Heater system for gas treatment components

Abstract

A heater system for semiconductor processing includes a base, a plurality of gas processing components, and a heater. The plurality of gas processing components are fixed to the base. The heater is disposed between the base and the plurality of gas processing components along the length of the base. The heater is configured to supply heat to the plurality of gas processing components.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims priority and benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 339,625, filed May 9, 2022. The disclosure of the above application is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] This disclosure relates to a heater system, and more particularly, to a rail-mounted heater system for use in a pressure control manifold in the supply of fluids for industrial processes. important This disclosure relates to a rail-mounted heater system for use in a pressure control manifold in the supply of fluids for industrial processes.

Background Art

[0003] The description herein is merely provided as background information associated with the present disclosure and does not constitute prior art.

[0004] Pressure control manifolds are used in industrial processes for pressure control, indication, filtering, and separation of gases flowing through process gas lines. Such industrial processes include semiconductor, nanotechnology, solar process tools, and the like. These pressure control manifolds are also referred to in the art as "gas sticks."

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In semiconductor processing, each device within the system is controlled within a tight tolerance range. As process gas flows through the gas supply line, the gas is tightly controlled to a specific temperature and flow rate. When the process gas is cooled, condensation is likely to occur inside the gas line, which may inhibit the process gas flow and chemical reactions. Therefore, in order to prevent such condensation, heaters are used along the gas stick to maintain the temperature above a certain level. However, in a rail system, various shapes and sizes of gas sticks are often used, which complicates the heater configuration and installation.

[0006] Among the problems related to process gas systems, these problems relating in particular to rail-mounted heaters for gas sticks are solved by this disclosure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The statements herein are general overviews of the disclosures and do not constitute a comprehensive disclosure encompassing their entire scope or all of their features.

[0008] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a heater system for semiconductor processing. This heater system comprises a base, a plurality of gas processing components fixed to the base, and a heater. The heater is positioned along the length of the base, between the base and the plurality of gas processing components. The heater is configured to supply heat to the plurality of gas processing components.

[0009] In the modified heater system described in the paragraph above, the following configurations may be implemented individually or in any combination: The base is in the form of a rail, and the heater is arranged along the length of the rail. The heater is a polyimide heater. The heater extends along the entire length of the base. The heater is selected from the group consisting of laminated heaters, cartridge heaters, tubular heaters, and cable heaters. The heater includes a continuous heating circuit. The heater includes multiple heating zones, each heating zone corresponding to each gas processing component. The multiple heating zones can operate independently of each other. The multiple gas processing components include at least one of a flow controller, regulator, valve, and pressure transducer. Multiple interface blocks are fixed to the base and positioned between the heater and the corresponding gas processing component, configured so that the processing gas flows through each interface block. The multiple gas processing components are fixed to the base by mechanical fasteners. The mechanical fasteners extend through the heater. Power leads configured to supply power to the heater are connected to the ends of the heater or to the central region of the heater. The power leads extend parallel or perpendicular to the heater. The power leads are first conductive materials The first power consisting of pin And the first conductive materials A second one that is different from conductive materials The second power consisting of pin The first and second power pins are thermocouple junctions for measuring the heater temperature. Department A thermal and electrical insulating material surrounds the first and second power pins in close proximity to the thermocouple junction. pin Each is connected to the heater via first and second conductive tabs. The first and second conductive tabs are flat and flexible. The first conductive tab is made of a first conductive material, and the second conductive tab is made of a second conductive material. The first conductive tab is first power pin The second conductive tab is welded to the second power pin It is welded to the base. The bottom side of the heater and the first and second conductive tabs are covered with dielectric material and bonded to the base.

[0010] From the description provided herein, other applicable areas will become apparent. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] To enable a thorough understanding of the disclosure, various forms thereof will be described below by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heater system for use in a gas stick of a semiconductor processing apparatus, based on the principles of the present disclosure.

[0013] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a rail to which the heater system of FIG. 1 is attached.

[0014] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded side view of the heater system of FIG. 1.

[0015] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a top view of the rail and heater of the heater system of FIG. 1.

[0016] [Figure 5A] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another heater having a temperature sensing power lead configured in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure.

[0017] [Figure 5B] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the heater of FIG. 5A adhered to a rail.

[0018] [Figure 5C] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another heater system according to the principles of the present disclosure.

[0019] [Figure 6]Perspective view of a further part of another heater system according to the principles of the present disclosure.

[0020] [Figure 7] Top view of another heater according to the principles of the present disclosure.

[0021] [Figure 8] Perspective view of another heater system according to the principles of the present disclosure.

[0022] The drawings described in this specification are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] The following description is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or its use. Throughout the drawings, it should be understood that corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 1 - 4, a heater system 10 is illustrated. In one embodiment, the heater system 10 is used with a rail-mounted gas stick in a semiconductor processing apparatus. That is, the heater system 10 is used to facilitate the production of semiconductor chips for various electronic products. As shown, the heater system 10 includes a base 12 such as a rail, a plurality of gas processing components 14, a plurality of interface blocks 16, a heater or heating strip 18, and an electric force lead wire 30.

[0025] The rail 12 is made of a metallic material such as aluminum and includes an elongated body 20 and a plurality of attachment portions 22. In the illustrated example, the body 20 has a generally rectangular shape and includes a plurality of pairs of openings 24 (FIGS. 2 and 4) disposed along the length of the body 20. multiple Pair of openings 24 Each opening 24It extends from the top surface of the main body 20 to the bottom surface of the main body 20. The mounting portion 22 is configured to fix the heater system 10 to a support surface (not shown) and is located at various positions along the main body 20. For example, one or more mounting portions 22 may be located on a first side surface of the main body 20 at or near a first end of the main body 20, and one or more mounting portions 22 may be located on a second side surface of the main body 20 at or near an opposing second end of the main body 20.

[0026] The gas components 14 are fixed to the interface block 16 and are configured to control, pressure-indicate, filter, and separate process gas flowing through a gas supply line (not shown). In the illustrated example, some of the gas components 14 are screwed into their respective interface blocks 16. In some modifications, at least a portion of the process gas is stored in one or more of the gas components 14. The gas components 14 may include, as an example, one or more of the following: a flow controller (MFC), a regulator (e.g., an electronic regulator), a mixing chamber, a pressure transducer, a gas filter, a valve (e.g., a manual valve or a pneumatic valve), etc.

[0027] Multiple interface blocks 16 are made of a metal material, such as steel, and are fixed to rails 12. Multiple interface blocks 16 are also positioned between heaters 18 and multiple gas components 14. The interface blocks 16 are fluidly connected to one another to cooperate in forming a gas supply line through which process gas flows. In the illustrated example, each interface block 16 includes an upper block 16a and a lower block 16b. The upper block 16a is fixed to each gas processing component 14, and the lower block 16b is fixed to the upper block 16a and rails 12. In some embodiments, the process gas flows through both the upper block 16a and the lower block 16b. In other embodiments, the process gas flows through only one of the upper block 16a and the lower block 16b.

[0028] Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 4, the heater 18 is positioned between the rail 12 and the interface block 16 along the length of the rail 12 (i.e., the heater 18 extends in a direction parallel to the length of the rail 12). In the illustrated example, the heater 18 is sandwiched between the rail 12 and the interface block 16. In some embodiments, the heater 18 is bonded to the rail 12 using an adhesive material, such as a dielectric material. The heater 18 is configured to transfer heat to the interface block 16 and several gas components 14. In some embodiments, an insulating material (not shown) is placed between the heater 18 and the rail 12, and a conductive material (e.g., conductive paste) is placed between the heater 18 and the interface block 16. In this way, the heat generated by the heater 18 is uniformly transferred to the interface block 16 and the gas components 14. In the illustrated example, the heater 18 is a polyimide heater and extends along the entire length of the rail 12. However, it should be understood that the heater 18 can be any form of heater, such as a laminated heater, cartridge heater, tubular heater, or cable heater. Therefore, the figures and descriptions of the polyimide heater should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0029] In some embodiments, the heater 18 may extend for part of the length of the rail 12, or it may be any other suitable heater configured to heat the interface block 16 and the gas components 14. In the illustrated example, the heater 18 includes a continuous heating circuit and has a low profile. In this way, the heater 18 can be positioned along the rail 12 and the interface block 16 without interfering with the attachment of the interface block 16 and the gas components 14 to the rail 12. In some embodiments, the heater 18 may be bonded to the rail 12 with an adhesive.

[0030] As shown in Figure 4, the heater 18 includes a number of pairs of openings 26 arranged along the length of the heater 18. Each pair of openings 26 aligns with each pair of openings 24 in the body 20. Thus, mechanical fasteners 28 (Figures 1 and 2), such as bolts, screws, and rivets, extend through each interface block 16, each pair of openings 26 in the heater 18, and each pair of openings 24 in the body 20, thereby securing the interface block 16, the heater 18, and the rails 12 to each other. In some embodiments, the heater 18 includes a number of heating zones (not shown), which may include additional power lead wires and bus wiring configurations depending on the zone configuration. For example, each heating zone corresponds to each gas stick 14 and can operate independently of the other heating zones. Multiple power lead wires are connected to each heating zone of the heater 18 and can be independently controlled, for example using switches, to heat each heating zone based on the demands of the process gas flowing through the gas supply line.

[0031] Power lead wire 30 is connected to a power source (not shown). and Heater 18 to (guidance Denta via ) Connected, The heater 18 is configured to receive power and generate heat. In the illustrated example, the power lead wire 30 is connected to the heater 18 in the central region of the heater 18 and extends perpendicular to the heater 18. In some embodiments, the power lead wire 30 is connected to the end of the heater 18 and extends parallel to the heater 18. In one embodiment, the power lead wire 30 is first conductive materials A first power lead wire or pin 30a consisting of and the first conductive materials A second one that is different from conductive materialsIt has a second power lead wire or pin 30b consisting of . In this way, the first and second power pins 30a, 30b form a thermocouple junction. In this way, a change in voltage at the thermocouple junction is detected to measure the temperature of the heater 18 at a given location. In the illustrated example, the thermocouple junction measures the temperature of the heater 18 at or near the center of the heater 18. In some embodiments, the thermocouple junction measures the temperature of the heater 18 at the ends of the heater 18. In the illustrated example, a thermally and electrically insulating cover 34 surrounds the first and second power pins 30a, 30b in close proximity to the thermocouple junction. The thermally and electrically insulating cover 34 is made of, for example, silicone - It is made of rubber and can also be used to alleviate the load on power pins 30a and 30b.

[0032] The arrangement of the heater system 10 in this disclosure has the advantage of distributing the heat generated from the heater 18 to the interface block 16 and the gas component 14.

[0033] Referring next to Figures 5A-5B, another embodiment of the present disclosure includes temperature-sensing power leads. The power leads 30a, 30b are electrically connected to the heater 18 via thin, flexible conductive tabs 40a, 40b, respectively, positioned between the rail 12 and the heater 18. In the illustrated example, the conductive tab 40a is made of the same conductive material as the power lead 30a and is welded to the power lead 30a. The location where the conductive tab 40a is welded to the power lead 30a is, for example, dielectric bodyThe conductive tabs are covered with a material. In one embodiment, the conductive tab 40b is made of the same conductive material as the power lead wire 30b, but this conductive material is different from that of the power lead wire 30a. For example, in one embodiment, the conductive tab 40a is Chromel material and the conductive tab 40b is Alumel material (Type K thermocouple). The first end of the conductive tab 40b is welded to the end of the heater 18, and the second end of the conductive tab 40b is welded to the power lead wire 30b. In this way, a thermocouple joint 41 is formed at the location where the first end of the conductive tab 40b is welded to the end of the heater 18. The location where the conductive tab 40b is welded to the power lead wire 30b is covered with, for example, a dielectric material. In the illustrated example, the first and second conductive tabs 40a, 40b extend parallel to the heater 18. In other embodiments, the first and second conductive tabs 40a, 40b extend perpendicular to the heater 18 or at any other arbitrary angle. Referring to Figure 5B, the bottom side of the heater 18 and the conductive tabs 40a, 40b are covered with dielectric material 42. In this way, the heater 18 and the conductive tabs 40a, 40b are protected and the heater 18 is bonded to the rail 12. Additional forms of power leads for temperature sensing are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10,728,956, which is owned in common with this application, and the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0034] Referring to Figure 5C, another heater system 110 is shown. The structure and function of heater system 110 are generally the same as or identical to those of heater system 10 described above, with the exceptions described below.

[0035] The heater system 110 comprises a rail 112, several gas handling components (not shown), several interface blocks (not shown), a heater or heating strip 118, and power leads 130. The rail 112 and heater 118 are shorter in length than the rail 12 and heater 18 described above. Mechanical fasteners 128 pass through the rail 112, gas handling components, interface blocks, and heater 118, thereby securing the rail 112, gas handling components, interface blocks, and heater 118 to each other. The power leads 130 are connected (via conductive tabs) to a power source (not shown) and the heater 118 and are configured to supply power to the heater 118 to generate heat. In the illustrated example, the power leads 130 are connected to the end of the heater 118 and extend parallel to the heater 118.

[0036] Referring to Figure 6, another heater system 210 is shown, elongated and mounted on rail 212 (for clarity, interface block 16 and gas component 14 are not shown). In this embodiment, the power lead wires 230 extend along the same direction as the polyimide heater 220 and exit from the ends, rather than passing through the side perpendicular to the polyimide heater 220 as shown in Figure 1. As further shown, electrical connectors 240 may be provided on the power lead wires 230 to facilitate connection to a power supply (not shown) and a controller (not shown).

[0037] Referring to Figure 7, another heater 318 is shown. Heater 318 can be incorporated into the heater system 10 described above in place of heater 18. The structure and function of heater 318 can be similar to or identical to that of heater 18 described above, with the exceptions described below.

[0038] The heater 318 includes a number of pairs of openings 326 arranged along the length of the heater 318. Each pair of openings 326 aligns with each pair of openings 24 of the body 20. Power leads 330 are connected to a power source (not shown) and the heater 318 and are configured to supply power to the heater 318 to generate heat. In the illustrated example, the power leads 330 are connected to each of the heating zones 340 of the heater 318 in or near the central region of the heater 318 and extend perpendicular to the heater 318. For example, each heating zone 340 corresponds to each gas processing component and can operate independently of other heating zones 340. Each power lead 330 is connected to the first conductive materials A first power lead wire 330a consisting of and the first conductive materials A second one that is different from conductive materials The system includes a second power lead wire 330b consisting of the first and second power pins 330a and 330b. The first and second power pins 330a and 330b form a thermocouple junction. In this way, changes in voltage at the thermocouple junction are detected to measure the temperature of the heater 318 in each heating zone 340. In the illustrated example, a thermally and electrically insulating cover 334 surrounds the first and second power pins 330a and 330b of each power lead wire 330, close to the thermocouple junction.

[0039] Although the base 12 is shown as a rail above, it should be understood that it can also be a plate-like configuration in which multiple rows of gas processing components 14 are arranged, as shown in Figure 8. In one example, such a base 12 is rectangular, but it should be understood that the base 12 can be any other suitable shape, such as a triangle or a square. Also, in some configurations, the gas processing components 14 can be arranged arbitrarily on the base 12, as opposed to being arranged in rows. The heater 18 is positioned between the gas processing components 14 and the base 12.

[0040] Unless otherwise stated herein, all numerical values ​​indicating mechanical / thermal properties, percentages of composition, dimensions and / or tolerances, or other properties are understood to be modified by the word “approximately” or “generally” when describing the scope of this disclosure. This modification is desirable for a variety of reasons, including industrial practice, material, manufacturing, and assembly tolerances, and test capabilities.

[0041] When used in this book, the expression "at least one of A, B, and C" should be interpreted as meaning a logical OR (A or B or C) using non-exclusive OR, and not as meaning "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0042] The descriptions of the disclosures are illustrative only, and therefore, any changes that do not deviate from the essence of the disclosures will be considered within the scope of the disclosures. Such changes will not be considered a deviation from the spirit and scope of the disclosures.

Claims

1. A heater system for semiconductor processing, Bass and, Multiple gas processing components fixed to the base, A heater positioned on the base between the base and the plurality of gas processing components, configured to supply heat to the plurality of gas processing components, A heater system equipped with this feature.

2. The heater system according to claim 1, wherein the base is in the form of a rail, and the heater is arranged along the length of the rail.

3. The heater system according to claim 1, wherein the heater is a polyimide heater.

4. The heater system according to claim 1, wherein the heater is selected from the group consisting of a laminated heater, a cartridge heater, a tubular heater, and a cable heater.

5. The heater system according to claim 1, wherein the heater extends along the entire length of the base.

6. The heater system according to claim 1, wherein the heater includes a continuous heating circuit.

7. The heater system according to claim 1, wherein the heater includes a plurality of heating zones, each heating zone corresponding to each gas processing component.

8. The heater system according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of heating zones are capable of operating independently of each other.

9. The heater system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of gas processing components include at least one of a flow controller, a regulator, a valve, a gas filter, and a pressure transducer.

10. The heater system according to claim 1, further comprising one or more interface blocks fixed to the base and positioned between the heater and a corresponding gas processing component, wherein the processing gas is configured to flow through each interface block.

11. The heater system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of gas processing components are fixed to the base by mechanical fasteners.

12. The heater system according to claim 11, wherein the mechanical fastener penetrates the heater.

13. The heater system according to claim 1, further comprising power lead wires configured to supply power to the heater, wherein the power lead wires are connected to the end of the heater or to the central region of the heater.

14. The heater system according to claim 13, wherein the power lead wires extend parallel to or perpendicular to the heater.

15. The heater system according to claim 13, wherein the power lead wire includes a first power pin made of a first conductive material and a second power pin made of a second conductive material different from the first conductive material, and the first and second power pins form a thermocouple junction for measuring the temperature of the heater.

16. The heater system according to claim 15, further comprising a thermal and electrical insulating material surrounding the first and second power pins in proximity to the thermocouple junction.

17. The heater system according to claim 15, wherein the first and second power pins are connected to the heater via first and second conductive tabs, respectively.

18. The heater system according to claim 17, wherein the first and second conductive tabs are flat and flexible.

19. The heater system according to claim 17, wherein the first conductive tab is made of a first conductive material and the second conductive tab is made of a second conductive material.

20. The heater system according to claim 17, wherein the first conductive tab is welded to the first power pin, the second conductive tab is welded to the second power pin, and the bottom side of the heater and the first and second conductive tabs are covered with a dielectric material and bonded to the base.