Wet process cavity

Abstract

The invention provides a wet process cavity. The wet process cavity comprises a cavity main body, at least two process cavities which are sleeved with each other and can independently ascend and descend, an exhaust header pipe, independent exhaust channels corresponding to the process cavities in a one-to-one mode, and a valve device. And the valve device is configured to selectively open the independent exhaust channel communicated with the process cavity and close the other independent exhaust channels when any process cavity ascends to the process position. According to the technical scheme, through independent control over the exhaust channel, the exhaust negative pressure is accurately concentrated in the current working process area, the problem of wind grabbing existing in a traditional parallel exhaust system is fundamentally solved, the exhaust efficiency is remarkably improved, waste gas backflow and cross contamination between different process cavities are effectively avoided, and the service life of the system is prolonged. And the cleanliness and the stability of the process environment are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment technology, and more particularly to a wet process chamber. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing industry, wet processes, such as cleaning and etching, require extremely high cleanliness of the process environment. These processes are usually carried out in a closed process chamber. If the chemical mist, reaction byproducts, and tiny particles generated inside the chamber cannot be removed in a timely and effective manner, they may be redeposited on the substrate surface, forming defects and directly affecting product yield.

[0003] To maintain cleanliness within the chamber, existing wet processing equipment typically incorporates a fan-filter unit at the top of the chamber to provide clean airflow, connected to an exhaust system at the bottom to create airflow circulation. In some designs aimed at improving production efficiency and equipment integration, multiple process units are integrated within a single chamber, such as multiple independently liftable, nested process chambers, each corresponding to a specific process step. In this structure, each process chamber usually has an independent exhaust duct, which ultimately converges onto a single exhaust duct.

[0004] However, this design of multiple parallel exhaust ducts encounters problems in practical applications. Due to differences in duct length, bends, and other factors among the independent exhaust ducts, the duct resistance varies. When the central exhaust system provides overall negative pressure, airflow preferentially flows through the path of least resistance, a phenomenon known as "air grabbing." This causes the exhaust efficiency of the currently operating process chamber to be affected by other parallel ducts. A duct with high negative pressure may even draw gas back from a duct with low negative pressure, not only reducing the exhaust efficiency of the main process area but also potentially drawing residual chemical waste gas from other process chambers back into the currently operating process chamber, causing cross-contamination and threatening the stability of the process. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the issues of air snatching and cross-contamination caused by parallel exhaust connections in existing wet process chambers, this application provides a wet process chamber.

[0006] The present invention provides a wet process chamber, comprising a chamber body, at least two process chambers, a main exhaust pipe, at least two independent exhaust channels, and a valve device; the process chambers are arranged nested within the chamber body, and each process chamber can be independently raised and lowered in the vertical direction by an independent drive mechanism; the independent exhaust channels correspond one-to-one with the process chambers, and all the independent exhaust channels converge and connect to the main exhaust pipe; the valve device is disposed at the connection between the independent exhaust channels or the main exhaust pipe; the valve device is configured to open the independent exhaust channel corresponding to any process chamber when any process chamber rises to a preset process position to open the process chamber inlet, and close the independent exhaust channels corresponding to the remaining process chambers.

[0007] Preferably, it further includes an airflow baffle, disposed between the inner wall of the cavity body and the outermost process cavity; the airflow baffle cooperates with the process cavity and is configured to form a standby exhaust channel in standby mode to maintain airflow circulation; in process mode, the standby exhaust channel is closed, and the airflow is forcibly guided to an independent exhaust channel opened by the valve device.

[0008] Preferably, each of the process chambers is provided with at least two symmetrically distributed exhaust vents, which are connected to the independent exhaust channel corresponding to the process chamber; or, each of the process chambers is provided with an independent drain port at the bottom, which is connected to an independent drain pipe to separate and discharge the waste liquid generated by different process chambers.

[0009] Preferably, the number of process chambers is three, namely a first process chamber, a second process chamber, and a third process chamber from the inside out; the first process chamber is used to process a first chemical solution, the second process chamber is used to process a second chemical solution, and the third process chamber is used to process a cleaning liquid; the independent drain ports are used to recover the first chemical solution, the second chemical solution, and the cleaning liquid respectively; or, the main body of the chamber is further provided with a main shaft for clamping the substrate and driving the substrate to rotate; and at least one swing arm for conveying the process liquid to the surface of the substrate, and the end of the swing arm is equipped with a columnar nozzle or a fan-shaped nozzle.

[0010] Preferably, a fan filter unit is provided at the top of the cavity body to provide vertically downward clean airflow into the cavity body; or, the cavity body is further provided with a door assembly, the door assembly including a lifting cylinder for driving the door panel to rise and fall and a sealing cylinder for achieving door panel sealing.

[0011] Preferably, the valve device and the drive mechanism of the process chamber are interlocked by a control system, which only sends a command to open the corresponding independent exhaust channel after confirming that the target process chamber has reached the process position; or, the independent exhaust channel is also provided with a flow regulating device to automatically adjust the exhaust flow rate or negative pressure according to the process type executed by different process chambers.

[0012] The present invention provides a wet process chamber, comprising a main body, at least two process chambers, and an airflow baffle. The process chambers are nested within the main body and can switch between a descending standby position and a rising process position in the vertical direction. The airflow baffle is annularly disposed between the inner wall of the main body and the outermost process chamber. When all process chambers are in the standby position, the upper edge of the outermost process chamber is lower than the lower edge of the airflow baffle, thereby forming an annular standby exhaust channel between the outer wall of the outermost process chamber and the airflow baffle. When any process chamber is in the process position, the outer wall of the outermost process chamber cooperates with the airflow baffle to close the standby exhaust channel.

[0013] Preferably, when any of the process chambers is in the process position with the process chamber inlet open and the standby exhaust duct closed, the clean airflow is guided and confined to flow through the internal space of the process chamber in the process position to the exhaust area.

[0014] Preferably, when all the process chambers are in the standby position, the clean airflow flows through the standby exhaust channel to the bottom exhaust area of ​​the chamber body, and is discharged through the slightly opened exhaust channel or standby exhaust port.

[0015] Preferably, the number of process chambers is three, namely a first process chamber, a second process chamber, and a third process chamber from the inside out; the first process chamber is used to process a first chemical solution, the second process chamber is used to process a second chemical solution, and the third process chamber is used to process a cleaning liquid; the independent drain ports are used to recover the first chemical solution, the second chemical solution, and the cleaning liquid respectively; or, the main body of the chamber is further provided with a main shaft for clamping the substrate and driving the substrate to rotate; and at least one swing arm for conveying the process liquid to the surface of the substrate, and the end of the swing arm is equipped with a columnar nozzle or a fan-shaped nozzle.

[0016] Preferably, a fan filter unit is provided at the top of the cavity body to provide vertically downward clean airflow into the cavity body; or, the cavity body is further provided with a door assembly, the door assembly including a lifting cylinder for driving the door panel to rise and fall and a sealing cylinder for achieving door panel sealing.

[0017] The technical solution of this application mainly achieves precise concentration of exhaust negative pressure in the currently operating process area by selectively opening and closing the independent exhaust channels corresponding to each process chamber. This structure fundamentally solves the airflow competition problem existing in traditional parallel exhaust systems and effectively avoids backflow and cross-contamination of exhaust gas between different process chambers, thereby improving the cleanliness of the process environment. Combined with the use of airflow baffles, the airflow path can be switched in different modes, further increasing the airflow velocity in the process area and efficiently removing particulate matter generated during the process. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the wet process chamber of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial structural diagram of the cavity in the wet process;

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the airflow path of the wet process chamber in standby mode.

[0021] Figure 4 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the airflow path of the wet process chamber under the process mode.

[0022] In the picture:

[0023] 100: Main body of the cavity; 200: Process cavity; 210: First process cavity; 211: Exhaust port; 212: Liquid drain port; 220: Second process cavity; 230: Third process cavity; 300: Main exhaust pipe; 310: Independent exhaust channel; 400: Valve device; 500: Airflow baffle; 510: Standby exhaust channel; 600: Fan filter unit; 700: Main shaft; 710: Base plate. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The present patent type will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. In this specification, the dimensions in the drawings do not represent actual size ratios. The drawings are only used to illustrate the relative positional and connection relationships between the components. Components with the same name or the same reference numerals represent similar or identical structures and are limited to illustrative purposes.

[0025] The present invention aims to solve the problems of disordered airflow and uneven negative pressure in the exhaust system caused by multiple process units sharing the exhaust system in the existing semiconductor wet process chamber, namely the so-called air snatching phenomenon. This phenomenon not only reduces the exhaust efficiency, but may also cause cross-contamination due to backflow of airflow.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the wet process cavity in this application. Figure 2 This is a partial structural diagram. The cavity includes a cavity body 100, at least two process chambers 200, an exhaust main duct 300, independent exhaust channels 310 corresponding to each process chamber 200, a valve device 400, and an airflow baffle 500.

[0027] Specifically, the cavity body 100 is the basic structure of the entire device, providing a sealed environment for the wet process. Considering the frequent use of highly corrosive chemical solutions in the process, the cavity body 100 is preferably made of a chemically resistant material, such as polyvinylidene fluoride. At the top of the cavity body 100, a fan filter unit 600 is installed to continuously provide a clean, vertically downward airflow into the cavity body 100. This stable and controllable airflow is fundamental to maintaining the cleanliness of the area above the substrate 710.

[0028] Inside the main body 100, at least two nested process chambers 200 are provided. In this embodiment, three process chambers are used as an example: a first process chamber 210, a second process chamber 220, and a third process chamber 230. These three process chambers 200 are nested sequentially from the inside out, and each process chamber can be independently driven to rise and fall vertically by an independent drive mechanism, switching between a lower standby position and a higher process position. For example, the first process chamber 210 can be used to process a first type of chemical solution, the second process chamber 220 can be used to process a second type of chemical solution, and the third process chamber 230 can be used for cleaning.

[0029] To independently discharge the waste gases generated from different process steps, this embodiment designs an exhaust system. This system includes independent exhaust ducts corresponding to each process chamber 200. Specifically, the first process chamber 210 corresponds to the first independent exhaust duct 310, and the second process chamber 220 and the third process chamber 230 also correspond to their respective independent exhaust ducts. For example... Figure 2 As shown, each process chamber is equipped with at least two symmetrically distributed exhaust vents 211, which are connected to corresponding independent exhaust ducts 310 via pipes. All independent exhaust ducts eventually converge and connect to the main exhaust duct 300, which in turn connects to the factory's central exhaust system.

[0030] The core of this exhaust system lies in the valve device 400. The valve device 400 is located in the independent exhaust ducts or at their connection to the main exhaust duct, enabling selective opening or closing of each independent exhaust duct. Its operation is as follows: when any process chamber, such as the second process chamber 220, rises to a preset process position, the valve device 400 is configured to open the independent exhaust duct corresponding to that process chamber, while simultaneously closing the independent exhaust ducts corresponding to the remaining process chambers. This selective opening and closing of the exhaust ducts concentrates all exhaust negative pressure on the process area in operation, thereby avoiding pressure interference between different process units, solving the problem of airflow competition in parallel exhaust systems, and eliminating the risk of cross-contamination caused by backflow of waste gas.

[0031] Optionally, to ensure the precise execution of the exhaust logic, the valve device 400 and the drive mechanism of the process chamber can be interlocked through the control system. The control system only sends a command to open the corresponding independent exhaust channel after confirming that the target process chamber has accurately reached the process position. This interlocking mechanism ensures strict synchronization between exhaust and process actions.

[0032] To further optimize the airflow organization within the cavity, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, a ring-shaped airflow baffle 500 is provided between the inner wall of the cavity body 100 and the outermost process cavity (i.e., the third process cavity 230). This airflow baffle 500 is used to switch the airflow path under different working modes.

[0033] like Figure 3 As shown, in standby mode, all process chambers 210, 220, and 230 are in a lowered standby position, with the upper edge of the outermost third process chamber 230 lower than the lower edge of the airflow baffle 500. This creates a ring-shaped standby exhaust channel 510 between the outer wall of the third process chamber 230 and the airflow baffle 500. At this time, the clean airflow blown from the top fan filter unit 600 flows downwards primarily along this standby exhaust channel 510, towards the bottom exhaust area of ​​the chamber body, and is finally discharged through a slightly open exhaust channel or standby exhaust port. This design ensures that continuous airflow circulation is maintained inside the chamber when the equipment is in standby mode, thus maintaining the high cleanliness level of the chamber.

[0034] like Figure 4As shown, in the process mode, when any process chamber, such as the first process chamber 210, is raised to its process position, the outer wall of the outermost third process chamber 230 engages with the airflow baffle 500 to seal the standby exhaust channel 510. This effectively blocks the airflow path outside the process chamber. As a result, the clean airflow from the fan filter unit 600 is forced to change its path, being guided and restricted to flow only through the internal space of the process chamber currently in the process position to the exhaust area. For example, when the first process chamber 210 is in the process position, the clean airflow flows at high speed across the surface of the substrate 710 located at the center of the chamber, and then enters the first independent exhaust channel 310, which is uniquely opened by the valve device 400, through the exhaust port 211 inside the first process chamber 210, and is finally drawn away. This forced airflow path planning greatly increases the wind speed on the surface of the substrate 710, which can efficiently and quickly remove chemical mist and fine particulate matter generated during the process, effectively suppressing the redeposition of particulate matter.

[0035] In addition to gas control, this embodiment also achieves waste liquid separation. Each process chamber 210, 220, and 230 has an independent drain port at its bottom, such as... Figure 2 The system includes drain ports 212 at its bottom. These drain ports are connected to independent drain pipes. When the first process chamber 210 is operating, the waste liquid generated is collected separately through the drain ports 212 at its bottom. Similarly, the waste liquid generated in the second and third process chambers is also separated and discharged through their respective drain ports. This design enables the classified recycling of different chemical waste liquids, avoids cross-contamination of chemicals, and facilitates subsequent waste liquid treatment.

[0036] To complete the wet process, the cavity body 100 is also equipped with other execution units. For example, it is provided with a spindle 700 for holding the substrate 710 and rotating it, and at least one swing arm for delivering chemical solutions and cleaning liquids to the surface of the substrate 710. A cylindrical nozzle or a fan-shaped nozzle can be installed at the end of the swing arm to adapt to the needs of different processes.

[0037] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this patent type and is not intended to limit the scope of this patent type. Without departing from the design spirit of this patent type, all modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions of this patent type should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of this patent type.

Claims

1. A wet process cavity, characterized in that, include: Main body of the cavity; At least two process cavities are nested within the cavity body, and each process cavity can be driven by an independent drive mechanism to rise and fall independently in the vertical direction. Main exhaust duct; At least two independent exhaust ducts, each corresponding to a process chamber, and all independent exhaust ducts converge and connect to the main exhaust duct; And valve devices, which are installed at the connection of the independent exhaust duct or the exhaust main; The valve device is configured such that when any of the process chambers rises to a preset process position to open the process chamber inlet, the independent exhaust channel corresponding to that process chamber is opened, and the independent exhaust channels corresponding to the other process chambers are closed.

2. The wet process chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an airflow baffle, which is disposed between the inner wall of the cavity body and the outermost process cavity; The airflow baffle cooperates with the process chamber and is configured to form a standby exhaust channel in standby mode to maintain airflow circulation; in process mode, the standby exhaust channel is closed, and the airflow is forcibly guided to an independent exhaust channel opened by the valve device.

3. The wet process chamber as described in any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned process chambers is provided with at least two symmetrically distributed exhaust vents, which are connected to the independent exhaust channel corresponding to that process chamber; or, Each of the process chambers is provided with an independent drain port at the bottom, and the drain ports are respectively connected to independent drain pipes to separate and discharge the waste liquid generated by different process chambers.

4. The wet process chamber as described in any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that, The number of process chambers is three, arranged from the inside out as a first process chamber, a second process chamber, and a third process chamber; the first process chamber is used to process a first chemical solution, the second process chamber is used to process a second chemical solution, and the third process chamber is used to process a cleaning liquid; the independent drain ports are used to respectively recover the first chemical solution, the second chemical solution, and the cleaning liquid; or, The cavity body also contains: The spindle is used to clamp the substrate and drive it to rotate. At least one swing arm is used to deliver process liquid to the surface of the substrate, and a columnar nozzle or a fan-shaped nozzle is installed at the end of the swing arm.

5. The wet process chamber as described in any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that, A fan filter unit is installed at the top of the cavity body to provide a vertically downward clean airflow into the cavity body; or, The cavity body is also provided with a door assembly, which includes a lifting cylinder for driving the door panel to rise and fall and a sealing cylinder for achieving door panel sealing.

6. The wet process chamber as described in any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that, The valve device and the drive mechanism of the process chamber are interlocked by the control system. The control system only sends the command to open the corresponding independent exhaust channel after confirming that the target process chamber has reached the process position; or, the independent exhaust channel is also equipped with a flow regulating device to automatically adjust the exhaust flow rate or negative pressure according to the process type executed by different process chambers.

7. A wet process cavity, characterized in that, include: Main body of the cavity; At least two process chambers are arranged nested within the main body of the chamber and can switch between a descending standby position and a rising process position in the vertical direction. And an airflow baffle, which is arranged in a ring between the inner wall of the cavity body and the outermost process cavity; When all the process chambers are in the standby position, the upper edge of the outermost process chamber is lower than the lower edge of the airflow baffle, thereby forming an annular standby exhaust channel between the outer wall of the outermost process chamber and the airflow baffle. When any of the process chambers is in the process position, the outer wall of the outermost process chamber cooperates with the airflow baffle to seal the standby exhaust channel.

8. The wet process chamber as described in claim 7, characterized in that, When any of the process chambers is in the process position with the process chamber inlet open and the standby exhaust duct closed, the clean airflow is guided and confined to flow through the internal space of the process chamber in the process position to the exhaust area.

9. The wet process chamber as described in claim 7, characterized in that, When all the process chambers are in the standby position, the clean airflow flows through the standby exhaust channel to the bottom exhaust area of ​​the chamber body, and is discharged through the slightly opened exhaust channel or standby exhaust port.

10. The wet process chamber as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The number of process chambers is three, arranged from the inside out as a first process chamber, a second process chamber, and a third process chamber; the first process chamber is used to process a first chemical solution, the second process chamber is used to process a second chemical solution, and the third process chamber is used to process a cleaning liquid; the independent drain ports are used to respectively recover the first chemical solution, the second chemical solution, and the cleaning liquid; or, The cavity body also contains: The spindle is used to clamp the substrate and drive it to rotate. At least one swing arm is used to deliver process liquid to the surface of the substrate, and a columnar nozzle or a fan-shaped nozzle is installed at the end of the swing arm.

11. The wet process chamber as described in claim 7, characterized in that, A fan filter unit is installed at the top of the cavity body to provide a vertically downward clean airflow into the cavity body; or, The cavity body is also provided with a door assembly, which includes a lifting cylinder for driving the door panel to rise and fall and a sealing cylinder for achieving door panel sealing.

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