A system and method for instantly measuring particles in ozone.

Abstract

This invention provides a system and method for the immediate measurement of particles in ozone. [Solution] The system comprises an ozone reduction device that heats ozone from an ozone source along a spiral transport path to reduce it to oxygen gas, and a particle counter that instantly measures particles in the oxygen gas. The ozone source is selectively (optionally) split so that some of the ozone is supplied to the ozone reduction device and the remaining ozone is supplied to the process device. This allows the particle counter to instantly measure particles in the oxygen gas while the process device is performing its process. This prevents contamination by other non-ozone particles contained in the ozone, and proves that the ozone gas supplied to the ozone generator as an ozone source, or the ozone tail gas discharged from the process device as an ozone source, does not contain contaminating particles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and method for measuring particles contained in ozone gas, and particularly to a method formed by combining an ozone gas reduction technique and a particle measurement technique after ozone is reduced, and a system designed by the method.

Background Art

[0002] Since it has been discovered that ozone can oxidize organic materials and / or metallic materials, it can be applied to the cleaning and processing of semiconductor wafers. For example, unwanted photoresist residues can be removed. Ozone can be used in the gas phase (dry ozone technology) or dissolved in water and used as ozone water (wet ozone technology). For example, ozone can be used to remove photoresist after a series of photolithography and etching processes. Both dry ozone technology or wet ozone technology can be applied to the surface of semiconductor wafers. According to dry ozone technology, the surface of the semiconductor wafer is exposed to ozone gas and one or more gases to oxidize the materials on the surface of the wafer. According to wet ozone technology, the surface of the semiconductor wafer is exposed to ozone and a process fluid (e.g., deionized (DI) water or a chemical solution) to oxidize the materials on the surface of the wafer.

[0003] The cleanliness of the wafer surface affects subsequent semiconductor processes and product yields. Furthermore, 50% of all production losses are due to wafer surface contamination. The most common major contaminants are residues such as metals, organics, and particles.

[0004] In the process of manufacturing semiconductor devices, when using ozone, contamination by impurities contained in ozone, especially metal contamination, is a serious problem. The metals that are sources of contamination include, for example, metal electrodes in a reaction chamber that generates ozone by high-voltage discharge, or reaction products resulting from the reaction between ozone and the metal pipeline that supplies the ozone. These metallic impurities have a significant impact on the function of semiconductor devices, affecting electrical properties such as conductivity, resistance, and dielectric constant. To illustrate with an example, metal contamination can cause leakage current in the pn structure, which in turn lowers the breakdown voltage of the oxide and shortens the lifecycle of the carriers.

[0005] Conventional technology uses gas filters to remove impurities from the ozone used in the process of manufacturing semiconductor devices. Conventional gas filters remove gaseous impurities using, for example, adsorbents capable of adsorbing impurities. Another conventional gas filter uses a filter material to filter out impurities, which are solid particles. On the other hand, conventional technology reduces the amount of metallic impurities in the generated ozone by continuously improving the electrode structure and electrode materials used in high-voltage discharge in ozone generators.

[0006] Ozone generators produce ozone by discharging an electrical current between metal electrodes, so the metal particles generated by the metal electrodes are also a source of ozone contamination. To solve the above problems, prior art (for example, Taiwan Patent Publication No. 200605208A) proposed attaching a molecular permeable membrane capable of filtering metal particles to an ozone gas supply system. Furthermore, prior art (for example, U.S. Patent No. US9186647B2 and U.S. Patent No. US9764268B2) proposed attaching a gas filter to an ozone generator to filter out solid particles larger than 0.2 μm in diameter, thereby removing impurities and foreign matter. However, it is impossible to determine whether the gas filters or molecular permeable membranes of these ozone generators retain their original filtration function after being used for a certain period of time. Generally, inspection is not possible without stopping the equipment and scanning a wafer (empty slice) with an optical microscope.

[0007] In addition to cleaning, ozone can also generate an oxide layer, which can function as both a passivation layer and an interface layer. Ozone is extremely unstable and easily decomposes into oxygen gas at room temperature. For this reason, ozone cannot be stored and is generally generated on-site using an ozone generator and used immediately. However, ozone is a gas that has adverse effects on the human body and the environment. Although it is easily broken down into oxygen naturally, this decomposition is slow, so ozone tail gas cannot be released without treatment. Furthermore, current technology cannot prove whether ozone tail gas emitted from ozone sources (e.g., semiconductor processing equipment) contains polluting particles. Currently, ozone can be decomposed into oxygen gas using ozone reduction technology. However, ozone has a half-life of approximately 3 days at 20°C, and this half-life decreases as the temperature rises. According to conventional technology, in order to completely reduce ozone to oxygen gas, extremely high temperatures (approximately 420°C or higher) are required to achieve this effect. Furthermore, conventional ozone reduction chambers are cylindrical, so the time it takes for ozone gas to pass through such a cylindrical chamber is extremely short. Furthermore, conventional ozone reduction technology has the problem that the heating element is easily corroded because the ozone comes into direct contact with it.

[0008] In summary, taking semiconductor processing as an example, the entire semiconductor processing process, from wafer cutting to completion, typically takes more than a month, so any losses incurred could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars. Therefore, predicting losses and immediately stopping them is key to preventing them from occurring. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Taiwan Patent Publication No. 200605208A [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 9186647B2 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent No. 9,764,268B2 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] The main objective of the present invention is to provide a system and method for immediately measuring particles in ozone, which combines the ozone reduction technology of an ozone reduction device with the particle (also called dust or fine particles) detection technology of a particle counter (or particle size counter), thereby immediately measuring the concentration of particle contamination in ozone gas, tracking the type of particles, and analyzing the source of the contamination. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] According to the present invention, a system for instantly measuring particles in ozone is used to heat ozone from an ozone source along a spiral transport path and reduce it to oxygen gas. Ozone reduction device, A particle counter for immediately measuring the number and / or particle size of particles in oxygen gas, It is characterized by having the following features.

[0012] The system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention, wherein the ozone reduction device includes an intake duct communicating with the ozone source, a gas transport pipe that introduces the ozone from the ozone source via the intake duct and transports the ozone through the spiral transport path, a heating element that supplies thermal energy and heats the ozone transported to the gas transport pipe, so that when the ozone is flowing along the spiral transport path, the ozone is heated by the thermal energy and reduced to oxygen gas, and an outlet duct that communicates with the gas transport pipe and discharges the oxygen gas obtained by reducing the ozone, is characterized by comprising these components.

[0013] The system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention, wherein the gas transport pipe is a tube having a spiral shape and is characterized by fitting the outer peripheral surface of the heating element.

[0014] The system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention, wherein the heating element directly heats only the ozone in the gas transport pipe, simultaneously heats the gas transport pipe and the ozone in the gas transport pipe, and / or indirectly heats the ozone in the gas transport pipe by heating the gas transport pipe, is characterized by these heating manners.

[0015] The system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention further comprises a heat insulating member, and the heat insulating member is characterized by covering one or more of the gas transport pipe, the heating element, the intake duct and / or the outlet duct to maintain the temperature of the ozone.

[0016] The system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention further comprises a thermometer, and the thermometer is characterized by measuring the temperature formed by heating the ozone in the gas transport pipe by the thermal energy from the heating element.

[0017] The system for instantly measuring ozone particles according to the present invention further comprises a temperature control member, the temperature control member controlling the thermal energy from the heating element based on the heating temperature obtained by the thermometer measurement, thereby heating the ozone to a predetermined temperature.

[0018] The system for instantly measuring ozone particles according to the present invention further comprises an intake end adapter and an outlet end adapter, wherein the intake end adapter is connected to both the intake duct and the gas transport pipe so as to be located between them, and the outlet end adapter is connected to both the gas transport pipe and the outlet duct so as to be located between them.

[0019] The system for instantly measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention further comprises a cooling device, the cooling device being characterized by cooling the oxygen gas obtained when the ozone is heated and reduced in the ozone reduction device.

[0020] The system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention further comprises a process apparatus, wherein the ozone source supplies at least a portion of the ozone to an ozone reduction apparatus, thereby heating the at least portion of the ozone and reducing it to oxygen gas, and the ozone source supplies the remaining ozone to the process apparatus, thereby performing a process step.

[0021] The present invention provides a system for immediately measuring particles in ozone, characterized in that the particle counter immediately measures the quantity and / or particle size of the particles in the oxygen gas obtained by heating and reducing at least a portion of the ozone when the process apparatus uses the remaining ozone to perform the process steps.

[0022] The system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention is characterized in that the process apparatus controls whether to continue or stop the introduction of the remaining ozone from the ozone source into the process apparatus by determining whether the ozone has been contaminated with the particles based on the quantity and / or particle size of the particles measured by the particle counter.

[0023] The system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention is characterized in that the ozone source supplies at least a portion of the ozone and the remaining ozone by dividing the flow through a flow divider, thereby supplying at least a portion of the ozone to the ozone reduction device and the remaining ozone to the process device.

[0024] The system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention is characterized in that a control valve is provided between the ozone source and the flow divider, and the control valve controls the continuation or cessation of the supply of at least a portion of the ozone and / or the remaining ozone based on the quantity and / or particle size of the particles.

[0025] The present invention provides a system for instantly measuring particles in ozone, characterized in that the particle counter irradiates the oxygen gas with light rays from a light source, causing scattering or diffraction by the particles in the oxygen gas, and by analyzing the characteristics of the light rays from the light source, the quantity and / or particle size of the particles can be determined.

[0026] The system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention further comprises a pure oxygen gas source, wherein the pure oxygen gas source first supplies pure oxygen gas to the ozone reduction device until the quantity and / or particle size of the particles measured by the particle counter becomes zero, before the ozone from the ozone source is heated and reduced to oxygen gas in the ozone reduction device.

[0027] According to the present invention, a method for immediately measuring particles in ozone, using a system for immediately measuring particles in ozone as described in any one of claims 1 to 16, An ozone supply step that uses ozone from an ozone source, The ozone reduction device performs an oxidation-reduction step in which ozone from an ozone source is heated along a spiral transport path and reduced to oxygen gas, A measurement step in which the number and / or particle size of particles in oxygen gas are immediately measured using a particle counter, It is characterized by including.

[0028] The method for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention further includes a zero reset step after the ozone supply step and before the oxidation-reduction step, characterized in that the zero reset step causes the quantity and / or particle size of the particles measured by the particle counter to become zero.

[0029] The method for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention further includes a cooling step after the oxidation-reduction step and before the measurement step, characterized in that the cooling step cools the oxygen gas which has been heated and reduced by the ozone in the ozone reduction device.

[0030] The method for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention further includes a flow separation step after the ozone supply step and before the oxidation-reduction step, characterized in that the ozone can be supplied by the flow separation step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0031] The system and method for instantly measuring ozone particles according to the present invention have the following effects. (1) It is possible to prevent contamination of semiconductor wafers by other non-ozone particles contained in ozone, and to prove that the ozone gas from an ozone source (e.g., an ozone generator) or the ozone tail gas emitted from an ozone source (e.g., semiconductor process equipment) does not contain contaminating particles.

[0032] (2) The filtration effect of gas filters placed at the ozone source (e.g., the gas inlet and gas outlet of an ozone generator) can be immediately determined, for example, whether the filtration effect of removing impurities and foreign matter still exists after a certain period of use.

[0033] (3) By combining the ozone reduction technology of the ozone reduction device with the particle detection technology of the particle counter, the size and quantity of particles contained in the ozone gas can be measured immediately. This allows for the immediate measurement of the pollution concentration and the tracking of the type of particles, enabling the analysis of the pollution source.

[0034] (4) By employing a spiral-shaped gas transport tube (e.g., a spiral quartz tube) as the ozone reduction chamber, the space occupied is reduced and the heat transfer area is increased compared to a conventional cylindrical ozone reduction chamber. This ensures that there is sufficient time to heat the ozone molecules flowing into the spiral gas transport tube, and the ozone gas can be rapidly reduced to oxygen gas. This makes it highly suitable for application in reducing large flow rates of ozone gas.

[0035] (5) By fitting a spiral gas transport pipe to the outer surface of the heating element, heating efficiency is improved and costs can be reduced compared to conventional designs. Furthermore, problems such as corrosion of the heating element and damage to the particle counter due to direct contact of ozone with the heating element and particle counter, as seen in conventional designs, can be avoided.

[0036] (6) The cooling device allows the oxygen gas, which has been heated and reduced from ozone, to be cooled to an appropriate temperature before it enters the particle counter.

[0037] To further understand the technical features and achievable technical effects of the present invention, better examples and a detailed description are provided below. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0038] [Figure 1] This figure shows a first embodiment of a system for instantly measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows the combined state of the gas transport pipe and heating element of the ozone reduction device, where Figure (I) shows the state before combination and Figure (II) shows the state after combination. [Figure 3] This figure shows the ozone reduction experimental apparatus used in the system for instantly measuring ozone particles according to the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a 10-second measurement diagram of an ozone reduction experiment using the system for instantly measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a 30-second measurement diagram of an ozone reduction experiment using a system for instantly measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows a first embodiment of the method for instantly measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure shows a second embodiment of the system for instantly measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows a second embodiment of the method for instantly measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0039] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. The proportions of each component in the drawings of the embodiments of the present invention are shown for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the explanation and do not represent the actual proportions. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios of the assembly shown in the figure are for illustrative purposes only, and of course, the present invention is not limited thereto. On the other hand, for the sake of easier understanding, the same parts in the following embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals and described accordingly.

[0040] Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, terms used throughout this specification and in the claims have the ordinary meanings of each term used in the art, in the materials disclosed herein, and in special contexts. Some terms used to describe the present invention are described below or elsewhere in this specification to provide additional guidance to those skilled in the art regarding the description of the invention.

[0041] The use of terms such as "first," "second," and "third" in this article does not indicate a specific order or sequence, nor is it used to limit the present invention. This is used solely to distinguish between components or operations that are described using the same technical terminology.

[0042] Next, if terms such as "include," "equip," "possess," and "contain" are used in this article, they are all open terms. That is, they mean that they include but are not limited to.

[0043] The present invention provides a system and method for instantly measuring particles in ozone, which combines the ozone reduction technology of an ozone reduction device with the particle detection technology of a particle counter. In the ozone reduction technology, ozone from an ozone source is first heated sufficiently as it passes through a spiral transport path, reducing it to oxygen gas, and then the oxygen gas is put into a particle counter for particle detection.

[0044] Refer to Figures 1 through 6. Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a system for instantly measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention. Figure 2 shows the combined state of the gas transport pipe and heating element of the ozone reduction device of the system for instantly measuring ozone particles according to the present invention, where Figure 2(I) shows the state before combination and Figure 2(II) shows the state after combination. Figure 3 shows the ozone reduction experimental equipment used in the system for instantly measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention. Figure 4 shows a 10-second measurement diagram of an ozone reduction experiment using the system for instantly measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention. Figure 5 is a 30-second measurement diagram of an ozone reduction experiment using the system for instantly measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention. Figure 6 shows a first embodiment of the method for instantly measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention.

[0045] Refer to Figures 1 through 6. A first embodiment of the system 1 for instantly measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention comprises an ozone reduction device 300 and a particle counter 500. The present invention provides a method for immediately measuring particles in ozone, comprising: an ozone supply step S100 in which ozone 110 is supplied by an ozone source 100; an oxidation-reduction step S200 in which an ozone reduction device 300 heats the ozone 110 supplied by the ozone source 100 in step S100 along a helical transport path P, reducing it to oxygen gas 120, thereby ensuring that all of the ozone 110 transported along the helical transport path P is sufficiently heated and rapidly reduced to oxygen gas 120; and a measurement step S400 in which a particle counter 500 immediately measures the quantity and / or particle size of particles in the oxygen gas 120 that has been heated and reduced by the ozone reduction device 300. According to the present invention, all of the ozone 110 entering the ozone reduction device 300 can be rapidly and sufficiently heated and reduced to oxygen gas 120, and the contamination concentration of particles contained in the ozone 110 from the ozone source 100 can be measured immediately, the type of particles can be tracked, and the source of contamination can be analyzed. For example, it is possible to immediately determine whether the gas filters placed at the ozone source 100 (e.g., the gas inlet and gas outlet of an ozone generator) still have the effect of filtering out impurities and foreign matter after being used for a period of time. This prevents contamination of semiconductor wafers by other non-ozone particles contained in ozone 110, and proves that the ozone gas from the ozone source 100 (e.g., an ozone generator) or the ozone tail gas emitted from the ozone source 100 (e.g., semiconductor process equipment) does not contain contaminating particles.

[0046] The ozone reduction device 300 of the System 1 for immediate measurement of ozone particles according to the present invention is for reducing ozone 110 from an ozone source 100 to oxygen gas 120. The ozone reduction device 300 according to the present invention comprises an intake duct 10, a gas transport pipe 20, a heating element 30, and an outlet duct 12. Both ends of the gas transport pipe 20 are connected to the intake duct 10 and the outlet duct 12, respectively. The intake duct 10 is connected to the ozone source 100 and is used to introduce ozone 110 from the ozone source 100. The type or use of the ozone source 100 according to the present invention is not limited. To illustrate with an example, since the ozone 110 from the ozone source 100 can be used in semiconductor processes such as cleaning the surface of semiconductor wafers, the amount of ozone 110 introduced into the intake duct 10 accounts for only a portion of the ozone generation amount (also called the ozone supply amount) of the ozone source 100, and furthermore, it may be excess ozone 110 (i.e., ozone that does not affect the semiconductor process) or ozone 110 supplied as needed for measurement. Of course, the present invention is not limited to these.

[0047] The gas transport pipe 20 of the ozone reduction device 300 introduces ozone 110 from the ozone source 100 via the intake duct 10. One of the features of the present invention is that the gas transport pipe 20 is a transport path P that has a spiral shape, and ozone 110 is transported along the spiral transport path P. The heating element 30 generates thermal energy and heats the ozone 110 that is transported to the gas transport pipe 20. As the ozone 110 flows along the spiral transport path P, it is heated by the thermal energy from the heating element 30 and reduced to oxygen gas 120. In other words, in the present invention, a gas transport pipe 20 having a hollow spiral structure is used as an ozone reduction chamber, and the ozone 110 not only flows along the spiral transport path P inside the gas transport pipe 20, but also undergoes an oxidation-reduction step S200, and contact between the ozone 110 and the heat-generating element 30 can be avoided. The gas transport pipe 20 is, for example, a hollow spiral pipe, and a spiral quartz pipe is used. The gas transport pipe 20 is provided on the heating element 30 in a spiral shape, for example, by fitting onto the outer surface of the heating element 30. As a result, the heating element 30 is positioned within the spiral of the spiral gas transport pipe 20. The gas transport pipe 20 according to the present invention includes, for example, a hollow spiral pipe, or is composed of a hollow spiral pipe. In this way, the spiral transport path P described above is formed.

[0048] The heating element 30 according to the present invention is, for example, an electric heater such as a ceramic heating tube, but is not limited thereto. The heating element 30 may be any conventional heater, such as a resistance heater or a heat exchange heater. In this invention, a spiral quartz tube is used to transport ozone gas. This increases the contact area (i.e., heat transfer area) between the ozone 110 and the back wall of the helical quartz tube, and also ensures sufficient time for the ozone 110 gas molecules flowing into the helical quartz tube to be heated, so that the ozone 110 is sufficiently reduced to oxygen gas 120 during its flow along the helical transport path, that is, before it is discharged from the helical quartz tube. According to the present invention, ozone 110 can be rapidly reduced to oxygen gas 120, making it highly suitable for application to the reduction of large flow rates of ozone gas. On the other hand, in the present invention, the method of heating ozone 110 is not particularly limited, and the heating element 30 according to the present invention selectively (optional) directly heats only ozone 110, simultaneously heating the gas transport pipe 20 and the ozone 110 in the gas transport pipe 20, and / or indirectly heating the ozone 110 in the gas transport pipe 20 by heating the gas transport pipe 20. This is determined by the material of the gas transport pipe 20 and the heating type of the heating element 30.

[0049] The outlet duct 12 of the ozone reduction device 300 according to the present invention is in communication with the gas transport pipe 20. This allows for the emission of oxygen gas 120, which is obtained by reducing ozone 110. The shape of the outlet duct 12 according to the present invention is not particularly limited and may be a straight pipe, a curved pipe, a spiral pipe, a combination thereof, or other shapes.

[0050] On the other hand, the ozone reduction device 300 according to the present invention further selectively includes an insulating member 50. The insulating member 50 ensures uniform heating temperature and prevents a rapid drop in temperature. Therefore, the insulating member 50 may selectively cover any suitable location or component, for example, one or more of the gas transport pipe 20, heating element 30, intake duct 10, and / or outlet duct 12. This allows the temperature achieved by heating ozone 110 to be maintained, and for example, the inside of the gas transport pipe 20 can be kept at a desired temperature. This planned temperature is, for example, the temperature at which ozone 110 is reduced to oxygen gas 120. The thermal insulation member 50 according to the present invention employs, for example, ceramic fiber, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the dimensions and specifications of the heat insulating member 50 are not particularly limited, and as long as they can achieve the effect of heat insulation and heat retention, they all fall within the scope of the protection claimed by the present invention. The planned temperature mentioned above is, for example, 350°C, but the present invention is not limited to this. Since the half-life of ozone-110 is inversely proportional to temperature, the planned temperature mentioned above is set according to, for example, the length of the spiral transport path P and / or the flow rate of ozone-110. Assuming that the length of the spiral transport path P is approximately 276 centimeters, the inner diameter of the gas transport pipe 20 is approximately 4 mm, and the diameter of the spiral structure is approximately 50 mm, then when the flow rate of ozone 110 is approximately 27 L / min, the time that ozone 110 stays in the gas transport pipe 20 is approximately 77 mS. In other words, ozone 110 is sufficiently reduced to oxygen gas 120 before being discharged from the ozone reduction device 300 according to the present invention, or a predetermined proportion of ozone 110 is reduced to oxygen gas 120. The specifications of any of the gas transport pipes 20 and the corresponding planned temperatures all fall within the scope of the protections claimed by the present invention. The above-mentioned planned proportions are determined by actual needs and are not particularly limited. Furthermore, the calculation of the time spent in the ozone-110 gas transport pipe 20 is omitted from the explanation because it employs the conventional velocity-distance-time relationship formula.

[0051] The ozone reduction device 300 according to the present invention further selectively comprises a thermometer 60 and / or a temperature control member 70. The thermometer 60 is used to measure the temperature of the ozone 110 in the gas transport pipe 20, which is heated by the thermal energy from the heating element 30. The temperature control member 70 is for controlling the thermal energy from the heating element 30 to heat the ozone 110. To illustrate with an example, the temperature control member 70 electrically connects to the thermometer 60 and the heating element 30, and controls the thermal energy from the heating element 30 based on the temperature measured by the thermometer 60 to heat the ozone 110 to the predetermined temperature. The thermometer 60 is installed, for example, above the middle section of the gas transport pipe 20 to measure the temperature. The temperature control member 70 is located, for example, on the outside of the heat insulating member 50 and controls the temperature at which the ozone 110 is heated. The thermometer 60 and temperature control member 70 according to the present invention employ, for example, a conventional temperature sensor and temperature controller.

[0052] The ozone reduction device 300 according to the present invention further selectively comprises an intake end adapter 40 and an outlet end adapter 42. The intake end adapter 40 is located between the intake duct 10 and the gas transport pipe 20 and connects to both, while the outlet end adapter 42 is located between the gas transport pipe 20 and the outlet duct 12 and connects to both. The intake end adapter 40 and / or outlet end adapter 42 employ a structure in which, for example, Teflon® covers stainless steel, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, a stainless steel layer may be covered on the outer surface of the Teflon layer.

[0053] The system 1 for instantly measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention further comprises a selective cooling device 400. The method for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention further includes a selective cooling step S300 after the redox step S200 and before the measurement step S400. In the cooling step S300, the cooling device 400 cools the oxygen gas 120 obtained by heating and reducing ozone 110 in the ozone reduction device 300. For example, the temperature of the oxygen gas 120 discharged from the gas transport pipe 20 is lowered. The cooling device 400 is provided, for example, in the outlet duct 12, or between the gas transport pipe 20 and the outlet duct 12. The cooling device 400 may be installed in any location as long as it can achieve a cooling effect, and all such locations fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention. The cooling device 400 may employ, for example, an air-cooled, liquid-cooled, phase-change, or hybrid cooling device, but the present invention is not limited to these. Any type of cooling device 400 that can lower the temperature of the oxygen gas 120 falls within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention. On the other hand, in the present invention, the oxygen gas 120 obtained by selectively heating and reducing ozone 110 in the ozone reduction device 300 using, for example, an exhaust member (e.g., an exhaust pump) (not shown), can be drawn into the cooling device 400 to achieve a cooling effect. The location where the exhaust member is installed is not particularly limited and may be, for example, any location in the outlet duct 12, and all such locations are within the scope of the protection claimed by the present invention, as long as the oxygen gas 120 can be cooled by the cooling device 400.

[0054] The present invention provides a system 1 for instantly measuring particles in ozone, which uses a particle counter 500 to instantly measure the quantity and / or particle size of particles in cooled oxygen gas 120, instantly measure the contamination concentration of particles contained in ozone 110 from an ozone source 100, for example, and track the type of particles, thereby analyzing the source of contamination. The particle counter 500 according to the present invention is not particularly limited in type or operating principle, and all that can measure particles fall within the scope of the protection claimed by the present invention. For example, a commercially available particle counter 500 or any technology for detecting particles or particle size may be used, so the explanation has been omitted. To illustrate with an example, the particle counter 500 irradiates the oxygen gas 120 with light from a light source (such as a collimating light source), causing the suspended particles in the oxygen gas 120 to scatter or diffract. Then, the characteristics of the light source are analyzed to determine the size and quantity of the suspended particles mentioned above. To explain in more detail, the Particle Counter 500 is a device that measures the size and concentration of particles in ozone. Its principle is to estimate the size and concentration of particles by detecting the scattering and absorption of light by the particles. When using the particle counter 500, for example, oxygen gas 120 passes through a small hole or passage, and the size and number of particles are measured by optical detection. The types or concentrations of particles that can be measured by the particle counter 500 are not particularly limited.

[0055] The method for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention further includes a selective zero-reset step S500 after the ozone supply step S100 and before the progressive oxidation-reduction step S200. The zero reset step S500 causes the measured result in the particle counter 500 to become zero. The system 1 according to the present invention for instantly measuring particles in ozone selectively includes a pure oxygen gas source 600. When the zero reset step S500 is performed, the pure oxygen gas source 600 supplies pure oxygen gas 200 to the ozone reducer 300 until the value measured by the particle counter 500 (e.g., the number of particles and / or particle size) becomes zero, and the ozone reducer 300 heats the ozone 110 from the ozone source 100 and reduces it to oxygen gas 120. To illustrate with an example, in the present invention, for instance, the temperature control member 70 is turned on to preheat the spiral gas transport pipe 20 to a high temperature (for example, the thermometer 60 is set to approximately 550°C), the pure oxygen gas source 600 (for example, a high-pressure liquid-phase oxygen gas cylinder) is opened, and pure oxygen gas 200 is supplied to the ozone source 100 (for example, an ozone generator). The mass flow controller 82 controls the flow rate of the pure oxygen gas 200 to approximately 2.83 L / min. Before introducing ozone 110 into the intake duct 10, pure oxygen gas 200 is first introduced, and the pure oxygen gas 200 is continuously introduced into the intake duct 10 until the 0.1 μm value of the particle counter 500 (e.g., the number of particles and / or particle size) becomes zero. When the particle counter 500 reads zero, the intake duct 10 is no longer contaminated with particles. Next, the ozone source 100 (for example, an ozone generator) is turned on to generate ozone 110, which flows into the intake duct 10. The pressure controller 86 controls the back pressure to approximately 30 PSI, and the ozone concentration sensor 84 measures the ozone concentration to approximately 230 g / Nm³. 3 Once this is achieved, ozone 110 is introduced into the ozone reduction device 300, and the oxidation-reduction step S200 is performed. As ozone 110 passes through the spiral gas transport pipe 20, which is at approximately 550°C, it is heated and reduced to oxygen gas 120. The reduced oxygen gas 120 described above flows into, for example, a cooling device 400 and is cooled. Next, the cooled oxygen gas 120 described above flows back into the particle counter 500 to measure the particles. The particle size measurement range includes, for example, approximately 0.1 μm, 0.2 μm, 0.3 μm, 0.5 μm, 0.7 μm, and 1.0 μm. Each test takes approximately 60 seconds, with a total test duration of approximately 360 seconds per experiment, and the experiment may be performed twice, for example.

[0056] As shown in Table 1, the measurement results of the particle counter 500 indicate that 8 particles were measured in the first experiment and 6 particles were measured in the second experiment. There are 3 to 4 particles with a particle size of 0.2 μm or less, and 3 to 4 particles with a particle size of 0.2 μm. As can be seen from the experimental results in Table 1, by combining ozone reduction technology and particle measurement technology, the present invention makes it possible to measure particles in ozone 110. This prevents contamination of target objects (e.g., the surface of semiconductor wafers 800) by other non-ozone particles contained in ozone-110.

[0057] Table 1: Particle measurement results. JPEG2026082599000002.jpg52145

[0058] Refer to Figures 3 through 5. Figure 3 shows the ozone reduction experimental equipment according to the present invention. Figure 4 shows the 10-second measurement result of the ozone reduction experiment according to the present invention. Figure 5 shows the 30-second measurement result of the ozone reduction experiment according to the present invention. In this invention, the ozone concentration sensor 84 measures the ozone concentration on both sides of the gas transport pipe 20 (for example, measurement point A and measurement point B), thereby allowing the results of ozone reduction by the ozone reduction device 300 according to the present invention to be determined. To illustrate with an example, in this invention, the ozone source 100 is an ozone generator, and in this invention, pure oxygen gas 200 is supplied to the ozone source (for example, the ozone generator) by a pure oxygen gas source 600 (for example, a high-pressure liquid-phase oxygen gas cylinder), so that the pure oxygen gas 200 reacts to become ozone gas and supplies ozone 110. Furthermore, in this invention, before introducing ozone 110 into the gas transport pipe 20 of the ozone reduction device 300, for example, first the gas transport pipe 20 is heated to a high temperature by the temperature control member 70, and the thermometer 60 displays, for example, approximately 350°C. After this, the ozone 110 flows into the gas transport pipe 20 of the ozone reduction device 300 via the intake duct 10. To explain in detail, ozone 110 flows into the gas transport pipe 20 via the intake end adapter 40, where the temperature is approximately 350°C. After passing through the 350°C gas transport pipe 20, the ozone 110 enters the outlet duct 12 via the outlet end adapter 42. The reduced gas described above passes through the cooling device 400, where the ozone concentration is measured again by the ozone concentration sensor 84 (at measurement point B), and then discharged. In this invention, for example, a mass flow controller 82 controls the flow rate of oxygen gas 200 to 27 L / min, and a pressure controller 86 controls the back pressure to 30 PSi. The ozone reduction apparatus 300 according to the present invention is installed, for example, on a workbench 310, and ozone reduction experiments are performed, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0059] Refer to Figure 4. As can be seen from the data shown in Figure 4, when the ozone concentration at measurement point A rapidly increases from 0.02 wt% to 0.14 wt%, the ozone reduction device 300 according to the present invention can reduce 0.14 wt% of ozone to 0.01 wt% (measurement point B) in less than one second.

[0060] Refer to Figure 5. Figure 5 shows 30 minutes of data obtained by continuously performing the ozone reduction reaction using the ozone reduction device 300 according to the present invention, while measuring the ozone concentration (measurement point A, measurement point B). As can be seen from Figure 5, the reaction of the ozone reduction device 300 according to the present invention remains good even after prolonged operation.

[0061] In the ozone reduction experiment described above, the flow rate of ozone 110 from ozone source 100 was approximately 27 L / min, and the ozone concentration was approximately 15.3 wt% (measurement point A). Converted, this resulted in the generation of approximately 354 g / hr of ozone, which is more than three times the ozone concentration of typical sterilization methods used in air. In this invention, the gas transport tube 20 (for example, a spiral quartz tube) provides sufficient time to heat the ozone 110, allowing it to be rapidly reduced to oxygen gas 120 (at measurement point B, ozone 110 is hardly detectable). Furthermore, in this invention, since an insulating material 50 (for example, an insulating material layer) is used, ozone reduction can be performed stably over a long period of time.

[0062] Refer to Figures 7 and 8. Then refer to Figures 1 through 6. Figure 7 shows a second embodiment of the system for instantly measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention. Figure 8 shows a second embodiment of the method for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to the present invention. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a process apparatus 700 is added to the system 1, which immediately measures particles in ozone. The process apparatus 700 performs the process step S700 and is further equipped with a flow divider pipe 105. The diversion pipe 105 performs the diversion step S600. For example, when ozone 110 is supplied from the ozone source 100, at least a portion 110a of the ozone 110 that is diverted from the ozone source 100 is supplied to the ozone reduction device 300 via the diversion pipe 105. This causes at least some of the ozone 110a to be heated and reduced to oxygen gas. The remaining ozone 110b, which is separated from the ozone source 100, is then supplied to the process unit 700. This allows the process to proceed and step S700 to be executed. The above-described process apparatus 700 and process step S700 are not limited to the semiconductor manufacturing field, but can also be applied to any field that seeks to measure particles in ozone gas.

[0063] In this invention, for example, a process is carried out using a process apparatus 700 to perform step S700, and a measurement step S400 is also performed. This allows for the measurement of the number and / or particle size of particles in ozone-110. The ozone source 100 performs a flow diversion step (S600) using, for example, a flow divider pipe 105 (for example, a three-way pipe). This allows the ozone 110 to be diverted and supplied to the ozone reduction unit 300 and the process unit 700. For example, at least a portion 110a of the ozone 110 is supplied to the ozone reduction device 300, and the remaining 110b of the ozone 110 is supplied to the process device 700. As a result, the particle counter 500 can immediately measure the number and / or particle size of particles in the oxygen gas 120, which is reduced by heating at least a portion of the ozone 110a, as the process equipment 700 processes using the remaining 110b of ozone 110. The process apparatus 700 can, for example, selectively determine whether the ozone 110 is contaminated with particles based on the quantity and / or particle size of the particles measured by the particle counter 500. This controls whether to continue or stop the introduction of the remaining 110b of ozone 110 from the ozone source 100 into the process unit 700. To illustrate with an example, a control valve 107 is selectively provided between the ozone source 100 and the flow divider pipe 105. This allows for control over the continuation or cessation of the supply of at least a portion 110a of ozone 110 and / or the remaining 110b of ozone 110, for example, based on the quantity and / or particle size of the particles.

[0064] To explain in more detail, taking the process apparatus 700 as an example of a semiconductor photoresist removal apparatus, the semiconductor photoresist removal apparatus comprises a reaction chamber 710 and a stage 720 on which a wafer 800 (also called a target object) can be placed. A nozzle 740 is provided in an opening 730 above the reaction chamber 710. The nozzle 740 is connected to an ozone source 100 (e.g., an ozone generator) via a pipe 750 and supplies ozone 110 to the wafer 800 (e.g., a semiconductor wafer) inside the reaction chamber 710.

[0065] The piping 750 connected to the ozone source 100 (e.g., an ozone generator) and the nozzle 740 is provided with, for example, a control valve 107 and a diversion pipe 105. The ozone 110 is diverted by the diversion pipe 105 and supplied to the ozone reduction device 300 via the intake duct 10, and then supplied to the process device 700 via the piping 750.

[0066] The ozone reduction device 300 according to the present invention reduces ozone 110 to oxygen gas 120 using, for example, a gas transport pipe 20 (for example, a spiral quartz tube) and a heating element 30 (for example, a ceramic heater). The oxygen gas 120 is then cooled by a cooling device 400 and flows into a particle counter 500. When the particle counter 500 detects particles, the process apparatus 700 (for example, a semiconductor photoresist removal apparatus) quickly takes appropriate measures, such as closing the control valve 107 to stop the supply of ozone 110. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of losses or to immediately stop losses. Although this invention has been described using its application to the semiconductor manufacturing field as an example, it is not limited to the semiconductor manufacturing field and can be effectively applied to any field where it is desired to measure particles in ozone gas.

[0067] The system and method for instantly measuring ozone particles according to the present invention have the following effects. (1) It is possible to prevent contamination of semiconductor wafers by other non-ozone particles contained in ozone, and to prove that the ozone gas from an ozone source (e.g., an ozone generator) or the ozone tail gas emitted from an ozone source (e.g., semiconductor process equipment) does not contain contaminating particles.

[0068] (2) The filtration effect of gas filters placed at the ozone source (e.g., the gas inlet and gas outlet of an ozone generator) can be immediately determined, for example, whether the filtration effect of removing impurities and foreign matter still exists after a certain period of use.

[0069] (3) By combining the ozone reduction technology of the ozone reduction device with the particle detection technology of the particle counter, the size and quantity of particles contained in the ozone gas can be measured immediately. This allows for the immediate measurement of the pollution concentration and the tracking of the type of particles, enabling the analysis of the pollution source.

[0070] (4) By employing a spiral-shaped gas transport tube (e.g., a spiral quartz tube) as the ozone reduction chamber, the space occupied is reduced and the heat transfer area is increased compared to a conventional cylindrical ozone reduction chamber. This ensures that there is sufficient time to heat the ozone molecules flowing into the spiral gas transport tube, and the ozone gas can be rapidly reduced to oxygen gas. This makes it highly suitable for application in reducing large flow rates of ozone gas.

[0071] (5) By fitting a spiral gas transport pipe to the outer surface of the heating element, heating efficiency is improved and costs can be reduced compared to conventional designs. Furthermore, problems such as corrosion of the heating element and damage to the particle counter due to direct contact of ozone with the heating element and particle counter, as seen in conventional designs, can be avoided.

[0072] (6) The cooling device allows the oxygen gas, which has been heated and reduced from ozone, to be cooled to an appropriate temperature before it enters the particle counter.

[0073] The above description is merely an example and not an exhaustive one. Any modifications or changes that have an equivalent effect thereto, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, are included in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1. A system for instantly measuring particles in ozone. 10 Intake Duct 12 Outlet duct 20 Gas transport pipes 30 Heating element 40 Intake End Adapter 42 Outlet end adapter 50 Insulation material 60 thermometer 70 Temperature control component 82 Mass flow controller 84 Ozone concentration sensor 86 Pressure Controller 100 Ozone Sources 105 Diversion tube 107 Control valve 110 ozone 110a Partial Ozone 110b Remaining ozone 120 Oxygen gas 200 pure oxygen gas 300 Ozone Reduction Device 310 Workbench 400 Cooling device 500 particle counter 600 Pure Oxygen Gas Source 700 Process Equipment 710 Reaction Room 720 stages 730 Opening 740 nozzles 750 piping 800 wafers P spiral transport route A, B Measurement points S100 Ozone Supply Step S200 Redox Step S300 Cooling Step S400 Measurement Step S500 Zero Reset Step S600 flow division step S700 Process Execution Steps

Claims

1. An ozone reduction device that heats ozone from an ozone source and reduces it to oxygen gas along a spiral transport path, A particle counter for immediately measuring the number and / or particle size of particles in the oxygen gas, A system for instantly measuring particles in ozone, characterized by having the following features.

2. The ozone reduction device described above is An intake duct communicating with the aforementioned ozone source, A gas transport pipe that introduces the ozone from the ozone source via the intake duct and transports the ozone through the spiral transport path, By supplying thermal energy and heating the ozone being transported in the gas transport pipe, the ozone, as it flows along the spiral transport path, is heated by the thermal energy and reduced to oxygen gas by a heating element, An outlet duct that communicates with the gas transport pipe and discharges the oxygen gas obtained by the reduction of the ozone, A system for instantly measuring particles in ozone according to claim 1, characterized by comprising the following:

3. The system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to claim 2, characterized in that the gas transport pipe is a spiral-shaped tube and the outer surface of the heating element is fitted into it.

4. The system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to claim 2, characterized in that the heating element directly heats only the ozone in the gas transport pipe, simultaneously heats the gas transport pipe and the ozone in the gas transport pipe, and / or indirectly heats the ozone in the gas transport pipe by heating the gas transport pipe.

5. Furthermore, the system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises an insulating member, the insulating member covering one or more of the gas transport pipe, the heating element, the intake duct and / or the outlet duct, thereby maintaining the temperature of the ozone.

6. Furthermore, the system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises a thermometer, the thermometer measuring the temperature obtained when the ozone in the gas transport pipe is heated by the thermal energy from the heating element.

7. Furthermore, the system for instantly measuring particles in ozone according to claim 6, further comprising a temperature control member, wherein the temperature control member controls the thermal energy from the heating element based on the heating temperature obtained by the measurement of the thermometer, thereby heating the ozone to a predetermined temperature.

8. The system for instantly measuring particles in ozone according to claim 2, further comprising an intake end adapter and an outlet end adapter, wherein the intake end adapter is connected to both the intake duct and the gas transport pipe so as to be located between them, and the outlet end adapter is connected to both the gas transport pipe and the outlet duct so as to be located between them.

9. Furthermore, the system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a cooling device, the cooling device cooling the oxygen gas obtained by heating and reducing the ozone in the ozone reduction device.

10. Furthermore, the system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to claim 1, further comprising a process apparatus, wherein the ozone source supplies at least a portion of the ozone to an ozone reduction apparatus so that at least a portion of the ozone is heated and reduced to oxygen gas, and the ozone source supplies the remaining ozone to the process apparatus to perform the process step.

11. The system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to claim 10, characterized in that the particle counter immediately measures the quantity and / or particle size of the particles in the oxygen gas obtained by heating and reducing at least a portion of the ozone when the process apparatus uses the remaining ozone to perform the process steps.

12. A system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to claim 11, characterized in that the process apparatus controls whether the ozone has been contaminated with the particles by determining, based on the quantity and / or particle size of the particles measured by the particle counter, whether to continue or stop the introduction of the remaining ozone from the ozone source into the process apparatus.

13. The system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to claim 10, characterized in that the ozone source supplies at least a portion of the ozone and the remaining ozone by dividing the flow through a flow divider, thereby supplying at least a portion of the ozone to the ozone reduction device and the remaining ozone to the process device.

14. A system for instantly measuring particles in ozone according to claim 13, wherein a control valve is provided between the ozone source and the flow divider, and the control valve controls the continuation or cessation of the supply of at least some of the ozone and / or the remaining ozone based on the quantity and / or particle size of the particles.

15. The particle counter is characterized in that it determines the quantity and / or particle size of the particles by irradiating the oxygen gas with light rays from a light source, thereby causing scattering or diffraction by the particles in the oxygen gas and analyzing the characteristics of the light rays from the light source. This is the system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to claim 1.

16. Furthermore, the system for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to claim 1, comprising a pure oxygen gas source, wherein the pure oxygen gas source first supplies pure oxygen gas to the ozone reduction device until the quantity and / or particle size of the particles measured by the particle counter becomes zero, before the ozone from the ozone source is heated and reduced to oxygen gas in the ozone reduction device.

17. A method for immediately measuring particles in ozone using a system for immediately measuring particles in ozone as described in any one of claims 1 to 16, An ozone supply step of supplying the ozone from the ozone source, The ozone reduction device performs an oxidation-reduction step in which the ozone from the ozone source is heated along the helical transport path and reduced to oxygen gas, A measurement step in which the quantity and / or particle size of the particles in the oxygen gas are immediately measured using the particle counter, A method for immediately measuring particles in ozone, characterized by including [a specific component].

18. A method for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to claim 17, further comprising a zero reset step after the ozone supply step and before the oxidation-reduction step, characterized in that the zero reset step causes the quantity and / or particle size of the particles measured by the particle counter to become zero.

19. A method for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to claim 17, further comprising a cooling step after the oxidation-reduction step and before the measurement step, wherein the cooling step cools the oxygen gas that has been heated and reduced by the ozone reduction device.

20. A method for immediately measuring particles in ozone according to claim 17, further comprising a flow separation step after the ozone supply step and before the oxidation-reduction step, characterized in that the ozone can be supplied by the flow separation step.

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