Bellows, gas supply structure, and semiconductor process chamber

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of semiconductor equipment, and discloses a bellows, a gas supply structure and a semiconductor process chamber. The bellows comprises a bellows body formed in a sealed structure and used for being mounted on the periphery of a transmission shaft of a process chamber to isolate the inside of the process chamber from an external lifting mechanism for driving a base to lift; an upper gas inlet switchably connected with a purge gas source and a cleaning gas source; and a lower gas inlet arranged at the lower part of the sidewall of the bellows body. The application avoids the entry of process gas, reaction by-products and particles through the upper and lower gas inlets, reduces chemical pollution, film residue and corrosion, and improves the cleaning effect of the lower region of the process chamber, such as the gap and the periphery of the base.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of semiconductor equipment technology, and more specifically, relates to a bellows, a gas supply structure, and a semiconductor process chamber. Background Technology

[0002] Semiconductor process chambers must maintain a high vacuum or specific reactive gas environment, so the chambers must be absolutely sealed. The substrate needs to be raised and lowered to facilitate wafer transfer with a robotic arm. Furthermore, during core processes such as wafer etching and thin-film deposition, the distance between the substrate and the spray head above directly determines the size of the plasma reaction space. The height of the substrate needs to be adjusted to regulate the reaction space and plasma distribution. By raising and lowering the substrate, the height of this reaction space can be changed, thereby precisely controlling the plasma density, reactive gas concentration, and gas flow distribution within the chamber to meet the stringent requirements of different process formulations.

[0003] Because the process chamber requires a high level of cleanliness, the lifting mechanism that drives the base to rise and fall is located outside the process chamber. The external lifting mechanism transmits power to the interior of the chamber to drive the base to rise and fall. The cylinder rod of the lifting cylinder is located on the outer side of the bottom of the process chamber, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the lower end of the drive shaft 10 is connected to the cylinder rod of the external lifting cylinder, and the upper end is connected to the base. The bellows 100 surrounds the drive shaft 10, with its upper end sealed to the lower wall of the process chamber, and its lower end sealed to the drive shaft flange passing through the bottom of the chamber.

[0004] The cylinder rod of the lifting cylinder pushes the drive shaft upward. This thrust acts directly on the bellows, causing it to compress or extend axially due to its corrugated structure. This elastic deformation allows the drive shaft to extend and retract vertically while maintaining an absolute seal. The drive shaft drives the base to complete the lifting and transfer of the wafer. The bellows completely isolates the process chamber from the outside, preventing external gases from leaking into the chamber and disrupting the vacuum, and also preventing toxic or corrosive reaction gases from leaking into the external environment.

[0005] However, there is a gap between the bellows and the drive shaft. During etching or deposition processes inside the process chamber, particulate contamination occurs. These particles will naturally settle and may fall into this gap. Moreover, particles adhering to the drive shaft will also be carried into this gap when the drive shaft moves downwards.

[0006] To reduce particulate contamination in the bellows gap, nitrogen gas is currently introduced from the bottom of the bellows to fill the internal space and prevent particulate contamination. However, if... Figure 2The diagram shown is a flow path diagram of airflow during chamber extraction. It can be seen that nitrogen gas introduced from the bottom cannot effectively prevent particles carried by the extraction device of the process chamber from entering the upper gap, thereby contaminating and corroding the bellows.

[0007] Or, such as Figure 3 As shown, another method involves filling the upper part of the bellows or the inlet with gas, forming a horizontal top purge curtain to block the inflow of process gases and particles. However, this method results in a low N2 concentration at the bottom of the bellows, making it impossible to expel process gases from the lower region. Process gases remain at the bottom of the bellows, which is insufficient in preventing chemical contamination and corrosion. Furthermore, if particles leak through the upper purge curtain, they will still fall into the lower gaps, failing to effectively prevent contamination at the bottom of the bellows.

[0008] It is evident that current protective methods make it difficult to completely clean the gaps between the bellows and the drive shaft. Even after a period of use, semiconductor processing equipment still carries the risk of producing products with particle sizes exceeding standards. Therefore, only periodically replacing contaminated hardware is possible, significantly impacting the cost of the thin-film deposition process. Furthermore, cleaning these specific components individually each time the process chamber is cleaned increases the overall time of the thin-film deposition process, severely affecting its efficiency and throughput. Summary of the Invention

[0009] [Technical Issues]

[0010] This application addresses the problem of contamination and corrosion caused by process gases and particles entering the gaps of bellows. The invention solves the problem of corrosion in the bellows gaps by introducing purge gas into the upper part of the bellows to form a top purge air curtain that blocks process gases and particles from entering, and by filling the lower part with purge gas to expel process gases and particles. This reduces the risk of particulate matter contaminating the wafer and ensures that product quality meets standards.

[0011] [Technical Solution]

[0012] According to a first aspect of this application, a bellows is provided for use in a semiconductor process chamber, comprising: The bellows body is formed into a sealed structure and is used to be installed around the drive shaft of the process chamber to isolate the interior of the process chamber from the external lifting mechanism that drives the base to lift. The upper air inlet is located on the upper part of the side wall of the bellows body and can be switched with the purging air source and the cleaning air source. The lower air inlet is located on the lower part of the side wall of the bellows body.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the upper end of the bellows body is used for a sealed connection with the lower end of the process chamber, and the lower end of the bellows body is sealed to a drive shaft passing through the bottom of the process chamber.

[0014] In one possible implementation, during the deposition and / or purging process, purging gas is introduced through the upper air inlet to form a top purging curtain, thereby preventing external gas from entering.

[0015] In one possible implementation, during the cleaning process, cleaning gas is introduced through the upper air inlet.

[0016] In one possible implementation, during the deposition and / or purging process, purging gas is filled through the lower air inlet.

[0017] In one possible implementation, purge gas is introduced into the lower air inlet of the cleaning process.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the gas flow rate ratio between the upper air inlet and the lower air inlet is in the range of 1:1 to 10.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the upper air intake is one, or multiple intakes at the same height.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the upper air intake is multiple at different heights.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the lower air intake is one, or multiple at the same height.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the lower air intake is a plurality of intakes at different heights.

[0023] According to a second aspect of this application, a semiconductor process chamber is provided, including a spray head, a base, a suction line, and the corrugated pipe described above.

[0024] According to a third aspect of this application, a semiconductor process chamber gas supply structure is provided, comprising: The bellows body is formed into a sealed structure and is used to be installed around the drive shaft of the process chamber to isolate the interior of the process chamber from the external lifting mechanism that drives the base to lift. The upper air inlet is located on the upper part of the side wall of the bellows body and can be switched with the purging air source and the cleaning air source. The lower air inlet is located on the lower part of the side wall of the bellows body; The cleaning pipeline is located in the area between the corrugated pipe and the base of the process chamber.

[0025] In one possible implementation, during the deposition and / or purging process, purging gas is introduced through the upper inlet to form a top purging curtain, thereby preventing external gas from entering.

[0026] In one possible implementation, during the deposition and / or purging process, purging gas is filled through the lower air inlet.

[0027] In one possible implementation, during the cleaning process, cleaning gas is introduced through the cleaning pipe and / or the upper air inlet.

[0028] In one possible implementation, during the cleaning process, purge gas is introduced through the lower air inlet.

[0029] According to a fourth aspect of this application, a semiconductor process chamber is provided, including a spray head, a base, a suction pipe, and the gas supply structure described above.

[0030] [Beneficial Effects]

[0031] (1) In this application, the purge gas is introduced into the gap through the upper air inlet to form a top purge air curtain to block particles from falling in, and the purge gas is introduced through the lower air inlet to fill the space of the gap. The combined effect can not only greatly prevent process gas, reaction by-products and particles from entering, but also increase the proportion of inert gas inside the bellows, reducing chemical pollution, film residue and corrosion.

[0032] (2) The upper air inlet of this application can be switched to be connected to the cleaning air source and the purging air source. It can not only block the process gas and particles from entering through the top purging air curtain in the deposition process and the purging process, but also introduce cleaning gas in the cleaning process to clean the gap and the lower area of ​​the process chamber such as the base. These areas are areas that cannot be cleaned by the cleaning gas that enters from the spray head in the past. This can improve the overall cleaning effect of the chamber, thereby reducing the generation of particles when the base is raised and lowered, extending the preventive maintenance cycle and improving the stability of the equipment.

[0033] (3) By limiting the gas flow rate of the upper inlet to the gas flow rate of the lower inlet to within the range of 1:1 to 10, this application can form a top purge curtain that blocks the entry of process gas and particles, and reliably fill the gap below the top purge curtain.

[0034] (4) During the cleaning process, purge gas can be introduced or not introduced from the lower air inlet as needed. Bottom purging can inhibit the penetration of cleaning gas into the lower drive section. When top cleaning is combined with bottom purging, the corrosion of the bellows by the cleaning gas can be prevented. If the bellows gap needs to be cleaned, purge gas can be not introduced, and the cleaning gas can enter the lower part of the gap for cleaning.

[0035] (5) The cleaning pipe above the corrugated pipe can be used to introduce cleaning gas during the cleaning process. The cleaning gas in the cleaning pipe is closer to the surrounding area of ​​the base, which can clean the surrounding area of ​​the base more thoroughly. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a process chamber equipped with a bellows, according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the airflow path of the chamber being drawn in by the purge gas filling from the bottom. Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the airflow path from top to bottom, where gas is introduced to form a top purge curtain, and the chamber is drawn in. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a bellows installed in a process chamber according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the upper and lower air inlets located on the bellows connection flange according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a diagram of the airflow path of the chamber when the bellows is filled with purge gas from both the top and bottom in an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of gas flow at different flow rates at the upper and lower air inlets of the bellows according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the cleaning effect of the bellows in this application embodiment under different flow conductances within the chamber; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the upper air inlet through which cleaning gas is introduced in an embodiment of this application; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a cleaning pipe according to an embodiment of this application.

[0037] Reference numerals: corrugated pipe body 100, upper air inlet 101, lower air inlet 102, corrugated pipe connecting flange 103, process chamber 200, spray head 300, base 400, cleaning pipe 500. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0039] According to a first aspect of this application, this application provides a bellows for use in semiconductor process chambers. For example... Figure 4As shown, it includes a bellows body 100, which is installed around the drive shaft of the process chamber and forms a sealed structure with the process chamber to isolate the interior of the process chamber from the external lifting mechanism of the drive base; an upper air inlet 101, which is used to horizontally or approximately horizontally introduce purge gas into the gap between the bellows body 100 and the drive shaft to form a top purge air curtain that prevents particles from falling in; and a lower air inlet 102, which is used to introduce purge gas from the bottom into the gap between the bellows 100 and the drive shaft to fill the space of the gap and prevent process gas and particles from entering.

[0040] The upper end of the bellows body 100 is used for a sealing connection with the lower wall of the process chamber, while the lower end is sealed to a drive shaft passing through the bottom of the process chamber, such as a drive shaft flange. To avoid affecting the movement of the drive shaft, a certain physical gap must be maintained between the inner wall of the bellows and the drive shaft. This creates a gap between the bellows body 100 and the drive shaft, communicating with the interior of the process chamber. When the process gas flows within the process chamber, some of the process gas and its carried particles naturally diffuse or flow into this relatively static gap, and are difficult to carry away with the main airflow. Especially during the base lifting process, the bellows' pleated structure unfolds, and the process gas and particles within the process chamber may fall into the pleated structure, making removal even more difficult. This leads to long-term contamination and corrosion of the bellows by residual process gas and particles.

[0041] The upper air inlet 101 is a through hole machined on one side wall of the upper part of the bellows body 100. This through hole connects to an external purge gas source and the bellows gap via a pipeline. The outer side of the through hole is connected to the purge gas source for introducing purge gas into the bellows gap. The purge gas is an inert gas, such as nitrogen, which does not react with the interior of the chamber. Instead, a large amount of high-purity inert gas is introduced to form a top purge gas curtain to prevent process gases and particles from entering the bellows gap.

[0042] This application introduces purge gas horizontally or substantially horizontally into the gap between the bellows body 100 and the drive shaft from the upper air inlet 101. The gas flows horizontally or substantially horizontally into this gap, that is, purging is performed in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the axis of the bellows body 100. Specifically, in a plane perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the axis of the bellows body, an annular space is formed between the inner wall of the bellows body 100 and the drive shaft. This allows the purge gas flow to form a circumferential gas flow field after entering the inner cavity of the bellows body, thereby forming a top purge air curtain in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the bellows body. This curtain is used to prevent process gases and process byproducts such as particles from entering the inner cavity of the bellows body, reducing the risk of particle generation.

[0043] Furthermore, a nozzle can be installed on the upper air inlet 101, and the nozzle can be a flat outlet. When nitrogen is ejected from the nozzle, it can compress the purging gas into a flat, high-speed airflow, which greatly enhances the directionality and penetrability of the airflow.

[0044] The upper air inlet 101 can be one or multiple. For example, it can be two through holes of the same height, through which purge gas is simultaneously introduced, and the two airflows merge into a horizontal top purge air curtain. Alternatively, it can be multiple through holes arranged around the circumference of the bellows body 100, or multiple through holes arranged only in the arc direction such as the semi-circumference, where multiple airflows merge into a horizontal top purge air curtain.

[0045] In a feasible embodiment, multiple sets of upper air inlets 101 can be provided at different heights on the upper part. For example, two sets of upper air inlets 101 can be provided. The two sets of upper air inlets 101 can form two top blowing air curtains, which can better prevent particles from the upper part from entering the gap.

[0046] The purge gas introduced through the upper inlet 101 forms a top purge curtain, which blocks particles. The lower inlet 102 is a through hole machined into one side wall of the lower part of the bellows body 100, and is connected to the purge gas source through a pipeline. The working principle of the lower inlet 102 is different from that of the upper inlet 101. The gas introduced through the lower inlet 102 continuously fills the gap below the top purge curtain formed by the upper inlet 101. This filling process squeezes out particulate impurities in the gap. Since the gap is filled with purge gas, it is less likely for particulate impurities to fall into the gap.

[0047] The lower air inlet 102 can be one or multiple. For example, it can be two through holes of the same height, through which purge gas is introduced at the same time, and the two airflows merge and fill the gap. Alternatively, it can be multiple through holes arranged around the circumference of the bellows body 100, or multiple through holes arranged only in the semi-circular direction, with multiple airflows merging and filling the gap.

[0048] In one feasible embodiment, multiple sets of lower air inlets 102 can be provided at different heights at the bottom. Taking two sets as an example, the two sets of lower air inlets 102 can fill the gap below the top purge curtain from different heights, which can fill the gap more quickly and improve the particle removal efficiency.

[0049] It should be noted that the bellows body may consist only of its bellows body, or it may include connectors fixedly connected to both ends of the bellows body, for example... Figure 5As shown, the connecting component is a bellows connecting flange 103. The upper end of the bellows body is connected to the lower end of the process chamber via a flange, and the lower end is connected to the drive shaft flange via a flange. Therefore, the upper air inlet can be located on the upper bellows connecting flange 103 or on the upper side wall. The lower air inlet can be located on the lower bellows connecting flange 103 or on the lower side wall. However, if the upper end of the bellows is connected to the lower end of the process chamber by, for example, welding, then both the upper and lower air inlets are located on the side wall of the bellows body.

[0050] like Figure 6 The diagram shown is a simulation of the airflow path and the suction flow path of the bellows. Figure 6 As can be seen, the purge gas introduced through the upper air inlet 101 forms a top purge curtain, while the purge gas entering through the lower air inlet 102 fills the gap below the top purge curtain. Particles blocked above the top purge curtain can then be sucked out by the suction pipe. Of course, inevitably, a small amount of purge gas used to form the top purge curtain will also be sucked out, but the top purge curtain does indeed serve to prevent particles from entering from above.

[0051] The bellows of this application can be used to be installed on the outside of the drive shaft for driving the base to rise and fall in the semiconductor chamber. During the deposition and purging process, purging gas can be filled into the upper and lower air inlets at the same time. The upper part forms a top purging air curtain to block particles from falling in, and the lower part is filled with purging gas, so that there is no space to accommodate particles, thereby keeping the gap between the bellows and the drive shaft clean at all times.

[0052] In a feasible embodiment, the upper air inlet 101 can also be used to connect to a cleaning gas source. The upper air inlet 101 can be connected to both a purge gas source and a cleaning gas source via a three-way pipe, and the purge gas and cleaning gas can be switched via valves on the pipe. In the chamber cleaning process, cleaning gas can be introduced into the upper part of the process chamber from a spray head or similar source to clean the entire process chamber. The upper air inlet can then introduce cleaning gas to clean the gaps and the lower region of the process chamber. By directly cleaning the bellows inlet, the periphery of the heater shaft, and the lower region of the chamber where cleaning efficiency is low, residual gas and particle sources are removed.

[0053] The cleaning gas differs from the purging gas. The cleaning gas can be, for example, NF3, F2, ClF3, CF4, C2F6, C3F8, O2, O3, N2O, Ar, He, N2, etc. During the cleaning process, these gases generate F radicals and O radicals through plasma excitation, which are then used for cleaning. The cleaning gas primarily relies on chemical reactions or high-energy physical bombardment to generate highly reactive free radicals or ions through plasma excitation, which actively react with and remove stubborn deposits from the chamber walls.

[0054] In one feasible embodiment, the upper air inlet 101 maintains a minimum flow rate sufficient to form a top purge curtain, while the lower air inlet 102 is adjusted according to the process pressure and the flow rate of the process gas. Preferably, the gas flow rate ratio of the upper air inlet 101 to the lower air inlet 102 is in the range of 1:1 to 10.

[0055] Figure 7 This is a simulation diagram of the gas flow path under different ratios of the gas flow rate ratio between the upper air inlet 101 and the lower air inlet 102. Figure 7 As can be seen, when the process gas flow rate in the chamber is 20,000 sccm, the gas flow rates at both the upper inlet 101 and the lower inlet 102 are 300 sccm. The corrugated pipe gap is basically completely filled with purge gas, but a small portion at the top is not completely filled. Maintaining a gas flow rate of 300 sccm at the upper inlet 101 and 500, 700, 1000, and 3000 sccm at the lower inlet, the corrugated pipe gap is completely filled with purge gas, effectively preventing particle entry.

[0056] With a process gas flow rate of 10,000 sccm in the chamber, a gas flow rate of 300 sccm at both the upper inlet 101 and the lower inlet 102 is sufficient to completely fill the purge gas, effectively preventing particle entry. Maintaining a gas flow rate of 300 sccm at the upper inlet 101 and 500 sccm or 700 sccm at the lower inlet ensures the corrugated pipe gaps are completely filled with purge gas, effectively preventing particle entry.

[0057] Typically, during the cleaning process, the cleaning gas is supplied from the upper part of the chamber, thus failing to adequately reach the lower region. The bellows of this application, by allowing the cleaning gas to be directly supplied to areas prone to contamination, such as the bottom of the chamber and the upper part of the bellows, is expected to improve cleaning efficiency.

[0058] In addition, depending on the material of the bellows, there may be a risk of corrosion. Therefore, in the cleaning process, only the upper air inlet is switched to the port of cleaning gas, while the lower air inlet plays the role of protecting the bellows and blowing away cleaning by-products.

[0059] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of cleaning gas being introduced into the upper air inlet 101 for cleaning. Figure 8 The medium-colored area is the space around the base, where particles may be present. The gray area surrounding the colored area is the base and its support. The blue area represents the cleaning gas from the upper air intake. Figure 8 (a) and (b) are schematic diagrams simulating the cleaning effect of cleaning gas introduced through the upper air inlet in a high-conductivity process chamber. (a) illustrates the cleaning effect of the cleaning gas from the upper air inlet when the base (the heater is a functional module of the base with heating function) is raised to the top position. (b) illustrates the cleaning effect of the cleaning gas from the upper air inlet when the base is lowered to the bottom position. It can be seen that under high-conductivity conditions, the cleaning gas from the upper air inlet is too much drawn in and cannot effectively reach the surrounding area of ​​the base for cleaning.

[0060] Figure 8 (c) and (d) are schematic diagrams simulating the cleaning effect of cleaning gas introduced through the upper air inlet in a low-conductivity process chamber. (c) illustrates the cleaning effect of the cleaning gas from the upper air inlet when the base is raised to the top position. (d) illustrates the cleaning effect of the cleaning gas from the upper air inlet when the base is lowered to the bottom position. It can be seen that under low-conductivity conditions, the blue cleaning gas occupies the largest area around the base, meaning that the cleaning gas from the upper air inlet can effectively reach the surrounding area of ​​the base for cleaning. Especially when the base is lowered to the bottom position, the cleaning effect of the cleaning gas on the surrounding area is the best.

[0061] In one feasible embodiment, when cleaning gas is introduced into the upper air inlet 101, the lower air inlet can be closed, and no purging gas is introduced into it. Then, the cleaning gas introduced into the upper air inlet 101 can also enter downwards into the lower part of the bellows gap to clean that area. Figure 9 As shown in (b), the valve on the pipeline with the lower air inlet 102 closed is closed. Since there is no purging gas to fill the gap, the cleaning gas can enter the gap and clean it.

[0062] In a feasible embodiment, when cleaning gas is introduced into the upper air inlet 101, purging gas can be introduced into the lower air inlet simultaneously. Therefore, the cleaning gas introduced into the upper air inlet 101 cannot enter the lower part of the bellows gap and will not clean that area; instead, it will concentrate on cleaning the upper part of the bellows and the bottom of the chamber. Figure 9 As shown in (a), the valve on the pipeline with the lower air inlet 102 open is used to introduce purging gas into the gap, preventing the cleaning gas from entering the gap and causing corrosion and chemical contamination to the bellows.

[0063] When cleaning gas is introduced through the upper air inlet, whether purging gas is introduced through the lower air inlet depends on whether the bellows gap needs to be cleaned simultaneously, and can be determined based on the bellows material and process requirements. If the bellows material can withstand a certain degree of corrosion, such as perfluorinated materials like PFA, FEP, and PTFE, then cleaning gas can enter the gap. Furthermore, the bellows area is a relatively less contaminated gap area and does not need to be cleaned every time; the need for cleaning of this gap can be determined based on the degree of contamination in the bellows.

[0064] According to a second aspect of this application, this application also provides a semiconductor process chamber gas supply structure, such as... Figure 10 As shown, the system includes the aforementioned corrugated pipe, and a cleaning pipe 500 is also provided above the corrugated pipe. The cleaning pipe 500 is located below the base, ensuring it will not interfere with the base even when it is lowered to the bottom. The cleaning pipe 500 can extend from outside the process chamber into the process chamber, or it can be a pipe leading from the spray head to below the base. In the deposition and purging processes, purging gas can be introduced through the lower air inlet 102 to fill the gaps in the corrugated pipe. Purging gas is introduced through the upper air inlet 102 to form a top purging air curtain, blocking the process gas and particles above from entering the gaps in the corrugated pipe.

[0065] The cleaning pipe 500 can be one or multiple pipes distributed from above the corrugated pipe to below the base.

[0066] During the cleaning process, cleaning gas can be introduced only through the cleaning pipe 500 above the corrugated pipe, with both the upper and lower air inlets of the corrugated pipe closed. The cleaning gas in the cleaning pipe 500 is closer to the periphery of the base, allowing for a more thorough cleaning of that area. The cleaning gas, along with the cleaning gas introduced from above the process chamber, is then sucked out by the suction pipe.

[0067] Alternatively, cleaning gas can be introduced simultaneously through the upper air inlet 101 of the bellows and the cleaning pipe 500 above the bellows, while the lower air inlet 102 of the bellows is closed. This allows for more efficient cleaning of the bottom area of ​​the chamber, improving cleaning efficiency and effectiveness.

[0068] Alternatively, cleaning gas can be introduced into the cleaning pipe 500, and purging gas can be introduced into the lower air inlet 102 to remove particles inside the corrugated pipe gaps.

[0069] Alternatively, cleaning gas can be introduced into the upper air inlet 101 of the bellows and the cleaning pipe 500 above the bellows, and purging gas can be introduced into the lower air inlet 102 of the bellows.

[0070] According to a third aspect of this application, a semiconductor process chamber 200 is provided, the process chamber 200 including a spray head 300 located at the top, a base 400 for placing wafers located below the spray head, the aforementioned bellows, and a suction line, one end of the suction line communicating with the process chamber and the other end connected to a vacuum pump. The upper end of the bellows body 100 is sealed to the lower wall of the process chamber, and the lower end is sealed to a drive shaft passing through the bottom of the process chamber, such as a drive shaft flange.

[0071] The upper air inlet 101 of the bellows is a through hole machined on one side wall of the upper part of the bellows body 100. This through hole is connected to an external purge gas source through a pipeline. The purge gas does not react with the interior of the chamber, but only forms a top purge air curtain to prevent process gas and particles from entering the bellows gap, reducing the risk of particle generation.

[0072] The lower air inlet 102 is a through hole machined into one side wall of the lower part of the bellows body 100, and is connected to the purge air source through a pipeline. The gas introduced into the lower air inlet 102 fills the gap below the top purge air curtain formed by the upper air inlet 101. The gas fills and squeezes out particulate impurities in the gap. Since the gap is filled with purge gas, it is not easy for particulate impurities to fall into the gap again.

[0073] The upper air inlet 101 can also be connected to a cleaning gas source. The upper air inlet 101 can be connected to both a purge gas source and a cleaning gas source via a three-way pipe, and the purge gas and cleaning gas can be switched via valves on the pipe. In the chamber cleaning process, cleaning gas can be introduced into the upper part of the process chamber from a spray head or similar source to clean the entire process chamber. The upper air inlet can then introduce cleaning gas to clean the gaps and the lower area of ​​the process chamber.

[0074] According to a fourth aspect of this application, a semiconductor process chamber is also provided, including a spray head 300 at the top, a base 400 for placing wafers below the spray head, the aforementioned corrugated gas supply structure, a cleaning pipe 500, and a suction pipe, one end of which is connected to the process chamber and the other end of which is connected to a vacuum pump. The upper end of the corrugated pipe body 100 is sealed to the lower wall of the process chamber, and the lower end is sealed to a drive shaft passing through the bottom of the process chamber, such as a drive shaft flange.

[0075] The bellows gas supply structure includes a cleaning pipe 500 located above the bellows and below the base. The cleaning pipe 500 can extend from outside the process chamber into the chamber, or it can be a pipe leading from the spray head to the bottom of the base. In the deposition and purging processes, purging gas can be introduced through the lower inlet 102 to fill the bellows gaps. Purging gas is introduced through the upper inlet 102 to form a top purging curtain, preventing process gas and particles from entering the bellows gaps.

[0076] During the cleaning process, cleaning gas can be introduced only through the cleaning pipe 500 above the corrugated pipe, with both the upper and lower air inlets of the corrugated pipe closed. The cleaning gas in the cleaning pipe 500 is closer to the periphery of the base, allowing for a more thorough cleaning of that area. The cleaning gas, along with the cleaning gas introduced from above the process chamber, is then sucked out by the suction pipe.

[0077] Alternatively, cleaning gas can be introduced into the cleaning pipe 500, and purging gas can be introduced into the lower air inlet 102 to remove particles inside the corrugated pipe gaps.

[0078] Alternatively, cleaning gas can be introduced simultaneously through the upper air inlet 101 of the bellows and the cleaning pipe 500 above the bellows, while the lower air inlet 102 of the bellows is closed. This allows for more efficient cleaning of the bottom area of ​​the chamber, improving cleaning efficiency and effectiveness.

[0079] Alternatively, cleaning gas can be introduced into the upper air inlet 101 of the bellows and the cleaning pipe 500 above the bellows, and purging gas can be introduced into the lower air inlet 102 of the bellows.

[0080] Of course, the present invention may have other various embodiments. Without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various corresponding changes and modifications according to the present invention, but these corresponding changes and modifications are all within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A bellows, used in a semiconductor process chamber, characterized in that, include: The bellows body is formed into a sealed structure and is used to be installed around the drive shaft of the process chamber to isolate the interior of the process chamber from the external lifting mechanism that drives the base to lift. The upper air inlet is located on the upper part of the side wall of the bellows body and can be switched with the purging air source and the cleaning air source. The lower air inlet is located on the lower part of the side wall of the bellows body.

2. The corrugated pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper end of the bellows body is used for a sealed connection with the lower end of the process chamber, and the lower end of the bellows body is sealed to a drive shaft that passes through the bottom of the process chamber.

3. The corrugated pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the deposition and / or purging process, purging gas is introduced through the upper air inlet to form a top purging air curtain, thereby preventing external gas from entering.

4. The corrugated pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the cleaning process, cleaning gas is introduced through the upper air inlet.

5. The corrugated pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the deposition and / or purging process, purging gas is filled through the lower air inlet.

6. The corrugated pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that, Purging gas is introduced into the lower air inlet of the cleaning process.

7. The corrugated pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ratio of the gas flow rate at the upper air inlet to the gas flow rate at the lower air inlet is in the range of 1:1 to 10.

8. The corrugated pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper air intake may be a single port or multiple ports at the same height.

9. The corrugated pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper air intake consists of multiple intakes at different heights.

10. The corrugated pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower air intake may be a single inlet or multiple inlets at the same height.

11. The corrugated pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower air intake consists of multiple intakes at different heights.

12. A semiconductor process chamber, characterized in that, It includes a spray head, a base, a suction pipe, and a corrugated pipe as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A semiconductor process chamber gas supply structure, characterized in that, include: The bellows body is formed into a sealed structure and is used to be installed around the drive shaft of the process chamber to isolate the interior of the process chamber from the external lifting mechanism that drives the base to lift. The upper air inlet is located on the upper part of the side wall of the bellows body and can be switched with the purging air source and the cleaning air source. The lower air inlet is located on the lower part of the side wall of the bellows body; The cleaning pipeline is located in the area between the corrugated pipe and the base of the process chamber.

14. The semiconductor process chamber gas supply structure according to claim 13, characterized in that, In deposition and / or purging processes, purging gas is introduced through the upper air inlet to form a top purging curtain, thereby preventing external gas from entering.

15. The semiconductor process chamber gas supply structure according to claim 13, characterized in that, In the deposition and / or purging process, purging gas is filled through the lower air inlet.

16. The semiconductor process chamber gas supply structure according to claim 13, characterized in that, In the cleaning process, cleaning gas is introduced through the cleaning pipe and / or the upper air inlet.

17. The semiconductor process chamber gas supply structure according to claim 13, characterized in that, In the cleaning process, purge gas is introduced through the lower air inlet.

18. A semiconductor process chamber, characterized in that, It includes a spray head, a base, a suction pipe, and a gas supply structure as described in any one of claims 13 to 17.

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