Delivery system and diffusion furnace

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing, and discloses a delivery system and a diffusion furnace. In the delivery system, a gas inlet assembly extends along the axial direction of a process chamber of the diffusion furnace and is in communication with the process chamber. In the gas inlet assembly, a second gas inlet pipe is sleeved outside a first gas inlet pipe, and a delivery gap is formed between the second gas inlet pipe and the first gas inlet pipe. A gas outlet end of the first gas inlet pipe and a gas outlet end of the second gas inlet pipe are both close to a furnace door of the diffusion furnace. A first input line has one end in communication with a process gas source and the other end in communication with a gas inlet end of the first gas inlet pipe. A gas inlet end of the second gas inlet pipe is located on a side wall of the second gas inlet pipe and away from the furnace door. A second input line has one end in communication with a water source and the other end connected to the gas inlet end of the second gas inlet pipe. The delivery system can solve the problem that during the operation of the current diffusion furnace, a gas inlet line is extremely prone to blockage by boric acid, which requires frequent cleaning of the gas inlet line, resulting in severe impact on the process efficiency and an increase in labor and spare parts costs.

Description

Conveying system and diffusion furnace Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of semiconductor processing technology, specifically relating to a conveying system and a diffusion furnace. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, the low-pressure boron diffusion furnace is an important piece of equipment in the tunnel oxide passivation contact process production line. The materials used in the process include boron, and the process includes alternating water-passing and source-passing steps. In the source-passing step, the diffusion source introduced is boron trichloride. Since boron trichloride reacts with water to produce boric acid, which is a powdery substance, it easily clogs the gas inlet pipe. As a result, pump pressure alarms are frequently triggered due to blockage during the process, forcing the process to be stopped and the gas inlet pipe to be cleaned. This seriously affects the process efficiency and increases labor and spare parts costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a conveying system and a diffusion furnace to solve the problem that the inlet pipe of the current diffusion furnace is easily blocked by boric acid during operation, which requires frequent cleaning of the inlet pipe, seriously affecting process efficiency and increasing manpower and spare parts costs.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application disclose a conveying system applied in a diffusion furnace, the conveying system comprising an inlet assembly, a first inlet pipe, and a second inlet pipe.

[0005] The air intake assembly extends axially along the process chamber of the diffusion furnace and communicates with the process chamber; the air intake assembly includes a first air intake pipe and a second air intake pipe, the second air intake pipe is sleeved outside the first air intake pipe, and a conveying gap is formed between the second air intake pipe and the first air intake pipe.

[0006] The outlet ends of the first and second inlet pipes are both close to the furnace door of the diffusion furnace; one end of the first input pipe is connected to the process gas source, and the other end is connected to the inlet end of the first inlet pipe.

[0007] The air inlet end of the second air inlet pipe is located on the side wall of the second air inlet pipe and away from the furnace door. One end of the second input pipe is connected to a water source, and the other end is connected to the air inlet end of the second air inlet pipe.

[0008] Secondly, embodiments of this application disclose a diffusion furnace, which includes a process chamber and the aforementioned conveying system.

[0009] This application discloses a conveying system that can be applied to a diffusion furnace to deliver process gas and water to the furnace. The conveying system includes an inlet assembly that extends axially along and communicates with the process chamber of the diffusion furnace, thereby achieving relatively high conveying efficiency of the process gas and water. Furthermore, by ensuring that the outlet ends of both the first and second inlet pipes are close to the furnace door, the process uniformity within the process chamber is relatively higher. Meanwhile, the second air inlet pipe in the air inlet assembly is sleeved outside the first air inlet pipe, and a conveying gap is formed between the second air inlet pipe and the first air inlet pipe. By connecting the outlet ends of the first air inlet pipe and the second air inlet pipe to the process chamber of the diffusion furnace, and the conveying system also includes a first input pipe and a second input pipe, wherein one end of the first input pipe is connected to the process gas source, and the other end of the first input pipe is connected to the air inlet end of the first air inlet pipe, so that the process gas can be conveyed to the process chamber through the first air inlet pipe using the first input pipe; correspondingly, one end of the second input pipe is connected to the water source, and the other end of the second input pipe is connected to a position in the side wall of the second air inlet pipe away from the furnace door of the diffusion furnace, so that water can enter the gap between the first air inlet pipe and the second air inlet pipe from the second input pipe through the air inlet end of the second air inlet pipe, and be conveyed to the process chamber.

[0010] As described above, since the water and process gas conveying processes are independent in the conveying system disclosed in this application embodiment, it is possible to prevent the process gas (including boron trichloride) from reacting with water to generate boric acid and block the gas inlet assembly. This can significantly reduce the number of times the conveying system needs to be cleaned and the number of spare parts can be reduced, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing process costs. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0012] Figure 1 is an assembly schematic diagram of the conveying system disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0013] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first cooling component in the conveying system disclosed in the embodiment of this application;

[0014] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the air intake component in the conveying system disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0015] Reference numerals: 110-Exhaust pipe, 121-First output pipe, 122-Second output pipe, 131-First purging pipe, 132-Second purging pipe, 133-Third purging pipe, 134-Fourth purging pipe, 135-Fifth purging pipe, 140-Discharge pipe, 150-Carrier gas pipe, 161-First input pipe, 162-Second input pipe, 170-Backfill pipe, 180-Pressure relief pipe, 190-Pressure detection pipe, 201-First valve, 202-Second valve, 203-Third valve, 204-Fourth valve, 205-Fifth valve, 206-Sixth valve, 207-Seventh valve, 208-Eighth valve, 209-Ninth valve, 210-Tenth valve, 211-Eleventh valve, 212-Twelfth valve 310-Filter mechanism, 321-First cooling component, 322-Second cooling component, 322a-Bottle body, 322b-Inlet branch pipe, 322c-Exhaust branch pipe, 411-First check valve, 412-Second check valve, 413-Third check valve, 421-First normally open valve, 422-Second normally open valve, 500-Suction pump, 600-Inlet assembly, 610-First inlet pipe, 620-Second inlet pipe, 630-Support ring, 701-First flow meter, 702-Second flow meter, 703-Third flow meter, 800-Pressure detection component, 910-Process chamber, 920-Plant exhaust, 930-Waste liquid tank. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0017] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1-3, this application discloses a conveying system that can be applied to a diffusion furnace. More specifically, the conveying system disclosed in this application can be applied to a low-pressure boron diffusion furnace, that is, the diffusion furnace is used to process boron-containing materials to produce devices such as PN junctions that can be used in photovoltaic products. In this case, the boron-containing material (i.e., process gas) conveyed to the diffusion furnace by the conveying system can specifically be boron trichloride. Specifically, the process includes a source-inlet step and a water-inlet step: In the source-inlet step, the process gas introduced into the process chamber 910 is boron trichloride, and the generated product is boron oxide. In the water-inlet step, as the name suggests, the medium introduced into the diffusion furnace by the conveying system is water, usually water vapor. Since both boron trichloride and boron oxide readily react with water to form boric acid, and boric acid has a powdery structure, in the current conveying system, even if the inlet pipes are controlled to separately convey the diffusion source and water, the diffusion source is prone to react with water, generating boric acid and clogging the inlet pipes.

[0019] Therefore, as shown in Figure 1, the conveying system disclosed in this application includes an air intake assembly 600, which extends axially along the process chamber 910 of the diffusion furnace and is connected to the process chamber 910. The process chamber 910 of the diffusion furnace is generally columnar, and the axial direction of the process chamber 910 is the direction of its extension. More intuitively, in Figure 1, the axial direction of the process chamber 910 is the left-right direction shown in Figure 1. By adopting the above technical solution, the flow direction of the medium in the air intake assembly 600 can be parallel or substantially parallel to the extension direction of the process chamber 910, thereby ensuring that the medium conveyed by the air intake assembly 600 can be conveyed as deep as possible into the process chamber 910.

[0020] More specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the air intake assembly 600 includes a first air intake pipe 610 and a second air intake pipe 620. The second air intake pipe 620 is sleeved outside the first air intake pipe 610, and a conveying gap is formed between the second air intake pipe 620 and the first air intake pipe 610. This allows water and boron trichloride to be independently conveyed to the process chamber 910 through the conveying gap between the second air intake pipe 620 and the first air intake pipe 610, as well as through the internal space of the first air intake pipe 610. This prevents water and boron trichloride from reacting.

[0021] Considering that the product boron oxide in the low-pressure boron process has a relatively high boiling point and is essentially liquid during diffusion, to ensure a relatively high uniformity of boron oxide distribution within the process chamber 910, reduce dead layers, and improve the uniformity of the formed PN junction, the delivery system disclosed in this application may further include a carrier gas pipeline 150 to deliver carrier gas into the process chamber 910. Of course, the carrier gas does not react with the process gas or the silicon wafer, and the type of carrier gas can be flexibly selected according to actual conditions. For example, the carrier gas may include an inert gas. To reduce costs and simplify the assembly of the entire delivery system, in one specific embodiment of this application, the carrier gas and the purging gas are the same gas, and both can be nitrogen. Furthermore, when the delivery system includes the carrier gas pipeline 150, the carrier gas pipeline 150 can be controlled to operate before the process to deliver carrier gas into the process chamber 910. This helps maintain the cleanliness of the silicon wafer surface and ensures that boron atoms can diffuse uniformly onto the silicon wafer surface.

[0022] More specifically, the outlet ends of the first air inlet pipe 610 and the second air inlet pipe 620 are both connected to the process chamber 910 of the diffusion furnace. During the installation of the air inlet assembly 600, the air inlet assembly 600 can be installed from the exhaust end of the process chamber 910. At the same time, by extending the first air inlet pipe 610 and the second air inlet pipe 620 from the exhaust end of the process chamber 910 toward the furnace door of the diffusion furnace, the outlet ends of the first air inlet pipe 610 and the second air inlet pipe 620 can be close to the furnace door of the process chamber 910. This allows the medium transported by the first air inlet pipe 610 and the second air inlet pipe 620 to be transported to the area as close as possible to the furnace door of the process chamber 910, thereby improving the process uniformity at different locations within the process chamber.

[0023] During the assembly of the delivery system, one end of the carrier gas pipeline 150 can be connected to a carrier gas source, and one end of the first input pipeline 161 can be connected to a process gas source (i.e., a boron source). Simultaneously, the other ends of both the carrier gas pipeline 150 and the first input pipeline 161 are connected to the inlet end of the first inlet pipe 610, allowing the process gas to be carried by the carrier gas and transported to the process chamber 910 via the first inlet pipe 610. Furthermore, one end of the second input pipeline 162 is connected to a water source, and the other end of the second input pipeline 162 is connected to the inlet end of the second inlet pipe 620, allowing water to be transported to the process chamber 910 via the second inlet pipe 620. As described above, the boron source can specifically be boron trichloride, and correspondingly, the water introduced into the process chamber 910 via the inlet assembly 600 can be in a vapor state.

[0024] More specifically, in order to reduce the difficulty of connecting the second input pipe 162 and the second air inlet pipe 620, in a specific embodiment of this application, the air inlet end of the second air inlet pipe 620 can be located on the side wall of the second air inlet pipe 620, that is, the second input pipe 162 is connected to the side of the second air inlet pipe 620. Of course, the air inlet end of the second air inlet pipe 620 needs to be located outside the process chamber 910. For this purpose, the air inlet end of the second air inlet pipe 620 can be located away from the furnace door of the process chamber, or in other words, the air inlet end of the second air inlet pipe 620 is located outside the exhaust end of the process chamber 910.

[0025] As described above, by independently conveying the process gas and water into the process chamber 910 via the first inlet pipe 610 and the second inlet pipe 620 respectively, blockage of the first inlet pipe 610 and the second inlet pipe 620 can be largely prevented. More specifically, to improve the fluid conveying efficiency and effect, both the first inlet pipe 610 and the second inlet pipe 620 are generally straight pipe structures, and both extend along the axial direction of the process chamber 910. During the installation of the inlet assembly 600, the extension directions of the first inlet pipe 610 and the second inlet pipe 620 are substantially parallel or substantially parallel to the axial direction of the process chamber 910, thereby preventing obstruction of the fluid during the conveying process.

[0026] Of course, since the second input pipe 162 is connected to the side wall of the second intake pipe 620, the water vapor transported in the second input pipe 162 needs to change its flow direction when entering the second intake pipe 620 through the second output pipe 122. However, due to the low specific gravity of water vapor, it diffuses relatively quickly. Therefore, even though the second input pipe 162 is connected to the side wall of the second intake pipe 620, the transport efficiency and effect of water vapor are basically not affected by the bends in the pipe. Furthermore, with both the first intake pipe 610 and the second intake pipe 620 adopting a straight pipe structure, the process gas and water vapor can enter the process chamber 910 from approximately the same height. This results in a relatively higher airflow uniformity within the process chamber 910, thereby improving intra-wafer and inter-wafer uniformity.

[0027] As described above, the second input pipe 162 is connected to the side wall of the second intake pipe 620. Therefore, the end face of the second intake pipe 620 away from its outlet end can be blocked. Specifically, the aforementioned end face of the second intake pipe 620 can extend inward from the side wall of the second intake pipe 620 to the position where it connects with the outer wall of the first intake pipe 610, so that the end face of the second intake pipe 620 away from its outlet end can be blocked.

[0028] In some embodiments, in order to ensure relatively higher structural stability between the first air intake pipe 610 and the second air intake pipe 620, the air intake assembly 600 in the conveying system disclosed in this application embodiment may further include a plurality of support rings 630, and the plurality of support rings 630 are spaced apart along the extension direction of the first air intake pipe 610, and each support ring 630 is sandwiched between the first air intake pipe 610 and the second air intake pipe 620, thereby using the plurality of support rings 630 to provide stable support for the first air intake pipe 610 and the second air intake pipe 620.

[0029] Accordingly, in order to achieve the purpose of controlling the on / off state of the carrier gas pipeline 150, the first input pipeline 161, and the second input pipeline 162, in this embodiment, the carrier gas pipeline 150, the first input pipeline 161, and the second input pipeline 162 may be sequentially equipped with an eighth valve 208, a ninth valve 209, and a tenth valve 210. Furthermore, to prevent water vapor in the process chamber 910 from potentially entering the first input pipeline 161 through the first inlet pipe 610 and reacting with boron trichloride therein, this embodiment also includes a third one-way valve 413, which is located upstream of the inlet end of the first inlet pipe 610. When the inlet end of the first inlet pipe 610 is connected to the first input pipe 161, the third check valve 413 can be installed between the first inlet pipe 610 and the first input pipe 161. In order to prevent process gas and water vapor from entering the carrier gas pipe 150, the first input pipe 161 and the carrier gas pipe 150 can be connected to each other first, and then the third check valve 413 can be connected. In other words, when the conveying system includes the carrier gas pipe 150, the third check valve 413 can be installed at the position where both the carrier gas pipe 150 and the first input pipe 161 are connected to the inlet end of the first inlet pipe 610.

[0030] This application discloses a conveying system that can be applied to a diffusion furnace to deliver process gas and water to the diffusion furnace. The conveying system includes an inlet assembly 600, which extends axially along and communicates with the process chamber 910 of the diffusion furnace. This ensures relatively high conveying efficiency of the process gas and water. Furthermore, by ensuring that the outlet ends of both the first inlet pipe 610 and the second inlet pipe 620 are close to the furnace door, the process uniformity within the process chamber 910 is relatively higher. Meanwhile, the second air inlet pipe 620 in the air inlet assembly 600 is sleeved outside the first air inlet pipe 610, and a conveying gap is formed between the second air inlet pipe 620 and the first air inlet pipe 610. This allows the outlet ends of both the first air inlet pipe 610 and the second air inlet pipe 620 to be connected to the process chamber 910 of the diffusion furnace. The conveying system also includes a first input pipe 161 and a second input pipe 162, wherein one end of the first input pipe 161 is connected to the process gas source, and the other end of the first input pipe 161 is connected to the first air inlet pipe 610. The inlet end is connected, so that the process gas can be transported to the process chamber through the first inlet pipe 610 using the first inlet pipe 161; correspondingly, one end of the second inlet pipe 162 is connected to a water source, and the other end of the second inlet pipe 162 is connected to a position in the side wall of the second inlet pipe 620 away from the furnace door of the diffusion furnace, so that water can enter the gap between the first inlet pipe 610 and the second inlet pipe 620 from the second inlet pipe 162 through the inlet end of the second inlet pipe 620, and be transported to the process chamber 910.

[0031] As described above, since the water and process gas conveying processes are independent in the conveying system disclosed in this application embodiment, it is possible to prevent the process gas (including boron trichloride) from reacting with water to generate boric acid and block the gas inlet assembly. This can significantly reduce the number of times the conveying system needs to be cleaned and the number of spare parts can be reduced, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing process costs.

[0032] As described above, in this embodiment, the first air inlet pipe 610 and the second air inlet pipe 620 extend from the exhaust end of the process chamber 910 into the process chamber 910. To ensure that the process gas and water can fill the process chamber 910 more evenly and thoroughly, the outlet ends of both the first air inlet pipe 610 and the second air inlet pipe 620 can extend to a position close to the furnace door of the process chamber 910. Here, "closer" refers to the fact that, axially, the outlet ends of the first air inlet pipe 610 and the second air inlet pipe 620 are closer to the furnace door of the process chamber 910 than the exhaust end of the process chamber 910. That is, the aforementioned "closer" is a relative concept, and the specific value of the distance between the outlet ends of the first air inlet pipe 610 and the second air inlet pipe 620 and the furnace door of the process chamber 910 (i.e., the degree of closeness) can be flexibly selected according to actual needs, and this document does not impose any limitations on this.

[0033] Furthermore, in the axial direction of the intake assembly 600, the outlet ends of the first intake pipe 610 and the second intake pipe 620 can be arranged flush. To prevent the process gas and water from reacting at the outlet ends of the first and second intake pipes 610 and 620 to generate powder that could clog their outlet ends, in another embodiment of this application, in the axial direction of the intake assembly 600, the outlet end of the first intake pipe 610 can extend beyond the outlet end of the second intake pipe 620. This allows the process gas to be transported to a relatively farther location within the process chamber 910 via the first intake pipe 610. As for the second intake pipe 620, being relatively short, water vapor can directly enter the process chamber 910 after flowing to its outlet end. This significantly reduces the probability of blockage at the outlet ends of the first and second intake pipes 610 and 620.

[0034] That is, in the embodiments of this application, in the extending direction of the air intake assembly 600, the distance between the outlet end of the first air intake pipe 610 and the furnace door is less than the distance between the outlet end of the second air intake pipe 620 and the furnace door. In a specific embodiment of this application, the length d of the portion of the outlet end of the first air intake pipe 610 extending beyond the outlet end of the second air intake pipe 620 can be between 100 and 150 mm.

[0035] In the diffusion furnace process using the conveying system disclosed in this application embodiment, the process gas including boron trichloride can react with water to generate boron oxide. However, since the process products cannot completely adhere to the silicon wafer, the exhaust gas generated during the process can be conveyed to a system such as the plant exhaust system 920 via the conveying system. Of course, the exhaust gas output during the diffusion furnace process may also include water vapor, etc. Therefore, the exhaust gas can also be conveyed to the waste liquid tank 930 via the conveying system. Of course, during the conveying process of the exhaust gas, the system will also remove impurities such as particles or dust in the exhaust gas to prevent the gas conveyed to the plant exhaust system 920 from polluting the atmospheric environment.

[0036] As mentioned above, the exhaust gas contains boron oxide and water. Since the boric acid produced by the reaction of boron oxide and water is in powder form, as the process continues, the pipeline used to discharge the exhaust gas in the conveying system will become blocked, requiring frequent cleaning or even replacement of the corresponding pipeline, which will have a significant adverse impact on process efficiency.

[0037] Therefore, the conveying system disclosed in this application further includes an exhaust pipe 110, a first valve 201, a first output pipe 121, and a second output pipe 122. One end of the exhaust pipe 110 is connected to the exhaust end of the process chamber 910 of the diffusion furnace, so that the exhaust gas generated during the process can be conveyed through the process chamber 910 to the exhaust pipe 110 for final treatment and discharge. Meanwhile, the first valve 201 has an inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet. Correspondingly, by designing the internal structure of the first valve 201, the first outlet and the second outlet of the first valve 201 can be controlled to communicate independently with the inlet, so that the fluid entering the first valve 201 through the inlet can flow out of the first valve 201 through the first outlet or the second outlet in a controlled manner.

[0038] Furthermore, the other end of the exhaust pipe 110 can be connected to the inlet of the first valve 201, so that the exhaust gas in the process chamber 910 can be transported to the first valve 201 through the exhaust pipe 110. The first output pipe 121 is connected to the first outlet, and the second output pipe 122 is connected to the second outlet, so that the fluid in the exhaust pipe 110 can be controlled to be transported to the first output pipe 121 or the second output pipe 122 through the first valve 201.

[0039] As described above, before the exhaust gas is introduced into the plant exhaust 920 or waste liquid tank 930, the particles or dust in the exhaust gas need to be filtered. Therefore, in the case of a low-pressure boron diffusion furnace used in the conveying system of this application embodiment, a filter mechanism 310 can be installed on the first output pipe 121 to filter the boron oxide in the exhaust gas. Specifically, the filter mechanism 310 may include a filter container and a filter element installed in the filter container. The filter element can filter the boron oxide in the exhaust gas, ensuring that the gas discharged into the plant exhaust 920 will not pollute the environment. As for the second output pipe 122, since the fluid it transports is basically water vapor, it is not necessary to install a processing mechanism on the second output pipe 122.

[0040] Based on the above-described conveying system, the first valve 201 is used to connect the inlet and the first outlet in response to the introduction of process gas into the process chamber 910, and to disconnect the inlet and the second outlet; it is also used to connect the inlet and the second outlet in response to the introduction of water into the process chamber, and to disconnect the inlet and the first outlet.

[0041] That is, during the process gas introduction into the process chamber 910, the inlet and first outlet of the first valve 201 are connected, while the inlet and second outlet are disconnected. Similarly, during the water introduction into the process chamber 910, the inlet and second outlet of the first valve 201 are connected, while the inlet and first outlet are disconnected. By adopting the above technical solution, the exhaust gas from the process chamber 910 can essentially achieve dry-wet separation, thereby preventing the boron oxide in the exhaust gas from reacting with water to form boric acid. This effectively prevents boric acid from clogging the pipeline and significantly impacting process efficiency.

[0042] In the conveying system disclosed in this application embodiment, one end of the exhaust pipe 110 is connected to the exhaust end of the process chamber 910 of the diffusion furnace, and the other end of the exhaust pipe 110 is connected to the inlet of the first valve 201. The first valve 201 has a first outlet and a second outlet. The first output pipe 121 is connected to the first outlet, and the second output pipe 122 is connected to the second outlet. During the process of introducing process gas into the process chamber 910, the inlet of the first valve 201 is controlled to be connected to the first outlet, and the inlet is controlled to be disconnected from the second outlet, so that the process gas and the generated boron oxide in the process can flow from the process chamber 910. 10. The water enters the first output pipe 121 through the exhaust pipe 110 and the first outlet. Since the first output pipe 121 is equipped with a filter mechanism 310, it can be ensured that the boron oxide can be intercepted by the filter mechanism 310. At the same time, during the process of water flowing into the process chamber 910, the inlet of the first valve 201 is controlled to be connected to the second outlet, and the inlet is controlled to be disconnected from the first outlet, so as to ensure that the water vapor and boron oxide are separated during the discharge process. This can prevent the boron oxide from reacting with water to form boric acid and clogging the pipe. Under these circumstances, the cleaning and replacement cycle of the pipe can be greatly extended, thereby greatly improving the process efficiency.

[0043] As described above, the exhaust pipe 110, the first output pipe 121, and the second output pipe 122 in the conveying system are all connected to the process chamber 910 and are all used to convey the exhaust gas in the process. In order to ensure that the exhaust gas in the process chamber 910 can be discharged normally from the process chamber 910, the conveying system may also include a suction pump 500, and the ends of the first output pipe 121 and the second output pipe 122 that are away from the first valve 201 are connected to the suction pump 500. Of course, the suction pump 500 is also connected to equipment such as the plant exhaust 920 and the waste liquid tank 930.

[0044] As described above, the exhaust gas is output from the process chamber 910, which makes the temperature of the exhaust gas relatively high. Based on this, in order to prevent the relatively high temperature exhaust gas from damaging devices such as the filter mechanism 310 located downstream of the exhaust pipe 110, in this embodiment of the application, the conveying system further includes a first cooling element 321 or a second cooling element 322. Furthermore, the conveying system may include both the first cooling element 321 and the second cooling element 322 to cool the fluid discharged through the first output pipe 121 and the second output pipe 122 respectively, so as to prevent the high temperature fluid from damaging devices such as the suction pump 500 located downstream of the exhaust pipe 110.

[0045] Specifically, a first cooling element 321 is disposed in the first output pipe 121, and correspondingly, a second cooling element 322 is disposed in the second output pipe 122, so that the two can respectively cool the fluids in the first output pipe 121 and the second output pipe 122. As described above, a filter mechanism 310 is provided on the first output pipe 121. Therefore, in order to prevent the high-temperature fluid from damaging the filter mechanism 310, in this embodiment, the first cooling element 321 is located upstream of the filter mechanism 310, so that the fluid in the first output pipe 121 is first cooled by the first cooling element 321 and then filtered by the filter mechanism 310, so that the temperature of the fluid flowing through the filter mechanism 310 is relatively low.

[0046] More specifically, the first cooling element 321 and the second cooling element 322 can be different types of cooling devices. In a specific embodiment of this application, the first cooling element 321 and the second cooling element 322 are the same type of cooling device, and their specific structures and dimensions can be the same, thereby reducing the assembly difficulty of the entire conveying system.

[0047] In one specific embodiment of this application, taking the first cooling element 321 as an example, it can be a cooling coil. That is, the cross-sectional area of ​​the first cooling element 321 is basically the same at any position, so that the flow velocity of the fluid remains basically constant during the flow of the fluid in the cooling coil. Therefore, during the process of the fluid being cooled by the cooling coil, there is basically no situation where powdery boron oxide easily accumulates at the end of the cooling coil—that is, at the outlet of the cooling coil—due to a decrease in flow velocity. Of course, when the first cooling element 321 is a cooling coil, the cooling efficiency and cooling effect of the cooling coil can be improved by appropriately increasing the number of coil turns.

[0048] In order to make the cooling effect and cooling efficiency of the first cooling component 321 and the second cooling component 322 relatively good, in another embodiment of this application, the first cooling component 321 and the second cooling component 322 both include a cooling bottle. The cooling bottle includes a bottle body 322a, an inlet branch pipe 322b and an exhaust branch pipe 322c. The inlet branch pipe 322b and the exhaust branch pipe 322c are both connected to the bottle body 322a, and the flow rates of the inlet branch pipe 322b and the exhaust branch pipe 322c are both less than the flow rate of the bottle body 322a.

[0049] In this case, since the volume increases after the fluid flows from the inlet branch pipe 322b into the bottle body 322a, the temperature of the fluid can be effectively reduced, and the flow velocity of the fluid in the bottle body 322a is less than that in the inlet branch pipe 322b. Of course, when the first cooling component 321 includes the aforementioned cooling bottle, the first output pipe 121 can be a segmented structure, wherein the cooling bottle is connected between the two segments of the first output pipe 121 to ensure that the exhaust gas discharged from the process chamber 910 is discharged, and the exhaust gas output from one segment of the first output pipe 121 flows into the bottle body 322a through the inlet branch pipe 322b, and then is discharged to the plant exhaust 920 through the exhaust branch pipe 322c and the other segment of the first output pipe 121. Correspondingly, the filter mechanism 310 is installed on the portion of the first output pipe 121 located downstream of the cooling bottle and the plant exhaust 920.

[0050] Since the exhaust gas transported through the second output pipe 122 mainly consists of water vapor and does not contain solids such as boron oxide, the second cooling component 322 can be a cooling coil or a cooling bottle. In order to reduce the assembly difficulty of the conveying system, if the first cooling component 321 is a cooling bottle, the second cooling component 322 can also be a cooling bottle.

[0051] As described above, since the flow rates of the inlet branch pipe 322b and the exhaust branch pipe 322c of the cooling bottle are both greater than the flow rate of the bottle body 322a, the fluid velocity will decrease after the fluid enters the bottle body 322a through the inlet branch pipe 322b. In the case that the first cooling component 321 includes the cooling bottle, boron oxide in the exhaust gas is easily deposited at the connection position between the exhaust branch pipe 322c and the bottle body 322a, that is, at the outlet of the bottle body 322a, which can easily cause the exhaust branch pipe 322c of the cooling bottle to become blocked.

[0052] Therefore, the delivery system disclosed in this application further includes a first purging pipe 131. The first end of the first purging pipe 131 is used to communicate with the purging gas source, and the second end of the first purging pipe 131 is connected to the exhaust branch pipe 322c of the cooling bottle. At the same time, in order to ensure that the purging gas avoids the deposition of boron oxide on the exhaust branch pipe 322c as much as possible, during the laying of the first purging pipe 131 and the cooling bottle, it is necessary to make the axial direction of at least a portion of the first purging pipe 131, including the second end, parallel to the axial direction of the exhaust branch pipe 322c. For example, in this embodiment of the application, the exhaust branch pipe 322c is generally a straight structure and can extend along the height direction. In this case, by extending the second end of the first purge pipe 131 into the exhaust branch pipe 322c, and making the axial direction of the part of the first purge pipe 131 that extends into the exhaust branch pipe 322c parallel to the exhaust branch pipe 322c, that is, the aforementioned part of the pipe can also extend along the height direction.

[0053] Meanwhile, by making the second end of the first purge pipe 131 lower than the height of the connection end between the exhaust branch pipe 322c and the bottle body 322a, that is, in the height direction, the second end of the first purge pipe 131 extending into the exhaust branch pipe 322c extends downward to below the exhaust branch pipe 322c, thereby placing the second end of the first purge pipe 131 in the bottle body 322a. In this case, the first purge pipe 131 can directly deliver the purge gas to the bottle body 322a to form a purge atmosphere around the area in the bottle body 322a below the exhaust branch pipe 322c where it is connected to the exhaust branch pipe 322c. This prevents boron oxide from being deposited in the exhaust branch pipe 322c and the connection end between the exhaust branch pipe 322c and the bottle body 322a during the process of being output through the exhaust branch pipe 322c.

[0054] Of course, in order to ensure that the exhaust gas delivered to the bottle 322a can still be normally delivered to the plant exhaust 920 and other equipment via the exhaust branch pipe 322c, in this embodiment of the application, the diameter of the first purging pipe 131 can be smaller than the diameter of the exhaust branch pipe 322c. Furthermore, by providing perforations or other structures on the side wall of the exhaust branch pipe 322c, the second end of the first purging pipe 131 can be extended into the bottle 322a via the exhaust branch pipe 322c, while ensuring that the cross-section of the exhaust branch pipe 322c is not completely blocked by the first purging pipe 131, thereby ensuring that the exhaust branch pipe 322c still has normal exhaust capacity.

[0055] More specifically, the purge gas source can be a nitrogen source, that is, the purge gas can specifically be nitrogen. Of course, the purge gas can also be other gases that do not react with the wafer and the process gases used in the process, such as inert gases. This document does not limit this. Of course, in order to ensure that the purge process of the first purge pipeline 131 is controllable, in this embodiment of the application, the first purge pipeline 131 is provided with a second valve 202 to control the opening and closing of the first purge pipeline 131.

[0056] As described above, the first output pipe 121 and the second output pipe 122 can be connected to the suction pump 500 so that the exhaust gas can be normally drawn away from the process chamber 910, and the ends of the first output pipe 121 and the second output pipe 122 away from the first valve 201 are respectively connected to the suction pump 500. Therefore, in another embodiment of this application, the suction pump 500 can be included in the conveying system, and the ends of the first output pipe 121 and the second output pipe 122 away from the first valve 201 can be connected to the same suction pump 500. Accordingly, the suction pump 500 can be connected to the plant exhaust 920 so that the exhaust gas can be carried away by the plant exhaust 920. Of course, the suction pump 500 can also be connected to the waste liquid tank 930 so that the liquid water formed by the condensation of water vapor contained in the exhaust gas drawn by the suction pump 500 can be collected by the waste liquid tank 930.

[0057] Furthermore, as described above, the first valve 201 allows the first output pipe 121 and the second output pipe 122 to be controlled and independently connected to the process chamber 910. Therefore, to prevent boron oxide in the first output pipe 121 from entering the second output pipe 122 via the connection between the second output pipe 122 and the suction pump 500 when the first valve 201 is connected to the first output pipe 121, and to prevent water vapor in the second output pipe 122 from entering the first output pipe 122 via the connection between the first valve 201 and the second output pipe 122, and to prevent water vapor in the second output pipe 122 from entering the first output pipe 121 via the first output pipe 122, further measures are taken. The connection between the first output pipe 1 and the suction pump 500 leads to the first output pipe 121. In this embodiment, a third valve 203 is provided between the end of the first output pipe 121 away from the first valve 201 and the suction pump 500, and a fourth valve 204 is provided between the end of the second output pipe 122 away from the first valve 201 and the suction pump 500. Of course, in the embodiment where the first output pipe 121 is provided with a filter mechanism 310, the third valve 203 needs to be provided on the part of the first output pipe 121 located between the filter mechanism 310 and the suction pump 500.

[0058] In the case where the conveying system includes a suction pump 500, a third valve 203, and a fourth valve 204, the on / off states of the third valve 203 and the fourth valve 204 need to correspond to the steps performed in the process chamber 910. Specifically, in response to the introduction of process gas into the process chamber 910, the third valve 203 opens and the fourth valve 204 closes; in response to the introduction of water into the process chamber 910, the third valve 203 closes and the fourth valve 204 opens.

[0059] In detail, during the process of introducing process gas into process chamber 910, that is, during the power supply step, the third valve 203 opens and the fourth valve 204 closes, thereby connecting the suction pump 500 to process chamber 910 through the first output pipe 121, and drawing the boron-containing exhaust gas from process chamber 910 out of process chamber 910 via the first output pipe 121. Correspondingly, during the process of introducing water into process chamber 910, that is, during the water supply step, the fourth valve 204 opens and the third valve 203 closes, thereby connecting the suction pump 500 to process chamber 910 through the second output pipe 122, and drawing the water-containing exhaust gas from process chamber 910 out of process chamber 910 via the second output pipe 122.

[0060] As described above, the suction pump 500 is connected to the plant exhaust 920. Since the exhaust gas generated during the water flow step in the process chamber 910 contains water vapor, and the plant exhaust 920 is connected to both other process equipment and the atmospheric environment, it inevitably contains water vapor. Furthermore, considering that the exhaust gas in the first output pipe 121 may still contain a small amount of boron oxide after passing through the filter mechanism 310, to prevent the water vapor in the plant exhaust 920 from reacting with the boron oxide in the exhaust gas at the outlet of the suction pump 500 to form boric acid and block the pump's outlet, in a further embodiment of this application… The delivery system also includes a second purging pipe 132. The first end of the second purging pipe 132 is connected to a purging gas source, and the second end of the second purging pipe 132 is connected to the downstream of the suction pump 500. In order to ensure that the purging gas can form a purging atmosphere at the tail end of the suction pump 500 and prevent water vapor in the plant exhaust 920 from flowing back to the tail end of the suction pump 500 with the gas, in this embodiment of the application, the gas flow direction at the second end of the second purging pipe 132 can be parallel or approximately parallel to the exhaust direction of the plant exhaust 920. In this case, it can prevent the plant exhaust 920 from flowing back to the tail end of the suction pump 500.

[0061] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the purpose of using the above-mentioned technical means is to make the gas flow direction at the second end of the second purge pipe 132 as parallel as possible to the exhaust direction of the plant exhaust 920. However, since the flow field is relatively difficult to control and it is difficult to absolutely determine which straight line or curve the flow direction of a gas stream is, in this embodiment, the above-mentioned "approximately" is not meant to be unclear, but rather a charitable explanation from a technical perspective, as it may not be possible to absolutely achieve the above-mentioned technical objective.

[0062] More specifically, the suction pump 500 can be connected to the plant exhaust 920 via the discharge pipe 140. For this purpose, the second end of the second purge pipe 132 can be connected to the discharge pipe 140. Furthermore, to facilitate the installation of the conveying system, in this embodiment, one end of the discharge pipe 140 can be connected to the plant exhaust 920, with their axes perpendicular to each other. In this case, the suction pump 500 can be connected to the other end of the discharge pipe 140, and the second end of the second purge pipe 132 can be connected to a position in the discharge pipe 140 near the suction pump 500. The axis of the second end of the second purge pipe 132... The direction can also be perpendicular to the axis of the discharge pipe 140. At the same time, by designing the layout of the second purging pipe 132, it can be ensured that the flow direction of the purging gas in the second purging pipe 132 when entering the discharge pipe 140 is approximately the same as the flow direction of the fluid in the discharge pipe 140 when flowing into the plant exhaust 920. This ensures that the gas in the plant exhaust 920 will not flow back to the tail of the suction pump 500, or even back to the discharge pipe 140. This can prevent the water vapor in the plant exhaust 920 from reacting with the small amount of boron oxide at the tail of the suction pump 500 to generate boric acid and block the outlet of the suction pump 500.

[0063] Similarly, the purging gas introduced into the second purging line 132 can also be nitrogen, and the same purging gas source can be used to supply purging gas to both the first purging line 131 and the second purging line 132. Accordingly, in order to ensure that the purging process of the second purging line 132 is also controllable, in this embodiment of the application, a fifth valve 205 is provided on the second purging line 132 to control the opening and closing of the second purging line 132.

[0064] As described above, the process chamber 910 is connected to the first valve 201 through the exhaust pipe 110, so that the exhaust gas containing boron oxide and water vapor in the process chamber 910 flows through the first valve 201. In this case, the water vapor in the exhaust gas generated by the water circulation step will adhere to the first valve 201. If the source circulation step is performed before the first valve 201 is completely dry, the boron oxide in the exhaust gas generated by the source circulation step will also react with the water adhering to the first valve 201 to generate boric acid, which will then block the first valve 201.

[0065] Therefore, in one specific embodiment of this application, the conveying system may further include a third purge pipe 133. The first end of the third purge pipe 133 is connected to a purge gas source, and the second end of the third purge pipe 133 is connected to an exhaust pipe 110. This allows the purge gas in the third purge pipe 133 to flow through the exhaust pipe 110 to the first valve 201, drying the first valve 201 and removing water vapor adhering to the inner wall of the first valve 201. This ensures that the first valve 201 is dry before the next power supply step in the process chamber 910, preventing boron oxide from reacting with the water on the inner wall of the first valve 201 and clogging it. With the conveying system including the third purge pipe 133, the drying time of the first valve 201 can be significantly shortened, thereby significantly reducing the time interval between the water supply step and the power supply step in the process chamber 910, and thus significantly improving process efficiency.

[0066] Similarly, the purging gas introduced into the third purging pipeline 133 can also be nitrogen. In order to ensure that the purging process of the third purging pipeline 133 is also controllable, in this embodiment of the application, a sixth valve 206 is provided on the third purging pipeline 133 to control the opening and closing of the third purging pipeline 133.

[0067] As described above, the third purge line 133 is connected to the exhaust pipe 110, and the exhaust pipe 110 is connected to the process chamber 910. In this case, when the process chamber 910 performs the power supply step and the water supply step successively, the exhaust gas in the process chamber 910 can be prevented from entering the third purge line 133 through the exhaust pipe 110 by controlling the sixth valve 206 to close. In order to further prevent the exhaust gas in the exhaust pipe 110 from entering the third purge line 133, in this embodiment of the application, the conveying system may also include a first check valve 411. The first check valve 411 is disposed on the third purge line 133 and is located downstream of the sixth valve 206. In addition, during the installation of the first check valve 411, the position of the first check valve 411 on the third purge line 133 can be made as close as possible to the exhaust pipe 110 to minimize the amount of exhaust gas entering the third purge line 133 through the exhaust pipe 110.

[0068] In addition, since the exhaust pipe 110 is connected to the process chamber 910, in order to prevent the purge gas from entering the process chamber 910 through the exhaust pipe 110 during the purge and drying process of the first valve 201 by the third purge pipe 133, thereby damaging the process environment in the process chamber 910, in this embodiment of the application, the conveying system also includes a second check valve 412. The second check valve 412 is installed on the exhaust pipe 110 and is located between the third purge pipe 133 and the process chamber 910, so as to block the purge gas input from the third purge pipe 133 into the exhaust pipe 110 from entering the process chamber 910.

[0069] In the above embodiments, during the interval between the power supply step and the water supply step, the purge gas input through the third purge pipe 133 can purge and dry the inner wall of the first valve 201 to prevent water adhering to the inner wall of the first valve 201 from reacting with boron oxide in the tail gas of the subsequent process, and to prevent boron oxide adhering to the inner wall of the first valve 201 from reacting with water vapor in the tail gas of the subsequent process. Of course, the purge gas input through the third purge pipe 133 can also provide a drying effect for the exhaust pipe 110 to a certain extent. However, when the exhaust pipe 110 is equipped with a second one-way valve 412, the portion of the exhaust pipe 110 located between the second one-way valve 412 and the process chamber 910 cannot be purged and dried by the purge gas in the third purge pipe 133.

[0070] Therefore, in another embodiment of this application, the conveying system may further include a fourth purge pipe 134, one end of which is connected to a purge gas source. By connecting the other end of the fourth purge pipe 134 to the furnace door of the process chamber 910 of the diffusion furnace, the purge gas conveyed through the fourth purge pipe 134 can be transported into the process chamber 910. Furthermore, by allowing the purge gas in the fourth purge pipe 134 to enter through the furnace door of the process chamber 910, the purge gas can not only purge and dry the portion of the exhaust pipe 110 located between the process chamber 910 and the third one-way valve 413, but also purge the tail gas in the process chamber 910, thereby reducing the residual amount of tail gas in the process chamber 910 and improving the process effect.

[0071] Furthermore, during the low-pressure boron processing in the diffusion furnace, the temperature inside the process chamber 910 is relatively high. Since the furnace door of the process chamber 910 is in direct contact with the outside environment, its temperature is slightly lower than the process temperature inside the chamber. This causes the boron oxide produced during the process to easily adhere to the furnace door and corrode it. Therefore, in the case where the conveying system disclosed in this application includes a fourth purge pipe 134, a slight positive pressure can be formed at the furnace door of the process chamber 910 to prevent boron oxide from adhering to the furnace door.

[0072] Similarly, the purging gas introduced into the fourth purging pipeline 134 can also be nitrogen. To ensure the purging process of the fourth purging pipeline 134 is controllable, in this embodiment, a seventh valve 207 is provided on the fourth purging pipeline 134 to control the opening and closing of the fourth purging pipeline 134. Furthermore, to detect and control parameters such as the quantity and flow rate of the purging gas transported in the fourth purging pipeline 134, in this embodiment, a first flow meter 701 is also provided on the fourth purging pipeline 134, and the first flow meter 701 is located upstream of the seventh valve 207. Specifically, the first flow meter 701 can be a mass flow meter.

[0073] As described above, the on / off state between the carrier gas pipeline 150 and the first input pipeline 161 and the process chamber 910 can be controlled by respectively setting an eighth valve 208 and a ninth valve 209 on the carrier gas pipeline 150 and the first input pipeline 161. Simultaneously, in order to control the specific amount of process gas delivered to the process chamber 910 for the process reaction, in this application, a second flow meter 702 and a third flow meter 703 can also be installed on the carrier gas pipeline 150 and the first input pipeline 161 to detect and control the amount of carrier gas and process gas delivered to the process chamber 910. More specifically, the second flow meter 702 can be located upstream of the eighth valve 208, and correspondingly, the third flow meter 703 can be located upstream of the ninth valve 209, and both the second flow meter 702 and the third flow meter 703 can be mass flow meters.

[0074] As described above, the conveying system disclosed in this application can be applied to the low-pressure boron process. Low-pressure boron refers to boron trichloride gas with low saturated vapor pressure, which is easily liquefied and corrosive. Therefore, in order to prevent boron trichloride from corroding the third flow meter 703 and thus having a significant adverse effect on the accuracy of the third flow meter 703, in a further embodiment of this application, the conveying system may also include a fifth purging pipe 135 to purge the third flow meter 703 and prevent boron trichloride from adhering and corroding the third flow meter 703.

[0075] Of course, in order to prevent the purge gas in the fifth purge line 135 from flowing back into the process gas source, in this embodiment of the application, the first input line 161 is also provided with an eleventh valve 211, and the eleventh valve 211 is located upstream of the third flow meter 703. Correspondingly, in order to prevent the process gas from flowing back into the purge gas source through the fifth purge line 135 during the process of introducing process gas, the fifth purge line 135 is provided with a twelfth valve 212. One end of the fifth purge line 135 is connected to the purge gas source, and the other end of the fifth purge line 135 is connected between the third flow meter 703 and the eleventh valve 211. At the same time, in response to the process gas being introduced into the process chamber, the eleventh valve is closed and the twelfth valve is opened. That is, when the process gas is introduced into the process chamber 910, the eleventh valve 211 is closed and the twelfth valve 212 is opened, so as to use the fifth purge line 135 to purge and clean the third flow meter 703.

[0076] Similarly, the purging gas introduced into the fifth purging line 135 can also be nitrogen. Furthermore, considering that the pressure of the purging gas source is usually relatively high, to prevent high-pressure gas from damaging the third flow meter 703, in this embodiment, a pressure reducing valve can also be provided upstream of the twelfth valve 212 in the fifth purging line 135. Moreover, pressure reducing valves can also be correspondingly provided between the first input line 161 and the process gas source, and between the first purging line 131, the second purging line 132, the third purging line 133, and the fourth purging line 134 and the purging gas source.

[0077] As described above, the fair conveying system of this application embodiment can be applied to the low-pressure boron process. Since the process chamber 910 is under negative pressure during the low-pressure boron process, after the process is completed, it is necessary to backfill the process chamber 910 with nitrogen or other gases that do not react with the process gases and silicon wafers, so that the process chamber 910 can be restored to atmospheric pressure and the furnace door can be opened normally. Considering that a second flow meter 702 is installed on the carrier gas pipeline 150, resulting in a relatively small upper limit for the flow velocity on the carrier gas pipeline 150, and in order to reduce the backfilling time of the process chamber 910 and improve process efficiency, in a specific embodiment of this application, the conveying system further includes a backfill pipeline 170. One end of the backfill pipeline 170 is connected to the carrier gas source, and the other end of the backfill pipeline 170 is connected to the inlet end of the first inlet pipe 610 and is located downstream of the second flow meter 702. Thus, when a large amount of backfill gas needs to be input into the process chamber 910, the carrier gas can be transported to the process chamber 910 relatively quickly using the backfill pipeline 170. Furthermore, by installing a first normally open valve 421 on the backfill pipeline 170, the first normally open valve 421 will not hinder the normal operation of the backfill pipeline 170 in the event of an abnormal power outage. It should be noted that the first normally open valve 421 is not only in an open state, but it is normally in an open state. When energized, it can also remain in a closed state, thereby ensuring that the backfill pipeline 170 will not hinder the normal operation of the carrier gas pipeline 150.

[0078] In addition, to obtain the amount of carrier gas delivered to the process chamber 910 via the backfill pipeline 170, a flow meter can be installed on the backfill pipeline 170. To prevent abnormal power outages from hindering the normal operation of the backfill pipeline 170, in this embodiment, a float flow meter can be installed on the backfill pipeline 170. This float flow meter is a mechanical metering device and is not affected by power outages. Based on this, float flow meters can also be correspondingly installed on the first purge pipeline 131, the second purge pipeline 132, and the third purge pipeline 133.

[0079] As described above, a first normally open valve 421 is provided on the backfill pipeline 170, which is in the open state when the power is off. In order to prevent the backfill pipeline 170 from supplying excessive carrier gas to the process chamber 910, in this embodiment, the delivery system may also include a pressure relief pipeline 180. As described above, a third valve 203 is provided on the first output pipeline 121, and the third valve 203 is located downstream of the filter mechanism 310. Furthermore, in order to prevent the gas output from the process chamber 910 from containing impurities such as boron oxide, in this embodiment, one end of the pressure relief pipeline 180 may be connected to the portion of the first output pipeline 121 located between the filter mechanism 310 and the third valve 203, and the other end of the pressure relief pipeline 180 may be connected to the plant exhaust 920, thereby ensuring that the gas in the process chamber 910 can be filtered by the filter mechanism 310 and then discharged to the plant exhaust 920 through the pressure relief pipeline 180.

[0080] Accordingly, in order to prevent the gas in the plant exhaust 920 from flowing back into the filter mechanism 310 through the pressure relief pipeline 180, causing water vapor to react with the boron oxide in the filter mechanism 310, in this embodiment of the application, the pressure relief pipeline 180 may also be equipped with a valve. In order to prevent the aforementioned valve from hindering the normal operation of the pressure relief pipeline 180 in the event of an abnormal power outage, in this embodiment of the application, the aforementioned valve may also be a normally open valve, that is, the pressure relief pipeline 180 is equipped with a second normally open valve 422.

[0081] As described above, the conveying system disclosed in this application has the function of conveying gas to the process chamber 910, and also has the function of conveying gas output from the process chamber 910. Further, the conveying system disclosed in this application may also include a pressure detection element 800 and a pressure detection pipeline 190, so that the conveying system also has the ability to detect the pressure inside the process chamber 910. More specifically, the pressure detection element 800 is connected to one end of the pressure detection pipeline 190, and by connecting the other end of the pressure detection pipeline 190 to the process chamber 910, the pressure detection element 800 can be guaranteed to have the ability to detect the pressure inside the process chamber 910.

[0082] To improve the detection accuracy of the pressure detection element 800, in this embodiment, one end of the pressure detection pipeline 190, away from the pressure detection element 800, can extend into the process chamber 910. More specifically, the pressure detection pipeline 190 can extend into the process chamber 910 from the exhaust end, and extend towards the furnace door of the process chamber 910. In this case, since the distance between the pressure detection pipeline 190 and the exhaust pipe 110 located at the exhaust end of the process chamber 910 in the conveying system is relatively large, the airflow generated during the process of gas in the process chamber 910 being output to the outside of the process chamber 910 through the exhaust pipe 110 can be prevented from interfering with the pressure detection process, thereby improving the pressure detection accuracy.

[0083] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the air intake assembly 600 can be positioned relatively high within the process chamber, and the pressure detection line 190 can be positioned relatively low within the process chamber 910. This prevents the pressure detection line 190 from obstructing the diffusion process of boron atoms on the silicon wafer, thus affecting the normal operation of the process. In other words, in the delivery system disclosed in this embodiment, the air intake assembly 600 is located above the pressure detection line 190, and without affecting the normal operation of the air intake assembly 600 and the pressure detection line 190, the air intake assembly 600 can be positioned as close as possible to the top of the process chamber 910, and the pressure detection line 190 can be positioned as close as possible to the bottom of the process chamber 910.

[0084] Based on the conveying system disclosed in any of the above embodiments, this application also discloses a diffusion furnace, which includes a process chamber 910 and any of the above conveying systems, wherein the air intake component in the conveying system is connected to the process chamber, and the exhaust pipe 110 in the conveying system is connected to the exhaust end of the process chamber 910, so that the exhaust gas generated during the process can be discharged through the exhaust pipe 110.

[0085] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatuses in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Additionally, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0086] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A conveying system applied to a diffusion furnace, characterized in that, The delivery system includes an air intake assembly, a first input pipe, and a second input pipe. The air intake assembly extends axially along the process chamber of the diffusion furnace and communicates with the process chamber; the air intake assembly includes a first air intake pipe and a second air intake pipe, the second air intake pipe is sleeved outside the first air intake pipe, and a conveying gap is formed between the second air intake pipe and the first air intake pipe. The outlet ends of the first and second inlet pipes are both close to the furnace door of the diffusion furnace; one end of the first input pipe is connected to the process gas source, and the other end is connected to the inlet end of the first inlet pipe. The air inlet end of the second air inlet pipe is located on the side wall of the second air inlet pipe and away from the furnace door. One end of the second input pipe is connected to a water source, and the other end is connected to the air inlet end of the second air inlet pipe.

2. The conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the extending direction of the air intake assembly, the distance between the outlet end of the first air intake pipe and the furnace door is less than the distance between the outlet end of the second air intake pipe and the furnace door.

3. The conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intake assembly also includes a plurality of support rings, which are spaced apart along the extension direction of the first intake pipe.

4. The conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The delivery system also includes a carrier gas pipeline, one end of which is connected to a carrier gas source and the other end of which is connected to the inlet end of the first inlet pipe.

5. The conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a third one-way valve, which is located upstream of the intake end of the first intake pipe.

6. The conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The exhaust pipe, the first output pipe, the second output pipe, and the first valve, wherein, The first valve has an inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet; One end of the exhaust pipe is connected to the exhaust end of the process chamber, and the other end of the exhaust pipe is connected to the inlet. The first output pipe is connected to the first outlet, and the second output pipe is connected to the second outlet. A filter mechanism is provided on the first output pipe. The first valve is configured to connect the inlet to the first outlet and disconnect the inlet from the second outlet in response to the introduction of process gas into the process chamber; it is also configured to connect the inlet to the second outlet and disconnect the inlet from the first outlet in response to the introduction of water into the process chamber.

7. The conveying system according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes a first cooling element and / or a second cooling element, wherein the first cooling element is disposed in the first output pipeline and is located upstream of the filter mechanism, and the second cooling element is disposed in the second output pipeline.

8. The conveying system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first cooling component includes a cooling bottle, which includes a bottle body, an inlet branch pipe, and an exhaust branch pipe. Both the inlet branch pipe and the exhaust branch pipe are connected to the bottle body, and the flow rates of both the inlet branch pipe and the exhaust branch pipe are less than the flow rate of the bottle body.

9. The conveying system according to claim 8, characterized in that, It also includes a first purging pipe, a first end of which is connected to a purging gas source, a second end of which is connected to the bottle body and extends into the bottle body, the height of the second end of the first purging pipe is lower than the height of the connection end between the exhaust branch pipe and the bottle body, and the axial direction of at least a portion of the first purging pipe including the second end is parallel to the axial direction of the exhaust branch pipe.

10. The conveying system according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes a suction pump, a third valve and a fourth valve. The ends of the first output pipeline and the second output pipeline away from the first valve are both connected to the suction pump. The suction pump is used to connect to the plant exhaust. The third valve is located in the first output pipeline between the filter mechanism and the suction pump. The fourth valve is located in the second output pipeline. In response to the introduction of process gas into the process chamber, the third valve opens and the fourth valve closes; in response to the introduction of water into the process chamber, the third valve closes and the fourth valve opens.

11. The conveying system according to claim 10, characterized in that, It also includes a second purging line, the first end of which is connected to a purging gas source, the second end of which is connected to the downstream of the suction pump, and the gas flow direction at the second end is approximately parallel to the exhaust direction of the plant exhaust.

12. The conveying system according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes a third purging line, the first end of which is connected to a purging gas source, and the second end of which is connected to the exhaust pipe.

13. The conveying system according to claim 12, characterized in that, It also includes a second one-way valve and a fourth purge line. The second one-way valve is installed on the exhaust pipe and is located between the third purge line and the process chamber. One end of the fourth purge line is connected to the purge gas source, and the other end of the fourth purge line is connected to the furnace door of the process chamber.

14. The conveying system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The carrier gas pipeline is equipped with a second flow meter, and the delivery system also includes a backfill pipeline. One end of the backfill pipeline is connected to the carrier gas source, and the other end of the backfill pipeline is connected to the inlet end of the first inlet pipe and is located downstream of the second flow meter. A first normally open valve is provided on the backfill pipeline.

15. The conveying system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The conveying system also includes a pressure relief pipeline, one end of which is connected between the filter mechanism and the third valve, and the other end of which is connected to the plant exhaust. A second normally open valve is provided on the pressure relief pipeline.

16. The conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first input pipeline is equipped with a third flow meter and an eleventh valve, the eleventh valve being located upstream of the third flow meter; the conveying system further includes a fifth purge pipeline, the fifth purge pipeline being equipped with a twelfth valve, one end of the fifth purge pipeline being connected to a purge gas source, and the other end of the fifth purge pipeline being connected between the third flow meter and the eleventh valve, in response to the introduction of process gas into the process chamber, the eleventh valve closing and the twelfth valve opening.

17. The conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a pressure detection element and a pressure detection pipeline, wherein the pressure detection element is connected to one end of the pressure detection pipeline, and the other end of the pressure detection pipeline extends into the process chamber and extends in the direction of the furnace door near the process chamber.

18. The conveying system according to claim 17, characterized in that, The air intake assembly is located at a relatively upper position in the process chamber, and the pressure detection pipeline is located at a relatively lower position in the process chamber.

19. A diffusion furnace, characterized in that, It includes a process chamber and a conveying system as described in any one of claims 1-18.

Images