Inner leakage detection method and detection device of mass flow controller, and control device

Abstract

The invention provides an inner leakage detection method and detection device of a mass flow controller and a control device, which can be used for performing inner leakage detection on the mass flow controller. The internal leakage detection method comprises the following steps: exhausting gas in a gas inlet pipeline including a to-be-detected mass flow controller and a process chamber, degassing a closed space formed by the gas inlet pipeline including the to-be-detected mass flow controller and the process chamber, and detecting the internal leakage of the to-be-detected mass flow controller after degassing is completed. And the gas inlet device conveys gas to the process chamber through the gas inlet pipeline so as to carry out leakage detection, so that whether the to-be-detected mass flow controller has inner leakage or not is judged. The internal leakage detection method has the advantages that the process is simple, the semiconductor process manufacturing procedure is not affected, detection is accurate, the mass flow controller which detects that internal leakage exists can be maintained or replaced in time, the accuracy of gas flow control is ensured, the follow-up semiconductor wafer manufacturing procedure is facilitated, and the yield is increased.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to an internal leakage detection method, an internal leakage detection device, a control device, and a computer-readable storage medium of a mass flow controller. Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, thin film deposition, etching, degumming and other processes are performed on semiconductor wafers. Generally, in the process of using semiconductor process equipment to perform the above processes on semiconductor wafers, the semiconductor wafer to be processed (for example, wafer) is placed in a closed process chamber, and the reaction gas required for the process reaction is provided to enter the process chamber to participate in the reaction.

[0003] Mass Flow Controller (MFC) is an important part of the gas transmission equipment in thin film deposition technology. It not only has the function of accurately measuring gas flow, but also can control the gas flow according to the user's settings. In process production, the inlet valve is usually opened to allow the reaction gas to enter the mass flow controller MFC, and the outlet valve is opened to allow the reaction gas to flow from the mass flow controller MFC to the process chamber.

[0004] Among them, some processes have strict requirements on gas flow rate. Slight changes in gas flow rate have a great impact on the process results. The amount of gas introduced into the process chamber does not meet expectations, which leads to abnormal film deposition thickness or even product scrapping. If an internal leak occurs in the MFC, it will affect the accuracy of the gas flow, thereby affecting the process results and causing a decrease in production yield. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings of the related art, the purpose of the present disclosure is to provide an internal leakage detection method, an internal leakage detection device, a control device, and a computer-readable storage medium for a mass flow controller to solve various problems in the related art.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for detecting internal leakage of a mass flow controller, wherein the mass flow controller is applied to a semiconductor process equipment, wherein the semiconductor process equipment comprises a process chamber, at least one air intake device, and an exhaust device, wherein each air intake device comprises an air intake pipeline and a reaction gas source, a gas source valve, a mass flow controller, and a controller valve arranged on the air intake pipeline, and an air intake main valve is arranged between the multi-way air intake device and the process chamber, and the exhaust device comprises an exhaust pipeline and an exhaust valve assembly and an exhaust pump arranged on the exhaust pipeline; the method for detecting internal leakage of the mass flow controller comprises the following steps:

[0007] Open the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device, close the gas source valve in the air inlet device of the mass flow controller to be tested and open the controller valve, open the main air inlet valve, start the exhaust pump, and put the process chamber into the exhaust mode to implement exhaust;

[0008] The exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device is closed, the gas source valve in the air inlet device belonging to the mass flow controller to be tested is closed and the controller valve is opened, and the main air inlet valve is opened, so that the process chamber enters the degassing mode to implement degassing; after the degassing is completed, the first pressure P1 of the process chamber is detected;

[0009] The exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device is closed, the gas source valve in the air intake device belonging to the mass flow controller to be tested is opened, the controller valve is opened, and the main air intake valve is opened, so that the process chamber enters the leakage detection mode, and the reaction gas is delivered to the process chamber by the air intake device to implement the leakage detection, and after a gas delivery time, the second pressure P2 of the process chamber is detected; and

[0010] It is determined whether the mass flow controller to be tested has internal leakage according to the detected first pressure P1 and second pressure P2 of the process chamber.

[0011] In some examples of the first aspect, starting the exhaust pump to perform exhaust comprises: starting the exhaust pump to perform exhaust; and after an exhaust time period has elapsed, shutting down the exhaust pump to stop exhaust.

[0012] In some examples of the first aspect, determining whether a mass flow controller to be tested has an internal leak is based on a detected first pressure P1 and a second pressure P2 of a process chamber, including: calculating a leakage rate based on the detected first pressure P1 and a second pressure P2 of the process chamber; the leakage rate is a ratio of a difference between the second pressure P2 and the first pressure P1 to a gas delivery time; comparing the calculated leakage rate with a set leakage threshold, and when the leakage rate is greater than or equal to the leakage threshold, determining that the mass flow controller to be tested has an internal leak.

[0013] In some examples of the first aspect, the internal leakage detection method further includes: after completing the leakage detection, opening the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device, starting the exhaust pump, and performing exhaust.

[0014] In some examples of the first aspect, the internal leakage detection method further includes: repairing or replacing the mass flow controller determined to have an internal leakage.

[0015] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides an internal leakage detection device for a mass flow controller, the mass flow controller is applied to a semiconductor process equipment, the semiconductor process equipment comprises a process chamber, at least one air intake device, and an exhaust device, each air intake device comprises an air intake pipeline and a reaction gas source arranged on the air intake pipeline, a gas source valve, a mass flow controller, and a controller valve, an air intake main valve is arranged between the multi-way air intake device and the process chamber, the exhaust device comprises an exhaust pipeline and an exhaust valve assembly and an exhaust pump arranged on the exhaust pipeline; the internal leakage detection device for the mass flow controller comprises: an air path control module, a detection module, and a leakage determination module;

[0016] A gas circuit control module is configured to control the reaction gas source, gas source valve, mass flow controller, and controller valve in each gas inlet device, control the gas inlet main valve, and control the exhaust valve assembly and exhaust pump in the exhaust device; through the gas circuit control module, the process chamber can enter the exhaust mode to implement exhaust, or enter the degassing mode to implement degassing, or enter the leak detection mode to implement leak detection;

[0017] A detection module, configured to detect a first pressure P1 of the process chamber after degassing is completed and a second pressure P2 of the process chamber after leak detection;

[0018] The leakage determination module is configured to determine whether the mass flow controller to be tested has internal leakage according to the first pressure P1 and the second pressure P2 of the process chamber detected by the detection module.

[0019] In certain examples of the second aspect, the leakage determination module determines whether the mass flow controller to be tested has an internal leakage based on the first pressure P1 and the second pressure P2 of the process chamber detected by the detection module, including: calculating the leakage rate based on the detected first pressure P1 and the second pressure P2 of the process chamber; the leakage rate is the ratio of the difference between the second pressure P2 and the first pressure P1 to the gas supply time; comparing the calculated leakage rate with a set leakage threshold, and when the leakage rate is greater than or equal to the leakage threshold, determining that the mass flow controller to be tested has an internal leakage.

[0020] In some examples of the second aspect, the detection module is a pressure gauge.

[0021] The third aspect of the present disclosure provides a control device, comprising: a processor; a memory storing an internal leakage detection program of a mass flow controller; wherein the internal leakage detection program of the mass flow controller executes the internal leakage detection method of the mass flow controller as described above when the internal leakage detection program of the mass flow controller is run by the processor.

[0022] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a program for detecting an internal leakage of a mass flow controller, wherein when the program for detecting an internal leakage of a mass flow controller is executed by the processor, the method for detecting an internal leakage of a mass flow controller as described above is executed.

[0023] As described above, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide an internal leakage detection method, an internal leakage detection device, and a control device for a mass flow controller, which can be used to detect internal leakage of a mass flow controller. In the internal leakage detection method, the air intake pipeline and the process chamber including the mass flow controller to be tested are first exhausted, and then the closed space formed by the air intake pipeline and the process chamber including the mass flow controller to be tested is degassed. After the degassing is completed, the air intake device transports gas to the process chamber through the air intake pipeline to perform leakage detection, thereby determining whether the mass flow controller to be tested has internal leakage. Compared with the related art, the internal leakage detection method of the mass flow controller provided by the present disclosure has a simple process, will not affect the semiconductor process, accurate detection, and can promptly repair or replace the mass flow controller detected to have internal leakage, thereby ensuring the accuracy of gas flow control, which is more conducive to the subsequent process technology of semiconductor chips and improves the yield. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of a semiconductor process equipment in one embodiment to which the internal leakage detection method of a mass flow controller disclosed in the present invention is applied.

[0025] Figure 2 The figure shows a flow chart of an internal leakage detection method of a mass flow controller provided by the present disclosure in one embodiment.

[0026] Figures 3 to 5 Display as Figure 1 Semiconductor process equipment in Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the method process at different stages.

[0027] Figure 6 Shown is a schematic structural diagram of an internal leakage detection device for a mass flow controller in one embodiment.

[0028] Figure 7 Shown is a functional block diagram of a control device provided by the present disclosure in one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following is an explanation of the embodiments of the present disclosure by specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present disclosure from the information disclosed by the present disclosure. The present disclosure can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in the present disclosure can also be modified or changed in various ways according to different viewpoints and application modules without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the embodiments in the present disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0030] The following is a detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. The present disclosure can be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0031] In the representations of the present disclosure, the reference terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" and the like mean that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics represented in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics represented may be combined in any one or a group of embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine different embodiments or examples represented in the present disclosure and the features of different embodiments or examples, unless they are mutually contradictory.

[0032] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the representation of the present disclosure, "a group" means two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0033] In order to clearly describe the present disclosure, components not related to the description are omitted, and the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar components throughout the specification.

[0034] Throughout the specification, when a device is said to be "connected" to another device, this includes not only the case of "direct connection" but also the case of "indirect connection" by placing other elements therebetween. In addition, when a device is said to "include" a certain component, unless otherwise stated, it does not exclude other components, but means that other components may be included.

[0035] Although the terms first, second, etc. are used to represent various elements in this article in some examples, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, the first interface and the second interface, etc. are represented. Moreover, as used in this article, the singular forms "one", "one" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms, unless there is an opposite indication in the context. It should be further understood that the terms "comprising" and "including" indicate that there are the described features, steps, operations, elements, modules, projects, kinds, and / or groups, but do not exclude the existence, occurrence or addition of one or a group of other features, steps, operations, elements, modules, projects, kinds, and / or groups. The terms "or" and "and / or" used herein are interpreted as inclusive, or mean any one or any combination. Therefore, "A, B or C" or "A, B and / or C" means "any of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B and C". Only when the combination of elements, functions, steps or operations is inherently mutually exclusive in some way, will there be an exception to this definition.

[0036] The technical terms used herein are only used to refer to specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The singular form used herein also includes the plural form unless the sentence clearly indicates the contrary meaning. The meaning of "including" used in the specification is to specify specific characteristics, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, and does not exclude the existence or addition of other characteristics, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components.

[0037] Although not defined differently, all terms, including technical and scientific terms used herein, have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are additionally interpreted as having meanings consistent with relevant technical literature and the message of the present disclosure, and shall not be overly interpreted as ideal or very formal meanings unless defined.

[0038] In the related technologies involving semiconductor wafer manufacturing processes, the mass flow controller (MFC) not only has the function of accurately measuring gas flow, but also can control the gas flow according to the user's settings. If the mass flow controller fails (for example, internal leakage), it will affect the accuracy of the gas flow, affecting the quality and yield of subsequent semiconductor processes. Taking the thin film deposition process of semiconductor wafers as an example, the change in gas flow has a lot of influence on the thickness and uniformity of thin film deposition. If the mass flow controller has internal leakage, it will affect the accuracy of the gas flow, affecting the quality and yield of semiconductor wafer thin film deposition.

[0039] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides an internal leakage detection method for a mass flow controller, which is used to perform internal leakage detection on a mass flow controller used in a semiconductor process equipment, wherein the semiconductor process equipment is used to perform corresponding process processing on semiconductor wafers.

[0040] In the following description, a semiconductor chip is used as an example to implement the corresponding process. A plurality of chips are arranged on the wafer. The semiconductor process equipment may be, for example, a wafer process equipment, which is used to perform thin film deposition, etching, degumming and other processes on the wafer. Taking the thin film deposition process as an example, the thin film deposition process may include PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition), CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition), and the like.

[0041] See also Figure 1 , which is a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor process equipment in one embodiment of the present disclosure, to which the internal leakage detection method of the mass flow controller is applied.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, the semiconductor process equipment in this embodiment may include: a process chamber 10, a wafer carrier 11, at least one air intake device, and an exhaust device.

[0043] The process chamber 10 is suitable for performing thin film deposition on a wafer. Taking conventional chemical vapor deposition (CVD) as an example, the chemical vapor deposition heats one or more gases (called precursors) to decompose them, generate reaction products, and deposit them on the surface of the wafer to form the desired thin film.

[0044] The process chamber 10 includes a closed cavity with side walls, and a wafer carrying platform 11 is arranged in the central area of ​​the closed cavity.

[0045] A top cover is provided at the top of the process chamber 10 , and a shower head or shower head assembly 101 facing the wafer carrier 11 is provided on the top cover for spraying reaction gas toward the wafer carrier 11 .

[0046] The nozzle or nozzle assembly 101 is connected to at least one gas inlet device for delivering reaction gas into the process chamber 10. Each gas inlet device includes a gas inlet pipeline and a reaction gas source, a gas source valve, a mass flow controller, and a controller valve arranged on the gas inlet pipeline. Figure 1For example, the first air intake device includes a first air intake pipeline and a first reaction gas source GS1, a first gas source valve FV1, a first mass flow controller MFC1, and a first controller valve V1 disposed on the first air intake pipeline; the second air intake device includes a second air intake pipeline and a second reaction gas source GS2, a second gas source valve FV2, a second mass flow controller MFC2, and a second controller valve V2 disposed on the second air intake pipeline; ...; the nth air intake device includes an nth air intake pipeline and an nth reaction gas source GSn, an nth gas source valve FVn, an nth mass flow controller MFCn, and an nth controller valve Vn disposed on the nth air intake pipeline. The reaction gas that the reaction gas source can provide includes but is not limited to silane (SiH4), methane (CH4), ammonia (NH3), oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), etc.

[0047] In addition, a main air intake valve is provided between the multi-way air intake device and the process chamber, that is, Figure 1 As shown, an air intake main valve Vin is also provided between the multi-way air intake device and the nozzle or nozzle assembly 101 .

[0048] The side wall of the process chamber 10 may be provided with an inlet and outlet, and the inlet and outlet may be used to transfer related workpieces, including but not limited to wafers, etc. Generally, a first slit door is provided at the inlet and outlet, and the first slit door may move in the up-down direction or in the left-right direction relative to the inlet and outlet.

[0049] The wafer carrier 11 is disposed in the process chamber 10 for carrying the wafer 100 . In some embodiments, a thin film deposition process is performed on only one wafer at a time in the process chamber 10 , so the wafer carrier 11 is located at the center of the process chamber 10 .

[0050] In some embodiments, the wafer carrying platform 11 is further provided with a wafer adsorption structure for adsorbing the wafer 100. Exemplarily, the wafer adsorption structure may include, for example, an adsorption groove and an adsorption pump.

[0051] In some embodiments, a heating device (not shown in the figure) may be provided below the wafer carrier 11 to heat the carried wafer 100 to a desired temperature. In some embodiments, the sidewall surface and the top cover surface of the process chamber 10 may be coated with a high reflective film or polished to reflect the heat radiation heated by the heating device back to the surface of the wafer carrier 11 and the wafer 100 carried thereon.

[0052] In some embodiments, the wafer carrier 11 may be associated with a rotating device. The rotating device may include a selectable rotating member and a rotating power mechanism, the rotating member may be sealed with the wafer carrier 11 and the process chamber 10, and the selectable power mechanism may drive the rotating member and the associated wafer carrier 11 and the wafer 100 carried thereon to perform reciprocating rotation, so that the thin film deposited on the wafer 100 is more uniform.

[0053] The exhaust device is used to extract the reaction gas in the process chamber. Figure 1 As shown, the exhaust device includes an exhaust pipeline connected to the process chamber 10 and an exhaust valve assembly and an exhaust pump 14 arranged on the exhaust pipeline.

[0054] In certain embodiments, the exhaust valve assembly includes an exhaust valve.

[0055] In some embodiments, the exhaust valve assembly includes a combination of an exhaust valve and a throttle valve. Exemplarily, the exhaust valve may be, for example, a common exhaust valve. Exemplarily, the exhaust valve may be, for example, a combination of a fast exhaust valve and a slow exhaust valve, wherein the slow exhaust valve is used to establish an initial vacuum environment, and the fast exhaust valve is used to exhaust the remaining gas more quickly to achieve a lower vacuum degree. The throttle valve may be, for example, a butterfly valve, which can achieve an opening and closing degree of 0% to 100%.

[0056] When thin film deposition is performed on a wafer, the wafer can be sent into a process chamber and placed on a wafer carrier, the wafer is heated and kept warm, and the corresponding reaction gas is introduced into the process chamber through a multi-channel air inlet device to deposit the required thin film on the surface of the wafer. Among them, in each air inlet device, the flow rate of the reaction gas is controlled by the mass flow controller MFC to which it belongs according to the deposition process requirements of the thin film. If there is an internal leakage in the mass flow controller MFC, it will affect the accuracy of the gas flow rate and the results of the thin film deposition process (for example, the thickness and uniformity of the thin film deposition), resulting in a decrease in product yield.

[0057] In view of this, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for detecting internal leakage of a mass flow controller, an internal leakage detection device, a control device, and a computer-readable storage medium, which can effectively detect whether there is an internal leakage in the mass flow controller, and repair or replace the mass flow controller with internal leakage, thereby ensuring the accuracy of gas flow control, which is more conducive to the subsequent process technology of semiconductor chips and improves the yield.

[0058] See also Figure 2 , which is a schematic flow chart of an internal leakage detection method for a mass flow controller provided by the present disclosure in one embodiment.

[0059] Step S201, open the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device, close the gas source valve in the air intake device belonging to the mass flow controller to be tested and open the controller valve, open the main air intake valve, start the exhaust pump, and put the process chamber into the exhaust mode to implement exhaust.

[0060] Generally, the mass flow rate of gases needs to be precisely controlled in semiconductor process equipment, and different processes require different gas flow ratios. Therefore, each gas requires a corresponding mass flow controller to control the gas flow rate. Specifically, in some embodiments, the semiconductor process equipment may be configured with multiple gas inlet devices, each of which delivers a gas to the process chamber. Therefore, each gas inlet device is configured with a mass flow controller MFC for measuring and controlling the gas transmitted in that gas inlet device.

[0061] Before performing step S201, the mass flow controller MFC to be tested and the air inlet device to which it belongs need to be determined first. After the mass flow controller MFC to be tested is determined, the operation can be performed according to the steps of step S201.

[0062] In addition, before executing the main axis S201, each gas source valve and each controller valve in the other air intake devices described in other mass flow controllers MFC are closed to eliminate the influence of the other air intake devices.

[0063] In step S201, the gas source valve in the gas inlet device to which the mass flow controller to be tested belongs is closed, and the controller valve and the main gas inlet valve are opened, so that the gas inlet pipeline from the gas source valve to the process chamber is connected. The exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device is opened, and the exhaust pump is started, so that the process chamber enters the exhaust mode to implement exhaust. In this way, through step S201, the gas in the gas inlet pipeline from the gas source valve to the process chamber 10 (including the gas in the mass flow controller) and the gas in the process chamber 10 can be evacuated.

[0064] In some embodiments, when performing exhaust, the gas flow rate of the mass flow controller is controlled to be 0 sccm (standard cubic centimeter per minute).

[0065] In some embodiments, an exhaust time may be set, and the exhaust device exhausts according to the exhaust time. After exhausting continuously and reaching the exhaust time, the exhaust pump is turned off to stop exhausting. Exemplarily, the exhaust time may be, for example, tens of seconds or several minutes, for example, 60 seconds.

[0066] Combination Figure 1Taking the internal leakage detection of the first mass flow controller MFC1 in the first air intake device as an example, in step S201, the first gas source valve FV1 in the first air intake device to which the first mass flow controller MFC1 to be tested belongs is closed, the first controller valve V1 is opened, the gas flow of the mass flow controller is controlled to be 0 sccm, and the main air intake valve Vin is opened to connect a section of the first air intake pipeline from the first gas source valve FV1 to the process chamber 10. In addition, the exhaust valve assembly 13 in the exhaust device is opened, and the exhaust pump is started to put the process chamber 10 into the exhaust mode for exhaust. That is, the gas in a section of the first air intake pipeline from the first gas source valve FV1 to the process chamber 10 (including the gas in the first mass flow controller MFC1) and the gas in the process chamber 10 are evacuated (for details, please refer to Figure 3 ).

[0067] Step S203, close the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device, close the gas source valve in the air intake device belonging to the mass flow controller to be tested and open the controller valve, open the main air intake valve, so that the process chamber enters the degassing mode to implement degassing; after the degassing is completed, detect the first pressure P1 of the process chamber.

[0068] In step S203, the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device is closed, the gas source valve in the air intake device belonging to the mass flow controller to be tested is closed, the controller valve and the main air intake valve are opened, so that the air intake pipeline from the mass flow controller to be tested to the process chamber is connected, and the process chamber enters the degassing mode to implement degassing. In this way, through step S203, degassing can be implemented in the closed space formed by the air intake pipeline from the mass flow controller to the process chamber and the process chamber. After degassing is completed, the first pressure P1 of the process chamber is detected.

[0069] In certain embodiments, when degassing is performed, the gas flow rate of the mass flow controller is controlled to be 0 sccm.

[0070] In some embodiments, a degassing time may be set, and degassing may be performed according to the degassing time. After the degassing is continued and reaches the degassing time, the degassing is stopped and the first pressure P1 of the process chamber is detected. Exemplarily, the degassing time may be, for example, tens of seconds or several minutes, for example, 60 seconds.

[0071] In some embodiments, detecting the first pressure P1 of the process chamber may be achieved by a pressure gauge associated with the process chamber.

[0072] Combination Figure 1Taking the internal leakage detection of the first mass flow controller MFC1 in the first air intake device as an example, in step S203, the first gas source valve FV1 in the first air intake device to which the first mass flow controller MFC1 to be tested belongs is closed, the first controller valve V1 is opened, the gas flow of the mass flow controller is controlled to be 0 sccm, the main air intake valve Vin is opened, so that a section of the first air intake pipeline from the first gas source valve FV1 to the process chamber 10 is connected, and the exhaust valve assembly 13 in the exhaust device is closed, so that the section of the first air intake pipe where the first mass flow controller MFC1 is located forms a closed space with the process chamber 10, so as to implement degassing in the closed space. After a period of degassing time, the degassing is stopped, and the first pressure P1 of the process chamber is detected by the pressure gauge 15 (for details, please refer to Figure 4 ).

[0073] In step S205, the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device is closed, the gas source valve in the air intake device belonging to the mass flow controller to be tested is opened, the controller valve is opened, and the main air intake valve is opened, so that the process chamber enters the leakage detection mode. The reaction gas is delivered to the process chamber by this air intake device to implement leakage detection, and after a gas delivery time, the second pressure P2 of the process chamber is detected.

[0074] In step S203, the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device is closed, the gas source valve in the gas inlet device belonging to the mass flow controller to be tested is opened, the controller valve and the main gas inlet valve are opened, so that the gas inlet pipeline from the reactive gas source in the gas inlet device to the process chamber is connected. The process chamber enters the leak detection mode, and the reactive gas source in the gas inlet device delivers reactive gas to the process chamber to implement leak detection. After a gas delivery time, the second pressure P2 of the process chamber is detected.

[0075] In some embodiments, when the gas supply is implemented, the gas flow rate of the mass flow controller is controlled to be 0 sccm.

[0076] In some embodiments, a gas delivery time may be set, and gas may be delivered according to the gas delivery time. After the gas is continuously delivered and reaches the gas delivery time, the gas delivery is stopped, and the second pressure P2 of the process chamber is detected. Exemplarily, the gas delivery time may be, for example, tens of seconds or several minutes, for example, 60 seconds to 100 seconds.

[0077] In some embodiments, detecting the second pressure P2 of the process chamber may be achieved by a pressure gauge associated with the process chamber.

[0078] Combination Figure 1Taking the internal leakage detection of the first mass flow controller MFC1 in the first gas inlet device as an example, in step S205, the first gas source valve FV1 in the first gas inlet device to which the first mass flow controller MFC1 to be tested belongs is opened, the first controller valve V1 is opened, the gas flow rate of the mass flow controller is controlled to be 0 sccm, the main gas inlet valve Vin is opened, so that the first gas inlet pipeline from the first reaction gas source GS1 to the process chamber 10 is completely connected, the exhaust valve assembly 13 in the exhaust device is closed, and the first reaction gas source GS1 is used to deliver the first reaction gas to the process chamber 10. After a period of gas delivery time, the gas delivery is stopped, and the second pressure P2 of the process chamber is detected by the pressure gauge 15 (for details, please refer to Figure 5 ).

[0079] In certain embodiments, after the leak detection is completed, the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device is opened, the exhaust pump is started, and exhaust is performed.

[0080] Step S207 , determining whether the mass flow controller to be tested has internal leakage according to the detected first pressure P1 and second pressure P2 of the process chamber.

[0081] In some embodiments, determining whether the mass flow controller to be tested has an internal leak according to the detected first pressure P1 and second pressure P2 of the process chamber may further include the following steps:

[0082] First, the leakage rate is calculated according to the detected first pressure P1 and second pressure P2 of the process chamber.

[0083] The leakage rate is the ratio of the difference between the second pressure P2 and the first pressure P1 to the air supply time, that is, the leakage rate S=(P2-P1) / T, wherein S represents the leakage rate, P1 represents the first pressure, P2 represents the second pressure, and T represents the air supply time.

[0084] Next, the calculated leakage rate is compared with a set leakage threshold, and when the leakage rate is greater than or equal to the leakage threshold, it is determined that the mass flow controller to be tested has internal leakage.

[0085] The leakage threshold may be set according to the requirements of relevant gases involved in the semiconductor process. For example, in some embodiments, the leakage threshold may be set to 4 mTorr / min (mTorr / min) to 6 mTorr / min (mTorr / min), for example, 5 mTorr / min (mTorr / min).

[0086] When the calculated leakage rate S=(P2-P1) / T is greater than or equal to the leakage threshold, it can be determined that the mass flow controller to be tested has internal leakage.

[0087] Subsequently, the mass flow controller with internal leakage should be repaired or replaced.

[0088] The present disclosure provides a method for detecting internal leakage of a mass flow controller, which is to first exhaust the air intake pipeline and the process chamber including the mass flow controller to be tested, and then degas the closed space formed by the air intake pipeline and the process chamber including the mass flow controller to be tested. After the degassing is completed, the air intake device transports gas to the process chamber through the air intake pipeline to perform leakage detection, thereby determining whether the mass flow controller to be tested has internal leakage. Compared with the related art, the method for detecting internal leakage of a mass flow controller provided by the present disclosure has a simple process, will not affect the semiconductor process, has accurate detection, and can promptly repair or replace the mass flow controller detected to have internal leakage, thereby ensuring the accuracy of gas flow control, and is more conducive to the subsequent process technology of semiconductor chips and improving the yield.

[0089] An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an internal leakage detection device for a mass flow controller, wherein the mass flow controller is used in semiconductor process equipment, wherein the semiconductor process equipment includes a process chamber, at least one air intake device, and an exhaust device, wherein each air intake device includes an air intake pipeline and a reaction gas source, a gas source valve, a mass flow controller, and a controller valve arranged on the air intake pipeline, and an air intake main valve is arranged between the multi-way air intake device and the process chamber, and the exhaust device includes an exhaust pipeline and an exhaust valve assembly and an exhaust pump arranged on the exhaust pipeline.

[0090] See also Figure 6 , shown is a schematic structural diagram of an internal leakage detection device for a mass flow controller in one embodiment.

[0091] like Figure 6 As shown, the internal leakage detection device of the mass flow controller provided by the present disclosure includes: an air path control module 61, a detection module 63, and a leakage determination module 65.

[0092] The gas circuit control module 61 is configured to control the reaction gas source, gas source valve, mass flow controller, and controller valve in each gas inlet device, control the main gas inlet valve, and control the exhaust valve assembly and exhaust pump in the exhaust device; through the gas circuit control module, the process chamber can enter the exhaust mode to implement exhaust, or enter the degassing mode to implement degassing, or enter the leak detection mode to implement leak detection.

[0093] The detection module 63 is configured to detect a first pressure P1 of the process chamber after degassing is completed and to detect a second pressure P2 of the process chamber after leak detection.

[0094] In certain embodiments, the detection module 63 may be implemented as a pressure gauge associated with the process chamber.

[0095] The leakage determination module 65 is configured to determine whether there is an internal leakage in the mass flow controller to be tested according to the first pressure P1 and the second pressure P2 of the process chamber detected by the detection module 63 .

[0096] In some embodiments, the leakage determination module 65 calculates the leakage rate according to the first pressure P1 and the second pressure P2 of the process chamber detected by the detection module 63 and compares the leakage rate with the leakage threshold. The leakage rate is the ratio of the difference between the second pressure P2 and the first pressure P1 to the gas supply time, that is, the leakage rate S=(P2-P1) / T, where S represents the leakage rate, P1 represents the first pressure, P2 represents the second pressure, and T represents the gas supply time. When the calculated leakage rate is greater than or equal to the leakage threshold, it can be determined that the mass flow controller to be tested has internal leakage.

[0097] It should be noted that the internal leakage detection device of the mass flow controller provided in the above embodiment and the internal leakage detection method of the mass flow controller provided in the above embodiment belong to the same concept, wherein the specific manner in which each module and unit performs the operation has been described in detail in the method embodiment and will not be repeated here. In practical applications, the internal leakage detection device of the mass flow controller provided in the above embodiment can allocate the above functions to different functional modules as needed, that is, divide the internal structure of the system into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above, and this is not limited here.

[0098] The present disclosure also provides a control device. In certain embodiments, the control device may be, for example, a host computer, which is connected to at least one air intake device, an air intake main valve, and an exhaust device.

[0099] See also Figure 7 , which is a principle block diagram of a control device provided by the present disclosure in one embodiment.

[0100] like Figure 7 As shown, the control device 7 includes a processor 71 and a memory 73. The processor 71 and the memory 73 can communicate with each other through a bus 72. The memory 73 can store an internal leakage detection program of the mass flow controller. The processor 71 executes each step of the internal leakage detection method of the mass flow controller by running the internal leakage detection program in the memory 73.

[0101] The bus 72 may be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, although only one thick line is used in the figure, it does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0102] In some embodiments, the processor 71 may be implemented as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a system on chip (SoC), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The memory 73 may include a volatile memory for temporary storage of data when running a program, such as a random access memory (RAM). The memory 73 may also include a non-volatile memory (NVM) for data storage, such as a read-only memory (ROM), a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), or a solid-state disk (SSD).

[0103] In practical applications, the control device can be associated with at least one air intake device, an air intake main valve, an exhaust device, etc., to realize the control of various components in the air intake device, the air intake main valve, and various components in the exhaust device, thereby completing the internal leakage detection of the mass flow controller, determining whether each mass flow controller has an internal leakage, and repairing or replacing the mass flow controller with an internal leakage, ensuring the accuracy of gas flow control, which is more conducive to the subsequent process technology of semiconductor chips and improving the yield.

[0104] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium may be provided, storing a computer program or instructions, which, when executed, implements the method flow or functions in any of the previous embodiments.

[0105] That is, the method steps in the above-described embodiments are implemented as software or computer code that can be stored in a recording medium (such as a CD ROM, RAM, floppy disk, hard disk or magneto-optical disk), or are implemented as computer code originally stored in a remote recording medium or a non-transitory machine-readable medium downloaded via a network and to be stored in a local recording medium, so that the methods represented herein can be processed by such software stored on a recording medium using a general-purpose computer, a dedicated processor, or programmable or dedicated hardware (such as an ASIC or FPGA).

[0106] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer program product may be provided, one or more computer programs or instructions, which, when executed, fully or partially execute the process or function in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions.

[0107] The computer program or instructions may be stored in a readable storage medium or transmitted from one readable storage medium to another readable storage medium, for example, the computer program or instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center by wired or wireless means. The readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a magnetic tape; it may also be an optical medium, such as a digital video disk; it may also be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid state drive. The computer readable storage medium may be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or may include both volatile and non-volatile types of storage media.

[0108] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Anyone familiar with the technology may modify or change the above embodiments without violating the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes made by those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field without departing from the spirit and technical ideas disclosed in the present disclosure shall still be covered by the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for detecting internal leakage of a mass flow controller, characterized in that: The mass flow controller is applied to semiconductor process equipment, which includes a process chamber, at least one air intake device, and an exhaust device, each of which includes an air intake pipeline and a reaction gas source, a gas source valve, a mass flow controller, and a controller valve, and an air intake main valve is provided between the multi-way air intake device and the process chamber, and the exhaust device includes an exhaust pipeline and an exhaust valve assembly and an exhaust pump provided on the exhaust pipeline; the internal leakage detection method of the mass flow controller includes the following steps: Open the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device, close the gas source valve in the air inlet device of the mass flow controller to be tested and open the controller valve, open the main air inlet valve, start the exhaust pump, and put the process chamber into the exhaust mode to implement exhaust; The exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device is closed, the gas source valve in the air inlet device belonging to the mass flow controller to be tested is closed and the controller valve is opened, and the main air inlet valve is opened, so that the process chamber enters the degassing mode to implement degassing; after the degassing is completed, the first pressure P1 of the process chamber is detected; The exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device is closed, the gas source valve in the air intake device belonging to the mass flow controller to be tested is opened, the controller valve is opened, and the main air intake valve is opened, so that the process chamber enters the leakage detection mode, and the reaction gas is delivered to the process chamber by the air intake device to implement the leakage detection, and after a gas delivery time, the second pressure P2 of the process chamber is detected; and It is determined whether the mass flow controller to be tested has internal leakage according to the detected first pressure P1 and second pressure P2 of the process chamber.

2. The method for detecting internal leakage of a mass flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The starting of the exhaust pump to implement exhaust comprises: Start the exhaust pump to exhaust; After a certain exhaust time, the exhaust pump is turned off to stop exhausting.

3. The method for detecting internal leakage of a mass flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: Determining whether the mass flow controller to be tested has internal leakage according to the detected first pressure P1 and second pressure P2 of the process chamber includes: Calculating a leakage rate according to the detected first pressure P1 and second pressure P2 of the process chamber; the leakage rate is a ratio of a difference between the second pressure P2 and the first pressure P1 to a gas supply time; The calculated leakage rate is compared with a set leakage threshold, and when the leakage rate is greater than or equal to the leakage threshold, it is determined that the mass flow controller to be tested has internal leakage.

4. The method for detecting internal leakage of a mass flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: After completing the leak detection, open the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device, start the exhaust pump, and implement exhaust.

5. The method for detecting internal leakage of a mass flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: Repair or replace the mass flow controller that is judged to have internal leakage.

6. An internal leakage detection device for a mass flow controller, characterized in that: The mass flow controller is applied to semiconductor process equipment, which includes a process chamber, at least one air intake device, and an exhaust device, each of which includes an air intake pipeline and a reaction gas source, a gas source valve, a mass flow controller, and a controller valve arranged on the air intake pipeline. An air intake main valve is arranged between the multi-way air intake device and the process chamber, and the exhaust device includes an exhaust pipeline and an exhaust valve assembly and an exhaust pump arranged on the exhaust pipeline; the internal leakage detection device of the mass flow controller includes: an air path control module, a detection module, and a leakage determination module; The gas circuit control module is configured to: control the reaction gas source, gas source valve, mass flow controller, and controller valve in each gas inlet device, control the gas inlet main valve, and control the exhaust valve assembly and exhaust pump in the exhaust device; through the gas circuit control module, the process chamber can enter the exhaust mode to implement exhaust, or enter the degassing mode to implement degassing, or enter the leak detection mode to implement leak detection; A detection module, configured to detect a first pressure P1 of the process chamber after degassing is completed and a second pressure P2 of the process chamber after leak detection; The leakage determination module is configured to determine whether the mass flow controller to be tested has internal leakage according to the first pressure P1 and the second pressure P2 of the process chamber detected by the detection module.

7. The internal leakage detection device of a mass flow controller according to claim 6, characterized in that: The leakage determination module determines whether there is an internal leakage in the mass flow controller to be tested according to the first pressure P1 and the second pressure P2 of the process chamber detected by the detection module, including: Calculating a leakage rate according to the detected first pressure P1 and second pressure P2 of the process chamber; the leakage rate is a ratio of a difference between the second pressure P2 and the first pressure P1 to a gas supply time; The calculated leakage rate is compared with a set leakage threshold, and when the leakage rate is greater than or equal to the leakage threshold, it is determined that the mass flow controller to be tested has internal leakage.

8. The internal leakage detection device of a mass flow controller according to claim 6, characterized in that: The detection module is a pressure gauge.

9. A control device, characterized in that: include: processor; A memory storing an internal leakage detection program of the mass flow controller; Wherein, when the internal leakage detection program of the mass flow controller is executed by the processor, the internal leakage detection method of the mass flow controller according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is executed.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a program for detecting internal leakage of a mass flow controller, characterized in that: When the internal leakage detection program of the mass flow controller is executed by a processor, the internal leakage detection method of the mass flow controller according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is implemented.

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