A lower end cap structure for a showerhead

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of semiconductor equipment technology, specifically a nozzle lower end cover structure, including an upper adapter sleeve, a middle retaining ring, an annular liquid supply box, and a lower cover. The inner circumferential surface of the upper adapter sleeve has an internal thread that mates with the external thread of the lower end cover mounting edge of the nozzle body. The top of the upper adapter sleeve extends outward to form an annular flange. The middle retaining ring and the annular liquid supply box are respectively connected to the annular flange. The middle retaining ring is sleeved on the outside of the upper adapter sleeve, and the annular liquid supply box is sleeved on the outside of the middle retaining ring. The lower cover is installed on the lower side of the annular liquid supply box. This invention can directly replace the existing nozzle lower end cover, enabling simultaneous cleaning of the inner side of the lower cover and the outer part near the nozzle head. It can promptly remove dust adhering to the inner side of the lower cover and the outer part near the nozzle head, effectively reducing dust falling onto the wafer and improving the coating process effect. Disassembly and assembly are simple and convenient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of semiconductor equipment technology, specifically a nozzle lower end cover structure. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in semiconductor photoresist spraying processes, a spray nozzle is used to spray photoresist onto the upper surface of the wafer. For example... Figure 3 As shown, a nozzle generally includes a nozzle body 001, a protruding nozzle head 0011 is formed at the lower center of the nozzle body 001, and a lower end cover mounting edge 0012 with external threads is formed on the outer periphery of the nozzle body 001. The lower end cover mounting edge 0012 is connected to the lower end cover of the nozzle in the prior art through external threads. The lower end cover covers the outside of the nozzle head 001 and protects the nozzle head 0011.

[0003] However, after prolonged spraying, dust accumulates on the inner side of the nozzle's lower cover and the outer side near the nozzle head (001). If not removed promptly, this dust may fall onto the wafer, causing process defects and equipment contamination. Currently, the only methods available are manual wiping of the nozzle's lower cover with a cleaning cloth or external cleaning equipment after each spraying cycle. However, these methods only clean the outer side of the nozzle's lower cover and cannot directly clean the inner side. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a nozzle lower end cap structure.

[0005] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0006] A nozzle lower end cover structure includes an upper adapter sleeve, a middle retaining ring, an annular liquid supply box, and a lower cover;

[0007] The upper adapter sleeve is used to connect with the nozzle body. The top of the upper adapter sleeve extends outward to form an annular flange. The middle layer retaining ring and the annular liquid supply box are respectively connected to the annular flange. The middle layer retaining ring is sleeved on the outside of the upper adapter sleeve and located on the lower side of the annular flange. The annular liquid supply box is sleeved on the outside of the middle layer retaining ring and located on the lower side of the annular flange. The lower cover is installed on the lower side of the annular liquid supply box.

[0008] The bottom surface of the lower cover has a protruding boss at the center, and a nozzle head through-hole is opened in the center of the boss. An annular cleaning fluid outlet is formed between the nozzle head through-hole and the outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the nozzle head. Several cleaning fluid outlets B are opened on the bottom surface of the lower cover at the outer peripheral edge of the boss. The top surface of the lower cover has a concave inner hole at the center, and several cleaning fluid inlets B are opened on the top surface of the lower cover at the outer peripheral position of the concave inner hole. Several transverse channels are opened inside the lower cover. Each transverse channel is connected to the corresponding cleaning fluid inlet B and cleaning fluid outlet B. All transverse channels are connected to the concave inner hole.

[0009] The annular liquid supply box has a cleaning fluid flow space inside, and a cleaning fluid inlet A connected to the cleaning fluid flow space is opened on the outside of the annular liquid supply box. A cleaning fluid outlet A is opened on the bottom surface of the annular liquid supply box at a position corresponding to each of the cleaning fluid inlets B on the lower cover. Each cleaning fluid outlet A is connected to the cleaning fluid flow space and the corresponding cleaning fluid inlet B.

[0010] The axial centerline of each of the transverse channels is parallel to the plane where the annular flange is located. Each of the transverse channels has an inner opening and an outer opening. The outer opening of each of the transverse channels is located on the outer peripheral wall of the lower cover and is sealed by a plug. The inner opening of each of the transverse channels is located on the inner wall of the inverted conical inner hole.

[0011] The centers of the inner openings of all the transverse channels are located on the same circle A, and the plane containing circle A is parallel to the plane containing the annular flange.

[0012] The centers of all the cleaning fluid outlets B are located on the same circle B, and the plane containing the circle B is parallel to the plane containing the annular flange.

[0013] Several flow channels are respectively opened on the outer peripheral surface of the boss portion. The number of flow channels corresponds to the number of cleaning fluid outlets B. One end of each flow channel is connected to a corresponding cleaning fluid outlet B, and the other end of each flow channel extends to the outer peripheral position of the annular cleaning fluid outlet.

[0014] The bottom end of the middle retaining ring abuts against the top surface of the lower cover.

[0015] A sealing ring A is installed between the annular flange and the middle retaining ring.

[0016] A sealing ring B is installed between the top surface of the lower cover and the bottom surface of the annular liquid supply box, and the sealing ring B is located outside all the cleaning liquid inlets B.

[0017] A ferrule fitting is installed on the cleaning fluid inlet A, and the axial center line of the ferrule fitting is perpendicular to the plane where the annular flange is located.

[0018] The inner circumferential surface of the upper adapter sleeve has an internal thread that mates with the external thread of the lower end cap mounting edge of the nozzle body.

[0019] The advantages and positive effects of this invention are as follows:

[0020] This invention can directly replace the lower end cover of the nozzle in the prior art, and can simultaneously clean the inner side of the lower cover and the outer part near the nozzle head. It can promptly remove dust adhering to the inner side of the lower cover and the outer part near the nozzle head, effectively reducing the phenomenon of dust falling onto the wafer, and improving the coating process effect. It is simple and convenient to disassemble and assemble. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is one of the three-dimensional structural diagrams of the present invention after it is connected to the nozzle body;

[0022] Figure 2 This is the second three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention after it is connected to the nozzle body;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the nozzle body to which this invention applies;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the present invention after it is connected to the nozzle body.

[0026] In the diagram: 1 is the upper adapter sleeve, and 101 is the annular flange;

[0027] 2 is the middle layer retaining ring;

[0028] 3 is the annular liquid supply box, 301 is the cleaning fluid flow space, 302 is the cleaning fluid inlet A, and 303 is the cleaning fluid outlet A;

[0029] 4 is the lower cover, 401 is the boss, 402 is the annular cleaning fluid outlet, 403 is the cleaning fluid outlet B, 404 is the inverted conical inner hole, 405 is the cleaning fluid inlet B, 406 is the transverse channel, and 407 is the flow guide channel.

[0030] 5 is the plug, 6 is the sealing ring A, 7 is the sealing ring B, and 8 is the compression fitting.

[0031] 001 is the nozzle body, 0011 is the nozzle head, and 0012 is the lower end cover mounting edge. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-5 The present invention will be described in further detail below.

[0033] A nozzle lower end cover structure, in this embodiment, includes an upper adapter sleeve 1, a middle baffle ring 2, an annular liquid supply box 3, and a lower cover 4.

[0034] The inner circumferential surface of the upper adapter sleeve 1 has an internal thread that mates with the external thread of the lower end cover mounting edge 0012 of the nozzle body 001. The top of the upper adapter sleeve 1 extends outward to form an annular flange 101. The middle layer retaining ring 2 and the annular liquid supply box 3 are respectively connected to the annular flange 101 by screws. The middle layer retaining ring 2 is sleeved on the outside of the upper adapter sleeve 1 and located on the lower side of the annular flange 101. The annular liquid supply box 3 is sleeved on the outside of the middle layer retaining ring 2 and located on the lower side of the annular flange 101. The lower cover 4 is installed on the lower side of the annular liquid supply box 3 by screws.

[0035] The bottom surface of the lower cover 4 has a protruding boss 401 at the center of its bottom surface. A nozzle head passage is provided in the center of the boss 401. An annular cleaning fluid outlet 402 is formed between the nozzle head passage and the outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the nozzle head 0011. Several cleaning fluid outlets B 403 are evenly provided on the bottom surface of the lower cover 4 at the outer peripheral edge of the boss 401. The top surface of the lower cover 4 has a concave inner hole 404 at the center of its top surface. Several cleaning fluid inlets B 405 are evenly provided on the top surface of the lower cover 4 at the outer peripheral position of the concave inner hole 404. Several transverse channels 406 are evenly provided inside the lower cover 4. Each transverse channel 406 is connected to the corresponding cleaning fluid inlet B 405 and cleaning fluid outlet B 403. All transverse channels 406 are connected to the concave inner hole 404.

[0036] The annular liquid supply box 3 has a cleaning fluid flow space 301 inside. The annular liquid supply box 3 has a cleaning fluid inlet A 302 connected to the cleaning fluid flow space 301 on its outer side. The bottom surface of the annular liquid supply box 3 has a cleaning fluid outlet A 303 corresponding to each cleaning fluid inlet B 405 on the lower cover 4. Each cleaning fluid outlet A 303 is connected to the cleaning fluid flow space 301 and the corresponding cleaning fluid inlet B 405.

[0037] Specifically, in this embodiment, the axial centerline of each transverse channel 406 is parallel to the plane where the annular flange 101 is located. Each transverse channel 406 has an inner opening and an outer opening. The outer opening of each transverse channel 406 is located on the outer peripheral wall of the lower cover 4 and is sealed by a threaded plug 5. The inner opening of each transverse channel 406 is located on the inner wall of the inverted conical inner hole 404. Each transverse channel 406 can be drilled radially along the lower cover 4 and then the outer opening is sealed by the plug 5, which is convenient for processing.

[0038] Specifically, in this embodiment, the centers of the inner openings of all transverse channels 406 are located on the same circle A. The plane containing circle A is parallel to the plane containing the annular flange 101, allowing the cleaning fluid to flow evenly into the inverted conical inner hole 404 for cleaning. In this embodiment, the centers of all cleaning fluid outlets B 403 are located on the same circle B. The plane containing circle B is parallel to the plane containing the annular flange 101, allowing the cleaning fluid to flow evenly onto the outer circumferential surface of the boss portion 401 of the lower cover 4 for cleaning. In this embodiment, a plurality of guide channels 407 are respectively opened on the outer circumferential surface of the boss portion 401. The number of guide channels 407 corresponds to the number of cleaning fluid outlets B 403. One end of each guide channel 407 is connected to a corresponding cleaning fluid outlet B 403, and the other end of each guide channel 407 extends to the outer circumferential position of the annular cleaning fluid outlet 402. Each guide channel 407 plays a guiding role for the cleaning fluid flowing out of the cleaning fluid outlet B 403.

[0039] Specifically, in this embodiment, the bottom end of the middle retaining ring 2 abuts against the top surface of the lower cover 4. A sealing ring A 6 is installed between the annular flange 101 and the middle retaining ring 2. A sealing ring B 7 is installed between the top surface of the lower cover 4 and the bottom surface of the annular liquid supply box 3. The sealing ring B 7 is located outside all cleaning fluid inlets B 405, which can ensure the gas and liquid sealing effect inside the installed nozzle lower end cover structure and effectively prevent the cleaning fluid from seeping out from the gap of the nozzle lower end cover structure when a lot of cleaning fluid is input into the annular liquid supply box 3.

[0040] Specifically, in this embodiment, a ferrule connector 8 is installed on the cleaning fluid inlet A 302. The ferrule connector 8 facilitates connection to an external cleaning fluid source via piping to supply cleaning fluid into the annular supply box 3. In this embodiment, the ferrule connector 8 is a commercially available product; by ensuring that the axial centerline of the ferrule connector 8 is perpendicular to the plane containing the annular flange 101, it avoids occupying lateral installation space.

[0041] Working principle:

[0042] When connecting the nozzle lower end cover structure of the present invention to the nozzle body 001, the installed nozzle lower end cover structure is directly screwed into the nozzle body 001 through the internal thread on the inner circumferential surface of the upper adapter sleeve 1 and the external thread along the nozzle body 0012, which can directly replace the nozzle lower end cover of the prior art.

[0043] By inputting cleaning fluid into the annular supply box 3 through an external cleaning fluid source, the cleaning fluid flows into each transverse channel 406 through each cleaning fluid output port A303 and each cleaning fluid input port B405. Then, a portion of the cleaning fluid in each transverse channel 406 can flow from each cleaning fluid output port B403 to the outer peripheral surface of the boss portion 401 of the lower cover 4 for cleaning, while another portion enters the inverted conical inner hole 404 and flows out from the annular cleaning fluid output port 402 to clean the inside of the lower cover 4. This achieves the effect of cleaning the inner side of the lower cover 4 and the outer part near the nozzle head 001 at the same time.

Claims

1. A nozzle lower end cap structure, characterized in that: It includes an upper adapter sleeve (1), a middle retaining ring (2), an annular liquid supply box (3), and a lower cover (4). The upper adapter sleeve (1) is used to connect with the nozzle body. The top of the upper adapter sleeve (1) extends outward to form an annular flange (101). The middle layer retaining ring (2) and the annular liquid supply box (3) are respectively connected to the annular flange (101). The middle layer retaining ring (2) is sleeved on the outside of the upper adapter sleeve (1) and located on the lower side of the annular flange (101). The annular liquid supply box (3) is sleeved on the outside of the middle layer retaining ring (2) and located on the lower side of the annular flange (101). The lower cover (4) is installed on the lower side of the annular liquid supply box (3). The bottom surface of the lower cover (4) has a protruding boss (401) at the center of its bottom surface. A nozzle head passage is provided in the center of the boss (401). An annular cleaning fluid outlet (402) is formed between the nozzle head passage and the outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the nozzle head. Several cleaning fluid outlets B (403) are provided on the bottom surface of the lower cover (4) and at the outer peripheral edge of the boss (401). The top surface of the lower cover (4) is recessed downward to form an inverted conical inner... The bottom cover (4) has several cleaning fluid inlet ports B (405) on its top surface and at the outer periphery of the inverted conical inner hole (404). The bottom cover (4) has several transverse channels (406) inside. Each transverse channel (406) is connected to the corresponding cleaning fluid inlet port B (405) and cleaning fluid outlet port B (403). All the transverse channels (406) are connected to the inverted conical inner hole (404). The annular liquid supply box (3) has a cleaning fluid flow space (301) inside. The annular liquid supply box (3) has a cleaning fluid inlet A (302) connected to the cleaning fluid flow space (301) on the outside. The bottom surface of the annular liquid supply box (3) has a cleaning fluid outlet A (303) corresponding to each of the cleaning fluid inlets B (405) of the lower cover (4). Each cleaning fluid outlet A (303) is connected to the cleaning fluid flow space (301) and the corresponding cleaning fluid inlet B (405). A plurality of flow channels (407) are respectively provided on the outer peripheral surface of the boss (401). The number of flow channels (407) corresponds to the number of cleaning fluid outlets B (403). One end of each flow channel (407) is connected to a corresponding cleaning fluid outlet B (403), and the other end of each flow channel (407) extends to the outer peripheral position of the annular cleaning fluid outlet (402).

2. The nozzle lower end cover structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The axial centerline of each of the transverse channels (406) is parallel to the plane of the annular flange (101). Each of the transverse channels (406) has an inner opening and an outer opening. The outer opening of each of the transverse channels (406) is located on the outer peripheral wall of the lower cover (4) and is sealed by the plug (5). The inner opening of each of the transverse channels (406) is located on the inner wall of the inverted conical inner hole (404).

3. The nozzle lower end cover structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The centers of the inner openings of all the transverse channels (406) are located on the same circle A, and the plane of circle A is parallel to the plane of the annular flange (101).

4. The nozzle lower end cover structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The centers of all the cleaning fluid outlets B (403) are located on the same circle B, and the plane of the circle B is parallel to the plane of the annular flange (101).

5. The nozzle lower end cover structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom end of the middle retaining ring (2) abuts against the top surface of the lower cover (4).

6. The nozzle lower end cover structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sealing ring A (6) is installed between the annular flange (101) and the middle retaining ring (2).

7. The nozzle lower end cover structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sealing ring B (7) is installed between the top surface of the lower cover (4) and the bottom surface of the annular liquid supply box (3), and the sealing ring B (7) is located outside all the cleaning liquid inlets B (405).

8. The nozzle lower end cover structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: A ferrule fitting (8) is installed on the cleaning fluid inlet A (302), and the axial center line of the ferrule fitting (8) is perpendicular to the plane where the annular flange (101) is located.

9. The nozzle lower end cover structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner circumferential surface of the upper adapter sleeve (1) has an internal thread that matches the external thread of the lower end cover mounting edge of the nozzle body.

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