Gas transmission device, semiconductor process equipment and gas control method

Abstract

The invention provides a gas transmission device, semiconductor process equipment and a gas control method. The gas transmission device comprises a gas storage tank connected with the process chamber, a pressure control assembly and a pressure detection assembly. Wherein the pressure control assembly is provided with a movable sealing end; the sealing end is movably and hermetically connected with the inner surface of the gas storage tank so as to divide the interior of the gas storage tank into a gas storage cavity and an auxiliary cavity; the gas storage cavity is used for storing process gas; the pressure detection assembly is used for detecting air pressure in the air storage cavity; and the sealing end is used for movably changing the volume of the gas storage cavity so as to control the gas pressure in the gas storage cavity within a preset pressure range, so that the gas transmission speed reaches a speed range required by the process, and the process effect is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of semiconductor process equipment, specifically relating to a gas delivery device, semiconductor process equipment, and gas control method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology, due to its advantages such as dense and stable thin films, compensates for the shortcomings of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technology and is therefore increasingly widely used in advanced processes. Specifically, ALD deposits only one atomic layer per deposition step. Correspondingly, ALD requires the reactive gas source to rapidly reach the substrate surface to react during each deposition step, and the reactive gas must be immediately removed after each atomic layer is deposited. Therefore, a single deposition step in ALD typically requires introducing a large amount of gas into the process chamber within a very short time.

[0003] like Figure 1 As shown, existing process chambers typically use gas cylinder 01 as a device for rapid gas intake. However, during the gas intake process, the internal pressure of the existing gas cylinder 01 drops rapidly, causing the gas flow rate to slow down and making it impossible to introduce a sufficient amount of process gas into the process chamber 02 in a short time, resulting in poor process performance or even process failure. Extending the gas delivery time to introduce a sufficient amount of process gas into the process chamber 02 can easily lead to non-atomic reactions in the process, further affecting the process performance. Increasing the internal pressure of the gas cylinder 01 to increase the intake rate will cause the process gas to liquefy under high pressure, thus failing to achieve the desired effect of increasing the intake rate. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention at least partially solves the problem of insufficient gas supply pressure in existing atomic layer deposition process gas delivery devices, and provides a gas delivery device, a semiconductor process equipment, and a gas control method.

[0005] This invention provides a gas delivery device for semiconductor process equipment, including a gas storage tank, a pressure control component, and a pressure detection component connected to the process chamber; wherein,

[0006] The pressure control assembly has a movable sealing end; the sealing end is movably and sealingly connected to the inner surface of the gas storage tank to divide the interior of the gas storage tank into a gas storage chamber and an auxiliary chamber;

[0007] The gas storage chamber is used to store process gases; the pressure detection component is used to detect the gas pressure inside the gas storage chamber; the sealing end is used to change the volume of the gas storage chamber by movement, so as to control the gas pressure inside the gas storage chamber within a preset pressure range.

[0008] Optionally, the pressure control assembly includes a movable plate and a drive component;

[0009] The movable plate serves as the sealing end; the edge of the movable plate is movably and sealingly connected to the inner surface of the gas storage tank; the driving component is used to drive the movable plate to move.

[0010] The gas delivery device further includes a control component; the control component is communicatively connected to the pressure detection component and the drive component respectively; the control component is used to control the drive component to drive the movable plate to move according to the real-time gas pressure of the gas storage chamber, so as to control the gas pressure inside the gas storage chamber within the preset pressure range.

[0011] Optionally, the pressure control component further includes:

[0012] The guide rod is movable relative to the gas storage tank in a direction perpendicular to the movable plate; in a direction parallel to the movable plate, the guide rod is in a limiting engagement with the gas storage tank, and the guide rod is connected to the movable plate to guide the movable plate to move in a direction perpendicular to the movable plate.

[0013] Optionally, the pressure control component further includes:

[0014] An elastic component is provided, which is connected to both the gas storage tank and the guide rod. The elastic component is used to drive the guide rod to move along its own axis by utilizing its own elasticity.

[0015] Optionally, the drive component includes:

[0016] A fluid source, connected to the auxiliary cavity, is used to fill the auxiliary cavity with fluid and drive the movable plate to move towards one side of the gas storage cavity through the fluid, so as to reduce the volume of the gas storage cavity.

[0017] Optionally, the driving component includes a rack, a gear, and a drive motor;

[0018] The rack is arranged perpendicular to the movable plate; one end of the guide rod is connected to the movable plate, and the other end extends to the outside of the gas storage tank and is fixedly connected to the rack.

[0019] The gear meshes with the rack; the drive motor is connected to the gear to drive the gear to rotate;

[0020] The control component is communicatively connected to the drive motor; the control component is used to control the drive motor to drive the gear to rotate according to the real-time air pressure of the air storage chamber, so as to control the air pressure inside the air storage chamber within the preset pressure range.

[0021] Optionally, the gas storage tank includes a first sub-tank and a second sub-tank that are interconnected; the first sub-tank is connected to an external process gas source and the process chamber respectively; the sealing end is movably disposed in the second sub-tank.

[0022] The inner surface of the connection between the first sub-tank and the second sub-tank is an arc surface.

[0023] Optionally, the gas delivery device may also include a first gas delivery pipe and a second gas delivery pipe;

[0024] The first gas supply pipe is connected to an external process gas source and the gas inlet of the gas storage chamber, respectively; a first on / off valve is provided inside the first gas supply pipe to control the on / off of the first gas supply pipe;

[0025] The second gas supply pipe is connected to the gas outlet of the process chamber and the gas storage chamber respectively; a second on / off valve is provided inside the second gas supply pipe to control the on / off of the second gas supply pipe.

[0026] Optionally, the detection end of the pressure detection component can contact the gas environment inside the gas storage chamber; the detection end of the pressure detection component is located downstream of the first on / off valve and upstream of the second on / off valve.

[0027] As another technical solution, the present invention also provides a semiconductor process apparatus, which includes a process chamber, a gas extraction device and a gas delivery device as described above.

[0028] The extraction device is connected to the outlet of the process chamber and is used to extract the gas from the process chamber; the gas delivery device is connected to the inlet of the process chamber and is used to deliver process gas into the process chamber.

[0029] As another technical solution, the present invention also provides a gas control method, applied to the semiconductor process equipment described above; the gas control method includes:

[0030] The gas delivery device is controlled to deliver process gas to the process chamber, and the gas pressure inside the gas storage chamber is detected.

[0031] Determine whether the real-time air pressure inside the air storage chamber is within the preset pressure range;

[0032] If the pressure is not within the preset pressure range, the sealing end is controlled to move to change the volume of the gas storage chamber, so as to control the internal pressure of the gas storage chamber within the preset pressure range.

[0033] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0034] The gas delivery device provided in this embodiment of the invention adds a pressure control component and a pressure detection component to the existing gas storage tank. The pressure control component has a sealing end that is movably and sealingly connected to the inner surface of the gas storage tank, dividing the internal space of the gas storage tank into a storage chamber and an auxiliary chamber. Furthermore, the sealing end is movable, and its movement can change the volume of the storage chamber to control the internal gas pressure within a preset pressure range. Thus, when the gas delivery device provided in this embodiment is used to deliver gas to a process chamber, the sealing end can be controlled to reduce the volume of the storage chamber during the gas delivery process, compensating for the pressure loss inside the storage chamber. This allows the internal gas pressure to be controlled within the preset pressure range, ensuring that the gas delivery rate meets process requirements and guarantees the process effect. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of semiconductor process equipment in related technologies;

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a semiconductor process equipment provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the gas delivery device provided in an embodiment of the present invention when the sealing end moves toward the auxiliary cavity side;

[0038] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the gas delivery device provided in an embodiment of the present invention when the sealed end moves toward the gas storage cavity;

[0039] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another gas delivery device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 6 A flowchart of a gas control method provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0041] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0042] It is understood that the specific embodiments and accompanying drawings described herein are merely for explaining the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0043] It is understood that, without conflict, the various embodiments of the present invention and the features thereof can be combined with each other.

[0044] It is understood that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings of this invention only show the parts related to the embodiments of this invention, while the parts unrelated to the embodiments of this invention are not shown in the drawings.

[0045] It is understood that, without conflict, the functions and steps marked in the flowcharts and block diagrams of the embodiments of the present invention may occur in a different order than that marked in the accompanying drawings.

[0046] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0047] Example 1

[0048] Please refer to Figure 2 This embodiment provides a gas supply device for semiconductor process equipment, which includes a gas storage tank 1, a pressure control component 2, and a pressure detection component 3.

[0049] The gas storage tank 1 is connected to the process chamber and is used to store gas when the process chamber does not need gas supply, so that gas can be supplied to the process chamber when gas supply is required. Specifically, the gas storage tank 1 has a rigid body and a fixed internal volume.

[0050] The pressure control assembly 2 has a movable sealing end; this sealing end is movably and sealingly connected to the inner surface of the gas storage tank 1 to divide the internal space of the gas storage tank 1 into a gas storage chamber 1a and an auxiliary chamber 1b. The gas storage chamber 1a is used to store process gas; the pressure detection assembly 3 is used to detect the internal gas pressure of the gas storage chamber 1a. The sealing end is used to adjust the internal gas pressure of the gas storage chamber 1a by changing its volume. Under the condition of a fixed gas quantity, the smaller the volume of the gas storage chamber 1a, the greater the internal gas pressure of the gas storage chamber 1a; therefore, using this principle, under the condition of a continuously decreasing gas quantity, the volume of the gas storage chamber 1a can be reduced by controlling the movement of the sealing end to compensate for the internal gas pressure of the gas storage chamber 1a. Furthermore, the pressure control component 2 can work in conjunction with the pressure detection component 3 to control the internal pressure of the gas storage chamber 1a within a preset pressure range during the process of changing the pressure inside the gas storage chamber 1a through movement at the sealed end, based on the gas pressure detection value detected by the pressure detection component 3. Specifically, this preset pressure range satisfies the following conditions: the process gas flow rate at this pressure is sufficient to enter the process chamber in a specified amount within a specified time, and the process gas will not liquefy at this pressure. In practical applications, the preset pressure range can be determined based on conditions such as the duration of a single deposition step required in the process formulation, the amount of gas required for the deposition step, and the diameter of the transmission pipes in the process equipment.

[0051] Specifically, during the process of gas delivery from the gas delivery device to the process chamber, the amount of gas inside the gas storage chamber 1a will continuously decrease as the delivery continues, and the internal pressure of the gas storage chamber 1a may also drop accordingly. By controlling the position of the sealing end, the volume of the gas storage chamber 1a can be compressed to maintain the internal pressure of the gas storage chamber 1a within a preset pressure range. This ensures that the output gas flow rate meets the process requirements, thereby enabling the delivery of sufficient process gas to the process chamber within a specified time to guarantee the process effect.

[0052] Furthermore, during the gas filling process of the gas supply device, the volume of the gas storage chamber 1a can be expanded by controlling the position of the sealing end, thereby ensuring the gas storage capacity of the gas storage tank 1.

[0053] In some embodiments, the pressure control assembly 2 includes a movable plate 21 and a driving component. The movable plate 21 serves as the aforementioned sealing end; its edge is movably and sealingly connected to the inner surface of the gas storage tank 1 to divide the internal space of the gas storage tank 1 into two chambers, namely, a gas storage chamber 1a and an auxiliary chamber 1b. The driving component is used to drive the movable plate 21 to move.

[0054] Specifically, the pressure change inside the gas storage chamber 1a depends on the volume change of the gas storage chamber 1a, which in turn depends on the area and stroke of the movable plate 21. For example, during the filling process of the gas delivery device, when the movable plate 21 reaches its maximum total capacity limit, the volume of the gas storage chamber 1a can reach 4L; while during the outward gas delivery process, if the movable plate 21 compresses the volume of the gas storage chamber 1a to about 2L through movement, the gas pressure inside the gas storage chamber 1a can be increased to about twice its original value. Therefore, the gas delivery device provided in this embodiment can significantly increase the output gas flow rate compared to traditional fixed-volume gas storage tanks, thus meeting process requirements.

[0055] In practical applications, the area of ​​the movable plate 21 and the stroke of the movable plate 21 can be designed according to the actual air intake speed required by the process and the internal space dimensions of the air storage tank 1.

[0056] like Figure 2 As shown, the gas delivery device also includes a control component (not shown in the figure). The control component is communicatively connected to the pressure detection component 3 and the pressure control component 2, respectively. The pressure detection component 3 is used to detect the real-time gas pressure inside the gas storage chamber 1a and send the detected result to the control component; the control component is used to control the movement of the sealing end according to the real-time gas pressure of the gas storage chamber 1a.

[0057] In some specific embodiments, the control component can determine in real time whether the real-time gas pressure inside the gas storage chamber 1a has reached a preset threshold pressure; if the determination result is no, the speed of the movable plate 21 is increased; if the determination result is yes, the speed of the movable plate 21 is decreased. In this way, the gas pressure inside the gas storage chamber 1a can be controlled at or below the preset threshold pressure; in other words, the aforementioned preset pressure range is less than or equal to the preset threshold pressure. Specifically, the preset threshold pressure is, for example, the critical pressure value for liquefaction of the process gas or around the critical pressure value. This allows the moving speed of the movable plate 21 to be maximized while avoiding liquefaction of the process gas, thereby maximizing the gas pressure inside the gas storage chamber 1a during the gas delivery process, and consequently maximizing the amount of gas delivered to the process chamber in a short time.

[0058] For example, the preset threshold pressure is 400 kPa.

[0059] Optionally, in other feasible embodiments, the aforementioned driving components can also be manually controlled by an operator, or controlled by the main control console of the semiconductor process equipment.

[0060] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the pressure control assembly 2 also includes a guide rod 22. The guide rod 22 is movable relative to the gas tank 1 in the direction perpendicular to the movable plate 21; moreover, in the direction parallel to the movable plate 21, the guide rod 22 is in a limiting engagement with the gas tank 1, thereby connecting and fixing the guide rod 22 to the movable plate 21; for example, the end of the guide rod 22 can be fixedly connected to the side surface of the movable plate 21 facing the auxiliary cavity 1b. The guide rod 22 is connected to the movable plate 21 to guide the movable plate 21 to move in the direction perpendicular to the movable plate 21, thereby preventing the movable plate 21 from tilting during movement and causing the seal between the movable plate 21 and the inner surface of the gas tank 1 to fail.

[0061] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the pressure control assembly 2 also includes an elastic component 23, which is connected to the gas storage tank 1 and the guide rod 22 respectively; the elastic component 23 is used to drive the guide rod 22 to move along its own axis by utilizing its own elasticity.

[0062] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the driving component includes a fluid source connected to the auxiliary cavity 1b, used to fill the auxiliary cavity 1b with fluid and drive the movable plate 21 to move towards the gas storage cavity 1a, thereby reducing the volume of the gas storage cavity 1a. Similarly, by extracting gas from the auxiliary cavity 1b, the volume of the auxiliary cavity 1b can be reduced, thereby driving the movable plate 21 to move towards the auxiliary cavity 1b, thus expanding the volume of the gas storage cavity 1a.

[0063] In some specific embodiments, the fluid source includes an auxiliary gas source. Specifically, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the auxiliary chamber 1b has an air inlet for connection with an auxiliary air source. The auxiliary air source is connected to the air inlet of the auxiliary chamber 1b via a pipe to supply air to the auxiliary chamber 1b. Furthermore, as... Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, an air pump 24 can also be installed between the auxiliary gas source and the auxiliary chamber 1b; the air pump 24 can pump the auxiliary gas into the auxiliary chamber 1b and also extract the auxiliary gas from inside the auxiliary chamber 1b. Specifically, the auxiliary gas can be a gas with the same composition as the process gas, so as to avoid contamination of the storage chamber 1a and the process chamber in the event of accidental connection between the auxiliary chamber 1b and the storage chamber 1a. Alternatively, the auxiliary gas can also be a gas with a liquefaction critical pressure greater than or equal to the preset threshold pressure, so as to avoid liquefaction during the movement of the movable plate 21, which would prevent the movable plate 21 from continuing to be pushed.

[0064] In some specific embodiments, the fluid source and the elastic component 23 described above can be used in combination. Specifically, during the process of the gas storage tank 1 supplying gas to the outside, the fluid source supplies gas to the auxiliary cavity 1b to push the movable plate 21 toward the side closer to the gas storage cavity 1a; during the process of the external gas source replenishing gas into the gas storage tank 1, the elastic component 23 uses its own elastic force to drive the guide rod 22 to move toward the side of the auxiliary cavity 1b, thereby driving the movable plate 21 toward the side closer to the gas storage cavity 1a, so as to expand the gas storage cavity 1a and provide space for the replenished process gas.

[0065] For example, the elastic component 23 is a spring that surrounds the guide rod 22 and has its two ends connected to the guide rod 22 and the outer surface of the gas tank 1, respectively, and is kept in a compressed state.

[0066] Alternatively, in some embodiments, one end of the guide rod 22 is connected to the movable plate 21, and the other end extends to the outside of the gas storage tank 1. Furthermore, as... Figure 5 As shown, the driving components include a rack 26, a gear 27, and a drive motor 25. The rack 26 is arranged along the vertical movable plate 21 and is fixedly connected to the guide rod 22. The drive motor 25 is driven by the gear 27 to drive the gear 27 to rotate. The gear 27 meshes with the rack 26 to drive the guide rod 22 to move along its axial direction. Since the controllability and precision of motor speed are generally high, using a motor as the drive source allows for relatively precise control of the moving speed and position of the movable plate 21. Furthermore, the control component is communicatively connected to the drive motor; the control component controls the drive motor 25 to drive the gear 27 to rotate based on the real-time gas pressure of the gas storage chamber 1a, thereby controlling the internal gas pressure of the gas storage chamber 1a within the aforementioned preset pressure range, thus ensuring that the output gas flow rate meets the process requirements.

[0067] The driving component proposed in this embodiment is not limited to the above. It may also include a lead screw, a threaded sleeve, and a driving source. The driving source drives the threaded sleeve to rotate, and the lead screw converts the rotational power into linear power to drive the guide rod 22 to move along its axial direction. Alternatively, the driving component may also include a cylinder or an electric actuator, and the power output end of the cylinder or electric actuator is connected to the guide rod 22 to drive the guide rod 22 to move along its axial direction.

[0068] Specifically, the fluid source and the driving component described above can be used in combination. For example, during the process of gas storage tank 1 supplying gas to the outside, the fluid source supplies gas to the auxiliary cavity 1b to push the movable plate 21 closer to the side of the gas storage cavity 1a; during the process of external gas source replenishing gas into the gas storage tank 1, the drive motor 25 drives the guide rod 22 to move to one side of the auxiliary cavity 1b through the rack 26 and gear 27, thereby driving the movable plate 21 closer to the side of the gas storage cavity 1a to expand the gas storage cavity 1a and provide space for the replenished process gas.

[0069] In some embodiments, the gas storage tank 1 includes a first sub-tank 11 and a second sub-tank 12 that are interconnected; the first sub-tank 11 is connected to an external process gas source and a process chamber; a sealed end is movably disposed in the second sub-tank 12. In the actual manufacturing process of the equipment, it is possible to... Figure 1 By adding a tank to the existing gas storage tank shown, the existing gas storage tank is designated as the first sub-tank 11, and the newly added tank is designated as the second sub-tank 12. This can reduce equipment costs and enable the reuse of old equipment.

[0070] Moreover, as Figure 2 As shown, the inner surface of the connection between the first sub-tank 11 and the second sub-tank 12 is an arc surface to avoid interfering with the process gas flow, so that the process gas flows stably between the two, thereby ensuring that the output gas flow rate does not fluctuate significantly.

[0071] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the gas supply device also includes a first gas supply pipe 4 and a second gas supply pipe 5. The first gas supply pipe 4 is connected to an external process gas source and the inlet of the gas storage chamber 1a, respectively, to supply gas to the gas storage chamber 1a during the gas filling phase of the gas storage device; a first on / off valve 41 is provided inside the first gas supply pipe 4 to control the opening and closing of the first gas supply pipe 4; specifically, the first on / off valve 41 is opened during the gas filling phase of the gas storage device and remains closed during other time periods. The second gas supply pipe 5 is connected to the outlet of the process chamber and the gas storage chamber 1a, respectively, so that the gas storage tank 1 can supply gas to the process chamber during the gas filling phase of the process chamber; a second on / off valve 51 is provided inside the second gas supply pipe 5 to control the opening and closing of the second gas supply pipe 5; specifically, the second on / off valve 51 is opened during the gas filling phase of the process chamber and remains closed during other time periods.

[0072] In some embodiments, the detection end of the pressure detection component 3 is capable of contacting the gas environment inside the gas storage chamber 1a, and the detection end is located downstream of the first on / off valve 41 and upstream of the second on / off valve 51. Specifically, as shown... Figure 2 As shown, the detection end of the pressure detection component 3 is, for example, located inside the first gas supply pipe 4 and downstream of the first on / off valve 41, so as to always maintain contact with the gas environment inside the gas storage chamber 1a, thereby ensuring that the gas pressure signal collected by the detection end is not affected by the opening and closing state of the first on / off valve 41. Similarly, the detection end of the pressure detection component 3 can also be located inside the second gas supply pipe 5 and upstream of the second on / off valve 51.

[0073] For example, the sensing end of the pressure sensing element can be connected to the first gas supply line 4 or the second gas supply line 5 using a VCR connection. Specifically, VCR is a connection method with good airtightness and is widely used in equipment with high sealing requirements, so it will not be elaborated on further here.

[0074] Alternatively, the detection end of the pressure detection component 3 may also be located inside the gas storage chamber 1a.

[0075] Based on the above-described gas delivery device, this embodiment also provides a semiconductor process apparatus, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the system includes a process chamber 6, an extraction device 7, and a gas delivery device as described above. The extraction device 7 is connected to the outlet 62 of the process chamber 6 and is used to extract gas from the process chamber 6. The gas delivery device is connected to the inlet 61 of the process chamber 6 and is used to deliver process gas into the process chamber 6.

[0076] Specifically, semiconductor process equipment is, for example, atomic layer deposition equipment; correspondingly, process chamber 6 is used for performing atomic layer deposition processes.

[0077] The gas delivery device and semiconductor process equipment proposed in this embodiment, by adding a movable sealing end inside the gas storage tank to divide the internal space of the gas storage tank into a gas storage chamber and an auxiliary chamber, can control the sealing end to reduce the volume of the gas storage chamber during the gas delivery process to the process chamber, so as to compensate for the gas pressure loss inside the gas storage chamber. As the gas in the sealing chamber continuously flows out during the gas delivery process, the gas pressure inside the gas storage chamber can be maintained within a preset pressure range, and the output gas flow rate can meet the process requirements.

[0078] Example 2

[0079] Based on the semiconductor process equipment proposed in Example 1, this embodiment also provides a gas control method for semiconductor processes, such as... Figure 6 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0080] S1: Control the gas delivery device 7 to deliver process gas to the process chamber 6 and detect the gas pressure inside the gas storage chamber 1a;

[0081] Specifically, during the process of the gas supply device 7 supplying process gas to the process chamber 6, the second on / off valve 51 inside the second gas supply pipe 5 remains open.

[0082] S2: Determine whether the real-time air pressure inside the air storage chamber 1a is within the preset pressure range; if it is not within the preset pressure range, control the movement of the sealing end to change the volume of the air storage chamber 1a so as to control the air pressure inside the air storage chamber 1a within the preset pressure range; if it is within the preset pressure range, control the sealing end to maintain the current state.

[0083] In some embodiments, prior to step S1 described above, the gas control method further includes:

[0084] S10: Control the evacuation device 7 to extract the gas inside the process chamber 6, so that the process chamber 6 reaches a vacuum state. Specifically, during this process, the second on / off valve 51 inside the second gas supply pipe 5 remains closed.

[0085] It should be noted that the aforementioned vacuum state refers to a pressure state where the gas pressure is below a specified vacuum threshold. After the process chamber 6 reaches a vacuum state, its internal gas pressure will be much lower than that inside the gas storage chamber 1a. Thus, after opening the second on / off valve 51, the huge pressure difference between the process chamber 6 and the gas storage chamber 1a will cause gas to flow rapidly into the process chamber 6. However, as gas continues to flow into the process chamber 6, the pressure difference between the two will decrease. This method proposes to control the movement of the sealing end of the pressure control component 2 to reduce the volume of the gas storage chamber 1a and increase the internal gas pressure of the gas storage chamber 1a while the process gas flows into the process chamber 6, so as to maintain the pressure difference between the process chamber 6 and the gas storage chamber 1a, thereby ensuring the flow rate of the process gas and enabling a large amount of process gas to be introduced into the process chamber 6 in a short time.

[0086] The gas control method provided in this embodiment is applied, for example, to an atomic layer deposition process. Specifically, after completing steps S1 and S2 once, the process gas will deposit an atomic layer on the substrate surface. Therefore, during the atomic layer deposition process, the above steps S10, S1, and S2 can be repeated to deposit multiple atomic layers on the substrate surface.

[0087] Furthermore, in some embodiments, before step S10, that is, before controlling the evacuation device 7 to extract the gas inside the process chamber 6, the gas control method further includes:

[0088] Close the air inlet 61 of the process chamber 6 and open the air outlet 62 of the process chamber 6 so that the air extraction device 7 can extract air from the process chamber 6.

[0089] In some embodiments, before step S1, that is, before controlling the gas delivery device to deliver process gas to the process chamber 6, the gas control method further includes:

[0090] Close the second on / off valve 51 and open the first on / off valve 41, and fill the gas storage chamber 1a with process gas in preparation for supplying gas to the process chamber 6 during the subsequent step S1.

[0091] It should be noted that the above-mentioned step of filling the gas storage tank 1 with gas can be performed between step S10 and step S1, before step S10, or simultaneously with step S10.

[0092] The gas control method proposed in this embodiment, by controlling the gas delivery device to reduce the volume of its gas storage chamber during the process of delivering process gas to the process chamber, can increase the gas pressure inside the gas storage chamber, thereby maintaining the gas pressure difference between the process chamber and the gas storage chamber, ensuring the flow rate of the process gas, and thus enabling a large amount of process gas to be introduced into the process chamber in a short time.

[0093] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gas delivery device for a semiconductor process apparatus, comprising a gas storage tank connected to a process chamber; characterized in that, Also include: Pressure control assembly and pressure detection assembly; wherein, The pressure control assembly has a movable sealing end; The sealing end is movably sealed with the inner surface of the gas storage tank to divide the gas storage tank into a gas storage cavity and an auxiliary cavity; The gas storage cavity is used for storing process gas; the pressure detection assembly is used for detecting the internal gas pressure of the gas storage cavity; the sealing end is used for changing the volume of the gas storage cavity by movement to control the internal gas pressure of the gas storage cavity within a preset pressure range.

2. The gas delivery device of claim 1, wherein, The pressure control assembly includes a movable plate and a driving component; The movable plate serves as the sealing end; the edge of the movable plate is movably sealed with the inner surface of the gas storage tank; the driving component is used to drive the movable plate to move; The gas delivery device further includes a control assembly; the control assembly is respectively connected with the pressure detection assembly and the driving component; the control assembly is used to control the driving component to drive the movable plate to move according to the real-time gas pressure of the gas storage cavity, so as to control the internal gas pressure of the gas storage cavity within the preset pressure range.

3. The gas delivery device of claim 2, wherein, The pressure control assembly further includes: A guide rod, which is movable relative to the gas storage tank in a direction perpendicular to the movable plate; in a direction parallel to the movable plate, the guide rod is limitedly matched with the gas storage tank; the guide rod is connected with the movable plate to guide the movable plate to move in the direction perpendicular to the movable plate.

4. The gas delivery device of claim 3, wherein, The pressure control assembly further includes: An elastic component, which is respectively connected with the gas storage tank and the guide rod; the elastic component is used to drive the guide rod to move along the axis direction of the elastic component by using the elasticity of the elastic component.

5. The gas delivery device of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein, The driving component includes: A fluid source, which is communicated with the auxiliary cavity, is used to fill the auxiliary cavity with fluid and drive the movable plate to move to one side of the gas storage cavity by the fluid, so as to reduce the volume of the gas storage cavity.

6. The gas delivery device of claim 3, wherein, The driving component includes a rack, a gear and a driving motor; The rack is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the movable plate; one end of the guide rod is connected with the movable plate, and the other end extends to the outside of the gas storage tank and is fixedly connected with the rack; The gear is engaged with the rack; The driving motor is drivingly connected with the gear to drive the gear to rotate; The control assembly is connected with the driving motor in communication; the control assembly is used to control the driving motor to drive the gear to rotate according to the real-time gas pressure of the gas storage cavity, so as to control the internal gas pressure of the gas storage cavity within the preset pressure range.

7. The gas delivery device of claim 1, wherein The gas storage tank includes a first sub-tank body and a second sub-tank body which are communicated with each other; the first sub-tank body is respectively communicated with an external process gas source and the process chamber; the sealing end is movably arranged in the second sub-tank body; The inner surface of the connection between the first sub-tank body and the second sub-tank body is arc-shaped.

8. The gas delivery device of claim 1, wherein, Further include a first gas delivery pipe and a second gas delivery pipe; The first gas delivery pipe is connected with an external process gas source and a gas inlet of the gas storage cavity respectively; a first on-off valve is arranged in the first gas delivery pipe to control the opening and closing of the first gas delivery pipe; The second gas delivery pipe is connected with the gas outlet of the process chamber and the gas storage chamber respectively; a second on-off valve is arranged in the second gas delivery pipe to control the opening and closing of the second gas delivery pipe.

9. The gas delivery device of claim 8, wherein, The detection end of the pressure detection assembly is capable of contacting the gas environment inside the gas storage chamber; the detection end of the pressure detection assembly is located downstream of the first on-off valve and upstream of the second on-off valve.

10. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized by, The process chamber, the gas extraction device and the gas delivery device as claimed in any one of claims 1-9 are included. The gas extraction device is connected with the gas outlet of the process chamber to extract the gas inside the process chamber; the gas delivery device is connected with the gas inlet of the process chamber to deliver the process gas to the process chamber.

11. A gas control method applied to the semiconductor process apparatus according to claim 10, wherein The gas control method comprises: controlling the gas delivery device to deliver the process gas to the process chamber and detecting the gas pressure inside the gas storage chamber; judging whether the real-time gas pressure inside the gas storage chamber is located in a preset pressure range; if not, controlling the sealing end to change the volume of the gas storage chamber to control the gas pressure inside the gas storage chamber in the preset pressure range.

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