Pressure detection device of preceding-stage pipeline and thin film deposition equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a pressure detection device of a preceding-stage pipeline and thin film deposition equipment, the device comprises the preceding-stage pipeline, a mounting pipe and a vacuum gauge, the first end of the mounting pipe is connected with the vacuum gauge, and the second end of the mounting pipe penetrates through the side wall of the preceding-stage pipeline and extends into the preceding-stage pipeline; and an air inlet is formed in the second end of the mounting pipe, and the air inlet is opposite to the airflow direction of air in the preceding-stage pipeline. According to the application, the air inlet of the mounting pipe of the vacuum gauge extends into the preceding-stage pipeline and is arranged opposite to the airflow direction, so that dust or gas byproducts in the preceding-stage pipeline can be prevented from entering the mounting pipe in a turning manner, the blockage or zero drift of the vacuum gauge is avoided, the detection precision of the vacuum gauge is improved, and the service life of the vacuum gauge is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a pressure detection device for a front-stage pipeline and a thin film deposition device. Background Art

[0002] In semiconductor equipment, vacuum gauges are often installed in the foreline to monitor pressure and determine if the vacuum pump is malfunctioning or if there are leaks in the pipeline. This allows for timely control of valve opening and closing to prevent contamination of the equipment chamber. However, under certain process conditions, dust or gaseous byproducts can easily accumulate in the foreline, causing the vacuum gauge to become clogged or drift in the short term, seriously affecting its measurement accuracy and service life. This problem not only increases equipment maintenance costs but can also affect process stability due to misjudgments of the vacuum state. Therefore, a vacuum monitoring solution that can adapt to high-dust or contaminated environments is urgently needed to improve the reliability and production efficiency of semiconductor equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The embodiments of the present invention provide a pressure detection device for a fore-stage pipeline and a thin film deposition device, aiming to solve the problem that dust or gas byproducts in the existing fore-stage pipeline easily clog the vacuum gauge and affect the measurement accuracy.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a pressure detection device for a foreline, comprising: a foreline, a mounting tube, and a vacuum gauge, wherein a first end of the mounting tube is connected to the vacuum gauge, and a second end of the mounting tube extends into the foreline through a side wall of the foreline;

[0005] Wherein, an air inlet is provided on the second end of the mounting tube, and the air inlet faces away from the air flow direction of the gas in the front-stage pipeline.

[0006] Furthermore, the mounting tube includes a connected outer tube section and an inner tube section, one end of the outer tube section is connected to the vacuum gauge, and the other end passes through the tube wall of the front-stage pipeline, the inner tube section is bent from the other end of the outer tube section toward the airflow direction, and the air inlet is provided at the end of the inner tube section away from the outer tube section.

[0007] Furthermore, the inner pipe section is a quarter-circular arc pipe section.

[0008] Furthermore, the outer pipe section is a straight pipe section, and the outer pipe section is perpendicular to the front-stage pipeline.

[0009] Furthermore, the distance between the air inlet and the wall of the front-stage pipeline on the side close to the vacuum gauge is D1, and the diameter of the installation pipe is D2, wherein D1≥2D2.

[0010] Furthermore, the air inlet is provided with an oblique cut, and the oblique cut faces the pipe wall of the front-stage pipeline on a side close to the vacuum gauge.

[0011] Furthermore, the inclination angle of the oblique cut is in the range of 30°-45°.

[0012] Furthermore, the end of the inner pipe section away from the outer pipe section extends toward the airflow direction to form a blocking wall of the oblique cut.

[0013] Furthermore, the axial direction of the air inlet is parallel to the axial direction of the front-stage pipeline.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present invention further provides a thin film deposition device, comprising the above-mentioned pressure detection device for the front-stage pipeline.

[0015] The present invention provides a pressure detection device for a front-stage pipeline and a thin film deposition device. The pressure detection device for the front-stage pipeline includes a front-stage pipeline, a mounting tube and a vacuum gauge. The mounting tube has a first end and a second end. The first end is connected to the vacuum gauge, and the second end passes through the side wall of the front-stage pipeline and extends into the interior of the front-stage pipeline. An air inlet is provided on the second end, and the air inlet is arranged in a reverse direction to the air flow direction of the gas in the front-stage pipeline. In this way, dust or gas by-products in the front-stage pipeline can be reduced from turning and entering the interior of the mounting tube, thereby avoiding clogging or zero drift of the vacuum gauge, and improving the detection accuracy and service life of the vacuum gauge. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0017] Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the structure of the existing pressure detection device for the foreline is shown;

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing a pressure detection device for a front-stage pipeline according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0019] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the gas flow direction of a pressure detection device for a front-stage pipeline according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Reference numerals:

[0021] 1. Foreline; 2. Mounting pipe; 21. Outer pipe section; 22. Inner pipe section; 23. Air inlet; 24. Barrier wall; 3. Vacuum gauge. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] Directional terms used herein, such as "upper," "lower," "front," "back," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," and "side," refer only to directions in the accompanying drawings. Therefore, these directional terms are intended to illustrate and facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, similar or identical structures are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0024] In semiconductor manufacturing, dust and gaseous byproducts within the foreline pipeline, due to their small mass, are easily transported away from the main flow and into the vacuum gauge's mounting tube. These particles or contaminants gradually accumulate, causing blockage within the gauge or contamination of the sensor elements, leading to zero drift or measurement inaccuracy. Traditional vacuum gauge mounting methods are unable to effectively prevent these issues, compromising stable equipment operation. Therefore, an optimized design is urgently needed to reduce the risk of contaminants entering the gauge and improve monitoring reliability.

[0025] To this end, an embodiment of the present invention provides a pressure detection device and a thin film deposition device for a front-stage pipeline. By extending the air inlet of the mounting tube of the vacuum gauge into the front-stage pipeline and arranging it in the opposite direction to the airflow direction, the dust or gas by-products in the front-stage pipeline can be reduced from turning and entering the interior of the mounting tube, thereby avoiding clogging or zero drift of the vacuum gauge, and improving the detection accuracy and service life of the vacuum gauge.

[0026] The embodiment of the present invention is to solve the problem of impurities entering the vacuum gauge installation tube. The specific idea is as follows: a segmented installation tube is provided, one end of which is connected to the vacuum gauge, and the other end of the tube with an air inlet extends into the interior of the front-stage pipeline, and the air inlet is arranged in the opposite direction of the air flow in the front-stage pipeline. Compared with the existing vacuum gauge installation tube that is directly connected to the pipe wall of the front-stage pipeline, Figure 1 As shown, the air inlet is located on the wall of the front-stage pipeline. The air inlet of the present application is facing away from the direction of the airflow. In this way, dust or gas by-products will be blocked by the wall of the installation tube and cannot turn from the air inlet to enter the installation tube, thereby avoiding clogging of the vacuum gauge or zero drift.

[0027] In order to better understand the above technical solution, the above technical solution will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0028] See also Figure 2 and Figure 3 An embodiment of the present invention discloses a pressure detection device for a foreline 1, comprising: a foreline 1, a mounting tube 2, and a vacuum gauge 3, wherein a first end of the mounting tube 2 is connected to the vacuum gauge 3, and a second end of the mounting tube 2 passes through a side wall of the foreline 1 and extends into the foreline 1; wherein an air inlet 23 is provided on the second end of the mounting tube 2, and the air inlet 23 faces away from the airflow direction of the gas in the foreline 1.

[0029] Specifically, the front-stage pipeline 1 is a pipeline in the semiconductor equipment used to connect the vacuum pump and the equipment chamber, which is used for gas transmission and maintaining a vacuum environment; the vacuum gauge 3 is a sensor device used to measure the gas pressure in the pipeline, and the operating status of the vacuum pump and the leakage of the pipeline are evaluated by measuring the pressure. In this embodiment, the mounting tube 2 is made of a metal tube body, the first end of which has a standard flange interface for connecting to the vacuum gauge 3, and the second end is an open pipe mouth to form an air inlet 23. The front-stage pipeline 1 is a metal pipeline with a circular cross-section, and a through hole is provided in its side wall for the mounting tube 2 to pass through. The second end of the mounting tube 2 extends vertically into the interior of the pipeline from the through hole in the side wall of the front-stage pipeline 1, and the air inlet 23 is arranged in the opposite direction to the main airflow direction in the pipeline, that is, it is arranged 180° in the opposite direction. The mounting tube 2 and the front-stage pipeline 1 are connected by welding or flange sealing to ensure airtightness. During operation, since the air inlet 23 faces away from the direction of the airflow, when the gas in the front-stage pipeline 1 flows near the air inlet 23, an airflow separation zone will be formed at the front end of the mounting tube 2 (i.e., an area with a smaller flow velocity gradient due to the fluid bypassing the mounting tube 2). The dynamic pressure of the gas in this area (i.e., the pressure component generated by the flow velocity) is significantly reduced. The vacuum gauge 3 measures static pressure, and the reduction in dynamic pressure can greatly reduce its interference with the reading of the vacuum gauge 3, making the measured value closer to the actual pressure. At the same time, dust or gas byproducts moving with the main airflow advance in the direction of the airflow due to inertia. The wall of the mounting tube 2 will prevent impurities from turning to enter the air inlet 23. In this way, it is difficult for impurities to enter the mounting tube 2 and contaminate the vacuum gauge 3, thereby avoiding blockage or zero drift of the vacuum gauge 3, ensuring the reading accuracy of the vacuum gauge 3, and extending its service life.

[0030] Through this embodiment, the air inlet 23 is set to face away from the direction of the airflow, so that the mounting tube 2 forms an airflow blocking structure in the front-stage pipeline 1. When the gas flows through the mounting tube 2, a flow velocity gradient change will occur at its front end, forming an airflow separation area. The dynamic pressure component in this area is greatly reduced, so that the vacuum gauge 3 can accurately measure the static pressure value; at the same time, the dust and by-products moving with the main airflow maintain their original motion trajectory due to inertia, and are blocked by the wall of the mounting tube 2 and cannot turn to enter the air inlet 23, effectively preventing pollutants from entering the vacuum gauge 3, thereby avoiding blockage or zero drift problems in the vacuum gauge 3, and significantly improving the reliability and service life of the detection device.

[0031] Reference Figure 2In one embodiment, the mounting tube 2 includes a connected outer tube section 21 and an inner tube section 22. One end of the outer tube section 21 is connected to the vacuum gauge 3, and the other end passes through the wall of the foreline pipeline 1. The inner tube section 22 is bent from the other end of the outer tube section 21 toward the direction of the airflow, and the air inlet 23 is provided at the end of the inner tube section 22 away from the outer tube section 21. Specifically, the mounting tube 2 includes an outer tube section 21 and an inner tube section 22. The outer tube section 21 is a straight tube structure, one end of which is sealed to the vacuum gauge 3 via threads or a flange, and the other end passes through the wall of the foreline pipeline 1 and is fixed. The inner tube section 22 is bent from the end of the outer tube section 21 extending into the foreline pipeline 1 toward the direction of the airflow to form a bent structure. The air inlet 23 is provided at the end of the inner tube section 22 away from the outer tube section 21, with the opening facing away from the airflow direction. The outer tube section 21 and the inner tube section 22 are connected by welding or integral molding to ensure a gas-tight seal. The bend angle of the inner tube section 22 allows the air inlet 23 to be precisely positioned within the front-stage pipeline 1. During operation, the airflow flows along the front-stage pipeline 1. The inner tube section 22 is bent in the direction of the airflow, so that the air inlet 23 faces away from the airflow. As the gas flows through the inner tube section 22, an airflow separation zone is formed at its front end, significantly reducing the dynamic pressure and minimizing interference with the reading of the vacuum gauge 3. At the same time, dust or gaseous byproducts move in the direction of the airflow due to inertia and are blocked by the wall of the inner tube section 22, making it difficult for them to enter the mounting tube 2 through the air inlet 23, thus preventing contamination of the vacuum gauge 3 and ensuring the detection accuracy and service life of the vacuum gauge 3.

[0032] In this embodiment, the inner tube section 22 is a quarter-circular arc section. Specifically, the inner tube section 22 is a quarter-circular arc section formed by bending the end of the outer tube section 21 extending into the front-stage pipeline 1 toward the airflow direction. The center of the arc is located within the front-stage pipeline 1, and the arc opening faces away from the airflow direction. The air inlet 23 is located at the end of the quarter-circular arc section away from the outer tube section 21. The radius of curvature of the quarter-circular arc section is adapted to the diameter of the outer tube section 21. The outer tube section 21 and the quarter-circular arc section are connected by welding or integral molding to ensure airtightness. During operation, the air flow flows along the front-stage pipeline 1, and the arc-shaped structure of the quarter-circular arc pipe section makes the air inlet 23 face away from the air flow direction. When the gas flows through the arc pipe section, a stable air flow separation area is formed at its front end, and the dynamic pressure is greatly reduced, thereby reducing the interference with the reading of the vacuum gauge 3; at the same time, dust or gas by-products move along the air flow direction due to inertia and are blocked by the arc-shaped pipe wall of the arc pipe section, making it difficult to bypass the arc structure and enter the air inlet 23, further reducing the possibility of impurities entering the installation tube 2, effectively avoiding blockage or zero drift of the vacuum gauge 3, and ensuring the measurement accuracy and service life of the vacuum gauge 3.

[0033] In this embodiment, the outer tube section 21 is a straight tube section, perpendicular to the foreline 1. Specifically, the outer tube section 21 of the mounting tube 2 is a straight tube section, one end of which is sealed to the vacuum gauge 3 via threads or a flange, and the other end vertically passes through the wall of the foreline 1, so that the axis of the outer tube section 21 is perpendicular to the axis of the foreline 1. The outer tube section 21 and the wall of the foreline 1 are connected by welding or flanges to ensure airtightness. The vertical arrangement of the outer tube section 21 ensures that the overall direction of the mounting tube 2 forms a standard T-shaped connection with the foreline 1. This orthogonal connection method facilitates the external installation and positioning of the vacuum gauge 3.

[0034] In one embodiment, the distance between the air inlet 23 and the wall of the foreline 1 on the side near the vacuum gauge 3 is , and the diameter of the mounting tube 2 is , where ≥2. Specifically, a minimum distance is maintained between the front end of the air inlet 23 and the inner wall of the foreline 1 on the side near the vacuum gauge 3. This distance is set to be at least twice the nominal diameter of the mounting tube 2, i.e., satisfying the relationship ≥2. In this embodiment, by strictly controlling the spacing between the air inlet 23 and the foreline wall, the air inlet 23 is ensured to be located in the center of the mainstream area of the foreline 1, away from the low-speed flow zone of the boundary layer of the pipe wall. This arrangement not only prevents interference with pressure measurement caused by unstable airflow near the pipe wall, but also places the air inlet 23 in an area with relatively uniform airflow velocity, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the vacuum gauge 3 measurement. Therefore, by placing the air inlet 23 in a stable airflow area away from the pipe wall, the impact of boundary layer airflow disturbances in the foreline 1 on it is significantly reduced, dynamic pressure fluctuations are reduced, and the vacuum gauge 3 reading is more stable.

[0035] In one embodiment, the air inlet 23 is provided with an oblique cut, which faces the tube wall of the front-stage pipeline 1 on the side close to the vacuum gauge 3. Specifically, the air inlet 23 at the end of the inner tube section 22 adopts an oblique cut structure, and the oblique cut is processed by cutting or mold forming, and its opening direction faces the tube wall of the front-stage pipeline 1 on the side close to the vacuum gauge 3. When the main airflow flows through, the oblique cut forms a physical blocking surface on one side of the tube wall, which can effectively intercept dust and gas by-products moving along the direction of the airflow. Due to inertia, dust or gas by-products are difficult to turn and enter the air inlet 23. This oblique cut structure, by changing the geometric shape, utilizes the specific angular relationship between the airflow direction and the cut direction without affecting the gas pressure conduction, thereby ensuring the normal pressure detection function of the vacuum gauge 3 and significantly improving the pollutant blocking effect, thereby effectively avoiding measurement errors and performance degradation caused by the entry of pollutants into the vacuum gauge 3.

[0036] Furthermore, the inclination angle range of the bevel cut is 30°-45°. Specifically, the bevel cut at the end of the inner tube section 22 is designed with an inclination angle of 30°-45°, which is defined as the angle between the bevel plane and the original flat end face, and a precise bevel structure is formed at the tube end through precision machining. In this embodiment, the optimized angle range of 30°-45° is determined based on experimental simulation of airflow characteristics and particle motion trajectories. When the angle is less than 30°, the blocking effect of the bevel cut is insufficient, and some fine particles may still enter with the airflow; when the angle is greater than 45°, it will cause excessive disturbance of the airflow at the air inlet 23, affecting the pressure measurement accuracy. Within this preferred angle range, the bevel cut can provide sufficient blocking area to intercept pollutants moving with the main airflow, and will not affect the pressure measurement, perfectly balancing the dual requirements of measurement accuracy and anti-pollution, and realizing stable and reliable long-term operation of the vacuum gauge 3.

[0037] Reference Figure 3 Furthermore, the end of the inner tube section 22 away from the outer tube section 21 extends toward the airflow direction to form the obliquely cut blocking wall 24. Specifically, the end of the inner tube section 22 adopts a specific obliquely cut structure, wherein the end away from the outer tube section 21 extends toward the airflow direction of the forward-stage pipeline 1 to form a blocking wall 24 with a significant height difference. This blocking wall 24 is higher than the tube wall on the other side of the air inlet 23, resulting in an asymmetric "one high, one low" cross-section of the air inlet 23. In this embodiment, the extended blocking wall 24 protrudes from one side of the air inlet 23 near the center of the forward-stage pipeline 1 and extends a certain height. When the main airflow carries dust and flows through, the blocking wall 24 directly intercepts the pollutant particles that try to change direction; at the same time, since the extension direction of the blocking wall 24 is consistent with the direction of the airflow, a downstream diversion effect is formed, which not only does not interfere with the flow state of the main airflow, but also strengthens the guiding effect on the pollutants, ensuring that the particles continue to move along the direction of the main airflow without entering the air inlet 23. This sophisticated structural design achieves efficient blocking of pollutants through the dual effects of physical interception and fluid guidance, fundamentally solving the problem of contamination of the vacuum gauge 3.

[0038] In one embodiment, the axial direction of the air inlet 23 is parallel to the axial direction of the front-stage pipeline 1. Specifically, the central axis of the air inlet 23 at the second end of the mounting tube 2 is arranged parallel to the main airflow direction of the front-stage pipeline 1, and the end face of the air inlet 23 is ensured to be strictly aligned with the axial direction of the front-stage pipeline 1 through precision processing. In this embodiment, the parallel axial arrangement of the air inlet 23 forms a 180° opposite relationship between its opening direction and the main airflow direction. When the airflow in the pipeline carries pollutants through, since the direction of the air inlet 23 is completely opposite to the direction of the airflow, the dust and gas by-products maintain their original motion trajectory due to inertia and cannot change direction to enter the interior of the mounting tube 2. At the same time, this parallel and opposite structural design ensures that the airflow forms a stable pressure measurement area near the air inlet 23, which not only avoids the influence of turbulence on the measurement accuracy, but also constructs an effective pollutant blocking mechanism through the arrangement in opposite directions, so that the vacuum gauge 3 can accurately detect the pipeline pressure without being interfered with by pollutants.

[0039] The present invention also provides a thin film deposition device including the pressure detection device of the foreline 1. Specifically, the pressure detection device of the foreline 1 of this embodiment has been described in detail in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0040] Specifically, the thin film deposition equipment includes a reaction chamber, a vacuum pump, a foreline 1, and a pressure detection device for the foreline 1. The foreline 1 connects the reaction chamber and the vacuum pump, wherein the pressure detection device is installed on the foreline 1 and is used to monitor the pressure state in the foreline 1 in real time. In this embodiment, the vacuum gauge 3 of the pressure detection device is connected to the foreline 1 through the mounting tube 2, and its air inlet 23 extends into the interior of the pipeline and is arranged in a manner opposite to the direction of airflow. During the thin film deposition process, it can effectively prevent process gas byproducts and reaction-generated particles from entering the mounting tube 2, avoid contamination of the vacuum gauge 3 and resulting in measurement inaccuracy, and at the same time ensure that the equipment control system obtains accurate pressure signals, thereby accurately adjusting process parameters, ensuring the stability and repeatability of the thin film deposition process, and improving product yield.

[0041] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and such modifications or substitutions are intended to be within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be subject to the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A pressure detection device for a front-stage pipeline, characterized in that: include: A foreline, a mounting tube, and a vacuum gauge, wherein a first end of the mounting tube is connected to the vacuum gauge, and a second end of the mounting tube passes through a side wall of the foreline and extends into the foreline; Wherein, an air inlet is provided on the second end of the mounting tube, and the air inlet faces away from the air flow direction of the gas in the front-stage pipeline.

2. The pressure detection device for the front-stage pipeline according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting tube includes an outer tube section and an inner tube section connected to each other. One end of the outer tube section is connected to the vacuum gauge, and the other end passes through the tube wall of the front-stage pipeline. The inner tube section is bent from the other end of the outer tube section toward the airflow direction, and the air inlet is provided at the end of the inner tube section away from the outer tube section.

3. The pressure detection device for the front-stage pipeline according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner pipe section is a quarter-circular arc pipe section.

4. The pressure detection device for the front-stage pipeline according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer pipe section is a straight pipe section, and the outer pipe section is perpendicular to the front-stage pipeline.

5. The pressure detection device for the front-stage pipeline according to claim 2, characterized in that: The distance between the air inlet and the wall of the front-stage pipeline on the side close to the vacuum gauge is D1, and the diameter of the installation pipe is D2, wherein D1≥2D2.

6. The pressure detection device for the front-stage pipeline according to claim 2, characterized in that: The air inlet is provided with an oblique cut, and the oblique cut faces the pipe wall of the front-stage pipeline on a side close to the vacuum gauge.

7. The pressure detection device for the front-stage pipeline according to claim 6, characterized in that: The inclination angle of the oblique cut is in the range of 30°-45°.

8. The pressure detection device for the front-stage pipeline according to claim 6, characterized in that: The end of the inner pipe section away from the outer pipe section extends toward the airflow direction to form a blocking wall of the oblique cut.

9. The pressure detection device for the front-stage pipeline according to claim 1, characterized in that: The axial direction of the air inlet is parallel to the axial direction of the front-stage pipeline.

10. A thin film deposition device, characterized in that: A pressure detection device for a foreline comprising the pressure detection device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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