Semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides semiconductor process equipment. Comprising an air exhaust assembly used for vacuumizing a process chamber; the pressure detector is used for detecting the pressure in the process chamber; the gas inlet pipeline comprises a cavity inlet pipeline and at least one gas pipeline connected with the cavity inlet pipeline, the gas outlet end of the cavity inlet pipeline is connected with the process cavity, and the gas inlet end of the cavity inlet pipeline is connected with each gas pipeline; each gas pipeline comprises n stages of sub-pipelines which are connected in sequence; (n-1) stages of first on-off control parts connected with the control unit are arranged in the air inlet pipeline; an (i-1)-stage second on-off control part; and the control unit is used for controlling the air exhaust assembly to vacuumize the process chamber according to the leakage detection instruction, controlling the corresponding first on-off control part and the second on-off control part to be opened or closed, and generating pipeline leakage detection information according to the pressure value detected by the pressure detector. According to the embodiment of the invention, leakage detection is performed on the pipeline through grading, and pipeline pollution is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor production and manufacturing, and in particular to a semiconductor process equipment. Background Art

[0002] A large amount of special gases will be introduced into the epitaxial chamber of semiconductor production equipment, and the sealing requirements of the pipeline are extremely high, with a leakage rate requirement of <0.1mTorr / min (milliTorr per minute). Each special gas will enter the process chamber through a common section of the inlet pipeline. If there are at least two process chambers in the semiconductor production equipment, the pipeline also includes the common part of the chamber. For large epitaxial equipment such as 12-inch, more than 6 kinds of gases are introduced, and all of them are toxic gases. Once a leak occurs, it will endanger human safety. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct pipeline leak detection.

[0003] At present, the leak detection for pipelines is to use semiconductor production equipment to provide the distribution of all the contact points of the hardware pipelines, and then the installers use He (helium) detection instruments to perform helium in the pipelines according to the distribution map. The whole process has extremely high requirements for personnel and is prone to missed detection. After missed detection, once the contact leaks, special gas leakage will occur when the special gas is introduced. At the same time, if there is a leak in the valve body, helium detection cannot detect it. And if it is required to manually open the pipeline for chamber leak detection, if the pressure of the front-stage pipeline is high and the pressure of the rear-stage pipeline is low without paying attention to the valve opening sequence, it will cause pipeline backflow and pipeline pollution. And there is a lot of uncertainty in manual operation, so manual operation alone is relatively unstable and unreliable. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, embodiments of the present invention are proposed to provide a semiconductor process equipment that overcomes the above problems or at least partially solves the above problems.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention discloses a semiconductor process equipment, including: a process chamber, a gas extraction component, a pressure detector, an air intake pipeline, and a control unit;

[0006] The vacuum assembly is used to vacuum the process chamber;

[0007] The pressure detector is used to detect the pressure in the process chamber;

[0008] The air inlet pipeline includes an inlet pipeline and at least one gas pipeline connected to the inlet pipeline. The outlet end of the inlet pipeline is connected to the process chamber, and the inlet end is connected to each of the gas pipelines. Each of the gas pipelines includes n-level sub-pipelines connected in sequence. The outlet end of the i-th sub-pipeline is connected to the i-1-th sub-pipeline, and the inlet end is connected to the i+1-th sub-pipeline. The inlet end of the n-th sub-pipeline is connected to the gas source. Where n and i are integers, and 1 <i<n;

[0009] The air intake pipeline is provided with an n-1-th level first on-off control unit connected to the control unit; the i-th level first on-off control unit is provided at the connection between the i-th level sub-pipeline and the i+1-th level sub-pipeline;

[0010] The air intake pipeline is also provided with an i-1-th level second on-off control unit connected to the control unit; the i-1-th level second on-off control unit is provided in the i-th level sub-pipeline;

[0011] The control unit is used to control the vacuum assembly to vacuum the process chamber according to the leak detection instruction, control the corresponding first on-off control unit and the second on-off control unit to open or close, and generate pipeline leak detection information according to the pressure value detected by the pressure detector.

[0012] Furthermore, the control unit is further used to determine, from the n-level sub-pipelines, the i-th-level sub-pipeline to the first-level sub-pipeline that matches the identifier of the i-level sub-pipeline to be checked for leaks as the i-level sub-pipeline to be checked for leaks.

[0013] Further, the n-level sub-pipeline is a three-level sub-pipeline;

[0014] The main module of the control unit is used to determine that the first-level sub-pipeline is the i-level sub-pipeline to be leak-checked; or, to determine that the first-level sub-pipeline and the second-level sub-pipeline are the i-level sub-pipeline to be leak-checked; or, to determine that the first-level sub-pipeline, the second-level sub-pipeline and the third-level sub-pipeline are the i-level sub-pipeline to be leak-checked.

[0015] Furthermore, the first on-off control unit is a pressure regulating valve, and the second on-off control unit is a mass flow controller.

[0016] Further, the control unit is used to control the first-level pressure regulating valve part to be in a connected state; to evacuate the first-level sub-pipeline; or to control the pressure regulating valve of the first-level sub-pipeline and the pressure regulating valve of the second-level sub-pipeline to be in a connected state, and control the mass flow controller of the first-level sub-pipeline; to evacuate the first-level sub-pipeline and the second-level sub-pipeline; or to control the pressure regulating valve of the first-level sub-pipeline, the pressure regulating valve of the second-level sub-pipeline and the pressure regulating valve of the third-level sub-pipeline to be in a connected state, and control the mass flow controller of the first-level sub-pipeline; to evacuate the first-level sub-pipeline, the second-level sub-pipeline and the third-level sub-pipeline.

[0017] Furthermore, the main module is used to determine that the i-level sub-pipeline is not leaking as the pipeline leakage detection information when the pressure parameter is less than or equal to the preset bottom pressure state parameter; when the pressure parameter is not less than the preset bottom pressure state parameter, determine that the i-level sub-pipeline is leaking as the pipeline leakage detection information.

[0018] Furthermore, the control unit includes a time monitoring module for monitoring the current test duration of the pressure test; when the current test duration is less than or equal to the preset duration, pipeline leak detection information is generated based on the pressure parameters; when the current test duration is greater than the preset duration, the i-level sub-pipeline leakage is determined as the pipeline leak detection information.

[0019] Furthermore, the control unit is further configured to select a target single gas pipeline from the at least one gas pipeline, and perform leak detection based on n-level sub-pipelines in the target single gas pipeline.

[0020] Furthermore, the control unit is also used to receive user operations and generate the leak detection instruction.

[0021] Furthermore, the control unit is also used to send a preparation signal to the on-off control unit, and the preparation signal is used to detect the working state of the on-off control unit.

[0022] The embodiments of the present invention include the following advantages:

[0023] In an embodiment of the present invention, a pumping assembly is used to evacuate the process chamber; a pressure detector is used to detect the pressure inside the process chamber; the intake pipeline includes an intake chamber pipeline and at least one gas pipeline connected to the intake chamber pipeline. The outlet end of the intake chamber pipeline is connected to the process chamber, and the inlet end is connected to each of the gas pipelines; each of the gas pipelines includes n-stage sub-pipelines connected in sequence; the outlet end of the i-th stage sub-pipeline is connected to the (i - 1)-th stage sub-pipeline, and the inlet end is connected to the (i + 1)-th stage sub-pipeline; the inlet end of the n-th stage sub-pipeline is connected to a gas source; where n and i are integers, and 1 < i < n; a first on-off control part at the (n - 1)-th stage connected to the control unit is provided in the intake pipeline; the first on-off control part at the i-th stage is provided at the connection between the i-th stage sub-pipeline and the (i + 1)-th stage sub-pipeline; a second on-off control part at the (i - 1)-th stage connected to the control unit is also provided in the intake pipeline; the second on-off control part at the (i - 1)-th stage is provided in the i-th stage sub-pipeline; the control unit controls the pumping assembly to evacuate the process chamber according to a leak detection instruction, controls the corresponding first on-off control part and the second on-off control part to open or close, and generates pipeline leak detection information according to the pressure value detected by the pressure detector. By performing leak detection on each stage of sub-pipelines in a hierarchical manner, mutual contamination between pipelines is avoided; and pipeline leak detection can be automatically performed, pressure parameters during the leak detection process are recorded, and the pipeline sealing performance is verified; manual inspection is avoided, and the integrity of pipeline leak detection is improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 FIG. is a schematic diagram of a multi-stage sub-pipeline of an embodiment of a semiconductor process equipment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 FIG. is a schematic diagram of control classification of an embodiment of a semiconductor process equipment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 FIG. is a flowchart of the control flow steps of an example of a semiconductor process equipment of the present invention 。 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0027] To make the above objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0028] An embodiment of the present invention discloses a semiconductor process equipment, which includes: a process chamber, a pumping assembly, a pressure detector, an intake pipeline, and a control unit;

[0029] The pumping assembly is used to evacuate the process chamber;

[0030] The pressure detector is used to detect the pressure inside the process chamber;

[0031] The air inlet pipeline includes an inlet pipeline and at least one gas pipeline connected to the inlet pipeline. The outlet end of the inlet pipeline is connected to the process chamber, and the inlet end is connected to each of the gas pipelines. Each of the gas pipelines includes n-level sub-pipelines connected in sequence. The outlet end of the i-th sub-pipeline is connected to the i-1-th sub-pipeline, and the inlet end is connected to the i+1-th sub-pipeline. The inlet end of the n-th sub-pipeline is connected to the gas source. Where n and i are integers, and 1 <i<n;

[0032] The air intake pipeline is provided with an n-1-th level first on-off control unit connected to the control unit; the i-th level first on-off control unit is provided at the connection between the i-th level sub-pipeline and the i+1-th level sub-pipeline;

[0033] The air intake pipeline is also provided with an i-1-th level second on-off control unit connected to the control unit; the i-1-th level second on-off control unit is provided in the i-th level sub-pipeline;

[0034] The control unit is used to control the vacuum assembly to vacuum the process chamber according to the leak detection instruction, control the corresponding first on-off control unit and the second on-off control unit to open or close, and generate pipeline leak detection information according to the pressure value detected by the pressure detector.

[0035] In the embodiment of the present invention, the exhaust assembly is arranged at one end of the process chamber, and when the air inlet pipeline is pressure tested, the process chamber is vacuumed to completely exhaust the gas in the air inlet pipeline and the process chamber. The pressure detector is arranged in the process chamber, and during the pressure test, the pressure in the process chamber is detected in real time.

[0036] The control unit is an interactive control center. When it is necessary to perform a leak detection on the special gas pipeline, the staff can initiate a leak detection instruction on the interactive component of the semiconductor equipment; the control unit receives the leak detection instruction and starts to prepare for the leak detection process. Among them, the leak detection instruction includes leak detection pipeline information and leak detection operation information. The leak detection pipeline information is used to determine the multi-level sub-pipeline for leak detection; the leak detection operation information is used to determine the control parameters of the test process when performing a pressure test for leak detection. According to the leak detection instruction, the exhaust assembly is controlled to vacuum the process chamber, and the corresponding first on-off control unit and the second on-off control unit are controlled to be opened or closed. And in the detection process, the pressure value detected by the pressure detector is obtained in real time, and based on the pressure value, it is determined whether the target pipeline under test is leaking, thereby generating pipeline leak detection information.

[0037] The gas inlet pipeline includes a cavity inlet pipeline and at least one gas pipeline connected to the cavity inlet pipeline, and when there are multiple gas pipelines, the multiple gas pipelines are connected in parallel. Specifically, the gas outlet end of the cavity inlet pipeline is connected to the process chamber, the gas inlet end is connected to the gas outlet end of each gas pipeline, and the gas inlet end of each gas pipeline is connected to the gas source.

[0038] Each of the gas pipelines includes n-level sub-pipelines connected in sequence; starting from the second level, the gas outlet of each sub-pipeline is connected to the gas inlet of the previous sub-pipeline, and the gas inlet of each sub-pipeline is connected to the gas outlet of the next sub-pipeline, that is, the gas outlet of the i-th sub-pipeline is connected to the i-1-th sub-pipeline, and the gas inlet is connected to the i+1-th sub-pipeline. The gas outlet of the first-level sub-pipeline is connected to the gas inlet of the gas inlet pipe. The gas inlet of the last-level sub-pipeline is connected to the gas source, that is, the gas inlet of the n-th sub-pipeline is connected to the gas source. Where n and i are integers, and 1 <i<n。

[0039] In the sub-pipeline except the last stage, the air inlet end of each stage of the air inlet pipeline is provided with a first on-off control unit, and the first on-off control unit can be provided with different valves according to requirements. That is, in the air inlet pipeline, there are n-1 first on-off control units, and the i-th first on-off control unit is provided at the connection between the i-th sub-pipeline and the i+1-th sub-pipeline.

[0040] In addition, outside the first and last sub-pipelines, each sub-pipeline is provided with a second on-off control unit, and the second on-off control unit can be a valve different from the first on-off control unit. The second on-off control unit is arranged inside each sub-pipeline, that is, in the intake pipeline, and has an i-1-th second on-off control unit; the i-1-th second on-off control unit is arranged in the i-th sub-pipeline.

[0041] Furthermore, the control unit is further used to determine, from the n-level sub-pipelines, the i-th-level sub-pipeline to the first-level sub-pipeline that matches the identifier of the i-level sub-pipeline to be checked for leaks as the i-level sub-pipeline to be checked for leaks.

[0042] When conducting the test, the control unit can determine the i-th sub-pipeline whose identifier matches the i-th sub-pipeline to be checked for leaks from the n-th sub-pipelines, and determine the i-th sub-pipeline to the 1st sub-pipeline as the i-th sub-pipeline to be checked for leaks whose identifier matches the i-th sub-pipeline to be checked for leaks.

[0043] In an example of the present invention, the n-level sub-pipeline is a three-level sub-pipeline, that is, the multi-level sub-pipeline includes a first-level sub-pipeline, a second-level sub-pipeline, and a third-level sub-pipeline. Figure 2, the first-level sub-pipeline is the part connecting the chamber inlet valve and the chamber, that is, the part from the PV1 valve to the chamber; the second-level sub-pipeline is the MFC pipeline part, that is, the part from the PV1 valve to the PV2 valve; the third-level sub-pipeline is the common pipeline part, that is, the part connecting PV2 and the factory service. Because there are multiple special gas pipelines in the chamber, but there is only one chamber inlet pipeline, each special gas must enter the chamber through this pipeline (A), so the part connecting each special gas pipeline and pipeline A is the first-level sub-pipeline; A and the part used separately by each special gas (B) are separated by a solenoid valve. The multi-cavity machine also includes a common pipeline, that is, the special gas injection pipeline shared by the two chambers (C). B and C are separated by a solenoid valve, so pipeline B is a second-level sub-pipeline; pipeline C is a third-level sub-pipeline. The first on-off control part is the PV valve, that is, the pressure regulating valve, and the second on-off control part is the MFC valve, that is, the mass flow controller.

[0044] When it is necessary to perform leak detection on at least one level of sub-pipeline in the special gas, the main module in the control unit receives a leak detection instruction for leak detection on the special gas pipeline; and the leak detection on the special gas pipeline is started through the leak detection instruction. The leak detection instruction includes leak detection pipeline information and leak detection operation information. The multi-level sub-pipelines are matched with the leak detection pipeline information to determine the i-level sub-pipeline to be leak-detected. The leak detection pipeline level identification may include: a first-level pipeline leak detection identification, a second-level pipeline leak detection identification, and a third-level pipeline leak detection identification; different levels of pipeline leak detection identification match different i-level sub-pipelines.

[0045] Specifically, when the leak detection pipeline level identifier is the first-level pipeline leak detection identifier, the main module of the control unit is used to determine that the first-level sub-pipeline is the i-level sub-pipeline to be leak-detected. That is, when the leak detection pipeline level identifier is the first-level pipeline leak detection identifier, it is only necessary to perform leak detection on the first-level sub-pipeline. Therefore, it can be determined that the first-level sub-pipeline in the special gas pipeline is the i-level sub-pipeline to be leak-detected.

[0046] Alternatively, when the leak detection pipeline level identifier is the secondary pipeline leak detection identifier, the main module of the control unit is used to determine that the first-level sub-pipeline and the second-level sub-pipeline are the i-level sub-pipelines to be leak detected. That is, when the leak detection pipeline level identifier is the secondary pipeline leak detection identifier, it is only necessary to perform leak detection on the first-level sub-pipeline and the second-level sub-pipeline. Therefore, it can be determined that the first-level sub-pipeline and the second-level sub-pipeline are the i-level sub-pipelines to be leak detected.

[0047] Alternatively, when the leak detection pipeline level identifier is the three-level pipeline leak detection identifier, the main module of the control unit is used to determine that the first-level sub-pipeline, the second-level sub-pipeline and the third-level sub-pipeline are the i-level sub-pipelines to be leak-detected. That is, when the leak detection pipeline level identifier is the three-level pipeline leak detection identifier, it is necessary to perform leak detection on all the three-level sub-pipelines. Therefore, it can be determined that the first-level sub-pipeline, the second-level sub-pipeline and the third-level sub-pipeline in the special gas pipeline are the i-level sub-pipelines to be leak-detected.

[0048] Further, after the control unit determines the i-level sub-pipeline to be checked for leaks, the control unit controls the first-level pressure regulating valve part to be in a connected state; evacuates the first-level sub-pipeline; or controls the pressure regulating valve of the first-level sub-pipeline and the pressure regulating valve of the second-level sub-pipeline to be in a connected state, controls the mass flow controller of the first-level sub-pipeline; evacuates the first-level sub-pipeline and the second-level sub-pipeline; or controls the pressure regulating valve of the first-level sub-pipeline, the pressure regulating valve of the second-level sub-pipeline and the pressure regulating valve of the third-level sub-pipeline to be in a connected state, controls the mass flow controller of the first-level sub-pipeline; evacuates the first-level sub-pipeline, the second-level sub-pipeline and the third-level sub-pipeline.

[0049] Specifically, the control unit can first control the i-level pipeline to be leak-checked to be emptied, and release the current gas in the target sub-pipeline under normal pressure. After emptying, start a pressure test on the i-level pipeline to be leak-checked. The air pressure regulating component can be controlled to operate according to the leak detection operation information, and the target sub-pipeline can be processed accordingly to complete the pressure test. Specifically, the leak detection operation information may include: pipeline vacuum target pressure, and the target pressure value reached by vacuuming the target sub-pipeline. Exemplarily, the parameter range is: 0-1000mTor, and the default value is: 50mTorr. Pipeline vacuum timeout: timeout time, used in combination with pipeline vacuum target pressure, parameter range: 0-3600s, default value: 120s. Pipeline vacuum maintenance time: when the pressure is reached, the time used to maintain the current action, parameter range: 0-7200s, default value: 120s.

[0050] Specifically, when the first-stage sub-pipeline to be leak-checked is the first-stage sub-pipeline, the first-stage pressure regulating valve is controlled to be in a connected state; the first-stage sub-pipeline is evacuated;

[0051] When the i-level sub-pipeline to be leak-checked is the first-level sub-pipeline and the second-level sub-pipeline, the pressure regulating valve of the first-level sub-pipeline and the pressure regulating valve of the second-level sub-pipeline are controlled to be in a connected state, and the mass flow controller of the first-level sub-pipeline is controlled; the first-level sub-pipeline and the second-level sub-pipeline are vacuumed;

[0052] When the i-level sub-pipeline to be leak-checked is the first-level sub-pipeline, the second-level sub-pipeline and the third-level sub-pipeline, the pressure regulating valve of the first-level sub-pipeline, the pressure regulating valve of the second-level sub-pipeline and the pressure regulating valve of the third-level sub-pipeline are controlled to be in a connected state, and the mass flow controller of the first-level sub-pipeline is controlled; and the first-level sub-pipeline, the second-level sub-pipeline and the third-level sub-pipeline are vacuumed.

[0053] Furthermore, after the i-level sub-pipeline to be detected for leakage is evacuated, the main module will receive the pressure parameters sent by the pressure detector in real time; when the pressure parameter is less than or equal to the preset bottom pressure state parameter, it is determined that the i-level sub-pipeline is not leaking as the pipeline leakage detection information; when the pressure parameter is not less than the preset bottom pressure state parameter, it is determined that the i-level sub-pipeline is leaking as the pipeline leakage detection information. That is, after the main module receives the pressure parameter, the pressure parameter can be compared with the corresponding parameter when the pipeline meets the leakage requirement to generate management leakage detection information. The management leakage detection information may include whether there is a leak and the leakage rate. Specifically, when the pressure parameter is less than or equal to the preset bottom pressure state parameter, that is, the sealing of the target sub-pipeline is good, when evacuating, the gas leaked into the target sub-pipeline meets the requirements; it can be determined that the target sub-pipeline is not leaking as the pipeline leakage detection information. In addition, the current leakage rate can also be determined based on the pressure parameter and the preset bottom pressure state parameter. When the pressure parameter is greater than the preset bottom pressure state parameter, that is, there is a large leak in the target sub-pipeline, and when vacuuming, the gas leaking into the target sub-pipeline does not meet the requirements; the leakage of the target sub-pipeline can be determined as pipeline leak detection information. In addition, the current leak rate can also be determined based on the pressure parameter and the preset bottom pressure state parameter.

[0054] In addition, since the vacuum is drawn, it is also possible to determine whether the target sub-pipeline has a leak according to the vacuum drawing time. The control unit includes a time monitoring module, which is used to monitor the current test duration of the pressure test; when the current test duration is less than or equal to the preset duration, the pipeline leak detection information is generated according to the pressure parameter; when the current test duration is greater than the preset duration, the leakage of the i-level sub-pipeline is determined as the pipeline leak detection information. That is, during monitoring, the test duration of the current pressure test is detected, that is, the current test duration. When the current test duration is less than or equal to the preset duration, that is, within the preset duration, the air pressure in the sub-pipeline to be leaked can be reduced to below a specific pressure, and it can be further determined by the pressure parameter whether there is a leak. When the current test duration is greater than the preset duration, that is, within the preset duration, the air pressure in the sub-pipeline to be leaked is reduced to below a specific pressure, there must be a pipeline leak, and the target sub-pipeline leak can be directly determined as the pipeline leak detection information. Thereby speeding up the leak detection process.

[0055] Furthermore, when multiple gas pipelines are connected in parallel, only one of the gas pipelines can be selected for leak detection. The control unit is also used to select a target single gas pipeline from the at least one gas pipeline, and perform leak detection based on the n-level sub-pipelines in the target single gas pipeline. That is, when it is necessary to detect only the sub-pipelines in a specific gas pipeline, the target single gas pipeline can be selected in advance from the at least one gas pipeline, and the n-level sub-pipelines in the target single gas pipeline can be leak detected.

[0056] In order to make the embodiments of the present invention more clear to those skilled in the art, an example is given for explanation:

[0057] Reference Figure 2 , showing a control hierarchy diagram of an example of semiconductor process equipment. This example is implemented based on this structure. Specifically, it can include an upper computer and a lower computer, and the lower computer includes a main module, a gas circuit control module, a pressure control module, and a time monitoring module. The upper computer provides interface operations, and can freely select the number of pipelines and the level of pipelines that need to be leaked. The upper computer is responsible for sending the pipelines selected by the user to the lower computer. The lower computer main module is responsible for command initiation and process control; the lower computer gas circuit control is responsible for pneumatic valve and MFC (flow control valve) control; the lower computer pressure control is responsible for controlling butterfly valves and pressure regulation; the lower computer time monitoring is responsible for monitoring whether each process is completed on time. The epitaxial pipeline for leak detection can refer to Figure 1 .

[0058] Reference Figure 3 ,based on Figure 1 The leak detection process for the pipeline shown is as follows:

[0059] 1) Close all air intakes in the chamber, and pump the chamber pressure to the bottom pressure state through the butterfly valve, exhaust valve and dry pump (parameter range: 0-50Torr, default value: 1Torr). If the bottom pressure state cannot be reached within 20 minutes, an alarm is issued to notify the main control system to end the process; if the pressure is reached, close the H2 line PV1, MFC and PV2, operate the HCL gas line, and enter process 2);

[0060] 2) Open the first-stage special gas pipeline (open PV1, close MFC and PV2), and pump the pipeline pressure to the bottom pressure state (parameter range: 0-1000mTorr, default value: 50mTorr) through the butterfly valve, exhaust valve and dry pump. If the pipeline fails to reach the bottom pressure state within the pipeline pumping timeout time (parameter range: 0-3600s, default value: 120s), an alarm is issued to notify the main control system to end the process; if the pressure is reached, the pipeline pumping maintenance time (parameter range: 0-7200s, default value: 120s) is entered; after the maintenance time is reached, enter process 3);

[0061] 3) Open the first and second stage pipelines of special gas (open PV1 and MFC, close PV2), and pump the pipeline pressure to the bottom pressure state (parameter range: 0-1000mTorr, default value: 50mTorr) through the butterfly valve, exhaust valve and dry pump. If the pipeline fails to reach the bottom pressure state within the pipeline pumping timeout time (parameter range: 0-3600s, default value: 120s), an alarm is issued to notify the main control system to end the process; if the pressure is reached, the pipeline pumping maintenance time (parameter range: 0-7200s, default value: 120s) is entered; after the maintenance time is reached, enter process 4);

[0062] 4) Open the 1st, 2nd and 3rd stage pipelines of special gas (open PV1, MFC and PV2), and pump the pipeline pressure to the bottom pressure state (parameter range: 0-1000mTorr, default value: 50mTorr) through the butterfly valve, exhaust valve and dry pump. If the pipeline fails to be pumped to the bottom pressure state within the pipeline pumping timeout time (parameter range: 0-3600s, default value: 120s), an alarm is issued to notify the main control system to end the process; if the pressure is reached, the pipeline pumping maintenance time (parameter range: 0-7200s, default value: 120s) is entered; after the maintenance time is reached, enter process 5);

[0063] 5) After the HCL pipeline is evacuated, close the HCL pipeline PV1, MFC and PV2, and perform process 2)3)4) on the H2 pipeline;

[0064] 6) After process 5) is completed, PV1, MFC and PV2 of HCL and H2 are all opened to enter the chamber leak detection process. First, the chamber is pumped to the bottom pressure state (parameter range: 0-1000mTorr, default value: 1000mTorr). If the bottom pressure state cannot be reached within 20 minutes, an alarm message is reported to notify the main control system to end the process; if the pressure is reached, the butterfly valve and exhaust valve are closed to enter the chamber pressure holding stage. After the leak detection time (parameter range: 0-86400s, default value: 1800s) is reached, the leak rate is calculated. If the leak rate is greater than the required value (parameter range: 0-1mTorr / min, default value: 0.1mTorr / min), the leak detection fails and an alarm is thrown to notify the user. Otherwise, the process ends normally and the leak rate value is output.

[0065] In an embodiment of the present invention, a pumping assembly is used to evacuate the process chamber; a pressure detector is used to detect the pressure in the process chamber; the intake pipeline includes an intake chamber pipeline and at least one gas pipeline connected to the intake chamber pipeline. The outlet end of the intake chamber pipeline is connected to the process chamber, and the inlet end is connected to each of the gas pipelines; each of the gas pipelines includes n - stage sub - pipelines connected in sequence; the outlet end of the i - th stage sub - pipeline is connected to the (i - 1) - th stage sub - pipeline, and the inlet end is connected to the (i + 1) - th stage sub - pipeline; the inlet end of the n - th stage sub - pipeline is connected to a gas source; where n and i are integers, and 1 < i < n; an (n - 1) - stage first on - off control part connected to the control unit is provided in the intake pipeline; the i - th stage first on - off control part is provided at the connection between the i - th stage sub - pipeline and the (i + 1) - th stage sub - pipeline; an (i - 1) - stage second on - off control part connected to the control unit is also provided in the intake pipeline; the (i - 1) - th stage second on - off control part is provided in the i - th stage sub - pipeline; according to a leak detection instruction, the control unit controls the pumping assembly to evacuate the process chamber, controls the corresponding first on - off control part and the second on - off control part to open or close, and generates pipeline leak detection information according to the pressure value detected by the pressure detector. By performing leak detection on each stage of the sub - pipelines in a hierarchical manner, mutual contamination between pipelines is avoided; and pipeline leak detection can be automatically performed, pressure parameters during the leak detection process are recorded, and the pipeline sealing performance is verified; manual inspection is avoided, and the integrity of pipeline leak detection is improved.

[0066] It should be noted that for the method embodiments, for simplicity of description, they are all expressed as a series of action combinations. However, those skilled in the art should know that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited by the described action sequences, because according to the embodiments of the present invention, certain steps can be performed in other sequences or simultaneously. Secondly, those skilled in the art should also know that the embodiments described in the specification are all preferred embodiments, and the actions involved are not necessarily essential for the embodiments of the present invention.

[0067] Each embodiment in this specification is described in a progressive manner. The key point of each embodiment is to illustrate the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts among the embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0068] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of the present invention can be provided as a method, a device, or a computer program product. Therefore, the embodiments of the present invention can take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Moreover, the embodiments of the present invention can take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer - usable storage media (including but not limited to disk memory, CD - ROM, optical memory, etc.) containing computer - usable program code.

[0069] The embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, terminal devices (systems), and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that each process and / or block in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the processes and / or blocks in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing terminal device to generate a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing terminal device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in a block or multiple blocks.

[0070] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory capable of directing a computer or other programmable data processing terminal device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce a manufactured product including an instruction device, which implements the process Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A function specified in one or more boxes.

[0071] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing terminal device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable terminal device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions for executing on the computer or other programmable terminal device to implement the process. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps for the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0072] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, those skilled in the art may make additional changes and modifications to these embodiments once they have learned the basic creative concept. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0073] Finally, it should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or terminal device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or terminal device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprise a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or terminal device including the elements.

[0074] The semiconductor process equipment provided by the present invention is introduced in detail above. The principles and implementation methods of the present invention are explained in this article using specific examples. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present invention and its core idea. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of ​​the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scopes. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: include: Process chamber, exhaust assembly, pressure detector, air inlet pipeline, and control unit; The vacuum assembly is used to vacuum the process chamber; The pressure detector is used to detect the pressure in the process chamber; The air inlet pipeline includes an inlet pipeline and at least one gas pipeline connected to the inlet pipeline. The outlet end of the inlet pipeline is connected to the process chamber, and the inlet end is connected to each of the gas pipelines. Each of the gas pipelines includes n-level sub-pipelines connected in sequence. The outlet end of the i-th sub-pipeline is connected to the i-1-th sub-pipeline, and the inlet end is connected to the i+1-th sub-pipeline. The inlet end of the n-th sub-pipeline is connected to the gas source. Where n and i are integers, and 1 <i<n; The air intake pipeline is provided with an n-1-th level first on-off control unit connected to the control unit; the i-th level first on-off control unit is provided at the connection between the i-th level sub-pipeline and the i+1-th level sub-pipeline; The air intake pipeline is also provided with an i-1-th level second on-off control unit connected to the control unit; the i-1-th level second on-off control unit is provided in the i-th level sub-pipeline; The control unit is used to control the vacuum assembly to vacuum the process chamber according to the leak detection instruction, control the corresponding first on-off control unit and the second on-off control unit to open or close, and generate pipeline leak detection information according to the pressure value detected by the pressure detector.

2. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit is further used to determine, from the n-level sub-pipelines, the i-th-level sub-pipeline to the first-level sub-pipeline that matches the identifier of the i-level sub-pipeline to be checked for leaks as the i-level sub-pipeline to be checked for leaks.

3. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The n-level sub-pipeline is a three-level sub-pipeline; The main module of the control unit is used to determine that the first-level sub-pipeline is the i-level sub-pipeline to be leak-checked; or, to determine that the first-level sub-pipeline and the second-level sub-pipeline are the i-level sub-pipeline to be leak-checked; or, to determine that the first-level sub-pipeline, the second-level sub-pipeline and the third-level sub-pipeline are the i-level sub-pipeline to be leak-checked.

4. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first on-off control unit is a pressure regulating valve, and the second on-off control unit is a mass flow controller.

5. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The control unit is used to control the first-level pressure regulating valve portion to be in a connected state; to evacuate the first-level sub-pipeline; or to control the pressure regulating valve of the first-level sub-pipeline and the pressure regulating valve of the second-level sub-pipeline to be in a connected state, and control the mass flow controller of the first-level sub-pipeline; to evacuate the first-level sub-pipeline and the second-level sub-pipeline; or to control the pressure regulating valve of the first-level sub-pipeline, the pressure regulating valve of the second-level sub-pipeline and the pressure regulating valve of the third-level sub-pipeline to be in a connected state, and control the mass flow controller of the first-level sub-pipeline; to evacuate the first-level sub-pipeline, the second-level sub-pipeline and the third-level sub-pipeline.

6. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The main module is used to determine that the i-level sub-pipeline is not leaking as the pipeline leakage detection information when the pressure parameter is less than or equal to the preset bottom pressure state parameter; when the pressure parameter is not less than the preset bottom pressure state parameter, determine that the i-level sub-pipeline is leaking as the pipeline leakage detection information.

7. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit includes a time monitoring module for monitoring the current test duration of the stress test; When the current test duration is less than or equal to the preset duration, pipeline leak detection information is generated according to the pressure parameter; when the current test duration is greater than the preset duration, the i-level sub-pipeline leakage is determined as the pipeline leak detection information.

8. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit is further used to select a target single gas pipeline from the at least one gas pipeline, and perform leak detection based on n-level sub-pipelines in the target single gas pipeline.

9. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit is further used to receive user operations and generate the leak detection instruction.

10. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit is further used to send a preparation signal to the on-off control unit, and the preparation signal is used to detect the working state of the on-off control unit.

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