Pipe fixing fixture and furnace tube apparatus

Abstract

A pipe fixing fixture, comprising: a base (100); and at least two fixing modules (200), each of which comprises at least one fixing unit (210), wherein the fixing unit is detachably arranged on the base, and the fixing unit is configured to form a first fixing channel, the first fixing channel being configured to fix a pipe (410), and the first fixing channels of different fixing modules being parallel to each other. Further provided is a furnace tube apparatus. Each fixing module can fix one pipe; thus, the pipe fixing fixture comprising at least two fixing modules can simultaneously fix a plurality of pipes and keep the plurality of pipes parallel to each other, thereby avoiding the pipes colliding with each other and causing particulate generation or pipe breakage.

Description

Pipeline fixing clamps and furnace tube equipment Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor equipment technology, specifically to a pipe fixing clamp and furnace tube equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Furnace tube equipment is currently the main equipment for semiconductor diffusion, oxidation, annealing and other processes. The accuracy and uniformity of the reaction gas flow control are key performance indicators of the equipment. In furnace tube equipment, the reaction gas enters the process tube from the gas path system through pipelines.

[0003] The piping is typically made of quartz, with the bottom of the inlet fixed to the adapter. Furnace tube equipment usually selects different numbers and sizes of piping depending on the different processes. However, because the piping is relatively long, it is quite heavy, making it difficult to install on the adapter. Furthermore, when multiple piping are installed simultaneously, it is difficult to ensure the verticality and parallelism of each piping. If there is an error in the installation, causing any one or more piping to tilt, it is extremely easy for them to rub against the reaction chamber, generating particulate matter that affects the process. Alternatively, the tilted piping may hit the crystal boat or wafer, causing it to break and affecting process safety.

[0004] Currently, adapters and pipelines are usually paired one-to-one. The adapters are independently connected to the remote manifold system, making it difficult to ensure the parallelism between the adapters. If the parallelism is not ensured during assembly, the adapters will tilt, which will directly cause the corresponding pipelines to tilt. In severe cases, it can cause the pipelines to collide with each other during the process, generating particles or breaking. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defect that pipelines are prone to tilting during the fixing process in the prior art, and to provide a pipeline fixing clamp and furnace tube equipment.

[0006] The present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems through the following technical solution:

[0007] A pipe fixing clamp, comprising:

[0008] Base;

[0009] At least two fixing modules, each fixing module including at least one fixing unit, the fixing unit being detachably mounted on the base, the fixing unit being used to form a first fixing channel for fixing a pipeline, the first fixing channels of different fixing modules being parallel to each other.

[0010] Each fixing module can secure one pipe. The pipe fixing clamp includes at least two fixing modules, allowing for the simultaneous fixing of multiple pipes. The first fixing channels of different modules are parallel to each other, ensuring that multiple pipes remain parallel and preventing collisions that could generate particles or cause pipe breakage. The fixing modules are detachably mounted on the base, and their positions on the base are adjustable, making pipe positioning more convenient. The base provides support for the fixing modules, which, using the base as a reference, are less prone to tilting, thus ensuring the verticality of the pipes and preventing collisions due to tilting. By adjusting the number and specifications of the fixing modules, the clamp can accommodate different numbers and sizes of pipes, offering greater flexibility.

[0011] A furnace tube device includes a manifold and a pipe fixing clamp as described above, wherein the base matches the inner wall of the manifold and the base is fixed to the inner wall of the manifold.

[0012] The base matches the inner wall of the manifold, and the pipe fixing clamp is more compatible with the manifold, making it easier to fix on the manifold and the connection with the manifold is more stable.

[0013] Summary of the Figures

[0014] The features and performance of this application are further described by the following embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0015] Figure 1a is a schematic diagram of the installation process of the pipe fixing clamp according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 1b is a schematic diagram of the installation and disassembly of the pipe fixing clamp according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 1c is a schematic diagram of the pipe fixing clamp after fixing according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fixing unit in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of Figure 2 of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the base in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5a is a schematic diagram of the installation process of the pipe fixing clamp according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5b is a schematic diagram of the pipe fixing clamp after fixing according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the common fixed unit in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the connection between the fixing unit and the pipeline of the pipeline fixing clamp in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of the manifold and pipeline fixing clamp of the furnace tube equipment in Embodiment 4 of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the furnace tube equipment of Embodiment 4 of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of the crystal boat, pipelines and process tubes of the furnace tube equipment in Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

[0028] Preferred embodiments of this application

[0029] The present invention will be further illustrated by way of embodiments below, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of the embodiments.

[0030] Example 1

[0031] As shown in Figures 1a, 1b, 1c and 2, a pipe fixing clamp includes: a base 100 and at least two fixing modules 200. Each fixing module 200 includes two fixing units 210 and a first fixing channel for fixing a pipe 410. The fixing units 210 are detachably mounted on the base 100. Each fixing unit 210 has a fixing groove 211 on its mating surface opposite to the other fixing unit 210. The fixing grooves 211 of the two fixing units 210 together form the first fixing channel. The first fixing channels of different fixing modules are parallel to each other.

[0032] Each fixing module 200 can fix one pipe 410. The pipe fixing clamp includes at least two fixing modules 200, which can fix at least two pipes 410 at the same time. The first fixing channels of different fixing modules are parallel to each other, so that multiple pipes 410 keep parallel to each other, avoiding collision between pipes 410, generating particles or causing pipes 410 to break. The fixing unit 210 is detachably set on the base 100. The position of the fixing unit 210 on the base 100 can be adjusted. When fixing the pipe 410, as shown in Figure 1b (the guide rail is not shown in the figure), one fixing unit 210 can be installed on the base 100 first, the pipe 410 can be placed into the fixing groove 211, and then another fixing unit 210 can be fixed. The pipe 410 is clamped by the two fixing units 210, which helps to reduce the installation difficulty of the pipe 410. The base 100 provides support for the fixing unit 210, which helps to ensure the verticality of the pipe 410 and prevents the pipe 410 from colliding due to tilting. By adjusting the number and specifications of the fixing modules 200, it can accommodate different numbers and specifications of pipes 410, giving the pipe fixing clamp greater flexibility.

[0033] In some embodiments, the number of fixed units 210 in each fixed module 200 may be more than two.

[0034] In this embodiment, each fixing module 200 is independently configured to fix one pipe 410. The fixing modules 200 are independent of each other, and after assembly, a gap can be reserved between adjacent fixing modules 200 (as shown in Figure 1c). This ensures that the pipes 410 do not interfere with each other during installation and disassembly, making it more convenient. In the example shown in Embodiment 1, each fixing module 200 includes two fixing units 210. Each fixing unit 210 has a fixing groove 211 only on the surface opposite to the other fixing unit 210, making the machining difficulty of the fixing unit 210 low.

[0035] As shown in Figures 1b and 2, in this embodiment, each fixing unit 210 has a horizontal groove 212 on its mating surface opposite to another fixing unit 210. The horizontal grooves 212 of the two fixing units 210 together form a second fixing channel. The first fixing channel is connected to the second fixing channel. The first fixing channel is used to fix the vertically arranged pipe 410, and the second fixing channel is used to fix the horizontally arranged air supply pipe 420. The air system supplies air to the pipe 410 through the air supply pipe 420. The fixing module 200 can simultaneously fix the vertically arranged pipe 410 and the horizontally arranged air supply pipe 420. The pipe 410 and the air supply pipe 420 will not collide during the fixing process, which helps to reduce the installation difficulty of the pipe 410 and the air supply pipe 420 and improve the installation efficiency.

[0036] Specifically, the fixing unit 210 also includes a connecting groove 218, which is disposed between the fixing groove 211 and the horizontal groove 212 to connect the fixing groove 211 and the horizontal groove 212.

[0037] In this embodiment, the fixing groove 211 includes a supporting part 214 disposed at the lower end of the fixing groove 211 for supporting the pipe 410 arranged in the vertical direction. The supporting part 214 of each fixing unit 210 is an arc-shaped protrusion. When two fixing units 210 of the same fixing module 200 fix the pipe 410, the supporting parts 214 of the two fixing units 210 will form an annular protrusion protruding into the interior space of the fixing groove 211. The width of the protrusion matches the thickness of the pipe wall of the pipe 410 provided in this embodiment, or the width of the protrusion is greater than or equal to the thickness of the pipe wall of the pipe 410, thereby supporting the pipe 410, preventing the pipe 410 from sliding downward, and not hindering the flow of fluid inside the pipe 410.

[0038] In some embodiments, the support portion 214 may be omitted, and the pipe 410 may be clamped by forming an interference fit between the fixing groove 211 and the pipe 410 to restrict the downward sliding of the pipe 410.

[0039] In this embodiment, the fixing groove 211 further includes a fixing part 215, which is disposed on the inner wall of the fixing groove 211 and matches the pipe 410 arranged in the vertical direction to fix the pipe 410 in the first fixing channel. Specifically, the end of the pipe 410 provided in this embodiment has a groove, and the fixing part 215 is a protrusion. When placed in the fixing groove 211, the groove corresponds to the fixing part 215, thereby restricting the rotation of the pipe 410 and making the fixing of the pipe 410 more stable.

[0040] In some embodiments, the fixing part 215 may not be provided, and the pipe 410 may be clamped by the fixing groove 211 forming an interference fit with the pipe 410 to restrict the rotation of the pipe 410.

[0041] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in this embodiment, the pipeline fixing clamp also includes a fastener (not shown in the figure). The bottom of the fixing unit 210 is provided with a threaded hole 217, and the base 100 is provided with a hollow groove 110. The fastener passes through the hollow groove 110 and is connected to the threaded hole 217 to fix the fixing unit 210 on the base 100.

[0042] As shown in Figures 1a, 2, and 4, in this embodiment, the pipe fixing clamp also includes a guide rail 320 and a guide rail fixing member 310. The guide rail fixing member 310 is disposed on the base 100, and the guide rail 320 is fixed on the guide rail fixing member 310. The guide rail 320 is parallel to the base 100, and the fixing unit 210 is provided with a through hole 216 for passing through the guide rail 320. The guide rail 320 guides the fixing unit 210, and the fixing unit 210 can only slide within the range limited by the guide rail 320, which makes it easier to ensure installation accuracy and further reduces installation difficulty. In addition, the guide rail 320 can also limit the fixing unit 210 in the non-sliding direction. After the fixing unit 210 is installed on the base 100, it is more stable, thereby preventing the pipe 410 from shaking during use.

[0043] Specifically, in this embodiment, each fixing unit 210 is provided with two through holes 216, which are distributed on both sides of the fixing groove 211. Two guide rails 320 are provided, and the positional distribution of the two guide rails 320 matches the positional distribution of the two through holes 216. This restricts the degree of freedom of the fixing unit 210 to rotate along the guide rails 320, which can further improve the stability of the fixing unit 210 and help ensure the parallelism between multiple pipelines.

[0044] In some embodiments, the guide rail 320 and guide rail fastener 310 may not be provided, and the position of the fixing module 200 on the base 100 can be directly adjusted.

[0045] In this embodiment, the fixing module 200 also includes an elastic element (not shown in the figure). The elastic element is sleeved on the guide rail 320 and located between the mating surfaces of the two fixing units 210 of the fixing module 200. During the process of fixing the pipeline 410 by the two fixing units 210, the elastic element will be squeezed. During disassembly, the elastic element can spring the two fixing units 210 apart, facilitating disassembly. The elastic element can be a spring or a sleeve made of elastic material, etc.

[0046] In some embodiments, the elastic element may not be provided.

[0047] In some embodiments, the elastic element does not need to be sleeved on the guide rail 320; the elastic element can be directly disposed between the mating surfaces of the two fixing units 210 of the fixing module 200. For example, a groove can be provided on the mating surface of the fixing unit 210 to place the elastic element.

[0048] Example 2

[0049] This embodiment is basically the same as the scheme of Embodiment 1, except that, as shown in Figures 5a, 5b, and 6, in this embodiment, adjacent fixing modules 200 share a fixing unit 220. The shared fixing unit 220 has fixing grooves 211 on both side end faces used for fixing the pipeline. This scheme can reduce the number of fixing units and is more compact in structure, which is beneficial for saving space. It can be understood that the shared fixing unit 220 can also have horizontal grooves 212 and connecting grooves 218 on both side end faces for fixing the air supply pipe 420 arranged in the horizontal direction.

[0050] Example 3

[0051] As shown in Figure 7, this embodiment also provides a pipe fixing clamp, which differs from Embodiment 1 in that, in this embodiment, the fixing module includes only one fixing unit 230, and the fixing unit 230 has a first fixing channel for fixing the pipe 410 inside. Specifically, the inner wall of the first fixing channel is provided with a fixing part, which matches the limiting part of the pipe 410 arranged in the vertical direction, so as to fix the pipe 410 in the first fixing channel.

[0052] Specifically, the fixing part is a groove, and the end of the pipe 410 is provided with a protrusion 411 as a limiting part. When placed into the first fixing channel, the groove (not shown) in the first fixing channel corresponds to the protrusion 411 on the pipe 410, thereby restricting the rotation of the pipe 410. It can be understood that a second fixing channel communicating with the first fixing channel can also be opened inside the fixing unit 230 for fixing the air supply pipe 420 arranged in the horizontal direction.

[0053] Example 4

[0054] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, this embodiment provides a furnace tube device, including any of the pipe fixing clamps and manifold 500 from embodiments 1-3. The base 100 matches the inner wall of the manifold 500; for example, the curvature of the base 100 matches the curvature of the inner wall of the manifold 500. The base 100 is fixed to the inner wall of the manifold 500, specifically by welding. Matching the curvature of the base 100 to the inner wall of the manifold 500 improves the compatibility between the pipe fixing clamp and the manifold 500, making it easier to fix the clamp to the manifold 500 and resulting in a more stable connection.

[0055] Furthermore, the furnace tube equipment also includes a crystal boat 700, a process tube 600, and a pipeline 410. The crystal boat 700 is disposed inside the process tube 600. The cross-section of the pipeline 410 is elliptical. The cross-sectional shape of the first fixed channel matches the cross-sectional shape of the pipeline 410. The pipeline 410 is disposed on the fixed module 200 and is located between the process tube 600 and the crystal boat 700.

[0056] In high-temperature furnace tube equipment, the cross-sectional shape of the pipe 410 is usually circular. However, research has found that an excessive distance between the wafer boat 700 and the process tube 600 can lead to unstable gas flow rate and uneven film thickness distribution on the wafer. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, while ensuring the flow area remains unchanged, the pipe 410 is set to an elliptical shape, with the major axis 411 of the pipe 410's cross-section facing the wafer boat 700. Compared to a circular pipe, this design occupies less space between the wafer boat 700 and the process tube 600. Therefore, by reducing the diameter of the process tube 600, the distance between the wafer boat 700 and the process tube 600 can be reduced, thereby improving the stability of the gas flow rate.

[0057] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art should understand that these are merely illustrative examples, and the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention, but all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pipe fixing clamp, characterized in that, include: base; At least two fixing modules, each fixing module including at least one fixing unit, the fixing unit being detachably mounted on the base, the fixing unit being used to form a first fixing channel for fixing a pipeline, the first fixing channels of different fixing modules being parallel to each other.

2. The pipe fixing clamp as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned fixed modules is set up independently and is used to fix a pipeline.

3. The pipe fixing clamp as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the fixing modules includes two fixing units. Each fixing unit has a fixing groove on its mating surface opposite to the other fixing unit. The fixing grooves of the two fixing units together form the first fixing channel.

4. The pipe fixing clamp as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Adjacent fixing modules share a fixing unit, and the two side end faces of the shared fixing unit used for fixing the pipeline are provided with fixing grooves.

5. The pipe fixing clamp as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Each of the fixing units is provided with a horizontal groove on the mating surface opposite to another fixing unit. The horizontal grooves of the two fixing units together form a second fixing channel, and the first fixing channel and the second fixing channel are interconnected.

6. The pipe fixing clamp as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The fixing groove includes: A support portion is provided at the lower end of the fixing groove and is used to support the pipeline arranged in the vertical direction; And / or, A fixing part is provided on the inner wall of the fixing groove to match the pipeline arranged in the vertical direction, so as to fix the pipeline in the first fixing channel.

7. The pipe fixing clamp as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes fasteners, the bottom of the fixing unit is provided with a threaded hole, the base is provided with a hollow groove, and the fastener passes through the hollow groove and is connected in the threaded hole to detachably fix the fixing unit to the base.

8. The pipe fixing clamp as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a guide rail and a guide rail fixing component. The guide rail fixing component is disposed on the base, and the guide rail is fixed on the guide rail fixing component. The guide rail is parallel to the base, and the fixing unit is provided with a through hole for the guide rail to pass through.

9. The pipe fixing clamp as described in claim 8, characterized in that, Each of the fixed units is provided with two through holes, and two guide rails are provided, the positional distribution of the two guide rails matching the positional distribution of the two through holes.

10. The pipe fixing clamp as described in claim 8, characterized in that, Each of the fixed modules includes two fixed units, and the fixed module also includes an elastic element, which is sleeved on the guide rail and located between the mating surfaces of the two fixed units of the fixed module.

11. The pipe fixing clamp as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the fixing modules includes two fixing units, and the fixing module also includes an elastic element located between the mating surfaces of the two fixing units of the fixing module.

12. A furnace tube device, characterized in that, Includes a manifold and a pipe fixing clamp as described in any one of claims 1-11, wherein the base matches the inner wall of the manifold and the base is fixed to the inner wall of the manifold.

13. The furnace tube equipment as described in claim 12, characterized in that, It also includes a crystal boat, a process tube, and a pipeline. The crystal boat is disposed inside the process tube. The pipeline has an elliptical cross-section and is disposed on the fixed module, located between the process tube and the crystal boat. The surface opposite to the major axis of the pipeline cross-section faces the crystal boat.

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