Cleaning chamber and cleaning apparatus

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, provide a kind of cleaning room and cleaning equipment, cleaning room includes: first shell, second shell, cover and cooling assembly;The first shell has first opening on, the cover is covered in the first opening of the first shell, and the inner cavity of the first shell is enclosed to form process cavity, the second shell is set to the first shell, the second shell has cooling cavity, the cover is located in the cooling cavity;The cooling assembly includes a gas supply line, the gas outlet end of the gas supply line is communicated with the cooling cavity for the cooling cavity into cooling gas, the second shell is provided with the gas outlet that is communicated with the cooling cavity. Through the improvement of cleaning room, it is helpful to improve the phenomenon that cover temperature frequently rises and falls, to prolong the service life of cover.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a cleaning chamber and cleaning equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Plasma-based cleaning, as an integrated pretreatment step in the process equipment, can be used to remove contaminants from the wafer surface. This process utilizes gas and plasma energy to chemically react with the contaminants on the wafer surface, thereby achieving the purpose of removing the contaminants.

[0003] Dry cleaning of wafers is typically performed within a cleaning chamber consisting of a housing. The cleaning process usually generates high temperatures, causing repeated temperature fluctuations in the housing. This housing is typically made of quartz, and these frequent temperature changes can lead to the accumulation of thermal stress, forming a peeling layer. This can contaminate the wafer, affecting product yield, and also shorten the lifespan of the cleaning chamber.

[0004] Therefore, this utility model provides a cleaning chamber and cleaning equipment. By improving the cleaning chamber, it helps to reduce the phenomenon of frequent temperature rises and falls of the enclosure. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a cleaning chamber and cleaning equipment. By improving the cleaning chamber, it helps to reduce the phenomenon of frequent temperature rise and fall of the cover, reduce the accumulation of thermal stress in the cover, and extend the service life of the cover.

[0006] This utility model provides a cleaning chamber, including: a first shell, a second shell, a cover, and a cooling assembly;

[0007] The first housing has an inner cavity and a first opening communicating with its inner cavity. The cover covers the first opening and seals the inner cavity of the first housing to form a process cavity. The second housing is disposed on the first housing and has a cooling cavity. The cover is located inside the cooling cavity.

[0008] The cooling assembly includes an air supply pipe, the outlet of which is connected to the cooling chamber for introducing cooling gas into the cooling chamber, and the second housing is provided with an air outlet connected to the cooling chamber.

[0009] Optionally, the second housing has a second opening communicating with the cooling cavity, the first opening is located on the first side wall of the first housing, the outer side of the first side wall is connected to the side of the second housing with the second opening, and the first side wall closes the second opening;

[0010] And / or, the outer surface of the cover arches towards the side away from the process chamber, and the outlet end of the air supply pipe is directly opposite the center of the outer surface of the cover.

[0011] Optionally, a heat-conducting layer is provided on the outer surface of the cover.

[0012] Optionally, the thermally conductive layer is a graphene layer.

[0013] Optionally, the cleaning chamber further includes a fan, and the second housing is provided with an air inlet, which communicates with the cooling chamber, and the fan is disposed at the air inlet.

[0014] Optionally, the outlet end of the air supply pipeline is connected to the air inlet.

[0015] Optionally, the gas supply pipeline is connected to the argon supply system of the cleaning equipment.

[0016] Optionally, the cooling assembly further includes a refrigeration element disposed in the gas supply pipeline for cooling the gas in the gas supply pipeline.

[0017] Optionally, the cooling component is a vortex tube, the inlet end of which is connected to the outlet end of the argon supply system, and the cold flow outlet end of which is connected to the inlet end of the gas supply pipeline.

[0018] This utility model also provides a cleaning device, including the cleaning chamber described above.

[0019] With this configuration, the aforementioned cleaning chamber can be supplied with cooling gas through the cooling components. Since the housing is located within the cooling chamber, the cooling gas inside creates a wrapping effect on the outer surface of the housing, facilitating sufficient heat exchange and effectively reducing the housing's temperature. Furthermore, the housing temperature can be effectively controlled by adjusting the temperature of the cooling gas supplied by the cooling components, enabling precise temperature regulation. This cleaning chamber structure significantly improves the cooling efficiency of the housing, mitigating thermal stress accumulation caused by frequent temperature fluctuations, reducing the probability of peeling layer formation, extending the housing's lifespan, and consequently, extending the cleaning chamber's lifespan. It also prevents wafer contamination from peeling layers, contributing to improved product yield. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cleaning chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] In the attached diagram:

[0022] 10-First housing; 11-Process cavity;

[0023] 20 - Second housing; 21 - Cooling chamber; 22 - Air outlet; 23 - Air inlet;

[0024] 30-Cover body;

[0025] 40 - Cooling components; 41 - Air supply piping; 42 - Refrigeration components;

[0026] 50 - Support platform;

[0027] 60 - Argon supply system;

[0028] 70 - A small number of gas supply systems;

[0029] 80 - First pump body;

[0030] 90- Fan;

[0031] 100 - Second pump body;

[0032] 110 - Valve. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The cleaning chamber and cleaning equipment proposed in this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The advantages and features of this utility model will become clearer from the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of this utility model.

[0034] As used in this invention, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural objects; the term “or” is generally used to mean “and / or”; the term “a number” is generally used to mean “at least one”; and the terms “at least two” or “more than” are generally used to mean “two or more”. Furthermore, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” 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,” “second,” or “third” may explicitly or implicitly include one or at least two of that feature. Furthermore, the terms "installed," "connected," and "attached," as used in this utility model, and the term "set" on one element from another, should be interpreted broadly. They generally only indicate a connection, coupling, cooperation, or transmission relationship between the two elements, which can be direct or indirect through an intermediate element. They should not be construed as indicating or implying a spatial positional relationship between the two elements, meaning one element can be located inside, outside, above, below, or to one side of the other element, unless otherwise explicitly stated. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances. Additionally, directional terms such as above, below, up, down, upward, downward, left, and right are used relative to exemplary embodiments as shown in the figures, with upward or up direction pointing towards the top of the corresponding figure, and downward or down direction pointing towards the bottom of the corresponding figure.

[0035] This embodiment provides a cleaning chamber as part of a dry cleaning device. The cleaning chamber includes: a first housing 10, a second housing 20, a cover 30, and a cooling assembly 40.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, the first housing 10 has an inner cavity, and the top (first sidewall) of the first housing 10 has a first opening, which communicates with the inner cavity of the first housing 10. The cover 30 is typically made of quartz material. The cover 30 covers the first opening of the first housing 10, sealing the inner cavity of the first housing 10. The cover 30 and the inner cavity of the first housing 10 together form a closed process cavity 11. A groove may be provided on the top of the first housing 10, and the edge of the cover 30 is adapted to be inserted into this groove. A sealing strip can be used to seal the first opening of the first housing 10 between the edge of the cover 30 and the bottom of the groove. The connection method between the cover 30 and the first housing 10 can be consistent with existing structures and will not be described further here.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the first housing 10 is cylindrical, and the central axis of the first housing 10 extends vertically upward.

[0038] The second housing 20 has a cooling cavity 21. The second housing 20 is also cylindrical and is coaxially arranged with the first housing 10. The lower end of the second housing 20 has a second opening, which is connected to the outer surface of the top (first sidewall) of the first housing 10. The second opening at the lower end of the second housing 20 is closed by the top of the first housing 10. A sealing connection can be achieved between the edge of the second opening of the second housing 20 and the top of the first housing 10 by a sealing strip, welding, or other known connection methods.

[0039] The cover 30 is located on top of the second housing 20, and the second housing 20 covers the cover 30. Therefore, the cover 30 is located inside the cooling cavity 21, and the space of the cooling cavity 21 between the outer wall of the cover 30 and the inner wall of the second housing 20 is isolated from the inner cavity of the cover 30 by the cover 30. That is, the cooling cavity 21 and the process cavity 11 form two independent chambers.

[0040] The cooling assembly 40 includes a gas supply pipe 41, the outlet of which is connected to the cooling chamber 21 to introduce cooling gas into the cooling chamber 21. The specific temperature of the cooling gas can be adjusted based on actual temperature control requirements. The second housing 20 is provided with a gas outlet 22 connected to the cooling chamber 21 to allow gas in the cooling chamber 21 to flow out and form a circulating airflow.

[0041] In the above structure, cooling gas can be introduced into the cooling chamber 21 through the cooling component 40. Since the cover 30 is located inside the cooling chamber 21, the cooling gas inside the cooling chamber 21 forms a wrapping effect on the outer surface of the cover 30, which helps to fully exchange heat with the outer surface of the cover 30, thereby effectively reducing the temperature of the cover 30. In addition, the temperature of the cover 30 can be effectively controlled by controlling the temperature of the cooling gas provided by the cooling component 40, which is conducive to achieving precise temperature control of the cover 30. The cleaning chamber with the above structure helps to significantly improve the cooling efficiency of the cover 30, thereby reducing the accumulation of thermal stress caused by frequent temperature rises and falls of the cover, reducing the probability of peeling layer formation, extending the service life of the cover 30, and thus extending the service life of the cleaning chamber; at the same time, it also avoids the contamination of the wafer by the peeling layer of the cover 30, which helps to improve the product yield.

[0042] In this embodiment, both the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are cylindrical structures. In other alternative embodiments, the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 can be cuboids or other shapes, and the specific shapes of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 can be configured based on actual usage requirements.

[0043] In this embodiment, the outer surface of the cover 30 arches towards the side away from the process cavity 11. Corresponding to... Figure 1 In this design, the outer surface of the cover 30 arches upwards, forming an approximately hemispherical dome structure. Since the cover 30 has a thin wall structure, its inner cavity is also approximately hemispherical. This structure results in a larger outer surface area for the cover 30, increasing the contact area with the cooling gas within the cooling chamber 21 and thus improving cooling efficiency. In other alternative embodiments, the cover 30 can be cylindrical or other known shapes, and its specific shape can be flexibly adjusted based on actual usage requirements.

[0044] Please refer to Figure 1 As shown, the cleaning equipment is further equipped with a support platform 50, which is disposed in the inner cavity of the first housing 10. The upper surface of the support platform 50 serves as a support surface for supporting the wafer. The support platform 50 is vertically adjustable within the process cavity 11 to adjust the height of the supported wafer. Furthermore, a heating device can be installed inside the support platform 50 to heat the supported wafer. In this embodiment, the support platform 50 can be an electrostatic chuck or a vacuum chuck. The structure and installation method of the support platform 50 are consistent with existing structures and will not be described further here.

[0045] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 1 As shown, the cleaning equipment is also equipped with an argon supply system 60, which may be, for example, a gas storage tank. The argon supply system 60 is used to supply argon gas into the process chamber 11. For example, the argon supply system 60 is connected to the process chamber 11 through the first housing 10 or the cover 30 to supply argon gas into the process chamber 11.

[0046] In addition, the cleaning equipment is also equipped with a coil winding (not shown in the figure). The coil winding is arranged around the process cavity 11. The coil assembly can be connected to the radio frequency power supply. The coil assembly converts the radio frequency power into electromagnetic energy to excite argon gas to form plasma. The free radicals in the plasma can react with the contaminants on the wafer surface to clean them, thereby removing the contaminants and achieving the purpose of cleaning.

[0047] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 1 As shown, the cleaning equipment is also equipped with a small amount of gas supply system 70, which can be connected to the process chamber 11 through the first housing 10 or the cover 30 to provide other small proportions of gas, such as hydrogen or helium, to the process chamber 11. The specific gas provided can be determined based on the actual cleaning requirements.

[0048] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 1As shown, the cleaning equipment is also equipped with a first pump body 80, which can be a piston type, screw type, diaphragm type, vane type, etc. The first pump body 80 can be purchased from existing equipment, such as a PM type air pump. The air inlet of the first pump body 80 is connected to the process chamber 11 and is used to draw gas from the process chamber 11, so that airflow circulation is formed within the process chamber 11.

[0049] Furthermore, a heat-conducting layer is provided on the outer surface of the cover 30.

[0050] In this embodiment, the thermally conductive layer is a graphene layer. Graphene has superior thermal conductivity (theoretical thermal conductivity of graphene is 5300 W / m·K, much higher than copper's 400 W / m·K), which can significantly improve the thermal conductivity of the cover 30, effectively accelerate the heat exchange rate between the cover 30 and the cooling gas, and improve cooling efficiency.

[0051] In other alternative embodiments, the thermally conductive layer may be an alumina coating, a zirconia coating, or a known high-temperature resistant nano-thermal conductive coating, etc.

[0052] In this embodiment, the inlet end of the gas supply pipeline 41 is connected to the argon gas supply system 60 of the cleaning equipment, meaning that the argon gas supply system 60 simultaneously supplies argon gas into both the process chamber 11 and the cooling chamber 21. This configuration utilizes the existing gas supply system of the cleaning equipment to achieve cooling of the enclosure 30, which helps reduce equipment modification costs compared to adding an additional cooling gas supply system. The argon gas supply system 60 is a structure already present in the existing cleaning equipment, used to provide argon gas during the cleaning process. The argon gas supply system 60 is prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0053] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 As shown, the central axis of the second housing 20 passes through the center of the cover 30. The outlet of the air supply pipe 41 is connected to the top center of the second housing 20, and cooling gas is supplied downward from the top center of the second housing 20. Therefore, the outlet of the air supply pipe 41 is directly opposite the center of the outer surface of the cover 30, so that the outlet of the air supply pipe 41 is directly opposite the highest point of the arch on the outer surface of the cover 30. The incoming cooling gas flows downward along the curvature of the outer surface of the cover 30 from the highest point of the outer surface, thereby improving the contact efficiency between the cooling gas and the outer surface of the cover 30, and thus improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0054] Furthermore, the cleaning chamber also includes a fan 90, and the second housing 20 is provided with an air inlet 23, which is connected to the cooling chamber 21. The fan 90 is disposed at the air inlet 23.

[0055] The air inlet 23 is located at the center of the top of the second housing 20. The fan blades of the fan 90 are, for example, straight-blade or centrifugal blades. The fan blades are driven to rotate by a motor, which forces outside air into the interior of the second housing 20. The fan 90 can be a readily available device, such as a G-type fan, which will not be described in detail here.

[0056] The fan 90 is configured to accelerate the airflow within the cooling chamber 21 to improve heat dissipation efficiency.

[0057] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 1 As shown, the outlet end of the air supply pipe 41 is connected to the air inlet 23. The outlet end of the air supply pipe 41 can extend into the air inlet 23, or it can be outside the air inlet 23 and directly facing it for spraying air into the air inlet 23. Cooling gas is introduced into the air inlet 23 through the air supply pipe 41. The fan 90 homogenizes the cooling gas and increases its flow rate, ensuring that the cooling gas flows evenly and quickly into the cooling chamber 21, thereby improving cooling efficiency.

[0058] In this embodiment, the air inlet 23 is connected to the outside. In other alternative embodiments, a sealing cover can be provided on the top of the second housing 20 to cover the ventilation cover of the air inlet 23, so that the air inlet 23 is not connected to the outside, that is, the air from the outside environment will not enter the cooling chamber 21 through the air inlet 23. At this time, only argon gas circulates in the air inlet 23. The air intake in the air inlet 23 is provided by the gas supply pipe 41 and then forced out by the fan 90. Even if the cover 30 and the first housing 10 are not properly sealed, causing gas in the cooling chamber 21 to enter the process chamber 11, since there is only argon gas in the cooling chamber 21 and the cover 30 is surrounded by argon gas, it can be ensured that only argon gas enters the process chamber 11, minimizing the impact on the internal environment of the process chamber 11.

[0059] Furthermore, the air outlet 22 is provided with multiple outlets and arranged around the cover 30 to guide the cooling gas entering the cooling chamber 21 to flow out evenly along the circumference of the cover 30, so that the cooling gas in the cooling chamber 21 is evenly distributed, thereby ensuring that the temperature field distribution of the cover 30 itself is uniform.

[0060] Please refer to Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, there are two air outlets 22, which are respectively located on both sides of the second housing 20. The position of the air outlets 22 is lower than that of the air inlet 23. In other alternative embodiments, there may be three or more air outlets 22, which are evenly arranged around the cover 30.

[0061] In this embodiment, the cleaning chamber also includes a second pump body 100. The air outlet 22 is connected to the air inlet of the second pump body 100 via a pipe. The second pump body 100 can be a piston type, screw type, diaphragm type, vane type, or other similar pump. Existing equipment can be purchased for the second pump body 100, such as a PM type pump. The second pump body 100 is used to draw gas from the cooling chamber 21 to create airflow circulation within the cooling chamber 21. The air outlet of the second pump body 100 can be connected to the air inlet of the argon supply system 60 to achieve argon reuse.

[0062] In this embodiment, the outlet of the air supply pipe 41 is directly opposite the center of the cover 30, and works in conjunction with multiple air outlets 22 circumferentially surrounding the cover 30 to optimize the airflow direction. In other alternative embodiments, the air supply pipe 41 can be connected to multiple branch pipes to form multiple air outlets, each air outlet being connected to the second housing 20 and arranged around the cover 30, so that the second housing 20 has multiple air inlet positions around the cover 30. In this case, the airflow direction can be optimized by using multiple air inlet positions in conjunction with multiple air outlets 22.

[0063] Furthermore, the cooling assembly 40 also includes a cooling element 42, which is disposed in the gas supply pipeline 41 for cooling the gas in the gas supply pipeline 41.

[0064] In this embodiment, the cooling component is a vortex tube. The inlet end of the vortex tube is connected to the outlet end of the argon supply system 60, and the cold flow outlet end of the vortex tube is connected to the inlet end of the gas supply pipeline 41. The vortex tube divides the incoming argon gas into a cold flow and a hot flow. The cold flow enters the gas supply pipeline 41 through the cold flow outlet end of the vortex tube, while the hot flow flows through the hot flow outlet end of the vortex tube to a designated container. After cooling to ambient temperature, the hot flow returns to the argon supply system 60 for reuse.

[0065] The vortex tube refrigeration system consists of a nozzle, a vortex chamber, a separation orifice plate, tubes, and a control valve.

[0066] The nozzle serves as the inlet for the vortex tube. Compressed and cooled gas enters the nozzle, expands, and accelerates to supersonic speeds. It is then injected tangentially into the vortex chamber, forming a free vortex. The rotational angular velocity of the free vortex increases towards the center. Due to these angular velocities, friction occurs between the layers of the free vortex. The central part of the airflow has the highest angular velocity. This friction transfers energy to the outer layers of airflow with lower angular velocities. The central layer loses energy, resulting in low kinetic energy, reduced speed, and lower temperature. This energy is then drawn out from one end (the cold air outlet) through the separation orifice plate in the center of the vortex tube, providing the cold airflow needed for cooling. Meanwhile, the outer layer of airflow gains momentum, increasing its kinetic energy. Simultaneously, friction with the vortex tube wall converts some of this kinetic energy into heat energy, which is then drawn out from the other end (the hot air outlet) through a control valve, forming a hot airflow.

[0067] In this embodiment, the vortex tube can be purchased from existing equipment, such as the SR type vortex tube. The structure, connection method and usage of the vortex tube are all existing technologies, and will not be described in detail here.

[0068] Combination Figure 1 As shown, a valve 110 is installed on the pipeline between the refrigeration unit 42 and the argon supply system 60. The valve 110 can be used to regulate the flow rate and pressure of the argon gas supplied to the refrigeration unit 42. The valve 110 can be, for example, a butterfly valve, a gate valve, or other types. Preferably, an air pressurization valve is selected to increase the amount of argon gas supplied to the refrigeration unit 42 to meet the cooling requirements of the refrigeration unit 42.

[0069] In other alternative embodiments, a pressure pump may be installed on the pipeline between the cooling element 42 and the argon supply system 60 to meet the inlet pressure requirements of the vortex tube.

[0070] This embodiment also provides a cleaning device, including the cleaning chamber described above. Furthermore, the cleaning device also includes the aforementioned support platform 50, argon gas supply system 60, minority gas supply system 70, first pump body 80, and other components. The difference between this cleaning device and existing cleaning devices lies in the structure of the cleaning chamber; other structures remain consistent with existing cleaning devices.

[0071] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0072] The above description is only a description of the preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the scope of the present utility model in any way. Any changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the above disclosure shall fall within the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A cleaning chamber, characterized in that, include: First housing, second housing, cover, and cooling components; The first housing has an inner cavity and a first opening communicating with its inner cavity. The cover covers the first opening and seals the inner cavity of the first housing to form a process cavity. The second housing is connected to the first housing and has a cooling cavity. The cover is located inside the cooling cavity. The cooling assembly includes an air supply pipe, the outlet of which is connected to the cooling chamber for introducing cooling gas into the cooling chamber, and the second housing is provided with an air outlet connected to the cooling chamber.

2. The cleaning chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The second housing has a second opening communicating with the cooling cavity. The first opening is located on the first side wall of the first housing. The outer side of the first side wall is connected to the side of the second housing with the second opening, and the first side wall closes the second opening. And / or, the outer surface of the cover arches towards the side away from the process chamber, and the outlet end of the air supply pipe is directly opposite the center of the outer surface of the cover.

3. The cleaning chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer surface of the cover is provided with a heat-conducting layer.

4. The cleaning chamber as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The thermally conductive layer is a graphene layer.

5. The cleaning chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning chamber also includes a fan, and the second housing is provided with an air inlet, which is connected to the cooling chamber, and the fan is located at the air inlet.

6. The cleaning chamber as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The outlet of the gas supply pipeline is connected to the air inlet.

7. The cleaning chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The gas supply pipeline is connected to the argon gas supply system of the cleaning equipment.

8. The cleaning chamber as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The cooling assembly further includes a refrigeration element, which is disposed in the gas supply pipeline for cooling the gas in the gas supply pipeline.

9. The cleaning chamber as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The cooling component is a vortex tube, the inlet end of which is connected to the outlet end of the argon supply system, and the cold flow outlet end of which is connected to the inlet end of the gas supply pipeline.

10. A cleaning device, characterized in that, Includes the cleaning chamber as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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