Gas control valve and semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a gas control valve and semiconductor process equipment, and belongs to the technical field of semiconductor processing. The gas control valve is applied to semiconductor process equipment and comprises a valve body and a valve plate assembly arranged on the valve body, the valve plate assembly comprises a valve plate and a driving mechanism, the driving mechanism is connected with the valve plate, the valve plate is a foldable valve plate and comprises at least two sub-valve plates, and the sub-valve plates are arranged on the valve body. The at least two sub-valve plates are rotationally connected, and the driving mechanism can drive the valve plate to rotate relative to the valve body and drive the rotationally connected sub-valve plates to relatively rotate in the direction close to each other or away from each other. According to the scheme, the problem that the uniformity of a thin film formed on the surface of the wafer is poor can be solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of semiconductor processing technology, and specifically relates to a gas control valve and semiconductor process equipment. Background Art

[0002] At present, the application scope of semiconductor devices is becoming wider and wider, and improving the production yield of semiconductor devices has become one of the important production goals of semiconductor devices. This has put forward higher requirements on the processing technology of semiconductor devices and the semiconductor process equipment used to process semiconductor devices.

[0003] Semiconductor process equipment mainly includes a process chamber, in which the wafers used to prepare semiconductor devices can be placed, and process gases enter the process chamber through the air inlet of the process chamber to perform the processing process, and residual gases and by-products and other substances can be discharged from the process chamber through the exhaust port of the process chamber. In order to realize this process, the process chamber contains many parts, which usually have processing errors and assembly errors, which can easily lead to poor uniformity of the film formed on the surface of the wafer. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application discloses a gas control valve and a semiconductor process equipment to solve the problem of poor uniformity of a thin film formed on a wafer surface.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, this application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] A gas control valve, applied to semiconductor process equipment, comprises a valve body and a valve plate assembly arranged on the valve body.

[0007] The valve plate assembly includes a valve plate and a driving mechanism, wherein the driving mechanism is connected to the valve plate, the valve plate is a foldable valve plate, the valve plate includes at least two sub-valve plates, and at least two of the sub-valve plates are rotatably connected. The driving mechanism can drive the valve plate to rotate relative to the valve body, and drive the rotatably connected sub-valve plates to rotate relative to each other in a direction of approaching or moving away from each other.

[0008] A semiconductor process equipment comprises a process chamber and an exhaust pipeline, wherein the exhaust pipeline is connected to the process chamber and the above-mentioned gas control valve is arranged on the exhaust pipeline.

[0009] The technical solution adopted in this application can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0010] In the present application, the driving mechanism can drive the valve plate to rotate relative to the valve body, and drive the rotatably connected sub-valve plates to rotate relative to each other in the direction of approaching or moving away from each other. Therefore, during the process of performing the wafer processing, the angle of the valve plate as a whole relative to the valve body and the angle between the rotatably connected sub-valve plates can be flexibly adjusted, thereby changing the airflow distribution in the process chamber, so that the film formed on the wafer surface is more uniform. Therefore, the gas control valve disclosed in the present application can solve the problem of poor uniformity of the film formed on the wafer surface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the gas control valve disclosed in the embodiment of the present application when it is in a closed state;

[0012] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the gas control valve disclosed in the embodiment of the present application when it is in an open state;

[0013] Figure 3 A top view of the gas control valve disclosed in the embodiment of the present application when in an open state;

[0014] Figure 4 for Figure 3 AA section view;

[0015] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the valve body disclosed in the embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of a first valve plate assembly disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first valve plate assembly disclosed in the embodiment of the present application when it is only folded horizontally;

[0018] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A magnified view of point B;

[0019] Fig. 9 A front view of the first valve plate assembly disclosed in an embodiment of the present application when being folded laterally;

[0020] Fig.10 for Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a portion of the structure shown;

[0021] Fig.11 and Fig.12 This is a schematic structural diagram of the first valve plate assembly disclosed in an embodiment of the present application when it is longitudinally folded;

[0022] Figures 13 to 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first valve plate assembly disclosed in the embodiment of the present application when it is folded horizontally and vertically at the same time;

[0023] Fig.16 A schematic diagram of the structure of the second valve plate assembly disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Fig.17 and Fig.18 They are respectively a front view and a top view of the first driving rod disclosed in the embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Fig.19 and Fig. 20 They are respectively a front view and a side view of the second driving rod disclosed in the embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Fig.21 and Fig. 22 They are respectively a front view and a side view of the drive disk disclosed in the embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Fig.23 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the connecting rod disclosed in the embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Fig.24 It is a schematic structural diagram of the driving sleeve and the third driving rod disclosed in the embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Fig.25 and Fig.26 They are respectively a front view and a side view of a drive sleeve disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Fig. 27 It is a schematic projection diagram of the first valve plate assembly and the second valve plate assembly disclosed in the embodiment of the present application.

[0031] Description of reference numerals:

[0032] 100-valve body, 200-valve plate assembly, 210-first valve plate assembly, 220-second valve plate assembly, 211-valve plate, 212-driving mechanism, 201-sub-valve plate, 2011-first sub-valve plate, 2012-second sub-valve plate, 201a-third connecting part, 201b-second ball joint, 202-first driving rod, 202a-first connecting part, 202b-strip avoidance hole, 203-second driving rod, 203a-second connecting part, 204-driving disk, 2041-second connecting hole, 2042-connecting shaft, 205-connecting rod, 205a-first ball joint, 206-third driving rod, 207-driving sleeve, 2071-cylindrical part, 2072-connecting plate, 2072a-first connecting hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0034] The gas control valve and semiconductor process equipment disclosed in the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below through specific embodiments and their application scenarios in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0035] Please refer to Figure 1-Figure 27 The embodiment of the present application discloses a gas control valve, which can be applied to semiconductor process equipment. Specifically, the semiconductor process equipment includes a process chamber and an exhaust pipeline. The process chamber is provided with an exhaust port, and the exhaust pipeline is connected to the process chamber through the exhaust port. Optionally, a gas control valve is provided on the exhaust pipeline. The gas control valve has an open state and a closed state. When the process chamber needs to perform a processing technology, the gas control valve can be placed in a closed state, at which time the exhaust pipeline is cut off and the process chamber cannot be exhausted; when the process chamber has completed the processing technology and needs to be exhausted, the gas control valve can be placed in an open state, at which time the exhaust pipeline is connected, and the residual gas, by-products, etc. in the process chamber can be discharged from the process chamber through the exhaust pipeline. Furthermore, an exhaust pump can also be provided on the exhaust pipeline, and the gas control valve is located between the exhaust port and the exhaust pump. The exhaust pump can be a molecular pump. The exhaust pump applies suction force to the residual gas, by-products, etc. in the process chamber, which can promote the discharge of these substances from the process chamber.

[0036] The gas control valve disclosed in the embodiment of the present application includes a valve body 100 and a valve plate assembly 200 disposed on the valve body 100. The valve plate assembly 200 includes a valve plate 211 and a driving mechanism 212, and the driving mechanism 212 is connected to the valve plate 211 to drive the valve plate 211 to rotate relative to the valve body 100, so that the angle between the valve plate 211 and the axis of the valve body 100 changes, thereby changing the flow area of ​​the gas control valve. The valve plate 211 is a foldable valve plate, and the valve plate 211 includes at least two sub-valve plates 201, and the at least two sub-valve plates 201 are rotatably connected. The driving mechanism 212 can drive the valve plate 211 to rotate relative to the valve body 100, and drive the rotatably connected sub-valve plates 201 to rotate relative to each other in a direction of approaching or moving away from each other. It should be noted that the rotationally connected sub-valve plates 201 mentioned here rotate relatively in the direction of approaching or moving away from each other, which means that when the connected sub-valve plates 201 rotate around the connection, the unconnected ends thereof will approach or move away from each other, thereby changing the angle between the two sub-valve plates 201. Optionally, the rotationally connected sub-valve plates 201 here may be adjacent sub-valve plates 201 that are directly rotationally connected, or may be two sub-valve plates 201 that are indirectly rotationally connected via another sub-valve plate 201.

[0037] When the gas control valve is in an open state, there are gaps between the valve plate 211 and the inner wall of the valve body 100, through which gas can pass; when the gas control valve is in a closed state, each sub-valve plate 201 jointly blocks the internal channel of the valve body 100, thereby preventing gas from passing through the gas control valve.

[0038] In the embodiment of the present application, the driving mechanism 212 can drive the valve plate 211 to rotate relative to the valve body 100, and drive the rotatably connected sub-valve plates 201 to rotate relative to each other in a direction of approaching or moving away from each other. Therefore, in the process of executing the wafer processing technology, the overall angle of the valve plate 211 relative to the valve body 100 and the angle between the rotatably connected sub-valve plates 201 can be flexibly adjusted, thereby changing the airflow distribution in the process chamber, so that the thin film formed on the wafer surface is more uniform.

[0039] Only one valve plate assembly 200 may be provided, or the number of valve plate assemblies 200 is at least two, including a first valve plate assembly 210 and a second valve plate assembly 220, and the first valve plate assembly 210 and the second valve plate assembly 220 may be relatively independent, that is, the valve plates 211 of the two may move relatively independently. After such arrangement, when the gas control valve is in an open state, there may be gaps between the valve plates 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 and the valve plates 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 and the inner wall of the valve body 100, and between the valve plates 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 and the valve plates 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220, and these gaps may allow gas to pass through; when the gas control valve is in a closed state, the valve plates 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 and the valve plates 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 are spliced ​​and jointly block the internal passage of the valve body 100, so that the gas cannot pass through the gas control valve.

[0040] It should be noted that the structures of the driving mechanism 212 of the first valve plate assembly 210 and the driving mechanism 212 of the second valve plate assembly 220 can be the same or different, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this. In addition, the rotation axis of the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 relative to the valve body 100 and the rotation axis of the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 relative to the valve body 100 can intersect or be parallel. In the latter embodiment, the rotation of the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 and the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 is not easy to interfere with each other; further, the direction of the rotation axis of the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 relative to the valve body 100 can be the radial direction of the valve body 100, and the direction of the rotation axis of the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 relative to the valve body 100 can have a certain angle with the radial direction.

[0041] In the above embodiment, the valve plate 211 of at least one of the valve plate assemblies 200 can be configured as a foldable valve plate. Specifically, the driving mechanism 212 of the first valve plate assembly 210 can drive the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 to rotate relative to the valve body 100, and the driving mechanism 212 of the second valve plate assembly 220 can drive the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 to rotate relative to the valve body 100. At the same time, the driving mechanism 212 can also drive the rotatably connected sub-valve plates 201 to rotate relative to each other in a direction of approaching or moving away from each other. Therefore, in the process of performing the wafer processing technology, the angle of the valve plate 211 relative to the valve body 100 and the angle between the rotatably connected sub-valve plates 201 can be more flexibly adjusted, thereby changing the airflow distribution in the process chamber, so that the film formed on the wafer surface is more uniform. In addition, the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 and the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 are driven by different driving mechanisms 212, respectively, so the angles of the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 and the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 can be adjusted separately, which is conducive to further improving the airflow distribution in the process chamber, thereby further making the film formed on the surface of the wafer more uniform. In addition, different exhaust parameters can be achieved by adjusting the angles of the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 and the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220, thereby adapting to various exhaust requirements.

[0042] Specifically, when the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 is a foldable valve plate, the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 includes at least two sub-valve plates 201, and the at least two sub-valve plates 201 are rotatably connected. The driving mechanism 212 of the first valve plate assembly 210 can drive the rotatably connected sub-valve plates 201 to rotate relative to each other in a direction close to or away from each other, thereby changing the angle between the rotatably connected sub-valve plates 201, and then changing the positive projection area of ​​the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 in the axial direction of the valve body 100. Size; when the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 is a foldable valve plate, the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 includes at least two sub-valve plates 201, and at least two sub-valve plates 201 are rotatably connected. The driving mechanism 212 of the second valve plate assembly 220 can drive the rotatably connected sub-valve plates 201 to rotate relative to each other in a direction approaching or moving away from each other, thereby changing the angle between the rotatably connected sub-valve plates 201, thereby changing the size of the positive projection area of ​​the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 in the axial direction of the valve body 100.

[0043] After at least one of the valve plates 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 and the valve plates 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 is set as a foldable valve plate, in addition to being able to rotate as a whole relative to the valve body 100, at least one of the valve plates 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 and the valve plates 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 can also adjust the size of its own positive projection area in the axial direction of the valve body 100, thereby changing the impact on the exhaust, thereby changing the airflow distribution in the process chamber. Therefore, this embodiment can further improve the uniformity of the thin film formed on the wafer surface.

[0044] The foldable valve plate may have only one folding direction. In an optional embodiment, the sub-valve plate 201 includes at least two first sub-valve plates 2011, and the at least two first sub-valve plates 2011 are rotatably connected. The driving mechanism 212 can drive the rotatably connected first sub-valve plates 2011 to approach each other or move away from each other along the direction of the rotation axis of the valve plate 211. That is, in the direction of the rotation axis of the valve plate 211, at least two first sub-valve plates 2011 are arranged in sequence, and at least one group of rotatably connected first sub-valve plates 2011 can approach each other or move away from each other along the direction of the rotation axis, that is, the foldable valve plate can be folded horizontally at this time; or, the sub-valve plate includes a first sub-valve plate 2011 and a second sub-valve plate 2012, and the first sub-valve plate 2011 and the second sub-valve plate The plate 2012 is rotatably connected, and the driving mechanism 212 can drive the second sub-valve plate 2012 to rotate around the sub-rotation axis, which is parallel to the rotation axis of the valve plate 211, that is, in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the valve plate and parallel to the first plane, at least one first sub-valve plate 2011 and at least one second sub-valve plate 2012 are arranged in sequence, the first sub-valve plate 2011 and the second sub-valve plate 2012 can approach each other or move away from each other along the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis and parallel to the first plane, the rotation axis of the second sub-valve plate 2012 can be parallel to the rotation axis of the entire foldable valve plate relative to the valve body 100, that is, at this time the foldable valve plate can be longitudinally folded, and the first plane here is the plane where the valve plate 211 is located when the gas control valve is in a closed state. Of course, the foldable valve plate can also be foldable in two directions at the same time. In this case, the sub-valve plate 201 includes at least two first sub-valve plates 2011 and at least one second sub-valve plate 2012. At least two first sub-valve plates 2011 are rotatably connected, and the second sub-valve plate 2012 is rotatably connected to the first sub-valve plate 2011. The driving mechanism 212 can drive at least one group of rotatably connected first sub-valve plates 2011 to approach or move away from each other along the direction of the rotation axis of the foldable valve plate, and drive the second sub-valve plate 2012 to rotate relative to the first sub-valve plate 2011 around the aforementioned sub-rotation axis.

[0045] Of course, the foldable valve plate can also be folded in a direction different from that of the above embodiments. Relatively speaking, the above embodiments can make it easier to determine the folding direction of the foldable valve plate, thereby making it easier to set the foldable valve plate and at the same time facilitating the control of the movement of the foldable valve plate.

[0046] The driving mechanism 212 is used to drive the valve plate 211 to move. To achieve this purpose, the driving mechanism 212 can drive the valve plate 211 to move by means of tooth transmission, belt transmission, etc. In other embodiments, the driving mechanism 212 includes a first driving rod 202, the first driving rod 202 extends in the direction of the rotation axis of the valve plate 211, and the outer peripheral surface of the first driving rod 202 is provided with a first connecting portion 202a, and the first connecting portion 202a is hinged with the first sub-valve plate 2011 to drive the valve plate 211 to rotate relative to the valve body 100 as a whole. In this embodiment, the rotation axis of the first driving rod 202 is the rotation axis of the valve plate 211. Optionally, the power source for driving the first driving rod 202 to rotate can be manually applied by an operator, or can be a power device such as a motor or a cylinder, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. In addition, the valve plate 211 can be connected to the valve body 100 through the first driving rod 202, so as to achieve the installation of the valve plate 211.

[0047] The above embodiment transmits driving force through the first driving rod 202, and the first driving rod 202 occupies a smaller space, and the transmission path of this transmission method is shorter, so this embodiment can reduce the space occupied by the driving mechanism 212 and improve the transmission efficiency of both.

[0048] When the valve plate 211 is a foldable valve plate, the driving mechanism 212 further includes a second driving rod 203, the second driving rod 203 is sleeved in the first driving rod 202, the first driving rod 202 is provided with a strip avoidance hole 202b, the strip avoidance hole 202b extends along the direction of the rotation axis of the foldable valve plate, the outer peripheral surface of the second driving rod 203 is provided with a second connecting portion 203a, the first connecting portion 202a is connected to one of the first sub-valve plates 2011 that are rotatably connected, one end of the second connecting portion 203a passes through the strip avoidance hole 202b and is hinged to the other of the first sub-valve plates 2011 that are rotatably connected, and the second driving rod 203 can move relative to the first driving rod 202 to drive the first sub-valve plates 2011 that are rotatably connected to move closer to or farther from each other along the direction of the rotation axis of the foldable valve plate. Optionally, the power source for driving the second driving rod 203 to move can be manually applied by an operator, or can be a power device such as a motor or a cylinder, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0049] Since the first sub-valve plates 2011 connected in rotation are connected to the first driving rod 202 and the second driving rod 203 respectively, when the second driving rod 203 moves relative to the first driving rod 202, the distance between the first connecting portion 202a of the first driving rod 202 and the second connecting portion 203a of the second driving rod 203 changes, thereby applying forces to the two first sub-valve plates 2011 respectively, so that the two first sub-valve plates 2011 are moved closer to each other or farther away from each other. At the same time, when the first driving rod 202 rotates around its own axis, due to the limiting effect of the strip-shaped avoidance hole 202b, the second driving rod 203 rotates with the first driving rod 202, so that each first sub-valve plate 2011 rotates relative to the valve body 100 with the same amplitude, thereby realizing the rotation of the entire foldable valve plate relative to the valve body 100. It can be seen that this embodiment can realize the movement of the first sub-valve plate 2011 in two directions at the same time through a simple structure. Compared with realizing the movement in the two directions respectively through two relatively independent driving structures, this embodiment can simplify the structure of the driving mechanism 212 and reduce the space occupied by the two, so that the two are not easy to block the gas, thereby ensuring the exhaust effect.

[0050] The first driving rod 202 and the second driving rod 203 can be used to drive only two first sub-valve plates 2011 to move. In order to make the size variation range of the foldable valve plate larger, the number of first sub-valve plates 2011 can be set to be more. At this time, the first sub-valve plates 2011 arranged in sequence along the direction of the rotation axis of the foldable valve plate are rotatably connected in groups of two. The first driving rod 202 is provided with at least two first connecting parts 202a, and the second driving rod 203 is provided with at least two second connecting parts 203a. The first connecting parts 202a and the second connecting parts 203a are alternately arranged in the direction of the rotation axis of the foldable valve plate. In this embodiment, the first sub-valve plates 2011 are grouped in pairs, and the first connecting parts 202a and the second connecting parts 203a act in pairs, so as to achieve the folding of more groups of first sub-valve plates 2011. In order to avoid the situation where adjacent groups of first sub-valve plates 2011 are pulled against each other and cannot be folded, adjacent first sub-valve plates 2011 of adjacent groups of first sub-valve plates 2011 are not connected so that the two can be separated, that is, adjacent first sub-valve plates 2011 belonging to different groups can be separated, thereby ensuring the normal folding action.

[0051] Optionally, when the number of the second connecting parts 203a is at least two, the number of the strip-shaped avoidance holes 202b on the first driving rod 202 may be one, and the length of the strip-shaped avoidance holes 202b may be set to be relatively large, so that at least two second connecting parts 203a can slide and cooperate with the same strip-shaped avoidance holes 202b at the same time. Alternatively, the number of the strip-shaped avoidance holes 202b is also at least two, and the second connecting parts 203a and the strip-shaped avoidance holes 202b are matched one by one, thereby shortening the total length of each strip-shaped avoidance hole 202b to improve the structural strength of the first driving rod 202. At the same time, the length of a single strip-shaped avoidance hole 202b can be adapted to the moving distance of the second driving rod 203, so that the moving distance of the second driving rod 203 is limited by the strip-shaped avoidance holes 202b, and the second driving rod 203 is prevented from moving excessively and separating from the first driving rod 202.

[0052] As mentioned above, the second sub-valve plate 2012 can rotate around the sub-rotation axis, and in order to achieve movement in this direction, an additional driving component can be provided. In other optional embodiments, the driving mechanism 212 also includes a driving disk 204 and a connecting rod 205, the driving disk 204 is rotatably sleeved outside the first driving rod 202, the first end of the connecting rod 205 is eccentrically hinged to the driving disk 204, that is, the connection between the first end of the connecting rod 205 and the driving disk 204 is located outside the center of the driving disk 204, and the second end of the connecting rod 205 is hinged to the second sub-valve plate 2012 to drive the second sub-valve plate 2012 to rotate around the sub-rotation axis. Optionally, the power source for driving the driving disk 204 to rotate can be manually applied by an operator, or can be a power device such as a motor or a cylinder, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0053] When the driving disk 204 rotates, the driving disk 204 can drive one end of the connecting rod 205 to rotate around the circumference of the first driving rod 202. At this time, the other end of the connecting rod 205 can apply a force to the second sub-valve plate 2012, so that at least one second sub-valve plate 2012 rotates, thereby realizing the rotation of the second sub-valve plate 2012 around the sub-rotation axis. In this embodiment, the components used to realize the movement of the sub-valve plate 201 in different directions are integrated, so that the structure of the driving mechanism 212 is more compact, thereby occupying a smaller space and not easily blocking the gas, thereby ensuring the exhaust effect.

[0054] The driving disk 204 can rotate relative to the first driving rod 202. In a further optional embodiment, the driving disk 204 is slidably matched with the first driving rod 202, and the driving disk 204 can move relative to the first driving rod 202 along the axis direction of the first driving rod 202. This embodiment allows the driving disk 204 to not only rotate relative to the first driving rod 202, but also move relative to the first driving rod 202 along the axis direction of the first driving rod 202, so that the driving disk 204 can better adapt to the rotation of the first sub-valve plate 2011, preventing the driving disk 204 from limiting the rotation range of the first sub-valve plate 2011, and thus this embodiment is more conducive to accurately adjusting the angle of the first sub-valve plate 2011.

[0055] Optionally, the second end of the connecting rod 205 and the second sub-valve plate 2012 can be hinged by a pin or other structure, or the second end of the connecting rod 205 is provided with a first ball joint 205a, and the second sub-valve plate 2012 is provided with a second ball joint 201b, and the first ball joint 205a and the second ball joint 201b are matched. Optionally, the first ball joint 205a here can be a ball head, and the second ball joint 201b can be provided with a spherical surface, or the first ball joint 205a can be provided with a spherical surface, and the second ball joint 201b can be a ball head, and the ball head and the spherical surface are matched. Since the connecting rod 205 and the second sub-valve plate 2012 are connected by a ball joint, universal rotation can be achieved between the two, so that the rotation flexibility of the second sub-valve plate 2012 is stronger and it is not easy to get stuck. In addition, when the foldable valve plate can be folded along the direction of its own rotation axis and can be rotated around the sub-rotation axis to fold, the simple structure of a ball joint can ensure that the same valve plate can rotate in at least two directions. Therefore, this embodiment can further simplify the drive mechanism 212 and make the drive mechanism 212 more compact.

[0056] The number of the above-mentioned driving disk 204 and the connecting rod 205 can be one, and at this time, only one second sub-valve plate 2012 can be rotated around the sub-rotation axis. In order to realize the rotation of more second sub-valve plates 2012 around the sub-rotation axis, the driving mechanism 212 also includes a third driving rod 206. The number of the driving disk 204 and the connecting rod 205 is at least two. Each driving disk 204 is arranged at intervals along the direction where the axis of the first driving rod 202 is located. Each driving disk 204 is connected to the corresponding second sub-valve plate 2012 through the connecting rod 205 connected thereto, and each driving disk 204 is connected through the third driving rod 206 to rotate synchronously. Optionally, the third driving rod 206 and the first driving rod 202 can be arranged in parallel, or there is a certain angle between the two, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit this. In this embodiment, each driving disk 204 can be connected into an integral structure through the third driving rod 206. When the third driving rod 206 rotates circumferentially around the first driving rod 202, it can simultaneously drive multiple driving disks 204 to rotate, thereby realizing the synchronous rotation of multiple second sub-valve plates 2012, thereby improving the driving efficiency of the second sub-valve plates 2012 and simplifying the structure of the driving mechanism 212.

[0057] Of course, multiple drive disks 204 can also be connected to different power devices, so that different second sub-valve plates 2012 can be independently controlled. In this case, the adjustment of a single foldable valve plate is more free, thereby adapting to more exhaust requirements.

[0058] The number of the third driving rod 206 can be one. In order to improve the transmission reliability, the number of the third driving rod 206 is at least two. Each third driving rod 206 is arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the first driving rod 202. At this time, the same driving disk 204 can be connected to at least two third driving rods 206, so that the same driving disk 204 is driven to rotate by multiple third driving rods 206. Further optionally, the driving mechanism 212 also includes a driving sleeve 207, which is sleeved on one end of the first driving rod 202, and the driving sleeve 207 is connected to each driving disk 204 through the third driving rod 206. The driving sleeve 207 can rotate around its own axis relative to the first driving rod 202, so as to transmit the driving force to the multiple third driving rods 206, and these third driving rods 206 then drive each driving disk 204 to rotate. It can be seen that the driving sleeve 207 is more convenient to simultaneously drive multiple third driving rods 206 to rotate around the circumference of the first driving rod 202.

[0059] In an optional embodiment, a third connection portion 201a may be provided on at least one of the first sub-valve plates 2011, and the third connection portion 201a may be hinged to the first connection portion 202a or the second connection portion 203a via a pin. The drive sleeve 207 may include a cylindrical portion 2071 and a connecting plate 2072, the connecting plate 2072 is connected to one end of the cylindrical portion 2071 and protrudes relative to the cylindrical portion 2071, at least two first connecting holes 2072a are provided on the connecting plate 2072, at least two second connecting holes 2041 are provided on the drive disk 204, the third drive rod 206 may be connected to the connecting plate 2072 via the first connecting hole 2072a, and the third drive rod 206 may be connected to the drive disk 204 via the second connecting hole 2041, and the third drive rod 206 and the second connecting hole 2041 may be slidably matched. A connecting shaft 2042 may also be provided on the driving disk 204 , and one end of the connecting rod 205 may be sleeved on the connecting shaft 2042 .

[0060] When the number of valve plate assemblies 200 is at least two, the folding form of the valve plate 211 of each valve plate assembly 200 can be flexibly selected. When the valve plate assembly 200 includes a first valve plate assembly 210 and a second valve plate assembly 220, the folding form of the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 and the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 can be flexibly selected, for example, both are folded only in the direction where the rotation axis of the foldable valve plate is located, or both are only rotated around the sub-rotation axis to fold, or one of the two is folded only in a single direction, and the other can be folded in at least two directions. Optionally, the first valve plate assembly 210 can be folded in at least two directions. In this case, the sub-valve plate 201 of the first valve plate assembly 210 includes at least two of the first sub-valve plates 2011 described above and at least one of the second sub-valve plates 2012 described above. At least two of the first sub-valve plates 2011 are rotatably connected, and the second sub-valve plate 2012 is rotatably connected to the first sub-valve plate 2011. The driving mechanism 212 can drive the rotatably connected first sub-valve plates 2011 to approach or move away from each other along the direction of the rotation axis of the valve plate 211, and drive the second sub-valve plate 2012 to rotate around the aforementioned sub-rotation axis; the second valve plate assembly 220 can be folded in a single direction. In this case, the sub-valve plate 201 of the second valve plate assembly 220 includes at least two of the first sub-valve plates 2011 described above. In other words, the second valve plate assembly 220 is provided with at least two first sub-valve plates 2011 in the direction of the rotation axis, and at least one group of first sub-valve plates 2011 arranged along the direction of the rotation axis is rotatably connected. That is, the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 can be folded at least in the direction of the rotation axis of the foldable valve plate and in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis and parallel to the first plane, and the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 can only be folded in the direction of the rotation axis. At this time, the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 can meet various exhaust requirements, and the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 can appropriately simplify the structure of the gas control valve.

[0061] Only one first valve plate assembly 210 and one second valve plate assembly 220 may be provided, in which case the shape and size of the first valve plate assembly 210 may be the same as those of the second valve plate assembly 220. In another embodiment, the number of the second valve plate assemblies 220 is at least two, and each second valve plate assembly 220 is distributed on both sides of the first valve plate assembly 210. In this case, the first valve plate assembly 210 and the second valve plate assembly 220 divide the internal channel of the valve body 100 into more spaces, and the angles of the valve plates 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 and the second valve plate assembly 220 may be adjusted for these spaces, so that the adjustment of the gas distribution is more diverse, which is more conducive to a more uniform distribution of the gas in the process chamber. In addition, since the first valve plate assembly 210 corresponds to the middle area of ​​the internal channel of the valve body 100, and at least two second valve plate assemblies 220 correspond to the edge area of ​​the internal channel of the valve body 100, and the airflow in the middle area has different airflow characteristics from those in the edge area, for example, the airflow velocity in the middle area is faster, etc. For this reason, the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 can be made to have more folding directions, so as to more specifically adjust the airflow in the middle area, so as to further improve the uniformity of airflow distribution in the process chamber.

[0062] Optionally, the structures of the second valve plate assemblies 220 on both sides of the first valve plate assembly 210 may be different or the same. In this case, the second valve plate assemblies 220 may be symmetrically arranged about the center plane of the valve body 100, thereby improving the uniformity of airflow distribution.

[0063] Optionally, the rotatably connected sub-valve plates 201 (specifically, the rotatably connected first sub-valve plates 2011 and the first sub-valve plates 2011 and the second sub-valve plates 2012) can be rotatably connected by structures such as pins and hinges. In another embodiment, the valve plate 211 also includes an elastic member, which is respectively connected to the rotatably connected sub-valve plates 201, that is, one end of the elastic member is connected to one of the rotatably connected sub-valve plates 201, and the other end is connected to the other. The sub-valve plates 201 are flat plates. Under the action of the elastic member, the rotatably connected sub-valve plates 201 can be coplanar. When the driving mechanism 212 applies a force to the sub-valve plates 201, the sub-valve plates 201 approach each other or move away from each other, and the elastic member undergoes elastic deformation. When there is no external force, the elastic member restores the deformation, so that each sub-valve plate 201 is coplanar, thereby maintaining the flatness of the valve plate 211, so that the gas control valve is more reliably in a closed state.

[0064] As mentioned above, since the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 and the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 are driven by different components respectively, the angles of the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 and the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 can be adjusted separately. In order to make the exhaust more uniform, in one embodiment, the gas control valve also includes a control component, which is electrically connected to the driving mechanism 212. The control component is used to control the driving mechanism 212 to drive the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 and the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 to rotate according to the rotation angle of one of the valve plates 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 and the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220, so that the orthographic projection area of ​​the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 in the axial direction of the valve body 100 is equal to the orthographic projection area of ​​the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 in the axial direction of the valve body 100. At this time, the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 and the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 have the same blocking effect on exhaust, so the airflow distribution at different positions of the valve body 100 is more uniform, thereby improving the uniformity of exhaust, thereby improving the uniformity of the thin film formed on the wafer surface.

[0065] Specifically, refer to Fig. 27 As shown, the surface area of ​​the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 is S2, the orthographic projection area of ​​the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 in the axial direction of the valve body 100 is S22, the surface areas of the valve plates 211 of the two second valve plate assemblies 220 are S1 and S3 respectively, and the orthographic projection areas of the valve plates 211 of the two second valve plate assemblies 220 in the axial direction of the valve body 100 are S11 and S33 respectively, and the second valve plate assemblies 220 on both sides of the first valve plate assembly 210 are symmetrical. For example, when the rotation angle of the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 is Y, S22 = S2*cos(Y), and when the rotation angle of the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 is X, S11 = S1*cos(X), so that S11 = S22, that is, S1*cos(X) = S2*cos(Y), the calculation results are as follows:

[0066]

[0067] Therefore, when the rotation angle Y of the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 and the rotation angle X of the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 satisfy the above relationship, the orthographic projection area of ​​the valve plate 211 of the first valve plate assembly 210 in the axial direction of the valve body 100 can be made equal to the orthographic projection area of ​​the valve plate 211 of the second valve plate assembly 220 in the axial direction of the valve body 100.

[0068] An embodiment of the present application further discloses a semiconductor process equipment, which includes a process chamber and an exhaust pipeline, wherein the exhaust pipeline is connected to the process chamber, and the gas control valve described in any of the above embodiments is provided on the exhaust pipeline.

[0069] The above embodiments of the present application focus on describing the differences between the various embodiments. As long as the different optimization features between the various embodiments are not contradictory, they can be combined to form a better embodiment. Considering the simplicity of the text, they will not be repeated here.

[0070] The above is only an embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various changes and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application should be included in the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A gas control valve used in semiconductor process equipment. It is characterized in that It comprises a valve body (100) and a valve plate assembly (200) arranged on the valve body (100). The valve plate assembly (200) comprises a valve plate (211) and a driving mechanism (212), wherein the driving mechanism (212) is connected to the valve plate (211), the valve plate (211) is a foldable valve plate, the valve plate (211) comprises at least two sub-valve plates (201), and at least two of the sub-valve plates (201) are rotatably connected. The driving mechanism (212) can drive the valve plate (211) to rotate relative to the valve body (100), and drive the rotatably connected sub-valve plates (201) to rotate relative to each other in a direction of approaching or moving away from each other.

2. The gas control valve according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The sub-valve plate (201) comprises at least two first sub-valve plates (2011), and the at least two first sub-valve plates (2011) are rotatably connected. The driving mechanism (212) can drive the rotatably connected first sub-valve plates (2011) to approach each other or move away from each other along the direction of the rotation axis of the valve plate (211).

3. The gas control valve according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The sub-valve plate (201) further comprises a second sub-valve plate (2012), wherein the second sub-valve plate (2012) is rotatably connected to the first sub-valve plate (2011), and the driving mechanism (212) can drive the second sub-valve plate (2012) to rotate around a sub-rotation axis, and the sub-rotation axis is parallel to the rotation axis of the valve plate (211).

4. The gas control valve according to claim 3, It is characterized in that The driving mechanism (212) comprises a first driving rod (202), the first driving rod (202) extending in the direction of the rotation axis of the valve plate (211), the outer peripheral surface of the first driving rod (202) being provided with a first connecting portion (202a), the first connecting portion (202a) being hinged to the first sub-valve plate (2011) to drive the valve plate (211) to rotate relative to the valve body (100).

5. The gas control valve according to claim 4, It is characterized in that The driving mechanism (212) further comprises a second driving rod (203), the second driving rod (203) being sleeved in the first driving rod (202), the first driving rod (202) being provided with a strip-shaped avoidance hole (202b), the strip-shaped avoidance hole (202b) extending in the direction of the rotation axis, the outer peripheral surface of the second driving rod (203) being provided with a second connecting portion (203a), the first connecting portion (202a) being connected to one of the first sub-valve plates (2011) being rotatably connected, one end of the second connecting portion (203a) passing through the strip-shaped avoidance hole (202b) and being hinged to the other of the first sub-valve plates (2011) being rotatably connected, the second driving rod (203) being movable relative to the first driving rod (202) so as to drive the first sub-valve plates (2011) being rotatably connected to move closer to or farther from each other along the direction of the rotation axis.

6. The gas control valve according to claim 5, It is characterized in that The first sub-valve plates (2011) arranged in sequence along the direction where the rotation axis is located are rotationally connected in groups of two, and adjacent first sub-valve plates (2011) belonging to different groups are separable, the first driving rod (202) is provided with at least two first connecting parts (202a), and the second driving rod (203) is provided with at least two second connecting parts (203a), and the first connecting parts (202a) and the second connecting parts (203a) are alternately arranged in the direction where the rotation axis is located.

7. The gas control valve according to claim 4, It is characterized in that The driving mechanism (212) further comprises a driving disk (204) and a connecting rod (205); the driving disk (204) is rotatably mounted outside the first driving rod (202); the first end of the connecting rod (205) is eccentrically hinged to the driving disk (204); the second end of the connecting rod (205) is hinged to the second sub-valve plate (2012) to drive the second sub-valve plate (2012) to rotate around the sub-rotation axis.

8. The gas control valve according to claim 7, It is characterized in that The driving disk (204) is slidably matched with the first driving rod (202), and the driving disk (204) can move relative to the first driving rod (202) along the axial direction of the first driving rod (202).

9. The gas control valve according to claim 7, It is characterized in that The second end of the connecting rod (205) is provided with a first ball joint (205a), and the second sub-valve plate (2012) is provided with a second ball joint (201b), and the first ball joint (205a) matches with the second ball joint (201b).

10. The gas control valve according to claim 7, It is characterized in that The driving mechanism (212) further comprises a third driving rod (206), the number of the driving disks (204) and the connecting rods (205) are at least two, the driving disks (204) are arranged at intervals along the direction of the axis of the first driving rod (202), each driving disk (204) is connected to the corresponding second sub-valve plate (2012) via the connecting rod (205) connected thereto, and the driving disks (204) are connected via the third driving rod (206) to rotate synchronously.

11. The gas control valve according to claim 10, It is characterized in that The number of the third driving rods (206) is at least two, and each of the third driving rods (206) is arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the first driving rod (202). The driving mechanism (212) further includes a driving sleeve (207), and the driving sleeve (207) is sleeved on one end of the first driving rod (202). The driving sleeve (207) is connected to each of the driving disks (204) through each of the third driving rods (206).

12. The gas control valve according to claim 3, It is characterized in that The number of the valve plate assemblies (200) is at least two, including a first valve plate assembly (210) and a second valve plate assembly (220), wherein: The sub-valve plate (201) of the first valve plate assembly (210) comprises at least two first sub-valve plates (2011) and at least one second sub-valve plate (2012); The sub-valve plate (201) of the second valve plate assembly (220) comprises at least two of the first sub-valve plates (2011); The number of the second valve plate assemblies (220) is at least two, and each of the second valve plate assemblies (220) is distributed on both sides of the first valve plate assembly (210).

13. The gas control valve according to claim 12, It is characterized in that The gas control valve also includes a control component, which is electrically connected to the driving mechanism (212). The control component is used to control the driving mechanism (212) to drive the valve plate (211) of the first valve plate assembly (210) and the valve plate (211) of the second valve plate assembly (220) to rotate according to the rotation angle of one of the valve plates (211) of the first valve plate assembly (210) and the valve plate (211) of the second valve plate assembly (220), so that the orthographic projection area of ​​the valve plate (211) of the first valve plate assembly (210) in the axial direction of the valve body (100) is equal to the orthographic projection area of ​​the valve plate (211) of the second valve plate assembly (220) in the axial direction of the valve body (100).

14. The gas control valve according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The sub-valve plate (201) comprises a first sub-valve plate (2011) and a second sub-valve plate (2012), wherein the first sub-valve plate (2011) is rotatably connected to the second sub-valve plate (2012), and the driving mechanism (212) can drive the second sub-valve plate (2012) to rotate around a sub-rotation axis, and the sub-rotation axis is parallel to the rotation axis of the valve plate (211).

15. The gas control valve according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The valve plate (211) further comprises an elastic member, wherein the elastic members are respectively connected to the rotatably connected sub-valve plates (201), and the sub-valve plates (201) are flat plates. Under the action of the elastic member, the rotatably connected sub-valve plates (201) can be coplanar.

16. A semiconductor process equipment, It is characterized in that It comprises a process chamber and an exhaust pipeline, wherein the exhaust pipeline is connected to the process chamber, and the exhaust pipeline is provided with a gas control valve according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

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