Dispensing apparatus and method for solid precursor material

Abstract

The application relates to a solid-state precursor material dispensing device and method, and belongs to the technical field of precursor material preparation devices. The solid-state precursor material dispensing comprises a material supply mechanism, a quantitative feeding mechanism, a closed operation mechanism comprising a shell and a multi-stage screening assembly arranged in the shell, and a vibrating screening mechanism which generates vibration and acts on the shell and the multi-stage screening assembly. The multi-stage screening assembly comprises a plurality of screening trays arranged in a first direction in a stacking mode, and the plurality of screening trays have diameters which decrease in turn away from the input end of the shell. The embodiment of the application can realize multi-stage particle size grading of the powder through the multi-stage screening assembly in the stacking mode with diameters decreasing in the first direction in turn and the vibrating screening mechanism, thereby providing a basis for subsequent grading and filling, and further improving the bulk density of the solid-state precursor material, reducing the influence of the carrier gas channeling effect, and ensuring the stability of the precursor vapor supply at the end of the deposition machine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of precursor material preparation apparatus technology, and in particular to a solid precursor material dispensing apparatus and dispensing method. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor vapor deposition processes such as ALD and CVD, solid precursors are the core raw materials for thin film deposition. In existing technologies, purified solid precursors are often directly packaged after crushing, resulting in a wide particle size distribution and high porosity and low packing density after stacking. When this solid precursor is fed into a sublimation tank or source bottle, the carrier gas (such as Ar or N2) flowing through this loosely packed bed tends to preferentially pass through low-resistance void channels, forming a "channeling effect." This leads to uneven contact between the carrier gas and the material, with contact efficiency fluctuating continuously over time. This results in unstable precursor vapor output concentration, affecting the uniformity of wafer thin film deposition and potentially causing device performance defects or reduced batch yield. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the present application provides a packaging device and method for solid precursor materials to solve at least one problem existing in the background art.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a packaging device for solid precursor materials, the packaging device comprising: Material supply mechanism, used to output solid precursor materials under sealed conditions; A quantitative feeding mechanism, the input end of which is connected to the output end of the material supply mechanism, is used to quantitatively output the solid precursor material; A closed operating mechanism, the input end of which is connected to the output end of the quantitative feeding mechanism, the closed operating mechanism including a housing and a multi-stage screening assembly disposed within the housing; and A vibrating screening mechanism is used to generate vibration and act on the housing and the multi-stage screening assembly; The multi-stage screening assembly includes multiple screening trays stacked along a first direction. The aperture of the multiple screening trays decreases sequentially in the direction away from the input end of the housing. Solid precursor materials of different particle sizes are transferred to the screening trays corresponding to their particle sizes under the action of the vibrating screening mechanism. The first direction is the direction in which the input end of the housing extends into the housing.

[0005] In one optional embodiment, the multi-stage screening assembly includes a first tray, a second tray, and a third tray. The first tray has a plurality of first through holes, the second tray has a plurality of second through holes, and the third tray has a plurality of third through holes. The diameters of the first through holes, the second through holes, and the third through holes decrease sequentially in a first direction toward the input end away from the housing, wherein the first direction is the direction of the central axis of the housing.

[0006] In an alternative embodiment, the multi-stage screening assembly further includes a fourth tray, which is disposed adjacent to the third tray and is located away from the input end of the housing.

[0007] In one optional embodiment, the fourth tray is a solid structure, or the fourth tray has multiple fourth through holes, the diameter of which is smaller than that of the third through hole, and the fourth tray is used to hold dust particles in the sieved solid precursor material.

[0008] In an optional embodiment, the multi-stage screening component further includes a fifth tray, which is disposed adjacent to the first tray and close to the input end of the housing; the fifth tray has a plurality of fifth through holes, the diameter of which is larger than the diameter of the first through holes.

[0009] In one alternative embodiment, the housing is provided with an exhaust port, which is located on the top cover or side wall of the housing.

[0010] In an optional embodiment, the dispensing device further includes a flexible connector connected to the input end of the housing and the output end of the quantitative feeding mechanism.

[0011] In one optional embodiment, the material supply mechanism includes a feeding component and a pneumatic conveying component connected to the output end of the feeding component. The output end of the pneumatic conveying component is connected to the input end of the metering feeding mechanism. Carrier gas flowing toward the metering feeding mechanism is input into the pneumatic conveying component, and the solid precursor material in the feeding component flows into the metering feeding mechanism along with the carrier gas. The carrier gas and the solid precursor material following the carrier gas flow at a flow rate lower than a preset flow rate threshold.

[0012] In an optional embodiment, the inner surfaces of the material supply mechanism, the quantitative feeding mechanism, the closed operation mechanism, and the vibrating screening mechanism that come into contact with the solid precursor material are all electrolytically polished, with Ra being less than or equal to 0.2 μm.

[0013] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a method for packaging solid precursor materials, the packaging method comprising: Solid precursor materials are transported under closed conditions using a material supply mechanism; The solid precursor material is received by the material supply mechanism using a quantitative feeding mechanism, and the solid precursor material is output quantitatively. The vibrating screening mechanism is driven to vibrate and act on a closed operating mechanism, which receives a quantitative amount of the solid precursor material output by the quantitative feeding mechanism. The closed operating mechanism includes a housing and a multi-stage screening assembly disposed within the housing. The multi-stage screening assembly includes multiple screening trays stacked along a first direction. The apertures of the multiple screening trays decrease sequentially in the direction away from the input end of the housing. The first direction is the direction in which the input end of the housing extends into the housing. The solid precursor materials of different particle sizes are transferred to the screening tray corresponding to their particle size by the vibrating screening mechanism.

[0014] In an optional embodiment, the packaging method further includes: filling solid precursor materials of different particle sizes sequentially in descending order of particle size; compacting the filled solid precursor materials, wherein the bulk density of the compacted solid precursor materials ranges from 1.0 g / cm³ to 1.5 g / cm³.

[0015] In an optional embodiment, the packaging method further includes: the solid precursor materials of different particle sizes are transferred to the screening tray corresponding to their particle sizes under the action of the vibrating screening mechanism, including: separating out large-particle solid precursor materials with a particle size greater than a preset first particle size threshold, and removing the large-particle solid precursor materials for recycling and crushing; and separating out dust-like solid precursor materials with a particle size less than a preset second particle size threshold, and removing the dust-like solid precursor materials for recycling and purification.

[0016] The solid precursor material packaging apparatus and method provided in this application have at least the following technical effects: By using a stacked multi-stage screening assembly and vibrating screening mechanism with progressively decreasing aperture along the first direction, multi-stage particle size classification of powder can be achieved, providing a foundation for subsequent gradation and filling, thereby increasing the bulk density of solid precursor materials, reducing the influence of carrier gas channeling effect, and ensuring the stability of precursor steam supply at the sedimentation unit end; by keeping the entire material filling process in a closed environment, external contamination can be prevented from entering, adapting to the high cleanliness requirements of solid precursor filling conditions; in addition, the use of a quantitative feeding mechanism to provide precise quality solid precursor materials can ensure screening efficiency and screening effect. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings: Figure 1 A first structural schematic diagram of a solid precursor material packaging device provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 A second structural schematic diagram of the solid precursor material packaging device provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the closed operating mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 4 An exploded view of the multi-stage screening component provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the material supply mechanism provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the quantitative feeding mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating the packaging method for solid precursor materials provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Reference numerals: 100, Material supply mechanism; 110, Feeding component; 111, First material tank; 112, First valve; 113, First weighing module; 120, Pneumatic conveying component; 200, Quantitative feeding mechanism; 210, Second material tank; 220, Second valve; 230, Second weighing module; 240, Vibrating feeding module; 250, Third valve; 300, Sealed operating mechanism; 310, Shell; 320, Multi-stage screening component; 321, First tray; 3211, First through hole; 322, Second tray; 3221, Second through hole; 323, Third tray; 3231, Third through hole; 324, Fourth tray; 325, Fifth tray; 3251, Fifth through hole; 400, Vibrating screening mechanism; 500, Flexible connector; 600, Packaging container. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Exemplary embodiments of the present application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present application are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present application may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the specific embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the present application and to fully convey the scope of the disclosure of the present application to those skilled in the art.

[0020] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of this application. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this application can be practiced without one or more of these details. In other instances, to avoid confusion with this application, some technical features well-known in the art have not been described; that is, not all features of actual embodiments are described herein, nor are well-known functions and structures described in detail.

[0021] In the accompanying drawings, for clarity, the dimensions of layers, areas, and elements, as well as their relative dimensions, may be exaggerated. The same reference numerals denote the same elements throughout.

[0022] It should be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as "on," "adjacent to," "connected to," or "coupled to" other elements or layers, it may be directly on, adjacent to, connected to, or coupled to other elements or layers, or there may be intervening elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as "directly on," "directly adjacent to," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" other elements or layers, there are no intervening elements or layers. It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used to describe various elements, components, areas, layers, and / or portions, these elements, components, areas, layers, and / or portions should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, area, layer, or portion from another element, component, area, layer, or portion. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of this application, the first element, component, area, layer, or portion discussed below may be referred to as a second element, component, area, layer, or portion. And the discussion of a second element, component, area, layer, or portion does not imply that the first element, component, area, layer, or portion necessarily exists in this application.

[0023] Spatial relation terms such as “below,” “under,” “below,” “under,” “above,” “above,” etc., are used herein for convenience of description to describe the relationship between one element or feature shown in the figure and other elements or features. It should be understood that, in addition to the orientation shown in the figure, spatial relation terms are intended to also include different orientations of the device in use and operation. For example, if the device in the figure is flipped, then the element or feature described as “below,” “under,” or “below” other elements or features will be oriented “above” other elements or features. Therefore, the exemplary terms “below” and “under” can include both above and below orientations. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or otherwise) and the spatial descriptive terms used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0024] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. When used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “ / the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “compose” and / or “comprising,” when used in this specification, identify the presence of features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups. When used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of the associated listed items.

[0025] In semiconductor vapor deposition processes such as ALD and CVD, solid precursors are typically used as raw materials for thin film deposition. After being dispensed into source bottles, the solid precursors are fed into the deposition equipment. They are heated to sublimate and generate vapor, which is then carried by a carrier gas to the deposition reaction chamber to complete the deposition of thin films on the wafer surface.

[0026] In existing technologies, purified solid precursors are typically crushed and directly packaged into source bottles. The crushed solid precursor material has a wide particle size distribution, and the accumulation of these particles creates numerous voids, resulting in a low packing density in the source bottle. During the sublimation feeding process at the machine end, the carrier gas flows through the material bed, where uneven void distribution leads to a channeling effect. This causes continuous fluctuations in the contact efficiency between the carrier gas and the material, resulting in unstable precursor vapor output concentration. This affects the uniformity of thin film deposition on the wafer surface and can even cause device performance defects. Furthermore, fine dust is easily generated during crushing, screening, and packaging. This dust, along with the qualified powder, enters the source bottle and is carried into the deposition reaction chamber by the carrier gas during subsequent feeding processes. It adheres to the wafer surface, forming particle defects and reducing product yield.

[0027] In view of this, this application provides a solid precursor material packaging device to solve at least one problem existing in the aforementioned prior art. The following is a detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 To be continued Figure 7 The dispensing apparatus provided in this embodiment will be described.

[0028] The dispensing device provided in this embodiment includes a material supply mechanism 100, a quantitative feeding mechanism 200, a closed operation mechanism 300, and a vibrating screening mechanism 400.

[0029] Specifically, the material supply mechanism 100 is used to output solid precursor materials under sealed conditions. The material supply mechanism 100 can be configured to connect sealed to the discharge end of the upstream purification equipment as a transitional mechanism for supplying solid precursor materials, or the material supply mechanism 100 itself can act as a sealed solid precursor material supplier upstream, allowing the purified solid precursor material to be supplied downstream under sealed conditions. Throughout the supply process of the material supply mechanism 100, there are no open contact points, preventing the introduction of external contamination during the output of the solid precursor material and preventing the spread of powder dust. In some examples, the material supply mechanism 100 employs a sealed pneumatic conveying scheme.

[0030] The input end of the quantitative feeding mechanism 200 is connected to the output end of the material supply mechanism 100, and is used to quantitatively output solid precursor materials. After receiving solid precursor materials from the material supply mechanism 100, the quantitative feeding mechanism 200 stably outputs solid precursor materials to subsequent mechanisms at a preset rate, controls the flow rate of solid precursor materials entering the closed operation mechanism 300, and greatly reduces the impact of flow fluctuations on the accuracy of subsequent screening and classification.

[0031] The input end of the closed operating mechanism 300 is sealed and connected to the output end of the quantitative feeding mechanism 200. The closed operating mechanism 300 includes a housing 310 and a multi-stage screening assembly 320 disposed within the housing 310. The housing 310 is a closed cavity structure, forming a closed screening operation space inside. The input end of the housing 310 is located at the first end (e.g., the top) of the housing 310 and is used to receive the solid precursor material output by the quantitative feeding mechanism 200, so that the solid precursor material is in a closed environment throughout the entire process from output, feeding to screening.

[0032] The vibrating screening mechanism 400 generates vibrations that act on the housing 310 and the multi-stage screening assembly 320. In some examples, the vibrating screening mechanism 400 is drive-connected to the housing 310, outputting mechanical vibrations of a set frequency and amplitude, and synchronously transmitting the vibrations to the housing 310 and the multi-stage screening assembly 320 within the housing 310, so that the solid precursor material entering the housing 310 is screened and graded under the action of vibration. In other examples, the vibrating screening mechanism 400 includes, but is not limited to, an electromagnetic vibrator, an ultrasonic vibration generator, and a rotary vibration motor; the inner surface of the housing 310 in contact with the solid precursor material is electrolytically polished, and the roughness of the inner surface of the housing 310 after electrolytic polishing is less than or equal to 0.2 μm; the housing 310 is a detachable sealed structure that can be installed in a glove box.

[0033] The multi-stage screening assembly 320 includes multiple screening trays stacked along a first direction. The aperture of the multiple screening trays decreases sequentially towards the input end away from the housing 310. Solid precursor materials of different particle sizes are transferred to the screening trays corresponding to their particle sizes under the action of the vibrating screening mechanism 400. The first direction is the direction in which the input end of the housing extends into the housing. Specifically, the first direction is used to indicate the stacking arrangement direction of the multiple screening trays. The screening surface of each screening tray is usually arranged perpendicular to the first direction. Each screening tray usually has multiple uniformly distributed screening through holes. Along the direction away from the input end of the housing 310, the aperture of the screening through holes of each layer of screening trays decreases sequentially, forming a continuous aperture gradient. It is understood that the first direction can be set as the gravity direction, the inclined direction or other solid precursor material conveying direction according to the actual working conditions. The arrangement of the screening trays is not limited to the setting method perpendicular to the first direction. In addition to gravity, one driving force component of the screening process can also achieve the step-by-step screening of solid precursor materials through positive pressure in the cavity. This application does not make a unique limitation in this regard.

[0034] The dispensing device also includes a packaging container 600, which is a sealed source bottle / pressure packaging tank adapted for use in semiconductor solid-state precursor material storage and deposition equipment. The packaging container 600 and the closed operating mechanism 300 are installed in the same glove box closed space, serving as the final dispensing carrier for solid-state precursor materials in the dispensing device.

[0035] The screening process of the dispensing device provided in this embodiment is as follows: Under sealed conditions, the material supply mechanism outputs solid precursor material to the quantitative feeding mechanism. The quantitative feeding mechanism receives the solid precursor material in a sealed manner and weighs and quantitatively outputs the solid precursor material to the downstream closed operating mechanism. Driven by the vibrating screening mechanism 400, the solid precursor material output by the quantitative feeding mechanism 200 first falls onto the first screening tray closest to the input end of the shell 310. Solid precursor material with a particle size larger than the aperture of the screening tray remains on the surface of the tray, while solid precursor material with a particle size smaller than the aperture of the screening tray passes through the screening holes and falls onto the next screening tray. In this way, the solid precursor material passes through each screening tray in sequence and is screened step by step. Solid precursor material with different particle sizes is finally retained on the screening tray that matches its particle size, realizing the multi-size grading and packaging of solid precursor material. Subsequently, based on the grading and packaging, the solid precursor material is filled into the packaging container 600 and compacted (gradation filling) in order of particle size from large to small. Through the coordinated operation of the aforementioned mechanisms, the steady flow output of the quantitative feeding mechanism ensures the stability of the screening process from the feeding end. Combined with the drive of the vibrating screening mechanism and the multi-stage screening trays with decreasing aperture gradients, the solid precursor material completes the step-by-step screening under continuous vibration. Each tray only collects solid precursor material within the corresponding particle size range, significantly improving the grading accuracy of the solid precursor material. At the same time, the continuous grading of multiple particle sizes can be completed in one go with a single device, eliminating the need for multiple process steps and effectively improving the overall efficiency of grading and packaging. It also provides solid precursor material with graded particle size and uniform controllable for subsequent grading and filling processes.

[0036] In an alternative embodiment, in conjunction with the appendix Figure 4 As shown, the multi-stage screening component 320 includes a first tray 321, a second tray 322, and a third tray 323. The first tray 321 has a plurality of first through holes 3211, the second tray 322 has a plurality of second through holes 3221, and the third tray 323 has a plurality of third through holes 3231. The apertures of the first through holes 3211, the second through holes 3221, and the third through holes 3231 decrease sequentially in a first direction toward the input end away from the housing 310. The first direction is the direction of the central axis of the housing 310.

[0037] In this embodiment, the first tray 321, the second tray 322, and the third tray 323 are stacked sequentially along the central axis of the shell 310. Through the three-stage continuous pore size gradient sieving trays, the solid precursor material can be divided into three different particle size ranges for separate collection, achieving particle size-based grading of the solid precursor material and providing a basis for subsequent graded packing. Packing solid precursor materials of various particle sizes sequentially from largest to smallest can increase the bulk density of the solid precursor material, improve the effectiveness of contact between the subsequent carrier gas flow and the material, further ensure the stability of steam output, and simultaneously improve the utilization rate of the solid precursor material. Of course, the multi-stage screening component 320 may also include more trays, each with a different aperture, to further classify the solid precursor material. This provides a basis for subsequent processes to fill the solid precursor material into the packaging container 600 in descending order of particle size and compact it (graded filling) based on the classification and packaging. It can also increase the bulk density of the solid precursor material, further ensure the stability of the precursor vapor supply at the deposition machine stage, and reduce the impact of the carrier gas channeling effect.

[0038] In an alternative embodiment, in conjunction with the appendix Figure 3 Appendix Figure 4 As shown, the multi-stage screening assembly 320 also includes a fourth tray 324, which is disposed adjacent to the third tray 323 and is located away from the input end of the housing 310.

[0039] In this embodiment, the fourth tray 324 is located downstream of the aforementioned three screening trays and is used to receive the solid precursor material passing through the third tray 323, thereby enabling further collection and processing of the solid precursor material. Typically, the fourth tray 324 is used to collect solid precursor materials with excessively small particle sizes. After collection, the material can be purified again, improving the utilization rate of the solid precursor material and greatly reducing the possibility of dust being carried into the downstream deposition chamber by the carrier gas, thus contaminating the wafer or device.

[0040] In an alternative embodiment, in conjunction with the appendix Figure 4 As shown, the fourth tray 324 is a solid structure. In this embodiment, the solid fourth tray 324 serves as a bottom collection tray, capable of collecting most of the fine dust solid precursor material that passes through the third tray 323 and the housing 310.

[0041] In another optional embodiment, the fourth tray 324 has multiple fourth through holes, the diameter of which is smaller than that of the third through hole 3231. The fourth tray 324 is used to hold dust particles from the sieved solid precursor material. In this embodiment, by setting the fourth through holes with smaller diameters, most of the fine dust solid precursor material passing through the third tray 323 and the housing 310 can be collected without allowing the solid precursor material to escape from the sealed operating mechanism 300 or allowing external impurities to flow into the sealed operating mechanism 300. It also has a certain effect on balancing the air pressure inside the housing 310.

[0042] In an alternative embodiment, in conjunction with the appendix Figure 3 Appendix Figure 4 As shown, the multi-stage screening component 320 also includes a fifth tray 325, which is arranged adjacent to the first tray 321 and is close to the input end of the housing 310. The fifth tray 325 has multiple fifth through holes 3251, and the diameter of the fifth through hole 3251 is larger than the diameter of the first through hole 3211.

[0043] In this embodiment, the fifth tray 325 is the first-layer screening tray, which can pre-intercept large particles or irregularly shaped solid precursor materials that exceed the particle size limit, so as to avoid large particles or irregularly shaped solid precursor materials clogging the through holes of the downstream screening tray and ensure the stability of the screening process. In addition, the intercepted large particles of solid precursor materials can be collected in the fifth tray 325 and returned to the crushing process for reprocessing.

[0044] In an alternative embodiment, the housing is provided with an exhaust port, which is located on the top cover or side wall of the housing 310.

[0045] In this embodiment, the vent can connect the inside and outside of the shell 310, and is used to balance the pressure inside the shell 310 during the solid precursor material conveying and screening process, preventing pressure fluctuations or excessive pressure within the cavity from affecting the screening effect of the solid precursor material. In some examples, a filter can be installed at the vent to prevent the powdered solid precursor material from overflowing from the vent. In other examples, the vent diameter is set to 30-50 μm. The number and size of the vents can be set according to specific needs, and this application embodiment does not impose specific limitations.

[0046] In an alternative embodiment, in conjunction with the appendix Figure 2 As shown, the dispensing device also includes a flexible connector 500, which is connected to the input end of the housing 310 and the output end of the quantitative feeding mechanism 200.

[0047] In this embodiment, the flexible connector 500 can adopt a flexible structure such as a corrugated pipe or a flexible hose. On the one hand, it can ensure a sealed connection between the input end of the housing 310 and the output end of the quantitative feeding mechanism 200. On the other hand, it can isolate the vibration generated when the vibrating screening mechanism 400 is working, prevent its vibration from being transmitted to the quantitative feeding mechanism 200, and enable the quantitative feeding mechanism 200 to operate stably and maintain feeding accuracy.

[0048] In an optional embodiment, the material supply mechanism 100 includes a feeding component 110 and a pneumatic conveying component 120 connected to the output end of the feeding component 110. The output end of the pneumatic conveying component 120 is connected to the input end of the quantitative feeding mechanism 200. Carrier gas flowing toward the quantitative feeding mechanism 200 is input into the pneumatic conveying component 120, and solid precursor material in the feeding component 110 flows into the quantitative feeding mechanism 200 along with the carrier gas. The carrier gas and the solid precursor material following the carrier gas flow at a flow rate lower than a preset flow rate threshold.

[0049] In this embodiment, the feeding component 110 adopts a product storage tank with a closed feeding structure. The carrier gas can be high-purity nitrogen or high-purity argon, which do not react with the solid precursor. The preset flow rate threshold is set according to the particle size and physical properties of the solid precursor material. The heat generated by the collision and friction between solid precursor materials or between solid precursor materials and mechanical / pipe wall during the conveying process will not cause local overheating or uneven temperature. The set benchmark (e.g., 1-5 m / s) is used to avoid the decomposition of heat-sensitive precursors. At the same time, the feeding component 110 and the pneumatic conveying component 120 are conveyed in a closed manner without open nodes, reducing the intrusion of external contamination.

[0050] In one specific embodiment, in conjunction with the appendix Figure 5 As shown, the feeding assembly 110 includes a first material tank 111, a first valve 112 disposed at the output end of the first material tank 111, and a first weighing module 113 coupled to the first material tank 111; the air inlet of the pneumatic conveying assembly 120 is connected to an air source, the feed inlet of the pneumatic conveying assembly 120 is connected to the first valve 112, and the output end of the pneumatic conveying assembly 120 is connected to the quantitative feeding mechanism 200. Specifically, the first weighing module 113 collects the weight data of the solid precursor material input into the pneumatic conveying assembly 120 from the first material tank 111 and feeds the data back to the control unit. The control unit adjusts the state of the first valve 112 according to the weight data of the solid precursor material to realize the feedback adjustment of the feeding rate of the first material tank 111. In some examples, the first material tank 111 includes, but is not limited to, a vertical sealed pressure tank, the inner surface of which is in contact with the solid precursor material is electrolytically polished; the first valve 112 includes, but is not limited to, a star-shaped discharge valve, a pneumatic ball valve, and a diaphragm valve, which uses a sealing material that does not react with or precipitate from the solid precursor material, and is suitable for the closed feeding conditions of high-purity powder; the first weighing module 113 includes, but is not limited to, a static weighing sensor and a dynamic weighing module.

[0051] In an optional embodiment, the quantitative feeding mechanism 200 is used to acquire real-time weight data of the solid precursor material during the feeding process, and adjust the feeding rate based on the real-time weight data feedback.

[0052] In one specific embodiment, in conjunction with the appendix Figure 6 As shown, the quantitative feeding mechanism 200 includes a second material tank 210, a second valve 220 disposed at the output end of the second material tank 210, a second weighing module 230 coupled to the second material tank 210, a vibrating feeding module 240 connected to the second valve 220, and a third valve 250 disposed at the output end of the vibrating feeding module 240, the third valve 250 being connected to a sealed operating mechanism 300; wherein, the third valve 250 is communicatively connected to the second weighing module 230 to control the opening and closing of the third valve 250 based on the real-time weight data measured by the second weighing module 230; or, the vibrating feeding module 240 is communicatively connected to the second weighing module 230 to control the vibration frequency of the vibrating feeding module 240 based on the real-time weight data measured by the second weighing module 230. In some examples, the selection of the second material tank 210, the second valve 220, and the second weighing module 230 is the same as that of the first material tank 111, the first valve 112, and the first weighing module 113 mentioned above, and will not be repeated here; the vibrating feeder module 240 includes, but is not limited to, an electromagnetic vibrating feeder and a screw vibrating feeder, and the feeding rate can be linearly adjusted by adjusting the vibration frequency.

[0053] Furthermore, the sampling frequency of the second weighing module 230 is 300-400 times / second, and the control accuracy is C6 level. It collects the weight data of the solid precursor material entering the second material tank 210 in real time at a high frequency and feeds the data back to the control unit. The control unit adjusts the opening and closing of the third valve 250 or the vibration frequency of the vibration feeding module 240 according to the real-time weight data, so as to realize the feedback adjustment of the feeding rate of the quantitative feeding mechanism 200, thereby ensuring the stability of the flow rate of the solid precursor material entering the closed operating mechanism 300, and thus improving the accuracy of subsequent screening and grading.

[0054] In an optional embodiment, the number of quantitative feeding mechanisms 200 is at least two, and they are used to alternately weigh and discharge solid precursor materials received from the material supply mechanism 100.

[0055] In this embodiment, by setting at least two quantitative feeding mechanisms 200, an alternating operation mode is realized. That is, when at least one quantitative mechanism performs the discharge operation, the other at least one mechanism can simultaneously complete the feeding and weighing operations, so that the packaging process can run continuously without interrupting the operation for feeding or discharging, thereby improving the packaging efficiency.

[0056] In an optional embodiment, the inner surfaces of the material supply mechanism 100, the quantitative feeding mechanism 200, the closed operation mechanism 300, and the vibrating screening mechanism 400 that come into contact with the solid precursor material are all electrolytically polished, with Ra less than or equal to 0.2 μm.

[0057] In this embodiment, the surface roughness of the inner surface after electropolishing is significantly reduced, with Ra less than or equal to 0.2 μm; the surface roughness of the inner surface in contact with the solid precursor material is less than or equal to 0.2 μm, which can effectively reduce the adhesion residue of the solid precursor material on the inner wall of the mechanism. The solid precursor material residue rate can be controlled within 0.1%, reducing the risk of cross-contamination between different batches of solid precursor materials.

[0058] The various embodiments or implementation methods described in this specification are presented in a progressive manner. Each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments, and the same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0059] In the various embodiments of the specification, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations can be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations in other embodiments.

[0060] Combined with appendix Figure 7 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment also provides a method for packaging solid precursor materials, which can be implemented by the packaging device of any of the foregoing embodiments. The specific implementation of the packaging method is described below.

[0061] The packaging methods include: Step S110: The solid precursor material is conveyed under closed conditions using a material supply mechanism; Step S120: Receive solid precursor material from the material supply mechanism using a quantitative feeding mechanism, and output the solid precursor material quantitatively. Step S130: Drive the vibrating screening mechanism to vibrate and act on the closed operating mechanism. The closed operating mechanism receives a quantitative amount of solid precursor material output by the quantitative feeding mechanism. The closed operating mechanism includes a housing and a multi-stage screening assembly disposed within the housing. The multi-stage screening assembly includes multiple screening trays stacked along a first direction. The apertures of the multiple screening trays decrease sequentially in the direction away from the input end of the housing. The first direction is the direction in which the input end of the housing extends into the housing. Step S140: Solid precursor materials of different particle sizes are transferred to the screening tray corresponding to their particle size under the action of the vibrating screening mechanism.

[0062] In this embodiment, the entire process of solid precursor material transportation, screening and grading is carried out in a closed environment to prevent external pollution from entering and powder dust from spreading. At the same time, the multi-stage screening component 320 with decreasing pore size gradient realizes the multi-particle size classification and screening of solid precursor materials.

[0063] In an optional embodiment, the packaging method further includes: filling solid precursor materials of different particle sizes sequentially in descending order of particle size; compacting the filled solid precursor materials, wherein the bulk density of the compacted solid precursor materials ranges from 1.0 g / cm³ to 1.5 g / cm³.

[0064] In this embodiment, by filling the particles sequentially in descending order of particle size, large-diameter particles can form a packed skeleton, while medium and small-diameter particles fill the gaps in the skeleton, achieving close packing of the powder. This effectively increases the packing density of the solid precursor material and reduces the porosity of the solid precursor material bed. During the subsequent sublimation feeding process at the machine end, the carrier gas can flow uniformly through the solid precursor material bed, reducing the influence of channeling effect. This ensures stable contact efficiency between the carrier gas and the solid precursor material, achieving stable output of precursor vapor.

[0065] In one optional embodiment, solid precursor materials of different particle sizes are transferred to a screening tray corresponding to their particle size under the action of a vibrating screening mechanism, including: separating large solid precursor materials with a particle size greater than a preset first particle size threshold and removing the large solid precursor materials for recycling and crushing; and separating dust-like solid precursor materials with a particle size less than a preset second particle size threshold and removing the dust-like solid precursor materials for recycling and purification.

[0066] In this embodiment, the multi-stage screening assembly includes a fifth tray 325, a first tray 321, a second tray 322, a third tray 323, and a fourth tray 324 arranged sequentially along a first direction from the input end near the housing 310 to the distance from the input end; solid precursor materials of different particle sizes are transferred to the screening trays corresponding to their particle sizes under the action of the vibrating screening mechanism 400.

[0067] The specific screening and recycling process is as follows: The solid precursor material first enters the fifth tray 325 closest to the input end of the shell 310. The fifth tray 325 has a fifth through hole 3251 with a diameter larger than the first through hole 3211 of the first tray 321. Large particles of solid precursor material with a particle size larger than the preset first particle size threshold (usually set as the diameter of the fifth through hole 3251) are intercepted and retained on the fifth tray 325 because their particle size exceeds the diameter of the fifth through hole 3251, thus completing the pre-separation of large particles. After the large particles of solid precursor material on the fifth tray 325 are removed, they can be transported to the crushing process for recycling and crushing. The material passing through the fifth tray 325 flows sequentially through the first tray 321, the second tray 322, and the third tray 323. After the qualified particle size range is classified, the dust-like solid precursor material with a particle size smaller than the preset second particle size threshold (usually set as the aperture of the third through hole 3231) falls into the downstream fourth tray 324 through the third through hole 3231 of the third tray 323, completing the separation of the dust-like material. After the dust-like solid precursor material on the fourth tray 324 is removed, it can be transported to the purification process for recycling and purification.

[0068] The pre-screening of large particles in the fifth tray 325 of the first layer prevents them from clogging the screening holes of the downstream grading trays, ensuring the stability of the continuous screening process. At the same time, the recycling and crushing of large particles allows them to re-enter the packaging process, improving the overall utilization rate of solid precursor materials. The collection of ultrafine dust in the fourth tray 324 at the end prevents dust from mixing into products with qualified particle sizes, preventing fine dust from entering the subsequent machine feeding stage with the product and being carried into the deposition chamber by the carrier gas, causing wafer defects. At the same time, the recycling and purification of dusty materials can further improve the utilization rate of high-value precursor materials and reduce production costs.

[0069] In one specific embodiment, aluminum trichloride (AlCl3) weighing 8 kg and with a purity grade of 5N is packaged using the packaging method provided in this application, as follows: Start the material supply mechanism 100, place the 5N grade high-purity aluminum trichloride material to be packaged into the product tank (first material tank 111), open the product tank outlet valve, start the rotary valve (first valve 112), set the rotary valve speed to 10rpm-15rpm, and output the material downstream at a rate of 1kg / min; simultaneously start the pneumatic conveying component 120, using 0.3MPa-0.5MPa 9N grade high-purity nitrogen or argon as the carrier gas, control the carrier gas velocity to 3m / s-5m / s, and use a medium-low speed positive pressure conveying method to convey the material in a closed manner to the downstream quantitative feeding mechanism 200.

[0070] In this embodiment, two sets of quantitative feeding mechanisms 200 operate alternately. The material conveyed by pneumatic conveying is distributed to two temporary material tanks (second material tank 210). After the temporary material tanks have finished receiving the material, the star-shaped feeder (second valve 220) and electromagnetic feeder (vibrating feeder module 240) at the outlet of the temporary material tanks are opened to convey the material to the screener (closed operating mechanism 300) at a conveying rate of 0.5 kg / min-1 kg / min. The vibrating screening mechanism 400 connected to the screener is started simultaneously, and the vibration frequency is set to 30 Hz-35 Hz.

[0071] When the cumulative weight of the material conveyed into the screener reaches 10kg-12kg, close the discharge valve (third valve 250) of the conveying pipeline, keep the vibrating screening mechanism running continuously at 400, and stop vibrating after screening for 5min-10min to complete the multi-stage particle size classification screening of the material.

[0072] The materials, which are stored in different screening trays and have different particle size ranges after screening, are sequentially filled into packaging containers 600 in order of decreasing particle size. The bulk density of the powder in each tray is controlled to be 1.2 g / cm³-1.5 g / cm³, thus completing the packaging operation of this solid precursor material.

[0073] It should be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and are not intended to encompass all possible implementations included in the claims. Various modifications and changes can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Similarly, the various technical features of the above embodiments can be arbitrarily combined to form other embodiments of this application that may not be explicitly described. Therefore, the above embodiments only illustrate several implementations of this application and do not limit the scope of protection of this patent application.

Claims

1. A packaging device for solid precursor materials, characterized in that, The dispensing device includes: Material supply mechanism, used to output solid precursor materials under sealed conditions; A quantitative feeding mechanism, the input end of which is connected to the output end of the material supply mechanism, is used to quantitatively output the solid precursor material; A closed operating mechanism, the input end of which is connected to the output end of the quantitative feeding mechanism, the closed operating mechanism including a housing and a multi-stage screening assembly disposed within the housing; and A vibrating screening mechanism is used to generate vibration and act on the housing and the multi-stage screening assembly; The multi-stage screening assembly includes multiple screening trays stacked along a first direction. The aperture of the multiple screening trays decreases sequentially in the direction away from the input end of the housing. Solid precursor materials of different particle sizes are transferred to the screening trays corresponding to their particle sizes under the action of the vibrating screening mechanism. The first direction is the direction in which the input end of the housing extends into the housing.

2. The dispensing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-stage screening assembly includes a first tray, a second tray, and a third tray. The first tray has a plurality of first through holes, the second tray has a plurality of second through holes, and the third tray has a plurality of third through holes. The diameters of the first through holes, the second through holes, and the third through holes decrease sequentially in a first direction toward the input end away from the housing. The first direction is the direction of the central axis of the housing.

3. The dispensing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The multi-stage screening assembly also includes a fourth tray, which is disposed adjacent to the third tray and is located away from the input end of the housing.

4. The dispensing device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The fourth tray is a solid structure, or the fourth tray has multiple fourth through holes, the diameter of which is smaller than that of the third through hole. The fourth tray is used to hold dust particles from the sieved solid precursor material.

5. The dispensing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The multi-stage screening component also includes a fifth tray, which is disposed adjacent to the first tray and close to the input end of the housing; the fifth tray has a plurality of fifth through holes, the diameter of which is larger than that of the first through holes.

6. The dispensing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The housing is provided with an exhaust port, which is located on the top cover or side wall of the housing.

7. The dispensing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dispensing device further includes: A flexible connector is provided, which connects the input end of the housing to the output end of the quantitative feeding mechanism.

8. The dispensing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material supply mechanism includes a feeding component and a pneumatic conveying component connected to the output end of the feeding component. The output end of the pneumatic conveying component is connected to the input end of the quantitative feeding mechanism. Carrier gas flowing toward the quantitative feeding mechanism is input into the pneumatic conveying component, and the solid precursor material in the feeding component flows into the quantitative feeding mechanism along with the carrier gas. The carrier gas and the solid precursor material following the carrier gas flow at a flow rate lower than a preset flow rate threshold.

9. The dispensing apparatus according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The inner surfaces of the material supply mechanism, quantitative feeding mechanism, closed operation mechanism, and vibrating screening mechanism that come into contact with the solid precursor material are all electrolytically polished, with Ra less than or equal to 0.2 μm.

10. A method for packaging solid precursor materials, characterized in that, The packaging method includes: Solid precursor materials are transported under closed conditions using a material supply mechanism; The solid precursor material is received by the material supply mechanism using a quantitative feeding mechanism, and the solid precursor material is output quantitatively. The vibrating screening mechanism is driven to vibrate and act on a closed operating mechanism, which receives a quantitative amount of the solid precursor material output by the quantitative feeding mechanism. The closed operating mechanism includes a housing and a multi-stage screening assembly disposed within the housing. The multi-stage screening assembly includes multiple screening trays stacked along a first direction. The apertures of the multiple screening trays decrease sequentially in the direction away from the input end of the housing. The first direction is the direction in which the input end of the housing extends into the housing. The solid precursor materials of different particle sizes are transferred to the screening tray corresponding to their particle size by the vibrating screening mechanism.

11. The packaging method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The packaging method further includes: filling the solid precursor materials of different particle sizes sequentially in order of decreasing particle size; The solid precursor material after filling is compacted, and the bulk density of the compacted solid precursor material ranges from 1.0 g / cm³ to 1.5 g / cm³.

12. The packaging method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The solid precursor materials of different particle sizes are transferred to the screening tray corresponding to their particle size by the vibrating screening mechanism, including: Large-particle solid precursor materials with a particle size greater than a preset first particle size threshold are separated, and the large-particle solid precursor materials are removed for recycling and crushing; and The dust-like solid precursor material with a particle size smaller than a preset second particle size threshold is separated and removed for recycling and purification.

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