Sealing valve for corrosive gas and thin film deposition equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a sealing valve for corrosive gas and thin film deposition equipment. The sealing valve for the corrosive gas comprises a valve seat, the valve seat comprises a ventilation pipeline for circulating the corrosive gas, a gas inlet and a gas outlet are formed in the two ends of the ventilation pipeline respectively, and a sealing part surrounding the ventilation pipeline is arranged in the middle of the ventilation pipeline; the sealing part is provided with at least one circle of first groove and / or first flange surrounding the ventilation pipeline; the valve plate comprises a sealing surface facing the sealing part, the sealing surface is provided with at least one circle of second flange and / or second groove surrounding the ventilation pipeline, the second flange extends into the first groove in a non-contact mode when the valve plate is close to the valve seat, and the second flange extends into the second groove in a non-contact mode when the valve plate is close to the valve seat. And / or the second groove wraps the first flange in a non-contact manner when the valve plate is close to the valve seat, so that the corrosive gas is prevented from flowing between the gas inlet and the gas outlet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and in particular to a sealing valve for corrosive gases and a thin film deposition device. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art, perfluoro rubber seals are often used for sealing and isolation in the isolation valves of corrosive clean gases in semiconductor process equipment such as CVD equipment to avoid particle contamination caused by excessive gaps or friction between the valve plate and the valve body. However, the seals of this material usually contain F and O atoms, highly corrosive clean gases with ion groups, and high temperature and high pressure process scenarios, which will corrode the sealing rubber material and generate particle contamination.

[0003] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, there is an urgent need in the art for a corrosive gas sealing valve that avoids the use of a sealing ring, thereby avoiding the pollution introduced by the corrosion of the sealing ring by the corrosive gas, and is adaptable to high temperature and high pressure process scenarios. Summary of the invention

[0004] A brief summary of one or more aspects is given below to provide a basic understanding of these aspects. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of all conceived aspects, and is neither intended to identify the key or decisive elements of all aspects nor to define the scope of any or all aspects. Its only purpose is to give some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description that will be given later.

[0005] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, the present invention provides a sealing valve for corrosive gases and a thin film deposition device, which are used to avoid the use of sealing rings, thereby avoiding the pollution introduced by the corrosion of the sealing rings by corrosive gases and adapting to high temperature and high pressure process scenarios.

[0006] Specifically, the sealing valve for corrosive gas provided according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises: a valve seat, comprising a ventilation line for circulating the corrosive gas, wherein an air inlet and an air outlet are respectively provided at both ends of the ventilation line, and a sealing part surrounding the ventilation line is provided in the middle thereof, and the sealing part is provided with at least one circle of first groove and / or first flange surrounding the ventilation line; and a valve plate, comprising a sealing surface facing the sealing part, and the sealing surface is provided with at least one circle of second flange and / or second groove surrounding the ventilation line, wherein the second flange extends into the first groove without contact when the valve plate is close to the valve seat, and / or the second groove covers the first flange without contact when the valve plate is close to the valve seat, so as to block the flow of the corrosive gas between the air inlet and the air outlet.

[0007] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the ventilation pipeline includes at least one right-angle bend structure, the sealing portion is located at the inlet or outlet of the right-angle bend structure, the valve plate is located on the opposite side of the inlet or outlet where the sealing portion is located, and is close to the sealing portion under the action of a driving mechanism to block the flow of the corrosive gas between the air inlet and the air outlet.

[0008] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the ventilation pipeline includes at least one section of a straight pipe structure, the sealing portion surrounds the periphery of the pipeline of the straight pipe structure, the valve plate is located on the side of the straight pipe structure, and extends into the straight pipe structure under the action of a driving mechanism, and then approaches the sealing portion to block the flow of the corrosive gas between the air inlet and the air outlet.

[0009] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the sealing portion faces the end where the air inlet is located, and the sealing surface of the valve plate faces the end where the air outlet is located. After the valve plate is extended into the straight pipe structure, it approaches the sealing portion under the push of the corrosive gas to block the flow of the corrosive gas between the air inlet and the air outlet.

[0010] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the first groove and the second flange, and / or the first flange and the second groove, both extend along the driving direction of the driving mechanism, so that the valve plate extends into the straight pipe structure when its second flange is covered by the first groove, and / or the valve plate extends into the straight pipe structure when its second groove covers the first flange.

[0011] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, an anti-touch gap of 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm is maintained between the first groove and the second flange, and / or an anti-touch gap of 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm is maintained between the first flange and the second groove.

[0012] Further, in some embodiments of the present invention, the sealing portion is provided with a circle of the first groove, and the sealing surface is correspondingly provided with a circle of the second flange, wherein the bottom width of the first groove and the top width of the second flange are both 0.1mm, and the side heights of both are 0.4mm; or the sealing portion is provided with a circle of the first flange, and the sealing surface is correspondingly provided with a circle of the second groove, wherein the top width of the first flange and the bottom width of the second groove are both 0.1mm, and the side depths of both are 0.4mm; or the sealing portion is provided with two circles of the first groove, and the sealing surface is correspondingly provided with two circles of the second flange, wherein the bottom width of the first groove and the top width of the second flange are both 0.1mm, and the side heights of both are between 0.2mm and 0.3mm; or the sealing portion is provided with a circle of the first flange, and the sealing surface is correspondingly provided with a circle of the second groove, wherein the top width of the first flange and the bottom width of the second groove are both 0.1mm, and the side depths of both are between 0.2mm and 0.3mm.

[0013] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the corrosive gas includes plasma of reactants in a thin film deposition process and plasma of a cleaning gas in a process chamber cleaning process.

[0014] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the valve seat and the valve plate are both made of a material resistant to corrosion by the corrosive gas, and do not contain accessories made of a material easily corroded by the corrosive gas.

[0015] In addition, the thin film deposition equipment provided according to the second aspect of the present invention includes: at least one process chamber; a remote plasma system for providing remote plasma to the at least one process chamber; and a sealing valve provided according to the first aspect of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The above features and advantages of the present invention can be better understood after reading the detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the following drawings. In the drawings, the components are not necessarily drawn to scale, and components with similar related properties or features may have the same or similar reference numerals.

[0017] Figure 1A A structural schematic diagram of a sealing valve in a closed state according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0018] Figure 1B A structural schematic diagram of an open state of a sealing valve provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0019] Figure 2A schematic structural diagram of a valve plate provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0020] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of a valve plate provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0021] Figure 4A A structural schematic diagram of a sealing valve in a closed state according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0022] Figure 4B A structural schematic diagram of an open state of a sealing valve provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0023] Reference numerals:

[0024] 10 Valve seat

[0025] 11 Ventilation line

[0026] 12 Sealing part

[0027] 13 First groove

[0028] 14 First flange

[0029] 20 Valve plate

[0030] 21 Second flange

[0031] 22 Second groove

[0032] 30 Driving mechanism

[0033] 31 Driver

[0034] 32 Guide mechanism

[0035] 33 Valve stem

[0036] 34 Bellows DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention will be introduced in conjunction with the preferred embodiment, this does not mean that the features of this invention are limited to this implementation. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the invention in conjunction with the implementation is to cover other options or modifications that may be extended based on the claims of the present invention. In order to provide a deep understanding of the present invention, the following description will include many specific details. The present invention can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion or blurring the focus of the present invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description.

[0038] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0039] In addition, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "horizontal" and "vertical" used in the following description should be understood as the directions shown in the paragraph and the related drawings. Such relative terms are only used for the convenience of description and do not mean that the device described therein must be manufactured or operated in a specific direction, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0040] It is understood that although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. may be used herein to describe various components, regions, layers and / or parts, these components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms, and these terms are only used to distinguish different components, regions, layers and / or parts. Therefore, the first component, region, layer and / or part discussed below may be referred to as a second component, region, layer and / or part without departing from some embodiments of the present invention.

[0041] As mentioned above, in the isolation valves of corrosive clean gases in semiconductor process equipment such as CVD equipment, perfluoro rubber seals are often used for sealing and isolation to avoid particle contamination caused by excessive gaps or friction between the valve plate and the valve body. However, the seals of this material usually contain F and O atoms, highly corrosive clean gases with ion groups, and high temperature and high pressure process scenarios, which will corrode the sealing rubber material and generate particle contamination.

[0042] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, the art urgently needs a corrosive gas sealing valve and a thin film deposition device, which can achieve the sealing of corrosive gas through a labyrinth flow-blocking structure composed of at least one circle of grooves and flanges, so as to avoid the use of sealing rings, thereby avoiding the pollution introduced by the corrosion of the sealing ring by corrosive gas, and adapting to high temperature and high pressure process scenarios. At the same time, by adopting a non-contact flow-blocking structure assembly method, the present invention can also effectively avoid particle pollution introduced by the collision of the groove and the flange.

[0043] In some non-limiting embodiments, the sealing valve for corrosive gas provided by the first aspect of the present invention can be configured in the thin film deposition equipment provided by the second aspect of the present invention. Specifically, the thin film deposition equipment includes at least one process chamber, a remote plasma system, and a sealing valve as provided by the first aspect of the present invention. Here, the remote plasma system is used to provide remote plasma to the at least one process chamber. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that the remote plasma includes but is not limited to the plasma of the reaction gas in the process flow, and the plasma of the cleaning gas in the cleaning process.

[0044] Please refer to Figure 1A to Figure 1B , Figure 1A A structural schematic diagram of a sealing valve in a closed state according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 1B A structural schematic diagram of an open state of a sealing valve provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0045] like Figure 1A to Figure 1B As shown, the corrosive gas sealing valve includes a valve seat 10 and a valve plate 20. Here, the corrosive gas includes but is not limited to the plasma of reactants in the thin film deposition process and the plasma of the cleaning gas in the process chamber cleaning process. Further, the valve seat 10 and the valve plate 20 can be made of a corrosion-resistant material (e.g., aluminum alloy, Hastelloy) to the corrosive gas, and do not contain accessories made of a corrosive material (e.g., rubber) that is easily corrosive to the corrosive gas.

[0046] The valve seat 10 includes a vent pipe 11 for circulating corrosive gas. The vent pipe 11 has an air inlet and an air outlet at both ends, and a sealing portion 12 surrounding the vent pipe 11 is provided in the middle. The sealing portion 12 has at least one first groove 15 and / or a first flange 14 surrounding the vent pipe 11.

[0047] The valve plate 20 is driven to move toward the sealing surface of the sealing portion by a driving mechanism 30. Specifically, the driving mechanism 30 includes a driver 31, a guide mechanism 32, a valve stem 33 and a bellows 34. The driver 31 provides linear motion for the valve stem 33, and can be a pneumatic or electric linear motion driver 31. The guide mechanism 32 can ensure the linear motion accuracy of the valve stem 33. The bellows 34 is welded between the valve seat 10 and the valve stem 33. Here, the moving area of ​​the valve plate is a vacuum, and the bellows 34 plays a role in sealing the vacuum area, so that the particle contamination generated by the friction between the valve stem 33 and the guide mechanism 32 cannot enter the vacuum environment.

[0048] Further, when the sealing valve is closed, the driver 31 drives the valve stem 33 to move downward along the guide mechanism 32, so that the valve plate contacts the sealing surface of the sealing portion. Correspondingly, when the sealing valve is opened, the driver 31 drives the valve stem 33 to move upward along the guide mechanism 32, so that the valve plate is separated from the sealing surface of the contact sealing portion.

[0049] Please refer to Figure 2-3 , Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a valve plate provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of a valve plate provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0050] like Figure 2 As shown, the valve plate 20 includes a sealing surface facing the sealing portion 12 , and the sealing surface is provided with at least one circle of second flange 21 and / or second groove 22 surrounding the ventilation pipeline 11 .

[0051] like Figure 3 As shown, the second flange 21 extends into the first groove 15 without contact when the valve plate 20 is close to the valve seat 10, and / or the second groove 22 covers the first flange 14 without contact when the valve plate 20 is close to the valve seat 10, so as to block the flow of corrosive gas between the air inlet and the air outlet.

[0052] Furthermore, the ventilation pipeline 11 includes at least one right-angle bend structure, the sealing portion 12 is located at the inlet or outlet of the right-angle bend structure, the valve plate 20 is located on the opposite side of the inlet or outlet where the sealing portion 12 is located, and is close to the sealing portion 12 under the action of a driving mechanism 30 to block the flow of corrosive gases between the air inlet and the air outlet.

[0053] In some embodiments, an anti-touch gap of 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm is maintained between the first groove 15 and the second flange 21 . An anti-touch gap of 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm is maintained between the first flange 14 and the second groove 22 .

[0054] In some embodiments, the sealing portion 12 is provided with a circle of first grooves 15, and the sealing surface is correspondingly provided with a circle of second flanges 21, wherein the bottom width of the first groove 15 and the top width of the second flange 21 are both 0.1 mm, and the side heights of both are both 0.4 mm.

[0055] In some embodiments, the sealing portion 12 is provided with a circle of first flange 14, and the sealing surface is correspondingly provided with a circle of second groove 22, wherein the top surface width of the first flange 14 and the bottom surface width of the second groove 22 are both 0.1 mm, and the side depths of both are both 0.4 mm.

[0056] In some embodiments, the sealing portion 12 is provided with two circles of first grooves 15, and the sealing surface is correspondingly provided with two circles of second flanges 21, wherein the bottom width of the first groove 15 and the top width of the second flange 21 are both 0.1 mm, and the side heights of both are both between 0.2 mm and 0.3 mm.

[0057] In some embodiments, the sealing portion 12 is provided with a circle of first flange 14, and the sealing surface is correspondingly provided with a circle of second groove 22, wherein the top surface width of the first flange 14 and the bottom surface width of the second groove 22 are both 0.1mm, and the side depths of both are both 0.2mm-0.3mm.

[0058] In this way, by providing at least one circle of flanges and grooves to form a labyrinth-like airflow path to increase the flow resistance of gas leakage, the present invention can achieve the sealing of corrosive gases without using a rubber sealing ring and without the valve seat and the valve plate contacting each other, thereby avoiding the pollution introduced by the corrosion of the sealing ring by corrosive gases and adapting to high temperature and high pressure process scenarios. At the same time, through the non-contact flow-blocking structure assembly method, the present invention can also effectively avoid particle pollution introduced by the collision between the groove and the flange.

[0059] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above-mentioned embodiments of the bent pipeline structure are only some non-limiting implementation methods provided by the present invention, which are intended to clearly demonstrate the main concepts of the present invention and provide some specific solutions that are convenient for the public to implement, rather than to limit the entire structure of the pipeline.

[0060] Optionally, in other embodiments, the present invention may also use other pipeline structures to achieve the installation and application of the above-mentioned labyrinth sealing valve. Figure 4A to Figure 4B , Figure 4A A structural schematic diagram of a sealing valve in a closed state according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 4B A structural schematic diagram of an open state of a sealing valve provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0061] exist Figure 4A to Figure 4B In the illustrated embodiment, the ventilation pipeline 11 includes at least one section of a straight pipe structure, the sealing portion 12 surrounds the periphery of the pipeline of the straight pipe structure, the valve plate 20 is located on the side of the straight pipe structure, and extends into the straight pipe structure under the action of a driving mechanism 30, and then approaches the sealing portion 12 to block the flow of corrosive gases between the air inlet and the air outlet.

[0062] In some embodiments, the sealing portion 12 faces the end where the air inlet is located, and the sealing surface of the valve plate 20 faces the end where the air outlet is located. After the valve plate 20 is extended into the straight pipe structure, it is pushed by the corrosive gas and approaches the sealing portion 12 to block the flow of the corrosive gas between the air inlet and the air outlet.

[0063] Optionally, the driving mechanism 30 may be provided with a rebound mechanism for driving the sealing surface away from the sealing portion 12 when the inlet pressure decreases or the outlet pressure increases, so as to restore the flow of the corrosive gas between the inlet and the outlet.

[0064] In some embodiments, the first groove 15 and the second flange 21, and / or the first flange 14 and the second groove 22, all extend along the driving direction of the driving mechanism 30, so that the valve plate 20 extends into the straight tube structure when its second flange 21 is covered by the first groove 15, and / or the valve plate 20 extends into the straight tube structure when its second groove 22 covers the first flange 14.

[0065] In summary, the sealing valve for corrosive gas and the thin film deposition equipment provided in the art can achieve the sealing of corrosive gas through a labyrinth-type flow-blocking structure composed of at least one circle of grooves and flanges, so as to avoid the use of sealing rings, thereby avoiding the pollution introduced by the corrosion of the sealing rings by corrosive gases, and adapting to high temperature and high pressure process scenarios. At the same time, the particle pollution introduced by the collision between the grooves and the flanges is avoided through the non-contact flow-blocking structure assembly method.

[0066] Although the above methods are illustrated and described as a series of actions for simplicity of explanation, it should be understood and appreciated that these methods are not limited by the order of the actions, because according to one or more embodiments, some actions may occur in a different order and / or concurrently with other actions from those illustrated and described herein or not illustrated and described herein but understandable to those skilled in the art.

[0067] The previous description of the disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modifications to the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be granted the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A sealing valve for corrosive gases, characterized in that: include: A valve seat, comprising a ventilation pipeline for circulating the corrosive gas, wherein the ventilation pipeline is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet at both ends thereof, and a sealing portion surrounding the ventilation pipeline is provided at the middle thereof, wherein the sealing portion is provided with at least one circle of a first groove and / or a first flange surrounding the ventilation pipeline; and The valve plate comprises a sealing surface facing the sealing portion, and the sealing surface is provided with at least one circle of second flange and / or second groove surrounding the ventilation pipeline, wherein the second flange extends into the first groove without contact when the valve plate is close to the valve seat, and / or the second groove covers the first flange without contact when the valve plate is close to the valve seat, so as to block the flow of the corrosive gas between the air inlet and the air outlet.

2. The sealing valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ventilation pipeline includes at least one right-angle bend structure, the sealing portion is located at the inlet or outlet of the right-angle bend structure, the valve plate is located on the opposite side of the inlet or outlet where the sealing portion is located, and is close to the sealing portion under the action of a driving mechanism to block the flow of the corrosive gas between the air inlet and the air outlet.

3. The sealing valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ventilation pipeline includes at least one section of a straight pipe structure, the sealing portion surrounds the periphery of the pipeline of the straight pipe structure, the valve plate is located on the side of the straight pipe structure, and extends into the straight pipe structure under the action of a driving mechanism, and then approaches the sealing portion to block the flow of the corrosive gas between the air inlet and the air outlet.

4. The sealing valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The sealing portion faces the end where the air inlet is located, and the sealing surface of the valve plate faces the end where the air outlet is located. After the valve plate is extended into the straight pipe structure, it approaches the sealing portion under the push of the corrosive gas to block the flow of the corrosive gas between the air inlet and the air outlet.

5. The sealing valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first groove and the second flange, and / or the first flange and the second groove, both extend along the driving direction of the driving mechanism, so that the valve plate extends into the straight pipe structure when its second flange is covered by the first groove, and / or the valve plate extends into the straight pipe structure when its second groove covers the first flange.

6. The sealing valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: An anti-touch gap of 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm is maintained between the first groove and the second flange, and / or an anti-touch gap of 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm is maintained between the first flange and the second groove.

7. The sealing valve according to claim 6, characterized in that: The sealing portion is provided with a circle of the first groove, and the sealing surface is correspondingly provided with a circle of the second flange, wherein the bottom width of the first groove and the top width of the second flange are both 0.1 mm, and the side heights of the two are both 0.4 mm, or The sealing portion is provided with a circle of the first flange, and the sealing surface is correspondingly provided with a circle of the second groove, wherein the top surface width of the first flange and the bottom surface width of the second groove are both 0.1 mm, and the side depths of both are both 0.4 mm, or The sealing portion is provided with two circles of the first grooves, and the sealing surface is correspondingly provided with two circles of the second flanges, wherein the bottom width of the first groove and the top width of the second flange are both 0.1 mm, and the side heights of the two are both between 0.2 mm and 0.3 mm, or The sealing portion is provided with a circle of the first flange, and the sealing surface is correspondingly provided with a circle of the second groove, wherein the top surface width of the first flange and the bottom surface width of the second groove are both 0.1mm, and the side depths of both are both 0.2mm-0.3mm.

8. The sealing valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The corrosive gas includes plasma of reactants in a thin film deposition process and plasma of a cleaning gas in a process chamber cleaning process.

9. The sealing valve according to claim 8, characterized in that: The valve seat and the valve plate are both made of a material resistant to the corrosive gas, and do not contain accessories made of a material easily corroded by the corrosive gas.

10. A thin film deposition device, characterized in that: include: at least one process chamber; a remote plasma system for providing remote plasma to the at least one process chamber; as well as The sealing valve according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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