Gas supply systems and semiconductor manufacturing equipment

Abstract

The present invention provides a gas supply system and semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that maintain the airtightness of the gas box enclosure while allowing fluid to flow into or out of the gas box enclosure via piping. [Solution] The gas supply system comprises a gas box housing 5 that houses a raw material container containing gas raw materials, at least one of a pipe 3 through a through-hole 52 provided in the gas box housing through which fluid flows in from outside the gas box housing or a pipe 3 through which fluid flows out to outside the gas box housing, and a pipe enclosure 61 provided in the through-hole that integrally surrounds an internal pipe section 31 which is the inner part of the gas box housing and an external pipe section 32 which is the outer part of the gas box housing, and a block member 6 that is fixed to the gas box housing in a state in which the pipe enclosure is inserted into the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole and the outer circumferential surface of the pipe that passes through the through-hole, thereby sealing the gap.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a gas supply system and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that performs processing on a substrate, there is a step of supplying gas into a processing container to process the substrate. A processing gas used for processing the substrate is supplied into the processing container via a pipe. Patent Document 1 proposes a gas supply system that suppresses liquefaction of a gas that is easily liquefied and supplies the gas from a gas container to a processing container.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique for causing a fluid to flow into a gas box housing through a pipe, or causing a fluid to flow out of the gas box housing through a pipe, while maintaining the airtightness of the gas box housing.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] The present disclosure provides: a gas box housing that stores a raw material container containing a gas raw material; at least one of: a pipe that penetrates through a through-hole provided in the gas box housing and through which a fluid flowing in from the outside of the gas box housing flows, and a pipe that penetrates through the through-hole and through which a fluid flowing out to the outside of the gas box housing flows; The gas supply system comprises a pipe enclosure portion provided at the through-hole, which integrally surrounds an internal piping portion which is the inner portion of the piping within the gas box housing and an external piping portion which is the outer portion of the piping within the gas box housing, and a block member which is fixed to the gas box housing in a state in which the pipe enclosure portion is inserted into the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole and the outer circumferential surface of the piping that penetrates the through-hole, thereby sealing the gap. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to this disclosure, it is possible to introduce fluid into the gas box enclosure via piping, or to discharge fluid from the gas box enclosure via piping, while maintaining the airtightness of the gas box enclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus equipped with a gas supply system. [Figure 2] This is a plan view showing an example configuration of a raw material container and gas box enclosure installed in a gas supply system. [Figure 3] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a raw material container. [Figure 4] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view showing the first comparative configuration. [Figure 5] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view showing the second comparative configuration. [Figure 6] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view showing a part of the gas supply system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a block component installed in a gas supply system. [Figure 8] This is a front view showing an example of the configuration of the flange portion of the block member and the sealing member. [Figure 9] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view showing a part of the gas supply system according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] <Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment> An example of the configuration of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 equipped with the gas supply system 2 of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a simplified longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1. As shown in this figure, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a processing container 11 for storing and processing semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as "wafers") W, which are substrates for semiconductor manufacturing. Inside the processing container 11, there is a mounting table 12 on which the wafers W are placed.

[0009] A showerhead 13 is positioned in the area of ​​the processing container 11 facing the mounting table 12. Processing gas is supplied to the showerhead 13 from the gas supply system 2 via the processing gas supply pipe 3, and the processing gas is discharged from the showerhead 13 in a shower-like manner onto the wafer W on the mounting table 12. Hereinafter, the processing gas supply pipe 3 may also be referred to as "pipe 3".

[0010] <Overview of the gas supply system> Next, an overview of the gas supply system 2 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The gas supply system 2 comprises a gas box 4, a processed gas supply pipe 3 which discharges fluid from the gas box 4 to the outside, and a block member 6 provided at the connection point between the pipe 3 and the gas box 4. Furthermore, the gas box 4 is composed of a raw material container 41 containing the liquid raw material for the gas, a gas box housing 5 provided to surround the raw material container 41, and an outer housing 42 provided to surround the gas box housing 5. In Figures 1 to 3, the front-to-back direction is referred to as the "X direction," the left-to-right direction that intersects the front-to-back direction horizontally is referred to as the "Y direction," and the up-and-down direction is referred to as the "Z direction."

[0011] The raw material container 41 is provided with a process gas supply pipe 3 and a valve 21 for opening and closing this pipe 3, and the valve 21 is configured to be openable and closable from the outside of the gas box housing 5 and the outer housing 42. As shown in FIG. 2, for example, such a raw material container 41, the gas box housing 5, and the outer housing 42 are each configured to have a rectangular shape in plan view. The valve 21 is provided on the side wall 411 of the raw material container 41, and openings (not shown) for opening and closing the valve 21 from the outside are formed in the wall portions of the gas box housing 5 and the outer housing 42 facing the valve 21, and these openings are closed by seal members 22 and 23 respectively.

[0012] The gas box housing 5 is connected to a supply source 24 of an inert gas, for example nitrogen (N2) gas, via a supply pipe 3A provided with a valve V1, and is connected to an exhaust mechanism 25 provided with an exhaust pump and a valve via a first exhaust pipe 3B. N2 gas is supplied to and exhausted from the interior of the gas box housing 5, and the pressure inside the gas box housing 5 is adjusted to a preset pressure. Furthermore, the outer housing 42 is connected via a second exhaust pipe 261 to an exhaust line of a factory where the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 is installed, or to an exhaust mechanism 26 provided with an exhaust pump and a valve. The space between the gas box housing 5 and the outer housing 42 is exhausted, and the pressure therein is adjusted to a pressure (negative pressure) lower than the pressure in the gas box housing 5.

[0013] Since the interior of the gas box housing 5 is filled with N2 gas, the oxygen (O2) concentration is kept at a low level. Therefore, when there is a concern that the gas generated in the raw material container 41 reacts with the atmosphere like a pyrophoric material, even if gas leaks from the raw material container 41 or the valve 21, ignition in the gas box housing 5 is prevented. In addition, even if a gas leak occurs accidentally, the leaked gas is exhausted together with N2 gas, so that high safety is achieved.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 3, the raw material container 41 accommodates therein, for example, a liquid 40 serving as a gas raw material, and includes a heating unit 43 for heating this liquid 40. For example, the heating unit 43 is embedded in the side wall 411 or the bottom wall 412 of the raw material container 41. Further, in addition to the processing gas supply pipe 3, a first pipe 3C that supplies the liquid 40 from a storage source 27 to the raw material container 41, and a second pipe 3D that supplies a carrier gas, which is an inert gas, from a supply source 28 to the raw material container 41 are connected to the raw material container 41. For example, argon (Ar) gas is used as the carrier gas.

[0015] In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, in the raw material container 41 of the gas box 4, the liquid 40 heated by the heating unit 43 progresses in vaporization by supply of the carrier gas, thereby generating the processing gas. Then, the processing gas together with the carrier gas is discharged in a shower form from the shower head 13 toward the wafer W placed on the placement table 2 via the processing gas supply pipe 3, and a predetermined processing is performed. Examples of the processing performed on the wafer W include an etching processing, a film forming processing, an ashing processing, and the like.

[0016] As described above, the processing gas is generated by vaporizing the gas raw material of the liquid 40 in the raw material container 41. In order to suppress liquefaction or solidification of the gas and supply the gas to the processing container 11, the processing gas supply pipe 3 is preferably heated. On the other hand, the processing gas supply pipe 3 is connected to the raw material container 41 via the gas box housing 5 and the outer housing 42. For this reason, an opening for inserting the processing gas supply pipe 3 is formed in the gas box housing 5 and the outer housing 42. On the other hand, even if leakage of the gas generated in the raw material container 41 occurs, it is necessary to prevent further leakage of the gas from the inside of the gas box housing 5. From this point of view, there is a demand for a configuration in which the processing gas supply pipe 3 can be heated while ensuring the airtightness of the gas box housing 5.

[0017] <First Comparative Embodiment> In order to address the above problems, for example, the configuration of the comparative embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is conceivable. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a connecting portion between the gas box housing 5 and the processing gas supply pipe 3. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 52 denotes a through-hole formed in an outer wall 51 of the gas box housing 5, and shows a state where the processing gas supply pipe 3 is provided so as to pass through the through-hole 52.

[0018] The processing gas supply pipe 3 is intended to be heated by winding a tape heater 43 around its outer circumference. The tape heater 43 contains a flexible material such as cloth or resin, making it easy to wind around any bent sections of the pipe 3 and allowing for uniform heating. On the other hand, when the tape heater 43 is installed around the entire length of the pipe 3, as shown in Figure 4, the gap between the inner surface of the through-hole 52 of the gas box housing 5 and the outer surface of the processing gas supply pipe 3 will be sealed by the tape heater 43. For example, a fixing member 45 can be installed on the outer wall of the through-hole 52 via a sealing member 44, and the processing gas supply pipe 3 can be fixed to the through-hole 52 by the fixing member 45. In this case, an insulating material 46 is also placed between the tape heater 43 and the fixing member 45.

[0019] In this configuration, it is necessary to route the pipe 3, around which the tape heater 43 is wrapped, and pass it through the through-hole 52 of the gas box housing 5. However, the wrapping of the tape heater 43 around the pipe 3 is done by a worker. Therefore, the assembly accuracy depends on the worker, and there is a risk that the airtightness of the through-hole 52 will vary greatly. In addition, the surface of the tape heater 43 is made of a soft material such as cloth or resin, and when attempting to fasten and secure it with the fixing member 45, a gap is likely to form between the tape heater 43 and the through-hole 52. For this reason, it is presumed that it will be difficult to seal the gap formed between the inner surface of the through-hole 52 and the outer surface of the pipe 3 with high precision in order to maintain airtightness inside the gas box housing 5.

[0020] <Second comparative form> For these reasons, as shown in Figure 5, a configuration can be considered in which a flexible tape heater 43 is not provided between the penetration opening 52 and the pipe 3, and the gap between the penetration opening 52 and the pipe 3 is designed to be as small as possible. In this configuration, the tape heater 43 is wrapped around the outer circumference of the pipe 3, both the inner pipe 3 and the outer pipe 3 of the gas box housing 5, to provide heating. In addition, a sealing member 47 is provided around the penetration opening 52 on the outer wall surface 53 (outer surface of the outer wall 51) of the gas box housing 5 to ensure airtightness.

[0021] However, the tape heater 43 cannot be wrapped around the area 48 enclosed by a solid line near the penetration opening 52 in Figure 5, that is, the connection point between the penetration opening 52 and the pipe 3. As a result, the temperature of the pipe 3 decreases in this area 48, and there is a concern that the gas passing through this area 48 may liquefy or solidify, causing particle generation.

[0022] <First Embodiment> This disclosure was made in response to these challenges. Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the gas supply system 2 of this disclosure will be described using the processed gas supply piping 3 as an example, with reference to Figures 6 to 8. Note that components similar to those in comparative embodiments 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0023] As shown in Figure 6, a processing gas supply pipe 3, for example made of stainless steel, is inserted into the outer wall 51 of the gas box housing 5, with a through-hole 52 that penetrates approximately perpendicularly to the outer wall 51. In this processing gas supply pipe 3, the pipe 3 located inside the gas box housing 5 is designated as the internal piping section 31, and the pipe 3 located outside the gas box housing 5 is designated as the external piping section 32. The inner part of the gas box housing 5 is the part inside the inner wall surface 54 of the gas box housing 5.

[0024] <Block component> The through-hole 52 is provided with a block member 6 that closes the gap 50 between the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole 52 and the outer circumferential surface of the pipe 3 that passes through the through-hole 52. The block member 6 comprises a pipe surrounding portion 61 and a flange portion 62, as an example of which is shown in Figures 6 and 7. The block member 6 is made of a material that has excellent thermal conductivity, allows the pipe surrounding portion 61 and the flange portion 62 to be formed integrally, and can be made in close contact with the pipe 3. For this reason, the block member 6 is preferably made of metal, for example, aluminum (Al).

[0025] The pipe enclosure 61 is configured to integrally surround the internal pipe section 31 and the external pipe section 32, and is provided to fill the gap 50 between the through-hole 52 and the pipe 3. As shown in Figure 7, the pipe enclosure 61 in this example is configured as a cylindrical body 611 with an opening 612 for inserting the pipe 3 (internal pipe section 31, external pipe section 32). The cylindrical body 611 is provided so that its length is aligned with the pipe axis direction of the pipe 3 (the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 7), and the opening 612 is formed to penetrate the cylindrical body 611 along the pipe axis direction. The opening 612 is formed to match the shape of the pipe 3, and its inner circumferential surface is formed to be in close contact with the outer circumferential surfaces of the internal pipe section 31 and the external pipe section 32. Therefore, in this example, the outer diameter of the pipe enclosure 61 and the inner diameter of the through-hole 52 are formed to be approximately the same size.

[0026] The flange portion 62 is provided along the outer circumferential surface of the pipe enclosure portion 61 at a position midway along its length, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. Also, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the flange portion 62 is formed in a rectangular plate shape when viewed from the direction of the pipe axis, and has a plane facing the outer wall surface 53 of the gas box housing 5. This plane is then attached to the outer wall surface 53 via a sealing member 7, which will be described later, thereby sealing the gap 50 between the penetration opening 52 and the pipe 3. In this example, the flange portion 62 is provided approximately in the center along the length of the pipe enclosure portion 61.

[0027] In this configuration, when the flange portion 62 is attached to the outer wall surface 53, one end of the pipe enclosure portion 61 is inserted into the inside of the gas box housing 5, and the other end is positioned to protrude to the outside of the gas box housing 5. In this way, the internal piping portion 31 and the external piping portion 32 of the pipe 3 inserted into the through-hole 52 of the gas box housing 5 are integrally enclosed by the pipe enclosure portion 61.

[0028] Such a block member 6 is configured to be divided into multiple sections along the circumferential direction of the pipe 3. Figure 8(a) is a side view of the block member 6 as seen from the pipe axis direction. In this example, the block member 6 is composed of two sections 63 and 64 (the upper first section 63 and the lower second section 64), which are divided into two sections vertically. In the flange sections 62 of these first and second sections 63 and 64 (the first flange section 621 and the second flange section 622), screw holes 65 are formed on the outside of the area where the opening 612 is formed. These screw holes 65 are through holes formed to be larger than the screws 66. Note that the screw holes 65 are omitted in Figure 7.

[0029] Then, the first divided section 63 is positioned from above the pipe 3, and the first flange section 621 is fixed to the outer wall surface 53 with screws 66. At the same time, the second divided section 64 is positioned from below the pipe 3, and the second flange section 622 is fixed to the outer wall surface 53 with screws 66. As a result, the first divided section 63 and the second divided section 64 constitute a block member 6, and this block member 6 is fixed to the outer wall surface 53 of the gas box housing 5 in a state where the pipe 3 is tightened from above and below. At this time, the inner circumferential surfaces of the first and second divided sections 63 and 64 are in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the pipe 3. In addition, the lower end surface of the first divided section 63 and the upper end surface of the second divided section 64 are also in close contact with each other, and their contact surface 60 is substantially parallel to the pipe axis.

[0030] In this way, the inner surface of the pipe enclosure portion 61 is in close contact with the outer surface of the internal pipe portion 31 and the external pipe portion 32, and the flange portion 62 provided around the pipe enclosure portion 61 closes the gap 50 between the through-hole 52 and the pipe 3. Since the screw holes 65 of the flange portion 62 are formed as through holes, the divided portions 63 and 64 can be attached to the gas box housing 5 while adjusting their positions. In this example, the block member 6 is fixed to the gas box housing 5 by attaching the flange portion 62 to the gas box housing 5 with screws 66, and the close contact between the pipe enclosure portion 61 and the pipe 3 is enhanced.

[0031] The size of such block members 6 is set according to the size of the pipe 3, and the nominal diameter of the pipe 3 can be 1 / 2 inch, 3 / 8 inch, etc. As an example of the size of block members 6, if the pipe 3 is 3 / 8 inch, the length of the pipe surrounding portion 61 (size in the pipe axis direction) is 32 mm, the thickness of the flange portion 62 (size in the pipe axis direction) is 10 mm, and the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the flange portion 62 when viewed from the pipe axis direction are 40 mm x 40 mm.

[0032] <Sealing material> The block member 6 described above is fixed to the outer wall surface 53 of the gas box housing 5 with a sealing member 7 positioned between the outer wall surface 53 and the flange portion 62. The sealing member 7 is formed in a rectangular shape similar to the flange portion 62 when viewed from the direction of the pipe axis of the piping 3, as shown in Figure 8(b), and is made of a deformable material such as a heat-resistant elastic body, or a packing such as fluororubber.

[0033] The sealing member 7 has, for example, a circular opening 71 at a position through which the pipe enclosure 61 passes. In this example, as shown in Figure 8, the opening 71 is formed to be larger than, for example, the outer diameter of the pipe enclosure 61, but it may be approximately the same size as long as it is large enough for the pipe enclosure 61 to pass through. In addition, the sealing member 7 has a slit 72 formed between the inner circumference end of the opening 71 and the outer circumference end of the sealing member 7. For example, the slit 72 is formed perpendicular to the pipe axis direction from the lower end of the inner circumference end of the opening 71 toward the outer circumference end of the sealing member 72. Furthermore, the sealing member 7 is provided with screw holes 73 for fastening the sealing member 7 to the outer wall surface 53 of the gas box housing 5, at positions corresponding to the screw holes 65 of the flange portion 62. For example, the screw holes 73 are formed to be smaller than the screw holes 65 of the flange portion 62.

[0034] Such a sealing member 7 is positioned between the outer wall surface 53 and the flange portion 62 of the gas box housing 5, and has the function of improving airtightness between the outer wall surface 53 and the flange portion 62 when the flange portion 62 is screwed to the outer wall surface 53. Furthermore, since the sealing member 7 is deformable, the slit 72 is opened and the pipe surrounding portion 61 is fitted into the opening 71, after which the slit 72 is closed to ensure a seal.

[0035] When the sealing member 7 and the block member 6 are attached to the outer wall surface 53 of the gas box housing 5, as shown in Figure 8(c), the contact surfaces 60 of the divided portions 63 and 64 of the flange portion 62 and the slit 72 of the sealing member 7 are offset from each other when viewed from the direction of the pipe axis of the piping 3. In this way, the positions of the contact surfaces 60 of the divided portions 63 and 64 and the slit 72 do not overlap, thus ensuring better airtightness of the gas box housing 5. As previously described, the flange portion 62 and the sealing member 7 are formed to be almost the same shape, but in Figure 8(c), the sealing member 7 is drawn slightly larger for illustrative purposes.

[0036] <Heating mechanism> Furthermore, the gas supply system 2 is equipped with a heating mechanism. The heating mechanism consists of, for example, a tape heater 8, which is wrapped around the pipe surrounding portion 61 that is outside the flange portion 62 when viewed from the gas box housing 5. It is also wrapped around the pipe 3 further outward from the pipe surrounding portion 61 in the area surrounding this external pipe portion 32.

[0037] Furthermore, the tape heater 8 is wrapped around the pipe enclosure 61 located inside the gas box housing 5, and also around the pipe 3 located further inside the pipe enclosure 61 in the area surrounding the internal pipe section 31. As shown in Figure 6, in this example, the tape heater 8 is wrapped only around a portion of the pipe surrounding section 61 and around the pipe 3 upstream and downstream of the pipe surrounding section 61. In other words, in this example, the tape heater 8 is wrapped around the cylindrical bodies 611 before and after the flange section 62, while the tape heater 8 is not wrapped around the flange section 62.

[0038] The pipe enclosure 61 is made of aluminum, which has good thermal conductivity, and the inner surface of the pipe enclosure 61 and the outer surface of the pipe 31 are in close contact with each other. As a result, the pipe 3 in the area enclosed by the pipe enclosure 61 is heated by heat transfer from the pipe enclosure 61, which is heated by the tape heater 8. Consequently, the entire block member 6 is heated by heat transfer from the pipe 3 on the upstream and downstream sides of the pipe enclosure 61, around which the tape heater 8 is wound.

[0039] On the other hand, the tape heater 8 cannot be directly wrapped around the pipes 3 (internal pipe section 31, external pipe section 32) surrounded by the pipe enclosure section 61 of the block member 6. In particular, the pipes 3 in the areas where the flange section 62 is provided and the areas surrounded by the through-hole 52 of the gas box housing 5 are located away from the tape heater 8. These areas of pipe 3 are also sufficiently heated by the block member 6, which is heated as a whole. The heating temperature of the pipes 3 is set to a temperature above the vaporization temperature of the processing gas, and varies depending on the type of processing gas, but one example is 100°C to 200°C.

[0040] The above describes a method of installing piping while maintaining the airtightness of the gas box housing 5 using block members 6, with the processed gas supply piping 3 as an example. On the other hand, as explained using Figure 1, in the gas supply system 2, the supply piping 3A and the first exhaust piping 3B are installed by passing through the through-hole 52 formed in the gas box housing 5. Furthermore, although not shown in Figure 1, the first piping 3C and the second piping 3D shown in Figure 3 are also installed by passing through the through-hole 52 formed in the gas box housing 5. In order to maintain the airtightness of the gas box housing 5, these piping 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D may also be installed using block members 6. In this case, as shown in Figure 1 for the example of supply piping 3A and the first exhaust piping 3B, the ends of the piping 3A and 3B do not necessarily need to extend further into the interior of the gas box housing 5 from the area surrounded by the piping enclosure 61. When viewed from the inside of the gas box housing 5, the end of the pipe surrounding portion 61 of the block member 6 and the end of the internal pipe portion 31 of these pipes 3A and 3B may be flush with each other.

[0041] In this example, pipes 3A, 3B, and 3D, which supply and exhaust inert gas, and pipe 3C, through which the room-temperature liquid 40 flows, do not necessarily need to be heated because they do not experience solidification or particle generation problems due to temperature drops. Therefore, the tape heaters 8 are not wrapped around these pipes 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D. When the pipes are not heated in this way, it is also not necessary to wrap the tape heaters 8, which are the heating mechanism, around the outer surface of the pipe surrounding portion 61 of the block member 6.

[0042] In the example of the gas supply system 2 shown in Figure 1, the processing gas supply pipe 3 is heated by tape heaters 8 on both the upstream and downstream sides of the area surrounded by the pipe enclosure 61, thereby heating the entire processing gas supply pipe 3. This processing gas supply pipe 3 is inserted into the through-hole 52 of the gas box housing 5, passing through an unshown through-hole formed in the external housing 42. In this case, no block member 6 is provided at the connection point between the external housing 42 and the pipe 3. Therefore, the through-hole of the external housing 42 is sealed by the tape heater 8 wrapped around the pipe 3, as described in the first comparative configuration of Figure 4, for example. If it is necessary to ensure airtightness at the connection point between the external housing 42 and the pipe 3, a block member 6 and tape heater 8 may be provided, similar to the portion of the gap 50.

[0043] According to the embodiment described above, in a gas supply system 2 in which a pipe 3 is provided so as to pass through a through-hole 52 of a gas box housing 5, a block member 6 is provided to close the gap 50 between the through-hole 52 and the pipe 3. With this configuration, fluid can be discharged from the gas box housing 5 through the pipe 3 while maintaining the airtightness of the gas box housing 5.

[0044] Here, the block member 6 includes a pipe enclosure portion 61 configured to integrally surround the internal piping portion 31 and the external piping portion 32 of the pipes 3 (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D). The block member 6 is fixed to the gas box housing 5 with this pipe enclosure portion 61 inserted into the gap 50 between the through-hole 52 and the pipes 3. Because the pipe enclosure portion 61 is provided to fill the gap 50 in this way, the gap 50 can be sealed with high precision, preventing gas leakage from the gas box housing 5.

[0045] Furthermore, the block member 6 is equipped with a flange portion 62, which is attached and fixed to the outer wall surface 53 of the gas box housing 5. The flange portion 62 is a member provided along the outer circumferential surface of the pipe enclosure portion 61. Therefore, even if a small gap is formed between the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole 52 and the outer circumferential surface of the pipe enclosure portion 61 when the pipe enclosure portion 61 is inserted into the gap 50, the flange portion 62 can seal the gap 50, further improving the airtightness of the gas box housing 5.

[0046] Furthermore, since the through-hole 52, piping 3, and block member 6 are easier to control dimensionally compared to materials with flexibility, there is less risk of variations in airtightness, and from this perspective as well, the gap 50 can be sealed with high precision. In addition, since the piping enclosure 61 and flange 62 can be formed integrally, the number of components required to ensure the airtightness of the gas box housing 5 is reduced. This makes it easier to control the occurrence of variations in airtightness and reduces manufacturing costs.

[0047] Furthermore, the block member 6 is divided into multiple sections 63 and 64, and these sections 63 and 64 are attached to the outside of the pipe 3, surrounding the pipe 3. Actual pipes 3 may have joints, and the outer diameter of these joints is larger than that of the pipe 3. For this reason, in the case of a block member 6 that is constructed as a single unit, it may be difficult to position the pipe surrounding section 61 at the point where the pipe 3 passes through the penetration opening 52, passing through the location of the joints. In this regard, by attaching the divided block member 6 from the outside of the pipe 3, it is possible to easily position it in close contact with the pipe 3.

[0048] Furthermore, in the processing gas supply piping 3, the portion of the piping 3 surrounded by the piping enclosure 61 is heated by heat transfer from the piping enclosure 61, which is heated by the tape heater 8, a heating mechanism. Since the piping 3 at the position inserted into the through-hole 52 is also heated in this way, liquefaction and solidification of the gas flowing through it are suppressed, and the generation of particles can be reduced. In this case, by constructing the block member 6 from a metal with good thermal conductivity, the piping 3 can be heated even more efficiently. Furthermore, in this example, since the tape heater 8 is not wrapped around a portion of the flange portion 62, it is possible to achieve a smaller size compared to a configuration in which the tape heater 8 is wrapped around the entire block member 6.

[0049] In the above configuration, a block member 6 is not provided at the connection point between the external housing 42 and the processing gas supply piping 3. However, the inside of the external housing 42 is exhausted by the exhaust mechanism 26 via the second exhaust piping 261. Therefore, even if a gap is formed between the opening of the external housing 42 and the piping 3, the atmosphere from outside the gas box 4 is drawn into the external housing 42 through this gap and exhausted by the exhaust mechanism 26, so there is little risk of gas leakage from the external housing 42.

[0050] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the gas supply system of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 9. In this example, the block member 6A has a pipe enclosure portion 9 that functions as a flange portion. The pipe enclosure portion 9 is configured to include a first pipe enclosure portion 91 that is inserted into the through-hole 52 when the block member 6A is attached to the gas box housing 5, and a second pipe enclosure portion 92 that is located on the outside of the gas box housing 5.

[0051] The first pipe enclosure portion 91 is a pipe enclosure portion surrounding the internal pipe portion 31, and its outer diameter is formed to be approximately the same size as, for example, the through-hole 52. The second pipe enclosure portion 92 is a pipe enclosure portion surrounding the external pipe portion 32, and its outer diameter is formed to be larger than the through-hole 52. As a result, the connection portion between the first pipe enclosure portion 91 and the second pipe enclosure portion 92 expands in a stepped manner on the outside of the gas box housing 5, and this expanded portion 93 faces the outer wall surface 53 of the gas box housing 5 and functions as a flange portion.

[0052] In the pipe enclosure 9, an opening 94 is formed in the center when viewed from the direction of the pipe axis, extending across the first and second pipe enclosures 91 and 92, through which the pipe 3 passes. The inner circumferential surface of the opening 94 is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the pipe 3 (internal pipe section 31 and external pipe section 32), thereby integrally surrounding the internal pipe section 31 and the external pipe section 32. With a sealing member 7A placed between the enlarged portion 93 of the second pipe enclosure 92 and the outer wall surface 53 of the gas box housing 5, the second pipe enclosure 92 is screwed to the outer wall surface 53 with screws (not shown).

[0053] A heating mechanism, a tape heater 8A, is wrapped around these first and second pipe surrounds 91 and 92. In this example, the sealing member 7A is larger than the second pipe surround 92 when viewed from the pipe axis direction, and is also larger than the outer diameter of the tape heater 8A wrapped around the second pipe surround 92.

[0054] In this example, the block member 6A is configured to close the gap 50 between the penetration opening 52 and the pipe 3 by filling the gap 50 with the first pipe enclosure portion 91. The block member 6A is also heated by tape heaters 8 provided on the pipe enclosure portions 91 and 92, and the heat from the pipe enclosure portions 91 and 92 is transferred to the pipe 3 in the area enclosed by the pipe enclosure portions 91 and 92, thereby heating the pipe 3 in that area. The other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals are used for the same components, and their descriptions are omitted. In this embodiment as well, the airtightness of the gas box housing 5 can be ensured, and the piping 3 can be heated.

[0055] In the above, the processing gas supply pipe 3 and the first exhaust pipe 3B were described as examples of piping through which fluids flow out of the gas box housing 5, and the supply pipe 3A and the first pipe 3C were described as examples of piping through which fluids flow into the gas box housing 5. The fluids flowing through the piping arranged using the block members 6 and 6A of this disclosure include gases and liquids. Furthermore, although the configuration in which pipes 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D are not heated has been described, heating mechanisms may be provided for these pipes as needed. For example, consider a case where a gas raw material, which is solid at room temperature, is heated to liquefy it, and the liquid raw material is supplied from the storage source 27 to the raw material container 41 via the first pipe 3C. In this case, a heating mechanism to heat the first pipe 3C may be provided to suppress solidification of the liquid raw material, and the first pipe 3C may be attached to the through-hole 52 of the gas box housing 5 using the block members 6 and 6A.

[0056] Furthermore, the block member may be configured to consist only of a pipe enclosure portion. In this case, the pipe enclosure portion is configured to fill the gap between the penetration opening and the pipe, thereby sealing the gap. Moreover, if the block member includes a flange portion, it is not necessarily required that the pipe enclosure portion be shaped to completely fill the gap. Furthermore, the block member only needs to be shaped to seal the gap between the penetration opening and the pipe, and the shape of the pipe enclosure portion and flange portion are not limited to the above configuration and can be changed as appropriate.

[0057] Furthermore, the gas box of the gas supply system is not limited to the configuration described above; it can consist of a gas box enclosure and a raw material container for holding the gas raw material. Moreover, the gas raw material is not limited to a liquid; for example, a gas raw material that is solid at room temperature, such as tungsten chloride (WCl6), can also be used.

[0058] Furthermore, as previously mentioned, a heating mechanism for heating the block member is not necessarily required, and even if one is provided, the shape of the heating mechanism can be changed as appropriate. Also, the heating mechanism for heating the block member 6 may consist only of a tape heater 8 wrapped around the pipe 3 further outward than the pipe surrounding portion 61 surrounding the external piping portion 31. In this case, the tape heater 8 is not wrapped around the pipe surrounding portion 61 itself, but the pipe surrounding portion 61 is heated by heat transfer from the pipe 3 heated by the tape heater 8. By configuring the pipe surrounding portion 61 without wrapping the tape heater 8, a more compact configuration can be achieved. In addition, the heating mechanism is not limited to a tape heater; a mantle heater can also be used.

[0059] The block member 6 of this disclosure does not need to be applied to all piping through which fluid flows in from outside the gas box housing 5, or to all piping through which fluid flows out of the gas box housing 5. It is sufficient if it is applied to at least one of the piping through which fluid flows in or out, and which is attached to the gas box housing 5. Furthermore, the block member 6 of this disclosure may also be applied to piping attached to the external housing 42.

[0060] Up to this point, we have used wafers as an example of substrates, but the substrates processed in the processing container are semiconductor manufacturing substrates. These semiconductor manufacturing substrates include, in addition to wafers, substrates for manufacturing flat panel displays, substrates for manufacturing exposure masks used in photolithography, and dummy substrates that are processed for the purpose of testing and setting processing parameters in substrate processing equipment.

[0061] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The above embodiments may be omitted, replaced, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] W Semiconductor wafer 2. Gas supply system 3, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D piping 31 Internal piping section 32 External piping section 41 Raw material container 5 Gas Box Enclosure 52 Through-hole 6 Block members 61 Pipe surrounding section

Claims

1. A gas box enclosure containing a raw material container holding gas raw materials, A pipe that passes through a through-hole provided in the gas box housing and carries fluid flowing in from outside the gas box housing, or a pipe that carries fluid flowing out to outside the gas box housing, at least one of these, A gas supply system comprising: a pipe enclosure portion provided in the through-hole, integrally surrounding an internal pipe portion which is the inner portion of the piping within the gas box housing and an external pipe portion which is the outer portion of the piping within the gas box housing, and a block member fixed to the gas box housing in a state in which the pipe enclosure portion is inserted into the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole and the outer circumferential surface of the piping that penetrates the through-hole, thereby sealing the gap.

2. The system includes a heating mechanism for heating the block member, The gas supply system according to claim 1, wherein the piping in the area surrounded by the piping surrounding portion is heated by heat transfer from the piping surrounding portion heated by the heating mechanism.

3. The gas supply system according to claim 2, wherein the heating mechanism is a tape heater wrapped around the pipe surrounding area in the region surrounding the external piping.

4. The heating mechanism is a tape heater wrapped around the piping on the outer side of the piping surrounding the region that surrounds the external piping, as viewed from the gas box housing. The gas supply system according to claim 2, wherein the pipe surrounding portion is configured to heat the area of ​​the pipe surrounded by the pipe surrounding portion by raising its temperature through heat transfer from the pipe heated by the tape heater.

5. The gas supply system according to claim 1, wherein the block member is configured to seal the gap by filling the gap with the pipe surrounding portion.

6. The gas supply system according to claim 1, wherein the block member is provided along the outer circumferential surface of the piping enclosure and includes a flange portion configured to seal the gap by being attached to the outer wall surface of the gas box housing.

7. The gas supply system according to claim 6, further comprising a sealing member disposed between the flange portion and the outer wall surface.

8. The gas supply system according to claim 7, wherein the block member is configured to be divided into a plurality of divisions along the circumferential direction of the piping.

9. The gas supply system according to claim 8, wherein the sealing member is made of a deformable material and comprises an opening through which the piping passes, and a slit formed between the inner circumferential end of the opening and the outer circumferential end of the sealing member.

10. The gas supply system according to claim 9, wherein, with the sealing member positioned between the flange portion and the outer wall surface, the contact surfaces of the divided portions and the slit of the sealing member are offset from each other when viewed from the direction of the pipe axis of the piping.

11. A processing container for storing and processing the substrate, A gas supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising: The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprises a gas supply system, which includes a processing gas supply pipe as the piping for supplying a processing gas obtained from the gas raw material from the raw material container to the processing container.

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