Vacuum processing system for semiconductor device manufacturing

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of vacuum processing system for semiconductor device manufacturing.Vacuum processing system includes main process cavity, loading lock chamber, inflation device and vacuum gauge.Loading lock chamber is communicated with main process cavity by gate, and the semiconductor device to be handled enters main process cavity via loading lock chamber.Inflation device is communicated with loading lock chamber by fast filling branch pipe and slow filling branch pipe respectively, fast filling branch pipe is provided with fast filling valve, slow filling branch pipe is provided with slow filling valve, and the flow capacity of fast filling branch pipe is greater than slow filling branch pipe.Vacuum gauge is arranged in main process cavity or loading lock chamber.In the case of opening whole machine inflation, gate and slow filling valve are opened in turn, and fast filling valve is opened after the measurement value of vacuum gauge increases to fast filling start threshold value.In the present vacuum processing system, the whole machine inflation speed can be improved without generating a large number of particle splashing, thereby improving the whole machine maintenance efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a vacuum processing system for manufacturing semiconductor devices. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor device manufacturing, many processes need to be performed in a vacuum environment. For example, scanning electron microscopes are needed to measure the dimensions of etched patterns on wafers and inspect for defects on wafers. Scanning electron microscopes must be used in a high-vacuum chamber (called the main chamber).

[0003] To maintain a high vacuum within the main process chamber, a small transition chamber (called a load lock chamber) is typically placed between the main process chamber and the outside environment. In operation, the semiconductor device to be processed is first transferred from the outside environment to the load lock chamber, then the load lock chamber is evacuated, and finally the semiconductor device to be processed is transferred to the main process chamber.

[0004] The main process chamber and the loading and locking chamber together constitute the vacuum processing system. The vacuum processing system requires regular maintenance. Before maintenance, the entire system must be pressurized to restore the main process chamber and loading and locking chamber to atmospheric pressure. After maintenance, the entire system must be evacuated to create a vacuum in the main process chamber and loading and locking chamber.

[0005] In related technologies, the loading and locking chamber typically uses a pipe with low flow capacity for slow inflation to avoid excessive particle splashing when inflation is too rapid. This results in a slow inflation speed when inflating the entire machine, leading to lower maintenance efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0006] In view of the above problems, this utility model is proposed to provide a vacuum processing system for semiconductor device manufacturing that overcomes or at least partially solves the above problems. It can solve the problems of slow inflation speed and low efficiency when the whole machine is inflated, and achieve the purpose of improving the inflation speed and maintenance efficiency of the whole machine.

[0007] Specifically, this utility model provides a vacuum processing system for semiconductor device manufacturing, including a main process chamber, a loading and locking chamber, a gas filling device, and a vacuum gauge.

[0008] The loading and locking chamber is connected to the main process chamber via a gate, and the semiconductor device to be processed enters the main process chamber through the loading and locking chamber. The gas charging device is connected to the loading and locking chamber through a fast-charging branch pipe and a slow-charging branch pipe, respectively. The fast-charging branch pipe is equipped with a fast-charging valve, and the slow-charging branch pipe is equipped with a slow-charging valve. The flow capacity of the fast-charging branch pipe is greater than that of the slow-charging branch pipe. The vacuum gauge is located in the main process chamber or the loading and locking chamber.

[0009] When the whole machine is being inflated, the gate and the slow charging valve open in sequence. After the vacuum gauge reading increases to the fast charging start threshold, the fast charging valve opens.

[0010] Optionally, the vacuum processing system further includes a main charging pipe with a main charging valve, which is connected to the inlet of the fast charging branch pipe and the slow charging branch pipe respectively.

[0011] Optionally, the vacuum processing system further includes a dry pump, a loading chamber molecular pump, a loading chamber gas pipe, a main chamber molecular pump, and a main chamber gas pipe.

[0012] The dry pump extraction pipe is connected between the loading locking chamber and the inlet of the dry pump, and is equipped with a coarse adjustment valve. The inlet of the loading chamber molecular pump is connected to the loading locking chamber. The loading chamber gas pipe is connected between the outlet of the loading chamber molecular pump and the inlet of the dry pump, and is equipped with a loading chamber valve. The inlet of the main chamber molecular pump is connected to the main process chamber. The main chamber gas pipe is connected between the outlet of the main chamber molecular pump and the inlet of the dry pump, and is equipped with a main chamber valve.

[0013] During the inflation process, the coarse adjustment valve, the loading chamber valve, and the main chamber valve are closed before the gate is opened.

[0014] Optionally, during the process of starting the whole machine for evacuation, the gate, the coarse adjustment valve, and the dry pump are opened in sequence. When the measured value of the vacuum gauge is reduced to the molecular pump start-up threshold, the coarse adjustment valve is closed, and the loading chamber valve, the loading chamber molecular pump, the main chamber valve, and the main chamber molecular pump are opened.

[0015] Optionally, the inlet of the loading chamber molecular pump is connected to the loading locking chamber via a gate valve.

[0016] During the inflation process, the gate valve is closed before the gate is opened.

[0017] During the process of evacuating the entire machine, the gate valve opens before the molecular pump in the loading chamber is turned on.

[0018] Optionally, the loading chamber molecular pump operates at an operating frequency determined by the difference between the target vacuum level and the measurement value of the vacuum gauge.

[0019] Optionally, the main chamber molecular pump operates at an operating frequency determined by the difference between the target vacuum level and the measurement value of the vacuum gauge.

[0020] Optionally, during the whole machine inflation process, the loading chamber molecular pump and the main chamber molecular pump are closed after the gate is opened, and the slow inflation valve is opened after the operating frequency of the loading chamber molecular pump and the main chamber molecular pump is reduced to a preset frequency.

[0021] Optionally, the vacuum processing system further includes a feedback sensor for collecting the closed position signal of each valve, so as to trigger an alarm if no closed position signal is collected within a preset time interval when any valve is closed during the process of filling or evacuating the whole machine.

[0022] Optionally, the vacuum processing system further includes a position sensor for obtaining the actual position of the gate, so as to trigger an alarm when the deviation between the actual position of the gate after it is opened and the preset position is greater than a preset range during the process of inflating or evacuating the whole machine.

[0023] Optionally, the flow capacity of the fast charging branch pipe is more than twice that of the slow charging branch pipe.

[0024] In the vacuum processing system for semiconductor device manufacturing of this utility model, by setting up fast charging branch pipe and slow charging branch pipe respectively, during the whole machine gas filling process, the slow charging branch pipe with a smaller flow capacity is used to slowly fill the gas first. After the vacuum gauge measurement value increases to the fast charging start threshold, the fast charging branch pipe is used to fill the gas at high speed / high flow rate. Without generating a large amount of particle splashing, the gas filling speed of the whole machine is improved, thereby improving the maintenance efficiency of the whole machine.

[0025] The above and other objects, advantages and features of this utility model will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of specific embodiments of this utility model in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The following sections will describe some specific embodiments of the present invention in a detailed manner by way of example and not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts or components. Those skilled in the art should understand that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a vacuum processing system for semiconductor device manufacturing according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic block diagram of a vacuum processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] List of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 100. Vacuum processing system; 110. Main process chamber; 120. Loading locking chamber; 121. Gate valve; 130. Inflation assembly; 131. Inflation device; 132. Fast-charge branch pipe; 133. Fast-charge valve; 134. Slow-charge branch pipe; 135. Slow-charge valve; 136. Inflation main pipe; 137. Main inflation valve; 141. Vacuum gauge; 142. Feedback sensor; 143. Position sensor; 150. Evacuation assembly; 151. Dry pump; 152. Dry pump evacuation pipe; 153. Coarse adjustment valve; 161. Loading chamber molecular pump; 162. Loading chamber gas pipe; 163. Loading chamber valve; 164. Gate valve; 171. Main chamber molecular pump; 172. Main chamber gas pipe; 173. Main chamber valve; 180. Controller. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The following reference Figures 1 to 2 This invention describes a vacuum processing system for semiconductor device manufacturing according to embodiments of the present invention. In this description, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature, that is, include one or more of that feature. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. When a feature "includes or contains" one or more of the features it encompasses, unless otherwise specifically described, this indicates that other features are not excluded and may be further included.

[0029] Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," "link," "fix," and "couple" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art should be able to understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0030] Furthermore, in the description of this embodiment, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or it can include contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. That is, in the description of this embodiment, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," or "below" of the second feature can mean the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0031] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this utility model. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a vacuum processing system for semiconductor device manufacturing according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 1 As shown, and with reference Figure 2 This utility model provides a vacuum processing system 100, including a main process chamber 110, a loading and locking chamber 120, an inflation device 131, and a vacuum gauge 141.

[0033] The loading and locking chamber 120 is connected to the main process chamber 110 via a gate 121. The semiconductor device to be processed enters the main process chamber 110 through the loading and locking chamber 120. The gas charging device 131 is connected to the loading and locking chamber 120 via a fast charging branch pipe 132 and a slow charging branch pipe 134, respectively. The fast charging branch pipe 132 is equipped with a fast charging valve 133, and the slow charging branch pipe 134 is equipped with a slow charging valve 135. The flow capacity of the fast charging branch pipe 132 is greater than that of the slow charging branch pipe 134. A vacuum gauge 141 is installed in either the main process chamber 110 or the loading and locking chamber 120.

[0034] When the whole machine is being charged, the gate 121 and the slow charge valve 135 open in sequence. After the measured value of the vacuum gauge 141 increases to the fast charge start threshold, the fast charge valve 133 opens.

[0035] The semiconductor device to be processed can be a wafer to be measured, inspected, or processed. A loading stage can be provided in the loading locking cavity 120 to fix the wafer transferred in from the outside.

[0036] The gate 121 is disposed between the loading locking cavity 120 and the main process cavity 110, and can be opened or closed by a drive assembly such as a cylinder. For example, when the cylinder drives the gate 121 to descend to the position, it opens the channel between the loading locking cavity 120 and the main process cavity 110; when the cylinder drives the gate 121 to rise to the position, it closes the channel between the loading locking cavity 120 and the main process cavity 110.

[0037] The loading and locking cavity 120 is typically also equipped with an external gate for connecting to the outside, allowing the wafers to be processed to be transferred into the loading and locking cavity 120 and the processed wafers to be transferred to the outside. During the entire machine's inflation and deflation processes, the external gate remains closed.

[0038] An operating table can be installed in the main process cavity 110 for processing the wafers transferred in via the loading and locking cavity 120.

[0039] Vacuum gauge 141 can be installed only in the main process chamber 110 or the loading locking chamber 120, or vacuum gauge 141 can be installed in both the main process chamber 110 and the loading locking chamber 120. Vacuum gauge 141 is used to measure the vacuum level in the main process chamber 110 and the loading locking chamber 120.

[0040] In this embodiment, the vacuum processing system 100 includes an inflation assembly 130, which includes an inflation device 131, a fast-charging branch pipe 132, a fast-charging valve 133, a slow-charging branch pipe 134, and a slow-charging valve 135. The inflation device 131 can fill the loading locking chamber 120 with nitrogen. The diameter of the fast-charging branch pipe 132 is larger than that of the slow-charging branch pipe 134, and the flow coefficient of the fast-charging valve 133 can be greater than that of the slow-charging valve 135.

[0041] Before the entire machine is pressurized, the main process chamber 110 and the loading and locking chamber 120 are in a high vacuum state (the pressure is usually below 1×10⁻). 6 (Tor). If nitrogen is directly injected at high speed / high flow rate, the gas molecules are very likely to impact the surface of the object inside the loading and locking cavity 120, generating a large number of particle splashes and contaminating the cleanliness of the loading and locking cavity 120.

[0042] In this embodiment, a fast-charging branch pipe 132 and a slow-charging branch pipe 134 are respectively provided. During the whole machine inflation process, with all valves closed, the gate valve 121 can be opened to connect the main process chamber 110 and the loading locking chamber 120, so that the main process chamber 110 and the loading locking chamber 120 can be inflated simultaneously. Then, the slow-charging valve 135 is opened, and nitrogen is slowly inflated using the slow-charging branch pipe 134 with a smaller flow capacity. When there is a certain amount of nitrogen in the main process chamber 110 and the loading locking chamber 120, and a large amount of particle splashing will not be generated when high-speed / high-flow nitrogen is inflated, the fast-charging valve 133 can be opened, and nitrogen can be inflated using the fast-charging branch pipe 132 to increase the inflation speed of the whole machine, thereby improving the maintenance efficiency of the whole machine. Specifically, during the inflation process using the slow-charging branch pipe 134, the vacuum level in the main process chamber 110 and the loading locking chamber 120 can be monitored in real time using a vacuum gauge 141. Once the measured value of vacuum gauge 141 increases to the fast charging start threshold (e.g., 7.5 × 10⁻¹ Torr), the fast charging valve 133 is opened.

[0043] After opening the fast charging valve 133, the slow charging valve 135 can be closed, and only the fast charging branch pipe 132 can be used for inflation. Alternatively, the slow charging valve 135 can be kept open, and both the fast charging branch pipe 132 and the slow charging branch pipe 134 can be used for inflation simultaneously.

[0044] Furthermore, since the vacuum processing system 100 has multiple gates, valves, and moving mechanisms, maintenance of the entire system relies on operators manually controlling each vacuum unit (e.g., the main process chamber, loading and locking chamber) one by one. Specifically, operators need to closely observe changes in the vacuum level of the vacuum processing system 100 and manually control each vacuum unit accordingly. This control includes adjusting the opening and closing of valves and controlling the start and stop of equipment such as the inflation device 131 to complete the inflation process. On the one hand, this manual operation mode demands a high level of professional skill and operational proficiency from the operators, and is relatively inefficient. On the other hand, during actual operation, human negligence or misunderstanding of the operational logic can easily lead to logical errors, resulting in damage to the components of the vacuum processing system 100.

[0045] Therefore, a controller 180 (e.g., a PLC) is further provided in this vacuum processing system 100. Specifically, the controller 180 can acquire data from various sensors and control the state of the gate 121, various valves, and motion mechanisms. During the whole-machine inflation operation, upon receiving the whole-machine inflation command, the controller 180 will automatically close each valve in sequence, including the slow inflation valve 135 and the fast inflation valve 133. Then, the gate 121 is opened, so that the loading locking chamber 120 is connected to the main process chamber 110, forming a complete chamber, so that the loading locking chamber 120 and the main process chamber 110 can be inflated simultaneously. Next, the controller 180 activates the inflation device 131 and the slow inflation valve 135 to slowly inflate the whole machine with nitrogen, while acquiring the measurement value of the vacuum gauge 141 in real time. After the measurement value of the vacuum gauge 141 increases to the fast inflation start threshold, the fast inflation valve 133 is opened to rapidly inflate the whole machine. When the measured value of vacuum gauge 141 increases to about atmospheric pressure (e.g., 764 Torr), the inflation device 131, fast inflation valve 133 and slow inflation valve 135 are closed to complete the inflation of the whole machine.

[0046] By setting the controller 180, the entire vacuum processing system 100 can be automatically charged, effectively avoiding the risks caused by human operation and improving the stability, reliability and efficiency of the entire machine's maintenance.

[0047] In some embodiments of the vacuum processing system of this invention, the flow capacity of the fast charging branch pipe 132 is more than twice that of the slow charging branch pipe 134. This further increases the overall charging speed and improves the overall maintenance efficiency without generating a large amount of particle splashing.

[0048] In some embodiments of the vacuum processing system of this utility model, such as Figure 1 As shown, the vacuum processing system 100 also includes a main charging pipe 136, on which a main charging valve 137 is provided, and which is connected to the inlet of the fast charging branch pipe 132 and the slow charging branch pipe 134 respectively.

[0049] The fast charging valve 133 is located at the connection between the fast charging branch pipe 132 and the loading locking cavity 120, and the slow charging valve 135 is located at the connection between the slow charging branch pipe 134 and the loading locking cavity 120.

[0050] During the inflation process, the main inflation valve 137 opens before the slow inflation valve 135 opens.

[0051] In this embodiment, by setting up the inflation manifold 136 and the main inflation valve 137, redundant safety protection can be provided for the inflation device 131, further optimizing the inflation process of the whole machine, preventing the fast inflation valve 133 from accidentally opening and causing a large number of particles to splash in the loading locking chamber 120, and also preventing the slow inflation valve 135 from accidentally opening and causing gas molecules to impact the impeller of the molecular pump used for pumping (such as the main chamber molecular pump, the loading chamber molecular pump, etc.), thus avoiding reducing the service life of the molecular pump.

[0052] In some embodiments of the vacuum processing system of this invention, the main filling valve 137 is in reverse relationship with the main chamber molecular pump 171 and the loading chamber molecular pump 161. That is, when the main chamber molecular pump 171 and the loading chamber molecular pump 161 are working, the main filling valve 137 is prohibited from being opened. When the main filling valve 137 is open, the main chamber molecular pump 171 and the loading chamber molecular pump 161 are prohibited from starting. In this way, it is possible to avoid the entire machine being filled with gas while the molecular pumps are running, and to prevent gas molecules from impacting the impellers of the main chamber molecular pump 171 and the loading chamber molecular pump 161.

[0053] In some embodiments of the vacuum processing system of this utility model, such as Figure 1 As shown, the vacuum processing system 100 also includes a dry pump 151, a loading chamber molecular pump 161, a loading chamber gas pipe 162, a main chamber molecular pump 171, and a main chamber gas pipe 172.

[0054] The inlet of dry pump 151 is connected to loading locking chamber 120 via dry pump suction pipe 152, and dry pump suction pipe 152 is equipped with coarse adjustment valve 153. The inlet of loading chamber molecular pump 161 is connected to loading locking chamber 120, and the outlet of loading chamber molecular pump 161 is connected to the inlet of dry pump 151 via loading chamber gas pipe 162, and loading chamber gas pipe 162 is equipped with loading chamber valve 163. The inlet of main chamber molecular pump 171 is connected to main process chamber 110, and the outlet of main chamber molecular pump 171 is connected to the inlet of dry pump 151 via main chamber gas pipe 172, and main chamber gas pipe 172 is equipped with main chamber valve 173.

[0055] During the inflation process, the coarse adjustment valve 153, the loading chamber valve 163, and the main chamber valve 173 are closed before the gate 121 is opened.

[0056] During the process of filling the whole machine with gas, the controller 180 will also close the coarse adjustment valve 153, the loading chamber valve 163 and the main chamber valve 173 between opening the gate 121 to prevent nitrogen leakage.

[0057] After maintenance of the vacuum processing system 100 is completed, the loading locking chamber 120 and the main process chamber 110 need to be restored to a high vacuum state. In this embodiment, the vacuum processing system 100 includes a pumping assembly 150, which includes a dry pump 151, a loading chamber molecular pump 161, a loading chamber gas pipe 162, a loading chamber valve 163, a main chamber molecular pump 171, a main chamber gas pipe 172, and a main chamber valve 173. The dry pump 151 is used to initially pump the loading locking chamber 120 and the main process chamber 110 to achieve a preliminary vacuum level. The loading chamber molecular pump 161 and the main chamber molecular pump 171 are used to further pump the loading locking chamber 120 and the main process chamber 110 to achieve a high vacuum level.

[0058] In some embodiments of the vacuum processing system of this utility model, such as Figure 1 As shown, during the process of starting the whole machine to pump air, the gate 121, coarse adjustment valve 153, and dry pump 151 are opened in sequence. When the measured value of vacuum gauge 141 is reduced to the molecular pump start-up threshold, the coarse adjustment valve 153 is closed, and the loading chamber valve 163, loading chamber molecular pump 161, main chamber valve 173, and main chamber molecular pump 171 are opened.

[0059] When the loading chamber molecular pump 161 and the main chamber molecular pump 171 are operating normally, they require a low vacuum environment (below the molecular pump start-up threshold). Therefore, it is necessary to first open the coarse adjustment valve 153 and the dry pump 151 to perform preliminary evacuation of the loading locking chamber 120 and the main process chamber 110. Only after the molecular pump start-up threshold is reached can the loading chamber molecular pump 161 and the main chamber molecular pump 171 be opened to further evacuate the loading locking chamber 120 and the main process chamber 110 to achieve a high vacuum.

[0060] Similar to the overall inflation process, the overall evacuation process also involves multiple gates, valves, and moving mechanisms. In this technology, operators must closely monitor changes in the vacuum level of the vacuum processing system 100 and manually control each vacuum unit accordingly. This control includes adjusting the opening and closing of valves and starting and stopping equipment such as dry pumps and molecular pumps to complete the overall evacuation process of the vacuum processing system 100. This method is inefficient and highly susceptible to damage to components of the vacuum processing system 100 due to human error.

[0061] In this embodiment, the controller 180 can acquire data from various sensors and control the states of the gate 121, various valves, the dry pump 151, the loading chamber molecular pump 161, and the main chamber molecular pump 171. Specifically, during the whole-machine evacuation operation, upon receiving the whole-machine charging and evacuation command, the controller 180 will automatically close each valve in sequence, including the coarse adjustment valve 153, the loading chamber valve 163, the main chamber valve 173, the slow charging valve 135, the fast charging valve 133, and the total charging valve 137. Then, the gate 121 is opened, connecting the loading locking chamber 120 with the main process chamber 110 to form a complete chamber, enabling simultaneous evacuation of both the loading locking chamber 120 and the main process chamber 110. Next, the controller 180 opens the coarse adjustment valve 153, starts the dry pump 151, evacuates the whole machine, and simultaneously acquires the measurement value of the vacuum gauge 141 in real time. After the measured value of vacuum gauge 141 decreases to the molecular pump start-up threshold (e.g., 3 × 10⁻² Torr), close coarse adjustment valve 153, and then sequentially open loading chamber valve 163, loading chamber molecular pump 161, main chamber valve 173, and main chamber molecular pump 171. Continue until the measured value of vacuum gauge 141 decreases to the required vacuum level (e.g., 1 × 10⁻² Torr). 6 When Torr is activated, the entire machine's air extraction operation is completed.

[0062] By setting the controller 180, the vacuum treatment system 100 can automatically complete the whole machine evacuation operation, effectively avoiding the risks caused by human operation and improving the stability, reliability and efficiency of the whole machine maintenance.

[0063] In some embodiments of the vacuum processing system of this utility model, during the whole machine inflation process, the loading chamber molecular pump 161 and the main chamber molecular pump 171 are closed after the gate 121 is opened, and the slow inflation valve 135 is opened after the operating frequency of the loading chamber molecular pump 161 and the main chamber molecular pump 171 is reduced to a preset frequency.

[0064] In this embodiment, the preset frequency can be lower than 10Hz, preferably 0Hz. This avoids opening the slow charge valve 135 during molecular pump operation, which would cause gas molecules to impact the impellers of the main chamber molecular pump 171 and the loading chamber molecular pump 161.

[0065] In some embodiments of the vacuum processing system of this utility model, such as Figure 1 As shown, the inlet of the loading chamber molecular pump 161 is connected to the loading locking chamber 120 through the gate valve 164.

[0066] During the inflation process, gate valve 164 closes before gate 121 opens.

[0067] During the process of evacuating the entire machine, gate valve 164 opens before the molecular pump 161 in the loading chamber opens.

[0068] Gate valve 164 is positioned between the inlet of the loading chamber molecular pump 161 and the loading locking chamber 120. On one hand, during the overall machine inflation process, closing gate valve 164 allows for pre-inflation without waiting for the loading chamber molecular pump 161 to decelerate to 0, thus increasing the overall inflation speed. On the other hand, during the overall machine evacuation process, closing gate valve 164 allows for pre-opening of the loading chamber molecular pump 161 without waiting for the vacuum gauge 141's measurement value to decrease to the molecular pump's start-up threshold, allowing the loading chamber molecular pump 161 to increase its operating frequency earlier, thereby increasing the overall evacuation speed.

[0069] In some embodiments of the vacuum processing system of this utility model, such as Figure 1-2 As shown, the loading chamber molecular pump 161 operates at an operating frequency determined by the difference between the target vacuum level and the measurement value of the vacuum gauge 141.

[0070] In this embodiment, the controller 180 can use a PID control algorithm to automatically control the operating frequency of the loading chamber molecular pump 161, thereby improving the pumping speed and pumping accuracy. The target vacuum level can be set, for example, to 1×10⁻⁻⁻⁶. 6 Torr.

[0071] In some embodiments of the vacuum processing system of this utility model, such as Figure 1-2 As shown, the main chamber molecular pump 171 operates at an operating frequency determined by the difference between the target vacuum level and the measurement value of the vacuum gauge 141.

[0072] In this embodiment, the controller 180 can use a PID control algorithm to automatically control the operating frequency of the main chamber molecular pump 171, thereby improving the pumping speed and pumping accuracy. The target vacuum level can be set, for example, to 1×10⁻⁻⁻⁶. 6 Torr.

[0073] In some embodiments of the vacuum processing system of this utility model, such as Figure 1-2 As shown, before starting the whole machine inflation or whole machine evacuation, the vacuum processing system 100 performs a system self-check to ensure that the vacuum processing system 100 is operating normally.

[0074] The system self-test is used to detect the status of each component of the vacuum processing system 100 to determine whether the vacuum processing system 100 is operating normally. For example, the controller 180 can set a Boolean variable for the detection result of each system component to be tested, assign a weight to each system component, and finally set a real number variable as the total score of the system self-test. The controller 180 can iterate through each component, calculate a score based on its detection result and weight, and accumulate it into the total score. Finally, the total score is compared with a preset score. If the total score is higher than the preset score, the self-test is deemed to have passed. If the total score is lower than the preset score, the self-test is deemed to have failed, and troubleshooting and handling work begins.

[0075] In some embodiments of the vacuum processing system of this utility model, such as Figure 1-2 As shown, the vacuum processing system 100 also includes a feedback sensor 142 for collecting the closed position signal of each valve, so as to trigger an alarm when no closed position signal is collected within a preset time interval when any valve is closed during the process of charging or evacuating the whole machine.

[0076] In this embodiment, each valve can be equipped with a feedback sensor 142 for detecting the closed state signal, and multiple timers are set in the controller 180. When any valve is closed, the corresponding timer is activated. When the timer reaches a preset time interval and the valve's feedback sensor 142 still does not return a closed signal, the valve is determined to be abnormally closed, an alarm signal is triggered, and troubleshooting and handling are initiated. This prevents inflation and deflation operations from being performed when the valve is not properly closed.

[0077] In some embodiments of the vacuum processing system of this utility model, such as Figure 1-2 As shown, the vacuum processing system 100 also includes a position sensor 143 for obtaining the actual position of the gate 121, so as to trigger an alarm when the deviation between the actual position of the gate 121 after it is opened and the preset position is greater than a preset range during the process of filling or evacuating the whole machine.

[0078] In this embodiment, the controller 180 can compare the actual position of the gate 121 with the preset position and calculate the deviation between the two. If the deviation is within the allowable range, it is determined that the gate 121 is open normally, and the loading locking cavity 120 and the main process cavity 110 are successfully integrated into a complete chamber. If the deviation is greater than the allowable range, it is determined that the gate 121 is not open normally, thereby triggering an alarm and initiating fault investigation and handling work.

[0079] Therefore, those skilled in the art should recognize that although many exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications conforming to the principles of the present invention can be directly determined or derived from the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be understood and recognized as covering all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A vacuum processing system for semiconductor device manufacturing, characterized in that, include: Main process cavity; A loading and locking cavity is connected to the main process cavity via a gate, and the semiconductor device to be processed enters the main process cavity through the loading and locking cavity; The inflation device is connected to the loading and locking cavity through a fast-charging branch pipe and a slow-charging branch pipe respectively. The fast-charging branch pipe is equipped with a fast-charging valve, and the slow-charging branch pipe is equipped with a slow-charging valve. The flow capacity of the fast-charging branch pipe is greater than that of the slow-charging branch pipe. A vacuum gauge is installed inside the main process chamber or the loading and locking chamber; and When the whole machine is being inflated, the gate and the slow charging valve open in sequence. After the vacuum gauge reading increases to the fast charging start threshold, the fast charging valve opens.

2. The vacuum processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The main inflation pipe is equipped with a main inflation valve and is connected to the inlet of the fast-charging branch pipe and the slow-charging branch pipe, respectively.

3. The vacuum processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Dry pump; A dry pump suction pipe is connected between the loading locking chamber and the inlet of the dry pump, and a coarse adjustment valve is provided. A loading chamber molecular pump, the inlet of which is connected to the loading locking chamber; A loading chamber gas pipe is connected between the outlet of the loading chamber molecular pump and the inlet of the dry pump, and a loading chamber valve is provided. A main chamber molecular pump, the inlet of which is connected to the main process chamber; A main chamber gas tube connects the outlet of the main chamber molecular pump to the inlet of the dry pump and is equipped with a main chamber valve; and During the inflation process, the coarse adjustment valve, the loading chamber valve, and the main chamber valve are closed before the gate is opened.

4. The vacuum processing system according to claim 3, characterized in that, During the process of starting the whole machine for evacuation, the gate, the coarse adjustment valve, and the dry pump are opened in sequence. When the measured value of the vacuum gauge decreases to the molecular pump start-up threshold, the coarse adjustment valve is closed, and the loading chamber valve, the loading chamber molecular pump, the main chamber valve, and the main chamber molecular pump are opened.

5. The vacuum processing system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The inlet of the molecular pump in the loading chamber is connected to the loading locking chamber via a gate valve; During the inflation process, the gate valve is closed before the gate is opened; During the process of evacuating the entire machine, the gate valve opens before the molecular pump in the loading chamber is turned on.

6. The vacuum processing system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The loading chamber molecular pump operates at an operating frequency determined by the difference between the target vacuum level and the measurement value of the vacuum gauge; and / or The main chamber molecular pump operates at an operating frequency determined by the difference between the target vacuum level and the measurement value of the vacuum gauge.

7. The vacuum processing system according to claim 3, characterized in that, During the inflation process, the loading chamber molecular pump and the main chamber molecular pump close after the gate is opened, and the slow-charge valve opens after the operating frequencies of the loading chamber molecular pump and the main chamber molecular pump are reduced to a preset frequency.

8. The vacuum processing system according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, Also includes: Feedback sensors are used to collect the closed status signals of each valve separately, so that an alarm is triggered if no closed status signal is collected within a preset time interval when any valve is closed during the process of charging or evacuating the whole machine.

9. The vacuum processing system according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, Also includes: A position sensor is used to obtain the actual position of the gate, so that when the deviation between the actual position of the gate after it is opened and the preset position is greater than a preset range during the process of inflating or deflating the whole machine, an alarm is triggered.

10. The vacuum processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flow capacity of the fast charging branch pipe is more than twice that of the slow charging branch pipe.

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