Gas inlet system for plasma processing equipment

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the field of plasma processing technology, and provides an intake system for a plasma processing device, including: a first input pipeline and a second input pipeline for inputting a liquid to-be-mixture and a liquid to-be-mixture; a mixing chamber for mixing the to-be-mixture and the to-be-mixture into an azeotrope and outputting it; wherein, the boiling point of the mixed liquid is lower than the boiling point of the to-be-mixture and can form an azeotrope; a heater disposed corresponding to the mixing chamber for heating the azeotrope in the mixing chamber to boiling to form a mixed vapor; a separation unit for separating the to-be-mixture vapor and the to-be-mixture in the mixed vapor, and outputting the to-be-mixture vapor to the reaction chamber of the plasma processing device through a first intake pipeline. Thus, with the solution of the present disclosure, only heating to the heating temperature that meets the requirement of reducing the boiling point is needed, which greatly reduces the temperature compared with the high temperature heating in the related art, saving energy and reducing consumption.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of plasma processing, and particularly to an intake system for a plasma processing apparatus. Background Art

[0002] In the wafer manufacturing process, the lithography process accounts for approximately 35% of the total wafer manufacturing cost and takes 40 - 50% of the total wafer process time. It is the most core process in semiconductor manufacturing. An indispensable step in the lithography process is wafer degluing. After the photoresist completes the functions of pattern replication and transfer, the remaining photoresist on the wafer surface needs to be completely removed through a degluing process. Plasma dry degluing uses high-energy plasma to process the photoresist surface, which has thorough degluing and high speed, does not require the introduction of chemical substances, and reduces the corrosion and damage to the wafer material. It is the best method in the existing degluing processes.

[0003] For the dry degluing of third-generation semiconductors, due to the requirements of the process, water vapor is introduced into the gas to assist in the operation. Introducing water can help control the chemical reactions in the plasma. Especially when using oxygen plasma for degluing, the presence of water vapor can promote the decomposition of the photoresist and the generation of gaseous products, thereby improving the degluing efficiency.

[0004] However, in the related art, the method of generating water vapor by heating is to heat water to 150°C through a steam generator and wind a heating tape around the gas pipeline to maintain the temperature of the water vapor and prevent the condensation of water vapor in the pipeline, which may lead to the failure of the process. This high-temperature treatment method has high energy consumption, and the water vapor is greatly affected by temperature fluctuations. The gas pipeline is generally arranged outside the machine, and the ambient temperature is too high for people to approach for operation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art, the purpose of the present disclosure is to provide an intake system for a plasma processing apparatus to solve the problems in the related art.

[0006] The first aspect of the present disclosure provides an intake system for a plasma processing device, including: a first input pipeline having a first input port for inputting a liquid to-be-mixture; a second input pipeline having a second input port for inputting a liquid to-be-mixtured; a mixing chamber, connected to the first input pipeline and the second input pipeline in a connectable / disconnectable manner, for mixing the to-be-mixture and the to-be-mixtured into a mixed liquid; wherein the boiling point of the mixed liquid is lower than that of the to-be-mixture, and when the ratio of the to-be-mixture and the to-be-mixtured satisfies a specific ratio, the mixed liquid can be made into an azeotrope having an azeotropic point; a heater, arranged corresponding to the mixing chamber, for heating the mixed liquid in the mixing chamber to boiling to form a mixed vapor; a separation unit, connected to the mixing chamber through a pipeline, for separating the vapor of the to-be-mixture and the to-be-mixtured in the mixed vapor, and outputting the vapor of the to-be-mixture to the reaction chamber of the plasma processing device through a first intake pipeline.

[0007] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the separation unit is connected to a recovery pipeline, and the recovery pipeline is connected to the second input pipeline in a connectable / disconnectable manner, for outputting the to-be-mixtured to the second input pipeline for recycling.

[0008] In an embodiment of the first aspect, a first controllable valve and a first flowmeter are arranged in the first input pipeline; a second controllable valve and a second flowmeter are arranged in the second input pipeline; a first control unit is communicatively connected to the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve, and is used for adjusting the opening degrees of the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve when the recovery pipeline is disconnected from the second input pipeline, so that the flow information monitored by the first flowmeter and the second flowmeter indicates that the volume ratio of the to-be-mixture and the to-be-mixtured flowing into the mixing chamber approaches the specific ratio until a preset ratio is reached.

[0009] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the intake system includes: a liquid level sensor and a pressure sensor, arranged in the mixing chamber, for detecting liquid level information and pressure information respectively; a first controllable valve, arranged in the first input pipeline; a second controllable valve, arranged in the second input pipeline; a second control unit, communicatively connected to the liquid level sensor, the pressure sensor, the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve, and is used for using a liquid pressure algorithm to determine the density and volume of the mixed liquid according to the liquid level information and the pressure information; and using a mass density formula to determine the volume ratio of the to-be-mixture and the to-be-mixtured in the mixing chamber according to the density and volume of the mixed liquid, the density of the to-be-mixture and the density of the to-be-mixtured, so as to control the opening degrees of the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve to make the volume ratio approach the specific ratio until a preset ratio is reached.

[0010] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the recovery pipeline is provided with a third controllable valve, a recovery buffer part and at least one one-way valve.

[0011] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the recovery pipeline passes through a separation and purification device for purifying the to-be-mixture and removing the to-be-mixture.

[0012] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the separation unit includes a semi-permeable membrane; and / or, an air extraction device for setting the reaction chamber to meet a preset pressure condition for the air pressure environment is connected to the reaction chamber, and the preset pressure condition includes: a pressure condition for making the to-be-mixture in the reaction chamber in a gaseous state.

[0013] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the azeotropic point of the azeotrope is in the range of 30°C to 40°C, 40°C to 50°C, 50°C to 60°C, 60°C to 70°C, or 70°C to 80°C.

[0014] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the to-be-mixture is an ester, ether, or ketone substance determined based on one or more of the following objectives: lower azeotropic point, lower material toxicity, and lower preparation difficulty / cost.

[0015] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the to-be-mixture is an ester, ether, or ketone substance determined based on one or more of the following objectives: lower azeotropic point, lower material toxicity, and lower preparation difficulty / cost; and / or, the to-be-mixture includes water, and the to-be-mixture is selected as at least one of the following: diethyl ether, ethyl acetate, ethanol.

[0016] In an embodiment of the first aspect, a fourth control valve, a pressure regulating valve, and a mass flow controller are further provided in the pipeline between the mixing chamber and the separation unit.

[0017] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the intake system further includes: at least one reaction gas input pipeline, connected to the reaction chamber for inputting reaction gas.

[0018] As described above, the present disclosure relates to the technical field of plasma processing, and provides an intake system for a plasma processing device, including: a first input pipeline and a second input pipeline for inputting a liquid to-be-mixture and a to-be-mixture; a mixing chamber for mixing the to-be-mixture and the to-be-mixture into an azeotrope and outputting; wherein, the boiling point of the mixed liquid is lower than the boiling point of the to-be-mixture and can form an azeotrope; a heater, provided corresponding to the mixing chamber, heating the azeotrope in the mixing chamber to boiling to form a mixed vapor; a separation unit for separating the to-be-mixture vapor and the to-be-mixture in the mixed vapor, and outputting the to-be-mixture vapor to the reaction chamber of the plasma processing device through the first intake pipeline. Thus, through the solution of the present disclosure, only heating to reach the heating temperature that meets the requirement of reducing the boiling point is needed, which greatly reduces the temperature compared with the high-temperature heating in the related art, saving energy and reducing consumption. Description of the Drawings

[0019] Figure 1Schematic diagram of the pipeline structure of the intake system for a plasma processing device in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 2 Show an information table of the mixture and different types of substances to be mixed that form an azeotrope.

[0021] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the module for controlling the flow rates of the mixture and the substances to be mixed in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the module for controlling the flow rates of the mixture and the substances to be mixed in another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure with a liquid level sensor and a pressure sensor arranged in the mixing chamber in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the relationship curve between the boiling point of water and the ambient air pressure.

[0025] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the process flow of the flow rate control method in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the process flow of the flow rate control method in another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the structure of a computer device in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed implementation manners

[0028] The following uses specific examples to illustrate the implementation manners of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present disclosure from the information disclosed herein. The present disclosure can also be implemented or applied through other different specific implementation manners. Various details in the present disclosure can also be modified or changed according to different viewpoints and application scenarios without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0029] The following takes the accompanying drawings as a reference and elaborates on the embodiments of the present disclosure in detail so that those skilled in the technical field to which the present disclosure pertains can easily implement it. The present disclosure can be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0030] In the descriptions of the present disclosure, the references to "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "an example", "a specific example", or "some examples", etc. mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics represented by 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 can be combined in a suitable manner in any one or a group of embodiments or examples. In addition, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and combine the different embodiments or examples represented in the present disclosure and the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0031] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" can explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In the descriptions of the present disclosure, the meaning of "a group" is two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0032] To clearly illustrate the present disclosure, devices irrelevant to the description are omitted, and the same or similar components throughout the specification are given the same reference numerals.

[0033] Throughout the specification, when it is said that a device is "connected" to another device, this includes not only the case of "direct connection", but also the case of "indirect connection" with other elements placed therebetween. In addition, when it is said that a certain device "includes" a certain component, unless there is a particularly contrary record, it does not exclude other components, but means that other components can also be included.

[0034] Although in some examples the terms first, second, etc. are used herein to denote various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, the first interface and the second interface, etc. are indicated. Furthermore, as used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the terms "comprising", "including" indicate the presence of the described features, steps, operations, elements, modules, items, kinds, and / or groups, but do not exclude the presence, occurrence, or addition of one or a group of other features, steps, operations, elements, modules, items, kinds, and / or groups. The terms "or" and "and / or" used herein are interpreted as inclusive, or meaning any one or any combination. Thus, "A, B, or C" or "A, B, and / or C" means "any one of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B, and C". An exception to this definition occurs only when the combination of elements, functions, steps, or operations are mutually exclusive in some way.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] At present, due to process requirements, the third-generation semiconductor dry stripping requires the introduction of mixed gas vapor into the gas to assist the operation. The introduction of the mixed gas can help control the chemical reactions in the plasma, especially when using oxygen plasma for stripping. The presence of mixed gas vapor can promote the decomposition of the photoresist and the generation of gaseous products, thereby improving the stripping efficiency.

[0038] However, in the related art, the method used to heat the mixture to generate steam is to heat the mixture to 150°C through a steam generator and wrap a heating belt around the periphery of the gas pipeline to maintain the temperature of the mixture steam and prevent the mixture steam from condensing in the pipeline, causing process failure. This high-temperature treatment method has high loss, and the mixture steam is greatly affected by temperature fluctuations. The gas pipeline is generally arranged outside the machine, and the ambient temperature is too high, making it difficult for people to approach for construction.

[0039] In view of this, an air intake system for plasma processing equipment is provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. By mixing the mixed substance with the mixed substance to lower the boiling point, a mixed gas containing the vapor of the mixed substance can be obtained at a lower heating temperature, and then the vapor of the mixed substance can be obtained by separating the mixed gas. The heating temperature is effectively lowered to solve the problems in the related art. It should be noted that the plasma processing equipment in the embodiment of the present disclosure can be a degumming equipment, and the addition of the vapor of the mixed substance can significantly improve the degumming effect. Alternatively, it can also be equipment for other processes, such as etching / deposition processes, which may also require the injection of the vapor of the mixed substance into the plasma to improve the stability of the plasma and increase the output.

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, a schematic diagram of the pipeline structure of the air intake system for plasma processing equipment in one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0041] The intake system 100 includes: a first input pipeline 101, a second input pipeline 102, a mixing chamber 103, a heater 104, and a separation unit 105.

[0042] The first input pipeline 101 has a first input port for inputting a liquid to-be-mixture, such as water (H2O). The first input pipeline 101 is connected to an inlet of the mixing chamber 103 in a switchable manner. In some embodiments, a first controllable valve 106 is provided in the first input pipeline 101 to control the connection and disconnection between the first input pipeline 101 and the mixing chamber 103. As an example, the first controllable valve 106 can be a valve that can be opened / closed and adjust the flow rate, and can be a manual valve or a program-controlled valve, etc. In some alternative embodiments, for example Figure 1 in the example, a first flow meter 107 can also be provided in the first input pipeline 101. The first flow meter 107 can be used to detect the flow rate of the to-be-mixture in the first input pipeline 101 to determine the volume of the to-be-mixture flowing into the mixing chamber 103.

[0043] The second input pipeline 102 has a second input port for inputting an object to be mixed. The second input pipeline 102 is connected to another inlet of the mixing chamber 103 in a switchable manner. In some embodiments, a second controllable valve 108 is provided in the second input pipeline 102 to control the connection and disconnection between the second input pipeline 102 and the mixing chamber 103. As an example, the second controllable valve 108 can be a valve that can be opened / closed and adjust the flow rate, and can be a manual valve or a program-controlled valve, etc. In some alternative embodiments, for example Figure 1 in the example, a second flow meter 109 can also be provided in the second input pipeline 102. The second flow meter 109 can be used to detect the flow rate of the object to be mixed in the second input pipeline 102 to determine the volume of the object to be mixed flowing into the mixing chamber 103.

[0044] The mixing chamber 103 is connected to the first input pipeline 101 and the second input pipeline 102 in a connectable / disconnectable manner, and is configured to mix the mixture to be mixed and the mixture to be added into a mixed liquid. The heater 104 is disposed corresponding to the mixing chamber 103 to heat the mixed liquid in the mixing chamber 103 to boiling to form mixed vapor. Wherein, the boiling point of the mixed liquid is lower than the boiling point of the mixture to be mixed. By selecting a suitable type of mixture to be added, mixing it with the mixture to be mixed can reduce the boiling point of the mixed liquid. The main reason is that the intermolecular forces between the components in the mixed liquid reduce the vapor pressure of the mixed liquid, resulting in a lower boiling point; conversely, if the components in the mixed liquid repel each other, the vapor pressure will increase and the boiling point will be higher than the boiling points of the components. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the situation where the boiling point of the former mixed liquid is lower than the boiling point of the mixture to be mixed is required. Specifically explaining the principle, according to Raoult's law, the vapor pressure of the mixed liquid is equal to the simple sum of the vapor pressures of the components. However, due to the intermolecular forces between the components, the vapor pressure of the mixed liquid may be lower than the simple sum of the vapor pressures of the components, so the boiling point will also decrease. For example, when selecting a mixture to be mixed and ethanol for mixing, the boiling point of the mixed liquid of the mixture to be mixed and ethanol is lower than the boiling point of the mixture to be mixed. Further, the mixed liquid formed by the mixture to be mixed and some types of mixtures to be added at a specific ratio will become an azeotrope with an azeotropic point, that is, at a fixed pressure, the mixture to be mixed will boil together with the mixture to be added at this azeotropic point. The azeotropic point of the mixed liquid will be lower than the boiling point of each component in the mixed liquid, that is, it will be at least lower than the boiling points of the mixture to be mixed and the mixture to be added. For example, water and ethanol are mixed at a ratio of 5:95 under normal pressure, and the azeotropic point is 78.15 °C. Since the boiling point of water is 100 °C and the boiling point of ethanol is 78.5 °C, it can be seen that the azeotropic point of the water-ethanol azeotrope is lower than the boiling points of water and ethanol.

[0045] Specifically explain the principle of selecting the mixture to be added. In some embodiments, the mixture to be added may be an ester, an ether or a ketone. Further exemplarily, the mixture to be added may be determined based on one or more of the following objectives: lower azeotropic point, lower material toxicity, and lower preparation difficulty / cost.

[0046] For example. As Figure 2 shown, an information table showing the formation of azeotropes of water with different types of mixtures to be added is presented. In this information table, the boiling points, preset ratios, etc. of ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, isobutanol, tert-butanol, isoamyl alcohol, n-amyl alcohol, chloroethanol, diethyl ether, acetonitrile, acrylonitrile, formic acid, propionic acid, ethyl acetate, dioxane, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, dichloroethane, benzene, etc. when forming azeotropes with water are listed respectively.

[0047] Regarding the condition of "lower azeotropic point", it is expected that the azeotropic point of the azeotrope formed by the mixture and water is as low as possible. For example, the temperature at which people feel that the water temperature begins to become hot is about 43°C, because the human body's pain receptors will be activated at this temperature. The specific feeling varies from person to person, and the sensitivity of the skin in different parts to temperature is also different. Generally speaking - from the perspective of comfort, water temperatures of 30°C to 35°C give people a cool to warm feeling, while around 40°C begins to approach human body temperature and feels relatively warm. At a water temperature of around 45°C, people will obviously feel hot when serving dishes, but they can still tolerate it for a short time. For most people, water at 50°C will have a noticeable sense of heat when touched, but short-term contact will not cause burns. Water temperatures above 60°C generally make people feel very hot, and prolonged or rapid contact may cause skin burns, especially oral mucosa, which may cause burns if it exceeds 65°C. Water temperatures of 70°C and above will have an immediate burning sensation after contact, and there is an immediate risk of burns. Thus, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the azeotropic point of the azeotrope can be selected in the range of 30°C to 40°C, 40°C to 50°C, 50°C to 60°C, 60°C to 70°C or 70°C to 80°C, preferably 30°C to 40°C, and less preferably 40°C to 50°C. Therefore, in the above information table, according to the azeotropic point conditions, ether with an azeotropic point of 34°C with water can be preferably used as the mixture to be mixed; less preferably, chloroform can also be selected as the mixture to be mixed; more preferably, carbon tetrachloride, benzene, ethyl acetate, etc. can be selected as the mixture to be mixed.

[0048] Regarding the condition of "lower material toxicity", while considering lowering the heating temperature as much as possible, it is also necessary to consider the toxicity to the human body. Among the above substances, benzene is a carcinogen, acetonitrile, acrylonitrile, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, etc. are all highly toxic. In comparison, ether has only a certain anesthetic toxicity and is relatively low, and the required sealing / ventilation protection level is much lower than the above substances. Choosing ether can take into account the conditions of lower heating temperature and low toxicity. Therefore, benzene, acetonitrile, acrylonitrile, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, etc. may not be preferred as the mixture to be mixed, but ether may be selected as the mixture to be mixed. Of course, when the protection and environmental protection configuration meets the safety requirements (such as airtightness to prevent gas leakage), it can also be used.

[0049] In some embodiments, it is also necessary to balance the amount of the mixture to be mixed and the boiling point of the mixture to be achieved. Taking ether as an example, at standard atmospheric pressure, when the ether content is about 99%, an azeotropic composition is achieved, and the azeotropic point is 34°C. If the ether content is gradually reduced, when the ether content is 90%, the boiling point is about 37°C; when the ether content is 80%, the boiling point is about 40°C; when the ether content is 70%, the boiling point is about 43°C; when the ether content is 60%, the boiling point is about 46°C;

[0050] When the ether content is 50%, the boiling point is about 49°C. Based on this exploration, when the volume ratio of ether to water is 20% to 80%, the boiling point of the mixture is between 60°C and 70°C. Preferably, the volume ratio of ether to water can be selected to satisfy that the boiling point of the mixture is between 50°C and 60°C. According to the above analysis, it can not only effectively reduce the boiling point of water compared to the original, but also effectively reduce the amount of the mixture to be used, and effectively reduce the toxicity risk / cost. And, since the amount of water vapor used is generally extremely small, with a flow rate of approximately 1 g / min, correspondingly, the flow rate of the mixture to be used is also small, which can also effectively reduce the toxicity risk / cost.

[0051] Others, such as ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, isobutanol, tert-butanol, isoamyl alcohol, n-amyl alcohol: These alcohol substances all have certain irritation, but relatively low toxicity. However, their azeotropic boiling points with water are all between 78°C and 98°C, and the cooling effect is not ideal. Therefore, in some embodiments, the boiling point can be reduced by reducing the environmental pressure for use.

[0052] Regarding the condition of "lower preparation difficulty / cost", the industrial preparation of the CHO combination of alcohols and ethers is not difficult. However, the process of doping halogen elements or organic ring structures is relatively complex and may require catalysts. For example, the preparation of dioxane requires the addition of metal catalysts, and its azeotropic boiling point is 87.8°C. Therefore, considering the preparation difficulty / cost and the achieved cooling effect comprehensively, dioxane may not be used as the mixture to be used.

[0053] Based on the above comprehensive consideration of several conditions, preferably, one of ether, ethyl acetate, and ethanol can be selected as the mixture to be used.

[0054] It can be understood from this that by selecting the type of the mixture to be used, a boiling point of the mixture can be obtained as low as possible compared to the boiling point of the mixture to be mixed (and can also have characteristics such as low toxicity, low preparation difficulty / cost, etc.), and an azeotrope can be formed at a predetermined ratio, thereby obtaining a lower azeotropic boiling point. Thus, when heating the mixture to boil to form vapor, the heating temperature can be greatly reduced, thereby achieving energy conservation and avoiding the problem of high-temperature scalding. It should be noted that when controlling the mixing ratio of the mixture to be used and the mixture to be mixed in the mixing chamber 103, it is not necessarily required to satisfy the preset ratio of the azeotrope. If the boiling point of the mixture can be reduced to the required temperature without reaching the azeotrope, the mixing can also be carried out without following the preset ratio. Of course, in the preferred case, an azeotrope is formed to obtain an azeotropic boiling point as low as possible in temperature.

[0055] Therefore, the heating temperature of the heater 104 can be greatly reduced. For example, when ether is selected as the mixture to be mixed, after mixing in the required proportion, such as the volume ratio of water to ether being 8:2, only heating to above 60 °C to 70 °C can make the mixed liquid boil, which is much lower than the boiling point of water. Even if the temperature is increased for heating efficiency, it is also much lower than the original temperature of 150 °C for generating water vapor by heating, thereby effectively reducing the cost.

[0056] Due to the use of the mixture of the mixture to be mixed and the mixture to be mixed, after the mixed vapor of the mixed liquid is generated, the vapor of the mixture to be mixed needs to be separated out for the intake of the reaction chamber of the plasma processing equipment.

[0057] The pipeline of the separation unit 105 is connected to the mixing chamber 103. The separation unit 105 is used to separate the vapor of the mixture to be mixed and the mixture to be mixed in the mixed vapor, and output the vapor of the mixture to be mixed to the reaction chamber 200 of the plasma processing equipment through the first intake pipeline 110. As an optional example, a fourth control valve 126, a pressure regulating valve 112 and a mass flow controller 113 (MFC) are further provided in the pipeline between the mixing chamber 103 and the separation unit 105. Further exemplarily, the fourth control valve 126 is mainly used for controlling the on / off and opening degree of the pipeline between the mixing chamber 103 and the separation unit 105. The pressure regulating valve 112 is used to adjust the pipeline pressure of the pipeline between the mixing chamber 103 and the separation unit 105, and the mass flow controller 113 is used to set the flow rate of the mixed vapor between the mixing chamber 103 and the separation unit 105.

[0058] In some embodiments, the separation unit 105 includes a semi-permeable membrane, and the membrane separation method is used to separate the vapor of the mixture to be mixed and the vapor of the mixture to be mixed in the mixed vapor. The membrane separation method uses a special semi-permeable membrane to separate according to the size and diffusion rate of gas molecules. These membranes are usually made of special polymer or ceramic materials, and have the property of selectively allowing certain gas molecules to pass through while blocking other molecules. As an example, the semi-permeable membrane can be used to achieve separation based on the size and diffusion rate of gas molecules. Taking ether as an example, the molecular weight of ether (C2H5OC2H5) is 74.12, and that of water (H2O) is 18.02. If the pore size of the semi-permeable membrane is smaller than the size of the ether molecule (about 0.4 nanometers) and allows water molecules (0.3 nanometers) to pass through, the effect of intercepting ether and permeating water molecules can be achieved. It can be understood that as the type of the mixture to be mixed changes, the pore size of the semi-permeable membrane may also change accordingly to achieve the separation purpose of respectively intercepting and permeating.

[0059] In some embodiments, the separation unit 105 may be connected to the recovery pipeline 114, and the recovery pipeline 114 is connectable / disconnectable to the second input pipeline 102 to output the to-be-mixture to the second input pipeline 102 for recycling. Optionally, a third controllable valve 122, a recovery buffer 115 and at least one one-way valve 116 are provided in the recovery pipeline 114. As an example, in Figure 1 it is exemplarily shown that there are two one-way valves 116, respectively arranged close to the second input pipeline 102 and the separation unit 105, and the third controllable valve 122 and the recovery buffer 115 are arranged between the two one-way valves 116. It can be understood that the conduction direction of the one-way valve 116 is unidirectional conduction from the separation unit 105 to the second input pipeline 102. The recovery buffer 115 is used to temporarily store the to-be-mixture for recycling and supply it to the second input pipeline 102 at a selected time. In some embodiments, in the recovery buffer 115, the gaseous to-be-mixture can be pre-changed into a liquid state by condensation or the like, so as to be utilized in the second input pipeline 102. Alternatively, the pressure or temperature capable of keeping the to-be-mixture in a liquid state can also be maintained in the second input pipeline 102, so that the gaseous to-be-mixture sent by the recovery pipeline 114 is converted into a liquid state. In some alternative embodiments, since the recovered to-be-mixture may still carry the mixture vapor, a separation and purification device for purifying the to-be-mixture (i.e., removing the mixture) may also be provided in the recovery pipeline 114. The separation and purification device may be located at the front stage of the recovery buffer 115 or at the rear stage of the recovery buffer 115 in the conduction direction. In some embodiments, taking water as an example, the separation and purification device may include a desiccant for absorbing water (such as anhydrous calcium chloride, anhydrous magnesium sulfate, sodium, etc.). Alternatively, the water in the to-be-mixture can also be removed by means such as rotary evaporation to remove water.

[0060] In some embodiments, the intake system 100 may further include at least one reaction gas input pipeline, which is connected to the reaction chamber 200 for inputting reaction gas. The reaction gas includes but is not limited to oxygen, nitrogen, argon, etc. As an example, in Figure 1 it is shown that the intake system 100 may include a second intake pipeline 117 and a third intake pipeline 118. The second intake pipeline 117 is connected to the reaction chamber 200 for inputting nitrogen. The third intake pipeline 118 is connected to the reaction chamber 200 for inputting process gas such as oxygen. Further, a fifth controllable valve 119 and a sixth controllable valve 120 may be respectively provided in the second intake pipeline 117 and the third intake pipeline 118.

[0061] In some embodiments, the reaction chamber 200 is connected to a pumping device for setting the gas pressure environment of the reaction chamber 200 to meet a preset pressure condition, and the preset pressure condition includes: a pressure condition that allows the mixture in the reaction chamber 200 to be in a gaseous state. That is, the gas pressure of the reaction chamber 200 is set by the pumping device. For example, reducing the pressure can lower the boiling point of the mixture, so that the mixture vapor can still be maintained in a gaseous state after entering. As an example, reference can be made to Figure 6 shown in the figure, which shows the relationship curve between the boiling point of water and the ambient gas pressure. When the vacuum degree is higher, such as when the pressure is 1000 Pa, the boiling point of water is only 6.9696 °C, which is very easy to maintain in a gaseous state. In some embodiments, the pumping device may include one or more of a dry pump 300 (Dry Pump), a molecular pump 400 (Molecular PUMP), etc. The dry pump 300 refers to a dry vacuum pump, which can set the reaction chamber 200 to a certain vacuum degree, while the molecular pump 400 can set the reaction chamber 200 to a higher vacuum degree.

[0062] Based on Figure 1 the embodiment, in order to make the mixture and the to-be-mixture in the mixing chamber 103 reach the preset ratio for forming an azeotrope, reference can be made to Figure 3 shown in the figure, which shows a schematic diagram of a module for controlling the flow rates of the mixture and the to-be-mixture in an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the first controllable valve 106 and the second controllable valve 108 are programmable valves with adjustable opening degrees.

[0063] In Figure 3In the system, the intake system 100 further includes a first control unit 121. The first control unit 121 is communicatively connected to the first controllable valve 106 and the second controllable valve 108, and is configured to, when the second input pipeline 102 does not input the to-be-mixture recovered from the separation unit 105, based on the flow information monitored by the first flowmeter 107 and the second flowmeter 109, direct the volume ratio of the to-be-mixture and the mixture-to-be flowing into the mixing chamber 103 to approach the specific ratio until the preset ratio is reached as the target, and adjust the opening degrees of the first controllable valve 106 and the second controllable valve 108. Specifically, there are two cases where the second input pipeline 102 does not input the recovered to-be-mixture. One is that the intake system 100 does not have the recovery pipeline 114, and the other is that the recovery pipeline 114 is disconnected (for example, the fourth controllable valve 126 is closed). At this time, since the recovered to-be-mixture that may be doped with the mixture-to-be is not used, and only the to-be-mixture from the supply source is used, the flow information passed by the second flowmeter 109 is the accurate flow of the to-be-mixture. Since the volume can be obtained based on the flow and time, the accurate volume of the to-be-mixture entering the mixing chamber 103 can be obtained by reading the flow information of the second flowmeter 109. Then, based on the flow information of the first flowmeter 107 and the second flowmeter 109, the volume ratio of the mixture-to-be and the to-be-mixture entering the mixing chamber 103 can be accurately determined, and thus it can be further determined that the volume ratio of the mixture-to-be and the to-be-mixture in the mixing chamber 103 meets the preset ratio for forming an azeotrope. For example, when it is determined according to the flow information of the first flowmeter 107 that the volume of the mixture-to-be flowing into the mixing chamber 103 is V1, and it is determined according to the flow information of the second flowmeter 109 that the volume of the to-be-mixture flowing into the mixing chamber 103 is V2, assuming the preset ratio of the mixture-to-be and the to-be-mixture is 8:2, then when V1:V2 is greater than 8 / 2, the flow of the to-be-mixture is increased to make V2 larger, so that V1:V2 is reduced to reach 8:2.

[0064] Of course, if the second input pipeline 102 receives the recovered to-be-mixture containing the mixture-to-be, the flow information of the second flowmeter 109 cannot accurately reflect the volume of the to-be-mixture entering the mixing chamber 103. In this case, the opening degrees of the first controllable valve 106 and the second controllable valve 108 can be controlled by detecting the volume ratio between the mixture-to-be and the to-be-mixture in the mixed liquid in the mixing chamber 103.

[0065] Optionally, in the case where the recovery pipeline 114 is provided, the first control unit 121 can also be communicatively connected to a third controllable valve 122, so as to, when it is necessary to determine the volume ratio of the mixture-to-be and the to-be-mixture in the mixing chamber 103 based on the flow information of the first flowmeter 107 and the second flowmeter 109, disconnect the recovery pipeline 114 by controlling the third controllable valve 122.

[0066] Such as Figure 4As shown, it is a schematic diagram of a module for controlling the flow rates of the mixture to be mixed and the mixture in another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0067] Different from Figure 3 the control scheme of using the first control unit 121 to control the first controllable valve 106 and the second controllable valve 108 in the embodiment, in this embodiment, the intake system 100 includes a liquid level sensor 123, a pressure sensor 124, and a second control unit 125. Refer to Figure 5 As shown, the liquid level sensor 123 and the pressure sensor 124 are arranged in the mixing chamber 103, and are respectively used for detecting liquid level information and pressure information. As an example, the liquid level sensor 123 and the pressure sensor 124 can be arranged on the inner wall of the mixing chamber 103. The pressure sensor 124 is immersed in the liquid in the mixing chamber 103, and it can be arranged on the side wall or the bottom wall of the mixing chamber 103. The liquid level sensor 123 can be arranged on the side wall or the bottom wall of the mixing chamber 103. In some embodiments, the liquid level sensor 123 can be implemented as a liquid level sensor based on the principles of buoyancy, pressure, capacitance, ultrasonic waves, or electromagnetic waves, such as a float type liquid level sensor (detecting the liquid level by using the buoyancy change of a float in the liquid), a capacitive liquid level sensor (measuring the liquid level by using the capacitance change), an ultrasonic liquid level sensor (calculating the liquid level according to the sound wave propagation time by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals), a radar liquid level sensor (calculating the liquid level by using electromagnetic waves through measuring the electromagnetic wave propagation time), a magnetic flap level gauge (using the buoyancy principle and magnetic coupling effect, the permanent magnet in the float is transmitted to the magnetic flip column indicating panel through magnetic coupling to display the liquid level), a magnetostrictive liquid level gauge (using the magnetostrictive effect to determine the liquid level by measuring the time difference between the pulse current and the torsional wave), a static pressure type liquid level sensor (based on the principle that the liquid static pressure is proportional to the liquid level height, converting the static pressure into an electrical signal), or a pressure liquid level transmitter, etc. In some embodiments, the pressure sensor 124 converts the pressure into an electrical signal output. The pressure sensor 124 converts the measured pressure change into an electrical signal, and can be implemented as a piezoresistive type, piezoelectric type, capacitive type, or inductive type according to different principles.

[0068] The second control unit 125 is communicatively connected to the liquid level sensor 123, the pressure sensor 124, the first controllable valve 106, and the second controllable valve 108, and is configured to determine the density and volume of the mixed liquid according to the liquid level information and the pressure information by using a liquid pressure algorithm. Moreover, by using the mass density formula, the volume ratio of the mixture to be mixed and the mixture to be added in the mixing chamber 103 is determined according to the density and volume of the mixed liquid, the density of the mixture to be mixed, and the density of the mixture to be added, so as to control the opening degrees of the first controllable valve 106 and the second controllable valve 108 to make the volume ratio approach the specific ratio until the preset ratio is reached. As an example, the liquid pressure algorithm is a method for calculating liquid pressure, and the calculation formula for the liquid pressure at a point in the liquid is as follows:

[0069] p = ρgh (1)

[0070] Where ρ represents the density of the liquid; g represents the acceleration due to gravity; h represents the vertical distance from this point to the liquid surface, that is, the depth.

[0071] Based on the mass density formula, the following formula can be obtained:

[0072] ρ1V1 + ρ2V2 = ρ(V1 + V2) (2)

[0073] Where ρ1 is the density of the mixture to be mixed, V1 is the volume of the mixture to be mixed in the mixing chamber 103; ρ2 is the density of the mixture to be added, V2 is the volume of the mixture to be added in the mixing chamber 103; and ρ is the density of the mixed liquid.

[0074] According to formula (2), it can be transformed into V1 / V2 = (ρ - ρ2) / (ρ1 - ρ) (3)

[0075] According to the pressure information detected by the pressure sensor 124, that is, p in formula (1), and the liquid level information detected by the liquid level sensor 123, that is, h in formula (1), the density ρ of the mixed liquid in the mixing chamber 103 can be calculated. Furthermore, according to formula (3), the volume ratio of the mixture to be mixed and the mixture to be added in the mixed liquid in the mixing chamber 103 can be calculated. Then, according to this volume ratio, the opening degrees of the first controllable valve 106 and the second controllable valve 108 are adjusted to make the volume ratio approach the specific ratio until the preset ratio is reached. For example, when the volume of the mixture to be mixed or the mixture to be added is too low to reach the preset ratio, the flow rate of the mixture to be mixed or the mixture to be added is increased to increase its volume to achieve the preset ratio.

[0076] Therefore, in this embodiment, regardless of whether the second pipeline inputs the recycled mixture to be mixed through the recycling pipeline 114, valve control actions can be implemented according to the volume ratio calculated from the detection information of the above pressure sensor 124 and liquid level sensor 123. Therefore, the first flowmeter 107 and the second flowmeter 109 may not be provided either. Of course, since only the volume ratio can be calculated but not the specific volume of each, the first flowmeter 107 and the second flowmeter 109 may also be retained to obtain the specific flow information of each input pipeline. In addition, based on the flow rates of the two input pipelines as a reference, for example, to determine whether the flow rate is normal to judge whether there are faults such as blockages in the pipeline, or to estimate whether the volume ratio obtained from the pressure sensor 124 and the liquid level sensor 123 is reliable by comparison, so as to diagnose whether there are abnormalities such as blockages and leaks in the pressure sensor 124, the liquid level sensor 123, the mixing chamber 103 or the pipeline in the previous stage of the mixing chamber 103.

[0077] As Figure 7 shown, it shows a schematic flowchart of a flow control method in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7 The method in the embodiment can be executed by Figure 3 the first control unit 121 therein.

[0078] In Figure 7 it, the method includes:

[0079] Step S701: Obtain the flow information monitored by the first flowmeter 107 and the second flowmeter 109;

[0080] Step S702: Based on the flow information monitored by the first flowmeter 107 and the second flowmeter 109, with the goal of indicating that the volume ratio of the mixture to be mixed and the mixture to be mixed flowing into the mixing chamber 103 approaches the specific ratio until it reaches the preset ratio, adjust the opening degrees of the first controllable valve 106 and the second controllable valve 108.

[0081] As Figure 8 shown, it shows a schematic flowchart of a flow control method in another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 8 The method in the embodiment can be executed by Figure 4 the second control unit 125 therein.

[0082] In Figure 8 it, the method includes:

[0083] Step S801: Obtain the liquid level information and pressure information respectively detected by the liquid level sensor 123 and the pressure sensor 124;

[0084] Step S802: Using the liquid pressure algorithm, determine the density and volume of the mixed liquid according to the liquid level information and pressure information; and using the mass density formula, determine the volume ratio of the mixture to be mixed and the mixture to be added in the mixing chamber 103 according to the density and volume of the mixed liquid, the density of the mixture to be mixed, and the density of the mixture to be added, so as to control the opening degrees of the first controllable valve 106 and the second controllable valve 108 to make the volume ratio approach the specific ratio until the preset ratio is reached.

[0085] It should be noted that the flowcharts of the above embodiments of the present disclosure represent processes or methods that can be understood as representing modules, segments, or portions of code of executable instructions including one or more groups of steps configured to implement specific logical functions or processes. And the scope of the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure includes additional implementations, where functions may be executed in a substantially simultaneous manner or in a reverse order according to the functions involved, rather than in the order shown or discussed.

[0086] For example, Figures 7 to 8 the order of the steps in the method embodiments may be changed in specific scenarios and is not limited to the above representation.

[0087] Such as Figure 9 shown, a schematic structural diagram of a computer device in an embodiment of the present disclosure is presented. The first control unit 121 and the second control unit 125 in the previous embodiments can be implemented based on the computer device in this embodiment.

[0088] The computer device 900 includes a bus 901, a processor 902, and a memory 903. Communication can be carried out between the processor 902 and the memory 903 through the bus 901. Program instructions may be stored in the memory 903. The processor 902 realizes the functions or methods of the control unit in the previous embodiments by running the program instructions in the memory 903, such as Figure 7 and Figure 8 any steps in the methods.

[0089] The bus 901 may be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For the sake of convenience of representation, although only a thick line is used in the figure, it does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0090] In some embodiments, the processor 902 may be implemented as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Microcontroller Unit (MCU), a System On Chip, or a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), etc. The memory 903 may include volatile memory for temporarily storing data when running a program, such as Random Access Memory (RAM).

[0091] The memory 903 may further include non-volatile memory for data storage, such as Read-Only Memory (ROM), flash memory, a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), or a Solid-State Disk (SSD).

[0092] In some embodiments, the computer device 900 may further include a communicator 904. The communicator 904 is used for external communication. In a specific example, the communicator 904 may include one or a group of wired and / or wireless communication circuit modules. For example, the communicator 904 may include one or more of a wired network card, a USB module, a serial interface module, etc. The wireless communication protocols followed by the wireless communication module include, for example, Nearfieldcommunication (NFC) technology, Infrared (IR) technology, Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code division multiple access (WCDMA), Time-Division Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Bluetooth (BT), Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), etc.

[0093] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium may also be provided, storing program instructions that, when run, implement the functions or methods of the control unit in the previous embodiments, such as Figure 7 and Figure 8 the steps in any of the methods.

[0094] That is, the method steps in the above 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 as computer code that is originally stored in a remote recording medium or a non-transitory machine-readable medium and downloaded through a network and will be stored in a local recording medium. Thus, the method represented herein can be stored on such software processing on a recording medium using a general-purpose computer, a dedicated processor, or programmable or dedicated hardware (such as an ASIC or FPGA).

[0095] In summary, the present disclosure relates to the technical field of plasma processing, and provides an intake system for a plasma processing device, including: a first input pipeline and a second input pipeline for inputting a liquid to-be-mixture and a liquid mixture-to-be; a mixing chamber for mixing the to-be-mixture and the mixture-to-be into an azeotrope and outputting it; wherein the boiling point of the mixed liquid is lower than the boiling point of the to-be-mixture and can form an azeotrope; a heater arranged corresponding to the mixing chamber for heating the azeotrope in the mixing chamber to boiling to form a mixed vapor; a separation unit for separating the to-be-mixture vapor and the mixture-to-be in the mixed vapor and outputting the to-be-mixture vapor to the reaction chamber of the plasma processing device through a first intake pipeline. Thus, with the solution of the present disclosure, only heating to a heating temperature that meets the requirement of reducing the boiling point is needed, which greatly reduces the temperature compared with the high temperature heating in the related art, saving energy and reducing consumption.

[0096] The above embodiments are only illustrative of the principles and effects of the present disclosure and are not used to limit the present disclosure. Any person familiar with this technology can make modifications or changes to the above embodiments without departing from 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 idea disclosed by the present disclosure should still be covered by the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An intake system for a plasma processing apparatus, characterized in that, Comprising: A first input pipeline having a first input port for inputting the liquid to-be-mixture; A second input pipeline having a second input port for inputting the liquid mixture-to-be; A mixing chamber, connected to the first input pipeline and the second input pipeline in a connectable / disconnectable manner, for mixing the to-be-mixture and the mixture-to-be into a mixed liquid; wherein, the boiling point of the mixed liquid is lower than that of the to-be-mixture, and when the ratio of the to-be-mixture and the mixture-to-be satisfies a specific ratio, the mixed liquid can be made into an azeotrope having an azeotropic point; A heater, arranged corresponding to the mixing chamber, for heating the mixed liquid in the mixing chamber to boiling to form a mixed vapor; A separation unit, connected to the mixing chamber through a pipeline, for separating the to-be-mixture vapor and the mixture-to-be in the mixed vapor, and outputting the to-be-mixture vapor to the reaction chamber of the plasma processing device through a first intake pipeline; the separation unit is connected to a recovery pipeline, and the recovery pipeline is connected to the second input pipeline in a connectable / disconnectable manner for outputting the mixture-to-be to the second input pipeline for recycling.

2. The intake system according to claim 1, wherein Comprising: A first controllable valve and a first flowmeter, arranged in the first input pipeline; A second controllable valve and a second flowmeter, arranged in the second input pipeline; A first control unit, communicatively connected to the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve, for when the mixture-to-be recovered from the separation unit is not input into the second input pipeline, based on the flow information monitored by the first flowmeter and the second flowmeter, instructing the volume ratio of the to-be-mixture and the mixture-to-be flowing into the mixing chamber to approach the specific ratio until reaching a preset ratio as the target, and adjusting the opening degrees of the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve.

3. The intake system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Comprising: A liquid level sensor and a pressure sensor, arranged in the mixing chamber, for detecting liquid level information and pressure information respectively; A first controllable valve, arranged in the first input pipeline; A second controllable valve, arranged in the second input pipeline; A second control unit, communicatively connected to the liquid level sensor, the pressure sensor, the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve, for using the liquid pressure algorithm to determine the density and volume of the mixed liquid according to the liquid level information and the pressure information; and using the mass density formula, according to the density and volume of the mixed liquid, the density of the to-be-mixture and the density of the mixture-to-be, determining the volume ratio of the to-be-mixture and the mixture-to-be in the mixing chamber, so as to control the opening degrees of the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve to make the volume ratio approach the specific ratio until reaching the preset ratio.

4. The intake system according to claim 1, wherein, The recovery pipeline is provided with a third controllable valve, a recovery buffer part and at least one one-way valve; and / or, the recovery pipeline passes through a separation and purification device for purifying the mixture-to-be to remove the to-be-mixture.

5. The intake system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The separation unit includes a semi-permeable membrane; and / or, the reaction chamber is connected to an air extraction device for setting the reaction chamber to meet a preset pressure condition of the air pressure environment, and the preset pressure condition includes: a pressure condition for making the to-be-mixture in the reaction chamber in a gaseous state.

6. The intake system according to claim 1, characterized in that The azeotropic point of the azeotrope is in the range of 30°C to 40°C, 40°C to 50°C, 50°C to 60°C, 60°C to 70°C or 70°C to 80°C.

7. The intake system according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that, The to-be-mixture consists of ester, ether or ketone substances determined based on one or more of the following objectives: lower azeotropic point, lower material toxicity, and lower preparation difficulty / cost; and / or, the to-be-mixture includes water, and the to-be-mixture is selected as at least one of the following: ethyl ether, ethyl acetate, and ethanol.

8. The intake system according to claim 1, wherein, A fourth controllable valve, a pressure regulating valve, and a mass flow controller are further provided in the pipeline between the mixing chamber and the separation unit.

9. The intake system according to claim 1, wherein It further includes: At least one reaction gas input pipeline, which is connected to the reaction chamber and is used for inputting reaction gas.

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