Exhaust system and gas path system of semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

The present application provides an exhaust system and an air path system for semiconductor process equipment. The exhaust system of the semiconductor process equipment includes an exhaust main line, an exhaust branch line, an exhaust component, a pressure control valve, a first cut-off component, a first connecting branch line, a second connecting branch line, a pressure detection component and a controller. The reaction chamber, the exhaust main line and the exhaust component are connected in sequence. The first connecting branch line, the second connecting branch line and the exhaust branch line are connected in sequence, and their ends are respectively connected to the exhaust main line. The pressure detection component is connected to the second connecting branch line, the first cut-off component is arranged on the exhaust branch line, and the pressure control valve is arranged on the exhaust main line. The exhaust system of the semiconductor process equipment of the present application controls the first cut-off component and the pressure control valve to be opened in sequence by the controller according to the numerical value detected by the pressure detection component, so that the exhaust component exhausts the reaction chamber in a slow and then fast manner, thereby reducing the particulate dust generated by the vibration of the chip.

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 an air path system of semiconductor process equipment. Background Art

[0002] The semiconductor processing process typically involves placing wafers in a reactor and introducing reactive gases to the reactor for processing. High wafer cleanliness is generally required. When the reactor begins operating, it must be evacuated. To quickly establish a vacuum, the reactor is typically evacuated at a rapid rate. This can disrupt the airflow within the reactor, causing vibrations in the wafers and generating particulate dust (due to physical factors such as dust being blown or falling off). This dust then adheres to the wafers, 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 reactor during exhaust.

[0004] The present application provides an exhaust system for semiconductor process equipment, comprising an exhaust main line, an exhaust branch line, an exhaust assembly, a pressure control valve, a first cutoff assembly, a first connecting branch line, a second connecting branch line, a pressure detection assembly, and a controller. The exhaust main line is connected to the pressure control valve, which divides the exhaust main line into two sections. 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 line, and the air outlet of the first connecting branch line is connected to the air inlet of the second connecting branch line. The second connecting branch line is located above the first connecting branch line. The pressure detection assembly is connected to the second connecting branch line, and the pressure detection assembly line is located above the second connecting branch line and is used to detect the pressure value of the reaction chamber. The exhaust branch's air inlet is connected to the second connecting branch. The exhaust branch is located below the second connecting branch and closer to the air inlet of the second connecting branch relative to the pressure detection assembly. The exhaust branch's air outlet is connected to the air extraction assembly. A pipeline connects the air inlet and outlet of the exhaust branch to the first shutoff assembly. A controller is electrically connected to the pressure control valve, the first shutoff assembly, and the pressure detection assembly. The controller controls one of the pressure control valve and the first shutoff assembly to open and the other to close based on different pressure values ​​detected by the pressure detection assembly.

[0005] In the above embodiment, since the second connecting branch, the first connecting branch, the main exhaust path, and the reaction chamber are sequentially connected, the pressure detection assembly can detect the pressure of the main exhaust path, thereby detecting the pressure within the reaction chamber. When the exhaust assembly begins exhausting, if the pressure detected by the pressure detection assembly does not reach the first value, the pressure control valve closes and the first shutoff assembly opens, allowing the gas in the reaction chamber to flow through the first connecting branch and the second connecting branch exhaust path, which have smaller pipe diameters. This allows the exhaust assembly to exhaust the reaction chamber at a slower rate, thereby reducing the risk of airflow turbulence in the reaction chamber due to excessive local pressure changes, helping to reduce the generation of particle dust caused by wafer vibration, and thus maintaining wafer cleanliness. When the pressure detected by the pressure detection assembly reaches the first value, the overall pressure in the reaction chamber remains within a low range, making airflow turbulence less likely to occur in the reaction chamber. The first shutoff assembly closes and the pressure control valve opens, allowing the gas in the reaction chamber to flow through the main exhaust path, which has a larger pipe diameter, thereby allowing the exhaust assembly to exhaust the reaction chamber at a faster rate.

[0006] In one possible embodiment, the pressure detection component includes a first diaphragm gauge, a second diaphragm gauge, and a second cut-off component. The measuring range of the first diaphragm gauge is greater than the measuring range of the second diaphragm gauge, and the second diaphragm 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 diaphragm gauge, so as to connect or disconnect the second diaphragm gauge with the second connecting branch. When the pressure value detected by the first diaphragm 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 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. Wherein, 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 diaphragm 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, the exhaust system further includes a needle valve, which is connected to the exhaust branch and is closer to the outlet of the exhaust branch relative to the first cut-off component.

[0009] In a possible embodiment, 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 opened.

[0010] A gas circuit system includes an intake system and the aforementioned exhaust system, wherein the intake system includes an air source, an intake branch, a fifth shutoff assembly, a purge line, and a sixth shutoff assembly. The intake branch is connected to the fifth shutoff assembly, which divides the intake branch into a first section and a second section. The inlet of the first section of the intake branch is used to admit the air source, the outlet of the first section of the intake branch is connected to one end of the fifth shutoff assembly, and the other end of the fifth shutoff assembly is connected to the inlet of the second section of the intake branch. The outlet of the second section of the intake branch is connected to a reaction chamber, and the length of the first section of the intake branch is greater than that of the second section of the intake branch. The inlet of the purge line is connected to the first section of the intake branch, and the outlet of the purge line is connected to the main exhaust line. The sixth shutoff assembly is connected to the line between the inlet and outlet of the purge line. 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 air inlet branch and then flows through the purge pipeline, and the exhaust component exhausts the air from 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 air inlet branch to purge the reaction chamber, and the exhaust component exhausts the air from the reaction chamber.

[0012] In a possible embodiment, the gas source further includes a reaction gas, which 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, which is connected to a pipeline between an air inlet and an air outlet of the purge pipeline.

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

[0015] In one possible embodiment, the air intake system further includes a fourth diaphragm gauge and a seventh cutoff assembly, both of which are electrically connected to the controller. A purge line located between the second one-way valve and the outlet of the exhaust branch is connected to the fourth diaphragm gauge and the seventh cutoff assembly, with the seventh cutoff assembly being closer to the outlet of the exhaust branch than the fourth diaphragm gauge. When testing whether the exhaust assembly is functioning properly, the pressure control valve, the first cutoff assembly, the fifth cutoff assembly, and the sixth cutoff assembly are closed, the seventh cutoff assembly and the exhaust assembly are opened, the exhaust assembly evacuates air from the purge line, and the fourth diaphragm gauge detects the pressure value in the purge line.

[0016] In one possible embodiment, the air intake system further includes a purge pipeline and an eighth shutoff assembly, the controller is electrically connected to the eighth shutoff assembly, and the gas source further includes a purge gas, which is used to clean residues on the inner wall of the reaction chamber. The purge pipeline has an air inlet for introducing the purge gas, the purge pipeline has a first air outlet, the first air outlet of the purge pipeline is connected to the air intake branch, and the pipeline between the air inlet and the first air outlet of the purge pipeline is connected to the eighth shutoff assembly. When the purge gas enters the purge pipeline and flows through the air intake branch and the reaction chamber, the controller controls the eighth shutoff assembly to open, the controller controls at least one of the pressure control valve and the first shutoff assembly to open, the fifth shutoff assembly and the sixth shutoff assembly to close, and the exhaust assembly exhausts air from the reaction chamber.

[0017] In one possible embodiment, the air intake system further includes a ninth shutoff assembly, the controller being electrically connected to the ninth shutoff assembly. The purge gas is also used to clean residue from the inner wall of the purge line. The purge line also has a second gas outlet, which communicates with the purge line. The pipeline between the purge line's gas inlet and second gas outlet is connected to the ninth shutoff assembly. When purge gas enters the purge line and flows through the purge line, the controller controls the opening of the ninth and seventh shutoff assemblies, causing the exhaust assembly to evacuate the purge line.

[0018] In one possible embodiment, the gas system further includes a third diaphragm gauge electrically connected to the controller and connected to the second connecting branch for detecting the pressure value of the reaction chamber. The gas source also includes back-pressure gas. When the pressure control valve and the first shut-off assembly are closed and the fifth shut-off assembly is opened, the back-pressure gas is introduced into the air inlet branch and flows through the reaction chamber, the first connecting branch, and the second connecting branch to apply back pressure to the reaction chamber. The controller controls the opening or closing of the reaction chamber door based on the different pressure values ​​detected by the third diaphragm gauge.

[0019] In one possible embodiment, the air intake system further includes a differential pressure gauge and a third cut-off assembly, 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 assembly, 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 assembly, and the controller also controls the third cut-off assembly to open or close according to the different pressure values ​​detected by the third diaphragm gauge. When the pressure value of the reaction chamber detected by the third diaphragm gauge is greater than the third value, the third cut-off assembly is opened, otherwise it is closed. When the third cut-off assembly is open, 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 one possible embodiment, the air intake system further includes an exhaust bypass and a fourth shutoff assembly. The exhaust bypass has an inlet connected to the second connecting branch, and an outlet for exhausting gas from the second connecting branch. The fourth shutoff assembly is connected to the pipeline between the inlet and outlet of the exhaust bypass. The controller further controls the fourth shutoff assembly to open or close based on different pressure values ​​detected by the third diaphragm gauge. When the pressure value of the reaction chamber detected by the third diaphragm gauge is greater than a fifth value, the fourth shutoff assembly opens to exhaust the exhaust bypass. When the pressure value of the reaction chamber detected by the third diaphragm gauge is less than the fifth value, the controller controls the fourth shutoff assembly to close.

[0021] In one 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, 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. 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 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a pressure detection assembly of an exhaust system of a semiconductor process equipment.

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

[0027] Figure 5 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of part of the structure of the semiconductor process equipment shown.

[0028] Figure 6 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of an exhaust bypass of an exhaust system of a semiconductor process equipment.

[0029] Figure 7 for Figure 1 Enlarged schematic diagram of point A in the middle.

[0030] Description of 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 component 54

[0049] Pressure detection component 55

[0050] Third Film Regulation 551

[0051] First Film Gauge 553

[0052] Second film gauge 554

[0053] Second cutoff component 5541

[0054] Differential pressure gauge 555

[0055] The third cut-off component 5551

[0056] Exhaust bypass 561

[0057] Fourth cutoff component 562

[0058] First one-way valve 563

[0059] Purge line 60

[0060] Sixth cutoff component 61

[0061] Fourth Film Rule 62

[0062] Seventh cutoff component 63

[0063] Second one-way valve 64

[0064] Cleaning pipeline 70

[0065] Eighth cutoff component 71

[0066] Ninth cutoff 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 this 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 this application, not all of 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. When a component is considered to be "disposed on" another component, it can be directly disposed on the other component or there may be an intermediate component. The term "connection" for pipelines refers to the interconnection of two pipelines.

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

[0072] The terms "inlet end" and "outlet end" are used only to indicate that a pipeline has different ends and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implying the direction of fluid flow in the indicated pipeline. In the embodiments of this application, during installation, the outlet end of one pipeline and the inlet end of another pipeline are installed sequentially to facilitate sequential installation of all pipelines. In other embodiments, all pipelines may be installed sequentially 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 pertains. The terms used herein in the specification of this application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit this application.

[0074] The following describes some embodiments of the present application in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features therein may be combined with each other.

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

[0077] When processing wafers, the controller controls the air intake system 40 to supply protective gas to the reaction chamber 10. Simultaneously, the controller controls the exhaust system 50 to evacuate the reaction chamber 10, allowing the protective gas to enter the reaction chamber 10 and expel the air therein, thereby reducing the risk of air reacting with the wafers. Alternatively, the controller controls the air intake system 40 to enter the reaction chamber 10 and expel any remaining reactive gases therein, thereby reducing interference with the wafer processing. After the air intake system 40 has supplied the protective gas to the reaction chamber 10 for a certain period of time, the air intake system 40 supplies the reactive gas involved in the current reaction to the reaction chamber 10, allowing the reactive gas to react with the wafers.

[0078] In other embodiments, reaction gas may also be used to expel 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 air from the reaction chamber 10 to maintain a low pressure or negative pressure in the reaction chamber 10 according to the requirements of the reaction process. Low pressure means a pressure 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 inlet 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 further 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, thereby increasing the speed at which the protective gas is purged from the reaction chamber 10 and quickly bringing the reaction chamber 10 to a low pressure or negative pressure state.

[0084] Furthermore, the inventors 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 airflow turbulence in the reaction chamber 10 due to excessive local pressure changes. The turbulent airflow can cause the chips in the reaction chamber 10 to vibrate and cause particulate dust to be generated in the reaction chamber 10 (the reason for the generation of particulate dust is physical reasons such as particulate dust being blown up or particulate dust falling off). The particulate dust adheres to the chip, resulting in low chip cleanliness and a decrease in the chip yield.

[0085] See 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. 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 air outlet of the first section of the main exhaust pipeline 51 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 assembly 55 is connected to the second connecting branch 533 and is capable of detecting 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 closer to the air inlet of the second connecting branch 533 than the pressure detection assembly 55. The air outlet of the exhaust branch 532 is connected to the exhaust assembly 54. The pipeline between the air inlet and air outlet of the exhaust branch 532 is connected to the first cutoff assembly 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] Because the first connecting branch 531 is connected to the reaction chamber 10 through the first section 51 of the main exhaust pipe, the pressure detection assembly 55 detects the pressure within the reaction chamber 10 through the first connecting branch 531 and the first section 51 of the main exhaust pipe. When the gas extraction assembly 54 is extracting gas, if the pressure detection assembly 55 detects that the pressure within the reaction chamber 10 has not reached a first value, illustratively, the first value is 450 torr, 500 torr, 550 torr, 600 torr, or 650 torr, the pressure control valve 521 is closed and the first cut-off assembly 5321 is opened, allowing the gas within the reaction chamber 10 to flow through the smaller exhaust branch 532 to reduce the gas flow rate, thereby allowing the gas extraction assembly 54 to extract the reaction chamber 10 at a slower extraction speed. Compared to 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 smoothly transition the reaction chamber 10 to a lower range, thereby reducing the risk of airflow turbulence in the reaction chamber 10 due to excessive local pressure changes, helping to reduce the phenomenon of particle dust generated by wafer vibration, and achieving the effect of maintaining wafer cleanliness.

[0087] When the pressure detection assembly 55 detects that the pressure within the reaction chamber 10 has reached a first value, indicating that the overall pressure within the reaction chamber 10 has smoothly transitioned to a lower range, the controller controls the first shutoff assembly 5321 to close and the pressure control valve 521 to open, allowing the gas within the reaction chamber 10 to flow through the larger-diameter exhaust main path 53. This increases the gas flow rate compared to the gas flowing through the first connecting branch 531, the second connecting branch 533, and the exhaust branch 532, thereby enabling the exhaust assembly 54 to exhaust the reaction chamber 10 at a faster speed. Compared to the exhaust assembly 54 always exhausting the reaction chamber 10 at a slower speed, increasing the exhaust speed of the exhaust assembly 54 from slow to faster speed helps shorten the time it takes for low or negative pressure to form within the reaction chamber 10.

[0088] Furthermore, due to the long-term operation of semiconductor processing equipment 100, impurities and debris can easily accumulate within various components, such as reaction chamber 10, air intake system 40, and main exhaust line 53. Debris on main exhaust line 53 can easily clog pressure detection assembly 55. The outlet of branch exhaust line 532 is connected to main exhaust line 53. The outlet of branch exhaust line 532 is closer to pressure control valve 521 than the inlet of branch exhaust line 532. This allows pressure detection assembly 55 to be indirectly connected to the second section 52 of the main exhaust line via branch exhaust line 532. This allows pressure detection assembly 55 to detect the pressure within reaction chamber 10 while reducing the risk of debris on the second section 52 of the main exhaust line clogging pressure detection assembly 55. At the same time, when the exhaust assembly 54 is exhausting the reaction chamber 10 at a slower exhaust speed, the slower airflow flows from the first section 51 of the main exhaust path to the exhaust branch 532. Compared to the faster airflow flowing from the first section 51 of the main exhaust path to the exhaust branch 532, this can reduce the risk of debris on the first section 51 of the main exhaust path being carried by the airflow to the exhaust branch 532, thereby preventing debris on the first section 51 of the main exhaust path from clogging the pressure detection assembly 55. Debris within the pressure detection assembly 55 is also drawn into the exhaust branch 532 by the airflow within the exhaust branch 532, thereby cleaning the pressure detection assembly 55.

[0089] When the exhaust component 54 exhausts the reaction chamber 10 at a faster exhaust speed, a faster airflow flows from the exhaust main path 53 to the exhaust component 54, so that the faster airflow cleans the attachments on the exhaust main path 53, and the airflow of 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 exhaust 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 particulate matter is present in the first connecting branch 531 and the exhaust branch 532, the particulate matter sinks under the action of gravity. At the same time, because the air inlet of the exhaust branch 532 is close to the air inlet of the second connecting branch 533, during exhaust, the particulate matter is directly discharged into the exhaust branch 532 under the action of the negative pressure at the air inlet of the exhaust branch 532. The negative pressure also carries away the particulate matter and gas trapped in the second connecting branch 533 below the pressure detection component 55, thereby helping to reduce the risk of particulate matter entering the second connecting branch 533 and blocking the pressure detection component 55, thereby maintaining the detection accuracy of the pressure detection component 55.

[0092] In some embodiments, after the gas inlet system 40 provides the protective gas to the reaction chamber 10 for a period of time, the gas inlet 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 that the wafer can react with the pure reaction gas.

[0093] In some embodiments, see Figure 2 The exhaust system 50 further includes a needle valve 5322 connected in series with the first shutoff assembly 5321. The first shutoff assembly 5321 and the needle valve 5322 are each electrically connected to the controller. When the air intake system 40 begins to supply air to the reaction chamber 10, the controller controls the exhaust assembly 54 to operate. The controller also controls the first shutoff assembly 5321 and the needle valve 5322 to open, so that the exhaust assembly 54 exhausts air at a slower speed. During the exhaust process of the exhaust assembly 54, the controller controls the needle valve 5322, which has a higher precision, to operate according to the required exhaust speed. For example, when the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 needs to change faster, the controller controls the needle valve 5322 to open wider to increase the gas flow rate. When the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 needs to change slower, the controller controls the needle valve 5322 to open narrower to reduce the gas flow rate, thereby achieving the effect of adjusting the exhaust speed of the exhaust assembly 54 from the reaction chamber 10 within a smaller range.

[0094] In some embodiments, the needle valve 5322 is close 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 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, and 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 diaphragm gauge 553 and a second diaphragm gauge 554. The first diaphragm gauge 553 and the second diaphragm gauge 554 are connected to the second connecting branch 533 and are also electrically connected to the controller. The measuring range of the second diaphragm gauge 554 is smaller than that of the first diaphragm gauge 553. For example, the measuring range of the first diaphragm gauge 553 is 0-1000 torr, and the measuring range of the second diaphragm gauge 554 is 0-10 torr.

[0097] Since the second connecting branch 533, the exhaust branch 532, the exhaust main path 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 assembly 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 drops to a first value, it indicates 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 assembly 5321 to be closed, so that the exhaust assembly 54 can pump air 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 according to 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 rapid pumping, the exhaust system 50 pumps air from the reaction chamber 10 at a pumping speed of less than 1 torr / s, such as 0.1 torr / s, 0.2 torr / s, 0.3 torr / s, 0.4 torr / s, and 0.5 torr / s. When the opening of the pressure control valve 521 is close to full opening, the exhaust system 50 pumps air from the reaction chamber 10 at a pumping speed of less than 10 torr / s, such as 2 torr / s, 3 torr / s, 4 torr / s, 5 torr / s, and 6 torr / s, so that the exhaust system 50 can quickly pump air from the reaction chamber 10 at different low pressure states at different speeds.

[0098] When the vacuum component 54 vacuums 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 can be understood that the second value is within the measuring range of the second diaphragm gauge 554. Exemplarily, the second value is 10 torr to reduce the risk of damage to the second diaphragm gauge 554 due to excessive pressure.

[0100] In some embodiments, during the reaction of the reaction chamber 10 on the wafer, the air intake system 40 continuously supplies 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 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 diaphragm 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 a maximum value, the pressure 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 assembly 5541 is disposed between the second diaphragm gauge 554 and the second connecting branch 533. The second cutoff assembly 5541 is electrically connected to a controller. When the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 has not dropped to the second value, the controller controls the second cutoff assembly 5541 to remain closed. This reduces the risk of contaminants on the second connecting branch 533 entering the second diaphragm gauge 554 when the second diaphragm gauge 554 is not in operation. When the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 drops to the second value, the controller controls the second cutoff assembly 5541 to open, allowing the second diaphragm gauge 554 to detect the pressure within the reaction chamber 10.

[0104] In some embodiments, see Figure 1 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5The air intake system 40 includes a gas 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 communicated with the air inlet of the reaction chamber 10, and 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 air inlet branch 41 is connected to a portion of the reaction chamber 10 near 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 located within the reaction chamber 10 and are distributed sequentially from the loading chamber 30 toward the reaction chamber 10. When the air extraction assembly 54 is evacuating the reaction chamber 10, the multiple air inlet branches 41 uniformly supply gas to the reaction chamber 10, thereby preventing a sudden drop in pressure in a local area of ​​the reaction chamber 10, which could result in an excessively large pressure difference in the local area of ​​the reaction chamber 10 and cause airflow turbulence.

[0107] In some embodiments, after the wafer reaction is complete, due to the large pressure difference between the reaction chamber 10 and the loading chamber 30, the furnace door 20 is subjected to high pressure on both sides, preventing it from opening. Before the furnace door 20 needs to be opened, the controller controls the exhaust assembly 54 to stop operation and controls the pressure control valve 521 and the first shut-off assembly 5321 to close, thereby forming a closed environment in the reaction chamber 10. 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, thereby reducing the pressure difference between the reaction chamber 10 and the loading chamber 30 and facilitating the closeness of the pressure on both sides of the furnace door 20, 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 shielding 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 main exhaust pipe 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, if the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 detected by the differential pressure gauge 555 is within 90%-110% of the pressure in the loading chamber 30, it indicates that the pressures in the reaction chamber 10 and the loading chamber 30 are similar. This can reduce the pressure shock to the furnace door 20 during the opening process, thereby preventing the furnace door 20 from vibrating and causing the reaction chamber 10 to vibrate, which could lead to the risk of particle dust generation in the reaction chamber 10, thereby helping to maintain the cleanliness of the wafers after the reaction is completed.

[0110] For example, 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. A value of 0 on the differential pressure gauge 555 represents the pressure of the loading chamber 30. When the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 is greater than that 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 that 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 that of the loading chamber 30, that is, the display value of the differential pressure gauge 555 is a positive number. This facilitates opening the furnace door 20 from the inside out by utilizing the internal and external pressure differential, thereby reducing the driving force required to open the furnace door 20.

[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. The toxic reaction gas in the reaction chamber 10 is expelled by the non-toxic protective gas, thereby avoiding residual reaction gas in the reaction chamber 10 and 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 backpressure process, the pumping assembly 54 remains in operation 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, thereby fully expelling the reaction gas in the reaction chamber 10 .

[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, thereby reducing the risk of attachments on the second connecting branch 533 entering the differential pressure gauge 555. In some embodiments, see Figure 1 and Figure 6 The exhaust system 50 further includes an exhaust bypass 561 and a fourth cutoff assembly 562. The exhaust bypass 561 is connected to the second connecting branch 533. The fourth cutoff assembly 562 is disposed on the exhaust bypass 561 and is electrically connected to the controller. During the backpressure process of the reaction chamber 10, when the pressure restored in the reaction chamber 10 is greater than the fifth value, the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 is greater than the pressure in the loading chamber 30. For example, when the pressure in the loading chamber 30 is at atmospheric pressure, the fifth value is 760 torr. The controller controls the fourth cutoff assembly 562 to open, so that the gas in the reaction chamber 10 flows through the exhaust bypass 561 and is 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 back-pressure process of the reaction chamber 10 , when the pressure of the reaction chamber 10 recovers to a fifth value, the controller may also control the pumping assembly 54 to release the pressure of 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 . A fourth cutoff assembly 562 is provided on each exhaust bypass 561 . At least one exhaust bypass 561 is in a normal operation mode, and the remaining exhaust bypasses 561 are backup modes. If the fourth cutoff assembly 562 on the normal exhaust bypass 561 fails, the backup exhaust bypass 561 can be used to relieve pressure in the reaction chamber 10.

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

[0119] In other embodiments, when the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 exceeds a safety value of the reaction chamber 10, the exhaust bypass 561 and the pumping assembly 54 simultaneously relieve the pressure of the reaction chamber 10. The safety value of the reaction chamber 10 is 80%, 85%, 90%, or 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 diaphragm 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 second connecting branch 533 .

[0123] In some embodiments, since the first section 51 of the main exhaust path is in a negative or low pressure state when the exhaust assembly 54 is exhausting the reaction chamber 10, a first one-way valve 563 is provided on at least the commonly used exhaust bypass 561. The first one-way valve 563 is located closer to the outlet of the exhaust bypass 561 than the fourth cut-off assembly 562. This prevents the risk of external gas flowing into the exhaust bypass 561 due to a pressure differential during the exhaust assembly 54 exhausting the reaction chamber 10.

[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 line 60 and a sixth cut-off component 61. The gas source includes a purge gas. The air inlet of the purge line 60 is connected to the first section of the air inlet branch 41, and the air outlet of the purge line 60 is connected to the second section of the air exhaust main line 52. 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 line 60 to the second section of the air exhaust main line 52, so that the purge gas purges the air inlet branch 41 before the fifth cut-off component 411 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 is understandable 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 from 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 purges 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 purge line 60 near the second section 52 of the main exhaust line. Therefore, when the gas from the intake branch 41 flows through the purge line 60 to the second section 52 of the main exhaust line, thereby purging the intake branch 41 before the fifth shut-off assembly 411, the gas in the purge line 60 can also produce a suction effect on the exhaust branch 532, thereby clearing away debris from 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 intake system 40 also includes a fourth diaphragm gauge 62 and a seventh shutoff assembly 63. Both the fourth diaphragm gauge 62 and the seventh shutoff assembly 63 are electrically connected to the controller. The purge line 60 located between the second one-way valve 64 and the outlet of the exhaust branch 532 is connected to the fourth diaphragm gauge 62 and the seventh shutoff assembly 63. The seventh shutoff assembly 63 is closer to the outlet of the exhaust branch 532 than the fourth diaphragm gauge 62. Because the exhaust assembly 54 is connected to the purge line 60 via the second section of the exhaust main line 52, the fourth diaphragm gauge 62 can check the exhaust pressure of the exhaust assembly 54. When gas is purging the intake branch 41 before the fifth shutoff assembly 411, the controller controls the pressure control valve 521, the first shutoff assembly 5321, the fifth shutoff assembly 411, and the sixth shutoff assembly 61 to close, and controls the seventh shutoff assembly 63 to open, causing the exhaust assembly 54 to operate. The pressure detected by the fourth diaphragm gauge 62 is the actual operating pressure of the exhaust assembly 54. The pressure detected by the fourth diaphragm gauge 62 is compared with the normal operating pressure of the air extraction assembly 54. When the pressure detected by the fourth diaphragm gauge 62 is less than 10 mtorr, it indicates that the air extraction assembly 54 is operating normally. When the pressure detected by the fourth diaphragm gauge 62 is greater than 10 mtorr, it indicates that the air extraction assembly 54 is abnormal and needs to be shut down for inspection and maintenance.

[0131] In some embodiments, since the reaction chamber 10, the air inlet branch 41 and the purge pipe 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 pipe 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. 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). 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 semiconductor processing equipment 100 begins operation, when there are no wafers in reaction chamber 10, the controller controls eighth shutoff component 71 to be conductive, and controls at least one of pressure control valve 521 and first shutoff component 5321 to be open. Fifth shutoff component 411 and sixth shutoff component 61 are closed, and exhaust assembly 54 exhausts air from reaction chamber 10, allowing purge line 70 to supply purge gas to inlet branch 41 and reaction chamber 10. This allows the purge gas to decompose and remove residues from inlet branch 41, reaction chamber 10, and exhaust system 50. In some embodiments, purge line 70 is also directly connected to reaction chamber 10.

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

[0133] In some embodiments, the cleaning line 70 further has a third gas outlet (not labeled). The third gas outlet of the cleaning line 70 is connected to the reaction chamber 10 via an eighth shut-off component 71. When the eighth shut-off component 71 is opened, the cleaning line 70 can directly provide 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 caused by 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 leak detection port 80 and a shutoff valve are provided on the first section 51 of the main exhaust line, the first connecting branch 531, or the portion of the purge line 60 near the second section 52 of the main exhaust line. By opening the shutoff valve, gas is discharged through the gas leak detection port 80, thereby performing gas leak detection on the semiconductor processing equipment 100.

[0138] It is understood that when the semiconductor processing equipment 100 is in different operating states, gas detection is performed at different locations on the semiconductor processing equipment 100 through the gas leakage detection ports 80 at different locations, thereby achieving the function of detecting one of the operating states of the semiconductor processing equipment 100. For example, when gas is purging the inlet branch 41 before the fifth cutoff component 411, if gas is detected in the exhaust branch 532, it indicates that the semiconductor processing equipment 100 has a gas leak, causing the gas to diffuse to a certain location.

[0139] In some embodiments, the airflow system of the present application works 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 in the air intake branch 41 flows through the purge pipeline 60 to the second section pipeline 52 of the exhaust main 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 supply 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 gas. 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. 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 pump out. The gas source continues to supply reactant gas to the inlet branch 41. The controller controls the first shutoff component 5321 to open and the second shutoff component 5541 and the pressure control valve 521 to close, so that the pumping component 54 pumps gas from the reaction chamber 10 at the first speed. The first diaphragm gauge 553 detects the pressure in the reaction chamber 10.

[0145] Step 6: Rapid Pumping: When the pressure detected by the first diaphragm gauge 553 is less than the first value, the controller controls the first cutoff component 5321 to close and the pressure control valve 521 to open, causing the pumping component 54 to pump air from 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 diaphragm gauge 553 is less than the second value, the controller controls the second cut-off component 5541 to open, so that the second diaphragm gauge 554 detects whether the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 is within the pressure value range for the optimal 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 to keep the pressure in the reaction chamber 10 stable and within the pressure range of the optimal reaction speed.

[0148] Step 9: Backpressure: The gas source provides backpressure gas to the inlet branch 41. The controller controls the pressure control valve 521 to close, restoring the pressure in the reaction chamber 10. The controller controls the third shutoff component 5551 to open, allowing the differential pressure gauge 555 to measure 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 merely intended to illustrate the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. As long as they are within the spirit of the present application, appropriate changes and modifications to the above embodiments are within the scope of disclosure of the present application.

Claims

1. An exhaust system for semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: It includes an exhaust main line, an exhaust branch line, an air extraction component, a pressure control valve, a first cut-off component, a first connecting branch line, a second connecting branch line, a pressure detection component and a controller; The main exhaust line is connected to the pressure-controlling valve, and the pressure-controlling valve divides the main exhaust line into a first section and a second section. The air inlet of the first section of the main exhaust 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 main exhaust line is connected to one end of the pressure-controlling valve, and the other end of the pressure-controlling valve is connected to the air inlet of the second section of the main exhaust line. The air outlet of the second section of the main exhaust line is connected to the air inlet of the gas extraction component. 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 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. The air outlet of the exhaust branch is connected to the air extraction component, and a 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; The pressure detection assembly includes a first diaphragm gauge, a second diaphragm gauge, and a second cutoff assembly, the measuring range of the first diaphragm gauge is greater than the measuring range of the second diaphragm gauge, and the second diaphragm gauge is connected to the second connecting branch via the second cutoff assembly; The controller controls the second cut-off component to open or close according to different pressure values ​​detected by the first diaphragm gauge, so as to connect or disconnect the second diaphragm 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 a 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.

2. The exhaust system according to claim 1, wherein: 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.

3. The exhaust system according to claim 1, wherein: The exhaust system further includes a needle valve connected to the exhaust branch and located closer to an outlet of the exhaust branch relative to the first cut-off component.

4. A gas circuit system, characterized in that: comprising an intake system and the exhaust system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the intake system comprises an air source, an 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, and the fifth cut-off component divides the air inlet branch into a first section and a second section. The air inlet of the first section of the air inlet branch is used to introduce the gas source. The air outlet of the first section of the air inlet branch is connected to one end of the fifth cut-off component, and the other end of the fifth cut-off component is connected to the air inlet of the second section of the air inlet branch. The air outlet of the second section of the air inlet branch is in communication with the reaction chamber, and the length of the first section of the air inlet branch is greater than the length of the second section 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 to be turned on and the other to be turned off.

5. The gas circuit system according to claim 4, 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.

6. The gas circuit system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The gas source further includes a reaction gas, which is introduced into the purged air inlet branch and flows through the purged reaction chamber. The gas extraction component extracts gas from the reaction chamber.

7. The gas circuit system according to claim 5, 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.

8. The gas circuit system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The air outlet of the exhaust branch is communicated with the purge pipeline, and the air outlet of the exhaust branch is close to the air outlet of the purge pipeline relative to the second one-way valve.

9. The gas circuit system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The air intake system further includes a fourth diaphragm gauge and a seventh cut-off assembly, 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 in communication with the fourth diaphragm gauge and is connected to the seventh cut-off assembly; the seventh cut-off assembly is closer to the air outlet of the exhaust branch than the fourth diaphragm 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, and the vacuum assembly vacuums the purge pipeline. The fourth diaphragm gauge detects the pressure value of the purge pipeline.

10. The gas circuit system according to claim 9, 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, and the gas source further includes a cleaning gas, and the cleaning gas is used to clean residues 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 shut-off component; When the cleaning gas enters 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 gas extraction component extracts gas from the reaction chamber.

11. The gas circuit system according to claim 10, wherein: The air intake system further includes a ninth cutoff component, the controller is electrically connected to the ninth cutoff component, and the cleaning gas is further used to clean residues on the inner wall of the purge pipe; The cleaning pipeline further has a second air outlet, the second air outlet of the cleaning pipeline is connected to 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 enters the cleaning pipeline and flows through the purge pipeline, the controller controls the ninth shut-off component and the seventh shut-off component to open, and the exhaust component exhausts gas from the purge pipeline.

12. The gas circuit system according to claim 4, wherein: The gas circuit system further includes a third diaphragm gauge, the third diaphragm gauge is electrically connected to the controller, the third diaphragm 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 and flows through the reaction chamber, the first connecting branch, and the second connecting branch to apply back pressure to 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 diaphragm gauge.

13. The gas circuit system according to claim 12, wherein: 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 via the third cut-off component, and 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 further 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 diaphragm 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.

14. The gas circuit system according to claim 13, wherein: The air intake system further includes an exhaust bypass and a fourth cut-off assembly, wherein the air inlet of the exhaust bypass is communicated with the second connecting branch, the air outlet of the exhaust bypass is used to discharge the gas from the second connecting branch, and the fourth cut-off assembly is connected to the pipeline between the air inlet and the air outlet of the exhaust bypass; The controller further controls the fourth cut-off component to open or close according to different pressure values ​​detected by the third diaphragm gauge; When the third diaphragm 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 diaphragm 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.

15. The gas circuit system according to claim 14, wherein: 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.

16. The gas circuit system according to claim 15, wherein: The exhaust system further includes a first one-way valve, which is in communication with the exhaust bypass and is located closer to an outlet of the exhaust bypass relative to the fourth cut-off component.

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