Pipe cleaning device and semiconductor process apparatus

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of pipeline cleaning device and semiconductor process equipment, the cleaning device includes: pipeline joint, the pipeline joint includes the gas inlet port and gas outlet port being communicated between two adjacent pipeline, and two installation ports being respectively opposite with the gas inlet port and the gas outlet port;One-to-one correspondence is installed in two the installation port and can extend into the opposite the pipeline, to clean the cleaning mechanism corresponding the inner wall of the pipeline;One-to-one correspondence is installed on two the pipeline, to detect whether the corresponding pipeline is blocked by the blockage detection mechanism;With each the cleaning mechanism and each the blockage detection mechanism are all communication connection, to control corresponding the cleaning mechanism to clean when any the blockage detection mechanism detects that corresponding the pipeline is blocked, controller.The utility model can solve the problem that periodic manual cleaning pipeline is time-consuming and laborious, and possibly because of cleaning not in time leads to pipeline blockage.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Semiconductor manufacturing processes generate a wide variety of wastes. Among them, high-powder processes, such as CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition), Fur (High Temperature Furnace Tube), ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition), and Metal (Metallurgy), produce a lot of powder waste compared to other processes. This waste can easily crystallize inside the exhaust pipes, and long-term accumulation can clog the pipes, leading to equipment downtime and, in severe cases, affecting the products produced.

[0003] Currently, pipeline cleaning is usually carried out through regular manual maintenance. On the one hand, it is time-consuming and labor-intensive; on the other hand, since the number of products processed and the process used are different in different maintenance cycles, the crystallization speed cannot be controlled. If the crystallization speed is too fast, the pipeline may still be blocked due to untimely cleaning. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the problems of time-consuming and labor-intensive manual maintenance in existing technologies, and the potential for pipe blockage due to untimely cleaning, this invention provides a pipe cleaning device and semiconductor process equipment capable of automatically cleaning crystals.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: In a first aspect, this utility model provides a pipeline cleaning device, comprising: The pipe connector includes an air inlet port and an air outlet port that connect two adjacent pipe sections, and two installation ports that are respectively disposed opposite to the air inlet port and the air outlet port; A cleaning mechanism that is installed one-to-one at the two installation ports and can extend into the opposite pipe to clean the inner wall of the corresponding pipe; A blockage detection mechanism is installed one-to-one on the two sections of the pipeline to detect whether the corresponding pipeline is blocked; A controller is communicatively connected to each of the cleaning mechanisms and each of the blockage detection mechanisms to control the corresponding cleaning mechanism to perform cleaning when any of the blockage detection mechanisms detects a blockage in the corresponding pipeline. Furthermore, the air inlet port and the air outlet port are arranged in an L-shape.

[0006] Furthermore, the cleaning mechanism includes a cylinder and a scraper, wherein the cylinder is installed to the corresponding mounting port, and the cylinder is provided with a piston rod for reciprocating motion in the opposite pipeline, the free end of the piston rod being connected to the scraper.

[0007] Furthermore, the scraper is conical, and the end with the larger outer diameter of the scraper is connected to the free end of the piston rod, and the maximum outer diameter of the scraper matches the inner diameter of the corresponding pipeline.

[0008] Furthermore, the cleaning mechanism includes a motor, a brush rod connected to the motor, and a cleaning brush disposed along the brush rod, wherein the motor is installed to the corresponding installation port, the brush rod extends into the corresponding pipeline, and the size of the cleaning brush matches the inner diameter of the corresponding pipeline.

[0009] Furthermore, the brush rod is arranged along the central axis corresponding to the pipeline, and the diameter of the brush rod is much smaller than the inner diameter of the corresponding pipeline.

[0010] Furthermore, the cleaning brush is a steel brush or a bristle brush.

[0011] Furthermore, the blockage detection mechanism is a pressure detection mechanism or a flow detection mechanism.

[0012] Furthermore, it also includes a waste collector that communicates with the bottom of the pipe fitting.

[0013] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a semiconductor process apparatus, including a process chamber and an exhaust gas treatment device connected to the process chamber via at least two pipelines, the semiconductor process apparatus further including the pipeline cleaning device as described above.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, this utility model has the following beneficial effects: This invention involves setting a pipe joint between two pipe sections, installing a cleaning mechanism on the pipe joint for cleaning the pipe, and setting a blockage detection mechanism on the pipe for detecting whether the pipe is blocked. When a blockage is detected, the controller will control the corresponding cleaning mechanism to automatically clean the pipe. This not only reduces labor costs but also avoids the problem of pipe blockage caused by untimely crystallization cleaning, thereby preventing the downtime of process equipment due to pipe blockage and improving the stability and uptime of the process equipment.

[0015] Furthermore, the pipe connector in this invention provides two installation ports opposite to the air inlet and outlet ports, enabling precise alignment of the two cleaning mechanisms. This allows them to independently extend into the corresponding pipes for directional cleaning, facilitating "segmented" precise maintenance of longer pipes and preventing excessive cleaning strokes from affecting the cleaning effect. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the pipeline cleaning device of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the pipe connector used in this utility model; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning mechanism used in this utility model; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another cleaning mechanism used in this utility model; Figure 5 This is a circuit diagram of the pipeline cleaning device of this utility model; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the piping connections of the semiconductor process equipment of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this utility model from the content disclosed in this specification. This utility model can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this utility model.

[0018] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in this embodiment are only schematic representations of the basic concept of this utility model. Although the illustrations only show components related to this utility model and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape and size of the components, the shape, quantity, positional relationship and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed under the premise of realizing the technical solution of this utility model, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0019] As mentioned earlier, in some high-methane powder processing steps, crystals can easily form inside the exhaust pipes, which can cause blockages over time. Currently, cleaning is usually done manually on a regular basis. However, this is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Furthermore, because the number of products processed and the processes used vary in different maintenance cycles, the crystallization rate cannot be controlled. If the crystallization rate is too fast, the pipes may become blocked if cleaning is not done in time.

[0020] In view of this, the present invention provides a semiconductor process equipment for a pipeline cleaning device capable of automatically cleaning pipelines.

[0021] Example 1 This embodiment provides a pipeline cleaning device, such as... Figures 1-5 As shown, the device mainly includes a pipe connector 1, a cleaning mechanism 2, a blockage detection mechanism 3, a controller 4, and a waste collector 5.

[0022] In this embodiment, the long exhaust pipe can be pre-divided into sections so that the cleaning range of the cleaning mechanism 2 can cover the areas of the corresponding pipe sections that are prone to blockage. The different pipe sections 10 are connected through the pipe joint 1.

[0023] See Figure 2 As shown, the pipe connector 1 in this embodiment includes an air inlet port 11 and an air outlet port 12 connecting two adjacent pipe sections 10, and also includes two mounting ports respectively disposed opposite to the air inlet port 11 and the air outlet port 12. The figure shows a first mounting port 13 disposed opposite to the air inlet port 11 and a second mounting port 14 disposed opposite to the air outlet port 12. Preferably, the pipe connector 1 is integrally formed, and the air inlet port 11 and the air outlet port 12 are L-shaped.

[0024] In this embodiment, see again Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, cleaning mechanisms 2 are respectively installed at the first installation port 13 and the second installation port 14. The two cleaning mechanisms 2 can extend into the oppositely arranged pipes 10 to clean the inner walls of the corresponding pipes 10. Specifically, the cleaning mechanism 2 installed at the first installation port 13 is used to clean the pipe 10 connected to the air inlet port 11, and the cleaning mechanism 2 installed at the second installation port 14 is used to clean the pipe 10 connected to the air outlet port 12, thereby enabling independent cleaning of two adjacent pipe sections 10.

[0025] In one feasible manner, such as Figure 3 As shown, the cleaning mechanism 2 includes a cylinder 21 and a scraper 22. The cylinder 21 is installed to and sealed to the corresponding mounting port, and a piston rod 211 is located inside the cylinder 21. The free end of the piston rod 211 is connected to the scraper 22. Driven by the cylinder 21, the piston rod 211 reciprocates within the corresponding pipe 10, thereby effectively removing the crystals adhering to the corresponding pipe 10 with the scraper 22.

[0026] Preferably, the scraper 22 is conical, and the end with the larger outer diameter of the scraper 22 is connected to the piston rod 211, thereby guiding it as it moves forward into the pipe 10. As the conical surface moves, the outer diameter of the scraper 22 gradually increases, progressively squeezing and shearing the crystals in the pipe 10, causing the crystals to peel off from the pipe 10. After cleaning, the cylinder 21 drives the scraper 22 to withdraw from the corresponding pipe 10, avoiding affecting subsequent exhaust gas discharge.

[0027] Preferably, the maximum outer diameter of the scraper 22 matches the inner diameter of the corresponding pipe 10 to ensure the complete removal of residual crystals.

[0028] In another feasible approach, such as Figure 4As shown, the cleaning mechanism 2 includes a motor 23, a brush rod 24 connected to the motor 23, and a cleaning brush 25 disposed along the brush rod 24. The motor 23 is installed at a corresponding mounting port and sealed to the corresponding mounting opening. The brush rod 24 extends into the correspondingly disposed pipe 10, and the size of the cleaning brush 25 matches the inner diameter of the corresponding pipe 10. During operation, the motor 23 drives the brush rod 24 to rotate, which in turn drives the cleaning brush 25 to rotate and clean the inner wall of the pipe 10.

[0029] Preferably, the brush rod 24 is arranged along the central axis of the corresponding pipe 10 to ensure rotational stability; the diameter of the brush rod 24 is much smaller than the inner diameter of the corresponding pipe to avoid obstructing the gas flow, thereby ensuring smooth passage of exhaust gas; the cleaning brush 25 is a steel brush or a hard bristle brush to facilitate cleaning of the pipe 10. In this embodiment, a blockage detection mechanism 3 is installed on each of two adjacent pipe sections 10 to detect whether the corresponding pipe section 10 is blocked.

[0030] In one feasible approach, the blockage detection mechanism 3 is a pressure detection mechanism. The greater the pressure inside the pipeline 10, the more blocked the pipeline 10 is. That is, the pressure information in the pipeline 10 can be used to characterize the thickness of the deposits inside the corresponding pipeline 10. Therefore, the risk of blockage can be known in real time based on the pressure information collected by the pressure detection mechanism.

[0031] In another feasible approach, the blockage detection mechanism 3 is a flow detection mechanism. The smaller the flow rate in the pipeline 10, the more blocked the pipeline 10 is. That is, the flow rate information in the pipeline 10 can be used to characterize the thickness of the deposits in the corresponding pipeline 10. Therefore, the risk of blockage can be known in real time based on the flow rate information collected by the flow detection mechanism.

[0032] In this embodiment, as Figure 5 As shown, the controller 4 is connected to each cleaning mechanism 2 and each blockage detection mechanism 3. When any blockage detection mechanism 3 detects a blockage in the corresponding pipeline 10, the controller 4 will control the corresponding cleaning mechanism 2 to clean the pipeline 10.

[0033] For example, when the pressure detected by a blockage detection device 3 exceeds a preset pressure threshold, the controller 4 will determine that the pipeline 10 where the blockage detection device 3 is located is blocked, and then control the cleaning device 2 opposite to the pipeline 10 to clean the pipeline 10. The pressure threshold can be determined in advance based on calibration experiments. Once the pressure exceeds the threshold, it indicates that the pipeline 10 is at risk of blockage and needs to be cleaned immediately.

[0034] For example, when the flow rate detected by a blockage detection device 3 is lower than a preset flow rate threshold, the controller 4 will determine that the pipeline 10 where the blockage detection device 3 is located is blocked, and control the cleaning device 2 opposite to the pipeline 10 to clean the pipeline 10. The flow rate threshold can be determined in advance based on calibration experiments. Once the flow rate is lower than the threshold, it indicates that the pipeline 10 is at risk of blockage and needs to be cleaned immediately.

[0035] In this embodiment, the controller 4 can be implemented using any suitable PLC or microcontroller, without any specific restrictions.

[0036] In this embodiment, see again Figure 1 As shown, the bottom of pipe connector 1 is connected to waste collector 5 via collection pipe 6 for collecting the removed debris. Figure 1 In the example shown, the air inlet port 11, air outlet port 12, first mounting port 13, and second mounting port 14 are interconnected in the middle of the pipe joint 1. The waste collector 5 and the collection pipe 6 are located below the connection. The cleaned-off crystals will move to the connection during the exhaust process and fall into the waste collector 5 under the action of gravity, while lighter deposits will enter the exhaust gas treatment device with the airflow.

[0037] In one feasible embodiment, the waste collector 5 is detachably connected to the collection pipe 6, facilitating the replacement of the waste collector 5 periodically or after it has been filled with crystals.

[0038] In one feasible embodiment, the waste collector 5 is box-shaped, and the collection pipe 6 has a certain load-bearing capacity, which helps to support the pipe joint 1 on which the cleaning mechanism 2 is installed.

[0039] This invention provides a pipe joint 1 between two pipe sections 10, a cleaning mechanism 2 for cleaning the pipe 10 is installed on the pipe joint 1, and a blockage detection mechanism 3 for detecting whether the pipe 10 is blocked is installed on the pipe 10. When a blockage is detected, the controller 4 will control the corresponding cleaning mechanism 2 to automatically clean the pipe. The cleaned crystals are then collected by the waste collector 5. This not only reduces labor costs but also avoids the problem of blockage in the pipe 10 due to untimely crystal cleaning.

[0040] In addition, the pipe connector 1 provides two installation ports 13 and 14, which are opposite to the air inlet port 11 and the air outlet port 12, to provide the two cleaning mechanisms 2 with precise alignment. This allows them to independently extend into the corresponding pipe 10 for directional cleaning, which is beneficial for achieving "segmented" precise maintenance of longer pipes and avoids the cleaning mechanism 2 having an excessively long cleaning stroke that affects the cleaning effect.

[0041] Example 2 This embodiment provides a semiconductor process equipment, such as... Figure 6 As shown, it includes a process chamber 20 and a waste gas treatment device 30 connected to the process chamber 20 through at least two sections of pipe 10, and also includes a pipe cleaning device as provided in Embodiment 1 for automatically cleaning the pipe 10.

[0042] like Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the process chamber 30 is communicatively connected to the aforementioned controller 4 and also to the upper-level MES (Manufacturing Execution System) 40. The MES 40 is an existing factory scheduling system used to control the running status of the process chamber 20; the process chamber 20 is used for running (processing products); the waste gas treatment device 30 is used to treat the waste gas generated by the process chamber 20. A suction pump (not shown) is typically installed on the pipeline between the process chamber 20 and the waste gas treatment device 30 to extract waste gas from the process chamber 20; the suction pump and the waste gas treatment device 30 are auxiliary equipment.

[0043] After the process is completed, the waste gas generated in the process chamber 20 is extracted. The powder in the waste gas will crystallize inside the pipe 10 over a long period of time. In this embodiment, the blockage detection mechanism 3 detects whether the pipe 10 is blocked in real time. When a section of the pipe 10 is blocked, the controller 4 will control the process chamber 20 to stop (the process chamber 30 will notify the MES 40 to stop discharging when it stops), and at the same time control the cleaning mechanism 2 to clean the crystallized section of the pipe 10. After the cleaning is completed, the controller 4 will notify the process chamber 30 to restart, and the process chamber 30 will then notify the MES 40 to continue discharging.

[0044] During the cleaning process of pipe 10, the auxiliary equipment can continue to operate to extract the cleaned deposits. For larger crystals, they will fall into the waste collector 5 below the pipe joint 1 under gravity, thus achieving the purpose of waste collection.

[0045] As can be seen, by using the pipeline cleaning device provided in Embodiment 1, this embodiment can automatically and promptly remove the crystals in the exhaust pipeline 10, thereby preventing the process chamber 20 from shutting down and improving the running time of the process equipment.

[0046] While specific embodiments of this utility model have been described above, those skilled in the art should understand that these are merely illustrative examples, and the scope of protection of this utility model is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of this utility model, but all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A line cleaning device, characterized in that, include: The pipe connector includes an air inlet port and an air outlet port that connect two adjacent pipe sections, and two installation ports that are respectively disposed opposite to the air inlet port and the air outlet port; A cleaning mechanism that is installed one-to-one at the two installation ports and can extend into the opposite pipe to clean the inner wall of the corresponding pipe; A blockage detection mechanism is installed one-to-one on the two sections of the pipeline to detect whether the corresponding pipeline is blocked; A controller is communicatively connected to each of the cleaning mechanisms and each of the blockage detection mechanisms to control the corresponding cleaning mechanism to perform cleaning when any of the blockage detection mechanisms detects a blockage in the corresponding pipeline.

2. A pipeline cleaning device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, The air inlet port and the air outlet port are arranged in an L-shape.

3. The line clearing device of claim 1, wherein, The cleaning mechanism includes a cylinder and a scraper, wherein the cylinder is installed to the corresponding installation port, and the cylinder is provided with a piston rod for reciprocating motion in the opposite pipeline, and the free end of the piston rod is connected to the scraper.

4. A pipeline cleaning device as claimed in claim 3, wherein, The scraper is conical, and the end with the larger outer diameter of the scraper is connected to the free end of the piston rod. The maximum outer diameter of the scraper matches the inner diameter of the corresponding pipeline.

5. The line clearing device of claim 1, wherein, The cleaning mechanism includes a motor, a brush rod connected to the motor, and a cleaning brush arranged along the brush rod, wherein the motor is installed to the corresponding installation port, the brush rod extends into the corresponding pipeline, and the size of the cleaning brush matches the inner diameter of the corresponding pipeline.

6. A pipeline cleaning device as claimed in claim 5, wherein, The brush rod is arranged along the central axis of the corresponding pipeline, and the diameter of the brush rod is much smaller than the inner diameter of the corresponding pipeline.

7. The line clearing device of claim 5, wherein, The cleaning brush is a steel brush or a bristle brush.

8. A pipeline cleaning device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The blockage detection mechanism is either a pressure detection mechanism or a flow detection mechanism.

9. A pipeline cleaning device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, It also includes a waste collector that communicates with the bottom of the pipe fitting.

10. A semiconductor process apparatus comprising a process chamber and an exhaust gas treatment device in communication with the process chamber through at least two sections of piping, characterized in that, The semiconductor process equipment further includes a pipeline cleaning device as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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