Semiconductor process post-gas exhaust pipeline structure and semiconductor equipment

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of wafer processing equipment, in particular to a semiconductor process post-gas exhaust pipeline structure and semiconductor equipment, which comprises an exhaust main pipe, a first branch pipeline, a second branch pipeline, an exhaust auxiliary pipe, a detection component one, a detection component two and a control module; the exhaust main pipe comprises a first gas outlet part and a second gas outlet part which are separated from each other; the exhaust auxiliary pipe comprises a first gas inlet part and a second gas inlet part which are separated from each other; the two ends of the first branch pipeline are respectively communicated with the first gas outlet part and the first gas inlet part to form a first exhaust branch; the two ends of the second branch pipeline are respectively communicated with the second gas outlet part and the second gas inlet part to form a second exhaust branch; through the cooperation of the double-branch parallel exhaust branch and the setting of the independent deposition by-product detection components on the two branches, the deposition conditions of the by-products of each branch can be monitored in real time; when the deposition amount reaches a preset threshold value, the exhaust passage can be switched online, and the full-deposition branch can be disassembled and cleaned without stopping the machine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wafer processing equipment technology, and more particularly to a structure for a gas exhaust pipeline after semiconductor processing and semiconductor equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor dry etching processes, the exhaust gas from the process chamber contains a large amount of reaction byproducts, which gradually deposit on the inner wall of the exhaust gas duct. If the accumulation is too thick, large pieces may detach, and solid particles may enter the vacuum pump with the airflow, causing damage to the pump. Therefore, monitoring and cleaning the deposits in the exhaust duct is a key step in ensuring the stable operation of the etching equipment. However, existing technologies have many shortcomings: on the one hand, there is a lack of online real-time monitoring methods for byproduct deposition in the exhaust gas duct. Usually, it relies on empirical estimation or periodic shutdown inspection. Although some solutions use crystal oscillator monitoring, it is only used for monitoring the cleanliness of the process chamber or the thickness of the deposited film, and has not been applied to the exhaust gas duct scenario. On the other hand, existing exhaust gas ducts are designed with a single path. When cleaning the deposits or emptying the solid capture device, the entire duct must be shut down and disassembled. This not only interrupts production and causes long equipment downtime, but also makes the byproducts adhere firmly to the inner wall of the duct. The overall disassembly and cleaning operation is cumbersome and time-consuming, and frequent disassembly and assembly can affect the duct's sealing performance and system vacuum. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates to a structure for a gas exhaust pipeline after semiconductor processing and semiconductor equipment, aiming to solve the problems of existing semiconductor process exhaust gas pipelines lacking online monitoring of deposition, requiring complete shutdown and disassembly of a single pipeline leading to production interruption, and by-products easily damaging the vacuum pump.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a post-semiconductor gas exhaust pipeline structure, including an exhaust main pipe, a first branch pipe, a second branch pipe, an exhaust sub-pipe, a detection component one, a detection component two, and a control module; The main exhaust pipe includes a first exhaust section and a second exhaust section that are separated from each other. The secondary exhaust pipe includes a first intake section and a second intake section that are separated from each other. The first branch pipe and the second branch pipe are arranged in parallel between the main exhaust pipe and the secondary exhaust pipe. The two ends of the first branch pipe are respectively connected to the first exhaust section and the first intake section to form a first exhaust branch. The two ends of the second branch pipe are respectively connected to the second exhaust section and the second intake section to form a second exhaust branch. The first detection component is disposed in the first branch pipe for detecting the content of deposited by-products in the first branch pipe, and the second detection component is disposed in the second branch pipe for detecting the content of deposited by-products in the second branch pipe. Both the first detection component and the second detection component are connected to the control module. The control module controls the gas after the process to switch from the current first exhaust branch or the second exhaust branch to another exhaust branch to flow to the exhaust branch pipe when the content of the deposited byproduct detected by the first detection component and the second detection component reaches a preset threshold.

[0005] Optionally, the post-semiconductor gas exhaust pipeline structure further includes two condensers; The two condensers are respectively fixed around the outer wall of the first branch pipe and the outer wall of the second branch pipe, and are used to cool and condense the by-products in the process gas flowing through them and deposit them on the inner wall of the corresponding branch pipe.

[0006] Optionally, both the first branch pipe and the second branch pipe include an intake pipe, a deposition pipe and an exhaust pipe that are connected in sequence from the exhaust main pipe to the exhaust sub-pipe; The deposition outer pipe extends axially along the exhaust main pipe, the condenser is disposed on the outer side wall of the deposition outer pipe, the intake pipe and the exhaust pipe are both inclined, and the deposition outer pipe and the intake pipe are detachably connected.

[0007] Optionally, both the first branch pipeline and the second branch pipeline further include a deposition inner pipe; The inner deposition tube is coaxially and detachably disposed inside the outer deposition tube, and the outer side wall of the inner deposition tube abuts against the inner side wall of the outer deposition tube. The axial length of the inner deposition tube is greater than or equal to the axial length of the outer deposition tube, so that by-products are deposited on the inner side wall of the inner deposition tube.

[0008] Optionally, both the first branch pipe and the second branch pipe further include a heat transfer grid; the heat transfer grid is detachably disposed on the inner wall of the deposition inner tube and extends along the axial direction of the deposition inner tube, and the outer peripheral sidewall of the heat transfer grid abuts against the inner sidewall of the deposition inner tube, so as to transfer the cooling capacity generated by the condenser to the post-process gas flowing through the inner cavity of the deposition inner tube through the deposition inner tube and the heat transfer grid.

[0009] Optionally, both the first branch pipeline and the second branch pipeline further include a plurality of first heat transfer elements and a plurality of second heat transfer elements; Each of the first heat transfer elements is fixedly inserted into the outer deposition tube and connected to the condenser element. Each of the second heat transfer elements is fixedly inserted into the inner deposition tube and corresponds to and abuts against each of the first heat transfer elements. At least a portion of each of the second heat transfer elements extends into the inner cavity of the inner deposition tube.

[0010] Optionally, both the first branch pipe and the second branch pipe may further include an extension inner pipe; The extended inner tube abuts against the end of the deposited inner tube near the air intake section and extends axially into the inner cavity of the air intake section, with the outer sidewall of the extended inner tube abutting against the inner sidewall of the air intake section.

[0011] Optionally, both the first branch pipe and the second branch pipe further include an extension pipe. The extension pipe abuts against the end of the condenser near the intake pipe and extends along the axial direction of the intake pipe toward the exhaust pipe. The inner wall of the extension pipe abuts against the outer wall of the intake pipe to transfer the cooling capacity of the condenser to the intake pipe through the extension pipe.

[0012] Optionally, both the first branch pipeline and the second branch pipeline further include a pressure relief valve, which is connected to the exhaust pipe to adjust the air pressure in the first exhaust branch or the second exhaust branch to a safe threshold.

[0013] Optionally, the post-semiconductor gas exhaust pipeline structure further includes a first control valve and a fourth control valve, wherein the first control valve and the fourth control valve are respectively located on the main exhaust pipe and the secondary exhaust pipe, for controlling the on / off state of the main exhaust pipe and the secondary exhaust pipe respectively.

[0014] Optionally, both the first branch pipe and the second branch pipe further include a second control valve and a third control valve, which are respectively located at the air inlet end of the air inlet pipe and the air outlet end of the air outlet pipe, for controlling the on / off state of the air inlet pipe and the air outlet pipe respectively.

[0015] Optionally, both the first detection component and the second detection component include a first detection element and a second detection element. The first detection element is disposed near the air inlet end of the air inlet pipe to detect the content of a first by-product at the air inlet end of the air inlet pipe. The second detection element is disposed near the air outlet end of the deposition outer tube to detect the content of a second by-product at the air outlet end of the deposition outer tube. The difference between the content of the second by-product and the content of the first by-product is the preset threshold.

[0016] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a semiconductor device, including a reaction chamber, a gas extraction system, and a post-semiconductor gas exhaust pipeline structure, wherein the main exhaust pipe in the post-semiconductor gas exhaust pipeline structure is connected to the reaction chamber, and the secondary exhaust pipe in the post-semiconductor gas exhaust pipeline structure is connected to the gas extraction system.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention addresses the pain points of existing semiconductor process exhaust pipelines, such as the lack of online deposition monitoring, the need for shutdown and cleaning of single-path systems leading to production interruptions, and damage to sealing. By using a dual-branch parallel exhaust path with independent deposition byproduct detection components on each branch, the byproduct deposition status of each branch can be monitored in real time. When the deposition amount reaches a preset threshold, the exhaust path can be switched online. The branch filled with deposition can be disassembled and cleaned without stopping the machine. This not only avoids large pieces of byproduct falling into the vacuum pump and causing equipment damage, but also enables continuous operation of the process and significantly reduces equipment downtime. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the gas exhaust pipeline after semiconductor processing in some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 An enlarged schematic diagram of the structure at position A in the diagram.

[0019] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Main exhaust pipe; 2. First control valve; 3. First branch pipe; 31. Inlet pipe; 32. Outer deposition pipe; 33. Inner deposition pipe; 34. Outlet pipe; 4. First heat transfer element; 5. Second heat transfer element; 6. First detection element; 7. Second detection element; 8. Second control valve; 9. Third control valve; 10. Second exhaust pipe; 11. Fourth control valve; 12. Heat transfer grid; 13. Pressure relief valve; 14. Condenser; 15. Second branch pipe; 16. Extended inner pipe; 17. Extended outer pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this invention. Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein should have the ordinary meaning understood by those skilled in the art. The terms "comprising" and similar expressions used herein mean that the element or object preceding the word covers the element or object listed following the word and its equivalents, but do not exclude other elements or objects.

[0021] This invention relates to a structure for a gas exhaust pipeline after semiconductor processing and semiconductor equipment, aiming to solve the problems of existing semiconductor process exhaust gas pipelines lacking online monitoring of deposition, requiring complete shutdown and disassembly of a single pipeline leading to production interruption, and by-products easily damaging the vacuum pump.

[0022] To address the problems existing in the prior art, embodiments of the present invention provide a post-semiconductor gas exhaust pipeline structure, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the post-semiconductor gas exhaust pipeline structure includes a main exhaust pipe 1, a first branch pipe 3, a second branch pipe 15, an exhaust secondary pipe 10, a detection component one, a detection component two, and a control module. The central axis of the main exhaust pipe 1 and the central axis of the exhaust secondary pipe 10 coincide.

[0023] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the exhaust pipe 1 includes a first exhaust section and a second exhaust section that are separated from each other. It can be understood that the first exhaust section and the second exhaust section are not connected.

[0024] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the exhaust manifold 10 includes a first intake section and a second intake section that are separated from each other. It can be understood that the first intake section and the second intake section are not connected.

[0025] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the first branch pipe 3 and the second branch pipe 15 are arranged in parallel between the main exhaust pipe 1 and the auxiliary exhaust pipe 10. The two ends (which can be understood as the left and right ends) of the first branch pipe 3 are respectively connected to the first exhaust outlet and the first intake to form a first exhaust branch; the two ends (which can be understood as the left and right ends) of the second branch pipe 15 are respectively connected to the second exhaust outlet and the second intake to form a second exhaust branch. It is worth noting that the first exhaust branch and the second exhaust branch are preferably symmetrical about the central axis of the main exhaust pipe 1.

[0026] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the first detection component is disposed in the first branch pipe 3 to detect the content of deposited by-products in the first branch pipe 3 (referring to deposits on the inner wall of the first branch pipe 3), and the second detection component is disposed in the second branch pipe 15 to detect the content of deposited by-products in the second branch pipe 15 (referring to deposits on the inner wall of the second branch pipe 15).

[0027] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, both the first detection component and the second detection component are connected to the control module. The control module controls the gas after the process (which can be understood as exhaust gas) to switch from the current first exhaust branch or the second exhaust branch to another exhaust branch to flow to the exhaust branch pipe 10 based on whether the content of the deposited byproduct detected by the first detection component and the second detection component respectively reaches a preset threshold.

[0028] By physically isolating the first and second exhaust branches, which do not interfere with each other, and cooperating with independent in-situ detection, real-time and accurate perception of the deposition status is achieved, while the two branches form a redundant structure of "one in use and one in standby". When the deposited by-products in one exhaust branch reach a preset threshold, the control module can seamlessly switch to the other exhaust branch for exhaust, without interrupting the reaction chamber process. This completely avoids the production capacity loss caused by the need to shut down and disassemble the traditional single-pipe system, and also prevents the excessive accumulation of deposited by-products from falling into the downstream vacuum pump and causing equipment damage. At the same time, the airflow resistance of the two symmetrically arranged branches is consistent, and the system flow field and back pressure will not be changed due to switching paths, ensuring the stability of the process.

[0029] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the post-semiconductor gas exhaust pipeline structure also includes two condensers 14; the overall shape of the condenser 14 is a tubular structure. The specific structure of the condenser 14 can be an annular coil sleeved around the outer periphery of the deposition outer tube 32 or an axially extending semiconductor cooling sleeve, with circulating cooling medium flowing inside.

[0030] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the two condensers 14 are respectively fixed around the outer wall of the first branch pipe 3 and the outer wall of the second branch pipe 15, and are used to cool and condense the by-products in the process gas flowing through them and deposit them on the inner wall of the corresponding branch pipe.

[0031] The condensation function is integrated into two parallel branch pipes 3 and 15. This actively cools the gaseous byproducts, causing them to solidify in advance within the branch pipes 3 and 15, preventing them from entering the downstream vacuum pump in a free state and causing pump blockage or corrosion. It also limits the deposition area to the first branch pipe 3 and 15, rather than the exhaust main pipe 1 and exhaust secondary pipe 10, preventing scale buildup in the exhaust main pipe 1 and exhaust secondary pipe 10 from affecting the overall flow channel stability. The dual-path independent condensation design also ensures that the condenser 14 of the other path continues to operate normally when one path is shut down for cleaning, ensuring that the gas is always in a controlled cooling and deposition state during the process. The effect of exhaust gas treatment will not be changed due to switching paths, thus balancing byproduct interception efficiency and process continuity.

[0032] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, both the first branch pipe 3 and the second branch pipe 15 include an intake pipe section 31, a deposition outer pipe 32, and an exhaust pipe section 34 connected sequentially from the exhaust main pipe 1 to the exhaust secondary pipe 10. The inner diameters of the intake pipe section 31 and the exhaust pipe section 34 are the same. The inner diameter of the deposition outer pipe 32 is larger than the inner diameters of the intake pipe section 31 and the exhaust pipe section 34.

[0033] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the deposition outer pipe 32 extends along the axial direction of the exhaust main pipe 1, which can be understood as the deposition outer pipe 32 and the exhaust main pipe 1 being arranged in parallel; the condenser 14 is provided on the outer side wall of the deposition outer pipe 32, the air inlet pipe 31 and the air outlet pipe 34 are both inclined, and the deposition outer pipe 32 and the air inlet pipe 31 are detachably connected.

[0034] In this embodiment, the deposition outer tube 32 extends axially along the exhaust main tube 1, which not only lengthens the path of gas within the deposition outer tube 32, ensuring sufficient condensation and deposition time, but also allows the deposition outer tube 32 to function as an independent functional module, forming a separate, detachable structure with the inclined intake pipe section 31. When the deposition amount reaches a preset threshold, there is no need to disassemble the entire gas path, such as the exhaust main tube 1 and the exhaust secondary tube 10. Only the connection between the deposition outer tube 32 and the intake pipe section 31 needs to be disconnected, and the entire deposition outer tube 32 can be removed from the pipeline for replacement. The modular replacement method significantly reduces the amount of maintenance operations and avoids the risk of seal failure caused by repeated disassembly and reassembly of the exhaust main tube 1 interface, enabling "quick disassembly and quick replacement" of core components with high deposition amounts, minimizing maintenance time.

[0035] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, both the first branch pipe 3 and the second branch pipe 15 further include a deposition inner pipe 33; the inner diameter of the deposition inner pipe 33 is the same as the inner diameter of the air intake pipe 31. Setting the inner diameter of the deposition inner pipe 33 to be the same as the inner diameter of the air intake pipe 31 can avoid the formation of eddies or dead airflow angles caused by sudden changes in pipe diameter, thus preventing local deposition blockage and ensuring the stability of the flow field before and after airflow switching.

[0036] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the inner deposition tube 33 is coaxial (which can be understood as the central axes of the inner deposition tube 33 and the outer deposition tube 32 being coincident) and detachably disposed inside the outer deposition tube 32. The outer side wall of the inner deposition tube 33 is abutted against the inner side wall of the outer deposition tube 32. The axial length of the inner deposition tube 33 is greater than or equal to the axial length of the outer deposition tube 32, so that by-products are deposited on the inner side wall of the inner deposition tube 33.

[0037] In this embodiment, the outer wall of the inner deposition tube 33 abuts against the inner wall of the outer deposition tube 32, and the length of the inner deposition tube 33 completely covers the outer deposition tube 32. This close contact ensures efficient transfer of condensation energy to the inner wall of the inner deposition tube 33, improving the condensation efficiency of by-products, and also completely confines the deposition location of by-products to the inner wall of the inner deposition tube 33, preventing scale buildup on the inner wall of the outer deposition tube 32 and thus losing its reusability. The entire inner deposition tube 33 can be pulled out to remove all the scale at once, eliminating the need to clean the outer deposition tube 32. This transforms maintenance from "pipe cleaning" to "liner replacement," allowing the outer deposition tube 32 to be used repeatedly for a long time, further reducing spare parts costs and replacement workload.

[0038] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, both the first branch pipe 3 and the second branch pipe 15 further include a heat transfer grid 12. The heat transfer grid 12 is generally cylindrical or composed of multiple disc mesh structures, and the multiple disc mesh structures are arranged in close contact with the exhaust main pipe 1.

[0039] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the heat transfer grid 12 is detachably disposed on the inner wall of the deposition inner tube 33 and extends along the axial direction of the deposition inner tube 33. The outer peripheral sidewall of the heat transfer grid 12 abuts against the inner sidewall of the deposition inner tube 33 so as to transfer the cooling capacity generated by the condenser 14 through the deposition inner tube 33 and the heat transfer grid 12 to the process gas flowing through the inner cavity of the deposition inner tube 33.

[0040] In this embodiment, the heat transfer grid 12, as a heat exchange structure built into the airflow, not only significantly enhances the transfer of cold energy to the central airflow of the deposition inner tube 33 by increasing the heat exchange area, allowing gaseous byproducts to cool and condense more quickly as they flow through, thus improving deposition collection efficiency, but also forms a continuous heat conduction channel by resisting the deposition inner tube 33, avoiding local deposition detachment caused by uneven wall temperature of the deposition inner tube 33. During cleaning, the heat transfer grid 12 can be extracted as a whole along with the deposition inner tube 33, with byproducts simultaneously adhering to the surface of the heat transfer grid 12 and the inner tube wall of the deposition inner tube 33, which is equivalent to "packing" and removing the deposits in a concentrated manner without the need to disassemble the deposition outer tube 32, thus enhancing the condensation effect without increasing maintenance complexity.

[0041] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, both the first branch pipe 3 and the second branch pipe 15 further include a plurality of first heat transfer elements 4 and a plurality of second heat transfer elements 5; the number of second heat transfer elements 5 and first heat transfer elements 4 are the same. The second heat transfer elements 5 and first heat transfer elements 4 are both cylindrical in shape.

[0042] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2As shown, each of the first heat transfer elements 4 is fixedly inserted into the outer deposition tube 32 and connected to the condenser 14. Each of the second heat transfer elements 5 is fixedly inserted into the inner deposition tube 33 and corresponds to and abuts against each of the first heat transfer elements 4. At least a portion of each of the second heat transfer elements 5 extends into the inner cavity of the inner deposition tube 33.

[0043] In this embodiment, the first heat transfer element 4 serves as the "exit end" of the cold energy of the condenser 14, and the second heat transfer element 5 serves as the "inlet end" of the inner tube side. The first heat transfer element 4 and the second heat transfer element 5 form a multi-point distributed heat conduction path by supporting each other. This avoids the problem of slow cooling of the central airflow and low deposition efficiency caused by relying solely on the radial heat conduction of the walls of the outer and inner tubes of the deposition tube 32. It also directly introduces the cold energy into the inner cavity of the inner tube 33, so that a uniform low-temperature field is formed between the heat transfer grid 12 and the inner tube wall of the inner tube 33, allowing the by-products to condense quickly and completely when flowing through. At the same time, the second heat transfer element 5 is inserted and removed synchronously with the inner tube 33. The support-type connection does not require complex pipeline docking. It automatically separates when replacing the inner tube 33 and automatically fits when installing. While improving the heat exchange uniformity, it does not add any assembly or disassembly steps, thus taking into account both condensation performance and maintenance convenience.

[0044] In some embodiments, each of the first heat transfer elements 4 and each of the second heat transfer elements 5 is a combined structure, and a plurality of such combined structures are arranged at equal intervals in the same circumferential direction. A plurality of such combined structures are arranged at equal intervals in the same axial direction.

[0045] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, both the first branch pipe 3 and the second branch pipe 15 further include an extended inner pipe 16. The outer diameter of the extended inner pipe 16 is smaller than the inner diameter of the intake pipe section 31.

[0046] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the extended inner tube 16 abuts against the end of the deposition inner tube 33 near the air intake pipe 31 and extends along the axial direction of the air intake pipe 31 into the inner cavity of the air intake pipe 31, with the outer side wall of the extended inner tube 16 abutting against the inner side wall of the air intake pipe 31.

[0047] In this embodiment, the extended inner tube 16 extends the "inner lining protection" of the deposition inner tube 33 forward into the inclined air intake section 31, bringing the air intake section area, which is originally easy to adhere to the air intake pipe wall and difficult to clean, into the range of the replaceable and easily detachable structure, avoiding the accumulation and blockage of by-products at the connection corner between the air intake section 31 and the deposition outer tube 32; at the same time, the extended inner tube 16 abuts against the inner side wall of the air intake section 31, which eliminates the airflow step at the connection between the inner side wall of the air intake section 31 and the outer side wall of the extended inner tube 16, preventing eddy dust from causing the deposit block to fall off.

[0048] In some embodiments, the axial length of the extended inner tube 16 is preferably 1 / 2 to 2 / 3 of the total length of the intake pipe portion 31.

[0049] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, both the first branch pipe 3 and the second branch pipe 15 further include an extension outer pipe 17, and the axial length of the extension outer pipe 17 is preferably 1 / 6 to 1 / 3 of the total length of the intake pipe 31.

[0050] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the extended outer tube 17 abuts against the end of the condenser 14 near the intake pipe section 31 and extends along the axial direction of the intake pipe section 31 toward the exhaust pipe main 1. The inner sidewall of the extended outer tube 17 abuts against the outer sidewall of the intake pipe section 31 so as to transfer the cooling capacity of the condenser 14 to the intake pipe section 31 through the extended outer tube 17.

[0051] In this embodiment, the extended outer pipe 17 conducts the cooling energy of the condenser 14 in the reverse direction to the outer wall of the intake pipe 31, so that the intake pipe 31 itself near the left end of the intake pipe 31 is in a low temperature state. The gas flows along the low temperature pipe wall before entering the intake pipe 31, further cooling it in advance and reducing the escape of gaseous by-products. At the same time, the low temperature is confined to the vicinity of the inner wall of the left end of the intake pipe 31, avoiding premature local overcooling of the gas in the intake pipe 31 to form uneven scaling, allowing the deposits to settle. The deposition inner tube 33 is more concentrated in the downstream area, which also prevents the left end of the intake pipe 31 from condensing and freezing or corroding due to exposure to air. The extension outer tube 17 is fixed as part of the intake pipe 31 without the need for additional interfaces. While enhancing the pre-cooling effect at the front end, it forms a double-layer structure of "external cooling and internal lining" with the extension inner tube 16. This protects the intake pipe 31 without affecting the internal airflow of the intake pipe 31. When replacing the deposition inner tube 33, there is no need to touch the extension outer tube 17. The structure has a clear division of labor.

[0052] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, both the first branch pipe 3 and the second branch pipe 15 further include a pressure relief valve 13, which is connected to the exhaust pipe 34 to adjust the air pressure in the first exhaust branch or the second exhaust branch to a safe threshold.

[0053] In this embodiment, the pressure relief valve 13 is directly installed in the gas outlet pipe 34. When switching from a single path to a backup path or isolating and cleaning a branch path that is full of deposits, it can quickly release the pressure fluctuations caused by residual process gas or condensation in the pipeline, avoid pipeline pressure buildup, prevent byproducts from being blown into the vacuum pump by high-pressure gas flow, and prevent gas leakage or personnel safety risks caused by pressurized operation when replacing the deposit inner tube 33. This ensures that the switching and maintenance of the path are always within the safe range of normal or low pressure.

[0054] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the post-semiconductor gas exhaust pipeline structure further includes a first control valve 2 and a fourth control valve 11. The first control valve 2 and the fourth control valve 11 are respectively located on the main exhaust pipe 1 and the secondary exhaust pipe 10, for controlling the on / off state of the main exhaust pipe 1 and the secondary exhaust pipe 10 respectively.

[0055] The first control valve 2 and the fourth control valve 11 are respectively located at the common end of the exhaust main pipe 1 and the exhaust secondary pipe 10, which is equivalent to equipping the exhaust main pipe 1 and the exhaust secondary pipe 10 with the "main gate" of the total inlet and the total outlet. When switching the branch, there is no need to adjust the valves of the branch one by one. The entire path to be maintained can be quickly isolated by coordinating the action of the branch valve, thus avoiding the complexity of multi-valve coordination.

[0056] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, both the first branch pipe 3 and the second branch pipe 15 further include a second control valve 8 and a third control valve 9. The second control valve 8 and the third control valve 9 are respectively located at the air inlet end of the air inlet pipe 31 and the air outlet end of the air outlet pipe 34, so as to control the opening and closing of the air inlet pipe 31 and the air outlet pipe 34 respectively.

[0057] In this embodiment, the second control valve 8 and the third control valve 9 lock the "inlet" and "outlet" of each branch respectively. Together with the first control valve 2 and the fourth control valve 11, they can achieve dual shut-off of upstream and downstream of a single branch, ensuring that the branch to be cleaned is completely physically isolated from the gas path, preventing airflow from entering or back pressure from flowing back. At the same time, the other branch remains fully open. When switching, only the control valve of one branch needs to be closed and the control valve of the other branch needs to be opened to accurately control the airflow direction. This avoids the risk of gas leakage caused by poor isolation of a single valve and ensures that the two branches do not interfere with each other, achieving a safe switching of "one branch fully open and one branch fully closed".

[0058] In some embodiments, the first control valve 2, the second control valve 8, the third control valve 9, and the fourth control valve 11 can all be pneumatic shut-off valves or high-vacuum gate valves, which have the characteristics of fast response, zero leakage, and resistance to process gas corrosion. They can not only cooperate with the control module to achieve millisecond-level automatic switching, but also ensure airtightness during isolation, thus meeting the cleanliness and high reliability requirements of semiconductor vacuum systems.

[0059] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1As shown, both detection component one and detection component two include a first detection element 6 and a second detection element 7. The first detection element 6 is disposed near the air inlet end of the air inlet pipe 31 to detect the content of a first by-product at the air inlet end of the air inlet pipe 31. The second detection element 7 is disposed near the air outlet end of the deposition outer tube 32 to detect the content of a second by-product at the air outlet end of the deposition outer tube 32. The difference between the content of the second by-product and the content of the first by-product is the preset threshold. Both the content of the first by-product and the content of the second by-product refer to the content of by-products deposited on the inner wall of the deposition outer tube 32.

[0060] By directly measuring the concentration difference of byproducts after the gas flows through the deposition section at two detection points upstream and downstream, it is equivalent to calculating the deposition and collection amount per unit pipe length in situ. The deposition degree can be quantified in real time without the need to install additional film thickness sensors or disassemble the pipe for weighing, and the detection results are more intuitive and accurate. Using the concentration difference as a threshold, it not only eliminates misjudgments caused by fluctuations in the composition of the process gas itself, but also sensitively reflects whether the deposition inner tube 33 is close to saturation. It is more reliable than single-location detection. The control module triggers switching based on this and can accurately stop at the optimal maintenance node of "almost full but not falling off". This avoids wasting pipeline life by switching too early and eliminates the risk of scale falling off by switching too late.

[0061] The second detection element 7 is installed at the outlet end of the deposition outer tube 32, which can directly obtain the content of remaining by-products in the tail gas after condensation and deposition. In conjunction with the first detection element 6 installed at the inlet end of the inlet pipe 31, the collection efficiency and cumulative deposition amount of the deposition section can be accurately quantified by the concentration difference between the upstream and downstream.

[0062] Specifically, the second detection element 7 can be fixed on the heat transfer grid 12 or on the inner wall of the deposition inner tube 33; the first detection element 6 is fixed on the inner wall of the air inlet pipe 31, and the detection end of the first detection element 6 is located on the central axis of the air inlet pipe 31.

[0063] In some embodiments, the specific structure of the first detection element 6 and the second detection element 7 can be a corrosion-resistant laser dust concentration sensor or a high-temperature resistant quartz crystal microbalance. The former measures the concentration of suspended byproducts in the gas through light scattering non-contact measurement, with fast response and unobstructed flow field, while the latter accurately calculates the amount of adhesion through the change in resonant frequency caused by deposition.

[0064] To address the problems existing in the prior art, embodiments of the present invention also provide a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device including a reaction chamber, a gas extraction system (vacuum pump) and the aforementioned post-semiconductor gas exhaust pipeline structure, wherein the main exhaust pipe 1 in the post-semiconductor gas exhaust pipeline structure is connected to the reaction chamber, and the secondary exhaust pipe 10 in the post-semiconductor gas exhaust pipeline structure is connected to the gas extraction system.

[0065] In some embodiments, the semiconductor equipment may be a plasma etching equipment, a dry resist stripping equipment, or a chemical vapor deposition equipment. The exhaust gas of these processes contains a high concentration of reaction byproducts or polymers, which are very easy to condense and accumulate in the exhaust pipe. By connecting the gas path structure of the present invention between its reaction chamber and vacuum pump, hot standby switching and online cleaning of the deposition pipeline can be achieved without stopping the machine, effectively avoiding pump damage and greatly improving the continuous operation time and production uptime of the equipment.

[0066] While embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to these embodiments. However, it should be understood that such modifications and variations fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention described herein may have other embodiments and can be implemented or carried out in various ways.

Claims

1. A structure for a gas exhaust pipeline after a semiconductor process, characterized in that, It includes the main exhaust pipe, the first branch pipe, the second branch pipe, the exhaust auxiliary pipe, detection component one, detection component two, and the control module; The main exhaust pipe includes a first exhaust section and a second exhaust section that are separated from each other. The secondary exhaust pipe includes a first intake section and a second intake section that are separated from each other. The first branch pipe and the second branch pipe are arranged in parallel between the main exhaust pipe and the secondary exhaust pipe. The two ends of the first branch pipe are respectively connected to the first exhaust section and the first intake section to form a first exhaust branch. The two ends of the second branch pipe are respectively connected to the second exhaust section and the second intake section to form a second exhaust branch. The first detection component is disposed in the first branch pipe for detecting the content of deposited by-products in the first branch pipe, and the second detection component is disposed in the second branch pipe for detecting the content of deposited by-products in the second branch pipe. Both the first detection component and the second detection component are connected to the control module. The control module controls the gas after the process to switch from the current first exhaust branch or the second exhaust branch to another exhaust branch to flow to the exhaust branch pipe when the content of the deposited byproduct detected by the first detection component and the second detection component reaches a preset threshold.

2. The semiconductor process gas exhaust pipeline structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes two condenser components; The two condensers are respectively fixed around the outer wall of the first branch pipe and the outer wall of the second branch pipe, and are used to cool and condense the by-products in the process gas flowing through them and deposit them on the inner wall of the corresponding branch pipe.

3. The semiconductor process gas exhaust pipeline structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, Both the first branch pipe and the second branch pipe include an intake pipe, a deposition outer pipe, and an exhaust pipe that are connected in sequence from the exhaust main pipe to the exhaust secondary pipe; The deposition outer pipe extends axially along the exhaust main pipe, the condenser is disposed on the outer side wall of the deposition outer pipe, the intake pipe and the exhaust pipe are both inclined, and the deposition outer pipe and the intake pipe are detachably connected.

4. The semiconductor process gas exhaust pipeline structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, Both the first branch pipeline and the second branch pipeline also include a deposition inner pipe; The inner deposition tube is coaxially and detachably disposed inside the outer deposition tube, and the outer side wall of the inner deposition tube abuts against the inner side wall of the outer deposition tube. The axial length of the inner deposition tube is greater than or equal to the axial length of the outer deposition tube, so that by-products are deposited on the inner side wall of the inner deposition tube.

5. The semiconductor process gas exhaust pipeline structure according to claim 4, characterized in that, Both the first branch pipe and the second branch pipe further include a heat transfer grid; the heat transfer grid is detachably disposed on the inner wall of the deposition inner tube and extends along the axial direction of the deposition inner tube, and the outer peripheral sidewall of the heat transfer grid abuts against the inner sidewall of the deposition inner tube, so as to transfer the cooling capacity generated by the condenser to the post-process gas flowing through the inner cavity of the deposition inner tube through the deposition inner tube and the heat transfer grid.

6. The semiconductor process gas exhaust pipeline structure according to claim 4, characterized in that, Both the first branch pipeline and the second branch pipeline further include a plurality of first heat transfer elements and a plurality of second heat transfer elements; Each of the first heat transfer elements is fixedly inserted into the outer deposition tube and connected to the condenser element. Each of the second heat transfer elements is fixedly inserted into the inner deposition tube and corresponds to and abuts against each of the first heat transfer elements. At least a portion of each of the second heat transfer elements extends into the inner cavity of the inner deposition tube.

7. The semiconductor process gas exhaust pipeline structure according to claim 4, characterized in that, Both the first branch pipe and the second branch pipe also include an extended inner pipe; The extended inner tube abuts against the end of the deposited inner tube near the air intake section and extends axially into the inner cavity of the air intake section, with the outer sidewall of the extended inner tube abutting against the inner sidewall of the air intake section.

8. The semiconductor process gas exhaust pipeline structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, Both the first branch pipe and the second branch pipe further include an extension pipe. The extension pipe abuts against the end of the condenser near the intake pipe and extends along the axial direction of the intake pipe toward the exhaust pipe. The inner sidewall of the extension pipe abuts against the outer sidewall of the intake pipe to transfer the cooling capacity of the condenser to the intake pipe through the extension pipe.

9. The semiconductor process gas exhaust pipeline structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, Both the first branch pipeline and the second branch pipeline also include a pressure relief valve, which is connected to the exhaust pipe to adjust the air pressure in the first exhaust branch or the second exhaust branch to a safe threshold.

10. The semiconductor process gas exhaust pipeline structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a first control valve and a fourth control valve, which are respectively located on the main exhaust pipe and the auxiliary exhaust pipe, for controlling the on / off state of the main exhaust pipe and the auxiliary exhaust pipe, respectively.

11. The semiconductor process gas exhaust pipeline structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, Both the first branch pipe and the second branch pipe further include a second control valve and a third control valve. The second control valve and the third control valve are respectively located at the air inlet end of the air inlet pipe and the air outlet end of the air outlet pipe, so as to control the on / off state of the air inlet pipe and the air outlet pipe respectively.

12. The semiconductor process gas exhaust pipeline structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, Both the first detection component and the second detection component include a first detection element and a second detection element. The first detection element is disposed near the air inlet end of the air inlet pipe to detect the content of a first by-product at the air inlet end of the air inlet pipe. The second detection element is disposed near the air outlet end of the deposition outer tube to detect the content of a second by-product at the air outlet end of the deposition outer tube. The difference between the content of the second by-product and the content of the first by-product is the preset threshold.

13. A semiconductor device, characterized in that, The system includes a reaction chamber, a gas extraction system, and a post-semiconductor gas exhaust pipeline structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the main exhaust pipe in the post-semiconductor gas exhaust pipeline structure is connected to the reaction chamber, and the secondary exhaust pipe in the post-semiconductor gas exhaust pipeline structure is connected to the gas extraction system.

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