Exhaust system and gas path system of semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

The invention provides an exhaust system and a gas path system of semiconductor process equipment. The exhaust system of the semiconductor process equipment comprises an exhaust main path, an exhaust branch, a gas extraction assembly, a pressure control valve, a first cut-off assembly, a first connecting branch, a second connecting branch, a pressure detection assembly and a controller. And the reaction chamber, the exhaust main path and the exhaust assembly are connected in sequence. The first connecting branch, the second connecting branch and the exhaust branch are sequentially connected, and the head and tail ends are respectively connected with the exhaust main path. The pressure detection assembly is connected with the second connecting branch, the first cut-off assembly is arranged on the exhaust branch, and the pressure control valve is arranged on the exhaust main path. According to the exhaust system of the semiconductor process equipment, the controller controls the first cut-off assembly and the pressure control valve to be opened in sequence according to the numerical value detected by the pressure detection assembly, so that the exhaust assembly exhausts the reaction chamber in a slow-first and fast-second mode, and particle dust generated by wafer vibration is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of semiconductor processing technology, and in particular, to an exhaust system and a gas path system of semiconductor process equipment. Background Art

[0002] The semiconductor processing process generally places the wafer in a reactor, and then introduces reaction gas into the reactor for reaction processing. The cleanliness of the wafer is generally required to be high. When the reactor starts working, the reactor needs to be evacuated. In order to quickly form a vacuum in the reactor, the reactor is generally evacuated at a faster speed, but it is easy to cause turbulence in the airflow in the reactor, causing the wafer in the reactor to vibrate and generate particle dust in the reactor (the reason for the generation of particle dust is physical reasons such as particle dust being lifted or particle dust falling off). The generated particle dust then adheres to the wafer, resulting in low wafer cleanliness. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of this, the present application provides an exhaust system for semiconductor process equipment to solve the problem of low wafer cleanliness caused by vibration of wafers in a reaction furnace during exhaust.

[0004] The present application provides an exhaust system for semiconductor process equipment, including an exhaust main line, an exhaust branch, an exhaust assembly, a pressure control valve, a first cutoff assembly, a first connecting branch, a second connecting branch, a pressure detection assembly and a controller. The exhaust main line is connected to the pressure control valve, and the pressure control valve divides the exhaust main line into two sections of pipelines. The air inlet of the first section of the exhaust main line is connected to the air outlet of the reaction chamber of the semiconductor process equipment. The air outlet of the first section of the exhaust main line is connected to one end of the pressure control valve, and the other end of the pressure control valve is connected to the air inlet of the second section of the exhaust main line. The air outlet of the second section of the exhaust main line is connected to the air inlet of the exhaust assembly. The pipeline between the air inlet and the air outlet of the first section of the exhaust main line is connected to the air inlet of the first connecting branch, and the air outlet of the first connecting branch is connected to the air inlet of the second connecting branch. The second connecting branch is located above the first connecting branch. The pressure detection assembly is connected to the second connecting branch, and the pressure detection assembly is located above the second connecting branch, and is used to detect the pressure value of the reaction chamber. The air inlet of the exhaust branch is connected to the second connecting branch, the exhaust branch is located below the second connecting branch, and the air inlet of the exhaust branch is close to the air inlet of the second connecting branch relative to the pressure detection component, and the air outlet of the exhaust branch is connected to the air extraction component. The pipeline between the air inlet and the air outlet of the exhaust branch is connected to the first cut-off component. The controller is electrically connected to the pressure control valve, the first cut-off component and the pressure detection component, and the controller controls one of the pressure control valve and the first cut-off component to open and the other to close according to different pressure values ​​detected by the pressure detection component.

[0005] In the above embodiment, since the second connecting branch, the first connecting branch, the exhaust main road and the reaction chamber are connected in sequence, the pressure detection component can detect the pressure of the exhaust main road, thereby detecting the pressure in the reaction chamber. When the exhaust component starts to exhaust, if the pressure detected by the pressure detection component does not reach the first value, the pressure control valve is closed, and the first cut-off component is turned on, so that the gas in the reaction chamber flows through the first connecting branch and the second connecting branch exhaust branch with a smaller diameter, so that the exhaust component exhausts the reaction chamber at a slower exhaust speed, thereby reducing the risk of air flow turbulence in the reaction chamber due to excessive local pressure changes, helping to reduce the phenomenon of particle dust generated by the vibration of the wafer, and achieving the effect of maintaining the cleanliness of the wafer. When the pressure detected by the pressure detection component reaches the first value, the overall pressure in the reaction chamber is maintained in a relatively low range, and the phenomenon of air flow turbulence is not easy to occur in the reaction chamber at this time. The first cut-off component is closed and the pressure control valve is turned on, so that the gas in the reaction chamber flows through the exhaust main road with a larger diameter, so that the exhaust component exhausts the reaction chamber at a faster exhaust speed.

[0006] In a possible embodiment, the pressure detection component includes a first film gauge, a second film gauge and a second cut-off component, the measuring range of the first film gauge is greater than the measuring range of the second film gauge, and the second film gauge is connected to the second connecting branch through the second cut-off component. The controller controls the second cut-off component to open or close according to the different pressure values ​​detected by the first film gauge, so that the second film gauge is connected or disconnected from the second connecting branch. When the pressure value detected by the first film gauge is greater than the first value, the controller controls the first cut-off component to open, and the second cut-off component and the pressure control valve to close; when the pressure value detected by the first film gauge is less than the first value and greater than the second value, the controller controls the pressure control valve to open, and the first cut-off component and the second cut-off component to close; when the pressure value detected by the first film gauge is less than the second value, the controller controls the second cut-off component to open again, and the second film gauge detects the pressure value of the reaction chamber. Wherein, the first value is less than 600torr, and the second value is less than the first value and is within the measuring range of the second film gauge.

[0007] In a possible implementation, when the second diaphragm gauge detects the pressure value of the reaction chamber, the controller adjusts the opening of the pressure control valve according to the change of the pressure value.

[0008] In a possible implementation manner, the exhaust system further includes a needle valve, which is connected to the exhaust branch and is closer to an outlet of the exhaust branch relative to the first cut-off component.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the pressure detection component includes a first diaphragm gauge, which is used to detect the pressure of the connecting pipeline. When the pressure detected by the first diaphragm gauge exceeds a first value, the third cut-off component controls the exhaust bypass to be turned on.

[0010] A gas circuit system includes an air intake system and the above-mentioned exhaust system, wherein the air intake system includes an air source, an air intake branch, a fifth cut-off assembly, a purge pipeline and a sixth cut-off assembly. The air intake branch is connected to the fifth cut-off assembly, which divides the air intake branch into a first pipeline section and a second pipeline section. The air inlet of the first pipeline section of the air intake branch is used to introduce the air source, the air outlet of the first pipeline section of the air intake branch is connected to one end of the fifth cut-off assembly, and the other end of the fifth cut-off assembly is connected to the air inlet of the second pipeline section of the air intake branch, the air outlet of the second pipeline section of the air intake branch is connected to the reaction chamber, and the length of the first pipeline section of the air intake branch is greater than the length of the second pipeline section of the air intake branch. The air inlet of the purge pipeline is connected to the first pipeline section of the air intake branch, and the air outlet of the purge pipeline is connected to the exhaust main pipeline. The sixth cut-off assembly is connected to the pipeline between the air inlet and the air outlet of the purge pipeline. The controller is electrically connected to the fifth cut-off component and the sixth cut-off component, and controls one of the fifth cut-off component and the sixth cut-off component to be opened and the other to be closed.

[0011] In one possible embodiment, the gas source includes a purge gas. When the sixth cut-off component is opened and the fifth cut-off component is closed, the purge gas purges the first section of the intake branch and then flows through the purge pipeline, and the exhaust component exhausts the purge pipeline; when the fifth cut-off component is closed and the sixth cut-off component is opened, the purge gas flows through the purged intake branch to purge the reaction chamber, and the exhaust component exhausts the reaction chamber.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the gas source further includes a reaction gas, the reaction gas is introduced into the purged air inlet branch and flows through the purged reaction chamber, and the exhaust component exhausts air from the reaction chamber.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the air intake system further includes a second one-way valve, and the second one-way valve is connected to a pipeline between an air inlet and an air outlet of the purge pipeline.

[0014] In a possible implementation manner, the gas outlet of the exhaust branch is communicated with the purge pipeline, and the gas outlet of the exhaust branch is close to the gas outlet of the purge pipeline relative to the second one-way valve.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the air intake system further includes a fourth film gauge and a seventh cut-off assembly, both of which are electrically connected to the controller, a pipeline of the purge pipeline located between the second one-way valve and the air outlet of the exhaust branch is connected to the fourth film gauge and connected to the seventh cut-off assembly, and the seventh cut-off assembly is closer to the air outlet of the exhaust branch relative to the fourth film gauge. When detecting whether the exhaust assembly is normal, close the pressure control valve, the first cut-off assembly, the fifth cut-off assembly, and the sixth cut-off assembly, open the seventh cut-off assembly and the exhaust assembly, the exhaust assembly exhausts air from the purge pipeline, and the fourth film gauge detects the pressure value of the purge pipeline.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the air intake system further includes a cleaning pipeline and an eighth cut-off component, the controller is electrically connected to the eighth cut-off component, the gas source further includes a cleaning gas, and the cleaning gas is used to clean the residue on the inner wall of the reaction chamber. The air inlet of the cleaning pipeline is used to introduce the cleaning gas, the cleaning pipeline has a first air outlet, the first air outlet of the cleaning pipeline is connected to the air intake branch, and the pipeline between the air inlet and the first air outlet of the cleaning pipeline is connected to the eighth cut-off component. When the cleaning gas is introduced into the cleaning pipeline and flows through the air intake branch and the reaction chamber, the controller controls the eighth cut-off component to open, the controller controls at least one of the pressure control valve and the first cut-off component to open, the fifth cut-off component and the sixth cut-off component to close, and the exhaust component exhausts the reaction chamber.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the air intake system further includes a ninth cut-off component, the controller is electrically connected to the ninth cut-off component, and the cleaning gas is also used to clean the residue on the inner wall of the purge pipeline. The purge pipeline also has a second gas outlet, the second gas outlet of the purge pipeline is connected to the purge pipeline, and the pipeline between the gas inlet and the second gas outlet of the purge pipeline is connected to the ninth cut-off component. When the cleaning gas is introduced into the purge pipeline and flows through the purge pipeline, the controller controls the ninth cut-off component and the seventh cut-off component to open, and the exhaust component exhausts gas from the purge pipeline.

[0018] In a possible implementation, the gas circuit system further includes a third film gauge, which is electrically connected to the controller, and is connected to the second connecting branch, for detecting the pressure value of the reaction chamber, and the gas source further includes back pressure gas. The pressure control valve and the first cut-off component are closed, the fifth cut-off component is opened, and the back pressure gas is introduced into the air inlet branch to flow through the reaction chamber, the first connecting branch, and the second connecting branch to back pressure the reaction chamber, and the controller controls the furnace door of the reaction chamber to open or close according to the different pressure values ​​detected by the third film gauge.

[0019] In a possible embodiment, the air intake system further includes a differential pressure gauge and a third cut-off component, and the semiconductor process equipment further includes a loading chamber. The differential pressure gauge is connected to the second connecting branch through the third cut-off component, and the differential pressure gauge is also connected to the loading chamber for detecting the pressure difference between the reaction chamber and the loading chamber. The controller is electrically connected to the differential pressure gauge and the third cut-off component, and the controller also controls the third cut-off component to open or close according to different pressure values ​​detected by the third film gauge. When the pressure value of the reaction chamber detected by the third film gauge is greater than the third value, the third cut-off component is opened, otherwise it is closed. When the third cut-off component is opened, the furnace door of the reaction chamber is opened when the pressure difference between the reaction chamber and the loading chamber detected by the differential pressure gauge is less than the fourth value.

[0020] In a possible implementation, the air intake system further includes an exhaust bypass and a fourth cutoff component, the air intake of the exhaust bypass is connected to the second connecting branch, the air outlet of the exhaust bypass is used to discharge the gas of the second connecting branch, and the fourth cutoff component is connected to the pipeline between the air intake and the air outlet of the exhaust bypass; the controller also controls the fourth cutoff component to open or close according to different pressure values ​​detected by the third film gauge. When the pressure value of the reaction chamber detected by the third film gauge is greater than the fifth value, the fourth cutoff component is opened to exhaust the exhaust bypass, and when the pressure value of the reaction chamber detected by the third film gauge is less than the fifth value, the controller controls the fourth cutoff component to close.

[0021] In a possible embodiment, the air inlet of the second connecting branch divides the second connecting branch into a first section of the pipeline and a second section of the pipeline, the pressure detection component, the third diaphragm gauge, and the third cut-off component are all located in the first section of the pipeline of the second connecting branch, and the exhaust bypass is located in the second section of the pipeline of the second connecting branch.

[0022] In a possible implementation manner, the exhaust system further includes a first one-way valve, which is communicated with the exhaust bypass and is closer to an outlet of the exhaust bypass relative to the fourth cut-off component. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a semiconductor process equipment provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the exhaust system of semiconductor process equipment shown.

[0025] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a pressure detection assembly of an exhaust system of a semiconductor process equipment is shown.

[0026] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the reaction chamber, furnace door and loading chamber shown.

[0027] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a partial structure of a semiconductor process equipment shown.

[0028] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an exhaust bypass of an exhaust system of a semiconductor process equipment is shown.

[0029] Figure 7 for Figure 1 A magnified schematic diagram of center A.

[0030] Main component symbols

[0031] Semiconductor Process Equipment 100

[0032] Reaction chamber 10

[0033] Furnace door 20

[0034] Loading chamber 30

[0035] Intake system 40

[0036] Intake branch 41

[0037] Fifth cutoff component 411

[0038] Exhaust system 50

[0039] The first section of the exhaust main line 51

[0040] The second section of the exhaust main line 52

[0041] Pressure Control Valve 521

[0042] Exhaust main line 53

[0043] First connecting branch 531

[0044] Exhaust branch 532

[0045] First cut-off component 5321

[0046] Needle valve 5322

[0047] Second connecting branch 533

[0048] Air extraction assembly 54

[0049] Pressure detection component 55

[0050] Third Film Regulation 551

[0051] First Film Gauge 553

[0052] Second film gauge 554

[0053] Second cut-off component 5541

[0054] Differential pressure gauge 555

[0055] The third cut-off component 5551

[0056] Exhaust Bypass 561

[0057] Fourth cut-off component 562

[0058] First check valve 563

[0059] Purge line 60

[0060] Sixth cut-off component 61

[0061] Fourth Film Rule 62

[0062] Seventh cut-off component 63

[0063] Second check valve 64

[0064] Cleaning pipeline 70

[0065] Eighth cut-off component 71

[0066] Ninth cut-off component 72

[0067] Leak detection port 80

[0068] The following specific implementation methods will further illustrate the present application in conjunction with the above-mentioned drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0069] In order to further illustrate the technical means and effects adopted by the present application to achieve the intended application purpose, the following is combined with the drawings and implementation methods. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments.

[0070] It should be noted that when a component is considered to be "connected" to another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intermediate component at the same time. When a component is considered to be "located on" another component, it can be directly located on the other component or there may be an intermediate component at the same time. The connection of pipelines refers to the interconnection of two pipelines.

[0071] The terms "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish different objects and shall not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implying the quantity, specific order or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features.

[0072] The terms "inlet end", "outlet end", etc. are only used to illustrate that the pipeline has different ends, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implying the flow direction of the fluid in the indicated pipeline. In the embodiment of the present application, during installation, the outlet end of one pipeline and the inlet end of another pipeline are installed in sequence, so that all pipelines can be installed in sequence. In other embodiments, all pipelines can also be installed in sequence in other installation orders.

[0073] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used herein in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application.

[0074] In conjunction with the accompanying drawings, some embodiments of the present application are described in detail below. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0075] See also Figure 1 A semiconductor process equipment 100 includes a reaction furnace (not labeled) and a gas circuit system (not labeled). The gas circuit system includes an air intake system 40, an exhaust system 50 and a controller (not shown). The reaction furnace includes a reaction chamber 10, a furnace door 20 and a loading chamber 30. The reaction chamber 10 is connected to the loading chamber 30. The furnace door 20 is disposed between the reaction chamber 10 and the loading chamber 30. The furnace door 20 is used to isolate the reaction chamber 10 from the loading chamber 30. The exhaust system 50 and the air intake system 40 are respectively connected to the reaction chamber 10.

[0076] Before reacting the wafer, the wafer is placed in the loading chamber 30, the furnace door 20 is opened, and the wafer in the loading chamber 30 is transferred to the reaction chamber 10. Finally, the furnace door 20 is closed to isolate the reaction chamber 10 from the loading chamber 30, and the furnace door 20 is used to seal the reaction chamber 10.

[0077] When the wafer is processed, the controller controls the air intake system 40 to provide protective gas to the reaction chamber 10. At the same time, the controller controls the exhaust system 50 to evacuate the reaction chamber 10 so that the protective gas enters the reaction chamber 10 and drives out the air in the reaction chamber 10, thereby reducing the risk of air and wafer reaction, or the protective gas enters the reaction chamber 10 and drives out other residual reaction gases in the reaction chamber 10, thereby reducing the interference of other reaction gases on the wafer process. After the air intake system 40 provides the protective gas to the reaction chamber 10 for a certain period of time, the air intake system 40 provides the reaction gas participating in the reaction to the reaction chamber 10 so that the reaction gas reacts with the wafer.

[0078] In other embodiments, the reaction gas may also be used to drive out the air in the reaction chamber 10 .

[0079] In some embodiments, see Figure 1 The exhaust system 50 includes an exhaust assembly 54 connected to the reaction chamber 10. The exhaust assembly 54 is also electrically connected to the controller. The exhaust assembly 54 exhausts the reaction chamber 10 so that the reaction chamber 10 is in a low pressure or negative pressure state according to the requirements of the reaction process. Low pressure means at least lower than the pressure of the gas stored in the intake system 40.

[0080] In other embodiments, since the reaction chamber 10 is in a low pressure or negative pressure state, the reaction gas or protective gas provided by the gas intake system 40 can enter the reaction chamber 10 under the action of the pressure difference.

[0081] In some embodiments, the gas extraction component 54 is also connected to an external exhaust gas treatment device so that the external exhaust gas treatment device can process the gas extracted by the gas extraction component 54 .

[0082] In some embodiments, the shielding gas is nitrogen or an inert gas.

[0083] In some embodiments, in order to quickly form a low pressure or negative pressure in the reaction chamber 10, the exhaust assembly 54 uses a rated exhaust speed to exhaust the reaction chamber 10 to increase the speed at which the protective gas is purged from the reaction chamber 10 and quickly change the reaction chamber 10 to a low pressure or negative pressure state.

[0084] Furthermore, the inventors have discovered that the rated pumping speed of the pumping assembly 54 is relatively fast. When the reaction chamber 10 is pumped at a relatively fast speed, it is easy to cause air flow turbulence in the reaction chamber 10 due to excessive local pressure changes. The air flow turbulence can cause the wafers in the reaction chamber 10 to vibrate and cause particle dust to be generated in the reaction chamber 10 (the particle dust is generated due to physical reasons such as particle dust being lifted up or particle dust falling off). The particle dust adheres to the wafer, resulting in low wafer cleanliness and reduced wafer yield.

[0085] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2The exhaust system 50 also includes an exhaust main line 53, an exhaust branch line 532, an exhaust component 54, a pressure control valve 521, a first cut-off component 5321, a first connecting branch line 531, a second connecting branch line 533, and a pressure detection component 55. The exhaust main line 53 is connected to the pressure control valve 521. The pressure control valve 521 divides the exhaust main line 53 into two sections of pipelines. The air inlet of the first section of the exhaust main line 51 is connected to the air outlet of the reaction chamber 10, the air outlet of the first section of the exhaust main line 51 is connected to one end of the pressure control valve 521, and the other end of the pressure control valve 521 is connected to the air inlet of the second section of the exhaust main line 52, and the air outlet of the second section of the exhaust main line 52 is connected to the air inlet of the exhaust component 54. The pipeline between the air inlet and the air outlet of the first section of the pipeline 51 of the exhaust main road is connected to the air inlet of the first connecting branch 531, and the air outlet of the first connecting branch 531 is connected to the air inlet of the second connecting branch 533. The pressure detection component 55 is connected to the second connecting branch 533, and the pressure detection component 55 can detect the pressure value of the reaction chamber 10. The air inlet of the exhaust branch 532 is connected to the second connecting branch 533, and the air inlet of the exhaust branch 532 is close to the air inlet of the second connecting branch 533 relative to the pressure detection component 55, and the air outlet of the exhaust branch 532 is connected to the exhaust component 54. The pipeline between the air inlet and the air outlet of the exhaust branch 532 is connected to the first cut-off component 5321. The controller is electrically connected to the pressure control valve 521, the first cut-off component 5321 and the pressure detection component 55. The controller controls one of the pressure control valve 521 and the first cut-off component 5321 to open and the other to close according to different pressure values ​​detected by the pressure detection component 55.

[0086] Since the first connecting branch 531 is connected to the reaction chamber 10 through the first section of the exhaust main line 51, the pressure detection component 55 detects the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 through the first connecting branch 531 and the first section of the exhaust main line 51. When the exhaust component 54 is exhausting, when the pressure detection component 55 detects that the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 has not reached the first value, illustratively, the first value is 450torr, 500torr, 550torr, 600torr or 650torr, the pressure control valve 521 is closed, and the first cut-off component 5321 is turned on, so that the gas in the reaction chamber 10 flows through the exhaust branch 532 with a smaller pipe diameter to reduce the flow rate of the gas, so that the exhaust component 54 exhausts the reaction chamber 10 at a slower exhaust speed. Compared with a faster pumping speed that causes a sudden drop in the pressure in the reaction chamber 10, a slower pumping speed can gradually reduce the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 and allow the reaction chamber 10 to smoothly transition to a lower range, thereby reducing the risk of air flow turbulence in the reaction chamber 10 due to excessive local pressure changes, helping to reduce the phenomenon of particle dust generated by chip vibration, thereby achieving the effect of maintaining the cleanliness of the chip.

[0087] When the pressure detection component 55 detects that the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 reaches the first value, it indicates that the overall pressure in the reaction chamber 10 has smoothly transitioned to a lower range. At this time, the controller controls the first cut-off component 5321 to be closed and the pressure control valve 521 to be turned on, so that the gas in the reaction chamber 10 flows through the exhaust main path 53 with a larger pipe diameter, which can increase the flow rate of the gas relative to the gas flowing through the first connecting branch 531, the second connecting branch 533 and the exhaust branch 532, so that the exhaust component 54 exhausts the reaction chamber 10 at a faster exhaust speed. Compared with the exhaust component 54 always exhausting the reaction chamber 10 at a slower speed, the exhaust speed of the exhaust component 54 changes from slow to fast, which helps to shorten the time for low pressure or negative pressure to be formed in the reaction chamber 10.

[0088] In addition, due to the long-term operation of the semiconductor process equipment 100, impurities and attachments are easily accumulated in the reaction chamber 10, the air intake system 40, the exhaust main path 53 and other parts, and the attachments on the exhaust main path 53 are easy to block the pressure detection component 55. The outlet of the exhaust branch 532 is connected to the exhaust main path 53, and the outlet of the exhaust branch 532 is close to the pressure control valve 521 relative to the air intake of the exhaust branch 532, so that the pressure detection component 55 is indirectly connected to the second section of the exhaust main path through the exhaust branch 532, so that the pressure detection component 55 can detect the pressure in the reaction chamber 10, while helping to reduce the risk of attachments on the second section of the exhaust main path 52 blocking the pressure detection component 55. At the same time, when the exhaust assembly 54 exhausts the reaction chamber 10 at a slower exhaust speed, the slower airflow flows from the first section of the exhaust main line 51 to the exhaust branch 532. Compared with the faster airflow flowing from the first section of the exhaust main line 51 to the exhaust branch 532, the risk of the attached objects on the first section of the exhaust main line 51 being driven by the airflow to move to the exhaust branch 532 can be reduced, thereby avoiding the situation where the attached objects on the first section of the exhaust main line 51 block the pressure detection assembly 55. The attached objects in the pressure detection assembly 55 are also sucked into the exhaust branch 532 under the suction action of the airflow in the exhaust branch 532, so as to achieve the effect of cleaning the pressure detection assembly 55.

[0089] When the vacuum component 54 vacuums the reaction chamber 10 at a faster vacuum speed, a faster airflow flows from the exhaust main path 53 to the vacuum component 54, so that the faster airflow cleans the attachments on the exhaust main path 53, and the airflow in the exhaust main path 53 produces a suction effect on the pressure detection component 55 and the exhaust branch 532, so that the attachments in the pressure detection component 55 and the exhaust branch 532 are sucked into the exhaust main path 53 and finally discharged along the vacuum component 54, thereby achieving the effect of cleaning the exhaust branch 532 and the pressure detection component 55.

[0090] In some embodiments, the second connecting branch 533 is located above the first connecting branch 531, the pressure detection assembly 55 is located above the second connecting branch 533, and the exhaust branch 532 is located below the second connecting branch 533, so that the first connecting branch 531 supports the pressure detection assembly 55 with a larger diameter and heavier weight through the second connecting branch 533.

[0091] In addition, when there are particles in the first connecting branch 531 and the exhaust branch 532, the particles sink under the action of gravity. At the same time, since the air inlet of the exhaust branch 532 is close to the air inlet of the second connecting branch 533, when exhausting, the particles are directly discharged into the exhaust branch 532 under the negative pressure at the air inlet of the exhaust branch 532, and the particles and gas trapped in the second connecting branch 533 under the pressure detection component 55 are also taken away under the negative pressure, which helps to reduce the risk of particles entering the second connecting branch 533 and blocking the pressure detection component 55, so as to maintain the detection accuracy of the pressure detection component 55.

[0092] In some embodiments, after the air intake system 40 provides the protective gas to the reaction chamber 10 for a period of time, the air intake system 40 provides the reaction gas to the reaction chamber 10, and the exhaust assembly 54 exhausts the reaction chamber 10 at a faster exhaust speed, thereby increasing the ventilation rate of the reaction gas, so as to achieve the effect that the chip can react with the pure reaction gas.

[0093] In some embodiments, see Figure 2 , the exhaust system 50 also includes a needle valve 5322 connected in series with the first cut-off component 5321, and the first cut-off component 5321 and the needle valve 5322 are electrically connected to the controller respectively. When the air intake system 40 starts to supply air to the reaction chamber 10, the controller controls the exhaust component 54 to work, and the controller also controls the first cut-off component 5321 and the needle valve 5322 to open, so that the exhaust component 54 exhausts air at a slower speed. During the exhaust process of the exhaust component 54, the controller controls the needle valve 5322 with higher precision to act according to the demand for the exhaust speed. For example, when the speed at which the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 needs to change faster, the controller controls the opening of the needle valve 5322 to increase so that the gas flow rate becomes larger. When the speed at which the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 needs to change slower, the controller controls the opening of the needle valve 5322 to decrease so that the gas flow rate becomes smaller, thereby achieving the effect of adjusting the speed at which the exhaust component 54 exhausts air from the reaction chamber 10 within a smaller range.

[0094] In some embodiments, the needle valve 5322 is located closer to the outlet of the exhaust branch 532 relative to the first cut-off component 5321, so that when the first cut-off component 5321 is closed, the air flow can be prevented from passing through the needle valve 5322, which helps to reduce the probability of attachment of attachments to the needle valve 5322, so as to maintain the accuracy of the opening adjustment of the needle valve 5322.

[0095] In some embodiments, referring to the figure, the pressure control valve 521 includes an automatic pressure regulating valve, the pressure detection component 55 and the automatic pressure regulating valve are electrically connected to the controller respectively, when the pressure detected by the pressure detection component 55 reaches a specified value, the pressure detection component 55 sends a feedback signal to the controller, and the controller controls the automatic pressure regulating valve to open.

[0096] In some embodiments, see Figures 1 to 3 The pressure detection assembly 55 includes a first film gauge 553 and a second film gauge 554, which are connected to the second connecting branch 533, and are also electrically connected to the controller. The range of the second film gauge 554 is smaller than the range of the first film gauge 553. Exemplarily, the range of the first film gauge 553 is 0-1000 torr, and the range of the second film gauge 554 is 0-10 torr.

[0097] Since the second connecting branch 533, the exhaust branch 532, the exhaust main road 53 and the reaction chamber 10 are connected in sequence, the pressure of the second connecting branch 533 is consistent with the pressure of the reaction chamber 10. When the exhaust component 54 is slowly pumping, the first film gauge 553 detects the pressure of the second connecting branch 533, thereby obtaining the pressure of the reaction chamber 10. When the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 is reduced to the first value, it means that the reaction chamber 10 is in a low pressure or negative pressure state. At this time, the first film gauge 553 sends a feedback signal to the controller, and the controller controls the pressure control valve 521 to be turned on and controls the first cut-off component 5321 to be closed, so that the exhaust component 54 is exhausted at a faster speed. At the beginning of the fast pumping, the pressure control valve 521 is not fully open. As the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 gradually decreases, the pressure control valve 521 gradually opens with the feedback signal of the first film gauge 553, so that the exhaust speed gradually increases until the exhaust speed reaches the maximum value. For example, at the beginning of the fast pumping, the exhaust system 50 pumps the reaction chamber 10 at a pumping speed of 0.1torr / s, 0.2torr / s, 0.3torr / s, 0.4torr / s, 0.5torr / s, etc., which is less than 1torr / s. When the opening of the pressure control valve 521 is close to full opening, the exhaust system 50 pumps the reaction chamber 10 at a pumping speed of 2torr / s, 3torr / s, 4torr / s, 5torr / s, 6torr / s, etc., which is less than 10torr / s, so that the exhaust system 50 can quickly pump the reaction chamber 10 in different low-pressure states at different speeds.

[0098] When the vacuum component 54 performs vacuuming at a faster speed until the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 reaches the second value, the controller controls the second cut-off component 5541 to be turned on, so that the second film gauge 554 detects the pressure of the second connecting branch 533. Since the measuring range of the second film gauge 554 is smaller than the measuring range of the first film gauge 553, the measurement accuracy of the second film gauge 554 is higher than the measurement accuracy of the first film gauge 553. When the reaction chamber 10 is in a low pressure or negative pressure state, the second film gauge 554 can reduce the detection error relative to the first film gauge 553, which helps to improve the accuracy of detecting the pressure of the reaction chamber 10, so that the controller can control the vacuum speed of the vacuum component 54 or control the gas supply speed of the intake system 40.

[0099] It is understandable that the second value is within the measuring range of the second film gauge 554. Exemplarily, the second value is 10 torr to reduce the risk of damage to the second film gauge 554 due to excessive pressure.

[0100] In some embodiments, during the reaction of the reaction chamber 10 to the wafer, the air intake system 40 continuously provides the reaction gas to the reaction chamber 10, and the exhaust assembly 54 continuously exhausts the reaction chamber 10 through the exhaust system 50, so that the new reaction gas continuously reacts with the wafer, thereby helping to improve the reaction efficiency of the wafer. At the same time, the residual gas after the reaction can be continuously expelled by the new reaction gas, so that the wafer can continuously react with the pure reaction gas.

[0101] In some embodiments, when the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 is less than the second value, the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 gradually stabilizes until the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 reaches 1 torr, 2 torr, 3 torr, 4 torr or 5 torr, and the reaction rate of the product and the reaction gas is at the highest value. At this time, when the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 fluctuates, the controller in the pressure control valve 521 adjusts the opening of the pressure control valve 521 according to the feedback signal of the second film gauge 554, that is, when the pressure value in the reaction chamber 10 increases, the opening of the pressure control valve 521 increases, and when the pressure value in the reaction chamber 10 decreases, the opening of the pressure control valve 521 decreases, so that the pressure value in the reaction chamber 10 is maintained within a stable range to maintain the highest reaction rate between the reaction gas and the chip.

[0102] In some embodiments, when the reaction rate of the product and the reaction gas is at the highest value, the pressure value in the reaction chamber 10 fluctuates within ±0.1 torr, ±0.2 torr, ±0.3 torr, ±0.4 torr or ±0.5 torr.

[0103] In some embodiments, a second cutoff component 5541 is provided between the second thin film gauge 554 and the second connecting branch 533, and the second cutoff component 5541 is electrically connected to the controller. When the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 is not reduced to the second value, the controller controls the second cutoff component 5541 to remain closed, so that when the second thin film gauge 554 is in a non-operating state, the risk of contaminants on the second connecting branch 533 entering the second thin film gauge 554 can be reduced. When the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 is reduced to the second value, the controller controls the second cutoff component 5541 to open, so that the second thin film gauge 554 detects the pressure in the reaction chamber 10.

[0104] In some embodiments, see Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5The air intake system 40 includes an air source, multiple air intake branches 41 and multiple fifth cut-off components 411. One air intake branch 41 is connected to one fifth cut-off component 411. The fifth cut-off component 411 divides the air intake branch 41 into two sections of pipelines. The air inlet of the first section of the air intake branch 41 is used to introduce the air source. The air outlet of the first section of the air intake branch 41 is connected to one end of the fifth cut-off component 411. The other end of the fifth cut-off component 411 is connected to the air inlet of the second section of the air intake branch 41. The air outlet of the second section of the air intake branch 41 is connected to the air inlet of the reaction chamber 10. Each fifth cut-off component 411 is electrically connected to the controller to control the fifth cut-off component 411 to be turned on and off by the controller, thereby controlling the air source to provide protective gas or reaction gas to the reaction chamber 10 through the air intake branch 41.

[0105] In some embodiments, each of the air inlet branches 41 is respectively connected to a portion of the reaction chamber 10 close to the loading chamber 30 , and an outlet end of the air inlet branch 41 extends into the reaction chamber 10 , so that the air inlet system 40 provides gas to the reaction chamber 10 .

[0106] In some embodiments, see Figure 4 , the outlet ends of at least some of the air inlet branches 41 are in the reaction chamber 10 and are sequentially distributed from the loading chamber 30 to the reaction chamber 10. When the air extraction assembly 54 extracts air from the reaction chamber 10, the plurality of air inlet branches 41 uniformly supply gas to the reaction chamber 10 to avoid the risk of air flow turbulence caused by excessive pressure difference in the reaction chamber 10 due to a sudden decrease in the local pressure of the reaction chamber 10.

[0107] Fifth cut-off component 411 In some embodiments, after the wafer reaction is completed, due to the large pressure difference between the reaction chamber 10 and the loading chamber 30, the two sides of the furnace door 20 are subjected to large pressure and cannot be opened. Before the furnace door 20 needs to be opened, the controller controls the exhaust component 54 to stop working, and controls the pressure control valve 521 and the first cut-off component 5321 to close, so that the reaction chamber 10 forms a closed environment. The air intake system 40 provides back pressure gas to the reaction chamber 10 to restore the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 from low pressure or negative pressure to normal pressure, so as to reduce the pressure difference between the reaction chamber 10 and the loading chamber 30, so that the pressure on both sides of the furnace door 20 is close, thereby facilitating the opening of the furnace door 20.

[0108] In some embodiments, the back pressure gas is a gas that does not react with the wafer, such as a protective gas.

[0109] For further information, see Figure 1 and Figure 2The pressure detection assembly 55 further includes a differential pressure gauge 555, which is connected to the first section of the exhaust main line 51 and the loading chamber 30, respectively, so that the differential pressure gauge 555 can detect the pressure difference between the reaction chamber 10 and the loading chamber 30. When the furnace door 20 needs to be opened, when the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 detected by the differential pressure gauge 555 is within 90%-110% of the pressure of the loading chamber 30, it means that the pressure between the reaction chamber 10 and the loading chamber 30 is similar, so that during the process of opening the furnace door 20, the pressure impact on the furnace door 20 can be reduced, thereby avoiding the risk of generating particle dust in the reaction chamber 10 due to the vibration of the furnace door 20, which helps to maintain the cleanliness of the wafer after the reaction is completed.

[0110] Exemplarily, when the pressure of the loading chamber 30 is atmospheric pressure, the pressure difference measured by the differential pressure gauge 555 is within ±50 torr, that is, the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 is 710 torr-810 torr, then the furnace door 20 can be opened. Conversely, when the pressure difference measured by the differential pressure gauge 555 is outside ±50 torr, the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 is less than 710 torr or greater than 810 torr, then the furnace door 20 cannot be opened.

[0111] In some embodiments, the display value of the differential pressure gauge 555 is a positive or negative value. The value 0 of the differential pressure gauge 555 is the pressure value of the loading chamber 30. When the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 is greater than the pressure of the loading chamber 30, the display value of the differential pressure gauge 555 is a positive number. When the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 is less than the pressure of the loading chamber 30, the display value of the differential pressure gauge 555 is a negative number. When the furnace door 20 needs to be opened, the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 is greater than the pressure of the loading chamber 30, that is, the display value of the differential pressure gauge 555 is a positive number, so that the furnace door 20 can be opened from the inside to the outside by the internal and external pressure difference, which helps to reduce the driving force for driving the furnace door 20 to open.

[0112] In some embodiments, when the reaction chamber 10 is back-pressurized, the gas provided to the reaction chamber 10 by the air intake system 40 is a protective gas, and the toxic reaction gas in the reaction chamber 10 is expelled by the non-toxic protective gas, thereby avoiding the reaction gas from remaining in the reaction chamber 10, thereby reducing the risk of workers easily inhaling the reaction gas when the furnace door 20 is opened.

[0113] In some embodiments, when the reaction chamber 10 is in the early stage of the back-pressurization process, the exhaust assembly 54 keeps working to allow the protective gas to flow from the reaction chamber 10 with a higher pressure to the exhaust system 50 with a lower pressure, so that the reaction gas in the reaction chamber 10 is fully expelled.

[0114] In some embodiments, see Figure 2A third cutoff component 5551 is provided between the differential pressure gauge 555 and the second connecting branch 533. When it is necessary to measure the pressure difference between the reaction chamber 10 and the loading chamber 30, the controller controls the third cutoff component 5551 to be turned on so that the differential pressure gauge 555 is connected to the second connecting branch 533. When it is not necessary to measure the pressure difference between the reaction chamber 10 and the loading chamber 30, the controller controls the third cutoff component 5551 to be turned off so that the differential pressure gauge 555 is disconnected from the second connecting branch 533 to reduce the risk of attachments on the second connecting branch 533 entering the differential pressure gauge 555. In some embodiments, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 6 , the exhaust system 50 also includes an exhaust bypass 561 and a fourth cut-off component 562, the exhaust bypass 561 is connected to the second connecting branch 533, the fourth cut-off component 562 is arranged on the exhaust bypass 561, and the fourth cut-off component 562 is electrically connected to the controller. During the back pressure of the reaction chamber 10, when the pressure restored by the reaction chamber 10 is greater than the fifth value, the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 is greater than the pressure of the loading chamber 30. Exemplarily, when the pressure of the loading chamber 30 is atmospheric pressure, the fifth value is 760torr, and the controller controls the fourth cut-off component 562 to open so that the gas in the reaction chamber 10 flows through the exhaust bypass 561 to be discharged to the outside to relieve the pressure of the reaction chamber 10. In some embodiments, the exhaust bypass 561 is connected to another exhaust gas treatment device in the outside.

[0115] In other embodiments, during the process of back-pressurizing the reaction chamber 10 , when the pressure restored in the reaction chamber 10 reaches a fifth value, the controller may also control the gas extraction assembly 54 to release the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 .

[0116] In some embodiments, see Figure 6 There are at least two exhaust bypasses 561, all of which are connected to the second connecting branch 533, and a fourth cut-off assembly 562 is provided on each exhaust bypass 561. At least one exhaust bypass 561 is used in common use, and the remaining exhaust bypasses 561 are used as backup, so that when the fourth cut-off assembly 562 on the common exhaust bypass 561 fails, the reaction chamber 10 can be depressurized through the backup exhaust bypass 561.

[0117] In some embodiments, see Figure 3The gas circuit system also includes a third film gauge 551, the range of the third film gauge 551 is equal to the range of the first film gauge 553, the third film gauge 551 is electrically connected to the controller, and the third film gauge 551 is used to detect the safety pressure of the reaction chamber 10. When the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 exceeds the sixth value, illustratively, the sixth value is 110%, 120% or 130% of the fifth value, the third film gauge 551 sends a feedback signal to the controller, and the controller controls the two exhaust bypasses 561 to simultaneously depressurize the reaction chamber 10 to increase the depressurization speed of the exhaust bypass 561.

[0118] In some embodiments, when the third membrane gauge 551 detects that the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 is greater than the pressure of the loading chamber 30 and is greater than 50 torr, the controller controls the exhaust bypass 561 to release the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 .

[0119] In other embodiments, when the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 exceeds the safety value of the reaction chamber 10, the exhaust bypass 561 and the exhaust assembly 54 simultaneously relieve the pressure of the reaction chamber 10. The safety value of the reaction chamber 10 is 80%, 85%, 90%, 95% of the compressive strength of the reaction chamber 10.

[0120] In other embodiments, the measuring range of the third thin film gauge 551 is greater than the measuring range of the first thin film gauge 553 .

[0121] In some embodiments, when the third membrane gauge 551 detects that the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 reaches a fifth value, the controller controls the third cut-off component 5551 to be turned on.

[0122] In some embodiments, the third film gauge 551 and the pressure detection assembly 55 are both connected to the same section of the pipeline of the second connecting branch 533 .

[0123] In some embodiments, when the gas extraction component 54 is exhausting the reaction chamber 10, the first section of the exhaust main line 51 is in a negative pressure or low pressure state. At least the commonly used exhaust bypass 561 is provided with a first one-way valve 563, and the first one-way valve 563 is close to the gas outlet of the exhaust bypass 561 relative to the fourth cut-off component 562, so that when the gas extraction component 54 is exhausting the reaction chamber 10, the first one-way valve 563 can avoid the risk of external gas flowing into the exhaust bypass 561 under the action of pressure difference.

[0124] In some embodiments, the length of the first section of the intake branch 41 is greater than the length of the second section of the intake branch 41. Figure 1 and Figure 5, the gas circuit system also includes a purge pipeline 60 and a sixth cut-off component 61. The gas source includes a purge gas. The air inlet of the purge pipeline 60 is connected to the first section of the pipeline of the air inlet branch 41, and the air outlet of the purge pipeline 60 is connected to the second section of the pipeline 52 of the exhaust main road. Before the air inlet branch 41 starts to provide gas to the reaction chamber 10, the controller controls the fifth cut-off component 411 to close and controls the sixth cut-off component 61 to open, so that the gas source provides purge gas to the air inlet branch 41, and the purge gas flows through the purge pipeline 60 to the second section of the pipeline 52 of the exhaust main road, so that the purge gas purges the air inlet branch 41 before the fifth cut-off component 411, so as to reduce the attachments or other gases on the air inlet branch 41, which helps to improve the cleanliness of the air inlet branch 41, thereby reducing the risk of attachments or other gases on the air inlet branch 41 entering the reaction chamber 10 with the air flow.

[0125] It can be understood that the length of the first section of the air intake branch 41 is greater than the length of the second section of the air intake branch 41, so that most of the air intake branch 41 can be purged as clean as possible. When purging the reaction chamber 10, the amount of attachments on the air intake branch 41 blown into the reaction chamber 10 can be reduced, thereby improving the purging efficiency and cleanliness of the reaction chamber 10.

[0126] In some embodiments, the purge gas is a protective gas, a gas that does not react with the product, or a reactive gas of the current process.

[0127] In some embodiments, after the purge line 60 has completed purging the air intake line, the controller controls the fifth cut-off component 411 to open and controls the sixth cut-off component 61 to close, so that the gas in the air intake branch 41 can purge the reaction chamber 10, thereby achieving the function of cleaning the air intake branch 41 and the reaction chamber 10 respectively.

[0128] In some embodiments, see Figure 7 The outlet end of the exhaust branch 532 is connected to the portion of the second section of the exhaust main line 52 of the purge line 60. Therefore, when the gas of the intake branch 41 flows to the second section of the exhaust main line 52 through the purge line 60, and then the gas purges the intake branch 41 before the fifth cut-off component 411, the gas on the purge line 60 can also produce a suction effect on the exhaust branch 532, so as to realize the function of cleaning the attachments on the exhaust branch 532.

[0129] In some embodiments, a second one-way valve 64 is provided on the purge line 60, and the outlet of the exhaust branch 532 is close to the exhaust main line 53 relative to the second one-way valve 64 to prevent the gas on the exhaust branch 532 or the second section of the exhaust main line 52 from flowing to the intake branch 41.

[0130] In some embodiments, see Figure 7The air intake system 40 further includes a fourth film gauge 62 and a seventh cut-off assembly 63, both of which are electrically connected to the controller. The pipeline of the purge pipeline 60 located between the second one-way valve 64 and the gas outlet of the exhaust branch 532 is connected to the fourth film gauge 62 and connected to the seventh cut-off assembly 63. The seventh cut-off assembly 63 is closer to the gas outlet of the exhaust branch 532 relative to the fourth film gauge 62. Since the air extraction assembly 54 is connected to the purge pipeline 60 through the second section of the exhaust main pipeline 52, the fourth film gauge 62 can check the air extraction pressure of the air extraction assembly 54. When the gas purges the air intake branch 41 before the fifth cut-off assembly 411, the controller controls the pressure control valve 521, the first cut-off assembly 5321, the fifth cut-off assembly 411, and the sixth cut-off assembly 61 to close, and controls the seventh cut-off assembly 63 to open, and the air extraction assembly 54 works. The pressure detected by the fourth film gauge 62 is the actual working pressure of the air extraction assembly 54. The pressure detected by the fourth film gauge 62 is compared with the normal working pressure of the air pumping assembly 54. When the pressure detected by the fourth film gauge 62 is less than 10 mtorr, it indicates that the air pumping assembly 54 is working normally. When the pressure detected by the fourth film gauge 62 is greater than 10 mtorr, it indicates that the air pumping assembly 54 is abnormal. At this time, the air pumping assembly 54 needs to be closed for inspection and maintenance.

[0131] In some embodiments, since the reaction chamber 10, the air inlet branch 41 and the purge line 60 are prone to be attached with some pollutants during non-operating periods, the pollutants may affect the process reaction effect and reduce the yield rate, and may also easily block the air inlet branch 41 and the purge line 60 and affect their normal operation. Figure 1 and Figure 5 The gas circuit system also includes a cleaning pipeline 70 and an eighth cut-off component 71, and the gas source also includes cleaning gas. The air inlet of the cleaning pipeline 70 is used to introduce the cleaning gas. The cleaning pipeline 70 has a first air outlet (not marked), and the first air outlet of the cleaning pipeline 70 is connected to the air inlet branch 41, and compared with the air outlet of the second section of the pipeline close to the air inlet branch 41 of the fifth cut-off component 411, the pipeline between the air inlet and the first air outlet of the cleaning pipeline 70 is connected to the eighth cut-off component 71, and the eighth cut-off component 71 is also electrically connected to the controller. Before or after the semiconductor process equipment 100 is operated, there is no wafer in the reaction chamber 10, the controller controls the eighth cut-off component 71 to be turned on, and controls at least one of the pressure control valve 521 and the first cut-off component 5321 to be opened, the fifth cut-off component 411 and the sixth cut-off component 61 to be closed, and the exhaust component 54 exhausts the reaction chamber 10, so that the cleaning pipeline 70 provides cleaning gas to the air inlet branch 41 and the reaction chamber 10, so that the cleaning gas decomposes and takes away the residues in the air inlet branch 41, the reaction chamber 10 and the exhaust system 50. In some embodiments, the cleaning pipeline 70 is also directly connected to the reaction chamber 10.

[0132] In some embodiments, see Figure 5 , the air intake system 40 further includes a ninth cut-off component 72, and the controller is electrically connected to the ninth cut-off component 72. The cleaning pipeline 70 also has a second gas outlet (not marked), the second gas outlet of the cleaning pipeline 70 is connected to the purge pipeline 60, and the pipeline between the gas intake and the second gas outlet of the cleaning pipeline 70 is connected to the ninth cut-off component 72. Before or after the semiconductor process equipment 100 is operated, there is no wafer in the reaction chamber 10, the controller controls the ninth cut-off component 72 and the seventh cut-off component 63 to open, and controls other cut-off components to close, and the exhaust component 54 exhausts the purge pipeline 60, so that the cleaning gas flows through the air intake branch 41, the purge pipeline 60 and the second section pipeline 52 of the exhaust main pipeline, so as to realize the function of cleaning the purge pipeline 60.

[0133] In some embodiments, the cleaning pipeline 70 further has a third gas outlet (not marked), and the third gas outlet of the cleaning pipeline 70 is connected to the reaction chamber 10 through an eighth cut-off component 71. When the eighth cut-off component 71 is opened, the cleaning pipeline 70 can directly provide the cleaning gas to the reaction chamber 10.

[0134] In some embodiments, when the cleaning gas is supplied to the cleaning pipeline 70, the cleaning gas is heated to prevent condensation of the cleaning gas. At the same time, high temperature helps to improve the decomposition efficiency of pollutants, thereby improving the effect of the cleaning gas on cleaning pollutants.

[0135] In some embodiments, all the cut-off components include diaphragm valves or butterfly valves with good sealing and corrosion resistance to reduce the risk of the cut-off components not being able to work properly due to corrosion of the reaction gas.

[0136] In some embodiments, the air extraction component 54 includes an air pump, a blower, or a vacuum pump.

[0137] In some embodiments, see Figure 2 and Figure 7 A gas leakage detection port 80 and a stop valve are respectively provided on the first section of the exhaust main line 51, the first connecting branch 531 or the portion of the purge line 60 close to the second section of the exhaust main line 52. By opening the stop valve, the gas is discharged to the outside through the gas leakage detection port 80, thereby achieving the function of gas leakage detection for the semiconductor process equipment 100.

[0138] It is understandable that when the semiconductor process equipment 100 is in different working states, gas detection is performed at different positions on the semiconductor process equipment 100 through the gas leakage detection ports 80 at different positions, thereby achieving the function of detecting one of the working states of the semiconductor process equipment 100. Exemplarily, when gas is purged to the air intake branch 41 before the fifth cut-off component 411, gas is detected on the exhaust branch 532, indicating that there is a gas leakage in the semiconductor process equipment 100, causing the gas to diffuse to the part.

[0139] In some embodiments, the working process of the airflow system of the present application is as follows:

[0140] Step 1: The vacuum component 54 is tested. The controller controls the pressure control valve 521, the first cut-off component 5321, the fifth cut-off component 411, and the sixth cut-off component 61 to close, and controls the seventh cut-off component 63 to open. The vacuum component 54 works, and the fourth film gauge 62 detects the pressure of the purge pipeline 60 to determine whether the vacuum component 54 is working normally.

[0141] Step 2: Clean the air intake branch 41. The air source provides gas to the air intake branch 41. The controller controls the fifth cut-off component 411 to close and controls the sixth cut-off component 61 and the seventh cut-off component 63 to open. The exhaust component 54 exhausts the main exhaust path 53 so that the protective gas of the air intake branch 41 flows through the purge pipeline 60 to the second section pipeline 52 of the main exhaust path, thereby allowing the gas to purge the air intake branch 41 in front of the fifth cut-off component 411.

[0142] Step 3: Clean the reaction chamber 10. The gas source continues to provide gas to the air inlet branch 41. The controller controls the fifth cut-off component 411 and the pressure control valve 521 to open, and controls the sixth cut-off component 61 to close. The exhaust component 54 continues to exhaust gas, so that the protective gas in the air inlet branch 41 can purge the reaction chamber 10.

[0143] Step 4: Exhaust, the gas source provides reaction gas to the air inlet branch 41, the controller controls the fifth cut-off component 411 and the pressure control valve 521 to open, and controls the sixth cut-off component 61 to close, and the exhaust component 54 continues to exhaust gas, so that the reaction gas of the air inlet branch 41 drives out other gases in the reaction chamber 10.

[0144] Step 5: Slowly pumping, the gas source continues to provide the reaction gas to the inlet branch 41, the controller controls the first cut-off component 5321 to open, and controls the second cut-off component 5541 and the pressure control valve 521 to close, so that the pumping component 54 pumps gas from the reaction chamber 10 at a first speed. The first film gauge 553 detects the pressure of the reaction chamber 10.

[0145] Step 6: Quick pumping: When the pressure detected by the first film gauge 553 is less than the first value, the controller controls the first cut-off component 5321 to close and controls the pressure control valve 521 to open, so that the pumping component 54 pumps the reaction chamber 10 at a second speed. The second speed is greater than the first speed. Both the first speed and the second speed are pressure reduction speeds or flow rates.

[0146] Step 7: When the reaction is about to begin, when the pressure detected by the first film gauge 553 is less than the second value, the controller controls the second cut-off component 5541 to open, so that the second film gauge 554 detects whether the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 is within the pressure value range for the best reaction speed.

[0147] Step 8: Reaction, the pressure control valve 521 adjusts its opening according to the pressure detected by the second membrane gauge 554, so that the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 remains stable and within the pressure value range of the optimal reaction speed.

[0148] Step 9: Back pressure, the gas source provides back pressure gas to the inlet branch 41, and the controller controls the pressure control valve 521 to close, so that the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 is restored. The controller controls the third cut-off component 5551 to open, so that the differential pressure gauge 555 measures the pressure difference between the reaction chamber 10 and the loading chamber 30. Until the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 is consistent with the pressure in the loading chamber 30.

[0149] Step 10: Open the oven door 20.

[0150] In addition, those skilled in the art should recognize that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present application and are not intended to be limiting of the present application. As long as they are within the spirit and scope of the present application, appropriate changes and modifications to the above embodiments are within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An exhaust system for semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: It includes an exhaust main circuit, an exhaust branch circuit, an exhaust assembly, a pressure control valve, a first cut-off assembly, a first connecting branch circuit, a second connecting branch circuit, a pressure detection assembly and a controller; The exhaust main line is connected to the pressure control valve, the pressure control valve divides the exhaust main line into a first section pipeline and a second section pipeline, the air inlet of the first section pipeline of the exhaust main line is communicated with the air outlet of the reaction chamber of the semiconductor process equipment, the air outlet of the first section pipeline of the exhaust main line is connected to one end of the pressure control valve, the other end of the pressure control valve is connected to the air inlet of the second section pipeline of the exhaust main line, and the air outlet of the second section pipeline of the exhaust main line is communicated with the air inlet of the exhaust assembly; The pipeline between the air inlet and the air outlet of the first section of the main exhaust pipeline is connected to the air inlet of the first connecting branch, the air outlet of the first connecting branch is connected to the air inlet of the second connecting branch, and the second connecting branch is located above the first connecting branch; The pressure detection component is connected to the second connecting branch, and the pressure detection component is located above the second connecting branch, and is used to detect the pressure value of the reaction chamber; The air inlet of the exhaust branch is communicated with the second connecting branch, the exhaust branch is located below the second connecting branch, and the air inlet of the exhaust branch is close to the air inlet of the second connecting branch relative to the pressure detection component, the air outlet of the exhaust branch is communicated with the air extraction component, and the pipeline between the air inlet and the air outlet of the exhaust branch is connected to the first cut-off component; The controller is electrically connected to the pressure control valve, the first cut-off component and the pressure detection component. The controller controls one of the pressure control valve and the first cut-off component to open and the other to close according to different pressure values ​​detected by the pressure detection component.

2. The exhaust system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure detection assembly comprises a first thin film gauge, a second thin film gauge and a second cut-off assembly, the measuring range of the first thin film gauge is greater than the measuring range of the second thin film gauge, and the second thin film gauge is connected to the second connecting branch through the second cut-off assembly; The controller controls the second cut-off component to open or close according to different pressure values ​​detected by the first film gauge, so as to connect or disconnect the second film gauge with the second connecting branch; When the pressure value detected by the first diaphragm gauge is greater than a first value, the controller controls the first cut-off component to open, and the second cut-off component and the pressure control valve to close; when the pressure value detected by the first diaphragm gauge is less than the first value and greater than the second value, the controller controls the pressure control valve to open, and the first cut-off component and the second cut-off component to close; when the pressure value detected by the first diaphragm gauge is less than the second value, the controller controls the second cut-off component to open again, and the second diaphragm gauge detects the pressure value of the reaction chamber; The first value is less than 600 torr, and the second value is less than the first value and is within the measuring range of the second film gauge.

3. The exhaust system according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the second film gauge detects the pressure value of the reaction chamber, the controller adjusts the opening of the pressure control valve according to the change of the pressure value.

4. The exhaust system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The exhaust system further includes a needle valve, which is connected to the exhaust branch and is close to an outlet of the exhaust branch relative to the first cut-off component.

5. A gas circuit system, characterized in that: An exhaust system comprising an air intake system and any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the air intake system comprises an air source, an air intake branch, a fifth cut-off component, a purge pipeline and a sixth cut-off component; The air inlet branch is connected to the fifth cut-off component, the fifth cut-off component divides the air inlet branch into a first section of the pipeline and a second section of the pipeline, the air inlet of the first section of the pipeline of the air inlet branch is used to introduce the gas source, the air outlet of the first section of the pipeline of the air inlet branch is connected to one end of the fifth cut-off component, the other end of the fifth cut-off component is connected to the air inlet of the second section of the pipeline of the air inlet branch, the air outlet of the second section of the pipeline of the air inlet branch is in communication with the reaction chamber, and the length of the first section of the pipeline of the air inlet branch is greater than the length of the second section of the pipeline of the air inlet branch; The air inlet of the purge pipeline is connected to the first section of the air inlet branch, and the air outlet of the purge pipeline is connected to the exhaust main line; The sixth cut-off component is connected to the pipeline between the air inlet and the air outlet of the purge pipeline; The controller is electrically connected to the fifth cut-off component and the sixth cut-off component, and controls one of the fifth cut-off component and the sixth cut-off component to be turned on and the other to be turned off.

6. The gas circuit system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The gas source includes a purge gas. When the sixth cut-off component is opened and the fifth cut-off component is closed, the purge gas purges the first section of the intake branch and then flows through the purge pipeline, and the exhaust component exhausts the purge pipeline; when the fifth cut-off component is closed and the sixth cut-off component is opened, the purge gas flows through the purged intake branch to purge the reaction chamber, and the exhaust component exhausts the reaction chamber.

7. The gas circuit system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The gas source further includes a reaction gas, and the reaction gas is introduced into the purged air inlet branch and flows through the purged reaction chamber, and the exhaust component exhausts air from the reaction chamber.

8. The gas circuit system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The air intake system further includes a second one-way valve, which is connected to a pipeline between an air inlet and an air outlet of the purge pipeline.

9. The gas circuit system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The gas outlet of the exhaust branch is communicated with the purge pipeline, and the gas outlet of the exhaust branch is close to the gas outlet of the purge pipeline relative to the second one-way valve.

10. The gas circuit system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The air intake system further includes a fourth film gauge and a seventh cut-off component, both of which are electrically connected to the controller, the purge pipeline located between the second one-way valve and the air outlet of the exhaust branch is communicated with the fourth film gauge and connected to the seventh cut-off component, and the seventh cut-off component is closer to the air outlet of the exhaust branch relative to the fourth film gauge; When detecting whether the vacuum assembly is normal, close the pressure control valve, the first cut-off assembly, the fifth cut-off assembly, and the sixth cut-off assembly, open the seventh cut-off assembly and the vacuum assembly, the vacuum assembly evacuates the purge pipeline, and the fourth membrane gauge detects the pressure value of the purge pipeline.

11. The gas circuit system according to claim 10, characterized in that: The air intake system further includes a cleaning pipeline and an eighth cut-off component, the controller is electrically connected to the eighth cut-off component, the gas source further includes a cleaning gas, and the cleaning gas is used to clean the residue on the inner wall of the reaction chamber; The air inlet of the cleaning pipeline is used to introduce the cleaning gas, the cleaning pipeline has a first air outlet, the first air outlet of the cleaning pipeline is connected to the air inlet branch, and the pipeline between the air inlet and the first air outlet of the cleaning pipeline is connected to the eighth cut-off component; When the cleaning gas is introduced into the cleaning pipeline and flows through the air inlet branch and the reaction chamber, the controller controls the eighth cut-off component to open, the controller controls at least one of the pressure control valve and the first cut-off component to open, the fifth cut-off component and the sixth cut-off component to close, and the exhaust component exhausts gas from the reaction chamber.

12. The gas circuit system according to claim 11, characterized in that: The air intake system further comprises a ninth cut-off component, the controller is electrically connected to the ninth cut-off component, and the cleaning gas is also used to clean the residue on the inner wall of the purge pipeline; The cleaning pipeline also has a second air outlet, the second air outlet of the cleaning pipeline is communicated with the purge pipeline, and the pipeline between the air inlet and the second air outlet of the cleaning pipeline is connected to the ninth cut-off component; When the cleaning gas is introduced into the cleaning pipeline and flows through the purge pipeline, the controller controls the ninth cut-off component and the seventh cut-off component to open, and the exhaust component exhausts gas from the purge pipeline.

13. The gas circuit system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The gas circuit system further includes a third film gauge, the third film gauge is electrically connected to the controller, the third film gauge is in communication with the second connecting branch, and is used to detect the pressure value of the reaction chamber, and the gas source further includes back pressure gas; The pressure control valve and the first cut-off component are closed, the fifth cut-off component is opened, the back-pressure gas is introduced into the air inlet branch to flow through the reaction chamber, the first connecting branch and the second connecting branch to back-pressure the reaction chamber, and the controller controls the furnace door of the reaction chamber to open or close according to different pressure values ​​detected by the third film gauge.

14. The gas circuit system according to claim 13, characterized in that: The air intake system further includes a differential pressure gauge and a third cutoff component, and the semiconductor process equipment further includes a loading chamber; The differential pressure gauge is connected to the second connecting branch through the third cut-off component, and the differential pressure gauge is also connected to the loading chamber for detecting the pressure difference between the reaction chamber and the loading chamber; The controller is electrically connected to the differential pressure gauge and the third cut-off component, and the controller also controls the third cut-off component to open or close according to different pressure values ​​detected by the third diaphragm gauge; When the pressure value of the reaction chamber detected by the third film gauge is greater than a third value, the third cut-off component is opened, otherwise it is closed; When the third cut-off component is opened, and the pressure difference between the reaction chamber and the loading chamber detected by the differential pressure gauge is less than a fourth value, the furnace door of the reaction chamber is opened.

15. The gas circuit system according to claim 14, characterized in that: The air intake system further includes an exhaust bypass and a fourth cut-off component, wherein the air intake of the exhaust bypass is communicated with the second connecting branch, the air outlet of the exhaust bypass is used to discharge the gas of the second connecting branch, and the fourth cut-off component is connected to the pipeline between the air intake and the air outlet of the exhaust bypass; The controller also controls the fourth cut-off component to open or close according to different pressure values ​​detected by the third film gauge; When the third film gauge detects that the pressure value of the reaction chamber is greater than the fifth value, the fourth cut-off component opens to exhaust the exhaust bypass; when the third film gauge detects that the pressure value of the reaction chamber is less than the fifth value, the controller controls the fourth cut-off component to close.

16. The gas circuit system according to claim 15, characterized in that: The air inlet of the second connecting branch divides the second connecting branch into a first section of the pipeline and a second section of the pipeline. The pressure detection component, the third diaphragm gauge, and the third cut-off component are all located in the first section of the pipeline of the second connecting branch, and the exhaust bypass is located in the second section of the pipeline of the second connecting branch.

17. The gas circuit system according to claim 16, characterized in that: The exhaust system further includes a first one-way valve, which is in communication with the exhaust bypass and is closer to an outlet of the exhaust bypass relative to the fourth cut-off component.

Images