Gas supply system and semiconductor manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

The present invention provides a technology for introducing fluid into a gas box housing or discharging fluid from a gas box housing through a pipe while maintaining the airtightness of the gas box housing. The gas supply system comprises a gas box housing that stores a raw material container containing a gas raw material, at least one of a pipe through which fluid flowing from the outside of the gas box housing or fluid flowing out of the gas box housing passes through a penetration hole provided in the gas box housing, and a pipe surrounding part that integrally surrounds an inner pipe part which is an inner part of the gas box housing and an outer pipe part which is an outer part of the gas box housing, provided in the penetration hole, and a block member that is fixed to the gas box housing while inserted into the gap between the inner surface of the penetration hole and the outer surface of the pipe passing through the penetration hole, thereby blocking the gap.

Description

Technology Field

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

[0002] For example, in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that performs processing on a substrate, there is a process of supplying gas to a processing vessel to perform processing on the substrate. The processing gas used for processing the substrate is supplied into the processing vessel via piping.

[0003] Patent Document 1 proposes a gas supply system that suppresses the liquefaction of easily liquefiable gases and supplies them from a gas container to a processing container. Prior art literature

[0004] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-141038 The problem to be solved

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique for introducing fluid into a gas box housing via piping or discharging fluid from a gas box housing via piping while maintaining the airtightness of the gas box housing. means of solving the problem

[0006] The present disclosure is,

[0007] A gas box housing that stores a raw material container containing gas raw materials, and

[0008] At least one of the pipes through which fluid flowing from the outside of the gas box housing passes through a penetration hole provided in the gas box housing, or the pipe through which fluid flowing out of the gas box housing passes, and

[0009] A gas supply system having a pipe surrounding part that is integrally surrounded by an inner pipe part, which is the inner part of the gas box housing in the pipe, and an outer pipe part, which is the outer part of the gas box housing in the pipe, provided in the above-mentioned penetration hole, and a block member that is fixed to the gas box housing while the pipe surrounding part is inserted into the gap between the inner surface of the penetration hole and the outer surface of the pipe penetrating the penetration hole, thereby blocking the gap. Effects of the invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, fluid can be introduced into the gas box housing through a pipe while maintaining the airtightness of the gas box housing, or fluid can be discharged from the gas box housing through a pipe. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0011] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating one embodiment of a semiconductor manufacturing device equipped with a gas supply system. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating an example configuration of a raw material container and a gas box housing provided in a gas supply system. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the configuration of a raw material container. Figure 4 is a longitudinal side view showing the first comparative form. Figure 5 is a longitudinal side view showing the second comparative form. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view showing a part of a gas supply system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the configuration of a block member provided in a gas supply system. FIG. 8 is a front view illustrating an example of the configuration of the flange portion of a block member and a seal member. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view showing a part of a gas supply system according to a second embodiment. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0012] Semiconductor manufacturing equipment

[0013] An example configuration of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (1) equipped with a gas supply system (2) of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (1).

[0014] As shown in this figure, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (1) is equipped with a processing container (11) for storing and processing a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as "wafer") (W), which is a substrate for semiconductor manufacturing, and a loading platform (12) for loading the wafer (W) is provided inside the processing container (11).

[0015] A shower head (13) is positioned in the area facing the loading platform (12) within the processing container (11). Processing gas is supplied to the shower head (13) from the gas supply system (2) via the processing gas supply pipe (3), and the processing gas is configured to be discharged in a shower-like manner from the shower head (13) onto the wafer (W) on the loading platform (12). Hereinafter, the processing gas supply pipe (3) may be referred to as "pipe (3)".

[0016] <Overview of Gas Supply System>

[0017] Next, an overview of the gas supply system (2) will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. The gas supply system (2) comprises a gas box (4), a treatment gas supply pipe (3) which is a pipe for discharging 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).

[0018] Additionally, the gas box (4) is configured to include a raw material container (41) containing a liquid that is a gas raw material, a gas box housing (5) arranged to surround the raw material container (41), and an outer housing (42) arranged to surround the gas box housing (5). In FIGS. 1 to 3, the front-rear direction is referred to as the "X direction," the left-right direction that intersects horizontally with the front-rear direction is referred to as the "Y direction," and the up-down direction is referred to as the "Z direction."

[0019] A raw material container (41) is provided with a processing gas supply pipe (3) and a valve (21) for opening and closing the pipe (3), and the valve (21) is configured to be openable from the outside of a gas box housing (5) and an outer housing (42). These raw material container (41), gas box housing (5), and outer housing (42) are each configured to have a rectangular shape when viewed in plan, for example, as shown in FIG. 2. The valve (21) is provided on the side wall (411) of the raw material container (41), and an opening (not shown) is formed in the wall portion of the gas box housing (5) and outer housing (42) facing the valve (21) to open and close the valve (21) from the outside, and these openings are each blocked by seal members (22, 23).

[0020] The gas box housing (5) is connected to a supply source (24) of an inert gas, such as nitrogen (N2) gas, via a supply pipe (3A) equipped with a valve (V1), and is also connected to an exhaust device (25) equipped with an exhaust pump or a valve via a first exhaust pipe (3B). The interior of the gas box housing (5) is supplied with and exhausted with N2 gas, and is adjusted to a preset pressure.

[0021] Additionally, the outer housing (42) is connected to an exhaust line of a factory where a semiconductor manufacturing device (1) is installed, or to an exhaust device (26) equipped with an exhaust pump or valve, via a second exhaust pipe (261). The space between the gas box housing (5) and the outer housing (42) is exhausted and adjusted to a pressure (negative pressure) lower than the pressure inside the gas box housing (5).

[0022] Since the interior of the gas box housing (5) is filled with N2 gas, the oxygen (O2) concentration is low. For this reason, ignition within the gas box housing (5) is prevented even if gas leaks from the raw material container (41) or the valve (21), such as when there is a risk that the gas generated in the raw material container (41) will react with the atmosphere like a spontaneously combustible material. Furthermore, even if a gas leak occurs, it is exhausted along with the N2 gas, so safety is high.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, the raw material container (41) contains, for example, a liquid (40) that becomes a gas raw material inside, and is equipped with a heating part (43) that heats the liquid (40), for example, and the heating part (43) is embedded in the side wall (411) or bottom wall (412) of the raw material container (41).

[0024] In addition, the raw material container (41) is connected to a first pipe (3C) that supplies the liquid (40) from a reservoir (27) to the raw material container (41), in addition to the processing gas supply pipe (3), 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). For example, argon (Ar) gas is used as the carrier gas.

[0025] In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (1), the liquid (40) heated by the heating unit (43) in the raw material container (41) of the gas box (4) undergoes vaporization by supplying a carrier gas to generate a processing gas. The processing gas, together with the carrier gas, is discharged in a shower-like manner from the shower head (13) through the processing gas supply pipe (3) toward the wafer (W) loaded on the loading platform (2), and a predetermined processing is performed. Examples of processing performed on the wafer (W) include etching, film deposition, and ashing.

[0026] In this way, the processing gas is generated by vaporizing the gas source of the liquid (40) inside the raw material container (41), and in order to supply it to the processing container (11) while suppressing the liquefaction or solidification of the gas, it is desirable for the processing gas supply pipe (3) to be heated. Meanwhile, 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 is formed in the gas box housing (5) or the outer housing (42) to insert the processing gas supply pipe (3). Meanwhile, even if a leak of the gas generated inside the raw material container (41) occurs, it is necessary to prevent further leakage of gas from inside the gas box housing (5). In this regard, a configuration is required for the processing gas supply pipe (3) that allows it to be heated while ensuring the airtightness of the gas box housing (5).

[0027] <First Comparison Form>

[0028] To address the above problem, a configuration of the comparative form shown in FIG. 4 can be considered, for example. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal side view showing the connection portion between the gas box housing (5) and the processing gas supply pipe (3). In FIG. 4, reference numeral 52 is a penetration hole formed in the outer wall (51) of the gas box housing (5), and shows a state in which the processing gas supply pipe (3) is provided to penetrate the penetration hole (52).

[0029] The processing gas supply pipe (3) is designed to be heated by winding a tape heater (43) around its outer circumference. The tape heater (43) includes a flexible material such as, for example, cloth or resin, and can be easily wound around a curved section of the pipe (3) and provide uniform heating. Meanwhile, when the tape heater (43) is provided throughout the entire pipe (3) in this manner, as shown in FIG. 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) is blocked by the tape heater (43). Additionally, a configuration can be conceived in which a fixing member (45) is provided by interposing a sealing member (44) on the outer wall of the through hole (52), and the processing gas supply pipe (3) is 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 fixed member (45).

[0030] In this configuration, it is necessary to wrap the pipe (3) around the tape heater (43) and pass it through the through hole (52) of the gas box housing (5), and the wrapping of the tape heater (43) around the pipe (3) is performed by a worker. Because of this, the assembly precision depends on the worker, and there is a risk that the sealing performance of the through hole (52) may vary significantly. Furthermore, the surface of the tape heater (43) is a flexible material made of cloth or resin, and if it is to be fastened and fixed by a fixing member (45), a gap is likely to form between the tape heater (43) and the through hole (52). For this reason, it is estimated that it is 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 to maintain airtightness within the gas box housing (5).

[0031] <2nd Comparison Form>

[0032] From this, as illustrated in FIG. 5, a configuration can be conceived in which a flexible tape heater (43) is not provided between the penetration hole (52) and the pipe (3), and the gap between the penetration hole (52) and the pipe (3) is designed to be as small as possible. In this configuration, a tape heater (43) is wrapped around the outer circumference of the pipe (3) in each of the inner pipe (3) and the outer pipe (3) of the gas box housing (5) to heat it. Additionally, a sealing member (47) is provided around the penetration hole (52) on the outer wall surface (53) (outer surface of the outer wall (51)) of the gas box housing (5) to ensure airtightness.

[0033] However, in the area (48) enclosed by a solid line near the penetration hole (52) in Fig. 5, that is, the connection point between the penetration hole (52) and the pipe (3), a tape heater (43) cannot be wrapped. Because of this, the temperature of the pipe (3) is lowered in this area (48), and the liquefaction or solidification of the gas passing through the area (48) may occur, which may cause the generation of particles.

[0034] <First Embodiment>

[0035] The present disclosure is made based on the above problem. Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the gas supply system (2) of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8, using a processing gas supply pipe (3) as an example. In addition, components similar to comparative forms 1 and 2 are given the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 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) so as to penetrate through a penetration hole (52) approximately perpendicular to the outer wall (51). In this processing gas supply pipe (3), the pipe (3) located in the inner part of the gas box housing (5) is designated as the inner pipe section (31), and the pipe (3) located in the outer part of the gas box housing (5) is designated as the outer pipe section (32). The inner part of the gas box housing (5) is the part located inside the inner wall surface (54) of the gas box housing (5).

[0037] Block Absence

[0038] A block member (6) is provided in the penetration hole (52) to block the gap (50) between the inner surface of the penetration hole (52) and the outer surface of the pipe (3) penetrating the penetration hole (52). The block member (6) is provided with a pipe surrounding portion (61) and a flange portion (62), as shown in an example in FIGS. 6 and 7. The block member (6) is composed of a material that has excellent thermal conductivity, allows the pipe surrounding portion (61) and the flange portion (62) to be formed integrally, and allows for close contact with the pipe (3). For this reason, the block member (6) is suitable to be composed of metal, for example, aluminum (Al).

[0039] The pipe surrounding portion (61) is configured to integrally surround the inner pipe portion (31) and the outer pipe portion (32), and is provided to fill the gap (50) between the penetration hole (52) and the pipe (3).

[0040] In this example, the pipe wrapping portion (61) is configured such that, as shown in FIG. 7, the cylindrical body (611) has an opening (612) for inserting the pipe (3) (inner pipe portion (31), outer pipe portion (32)). The cylindrical body (611) is arranged so that its length direction follows the pipe axis direction of the pipe (3) (direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 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 surface is formed in close contact with the outer surface of the inner pipe portion (31) and the outer pipe portion (32). Accordingly, in this example, the outer diameter of the pipe wrapping portion (61) and the inner diameter of the penetration hole (52) are formed to be almost the same size.

[0041] The flange portion (62) is provided along its outer surface at a midpoint along the longitudinal direction of the pipe surrounding portion (61), for example, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Additionally, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the flange portion (62) is formed, for example, in the shape of a rectangular plate when viewed from the pipe axis direction, and has a flat surface facing the outer wall surface (53) of the gas box housing (5). By installing the flat surface on the outer wall surface (53) with the seal member (7) described later interposed therein, the gap (50) between the penetration hole (52) and the pipe (3) is blocked. In this example, the flange portion (62) is provided at approximately the center along the longitudinal direction of the pipe surrounding portion (61).

[0042] In this configuration, when a flange portion (62) is installed on the outer wall surface (53), one end of the pipe surrounding portion (61) is inserted into the interior of the gas box housing (5), and the other end is positioned to protrude outward from the gas box housing (5). In this way, for the pipe (3) inserted into the penetration hole (52) of the gas box housing (5), the inner pipe portion (31) and the outer pipe portion (32) are integrally surrounded by the pipe surrounding portion (61).

[0043] This block member (6) is configured to be divided into a plurality of segments along the circumferential direction of the pipe (3). FIG. 8 (a) is a side view of the block member (6) viewed from the pipe axis direction, and in this example, the block member (6) is composed of two segments (63, 64) that are divided vertically (upper first segment (63), lower second segment (64)). In the flange portions (62) (first flange portion (621), second flange portion (622)) of these first and second segments (63, 64), a screw hole (65) is formed on the outer side of the area where the opening (612) is formed. This screw hole (65) is a through hole formed larger than the screw (66). Also, in FIG. 7, the screw hole (65) is omitted.

[0044] Then, the first dividing part (63) is positioned from the upper side of the pipe (3) and the first flange part (621) is fixed to the outer wall surface (53) by a screw (66), and the second dividing part (64) is positioned from the lower side of the pipe (3) and the second flange part (622) is fixed to the outer wall surface (53) by a screw (66). By this, a block member (6) is formed by the first dividing part (63) and the second dividing part (64), and this block member (6) is fixed to the outer wall surface (53) of the gas box housing (5) while the pipe (3) is fastened from the top and bottom. At this time, the inner surface of the first and second dividing parts (63, 64) is in close contact with the outer surface of the pipe (3). In addition, the lower surface of the first dividing part (63) and the upper surface of the second dividing part (64) are in close contact with each other, and the contact surface (60) is approximately parallel to the pipe axis direction.

[0045] In this way, the inner surface of the pipe surrounding part (61) is in close contact with the outer surface of the inner pipe part (31) and the outer pipe part (32), and the gap (50) between the through hole (52) and the pipe (3) is blocked by the flange part (62) provided around the pipe surrounding part (61). Since the screw hole (65) of the flange part (62) is formed as a through hole, it can be installed in the gas box housing (5) while adjusting the position of the split part (63, 64). In this example, by installing the flange part (62) in the gas box housing (5) by means of a screw (66), the block member (6) is fixed to the gas box housing (5), and the close contact between the pipe surrounding part (61) and the pipe (3) is increased.

[0046] The size of these block members (6) is set according to the size of the pipe (3), and for the nominal diameter of the pipe (3), a 1 / 2 inch size, a 3 / 8 inch size, etc. can be used. As an example of the size of the block members (6), when the pipe (3) is 3 / 8 inch size, the length (size in the pipe axis direction) of the pipe wrapping part (61) is 32 mm, the thickness (size in the pipe axis direction) of the flange part (62) is 10 mm, and the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the flange part (62) when viewed from the pipe axis direction are 40 mm × 40 mm.

[0047] <Absence of time>

[0048] The block member (6) described above is fixed to the outer wall surface (53) of the gas box housing (5) with a seal member (7) placed between the outer wall surface (53) and the flange portion (62). The seal member (7) is formed in a rectangular shape similar to the flange portion (62) when viewed from the pipe axis direction of the pipe (3), for example as shown in FIG. 8 (b), and is composed of a packing made of a deformable material such as a heat-resistant elastic body, for example, fluororubber.

[0049] The seal member (7) is provided with, for example, a circular opening (71) at a location through which the pipe wrapping portion (61) passes. In this example, as shown in FIG. 8, the opening (71) is formed to be larger than, for example, the outer diameter of the pipe wrapping portion (61), but it may be nearly the same size as long as the pipe wrapping portion (61) passes through. Additionally, a slit (72) is formed in the seal member (7) between the inner end of the opening (71) and the outer end of the seal member (7). For example, the slit (72) is formed perpendicular to the pipe axis direction from the lower end of the inner end of the opening (71) toward the outer end of the seal member (7).

[0050] Additionally, the seal member (7) is provided with a screw hole (73) for screw-fixing the seal member (7) to the outer wall surface (53) of the gas box housing (5), at a position corresponding to the screw hole (65) of the flange portion (62). For example, the screw hole (73) is formed to be smaller than the screw hole (65) of the flange portion (62).

[0051] This sealing member (7) is positioned between the outer wall surface (53) of the gas box housing (5) and the flange portion (62), and has the function of increasing the airtightness between the outer wall surface (53) and the flange portion (62) when screw-fixing the flange portion (62) to the outer wall surface (53).

[0052] In addition, since the seal member (7) is deformable, the slit (72) is opened to mount the pipe wrapping part (61) so that it converges into the opening (71), and then the slit (72) is closed to ensure sealing.

[0053] In this way, when the seal member (7) and the block member (6) are installed on the outer wall surface (53) of the gas box housing (5), as shown in FIG. 8 (c), the contact surface (60) between the divided portions (63, 64) of the flange portion (62) and the slit (72) of the seal member (7) are arranged offset from each other when viewed from the direction of the pipe axis of the pipe (3). In this way, since the contact surface (60) between the divided portions (63, 64) and the position of the slit (72) do not overlap, the airtightness of the gas box housing (5) is further ensured. As previously explained, the flange portion (62) and the seal member (7) are formed with almost the same shape, but in FIG. 8 (c), the seal member (7) is shown slightly larger for convenience of illustration.

[0054] Heating device

[0055] Additionally, the gas supply system (2) is equipped with a heating device. The heating device is, for example, made of a tape heater (8), and the tape heater (8) is wrapped around the pipe wrapping portion (61) which is outside the flange portion (62) when viewed from the gas box housing (5). Additionally, it is wrapped around the pipe (3) which is further outside the pipe wrapping portion (61) in the area surrounding this outer pipe portion (32).

[0056] Additionally, the tape heater (8) is wound around the pipe wrapping portion (61) provided on the inside of the gas box housing (5), and is wound around the pipe (3) further inside than the pipe wrapping portion (61) in the area surrounding the internal pipe portion (31).

[0057] As shown in FIG. 6, the tape heater (8) of this example is wrapped only around a part of the pipe wrapping portion (61) and on the pipe (3) upstream and downstream of the pipe wrapping portion (61). That is, in this example, the tape heater (8) is wrapped around the cylindrical body (611) before and after the flange portion (62), while the tape heater (8) is not wrapped around the flange portion (62).

[0058] The pipe surrounding portion (61) is made of aluminum with good thermal conductivity, and the inner surface of the pipe surrounding portion (61) and the outer surface of the pipe (3) are closely arranged with each other. Accordingly, the pipe (3) in the area surrounded by the pipe surrounding portion (61) is heated by the heat transfer from the pipe surrounding portion (61) heated by the tape heater (8). As a result, the entire block member (6) is heated by the heat transfer from the pipe (3) on the upstream and downstream sides of the pipe surrounding portion (61) where the tape heater (8) is wound.

[0059] Meanwhile, the tape heater (8) cannot be directly wrapped around the pipe (3) (inner pipe section (31), outer pipe section (32)) surrounded by the pipe surrounding section (61) of the block member (6). In particular, the pipe (3) in the area where the flange section (62) is provided, or the area surrounded by the through hole (52) of the gas box housing (5), is located in an area spaced apart from the tape heater (8). The pipe (3) in these areas is also sufficiently heated by the block member (6) which is heated throughout. The heating temperature of the pipe (3) is set to, for example, a temperature higher than the vaporization temperature of the processing gas, and varies depending on the type of processing gas, but for example, it is 100°C to 200°C.

[0060] For the above, using the processing gas supply pipe (3) as an example, a method of installing pipes while maintaining the airtightness of the gas box housing (5) by using a block member (6) has been explained. Meanwhile, as explained using FIG. 1, in the gas supply system (2), the supply pipe (3A) and the first exhaust pipe (3B) are installed by passing through the penetration hole (52) formed in the gas box housing (5). Also, although not described in FIG. 1, the first pipe (3C) and the second pipe (3D) shown in FIG. 3 are also installed by passing through the penetration hole (52) formed in the gas box housing (5). To maintain the airtightness of the gas box housing (5), these pipes (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) may also be installed using a block member (6). At this time, as shown in FIG. 1 with respect to the example of the supply pipe (3A) and the first exhaust pipe (3B), the leading end of the pipes (3A, 3B) does not necessarily have to be arranged to extend from the area enclosed by the pipe enclosure (61) and also into the interior of the gas box housing (5). When viewed from the interior side of the gas box housing (5), the end of the pipe enclosure (61) of the block member (6) and the end of the internal pipe section (31) of these pipes (3A, 3B) may be flat.

[0061] In this example, regarding the pipes (3A, 3B, 3D) that supply and exhaust inert gas, or the pipe (3C) through which a liquid (40) at room temperature flows, there is no need to heat them as there is no problem of solidification or particle generation associated with a drop in temperature. Therefore, these pipes (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) are configured so that tape heaters (8) are not wrapped around them. In this case, when the pipes are not heated, it is not necessary to wrap the tape heater (8), which is a heating mechanism, around the outer surface of the pipe-wrapping portion (61) of the block member (6).

[0062] However, in the example of the gas supply system (2) shown in FIG. 1, the processing gas supply pipe (3) is heated by having a tape heater (8) wrapped around the upstream and downstream sides of the area surrounded by the pipe surrounding part (61), so that the entire processing gas supply pipe (3) is heated. The processing gas supply pipe (3) passes through an unillustrated through hole formed in the outer housing (42) and is inserted into the through hole (52) of the gas box housing (5). At this time, a block member (6) is not provided at the connection part between the outer housing (42) and the pipe (3). Therefore, the through hole of the outer housing (42) is configured to be blocked by the tape heater (8) wrapped around the pipe (3), for example, as described in the first comparative form of FIG. 4. Additionally, if it is necessary to ensure airtightness at the connection part between the outer housing (42) and the pipe (3), a block member (6) and a tape heater (8) may be provided, just as in the gap (50) part.

[0063] According to the embodiment described above, in a gas supply system (2) in which a pipe (3) is provided to pass through a penetration hole (52) of a gas box housing (5), a block member (6) is provided to block the gap (50) between the penetration 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).

[0064] Here, the block member (6) is provided with a pipe surrounding portion (61) configured to integrally surround the inner pipe portion (31) and the outer pipe portion (32) of the pipe (3; 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D). The block member (6) is fixed to the gas box housing (5) while the pipe surrounding portion (61) is inserted into the gap (50) between the penetration hole (52) and the pipe (3). Since the pipe surrounding portion (61) is provided to fill the gap (50) in this way, the gap (50) is sealed with high precision, thereby preventing gas leakage from the gas box housing (5).

[0065] Additionally, the block member (6) is provided with a flange portion (62), and the flange portion (62) is installed 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 surface of the pipe surrounding portion (61). Therefore, when the pipe surrounding portion (61) is inserted into the gap (50), even if a small gap is formed between the inner surface of the through hole (52) and the outer surface of the pipe surrounding portion (61), the gap (50) can be blocked by the flange portion (62), and the airtightness of the gas box housing (5) can be further improved.

[0066] In addition, since the penetration hole (52), pipe (3), and block member (6) are easier to manage in terms of dimensions compared to materials with flexibility, there is less risk of fluctuation in airtightness, and from this perspective, the gap (50) can be sealed with high precision. Furthermore, since the pipe surrounding part (61) and the flange part (62) can be formed as a single unit, the number of components required to ensure the airtightness of the gas box housing (5) is reduced. As a result, management to suppress fluctuations in airtightness becomes easier, and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0067] Additionally, the block member (6) is divided into a plurality of divided sections (63, 64), and the divided sections (63, 64) are installed to surround the pipe (3) from the outside of the pipe (3). In the case of an actual pipe (3), a joint section may be provided, and the outer diameter of the joint section is larger than that of the pipe (3). For this reason, in the case of a block member (6) formed as a single unit, it may be difficult to place the pipe surrounding section (61) at a position where the pipe (3) passes through the joint section and penetrates the through hole (52). In this regard, by installing the divided block member (6) from the outside of the pipe (3), it can be easily placed in close contact with the pipe (3).

[0068] In addition, in the process gas supply pipe (3), 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 a tape heater (8) which is a heating device. Since the pipe (3) at the location inserted into the through hole (52) is also heated in this way, the liquefaction or solidification of the gas flowing through it is suppressed, thereby suppressing the generation of particles. At this time, by configuring the block member (6) with a metal having good thermal conductivity, the pipe (3) can be heated more efficiently.

[0069] In addition, in this example, since the tape heater (8) is not wrapped around a part of the flange portion (62), it is possible to achieve a smaller size compared to a configuration where the tape heater (8) is wrapped around the entire block member (6).

[0070] In the configuration described above, although a block member (6) is not provided at the connection point between the outer housing (42) and the processing gas supply pipe (3), the interior of the outer housing (42) is exhausted by the exhaust mechanism (26) through the second exhaust pipe (261). Therefore, even if a gap is formed between the opening of the outer housing (42) and the pipe (3), the external atmosphere of the gas box (4) is introduced into the outer housing (42) through the gap and exhausted by the exhaust mechanism (26), so there is little risk of gas leakage from the outer housing (42).

[0071] <Second Embodiment>

[0072] Next, a second embodiment of the gas supply system of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 9. In this example, the block member (6A) has a pipe surrounding portion (9) that functions as a flange portion. The pipe surrounding portion (9) is configured to include a first pipe surrounding portion (91) that is inserted into a through hole (52) when the block member (6A) is installed in the gas box housing (5), and a second pipe surrounding portion (92) located on the outside of the gas box housing (5).

[0073] The first pipe surrounding portion (91) is a pipe surrounding portion in an area surrounding the inner pipe portion (31), and its outer diameter is formed to be, for example, almost the same size as the through hole (52). Additionally, the second pipe surrounding portion (92) is a pipe surrounding portion in an area surrounding the outer pipe portion (32), and its outer diameter is formed to be larger than the through hole (52). Accordingly, the connection portion between the first pipe surrounding portion (91) and the second pipe surrounding portion (92) is expanded in a single phase 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.

[0074] In the pipe surrounding portion (9), an opening (94) through which the pipe (3) passes is formed in the center, viewed from the pipe axis direction, across the first and second pipe surrounding portions (91, 92). The inner surface of the opening (94) is in close contact with the outer surface of the pipe (3) (inner pipe portion (31) and outer pipe portion (32)), and is configured to integrally surround the inner pipe portion (31) and the outer pipe portion (32). Then, with a seal member (7A) placed between the expanded portion (93) of the second pipe surrounding portion (92) and the outer wall surface (53) of the gas box housing (5), the second pipe surrounding portion (92) is screw-fixed to the outer wall surface (53) by a screw not shown.

[0075] A tape heater (8A), which is a heating device, is wound around these first and second pipe wrapping portions (91, 92). The seal member (7A) of this example is larger than the second pipe wrapping portion (92) when viewed from the pipe axis direction, and is also formed to be larger than the outer diameter of the tape heater (8A) wound around the second pipe wrapping portion (92).

[0076] In this example, the block member (6A) is configured to block the gap (50) between the penetration hole (52) and the pipe (3) by filling the gap (50) by the first pipe surrounding part (91). Additionally, the block member (6A) is heated by a tape heater (8A) provided in the pipe surrounding part (91, 92), and the heat from the pipe surrounding part (91, 92) is transferred to the pipe (3) in the area surrounded by the pipe surrounding part (91, 92), and thus the pipe (3) in that area is heated. Other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals are used for identical components, and descriptions are omitted.

[0077] In this embodiment as well, the airtightness of the gas box housing (5) can be ensured, and the pipe (3) can also be heated.

[0078] In the above description, the treatment gas supply pipe (3) and the first exhaust pipe (3B) are used as examples to explain the pipes through which fluid flowing out from the gas box housing (5), and the supply pipe (3A) and the first pipe (3C) are used as examples to explain the pipes through which fluid flowing into the gas box housing (5). Thus, the fluid flowing through the pipes arranged using the block members (6, 6A) of the present disclosure includes gas and liquid. Additionally, although the pipes (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) have been described as being configured not to be heated, heating mechanisms may be provided for these pipes as needed. For example, a case is assumed in which a gas raw material that is solid at room temperature is heated to liquefy it, and the liquid raw material is supplied from the reservoir (27) to the raw material container (41) via the first pipe (3C). In this case, a heating device for heating the first pipe (3C) may be installed to suppress solidification of the liquid raw material, and the first pipe (3C) may be installed in the penetration hole (52) of the gas box housing (5) using block members (6, 6A).

[0079] Additionally, the block member may be configured to have only a pipe-enclosing portion. In this case, the gap between the penetration hole and the pipe is filled by the pipe-enclosing portion, thereby blocking the said gap. Furthermore, if the block member is provided with a flange portion, it is not necessary to form it in a shape that completely fills the gap by the pipe-enclosing portion. Additionally, the block member only needs to have a shape that blocks the gap between the penetration hole and the pipe, and the shapes of the pipe-enclosing portion and the flange portion are not limited to the configuration described above and can be appropriately modified.

[0080] In addition, the gas box of the gas supply system is not limited to the configuration described above, and may be configured to include a gas box housing and a raw material container for accommodating the gas raw material. Furthermore, the gas raw material is not limited to a liquid, and may use a gas raw material that is solid at room temperature, such as tungsten chloride (WCl6), for example.

[0081] In addition, as previously explained, a heating mechanism for heating the block member is not strictly necessary, and even if one is provided, the shape of the heating mechanism can be modified accordingly. Furthermore, the heating mechanism for heating the block member (6) may be a tape heater (8) wrapped around a pipe (3) that is further outward from the pipe surrounding portion (61) that surrounds the outer pipe portion (32). 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 the heat transfer from the pipe (3) heated by the tape heater (8). By configuring the pipe surrounding portion (61) in this way without wrapping the tape heater (8), a more compact configuration can be achieved. Additionally, the heating mechanism is not limited to a tape heater, and a mantle heater may be used.

[0082] It is not necessary to apply the block member (6) of the present disclosure to all pipes through which fluid flows in from the outside of the gas box housing (5) and through which fluid flows out of the outside of the gas box housing (5). It is sufficient to apply it to at least one of the pipes through which fluid flows in and out of the gas box housing (5) and through which fluid flows. Additionally, the block member (6) of the present disclosure may also be applied to the pipes through which fluid flows in and out of the gas box housing (5).

[0083] Up until now, we have explained using wafers as examples of substrates, but the substrates processed in the processing vessel are substrates for semiconductor manufacturing. 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 processed for the purpose of testing or setting processing parameters in a substrate processing device.

[0084] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered restrictive. The embodiments described above may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various forms without departing from the appended claims and their common knowledge.

Claims

Claim 1 A gas supply system comprising: a gas box housing for storing a raw material container containing a gas raw material; at least one of a pipe through which a fluid flowing from the outside of the gas box housing passes or a pipe flowing through which a fluid flowing out of the outside of the gas box housing passes through a through hole provided in the gas box housing; a pipe surrounding part provided in the through hole and integrally surrounding an inner pipe part, which is the inner part of the gas box housing in the pipe, and an outer pipe part, which is the outer part of the gas box housing in the pipe, and a block member fixed to the gas box housing while the pipe surrounding part is inserted into the gap between the inner surface of the through hole and the outer surface of the pipe passing through the through hole, thereby blocking the gap. Claim 2 A gas supply system according to claim 1, comprising a heating mechanism for heating the block member, wherein the piping in the area enclosed by the pipe enclosure is heated by heat transfer from the pipe enclosure heated by the heating mechanism. Claim 3 In paragraph 2, the heating device is a gas supply system, wherein the heating device is a tape heater wrapped around the pipe surrounding area surrounding the external pipe section. Claim 4 A gas supply system according to paragraph 2, wherein the heating device is a tape heater wound around the pipe located further outward than the pipe surrounding portion of the area surrounding the outer pipe portion when viewed from the gas box housing, and the pipe surrounding portion is configured to heat the pipe in the area surrounding the pipe surrounding portion by being heated by the heat transfer from the pipe heated by the tape heater. Claim 5 A gas supply system according to claim 1, wherein the block member is configured to block the gap by filling the gap with the pipe surrounding portion. Claim 6 A gas supply system according to claim 1, wherein the block member comprises a flange portion configured to block the gap by being provided along the outer surface of the pipe surrounding portion and installed on the outer wall surface of the gas box housing. Claim 7 A gas supply system according to claim 6, comprising a seal member disposed between the flange portion and the outer wall surface. Claim 8 In claim 7, the gas supply system is configured such that the block member can be divided into a plurality of segments along the circumferential direction of the pipe. Claim 9 A gas supply system according to claim 8, wherein the seal member is composed of a deformable material and includes an opening through which the pipe passes and a slit formed between the inner circumferential end of the opening and the outer circumferential end of the seal member. Claim 10 A gas supply system according to claim 9, wherein, with the seal member positioned between the flange portion and the outer wall surface, the contact surface between the divided portions and the slit of the seal member are positioned offset from each other when viewed from the pipe axis direction of the pipe. Claim 11 A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising a processing vessel for storing and processing a substrate, and a gas supply system described in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the gas supply system comprises, as the piping, a processing gas supply pipe that supplies a processing gas obtained from the gas raw material from the raw material vessel to the processing vessel.

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