201 to clean the swing valve when the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve is in a closed state.

[0037] It should be noted that the valve device 20 provided in the embodiments of the present application is applied to a mechanical device, and the mechanical device may be, for example, a semiconductor etching machine. As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the mechanical device includes a vacuum chamber 101 and a process chamber 102. The inside of the vacuum chamber 101 is in a vacuum state, and the process chamber 102 is a chamber where an etching reaction occurs. A swing valve 103 is disposed between the vacuum chamber 101 and the process chamber 102 for controlling whether the vacuum chamber 101 is communicated with the process chamber 102.

[0038] On this basis, referring to Figure 4A , which shows a schematic side view structure of a valve device provided in the embodiments of the present application. Referring to Figure 4B , which shows a schematic front view structure of a valve device provided in the embodiments of the present application. As Figure 4A and Figure 4B shown, the valve device 20 is disposed at the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve. Specifically, the valve device 20 includes a first lifting component 202 and a second lifting component 203, and the cleaning component 201 is disposed on the second lifting component 203. When the valve device 20 is working, the first lifting component 202 can control the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve to be in a closed state by descending, so as to isolate the vacuum on the vacuum chamber side; then, the second lifting component 203 controls the cleaning component 201 to clean the swing valve. It should be understood that in other embodiments, the first lifting component 202 can also isolate the vacuum on the vacuum chamber side by ascending.

[0039] In this way, during the operation of the mechanical equipment, although the vacuum chamber is always in a vacuum state, since the first lifting component 202 can isolate the vacuum on the vacuum chamber side, the second lifting component 203 can control the cleaning component 201 to clean the door panel on the side of the swing valve close to the vacuum chamber. In this way, the swing valve can be conveniently cleaned during the operation of the mechanical equipment without stopping the mechanical equipment and then removing the swing valve for cleaning, avoiding damage to the mechanical equipment due to frequent downtime, improving the product cleanliness, and improving the production efficiency.

[0040] The first lifting component 202 and the second lifting component 203 can adopt power parts with various principles. Only the telescopic connecting rod will be specifically described below.

[0041] Please refer to Figure 4A , in some embodiments, the first lifting component 202 includes a first telescopic connecting rod 2021 and a first lifting valve body 2022, and the first telescopic connecting rod 2021 is used to drive the first lifting valve body 2022 to slide between a first vertical height and a second vertical height.

[0042] The first lifting component 202 is specifically used to control the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve to be in an open state when the first lifting valve body 2022 slides to the first vertical height; or to control the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve to be in a closed state when the first lifting valve body slides to the second vertical height.

[0043] It should be noted that the first lifting component 202 can be in the form of a telescopic valve. Therefore, the first lifting component 202 includes a first telescopic connecting rod 2021 and a first lifting valve body 2022. The first telescopic connecting rod 2021 is a power part, such as a hydraulic part, a pneumatic part, etc. The first telescopic connecting rod 2021 can drive the first lifting valve body 2022 to slide between a first vertical height and a second vertical height.

[0044] When the first lifting valve body 2022 is at the first vertical height, the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve is in an open state. When the second lifting valve body 2021 is at the second vertical height, the second lifting valve body 2021 completely closes the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve, thereby isolating the vacuum on the vacuum chamber side.

[0045] Here, the first vertical height can be higher than the second vertical height, or the first vertical height can be lower than the second vertical height. In other words, for the mechanical equipment, a space higher or lower than the swing valve needs to be separately provided for the valve device 20 to accommodate the first lifting valve body 2022 when the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve does not need to be closed.

[0046] Further, in some embodiments, the valve device 20 further includes a safety pin 204 and a safety slot 205. The safety pin 204 is disposed on the first lifting valve body 2022, and the safety slot 205 is disposed at the bottom of the valve device 20;

[0047] The safety pin 204 is configured to be inserted into the safety slot 205 when the first lifting valve body 2022 slides to the second vertical height to lock the first lifting valve body 2022.

[0048] It should be noted that, in order to improve safety, a locking mechanism may also be provided for the first lifting valve body 2022. Taking the case where the first vertical height is higher than the second vertical height as an example, at this time, the first lifting valve body 2022 needs to descend to close the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve. At this time, a safety pin 204 may be provided on the first lifting valve body 2022, and a safety slot 205 is provided at the bottom of the device opposite to the first lifting valve body 2022. Thus, after the first lifting valve body 2022 descends, the safety pin 204 will be inserted into the safety slot 205, thereby achieving locking and preventing the first lifting valve body 2022 from rising unexpectedly due to external force or other reasons, resulting in equipment damage.

[0049] It should be understood that the safety pin 204 may also be additionally connected to a small telescopic link to automatically control the locking and unlocking actions of the safety pin 204 and the safety slot 205.

[0050] Similarly, the second lifting assembly 203 includes a second telescopic link 2031 and a second lifting valve body 2032, and the cleaning assembly 201 is disposed on the second lifting valve body 2032;

[0051] The second telescopic link 2031 is configured to drive the second lifting valve body 2032 to slide from the first vertical height to the second vertical height so that the cleaning assembly 201 and the swing valve are within the same height range.

[0052] It should be noted that the second lifting assembly 203 includes a second telescopic link 2031 and a second lifting valve body 2032, and the cleaning assembly 201 is disposed on the second lifting valve body 2032.

[0053] Here, the second telescopic link 2031 and the first telescopic link 2021 may be power components with the same principle or different. The second telescopic link 2031 is used to drive the second lifting valve body 2032 to slide from the first vertical height to the second vertical height so that the cleaning assembly 201 and the swing valve are within the same height range.

[0054] In other words, in the non-operating state of the valve device 20, the first lifting valve body 2022 and the second lifting valve body 2032 are actually hidden in the enclosed space above / below the swing valve, thus not affecting the connection / isolation state between the vacuum chamber and the process chamber. Specifically, this space can be set as an airtight space. For example, a flip door is provided at the bottom / top of this airtight space. When cleaning is required, the flip door is opened, the first lifting valve body first descends / ascends to isolate the vacuum on the vacuum chamber side, and then the second lifting valve body 2032 descends / ascends, so as to control the cleaning assembly 201 to be at the same height as the swing valve to be cleaned, facilitating subsequent cleaning; after the cleaning is completed, the first lifting valve body 2022 and the second lifting valve body 2032 are controlled to return to this enclosed space, thus preventing the valve device 20 from affecting the normal operation of the semiconductor etcher.

[0055] Specifically, the first lifting valve body 2022 and the second lifting valve body 2032 can be set to have opposite sliding directions. Exemplarily, the first lifting valve body 2022 is hidden in the enclosed space above the swing valve, while the second lifting valve body 2032 is hidden in the enclosed space below the swing valve. During use, the first lifting valve body 2022 needs to descend, while the second lifting valve body 2032 needs to ascend.

[0056] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cleaning assembly 201 includes a chute 2011, a micro thruster 2012, and a dirt removal member 2013. The chute 2011 is provided on the second lifting valve body 2032. One end of the micro thruster 2012 is provided on the chute 2011, and a dirt removal member 2013 is provided at the other end of the micro thruster 2012;

[0057] The micro thruster 2012 is used to control the dirt removal member 2013 to move in the horizontal direction so that the dirt removal member 2013 contacts the swing valve;

[0058] The chute 2011 is used to control the dirt removal member 2013 to move in the vertical direction when the cleaning assembly 201 contacts the swing valve, so as to clean the swing valve.

[0059] It should be noted that, as Figure 4A and Figure 4B shown, the cleaning assembly 201 can include a chute 2011, a micro thruster 2012, and a dirt removal member 2013. Before the start of the cleaning process, in the horizontal direction, the dirt removal member 2013 and the swing valve are not in the same horizontal position, which can reduce the resistance when the second lifting assembly 203 descends and improve the lifespan of the dirt removal member 2013 at the same time.

[0060] After the cleaning assembly 201 reaches the same height as the swing valve, the micro thruster 2012 drives the dirt removal member 2013 to move horizontally until the dirt removal member 2013 contacts the surface of the swing valve near the vacuum side, that is, Figure 2 the small door panel 1031 in

[0061] It should also be noted that the dirt removal member 2013 can be a rigid sponge.

[0062] Furthermore, the cleaning assembly 201 further includes a telescopic carrier plate 206. The telescopic carrier plate 206 is arranged on the second lifting valve body 2032 and is located below the dirt removal member 2013. Among them,

[0063] the telescopic carrier plate 206 is used to collect some dirt generated during the cleaning process of the swing valve by the cleaning assembly 201.

[0064] It should be noted that some dirt debris will be generated when the dirt removal member 2013 cleans the small door panel. In order to avoid polluting the overall mechanical equipment, a telescopic carrier plate 206 can be arranged below the dirt removal member 2013 to collect the dirt. Here, the telescopic carrier plate 206 can be set in a state linked to the dirt removal member 2013 or a separately controlled state.

[0065] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the valve device 20 further includes a switch door 207;

[0066] The second telescopic link 2031 is further used to drive the second lifting valve body 2032 to slide from the second vertical height to the first vertical height;

[0067] The switch door 207 is used to expose the dirt removal member 2013 and the telescopic carrier plate 206 when the second telescopic assembly 203 slides to the first vertical height.

[0068] It should be noted that after the cleaning process is completed, the second telescopic link 2031 will also drive the second lifting valve body 2032 to slide from the second vertical height to the first vertical height, that is, the second lifting valve body 2032 returns to the storage space above / below the swing valve. This storage space has a switch door 207. By opening the switch door 207, the dirt removal member 2013 and the telescopic carrier plate 206 can be exposed, so as to replace the dirt removal member 2013 and clean the telescopic carrier plate 206, improving the efficiency of subsequent cleaning. After that, close the switch door 207 and slide the first telescopic link 2021 from the second vertical height to the first vertical height, so as to restore the connection between the vacuum chamber and the swing valve and complete the current cleaning process.

[0069] Further, in some embodiments, the valve device 20 further includes an air pump assembly 208;

[0070] The air pump assembly 208 is configured to extract part of the dirt generated during the cleaning process of the swing valve by the cleaning assembly 201;

[0071] Wherein, the air pump assembly 208 includes an air pump 2081, a switching valve 2082 and a filter screen 2083. The air pump 2081 is connected to the closed chamber through a pipeline. The switching valve 2082 and the filter screen 2083 are arranged at one end of the pipeline close to the closed chamber. The closed chamber refers to the chamber formed between the first lifting assembly 202 and the swing valve when the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve is in a closed state.

[0072] It should be noted that, as Figure 4A and Figure 4B shown, the valve device 20 further includes an air pump assembly 208. During the cleaning process of the valve device 20, a closed chamber is actually formed between the swing valves of the valve device 20. The air pump assembly 208 can extract this closed chamber, so that most of the removed dirt will be extracted and leave, and a small part will fall into the telescopic carrier plate 206.

[0073] The air pump assembly 208 includes an air pump 2081, a switching valve 2082 and a filter screen 2083. The filter screen 2083 is to prevent large particle dirt from blocking the air pump assembly. The switching valve 2082 is used to control whether the air pump is connected to this closed chamber, so as to prevent the vacuum state of the vacuum chamber from affecting the air pump 2081 when the valve device 20 is in a non-working state. Here, the air pump 2081 includes various types, such as a dry pump, etc.

[0074] Further, in some embodiments, the acting force of the micro thruster 2012 is less than or equal to a first threshold value, and the signal response time of the first lifting assembly 202 and the second lifting assembly 203 is less than or equal to a second threshold value.

[0075] It should be noted that the acting force of the micro thruster 2012 is less than or equal to a first threshold value, preferably 2 Newtons.

[0076] The valve device 20 can be designed to be manual or signal-controlled. When the valve device 20 is signal-controlled, in one embodiment, the first lifting assembly 202, the second lifting assembly 203, the micro thruster 2012, the chute 2011, the telescopic carrier plate 206, the air pump 2081, the safety pin 204, etc. can all be set to be electric. Considering the efficiency of the cleaning process, the signal response time of these devices must be less than or equal to a second threshold value, preferably 1 second.

[0077] The dirt removal part 2013 needs to be selected as not easily damaged, such as sponge, steel wire, brush, etc., preferably a hard sponge. On the premise of not being easily damaged, the hard sponge has good cleaning power, low cost and will not damage the small door panel.

[0078] In particular, according to the actual application scenario, the above devices can all be replaced by other devices with similar functions, or other devices can be added on the basis of the above. For example, a cleaning agent storage part, a cleaning agent spraying part, a distilled water tank, etc.

[0079] In summary, in the transfer area of the semiconductor etching machine provided by the related technology, that is, between the process chamber and the vacuum chamber, the swing gate valve close to the vacuum chamber side is not easy to clean. It is necessary to stop the whole machine and then remove it to clean, which results in the swing gate valve close to the vacuum chamber side not being cleaned during the maintenance of the ordinary machine tool. Moreover, not cleaning for a long time may cause attachments on the swing gate valve close to the vacuum chamber side, ultimately affecting the product yield. In the application embodiment, on one side of the vacuum chamber, a new door panel, that is, a gate valve device, is installed, so that the swing gate valve does not need to be removed during the maintenance of the machine tool for cleaning, and the door panel can be conveniently cleaned during the maintenance of the machine tool, increasing the product yield.

[0080] Specifically, the gate valve device has strong flexibility. When the staff performs chamber maintenance, the first telescopic link in the gate valve device can be lowered to the bottom until the safety pin of the first telescopic link is inserted into the safety pin slot through the internal small telescopic link to play a role of secondary locking; then, after the action of the first telescopic link is completed, the second telescopic link drives the cleaning component to automatically clean the side of the swing gate valve close to the vacuum chamber. In this way, there is no need to shut down the whole machine to clean the swing gate valve, and it can be cleaned together during chamber maintenance. The gate valve device itself is an independent micro system with strong independence and can be cleaned and maintained at any time, without the need to clean again during chamber maintenance or whole machine maintenance.

[0081] The embodiment of the present application provides a valve device, a cleaning method and a mechanical device. The valve device is installed in a mechanical device including a vacuum chamber and a process chamber. A swing valve is arranged between the vacuum chamber and the process chamber, and the valve device is arranged at the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve. The valve device includes a cleaning component, a first lifting component and a second lifting component, and the cleaning component is arranged on the second lifting component. Among them, the first lifting component is used to control whether the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve is in a closed state; the second lifting component is used to control the cleaning component to clean the swing valve when the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve is in a closed state. In this way, the first lifting component can isolate the vacuum on the side of the vacuum chamber, so that the swing valve can be cleaned during the operation of the device, avoiding equipment damage caused by frequent downtime; the second lifting component can automatically clean the swing valve without disassembling for cleaning, improving the cleaning efficiency; in addition, since the swing valve can be easily cleaned by the valve device, the product cleanliness is improved, thereby improving the overall operation efficiency of the device.

[0082] In another embodiment of the present application, refer to Figure 5 , which shows a structural schematic diagram of a cleaning method provided by an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 5 shown, the method may include:

[0083] S301: Control the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve to be in a closed state through the first lifting component;

[0084] S302: Control the cleaning component to clean the swing valve through the second lifting component.

[0085] It should be noted that the cleaning method provided by the embodiment of the present application is applied to a semiconductor etcher.

[0086] In the related art, a semiconductor etcher includes a process chamber and a vacuum chamber, and a swing valve is arranged between the process chamber and the vacuum chamber. When cleaning the surface of the swing valve on the side close to the vacuum chamber, the overall semiconductor etcher needs to stop working, and then the swing valve is disassembled for cleaning, with relatively high complexity.

[0087] In an embodiment of the present application, a gate valve device is installed in a semiconductor etching machine, so as to conveniently clean the surface of the swing gate valve on the side close to the vacuum chamber by using the gate valve device. In other words, the cleaning method provided by the embodiment of the present application is applied to the gate valve device, and the gate valve device is installed in a mechanical device including a vacuum chamber and a process chamber. A swing gate valve is arranged between the vacuum chamber and the process chamber, and the gate valve device is arranged at the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing gate valve; the gate valve device includes a cleaning component, a first lifting component and a second lifting component, and the cleaning component is arranged on the second lifting component.

[0088] Based on such a structure, when cleaning, first, the first lifting component is used to control the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing gate valve to be in a closed state to isolate the vacuum environment on the vacuum chamber side; second, the second lifting component is used to control the cleaning component to clean the swing gate valve. In this way, it is not necessary to stop the operation of the overall semiconductor etching machine, and the swing gate valve can be randomly cleaned by using the gate valve device, which is simple and convenient, and further avoids affecting the product cleanliness.

[0089] It should also be noted that the first lifting component and the second lifting component can be powered parts based on various principles. Only the telescopic link is used for illustration below.

[0090] In some embodiments, the first lifting component includes a first telescopic link and a first lifting valve body. Correspondingly, controlling the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing gate valve to be in a closed state by the first lifting component may include:

[0091] Using the first telescopic link to drive the first lifting valve body to slide from a first vertical height to a second vertical height to control the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing gate valve to be in a closed state.

[0092] It should be noted that the first lifting component is composed of a first telescopic link and a first lifting valve body. The first telescopic link can drive the first lifting valve body to slide from a first vertical height to a second vertical height, thereby isolating the vacuum on the vacuum chamber side. The first telescopic link can be a pneumatic part, a hydraulic part, etc. The first vertical height can be lower than the second vertical height, or the first vertical height can also be higher than the second vertical height.

[0093] Furthermore, in order to better isolate the vacuum on the vacuum chamber side, a locking mechanism can be additionally provided to ensure that the first lifting component will not accidentally slide when isolating the vacuum on the vacuum chamber side. Therefore, in some embodiments, the gate valve device further includes a safety pin and a safety slot; the method may further include:

[0094] When using the first telescopic link to drive the first lifting valve body to slide from a first vertical height to a second vertical height, insert the safety pin into the safety slot to lock the first lifting valve body.

[0095] It should be noted that when the first lifting valve body slides from the first vertical height to the second vertical height, a safety pin is inserted into the safety slot to lock the first lifting valve body.

[0096] Furthermore, the second lifting assembly includes a second telescopic link and a second lifting valve body, and the cleaning assembly includes a dirt removing member, a chute, and a micro thruster; thus, in some embodiments, controlling the cleaning assembly by the second lifting assembly to clean the swing valve can include:

[0097] Using the second telescopic link to drive the second lifting valve body to slide from the first vertical height to the second vertical height so that the cleaning assembly and the swing valve are within the same height range;

[0098] Using the micro thruster to control the dirt removing member to move horizontally until the dirt removing member contacts the swing valve;

[0099] Using the chute to control the dirt removing member to move vertically to achieve cleaning of the swing valve.

[0100] It should be noted that after isolating the vacuum on the vacuum chamber side using the first lifting assembly, the second telescopic link is used to drive the second lifting valve body to slide to the height where the swing valve is located, so that the cleaning assembly and the swing valve are within the same height range; then, the micro thruster is used to control the dirt removing member to move horizontally until the dirt removing member contacts the swing valve; finally, the chute is used to control the dirt removing member to move vertically to achieve cleaning of the swing valve.

[0101] Furthermore, the valve device further includes a telescopic carrier plate and a door switch. Thus, in some embodiments, after controlling the cleaning assembly by the second lifting assembly to clean the swing valve, the method may further include:

[0102] Controlling the second lifting valve body to slide from the second vertical height to the first vertical height;

[0103] Exposing the dirt removing member and the telescopic carrier plate through the door switch to replace the dirt removing member and / or clean the telescopic carrier plate;

[0104] Wherein, the telescopic carrier plate is used to receive some dirt generated during the process of cleaning the swing valve by the cleaning assembly.

[0105] It should be noted that in order to prevent the dirt generated during the cleaning process from affecting the subsequent production process, a telescopic bearing plate is further provided below the dirt removal member, so that part of the dirt generated during the cleaning process by the dirt removal member is collected by the telescopic bearing plate. After the cleaning process, the second lifting valve body returns to the first vertical height, and then the switch door at the valve gate device is opened to replace the dirt removal member and / or clean the telescopic bearing plate.

[0106] Furthermore, the valve gate device further includes an air pump assembly. Therefore, in some embodiments, the method may further include:

[0107] During the process of the cleaning component cleaning the swing valve gate, part of the dirt generated during the cleaning process is extracted by the air pump assembly.

[0108] It should be noted that during the cleaning process, a sealed chamber is actually formed between the first lifting valve body and the swing valve gate, and an air pump can be provided for this sealed chamber. In this way, during the cleaning process, the gas in the sealed chamber can be extracted by the air pump to remove the dirt during the cleaning process.

[0109] It should also be noted that the overall valve gate device can be set to be manual or electric, preferably electrically controlled. At this time, considering the cleaning efficiency and safety, the acting force of the micro thruster is less than or equal to the first threshold; the signal response time of the first lifting component and the second lifting component is less than or equal to the second threshold. For example, the first threshold is 2 Newtons and the second threshold is 1 second.

[0110] Please refer to Figure 6 , which shows an application scenario diagram of the cleaning method provided by the embodiment of the present application. As Figure 6 shown, this cleaning method is applied to the valve gate device. In particular, Figure 6 the vacuum chamber in

[0111] S100: When the process chamber is being maintained, the first lifting component 202 descends and closes to isolate the vacuum on the vacuum chamber side;

[0112] S200: The second lifting component 203 descends. The second lifting component 203 contains a cleaning component 201. The cleaning component 201 may include a micro thruster and the rigid sponge at its front end, as well as a small sliding groove for assisting the micro thruster to slide, and a telescopic bearing plate;

[0113] S300: When the valve in the second lifting component 203 descends, the telescopic bearing plate extends under the swinging valve, and then the micro thruster extends to the surface of the swinging valve. In particular, the micro thruster can control the magnitude of the acting force. When the rigid sponge at the front end of the micro thruster touches the surface of the swinging valve, control the rigid sponge to slide up and down along the auxiliary small chute to clean its surface;

[0114] S400: The attachments on the swinging valve, that is, dirt, will fall into the telescopic bearing plate and adhere to the rigid sponge. The remaining trace attachments will be pumped away by a dry pump (not shown in the figure);

[0115] S500: After the cleaning is completed, the micro thruster and the telescopic bearing plate will retract into the second lifting component and rise with the second lifting component 203. Then, replace the rigid sponge / clean the telescopic bearing plate through the switchable door.

[0116] In this way, since the valve device provided by the embodiment of the present application can be regarded as an independent micro system itself, with strong independence, it can be cleaned and maintained at any time without cleaning during chamber maintenance or overall machine maintenance.

[0117] The embodiment of the present application provides a cleaning method applied to a valve device. The valve device is installed in a mechanical device including a vacuum chamber and a process chamber. A swinging valve is provided between the vacuum chamber and the process chamber, and the valve device is arranged at the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swinging valve. The valve device includes a cleaning component, a first lifting component, and a second lifting component, and the cleaning component is arranged on the second lifting component. The method includes: controlling the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swinging valve to be in a closed state through the first lifting component; controlling the cleaning component to perform a cleaning process on the swinging valve through the second lifting component. In this way, through the first lifting component, the vacuum on one side of the vacuum chamber can be isolated, so that the swinging valve can be cleaned during the operation of the device, avoiding equipment damage caused by frequent downtime; through the second lifting component, the swinging valve can be automatically cleaned without disassembly, improving the cleaning efficiency; in addition, since the swinging valve can be conveniently cleaned through the valve device, the product cleanliness is improved, thereby improving the operation efficiency of the overall device.

[0118] In another embodiment, refer to Figure 7 , which shows a schematic structural diagram of a mechanical device 30 provided by the embodiment of the present application. The mechanical device 30 includes a vacuum chamber 304, a process chamber 301, a swinging valve 302, and a valve device 303, and the process chamber 301, the swinging valve 302, the valve device 303, and the vacuum chamber 304 are arranged in sequence. Among them, the valve device 304 is the valve device described in any one of the foregoing embodiments, such as the valve device 20.

[0119] As Figure 7 shown, for the mechanical device 30, since it includes a swing valve device 303, the vacuum on one side of the vacuum chamber can be isolated through the first lifting component, so that the swing valve can be cleaned during the operation of the device, avoiding frequent downtime and equipment damage; through the second lifting component, the swing valve can be automatically cleaned without being disassembled, improving the cleaning efficiency; in addition, since the swing valve can be easily cleaned through this valve device, the product cleanliness is improved, thereby improving the overall operation efficiency of the device.

[0120] In one embodiment, the mechanical device 30 can be a semiconductor etching machine.

[0121] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present application and are not used to limit the protection scope of the present application.

[0122] It should be noted that in the present application, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variant thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements not only includes those elements but also includes other elements not expressly listed, or further includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the statement "including one..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element.

[0123] The serial numbers of the above embodiments of the present application are only for description and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments.

[0124] The methods disclosed in the several method embodiments provided by the present application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method embodiments.

[0125] The features disclosed in the several product embodiments provided by the present application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new product embodiments.

[0126] The features disclosed in the several method or device embodiments provided by the present application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method embodiments or device embodiments.

[0127] The above are only the specific embodiments of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present application can easily think of changes or substitutions, which should be covered by the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A valve device, characterized in that, Installed in a mechanical device including a vacuum chamber and a process chamber, a swing gate valve is provided between the vacuum chamber and the process chamber, and the valve device is provided at the opening of the vacuum chamber on the side close to the swing gate valve; The valve device includes a cleaning component, a first lifting component and a second lifting component, and the cleaning component is provided on the second lifting component; wherein, The first lifting component is used to control whether the opening of the vacuum chamber on the side close to the swing gate valve is in a closed state; The second lifting component is used to control the cleaning component to clean the swing gate valve when the opening of the vacuum chamber on the side close to the swing gate valve is in a closed state.

2. The valve device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first lifting component includes a first telescopic link and a first lifting valve body, and the first telescopic link is used to drive the first lifting valve body to slide between a first vertical height and a second vertical height; The first lifting component is specifically used to control the opening of the vacuum chamber on the side close to the swing gate valve to be in an open state when the first lifting valve body slides to the first vertical height; or to control the opening of the vacuum chamber on the side close to the swing gate valve to be in a closed state when the first lifting valve body slides to the second vertical height.

3. The valve device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The valve device further includes a safety pin and a safety slot, the safety pin is provided on the first lifting valve body, and the safety slot is provided at the bottom of the valve device; The safety pin is used to insert into the safety slot when the first lifting valve body slides to the second vertical height to lock the first lifting valve body.

4. The valve device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second lifting component includes a second telescopic link and a second lifting valve body, and the cleaning component is provided on the second lifting valve body; The second telescopic link is used to drive the second lifting valve body to slide from the first vertical height to the second vertical height so that the cleaning component and the swing gate valve are within the same height range.

5. The valve device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The cleaning component includes a chute, a micro thruster and a dirt removal member, the chute is provided on the lifting valve body, one end of the micro thruster is provided on the chute, and the other end of the micro thruster is provided with the dirt removal member; The micro thruster is used to control the dirt removal member to move in the horizontal direction so that the dirt removal member contacts the swing gate valve; The chute is used to control the dirt removal member to move in the vertical direction when the cleaning component contacts the swing gate valve to realize the cleaning of the swing gate valve.

6. The valve device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The cleaning component further includes a telescopic bearing plate, the telescopic bearing plate is provided on the second lifting valve body, and the telescopic bearing plate is located below the dirt removal member; wherein, The telescopic bearing plate is used to receive part of the dirt generated during the cleaning process of the swing gate valve by the cleaning component.

7. The valve device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The valve device further includes a switch door; The second telescopic link is further used to drive the second lifting valve body to slide from the second vertical height to the first vertical height; The door opening and closing mechanism is used to expose the dirt removing component and the telescopic carrier tray when the second telescopic component slides to the first vertical height.

8. The valve device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The valve gate device further includes an air pump assembly; The air pump assembly is used to extract part of the dirt generated during the cleaning process of the swing valve gate by the cleaning component; Wherein, the air pump assembly includes an air pump, a switch valve and a filter screen. The air pump is connected to the closed chamber through a pipeline. The switch valve and the filter screen are arranged at one end of the pipeline close to the closed chamber. The closed chamber refers to the chamber formed between the first lifting component and the swing valve gate when the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve gate is in a closed state.

9. A cleaning method, characterized in that, Applied to a valve gate device, the valve gate device is installed in a mechanical device including a vacuum chamber and a process chamber. There is a swing valve gate between the vacuum chamber and the process chamber, and the valve gate device is arranged at the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve gate; The valve gate device includes a cleaning component, a first lifting component and a second lifting component, and the cleaning component is arranged on the second lifting component. The method includes: Controlling the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve gate to be in a closed state through the first lifting component; Controlling the cleaning component to clean the swing valve gate through the second lifting component.

10. The cleaning method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first lifting component includes a first telescopic link and a first lifting valve body; The controlling the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve gate to be in a closed state through the first lifting component includes: Using the first telescopic link to drive the first lifting valve body to slide from the first vertical height to the second vertical height to control the opening on the side of the vacuum chamber close to the swing valve gate to be in a closed state.

11. The cleaning method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The valve gate device further includes a safety pin and a safety slot; The method further includes: When using the first telescopic link to drive the first lifting valve body to slide from the first vertical height to the second vertical height, inserting the safety pin into the safety slot to lock the first lifting valve body.

12. The cleaning method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The second lifting component includes a second telescopic link and a second lifting valve body, and the cleaning component includes a dirt removing component, a chute and a micro thruster; The controlling the cleaning component to clean the swing valve gate through the second lifting component includes: Using the second telescopic link to drive the second lifting valve body to slide from the first vertical height to the second vertical height so that the cleaning component and the swing valve gate are within the same height range; Using the micro thruster to control the dirt removing component to move horizontally until the dirt removing component contacts the swing valve gate; Using the chute to control the dirt removing component to move vertically to achieve the cleaning of the swing valve gate.

13. The cleaning method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The valve gate device further includes a telescopic carrier tray and a door opening and closing mechanism; After controlling the cleaning component to clean the swing valve gate through the second lifting component, the method further includes: Controlling the second lifting valve body to slide from the second vertical height to the first vertical height; The dirt removing member and the telescopic carrier tray are exposed by opening and closing the door, and the dirt removing member is replaced and / or the telescopic carrier tray is cleaned; Wherein, the telescopic carrier tray is used for receiving part of the dirt generated during the cleaning of the swing valve by the cleaning assembly.

14. The cleaning method according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that, The valve device further includes an air pump assembly; The method further includes: During the cleaning of the swing valve by the cleaning assembly, part of the dirt generated during the cleaning process is extracted by the air pump assembly.

15. A mechanical device, characterized in that, The mechanical equipment includes a vacuum chamber, a process chamber, a swing valve, and a valve device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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