Byproduct separation device of semiconductor process equipment and semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a by-product separation device of semiconductor process equipment and the semiconductor process equipment, and relates to the field of semiconductors. The by-product separation device comprises a first pipe fitting, a second pipe fitting and a plurality of flow guide parts, the second pipe fitting is arranged in the first pipe fitting, and a runner is formed between the first pipe fitting and the second pipe fitting; the multiple flow guide parts are arranged in the flow channel at intervals in the direction parallel to the center line, a notch is formed between at least part of the outer edge of each flow guide part and the inner wall of the first pipe fitting, and the notches corresponding to every two adjacent flow guide parts are arranged in a staggered mode. The first pipe fitting is provided with an air inlet, an air outlet and a drain outlet which are respectively communicated with the flow channel; the second pipe fitting is at least provided with a liquid inlet used for inputting a cooling medium and a liquid outlet used for outputting the cooling medium. The problem that an existing separation and collection device is poor in by-product treatment capacity due to the poor cooling effect can be solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of semiconductor technology, and particularly relates to a by-product separation device for a semiconductor process equipment and a semiconductor process equipment. Background Art

[0002] In the packaging stage of the semiconductor process, a vertical furnace equipment is usually used to repair the damage and strengthen the adhesiveness of the polyimide (PI) film after vacuum heating. This equipment is called a polyimide curing equipment (Polyimide Curing, PIQ). As an insulating material, the polyimide film is formed by condensing pyromellitic dianhydride and diaminodiphenyl ether in a strongly polar solvent (the main components are water and γ-butyrolactone), followed by film casting and imidization. Polyimide is widely used in the packaging stage of the semiconductor process due to its high heat resistance, high dielectric strength, radiation resistance and adhesiveness.

[0003] During the PIQ process, the chamber is filled with plant N2, the solvent in the polyimide film is evaporated at high temperature, and the polyimide film is cured, generating gaseous by-products γ-butyrolactone and water vapor. After the process ends, they are discharged together with N2 from the chamber. The exhaust by-products after the PIQ process are γ-butyrolactone, water and N2.

[0004] Among them, the boiling point of the by-product γ-butyrolactone is 199 - 201 °C, and the melting point is -75 °C. At room temperature, γ-butyrolactone will turn into an adhesive oily substance. During the process of semiconductor manufacturing in the semiconductor factory, the plant requires that the generated waste gas and waste liquid need to be separated at room temperature, the waste gas is discharged to the waste gas outlet, and the waste liquid is discharged to the waste liquid outlet. Therefore, a system for cooling and separating by-products is required in the exhaust pipe of the PIQ equipment.

[0005] However, the current cooling effect of some by-product separation and collection devices is not good, resulting in insufficient processing capacity for by-products. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the embodiments of this application is to provide a by-product separation device for a semiconductor process equipment and a semiconductor process equipment, which can solve problems such as insufficient processing capacity for by-products caused by the poor cooling effect of the current separation and collection device.

[0007] To solve the above technical problems, this application is implemented as follows:

[0008] The embodiments of this application provide a by-product separation device for a semiconductor process equipment, which is used to separate and process the by-products generated during the semiconductor process. The by-product separation device includes: a first pipe fitting, a second pipe fitting and a plurality of flow guiding members;

[0009] The second pipe fitting is disposed inside the first pipe fitting, and a flow channel parallel to the central axis direction of the by-product separation device is formed between the two;

[0010] A plurality of the flow guiding members are arranged at intervals in the flow channel in a direction parallel to the central axis direction. At least a part of the outer edge of each flow guiding member has a notch with respect to the inner wall of the first pipe fitting, and the notches corresponding to adjacent two flow guiding members are arranged in a staggered manner;

[0011] The first pipe fitting is provided with an air inlet, an air outlet, and a sewage outlet respectively communicating with the flow channel. The air inlet is used for receiving process by-products, the air outlet is used for discharging the waste gas separated from the process by-products, and the sewage outlet is used for discharging the waste liquid separated from the process by-products;

[0012] The second pipe fitting is provided with at least a liquid inlet for inputting a cooling medium and a liquid outlet for outputting the cooling medium.

[0013] An embodiment of the present application further provides a semiconductor process equipment, including: a process chamber and the above-mentioned by-product separation device;

[0014] The gas outlet pipeline of the process chamber is connected to the air inlet.

[0015] In the embodiment of the present application, through a plurality of notches arranged in a staggered manner formed by a plurality of flow guiding members between the first pipe fitting and the second pipe fitting, the process by-products generated in the semiconductor process can flow smoothly, and the flow path of the process by-products can be extended within a short distance, maximizing the cooling effect of internal cooling, which is beneficial to improving the separation effect of the process by-products; moreover, the embodiment of the present application adopts a structure of internal cooling and external ventilation, which is beneficial to increasing the cooling area in the flow channel, so that the plurality of flow guiding members not only have the function of dividing the flow channel, but also can play a role in cooling and collecting. At the same time, an attachment space is provided for the cooled process by-products, which can not only improve the cooling effect, but also extend the maintenance time. Description of the Drawings

[0016] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a process chamber and a separation and collection device in the related art;

[0017] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the by-product separation device disclosed in the embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the by-product flow path in the by-product separation device disclosed in the embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structures such as the second pipe fitting and the flow guiding members disclosed in the embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of the process chamber and by-product separation device disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0021] Figure 6 This is a first simulation diagram of the flow path of by-products in the by-product separation device disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0022] Figure 7 This is a second simulation diagram of the flow path of by-products in the by-product separation device disclosed in the embodiments of the present application.

[0023] Description of reference numerals:

[0024] 01 - Cooling component; 02 - Separation component; 03 - Process chamber;

[0025] 1 - By-product separation device;

[0026] 10 - First pipe fitting; 101 - Air inlet; 102 - Air outlet; 103 - Drain port; 104 - First assembly structure;

[0027] 11 - Second pipe fitting; 111 - Liquid inlet; 112 - Liquid outlet; 113 - Second assembly structure;

[0028] 12 - Flow guide member; 121 - Through hole; 122 - Arc surface edge; 123 - Plane edge;

[0029] 13 - Collection container;

[0030] 141 - Drain pipeline; 142 - Liquid inlet pipeline; 143 - Liquid outlet pipeline;

[0031] 15 - Fastener;

[0032] 16 - Adapter elbow;

[0033] M - Notch; N - Flow channel;

[0034] 2 - Process chamber; 21 - Exhaust pipe;

[0035] 31 - Plant exhaust pipeline. Detailed implementation manners

[0036] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are some, rather than all, of the embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present application without making creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0037] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the description and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects, rather than to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments of this application can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first", "second", etc. are usually of the same category, and the number of objects is not limited. For example, the first object can be one or multiple. In addition, "and / or" in the description and claims means at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / ", generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after.

[0038] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings through specific embodiments and their application scenarios.

[0039] Reference Figure 1 , a separation and collection device is disclosed in the related art. It adopts a two-stage structure design, including a cooling component 01 and a separation component 02. Among them, the cooling component 01 is communicated with the discharge port of the process chamber 03 of the semiconductor process equipment, and is used to cool the by-products discharged from the discharge port to obtain liquid substances and gaseous substances; the separation component 02 is communicated with the cooling component 01, and is used to separate the liquid substances and gaseous substances entering therein, and discharge the separated liquid substances and gaseous substances respectively.

[0040] However, the above-mentioned separation and collection device adopts a two-stage structure design, which makes the path of the by-products walking in the cooling component 01 shorter, resulting in poor cooling effect, thus insufficient processing capacity for the by-products. And this form of separation and collection device occupies a large space, has a complex structure, is not convenient for disassembly and assembly, and is not easy to maintain.

[0041] To solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present application discloses a by-product separation device 1 for a semiconductor process equipment, which is used to separate and process the by-products generated in the semiconductor process. Reference Figures 2 to 7 , the disclosed by-product separation device 1 includes: a first pipe fitting 10, a second pipe fitting 11, and a plurality of flow guiding members 12.

[0042] The first pipe fitting 10 is an outer pipe, which is provided with an air inlet 101, an air outlet 102, and a sewage discharge port 103. Among them, the air inlet 101 is used to receive process by-products, the air outlet 102 is used to discharge the waste gas separated from the process by-products, and the sewage discharge port 103 is used to discharge the waste liquid separated from the process by-products. Under actual working conditions, the first pipe fitting 10 can be communicated with the outlet pipe 21 of the process chamber 2 through the air inlet 101, so that the process by-products generated during the process in the process chamber 2 can enter the by-product separation device 1 for separation and processing.

[0043] Exemplarily, the first pipe fitting 10 can be an integral pipeline processing part. The end of its air inlet 101 can be connected to the air outlet pipe 21 of the process chamber 2 through a clamp; in addition, the end where the air outlet 102 of the first pipe fitting 10 is located can also be connected to the adapter elbow 16 through a clamp, and the adapter elbow 16 can be connected to the factory service exhaust pipeline 31. Among them, the adapter elbow 16 and the factory service exhaust pipeline 31 can be connected through a clamp to facilitate disassembly, installation and maintenance. Based on this, the waste gas formed after being cooled by the by-product separation device 1 can be discharged through the adapter elbow 16 and the factory service exhaust pipeline 31.

[0044] To achieve the fixed installation of the by-product separation device 1, the first pipe fitting 10 can also be connected to the fuselage of the machine table through a bracket, so as to support and fix the by-product separation device 1 through the bracket.

[0045] The second pipe fitting 11 is an inner pipe, which is provided with a liquid inlet 111 and a liquid outlet 112. Among them, the liquid inlet 111 is at least used to input the cooling medium, and the liquid outlet 112 can be used to output the cooling medium. By inputting the cooling medium into the second pipe fitting 11, heat exchange can be realized between the cooling medium and the process by-products, so as to cool the process by-products, so as to facilitate the gas-liquid separation of the process by-products.

[0046] It should be noted here that during the cooling process, the cooling medium can enter the second pipe fitting 11 through the liquid inlet 111, and the cooled cooling medium is discharged through the liquid outlet 112; during the maintenance process, it is necessary to discharge the cooling medium in the second pipe fitting 11. At this time, the cooling medium can be discharged through the liquid inlet 111 to reduce the overall mass of the device.

[0047] In the embodiment of the present application, the second pipe fitting 11 is arranged inside the first pipe fitting 10, and a flow channel N is formed between the two. The extending direction of the flow channel N is parallel to the central axis direction of the by-product separation device 1. Exemplarily, the first pipe fitting 10 and the second pipe fitting 11 are coaxially arranged, and there is a gap between the outer wall of the second pipe fitting 11 and the inner wall of the first pipe fitting 10 to form the flow channel N, which is used to accommodate the process by-products, so as to facilitate the separation process of the process by-products in the flow channel N.

[0048] Specifically, the air inlet 101, the air outlet 102 and the sewage outlet 103 of the first pipe 10 are respectively connected to the flow channel N, so that the process by-products generated by the process in the process chamber 2 can enter the flow channel N between the first pipe 10 and the second pipe 11 through the air inlet 101, and the second pipe 11 can be used to pass the cooling medium, so that the cooling medium and the process by-products can exchange heat and realize the cooling treatment of the process by-products. During the cooling process, the process by-products can be separated into gas and liquid to form waste gas and waste liquid, wherein the waste gas can be discharged through the air outlet 102, and the waste liquid can be discharged through the sewage outlet 103.

[0049] In order to extend the flow path of the process by-products in the flow channel N, a plurality of guide members 12 are arranged in the flow channel N in the embodiment of the present application. The plurality of guide members 12 are arranged in the flow channel N at intervals in a direction parallel to the center line of the by-product separation device 1, and a gap M is provided between at least part of the outer edge of each guide member 12 and the inner wall of the first pipe member 10. Based on the gap M corresponding to each guide member 12, the process by-products can flow smoothly in the flow channel N through each gap M.

[0050] If Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the notches M corresponding to the two adjacent flow guides 12 are arranged in a staggered manner, so that when the process by-product flows from one notch M to the other adjacent notch M, it is necessary to change the flow direction, which invisibly increases the flow distance and prolongs the flow path of the process by-product, thereby prolonging the contact time between the process by-product and the flow guide 12 and the second pipe 11, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency and the cooling effect on the process by-product, which is conducive to improving the separation effect of the process by-product.

[0051] Based on the above configuration, the embodiment of the present application adopts the combination of the first pipe 10 and the second pipe 11 to form a flow channel N for the flow of process by-products, and the multiple offset gaps M formed between the first pipe 10 and the second pipe 11 by the multiple flow guides 12 can make the process by-products generated in the semiconductor process flow smoothly, and can extend the flow path of the process by-products in a short distance, extend the cooling time of the process by-products, maximize the cooling effect of internal cooling, and help improve the separation effect of process by-products; and the embodiment of the present application adopts an internal cooling and external ventilation structure, which is conducive to increasing the cooling area in the flow channel N, so that the multiple flow guides 12 not only have the function of dividing the flow channel N, but also can play the role of cooling and collecting, and at the same time, provide attachment space for condensed process by-products, which can both improve the cooling effect and extend the maintenance time.

[0052] ​​In addition, compared with the two-stage structure in the related art, the separation and collection device in the embodiment of the present application adopts the form of a pipe set, which can help reduce the overall occupied space, reduce the complexity of the structure, and facilitate disassembly and maintenance.

[0053] In some embodiments, the projections of the notches M corresponding to two adjacent flow guides 12 in a plane perpendicular to the center line of the by-product separation device 1 are arranged axially symmetrically. Based on this arrangement, the process by-products can flow in a meandering manner in the flow channel N, which can extend the flow path of the process by-products to a certain extent, which is conducive to improving the cooling effect of the process by-products, and further improving the separation effect of the process by-products.

[0054] In other embodiments, the notches M corresponding to the two adjacent flow guides 12 may also be at a preset angle in a plane perpendicular to the center line of the by-product separation device 1, and the angle may range from 20° to 160°, including, for example, 20°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 80°, 90°, 110°, 120°, 135°, 150°, 160°, etc. Of course, other degrees may also be used, as long as it can ensure that the process by-products can flow smoothly in the flow channel N and have a way to extend the flow path of the process by-products, and the specific form is not limited.

[0055] Based on this, the process by-products can also be made to flow in a spiral in the flow channel N, and the flow path of the process by-products in the flow channel N can also be extended, which is beneficial to improve the cooling effect of the process by-products, and then improve the separation effect of the process by-products.

[0056] References Figure 2 , in some embodiments, the air inlet 101 is provided at one end of the first pipe 10, the air outlet 102 is provided at the side wall of the first pipe 10, and the second pipe 11 extends into the first pipe 10 from the other end of the first pipe 10 away from the air inlet 101 to form a pipe sleeve connection mode, so as to facilitate cooling of the process byproducts from the inside, which can improve the cooling effect to a certain extent.

[0057] To achieve a sealed connection between the end of the first pipe 10 and the end of the second pipe 11, a first assembly structure 104 can be provided at the end of the first pipe 10 away from the air inlet 101, and a second assembly structure 113 can be provided at the end of the second pipe 11 away from the air inlet 101, and the first assembly structure 104 and the second assembly structure 113 can be tightly connected by a fastener 15, thereby ensuring the sealing between the end of the first pipe 10 and the end of the second pipe 11 to prevent leakage of process by-products.

[0058] Exemplarily, one of the first assembly structure 104 and the second assembly structure 113 may be provided with a sealing groove, and the other is disposed in the sealing groove. Under the fastening action of the fastener 15, the tight fit between the contact surfaces of the two can be ensured, thereby ensuring the sealing performance. In addition, the fastener 15 may be a fastening screw or the like.

[0059] In addition, a seal such as an O-ring or a gasket may be provided between the first assembly structure 104 and the second assembly structure 113 to further improve the sealing performance.

[0060] A set screw hole may also be provided on the end face of the second assembly structure 113 to facilitate the installation of a set screw during later maintenance and disassembly, thereby facilitating disassembly.

[0061] To further extend the flow path of the process by-products in the flow channel N, a plurality of flow guiding members 12 may all be located between the air outlet 102 and the air inlet 101. Based on this setting, when the process by-products flow through the notch M corresponding to the flow guiding member 12 farthest from the air inlet 101, a vortex can be formed in the space between the flow guiding member 12 farthest from the air inlet 101 and the air outlet 102, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 shown. By forming the vortex, the cold resistance effect on the process by-products can be further improved, and the heat exchange efficiency between the process by-products and the cooling medium in the second pipe fitting 11 can also be improved. Thus, the flowing process by-products can be fully cooled to improve the cooling effect and further improve the separation effect of the process by-products.

[0062] Further, the flow guiding member 12 farthest from the air inlet 101 is aligned with the edge of the air outlet 102 adjacent to the air inlet 101. Based on this setting, after the process by-products flow through the flow guiding member 12 farthest from the air inlet 101, they collide with the inner wall of the first pipe fitting 10, and a vortex is generated within this space range, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 shown. Thereby, the flow path and the flow duration of the process by-products can be extended, effectively increasing the cooling effect and the separation effect of the process by-products.

[0063] Considering that the distance between the air outlet 102 and the end of the flow channel N far from the air inlet 101 will affect the flow state of the process by-products here, in the embodiment of the present application, the distance between the edge of the air outlet 102 farthest from the air inlet 101 and the end of the first pipe fitting 10 facing away from the air inlet 101 is greater than or equal to 1.5 times the diameter of the air outlet 102. Based on this setting, in cooperation with the setting position of the flow guiding member 12 farthest from the air inlet 101 relative to the air outlet 102, the cooling duration of the process by-products can be effectively increased, and the cooling effect can be improved.

[0064] In addition, the inner diameter and length of the first pipe fitting 10 are designed according to the process gas flow rate, pressure, and its maintenance cycle. To achieve better cooling effects and economy, the first pipe fitting 10 can be designed as a circular pipe fitting, the range of its inner diameter can be from 100 mm to 160 mm, and the range of the length-diameter ratio can be from 3.5 to 4. Regarding the specifications of the first pipe fitting 10, it can be designed according to the actual working conditions and will not be specifically limited here.

[0065] Reference Figure 4 , to achieve the installation of the flow guide member 12, a through hole 121 can be provided in the middle region of the flow guide member 12, and the second pipe fitting 11 is inserted through the through hole 121, and the outer wall of the second pipe fitting 11 is in close fit with the inner wall of the through hole 121. Based on this, it is possible to avoid the situation of mutual interference between the second pipe fitting 11 and the flow guide member 12 during installation, and to ensure the sealing performance between each flow guide member 12 and the second pipe fitting 11, preventing process by-products from leaking between the flow guide member 12 and the second pipe fitting 11 and affecting the cooling and separation effect of the process by-products; in addition, it can also ensure good thermal conductivity between each flow guide member 12 and the second pipe fitting 11, which is beneficial to the cooling effect of the process by-products.

[0066] Exemplarily, the outer wall of the flow guide member 12 and the second pipe fitting 11 can be connected by full welding, and this connection method can further improve the thermal conductivity between the heat conducting member and the second pipe fitting 11.

[0067] In the embodiment of the present application, a part of the outer edge of the flow guide member 12 is in close fit with the inner wall of the first pipe fitting 10, while the other part of the outer edge is spaced from the inner wall of the first pipe fitting 10 to form a notch M. Based on this setting, it is possible to ensure the sealing performance between the edge region of the flow guide member 12 without the notch M and the first pipe fitting 10, preventing process by-products from leaking and affecting the cooling and separation effect.

[0068] Continue to refer to Figure 4 , in some embodiments, the flow guide member 12 can be designed with a structure of a large semi-circle, which includes an arc surface edge 122 and a plane edge 123, and both ends of the arc surface edge 122 are respectively connected to both end faces of the plane edge 123. Based on this setting, the arc surface edge 122 can be adapted to the inner wall of the first pipe fitting 10 and achieve a sealed connection to prevent process by-products from leaking; a notch M can be formed between the plane edge 123 and the inner wall of the first pipe fitting 10 to facilitate the smooth flow of the process by-products.

[0069] Further, to prevent the process by-products from flowing through the notch M too quickly and reducing the cooling effect, the central angle of the arc surface edge 122 can be designed to be greater than 180°. This design can prevent the cross-sectional area of the notch M from being too large, ensuring that the flow guide 12 has a certain blocking effect on the process by-products, thereby extending the flow duration of the process by-products and being beneficial to improving the cooling effect.

[0070] Exemplarily, the range of the above central angle can be 240° to 300°. Of course, it can also be other degrees, which are not specifically limited here.

[0071] In some embodiments, the length of the arc surface edge 122 can be less than or equal to 3 / 4 of the circumference of the circle where the arc surface edge 122 is located. That is, the length of the cut-off arc surface edge 122 can be greater than or equal to 1 / 4 of the circumference of the circle where the arc surface edge 122 is located. This design can improve the stability of the flow of the process by-products.

[0072] In some embodiments, the range of the minimum distance between the hole wall of the through hole 121 and the plane edge 123 can be 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm. For example, it includes 0.1 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.3 mm, etc. Of course, it can also be other distances, which are not specifically limited here. This design can ensure that there is enough space between the plane edge 123 and the inner wall of the first pipe fitting 10, which is beneficial to the smooth passage of the process by-products. And to a certain extent, it can also alleviate the blockage of the process by-products at the notch M.

[0073] In addition, the specifications of the first pipe fitting 10 and the second pipe fitting 11 can be designed according to the situation of the process by-products. In some embodiments, both the first pipe fitting 10 and the second pipe fitting 11 can be circular pipe fittings, and the outer diameter of the second pipe fitting 11 can be less than or equal to 1 / 2 of the inner diameter of the first pipe fitting 10. This design can ensure that there is enough space between the inner wall of the first pipe fitting 10 and the outer wall of the second pipe fitting 11 to accommodate the process by-products, and can also ensure that the cooling medium in the second pipe fitting 11 can produce sufficient cooling effect on the process by-products.

[0074] According to the requirements of the flow rate, pressure and maintenance cycle of the process by-products, in the central line direction of the by-product separation device 1, the distance between two adjacent flow guides 12 can range from 30 mm to 45 mm. This setting method can effectively alleviate the problem that the process by-products are easily blocked due to too small a distance between two adjacent flow guides 12, and can also effectively alleviate the problem that the cooling effect on the process by-products is weakened due to too large a distance between two adjacent flow guides 12.

[0075] To achieve the circulating flow of the cooling medium in the second pipe fitting 11, as Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the by-product separation device 1 may further include a liquid inlet pipeline 142 and a liquid outlet pipeline 143. The liquid inlet pipeline 142 is used to input a cooling medium into the second pipe fitting 11, and the liquid outlet pipeline 143 is used to output the cooled cooling medium after heat exchange. Among them, both the liquid inlet 111 and the liquid outlet 112 of the second pipe fitting 11 are located at one end of the second pipe fitting 11 away from the air inlet 101. The liquid inlet pipeline 142 is connected to the liquid inlet 111, and one end of the liquid outlet pipeline 143 extends into the second pipe fitting 11 via the liquid outlet 112. In this way, the cooling medium can be transported into the second pipe fitting 11 through the liquid inlet pipeline 142, and the cooling medium after heat exchange with the process by-products can flow out through the liquid outlet pipeline 143, so that the cooling medium can circulate in the second pipe fitting 11, facilitating the removal of the heat of the process by-products by the cooling medium and realizing the cooling of the process by-products.

[0076] Exemplarily, the liquid inlet pipeline 142 and the liquid outlet pipeline 143 are respectively welded to the end of the second pipe fitting 11 to prevent the leakage of the cooling medium.

[0077] To further improve the cooling effect, one end of the liquid outlet pipeline 143 extends into the second pipe fitting 11 and is located in the area between the air inlet 101 and the deflector 12 closest to the air inlet 101. In this way, it can be ensured that there is sufficient cooling medium in the second pipe fitting 11, thereby improving the cooling effect on the process by-products.

[0078] To facilitate the release of the cooling medium during later maintenance, the end of the liquid inlet pipeline 142 is flush with or slightly lower than the end face of the second pipe fitting 11, so as to ensure that during later maintenance, the cooling medium in the second pipe fitting 11 can be completely discharged through the liquid inlet pipeline 142.

[0079] To prevent the waste liquid discharged from the sewage outlet 103 from causing pollution, the by-product separation device 1 may further include a collection container 13, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown. Among them, the sewage outlet 103 is connected to the collection container 13 through a sewage pipeline 141. In this way, the waste liquid generated after the cooling and separation of the process by-products can enter the sewage pipeline 141 through the sewage outlet 103 and flow into the collection container 13 through the sewage pipeline 141 for collection, so as to prevent the direct discharge of the waste liquid and cause pollution. It should be noted here that the waste liquid separated from the process by-products may be an oily substance, and it can flow into the collection container 13 through the sewage pipeline 141 for collection.

[0080] Exemplarily, the collection container 13 can be a liquid collection bottle, a liquid collection tank, a liquid collection tank, etc. Of course, other forms can also be adopted.

[0081] In addition, the end of the sewage discharge pipeline 141 can also be welded to the end of the second pipe 11 and connected to the flow channel N to facilitate the discharge of the waste liquid separated in the flow channel N.

[0082] In some embodiments, the collection container 13 may be provided with a collection pipe, and the collection pipe may be connected to the sewage pipe 141 through a ferrule joint to facilitate disassembly and maintenance.

[0083] The working process of the by-product separation device 1 in the embodiment of the present application is:

[0084] The process byproducts (such as high-temperature process gases, etc.) generated by the process in the process chamber 2 enter the flow channel N through the air inlet 101, flow in a winding manner under the guiding effect of multiple guides 12, and are cooled by multiple guides 12 and the second pipe 11. When the temperature reaches a suitable temperature, waste gas (such as nitrogen, water vapor, etc.) and waste liquid (such as grease-like substances formed by γ-butyrolactone and part of the water vapor) are decomposed. Among them, the waste liquid enters the sewage pipe 141 through the sewage outlet 103, and flows into the collection container 13 through the sewage pipe 141, completing the process byproduct separation and collection process; after the waste gas meets the emission requirements, it enters the transfer elbow 16 through the gas outlet 102, and is discharged to the factory exhaust pipe 31 along the transfer elbow 16.

[0085] The maintenance process of the by-product separation device 1 in the embodiment of the present application is:

[0086] After a period of normal use, when the byproduct separation device 1 reaches the maintenance time required or is maintained together with the overall maintenance time of the equipment, under the conditions of shutting down the gas and power supply of the device, the liquid outlet pipeline 143 and the liquid inlet pipeline 142 are disconnected first, so that the cooling medium is discharged through the liquid inlet pipeline 142 to reduce the weight; then the sewage pipeline 141 and the collection container 13 are disconnected, and the collection container 13 is removed for cleaning. Remove the transfer elbow 16, disassemble the first assembly structure 104 and the second assembly structure 113 (for example, unscrew the fastener 15 between the first assembly structure 104 and the second assembly structure 113), remove the second pipe fitting 11 by the top screw, fix the first pipe fitting 10 on the machine body by the bracket, and clean the second pipe fitting 11; if necessary, replace the seal between the first assembly structure 104 and the second assembly structure 113. Because the byproduct separation device 1 adopts an internal cooling method, it is not easy for process byproducts to adhere to the first pipe fitting 10, so it does not need to be cleaned. The maintenance process is now complete. The installation process is the opposite of the above disassembly process. In addition, it should be noted that during the water flow stage, the liquid outlet pipe 143 is connected first, and then the liquid inlet pipe 142 is connected.

[0087] Based on the above-mentioned by-product separation device 1, the present application embodiment also discloses a semiconductor process equipment, refer to Figures 2 to 7, the disclosed semiconductor process equipment includes a process chamber 2 and the by-product separation device 1 described above. Among them, the gas outlet pipe 21 of the process chamber 2 is connected to the air inlet 101. In this way, the process by-products generated during the process in the process chamber 2 can be transported to the air inlet 101 via the gas outlet pipe 21 and enter the flow channel N of the by-product separation device 1 through the air inlet 101, so as to perform cooling and separation processing.

[0088] In summary, the embodiment of the present application can alleviate the problem of blockage caused by the accumulation of process by-products during the normal use of the device. Specifically, the notches M corresponding to two adjacent flow guiding members 12 are arranged in a staggered manner, so that the cooling areas of two adjacent flow guiding members 12 are staggered from each other, and the allowable cumulative space of each flow guiding member 12 is increased (for example, equivalent to twice the distance between the flow guiding members 12), thereby providing sufficient flow space for the process by-products and allowing more process by-products to adhere without being easily blocked.

[0089] The embodiment of the present application can also alleviate the problem of rapid decline in the cooling and separation effect. Specifically, a plurality of flow guiding members 12 arranged at intervals are adopted, and a space is left at one end of the air outlet 102 away from the air inlet 101, so that the process by-products can form a vortex here, as Figure 6 and Figure 7 shown, which is beneficial to extending the path of the process by-products and improving the cooling and separation effect; moreover, it can also make the cooling and separation effect stable at a stable level, and only when the process by-products attach and accumulate on the entire second pipe fitting 11 to a certain thickness will it affect the overall cooling effect, thereby extending the maintenance time.

[0090] The embodiment of the present application can also alleviate the problems of complex maintenance, time-consuming and laborious. Specifically, a design of cooling the inner pipe and ventilating the outer pipe is adopted, which is different from the two-stage structure design in the related art, but a one-stage cooling and collection design is adopted. The structure is only the connection between the first pipe fitting 10 and the second pipe fitting 11. During the maintenance process, only the liquid inlet pipeline 142 and the liquid outlet pipeline 143 need to be cut off, and the second pipe fitting 11 needs to be disassembled; in order to prevent the scraping between the flow guiding member 12 and the first pipe fitting 10 caused by processing errors and being unfavorable for disassembly, a setscrew can be used for disassembly; the maintenance process only needs to clean the second pipe fitting 11 and the collection container 13, the process is simple, but the parts are light in weight, time-saving and labor-saving, and the maintenance is convenient.

[0091] The embodiment of the present application can also alleviate the problems of short maintenance cycle and long maintenance time. Specifically, a design of cooling and separating the inner pipe and forming the flow channel N by the outer pipe is adopted, which can fully cool and separate the process by-products and is not easily blocked, and will not affect the conditions of the process by-products, so as to achieve the purpose of extending the maintenance cycle. Moreover, the maintenance process only needs to disassemble, install and clean the second pipe fitting 11 and the collection container 13, and the disassembly, installation and cleaning are convenient, which can greatly reduce the time required for the maintenance process.

[0092] The embodiments of the present application have been described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present application is not limited to the above specific implementation manners. The above specific implementation manners are merely illustrative rather than restrictive. Under the inspiration of the present application, those of ordinary skill in the art can also make many forms without departing from the purpose of the present application and the scope protected by the claims, and all of them fall within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A by-product separation device for semiconductor process equipment, used for separating and treating by-products generated in the semiconductor process, characterized in that: The by-product separation device (1) comprises: a first pipe member (10), a second pipe member (11) and a plurality of flow guide members (12); The second pipe member (11) is arranged inside the first pipe member (10), and a flow channel (N) parallel to the center line direction of the by-product separation device (1) is formed between the two; A plurality of the flow guide members (12) are arranged in the flow channel (N) at intervals in a direction parallel to the center line, a notch (M) is provided between at least a portion of the outer edge of each of the flow guide members (12) and the inner wall of the first pipe member (10), and the notches (M) corresponding to two adjacent flow guide members (12) are arranged in a staggered manner; The first pipe member (10) is provided with an air inlet (101), an air outlet (102) and a sewage outlet (103) respectively connected to the flow channel (N), the air inlet (101) is used to receive process by-products, the air outlet (102) is used to discharge waste gas separated from the process by-products, and the sewage outlet (103) is used to discharge waste liquid separated from the process by-products; The second pipe member (11) is provided with at least a liquid inlet (111) for inputting a cooling medium and a liquid outlet (112) for outputting the cooling medium.

2. The by-product separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The projections of the notches (M) corresponding to two adjacent flow guide members (12) in a plane perpendicular to the center line are arranged in an axisymmetric manner.

3. The by-product separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air inlet (101) is arranged at one end of the first pipe (10), the air outlet (102) is arranged on the side wall of the first pipe (10), and the second pipe (11) extends from the other end of the first pipe (10) away from the air inlet (101) into the first pipe (10); The plurality of flow guide members (12) are all located between the air outlet (102) and the air inlet (101).

4. The by-product separation device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The guide member (12) which is farthest from the air inlet (101) is arranged to be aligned with the edge of the air outlet (102) adjacent to the air inlet (101).

5. The by-product separation device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The distance between the edge of the air outlet (102) farthest from the air inlet (101) and the end of the first pipe (10) facing away from the air inlet (101) is greater than or equal to 1.5 times the diameter of the air outlet (102).

6. The by-product separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A through hole (121) is provided in the middle region of the flow guide member (12), the second pipe member (11) is passed through the through hole (121), and the outer wall of the second pipe member (11) is tightly matched with the hole wall of the through hole (121); A portion of the outer edge of the flow guide (12) is tightly matched with the inner wall of the first pipe (10), and another portion of the outer edge is spaced apart from the inner wall of the first pipe (10) to form the notch (M).

7. The by-product separation device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The flow guide (12) comprises a circular arc edge (122) and a plane edge (123), and two ends of the circular arc edge (122) are respectively connected to two ends of the plane edge (123); The center angle of the arc surface edge (122) is greater than 180°.

8. The by-product separation device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The minimum distance between the hole wall of the through hole (121) and the plane edge (123) is in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm; And / or, the length of the arc surface edge (122) is less than or equal to 3 / 4 of the circumference of the circle where the arc surface edge (122) is located; And / or, the first pipe fitting (10) and the second pipe fitting (11) are both round pipe fittings, and the outer diameter of the second pipe fitting (11) is less than or equal to 1 / 2 of the inner diameter of the first pipe fitting (10); And / or, the first pipe (10) is a round pipe, the inner diameter of the first pipe (10) is in the range of 100 mm to 160 mm, and the aspect ratio is in the range of 3.5 to 4.

9. The by-product separation device according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that: The flow guide (12) and the outer wall of the second pipe (11) are connected by full welding.

10. The by-product separation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: In the centerline direction, the spacing between two adjacent flow guide members (12) ranges from 30 mm to 45 mm.

11. The by-product separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The by-product separation device (1) further comprises a liquid inlet pipeline (142) and a liquid outlet pipeline (143); The liquid inlet (111) and the liquid outlet (112) are both located at an end of the second pipe member (11) away from the gas inlet (101); The liquid inlet pipeline (142) is connected to the liquid inlet (111); One end of the liquid outlet pipeline (143) extends into the second pipe member (11) via the liquid outlet (112) and is located in a region between the air inlet (101) and the guide member (12) closest to the air inlet (101).

12. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: include: A process chamber (2) and a by-product separation device (1) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11; The gas outlet pipe (21) of the process chamber (2) is connected to the gas inlet (101).

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