Epitaxial furnace built-in part cleaning device
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202310636436.9
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-05-31
- Publication Date
- 2026-09-22
- Estimated Expiration
- 2043-05-31
AI Technical Summary
[0004]现有的清洗方式一般手工清洗作业,首先由药剂浸泡,然后通过手动清洗,其清洗效率较低,且清洗过程无法规范化,清洗效果难以统一,使得部分内置件无法满足洁净标准,影响后续外延生长工艺
[0019]综上,本发明中的外延炉内置件清洗装置,包括:外壳、注液组件、排液组件以及通气组件;所述外壳内设置有清洗室,所述清洗室至少被分隔为相互连通的小件清洗区、大件清洗区和异形件清洗区;所述注液组件用于向所述清洗室内注入清洗液,所述排液组件用于排出清洗液;所述通气组件用于向所述大件清洗区和/或所述异形件清洗区的底部通入惰性气体。
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Figure CN116657243B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a device for cleaning components inside an epitaxial furnace. Background Technology
[0002] Epitaxial growth is an essential process in wafer fabrication. It utilizes the principle of nucleation based on the similarity of two-dimensional structures at the crystal interface to grow a single crystal layer with a complete lattice and different impurity concentrations and thicknesses along the original crystal axis on a single wafer.
[0003] In epitaxial growth processes, wafers are placed within the reaction chamber of an epitaxial furnace. This chamber is typically made of high-purity quartz to meet requirements for high temperature resistance, good light transmittance, high cleanliness, and good sealing. Additionally, various shaped internal components are placed within the reaction chamber to ensure uniform airflow and temperature consistency during silicon wafer epitaxy. Existing internal components are generally made of quartz. After a certain number of epitaxial growth processes, various reaction residues accumulate on the surface of these components. These residues can affect subsequent epitaxial growth processes and the quality of the epitaxial wafer product. Therefore, these internal components need to be removed during furnace maintenance and cleaned with special acid-base agents to remove the residues deposited on their surfaces. After cleaning, they are then reinstalled into the epitaxial furnace for continued use.
[0004] Existing cleaning methods are generally manual, involving initial soaking in chemicals followed by manual washing. This method is inefficient, lacks standardization, and yields inconsistent cleaning results, causing some internal components to fail to meet cleanliness standards and affecting subsequent epitaxial growth processes. Furthermore, since internal components are often irregularly shaped, manual cleaning can easily lead to them bumping and colliding with each other, causing damage. Summary of the Invention
[0005] This invention provides a cleaning device for internal components of an epitaxial furnace. The internal cleaning chamber of the device is divided into sections, and inert gas is selectively introduced into each section. It can adapt to the cleaning of internal components with irregular shapes, improve cleaning efficiency and cleaning effect, and protect the internal components from colliding with each other.
[0006] The epitaxial furnace internal component cleaning device includes: a shell, a liquid injection assembly, a liquid drainage assembly, and a ventilation assembly;
[0007] The outer casing is provided with a cleaning chamber, which is at least divided into a small parts cleaning area, a large parts cleaning area, and an irregularly shaped parts cleaning area that are interconnected.
[0008] The injection assembly is used to inject cleaning fluid into the cleaning chamber, and the drainage assembly is used to drain the cleaning fluid.
[0009] The ventilation assembly is used to introduce inert gas into the bottom of the large parts cleaning area and / or the irregular parts cleaning area.
[0010] Optionally, the large part cleaning area is a cone shape with an inner diameter that gradually decreases from top to bottom; and / or, at least one irregular part isolation plate is provided in the irregular part cleaning area, the irregular part isolation plate is detachably disposed in the irregular part cleaning area, and the irregular part cleaning area is divided into multiple layers from top to bottom.
[0011] Optionally, the irregularly shaped partition plate is provided with mesh holes for inert gas to pass through.
[0012] Optionally, the bottom of the small parts cleaning area, the large parts cleaning area, and the irregularly shaped parts cleaning area are all provided with a base plate, the base plate having mesh holes for inert gas to pass through, and the base plate being set at an angle relative to the horizontal plane.
[0013] Optionally, the epitaxial furnace internal component cleaning device further includes at least two side partitions, each of which is located in the cleaning chamber and horizontally divides the cleaning chamber into at least the small component cleaning area, the large component cleaning area, and the irregularly shaped component cleaning area, with at least one of the side partitions being detachably disposed in the cleaning chamber.
[0014] Optionally, the side partition has a mesh.
[0015] Optionally, the housing is further provided with a drying chamber, and the ventilation component is used to introduce gas into the drying chamber to dry the cleaned internal components.
[0016] Optionally, the epitaxial furnace internal component cleaning device further includes a controller and an ion concentration meter. The ion concentration meter is disposed in the cleaning chamber and is used to detect the concentration value of a specified ion in the cleaning solution in the cleaning chamber and send the concentration value to the controller. The controller is used to compare the concentration value with a concentration threshold. If the concentration value is less than the concentration threshold, the liquid injection component stops injecting liquid into the cleaning chamber. If the concentration value is greater than the concentration threshold, the liquid injection component continues to inject liquid into the cleaning chamber.
[0017] Optionally, the epitaxial furnace internal component cleaning device further includes a controller, and the liquid injection assembly includes a first liquid injection pipe and a second liquid injection pipe. The first liquid injection pipe is used to inject a first cleaning liquid into the cleaning chamber, and the second liquid injection pipe is used to inject a second cleaning liquid into the cleaning chamber. The controller is used to control the liquid injection flow rate of the first liquid injection pipe and the second liquid injection pipe so that the first cleaning liquid and the second cleaning liquid are input into the cleaning chamber in proportion.
[0018] Optionally, the liquid injection assembly includes a spray head, which is circumferentially disposed on each side wall of the small parts cleaning area, the large parts cleaning area, and the irregularly shaped parts cleaning area; and / or; the housing is further provided with a liquid passage area, a gas passage area, and an electrical circuit area, wherein the liquid passage area is used to house the pipelines of the liquid injection assembly and the liquid drainage assembly, the gas passage area is used to house the pipelines of the ventilation assembly, and the electrical circuit area is used to house electrical equipment.
[0019] In summary, the epitaxial furnace internal component cleaning device of the present invention includes: a shell, a liquid injection component, a liquid drainage component, and a ventilation component; a cleaning chamber is provided inside the shell, and the cleaning chamber is at least divided into a small component cleaning area, a large component cleaning area, and an irregularly shaped component cleaning area that are interconnected; the liquid injection component is used to inject cleaning liquid into the cleaning chamber, and the liquid drainage component is used to discharge the cleaning liquid; the ventilation component is used to introduce inert gas into the bottom of the large component cleaning area and / or the irregularly shaped component cleaning area.
[0020] This configuration improves the cleaning efficiency of the internal components of the epitaxial furnace, facilitates standardization during the cleaning process, ensures uniform cleaning results, and helps all internal components meet cleanliness standards. At the same time, the partitioned design can accommodate internal components of different shapes, facilitating the simultaneous cleaning of all irregular internal components.
[0021] The cleaning chamber is divided into at least three interconnected areas: a small parts cleaning area, a large parts cleaning area, and an irregularly shaped parts cleaning area. The small parts cleaning area is used to place small internal parts, the large parts cleaning area is used to place large internal parts, and the irregularly shaped parts cleaning area is used to place large irregularly shaped internal parts. This allows for the classification and placement of various internal parts. Corresponding cleaning areas can be designed specifically for each type of internal part to meet the requirement of simultaneous cleaning of a complete set of irregularly shaped internal parts in the epitaxial furnace, ensuring that all internal parts meet cleanliness standards after cleaning.
[0022] In this invention, the ventilation component is used to introduce inert gas into the bottom of the large component cleaning area and / or the irregularly shaped component cleaning area. After inert gas is introduced into the large component cleaning area and the irregularly shaped component cleaning area, the bubbles will collide with and break the built-in components within the cleaning area. The impact force generated by the bubble breakage will impact the surface of the built-in components, which helps to remove the residue deposited on the surface of the built-in components. At the same time, the bubble breakage will also disturb the surrounding cleaning fluid, causing the cleaning fluid to impact the surface of the built-in components, which facilitates the rapid reaction between the cleaning fluid and the residue, improving the cleaning effect and cleaning efficiency. In addition, the built-in components placed in the large component cleaning area and the irregularly shaped component cleaning area are generally large, so the disturbance caused by the introduced gas will not cause the built-in components to shift. Larger built-in components have more surface deposits, and their cleaning speed is slower than that of smaller built-in components. Therefore, introducing gas into the large component cleaning area and the irregularly shaped component cleaning area accelerates the cleaning speed, so that the cleaning speed in the large component cleaning area and the irregularly shaped component cleaning area is roughly the same as that in the small component cleaning area.
[0023] The built-in components placed in the small parts cleaning area are relatively small. If gas is introduced, the small built-in components are prone to displacement and collision. Therefore, inert gas is not introduced into the small parts cleaning area. The small parts cleaning area, large parts cleaning area, and irregularly shaped parts cleaning area are interconnected. Therefore, the disturbance of the cleaning fluid caused by the gas introduced into the large parts cleaning area and the irregularly shaped parts cleaning area will be conducted to the small parts cleaning area. The disturbance of the cleaning fluid will improve the cleaning effect of the built-in components in the small parts cleaning area, while not causing the small built-in components to shift. This ensures a high cleaning effect and also helps to protect the small built-in components from collision and damage. Attached Figure Description
[0024] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the epitaxial furnace internal component cleaning device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;
[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the epitaxial furnace internal component cleaning device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;
[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the arrangement structure of the spray head according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;
[0027] Figure 4 This is a rear view of the cleaning device for the internal components of the epitaxial furnace according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
[0028] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning device for the internal components of the epitaxial furnace according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;
[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the control principle of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Figure 1 ;
[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the control principle of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Figure 2 ;
[0031] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning chamber structure according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.
[0032] The accompanying figure is labeled as follows:
[0033] 10-Outer shell; 11-Cleaning chamber; 111-Small parts cleaning area; 112-Large parts cleaning area; 113-Irregularly shaped parts cleaning area; 114-Base plate; 12-Irregularly shaped parts isolation plate; 13-Side partition; 14-Drying chamber; 15-Liquid passage area; 16-Pneumatic passage area; 17-Electrical circuit area; 18-Exhaust port; 19-Dry and wet separation door;
[0034] 20-Injection assembly; 21-First injection pipe; 22-Second injection pipe; 23-Spray head;
[0035] 30 - Drainage assembly;
[0036] 40 - Ventilation components;
[0037] 50-Controller;
[0038] 60-ion concentration meter;
[0039] 71-Stepping platform; 72-Sliding door; 73-Operating interface; 74-Lower chamber. Detailed Implementation
[0040] The epitaxial furnace internal component cleaning device proposed in this invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The advantages and features of this invention will become clearer from the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of this invention.
[0041] In this invention, "outer diameter" and "inner diameter" refer to the diameter of a circular structure, while for a non-circular structure, the inner diameter refers to the diameter of its inscribed circle and the outer diameter refers to the diameter of its circumscribed circle. "Axial direction" refers to the direction of the central axis of a cylindrical rod, while for a non-cylindrical rod, the axial direction refers to the length direction of the rod.
[0042] As used in this invention, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural objects; the term “or” is generally used to mean “and / or”; the term “a number” is generally used to mean “at least one”; and the term “at least two” is generally used to mean “two or more”. Furthermore, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with “first,” “second,” or “third” may explicitly or implicitly include one or at least two of that feature. Additionally, as used in this invention, “installed,” “connected,” “joined,” and “set” on one element by another should be interpreted broadly, generally indicating only a connection, coupling, mating, or transmission relationship between the two elements, which can be direct or indirect through an intermediate element. They should not be construed as indicating or implying a spatial positional relationship between the two elements, i.e., one element can be located inside, outside, above, below, or to one side of another element, unless otherwise explicitly stated. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention can be understood according to the specific circumstances. Furthermore, directional terms such as above, below, up, down, upward, downward, left, right, etc., are used relative to exemplary embodiments as shown in the figures, with upward or up direction pointing towards the top of the corresponding figure, and downward or down direction pointing towards the bottom of the corresponding figure.
[0043] This embodiment provides a cleaning device for internal components of an epitaxial furnace; including: a shell 10, a liquid injection assembly 20, a liquid drainage assembly 30, and a ventilation assembly 40;
[0044] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the outer casing 10 is generally rectangular, with a platform 71 located on the front side to provide a standing operating space. A cleaning chamber 11 is located inside the casing 10, formed of a corrosion-resistant material, such as PVD board. A sliding door 72 is located on the front side of the casing 10, which can slide up and down. Sliding the door upwards opens the cleaning chamber 11, and sliding it downwards closes it, allowing operators to stand on the platform 71 to perform corresponding operations. An operating interface 73 is also located on the front side of the casing 10, featuring a touchscreen and control buttons. The operating interface 73 allows input of parameters such as injection speed and the mixing ratios of various cleaning solutions.
[0045] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 2As shown, inside the outer casing 10, below the cleaning chamber 11, there is a separate lower chamber 74. The lower chamber 74 is part of the liquid passage area 15 (described in detail below). The drain assembly 30 is disposed in the lower chamber 74 to facilitate draining. The lower chamber 74 may also integrate a liquid storage tank, which is used to store the corresponding cleaning fluid. The cleaning fluid is generally an acidic liquid used to dissolve residues deposited on the surface of the internal component materials. A liquid level sensor can be installed in the liquid storage tank. When the liquid level in the liquid storage tank is lower than a preset value, the controller 50 controls the automatic replenishment of liquid into the liquid storage tank.
[0046] The injection component 20 is used to inject cleaning fluid into the cleaning chamber 11, and the drainage component 30 is used to drain the cleaning fluid. When the built-in component is placed in the cleaning chamber, the injected cleaning fluid can be drained after soaking for a period of time, or the cleaning fluid can be injected and drained simultaneously. The injection component 20 can consist of an injection pump and an injection pipe, with the inlet of the injection pump located in the storage tank and the outlet of the injection pump connected to the cleaning chamber. The drainage component 30 can be a single pipe with a drainage valve or consist of a drainage pump, a drainage pipe, and a drainage valve; existing technologies can be used, which will not be elaborated here. The controller 50 can open the injection pump or the drainage valve according to the cleaning conditions to realize the injection and drainage functions.
[0047] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the cleaning chamber 11 is at least divided into a small parts cleaning area 111, a large parts cleaning area 112, and an irregularly shaped parts cleaning area 113 that are interconnected. The small parts cleaning area 111, the large parts cleaning area 112, and the irregularly shaped parts cleaning area 113 are arranged horizontally. The small parts cleaning area 111 is used to place small internal parts, the large parts cleaning area 112 is used to place large internal parts, and the irregularly shaped parts cleaning area 113 is used to place large irregularly shaped internal parts. This allows for the classification and placement of various internal parts. Corresponding cleaning areas can be designed specifically for each type of internal part to meet the requirement of simultaneous cleaning of a complete set of irregularly shaped internal parts in the epitaxial furnace, ensuring that all types of internal parts meet cleanliness standards after cleaning.
[0048] In addition, in this embodiment, to improve the cleaning effect, the ventilation component 40 is used to introduce inert gas into the bottom of the large part cleaning area 112 and / or the irregular part cleaning area 113. The ventilation component 40 may include a compressor or air pump and air pipes. The ventilation component 40 can adopt existing ventilation structures, which will not be described in detail here. Preferably, inert gas is introduced into the interior of both the large part cleaning area 112 and the irregular part cleaning area 113. The inert gas can be, but is not limited to, nitrogen, helium, etc. After inert gas is introduced into the interior of the large part cleaning area 112 and the irregular part cleaning area 113, the bubbles will collide with and break the built-in parts in the cleaning area. The impact force generated by the bubble breaking will impact the surface of the built-in parts, which is beneficial to removing the residue deposited on the surface of the built-in parts. At the same time, the bubble breaking will also disturb the surrounding cleaning fluid, causing the cleaning fluid to impact the surface of the built-in parts, which is beneficial to the rapid reaction between the cleaning fluid and the residue, thereby improving the cleaning effect and cleaning efficiency. Furthermore, the built-in components placed in the large component cleaning zone 112 and the irregularly shaped component cleaning zone 113 are generally large, so the disturbance caused by the introduced gas will not cause displacement of the built-in components. Larger built-in components have more surface deposits, and their cleaning speed is slower compared to smaller built-in components. Therefore, gas is introduced into the large component cleaning zone 112 and the irregularly shaped component cleaning zone 113 to accelerate the cleaning speed, so that the cleaning speed in the large component cleaning zone 112 and the irregularly shaped component cleaning zone 113 is roughly the same as the cleaning speed in the small component cleaning zone 111.
[0049] The built-in components placed in the small component cleaning area 111 are generally small. When gas is introduced, the small built-in components are prone to displacement and collision. Therefore, inert gas is not introduced into the small component cleaning area 111. The small component cleaning area 111, the large component cleaning area 112, and the irregularly shaped component cleaning area 113 are interconnected. Therefore, the disturbance of the cleaning fluid caused by the gas entering the large component cleaning area 112 and the irregularly shaped component cleaning area 113 will be transmitted to the small component cleaning area 111. The disturbance of the cleaning fluid will improve the cleaning effect of the built-in components in the small component cleaning area 111, while not causing the small built-in components to shift.
[0050] Furthermore, at least one irregularly shaped part isolation plate 12 is provided within the irregularly shaped part cleaning area 113. The irregularly shaped part isolation plate 12 is detachably disposed within the irregularly shaped part cleaning area 113, dividing the irregularly shaped part cleaning area 113 into multiple layers from top to bottom. Please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 2As shown, the irregular part cleaning area 113 has a rectangular structure, and the irregular part isolation plate 12 is a rectangular plate that is horizontally movable within the irregular part cleaning area 113. When an irregular part needs to be placed, each irregular part isolation plate 12 is removed, one irregular part is placed first, then one irregular part isolation plate 12 is placed, and then another irregular part and another irregular part isolation plate 12 are placed in sequence. The irregular part isolation plate 12 can be snapped onto the inner wall of the irregular part cleaning area 113; or the irregular part isolation plate 12 may not be connected to the inner wall of the irregular part cleaning area 113, and the irregular part isolation plate 12 can be placed directly on the irregular part. Therefore, irregular parts and irregular part isolation plates 12 are stacked sequentially. In this case, the irregular part isolation plate 12 is preferably made of a corrosion-resistant flexible material to avoid damaging the irregular part.
[0051] The shaped component isolation plate 12 is provided with circular mesh holes for inert gas to pass through. This allows the gas to pass through each shaped component isolation plate 12 sequentially and come into contact with each shaped component in turn. The use of multiple shaped component isolation plates 12 helps to improve the space utilization rate of the shaped component cleaning area 113.
[0052] In this embodiment, two layers of irregularly shaped component isolation plates 12 are provided, forming three layers of space within the irregularly shaped component cleaning area 113. In other embodiments, the number of irregularly shaped component isolation plates 12 can be adjusted adaptively based on the number of irregularly shaped components to be placed. The shape of the irregularly shaped component isolation plates 12 and the shape of the mesh can be adjusted adaptively based on usage requirements and compatibility with other structures.
[0053] Furthermore, the bottom of the small parts cleaning area 111, the large parts cleaning area 112, and the irregularly shaped parts cleaning area 113 are all provided with a base plate 114. The base plate 114 has mesh holes for inert gas to pass through. The base plate 114 is set at an angle relative to the horizontal plane, that is, the base plate 114 is inclined relative to the horizontal plane. The mesh holes on the base plate 114 can be circular holes, elliptical holes, or holes of other shapes. The inclined setting of the base plate 114 allows some of the inert gas to move obliquely upward along the base plate 114 when it passes through it. This facilitates more even distribution of the inert gas through the mesh holes of the base plate 114, thereby making the inert gas more evenly distributed in each cleaning area. The inert gas makes uniform contact with each built-in component, thus improving the cleaning effect.
[0054] Furthermore, the epitaxial furnace internal component cleaning device also includes at least two side partitions 13, each of which is located within the cleaning chamber 11 and horizontally divides the cleaning chamber 11 into at least the small component cleaning area 111, the large component cleaning area 112, and the irregularly shaped component cleaning area 113. At least one side partition 13 is detachably installed within the cleaning chamber 11. Each side partition 13 is vertically arranged and has mesh openings to allow communication between the cleaning areas.
[0055] Please refer to Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment includes two side partitions 13. The side partition 13 located between the small parts cleaning area 111 and the large parts cleaning area 112 is detachable, allowing it to be removed. This structure enables the small parts cleaning area 111 and the large parts cleaning area 112 to be connected, expanding into a larger cleaning area, allowing for flexible combination of the cleaning areas based on actual usage needs.
[0056] In other alternative implementations, the number of side partitions 13 can be adjusted to adjust the separated cleaning zones. The position and number of removable side partitions 13 can also be adjusted based on the operating conditions to allow for flexible combination of the cleaning zones.
[0057] In this embodiment, the liquid injection assembly 20 includes a spray head 23, which is circumferentially disposed on each side wall of the small part cleaning area 111, the large part cleaning area 112, and the irregularly shaped part cleaning area 113. Please refer to... Figure 3 As shown, taking the small parts cleaning area 111 as an example, spray heads 23 are provided on the four side walls of the small parts cleaning area 111. The spray heads 23 are arranged in a circumferential array. The spray heads 23 can be small tubes, or they can be flower tubes or atomizing nozzles. Each spray head 23 is connected to a liquid injection pipe, which is connected to a liquid injection pump. Each spray head 23 sprays on all four sides of the small parts cleaning area 111 to achieve all-round wetting without dead angles.
[0058] The arrangement of the spray heads 23 in the large parts cleaning area 112 and the irregularly shaped parts cleaning area 113 is similar to that in the small parts cleaning area 111, and will not be described again here.
[0059] Furthermore, the housing 10 is also provided with a liquid passage area 15, a gas passage area 16 and a circuit area 17. The liquid passage area 15 is used to set up the pipelines of the liquid injection component 20 and the liquid drainage component 30, the gas passage area 16 is used to set up the pipelines of the venting component 40, and the circuit area 17 is used to house electrical equipment.
[0060] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the liquid passage area 15, gas passage area 16, and electrical passage area 17 are all connected to the back of the outer casing 10. Each of these areas has an opening and closing door. The liquid passage area 15 is used to house components such as the pipes, valves, injection pump, and storage tank of the injection assembly 20 and the drainage assembly 30. The gas passage area 16 houses the air pump and air pipes of the ventilation assembly 40. The electrical passage area 17 houses electrical equipment. This functional zoning ensures that the functions of each area within the epitaxial furnace internal component cleaning device are relatively independent and do not interfere with each other.
[0061] In this embodiment, a drying chamber 14 is further provided inside the outer casing 10. The ventilation assembly 40 is used to introduce gas into the drying chamber 14 to dry the cleaned internal components. The ventilation assembly 40 can have two air pipes: one for introducing air into the cleaning chamber and the other for introducing air into the drying chamber 14. Please refer to... Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the drying chamber 14 is horizontally adjacent to the cleaning chamber 11, and the drying chamber 14 is front-to-back adjacent to the air passage area 16. A wet-dry separation door 19 is provided between the drying chamber 14 and the cleaning chamber 11. The wet-dry separation door 19 is a sliding door. During the cleaning process in the cleaning chamber 11 and the drying process in the drying chamber 14, the wet-dry separation door 19 is closed. After the cleaning process in the cleaning chamber 11 is completed, the wet-dry separation door 19 is opened, and the cleaned internal parts in the cleaning chamber 11 can be placed in the drying chamber 14, making it convenient to change the position of the internal parts. The gas introduced by the ventilation component 40 can be heated to form hot air to quickly dry the internal parts. The bottom of the drying chamber 14 has a mesh for draining the internal parts. The bottom of the mesh can be connected to the pipe of the drain component 30 so that the liquid during draining can be discharged through the drain component 30.
[0062] In addition, an exhaust port 18 is provided on the outer casing 10. The exhaust port 18 is connected to the cleaning chamber 11 and the drying chamber 14 to exhaust gas in real time. The exhaust port 18 can be connected to an external exhaust pipe to discharge the gas to a designated location.
[0063] In summary, the epitaxial furnace internal component cleaning device of the present invention includes: a shell 10, a liquid injection assembly 20, a liquid drainage assembly 30, and a ventilation assembly 40; the shell 10 is provided with a cleaning chamber 11, which is at least divided into a small component cleaning area 111, a large component cleaning area 112, and a non-circular component cleaning area 113 that are interconnected; the liquid injection assembly 20 is used to inject cleaning liquid into the cleaning chamber 11, and the liquid drainage assembly 30 is used to drain the cleaning liquid; the ventilation assembly 40 is used to introduce inert gas into the bottom of the large component cleaning area 112 and / or the non-circular component cleaning area 113.
[0064] This configuration improves the cleaning efficiency of the internal components of the epitaxial furnace, facilitates standardization during the cleaning process, ensures uniform cleaning results, and helps all internal components meet cleanliness standards. In addition, the partitioned design adapts to internal components of different shapes, facilitating the simultaneous cleaning of all irregular internal components.
[0065] The cleaning chamber 11 is at least divided into interconnected small parts cleaning area 111, large parts cleaning area 112, and irregular parts cleaning area 113. The small parts cleaning area 111 is used to place small internal parts, the large parts cleaning area 112 is used to place large internal parts, and the irregular parts cleaning area 113 is used to place large irregular internal parts, so as to classify and place various internal parts. The corresponding cleaning area can be designed for each type of internal part to meet the requirement of cleaning a whole set of irregularly shaped internal parts in the epitaxial furnace at the same time, so that all types of internal parts can meet the cleanliness standards after cleaning.
[0066] In this invention, the ventilation component 40 is used to introduce inert gas into the bottom of the large component cleaning zone 112 and / or the irregularly shaped component cleaning zone 113. After inert gas is introduced into the large component cleaning zone 112 and the irregularly shaped component cleaning zone 113, the bubbles will collide with and break the built-in components in the cleaning zone. The impact force generated by the bubble breakage will impact the surface of the built-in components, which is beneficial for removing the residues deposited on the surface of the built-in components. At the same time, the bubble breakage will also disturb the surrounding cleaning fluid, causing the cleaning fluid to impact the surface of the built-in components, which is beneficial for the cleaning fluid to react quickly with the residues, thereby improving the cleaning effect and cleaning efficiency. In addition, the built-in components placed in the large component cleaning area 112 and the irregular component cleaning area 113 are generally large, so the disturbance caused by the introduced gas will not cause the built-in components to shift. The larger built-in components have more surface deposits, and their cleaning speed is slower than that of the smaller built-in components. Therefore, gas is introduced into the large component cleaning area 112 and the irregular component cleaning area 113 to speed up the cleaning process, so that the cleaning speed in the large component cleaning area 112 and the irregular component cleaning area 113 is roughly the same as the cleaning speed in the small component cleaning area 111.
[0067] The built-in components placed in the small component cleaning area 111 are relatively small. If gas is introduced, the small built-in components are prone to displacement and collision. Therefore, inert gas is not introduced into the small component cleaning area 111. The small component cleaning area 111, the large component cleaning area 112, and the irregularly shaped component cleaning area 113 are interconnected. Therefore, the disturbance of the cleaning fluid caused by the gas entering the large component cleaning area 112 and the irregularly shaped component cleaning area 113 will be conducted to the small component cleaning area 111. The disturbance of the cleaning fluid will improve the cleaning effect of the built-in components in the small component cleaning area 111, while not causing the small built-in components to shift. This ensures a high cleaning effect and also helps to protect the small built-in components from collision and damage.
[0068] Example 2
[0069] The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that a controller 50 and an ion concentration meter 60 are added.
[0070] Please refer to Figure 6As shown, the ion concentration meter 60 is disposed in the cleaning chamber 11. The ion concentration meter 60 is used to detect the concentration value of a specified ion in the cleaning solution in the cleaning chamber 11 and send the concentration value to the controller 50. The controller 50 is used to compare the concentration value with a concentration threshold. If the concentration value is less than the concentration threshold, the liquid injection component 20 stops injecting liquid into the cleaning chamber 11. If the concentration value is greater than the concentration threshold, the liquid injection component 20 continues to inject liquid into the cleaning chamber 11.
[0071] The specified ions are related to residues deposited on the surface of the built-in component materials. Commonly detected ions include metal ions such as iron, copper, and calcium. The detected ion concentration is used to determine the cleanliness level; a lower ion concentration in the cleaning solution indicates a higher cleanliness level. If the ion concentration is below a threshold, the controller 50 sends a stop signal, controlling the injection pump in the injection assembly 20 to stop injection. Conversely, if the ion concentration is above the threshold, the controller 50 controls the injection pump in the injection assembly 20 to continue injection. The injected liquid is a cleaning solution, which can be of various types, such as water or an acid solution. The type of cleaning solution to be injected is adaptively selected based on actual usage requirements.
[0072] This structure allows for real-time monitoring of cleanliness, facilitating standardized and consistent cleaning results and ensuring all internal components meet cleanliness standards. Furthermore, real-time ion concentration monitoring enables timely shutdown to conserve water, automatically stopping the washing process based on the degree of cleaning and enhancing automation.
[0073] In this embodiment, the controller 50 typically includes at least one processor, which may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc.
[0074] The at least one processor can communicate with multiple peripheral devices via a bus subsystem. These peripheral devices may include storage systems, user interface input devices, user interface output devices, and network interfaces.
[0075] A network interface provides an interface to external networks and / or other devices. Network interfaces include one or more interfaces known in the art, such as LAN, WLAN, Bluetooth, other wired and wireless interfaces, etc.
[0076] User interface input devices may include keyboards, clicking devices such as mice, trackballs, touchpads or graphics tablets, scanners, foot pedals, joysticks, touchscreens embedded in displays, audio input devices such as voice recognition systems, microphones, and other types of input devices. Generally, the term "input device" is intended to encompass a variety of conventional and proprietary devices and methods for inputting information into a controller.
[0077] User interface output devices may include display subsystems, printers, fax machines, or non-visual displays such as audio output devices. Display subsystems may be flat panel devices, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), light-emitting diode (LED) displays, touchscreen displays, etc. Display subsystems may also provide non-visual displays, such as via audio output devices. Generally, the term "output device" is intended to encompass a variety of conventional and proprietary devices and methods for outputting information from controller 50 to the user.
[0078] The storage system can store the basic program designs and data structures that implement the various functions of the present invention. For example, as described herein, databases and modules that implement the functions of the methods of the present invention can be stored in the storage system. These software modules are typically executed by a processor. In a distributed environment, software modules can be stored on multiple computer systems and executed by the processors of multiple computer systems. The storage system typically includes a memory subsystem and a file storage system. The memory subsystem typically includes multiple memories, including main random access memory (RAM) for storing instructions and data during program execution and read-only memory (ROM) in which fixed instructions are stored. The file storage subsystem provides permanent, non-volatile storage for program and data files. The file storage system 60 may include hard disk drives and associated removable media, compact disc CD drives, optical drives, DVDs, solid-state storage, and / or other removable media. One or more of these drives may be located at a remote location on another connected computer at another point coupled to the controller 50. Modules that implement the functions of the present invention may be stored by the file storage system.
[0079] The bus subsystem provides components for enabling the various parts and subsystems of controller 50 to communicate with each other as intended. The various subsystems and parts of controller 50 do not need to be in the same physical location, but can be distributed across various locations within a distributed network. The bus subsystem can be a single bus, or multiple buses can be configured based on requirements.
[0080] The controller 50 described above is intended only as an example to illustrate just one embodiment of the invention. Due to the ever-changing nature of computers and networks, the controller 50 may also have some differences in configuration from the controller described above in other alternative embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.
[0081] An ion concentration meter is a routine laboratory electrochemical analytical instrument used to determine the concentration of ions in a solution. Its measurement method is similar to that of a common pH meter, using various ion-selective electrodes as indicating electrodes, supplemented by an appropriate reference electrode, all inserted into the solution to form an electrochemical system for measurement. The specifications and models of ion concentration meters can be selected based on their suitability for the concentration of ions to be detected; details will not be elaborated here.
[0082] Please refer to Figure 7 As shown, the injection assembly 20 further includes a first injection pipe 21 and a second injection pipe 22. The first injection pipe 21 is used to inject a first cleaning fluid into the cleaning chamber 11, and the second injection pipe 22 is used to inject a second cleaning fluid into the cleaning chamber 11. The controller 50 is used to control the injection flow rate of the first injection pipe 21 and the second injection pipe 22 so that the first cleaning fluid and the second cleaning fluid are input into the cleaning chamber in proportion.
[0083] The first and second cleaning solutions can be different cleaning acid solutions, or one of the first and second cleaning solutions can be an acid solution and the other can be water. The specific composition of the first and second cleaning solutions can be adjusted based on actual cleaning needs.
[0084] Solenoid valves and flow meters can be installed on the first injection pipe 21 and the second injection pipe 22. The controller 50 can control the opening and closing of the solenoid valves and, in conjunction with the flow meters, monitor the flow rates of the injected first and second cleaning solutions in real time. The flow meters provide real-time feedback of the flow rates of the first and second injection pipes 21 and 22 to the controller 50. When the injected amounts reach a preset value, the controller 50 controls the corresponding solenoid valves to close. Alternatively, the first and second injection pipes 21 and 22 can be set to have the same injection flow rate per unit time. In this case, the controller 50 can directly control the opening time of the solenoid valves of the first and second injection pipes 21 and 22 to control the injection volume of each cleaning solution, thereby controlling the mixing ratio.
[0085] Example 3:
[0086] The difference between this implementation and Example 1 is that the shape of the large item cleaning area 112 is different.
[0087] Please refer to Figure 8 As shown, in this embodiment, the large component cleaning area 112 is a cone shape with an inner diameter that gradually decreases from top to bottom; this shape is used to adapt to the cleaning of large internal components of a specific shape.
[0088] The above description is merely a description of preferred embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. Any changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the above disclosure shall fall within the protection scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A cleaning device for internal components of an epitaxial furnace, characterized in that, include: The outer casing, the liquid injection assembly, the liquid drainage assembly, and the venting assembly; The outer casing is provided with a cleaning chamber, which is at least divided into a small parts cleaning area, a large parts cleaning area, and an irregularly shaped parts cleaning area that are interconnected. The injection assembly is used to inject cleaning fluid into the cleaning chamber, and the drainage assembly is used to drain the cleaning fluid. The ventilation assembly is used to introduce inert gas into the bottom of the large parts cleaning area and the irregular parts cleaning area; The large parts cleaning area is a cone shape with an inner diameter that gradually decreases from top to bottom; the irregular parts cleaning area is provided with at least one irregular parts isolation plate, which is detachably installed in the irregular parts cleaning area and divides the irregular parts cleaning area into multiple layers from top to bottom; The shaped component isolation plate is provided with mesh holes for inert gas to pass through; The bottom of the small parts cleaning area, the large parts cleaning area and the irregularly shaped parts cleaning area are all provided with a base plate. The base plate has mesh holes for inert gas to pass through, and the base plate is set at an angle relative to the horizontal plane. The epitaxial furnace internal component cleaning device also includes a controller and an ion concentration meter. The ion concentration meter is disposed in the cleaning chamber and is used to detect the concentration value of a specified ion in the cleaning solution in the cleaning chamber and send the concentration value to the controller. The controller is used to compare the concentration value with a concentration threshold. If the concentration value is less than the concentration threshold, the liquid injection component stops injecting liquid into the cleaning chamber. If the concentration value is greater than the concentration threshold, the liquid injection component continues to inject liquid into the cleaning chamber.
2. The epitaxial furnace internal component cleaning device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The epitaxial furnace internal component cleaning device further includes at least two side partitions, each of which is located in the cleaning chamber and horizontally divides the cleaning chamber into at least the small component cleaning area, the large component cleaning area, and the irregularly shaped component cleaning area. At least one of the side partitions is detachably disposed in the cleaning chamber.
3. The epitaxial furnace internal component cleaning device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The side partition has mesh.
4. The epitaxial furnace internal component cleaning device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer casing also includes a drying chamber, and the ventilation component is used to introduce gas into the drying chamber to dry the cleaned internal components.
5. The epitaxial furnace internal component cleaning device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The epitaxial furnace internal component cleaning device further includes a controller. The liquid injection assembly includes a first liquid injection pipe and a second liquid injection pipe. The first liquid injection pipe is used to inject a first cleaning liquid into the cleaning chamber, and the second liquid injection pipe is used to inject a second cleaning liquid into the cleaning chamber. The controller is used to control the liquid injection flow rate of the first liquid injection pipe and the second liquid injection pipe so that the first cleaning liquid and the second cleaning liquid are input into the cleaning chamber in proportion.
6. The epitaxial furnace internal component cleaning device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid injection assembly includes a spray head, which is circumferentially disposed on each side wall of the small parts cleaning area, the large parts cleaning area, and the irregularly shaped parts cleaning area; and / or; the housing is further provided with a liquid passage area, a gas passage area, and an electrical circuit area, wherein the liquid passage area is used to house the pipelines of the liquid injection assembly and the liquid drainage assembly, the gas passage area is used to house the pipelines of the ventilation assembly, and the electrical circuit area is used to house electrical equipment.
Citation Information
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