High pressure substrate processing apparatus and cold trap used therefor
The high-pressure substrate processing apparatus with a cold trap system efficiently captures and solidifies by-products in a low-temperature zone, addressing clogging issues and maintaining gas pressure adjustment, thereby protecting gas exhausters and components.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2025010413
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-01-24
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-24
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-05
AI Technical Summary
Existing substrate processing apparatuses face issues with by-products solidifying and clogging exhaust paths due to inefficient cooling, leading to adverse effects on gas exhausters and subsequent components, particularly in high-pressure environments.
A high-pressure substrate processing apparatus with a cold trap system that includes a cooling plate and refrigerant line to cool and collect by-products, positioned in a low-temperature zone within the outer chamber, effectively capturing and solidifying by-products before they reach the gas exhauster.
The cold trap system prevents by-product-related clogging and maintains efficient gas pressure adjustment, reducing the need for high-pressure design and enhancing by-product collection efficiency, thus protecting gas exhausters and downstream components.
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Figure 2025114519000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a cold trap and a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus having the same. [Background technology]
[0002] Generally, during the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, semiconductor wafers undergo various processes, such as oxidation, nitridation, deposition, and ion implantation. Heat treatment using hydrogen or deuterium is also used to improve the interface characteristics of semiconductor devices.
[0003] A process gas is supplied to the chamber and acts on the semiconductor wafer for processing. During the action of the process gas, by-products such as particles may be emitted from the semiconductor wafer.
[0004] In the exhaust stage after processing, the by-products are mixed with the process gas and discharged. The by-products are in a gaseous state in a high temperature environment, but solidify during or after leaving the chamber.
[0005] The solidified by-products stick to the inner walls of exhaust pipes, gas exhaust valves, scrubbers, vacuum pumps, etc. This causes problems such as clogging of flow passages such as pipes and valves. The problem area can extend over a considerable distance along the flow path of the gas and by-products. To address this problem, devices are used to collect the by-products. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0006] The inventors have found that the by-product collector cools the exhaust gas and collects the by-products, and the cooling performance determines the efficiency of the by-product collection. The by-product collector is traditionally installed immediately before the scrubber to address the problem of clogging of the flow passages between the scrubber and the vacuum pump.
[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus and a cold trap used therein that can prevent adverse effects of by-products on a gas exhauster that regulates gas exhaust from a chamber and subsequent components.
[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus and a cold trap used therein that can minimize the burden of high-pressure design on the cold trap even when the cold trap is used in a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus.
[0009] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]
[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus for achieving the above object may include: an inner chamber formed to accommodate a substrate to be processed; an outer chamber including a housing with a protective chamber and a partition plate arranged to divide the protective chamber into a high-temperature zone accommodating the inner chamber and a low-temperature zone having a temperature lower than that of the high-temperature zone; an air supply module configured to supply a reactive gas for processing the substrate to the inner chamber to reach a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, and to supply a protective gas to a space between the outer chamber and the inner chamber to reach a second pressure set relative to the first pressure; an exhaust module connected to the inner chamber and including an exhaust pipe passing through the low-temperature zone, and configured to exhaust a mixed gas containing the reactive gas and by-products generated by the processing; and a cold trap connected to the exhaust pipe and positioned in the low-temperature zone, the cold trap having a cooling plate configured to cool and collect the by-products in the mixed gas.
[0011] Here, the cold trap may further include a refrigerant line through which a refrigerant flows, and the cooling plate may be connected to the refrigerant line to discharge heat of the mixed gas to the refrigerant.
[0012] Here, the refrigerant line may include a cooling coil wound in a coil shape, and the cooling plate may be coupled to the cooling coil.
[0013] Here, the cooling plate may include a hollow portion formed to communicate with the refrigerant line and to receive the refrigerant.
[0014] Here, the cold trap may further include a casing that accommodates the cooling plate, and an entire section of the cooling plate along an outer circumferential direction may be spaced apart from an inner circumferential surface of the casing to allow the mixed gas to pass through.
[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, a cold trap for a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus includes: a casing having an internal space communicating with an inlet and an outlet; a cooling plate disposed in the internal space and configured to cool and primarily collect by-products contained in a mixed gas flowing from a substrate processing chamber into the internal space through the inlet; and a refrigerant line disposed behind the cooling plate in the internal space along the flow direction of the mixed gas from the inlet to the outlet, configured to accommodate a refrigerant and connected to the cooling plate so that heat of the mixed gas is discharged to the refrigerant, and the refrigerant line may define a well space configured to cool and secondary collect the by-products.
[0016] Here, the refrigerant line may include a cooling coil wound around a winding axis to define the well space.
[0017] Here, the cooling plate may be coupled to the cooling coil.
[0018] Here, the cooling plate may include a hollow portion formed to communicate with the refrigerant line and to receive the refrigerant.
[0019] Here, an entire section of the cooling plate along an outer circumferential direction may be spaced apart from an inner circumferential surface of the casing to allow the mixed gas to pass through.
[0020] Here, a filter may be further included, positioned behind the well space along the flow direction, and a distance between the cooling plate and the inlet may be greater than a distance between the filter and the outlet.
[0021] According to another aspect of the present invention, a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus may include an inner chamber configured to accommodate a substrate to be processed; an outer chamber configured to accommodate the inner chamber; an air supply module configured to supply a reactive gas for processing the substrate to the inner chamber to a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure and to supply a protective gas to a space between the outer chamber and the inner chamber to a second pressure set relative to the first pressure; an exhaust module including an exhaust pipe connected to the inner chamber and a gas discharger installed in the exhaust pipe and configured to control the discharge of a mixed gas containing the reactive gas and by-products generated by the processing; and a cold trap connected to the exhaust pipe and positioned before the gas discharger, the cold trap including a cooling plate configured to cool the mixed gas and collect the by-products.
[0022] Here, the cold trap may be disposed within the outer chamber so as to be externally exposed to the second pressure by the protective gas and internally exposed to the first pressure by the mixed gas.
[0023] Here, the first pressure may be several tens of ATM, and the difference between the first pressure and the second pressure may be 2 ATM or less.
[0024] Here, the cold trap may include a cooling plate configured to cool and primarily collect by-products contained in the mixed gas; and a cooling coil defining a well space configured to cool and secondarily collect the by-products. [Effects of the Invention]
[0025] In the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, gas is supplied to the inner chamber accommodating the substrate and the outer chamber surrounding the inner chamber to reach a first or second pressure, respectively, and when the gas in the inner chamber is exhausted, the cold trap is installed and operated before the gas exhauster, thereby preventing the adverse effects of by-products on the gas exhauster and subsequent components. This allows for more accurate adjustment of the gas pressure difference between the inner and outer chambers. Furthermore, since the cold trap is located within the outer chamber, the adverse effects of by-products do not extend beyond the outer chamber.
[0026] When the cold trap is located in an external chamber and is internally exposed to a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, and externally exposed to a second pressure set in a certain relationship to the first pressure, a high-pressure design for the cold trap may not be necessary despite high-pressure processing of the substrate.
[0027] By placing the cold trap in a low temperature zone within the outer chamber that is distinct from the high temperature zone, the cold trap can more effectively cool the gases exhausted from the inner chamber and more efficiently collect by-products. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram of a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the specific relationship between the chamber and the cold trap of FIG. 1; FIG. [Figure 3]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the structure of the cold trap of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the casing and the cooling plate in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the main components of a cold trap according to a modified example of the cold trap shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the main components of a cold trap according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the main components of a cold trap according to a modified example of the cold trap of FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0029] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0030] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be modified in various ways and realized in various different forms. However, the present embodiments are provided so that the disclosure of the present invention will be complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the technical spirit and scope of the present invention, as well as the substitution or addition of the configuration of any one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment.
[0031] The accompanying drawings are merely for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and should not be construed as limiting the technical ideas disclosed in this specification, but should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or alternatives included within the idea and technical scope of the present invention. In the drawings, the size and thickness of components may be exaggerated or reduced for ease of understanding, but this should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0032] The terms used in this specification are merely used to describe particular implementations or embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, singular terms include plural terms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the specification, terms such as "comprises," "consists," and the like are intended to specify the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification. In other words, in the specification, terms such as "comprises," "consists," and the like should be understood not to preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.
[0033] Terms including ordinal numbers such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The terms are used only to distinguish one component from another.
[0034] When a component is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly coupled or connected to the other component, but that there may be other components in between. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly coupled" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.
[0035] When a component is referred to as being "on top of" or "under" another component, it should be understood that it may not only be located directly on top of the other component, but that there may also be other components in between.
[0036] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms commonly used and predefined should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning they have in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning unless expressly defined in this application.
[0037] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0038] Referring to the figure, a high pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 may include an inner chamber 110 , an outer chamber 120 , an air supply module 130 , an exhaust module 140 , and a cold trap 150 .
[0039] The inner chamber 110 has a housing (inner housing) that forms a processing area for accommodating a substrate. A door for opening and closing the processing area is provided at the bottom of the housing. The inner chamber 110 may be made of a non-metallic material, such as quartz, to reduce the risk of contamination of the substrate in a high-temperature and high-pressure working environment. The substrate may be, for example, a semiconductor wafer mounted on a loading platform. The substrate is not limited to a wafer and may be any other base structure for manufacturing a circuit. For example, the substrate may include glass for display manufacturing. The loading platform may be a boat that loads one or more substrates.
[0040] The outer chamber 120 may include an (outer) housing 121 having a protective area for accommodating the inner chamber 110. A door may also be provided at the bottom of the housing 121. The door (outer door) may open the protective area in conjunction with the movement of the door (inner door) of the inner chamber 110. The inner chamber 110 may be installed in the outer chamber 120. Unlike the inner chamber 110, the outer chamber 120 may be made of metal to avoid contamination issues.
[0041] The gas supply module 130 is configured to supply gas to the inner chamber 110 and the outer chamber 120. The gas supply module 130 includes a gas supplier 131 serving as a gas source. The gas supplier 131 may selectively supply a reactive gas, such as hydrogen gas (H), deuterium gas (D), fluorine gas (F), ammonia gas (NH), chlorine gas (Cl), or nitrogen gas (N), to the inner chamber 110. The gas supplier 131 may supply a protective gas, such as an inert gas such as nitrogen gas or argon gas (Ar), to the outer chamber 120. The reactive gas and the protective gas are supplied to the inner chamber 110 and the outer chamber 120 via a reactive gas line 133 and a protective gas line 135, respectively. The protective gas supplied to the outer chamber 120 is specifically supplied to the space (protective space) between the outer chamber 120 and the inner chamber 110. The reactive gas and the protective gas may be simply referred to as process gases.
[0042] The process gas may be supplied to the chambers 110 and 120 at a pressure (high pressure) higher than atmospheric pressure, for example, several atmospheres to several tens of atmospheres or more. When the process gas is supplied, the pressure of the inner chamber 110 is a first pressure and the pressure of the outer chamber 120 (the protective space) is a second pressure, and these pressures can be maintained within a set relationship (range). For example, the second pressure may be set to be substantially the same as or slightly higher than the first pressure. This pressure relationship provides the advantage of preventing leakage of the reaction gas from the inner chamber 110 and cracking of the inner chamber 110. The second pressure may be set slightly lower than the first pressure, achieving similar effects to those achieved by the aforementioned relationship. The pressure difference between the first pressure and the second pressure may be, for example, 2 ATM or less.
[0043] The exhaust module 140 is configured to exhaust the process gas. An exhaust pipe 141 may be connected to the upper part of the inner chamber 110 to exhaust the reaction gas from the inner chamber 110. A gas exhauster 143 may be installed in the exhaust pipe 141. The gas exhauster 143 may be a gas exhaust valve that adjusts the exhaust flow rate of the reaction gas. The first pressure may be maintained or adjusted lower depending on the operation of the gas exhauster 143. The reaction gas is mixed with by-products generated by processing the substrate. Since the reaction gas and the by-products are mixed together, they may be referred to as a mixed gas.
[0044] Similarly, an exhaust pipe 145 communicating with the outer chamber 120 and a gas exhauster 147 installed therein are provided to exhaust the protective gas from the outer chamber 120. When the exhaust pipes 141 and 145 are integrated into one, the reaction gas is diluted with the protective gas, and its concentration decreases.
[0045] The cold trap 150 is configured to collect the by-products in the mixed gas flowing along the exhaust pipe 141. The by-products exist in a gaseous form in a high-temperature environment and are solidified by cooling. The cold trap 150 may be located in the exhaust pipe 141 before the gas ejector 143 along the gas discharge direction. The cold trap 150 may also be located within the outer chamber 120 in communication with the exhaust pipe 141, but is not limited thereto. In an alternative embodiment, the cold trap 150 may be located outside the outer chamber 120.
[0046] According to this configuration, the gas discharger 143 is used to discharge the reaction gas from the inner chamber 110 to adjust (reduce) the first pressure. Adjusting the first pressure involves adjusting the second pressure, which has a set relationship with the first pressure. Because the protective gas is not contaminated with by-products, the gas discharger 147 for adjusting the second pressure is not adversely affected by the by-products. In contrast, the gas discharger 143 for adjusting the first pressure may be adversely affected by the by-products. Nevertheless, the cold trap 150 is positioned before the gas discharger 143 and collects the by-products before they enter the gas discharger 143, allowing the gas discharger 143 to operate normally without being adversely affected by the by-products. As a result, the cold trap 150 is important not only for adjusting the first pressure but also for adjusting the second pressure relative to the first pressure.
[0047] By positioning the cold trap 150 within the external chamber 120, the by-products are collected within the external chamber 120. The by-products do not adversely affect areas beyond the external chamber 120, specifically the portion of the exhaust pipe 141 next to the cold trap 150, the gas ejector 143, the scrubber, and the like.
[0048] The cold trap 150 is internally exposed to the first pressure because it is connected to the inner chamber 110 via the exhaust pipe 141. The cold trap 150 is externally exposed to the second pressure due to the protective gas. The second pressure maintains a set relationship with the first pressure, so the pressure difference between them is not large. Even if the first pressure reaches several tens of atmospheres, the cold trap 150 is exposed to the pressure difference, not the first pressure. Therefore, the cold trap 150 does not require a high-pressure design corresponding to several tens of atmospheres.
[0049] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the specific relationship between the chamber and cold trap of FIG.
[0050] Referring to this drawing, the housing 121 of the outer chamber 120 may include a body portion 121a and a cover portion 121b. The body portion 121a may have a generally cylindrical shape, and the cover portion 121b may have a generally dome shape.
[0051] The protection chamber is divided into two areas by a partition plate 125. The partition plate 125 may be supported by the body part 121a and disposed below the cover part 121b. The partition plate 125 defines a high temperature area 123 together with the body part 121a, and defines a low temperature area 127 together with the cover part 121b. The high temperature area 123 and the low temperature area 127 are in communication with each other via a communication hole (not shown) formed in the partition plate 125, and may have the same pressure (the second pressure) therebetween.
[0052] In addition to the inner chamber 110, a heating module 160 may also be disposed in the high temperature zone 123. The heating module 160 may include a heater 161 and an insulating block 165. The heater 161 may have a shape that surrounds the inner chamber 110. The heat generated by the heater 161 heats the protective gas in the high temperature zone 123 and the reactive gas in the inner chamber 110. By operating the heater 161, the temperature of the reactive gas can reach several hundred to several thousand degrees Celsius. The insulating block 165 prevents the heat from the heater 161 from being transmitted to the body 121a.
[0053] Corresponding to the heater 161, a heat insulating layer 125a may be provided on the lower part of the partition plate 125. The heat insulating layer 125a may be disposed on the upper side of the heating module 160 so as to face the heater 161.
[0054] A cooling layer 125b may be provided on the upper part of the partition plate 125. The cooling layer 125b may have a space for accommodating a refrigerant, for example, cooling water. Corresponding to the cooling layer 125b, a space for accommodating the refrigerant may also be provided in the cover part 121b. The refrigerant is not limited to the cooling water, but may also be a cooling gas.
[0055] The refrigerant contained in the cover portion 121b and / or the cooling layer 125b can fill the low temperature zone 127 with cold air, thereby allowing the low temperature zone 127 to be maintained at a temperature much lower than that of the high temperature zone 123, for example, at a temperature several times lower or several tens of times lower than that of the high temperature zone 123.
[0056] The cold trap 150 may be installed in the exhaust pipe 141 while being located in the low temperature zone 127. Not only the mixed gas flowing along the exhaust pipe 141 and the cold trap 150, but also the cold trap 150 is subject to the cold air.
[0057] According to this configuration, the mixed gas flows from the high-temperature zone 123 to the low-temperature zone 127 along the exhaust pipe 141 and then enters the cold trap 150. The mixed gas passes through the cold trap 150 at a temperature lower than the high temperature used for processing the substrate. The low-temperature zone 127 serves to improve the cooling performance of the cold trap 150 by preemptively or preemptively cooling the mixed gas. As a result, the cooling load on the cold trap 150 is reduced or the cooling efficiency of the cold trap 150 is increased. The collection efficiency of the by-products in the cold trap 150 is also improved.
[0058] In an alternative embodiment, the protective chamber may form a single space that is not divided into high temperature zone 123 and low temperature zone 127 (see FIG. 1). Cold trap 150 may be located within the single space, for example, in an area least susceptible to thermal influence from heater 161.
[0059] The specific structure of cold trap 150 will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the structure of the cold trap in Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the casing and the cooling plate in Figure 3.
[0060] Referring to this figure, cold trap 150 may include a casing 151 , a cooling coil 155 , a cooling plate 158 , and a filter 159 .
[0061] The casing 151 is a hollow body having an internal space. The casing 151 may have, for example, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The casing 151 may be made of, for example, metal or synthetic resin. An inlet 152 may be formed on one side of the casing 151, and an outlet 153 may be formed on the other side. Both the inlet 152 and the outlet 153 communicate with the exhaust pipe 141 (see FIG. 1). While the mixed gas flows in a flow direction (F) from the inlet 152 to the outlet 153, the by-products are collected in the casing 151.
[0062] The cooling coil 155 is disposed in the internal space and configured to cool the mixed gas and the cooling plate 158. The cooling coil 155 may be part of a refrigerant line and may be wound in a coil shape around a winding axis C. The cooling coil 155 accommodates the refrigerant and extends the time the refrigerant remains in the internal space. The refrigerant line may further include a refrigerant supply pipe 156 and a refrigerant return pipe 157 connected to the cooling coil 155. The refrigerant is supplied to the cooling coil 155 through the refrigerant supply pipe 156 and exits the cooling coil 155 through the refrigerant return pipe 157. The refrigerant supply pipe 156 and the refrigerant return pipe 157 may extend at least partially along a cross direction (I) that intersects the flow direction (F). The refrigerant line may be connected to a supply line that supplies the refrigerant to the cover portion 121b and the partition plate 125 (see FIG. 2).
[0063] The cooling plate 158 is configured to cool the mixed gas and collect the by-products. The cooling plate 158 is disposed to face the inlet 152. The central region of the cooling plate 158 is located at a height corresponding to the inlet 152. The cooling plate 158 may be flat and solid. Although the cooling plate 158 is illustrated as a circular plate, the present invention is not limited thereto. In an alternative embodiment, the cooling plate 158 may be a polygonal plate, such as a square plate.
[0064] The cooling plate 158 may be coupled to the refrigerant line, specifically, the cooling coil 155. The cooling plate 158 may be welded to the cooling coil 155, for example. The cooling plate 158 allows heat from the mixed gas to be discharged to the cooling coil 155, specifically, the refrigerant. The heat is transferred to the cooling coil 155 via the cooling plate 158. The cooling plate 158 is positioned in front of the cooling coil 155 along the flow direction (F) and is arranged parallel to the winding axis C of the cooling coil 155. Because the cooling plate 158 is coupled to the cooling coil 155 rather than the casing 151, the entire section of the cooling plate 158 along the outer circumferential direction (circumferential direction) is separated from the inner circumferential surface of the casing 151. The mixed gas can flow freely through the separation space T between the cooling plate 158 and the casing 151.
[0065] The filter 159 is configured to filter the by-products in the internal space. The filter 159 may be disposed between the cooling coil 155 and the outlet 153. A mesh portion 159a, which is a part of the filter 159, may be positioned at a different height from the outlet 153. The remaining portion of the filter 159 excluding the mesh portion 159a is solid, thereby preventing the flow of the mixed gas. The distance (W2) between the filter 159 and the outlet 153 may be smaller than the distance (W1) between the cooling plate 158 and the inlet 152.
[0066] With this configuration, the by-products in the mixed gas that has flowed into the internal space are primarily solidified by the cooling action of the cooling plate 158. The open space 158a corresponding to the distance W1 allows a considerable amount of by-products to adhere to the cooling plate 158. As the by-products adhere to the cooling plate 158, the by-products take the shape of, for example, a bell lying down in the open space 158a.
[0067] By-products not collected on the cooling plate 158 may be collected secondarily in the cooling coil 155. The cooling coil 155 also solidifies the by-products through the action of the refrigerant. The by-products may adhere to the outer surface of the cooling coil 155 or may separate from the outer surface and accumulate in a well space 155a defined by the cooling coil 155. Even if some of the by-products float, they are filtered by a filter 159. In an alternative embodiment, the well space 155a may be formed into an overall cylindrical shape with the refrigerant line extending in a zigzag pattern.
[0068] The by-products are solidified twice, in the open space 158a and the well space 155a, so that the by-products can be more reliably collected. Furthermore, floating by-products are not discharged to the outside through the filter 159. Since the by-products are thoroughly controlled, the problem of clogging of the gas flow path after the cold trap 150 due to the by-products does not occur.
[0069] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the main components of a cold trap according to a modification of the cold trap shown in FIG.
[0070] Referring to this figure, in the cold trap 150' according to this modification, the cooling plate 158' can be coupled to the cooling coil 155 by a method other than welding.
[0071] Specifically, the cooling plate 158' may have a hook portion 158b, which may be welded to the cooling plate 158' or may be tightly fitted using a groove and protrusion structure.
[0072] The hook portion 158b can be fitted into the cooling coil 155 to connect the cooling plate 158' to the cooling coil 155. The cooling plate 158' is connected to the cooling coil 155 via the hook portion 158b.
[0073] Even in this case, the heat of the cooling plate 158' can be transferred to the cooling coil 155 via the hook portion 158b without any problem.
[0074] FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the main components of a cold trap according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0075] Referring to this drawing, in another form of cold trap 250, the cooling plate 258 communicates with the cooling coil 255. As a result, the refrigerant flowing through the cooling coil 255 can be configured to flow inside the cooling plate 258. The cooling plate 258 can occupy a space independent of the cooling coil 255. For example, the cooling coil 255 can be located outside the cooling plate 258.
[0076] The cooling plate 258 has a hollow container 258a. A partition wall 258b may be disposed in the hollow portion of the container 258a. The partition wall 258b forms a path through which the coolant flows in the hollow portion.
[0077] According to this configuration, the refrigerant can come into more direct contact with the mixed gas or the by-products than in the previous embodiment, thereby allowing the heat of the mixed gas to be transferred to the refrigerant more efficiently.
[0078] FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the main components of a cold trap according to a modification of the cold trap shown in FIG.
[0079] Referring to this drawing, in the cold trap 250' according to this modification, the cooling plate 258' is not connected to the cooling coil 255, but is supplied with the refrigerant via a separate path. A separate refrigerant supply line 258c and a refrigerant recovery line 258d can be connected to the cooling plate 258'. The refrigerant supply line 258c and the refrigerant recovery line 258d can constitute part of the refrigerant line. The partition wall 258b in the container 258a can form a refrigerant flow path (not shown) connecting the refrigerant supply line 258c and the refrigerant recovery line 258d, for example, via a hole.
[0080] According to this configuration, the cooling plate 258' may not be connected to the cooling coil 255. Furthermore, the cooling plate 258' alone may be disposed in the interior space without the cooling coil 255 to capture the by-products.
[0081] Although the present specification has been described with reference to a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 having a dual chamber, the present invention is not limited thereto. The cold traps 150, 150', 250, and 250' may also be applied to a processing apparatus having a single chamber. The single chamber comprises a housing and a door. A substrate is placed in the processing chamber of the chamber, and a reactive gas for processing the substrate is supplied. The housing and the door may correspond to the inner housing and the inner door of the dual chamber. The reactive gas may have a pressure equal to, greater than, or equal to atmospheric pressure. The cold trap may be located before a gas exhauster.
[0082] The configuration of cold traps 150, 150', 250, and 250' can also be applied to a semi-dual chamber, which is an intermediate configuration between the dual chamber and the single chamber. The semi-dual chamber may have two housings (an inner housing and an outer housing) and one door. The two housings may be joined by their own shapes or by interposing a separate member to form a closed space (corresponding to the protective space). As in the previous embodiment, the substrate may be placed in the processing chamber of the inner housing and the reaction gas may be injected, and the protective gas may be injected into the closed space. Unlike the previous embodiment, the door is not completely protected by the protective gas and is exposed to the outside. In this respect, the door corresponds to the external door in the previous embodiment. The door can open and close the processing chamber. The cold traps 150, 150', 250, and 250' may be located in the closed space.
[0083] Although a batch-type processing apparatus is exemplified in this specification, the present invention is not limited thereto, and can also be applied to a single-wafer-type processing apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]
[0084] 100 High-pressure substrate processing equipment 110 inner chamber 120 outer chamber 130 Air Supply Module 140 Exhaust Module 150, 150', 250, 250' cold trap 151 Casing 155, 255 Cooling coil 158, 158', 258, 258' cooling plate 160 Heating Module
Claims
1. an interior chamber configured to accommodate a substrate to be processed; an outer chamber including a housing having a protective chamber and a partition plate arranged to partition the protective chamber into a high temperature area containing the inner chamber and a low temperature area having a temperature lower than that of the high temperature area; an air supply module configured to supply a reactive gas for processing the substrate to the inner chamber to reach a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, and to supply a protective gas to a space between the outer chamber and the inner chamber to reach a second pressure set in relation to the first pressure; an exhaust module communicating with the internal chamber and including an exhaust pipe passing through the low-temperature zone, configured to exhaust a mixed gas containing the reaction gas and by-products generated by the process; and a cold trap located in the low-temperature region and communicating with the exhaust pipe, the cold trap comprising a cooling plate configured to cool and collect the by-products in the mixed gas; A high-pressure substrate processing apparatus comprising:
2. The cold trap is Further including a refrigerant line through which a refrigerant flows, The cooling plate is The high pressure substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a cooling medium line connected to the cooling medium line, configured to discharge heat of the mixed gas into the cooling medium.
3. The refrigerant line is a cooling coil wound in a coil shape; The cooling plate is The high pressure substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 coupled to said cooling coil.
4. The cooling plate is The high pressure substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a hollow portion formed to communicate with the coolant line and receive the coolant.
5. The cold trap is further comprising a casing that houses the cooling plate; The entire section along the outer circumferential direction of the cooling plate is The high pressure substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the gas passage is formed to be spaced apart from the inner peripheral surface of the casing and to allow the mixed gas to pass through.
6. a casing having an interior space communicating with the inlet and the outlet; a cooling plate disposed in the internal space and configured to cool and temporarily collect by-products contained in the mixed gas flowing from the substrate processing chamber into the internal space through the inlet; and a refrigerant line configured to accommodate a refrigerant and disposed behind the cooling plate in the internal space along a flow direction of the mixed gas from the inlet to the outlet, and connected to the cooling plate so that heat of the mixed gas is discharged to the refrigerant; Including, The refrigerant line is defining a well space formed for cooling and secondary collection of said by-products; Cold trap for high-pressure substrate processing equipment.
7. The refrigerant line is 7. The cold trap for use in a high pressure substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a cooling coil wound about a winding axis to define said well space.
8. The cooling plate is The cold trap for a high pressure substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 , coupled to the cooling coil.
9. The cooling plate is 7. The cold trap for use in a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a hollow portion formed to communicate with said refrigerant line and to receive said refrigerant.
10. The entire section along the outer circumferential direction of the cooling plate is 7. The cold trap for a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the cold trap is formed apart from the inner peripheral surface of the casing to allow the mixed gas to pass through.
11. further comprising a filter positioned behind the well space along the flow direction; The distance between the cooling plate and the inlet is The cold trap for a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the cold trap has a spacing greater than the spacing between the filter and the outlet.
12. an interior chamber configured to accommodate a substrate to be processed; an outer chamber configured to accommodate the inner chamber; an air supply module configured to supply a reactive gas for processing the substrate to the inner chamber to reach a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, and to supply a protective gas to a space between the outer chamber and the inner chamber to reach a second pressure set in relation to the first pressure; an exhaust module including an exhaust pipe communicating with the internal chamber and a gas exhauster installed in the exhaust pipe and configured to regulate the exhaust of a mixed gas containing the reaction gas and by-products generated by the process; and a cold trap having a cooling plate configured to cool the mixed gas and collect the by-products, the cold trap being located in front of the gas discharger and communicating with the exhaust pipe; A high-pressure substrate processing apparatus comprising:
13. The cold trap is The high pressure substrate processing apparatus of claim 12 , disposed within the outer chamber so as to be externally exposed to the second pressure by the protective gas and internally exposed to the first pressure by the mixed gas.
14. the first pressure is several tens of ATM; The high pressure substrate processing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the difference between the first pressure and the second pressure is 2 ATM or less.
15. The cold trap is a cooling plate configured to cool and temporarily collect by-products contained in the mixed gas; and 13. The high pressure substrate processing apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a cooling coil defining a well space formed to cool and secondarily collect the by-products.
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