Vacuum system, control method thereof and semiconductor production equipment
By using a multi-to-multi vacuum network connection system, and by utilizing shared pipelines, vacuum isolation valves, and miniature exhaust gas treatment devices, the problem of production interruptions caused by vacuum device failures has been solved, thereby improving the stability and flexibility of production.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-10
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-31
AI Technical Summary
In traditional vacuum systems, malfunctions of the vacuum device can disrupt the vacuum conditions in the production unit, potentially leading to wafer scrapping and poor production stability.
A multi-to-multi vacuum network connection system is adopted, which cross-connects the vacuum subsystems of multiple production units through shared pipelines. Vacuum isolation valves and miniature exhaust gas treatment devices are set up to automatically switch to other vacuum devices to maintain the vacuum environment in case of failure and to pre-treat reaction byproducts.
It effectively avoids product scrapping due to single point of failure, improves production stability and reliability, reduces quality risks, and adapts to various process requirements.
Smart Images
Figure CN121768940A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor equipment technology, and in particular to a vacuum system and its control method, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Background Technology
[0002] Semiconductor chip manufacturing, such as etching and thin film processes, has extremely high requirements for the vacuum environment. Traditional vacuum systems are a one-to-one connection mode where one production unit is equipped with one vacuum device. Once a component, such as the vacuum pump, fails, the corresponding production unit cannot work properly, and the wafers being processed may be scrapped, resulting in significant losses. Summary of the Invention
[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide at least one vacuum system and its control method, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment, which will at least prevent product scrapping due to the failure of a single piece of equipment, thereby improving production stability.
[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, at least one embodiment of this application provides a vacuum system, comprising: multiple sets of single production unit vacuum subsystems and multiple shared pipelines, each set of single production unit vacuum subsystems including a production unit device and a vacuum device connected through an intermediate pipeline; each set of single production unit vacuum subsystems is connected to at least one other set of single production unit vacuum subsystems through at least one of the shared pipelines, and the connection point with the shared pipeline is located on the intermediate pipeline; Each of the common pipelines is equipped with a vacuum isolation valve for controlling the conduction state of the common pipeline. When the vacuum device in any of the single production unit vacuum subsystems fails, at least one of the common pipelines connected to the single production unit vacuum subsystem is controlled to be open, so that the single production unit vacuum subsystem can borrow the vacuum devices in at least one other set of single production unit vacuum subsystems connected to it to maintain the vacuum environment.
[0005] In some alternative embodiments, each of the single production unit vacuum subsystems is connected to at most two other single production unit vacuum subsystems via two of the shared pipelines, and the multiple single production unit vacuum subsystems are sequentially connected to each other via the multiple shared pipelines.
[0006] In some optional embodiments, each of the shared pipelines is further provided with a miniature exhaust gas treatment device, which, when the vacuum device in any of the single production unit vacuum subsystems fails, controls the opening of the miniature exhaust gas treatment device located on the shared pipeline in the conducting state, in order to pre-treat the reaction byproducts generated when the vacuum device of any of the single production unit vacuum subsystems fails.
[0007] In some alternative embodiments, the micro exhaust gas treatment device is any one of electric heating, plasma heating, or adsorption.
[0008] In some alternative embodiments, at least one of the two sets of single production unit vacuum subsystems connected by the shared pipeline operates under inconsistent production conditions.
[0009] In some optional embodiments, the vacuum device includes a vacuum control valve and a vacuum pump connected in sequence, and the production unit device is connected to the vacuum control valve through the intermediate pipeline; the vacuum control valve is used to control the conduction state between the vacuum pump connected to it and the intermediate pipeline; when the vacuum pump of any of the single production unit vacuum subsystems fails, the vacuum control valve in any of the single production unit vacuum subsystems is controlled to close, so that the vacuum pump in any of the single production unit vacuum subsystems is disconnected from the production unit device.
[0010] In some optional embodiments, the production unit device includes a production unit, a primary isolation valve, and a pressure control valve connected in sequence; the pressure control valve in the production unit device is connected to the vacuum device through the intermediate pipeline; the production unit includes a wafer processing chamber; the primary isolation valve is used to perform preliminary vacuum isolation on the production unit; the pressure control valve is used to adjust the reaction pressure of the corresponding production unit in real time to adapt to the vacuum requirements of different processes.
[0011] At least one embodiment of this application also provides a control method for a vacuum system, applied to any of the vacuum systems described above, comprising: Detect the operating status of the vacuum device in each of the single production unit vacuum subsystems; When the vacuum device of any of the single production unit vacuum subsystems fails, the vacuum isolation valve on at least one common pipeline connected to the single production unit vacuum subsystem is opened to control the opening of the common pipeline so that the single production unit vacuum subsystem can use the vacuum devices of at least one other set of single production unit vacuum subsystems connected to it to maintain the vacuum environment.
[0012] In some optional embodiments, when the vacuum device of any of the single production unit vacuum subsystems fails, the system further includes: The reaction byproducts generated by any of the vacuum devices malfunctioning in a single production unit vacuum subsystem are pretreated to prevent the reaction byproducts from entering other single production unit vacuum subsystems connected to that single production unit vacuum subsystem.
[0013] In some optional embodiments, when the vacuum device of any of the single production unit vacuum subsystems fails, the system further includes: Control the closure of the vacuum control valve in any of the single production unit vacuum subsystems to disconnect the vacuum pump in any of the single production unit vacuum subsystems from the production unit device.
[0014] At least one embodiment of this application also provides a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, including the vacuum system described in any of the preceding claims.
[0015] At least one embodiment of this application also provides an electronic device, including: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, the instructions being executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the above-described control method for a vacuum system.
[0016] At least one embodiment of this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the above-described control method for a vacuum system.
[0017] The vacuum system and its control method, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment provided in the embodiments of this application, compared with the prior art, include multiple sets of single production unit vacuum subsystems and multiple common pipelines. Each set of single production unit vacuum subsystems includes a production unit device and a vacuum device connected through an intermediate pipeline. Each set of single production unit vacuum subsystems is connected to at least one other set of single production unit vacuum subsystems through at least one common pipeline, and the connection point with the common pipeline is located on the intermediate pipeline. Each common pipeline is provided with a vacuum isolation valve for controlling the conduction state of the common pipeline. When the vacuum device in any single production unit vacuum subsystem fails, at least one common pipeline connected to that single production unit vacuum subsystem is controlled to be open, so that the single production unit vacuum subsystem borrows the vacuum device in the other at least one set of single production unit vacuum subsystems connected to it to maintain a vacuum environment. This application provides a many-to-many vacuum network connection system that cross-connects multiple production unit devices and multiple vacuum devices through shared pipelines to form an integrated connection network. Even if a vacuum device in any single production unit vacuum subsystem fails, the vacuum system can immediately switch online to the vacuum devices of other single production unit vacuum subsystems to provide a vacuum environment for that single production unit vacuum subsystem, ensuring that the vacuum environment of the production unit device is not damaged. This fundamentally avoids product scrapping due to "single point failure" and can effectively avoid quality risks caused by vacuum device failure. Attached Figure Description
[0018] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference numerals in the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.
[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vacuum system in the prior art; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vacuum system provided according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vacuum system according to another embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the piping structure in a vacuum system according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a control method for a vacuum system according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a block diagram of an electronic device provided according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation
[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the various embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those skilled in the art will understand that many technical details have been presented in the various embodiments of this application to enable the reader to better understand this application. However, the technical solutions claimed in this application can be implemented even without these technical details and various changes and modifications based on the following embodiments.
[0021] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, relevant content regarding vacuum systems will be introduced first.
[0022] With the advent of the era of big data, AI, and artificial intelligence, the global semiconductor industry is constantly developing, especially the semiconductor chip manufacturing industry, such as power chips, IC chips, and memory chips. The entire chip wafer manufacturing process mainly includes photolithography, etching, diffusion, thin film deposition, and back-side etching. Each wafer process requires semiconductor production equipment to meet high cleanliness, low leakage rates, and high vacuum requirements. Thin film deposition and etching processes, in particular, have extremely high vacuum requirements, often reaching E-8 torr pressure levels. Therefore, vacuum systems are introduced into the thin film deposition, diffusion, and etching processes in semiconductor chip manufacturing. The working principle of a vacuum system is that a vacuum pump rotates at high speed to remove gas from the pipeline, reducing the pressure in the pipeline, thereby enabling the production equipment to meet the vacuum requirements of the process.
[0023] Taking thin film deposition as an example, the vacuum system in traditional semiconductor manufacturing equipment uses, for example... Figure 1 The one-to-one connection shown in the diagram, where each production unit 10 is equipped with a vacuum device 20, has the advantage that each production unit is independent and does not interfere with each other, and each vacuum system is independently controlled. The disadvantage is that if any component in the vacuum system is damaged, such as a vacuum pump failure, the vacuum system cannot operate normally. In severe cases, it can lead to the destruction of the vacuum conditions in the production unit, which will pose a quality risk to the wafers being processed in the production unit, often resulting in scrapping. This risk is most serious in diffusion furnace tubes, where each failure may lead to the scrapping of hundreds of products.
[0024] Example 1: The embodiments of this application relate to a vacuum system. Compared with the prior art, the embodiments of this application propose a many-to-many vacuum network connection, which cross-connects multiple production unit devices and multiple vacuum devices through shared pipelines to form an integrated connection network. Even if the vacuum device in any single production unit vacuum subsystem fails, the vacuum system can immediately switch online to the vacuum device of other single production unit vacuum subsystems to provide a vacuum environment for that single production unit vacuum subsystem, fundamentally avoiding product scrapping due to "single point failure" and effectively avoiding quality risks caused by vacuum device failure.
[0025] The implementation details of the vacuum system in this embodiment are described below. The following content is only for the convenience of understanding and is not necessary for implementing this solution.
[0026] like Figure 2 As shown, the embodiments of this application provide a vacuum system, including: multiple sets of single production unit vacuum subsystems 100 and multiple shared pipelines 200. Each set of single production unit vacuum subsystems 100 is an independent basic functional unit. The shared pipelines 200 realize the cross-interconnection of multiple sets of subsystems to form a complete many-to-many vacuum network.
[0027] like Figure 2 As shown, each single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 includes a production unit device 110 and a vacuum device 120 connected by an intermediate pipeline 130. The shared pipeline 200 is key to interconnecting multiple single production unit vacuum subsystems 100. Each single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 is connected to at least one other single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 through at least one shared pipeline 200, with the connection point located on the intermediate pipeline 130.
[0028] Each shared pipeline 200 is equipped with a vacuum isolation valve 300 for controlling the conduction state of the corresponding shared pipeline 200. The vacuum isolation valve 300 adopts a normally closed design, that is, it remains closed under normal working conditions to prevent fluctuations in the vacuum environment caused by pipeline interconnection between different single production unit vacuum subsystems 100. When the vacuum device 120 of a certain single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 fails, the vacuum isolation valve 300 on at least one shared pipeline 200 connected to that single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 will automatically open to conduct the corresponding shared pipeline 200. This allows the production unit vacuum subsystem 100 whose vacuum device 120 has failed to borrow the vacuum devices 120 of other production unit vacuum subsystems to provide a conduction channel, thereby using the vacuum devices 120 in at least one other set of single production unit vacuum subsystems 100 connected to it to maintain the vacuum environment.
[0029] The vacuum system provided in this application embodiment is designed with multiple sets of single production unit vacuum subsystems 100 connected to a common pipeline 200. When the vacuum device 120 of any single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 fails, the vacuum environment can be maintained by borrowing the vacuum devices 120 of other single production unit vacuum subsystems 100 through the common pipeline 200. This completely avoids the production interruption and wafer scrapping problems caused by single point failure in the traditional "one-to-one" mode, and significantly improves the reliability and production stability of the system.
[0030] In one embodiment, the production conditions of each single-production-unit vacuum subsystem can be consistent. For example, for a single-production-unit vacuum subsystem 100, the vacuum system pressure is maintained between 0.1 and 400 torr.
[0031] The vacuum system provided in this application is particularly suitable for semiconductor production equipment of the same type, such as PECVD, SACVD, and LPCVD. It can meet the vacuum environment requirements of various semiconductor manufacturing processes such as photolithography, etching, diffusion, and thin film deposition, and has broad application prospects.
[0032] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, each single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 can be connected to another single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 through one, two or more sets of shared pipelines 200, so as to flexibly adapt to production needs through a many-to-many network design to meet different production scales, process complexity and stability requirements.
[0033] Regardless of the number of shared pipelines 200, the connection between each single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 and the shared pipeline 200 is located on the intermediate pipeline 130. This shared pipeline 200 serves as the channel for connecting any two single production unit vacuum subsystems 100. When each single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 is connected to at least two other single production unit vacuum subsystems 100 through at least two shared pipelines 200, each single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 possesses multiple redundancy backup capabilities. In the event of a failure of a single single production unit vacuum subsystem 100, other single production unit vacuum subsystems 100 can be flexibly selected as backup vacuum devices 120, resulting in significantly higher vacuum stability than a one-to-one interconnection structure.
[0034] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, when a single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 in a vacuum system is connected to at least two other single production unit vacuum subsystems 100 via at least two shared pipelines 200, if the vacuum device 120 of any single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 fails, the vacuum isolation valve 300 on one of the shared pipelines 200 connected to that single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 can be opened to maintain the vacuum environment using the vacuum device 120 of the single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 at the other end of the shared pipeline. To ensure the stability of the vacuum level of the failed single production unit vacuum subsystem 100, the vacuum isolation valves 300 on the two shared pipelines 200 connected to that single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 can also be opened simultaneously, thereby using two sets of vacuum devices to maintain the vacuum environment of all three single production unit vacuum subsystems 100.
[0035] The vacuum system in this embodiment can completely eliminate the risk of vacuum failure caused by a single point of failure by having multiple redundant backups. Even if 2-3 standby single production unit vacuum subsystems 100 are at full load at the same time, vacuum resources can still be allocated through other shared pipelines 200.
[0036] In one embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, in order to optimize the network structure and reduce control complexity, each single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 is connected to at most two other single production unit vacuum subsystems 100 through at most two shared pipelines 200. Multiple subsystems are sequentially connected through multiple shared pipelines 200 to form an ordered network topology.
[0037] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the production unit device 110 includes a production unit 111, a primary isolation valve 112, and a pressure control valve 113 connected in sequence. The production unit 111 can be a vacuum chamber, such as a wafer processing chamber. The wafer processing chamber is the core location for wafer processing and requires a high level of cleanliness and a stable vacuum environment. The primary isolation valve 112 provides initial vacuum isolation to the production unit, preventing external gases or impurities from entering and ensuring the stability of the initial vacuum environment. The pressure control valve 113 can be flexibly selected according to the vacuum requirements of specific production processes. It can adjust the reaction pressure of the corresponding production unit in real time, adapting to the differentiated vacuum requirements of different processes, such as thin film deposition, etching, and diffusion, ensuring the process accuracy of the production process.
[0038] In one embodiment, the vacuum device 120 includes a vacuum control valve 121 and a vacuum pump 122 connected in sequence. The vacuum control valve 121 is installed between the intermediate pipeline 130 and the vacuum pump 122 to control the conduction state between the vacuum pump 122 and the intermediate pipeline 130. The vacuum control valve 121 is normally open, meaning it remains open during normal operation to ensure that the vacuum pump 122 connected to it can continuously provide a vacuum environment for the corresponding upstream production unit. When the vacuum pump 122 in any single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 fails, the vacuum control valve 121 corresponding to that vacuum pump 122 will automatically close, cutting off the connection between the failed vacuum pump 122 and the production unit device 110, thereby preventing the failure from affecting the vacuum environment of the upstream pipeline.
[0039] As the core equipment for generating and maintaining a vacuum environment, the vacuum pump 122 must possess high pumping efficiency, high temperature resistance, and corrosion resistance to adapt to the harsh environment of semiconductor manufacturing. To ensure the stability of the vacuum level during the failure switching of vacuum devices 120 in any single production unit vacuum subsystem 100, the pumping rate of the vacuum pump 122 needs to be designed with a redundancy of 50%-100%. That is, the actual pumping capacity of a single vacuum pump 122 is much higher than its normal operating requirements, enabling it to meet the vacuum requirements of its corresponding production unit while also providing vacuum support for single production unit vacuum subsystems 100 in the event of failure of other vacuum devices 120.
[0040] Example 2: According to an exemplary embodiment, most of the contents of the vacuum system in this embodiment are the same as those in the above embodiments. The difference between this embodiment and the above embodiments is that, Figure 2 or Figure 3 As shown, in order to enhance the adaptability to working conditions and eliminate safety hazards, a miniature exhaust gas treatment device 400 is installed on each common pipeline 200.
[0041] The miniature exhaust gas treatment device 400 is selectively activated according to production process requirements to pretreat reaction byproducts and ensure safe system operation. By installing the miniature exhaust gas treatment device 400 on the common pipeline 200, when the vacuum device 120 in any single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 fails, the miniature exhaust gas treatment device 400 located on the common pipeline 200 in the conducting state is activated to pretreat the reaction byproducts generated when the vacuum device 120 of any single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 fails.
[0042] In this embodiment, at least one of the two sets of single-production-unit vacuum subsystems 100 connected by a shared pipeline 200 equipped with a miniature exhaust gas treatment device 400 operates under different conditions. By installing the miniature exhaust gas treatment device 400 on the shared pipeline 200, the reaction byproducts of different production units can be pretreated and converted into inert solids or gases, avoiding cross-contamination when different operating units are networked. This not only prevents the chemical reaction caused by the mixing of byproducts from affecting the performance of the vacuum pump, but also eliminates safety hazards such as explosions, enabling the vacuum subsystems 100 of different operating conditions to achieve network connectivity.
[0043] The miniature exhaust gas treatment device 400 can be directly installed on the common pipeline 200, breaking the space limitations of traditional large exhaust gas treatment devices and enabling production units under different operating conditions to be safely and stably connected to the same vacuum network.
[0044] In one embodiment, depending on the process type, electric heating, plasma heating, or adsorption heating can be selected. Electric heating is mainly used in thin film processes such as PSG, BSG, BPSG, SiO2, SiOx, SiN, SiNx, and TiN; plasma heating is mainly used in etching processes; and adsorption heating is mainly used in implantation processes.
[0045] It should be noted that the production conditions of any two sets of single production unit vacuum subsystems directly connected by a shared pipeline can also be kept consistent. This design can further reduce the risk of cross-contamination, ensure the stability of the vacuum environment of each single production unit vacuum subsystem, and at the same time simplify the control logic and improve the system operating efficiency.
[0046] The length and diameter of the tubing in the vacuum system, including the intermediate tubing 130 and the common tubing 200, can be flexibly selected according to the actual vacuum environment requirements, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the pipe shapes include straight pipes, angled bends, and bends with cold wells, to adapt to different installation spaces and airflow guidance requirements.
[0047] Example 3: The embodiments of this application also provide a control method for a vacuum system, applicable to the vacuum system provided in any of the above embodiments, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the control method of this vacuum system includes: Step S110: Detect the operating status of the vacuum device in each single production unit vacuum subsystem; Step S120: When the vacuum device of any single production unit vacuum subsystem fails, control the opening of the vacuum isolation valve on at least one common pipeline connected to the single production unit vacuum subsystem, so as to control the opening of the common pipeline, so that the single production unit vacuum subsystem can borrow the vacuum devices of at least one other single production unit vacuum subsystem connected to it to maintain the vacuum environment.
[0048] The core of this control method lies in fault detection and automatic switching. Through signal interconnection and logic control of hardware components, it achieves stable maintenance of the vacuum environment and continuous production process. The specific control method is as follows: Under normal working conditions: like Figure 2 As shown, under normal operating conditions, each individual production unit vacuum subsystem 100 operates independently. Vacuum control valve 121 is normally open, and vacuum pump 122 runs continuously, providing a stable vacuum environment to the corresponding production unit 111 via intermediate pipeline 130. Production unit 111 is used for wafer processing. Primary isolation valve 112 provides initial vacuum isolation to the production unit, and pressure control valve 113 regulates the reaction pressure within the production unit in real time to ensure compliance with process requirements. Vacuum isolation valves 300 on each shared pipeline 200 are normally closed, ensuring isolation between individual production unit vacuum subsystems 100 via shared pipelines 200 to prevent mutual interference. The operating status of the vacuum devices 120 in each individual production unit vacuum subsystem 100 is monitored in real time during production.
[0049] Under fault conditions: like Figure 2As shown, when a vacuum device 120 in a single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 malfunctions, the vacuum system will initiate an automatic switching procedure. The specific process is as follows: The vacuum system monitors the operating status of the vacuum pump 122 in each single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 in real time, such as speed, pumping efficiency, and pressure changes. When a malfunction is detected in the vacuum pump 122 of a single production unit vacuum subsystem 100, a fault signal is transmitted to a vacuum isolation valve 300 on at least one common pipeline 200 connected to that single production unit vacuum subsystem 100. Upon receiving the fault signal, the vacuum isolation valve 300 switches from a normally closed state to an open state, connecting the corresponding common pipeline 200. After the common pipeline 200 is connected, the production unit device 110 of the malfunctioning single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 establishes a connection with the vacuum device 120 of the adjacent normal single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 through the common pipeline 200, so as to borrow the vacuum pump 122 of the normal single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 to maintain the vacuum environment. Because the vacuum pump 122 in normal condition has sufficient pumping rate redundancy, it can meet the vacuum requirements of the vacuum subsystem 100 of a single production unit in a faulty state while meeting the vacuum requirements of its corresponding production unit. This ensures that the vacuum level in the production unit always meets the process standards, so that the ongoing wafer processing process is not affected.
[0050] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 or Figure 3 As shown, when the vacuum device of any single production unit vacuum subsystem fails, it also includes: The reaction byproducts generated by a single production unit vacuum subsystem that malfunctions in any vacuum device are pretreated to prevent them from entering other single production unit vacuum subsystems connected to that single production unit vacuum subsystem.
[0051] Specifically, when the vacuum device 120 of a single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 malfunctions, the miniature exhaust gas treatment device 400 located on the common pipeline 200 which is in the conducting state can also be controlled to open simultaneously to pre-treat the reaction byproducts generated when the vacuum device 120 of the single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 malfunctions.
[0052] Specifically, in this embodiment, when a fault is detected in the vacuum pump 122 of a single production unit vacuum subsystem 100, the fault signal can be immediately transmitted to the miniature exhaust gas treatment device 400 on the shared pipeline 200 connected to and in a conductive state with the single production unit vacuum subsystem 100. This causes the miniature exhaust gas treatment device 400 to start working and pre-treat the reaction byproducts in the production unit of the faulty single production unit vacuum subsystem 100, such as converting them into inert substances, so as to avoid or prevent them from entering the pipelines or vacuum pumps 122 of other single production unit vacuum subsystems 100 connected to the faulty single production unit vacuum subsystem 100.
[0053] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 or Figure 3 As shown, when the vacuum device 120 of a certain single production unit vacuum subsystem 100 fails, the fault signal can be immediately transmitted to the vacuum control valve 121 corresponding to the single production unit vacuum subsystem 100. After receiving the fault signal, the vacuum control valve 121 immediately switches from the normally open state to the closed state to cut off the connection between the faulty vacuum pump 122 and the intermediate pipeline 130, so as to prevent pressure fluctuations, gas backflow and other problems at the fault end from being transmitted to the upstream production unit device 110, and ensure that the vacuum environment in the production unit remains stable for a short period of time.
[0054] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 or Figure 3 As shown, when the faulty vacuum pump 122 is isolated by the vacuum control valve 121, maintenance personnel can perform online replacement and maintenance on the faulty vacuum pump 122 without interrupting the normal production of other production units. After maintenance is completed, the vacuum system detects that the vacuum pump 122 has returned to normal operation, and can control the vacuum control valve 121 connected to it to switch back to the normally open state, control the corresponding vacuum isolation valve 300 to close, control the micro exhaust gas treatment device 400 to stop working, and the vacuum system returns to normal working state.
[0055] Example 4: This application also provides a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, which includes the vacuum system provided in any of the above embodiments. This semiconductor manufacturing apparatus can be used to manufacture various semiconductor products such as power chips, IC chips, and memory chips. It is particularly suitable for semiconductor manufacturing equipment of the same type as PECVD, SACVD, and LPCVD, and can meet the requirements of high cleanliness and high vacuum environments for various core processes such as photolithography, etching, diffusion, and thin film deposition.
[0056] Thanks to the aforementioned vacuum system, this semiconductor manufacturing equipment offers the following advantages: significantly improved continuity and stability of the production process, effectively reducing the risk of wafer scrap due to vacuum system failure; it is also adaptable to various process conditions, offering high production flexibility, convenient maintenance, and reduced production costs.
[0057] Example 5: Another embodiment of this application relates to an electronic device, such as... Figure 6 As shown, it includes: at least one processor 601; and a memory 602 communicatively connected to the at least one processor 601; wherein the memory 602 stores instructions executable by the at least one processor 601, the instructions being executed by the at least one processor 601 to enable the at least one processor 601 to perform the control method of the vacuum system in the above embodiments.
[0058] The memory and processor are connected via a bus, which can include any number of interconnecting buses and bridges, connecting various circuits of one or more processors and memories. The bus can also connect various other circuits, such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and will not be described further herein. The bus interface provides an interface between the bus and the transceiver. The transceiver can be a single element or multiple elements, such as multiple receivers and transmitters, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices over a transmission medium. Data processed by the processor is transmitted over the wireless medium via an antenna, which further receives data and transmits it to the processor.
[0059] The processor manages the bus and general processing, and also provides various functions, including timing, peripheral interfaces, voltage regulation, power management, and other control functions. Memory is used to store data used by the processor during operation.
[0060] Example 6: Another embodiment of this application relates to a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When executed by a processor, the computer program implements the method embodiments described above.
[0061] That is, those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps in the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by a program instructing related hardware. This program is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a device (which may be a microcontroller, chip, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.
[0062] It should be understood that the terms "mechanism," "device," "component," etc., used in this application are merely one method of distinguishing different components, elements, parts, sections, or assemblies at different levels. However, if other terms can achieve the same purpose, they can be replaced by other expressions.
[0063] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above embodiments are specific examples of implementing this application. In practical applications, the technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification, and various changes can be made to them in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of this application.
Claims
1. A vacuum system, characterized by The application relates to a single-production-unit vacuum system, which comprises a plurality of single-production-unit vacuum subsystems and a plurality of shared pipelines, each single-production-unit vacuum subsystem comprises a production unit device and a vacuum device which are connected through an intermediate pipeline, each single-production-unit vacuum subsystem is connected with at least one single-production-unit vacuum subsystem through at least one shared pipeline, and the connection position of the shared pipeline is located on the intermediate pipeline. When the vacuum device in any single-production-unit vacuum subsystem fails, at least one shared pipeline connected with the single-production-unit vacuum subsystem is controlled to be in a conducting state, so that the single-production-unit vacuum subsystem can maintain a vacuum environment by borrowing the vacuum device in at least one single-production-unit vacuum subsystem. Each single-production-unit vacuum subsystem is connected with at most two single-production-unit vacuum subsystems through at most two shared pipelines, and the plurality of single-production-unit vacuum subsystems are sequentially connected through the plurality of shared pipelines.
2. The vacuum system of claim 1, wherein, Each shared pipeline is further provided with a micro tail gas treatment device, when the vacuum device in any single-production-unit vacuum subsystem fails, the micro tail gas treatment device on the shared pipeline in the conducting state is controlled to be opened, so as to pretreat the reaction byproducts generated when the vacuum device in the single-production-unit vacuum subsystem fails.
3. The vacuum system of claim 1, wherein, The micro tail gas treatment device is any one of an electric heating type, a plasma heating type or an adsorption type.
4. The vacuum system of claim 3, wherein, The production conditions of the two single-production-unit vacuum subsystems connected by at least one shared pipeline are inconsistent.
5. The vacuum system of claim 3, wherein, The vacuum device comprises a vacuum control valve and a vacuum pump which are sequentially connected, and the production unit device is connected with the vacuum control valve through the intermediate pipeline; the vacuum control valve is used for controlling the conducting state between the vacuum pump connected with the vacuum control valve and the intermediate pipeline; when the vacuum pump in any single-production-unit vacuum subsystem fails, the vacuum control valve in the single-production-unit vacuum subsystem is controlled to be closed, so that the vacuum pump in the single-production-unit vacuum subsystem is disconnected with the production unit device.
6. The vacuum system of claim 1, wherein, The production unit device comprises a production unit, a primary isolation valve and a pressure control valve which are sequentially connected; the pressure control valve in the production unit device is connected with the vacuum device through the intermediate pipeline; the production unit device comprises a wafer processing chamber; the primary isolation valve is used for primary vacuum isolation of the production unit; and the pressure control valve is used for real-time regulation and control of the reaction pressure corresponding to the production unit, so as to adapt to the vacuum degree requirement of different processes.
7. The vacuum system according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The application further relates to a single-production-unit vacuum system control method, which comprises the following steps:
8. A control method of a vacuum system, applied to the vacuum system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, detecting the running state of the vacuum device in each single-production-unit vacuum subsystem; When a vacuum device of any of the single production unit vacuum subsystems fails, a vacuum isolation valve on at least one common line in communication with the any of the single production unit vacuum subsystems is controlled to open to control the passage of the common line to allow the any of the single production unit vacuum subsystems to maintain a vacuum environment by borrowing vacuum from other at least one set of single production unit vacuum subsystems in communication therewith.
9. The control method of a vacuum system according to claim 8, wherein When a vacuum device of any of the single production unit vacuum subsystems fails, further comprising: preconditioning reaction byproducts generated by any of the single production unit vacuum subsystems whose vacuum device has failed to prevent the reaction byproducts from entering other single production unit vacuum subsystems in communication with the any of the single production unit vacuum subsystems.
10. A semiconductor production apparatus characterized by comprising: A vacuum system comprising any of the single production unit vacuum subsystems of claims 1 to 7.