Chamber leakage detection device and semiconductor processing equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of semiconductors, in particular to a chamber leakage detection device and semiconductor processing equipment. The chamber leakage detection device comprises a first three-way valve and a gas sensor, the first three-way valve comprises an inner pipe and an outer pipe, and the inner pipe is sleeved with the outer pipe; one end of the outer pipe is a blind end, the other end of the outer pipe is an open end, and two ends of the inner pipe are open ends; one end of the inner pipe penetrates out of the blind end of the outer pipe to form a first connecting end, and the other end of the inner pipe and the opening end of the outer pipe form a second connecting end; the first connecting end is used for being communicated with a to-be-detected chamber, and the second connecting end is communicated with the gas sensor; and an extraction opening is formed in the outer pipe and is used for being communicated with an air extractor. According to the device, the gas in the to-be-detected chamber can be detected, the sealing performance of the to-be-detected chamber can be effectively ensured, the vacuum degree of the semiconductor processing equipment is ensured to meet the process requirement, and the production yield can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a chamber leakage detection device and semiconductor processing equipment. Background Art

[0002] With the development of integrated circuit technology, feature sizes continue to shrink, and the complexity of semiconductor manufacturing processes is also increasing. During the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, some manufacturing processes must be carried out in a vacuum reaction chamber. If there is a leak in the vacuum reaction chamber, that is, gas enters the reaction chamber, it will affect the quality of the semiconductor manufacturing process and, in turn, the yield of semiconductor devices. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the leakage of the chamber. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a semiconductor structure, a formation method device and an electronic device.

[0004] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application discloses a chamber leakage detection device, comprising: a first three-way valve and a gas sensor;

[0005] The first three-way valve comprises an inner tube and an outer tube, wherein the inner tube is sleeved in the outer tube;

[0006] One end of the outer tube is a blind end and the other end is an open end, and both ends of the inner tube are open ends;

[0007] One end of the inner tube passes through the blind end of the outer tube to form a first connection end, and the other end of the inner tube and the open end of the outer tube form a second connection end;

[0008] The first connection end is used to communicate with the chamber to be detected, and the second connection end is communicated with the gas sensor;

[0009] The outer tube is provided with an air extraction port, which is used to communicate with the air extraction device.

[0010] In some optional embodiments, the chamber leakage detection device further includes a second three-way valve;

[0011] The first end of the second three-way valve is used to communicate with the chamber to be detected;

[0012] The second end of the second three-way valve is connected to the connecting piece;

[0013] The third end of the second three-way valve is communicated with the first connecting end.

[0014] In some optional embodiments, the connecting piece is a blind plate or a leakage valve.

[0015] In some optional embodiments, the chamber leakage detection device further includes a first connecting line, one end of the first connecting line is connected to the third end of the second three-way valve, and the other end of the first connecting line is connected to the first connecting end.

[0016] In some optional embodiments, the chamber leakage detection device further includes a second connecting pipeline, one end of the second connecting pipeline is connected to the gas extraction port, and the other end of the second connecting pipeline is used to communicate with the gas extraction device.

[0017] In some optional embodiments, the chamber leakage detection device further includes an exhaust pipeline, one end of the exhaust pipeline is used to communicate with the chamber to be detected, and the other end of the exhaust pipeline is used to communicate with the exhaust device.

[0018] In some optional embodiments, a connecting port is provided on the air extraction pipeline, and the other end of the second connecting pipeline is connected to the connecting port.

[0019] In some optional embodiments, the outer tube is the main line of the second three-way valve, and the air extraction port is the opening end of the branch line of the second three-way valve.

[0020] In some optional embodiments, the gas sensor is an oxygen sensor.

[0021] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application discloses a semiconductor processing device, comprising the chamber leakage detection device as described above.

[0022] The technical solution has the following technical effects:

[0023] The chamber leakage detection device and semiconductor processing equipment described in the embodiment of the present application are provided with a first three-way valve and a gas sensor. The first three-way valve includes an inner tube and an outer tube. The inner tube is sleeved in the outer tube. One end of the outer tube is a blind end and the other end is an open end. Both ends of the inner tube are open ends. One end of the inner tube passes through the blind end of the outer tube to form a first connection end. The other end of the inner tube and the open end of the outer tube form a second connection end. The first connection end is used to communicate with the chamber to be detected, and the second connection end is connected to the gas sensor. The outer tube is provided with an exhaust port, which is used to communicate with the exhaust device. When the chamber to be detected is detected, the chamber leakage detection device, under the action of the exhaust device, the gas in the chamber to be detected can pass through the inner tube of the first three-way valve into the gas sensor, and then enter the outer tube and be discharged through the exhaust port. In this process, the gas sensor can detect the gas in the chamber to be detected, which can effectively ensure the sealing of the chamber to be detected, ensure that the vacuum degree of the semiconductor processing equipment meets the process requirements, and help improve the production yield. At the same time, the chamber leakage detection device can realize real-time online detection of the chamber to be detected, which is beneficial to improving the stability of semiconductor processing equipment and thus improving production efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a chamber leakage detection device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of gas flow in a chamber leakage detection device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of another chamber leakage detection device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another gas flow in a chamber leak detection device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of a semiconductor processing equipment provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0030] The following is a supplementary description of the accompanying drawings:

[0031] 1-chamber leakage detection device; 110-first three-way valve; 111-first connecting end; 112-second connecting end; 113-outer tube; 114-inner tube; 115-exhaust port; 120-gas sensor; 130-second three-way valve; 140-connecting piece; 150-first connecting pipeline; 160-second connecting pipeline; 170-exhaust pipeline; 2-chamber to be detected; 201-transmission chamber; 202-process module chamber. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0033] It should be noted that the "one embodiment" or "embodiment" referred to in the description of the embodiments of the present application refers to specific features, structures, or characteristics that may be included in at least one implementation of the present application. It should be understood that in the description and claims of the embodiments of the present application, as well as in the above-mentioned figures, the terms "upper," "lower," "top," "bottom," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the figures and are intended solely for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present application and simplifying the description. They do not indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the present application. The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Thus, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc. are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequential sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this manner are interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present application described herein can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein. In addition, in the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, "a plurality of" means two or more. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system or product that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or are inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0034] It should be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "adjacent to," "connected to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, adjacent to, connected to, or coupled to the other element or layer, or there may be intervening elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly adjacent to," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers. It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and / or parts, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or part from another element, component, region, layer, or part. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the present application, the first element, component, region, layer, or part discussed below may be represented as a second element, component, region, layer, or part. And when the second element, component, region, layer, or part is discussed, it does not necessarily mean that the first element, component, region, layer, or part is present in the present application.

[0035] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages disclosed in the embodiments of the present application more clearly understood, the embodiments of the present application are further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present application.

[0036] In epitaxial growth equipment, oxygen concentration affects chamber safety and process results. Related technologies rely on gas diffusion to allow airflow to contact the contacts of oxygen sensors for reaction. However, while gas diffusion is significant under normal pressure, it flows more slowly under reduced pressure. Gas changes within the chamber cannot diffuse to the sensor in a timely manner, resulting in poor oxygen sensor responsiveness and even malfunction, making it impossible to detect oxygen concentration in the chamber.

[0037] In view of this, the embodiment of the present application proposes a chamber leak detection device and semiconductor processing equipment, which is provided with a first three-way valve and a gas sensor. The first three-way valve includes an inner tube and an outer tube. The inner tube is sleeved in the outer tube. One end of the outer tube is a blind end and the other end is an open end. Both ends of the inner tube are open ends. One end of the inner tube passes through the blind end of the outer tube to form a first connecting end, and the other end of the inner tube forms a second connecting end with the open end of the outer tube. The first connecting end is used to communicate with the chamber to be detected, and the second connecting end is connected to the gas sensor. The outer tube is provided with an exhaust port, which is used to communicate with an exhaust device. When the chamber to be detected is detected, under the action of the exhaust device, the gas in the chamber to be detected can pass through the inner tube of the first three-way valve into the gas sensor, and then enter the outer tube and be discharged through the exhaust port. In this process, the gas sensor can detect the gas in the chamber to be detected, which can effectively ensure the sealing of the chamber to be detected, ensure that the vacuum degree of the semiconductor processing equipment meets the process requirements, and help improve the production yield. At the same time, the chamber leakage detection device can realize real-time online detection of the chamber to be detected, which is beneficial to improving the stability of semiconductor processing equipment and thus improving production efficiency.

[0038] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of a chamber leakage detection device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 As shown, the chamber leakage detection device may include a first three-way valve and a gas sensor.

[0039] In an embodiment of the present application, the first three-way valve includes an inner tube and an outer tube, with the inner tube being sleeved within the outer tube. That is, the inner diameter of the outer tube is larger than the outer diameter of the inner tube, allowing the inner tube to pass through the outer tube. The outer tube has two ends: one is a blind end and the other is an open end. The inner tube has two open ends. When the inner and outer tubes are combined, one end of the inner tube passes through the blind end of the outer tube to form a first connection end, and the other end of the inner tube and the open end of the outer tube form a second connection end.

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, at the first connection end 111, the gap between the inner wall of the outer tube 113 and the outer wall of the inner tube 114 is sealed, so that gas cannot flow out of the gap between the outer tube 113 and the inner tube 114. At the second connection end 112, the gap between the inner wall of the outer tube 113 and the outer wall of the inner tube 114 is not sealed, so that gas can enter the gap between the outer tube 113 and the inner tube 114 and flow in the outer tube 113. Optionally, at the second connection end 112, the end of the inner tube 114 can extend out of the outer tube 113 or be flush with the end of the outer tube 113.

[0041] In the embodiment of the present application, the first connection end 111 is used to communicate with the chamber to be detected 2, and the second connection end 112 is used to communicate with the gas sensor 120. The gas sensor 120 is used to detect gas. Optionally, the gas sensor 120 can be used to detect the presence of a target gas, such as hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, etc., or can be used to detect the concentration of a target gas, such as hydrogen concentration, nitrogen concentration, oxygen concentration, etc. As an example, when the chamber to be detected 2 is a closed chamber in an epitaxial device, the gas sensor 120 can be an oxygen sensor for monitoring the oxygen concentration in the chamber to be detected 2.

[0042] The chamber to be detected 2 is a closed chamber, which can be a chamber in a semiconductor processing device, such as a transfer chamber 201 in an epitaxial device, a process module chamber 202, etc. For the chamber in the semiconductor processing equipment, it is usually in a vacuum state during the process. In this state, even if there is a leak, the gas in the chamber is often very small. Considering only gas diffusion, the gas is difficult to be detected by the gas sensor 120. Therefore, an exhaust port 115 can be provided on the outer tube 113, and the exhaust port 115 is used to be connected to the exhaust device, and the exhaust device is used to exhaust gas. In the case of a leak in the chamber to be detected 2, the gas enters the gas sensor 120 through the first three-way valve 110 under the action of the exhaust device.

[0043] As an optional implementation, Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a gas flow in a chamber leakage detection device 1 provided in an embodiment of the present application, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the gas in the chamber to be detected 2 first enters the inner tube 114 of the first three-way valve 110 under the action of the gas extraction device. The end of the inner tube 114 can extend out of the outer tube 113, so that the gas in the inner tube 114 can fully contact the gas sensor 120. The gas sensor 120 can then detect the gas flowing out of the inner tube 114. Then, under the action of the gas extraction device, the gas enters the gap between the inner tube 114 and the outer tube 113 and flows out through the gas extraction port 115.

[0044] In some embodiments, the first three-way valve 110 may be a pipe-in-pipe passing through the three-way valve. Figure 1 As shown, outer tube 113 is the main line of the second three-way valve, air extraction port 115 is the opening end of the branch line of the second three-way valve, and inner tube 114 is a tube-in-tube that passes through the main line of the second three-way valve. The first three-way valve 110 is obtained by sealing the gap between the inner wall of one end of the second three-way valve and the outer wall of inner tube 114.

[0045] In practical applications, to accurately detect the target gas concentration in the chamber 2 to be tested, the chamber leak detection device 1 typically simulates a leak in the chamber 2 before actually testing the chamber 2 to calibrate the target gas concentration in the chamber 2 under normal conditions. After calibration, the chamber leak detection device 1 can monitor the leakage of the chamber 2 in real time. To meet the requirements of these two working conditions, a three-way valve can be provided in the chamber leak detection device 1.

[0046] Specifically, Figure 3 is a structural diagram of another chamber leakage detection device 1 provided in an embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 3 As shown, the chamber leakage detection device 1 also includes a second three-way valve 130. The second three-way valve 130 has three connection ends: a first end, a second end, and a third end. The first end of the second three-way valve 130 is used to communicate with the chamber 2 to be detected, the second end of the second three-way valve 130 is connected to the connector 140, and the third end of the second three-way valve 130 is connected to the first connection end 111 of the connecting pipeline. Optionally, the first, second, and third ends of the second three-way valve 130 can be connected to the corresponding ports using sealing members such as sealing rings and clamps.

[0047] In the embodiment of the present application, the connector 140 may be a blind plate or a leak valve. When calibrating the target gas concentration, the leak valve may be connected to the second end of the second three-way valve 130. By controlling the leak valve to a certain degree, a leakage condition in the chamber 2 to be tested can be simulated, thereby calibrating the target gas concentration in the event of a leak in the chamber 2 to be tested. When the chamber leak detection device 1 is actually testing the chamber 2 to be tested, the blind plate may be connected to the second end of the second three-way valve 130 to ensure the sealing of the chamber 2 to be tested.

[0048] like Figure 3As shown, the chamber leak detection device 1 also includes a first connecting line 150 and a second connecting line 160. One end of the first connecting line 150 is connected to the third end of the second three-way valve 130, and the other end of the first connecting line 150 is connected to the first connecting end 111. One end of the second connecting line 160 is connected to the air extraction port 115, and the other end of the second connecting line 160 is used to communicate with the air extraction device. The provision of the first connecting line 150 and the second connecting line 160 can improve the scalability of the chamber leak detection device 1, making it applicable to a variety of detection environments.

[0049] In some embodiments, the chamber leak detection apparatus 1 further includes an exhaust line 170, one end of which is connected to the chamber 2 to be detected, and the other end of which is connected to an exhaust device. The exhaust line 170 is used to extract exhaust gas from the chamber 2 to be detected, thereby ensuring a vacuum level within the chamber 2 to be detected. Optionally, the exhaust line 170 is provided with a connection port, and the other end of the second connecting line 160 is connected to the connection port, so that the exhaust device can simultaneously evacuate the chamber 2 to be detected and detect whether the chamber 2 to be detected has leaks.

[0050] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of another gas flow in the chamber leakage detection device 1 provided in an embodiment of the present application, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown, the gas in the chamber to be detected 2 enters the first connecting pipeline 150 through the second three-way valve under the action of the gas extraction device, and then enters the inner tube 114 in the first three-way valve 110. The gas sensor 120 can then detect the gas flowing out of the inner tube 114. Then, under the action of the gas extraction device, the gas enters the gap between the inner tube 114 and the outer tube 113, passes through the second connecting pipeline 160, enters the gas extraction pipeline 170, and flows out.

[0051] An embodiment of the present application further provides a semiconductor processing device, which includes the chamber leakage detection device 1 as described above.

[0052] In an embodiment of the present application, semiconductor processing equipment has a sealed chamber. Optionally, the semiconductor processing equipment may be an epitaxial device, such as a molecular beam epitaxy device, a physical vapor deposition device, a chemical vapor deposition device, or an etching device, such as a plasma etching device. The semiconductor processing equipment is provided with a chamber leak detection device 1 as described above to detect whether a sealed chamber in the semiconductor processing equipment has leaks.

[0053] As an example. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a semiconductor processing device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 5As shown, the semiconductor processing equipment includes a transfer chamber 201 and several process module chambers 202. During the semiconductor processing process, wafers can be transported through the transfer chamber 201 to various process module chambers 202 for processing. During this process, the transfer chamber 201 and the process module chambers 202 must maintain a vacuum environment. If a leak occurs in the transfer chamber 201 or any of the process module chambers 202, it may result in defective products and even affect the safe operation of the equipment. The chamber leak detection device 1 can be installed on the transfer chamber 201 to detect leaks in the transfer chamber 201 and the process module chambers 202. Specifically, by determining whether the gate valve of the process module chamber 202 is open, if the gate valve of the process module chamber 202 is not open, it is determined whether the concentration of the target gas is greater than the corresponding calibration threshold. If it is greater than the corresponding calibration threshold, it can be determined that there is a leak in the transfer chamber 201. If it is less than or equal to the corresponding calibration threshold, it can be determined that there is no leak in the transfer chamber 201. If the gate valve of any process module chamber 202 is open, it is determined whether the concentration of the target gas is greater than the corresponding calibration threshold. If it is less than or equal to the corresponding calibration threshold, it can be determined that there is no leakage in the transfer chamber 201 or the process module chamber 202 with the gate valve open. If it is greater than the corresponding calibration threshold, it can be determined that there is a leakage in the transfer chamber 201 or the process module chamber 202 with the gate valve open. At this time, by controlling the gate valve of the process transfer chamber 201 to close, it can be further determined whether the leakage is in the transfer chamber 201 or in the process transfer chamber 201. Therefore, in multi-chamber semiconductor processing equipment, the use of the above-mentioned chamber leak detection device 1 can not only realize chamber leak detection of closed chambers, but also detect the specific chamber where the leakage occurs, thereby improving detection efficiency.

[0054] It should be noted that the order of the embodiments of the present application described above is for descriptive purposes only and does not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments. The above description is of specific embodiments of this specification. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps described in the claims can be performed in an order different from that in the embodiments and still achieve the desired results. In addition, the processes depicted in the accompanying drawings do not necessarily require the specific order or continuous order shown to achieve the desired results. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0055] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to in conjunction with each other. Each embodiment focuses on the differences between the other embodiments. In particular, the device embodiments are generally similar to the method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple. For relevant parts, refer to the description of the method embodiments.

[0056] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps to implement the above embodiments may be accomplished by hardware, or by a program to instruct the relevant hardware, and the program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, which may be a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk, etc.

[0057] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A chamber leakage detection device, characterized in that: include: a first three-way valve and a gas sensor; The first three-way valve comprises an inner tube and an outer tube, wherein the inner tube is sleeved in the outer tube; One end of the outer tube is a blind end and the other end is an open end, and both ends of the inner tube are open ends; One end of the inner tube passes through the blind end of the outer tube to form a first connection end, and the other end of the inner tube and the open end of the outer tube form a second connection end; The first connection end is used to communicate with the chamber to be detected, and the second connection end is communicated with the gas sensor; The outer tube is provided with an air extraction port, and the air extraction port is used to communicate with the air extraction device.

2. The chamber leakage detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The chamber leakage detection device further includes a second three-way valve; The first end of the second three-way valve is used to communicate with the chamber to be detected; The second end of the second three-way valve is connected to the connecting member; The third end of the second three-way valve is communicated with the first connecting end.

3. The chamber leakage detection device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The connecting piece is a blind plate or a leakage valve.

4. The chamber leakage detection device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The chamber leakage detection device further includes a first connecting pipeline, one end of which is connected to the third end of the second three-way valve, and the other end of which is connected to the first connecting end.

5. The chamber leakage detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The chamber leakage detection device further includes a second connecting pipeline, one end of which is connected to the gas extraction port, and the other end of which is used to communicate with the gas extraction device.

6. The chamber leakage detection device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The chamber leakage detection device further includes an exhaust pipeline, one end of which is used to communicate with the chamber to be detected, and the other end of which is used to communicate with an exhaust device.

7. The chamber leakage detection device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The air extraction pipeline is provided with a connecting port, and the other end of the second connecting pipeline is communicated with the connecting port.

8. The chamber leakage detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer tube is the main line of the second three-way valve, and the air extraction port is the opening end of the branch line of the second three-way valve.

9. The chamber leakage detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gas sensor is an oxygen sensor.

10. A semiconductor processing equipment, characterized in that: Comprising the chamber leakage detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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