Solid material recovery container

Abstract

The objective is to effectively solidify and recover the sublimated gaseous solid material. [Solution] A solid material recovery container 1 is provided for solidifying and recovering sublimated gaseous solid material, comprising a pipe 4 for introducing the sublimated gaseous solid material and a fluid regulating member 5 disposed above the pipe 4. Furthermore, a solid material recovery container 1 is provided for solidifying and recovering sublimated gaseous solid material, comprising a main body 2 and a lid member 3, wherein the main body 2 comprises an upper body 8 and a lower body 9.

Description

Technical Field

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[0006]

[0001] The present invention relates to a solid material recovery container.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in the film formation of semiconductor devices, gaseous materials and liquid materials that are relatively easy to handle have been widely used as precursor materials. However, in recent years, in order to solve problems caused by the miniaturization and high integration of semiconductor devices, new film formation technologies using precursor materials that have not been used conventionally have been demanded.

[0003] Examples of precursor materials used in the film formation of the most advanced semiconductor devices include inorganic metal compounds and organometallic compounds such as germanium, gallium, aluminum, hafnium, indium, molybdenum, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, yttrium, and zirconium. Some of these are solids at standard temperature (0 degrees Celsius) and standard pressure (1 atmosphere).

[0004] Such solid precursor materials (hereinafter referred to as "solid materials") cannot be directly transported into the film formation chamber. Since these solid materials generally have a high melting point and a low vapor pressure, it is necessary to sublime them (as a gas) prior to introduction into the film formation chamber (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, not all of the sublimated solid material is used for film deposition; unreacted solid material is discharged as a gas from the deposition chamber. The solid material discharged from the chamber solidifies in the vacuum pump and piping located downstream of the chamber, causing malfunctions and blockages. Therefore, there is a need to efficiently solidify and recover sublimated solid materials for disposal and reuse.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to effectively solidify and recover sublimated gaseous solid material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following means. <1> A recovery container for solidifying and recovering sublimated and supplied material, An inlet pipe through which the aforementioned material is introduced, A solid material recovery container characterized by including a member positioned above the inlet piping. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the sublimated gaseous solid material can be effectively solidified and recovered. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] A longitudinal cross-sectional view of a solid material recovery container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A cross-sectional view of a solid material recovery container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] A longitudinal cross-sectional view of a solid material recovery container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] A perspective view of a fluid regulating member according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] A perspective view of a fluid regulating member according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] A perspective view of a fluid regulating member according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Cross-sectional view of a solid material recovery container according to the examples and comparative examples. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] A solid material recovery container according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The solid material recovery container 1 of this embodiment is connected to a solid material supply device (not shown) and is a device that solidifies and recovers the gas supplied from the solid material supply device. An example of the solid material supply device is a film-forming chamber.

[0012] Examples of solid materials include inorganic metal compounds and organometallic compounds such as germanium, gallium, aluminum, hafnium, indium, molybdenum, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, yttrium, and zirconium. These are solids at standard temperatures and pressures.

[0013] Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the solid material recovery container 1, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the solid material recovery container 1 in Figure 1 taken along line A-A'. However, in Figure 2, the flange and fastening means described later are omitted. The solid material recovery container 1 comprises a main body 2, a lid member 3, a pipe 4 fixed to the side of the main body 2, a fluid regulating member 5 installed on the upper part of the pipe 4, a pipe 6 connected to the lid member 3, and a perforated metal 7 provided on the upper part of the main body 2.

[0014] The main body 2 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape and consists of an upper body 8 and a lower body 9. The upper body 8 has a cylindrical shape, and a flange 8a is formed at its lower end so as to protrude outward. Furthermore, a flange 8b is formed at the upper end of the upper body 8 so as to protrude outward. Furthermore, the lower body 9 has a bottomed cylindrical shape, and a flange 9a is formed at its upper end so as to protrude outward.

[0015] The upper main body 8 and the lower main body 9 have the same cross-sectional shape. The heights of the upper main body 8 and the lower main body 9 can be designed as appropriate, and the upper main body 8 may be longer or shorter in the height direction.

[0016] Also, by abutting the flange 8a of the upper main body 8 and the flange 9a of the lower main body 9 and fastening them by the fastening means 11, the main body 2 composed of the upper main body 8 and the lower main body 9 is formed. Note that, referring to the state where the flange 8a and the flange 9a are abutted, it may be counted as one flange. When counted in this way, in FIG. 1, two flanges are drawn: a flange composed of the peripheral edge portion 3a (described later) and the flange 8b (described later), and a flange composed of the flange 8a and the flange 9a. However, in this embodiment, the number of flanges does not need to be two, and may be three or more. When the number of flanges is three or more, the lower main body 9 may be further divided into two or more parts. Also, the shape of the main body 2 is not limited to the above shape, and as long as it can store a solid, it may be not only a bottomed cylindrical shape but also a bottomed rectangular tube shape. Also, the upper main body 8 and the lower main body 9 may be designed corresponding to the shape of the main body 2.

[0017] The lid member 3 is a lid that covers the opening 2a at the upper end of the main body 2 (the upper end of the upper main body 8). Specifically, by abutting the peripheral edge portion 3a protruding outward on the lower surface of the lid member 3 and the flange 8b of the upper main body 8 and fastening them by the fastening means 12, the opening 2a of the main body 2 is covered by the lid member 3.

[0018] The upper main body 8, the lower main body 9, and the lid member 3 may be formed of an appropriate material. For example, they may be formed of stainless steel or a molded product made of metal.

[0019] The solid material recovery container 1 is connected by a solid material supply device (not shown) and a pipe 4. The opening 4a of the piping 4 is provided on the side surface 8c of the upper body 8. However, as shown in Figure 3, the piping 4 may extend beyond the side surface 8c of the upper body 8 to the inside of the solid material recovery container 1, and the opening 4a may be provided at a desired location inside the solid material recovery container 1.

[0020] A fluid regulating member 5, resembling a roof, is formed on the upper part of the pipe 4. This fluid regulating member 5 is supported on the upper part of the pipe 4. However, the fluid regulating member 5 may be supported on the side surface 8c of the upper body 8 instead of the upper part of the pipe 4.

[0021] The fluid regulating member 5 is a plate-shaped member and is arranged parallel to the bottom surface 2c of the main body 2 (the bottom surface 9b of the lower main body 9) and the lid member 3. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the tip portion 5a and the base portion 5b of the fluid regulating member 5 are formed to be the same thickness.

[0022] Furthermore, since the fluid regulating member 5 is positioned at least above the opening 4a of the piping 4, the flow of gas flowing from the piping 4 into the solid material recovery container 1 is controlled by the fluid regulating member to be in a desired direction.

[0023] The fluid regulating member 5 can be of any shape as long as it controls the flow of gas from the piping 4 into the solid material recovery container 1. For example, as shown in Figure 5(a), a fluid regulating member 5A with a curved shape instead of a plate shape may be used, or as shown in Figure 5(b), a fluid regulating member 5B that is bent into a mountain shape may be used. Furthermore, the fluid regulating member 5 may have appropriate voids or may be mesh-like. In addition, multiple fluid regulating members 5 may be provided.

[0024] The length L of the fluid regulating member 5 should preferably be in the range of 1 / 2rmm or more and r-50mm or less, where rmm is the radius of the main body 2 (i.e., the radius of the solid material recovery container 1). Setting it to 1 / 2rmm or more allows for better control of the gas flow, while setting it to r-50mm or less improves the convenience of removing the stored solid material.

[0025] The fluid regulating member 5 may be bonded to the top of the pipe 4, but it may also be placed at a predetermined distance apart. A distance of 100 mm or less is preferable, as a distance of more than 100 mm would prevent sufficient control of the gas flow.

[0026] Furthermore, the fluid regulating member 5 and the pipe 4 may be integrated into a single shape. For example, as shown in Figure 6, at the tip of the pipe 4, the lower part of the pipe 4 may be partially removed, and the remaining upper part may be used as the fluid regulating member 5c. Furthermore, there may be multiple instances where these parts are partially removed.

[0027] The gas flowing into the solid material recovery container 1 from the piping 4 is the gas supplied from the solid material supply device. The film deposition chamber, which is a solid material supply device, is supplied with gases such as nitrogen gas, hydrogen gas, and ammonia gas, along with gases obtained by sublimation of solid material, in order to deposit semiconductor devices. The gas discharged from the solid material supply device, which includes gas obtained by sublimation of unreacted solid material, is then introduced into the solid material recovery container 1.

[0028] The piping 4 is connected to the side surface 8c of the upper body 8. Preferably, this connection point is at a height of 1 / 2 hmm or more and h-50 mm or less from the bottom surface 2c of the body 2, assuming the height of the solid material recovery container 1 is hmm. A height of 1 / 2 hmm or more allows the gas to be introduced throughout the entire solid material recovery container 1. A height of h-50 mm or less provides space for installing the perforated metal 7 inside the solid material recovery container 1. The vertical arrangement angle of the piping 4 is preferably horizontal to the bottom surface of the main body 2, but it may also be inclined diagonally upward or diagonally downward. Furthermore, the horizontal arrangement angle of the piping 4 is preferably such that the opening 4a faces the center of the main body 2, but it may also be inclined at a predetermined angle to the left or right.

[0029] Pipe 6 is a pipe for discharging gas from the solid material recovery container 1 to the outside. The gas introduced into the solid material recovery container 1 from pipe 4 partially solidifies and is stored in the solid material recovery container 1, while the remaining gas that does not solidify is discharged to the outside through pipe 6.

[0030] The perforated metal 7 is a plate-shaped member with holes of a predetermined size, and is detachably installed above the piping 4 and the fluid regulating member 5. The size of the perforated metal 7 is the same as the cross-section of the main body 2. Furthermore, the perforated metal 7 is set approximately parallel to the bottom surface 2c of the main body 2 and the lid member 3. The mesh hole diameter of the perforated metal 7 is preferably Φ2 mm or more and 5 mm or less, and particularly preferably Φ2 mm or more and 3 mm or less.

[0031] In this way, by installing the perforated metal 7 on the outlet side of the solid material recovery container 1, it is possible to prevent the solidified powder from scattering towards the pipe 6, which is the gas outlet. In other words, by providing the perforated metal 7, it is possible to suppress blockage of the pipe 6 and the downstream equipment by the solid material.

[0032] Next, we will explain the effects and benefits of using the solid material recovery container 1 described above. Conventionally, when sublimated solid materials were recovered by solidification, the solid material solidified from the vicinity of the piping due to cooling. As a result, there were problems such as pipe clogging (see Figure 7(b)). In contrast, according to the solid material recovery container 1 of this embodiment, the sublimated gaseous solid material is guided by the fluid regulating member 5 and flows to the back of the solid material recovery container 1. As a result, it becomes possible to solidify evenly throughout the entire container (see Figure 7(a)), and the solid material does not solidify at the inlet side and block the piping. Furthermore, since the pipe 4 is prevented from becoming blocked by the solidified solid material, the solid material can be continuously flowed into the solid material recovery container 1 (there is no need to stop the introduction of the solid material into the solid material recovery container 1). Therefore, a larger amount of solid material can be recovered, and recovery can be performed efficiently relative to the capacity of the recovery container.

[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the main body 2 is composed of an upper body 8 and a lower body 9. As a result, when retrieving the solid material stored in the lower part of the main body 2, it is possible not only to remove the lid member 3 and take it out from the top, but also to remove the fastening means 11 and detach the upper body 8 from the lower body 9, thereby taking it out from the opening of the lower body 9. As a result, the recovery of solid materials becomes easier compared to conventional methods, and it becomes possible to accommodate larger traps. In particular, in cases where it is difficult to remove solid materials from the top of the main body 2 due to the presence of the fluid regulating member 5, the solid materials can be easily removed by detaching the upper body 8 from the lower body 9.

[0034] Although the present invention has been described above based on embodiments, various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, although we have described a configuration in which the main body 2 is divided into two parts, the upper main body 8 and the lower main body 9, it may also be a single cylindrical shape with a bottom that is not divided, or it may be divided into three or more parts.

[0035] (Examples) Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7(a), the solid material was recovered by connecting the solid material supply device with the fluid regulating member 5 attached to the piping 4. As a comparative example, as shown in Figure 7(b), solid material was recovered by connecting the pipe 4 to a solid material supply device without attaching the fluid regulating member 5 to the pipe 4.

[0036] Table 1 shows the recovered weight of solid material in the examples and comparative examples. In the examples and comparative examples, the same solid material recovery apparatus was used, and the solid material, processing time, and amount were also the same. Furthermore, the solid material recovery containers in both the examples and comparative examples had a capacity of 40L.

[0037] [Table 1]

[0038] As shown in Table 1, the recovered weight of solid material in the comparative example was 3.0 kg, while the recovered weight of solid material in the example with the fluid regulating member was 18 kg. Thus, it was confirmed that the example could recover six times more solid material than the comparative example. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0039] 1. Solid material recovery container, 2. Main body, 3. Lid component, 4. Piping, 5. Fluid regulating component, 6. Piping, 7. Perforated metal, 8. Upper body, 9. Lower body

Claims

1. A recovery container for solidifying and recovering sublimated gaseous solid material, A pipe through which the sublimated gaseous solid material is introduced, Includes a fluid regulating member located at the top of the piping. A solid material recovery container characterized by the following features.

2. When the radius of the solid material collection container is r mm, The length of the fluid regulating member is set to be 1 / 2 rm or more and r - 50 mm or less. The solid material recovery container according to feature 1.

3. When the height of the solid material recovery container is h mm, The location of the piping is within a range of 1 / 2 h mm or more and h - 50 mm or less from the bottom surface of the solid material recovery container. The solid material recovery container according to feature 1.

4. The solid material recovery container comprises a main body and a lid member, The main body comprises an upper body and a lower body. The solid material recovery container according to feature 1.

5. A second pipe for discharging gas, The system comprises a perforated metal plate provided at a position downstream of the aforementioned piping and upstream of the second piping. The solid material recovery container according to feature 1.

6. The solid material is one or more of the inorganic metal chlorides and inorganic metal oxychlorides of germanium, gallium, aluminum, hafnium, indium, molybdenum, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, yttrium, and zirconium. The solid material recovery container according to feature 1.

7. A recovery container for solidifying and recovering sublimated gaseous solid material, It comprises a main body and a lid member, The main body comprises an upper body and a lower body. A solid material recovery container characterized by the following features.

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