Heat recovery device and semiconductor growth apparatus

By introducing a heat recovery device into the semiconductor growth equipment, and utilizing the current collection structure and annular heat collection chamber to exchange heat with the process waste gas, the problems of cold zone effect and heat waste are solved, achieving a win-win effect of heat recovery and cold zone improvement.

CN224591082UActive Publication Date: 2026-08-04CHUYUN TEK (SHANGHAI) CO LTD
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Utility models(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
CHUYUN TEK (SHANGHAI) CO LTD
Filing Date
2025-08-20
Publication Date
2026-08-04

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In existing semiconductor growth equipment, the cold zone effect caused by process gas injection affects the uniformity of growth, and the heat from high-temperature process waste gas is not effectively recovered and utilized.

Method used

A heat recovery device is designed, including a flow collection structure and an annular heat collection chamber. The flow collection structure guides the airflow into the annular heat collection chamber for heat exchange. The heat of the high-temperature process waste gas is absorbed by the annular heat collection chamber and transported to the gas injection device to increase the gas temperature and reduce the cold zone effect.

Benefits of technology

It enables the effective recovery and utilization of heat from process waste gas, alleviates the cold zone effect, improves the temperature uniformity within the growth chamber, reduces energy consumption, and extends the equipment maintenance cycle.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The application provides a heat recovery device and a semiconductor growth equipment. The heat recovery device comprises a flow collecting structure and an annular heat collecting bin. The flow collecting structure has an annular flow collecting cavity. The top of the flow collecting cavity is provided with a flow collecting inlet, and the bottom of the flow collecting cavity is provided with a flow collecting outlet. The annular heat collecting bin is suspended in the flow collecting cavity. The annular heat collecting bin is provided with gas inlet and outlet pipes for gas conveying. The gas inlet and outlet pipes penetrate into the flow collecting cavity and are in communication with the annular heat collecting bin. The annular heat collecting bin comprises a top inward lateral wall close to the top of the region surrounded by the flow collecting cavity and a top outward lateral wall away from the top of the region surrounded by the flow collecting cavity. The top end of the top inward lateral wall and the top end of the top outward lateral wall meet to form a top structure. The exposed surface of at least one of the top inward lateral wall and the top outward lateral wall is provided with an inclined flow guide slope. The heat recovery device of the application is applied to the semiconductor growth equipment. The heat recovery device can not only realize effective recovery and utilization of the heat of process waste gas, but also can alleviate the cold region effect by means of the heat of the process waste gas.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of equipment technology applied to the manufacture or processing of semiconductors, and more specifically, to a heat recovery device and a semiconductor growth device. Background Technology

[0002] Semiconductor growth equipment is a key piece of equipment in the semiconductor power device manufacturing chain. Its main purpose is to grow one or more target functional thin films, such as epitaxial films, on a substrate.

[0003] Semiconductor growth equipment typically maintains a high-temperature environment within its growth chamber; for example, silicon carbide epitaxial growth equipment can reach temperatures as high as 1500-1750℃. However, when room-temperature process gases (including source gases, carrier gases, and purge gases) are injected into the growth chamber, a significant cold zone forms, disrupting the originally uniform thermal boundary layer. This cold zone effect leads to uneven thickness and doping distribution, affecting the growth rate and uniformity of silicon carbide epitaxial growth. To alleviate the cold zone problem, existing solutions often rely on increasing heating power, extending the heating cycle, or introducing complex local thermal insulation structures, resulting in increased thermal inertia and shortened maintenance cycles.

[0004] However, the process exhaust gas after the reaction in the growth chamber carries a large amount of heat and is directly emitted, and there is currently a lack of efficient means for waste heat recovery and resource reuse. Therefore, how to improve the cold zone problem caused by process gas injection, and how to effectively utilize the waste heat of the process exhaust gas, have become urgent problems to be solved. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a heat recovery device and a semiconductor growth equipment. The semiconductor growth equipment, by setting up a heat recovery device, can not only effectively recover and utilize the heat of the process waste gas, but also alleviate the cold zone effect by using the heat of the process waste gas.

[0006] In a first aspect, a heat recovery device is provided, comprising a flow collection structure and an annular heat collection chamber. The flow collection structure has an annular flow collection cavity, with a flow collection inlet at the top and a flow collection outlet at the bottom, allowing gas to enter the flow collection cavity from the flow collection inlet and exit through the flow collection outlet. The annular heat collection chamber is suspended within the flow collection cavity; the annular heat collection chamber is provided with a gas inlet pipe and a gas outlet pipe to realize gas transportation; the gas inlet pipe and the gas outlet pipe penetrate through the flow collection cavity and communicate with the interior of the annular heat collection chamber.

[0007] The annular heat collection chamber includes a top inner wall near the area surrounded by the manifold cavity and a top outer wall away from the area surrounded by the manifold cavity. The top ends of the top inner wall and the top outer wall meet to form a top structure. The exposed surface of at least one of the top inner wall and the top outer wall is set as a guide slope inclined relative to the radial tangent of the top structure.

[0008] In one feasible embodiment, the height of the manifold cavity is H, the total height of the annular heat collection chamber is h which is less than H, and the height occupied by the guide slope is h1; wherein, H / 2≤h1<H, and / or h / 2≤h1≤h. In one feasible embodiment, the annular heat collection chamber also includes a support foot; the support foot is located between the bottom surface of the manifold cavity and the bottom of the annular heat collection chamber, so that the annular heat collection chamber is suspended.

[0009] In one feasible embodiment, the annular solar collector also includes a bottom structure that is connected to and internally communicates with the top structure to increase the internal volume of the annular solar collector, with both the gas inlet pipe and the gas outlet pipe located in the bottom structure.

[0010] In one feasible embodiment, the exposed surfaces of both the top-inner wall and the top-outer wall are configured as flow guide slopes with the same degree of inclination; the bottom end of the top-outer wall is lower than the bottom end of the top-inner wall.

[0011] In one feasible embodiment, the acute angles of inclination of the top-outer sidewall and the top-inner sidewall relative to the radial tangent of the top structure are α1 and α2, respectively, where 45°≤α1<90° and 45°≤α2<90°.

[0012] In one feasible scheme, both the axial cross-section of the annular heat collection chamber and the axial cross-section of the flow collection structure are axisymmetric structures, and the central axis of the axial cross-section of the annular heat collection chamber coincides with the central axis of the axial cross-section of the flow collection structure.

[0013] In one feasible solution, an isolator is installed inside the annular solar collector to break the connectivity of the annular space within the annular solar collector. The inlet of the gas inlet pipe and the outlet of the gas outlet pipe on the annular solar collector are located in the same half of the annular solar collector and are respectively close to opposite sides of the isolator to connect the same space within the annular solar collector.

[0014] Secondly, a semiconductor growth apparatus is also provided, including a reaction chamber, a delivery pipe, and the aforementioned heat recovery device. An annular heat collection chamber is suspended within the heat recovery device, with a collection outlet at the bottom. A gas injection device is located at the top of the reaction chamber, and a tail gas discharge port is located at the bottom. A support device is located inside the reaction chamber, with its top surface facing the gas injection device. The heat recovery device is positioned around the area where the support device is located, with its top surface lower than the top surface of the support device. The collection outlet connects to the tail gas discharge port. The gas inlet pipe of the annular heat collection chamber extends to the outside of the reaction chamber. Both ends of the delivery pipe are connected to the gas outlet pipe of the annular heat collection chamber and the gas injection device, respectively, and extend within the side and top walls of the reaction chamber to transport the hot gas from the annular heat collection chamber to the gas injection device for mixing with the gas in the gas injection device to increase the gas temperature.

[0015] In one feasible embodiment, the top surface of the heat recovery device is lower than the bottom surface of the supporting device.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application include at least the following: In the heat recovery device of this application, the hot gas flow enters the collecting cavity through the collecting inlet at the top of the collecting structure, and after fully contacting the surface of the suspended annular heat collection chamber, it is discharged from the collecting outlet at the bottom of the collecting structure, thereby heating the gas in the annular heat collection chamber and significantly increasing the temperature of the gas discharged from the gas outlet pipe of the annular heat collection chamber. Simultaneously, the collecting structure guides and gathers the hot gas flow, ensuring better contact between the hot gas flow and the annular heat collection chamber as it passes through the collecting cavity, resulting in a more significant heating effect on the gas in the annular heat collection chamber.

[0017] Furthermore, since the top of the annular heat collection chamber's inner and outer sidewalls meet to form the top structure, and at least one of the exposed surfaces of the inner and outer sidewalls is set as a flow-guiding slope, the gas flow resistance when the airflow enters the collection cavity can be significantly reduced, turbulence can be decreased, and the stability of the gas flow field can be ensured.

[0018] Furthermore, in the semiconductor growth equipment with the aforementioned heat recovery device, the annular heat collection chamber of the heat recovery device is located in the flow path of the high-temperature process waste gas, which can effectively absorb the heat of the high-temperature process waste gas. By setting a gas inlet pipe and a gas outlet pipe to connect the annular heat collection chamber, and setting a delivery pipe to connect the gas injection device and the gas outlet pipe, the hot gas in the annular heat collection chamber can be delivered to the gas injection device, mix with the gas in the gas injection device, and increase the gas temperature. This reduces the damage to the originally uniform thermal boundary layer in the reaction chamber caused by the gas injection of the gas injection device, reduces the cold zone effect caused by the gas entering the reaction chamber, makes the temperature gradient in the reaction chamber more uniform, which is conducive to good epitaxial growth quality, and can also make full use of the heat energy of the high-temperature process waste gas, reducing energy consumption.

[0019] Furthermore, since the annular heat collection chamber of the heat recovery device has a guide slope on at least one side of its sidewall, the gas flow resistance when the airflow enters the collection cavity can be significantly reduced, turbulence can be decreased, and the impact on the gas field at the edge of the supporting device can be reduced. At the same time, since the height of the annular heat collection chamber is set lower than the top surface of the supporting device, even if the process waste gas collides with the annular heat collection chamber and generates a certain degree of turbulence, the impact on the gas flow field at the edge of the supporting device is relatively small, thereby ensuring the quality of epitaxial growth.

[0020] In summary, the semiconductor growth equipment of this application can not only effectively recover and utilize the heat of high-temperature process waste gas, but also use the heat of process waste gas to alleviate the cold zone effect, thus achieving at least a win-win result of heat recovery and utilization and improvement of cold zone conditions.

[0021] Furthermore, semiconductor growth equipment utilizes the heat from process exhaust gases to improve cold zone issues, thus eliminating the need to rely solely on increasing heating power, extending the heating cycle, or introducing complex local insulation structures to address cold zone problems. This helps reduce equipment thermal inertia, extend maintenance cycles, and lower energy consumption. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a heat recovery device shown in an embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Exploded view of the intermediate heat recovery unit.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the first type of annular heat collection chamber shown in the embodiments of this application.

[0026] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Side view of the central annular solar collector.

[0027] Figure 5 For along Figure 4 Sectional view of AA.

[0028] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A magnified view of a portion of the central isolation component.

[0029] Figure 7This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the second type of annular heat collection chamber shown in an embodiment of this application.

[0030] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Side view of the central annular solar collector.

[0031] Figure 9 For along Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of BB.

[0032] Figures 10 to 16 Axial cross-sectional views of different heat recovery devices under different assembly conditions.

[0033] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first semiconductor growth apparatus as shown in an embodiment of this application.

[0034] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second semiconductor growth apparatus as shown in an embodiment of this application.

[0035] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the composition of a semiconductor growth apparatus including a gas supply and suction device, as shown in an embodiment of this application.

[0036] In the diagram: 10. Heat recovery device; 20. Semiconductor growth equipment; 1. Current collection structure; 11. Current collection inlet; 12. Current collection outlet; 13. Support column; 101. Current collection cavity; 102. Current collection ring; a. First flow channel; b. Second flow channel; 2. Annular heat collection chamber; 21. Gas inlet pipe; 22. Gas outlet pipe; 23. Isolation component; 241. Top facing inward sidewall; 242. Top facing outward sidewall; 243. Bottom facing inward sidewall; 244. Bottom facing outward sidewall; 25. Support foot; 3. Reaction chamber; 31. Gas injection device; 32. Exhaust gas outlet; 33. Bearing device; 34. Annular channel; 35. Insulation layer; 4. Conveying pipe; 5. First gas supply device; 6. Second gas supply device; 7. Extraction device; 8. Rotary drive device. Detailed Implementation

[0037] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0038] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0039] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this application embodiment provides a heat recovery device 10, including a flow collection structure 1 and an annular heat collection chamber 2. The flow collection structure 1 has an annular flow collection cavity 101, with a flow collection inlet 11 at the top and a flow collection outlet 12 at the bottom, allowing gas to enter the flow collection cavity 101 from the flow collection inlet 11 and exit through the flow collection outlet 12. The annular heat collection chamber 2 is suspended inside the flow collection cavity 101; the annular heat collection chamber 2 is provided with a gas inlet pipe 21 and a gas outlet pipe 22 to realize gas transportation; the gas inlet pipe 21 and the gas outlet pipe 22 penetrate into the flow collection cavity 101 and communicate with the inside of the annular heat collection chamber 2.

[0040] The annular heat collection chamber 2 includes a top inner wall 241 near the area surrounded by the manifold cavity 101 and a top outer wall 242 away from the area surrounded by the manifold cavity 101. The top ends of the top inner wall 241 and the top ends of the top outer wall 242 meet to form a top structure. The exposed surface of at least one of the top inner wall 241 and the top outer wall 242 is set as a guide slope inclined relative to the radial tangent of the top structure.

[0041] It should be noted that the annular heat collection chamber 2 is made of a thermally conductive material, which can be graphite or silicon carbide.

[0042] In the heat recovery device 10 of this embodiment, the hot gas flow enters the flow-collecting cavity 101 through the flow-collecting inlet 11 at the top of the flow-collecting structure 1, and after fully contacting the surface of the suspended annular heat collection chamber 2, it is discharged through the flow-collecting outlet 12 at the bottom of the flow-collecting structure 1, thereby heating the gas in the annular heat collection chamber 2 so that the temperature of the gas discharged from the gas outlet pipe 22 of the annular heat collection chamber 2 can be significantly increased.

[0043] Meanwhile, under the enclosure of the flow collection structure 1, it plays a role in guiding and gathering the hot airflow, so that when the hot airflow passes through the flow collection cavity 101, it has relatively good contact with the annular heat collection chamber 2, and the heating and temperature rise effect on the gas in the annular heat collection chamber 2 is more obvious.

[0044] Furthermore, since the top of the inner sidewall 241 and the top of the outer sidewall 242 of the annular heat collection chamber 2 meet to form a top structure, and the exposed surface of at least one of the inner sidewall 241 and the outer sidewall 242 is set as a flow guide slope, the gas flow resistance when the airflow enters the manifold cavity 101 can be significantly reduced, turbulence can be reduced, and the stability of the gas flow field can be ensured.

[0045] like Figure 17 and Figure 18 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment also provides a semiconductor growth apparatus 20, including a reaction chamber 3, a delivery pipe 4, and the aforementioned heat recovery device 10. An annular heat collection chamber 2 is suspended inside the heat recovery device, and a heat collection outlet 12 is provided at the bottom.

[0046] The reaction chamber 3 has a gas injection device 31 at the top and a tail gas discharge port 32 at the bottom. Inside, there is a support device 33, with its top surface facing the gas injection device 31. A heat recovery device is arranged around the area where the support device 33 is located, with its top surface lower than the top surface of the support device 33. The collection outlet 12 connects to the tail gas discharge port 32. The gas inlet pipe 21 of the annular heat collection chamber 2 extends to the outside of the reaction chamber 3.

[0047] The two ends of the conveying pipe 4 are connected to the gas outlet pipe 22 of the annular heat collection chamber 2 and the gas injection device 31, respectively, and extend into the side wall and top wall of the reaction chamber 3 to convey the hot gas in the annular heat collection chamber 2 to the gas injection device 31 for mixing with the gas in the gas injection device 31 to increase the gas temperature.

[0048] In some embodiments, such as Figure 17 As shown, an annular channel 34 is formed between the outer wall of the support device 33 and the inner wall of the reaction chamber 3. The heat recovery device 10 is disposed in the annular channel 34. The flow collection structure 1 can be an independent component, and the top surface of the flow collection structure 1 is set to be lower than the support top surface of the support device 33. At the same time, the top of the annular heat collection chamber 2 is also lower than the support top surface of the support device 33.

[0049] In some embodiments, such as Figure 18 As shown, the annular channel 34 formed between the outer wall of the supporting device 33 and the inner wall of the reaction chamber 3 directly serves as the flow collection structure 1, and the outer wall of the supporting device 33 and the inner wall of the reaction chamber 3 form the side wall structure of the flow collection structure 1. Therefore, the annular heat collection chamber 2 is suspended in the flow collection cavity 101, that is, the annular heat collection chamber 2 is suspended in the annular channel 34, while the top of the annular heat collection chamber 2 is lower than the top surface of the supporting device 33.

[0050] In this embodiment, the gas provided by the gas injection device 31 includes a reaction source gas. The reaction source gas includes a silicon-containing gas carried by a carrier gas and a carbon-containing gas carried by a carrier gas. The silicon-containing gas includes silane, trichlorosilane, and dichlorosilane, and the carbon-containing gas includes hydrocarbons such as propane and ethylene.

[0051] In this embodiment, the gas provided by the gas injection device 31 may also include purge gas.

[0052] In this embodiment, the gas injection device 31 may be provided with a process gas channel and a purge gas channel, and the gas outlet pipe 22 of the annular heat collection chamber 2 is connected to either the process gas channel or the purge gas channel through the delivery pipe 4.

[0053] In this embodiment, the gas input into the annular heat collection chamber 2 can be either a carrier gas or a purge gas. The main function of the carrier gas is to transport the reaction source gas into the reaction chamber, while simultaneously diluting its concentration to control the reaction rate and deposition uniformity. Hydrogen is commonly used as a carrier gas in SiC epitaxy, but argon or a mixture of hydrogen and argon can also be used. The purge gas is used between process steps or after the process to quickly remove residual reaction source gas, byproducts, or impurities from the reaction chamber, preventing cross-contamination and particle deposition that affects film quality. The purge gas is typically hydrogen or an inert gas.

[0054] In this embodiment, as Figure 19 As shown, the semiconductor growth apparatus 20 also includes a first gas supply device 5, a second gas supply device 6, and a gas extraction device 7. The first gas supply device 5 is connected to the gas injection device 31 and is used to supply reaction source gas to the gas injection device 31. The second gas supply device 6 is connected to the gas inlet pipe 21 of the annular heat collection chamber 2 and is used to supply carrier gas or purge gas into the annular heat collection chamber 2. The gas extraction device 7 is connected to the exhaust port 32 of the reaction chamber 3 and is used to extract process waste gas from the reaction chamber 3.

[0055] Specifically, in the semiconductor growth apparatus 20 of this embodiment, the reaction source gas entering the reaction chamber 3 via the gas injection device 31 flows over the top surface of the support device 33 and the exposed surfaces of each substrate. After a portion of the reaction source gas undergoes epitaxial reaction, the remaining gas and reaction byproducts, as process waste gas, enter the annular channel 34 between the outer wall of the support device 33 and the inner wall of the reaction chamber 3. The gas flows through the heat recovery device 10 located in the annular channel 34 and comes into full contact with the surface of the annular heat collection chamber 2, thereby heating the gas in the annular heat collection chamber 2. The heated gas in the annular heat collection chamber 2 is then introduced into the gas injection device 31 via the delivery pipe 4, mixed with the gas introduced into the gas injection device 31, and then enters the reaction chamber 3 together.

[0056] In some embodiments, the gas injection device 31 of the semiconductor growth apparatus 20 faces the support device 33, and the gas discharged from the gas injection device 31 flows out in a near-vertical vertical direction to grow an epitaxial layer on the substrate surface at the bottom. Furthermore, the semiconductor growth apparatus 20 may include a rotation drive device 8 to drive the support device 33 to rotate. Specific implementation methods are conventional techniques in the art and will not be elaborated here.

[0057] Since the gas supplied by the gas injection device 31 has a certain flow rate, and the gas extraction device 7 has a certain suction effect on the gas in the cavity, both work together to ensure the stability of the flow field on and near the top surface of the support device 33. A stable gas flow field also contributes to the uniformity of substrate surface temperature, thereby ensuring good epitaxial wafer quality. In addition, when the rotation drive device 8 is needed to assist in the homogenization of gas on the top surface of the support device 33 to further improve the quality of the epitaxial wafer, the rotation of the support device 33, the flow rate of the gas supplied by the gas injection device 31, and the suction of the gas extraction device 7 together ensure the stability of the gas flow field.

[0058] Since the annular channel 34 is closer to the top surface of the support device 33 and the channel is relatively narrow, once the exhaust gas becomes turbulent as it flows through the annular channel 34, the turbulent airflow can easily affect the stable gas flow field in the reaction space above the support device 33, which is detrimental to the film formation quality of the epitaxial wafer.

[0059] Therefore, the height of the annular heat collection chamber 2 is set lower than the top surface of the supporting device 33 to reduce the impact of turbulence generated by the collision of process waste gas and the annular heat collection chamber 2 on the air field above the supporting device 33. Furthermore, the top surface of the adjustable heat recovery device 10 is lower than the bottom surface of the supporting device 33, thereby keeping the top surface of the adjustable heat recovery device 10 as far away as possible from the top surface of the supporting device 33, further reducing the impact of turbulence generated at the adjustable heat recovery device 10 on the edge air field of the supporting device 33.

[0060] In this embodiment, the annular heat collection chamber 2, located in the flow path of the high-temperature process waste gas, can effectively absorb the heat of the high-temperature process waste gas, increase the temperature of the carrier gas or purge gas in the annular heat collection chamber 2, and transport it to the gas injection device 31 to mix with the reaction source gas, thereby increasing the temperature of the reaction source gas. This reduces the damage to the originally uniform thermal boundary layer caused by the injection of the reaction source gas, reduces the cold zone effect generated by the reaction source gas entering the reaction chamber 3, and makes the temperature gradient in the reaction chamber 3 more uniform, which is conducive to good epitaxial growth quality. It can also make full use of the thermal energy of the high-temperature process waste gas and reduce energy consumption.

[0061] While preheating the purge gas in the input gas injection device 31 before introducing it can solve the problem of cold zones in the reaction chamber 3, the additional preheating structure complicates the external equipment both structurally and functionally, and generates additional energy consumption. Mixing the hot purge gas provided by the annular heat collection chamber 2 with the existing purge gas in the gas injection device 31 increases the temperature of the purge gas in the gas injection device 31. By controlling the flow rates of the hot purge gas in the annular heat collection chamber 2 and the purge gas in the gas injection device 31, combined with the achievable temperature by the heating control of the reaction chamber 3, the mixed purge gas can reach the target temperature. Similarly, mixing the hot carrier gas in the annular heat collection chamber 2 with the reaction source gas carried by the carrier gas in the gas injection device 31 increases the temperature of the mixed gas. By rationally designing the flow rates of the hot carrier gas in the annular heat collection chamber 2, the carrier gas in the gas injection device 31, and the reaction source gas, combined with the achievable temperature by the heating control of the reaction chamber 3, the mixed reaction source gas containing the carrier gas can also reach the target temperature.

[0062] In summary, the semiconductor growth equipment 20 with heat recovery device 10 in this embodiment can not only effectively recover and utilize the heat of high-temperature process waste gas, but also alleviate the cold zone effect by using the heat of process waste gas. Therefore, it can achieve a win-win result of heat recovery and utilization and improvement of cold zone conditions.

[0063] Furthermore, since the heat from the process exhaust gas is used to improve the cold zone problem, it is no longer necessary to simply rely on increasing heating power, extending the heating cycle, or introducing complex local insulation structures to improve the cold zone problem. This helps to reduce the thermal inertia of the equipment and extend the maintenance cycle, while also reducing energy consumption.

[0064] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, when the heat recovery device 10's flow collection structure 1 is an independent component, the flow collection structure 1 may include a support column 13 disposed on the outer bottom surface of the flow collection cavity 101. The support column 13 may be a hollow structure, with both ends used to connect to the tail gas discharge port 32 of the reaction chamber 3 and the flow collection cavity 101, respectively. The hollow support column 13 can serve to transport gas and provide support, or a solid support column may be provided separately to support the flow collection structure 1. The annular heat collection chamber 2 may also include a support foot 25, which is disposed between the inner bottom surface of the flow collection cavity 101 and the bottom of the annular heat collection chamber 2 to support the annular heat collection chamber 2, thereby suspending the annular heat collection chamber 2 and preventing it from blocking the flow collection outlet 12, ensuring smooth flow of process waste gas.

[0065] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2As shown, the flow collection structure 1 may include a flow collection ring 102. The flow collection cavity 101 is provided with an upward-facing annular opening, and its bottom surface is provided with several flow collection outlets 12 that communicate with the hollow support columns 13. The flow collection ring 102 covers the annular opening of the flow collection cavity 101, and several circumferentially evenly distributed flow collection inlets 11 may be provided on the flow collection ring 102. The shape of the flow collection inlets 11 may be a circular hole, an oblong hole, etc.

[0066] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, an isolating element 23 can be installed inside the annular solar collector 2 to create a barrier within the space, thereby breaking the connectivity of the annular space within the annular solar collector 2. The gas inlet pipe 21, located at the inlet of the annular solar collector 2, and the gas outlet pipe 22, located at the outlet of the annular solar collector 2, are respectively located on opposite sides near the isolating element 23, specifically, on opposite sides along the circumference of the annular solar collector 2. The gas inlet pipe 21 and the gas outlet pipe 22 are located in the same half of the annular solar collector 2 and connect to the same space within the annular solar collector 2.

[0067] Therefore, after the gas enters the annular heat collection chamber 2 through the gas inlet pipe 21, its gas path flows through most of the space inside the annular heat collection chamber 2 along the circumference before flowing out from the gas outlet pipe 22. This maximizes the length of the gas path inside the annular heat collection chamber 2, thereby improving the heat exchange and heating effect. In addition, the longer gas path can also improve the uniformity of the gas temperature after heating.

[0068] In some embodiments, without the isolation element 23, the gas inlet pipe 21 and the gas outlet pipe 22 can be distributed in different halves of the annular heat collection chamber 2. In some more specific embodiments, such as Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the gas inlet pipe 21 and the gas outlet pipe 22 are radially opposite each other, which can also increase the gas path length to improve the heat exchange and heating effect accordingly.

[0069] In some embodiments, such as Figure 11 , Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, the axial cross-sections of the annular heat collection chamber 2 and the flow collection structure 1 can both be axisymmetric structures. The central axis of the axial cross-section of the annular heat collection chamber 2 coincides with the central axis of the axial cross-section of the flow collection structure 1, which is beneficial to the consistency of flow resistance of the process waste gas channels on both sides of the annular heat collection chamber 2 and avoids the generation of strong turbulence.

[0070] In some embodiments, such as Figure 14 and Figure 15As shown, the axial section of the annular heat collection chamber 2 can be a non-axisymmetric structure, while the axial section of the flow collection structure 1 can be an axisymmetric structure.

[0071] like Figure 10 As shown, assuming the axial cross-sectional shape of the annular heat collection chamber 2 is set to a rectangle, when gas flows in through the collection inlet 11 of the collection structure 1, considering the top of the rectangle and the inner wall structure of the collection cavity 101, significant turbulence will be generated when receiving the incoming flow, hindering the smooth discharge of high-temperature process waste gas. This may lead to airflow turbulence at the edge of the bearing device 33, affecting the growth quality of the epitaxial wafer edge.

[0072] Therefore, in this embodiment, as Figures 11 to 15 As shown, at least one of the exposed surfaces of the inner sidewall 241 and the outer sidewall 242 of the annular heat collection chamber 2 is configured as a flow guiding slope. The flow guiding slope can significantly reduce the obstruction of airflow, reduce the generation of turbulence, facilitate the smooth discharge of process waste gas, and reduce interference with the airflow at the edge of the supporting device 33.

[0073] In this embodiment, such as Figure 12 As shown, the entire area of ​​the inner and outer sidewalls of the annular heat collection chamber 2 can be configured as flow-guiding slopes, that is, the top inner sidewall 241 and the top outer sidewall 242 are the inner and outer sidewalls of the annular heat collection chamber 2, which can significantly reduce the obstruction effect on airflow. However, for Figure 12 The proposed structural design may sacrifice some of the internal volume of the annular heat collection chamber 2.

[0074] Therefore, in some embodiments, such as Figure 11 , Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, the annular heat collection chamber 2 also includes a bottom structure that is connected to and internally communicates with the top structure to increase the internal volume of the annular heat collection chamber 2. The gas inlet pipe 21 and the gas outlet pipe 22 are both located in the bottom structure.

[0075] In this embodiment, as Figure 11 , Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, the bottom structure includes a bottom inner wall 243 facing the inner side of the ring and a bottom outer wall 244 facing the outer side of the ring; the bottom inner wall 243 is connected to the top inner wall 241 and extends along the axial direction of the annular heat collection chamber 2; the bottom outer wall 244 is connected to the top outer wall 242 and extends along the axial direction of the annular heat collection chamber 2.

[0076] In this embodiment, the volume of the annular heat collection chamber 2 is as large as possible to ensure that the heat exchange area between the high-temperature process waste gas and the annular heat collection chamber 2 is as large as possible, so as to maximize the utilization of the heat of the process waste gas. Therefore, it is preferable to design the cross-section of the bottom of the annular heat collection chamber 2 to be larger than the cross-section of the top, that is, the radial dimension of the bottom structure of the annular heat collection chamber 2 is larger than the radial dimension of the top structure.

[0077] In some embodiments, such as Figure 11 , Figure 12 and Figure 14 As shown, the top of the annular heat collection chamber 2 can form a pointed structure. Or, as... Figure 13 As shown, the top of the annular heat collection chamber 2 has a chamfered top. The sharp or chamfered top of the top structure reduces the area where process waste gas collides with the upper surface of the annular heat collection chamber 2, thereby reducing turbulence and minimizing or avoiding adverse effects on the process airflow field near the top of the supporting device 33.

[0078] In some embodiments, such as Figure 11 As shown, the total height of the annular heat collection chamber 2 is h, and the height occupied by the guide slope is h1, where h / 2≤h1≤h. This is to further reduce the gas flow resistance in the process waste gas flow channel near the guide slope to avoid local strong turbulence, and also to increase the heating efficiency and heating effect of the gas in the chamber by increasing the contact area between the hot process waste gas and the annular heat collection chamber 2.

[0079] In this embodiment, as Figure 11 As shown, the channel formed by the guide slope of the annular heat collection chamber 2 and the inner wall of the collection structure 1 can be called the first flow channel a, and the channel formed by the lower part of the guide slope and the inner wall of the collection structure 1 can be called the second flow channel b.

[0080] like Figure 16 As shown, if the height h1 of the guide slope is less than half of the total height h of the annular heat collection chamber 2, the inclination angle of the guide slope will also be relatively small. When the high-temperature process waste gas enters through the collection inlet 11 of the collection structure 1, it passes through the space of the first flow channel a and collides with the top of the annular heat collection chamber 2. In the narrow space, it rebounds rapidly and collides with each other, forming a relatively obvious and chaotic turbulent state. A large number of vortices are generated rapidly, which may affect the growth of the epitaxial wafer edge. The process waste gas continues to enter the space of the second flow channel b. Since the bottom structure of the annular heat collection chamber 2 is relatively large, the space of the second flow channel b will be smaller than that of the first flow channel a, and the flow resistance will increase, causing the airflow to change for the second time. This change will further cause turbulence in the space of the first flow channel a above, which will further affect the airflow turbulence at the edge of the bearing device 33 and affect the growth quality of the epitaxial wafer edge.

[0081] Furthermore, in some embodiments, such as Figure 11 As shown, the height of the flow-collecting cavity 101 of the flow-collecting structure 1 is H, and the height occupied by the guide slope of the annular heat collection chamber 2 is h1, where H / 2 ≤ h1 < H. Within this limitation, when the process waste gas enters through the flow-collecting inlet 11 of the flow-collecting structure 1, the turbulence in the space of the first flow channel a can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, due to the significant downward shift of the position of the second flow channel b, the area where turbulence is generated also shifts significantly downward, relatively away from the flow-collecting inlet 11 of the flow-collecting structure 1, thereby reducing the impact of turbulence on the growth of the epitaxial wafer edge.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since h1≥H / 2 is set, it is ensured that the height of the guide slope occupies at least half of the internal height of the flow collection structure 1, so that the space of the first flow channel a is as large as possible, and the airflow can be effectively diffused and buffered.

[0083] In some embodiments, such as Figure 11 As shown, in the axial section of the annular heat collection chamber 2, the guide slopes of the top inner sidewall 241 and the top outer sidewall 242 are symmetrical, and the inclination angle of the guide slope is α, wherein it is preferably set to 45°≤α<90°.

[0084] If the angle α is too small, the top of the annular heat collector 2 tends to be flat, resulting in a larger area where the heat exchanger collides with the process waste gas at the top, which easily generates turbulence. Increasing the angle α increases the length of the guide slope and the heat exchange area of ​​the side walls, making it more effective at utilizing the heat from the process waste gas. Decreasing the angle α reduces the side wall area and the heat exchange area. Within the range of 45° ≤ α < 90°, sufficient heat exchange area is ensured while minimizing turbulence.

[0085] In some embodiments, such as Figure 14 As shown, the exposed surfaces of the top inner wall 241 and the top outer wall 242 are both configured as flow guiding slopes, and the bottom end of the top outer wall 242 is at a different height than the bottom end of the top inner wall 241.

[0086] In some embodiments, the heating component of the semiconductor growth apparatus 20 is disposed on one side of the support device 33. The heat generated by the heating component also has a significant heating effect on the inner side of the annular heat collection chamber 2. Therefore, the inner side of the annular heat collection chamber 2 may heat up faster under the combined heating of the heating component and the process exhaust gas. In this case, the bottom end of the top-outer sidewall 242 can be set lower than the bottom end of the top-inner sidewall 241. That is, the surface area of ​​the guide slope of the top-outer sidewall 242 is greater than the surface area of ​​the guide slope of the top-inner sidewall 241. This makes the flow resistance of the flow channel on the top-outer sidewall 242 smaller, so that more process exhaust gas can be drawn through the flow channel on the top-outer sidewall 242. This makes the heated area of ​​the top-outer sidewall 242 larger than that of the top-inner sidewall 241, which can also improve the heating and heating effect. This can balance the heating uniformity of the inner and outer walls of the annular heat collection chamber 2.

[0087] In some embodiments, Figure 14 As shown, the inclination of the top-outer sidewall 242 is represented by α1, and the extended dashed line at its bottom represents the movement of the auxiliary line on the top surface of the supporting device 33 to that location; similarly, the inclination of the top-inner sidewall 241 is represented by α2. When α1 = α2, the bottom surface of the top-outer sidewall 242 is lower than the bottom surface of the top-inner sidewall 241. It can be seen that the surface area of ​​the top-outer sidewall 242 increases, and the flow resistance of the process waste gas passage on its side is lower than that on the side where the top-inner sidewall 241 is located.

[0088] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the acute angles of inclination of the top outer wall 242 and the top inner wall 241 relative to the radial sectional plane of the top structure are α1 and α2, respectively, which satisfy: 45°≤α1<90°, 45°≤α2<90°. α1 and α2 can be equal or unequal. By configuring the values ​​of α1 and α2, the process exhaust gas can exhibit different flow resistance differences in the flow channels on both sides of the top outer wall 242 and the top inner wall 241, thereby adjusting the heating uniformity on both sides. With the above configuration of α1 and α2, even when there is a difference in the flow resistance of the process exhaust gas flow channel on the side where the top outer wall 242 is located compared with the side where the top inner wall 241 is located, it is possible to ensure that strong turbulence that would affect the process gas flow field near the top of the supporting device 33 is avoided.

[0089] In some embodiments, such as Figure 15 As shown, a flow guide slope can be provided only on one side wall of the annular heat collection chamber 2, that is, the top-inward side wall 241 or the top-outward side wall 242 can be provided as a flow guide slope.

[0090] In some embodiments, such as Figures 17 to 19As shown, the sidewall of the reaction chamber 3 of the semiconductor growth apparatus 20 may be provided with a heat insulation layer 35, and the delivery pipe 4 extends toward the sidewall of the reaction chamber 3 into the heat insulation layer 35 and extends therein.

[0091] In some embodiments, the heat insulation layer 35 can be made of graphite hard felt coated with silicon carbide and installed on the side wall and top wall of the reaction chamber 3 to keep the chamber warm and also to keep the delivery pipe 4 warm.

[0092] The above description is only a partial embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A heat recovery device, characterized in that, include: The flow collection structure (1) has an annular flow collection cavity (101), with a flow collection inlet (11) at the top and a flow collection outlet (12) at the bottom, so that gas can enter the flow collection cavity (101) from the flow collection inlet (11) and be discharged through the flow collection outlet (12); An annular heat collection chamber (2) is suspended inside the manifold cavity (101); the annular heat collection chamber (2) is provided with a gas inlet pipe (21) and a gas outlet pipe (22) to realize gas transportation; the gas inlet pipe (21) and the gas outlet pipe (22) pass through the manifold cavity (101) and communicate with the annular heat collection chamber (2); The annular heat collection chamber (2) includes a top inner wall (241) near the area surrounded by the manifold cavity (101) and a top outer wall (242) away from the area surrounded by the manifold cavity (101). The top ends of the top inner wall (241) and the top ends of the top outer wall (242) meet to form a top structure. The exposed surface of at least one of the top inner wall (241) and the top outer wall (242) is set as a guide slope inclined relative to the radial section of the top structure.

2. The heat recovery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height of the manifold cavity (101) is H, the total height of the annular heat collection chamber (2) is h which is less than H, and the height occupied by the guide slope is h1; Where H / 2≤h1<H, and / or h / 2≤h1≤h.

3. The heat recovery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The annular heat collection chamber (2) also includes support feet (25); The support foot (25) is located between the bottom surface of the manifold cavity (101) and the bottom of the annular heat collection chamber (2) so that the annular heat collection chamber (2) is suspended.

4. The heat recovery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The annular heat collection chamber (2) also includes a bottom structure that is connected to and internally communicates with the top structure to increase the internal volume of the annular heat collection chamber (2). The gas inlet pipe (21) and the gas outlet pipe (22) are both located in the bottom structure.

5. The heat recovery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The exposed surfaces of the top inner sidewall (241) and the top outer sidewall (242) are both configured as the flow guide slope, and the inclination is consistent; the bottom end of the top outer sidewall (242) is lower than the bottom end of the top inner sidewall (241).

6. The heat recovery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The acute angles of inclination of the outer top wall (242) and the inner top wall (241) relative to the radial section of the top structure are α1 and α2, respectively, where 45°≤α1<90° and 45°≤α2<90°.

7. The heat recovery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The axial cross-section of the annular heat collection chamber (2) and the axial cross-section of the flow collection structure (1) are both axisymmetric structures, and the central axis of the axial cross-section of the annular heat collection chamber (2) coincides with the central axis of the axial cross-section of the flow collection structure (1).

8. The heat recovery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, An isolator (23) is provided inside the annular heat collection chamber (2) to break the connectivity of the annular space inside the annular heat collection chamber (2). The inlet of the gas inlet pipe (21) on the annular heat collection chamber (2) and the outlet of the gas outlet pipe (22) on the annular heat collection chamber (2) are located in the same half of the annular heat collection chamber (2) and are respectively close to the opposite sides of the isolator (23) to connect the same space inside the annular heat collection chamber (2).

9. A semiconductor growth apparatus, characterized in that, It includes a reaction chamber (3), a delivery pipe (4), and a heat recovery device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein an annular heat collection chamber (2) is suspended inside the heat recovery device and a collection outlet (12) is provided at the bottom; The reaction chamber (3) is provided with a gas injection device (31) at the top, a tail gas discharge port (32) at the bottom, and a support device (33) inside. The support top surface of the support device (33) is arranged opposite to the gas injection device (31). The heat recovery device is arranged around the area where the support device (33) is located. The top surface of the heat recovery device is lower than the top surface of the support device (33). The collection outlet (12) is connected to the exhaust gas outlet (32). The gas inlet pipe (21) of the annular heat collection chamber (2) extends to the outside of the reaction chamber (3); The two ends of the conveying pipe (4) are connected to the gas outlet pipe (22) of the annular heat collection chamber (2) and the gas injection device (31) respectively, and extend into the side wall and top wall of the reaction chamber (3) to convey the hot gas in the annular heat collection chamber (2) to the gas injection device (31) to mix with the gas in the gas injection device (31) to increase the gas temperature.

10. The semiconductor growth apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that, The top surface of the heat recovery device is lower than the bottom surface of the support device (33).