Swing valve device, semiconductor industry equipment and swing valve self-cleaning method

Abstract

The application provides a swing valve device, a semiconductor industry equipment and a swing valve self-cleaning method, wherein the valve body of the swing valve comprises a working cavity, a buffer cavity and a transition area, the working cavity is provided with a through hole in the longitudinal direction, the working cavity, the transition area and the buffer cavity are communicated in the horizontal direction, the bottom wall of the transition area is provided with an air cavity and a plurality of air injection ports communicated with the air cavity; the valve core comprises a partition plate and a rotating mechanism connected with the partition plate, the rotating mechanism drives the partition plate to rotate horizontally between the working cavity and the buffer cavity through the transition area; the blowing mechanism comprises a blowing pipeline communicated with the air cavity. In the process of opening the swing valve, the blowing mechanism can be started to supply air into the air cavity, the bottom surface of the partition plate passing through the transition area is blown through the air injection ports to clean the particles attached to the bottom surface of the partition plate. The bottom surface of the partition plate can be cleaned without disassembling the swing valve, the influence of multiple disassembling on the sealing performance of the sealing ring of the swing valve is avoided, and the equipment abnormality caused by accidental touch during the disassembling process is also avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of swing valve cleaning technology, specifically to a swing valve device, semiconductor industrial equipment, and a swing valve self-cleaning method. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor etching processes, the telescopic valve (TGV module) is a critical pneumatic control component, and its operational stability directly impacts wafer processing quality. With increasing machine maintenance intervals (MTBCs), telescopic valves commonly experience significant particle buildup, particularly at the bottom of the valve baffle. Once this particle buildup reaches a certain level, it can detach and contaminate the wafer during processing, leading to wafer defects and significantly reducing product yield.

[0003] In existing etching equipment maintenance systems, the common method for cleaning particles accumulated under the sway valve baffle is to completely disassemble the sway valve and include it in routine maintenance. This maintenance cycle is typically every 600 to 800 hours, and there is currently no technical solution that can achieve effective cleaning without disassembly. However, this method is not only time-consuming and inefficient, but repeated disassembly can also adversely affect the sealing performance of the sway valve's sealing ring. In addition, there are many parts and signal lines located under the sway valve, and accidental contact during disassembly can easily cause abnormalities, thus affecting the restart time of the current maintenance and reducing equipment operating efficiency.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a swing valve device, semiconductor industry equipment, and a self-cleaning method for swing valves that can achieve cleaning and maintenance without disassembling the swing valve. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by this application is to provide a swing valve device, semiconductor industrial equipment, and a swing valve self-cleaning method that can achieve cleaning and maintenance without disassembling the swing valve.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this application, a swing valve device is provided, comprising: The valve body includes a working chamber, a buffer chamber, and a transition zone connecting the working chamber and the buffer chamber. The working chamber has a through hole in the longitudinal direction. The working chamber, the transition zone, and the buffer chamber are connected in the horizontal direction. The bottom wall of the transition zone is provided with an air chamber and multiple air jet ports connected to the air chamber. The valve core includes a partition and a rotating mechanism connected to the partition. The rotating mechanism is used to drive the partition to rotate horizontally between the working chamber and the buffer chamber through the transition zone, so as to close or open the through hole on the working chamber. A purging mechanism includes a purging pipeline; the purging pipeline is connected to the air chamber and supplies air to the air chamber for purging the bottom of the partition through the air jet. The control system is connected to the rotating mechanism and the purging mechanism.

[0007] In one embodiment, the purging mechanism further includes a door panel and a drive mechanism. The door panel is movably disposed in the transition area and covers each of the air jets. The door panel is connected to the drive mechanism and moves horizontally reciprocating under the drive mechanism, so that each of the air jets is in an open or closed state. The control system is connected to the drive mechanism and is used to control the drive mechanism to move the door panel according to the real-time rotation angle of the partition, so as to selectively open the air jet corresponding to the current position of the partition.

[0008] In one embodiment, all the jet nozzles are divided into a first group, a second group, and a third group in the direction of extension from the working chamber to the buffer chamber. The jet nozzles in the second group are arranged in a straight line, and the length of the line segment is not less than the diameter of the partition. The jet nozzles in the third group are arranged in a first arc to cover the central area of ​​the partition and the starting end of the swing. The jet nozzles in the first group are arranged in a second arc to cover the swing end of the partition.

[0009] In one embodiment, the jet holes in the second group are arranged along multiple parallel straight lines.

[0010] In one embodiment, the axis of the jet nozzle is inclined toward the buffer cavity side relative to the axis of the through hole.

[0011] In one embodiment, the purging mechanism further includes a control valve disposed on the purging pipeline and signal-connected to the control system for controlling the purging pipeline to deliver pulsed airflow.

[0012] In one embodiment, the drive mechanism employs a linear module, a hydraulic cylinder, or a pneumatic cylinder.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of this application, a semiconductor process apparatus is provided, employing the swing valve device described in any of the above embodiments, and further comprising a molecular pump connected to the working chamber.

[0014] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of this application, a self-cleaning method for a swing valve, applicable to the aforementioned semiconductor process equipment, includes the following steps: Control the partition to swing from the working chamber to the buffer chamber, and simultaneously activate the purging mechanism to blow the bottom of the partition through the jet nozzle to remove the deposits on the bottom of the partition; Simultaneously, the molecular pump is activated to extract the removed deposits from the working chamber.

[0015] In one embodiment, the purging mechanism of the swing valve device further includes a door panel and a drive mechanism, and the swing valve self-cleaning method further includes: monitoring the real-time rotation angle of the partition to obtain the real-time position of the partition, and controlling the drive mechanism to move the door panel according to the real-time position, so as to selectively open the jet nozzle corresponding to the current position of the partition.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows: (1) In this application, during the process of the partition moving from the working chamber to the buffer chamber, the purging mechanism is activated to purge the bottom surface of the partition through the jet nozzle to clean the particles attached to the bottom surface of the partition. That is, this application can clean the bottom surface of the partition without removing the swing valve, avoiding the impact of multiple disassemblies on the sealing performance of the swing valve sealing ring, and also avoiding equipment malfunctions caused by accidental contact during disassembly.

[0017] (2) This application provides a door panel that can move back and forth above the jet nozzle. The door panel moves according to the real-time rotation angle of the partition and selectively opens the jet nozzle corresponding to the current position of the partition. This achieves dynamic and full-coverage cleaning of the entire bottom surface of the partition while saving airflow. Furthermore, opening only some jet nozzles can increase the air pressure of the jet and enhance the cleaning effect of the blowing.

[0018] (3) In this application, the purging mechanism is configured to deliver pulsed cleaning gas to the jet nozzle, which can generate a hammer effect, increase the purging range of a single point of the jet nozzle and better loosen the particulate matter attached to the bottom surface of the partition.

[0019] (4) When the swing valve provided in this application is applied to semiconductor process equipment, the swing valve is opened at the same time as the partition swings from the working chamber to the buffer chamber for bottom cleaning. The molecular pump can simultaneously perform vacuuming to remove the particles attached to the working chamber through the through hole, thus preventing the particles from falling back onto the partition.

[0020] (5) When this application is applied to the maintenance of semiconductor process equipment, gas can be manually introduced, that is, gas is introduced into the working chamber through the jet nozzle, so that the inside of the swing valve becomes the same atmospheric environment as the external process chamber. The swing valve can be removed without the need to replace the converter, thus avoiding safety accidents caused by improper operation. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a top view of a swing valve device according to an exemplary embodiment; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a swing valve device according to an exemplary embodiment; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the position of the third set of jet nozzles when they purge the bottom of the starting end of the partition's swing. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the position of the second set of jet nozzles when they blow the bottom of the central area of ​​the partition. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the position of the first set of jet nozzles when they blow on the bottom of the swing end of the partition. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a swing valve device applied to semiconductor process equipment according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0022] The meanings of the reference numerals in the attached figures are as follows: 10. Valve body; 11. Gas chamber; 12. Air jet; 121. First group of air jets; 122. Second group of air jets; 123. Third group of air jets; 13. Through hole; 20. Valve core; 21. Baffle plate; 22. Rotating mechanism; 30. Purge mechanism; 31. Purge pipeline; 32. Door panel; 40. Molecular pump; 50. Process chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this specification and claims shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. Specific embodiments of this application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, in order to provide a concise description, this specification cannot exhaustively describe all features of the actual embodiments. Without departing from the spirit and scope of this application, those skilled in the art can modify and substitute the embodiments of this application, and the resulting embodiments are also within the protection scope of this application.

[0024] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this application provides a swing valve device, semiconductor industrial equipment, and a swing valve self-cleaning method that can achieve cleaning and maintenance without disassembling the swing valve.

[0025] like Figures 1-5 As shown, in one specific embodiment, a swing valve device is provided, comprising: The valve body 10 includes a working chamber, a buffer chamber, and a transition zone connecting the working chamber and the buffer chamber. The working chamber is provided with a through hole 13 in the longitudinal direction, that is, the two ends of the working chamber are connected in the axial direction. The working chamber, the transition zone, and the buffer chamber are connected in the horizontal direction. The bottom wall of the transition zone is provided with an air chamber 11 and a plurality of air jet ports 12 connected to the air chamber 11. The valve core 20 includes a partition 21 and a rotating mechanism 22 connected to the partition 21. The rotating mechanism 22 drives the partition 21 to rotate horizontally between the working chamber and the buffer chamber through the transition zone, so as to close or open the through hole 13 on the working chamber, that is, to close or open the passage of the swing valve device; combined with Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2The dashed line in the diagram indicates the position of the partition 21 when it swings into the buffer cavity; The purging mechanism 30 includes a purging pipe 31; the purging pipe 31 is connected to the air chamber 11 and supplies air to the air chamber 11 for purging to the bottom of the partition 21 through the jet nozzle 12. The control system is connected to the rotating mechanism 22 and the purging mechanism 30.

[0026] In this embodiment, an air jet 12 and a purging mechanism 30 are provided on the bottom surface of the transition zone of the swing valve. The purging mechanism 30 uniformly delivers air to the air jet 12 through the air chamber 11 below the air jet 12. During the swing valve's operation and the movement of the baffle 21 from the working chamber through the transition zone to the buffer chamber, the purging mechanism 30 is activated to blow air onto the bottom surface of the baffle 21 passing through the transition zone, thereby cleaning the particulate matter adhering to the bottom surface of the baffle 21. That is, this application can clean the bottom surface of the baffle 21 without removing the swing valve, avoiding the impact of repeated disassembly on the sealing performance of the swing valve's sealing ring, and also avoiding equipment malfunctions caused by accidental contact during disassembly.

[0027] Combination Figures 1-2 As shown, in one specific embodiment, the purging mechanism 30 further includes a door panel 32 and a drive mechanism (not shown in the figure). The door panel 32 is movably disposed in the transition zone and covers each jet nozzle. That is, when the partition 21 rotates to the transition zone, the door panel 32 is located below the partition 21. The door panel 32 is connected to the drive mechanism and moves horizontally back and forth under the drive mechanism, so that each jet nozzle 12 is in an open state or a closed state. The control system is connected to the drive mechanism and is used to control the drive mechanism to move the door panel 32 according to the real-time rotation angle of the partition 21, so as to selectively open the air nozzle 12 corresponding to the current position of the partition 21.

[0028] The drive mechanism can be a conventional mechanism such as a linear module, hydraulic cylinder or pneumatic cylinder, and there are no restrictions here.

[0029] In this embodiment, a door panel 32 that can move back and forth is provided above the jet nozzle 12. The door panel 32 moves according to the real-time rotation angle of the partition 21, selectively opening the jet nozzle 12 corresponding to the current position of the partition 21. This achieves dynamic and full-coverage cleaning of the entire bottom surface of the partition 21 while saving airflow. Furthermore, opening only some jet nozzles can increase the air pressure of the jet and enhance the cleaning effect of the blowing, especially for particles that accumulate at the bottom edge of the partition 21, where the effect is more obvious.

[0030] In one specific implementation, combined with Figures 3-5As shown, to illustrate the positional relationship between the partition 21, the air nozzles 12, and the door panel 32, the above structure is drawn using perspective. All air nozzles 12 are divided into a first group of air nozzles 121, a second group of air nozzles 122, and a third group of air nozzles 123 in the direction extending from the working chamber to the buffer chamber. In the second group, the air nozzles are arranged in a straight line, and the length of the line segment is not less than the diameter of the partition 21. The direction of extension of this straight line intersects with the direction of the line connecting the working chamber and the buffer chamber, or is perpendicular to each other. In the third group, the air nozzles are arranged in a first arc to cover the central area of ​​the partition 21 and the starting end of the swing. In the first group, the air nozzles are arranged in a second arc to cover the swing end of the partition 21.

[0031] In this embodiment, the arrangement of the jet nozzles 12 is in the shape of an eccentric ring-tangential tail fin, and the whole is in the shape of the letter "e". This is to match the overlapping position of the partition 21 and the jet nozzles 12 at different rotation angles, so as to control the door panel to selectively open the jet nozzles at the corresponding positions, thereby achieving dynamic and full-coverage cleaning of the entire bottom surface of the partition 21 while saving airflow.

[0032] like Figures 3-5 As shown, in one specific embodiment, the second set of jet holes 122 are arranged along multiple parallel straight lines.

[0033] In this embodiment, the jet holes in the second group are arranged along multiple parallel straight lines, which can sequentially or simultaneously blow the entire radial range of the bottom when the partition 21 passes by, ensuring that both the central and edge areas are effectively cleaned; and even if individual jet holes on one of the straight lines are blocked or damaged, the jet holes on the other straight lines can still maintain basic blowing functions, and the entire cleaning system will not fail immediately.

[0034] like Figures 3-5 As shown, in one specific embodiment, the axis of the jet nozzle 12 is inclined toward the buffer cavity relative to the axis of the through hole 13.

[0035] In this embodiment, the jet nozzle 12 is inclined, so that the direction of the airflow ejected from the jet nozzle 12 intersects the inclined baffle 21 that swings to the jet nozzle, which enhances the impact force on the particulate matter and can cover a larger baffle area compared to vertical jetting. The airflow pushes the peeled-off attachment along the movement direction of the baffle 21, peeling the attachment from the surface of the baffle 21 and conveying it along the movement direction to the through hole 13 of the working chamber, and then discharging it from the through hole 13, instead of blowing the particles to the side or bouncing them back to the baffle 21.

[0036] In one specific embodiment, the purging mechanism 30 further includes a control valve (not shown in the figure), which is disposed on the purging pipeline 31 and is connected to the control system signal for controlling the purging pipeline 31 to deliver pulsed airflow.

[0037] In this embodiment, the purging mechanism 30 is configured to deliver pulsed cleaning gas to the jet nozzle 12, which can achieve the air hammer effect, increase the purging range of a single point, and better loosen particles attached to the bottom surface of the partition 21, thereby improving the cleaning effect. Argon is generally used as the cleaning gas.

[0038] like Figure 6 As shown, according to a second aspect of the embodiments of this application, a semiconductor process apparatus is provided, employing the swing valve device described in any of the above embodiments, and further comprising a molecular pump 40 connected to the working chamber.

[0039] In this embodiment, one end of the working chamber is connected to the process chamber 50 of the semiconductor process equipment, and the other end is connected to the molecular pump 40. When the partition 21 swings from the working chamber to the buffer chamber to clean the bottom, the swing valve is opened at the same time, so that the molecular pump 40 can simultaneously perform vacuuming to remove the blown-down particles from the through hole 13 and prevent the particles from falling back onto the partition 21.

[0040] In existing technology, when performing maintenance on a swing valve, the system must determine that the process chamber and the swing valve are in the same state (both under vacuum or both under atmospheric pressure) before the swing valve can be opened. Therefore, in actual operation, the atmospheric switching valve in the process chamber must first be switched with the vacuum-atmosphere converter in the upstream pipeline to ensure they are in the same state before the swing valve can be opened and disassembled. However, this operation carries certain safety risks, such as the possibility of incorrect signal wire connection during the switching process or forgetting to reset after maintenance. Improper operation can easily lead to safety accidents. In a specific embodiment, such as... Figure 6 As shown, a swing valve device according to the above embodiments is also provided, which is applied in the maintenance of semiconductor process equipment. Specifically, when the swing valve device is applied to semiconductor process equipment, it can be manually vented, that is, gas is introduced into the working chamber through the jet port 12, so that the inside of the swing valve becomes the same atmospheric environment as the external process chamber 50. The swing valve can be removed without the need to replace the converter, avoiding safety accidents caused by improper operation.

[0041] like Figures 1-6 As shown, according to a third aspect of the embodiments of this application, a self-cleaning method for a swing valve, applicable to the aforementioned semiconductor process equipment, includes the following steps: The control baffle 21 swings gradually from the working chamber through the transition zone to the buffer chamber, and the blowing mechanism 30 is activated to blow the bottom of the baffle 21 through the jet nozzle 12 to remove the attached substances at the bottom of the baffle 21. At the same time, the molecular pump 40 is activated to extract the removed deposits from the working chamber.

[0042] In this embodiment, a jet nozzle 12 and a purging mechanism 30 are provided on the bottom surface of the transition zone of the swing valve. The control system can respond to the opening action of the swing valve and simultaneously open the purging mechanism to blow on the bottom surface of the partition 21 passing through the transition zone to clean the particles attached to the bottom surface of the partition 21. The molecular pump 40 can simultaneously perform vacuuming to remove the particles and prevent them from falling back onto the partition 21. That is, this application can clean the bottom surface of the partition 21 without removing the swing valve, avoiding the impact of repeated disassembly on the sealing performance of the swing valve sealing ring, and also avoiding equipment malfunctions caused by accidental contact during disassembly.

[0043] like Figures 1-5 As shown, in one specific embodiment, when the purging mechanism 30 of the swing valve device further includes a door panel 32 and a drive mechanism, the swing valve self-cleaning method further includes: monitoring the real-time rotation angle of the partition 21 to obtain the real-time position of the partition 21, and controlling the drive mechanism to move the door panel 32 according to the real-time position, so as to selectively open the jet nozzle 12 corresponding to the current position of the partition 21.

[0044] Specifically, in combination Figure 3 As shown, when the starting end of the partition 21 is detected to have moved to the position corresponding to the third set of jet nozzles 123, the control drive mechanism moves the door panel 32 toward the working chamber side (i.e., toward the working chamber side). Figure 3 The left side moves, gradually exposing the third set of jet nozzles 123 to form a covering and purging effect on the central area of ​​the baffle 21 to the starting end of the swing; at this time, since only the third set of jet nozzles 123 at the edge of the jet nozzle 12 is opened, its jet pressure is increased, which can more efficiently and thoroughly clean the particles accumulated at the bottom edge of the starting end of the baffle 21; combined with Figure 4 As shown, when the central area of ​​the partition 21 is detected to have moved to the position corresponding to the second set of jet nozzles 122 in the transition zone, the control drive mechanism moves the door panel 32 further towards the working chamber side, gradually exposing the second set of jet nozzles 122 to form a covering and purging effect on the central area of ​​the partition 21; combined with Figure 5 As shown, when the end of the partition 21 is detected to have moved to the position corresponding to the first set of jet nozzles 121 in the transition zone, the control drive mechanism moves the door panel 32 toward the buffer chamber side (i.e., toward the buffer chamber side). Figure 3 The right side of the partition 21 moves, exposing the first set of jet nozzles 121, while the second set of jet nozzles 122 and the third set of jet nozzles 123 are blocked and closed to form a covering and purging of the end of the partition 21. At this time, since only the first set of jet nozzles 121 at the edge of the jet nozzle 12 is opened, its jet pressure is increased, which can more efficiently and thoroughly clean the particles accumulated at the bottom edge of the end of the partition 21.

[0045] In this embodiment, the door panel 32 moves according to the real-time rotation angle of the partition 21, selectively opening the air jet 12 corresponding to the current position of the partition 21, so as to achieve dynamic and full-coverage cleaning of the entire bottom surface of the partition 21 while saving airflow.

[0046] Combination Figure 6 As shown, in one specific embodiment, the purging mechanism 30 is configured to deliver pulsed cleaning gas to the jet nozzle 12. In this embodiment, the pulsed airflow creates an air hammer effect, increasing the purging range of a single point at the jet nozzle and better loosening particles attached to the bottom surface of the partition 21, thereby improving the cleaning effect. Argon is typically used as the cleaning gas.

[0047] The above description of the embodiments is intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand and apply this application. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be easily made to these embodiments, and the general principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without creative effort. Therefore, this application is not limited to the embodiments described herein, and any improvements and modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the disclosure of this application without departing from the scope and spirit of this application are within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A swing valve device, characterized in that, include: The valve body includes a working chamber, a buffer chamber, and a transition zone connecting the working chamber and the buffer chamber. The working chamber has a through hole in the longitudinal direction. The working chamber, the transition zone, and the buffer chamber are connected in the horizontal direction. The bottom wall of the transition zone is provided with an air chamber and multiple air jet ports connected to the air chamber. The valve core includes a partition and a rotating mechanism connected to the partition. The rotating mechanism is used to drive the partition to rotate horizontally between the working chamber and the buffer chamber through the transition zone, so as to close or open the through hole on the working chamber. A purging mechanism includes a purging pipeline; the purging pipeline is connected to the air chamber and supplies air to the air chamber for purging the bottom of the partition through the air jet. The control system is connected to the rotating mechanism and the purging mechanism.

2. The swing valve device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The purging mechanism also includes a door panel and a drive mechanism. The door panel is movably disposed in the transition area and covers each of the jet nozzles. The door panel is connected to the drive mechanism and moves horizontally back and forth under the drive mechanism, so that each of the jet nozzles is in an open or closed state. The control system is connected to the drive mechanism and is used to control the drive mechanism to move the door panel according to the real-time rotation angle of the partition, so as to selectively open the air jet corresponding to the current position of the partition.

3. The swing valve device according to claim 2, characterized in that, All the jet nozzles are divided into a first group, a second group, and a third group in the direction extending from the working chamber to the buffer chamber. In the second group, the jet nozzles are arranged in a straight line, and the length of the line segment is not less than the diameter of the partition. In the third group, the jet nozzles are arranged in a first arc to cover the central area of ​​the partition and the starting end of the swing. In the first group, the jet nozzles are arranged in a second arc to cover the swing end of the partition.

4. A swing valve device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The jet holes in the second group are arranged along multiple parallel straight lines.

5. A swing valve device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The axis of the jet nozzle is inclined toward the buffer cavity side relative to the axis of the through hole.

6. A swing valve device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The purging mechanism also includes a control valve, which is disposed on the purging pipeline and is signal-connected to the control system for controlling the purging pipeline to deliver pulsed airflow.

7. A swing valve device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive mechanism is a linear module, a hydraulic cylinder, or a pneumatic cylinder.

8. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized in that, The swing valve device according to any one of claims 1-7 further includes a molecular pump connected to the working chamber.

9. A self-cleaning method for a swing valve, applicable to the semiconductor process equipment as described in claim 8, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Control the partition to swing from the working chamber to the buffer chamber, and simultaneously activate the purging mechanism to blow the bottom of the partition through the jet nozzle to remove the deposits on the bottom of the partition; Simultaneously, the molecular pump is activated to extract the removed deposits from the working chamber.

10. A self-cleaning method for a swing valve according to claim 9, characterized in that, The purging mechanism of the swing valve device also includes a door panel and a drive mechanism. The self-cleaning method of the swing valve further includes: monitoring the real-time rotation angle of the partition to obtain the real-time position of the partition, and controlling the drive mechanism to move the door panel according to the real-time position, so as to selectively open the jet nozzle corresponding to the current position of the partition.

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