Safety control device and extension equipment
By introducing a safety control device into the epitaxial equipment and independently controlling the status of the chamber cover and the solenoid valve, the safety hazards and gas leakage problems when the chamber is opened are resolved, and systematic safety control is achieved to ensure equipment stability and personnel safety.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422948448.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-29
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-28
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-11-29
AI Technical Summary
When the chamber in the epitaxial equipment is opened, the internal structure is exposed to the accessibility of maintenance personnel, posing a safety hazard. In addition, the airtightness of the chamber door valve is reduced, resulting in gas leakage, affecting personal safety and equipment stability.
A safety control device is used, including a control unit and multiple control modules, which are electrically connected to the transfer chamber, reaction chamber and loading chamber respectively. By independently controlling the chamber cover and the state of the solenoid valve, the exposure of movable parts and gas leakage are avoided, thereby achieving systematic safety control.
It effectively avoids the exposure of movable parts inside the chamber and gas leakage, reduces safety hazards, ensures the stability and safety of the equipment, and allows a chamber to be maintained separately without affecting the normal use of other chambers.
Smart Images
Figure CN223481345U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of semiconductor equipment technology, specifically a safety control device and an epitaxial device. Background Technology
[0002] Epitaxial growth equipment is a high-tech device integrating vacuum, high temperature, and control technologies, used for the epitaxial growth of semiconductor materials. Epitaxial growth equipment includes a loading chamber, a storage chamber, a transfer chamber, a loading chamber, and a reaction chamber. Wafers enter the storage chamber through the loading chamber. A robotic arm in the transfer chamber transfers the wafers from the storage chamber to a tray in the loading chamber. Then, the robotic arm transfers the tray carrying the wafers to the reaction chamber, where the wafers undergo epitaxial growth using vapor phase growth technology.
[0003] When the chambers in the extended equipment are opened, the internal structure of the chamber (such as the robotic arm in the transfer chamber) is exposed to the access range of maintenance personnel, posing a safety hazard. Utility Model Content
[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a safety control device and an extensional device.
[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application disclose a safety control device applied to an epitaxial device, including a control unit; the control unit is electrically connected to the epitaxial device.
[0006] The control unit includes a first control module, a second control module, and a third control module; the first control module, the second control module, and the third control module are interconnected.
[0007] The first control module is electrically connected to the transfer chamber, multiple reaction chambers, and multiple loading chambers in the epitaxial device, respectively. The second control module is electrically connected to the transfer chamber and multiple reaction chambers, respectively. The third control module is electrically connected to the transfer chamber and multiple loading chambers, respectively.
[0008] In some possible embodiments,
[0009] The first control module operates at the first level, the second control module operates at the second level, and the third control module operates at the third level.
[0010] The first level is greater than the second level, and the second level is greater than the third level.
[0011] In some possible embodiments,
[0012] The first control module includes a first control submodule and a second control submodule;
[0013] The first control submodule is used to determine the status of the top cover of the transfer chamber;
[0014] When the top cover of the transfer chamber is in the open state, the second control submodule is used to control the enable of the stop robot arm, and to control the opening and closing of the solenoid valve group of the corresponding chamber according to the valve status of multiple reaction chambers and multiple loading chambers.
[0015] In some possible embodiments,
[0016] When the valve of the reaction chamber or loading chamber is in the open state, the second control submodule is also used to control the corresponding chamber to maintain the solenoid valve group valve opening enable and deactivate the solenoid valve group valve closing enable; or;
[0017] When the valve of the reaction chamber or loading chamber is in the closed state, the second control submodule is also used to control the corresponding chamber to keep the solenoid valve group valve closed and to disconnect the solenoid valve group valve open.
[0018] In some possible embodiments,
[0019] The second control module includes a third control submodule;
[0020] When the top cover of the transfer chamber is in the closed state, the third control submodule is used to determine the top cover state of the first reaction chamber among multiple reaction chambers.
[0021] In some possible embodiments,
[0022] The second control module also includes a fourth control submodule;
[0023] When the top cover of the first reaction chamber is in the open state, the fourth control submodule is used to control the enable of the stop robot arm and the enable of the motor in the first reaction chamber, and to control the opening and closing of the solenoid valve group of the first reaction chamber according to the state of the door valve of the first reaction chamber; or;
[0024] When the cover of the first reaction chamber is in the closed state, the third control submodule is used to determine the cover state of the second reaction chamber among the multiple reaction chambers.
[0025] In some possible embodiments,
[0026] When the valve of the first reaction chamber is in the open state, the fourth control submodule is used to control the first reaction chamber to maintain the solenoid valve group valve opening enable and deactivate the solenoid valve group valve closing enable; or;
[0027] When the valve of the first reaction chamber is in the closed state, the fourth control submodule is used to control the first reaction chamber to keep the solenoid valve group valve closed and to disconnect the solenoid valve group valve open.
[0028] In some possible embodiments,
[0029] When the valve of the first reaction chamber is in the open state, the fourth control submodule is also used to control the opening enable of the top cover of the transfer chamber.
[0030] In some possible embodiments,
[0031] The third control module includes the fifth control sub-module;
[0032] When the top covers of multiple reaction chambers are all in the closed state, the fifth control submodule is used to determine the top cover state of the first loading chamber among the multiple loading chambers.
[0033] In some possible embodiments,
[0034] The third control module also includes a sixth control sub-module;
[0035] When the top cover of the first loading chamber is in the open state, the sixth control submodule is used to control the enable of stopping the robotic arm and the enable of the motor in the first loading chamber, as well as to control the enable of opening and closing the solenoid valve group door valve in the first loading chamber; or;
[0036] When the top cover of the first loading chamber is in the closed state, the fifth control submodule is used to determine the top cover state of the second loading chamber among the multiple loading chambers.
[0037] In some possible embodiments,
[0038] When the top cover of the transfer chamber, the top covers of the multiple reaction chambers, and the top covers of the multiple loading chambers are all closed, the control unit controls the first control module, the second control module, and the third control module to repeatedly perform safety control operations.
[0039] Secondly, embodiments of this application disclose an extensional device, including any of the above-mentioned safety control devices.
[0040] In some possible embodiments,
[0041] The epitaxial device also includes a transfer chamber, multiple reaction chambers, and multiple loading chambers.
[0042] The technical solution provided in this application has the following technical effects:
[0043] The safety control device of this application embodiment is applied to an epitaxial device and includes a control unit. The control unit is electrically connected to the epitaxial device. The control unit includes a first control module, a second control module, and a third control module. The first control module, the second control module, and the third control module are communicatively connected to each other. The first control module is electrically connected to a transfer chamber, multiple reaction chambers, and multiple loading chambers in the epitaxial device, respectively. The second control module is electrically connected to the transfer chamber and multiple reaction chambers, respectively. The third control module is electrically connected to the transfer chamber and multiple loading chambers, respectively. In this application embodiment, by independently controlling each chamber in the epitaxial device through the control unit, systematic safety control of movable parts in the transfer chamber and safety control of each chamber are achieved, avoiding safety hazards. Attached Figure Description
[0044] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions and advantages in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an epitaxial device provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0046] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a safety control device provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0047] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a first control module performing a security control operation, as provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0048] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a second control module performing a security control operation, as provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0049] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a third control module performing security control operations, provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation
[0050] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0051] It should be noted that the term "an embodiment" or "embodiment" in the specification of the embodiments of this application refers to a specific feature, structure, or characteristic that can be included in at least one implementation of this application. It should be understood that in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this application, the terms "upper," "lower," "top," "bottom," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this application. The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. Moreover, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, in the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. Additionally, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, 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 not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or devices.
[0052] It should be understood that when a device or component is referred to as being "on," "adjacent to," or "connected to" other devices or components, it may be directly on, adjacent to, or connected to other devices or components, or there may be intervening devices or components. Conversely, when a device or component is referred to as being "directly on," "directly adjacent to," or "directly connected to" other devices or components, there are no intervening devices or components. It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used to describe various components, areas, layers, and / or parts, these components, areas, layers, and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component, area, layer, or part from another component, area, layer, or part. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of this application, the first component, area, layer, or part discussed below may be referred to as the second component, area, layer, or part. And the discussion of the second component, area, layer, or part does not imply that the first component, area, layer, or part necessarily exists in this application.
[0053] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages disclosed in the embodiments of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this application.
[0054] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an epitaxial device provided in an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the epitaxial device includes a transfer module (TM), multiple process modules (PM), and multiple load lock modules (LLM).
[0055] like Figure 1 As shown, four reaction chambers PM (PM1, PM2, PM3, and PM4) and two loading chambers LLM (LLA and LLB) are arranged around the transfer chamber TM. In different epitaxial devices, the number of reaction chambers PM and loading chambers LLM can be set according to actual needs.
[0056] Each reaction chamber (PM) and transfer chamber (TM) is connected by chamber doors (PM1.sv, PM2.sv, PM3.sv, and PM4.sv). Opening or closing these doors connects or isolates the reaction chamber (PM) and transfer chamber (TM). Similarly, each loading chamber (LLM) and transfer chamber (TM) is connected by chamber doors (LLA.sv and LLB.sv). Opening or closing these doors connects or isolates the loading chamber (LLM) and transfer chamber (TM).
[0057] Each of the transfer chamber TM, each reaction chamber PM, and each loading chamber LLM is equipped with a chamber cover at its top. The chamber cover fits tightly with the chamber body, forming a sealed chamber space. The sealing performance of the chamber cover directly affects the stability and purity of the environment within the chamber. Chamber covers typically employ high-sealing materials and structural designs to ensure that the gas or vacuum environment inside the chamber is unaffected by external factors.
[0058] like Figure 1 As shown, a vacuum turn robot (VTR) is installed inside the transfer chamber TM, which can transfer wafers between the reaction chamber PM and the loading chamber LLM. Each reaction chamber PM and each loading chamber LLM is equipped with a motor, which can drive the actuators in the reaction chamber PM and the loading chamber LLM.
[0059] like Figure 1As shown, the epitaxial device also includes an Equipment Front End Module (EFEM). Chamber doors (LLA.Door and LLB.Door) are provided between the EFEM and each loading chamber LLM. An air-turning robot (ATR) is installed in the EFEM, which can transfer wafers between chambers.
[0060] The current epitaxial equipment has certain safety hazards during use, which may be as follows: (1) If the chamber cover is opened, the movable parts inside the chamber (such as the vacuum manipulator VTR in the transfer chamber TM) are exposed to the staff's access range, which may affect the personal safety of the staff. Moreover, the motors and actuators in the chamber also pose safety hazards. (2) When the valve of the reaction chamber PM is closed, the gas cut-off control of the valve for a long time may cause the gas in the reaction chamber PM to leak into the transfer chamber TM due to the reduced sealing of the valve, thus causing safety problems. (3) When the valve of the reaction chamber PM is opened, if the cover of the transfer chamber TM is opened at the same time, the harmful gas remaining in the reaction chamber PM will be transferred to the transfer chamber TM and leaked into the atmosphere through the transfer chamber TM, thus causing safety problems. In addition, in the current epitaxial equipment, since multiple reaction chamber PMs are collectively controlled, if one reaction chamber PM is opened for maintenance, the other reaction chamber PMs will not be able to be used normally.
[0061] To address the aforementioned issues, this application discloses a safety control device for performing safety control on epitaxial devices.
[0062] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a safety control device provided in an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the safety control device includes a control unit 1, which is electrically connected to the epitaxial device. The control unit 1 includes a first control module 11, a second control module 12, and a third control module 13, which are communicatively connected to each other. The first control module 11 is electrically connected to the transfer chamber TM, multiple reaction chambers PM, and multiple loading chambers LLM in the epitaxial device, respectively. The second control module 12 is electrically connected to the transfer chamber TM and the multiple reaction chambers PM, respectively. The third control module 13 is electrically connected to the transfer chamber TM and the multiple loading chambers LLM, respectively.
[0063] In this embodiment, the control unit 1 independently controls each chamber in the extended device, thereby achieving systematic safety control of the movable parts in the transmission chamber TM and safety control of each chamber, thus avoiding potential safety hazards.
[0064] In this embodiment, the first control module 11 is used to determine the state of the top cover of the transfer chamber TM, and when the top cover of the transfer chamber TM is open, controls the activation of the vacuum robot VTR in the transfer chamber TM to stop, and controls the opening and closing of the solenoid valve group gates of the multiple reaction chambers PM and multiple loading chambers LLM to open and close. The second control module 12 is used to determine the state of the top cover of the reaction chamber PM, and when the top cover of the reaction chamber PM is open, controls the activation of the VTR and the activation of the motor in the reaction chamber PM to stop, and controls the opening and closing of the solenoid valve group gates of the reaction chamber PM to open and close. The third control module 13 is used to determine the state of the top cover of the loading chamber LLM, and when the top cover of the loading chamber LLM is open, controls the activation of the VTR and the activation of the motor in the loading chamber LLM to stop, and controls the opening and closing of the solenoid valve group gates of the loading chamber LLM to open and close.
[0065] In this embodiment, control enable includes two states: keep enabled and disable (or stop enable). Enable is a control signal or state. Keep enabled allows or activates a device, function, or operation; disable enable cancels or prohibits this activation state, causing the device, function, or operation to become disabled or stop.
[0066] In this embodiment, by controlling the VTR stop enable, the vacuum manipulator VTR in the transfer chamber TM can be stopped. By controlling the motor stop enable, the motor in the reaction chamber PM or loading chamber LLM can be stopped. By controlling the solenoid valve group door opening and closing enable of the chamber, four results can be produced: keeping the solenoid valve group door open, disconnecting the solenoid valve group door closed, disconnecting the solenoid valve group door open, and keeping the solenoid valve group door closed.
[0067] In this embodiment, the solenoid valve assembly is a pneumatic solenoid valve. Two airflow paths are connected to the solenoid valve assembly; one airflow path controls the valve to open, and the other airflow path controls the valve to close. When one of the control modules 11, 12, and 13 determines that a chamber valve is closed, this control module controls the chamber to maintain the solenoid valve assembly's valve-closing capability (keeping the airflow controlling the valve-closing process open) and to disconnect the solenoid valve assembly's valve-opening capability (cutting off the airflow controlling the valve-opening process), thereby keeping the chamber valve continuously closed. When one of the control modules 11, 12, and 13 determines that a chamber valve is open, this control module controls the chamber to maintain the solenoid valve assembly's valve-opening capability (keeping the airflow controlling the valve-opening process open) and to disconnect the solenoid valve assembly's valve-closing capability (cutting off the airflow controlling the valve-closing process), thereby keeping the chamber valve continuously open.
[0068] In this embodiment, a corresponding relay dry contact control is added to the solenoid valve group of each chamber valve. The input terminal of the dry contact can receive the chamber valve opening / closing signal and the chamber cover opening / closing signal, and the output terminal of the dry contact is connected to the chamber valve control terminal. After the dry contact receives the chamber cover opening / closing signal and the chamber valve opening / closing signal, the control module controls the dry contact to adjust the opening / closing enable of the chamber valve.
[0069] In this embodiment, a working level is used to indicate the priority of the security control operations performed by the first control module 11, the second control module 12, and the third control module 13. The working level of the first control module 11 is the first level, the working level of the second control module 12 is the second level, and the working level of the third control module 13 is the third level. The first level is higher than the second level, and the second level is higher than the third level, meaning that the first control module 11 performs security control operations before the second control module 12, and the second control module 12 performs security control operations before the third control module 13.
[0070] In this embodiment, the operating level of each control module is determined based on the probability of safety issues occurring. Since the transfer chamber TM is more prone to safety issues than the reaction chamber PM, and the reaction chamber PM is more prone to safety issues than the loading chamber LLM, the operating level of the first control module 11 is higher than that of the second control module 12, and the operating level of the second control module 12 is higher than that of the third control module 13.
[0071] In this embodiment, when the top cover of the transfer chamber TM, the top covers of the multiple reaction chambers PM, and the top covers of the multiple loading chambers LLM are all closed, the control unit 1 controls the first control module 11, the second control module 12, and the third control module 13 to repeatedly execute safety control operations. When the first control module 11 determines that the top cover of the transfer chamber TM is closed, the control unit 1 activates the second control module 12 to execute safety control operations. When the second control module 12 determines that the top covers of all reaction chambers PM are closed, the control unit 1 activates the third control module 13 to execute safety control operations. When the third control module 13 determines that the top covers of all loading chambers LLM are closed, the control unit 1 activates the first control module 11 again to execute safety control operations. This cycle continues until one of the control modules confirms that the top cover of a certain chamber is open, executes the corresponding safety control operation, and terminates the entire safety control device's workflow.
[0072] In this embodiment of the application, during the execution of safety control operations, when one of the control modules in the control unit 1 determines that the top cover of one of the chambers in the extended device is open, the control module will control the VTR enable to stop and control the opening and closing of the reaction chamber PM and / or the loading chamber LLM to enable, and terminate the entire workflow of the safety control device to avoid the occurrence of safety problems.
[0073] In this embodiment, the first control module 11 includes a first control submodule and a second control submodule. The first control submodule is used to determine the cover state of the transfer chamber TM. When the cover state of the transfer chamber TM is open, the second control submodule is used to control the VTR stop enable, and to control the solenoid valve group door opening and closing enable of the corresponding chamber according to the door valve states of the multiple reaction chambers PM and multiple loading chambers LLM.
[0074] In one optional instance, when the valve state of the reaction chamber PM or the loading chamber LLM is open, the second control submodule is also used to control the corresponding chamber to maintain the valve opening enable of the solenoid valve group and the valve closing enable of the solenoid valve group.
[0075] In another optional instance, when the valve state of the reaction chamber PM or the loading chamber LLM is closed, the second control submodule is also used to control the corresponding chamber to maintain the solenoid valve group valve closed and the solenoid valve group valve open.
[0076] In this embodiment, the steps of the first control module 11 in performing safety control operations are as follows: S1. The first control submodule determines the cover state of the transfer chamber TM and proceeds to step S2 or step S3 according to the cover state; S2. When the cover state of the transfer chamber TM is open, the second control submodule performs specific safety control operations (controlling the VTR stop enable, and controlling the solenoid valve group door opening and closing enable of the corresponding chamber according to the door valve states of multiple reaction chambers PM and multiple loading chambers LLM) and ends the entire safety control device workflow after performing the safety control operations; S3. When the cover state of the transfer chamber TM is closed, the workflow of the first control module 11 ends.
[0077] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a first control module performing a security control operation, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown, when the top cover of the transfer chamber TM is determined to be in the open state, the first control module 11 performs safety control operations according to the above-described operating mode. When the first control module 11 determines that the top cover of the transfer chamber TM is in the closed state, the control unit 1 activates the second control module 12 to perform safety control operations.
[0078] In this embodiment, the second control module 12 includes a third control submodule. When the cover of the transfer chamber TM is in a closed state, the third control submodule is used to determine the cover state of the first reaction chamber PM among the plurality of reaction chambers PM.
[0079] In this embodiment, the second control module 12 further includes a fourth control submodule. When the top cover of the first reaction chamber PM is in the open state, the fourth control submodule controls the activation of the vacuum manipulator VTR and the activation of the motor in the first reaction chamber PM1, and controls the opening and closing of the solenoid valve group of the first reaction chamber PM according to the valve status of the first reaction chamber PM. Alternatively, when the top cover of the first reaction chamber PM1 is in the closed state, the third control submodule is used to determine the top cover status of the second reaction chamber PM2 among the multiple reaction chambers PM.
[0080] In one optional embodiment, when the valve state of the first reaction chamber PM1 is open, the fourth control submodule is used to control the first reaction chamber PM1 to maintain the solenoid valve group valve open enable and the solenoid valve group valve close enable.
[0081] In another optional embodiment, when the valve state of the first reaction chamber PM1 is closed, the fourth control submodule is used to control the first reaction chamber PM1 to maintain the solenoid valve group valve closed enable and disconnect the solenoid valve group valve open enable.
[0082] In this embodiment of the application, when the valve of the first reaction chamber PM1 is in the open state, the fourth control submodule is also used to control the opening and closing of the top cover of the transfer chamber TM.
[0083] In this embodiment, the steps of the second control module 12 in performing safety control operations are as follows: S1. The third control submodule selects one of the multiple reaction chambers PM (such as the first reaction chamber PM1) and determines its cover status, and proceeds to step S2 or step S3 according to the cover status; S2. When the cover status of the selected reaction chamber PM is open, the fourth control submodule performs specific safety control operations (controlling the VTR stop enable and the motor in the reaction chamber PM enable, controlling the solenoid valve group door opening and closing enable of the reaction chamber PM according to the door valve status of the reaction chamber PM, and controlling the cover opening enable of the transfer chamber TM) and ends the entire safety control device's workflow after performing the safety control operations; S3. When the cover status of the selected reaction chamber PM is closed, it returns to step S1. According to the above working method, the third control submodule and the fourth control submodule cooperate with each other to perform cyclic operations until the entire workflow ends in step S2 of a certain cycle, or the workflow of the second control module 12 ends when it is determined that the covers of all reaction chambers PM are closed.
[0084] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the execution of a security control operation by a second control module according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 As shown ( Figure 4 (Taking three reaction chambers as an example), when the top cover of reaction chamber PM is determined to be in the open state, the second control module 12 performs safety control operations according to the above-described working method. When the second control module 12 determines that the top covers of all reaction chamber PMs are in the closed state, the control unit 1 will activate the third control module 13 to perform safety control operations.
[0085] In this embodiment, the third control module 13 includes a fifth control submodule. When the top covers of multiple reaction chambers PM are all in the closed state, the fifth control submodule determines the top cover state of the first loading chamber LLM among multiple loading chambers LLM.
[0086] In this embodiment, the third control module 13 further includes a sixth control submodule. When the top cover of the first loading chamber LLM is in the open state, the sixth control submodule controls the activation of the vacuum manipulator VTR and the activation of the motor in the first loading chamber LLA, as well as the activation of the solenoid valve group door opening and closing of the first loading chamber LLA. Alternatively, when the top cover of the first loading chamber LLM is in the closed state, the fifth control submodule determines the top cover state of the second loading chamber LLB among the multiple loading chambers LLM.
[0087] In some possible embodiments, when the top cover of the first loading chamber LLA is in the open state, the sixth control submodule also controls the atmospheric manipulator ATR in the stop device front-end module EFEM to enable, controls the solenoid valve group gate valve LLA.Door between the stop device front-end module EFEM and the loading chamber LLM to enable, and controls the solenoid valve group gate valve LLA.sv between the transfer chamber TM and the loading chamber LLM to enable.
[0088] In this embodiment, the steps of the third control module 13 in performing safety control operations are as follows: S1. The fifth control submodule selects one of the multiple loading chamber LLMs (such as the first loading chamber LLA) and determines its cover status, and proceeds to step S2 or step S3 according to the cover status; S2. When the cover status of the selected loading chamber LLM is open, the sixth control submodule performs specific safety control operations (controlling the VTR enable, ATR enable, and motor enable in the loading chamber LLM, as well as controlling the solenoid valve group door opening and closing enable of the loading chamber LLM) and ends the entire safety control device's workflow after performing the safety control operations; S3. When the cover status of the selected loading chamber LLM is closed, it returns to step S1. According to the above working method, the fifth control submodule and the sixth control submodule cooperate with each other to perform cyclic operations until the entire workflow ends in step S2 of a certain cycle, or the workflow of the third control module 13 ends when it is determined that the covers of all loading chamber LLMs are closed.
[0089] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a third control module performing security control operations, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 As shown ( Figure 5 (Taking two loading chambers LLM as an example) When the top cover of the loading chamber LLM is determined to be in the open state, the third control module 13 performs the safety control operation according to the above working method. When the third control module 13 determines that the top cover of all loading chambers LLM is in the closed state, the control unit 1 will restart the first control module 11 to perform the safety control operation.
[0090] In the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the first control module 11, the second control module 12, and the third control module 13 cooperate with each other and sequentially repeat the safety control operation according to the above working method until the entire safety control device's workflow ends in a certain step.
[0091] In this embodiment, the safety control device enables independent control of the transfer chamber TM, each reaction chamber PM, and each loading chamber LLM. Independent control of each chamber allows for systematic safety control of the moving parts (vacuum manipulator VTR), as well as the motors and actuators within the chambers. Independent control also allows for the continued normal use of the remaining chambers while one chamber is open for maintenance. The valves of each reaction chamber PM and each loading chamber LLM are also independently controlled in different states: open and closed. When the top cover of the reaction chamber PM is open and the valve is open, the opening and closing of the top cover of the transfer chamber TM can also be controlled to prevent residual gas in the reaction chamber PM from leaking into the atmosphere, thus avoiding safety hazards to personnel. This safety control device, by independently controlling each chamber, reduces mutual interference between chambers and can promptly execute corresponding safety control operations, thereby reducing safety risks.
[0092] This application also provides an epitaxial device, which includes the aforementioned safety control device. The safety control device is used to perform safety control on the epitaxial device to reduce safety hazards.
[0093] In this embodiment of the application, the epitaxial device further includes a delivery chamber TM, multiple reaction chambers PM, and multiple loading chambers LLM.
[0094] It should be noted that the order of the embodiments described above is merely for descriptive purposes and does not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments. Furthermore, specific embodiments have been described above. 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 a different order than that shown in the embodiments and still achieve the desired result. Additionally, the processes depicted in the drawings do not necessarily require a specific or sequential order to achieve the desired result. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.
[0095] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, the device embodiments are basically similar to the method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions of the method embodiments.
[0096] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above embodiments can be implemented by hardware or by a program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk.
[0097] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.
Claims
1. A safety control device, characterized in that, Applied to epitaxial devices, including a control unit; the control unit is electrically connected to the epitaxial device; The control unit includes a first control module, a second control module, and a third control module; the first control module, the second control module, and the third control module are interconnected. The first control module is electrically connected to the transfer chamber, multiple reaction chambers, and multiple loading chambers in the epitaxial device, respectively. The second control module is electrically connected to the transfer chamber and the multiple reaction chambers, respectively. The third control module is electrically connected to the transfer chamber and the multiple loading chambers, respectively.
2. The safety control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first control module operates at a first-level operating level, the second control module operates at a second-level operating level, and the third control module operates at a third-level operating level. The first level is greater than the second level, and the second level is greater than the third level.
3. The safety control device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first control module includes a first control submodule and a second control submodule; The first control submodule is used to determine the state of the upper cover of the transfer chamber; When the top cover of the transfer chamber is in the open state, the second control submodule is used to control the stop robot arm to enable, and to control the opening and closing of the solenoid valve group of the corresponding chamber to enable according to the valve status of the plurality of reaction chambers and the plurality of loading chambers.
4. The safety control device according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the valve of the reaction chamber or loading chamber is in the open state, the second control submodule is also used to control the corresponding chamber to maintain the solenoid valve group valve opening enable and deactivate the solenoid valve group valve closing enable; or; When the valve of the reaction chamber or loading chamber is in the closed state, the second control submodule is also used to control the corresponding chamber to keep the solenoid valve group valve closed and to disconnect the solenoid valve group valve open.
5. The safety control device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second control module includes a third control submodule; When the cover of the transfer chamber is in the closed state, the third control submodule is used to determine the cover state of the first reaction chamber among the plurality of reaction chambers.
6. The safety control device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second control module also includes a fourth control submodule; When the top cover of the first reaction chamber is in the open state, the fourth control submodule is used to control the enable of the stop robot arm and the enable of the motor in the first reaction chamber, and to control the opening and closing of the solenoid valve group of the first reaction chamber according to the state of the door valve of the first reaction chamber; or; When the top cover of the first reaction chamber is in the closed state, the third control submodule is used to determine the top cover state of the second reaction chamber among the plurality of reaction chambers.
7. The safety control device according to claim 6, characterized in that, When the valve of the first reaction chamber is in the open state, the fourth control submodule is used to control the first reaction chamber to maintain the solenoid valve group valve open enable and deactivate the solenoid valve group valve close enable; or; When the valve of the first reaction chamber is in the closed state, the fourth control submodule is used to control the first reaction chamber to keep the solenoid valve group valve closed and to disconnect the solenoid valve group valve open.
8. The safety control device according to claim 7, characterized in that, When the valve of the first reaction chamber is in the open state, the fourth control submodule is also used to control the opening enable of the top cover of the transfer chamber.
9. The safety control device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The third control module includes a fifth control submodule; When the top covers of all the plurality of reaction chambers are in the closed state, the fifth control submodule is used to determine the top cover state of the first loading chamber among the plurality of loading chambers.
10. The safety control device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The third control module also includes a sixth control submodule; When the top cover of the first loading chamber is in the open state, the sixth control submodule is used to control the enable of stopping the robotic arm and the enable of the motor in the first loading chamber, as well as control the enable of opening and closing the solenoid valve group of the first loading chamber; or; When the top cover of the first loading chamber is in the closed state, the fifth control submodule is used to determine the top cover state of the second loading chamber among the plurality of loading chambers.
11. The safety control device according to claim 10, characterized in that, When the top cover of the transfer chamber, the top covers of the plurality of reaction chambers, and the top covers of the plurality of loading chambers are all in the closed state, the control unit controls the first control module, the second control module, and the third control module to repeatedly perform safety control operations.
12. An epitaxial device, characterized in that, Includes the safety control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.
13. The epitaxial device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The extensional device also includes a transfer chamber, multiple reaction chambers, and multiple loading chambers.