Gas supply pipe of furnace tube equipment and furnace tube equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a gas supply pipe of furnace tube equipment and the furnace tube equipment. The gas supply pipe comprises a first straight pipe part and a second straight pipe part, wherein the first straight pipe part extends along a first direction and is at least partially arranged outside a reaction cavity of the furnace tube equipment; the second straight pipe part extends along a second direction crossed with the first direction and is at least partially arranged in the reaction cavity; the connecting pipe part is communicated between the first straight pipe part and the second straight pipe part; wherein a pipe opening, away from one end of the connecting pipe part, of the first straight pipe part forms an air inlet of the air supply pipe, an air outlet of the air supply pipe is formed in the second straight pipe part, and the connecting pipe part comprises at least one arc-shaped bent pipe part. The phenomena of turbulent flow and gas partial pressure change of the special gas at the corner are improved, so that the film thickness uniformity between wafers and in the wafers in the thin film deposition process is improved; the thickness inconsistency phenomenon of deposited films at different positions in the gas supply pipe is improved, the particle defect of furnace tube equipment is improved, and the problem that the gas supply pipe is fractured due to long-term non-uniform thickness of the deposited films is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the semiconductor field, and more specifically to a gas supply pipe and furnace tube equipment for a furnace tube device. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor fabrication processes, furnace tube equipment is used in processes such as, but not limited to, thin film deposition, thermal oxidation, annealing, and doping. When processing wafers within a furnace tube, process gases (or specialty gases) are typically introduced into the reaction chamber. These specialty gases are supplied through gas supply lines made of materials such as, but not limited to, quartz / SiC (silicon carbide). Early furnace tube equipment used straight, linear gas supply lines for thin film deposition. However, as the number of wafers in the furnace tube increased, and as the requirements for uniformity of thin film deposition thickness between and within wafers in the furnace tube became more stringent, L-shaped gas supply lines gradually replaced the straight, bottom-inlet lines. L-shaped gas supply lines, to a certain extent, improved the batch production capacity of batch furnace tube equipment and the uniformity of thin film deposition thickness across different locations on the wafer boat when multiple wafers are being processed in batches.

[0003] refer to Figure 7A The L-shaped gas supply pipeline structure causes the gas to have the greatest impact force at the 90° bend when it enters the pipeline. The gas also forms a secondary flow after vertically impacting the pipe wall, resulting in gas flow instability. This causes turbulence and changes in gas partial pressure, which in turn leads to poor gas flow stability in the reaction chamber. This results in uneven gas diffusion velocity on the wafer surface, affecting the film thickness uniformity between wafers and within each wafer.

[0004] Meanwhile, because the airflow pressure varies at the 90° bend in the gas supply line, the film deposition thickness varies at different locations within the gas supply line. Areas with thicker deposition thickness are prone to particle defects (PARs), which can easily fall onto the wafer surface and contaminate it. As the furnace equipment is used, these particle defects become increasingly severe towards the end of maintenance, shortening the furnace equipment's maintenance cycle. Furthermore, persistently uneven film thickness in the gas supply line can lead to stress-induced fractures, increasing wafer product risk and gas supply line replacement costs.

[0005] Furthermore, when using dry etching to remove the thin film deposited inside the L-shaped gas supply line, the latter section of the L-shaped gas supply line (the section near the outlet) is prone to incomplete cleaning. This manifests as a blackened surface on the latter section, creating defects that affect product quality, shorten the time available for processing by 10-40% within the maintenance cycle, and reduce the lifespan of the L-shaped gas supply line, leading to increased operating costs. Conversely, if a large flow of gas is introduced into the L-shaped gas supply line for cleaning, the residual a-Si (amorphous silicon) stress can cause the L-shaped gas supply line to break, requiring frequent replacement and resulting in significant waste. Utility Model Content

[0006] This application is made to address the aforementioned problems. According to one aspect of this application, a gas supply pipe for a furnace tube apparatus is provided, the gas supply pipe of which includes:

[0007] A first straight tube section extending in a first direction and at least partially disposed outside the reaction chamber of the furnace tube equipment;

[0008] A second straight tube portion extending along a second direction intersecting the first direction and at least partially disposed within the reaction chamber;

[0009] A connecting pipe section that connects the first straight pipe section and the second straight pipe section;

[0010] The first straight pipe section has an opening at the end furthest from the connecting pipe section, which forms the air inlet of the air supply pipe. The second straight pipe section has an air outlet of the air supply pipe. The connecting pipe section includes at least one arc-shaped bend.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, the connecting pipe section includes an arc-shaped bend section, one port of which is connected to a first straight pipe section and the other port is connected to a second straight pipe section, thereby realizing the communication between the first straight pipe section and the second straight pipe section.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, the connecting pipe section includes a first arc-shaped bend, a second arc-shaped bend, ..., an nth arc-shaped bend, and a first straight pipe section, a second straight pipe section, ..., an (n-1)th straight pipe section connecting adjacent arc-shaped bends; wherein, 2≤n≤6 and n is a natural number;

[0013] The sum of the bending angles of all the curved pipe sections is equal to the angle between the first direction and the second direction.

[0014] In some embodiments of this application, each arc-shaped bend section is independently provided with a flow guiding structure. The flow guiding structure includes at least one flow guiding plate disposed in the arc-shaped bend section. The flow guiding plate is fixedly disposed on the inner wall of the arc-shaped bend section. The flow guiding plate is perpendicular to the plane containing the first direction and the second direction. The flow guiding plate extends from the air inlet of the arc-shaped bend section to the air outlet.

[0015] The cross-section of the guide plate on the first plane is the guide plate cross-section, and the cross-section of the arc-shaped bend section on the first plane is the arc-shaped bend section cross-section. Both the guide plate cross-section and the arc-shaped bend section cross-section are annular and concentric. The first plane is parallel to the plane containing the first direction and the second direction, and the first plane is the symmetry plane of the arc-shaped bend section.

[0016] In some embodiments of this application, the number of guide plates in the flow guiding structure is 3 to 5, which are evenly spaced in the arc-shaped bend section. The cross-section of the arc-shaped bend section includes a first inner arc and a first outer arc opposite to the first inner arc. The interval between the cross-section of the arc-shaped bend section of the guide plate closest to the first inner arc and the first inner arc is equal to the interval between adjacent guide plates. The interval between the cross-section of the arc-shaped bend section of the guide plate closest to the first outer arc and the first outer arc is equal to the interval between adjacent guide plates.

[0017] In some embodiments of this application, the guide vane is provided with a guide blade at the air inlet of the arc-shaped bend.

[0018] In some embodiments of this application, the cross-section of the guide plate includes a second inner arc and a second outer arc opposite to the second inner arc. The line connecting the endpoints of the second inner arc and the second outer arc at the outlet of the arc-shaped bend is a straight line pointing towards the center. The line connecting the endpoints of the second inner arc and the second outer arc at the inlet of the arc-shaped bend is a straight line that does not point towards the center or is an arc, so that the guide blade is angled or fin-shaped.

[0019] In some embodiments of this application, the connecting pipe includes an arc-shaped bend and the guide blade is angled.

[0020] The ratio between the thickness of the guide vane and the diameter of the curved bend is greater than or equal to 0.04 and less than or equal to 0.08; and / or,

[0021] The ratio between the dimension of the guide blade along the bending direction of the guide plate and the bending radius of the guide plate is greater than or equal to 0.1 and less than or equal to 0.5.

[0022] In some embodiments of this application, the flow guiding structure and the arc-shaped bend are an integral structure; and / or,

[0023] The first straight pipe section, the second straight pipe section, and the connecting pipe section are integrated into one structure.

[0024] According to a second aspect of this application, a furnace tube device is also provided, which includes: a reaction chamber and a gas supply pipe for any of the above-described furnace tube devices.

[0025] According to the embodiments of this application, the gas supply pipe and furnace tube equipment of the furnace tube equipment are improved by setting the connecting pipe section between the first straight pipe section and the second straight pipe section as an arc-shaped bend section, changing the existing right-angle bend to an arc-shaped bend. This improves the turbulence and gas pressure change phenomenon of the special gas at the bend, thereby improving the uniformity of film thickness between wafers and inside the wafer in the thin film deposition process. It also improves the phenomenon of inconsistent film thickness at different positions in the gas supply pipe, thereby improving the particle defects of the furnace tube equipment, avoiding the problem of gas supply pipe breakage caused by long-term uneven film thickness, reducing wafer product risk and reducing the frequency of gas supply pipe replacement, extending the maintenance cycle of the furnace tube equipment, and reducing the operating cost of the furnace tube equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying 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.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the gas supply pipe shown in one embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the gas supply pipe shown in another embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the connecting pipe and a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the guide blade, as shown in an embodiment of this application.

[0030] Figure 4A This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the reaction chamber and the gas supply pipe shown in another embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 4B This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the gas supply pipe shown in another embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a simulation diagram of the pressure and velocity distribution of the arc-shaped bend at different bending angles in different embodiments of this application;

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the valve connection between the air inlet and the air storage chamber, as shown in one embodiment of this application.

[0034] Figure 7AThis is a schematic diagram showing the airflow direction and velocity distribution when the airflow passes through a 90° bend in an existing L-shaped gas supply pipeline.

[0035] Figure 7B A schematic diagram comparing the film thickness uniformity between wafers when using an existing L-shaped gas supply line and the gas supply line of this application;

[0036] Figure 7C A schematic diagram comparing the uniformity of film thickness within the wafer when using an existing L-shaped gas supply line and the gas supply line of this application;

[0037] Figure 7D A comparative diagram showing the time available for processing products during the maintenance cycle when using existing L-type gas supply lines and the gas supply lines of this application;

[0038] Figure 8A This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air supply pipe and a schematic cross-sectional view of the airflow distribution sampling section, as shown in an embodiment of this application.

[0039] Figure 8B This is a schematic diagram comparing the airflow velocity distribution at the airflow distribution sampling section of the air supply pipe before and after the aspect ratio optimization in this application.

[0040] Figure 8C A schematic diagram comparing the time available for processing products during the maintenance cycle when using an existing L-shaped air supply pipe, the air supply pipe optimized in this application, and the air supply pipe before optimization;

[0041] Figure 8D This is a schematic diagram comparing the film thickness uniformity between and within wafers when using an existing L-shaped gas supply pipe, the gas supply pipe optimized in this application before and after optimization.

[0042] Figure 8E This is a simulation comparison diagram of the pressure distribution of the air supply pipe before and after the thickness-to-diameter ratio optimization at the curved bend section.

[0043] Figure label:

[0044] 10-Reaction chamber 11-Valve

[0045] 20 - First straight pipe section 21 - Air inlet

[0046] 30-Second straight pipe section; 31-Air outlet

[0047] 40 - Arc-shaped bend section; 401 - Air inlet port

[0048] 402 - Air outlet; 403 - First inner arc line

[0049] 404 - First outer arc; 41 - First arc-shaped bend in the pipe.

[0050] 42-Second curved bend section; 43-First straight section

[0051] 50-Guide plate 501-Second inner arc line

[0052] 502 - Second outer arc 51 - First guide vane

[0053] 52-Second guide vane 53-Third guide vane

[0054] 60-Flow channel 61-First flow channel

[0055] 62-Second flow channel 63-Third flow channel

[0056] 64-Fourth flow channel 70-Guide blade Detailed Implementation

[0057] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application more apparent, exemplary embodiments according to this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments of this application. It should be understood that this application is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein. Based on the embodiments of this application described herein, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without inventive effort should fall within the protection scope of this application.

[0058] The following description provides numerous specific details to offer a more thorough understanding of this application. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this application can be practiced without one or more of these details. In other instances, certain technical features well-known in the art have not been described to avoid confusion with this application.

[0059] It should be understood that this application can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, providing these embodiments will make the disclosure thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of this application to those skilled in the art.

[0060] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. When used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising” and / or “including,” when used in this specification, confirm the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups. When used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of the associated listed items.

[0061] To fully understand this application, a detailed structure will be presented in the following description to illustrate the technical solution proposed in this application. Optional embodiments of this application are described in detail below; however, in addition to these detailed descriptions, this application may have other implementation methods.

[0062] To address at least some of the technical problems in the aforementioned related technologies, this application proposes the following embodiments.

[0063] The following detailed description of some embodiments of this application is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0064] First, let's introduce the application scenario of the gas supply pipe of the furnace tube equipment illustrated in this application. The gas supply pipe of the furnace tube equipment is used to supply gas to the reaction chamber of the furnace tube equipment. The furnace tube equipment can be a furnace tube equipment used in processes such as, but not limited to, thin film deposition, thermal oxidation, annealing, doping, etc.

[0065] refer to Figure 1 This application provides a gas supply pipe for a furnace tube device, which mainly includes:

[0066] A first straight tube section 20 extending along a first direction and at least partially disposed outside the reaction chamber 10 of the furnace tube equipment;

[0067] A second straight tube portion 30 extending along a second direction intersecting the first direction and at least partially disposed within the reaction chamber 10; and,

[0068] A connecting pipe section that connects the first straight pipe section 20 and the second straight pipe section 30;

[0069] The first straight pipe section 20 has an air inlet 21 at the end away from the connecting pipe section, and the second straight pipe section 30 has an air outlet 31. The connecting pipe section includes at least one arc-shaped bend 40.

[0070] In the above-described scheme, compared to the L-shaped gas supply pipeline described in the background section, this embodiment of the application sets the connecting pipe section between the first straight pipe section 20 and the second straight pipe section 30 as an arc-shaped bend section 40, changing the existing right-angle bend to an arc-shaped bend. The bend angle of the arc-shaped bend section 40 can be any angle, such as but not limited to 90 degrees. By replacing the right-angle bend with the gentle arc-shaped curve bend of the arc-shaped bend section 40, the impact force of gas on the bend is reduced, avoiding gas turbulence and gas pressure changes caused by the special gas entering the 90° right-angle bend of the L-shaped gas supply pipeline. This improves the turbulence and gas pressure changes of the special gas at the bend, thereby improving the film thickness uniformity between wafers and inside the wafer in the thin film deposition process.

[0071] This also avoids the problem of inconsistent film thickness at different locations in the L-shaped gas supply pipeline caused by the different pressure distribution of airflow at the 90° bend. It improves the inconsistent film thickness at different locations in the gas supply pipeline, preventing particle defects that are prone to occur in areas with thicker films. This solves the particle defect problem that easily occurs in the latter part of the L-shaped right-angle bend (the section of the L-shaped gas supply pipeline near the outlet), thus avoiding the risk of detached particles falling onto the wafer surface and contaminating the wafer, thereby reducing wafer product risk. Because it improves the particle defect problem in the furnace tube equipment, it also avoids the problem of gas supply pipeline breakage caused by long-term uneven film thickness, reducing the frequency of gas supply pipeline replacement, extending the maintenance cycle of the furnace tube equipment, and lowering the operating cost of the furnace tube equipment.

[0072] Furthermore, it facilitates the cleaning of the gas supply pipe, avoiding the problem of incomplete cleaning of the latter section of the L-shaped gas supply pipe (the section near the gas outlet in the L-shaped gas supply pipe). This increases the time available for processing products within the maintenance cycle and improves the actual number of run batches within the furnace tube equipment maintenance cycle. When cleaning the gas supply pipe, a large flow of gas can be introduced into the gas supply pipe for dry etching to remove the thin film deposited inside the gas supply pipe. Since there is no problem of high residual a-Si (amorphous silicon) stress, the problem of gas supply pipe breakage is also avoided. This eliminates the need for frequent replacement of L-shaped gas supply pipes, resulting in significant waste, extending the life of the L-shaped gas supply pipe, and reducing the operating cost of the L-shaped gas supply pipe.

[0073] The gas supply pipe described above will be described in detail below with reference to the attached diagram.

[0074] First, it should be noted that the aforementioned reaction chamber 10 can be a reaction vessel used in furnace tube equipment for containing wafers in processes such as, but not limited to, thin film deposition, thermal oxidation, annealing, and doping. The reaction chamber 10 has an opening, and the furnace tube equipment can also be equipped with a cover that matches the opening of the reaction chamber 10, with the cover covering the opening of the reaction chamber 10 to form a sealed space.

[0075] For example, the reaction chamber 10 may contain a crystal boat, in which multiple wafers are sequentially placed, thereby separating the different wafers in the reaction chamber 10 to process multiple wafers simultaneously. For example, the chamber shape in the reaction chamber 10 may be similar to a cylinder, and the crystal boat may be accommodated in the reaction chamber 10 along its extending direction. For example, refer to... Figure 6 The cylindrical reaction chamber 10 can extend vertically, in which case the second direction is also vertical. In some embodiments, the first direction can be horizontal, so that the angle between the first direction and the second direction is 90°.

[0076] For example, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 6 The first straight pipe section 20, at the end furthest from the connecting pipe section, is connected to a gas storage chamber that can be switched on and off; that is, the gas inlet 21 of the gas supply pipe is connected to the gas storage chamber. The gas storage chamber stores process gases, such as, but not limited to, those used for wafer processing such as thin film deposition, thermal oxidation, annealing, and doping. The gas storage chamber and the first straight pipe section 20 are connected in a switchable manner via a valve 11. When the valve 11 is open, the gas storage chamber can supply gas to the first straight pipe section 20; when the valve 11 is closed, the gas storage chamber stops supplying gas to the first straight pipe section 20.

[0077] For example, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 6 The second straight tube section 30 can be disposed in the reaction chamber 10 along the extension direction of the reaction chamber 10. One or more gas outlets 31 can be provided on the second straight tube section 30, so that the gas input to the gas supply pipe can be transported to the reaction chamber 10 through the gas outlets 31 to perform processes such as, but not limited to, thin film deposition, thermal oxidation, annealing, doping and other processes on the wafer.

[0078] The arrangement of the air outlet 31 on the second straight pipe section 30 can be implemented in various ways. In some embodiments, the second straight pipe section 30 may have only one air outlet 31, which is located at the end of the second straight pipe section 30 away from the connecting pipe section. In other embodiments, the second straight pipe section 30 may have multiple air outlets 31, which may be arranged sequentially and at intervals along the extension direction of the second straight pipe section 30, that is, multiple air outlets 31 arranged at intervals are provided on the side wall of the second straight pipe section 30.

[0079] For example, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 6 The second straight pipe section 30 can be arranged on the inner wall of the reaction chamber 10, thereby occupying as little space as possible in the reaction chamber 10 and not hindering the loading and unloading of the crystal boat. Multiple gas supply pipes can be provided, and the gas outlet 31 of the second straight pipe section 30 corresponding to each gas supply pipe is located at different heights inside the reaction chamber 10. At this time, process gas can be introduced into the reaction chamber 10 through the gas outlets 31 at different heights, thereby improving the uniformity of the process gas distribution in the reaction chamber 10.

[0080] For example, refer to Figure 1 The first direction formed by the extension of the first straight pipe section 20 and the second direction formed by the extension of the second straight pipe section 30 can be at any angle such as, but not limited to, 75°, 80°, 85°, 90°, 95°, 100°, 105°, etc.

[0081] There are several ways to set up the connecting pipe section, and some of them are illustrated below.

[0082] For example, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The connecting pipe section includes an arc-shaped bend section 40. One port of the arc-shaped bend section 40 is connected to the first straight pipe section 20, and the other port is connected to the second straight pipe section 30, thus achieving communication between the first straight pipe section 20 and the second straight pipe section 30. That is, the connecting pipe section at this time is an arc-shaped bend section 40, which directly connects the first straight pipe section 20 and the second straight pipe section 30. The bending angle of this arc-shaped bend section 40 is equal to the angle between the first direction and the second direction. In this way, the gas supply pipe has only two straight pipe sections and one arc-shaped bend section 40, which simplifies the number of pipe segments in the gas supply pipe, thereby simplifying the structure of the gas supply pipe and reducing the difficulty of its manufacturing.

[0083] For example, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The angle between the first direction and the second direction is 90°. At this time, the bending angle of the connecting pipe formed by the arc-shaped bend 40 is equal to 90°.

[0084] In other embodiments, reference is made to Figure 4A and Figure 4B The connecting pipe section may also include at least two arc-shaped bends 40 and at least one straight pipe section, wherein the at least two arc-shaped bends 40 and at least one straight pipe section are connected to each other to form a connecting pipe that connects the first straight pipe section 20 and the second straight pipe section 30.

[0085] For example, refer to Figure 4A and Figure 4B The connecting pipe section includes a first arc-shaped bend section 41, a second arc-shaped bend section 42, ..., an nth arc-shaped bend section, and a first straight pipe section 43, a second straight pipe section, ..., an (n-1)th straight pipe section connecting adjacent arc-shaped bend sections 40; wherein, 2≤n≤6 and n is a natural number; the sum of the bending angles of all the arc-shaped bend sections 40 is equal to the angle between the first direction and the second direction.

[0086] At this time, the connecting pipe section includes n arc-shaped bend sections 40 and n-1 straight pipe sections, wherein the n arc-shaped bend sections 40 are arranged sequentially at intervals along the extension direction of the connecting pipe section, and adjacent arc-shaped bend sections 40 are connected by a straight pipe section.

[0087] refer to Figure 5Taking the case where the connecting pipe section includes an arc-shaped bend section 40 as an example, due to the centrifugal force on the gas in the arc-shaped bend section 40, the distribution area of ​​the local low-pressure zone and the local high-pressure zone in the arc-shaped bend section 40 also increases as the bending angle of the arc-shaped bend section 40 increases. Based on Bernoulli's principle that the higher the static pressure, the lower the flow velocity, the flow velocity at the inner bend angle (inner arc side) of the arc-shaped bend section 40 will relatively increase as the bending angle of the arc-shaped bend section 40 increases, while the opposite is true at the outer bend angle (outer arc side) (the flow velocity will relatively decrease as the bending angle of the arc-shaped bend section 40 increases). Therefore, the larger the bending angle of the arc-shaped bend section 40, the greater the difference in flow velocity between the inner and outer bend angles of the arc-shaped bend section 40. In the above embodiments, by dividing the bending angle between the first direction and the second direction into multiple mutually spaced arc-shaped bend sections 40, the flow velocity difference at the inner and outer bend angles of each arc-shaped bend section 40 can be minimized, thereby minimizing airflow disturbance and airflow pressure division in each arc-shaped bend section 40.

[0088] For example, the i-th arc-shaped bend section and the (i+1)-th arc-shaped bend section are connected by the i-th straight pipe section, where i is any positive integer between 1 and n-1. For instance, the 1st arc-shaped bend section 41 and the 2nd arc-shaped bend section 42 are connected by the 1st straight pipe section 43, the 2nd arc-shaped bend section 42 and the 3rd arc-shaped bend section are connected by the 2nd straight pipe section, and the (n-1)-th arc-shaped bend section and the n-th arc-shaped bend section are connected by the (n-1)-th straight pipe section.

[0089] For example, the end of the first arc-shaped bend 41 that is away from the first straight pipe section can be connected to the first straight pipe section 20, and the end of the nth arc-shaped bend that is away from the (n-1)th straight pipe section can be connected to the second straight pipe section 30.

[0090] For example, n can be any positive integer such as 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc., and the sum of the bending angles of all the arc-shaped bends 40 is equal to the angle between the first direction and the second direction, thereby dividing the bending angle between the first direction and the second direction into multiple mutually spaced arc-shaped bends 40, minimizing airflow disturbance and airflow pressure division in each arc-shaped bend 40.

[0091] For example, refer to Figure 4A and Figure 4BWhen the angle between the first direction and the second direction is 90°, the sum of the bending angles of the n curved pipe sections 40 is equal to 90°. When n equals 2, the bending angles of the two curved pipe sections 40 can both be 45°; or one of the curved pipe sections 40 can have a bending angle of 30° and the other curved pipe section 40 can have a bending angle of 60°; or one of the curved pipe sections 40 can have a bending angle of 50° and the other curved pipe section 40 can have a bending angle of 40°.

[0092] For example, refer to Figure 4A and Figure 4B The angle between the first direction and the second direction is 90°, n equals 2, the bending angle of the first arc-shaped bend 41 of the two arc-shaped bends 40 is ∠A = 30°, the bending angle of the second arc-shaped bend 42 is ∠B = 60°, the first arc-shaped bend 41 and the second arc-shaped bend 42 are connected by the first straight pipe section 43, which can increase the uniformity of gas flow rate, reduce the number of defects generated, improve the thickness uniformity (U%) within and between wafers, and further increase the actual number of wafers that can be fabricated within the maintenance cycle of the furnace tube equipment.

[0093] For example, when the angle between the first direction and the second direction is 90° and n equals 3, the bending angle of the three arc-shaped bends 40 can all be 30°, or the bending angles of the three arc-shaped bends 40 can be 25°, 30° and 35° respectively.

[0094] For example, the bending angle of each arc bend 40 in the first arc bend 41 to the nth arc bend can be defined as ∠A, ∠B, ..., ∠N respectively. When the included angle between the first direction and the second direction is equal to 90°, ∠A+∠B+...∠N=90° can be achieved by inputting multiple bending angle combinations.

[0095] In some embodiments, reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 A flow guiding structure can be provided in the arc-shaped bend section 40 to guide the reaction gas in the arc-shaped bend section 40 and improve the gas partial pressure change phenomenon at the bend. The flow guiding structure can be set in various ways, some of which are exemplified below.

[0096] For example, refer to Figure 3Each arc-shaped bend section 40 is independently provided with a flow guiding structure. The flow guiding structure includes at least one flow guiding plate 50 disposed in the arc-shaped bend section 40. The flow guiding plate 50 is fixedly disposed on the inner wall of the arc-shaped bend section 40. The flow guiding plate 50 is perpendicular to the plane containing the first direction and the second direction. The flow guiding plate 50 extends from the air inlet 401 of the arc-shaped bend section 40 to the air outlet 402. The cross-section of the flow guiding plate 50 on the first plane is the cross-section of the flow guiding plate 50, and the cross-section of the arc-shaped bend section 40 on the first plane is the cross-section of the arc-shaped bend section 40. Both the cross-section of the flow guiding plate 50 and the cross-section of the arc-shaped bend section 40 are annular and concentric. The first plane is parallel to the plane containing the first direction and the second direction, and the first plane is the plane of symmetry of the arc-shaped bend section 40. It should be noted that, as Figure 3 The diagram shows the cross-sectional structure of the curved pipe section 40 on the first plane (also known as the plane of symmetry of the curved pipe section 40).

[0097] Since the gas is affected by centrifugal force when passing through the arc-shaped bend section 40, causing gas flow separation and secondary flow, in the above embodiment, by providing a flow guiding structure in the arc-shaped bend section 40, the flow guide plate 50 extends from the air inlet 401 of the arc-shaped bend section 40 along the bending direction of the arc-shaped bend section 40 to the air outlet 402 of the arc-shaped bend section 40, and the cross-sectional curve of the flow guide plate 50 is parallel to the inner and outer arc lines of the cross-section of the arc-shaped bend section 40, dividing the internal space of the arc-shaped bend section 40 into at least two flow channels 60 arranged along the radial bending direction of the arc-shaped bend section 40, which can reduce or avoid secondary swirling of gas in the arc-shaped bend section 40, so that the flow direction of the gas output from the second straight pipe section 30 is as parallel as possible to the second direction, and the flow direction of the gas output from the second straight pipe section 30 is as perpendicular as possible to the wall of the first straight pipe section 20.

[0098] For example, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The first direction formed by the extension of the first straight pipe section 20 and the second direction formed by the extension of the second straight pipe section 30 can be coplanar, thereby enabling the first straight pipe section 20 and the second straight pipe section 30 to be coplanarly arranged. The plane containing the first direction and the second direction can be defined as the installation plane, and then the common axisymmetric plane of the first straight pipe section 20 and the second straight pipe section 30 (which is also the symmetry plane of the curved pipe section 40) is parallel to the installation plane.

[0099] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3Each guide plate 50 is shaped as an arc-shaped curved plate obtained by bending a flat plate along the bending direction of the arc-shaped bend section 40. The guide plate 50 extends from the air inlet 401 of the arc-shaped bend section 40 to the air outlet 402 of the arc-shaped bend section 40 along the bending direction of the arc-shaped bend section 40. Two sides of the guide plate 50, perpendicular to the plane of the installation, are fixed to the pipe wall of the arc-shaped bend section 40, thereby dividing the arc-shaped bend section 40 into different flow channels 60. For example, with one guide plate 50, the arc-shaped bend section 40 can be divided into two flow channels 60 arranged from the inner arc side to the outer arc side inside the arc-shaped bend. When there are two guide plates 50, the two guide plates 50 are arranged alternately from the inner arc side to the outer arc side inside the arc-shaped bend, thereby dividing the internal space of the arc-shaped bend 40 into three flow channels 60 arranged from the inner arc side to the outer arc side.

[0100] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 Let the cross-section of the guide vane 50 on the first plane be defined as the cross-section of the guide vane 50, and the cross-section of the arc-shaped bend 40 on the first plane be defined as the cross-section of the arc-shaped bend 40. Then, both the cross-section of the guide vane 50 and the cross-section of the arc-shaped bend 40 are annular and concentrically arranged. For example, refer to... Figure 3 The center lines of both the cross-section of the guide plate 50 and the cross-section of the arc-shaped bend 40 are arc-shaped, and their centers are both point O. This causes the guide plate 50 to bend along the bending extension direction of the arc-shaped bend 40. At the same time, the radial distance between the cross-section of the guide plate 50 and the cross-section of the arc-shaped bend 40 is equal from the air inlet 401 of the arc-shaped bend 40 to the air outlet 402 of the arc-shaped bend 40.

[0101] For example, the number of guide plates 50 in the flow guiding structure can be 3 to 5, which are evenly spaced in the arc-shaped bend section 40. The cross-section of the arc-shaped bend 40 includes a first inner arc line 403 and a first outer arc line 404 opposite to the first inner arc line 403. The distance between the cross-section of the guide plate 50 closest to the first inner arc line 403 and the first inner arc line 403 is equal to the distance between adjacent guide plates 50. The distance between the cross-section of the guide plate 50 closest to the first outer arc line 404 and the first outer arc line 404 is equal to the distance between adjacent guide plates 50.

[0102] Specifically, multiple guide vanes 50 are arranged at equal intervals along the inner arc of the curved bend 40 towards the outer arc. Here, "equal intervals" refers to radial spacing. The radial distance between the guide vane 50 closest to the inner arc of the curved bend 40 and the inner arc is equal to the radial distance between two adjacent guide vanes 50. Similarly, the radial distance between the guide vane 50 closest to the outer arc of the curved bend 40 and the outer arc is equal to the radial distance between two adjacent guide vanes 50. This divides the interior of the curved bend 40 into multiple radially equally spaced flow channels 60 on a first plane.

[0103] For example, refer to Figure 3 The flow guiding structure comprises three guide plates 50: a first guide plate 51, a second guide plate 52, and a third guide plate 53. The first guide plate 51 is adjacent to and spaced apart from the first inner arc line 403 of the arc-shaped bend section 40, thus forming a first flow channel 61 with the pipe wall of the arc-shaped bend section 40. The first guide plates 51 to the third guide plates 53 are arranged at equal intervals from the first inner arc line 403 of the arc-shaped bend section 40 to the first outer arc line 404 of the arc-shaped bend section 40. The first guide plate 51, the second guide plate 52, and the pipe wall of the arc-shaped bend section 40 together form a second flow channel 62, and the second guide plate 52, the third guide plate 53, and the pipe wall of the arc-shaped bend section 40 together form a third flow channel 63. The third guide plate 53 is adjacent to and spaced apart from the first outer arc line 404 of the arc-shaped bend section 40, thereby forming a fourth flow channel 64 with the pipe wall of the arc-shaped bend section 40. The radial distances between the first inner arc line 403, the first guide plate 51, the second guide plate 52, the third guide plate 53, and the first outer arc line 404 of the arc-shaped bend section 40 are all equal.

[0104] For example, the number of guide plates 50 in the flow guiding structure can be 3, 4 or 5, thereby achieving a balance between improving the airflow pressure distribution phenomenon at the arc-shaped bend section 40 and simplifying the flow guiding structure.

[0105] For example, refer to Figure 3 The guide plate 50 is provided with a guide blade 70 at the air inlet 401 of the arc-shaped bend section 40. That is, the guide plate 50 extends out a guide blade 70 with a gradually thinning thickness at the air inlet 401 of the arc-shaped bend section 40, which is similar to the tip of the guide plate 50, so as to divert the airflow at the air inlet 401 of the arc-shaped bend section 40 and reduce the diversion resistance.

[0106] There are several ways to set the guide blade 70, and some of them are exemplified below.

[0107] For example, refer to Figure 3The line connecting the endpoints of the second inner arc 501 and the second outer arc 502 at the air inlet 401 of the arc-shaped bend 40 is a straight line and does not point to the center of the circle or is an arc, so that the guide blade 70 is angled or fin-shaped.

[0108] For example, refer to Figure 3 The line connecting the endpoints of the second inner arc 501 and the second outer arc 502 at the air inlet 401 of the arc-shaped bend is a straight line and does not point to the center of the circle, thus making the guide blade 70 beveled. For example, the connecting pipe may include an arc-shaped bend 40, and the guide blade 70 is beveled.

[0109] In other embodiments, the line connecting the endpoints of the second inner arc 501 and the second outer arc 502 at the air inlet 401 of the arc-shaped bend is an arc, thereby making the guide blade 70 fin-shaped.

[0110] In some embodiments, reference Figure 3 The guide vane 50 does not have a blade structure with a guiding function at the air outlet 402 of the arc-shaped bend 40. For example, in some embodiments, refer to Figure 3 The cross-section of the guide plate 50 includes a second inner arc 501 and a second outer arc 502 opposite to the second inner arc 501. The line connecting the endpoints of the second inner arc 501 and the second outer arc 502 at the outlet 402 of the arc-shaped bend is a straight line pointing towards the center of the circle. That is, the thickness of the guide plate 50 at the outlet 402 of the arc-shaped bend does not suddenly thin.

[0111] The following is a comparison of the effects of L-shaped gas supply pipeline and the gas supply pipeline with flow guiding structure provided in the embodiments of this application when applied to furnace tube equipment.

[0112] In existing L-shaped gas supply pipelines, the gas velocity and direction when passing through a 90° bend can be referenced. Figure 7A It can be seen that the gas forms a secondary flow after vertically impacting the wall tube, causing instability in the gas flow and resulting in uneven gas velocity diffusion to the wafer surface. This affects the uniformity of film thickness between and within wafers in the thin film deposition process, and also affects the actual usable range during the maintenance cycle. A detailed comparison is provided below.

[0113] First, regarding the comparison of thickness uniformity between wafers, refer to... Figure 7B A schematic diagram of the wafer-to-wafer (WTW) film thickness uniformity obtained when an L-shaped gas supply pipeline is applied in a furnace tube device is shown below. Figure 7BAs shown, the film thickness difference on different wafers deposited at the top, middle, and bottom of the crystal boat is relatively large, i.e., the film thickness uniformity U% is poor. However, when using the gas supply pipe shown in the embodiments of this application, the film thickness difference on different wafers deposited at the top, middle, and bottom of the crystal boat is relatively small, i.e., the inter-wafer film thickness uniformity U% is better. This demonstrates that the gas supply pipe in this application can improve the inter-wafer film thickness uniformity in the thin film deposition process, i.e., the film thickness uniformity between wafers is greatly improved, which is 20-60% higher than the L-shaped gas supply pipe solution.

[0114] Secondly, regarding the comparison of the thickness uniformity of the deposited thin films within the wafer, refer to... Figure 7C A schematic diagram of the wafer-in-wafer (WIW) film thickness uniformity obtained when an L-shaped gas supply pipeline is applied in a furnace tube device is shown below. Figure 7C As shown, the thickness difference is significant at different locations within the wafer, with the thickness at the wafer center being noticeably thinner than at the wafer edges, indicating poor thickness uniformity within the wafer's internal thickness (WIW). However, when using the gas supply pipe shown in this embodiment, the thickness difference at different locations within the wafer is significantly reduced compared to existing technologies. The difference between the thickness at the wafer center and the wafer edges is significantly reduced, thereby improving the thickness uniformity within the wafer. Compared to the L-shaped gas supply pipe solution, the WIW's U% is increased by 30-200%.

[0115] Secondly, regarding the comparison of actual available intervals within the maintenance cycle. (See reference) Figure 7D When L-shaped gas supply lines are used in furnace tube equipment, the actual usable time (range) within the maintenance cycle is significantly reduced compared to the designed usable time (range). However, in the gas supply line of this application, because the film deposition thickness at different locations within the gas supply line is more consistent, the film deposition thickness has a lower impact on the number of defects, reducing the generation of particulate defects. The cumulative thickness of the film deposited on the inner wall of the reaction chamber during the maintenance cycle can be increased to 7 μm, which can improve the defects caused by the existing L-shaped gas supply line. This reduces the difference between the actual usable time and the designed usable time within the maintenance cycle, making the actual usable time within the maintenance cycle closer to the designed usable time. Quantitatively, compared to the L-shaped gas supply line solution, the gas supply line solution of this application extends the actual usable time within the maintenance cycle by 10-40%, thus facilitating an increase in the actual number of wafers that can be fabricated within the maintenance cycle.

[0116] In summary, in the existing L-shaped gas supply pipeline, the secondary flow and pressure gradient at the 90° bend cause uneven stress at the bend, exacerbating downstream gas disturbance. In the embodiments described above, by modifying the right-angle bend into an arc-shaped bend 40 and incorporating a flow-guiding structure within the arc-shaped bend 40 (exemplarily, the flow-guiding structure may include three equally spaced flow-guiding plates 50), secondary gas swirling is avoided, the impact of gas on the bend is reduced, and the gas flow velocity becomes more uniform, resulting in a more uniform gas diffusion velocity onto the wafer surface. This significantly improves the thickness uniformity between and within wafers. Quantitatively, the U% within the wafer increases by 30-200%, the cumulative thickness of the film deposited on the inner wall of the reaction chamber 10 during the furnace tube equipment maintenance cycle increases to 7µm, and the actual number of wafers that can be fabricated during a single maintenance cycle of the furnace tube equipment increases by 10-40%.

[0117] For example, refer to Figure 3 The ratio between the thickness of the guide vane 50 and the diameter of the arc-shaped bend 40 is greater than or equal to 0.04 and less than or equal to 0.08. It should be noted that the thickness of the guide vane 50 refers to the radial distance between the second inner arc 501 and the second outer arc 502 on the cross-section of the guide vane 50; the diameter of the arc-shaped bend 40 refers to the radial distance between the first inner arc 403 and the first outer arc 404 on the cross-section of the arc-shaped bend 40. Specifically, the ratio between the thickness of the guide vane 50 and the diameter of the arc-shaped bend 40 can be any value between 0.04 and 0.08, such as 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, or 0.08.

[0118] For example, refer to Figure 3 The ratio between the dimension of the guide blade 70 along the bending direction of the guide plate 50 and the bending radius of the guide plate 50 is greater than or equal to 0.1 and less than or equal to 0.5. Specifically, the ratio between the dimension of the guide blade 70 along the bending direction of the guide plate 50 and the bending radius of the guide plate 50 can be any value between 0.1 and 0.5, such as 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, or 0.5.

[0119] In the above embodiments, by optimizing the thickness of the guide plate 50 and the dimensions of the guide blade 70, the optimal thickness-to-diameter ratio (the ratio between the thickness of the guide plate 50 and the diameter of the arc-shaped bend 40) and length-to-diameter ratio (the ratio between the dimension of the guide blade 70 along the bending direction of the guide plate 50 and the bending radius of the guide plate 50) are selected. Through the combined action of the arc-shaped bend 40 and the guide plate 50, the uniformity of the gas flow velocity when exiting the gas supply pipe is increased, particle defect problems are reduced, wafer thickness uniformity is improved, and the actual number of wafers that can be fabricated within the maintenance cycle is increased.

[0120] For example, refer to Figure 3 The thickness of the guide plate 50 can be defined as H, and the diameter of the arc-shaped bend section 40 as D. Since the arc-shaped bend section 40 connects the first straight pipe section 20 and the second straight pipe section 30, the diameters of the first straight pipe section 20, the second straight pipe section 30 and the arc-shaped bend section 40 are usually equal. The diameter of all three can be defined as D. The ratio between the thickness of the guide plate 50 and the diameter of the arc-shaped bend section 40 is H / D, or simply the thickness-to-diameter ratio HD.

[0121] For example, refer to Figure 3 The diameter D of the first straight pipe section 20, the second straight pipe section 30, and the curved pipe section 40 can be any value between 5mm and 15mm. For example, the diameter D of the first straight pipe section 20, the second straight pipe section 30, and the curved pipe section 40 can be any value between 5mm and 15mm, such as 5mm, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, or 15mm.

[0122] For example, refer to Figure 3 The thickness H of the deflector 50 can be any value between 0.4mm and 0.8mm. Specifically, the thickness H of the deflector 50 can be any value between 0.4mm and 0.8mm, such as 0.4mm, 0.5mm, 0.6mm, 0.7mm, and 0.8mm.

[0123] For example, refer to Figure 3 The dimension of the guide blade 70 along the bending direction of the guide plate 50 can be defined as L, and the bending radius of the guide plate 50 can be defined as R. Different guide plates 50 have different bending radii. For example, the bending radius of the second guide plate 52 is R. d2 It should be noted that the bending radius of the guide vane 50 refers to the radius of curvature of the centerline of the guide vane 50. The bending diameter of the arc-shaped bend section 40 refers to the radius of curvature of the centerline of the arc-shaped bend section 40. Because the guide vane 50 is positioned differently within the arc-shaped bend section 40, the bending radius of the guide vane 50 can be equal to, less than, or greater than the bending diameter of the arc-shaped bend section 40.

[0124] For example, refer to Figure 3 The bending radius of the second guide plate 52 can be equal to the bending diameter R of the arc-shaped bend section 40. B (Also known as the centerline curvature radius of the curved bend 40), i.e., R d2 =R B The ratio of the dimension of the guide blade 70 along the bending direction of the guide plate 50 to the bending radius of the guide plate 50 is L / R, or simply the length-to-diameter ratio LR.

[0125] For example, refer to Figure 3 The bending diameter R of the arc-shaped bend section 40 BIt can be any value between 16mm and 24mm. Specifically, the bending diameter R of the curved bend section 40. B It can be any value between 16mm and 24mm, such as 16mm, 18mm, 20mm, 22mm, or 24mm.

[0126] For example, refer to Figure 3 The center curvature radius R of the deflector 50 dx The diameter can range from 8mm to 26mm, where x represents the x-th deflector 50 out of n deflectors 50, and can be a natural number such as 1, 2, 3, etc. Specifically, the center radius of curvature R of the deflector 50... dx It can be any value between 8mm and 26mm, such as 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 16mm, 18mm, 20mm, 22mm, 24mm, 26mm, etc.

[0127] For example, refer to Figure 3 The dimension L of the guide blade 70 along the bending direction of the guide plate 50 can be any value between 2mm and 6mm. Specifically, the dimension L of the guide blade 70 along the bending direction of the guide plate 50 can be any value between 2mm and 6mm, such as 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, etc.

[0128] Compared to existing L-shaped gas supply pipelines, the above embodiment of this application improves upon this by using an arc-shaped bend section 40 and installing a guide plate 50 within the arc-shaped bend section 40. This effectively improves the problem of uneven pressure within the arc-shaped bend section 40. However, since the problem of high pressure on the outer arc side and low pressure on the inner arc side of the arc-shaped bend section 40 still exists, this embodiment optimizes the thickness of the guide plate 50 and the dimensions of the guide blade 70. As the thickness-to-diameter ratio HD increases, the high-pressure area on the outer arc side of the arc-shaped bend section 40 gradually decreases, while the opposite is true on the inner arc side.

[0129] refer to Figure 8A and Figure 8E The airflow velocity at different locations can be sampled at an airflow distribution sampling section 0.67D downstream of the curved bend 40 to simulate the influence of the size and arrangement of multiple guide vanes 50 on the gas velocity. (Reference) Figure 8B This embodiment found that when the thickness-to-diameter ratio HD = 0.04-0.08 and the length-to-diameter ratio LR = 0.10-0.50, the airflow velocity fluctuation at the sampling section 0.67D downstream of the arc-shaped bend 40 is minimal, reaching an ideal state, and the flow uniformity within the air supply pipe is further enhanced. Specifically, Figure 8B (1) shows the airflow velocity distribution at different locations in the air supply pipe after optimizing the thickness of the guide plate 50 and the dimensions of the guide blade 70. Figure 8B(2) is the airflow velocity distribution at different locations in the air supply pipe before the thickness of the guide plate 50 and the size of the guide blade 70 are optimized. The comparison shows that the airflow velocity fluctuation at the sampling section of the air supply pipe after optimization is the smallest.

[0130] Preferably, when the thickness-to-diameter ratio HD = 0.06 and the length-to-diameter ratio LR = 0.31, the gas velocity distribution at the airflow distribution sampling section 0.67D downstream of the arc-shaped bend 40 is the most uniform, thereby greatly improving the thickness uniformity between and within wafers.

[0131] In summary, by optimizing the thickness of the guide plate 50 and the dimensions of the guide blade 70, the film thickness uniformity of the thin films deposited on the wafers at the top, middle, and bottom of the crystal boat is made essentially consistent. For details, please refer to... Figure 8D The optimized gas supply pipe improved the uniformity of film thickness (U%) between wafers (WTW) and within the wafer (WIW) compared to the unoptimized pipe. The uniformity of film thickness within the wafer (WIW) was improved by 40%-220%. (See reference...) Figure 8C During the maintenance cycle, the thickness of the deposited film on the inner wall of the reaction chamber 10 can be increased to 8 μm, and the actual usable range during the maintenance cycle is closer to the designed usable range. Compared with the L-shaped gas supply pipe scheme, the gas supply pipe scheme in this application increases the actual number of wafers that can be produced during the maintenance cycle by 30-50%.

[0132] For example, the flow guiding structure and the arc-shaped bend portion 40 are integrally formed, allowing them to be manufactured using processes such as, but not limited to, integral injection molding, thereby simplifying the fixing method between the flow guiding structure and the arc-shaped bend portion 40. For example, a mold for the integral formation of the flow guiding structure and the arc-shaped bend portion 40 can be pre-designed, and then an integral injection molding process can be used to manufacture the integral flow guiding structure and the arc-shaped bend portion 40. Of course, in other embodiments, the flow guiding structure and the arc-shaped bend portion 40 can be in other non-integral form, with the flow guiding structure fixed to the arc-shaped bend portion 40 by processes such as bonding.

[0133] For example, the first straight pipe section 20, the second straight pipe section 30, and the connecting pipe section are integral structures, which can be manufactured using processes such as, but not limited to, integral injection molding, thereby simplifying the connection and fixing method between the straight pipe section and the connecting pipe section. Of course, in other embodiments, the first straight pipe section 20, the second straight pipe section, and the connecting pipe section can be non-integral structures. In this case, the first straight pipe section 20 and the connecting pipe section can be connected by a sealed connection method such as, but not limited to, bonding or snap-fitting, to achieve communication between the first straight pipe section 20 and the connecting pipe section, and the second straight pipe section 30 and the connecting pipe section can be connected by a sealed connection method such as, but not limited to, bonding or snap-fitting, to achieve communication between the second straight pipe section 30 and the connecting pipe section.

[0134] Regarding the material of the gas supply pipe, it can be, but is not limited to, silicon carbide, quartz, etc. For example, the first straight pipe section 20, the second straight pipe section 30, the arc-shaped bend section 40 and the flow guiding structure can be made of the same material, namely silicon carbide or quartz.

[0135] In addition, this application embodiment also provides a furnace tube device, which includes a reaction chamber and a gas supply pipe of any of the above-mentioned furnace tube devices. By setting the connecting pipe section between the first straight pipe section and the second straight pipe section as an arc-shaped bend, the existing right-angle bend is changed to an arc-shaped bend, which improves the turbulence and gas pressure change phenomenon of the special gas at the bend, thereby improving the film thickness uniformity between wafers and inside the wafer in the thin film deposition process. At the same time, it also improves the phenomenon of inconsistent film thickness at different positions in the gas supply pipe, thereby improving the particle defects of the furnace tube device, avoiding the problem of gas supply pipe breakage caused by long-term uneven deposition thickness, reducing wafer product risk, reducing the frequency of gas supply pipe replacement, extending the maintenance cycle of the furnace tube device, and reducing the operating cost of the furnace tube device.

[0136] This application has been described through the above embodiments. However, it should be understood that the above embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit this application to the scope of the described embodiments. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that this application is not limited to the above embodiments, and many more variations and modifications can be made based on the teachings of this application, all of which fall within the scope of protection claimed in this application. The scope of protection of this application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A gas supply pipe for a furnace tube device, characterized in that, include: A first straight tube portion extending along a first direction and at least partially disposed outside the reaction chamber of the furnace tube device; A second straight tube portion extending along a second direction intersecting the first direction and at least partially disposed within the reaction chamber; A connecting pipe section that connects the first straight pipe section and the second straight pipe section; The first straight pipe section has an opening at the end furthest from the connecting pipe section, which forms the air inlet of the air supply pipe. The second straight pipe section has an air outlet of the air supply pipe. The connecting pipe section includes at least one arc-shaped bend.

2. The gas supply pipe as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting pipe section includes an arc-shaped bend, one port of which is connected to the first straight pipe section and the other port is connected to the second straight pipe section, thereby realizing the connection between the first straight pipe section and the second straight pipe section.

3. The gas supply pipe as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting pipe section includes a first arc-shaped bend, a second arc-shaped bend, ..., an nth arc-shaped bend, and a first straight pipe section, a second straight pipe section, ..., an (n-1)th straight pipe section connecting adjacent arc-shaped bends; wherein, 2≤n≤6 and n is a natural number; The sum of the bending angles of all the arc-shaped bends is equal to the angle between the first direction and the second direction.

4. The gas supply pipe as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, Each of the arc-shaped bends is independently provided with a flow guiding structure. The flow guiding structure includes at least one flow guiding plate disposed in the arc-shaped bend. The flow guiding plate is fixedly disposed on the inner wall of the arc-shaped bend. The flow guiding plate is perpendicular to the plane containing the first direction and the second direction. The flow guiding plate extends from the air inlet of the arc-shaped bend to the air outlet. The cross-section of the guide plate on the first plane is the guide plate cross-section, and the cross-section of the arc-shaped bend on the first plane is the arc-shaped bend cross-section. Both the guide plate cross-section and the arc-shaped bend cross-section are annular and concentric. The first plane is parallel to the plane containing the first direction and the second direction, and the first plane is the symmetry plane of the arc-shaped bend.

5. The gas supply pipe as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The flow guiding structure comprises 3 to 5 flow guiding plates, which are evenly spaced within the arc-shaped bend. The cross-section of the arc-shaped bend includes a first inner arc and a first outer arc opposite to the first inner arc. The distance between the cross-section of the arc-shaped bend of the flow guiding plate closest to the first inner arc and the first inner arc is equal to the distance between adjacent flow guiding plates. The distance between the cross-section of the arc-shaped bend of the flow guiding plate closest to the first outer arc and the first outer arc is equal to the distance between adjacent flow guiding plates.

6. The gas supply pipe as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The guide plate has a guide blade at the air inlet of the arc-shaped bend.

7. The gas supply pipe as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The cross-section of the guide plate includes a second inner arc and a second outer arc opposite to the second inner arc. The line connecting the endpoints of the second inner arc and the second outer arc at the outlet of the arc-shaped bend is a straight line pointing towards the center. The line connecting the endpoints of the second inner arc and the second outer arc at the inlet of the arc-shaped bend is a straight line that does not point towards the center or is an arc, making the guide blade beveled or fin-shaped.

8. The gas supply pipe as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The connecting pipe section includes an arc-shaped bend, and the guide blade section is angled. The ratio between the thickness of the guide plate and the diameter of the arc-shaped bend is greater than or equal to 0.04 and less than or equal to 0.08; and / or, The ratio between the dimension of the guide blade along the bending direction of the guide plate and the bending radius of the guide plate is greater than or equal to 0.1 and less than or equal to 0.

5.

9. The gas supply pipe as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The flow guiding structure and the arc-shaped bend are an integral structure; and / or The first straight pipe section, the second straight pipe section, and the connecting pipe section are an integral structure.

10. A furnace tube device, characterized in that, Also includes: reaction chamber; as well as, The gas supply pipe of the furnace tube equipment as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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