Air intake system, air intake method, and storage medium

Abstract

The application provides an air inlet system, an air inlet method and a storage medium. The air inlet system comprises a uniform air block, an air uniformizing cavity is arranged in the uniform air block, at least one air guide pipe is arranged in the air uniformizing cavity, and the air guide pipe is connected with a process chamber. An air inlet of the air uniformizing cavity is located at a side of the air guide pipe, a side wall of the air guide pipe is provided with an air guide opening, the air guide pipe is connected with a driving mechanism, and the air guide pipe rotates under the driving of the driving mechanism to adjust flow resistance between the air guide opening and the air inlet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and more particularly to an air intake system, an air intake method, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] During the operation of semiconductor thin film deposition equipment, wafers are typically placed in one or more reaction chambers to complete the thin film deposition process. The deposited wafer thin films must strictly ensure high consistency in performance parameters such as film thickness, surface uniformity, and resistivity. Currently, multi-chamber thin film deposition equipment generally has independent gas delivery pipelines for each reaction chamber. The entire gas supply system includes core components such as gas distribution blocks, gas pipelines, and spray plates, which independently deliver process gases to each chamber and is a key structure to ensure the quality of wafer thin film deposition.

[0003] In existing technologies, the flow rate and conductivity parameters of the process gas delivered to each reaction chamber vary significantly due to factors such as machining accuracy errors in gas delivery pipeline components and on-site assembly deviations. This directly results in inconsistent film performance in different chambers. To eliminate gas inlet differences across multiple chambers and achieve uniform gas flow, conventional methods can only match the gas flow conductance of each inlet by replacing inlet rods of different specifications, redesigning and customizing outlet blocks, or replacing all gas path components. This approach requires repeated disassembly and assembly of equipment and custom processing of parts, resulting in long debugging cycles, cumbersome operations, and extremely low overall operational efficiency, failing to meet the demands of rapid debugging and stable production in semiconductor mass production.

[0004] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the existing technology, there is an urgent need in the field for an air intake technology that can independently and accurately adjust the airflow of a single or multiple air intakes without disassembling and replacing parts. This avoids the cumbersome process of repeated disassembly and assembly, customized parts, and offline debugging in traditional methods. It can not only effectively offset the differences in air intake in the chamber caused by the deviation of parts processing and installation, but also shorten the gas uniformity debugging cycle, reduce the equipment debugging and maintenance costs, and significantly improve the operating efficiency and process adaptability of thin film deposition equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The following provides a brief overview of one or more aspects to offer a basic understanding of them. This overview is not an exhaustive summary of all conceived aspects, nor is it intended to identify key or decisive elements of all aspects, nor to define the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed descriptions that follow.

[0006] To overcome the aforementioned deficiencies in the existing technology, this invention provides an air intake system, an air intake method, and a computer-readable storage medium, which can independently and precisely adjust the airflow of a single or multiple air intake channels without disassembling or replacing parts. This avoids the cumbersome process of repeated disassembly and assembly, custom parts, and offline debugging in traditional methods. It not only effectively offsets the differences in air intake in the chamber caused by deviations in parts processing and installation, but also shortens the uniform gas debugging cycle, reduces equipment debugging and maintenance costs, and significantly improves the operating efficiency and process adaptability of thin film deposition equipment.

[0007] Specifically, the air intake system provided according to the first aspect of the present invention includes: an air equalization block having an air equalization chamber inside, the air equalization chamber having at least one air guide pipe and being connected to a process chamber via the air guide pipe, wherein the air inlet of the air equalization chamber is located on the side of the air guide pipe, the side wall of the air guide pipe has an air guide port, the air guide pipe is connected to a driving mechanism and rotates under the drive of the driving mechanism to adjust the flow resistance between the air guide port and the air inlet.

[0008] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the air intake system further includes: a filling tank disposed between the air guide pipe and the process chamber; and a pressure gauge connected to the filling tank for obtaining the actual output pressure value of the air guide pipe.

[0009] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the air intake system further includes a plurality of air guide pipes, a plurality of process chambers corresponding to each air guide pipe, and a plurality of filling tanks, wherein each filling tank is respectively disposed between each air guide pipe and the corresponding process chamber.

[0010] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the gas equalization block includes an air inlet block and an air outlet block, the air outlet block and the air inlet block together form the gas equalization cavity, wherein the air inlet is provided on the air inlet block, and the process gas is input into the gas equalization cavity through the air inlet.

[0011] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the air guide pipe passes through the air intake block and connects to the drive mechanism, and the air intake system further includes: a sealing ring surrounding the connection between the air guide pipe and the air intake block, for improving the airtightness of the connection between the air guide pipe and the air intake block.

[0012] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the air guide tube includes a rotating part and a fixed part, the fixed part is fixedly connected to the air outlet block, and the rotating part is driven to rotate by the driving mechanism.

[0013] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the air intake system further includes: a first valve disposed at the air intake end of the filling tank for controlling the air intake flow rate of the filling tank; and a second valve disposed at the air outlet end of the filling tank for controlling the air outlet flow rate of the filling tank.

[0014] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the driving mechanism includes: a pressure setting module for setting a target output pressure value corresponding to the air guide tube; and an execution module for driving the air guide tube to rotate to adjust the actual output pressure value corresponding to the air guide tube.

[0015] Furthermore, the air intake method provided according to a second aspect of the present invention includes the following steps: determining a target output flow rate value of the air duct of the air intake system as described in the first aspect of the present invention; and determining the rotation amount of the air duct based on the target output flow rate value of the air duct.

[0016] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the step of determining the rotation amount of the air guide tube based on the target output flow rate value of the air guide tube includes: determining the target output pressure value of the air guide tube based on the target output flow rate value of the air guide tube; and determining the rotation amount of the air guide tube based on the target output pressure value of the air guide tube.

[0017] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the air intake system further includes a plurality of air guide pipes, a plurality of process chambers corresponding to each air guide pipe, and a plurality of filling tanks, wherein each filling tank is respectively disposed between each air guide pipe and each process chamber, and the step of determining the rotation amount of the air guide pipe based on the target output flow rate value of the air guide pipe includes: determining the target output pressure value of each air guide pipe based on the target output flow rate value of each air guide pipe; and determining the rotation amount of each air guide pipe based on the target output pressure value of each air guide pipe.

[0018] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, before determining the rotation amount of each of the gas guide pipes according to the target output pressure value of each of the gas guide pipes, the air intake method further includes the following steps: inputting process gas into the gas equalization chamber; obtaining a first actual output pressure value of the first gas guide pipe; keeping the rotation amount of the first gas guide pipe unchanged, controlling the rotation of the remaining gas guide pipes according to the first actual output pressure value to adjust the actual output pressure value of the remaining gas guide pipes; and stopping the rotation of the remaining gas guide pipes in response to the actual output pressure value of the remaining gas guide pipes being equal to the first actual output pressure value, so as to zero the air intake system.

[0019] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, after determining the rotation amount of each air duct according to the target output pressure value of each air duct, the air intake method further includes the following steps: controlling the rotation of each air duct via a drive mechanism; and stopping the rotation of each air duct in response to the second actual output pressure value of each air duct being equal to the target output pressure value of the corresponding air duct, so as to adjust the output flow rate of each air duct.

[0020] Furthermore, according to the third aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided thereon storing computer instructions. When the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the air intake method as described in any one of the second aspects of the present invention is implemented. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The above-described features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood after reading the following detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, components are not necessarily drawn to scale, and components having similar related characteristics or features may have the same or similar reference numerals.

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a gas equalization block provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0023] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an intake system provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0024] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the air distribution block structure of an air intake system provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0025] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the control panel structure of a drive mechanism provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0026] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of gas flow through a gas inlet provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0027] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the rotation of the air guide tube according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0028] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing the correspondence between the air duct rotation angle and the air intake volume provided in some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0029] Figure 8 A schematic flowchart of an air intake method provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0030] Figure label: 1. Uniform gas block 10 Intake blocks 101 Air Inlet 102 Intake Channel 103 Gas supply port 11. Vent block 20. Air delivery tube 201 Air vent 21 Sealing ring 30 Process Chambers 40 Filling tank 41 Pressure gauge 42 First Valve 43 Second valve 50 Drive mechanism Detailed Implementation

[0031] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention is presented in conjunction with preferred embodiments, this does not mean that the features of the invention are limited to these embodiments. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the invention in conjunction with embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that may be derived based on the claims of the present invention. To provide a thorough understanding of the invention, many specific details will be included in the following description. The invention may also be implemented without using these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion or obscuring the focus of the invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description.

[0032] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0033] Furthermore, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "horizontal," and "vertical" used in the following description should be understood as the orientations shown in the relevant paragraphs and accompanying drawings. These relative terms are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply that the described apparatus must be manufactured or operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the invention.

[0034] It is understood that although terms such as "first," "second," and "third" may be used herein to describe various components, regions, layers, and / or parts, these components, regions, layers, and / or parts should not be limited by these terms, and these terms are only used to distinguish different components, regions, layers, and / or parts. Therefore, the first components, regions, layers, and / or parts discussed below may be referred to as second components, regions, layers, and / or parts without departing from some embodiments of the present invention.

[0035] As mentioned above, during the operation of semiconductor thin film deposition equipment, wafers are typically placed in one or more reaction chambers to complete the thin film deposition process. The deposited wafer thin films must strictly ensure a high degree of consistency in performance parameters such as film thickness, surface uniformity, and resistivity. Currently, multi-chamber thin film deposition equipment generally equips each reaction chamber with independent gas delivery pipelines. The entire gas supply system includes core components such as gas distribution blocks, gas pipelines, and spray plates, which independently deliver process gases to each chamber and is a key structure to ensure the quality of wafer thin film deposition.

[0036] In existing technologies, the flow rate and conductivity parameters of the process gas delivered to each reaction chamber vary significantly due to factors such as machining accuracy errors in gas delivery pipeline components and on-site assembly deviations. This directly results in inconsistent film performance in different chambers. To eliminate gas inlet differences across multiple chambers and achieve uniform gas flow, conventional methods can only match the gas flow conductance of each inlet by replacing inlet rods of different specifications, redesigning and customizing outlet blocks, or replacing all gas path components. This approach requires repeated disassembly and assembly of equipment and custom processing of parts, resulting in long debugging cycles, cumbersome operations, and extremely low overall operational efficiency, failing to meet the demands of rapid debugging and stable production in semiconductor mass production.

[0037] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the existing technology, there is an urgent need in the field for an air intake technology that can independently and accurately adjust the airflow of a single or multiple air intakes without disassembling and replacing parts. This avoids the cumbersome process of repeated disassembly and assembly, customized parts, and offline debugging in the traditional way, effectively offsets the differences in air intake in the chamber caused by the deviation of parts processing and installation, shortens the uniform gas debugging cycle, reduces equipment debugging and maintenance costs, and significantly improves the operating efficiency and process adaptability of thin film deposition equipment.

[0038] In some non-limiting embodiments, the intake method provided in the second aspect of the present invention can be implemented based on the intake system provided in the first aspect of the present invention. Specifically, the intake system is equipped with a memory and a controller. The memory includes, but is not limited to, the computer-readable storage medium described in the third aspect of the present invention, on which computer instructions are stored. The controller is connected to the memory and configured to execute the computer instructions stored in the memory to implement the intake method provided in the first aspect of the present invention.

[0039] Please refer to the details. Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a gas equalization block provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, the air intake system includes an air distribution block 1, which has an air distribution chamber inside. The air distribution chamber has at least one air guide pipe 20, which is connected to the process chamber 30. The air inlet 101 of the air distribution chamber is located on the side of the air guide pipe 20. The side wall of the air guide pipe 20 has an air guide port 201. The air guide pipe 20 is connected to a drive mechanism 50 and rotates under the drive of the drive mechanism 50 to adjust the flow resistance between the air guide port 201 and the air inlet 101.

[0041] Here, the present invention provides an air intake system, which is connected to the air guide pipe 20 via a drive mechanism 50. The overall structure can flexibly adjust the air intake flow of each path by simply driving the air guide pipe 20 to rotate, thereby achieving balanced control of air intake in multiple pipelines. This eliminates the need to disassemble or replace hardware components such as the air uniform block 1 or the air guide pipe 20, saving the tedious steps of customizing parts and disassembling and debugging. It not only effectively offsets the differences in air intake in the chamber caused by the deviation of parts processing and installation, but also shortens the air uniform debugging cycle, reduces equipment debugging and maintenance costs, and significantly improves the operating efficiency and process adaptability of thin film deposition equipment.

[0042] In some embodiments, the gas equalization block 1 includes an inlet block 10 and an outlet block 11, which together form a gas equalization chamber. An inlet 101 is located on the inlet block 10, and process gas is input into the gas equalization chamber through the inlet 101. Thus, the gas equalization block 1 adopts a separate and enclosed structure of the inlet block 10 and the outlet block 11, which cooperate to form a closed gas equalization chamber. This not only provides a stable buffer and equalization space for the process gas, effectively improving the airflow pattern, suppressing flow deviation and turbulence, and ensuring uniform initial conditions for each inlet, but also facilitates the arrangement, assembly, and dynamic circumferential sealing of the internal air guide pipe 20, ensuring no air leakage during the rotation and adjustment of the air guide pipe 20 and smooth and reliable adjustment. Furthermore, it reduces the overall processing difficulty of components, facilitates disassembly, inspection, and subsequent maintenance, and can adapt to the independent flow adjustment and compensation requirements of multiple inlets without requiring the replacement of the entire large component structure. It features a compact structure, convenient assembly, and strong process compatibility.

[0043] Furthermore, the air guide pipe 20 can pass through the air inlet block 10 and connect to the drive mechanism 50. The air intake system also includes a sealing ring 21. The sealing ring 21 is disposed around the connection between the air guide pipe 20 and the air inlet block 10 to improve the airtightness of the connection. In this way, the sealing ring 21, fitted at the connection position between the air guide pipe 20 and the air inlet block 10, can maintain the sealing and isolation effect at the connection between the two even when the air guide pipe 20 is rotated relative to the air inlet block 10, effectively preventing the process gas from leaking from the mating gap.

[0044] Furthermore, the sealing ring 21 can be made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which can also adapt to the multi-angle rotation adjustment needs of the air guide pipe 20, without hindering the rotation and flow adjustment of the air guide pipe 20. It can also buffer the assembly gap, reduce the risk of air leakage caused by processing and installation errors, ensure the stability of the air pressure of the entire air intake system, and ensure accurate and reliable flow adjustment, thereby improving the overall air tightness of the equipment and the stability of process operation.

[0045] Furthermore, the air duct 20 may also include a rotating part and a fixed part, the fixed part being fixedly connected to the air outlet block 11, and the rotating part being driven to rotate by the drive mechanism 50.

[0046] The fixed part is fixedly connected to the air outlet block 11, providing static sealing and airflow guidance. This ensures a secure and stable installation of the air guide pipe 20, guaranteeing accurate air path connection. The rotating part is independently driven by the drive mechanism 50. Adjusting the air inlet cross-sectional area and flow guide size is achieved simply by changing the angle of the rotating part, eliminating the need to rotate the entire air guide pipe 20. This significantly reduces rotational resistance and drive load, meeting dynamic angle adjustment requirements. Therefore, this combined rotating and fixed part structure improves the accuracy and repeatability of flow guide adjustment, effectively offsetting machining and assembly errors, facilitating independent and balanced control of multi-pipe air inlet flow, and effectively enhancing structural stability and adjustment reliability.

[0047] Please refer to Figures 2-3 , Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an intake system provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the air distribution block structure of an air intake system provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0048] like Figure 2 As shown, the air intake system also includes a filling tank 40 and a pressure gauge 41. The filling tank 40 is located between the air guide pipe 20 and the process chamber 30. The pressure gauge 41 is connected to the filling tank 40 and is used to obtain the actual output pressure value of the air guide pipe 20.

[0049] Compared to directly installing a pressure gauge 41 on the pipeline for pressure measurement, this solution adds a filling tank 40 between the gas guide pipe 20 and the process chamber 30, and uses the pressure gauge 41 to collect the pressure inside the tank. This results in more stable pressure detection and more accurate sampling values. Conventional pipelines are prone to instantaneous pulsating turbulence and velocity fluctuations in the airflow. Direct pressure measurement can easily lead to pressure jumps and numerical drift, making it difficult to accurately reflect the steady-state conductance of the intake air. The filling tank 40 itself has a good gas buffering and pressure stabilizing effect, which can smooth out instantaneous pressure fluctuations caused by pipeline airflow, reduce interference from various airflow disturbances, and allow the pressure gauge 41 to detect a uniform and stable steady-state pressure value, effectively avoiding detection errors caused by instantaneous airflow fluctuations.

[0050] In some embodiments, the air intake system further includes a plurality of air guide pipes 20, a plurality of process chambers 30 corresponding to each air guide pipe 20, and a plurality of filling tanks 40, wherein each filling tank 40 is respectively disposed between each air guide pipe 20 and the corresponding process chamber 30.

[0051] In deep trench multi-cavity sequential deposition processes, as the trenches are gradually filled with deposited material, the effective internal space of the trenches gradually becomes shallower, and the filling pressure required for the process also changes dynamically. Through a drive mechanism 50 connected to the air guide pipe 20, the entire structure can flexibly adjust the airflow rate of each path simply by rotating the air guide pipe 20. This allows for flexible matching of the set pressure to the pressure requirements at different stages of trench filling. Furthermore, it can precisely adjust the output pressure of the corresponding filling tank 40 based on the real-time filling progress of each process chamber 30, adapting to the pressure changes throughout the entire deep trench deposition process from deep to shallow. This effectively compensates for the process pressure deviation caused by the gradual filling of the trenches, ensuring pressure matching and operational balance between the multiple cavities at different deposition stages. This guarantees a uniform and consistent deep trench filling morphology, improving the process stability and product yield of multi-cavity sequential deposition.

[0052] Furthermore, the addition of the filling tank 40 provides pressure stabilization and buffering for each air intake, reducing interference caused by airflow pulsations and sudden pressure changes in a single pipeline. This ensures that the intake pressure of each process chamber 30 remains at a stable and consistent level, reducing pressure deviations between chambers caused by airflow fluctuations. Therefore, the filling tank 40 can further balance the pressure differences between branches, mitigating pressure unevenness in chambers caused by differences in pipeline layout and flow rate, maintaining a high degree of pressure balance and stability among multiple process chambers 30, and effectively improving overall process consistency and repeatability.

[0053] like Figure 3 As shown, the air inlet 101 is located at the center of the gas equalization block 1. The gas equalization block 10 can have an air inlet channel 102 inside. Process gas enters the air inlet 101 from the gas delivery port 103 via the air inlet channel 102 on the side of the gas equalization block 1, thus directing the process gas into the center of the gas equalization chamber, ensuring a uniform gas distribution. In this way, the process gas is delivered into the chamber from the center via the air inlet channel 102, allowing the gas to naturally diffuse outwards from the center, preventing localized direct flow and deflection caused by side-entry gas. This results in a more uniform and stable airflow velocity distribution within the gas equalization chamber, reducing airflow turbulence and localized eddies.

[0054] Furthermore, the central air intake method allows for sufficient buffering and mixing of gas within the gas equalization chamber, ensuring consistent initial gas pressure and flow rate across all outlets and mitigating airflow unevenness caused by the air intake location. Simultaneously, it facilitates even gas distribution across subsequent gas guide pipes, enhancing the balance of multi-pipe airflow and adapting to the stringent requirements of multi-cavity deposition processes for airflow uniformity and process consistency.

[0055] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 2 The air intake system also includes a first valve 42 and a second valve 43. The first valve 42 is located at the air inlet end of the filling tank 40 and is used to control the air intake flow rate of the filling tank 40. The second valve 43 is located at the air outlet end of the filling tank 40 and is used to control the air outlet flow rate of the filling tank 40.

[0056] Specifically, the first valve 42 can precisely regulate the gas flow rate and intake speed entering the filling tank 40, avoiding drastic pressure fluctuations inside the tank caused by excessive airflow. The second valve 43 can control the outlet opening and output flow rate of the filling tank 40 to the subsequent process chamber 30 as needed, achieving stable control of the gas supply rhythm. Therefore, the cooperation of the front and rear valves can independently stabilize and maintain the pressure of the filling tank 40, flexibly adjusting the working pressure inside the tank according to the pressure requirements of different stages of deposition. This achieves zoned control of stabilizing the inlet pressure and outlet flow, effectively isolating the mutual interference caused by fluctuations in the front-end gas source and changes in the operating conditions of the downstream chamber, ensuring that the gas pressure and flow supplied to the process chamber 30 remain stable and balanced. In addition, it also facilitates the independent disconnection of the inlet and outlet gas paths during equipment maintenance, start-up, shutdown, or process switching, improving the overall flexibility of gas path control and the safety of process operation.

[0057] Please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the control panel structure of a drive mechanism provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0058] like Figure 4 As shown, the drive mechanism 50 (e.g., an electric cylinder) may include a pressure setting module and an execution module. The pressure setting module is used to set the target output pressure value corresponding to the air guide pipe 20. The execution module is used to drive the air guide pipe 20 to rotate, thereby adjusting the actual output pressure value corresponding to the air guide pipe 20.

[0059] Specifically, the pressure setting module includes a numbered list, an input window, an actual output window, and a circular button. Numbers NO.1 to NO.6 correspond to each air delivery tube 20. The actual output window displays the actual output pressure value, and the input window is used to input the target output pressure value for the corresponding air delivery tube 20. The circular button is used to record the initial position of the air delivery tube 20.

[0060] The execution module includes a left independent execution case, a right independent execution case, and a synchronous execution button. Pressing the left button will reduce the actual output pressure value of the air tube 20, and pressing the right button will increase the actual output pressure value of the air tube 20.

[0061] Please refer to Figures 5-7 , Figure 5 A schematic diagram of gas flow through a gas inlet provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the rotation of the air guide tube according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing the correspondence between the air duct rotation angle and the air intake volume provided in some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0062] like Figures 5-7 As shown, the initial position of the air guide 201 is defined as 0° when it is directly opposite the centerline. At this time, the gas flow cross-sectional area is the largest, the flow conduction is optimal, and the intake flow rate reaches its peak value. When the air guide 201 is completely away from the centerline, it is defined as the extreme position of 180°. At this time, the gas flow channel is most obstructed, the flow conduction is weakest, and the intake flow rate drops to its minimum value.

[0063] Therefore, as the air inlet 201 rotates gradually from 0° to 180°, the effective gas flow cross-section continuously decreases, the airflow resistance gradually increases, and the intake flow rate decreases steadily until it reaches the minimum flow rate at the 180° position. Conversely, when the air inlet 201 rotates back from 180° to 0°, the effective gas flow cross-section gradually recovers, the airflow resistance continuously decreases, and the intake flow rate continuously increases, achieving a continuously adjustable linear relationship between the angle and the intake flow rate.

[0064] The working principle of the above-mentioned intake system will be described below with reference to some embodiments of the intake methods. Those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments of the intake methods are merely non-limiting implementations provided by the present invention, intended to clearly demonstrate the main concepts of the invention and provide specific solutions convenient for public implementation, rather than limiting all functions or operating modes of the intake system. Similarly, this intake system is also merely a non-limiting implementation of the present invention and does not constitute a limitation on the executing entity or execution order of the steps in these intake methods.

[0065] Please refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8 A schematic flowchart of an air intake method provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0066] like Figure 8 As shown, the intake system can first perform step S1: determine the target output flow rate value of the intake system's air duct 20.

[0067] Then, the intake system can perform step S2: determine the rotation amount of the air duct 20 based on the target output flow rate value of the air duct 20.

[0068] In some embodiments, step S2, determining the rotation amount of the air guide tube 20 based on the target output flow rate value of the air guide tube 20, may include: first, determining the target output pressure value of the air guide tube 20 based on the target output flow rate value of the air guide tube 20; then, determining the rotation amount of the air guide tube 20 based on the target output pressure value of the air guide tube 20.

[0069] Here, the present invention provides an air intake system, which is connected to the air guide pipe 20 via a drive mechanism 50. The overall structure can flexibly adjust the air intake flow of each path by simply driving the air guide pipe 20 to rotate, thereby achieving balanced control of air intake in multiple pipelines. This eliminates the need to disassemble or replace hardware components such as the air uniform block 1 or the air guide pipe 20, saving the tedious steps of customizing parts and disassembling and debugging. It not only effectively offsets the differences in air intake in the chamber caused by the deviation of parts processing and installation, but also shortens the air uniform debugging cycle, reduces equipment debugging and maintenance costs, and significantly improves the operating efficiency and process adaptability of thin film deposition equipment.

[0070] In other embodiments, the air intake system further includes a plurality of air guide pipes 20, a plurality of process chambers 30 corresponding to each air guide pipe 20, and a plurality of filling tanks 40. Each filling tank 40 is respectively disposed between each air guide pipe 20 and each process chamber 30. Here, step S2, determining the rotation amount of each air guide pipe 20 based on its target output flow rate value, may include: first, determining the target output pressure value of each air guide pipe 20 based on its target output flow rate value; then, determining the rotation amount of each air guide pipe 20 based on its target output pressure value.

[0071] Thus, in the deep trench multi-cavity sequential deposition process, as the trenches are gradually filled with deposited material, the effective internal space of the trenches gradually becomes shallower, and the filling pressure required for the process also changes dynamically. Through the drive mechanism 50 and the air guide pipe 20, the entire structure can flexibly adjust the airflow rate of each path simply by driving the air guide pipe 20 to rotate. This allows for flexible matching of the set pressure to the pressure requirements at different stages of the trench filling process. Furthermore, it can precisely adjust the output pressure of the corresponding filling tank 40 according to the real-time filling progress of each process chamber 30, adapting to the pressure changes throughout the entire deep trench deposition process from deep to shallow. This effectively compensates for the process pressure deviation caused by the gradual filling of the trenches, ensuring pressure matching and operational balance between the multiple cavities at different deposition stages. This guarantees a uniform and consistent deep trench filling morphology, improving the process stability and product yield of the multi-cavity sequential deposition process.

[0072] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 4Before determining the rotation amount of each air guide pipe 20 according to the target output pressure value of each air guide pipe 20, the air intake method further includes the following steps: inputting process gas into the gas equalization chamber; obtaining the first actual output pressure value of the first air guide pipe 20; keeping the rotation amount of the first air guide pipe 20 unchanged, controlling the rotation of the remaining air guide pipes 20 according to the first actual output pressure value to adjust the actual output pressure value of the remaining air guide pipes 20; and stopping the rotation of the remaining air guide pipes 20 in response to the actual output pressure value of the remaining air guide pipes 20 being equal to the first actual output pressure value, so as to zero the air intake system.

[0073] Specifically, in some embodiments, those skilled in the art can first control the cavity pressure to remain constant during the process and configure a visualization window, then maintain a constant flow rate and pressure of process gas. Next, the first valve 42 at the front end and the second valve 43 at the end of the first set of filling tanks 40 are opened, and the pressure of the filling tank 40, i.e., the actual pressure displayed in the window, is recorded as the first actual output pressure value, which serves as the adjustment reference for the other gas delivery pipes 20.

[0074] Subsequently, those skilled in the art can manually adjust the left and right independent execution buttons of each drive mechanism 50 execution module. Pressing the button to the left can reduce the actual output pressure value of the air guide tube 20, and pressing the button to the right can increase the actual output pressure value of the air guide tube 20, so that the actual output pressure value of each air guide tube 20 is equal to the first actual output pressure value.

[0075] After that, you can click the circular button on the control panel of the drive mechanism 50 to record the adjusted position of each air tube 20 as the initial position.

[0076] As those skilled in the art will understand, the relative zero point position of the same initial pressure varies for different processes, therefore the equipment needs to be zeroed before each use.

[0077] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 4 After determining the rotation amount of each air duct 20 according to the target output pressure value of each air duct 20, the air intake method further includes the following steps: controlling the rotation of each air duct 20 via the drive mechanism 50; and stopping the rotation of each air duct 20 in response to the second actual output pressure value of each air duct 20 being equal to the target output pressure value of the corresponding air duct 20, so as to adjust the output flow rate of each air duct 20.

[0078] In some embodiments, those skilled in the art can write different target output pressure values ​​into different input windows, and then click the synchronous execution button. The actuator can automatically rotate from zero point according to the received instruction until the actual window value is consistent with the input window value and then stop rotating, so that the second actual output pressure value of each air pipe 20 is equal to the target output pressure value of the corresponding air pipe 20.

[0079] In summary, this invention provides an air intake system, an air intake method, and a computer-readable storage medium. These can be connected to the air duct via a drive mechanism. The overall structure allows for flexible adjustment of air intake flow rates through the rotation of the air duct, achieving balanced airflow control across multiple pipelines. This eliminates the need to disassemble or replace hardware components such as the air duct or the air distribution block, saving the tedious steps of customizing and adjusting parts. It not only effectively offsets differences in airflow within the chambers caused by deviations in part processing and installation, but also shortens the air distribution adjustment cycle, reduces equipment debugging and maintenance costs, and significantly improves the operating efficiency and process adaptability of thin film deposition equipment.

[0080] Although the methods described above are illustrated and depicted as a series of actions for the sake of simplicity, it should be understood and appreciated that these methods are not limited by the order of the actions, as some actions may occur in a different order and / or concurrently with other actions from the illustrations and descriptions herein or not illustrated and described herein but which may be understood by those skilled in the art, according to one or more embodiments.

[0081] The prior description of this disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use this disclosure. Various modifications to this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An intake system, characterized in that, include: A gas-equalizing block has an internal gas-equalizing chamber. At least one gas-guiding pipe is installed in the gas-equalizing chamber and connected to a process chamber via the gas-guiding pipe. The air inlet of the uniform air chamber is located on the side of the air guide pipe. The side wall of the air guide pipe is provided with an air guide port. The air guide pipe is connected to a driving mechanism and rotates under the drive of the driving mechanism to adjust the flow resistance between the air guide port and the air inlet.

2. The intake system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A filling tank is disposed between the gas guide pipe and the process chamber; as well as A pressure gauge, connected to the filling tank, is used to obtain the actual output pressure value of the air delivery pipe.

3. The intake system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The air intake system further includes a plurality of air guide pipes, a plurality of process chambers corresponding to each air guide pipe, and a plurality of filling tanks, wherein each filling tank is respectively disposed between each air guide pipe and the corresponding process chamber.

4. The intake system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The gas equalization block includes an air inlet block and an air outlet block. The air outlet block and the air inlet block together form the gas equalization cavity. The air inlet is located on the air inlet block, and the process gas is input into the gas equalization cavity through the air inlet.

5. The intake system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The air guide pipe passes through the air intake block and connects to the drive mechanism; the air intake system further includes: A sealing ring is provided at the connection between the air guide pipe and the air inlet block to improve the airtightness of the connection between the air guide pipe and the air inlet block.

6. The intake system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The air guide tube includes a rotating part and a fixed part. The fixed part is fixedly connected to the air outlet block, and the rotating part is driven to rotate by the driving mechanism.

7. The intake system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: The first valve is located at the air inlet end of the filling tank and is used to control the air inlet flow rate of the filling tank. as well as The second valve is located at the outlet end of the filling tank and is used to control the outlet flow rate of the filling tank.

8. The intake system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The drive mechanism includes: The pressure setting module is used to set the target output pressure value corresponding to the air delivery tube; and An execution module is used to drive the air guide tube to rotate in order to adjust the actual output pressure value corresponding to the air guide tube.

9. An air intake method, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Determine the target output flow rate value of the air duct of the intake system as described in any one of claims 1 to 8; as well as The rotation amount of the air guide tube is determined based on the target output flow rate value of the air guide tube.

10. The air intake method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The step of determining the rotation amount of the air guide tube based on the target output flow rate value of the air guide tube includes: Based on the target output flow rate of the air delivery pipe, determine the target output pressure value of the air delivery pipe; and The rotation amount of the air guide tube is determined based on the target output pressure value of the air guide tube.

11. The air intake method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The air intake system further includes multiple air guide pipes, multiple process chambers corresponding to each air guide pipe, and multiple filling tanks, wherein each filling tank is respectively disposed between each air guide pipe and each process chamber. The step of determining the rotation amount of the air guide pipe based on the target output flow rate value of the air guide pipe includes: The target output pressure value of each air duct is determined based on the target output flow rate value of each air duct. The rotation amount of each air guide tube is determined according to the target output pressure value of each air guide tube.

12. The air intake method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, Before determining the rotation amount of each air guide tube based on the target output pressure value of each air guide tube, the air intake method further includes the following steps: The process gas is introduced into the gas equalization chamber; Obtain the first actual output pressure value of the first air delivery tube; While keeping the rotation of the first air guide tube constant, the rotation of the remaining air guide tubes is controlled according to the first actual output pressure value to adjust the actual output pressure values ​​of the remaining air guide tubes; and In response to the actual output pressure value of each of the remaining air guide tubes being equal to the first actual output pressure value, rotation of the remaining air guide tubes is stopped to zero the air intake system.

13. The air intake method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, After determining the rotation amount of each air guide tube based on the target output pressure value of each air guide tube, the air intake method further includes the following steps: The rotation of each of the air guide tubes is controlled by a drive mechanism; and In response to the second actual output pressure value of each of the air guide tubes being equal to the target output pressure value of the corresponding air guide tube, the rotation of each of the air guide tubes is stopped to adjust the output flow rate of each of the air guide tubes.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions thereon, characterized in that, When the computer instructions are executed by the processor, the air intake method as described in any one of claims 9 to 13 is implemented.

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