Valve and semiconductor manufacturing machine

Abstract

The utility model provides a valve and a semiconductor manufacturing machine. According to the semiconductor manufacturing machine table, a valve is arranged between the cavity and the pressure gauge, communication and separation between the cavity and the pressure gauge are achieved through opening and closing of the valve, and therefore in the process of replacing the pressure gauge, air pressure in the cavity does not need to be processed, and the replacement efficiency of the pressure gauge is improved. And after the valve is directly closed, replacement and maintenance are carried out, so that the replacement efficiency is greatly improved, and the influence on the operation of the machine table and the preventive maintenance cost are reduced. And the valve is provided with a heat conduction coil, so that the inner surface and the outer surface of the valve body can be rapidly heated, and the situation that by-products in the cavity are gathered in the valve body due to cold, and the performance and the service life of the valve are affected is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and particularly relates to a valve and a semiconductor manufacturing machine tool. Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing machine tools of the LAM 2300V2 / E4 / E5 / E6 series, the front ends of the chamber manometer (hereinafter referred to as CM2) and the fore line manometer (hereinafter referred to as CM3) are directly connected to the chamber of the machine tool. Then, when CM2 and / or CM3 fail and need to be replaced, nitrogen needs to be filled into and extracted from the corresponding chamber repeatedly for hundreds of times to remove the gas in the chamber. This process takes at least two hours. Then, the air pressure in the chamber is adjusted from the vacuum state to the standard atmospheric pressure state, and then CM2 and / or CM3 are disassembled and replaced. This process also takes about two hours. Finally, the components in the chamber can be maintained as needed, and the air pressure state in the chamber is restored to the working state. Therefore, the entire maintenance process takes at least 4 to 8 hours, which is not only time-consuming and laborious, with cumbersome operations, but also seriously affects the uptime of the machine tool and increases the cost of preventive maintenance (PM).

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new machine tool structure to improve the convenience of repairing and replacing the pressure gauge. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] The purpose of the utility model is to provide a valve and a semiconductor manufacturing machine tool to solve the problem of how to improve the efficiency of repairing and replacing the pressure gauge of the machine tool.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the utility model provides a valve, including: a valve body and a heat conduction coil; the heat conduction coil is wound around and covers the outer surface of the valve body and the chamber wall of the inner cavity of the valve body to heat the valve body.

[0006] Optionally, in the valve, the heat conduction coil includes a first coil and a second coil; the first coil is laid along the outer surface of the valve body, the second coil is laid along the chamber wall of the inner cavity of the valve body, and the connection end of the second coil extends out through the inner cavity and is connected to the first coil; and, the first coil is connected to an external power supply.

[0007] Optionally, in the valve, the valve further includes a heating tape, and the heating tape wraps the outer surface of the valve body and the heat conduction coil located on the outer surface of the valve body.

[0008] Optionally, in the valve, a heat conducting wire is disposed in the heating tape for heating the valve body.

[0009] Optionally, in the valve, the heat conducting coil is a copper wire.

[0010] Optionally, in the valve, the valve body includes a connecting pipe, a handle and a rubber plug; wherein, a through hole is provided on the pipe wall of the connecting pipe, and one end of the handle can extend into the inner cavity of the connecting pipe through the through hole and is connected to the rubber plug located in the inner cavity; and, the handle can move along the radial direction of the connecting pipe and drive the rubber plug to move so as to adjust the opening and closing of the gas path in the connecting pipe.

[0011] Optionally, in the valve, the rubber plug is conical, and the bottom surface of the rubber plug is connected to one end of the handle, and the head end of the rubber plug is arranged towards the inner wall of the inner cavity of the connecting pipe; wherein, a conical groove is provided on the inner wall, and the conical groove is adapted to the morphology of the head end of the rubber plug so that when the rubber plug closes the gas path in the connecting pipe, the head end of the rubber plug fits against the groove wall of the conical groove.

[0012] Optionally, in the valve, at least two convex rings are arranged at intervals on the inner wall of the conical groove so that when the rubber plug closes the gas path in the connecting pipe, the included angle formed by the connecting line of the innermost side walls of several convex rings located in the same plane as the central axis of the rubber plug and the central axis of the rubber plug is smaller than the included angle between the outer side wall of the rubber plug and the central axis of the rubber plug.

[0013] Optionally, in the valve, the convex rings are arranged around the circumferential direction of the conical groove, and the convex rings are rubber rings.

[0014] Based on the same inventive concept, the present utility model further provides a semiconductor manufacturing machine platform, including a chamber, a pressure gauge and the valve; wherein, the opposite ends of the valve are respectively connected to the chamber and the pressure gauge for communicating or blocking the chamber and the pressure gauge.

[0015] In summary, the present utility model provides a valve and a semiconductor manufacturing machine. Compared with the prior art, in the semiconductor manufacturing machine, the valve is disposed between the chamber and the pressure gauge, so as to realize the connection and blockage between the chamber and the pressure gauge by opening and closing the valve. Furthermore, during the process of replacing the pressure gauge, it is not necessary to process the air pressure in the chamber. After directly closing the valve, replacement and maintenance can be carried out, which greatly improves the replacement efficiency, reduces the impact on the operation of the machine, and reduces the preventive maintenance cost. In addition, the valve is provided with a heat conduction coil, so as to quickly heat the inner and outer surfaces of the valve, avoid the by-products in the chamber from gathering in the valve due to cold, and affect the performance and service life of the valve. Description of the Drawings

[0016] Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the provided drawings are used to better understand the present utility model and do not constitute any limitation to the scope of the present utility model.

[0017] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor manufacturing machine in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of a valve in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0019] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view of a valve in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0020] Figure 4 It is a cross-sectional view of another valve in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0021] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the angular relationship between the conical rubber plug and the inner side wall of the convex ring in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0022] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the positions of the conical rubber plug and two convex rings in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0023] In addition, in the drawings:

[0024] 10 - reaction chamber; 11 - pre-stage gas transportation chamber;

[0025] 20 - pressure gauge;

[0026] 30 - valve; 300 - valve body; 3001 - connecting pipe; 3002 - handle; 3003 - rubber plug; 301 - heat conduction coil; 3010 - first coil; 3011 - second coil;

[0027] C - through hole; S - conical groove; T - convex ring; t1 - first convex ring; t2 - second convex ring; α - first included angle; β - second included angle. Detailed implementation manners

[0028] To make the objectives, advantages and features of the present utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are all in a very simplified form and not drawn to scale, and are only used to conveniently and clearly assist in explaining the objectives of the embodiments of the present utility model. In addition, the structures shown in the accompanying drawings are often part of the actual structures. In particular, the emphasis to be shown in each of the accompanying drawings is different, and sometimes different scales are used. It should also be understood that unless otherwise specified or indicated, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. in the specification are only used to distinguish the various components, elements, steps, etc. in the specification, rather than to represent the logical relationship or sequential relationship, etc. between the various components, elements, steps. And, the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction and Z-axis direction referred to in the specification and accompanying drawings of the present application are three mutually perpendicular directions in three-dimensional space.

[0029] As can be seen from the above, in the existing semiconductor manufacturing machines, CM2 and CM3 are directly connected to the corresponding chambers. Therefore, when replacing CM2 and / or CM3, it is necessary to first fill and evacuate nitrogen to remove the gas in the corresponding chamber to prevent the toxic gas existing in the chamber from diffusing into the environment; then, after adjusting the air pressure in the chamber to the standard atmospheric pressure, the disassembly and replacement can be carried out. The entire maintenance process is cumbersome, time-consuming and laborious, and the efficiency is low.

[0030] Based on this, this embodiment provides a semiconductor manufacturing machine. Please refer to Figure 1 , the semiconductor manufacturing machine includes a chamber, a pressure gauge 20 and a valve 30; wherein, the opposite ends of the valve 30 are respectively connected to the chamber and the pressure gauge 20 for communicating or blocking the chamber and the pressure gauge 20. It can be understood that by providing a valve 30 between the chamber and the corresponding pressure gauge 20, when replacing or maintaining the pressure gauge 20, the communication between the chamber and the pressure gauge 20 can be blocked to maintain the original pressure state in the chamber, without spending a lot of time evacuating the gas in the chamber and adjusting the air pressure in the chamber to the atmospheric pressure state. After the valve 30 is closed, the replacement and maintenance of the pressure gauge 20 can be directly carried out, and after the replacement is completed, the valve 30 is opened to restore the communication between the new pressure gauge 20 and the chamber, effectively improving the efficiency of replacing the pressure gauge 20, and the impact of the replacement process on the normal operation time of the machine is very small, thereby being able to greatly reduce the time cost of preventive maintenance.

[0031] Exemplarily, such as Figure 1As shown, the chamber in the semiconductor manufacturing tool includes a reaction chamber 10 and a pre-stage gas transport chamber 11. A valve 30 is provided between the reaction chamber 10 and the corresponding pressure gauge 20 (such as CM2), and a valve 30 is also provided between the pre-stage gas transport chamber 11 and the corresponding pressure gauge 20 (such as CM3). By closing the respective valves 30, the corresponding pressure gauge 20 can be directly replaced. After the replacement is completed, by opening the corresponding valve 30, the communication between the pressure gauge 20 and the corresponding reaction chamber 10 or pre-stage gas transport chamber 11 can be restored. The steps of venting and purging the gas in the reaction chamber 10 and the pre-stage gas transport chamber 11 and adjusting the air pressure are eliminated, effectively improving the replacement efficiency and reducing the impact on the operation of the tool.

[0032] Furthermore, based on the special process nature of the semiconductor manufacturing tool, this embodiment also provides a valve 30. Please refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the valve 30 includes: a valve body 300 and a heat-conducting coil 301; the heat-conducting coil 301 is wound around and covers the outer surface of the valve body 300 and the wall of the inner cavity of the valve body 300 to heat the valve body 300. It should be noted that based on semiconductor processes, there are many reaction by-products in the chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing tool. These by-products flow with the gas flow in the chamber and the connected pipelines, and are prone to aggregation and adhesion to the pipe wall or chamber wall when cooled. Therefore, the temperature of the valve 30 provided between the chamber and the pressure gauge 20 needs to be the same as or even higher than the temperature in the chamber to prevent the by-products from aggregating and adhering to the inner cavity of the valve 30, which may affect the performance and service life of the valve 30. Therefore, the setting of the heat-conducting coil 301 in this embodiment can heat the outer surface and the inner cavity of the valve body 300 to increase the temperature of the valve body 300 and prevent the aggregation of by-products, thus affecting the normal use of the valve 30.

[0033] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3, the valve body 300 includes a connecting pipe 3001, a handle 3002 and a rubber plug 3003. The connecting pipe 3001 is a hollow pipe fitting, and thread structures are provided on the inner wall or outer wall at both axial ends of the connecting pipe 3001 to facilitate connection with other pipe fittings, so as to connect the chamber and the pressure gauge 20. Preferably, the material of the connecting pipe 3001 is the same as that of the transportation pipeline in the semiconductor manufacturing machine. Further, a through hole C is provided in the pipe wall of the connecting pipe 3001. One end of the handle 3002 can extend into the inner cavity of the connecting pipe 3001 through the through hole C and is connected to the rubber plug 3003 located in the inner cavity. Preferably, one end of the handle 3002 is threadedly connected to the pipe wall of the connecting pipe 3001. That is, thread structures are provided on one end of the handle 3002 and the pipe wall corresponding to the through hole C, so that the handle 3002 can move radially (along the Z-axis direction) relative to the connecting pipe 3001 by rotation. And during the movement of the handle 3002 relative to the connecting pipe 3001, the rubber plug 3003 can be driven to move. Based on this, under the movement of the rubber plug 3003, the gas path in the connecting pipe 3001 can be opened or closed, realizing the opening and closing function of the valve 30.

[0034] Preferably, along the axial direction (X-axis direction) of the connecting pipe 3001, the maximum length of the rubber plug 3003 is less than the diameter of the through hole C to prevent the rubber plug 3003 from detaching from the connecting pipe 3001 during the movement of the handle 3002. And along the radial direction of the connecting pipe 3001, the maximum length of the rubber plug 3003 is greater than or equal to the diameter of the inner cavity communicated in the connecting pipe 3001, so as to facilitate closing the gas path in the connecting pipe 3001 under the blockage of the rubber plug 3003.

[0035] Further, the specific shape of the rubber plug 3003 is not limited in this embodiment and can be rectangular, cylindrical, conical, pyramidal, etc. Preferably, as Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown, the rubber plug 3003 is conical, having a relative bottom surface and a head end. The bottom surface of the rubber plug 3003 is connected to one end of the handle 3002, and the head end of the rubber plug 3003 faces the wall of the inner cavity of the connecting pipe 3001. Among them, the wall corresponding to the rubber plug 3003 has a conical groove S. The conical groove S is adapted to the shape of the head end of the rubber plug 3003, and when the rubber plug 3003 closes the gas path in the connecting pipe 3001, the head end of the rubber plug 3003 can be fitted with the wall of the conical groove S.

[0036] Further, at least two convex rings T are arranged at intervals on the inner wall of the conical groove S. The convex rings T are arranged around the circumference of the conical groove S and extend towards the axis of the conical groove S. Preferably, the convex ring T has a certain deformation ability, such as a rubber ring. It should be noted that the rubber plug 3003, as the opening and closing component of the valve 30, is easily worn by friction. And because mutual extrusion occurs during sealing, when the outer peripheral structure of the rubber plug 3003 is worn or deformed due to extrusion (usually the volume decreases), it is easy to cause poor airtightness when the valve 30 is closed, affecting the sealing effect. Therefore, the valve 30 provided in this embodiment is provided with the convex ring T on the inner wall of the conical groove S adapted to the rubber plug 3003. On the one hand, the convex ring T has a certain deformation ability, which can relieve the frictional force on the rubber plug 3003. On the other hand, the convex ring T can enhance the sealing performance in the case of wear of the rubber plug 3003, avoid gas leakage, be conducive to extending the service life of the valve 30, and enhancing the reliability of the valve 30.

[0037] Further, as Figure 5 shown, when the rubber plug 3003 closes the gas path in the connecting pipe 3001, the connecting line L2 formed by the innermost side walls of several convex rings T located in the same plane as the central axis L1 of the rubber plug 3003 (such as the plane in the Z-axis - X-axis direction) and the central axis L1 of the rubber plug 3003 forms a first included angle α smaller than the second included angle β between the outer side wall of the rubber plug 3003 and the central axis L2 of the rubber plug 3003. In other words, all the connecting lines L2 formed by the innermost side walls of several convex rings T also form a conical body, and the central axis of the conical body coincides with the central axis L1 of the rubber plug 3003. And, half of the cone angle of the conical body is the first included angle α, and half of the cone angle of the rubber plug 3003 is the second included angle β. Based on this, it can be understood that when the first included angle α is smaller than the second included angle β, the head end of the rubber plug 3003 cannot extend to the bottom of the conical groove S under free fall, but will be stuck by the inner side wall of some convex rings T. Therefore, after applying a force in the direction of gravity to the rubber plug 3003, the rubber plug 3003 and the convex ring T will deform together to achieve interlocking, thereby effectively blocking the gas path in the connecting pipe 3001 and ensuring that the valve 30 has better airtightness.

[0038] It should be noted that when the rubber plug 3003 closes the gas path in the connecting pipe 3001, the rubber plug 3003 only contacts several of the convex rings T. That is, there may be some of the convex rings T that do not contact the rubber plug 3003. After several of the convex rings T that are preferentially in extrusion contact with the rubber plug 3003 are severely deformed and worn, the remaining convex rings T can contact the rubber plug 3003 to continue to ensure the sealing effect of the gas path and further improve the service life of the valve 30. Among them, the specific quantity and size of the convex ring T are not limited in this embodiment. Exemplarily, as Figure 6 shown, two convex rings T, namely a first convex ring t1 and a second convex ring t2, are arranged at intervals on the groove wall of the conical groove S. Each time the rubber plug 3003 closes the gas path, it contacts the first convex ring t1. And after the first convex ring t1 is extruded and worn to a certain extent, when the rubber plug 3003 closes the gas path, it will pass through the first convex ring t1 and contact the second convex ring t2 to maintain a stable airtight effect. Therefore, preferably, the wall width of the convex ring T close to the rubber plug 3003 is greater than the wall width of the convex ring T far from the rubber plug 3003. That is, the wall width of the first convex ring t1 is greater than that of the second convex ring t2 to prevent the rubber plug 3003 from contacting the second convex ring t2 when the first convex ring t1 is not worn, which is not conducive to extending the service life of the valve 30.

[0039] Please continue to refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the heat conduction coil 301 includes a first coil 3010 and a second coil 3011. The first coil 3010 is laid along the outer surface of the valve body 300, and the second coil 3011 is laid along the wall of the inner cavity of the valve body 300. Optionally, as Figure 4As shown, the second coil 3011 is disposed outside the inner wall of the inner cavity of the connecting pipe 3001, or disposed inside the inner wall of the inner cavity of the connecting pipe 3001 (not shown in the figure), so as to ensure that the inner wall of the inner cavity is a smooth and flat surface. Wherein, the connecting end of the second coil 3011 extends out through the inner cavity and is connected to the first coil 3010. When the first coil 3010 is connected to an external power supply, the first coil 3010 and the second coil 3011 are energized and heated under the power supply of the external power supply, so as to jointly heat the inner and outer surfaces of the valve body 300. In particular, the second coil 3011 disposed close to the inner wall of the inner cavity can quickly heat the inside, reduce the adhesion of by-products caused by inappropriate temperature, and extend the service life of the device. Preferably, the first coil 3010 and the second coil 3011 are respectively attached to the outer surface and the inner wall of the valve body 300 so as not to affect the normal operation of the valve body 300. And, preferably, the heat-conducting coil 301 is made of copper wire.

[0040] Further, the valve 30 further includes a heating tape (not shown). The heating tape is wrapped around the outer surface of the valve body 300 and the heat-conducting coil 301 located on the outer surface of the valve body 300. Wherein, a heat-conducting wire is disposed inside the heating tape, and can quickly heat the valve body 300 when energized. On the one hand, it blocks the influence of the external environmental temperature on the valve body 300, and on the other hand, it optimizes the heating and heat preservation efficiency of the valve body 300, so as to further improve the performance and reliability of the valve 30 in cooperation with the heat-conducting coil 301 on the inner and outer surfaces of the valve body 300. Based on this, when the pressure gauge 20 is replaced, the valve 30 is opened to connect the chamber and the pressure gauge 20. And because of the temperature difference between the updated pressure gauge 20 and the temperature in the chamber, by-products are likely to accumulate. Therefore, under the combined heating action of the heat-conducting coil 301 and the heating tape, the valve body 300 can quickly heat up, effectively avoiding the cold air in the updated pressure gauge 20 from being conducted to the valve 30 and the chamber, resulting in the focusing of by-products, which is beneficial to extending the service life of the pressure gauge 20 and the valve 30.

[0041] In summary, for the semiconductor manufacturing tool provided in this embodiment, a valve 30 is disposed between the chamber and the pressure gauge 20, so as to achieve the connection and isolation between the chamber and the pressure gauge 20 by opening and closing the valve 30. Furthermore, during the process of replacing the pressure gauge 20, it is not necessary to evacuate the gas in the chamber and adjust the air pressure. After directly closing the valve 30, replacement and maintenance can be carried out, which greatly improves the replacement efficiency, reduces the impact on the operation of the tool, and reduces the preventive maintenance cost. In addition, the valve 30 provided in this embodiment has a heat conduction coil 301, so as to quickly heat the valve 30, avoiding the by-products in the chamber from aggregating in the valve 30 due to cooling, which affects the performance and service life of the valve 30.

[0042] In addition, it should also be recognized that although the present invention has been disclosed above with preferred embodiments, the above embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention. For any person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention, many possible variations and modifications can be made to the technical solution of the present invention by using the technical content disclosed above, or modified into equivalent embodiments with equivalent changes. Therefore, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiments according to the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention still belong to the scope of protection of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A valve, characterized in that: include: A valve body and a heat-conducting coil; the heat-conducting coil is wound around and covers the outer surface of the valve body and the wall of the inner cavity of the valve body to heat the valve body; wherein, The valve body includes a rubber plug; the rubber plug is located in the inner cavity to open or close the inner cavity; and the cavity wall of the valve body corresponding to the rubber plug has a conical groove; at least two convex rings are arranged on the inner wall of the conical groove at intervals; when the rubber plug closes the inner cavity of the valve body, the rubber plug is only connected to part of the convex ring, and the ring wall width of the convex ring close to the rubber plug is greater than the ring wall width of the convex ring away from the rubber plug.

2. The valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thermal conductive coil includes a first coil and a second coil; the first coil is laid along the outer surface of the valve body, the second coil is laid along the cavity wall of the inner cavity of the valve body, and the connecting end of the second coil extends through the inner cavity and is connected to the first coil; and the first coil is connected to an external power supply.

3. The valve according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The valve further comprises a heating belt, the heating belt is wrapped around the outer surface of the valve body, and the heat-conducting coil is wrapped around the outer surface of the valve body.

4. The valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: A heat-conducting wire is arranged in the heating belt for heating the valve body.

5. The valve according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The heat conductive coil is made of copper wire.

6. The valve according to claim 1, characterized in that The valve body also includes a connecting tube and a handle; wherein, the tube wall of the connecting tube has a through hole, and one end of the handle can extend into the inner cavity of the connecting tube through the through hole and connect with the rubber plug located in the inner cavity; and, the handle can move along the radial direction of the connecting tube and drive the rubber plug to move so as to adjust the opening and closing of the air path in the connecting tube.

7. The valve according to claim 6, characterized in that The rubber stopper is conical, and the bottom surface of the rubber stopper is connected to one end of the handle, and the head end of the rubber stopper is arranged toward the cavity wall of the inner cavity of the connecting tube; wherein the conical groove is adapted to the morphology of the head end of the rubber stopper, so that when the rubber stopper closes the air path in the connecting tube, the head end of the rubber stopper fits against the groove wall of the conical groove.

8. The valve according to claim 7, characterized in that When the rubber stopper closes the air path in the connecting pipe, the angle formed by the line formed by the innermost walls of several convex rings located in the same plane as the central axis of the rubber stopper and the central axis of the rubber stopper is smaller than the angle formed by the outer wall of the rubber stopper and the central axis of the rubber stopper.

9. The valve according to claim 8, characterized in that The convex ring is arranged around the circumference of the conical groove, and the convex ring is a rubber ring.

10. A semiconductor manufacturing machine, characterized in that: It comprises a chamber, a pressure gauge and a valve as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9; wherein the opposite ends of the valve are respectively connected to the chamber and the pressure gauge, for connecting or blocking the chamber and the pressure gauge.

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