Cleaning device for semiconductor process chamber, process chamber and cleaning method
By combining high-pressure gas purging and vacuum equipment in the semiconductor process chamber, the problems of low efficiency and secondary pollution of existing cleaning methods are solved, realizing automated and thorough cleaning and ensuring the cleanliness of the chamber and production efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-10
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-07
AI Technical Summary
Existing semiconductor process chamber cleaning methods rely on manual operation, which is inefficient, results in uneven cleaning, is difficult to thoroughly clean, and poses a risk of secondary contamination, affecting product performance stability and production efficiency.
The cleaning device combines high-pressure gas purging and vacuum equipment. High-pressure gas is sprayed into the process chamber through a surrounding pipeline to purge and suck up particulate impurities, and the pulsed high-pressure gas improves cleaning efficiency.
It achieves automated and thorough cleaning, avoids the hazards of manual contact with chemical liquids, improves cleaning efficiency, reduces secondary pollution, and ensures the cleanliness of the chamber and the continuity of production.
Smart Images
Figure CN121797697A_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of semiconductor, and in particular, relates to a cleaning device for a semiconductor process chamber, a process chamber and a cleaning method. BACKGROUND
[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing industry, a process chamber is a core component that carries out a process. Deposition or etching reactions can leave particle impurities on the inner wall of the chamber, the base and other components. When the chamber is opened to transfer a wafer, air enters to carry particle impurities, and impurities diffuse back from the gas pipeline or vacuum pump. If these particle impurities are not removed, the particle impurities will be incorporated into the film, causing the film to contain impurities, which can cause product defects or scrap, resulting in economic losses for the enterprise. Therefore, the chamber needs to be cleaned and maintained periodically.
[0003] A semiconductor production line has multiple process chambers, each of which is used to deposit different materials. If the chamber is not thoroughly cleaned, residual particle impurities of the previous material will mix into the next process, contaminating the subsequent wafer.
[0004] Moreover, semiconductor manufacturing is mass production, requiring each wafer and each batch of products to have exactly the same performance. If the cleanliness of the chamber is different, the films deposited by the two processes will differ in thickness, uniformity, composition and stress, etc., resulting in unstable product performance.
[0005] Deposition and etching are both precise chemical reaction processes. Residual particle impurities can interfere with the reaction, possibly becoming an accidental catalyst or reactant, changing the deposition rate, etching rate or reaction path.
[0006] Moreover, residual particle impurities can cause unnecessary side reactions with process gases, consuming gases intended for wafer reactions, causing the process result to deviate from the setting.
[0007] Therefore, the cleaning of the process chamber is crucial. However, the applicant found that the current cleaning method mainly relies on manual cleaning, using dry non-dusting cloth or spraying liquid (such as IPA liquid) to wipe the internal metal surface of the chamber.
[0008] The above method has the following disadvantages: (1) This method relies on manual operation and has low efficiency; (2) Manual operation cannot guarantee the uniformity and thoroughness of cleaning, especially in the corners and other areas inside the chamber; (3) The cleaning liquid is mostly chemical liquid, which can not only react with metal but also harm the operator; (4) The existing method must open the chamber, occupying the effective production time of the equipment; (5) There is also a risk of secondary pollution during manual operation, which further affects the cleaning effect.
[0009] Therefore, developing a process chamber cleaning technology that can thoroughly, safely, and efficiently remove fine particles and dust from the internal surface of process chambers without damaging process chamber components or causing secondary pollution has become a key issue that urgently needs to be addressed in the current semiconductor manufacturing equipment field. Summary of the Invention
[0010] To solve the above problems, this application arranges a surrounding pipeline in the process chamber, introduces high-pressure gas to purge particulate impurities, and uses a vacuum pump to remove the purged particulate impurities, thus ensuring the cleanliness of the process chamber.
[0011] According to a first aspect of this application, a cleaning apparatus for a semiconductor process chamber is provided, comprising: The intake pipe is connected to an external air source at one end and to the surrounding pipe inside the process chamber at the other end. The surrounding pipeline is arranged around the inner cavity of the process chamber; High-pressure nozzle groups are arranged at intervals on the surrounding pipeline, and each high-pressure nozzle group includes multiple high-pressure nozzles; The exhaust pipe is connected to the vacuum equipment and is used to extract particulate impurities that have been purged by high-pressure gas from the process chamber.
[0012] Optionally, the intake and exhaust pipes are located at opposite corners at the lower end of the process chamber.
[0013] Optionally, the surrounding pipeline may use a bend in the process chamber for transition.
[0014] Optionally, the surrounding conduit is arranged in a three-dimensional serpentine bend around the inner cavity of the process chamber.
[0015] Optionally, the high-pressure nozzles of each high-pressure nozzle group are arranged at intervals along the outer circumference of the surrounding pipeline.
[0016] Optionally, an intake valve is provided on the intake pipe located outside the vacuum chamber, and an exhaust valve is provided on the exhaust pipe.
[0017] Optionally, a bypass pipeline connected in parallel with the intake valve is provided on the intake pipeline. A solenoid valve is provided on the bypass pipeline. The solenoid valve is connected to a PLC. The PLC is used to control the solenoid valve to open and close in a set frequency and duty cycle to generate pulsed high-pressure gas.
[0018] According to a second aspect of this application, a semiconductor process chamber with a cleaning function is provided, comprising a process chamber for semiconductor process production, including the cleaning device for semiconductor process chambers described in any of the above claims.
[0019] According to a third aspect of this application, a method for cleaning a semiconductor process chamber is provided, comprising the following steps using the aforementioned semiconductor process chamber cleaning apparatus: Step S1: Open the air inlet valve and close the air extraction valve. High-pressure gas is introduced into the surrounding pipeline through the air inlet pipeline. The high-pressure nozzle sprays high-pressure gas into the process chamber to blow away and remove particulate impurities from various parts of the process chamber. Step S2: Close the air inlet valve and open the air extraction valve to extract the detached particulate impurities from the process chamber using a vacuum pump.
[0020] According to a fourth aspect of this application, a method for cleaning a semiconductor process chamber is provided, comprising the following steps using the aforementioned cleaning apparatus for semiconductor process chambers: Step S10: Close the air inlet valve and the air extraction valve. The PLC controls the solenoid valve to open and close in a cycle with a set frequency and duty cycle to generate pulsed high-pressure gas. The high-pressure nozzle sprays pulsed high-pressure gas into the process chamber to blow away and remove particulate impurities attached to various parts of the process chamber. Step S20: Close the solenoid valve, close the air inlet valve, open the air extraction valve, and use a vacuum pump to extract the detached particulate impurities from the process chamber.
[0021] According to a fifth aspect of this application, a method for cleaning a semiconductor process chamber is provided, comprising the following steps using the semiconductor process chamber cleaning apparatus described above: Step S100: Close the air inlet valve and the air extraction valve. The PLC controls the solenoid valve to open and close in a cycle with a set frequency and duty cycle to generate pulsed high-pressure gas. The high-pressure nozzle sprays pulsed high-pressure gas into the process chamber to blow away and remove particulate impurities attached to various parts of the process chamber. Step S200: Open the air inlet valve, close the solenoid valve, close the exhaust valve, and introduce high-pressure gas into the surrounding pipeline through the air inlet pipeline. The high-pressure nozzle sprays high-pressure gas into the process chamber to further blow away the particulate impurities that have fallen off from various parts of the process chamber. Step S300: Close the solenoid valve, close the air inlet valve, open the air extraction valve, and use a vacuum pump to extract the detached particulate impurities from the process chamber.
[0022] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following advantages: (1) It can automatically perform cleaning operations, which is more convenient than traditional manual operations; (2) The surrounding pipeline can deliver high-pressure gas to all parts of the process chamber, so that the high-pressure gas can clean every corner of the process chamber, making the cleaning more thorough; (3) For stubborn particulate impurities, the impact intensity on particulate impurities can be increased by pulsed high-pressure gas, thereby improving the purging efficiency of particulate impurities. (4) It can avoid the hazards that may occur from manual contact with chemical liquids using traditional methods; (5) Cleaning operations can be performed without damaging the chamber seal, which can avoid the helium detection process and improve work efficiency; (6) No manual operation is required, thus avoiding secondary pollution that may be caused by manual operation. Attached Figure Description
[0023] Figure 1 This is a front view of a semiconductor process chamber cleaning device installed on a process chamber, according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This is a top view of a semiconductor process chamber cleaning device installed on a process chamber, according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the undulating surrounding pipeline of a semiconductor process chamber cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning apparatus for semiconductor process chambers according to an embodiment of this application, used to purge particulate impurities. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a cleaning device for a semiconductor process chamber according to an embodiment of this application, which is used to remove particulate impurities. Figure 6 This is a front view of a semiconductor process chamber cleaning device including a solenoid valve installed on a process chamber, according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 This is a flowchart of a semiconductor process chamber cleaning method according to a third aspect of the embodiments of this application; Figure 8 This is a flowchart of a semiconductor process chamber cleaning method according to the fourth aspect of the embodiments of this application; Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a semiconductor process chamber cleaning method according to the fifth aspect of the present application.
[0024] Figure reference numerals: 1. Process chamber; 2. High-pressure nozzle; 3. Inlet pipe; 4. Inlet valve; 5. External air source; 6. Base; 7. Exhaust pipe; 8. Extraction valve; 9. Vacuum equipment; 31. Circulating pipe; 32. Solenoid valve; 33. Bypass pipe. Detailed Implementation
[0025] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0026] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a detachable connection or a non-detachable connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. "Fixed connection" refers to a connection where the relative positional relationship remains unchanged after the connection. The directional terms mentioned in the embodiments of this application, such as "upper," "lower," "inner," and "outer," are only for reference to the directions in the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are for better and clearer explanation and understanding of the embodiments of this application, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application.
[0027] Different processes in wafer manufacturing utilize different process chambers. For example, process chambers for thin film deposition are used to coat the wafer surface with a thin film of a material with specific functions. In CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) processes, the process chamber generates a solid film by chemically reacting a gas on the high-temperature wafer surface. In PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) processes, the process chamber transforms a solid material source into a gaseous state using physical methods (such as evaporation or sputtering), which then condenses onto the wafer surface.
[0028] For example, in a process chamber where etching is performed, physical or chemical methods are used to selectively remove material from the wafer surface, leaving the desired pattern.
[0029] Regardless of the type of process chamber, particulate impurities may remain inside. Therefore, it is essential to use the semiconductor process chamber with automatic cleaning function described in this application to clean particulate impurities from the chamber.
[0030] According to the first aspect of this application, this embodiment provides a cleaning device for semiconductor process chambers, not limited to PVD, CVD, or etching processes, etc. Please refer to... Figure 1 , Figure 2 It includes an intake pipe 3 for introducing high-pressure gas into the surrounding pipe 31; the surrounding pipe 31 for delivering high-pressure gas to various parts of the process chamber 1; a high-pressure nozzle 2 for spraying the high-pressure gas in the surrounding pipe 31 into the process chamber to purge particulate impurities; and an exhaust pipe 7 connected to a vacuum pump for extracting particulate impurities from the process chamber 1.
[0031] One end of the intake pipe 3 is connected to an external air source 5, and the other end extends into the process chamber 1 and connects to the surrounding pipe 31. The intake pipe 3 is located at the lower end of the process chamber 1, for example, in a corner of its lower end. The surrounding pipe 31 is a pipe arranged around the inner cavity of the process chamber 1. By connecting the intake pipe 3 to the surrounding pipe 31, high-pressure gas input from the external air source 5 can be input into the surrounding pipe 31, allowing the high-pressure gas to flow around to any position around the inner cavity of the process chamber 1.
[0032] The surrounding pipeline 31 uses bends at the four corners of the process chamber to allow the high-pressure airflow to flow smoothly.
[0033] In addition, since most particulate impurities will be deposited at the bottom of the process chamber 1, in this embodiment the surrounding pipe 31 is set at a location close to the bottom of the process chamber 1, for example, at a height of 10cm from the bottom of the process chamber 1.
[0034] However, since particulate impurities are relatively light, they may also adhere to the process chamber 1 and various components such as the base 6. Simply introducing high-pressure gas from the bottom is insufficient to effectively remove these particulate impurities. Therefore, if... Figure 3 As shown, the surrounding pipe 31 can be arranged in a undulating form around the inner cavity of the process chamber 1. This undulating form allows the surrounding pipe 31 to pass through particulate impurities remaining at different heights as much as possible.
[0035] Alternatively, the surrounding pipe 31 can also be a horizontal serpentine bend to pass through different areas of residual particulate impurities in the horizontal direction as much as possible.
[0036] In addition, the surrounding pipe 31 can also be a serpentine bend in three-dimensional space to pass through different areas of residual particulate impurities in different directions in space as much as possible.
[0037] The surrounding conduit 31 can be made of either rigid conduit or flexible conduit. For example, if the surrounding conduit 31 is laid at the bottom of the process chamber, a flexible conduit can be used; if it is in a serpentine bend, a rigid conduit can be used.
[0038] In addition, there can be more than one surrounding pipe 31. For example, one surrounding pipe 31 can be set at a high position and another surrounding pipe 31 can be set at a low position. Both surrounding pipes 31 are connected to the air intake pipe 3. High-pressure gas enters the two surrounding pipes 31 at the same time, which can surround the residual particulate impurities that have passed through different heights.
[0039] The surrounding pipe 31 can be a round pipe, but this application does not exclude the possibility that it can be a square pipe or a pipe with other cross-sectional shapes.
[0040] Multiple high-pressure nozzle groups are connected to the surrounding pipe 31. The high-pressure nozzle groups can be spaced apart along the length of the surrounding pipe 31 to blow high-pressure gas to all corners as much as possible.
[0041] Each high-pressure nozzle group may include multiple high-pressure nozzles 2. The high-pressure nozzles 2 of each high-pressure nozzle group may be arranged at intervals along the outer circumference of the surrounding pipe 31. If the surrounding pipe 31 is a circular pipe, multiple high-pressure nozzles 2 are arranged at intervals along its circumference. For example, if a high-pressure nozzle 2 is arranged at 60° intervals, then the high-pressure nozzle group has 6 high-pressure nozzles 2.
[0042] It should be noted that the number of high-pressure nozzles 2 in the high-pressure nozzle assembly can be set according to the position and distance of the surrounding pipe 31. For example, if the surrounding pipe 31 is very close to the inner wall of the process chamber, it may be inconvenient to install the high-pressure nozzles 2. In this case, the high-pressure nozzles 2 can be omitted on the side facing the inner wall of the process chamber 1. For example Figure 1 As shown, it has only 4 high-pressure nozzles 2.
[0043] High-pressure gas is delivered to different positions along the length of the surrounding pipeline 31 by a high-pressure nozzle assembly, and is ejected from different positions along the circumference by multiple high-pressure nozzles 2 of the high-pressure nozzle assembly, so that the high-pressure gas can cover the area where particulate impurities remain as much as possible.
[0044] After a period of processing, particulate impurities adhere to various parts of the process chamber 1. High-pressure gas purging removes these impurities, freeing them from contact with the process chamber 1. Even if some particulate impurities fall back down, they are not tightly adhered to any part of the process chamber 1, facilitating their removal later by suction.
[0045] Furthermore, the high-pressure nozzles 2 in the high-pressure nozzle assembly can have different spray outlet directions. That is, the high-pressure nozzles 2 can not be arranged on the same cross-section. For example, some high-pressure nozzles 2 can be at a 30° angle to the cross-section, some high-pressure nozzles 2 can be at a symmetrical 30° angle to the cross-section, and some high-pressure nozzles 2 can be arranged on the cross-section. By setting the spray outlet directions of the high-pressure nozzles 2 to different directions, the high-pressure air can cover the area where particulate impurities are located as much as possible.
[0046] The intake pipe 3 has an intake valve 4 located on the external pipe of the process chamber 1. The opening and closing of the intake valve 4 controls the flow of the intake pipe 3. Specifically, when the intake valve is opened, high-pressure air enters the surrounding pipe 31 through the intake pipe 3. When the intake valve 4 is closed, high-pressure air cannot enter the surrounding pipe 31.
[0047] The high-pressure air source 5 can be provided by an air compressor, which can be connected to the air inlet of the air inlet pipe 3. Alternatively, it can be connected to a centralized high-pressure air source in the factory, which supplies air to the air inlet pipe 3.
[0048] Furthermore, the air intake pipe 3 is connected to the lower end of the process chamber 1, which allows the high-pressure gas to be closer to the lower part of the process chamber with more particulate impurities. However, this application does not exclude the possibility that it can be connected to the side or top surface of the process chamber.
[0049] Below the process chamber, an exhaust pipe 7 is also provided, one end of which is connected to the process chamber, and the other end is connected to a vacuum pump. An exhaust valve 8 is provided on the exhaust pipe 7 to control the opening and closing of the exhaust pipe.
[0050] The exhaust pipe 7 can be located at the other end of the process chamber opposite to the intake pipe 3, or at other locations within the process chamber. This application does not exclude the possibility that it can also be located near the intake pipe 3. The vacuum equipment is used to generate suction force to extract the gas, along with the loosened particulate impurities, from the process chamber.
[0051] Please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 5 When particulate impurities need to be cleaned inside the process chamber, open the inlet valve 4 and close the exhaust valve 8. High-pressure gas is then delivered to various parts of the process chamber through the surrounding pipeline. Multiple nozzles on the surrounding pipeline spray the gas into the interior and corners of the process chamber, blowing away the particulate impurities adhering to the surfaces of each area. Then, close the inlet valve 4 and open the exhaust valve 8. The particulate impurities are then discharged from the process chamber 1 through the exhaust pipeline using a vacuum pump.
[0052] In some embodiments, the cross-sectional dimension of the extraction pipe is larger than that of the intake pipe. Since the gas needs to carry particulate impurities out of the extraction pipe, making the extraction pipe thicker can help the particulate impurities to be discharged smoothly.
[0053] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6A bypass pipe 33 can also be provided on the intake pipe 3. One end of the bypass pipe 33 is connected to the intake pipe 3 upstream of the intake valve 4, and the other end is connected to the intake pipe 3 downstream of the intake valve 4. A solenoid valve 32 is provided on the bypass pipe 33. The solenoid valve 32 can be a two-position two-way solenoid valve. The solenoid valve 32 is connected to a PLC. The PLC is used to send an electrical signal to the solenoid valve 32 to control the solenoid valve 32 to perform a rapid opening-closing cycle at a certain frequency and duty cycle.
[0054] When pulsed high-pressure gas is required, the inlet valve 4 is closed, and the airflow path is switched to the bypass line 33. The PLC controls the on / off frequency of the bypass line 33 to achieve pulsed high-pressure gas. When pulsed high-pressure gas is not required, the inlet valve 4 is opened, and the PLC controls the solenoid valve 32 to close, thus allowing stable high-pressure gas to flow in.
[0055] For example, the frequency could be once per second, and the duty cycle refers to the duration of each opening, such as 30 milliseconds. By controlling the opening and closing of the solenoid valve 32, the high-pressure nozzle 2 can spray pulsed gas.
[0056] During high-pressure gas purging, the high-pressure gas generates a powerful thrust to purge particulate impurities adhering to the process chamber 1. However, some stubborn particulate impurities are difficult to detach from the inner wall of the process chamber 1 even under strong purging force. For example, when shoveling snow, simply pushing the snow between the snow block and the ground with the force of the snow shovel is insufficient to remove snow blocks that are tightly adhered to the ground. However, if the snow shovel is used to intermittently impact the snow block against the ground, the snow block can be removed more effectively. Inspired by this situation, the applicant uses a solenoid valve 32 to control the gas flow, forming a pulsed high-pressure purging gas flow instead of a continuous, stable high-pressure airflow. The instantaneously released high-pressure gas has higher kinetic energy, which can generate stronger shearing force and more easily break the adhesion between particles and the surface, resulting in a purging effect superior to a continuous, stable airflow.
[0057] According to a second aspect of this application, this embodiment provides a semiconductor process chamber with a cleaning function, including a process chamber 1 for semiconductor process production; and the aforementioned cleaning device for the semiconductor process chamber.
[0058] The process chamber 1 includes a base 6, which is used to support the wafer, move the wafer up and down, and perform operations such as heating the wafer.
[0059] According to a third aspect of this application, a method for cleaning a semiconductor process chamber is also provided. Please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 7 Using the above-described semiconductor process chamber cleaning device, the following steps are performed: Step S1: Open the air inlet valve 4, close the air extraction valve 8, close the solenoid valve 32, and introduce high-pressure gas into the surrounding pipeline through the air inlet pipeline. The high-pressure nozzle 2 sprays high-pressure gas into the process chamber to blow away and remove particulate impurities attached to various parts of the process chamber. The surrounding pipe 31 can be located close to the bottom of the process chamber 1, for example, at a height of 10cm from the bottom of the process chamber 1.
[0060] The surrounding pipe 31 can be arranged in an undulating pattern around the inner cavity of the process chamber 1. The undulating pattern allows the surrounding pipe 31 to pass through particulate impurities remaining at different heights as much as possible.
[0061] Alternatively, the surrounding pipe 31 can also be a horizontal serpentine bend to pass through different areas of residual particulate impurities in the horizontal direction as much as possible.
[0062] In addition, the surrounding pipe 31 can also be a serpentine bend in three-dimensional space to pass through different areas of residual particulate impurities in different directions in space as much as possible.
[0063] In addition, there can be more than one surrounding pipe 31. For example, one surrounding pipe 31 can be set at a high position and another surrounding pipe 31 can be set at a low position. Both surrounding pipes 31 are connected to the air intake pipe 3. High-pressure gas enters the two surrounding pipes 31 at the same time, which can surround the residual particulate impurities that have passed through different heights.
[0064] The surrounding pipe 31 can be a round pipe, but this application does not exclude the possibility that it can be a square pipe or a pipe with other cross-sectional shapes.
[0065] Multiple high-pressure nozzle groups are connected to the surrounding pipe 31. The high-pressure nozzle groups can be spaced apart along the length of the surrounding pipe 31 to blow high-pressure gas to all corners as much as possible.
[0066] Each high-pressure nozzle group may include multiple high-pressure nozzles 2. The high-pressure nozzles 2 of each high-pressure nozzle group may be arranged at intervals along the outer circumference of the surrounding pipe 31. If the surrounding pipe 31 is a circular pipe, multiple high-pressure nozzles 2 are arranged at intervals along its circumference. For example, if a high-pressure nozzle 2 is arranged at 60° intervals, then the high-pressure nozzle group has 6 high-pressure nozzles 2.
[0067] It should be noted that the number of high-pressure nozzles 2 in the high-pressure nozzle group can be set according to the position and distance of the surrounding pipe 31. For example, if the surrounding pipe 31 is very close to the inner wall of the process chamber, it may be inconvenient to install the high-pressure nozzles 2. In this case, the high-pressure nozzles 2 can be omitted on the side facing the inner wall of the process chamber 1. For example, as shown in the figure, there are only 4 high-pressure nozzles 2.
[0068] High-pressure gas is delivered to different positions along the length of the surrounding pipeline 31 by a high-pressure nozzle assembly, and is ejected from different positions along the circumference by multiple high-pressure nozzles 2 of the high-pressure nozzle assembly, so that the high-pressure gas can cover the area where particulate impurities remain as much as possible.
[0069] After a period of processing, particulate impurities adhere to various parts of the process chamber 1. High-pressure gas purging removes these impurities, freeing them from contact with the process chamber 1. Even if some particulate impurities fall back down, they are not tightly adhered to any part of the process chamber 1, facilitating their removal later by suction.
[0070] Furthermore, the high-pressure nozzles 2 in the high-pressure nozzle assembly can have different spray outlet directions. That is, the high-pressure nozzles 2 can not be arranged on the same cross-section. For example, some high-pressure nozzles 2 can be at a 30° angle to the cross-section, some high-pressure nozzles 2 can be at a symmetrical 30° angle to the cross-section, and some high-pressure nozzles 2 can be arranged on the cross-section. By setting the spray outlet directions of the high-pressure nozzles 2 to different directions, the high-pressure air can cover the area where particulate impurities are located as much as possible.
[0071] Step S2: Close the air inlet valve 4, close the solenoid valve 32, open the air extraction valve 8, and use the vacuum equipment to extract the detached particulate impurities from the process chamber 1.
[0072] By blowing away particulate impurities, the impurities are loosened and then drawn out of the process chamber by the negative pressure of the vacuum equipment, thus restoring the process chamber to cleanliness.
[0073] According to the fourth aspect of this application, a method for cleaning a semiconductor process chamber is also provided. Please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 8 Using the above-described semiconductor process chamber cleaning device, the following steps are performed: In step S10, the inlet valve 4 and the exhaust valve 8 are closed. The PLC sends an electrical signal to the solenoid valve 32, controlling the solenoid valve 32 to rapidly open and close in a certain frequency and duty cycle. Pulsed high-pressure gas is introduced into the surrounding pipeline through the inlet pipeline, and the high-pressure nozzle 2 sprays pulsed high-pressure gas into the process chamber, blowing off the particulate impurities attached to various parts of the process chamber.
[0074] When pulsed high-pressure gas is required, the inlet valve 4 is closed, and the airflow path is switched to the bypass line 33. The on / off frequency of the bypass line 33 is controlled by the PLC to achieve pulsed high-pressure gas.
[0075] For example, the frequency could be once per second, and the duty cycle refers to the duration of each opening, such as 30 milliseconds. By controlling the opening and closing of the solenoid valve 32, the high-pressure nozzle 2 can spray pulsed gas.
[0076] During high-pressure gas purging, the high-pressure gas generates a powerful thrust to purge particulate impurities adhering to the process chamber 1. However, some stubborn particulate impurities are difficult to detach from the inner wall of the process chamber 1 even under strong purging force. For example, when shoveling snow, simply pushing the snow between the snow block and the ground with the force of the snow shovel is insufficient to remove snow blocks that are tightly adhered to the ground. However, if the snow shovel is used to intermittently impact the snow block against the ground, the snow block can be removed more effectively. Inspired by this situation, the applicant uses a solenoid valve 32 to control the gas flow, forming a pulsed high-pressure purging gas flow instead of a continuous, stable high-pressure airflow. The instantaneously released high-pressure gas has higher kinetic energy, which can generate stronger shearing force and more easily break the adhesion between particles and the surface, resulting in a purging effect superior to a continuous, stable airflow.
[0077] Step S20: Close solenoid valve 32, close air inlet valve 4, open air extraction valve 8, and use vacuum equipment to extract the detached particulate impurities from the process chamber 1.
[0078] By blowing away particulate impurities, the impurities are loosened and then drawn out of the process chamber by the negative pressure of the vacuum equipment, thus restoring the process chamber to cleanliness.
[0079] According to the fifth aspect of this application, a method for cleaning a semiconductor process chamber is also provided, please refer to... Figure 9 Using the above-described semiconductor process chamber cleaning device, the following steps are performed: In step S100, the inlet valve 4 and the exhaust valve 8 are closed. The PLC sends an electrical signal to the solenoid valve 32, controlling the solenoid valve 32 to rapidly open and close in a certain frequency and duty cycle. Pulsed high-pressure gas is introduced into the surrounding pipeline through the inlet pipeline, and the high-pressure nozzle 2 sprays pulsed high-pressure gas into the process chamber, blowing off the particulate impurities attached to various parts of the process chamber.
[0080] In step S200, open the air inlet valve 4, close the solenoid valve 32, close the exhaust valve 8, and introduce stable high-pressure gas into the surrounding pipeline 31 through the air inlet pipeline. The high-pressure nozzle 2 sprays stable high-pressure gas into the process chamber to further blow away the particulate impurities that have fallen off from various parts of the process chamber.
[0081] Step S300: Close solenoid valve 32, close air inlet valve 4, open air extraction valve 8, and use vacuum equipment to extract the detached particulate impurities from the process chamber 1.
[0082] By blowing away particulate impurities, the impurities are loosened and then drawn out of the process chamber by the negative pressure of the vacuum equipment, thus restoring the process chamber to cleanliness.
[0083] Of course, the present invention may have other embodiments. Without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various corresponding changes and modifications according to the present invention, but these corresponding changes and modifications are all within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.
Claims
1. A cleaning device for semiconductor process chambers, characterized in that, include: The intake pipe is connected to an external high-pressure air source at one end and to the surrounding pipe inside the process chamber at the other end. The surrounding pipeline is arranged around the inner cavity of the process chamber; High-pressure nozzle groups are arranged at intervals on the surrounding pipeline, and each high-pressure nozzle group includes multiple high-pressure nozzles; The exhaust pipe is connected at one end to the process chamber and at the other end to the vacuum equipment, and is used to extract particulate impurities that have been purged by high-pressure gas in the process chamber.
2. The cleaning apparatus for semiconductor process chambers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intake and exhaust pipes are connected at opposite corners at the lower end of the process chamber.
3. The cleaning apparatus for semiconductor process chambers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surrounding pipeline uses a bend in the pipe at the bend in the process chamber.
4. The cleaning apparatus for semiconductor process chambers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surrounding conduit is arranged in a three-dimensional serpentine bend around the inner cavity of the process chamber.
5. The cleaning apparatus for semiconductor process chambers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The high-pressure nozzles of each high-pressure nozzle group are arranged at intervals along the outer periphery of the surrounding pipeline.
6. The cleaning apparatus for semiconductor process chambers according to claim 1, characterized in that, An intake valve is provided on the intake pipe located outside the vacuum chamber, and an exhaust valve is provided on the exhaust pipe.
7. The cleaning apparatus for semiconductor process chambers according to claim 6, characterized in that, A bypass pipeline connected in parallel with the intake valve is provided on the intake pipeline. A solenoid valve is provided on the bypass pipeline. The solenoid valve is connected to a PLC. The PLC is used to control the solenoid valve to open and close in a set frequency and duty cycle to generate pulsed high-pressure gas.
8. A semiconductor process chamber with cleaning function, comprising a process chamber for semiconductor process production, characterized in that, The semiconductor process chamber cleaning apparatus includes any one of claims 1 to 7.
9. A method for cleaning a semiconductor process chamber, comprising the following steps using the cleaning apparatus for semiconductor process chambers as described in any one of claims 1 to 6: Step S1: Open the air inlet valve and close the air extraction valve. High-pressure gas is introduced into the surrounding pipeline through the air inlet pipeline. The high-pressure nozzle sprays high-pressure gas into the process chamber to blow away and remove particulate impurities in the process chamber. Step S2: Close the air inlet valve and open the air extraction valve to extract the detached particulate impurities from the process chamber using a vacuum pump.
10. A method for cleaning a semiconductor process chamber, comprising the following steps using the cleaning apparatus for semiconductor process chambers as described in claim 7: Step S10: Close the air inlet valve and the air extraction valve. The PLC controls the solenoid valve to open and close in a cycle with a set frequency and duty cycle to generate pulsed high-pressure gas. The high-pressure nozzle sprays pulsed high-pressure gas into the process chamber to blow away and remove particulate impurities in the process chamber. Step S20: Close the solenoid valve, close the air inlet valve, open the air extraction valve, and use a vacuum pump to extract the detached particulate impurities from the process chamber.
11. A method for cleaning a semiconductor process chamber, comprising the following steps using the cleaning apparatus for semiconductor process chambers as described in claim 7: Step S100: Close the air inlet valve and the air extraction valve. The PLC controls the solenoid valve to open and close in a cycle with a set frequency and duty cycle to generate pulsed high-pressure gas. The high-pressure nozzle sprays pulsed high-pressure gas into the process chamber to blow away and remove particulate impurities in the process chamber. Step S200: Open the air inlet valve, close the solenoid valve, close the exhaust valve, and introduce high-pressure gas into the surrounding pipeline through the air inlet pipeline. The high-pressure nozzle sprays high-pressure gas into the process chamber to blow away the particulate impurities that have fallen off from various parts of the process chamber. Step S300: Close the solenoid valve, close the air inlet valve, open the air extraction valve, and use a vacuum pump to extract the detached particulate impurities from the process chamber.