Furnace tube apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses. Disclosed is a furnace tube apparatus. The furnace tube apparatus comprises: a process tube, wherein the interior of the process tube comprises a process zone, the lower part of the process tube is provided with a first gas outlet, and the upper part of the process tube is provided with a second gas outlet; a first gas discharge pipeline connected to the first gas outlet; and a second gas discharge pipeline connected to the second gas outlet, wherein a valve is provided on the second gas discharge pipeline, the valve is opened during a process of removing water vapor from the process zone so as to discharge water vapor from an upper region of the process zone by means of the second gas discharge pipeline, and the valve is closed during a process other than removing the water vapor from the process zone so as to close the second gas discharge pipeline. By means of the second gas outlet and the second gas discharge pipeline, the discharge of the water vapor from the upper region of the process zone can be accelerated to avoid the retention of the water vapor in the upper region of the process zone, thereby improving the efficiency of the entire water vapor removal process.

Description

Furnace tube equipment Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, specifically to a furnace tube device. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, atmospheric pressure furnace tubes are widely used for oxide layer growth, especially in wet oxidation processes. Wet oxidation involves igniting hydrogen and oxygen in an ignition chamber to generate water vapor for oxidation. After oxidation, a certain amount of water vapor usually remains in the furnace tube and gas pipes. Due to the presence of this residual water vapor, if dry oxidation is performed directly, the water vapor will react with the silicon wafer, resulting in a thicker oxide layer and thus affecting the precision and stability of the oxidation process.

[0003] In actual production, due to machine downtime or capacity requirements, furnace tubes that have completed wet oxidation are often used for subsequent dry oxidation. However, the residual moisture in the furnace tubes after wet oxidation can significantly affect subsequent dry oxidation or thin oxide layer growth, causing the oxide layer thickness to exceed expectations and affecting the process results.

[0004] To address this issue, a moisture removal process is typically required between wet and dry oxidation processes. This involves purging the pipes and furnace tubes with nitrogen to remove residual moisture, ensuring the subsequent dry oxidation process can proceed smoothly. However, current moisture removal processes usually take six to seven hours, resulting in excessively long process changeover times and reduced production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application addresses the technical problem of low water vapor removal efficiency in furnace tube equipment through the following technical solution:

[0006] A furnace tube device, comprising:

[0007] A process tube, the interior of which includes a process area, a first air outlet is provided at the lower part of the process tube, and a second air outlet is provided at the upper part of the process tube.

[0008] A first air outlet pipe is connected to the first air outlet; and

[0009] The second vent pipe is connected to the second vent. A valve is installed on the second vent pipe. The valve opens during the process of removing water vapor from the process area to discharge water vapor from the upper part of the process area through the second vent pipe. The valve closes during the process of not removing water vapor from the process area to shut off the second vent pipe.

[0010] A furnace tube device, comprising:

[0011] A process tube, the interior of which includes a process area, and a first air outlet is provided at the lower part of the process tube;

[0012] A first air outlet pipe is connected to the first air outlet; and

[0013] An exhaust pipe is installed within the process area, with its inlet located in the upper part of the process area. The exhaust pipe is used to discharge water vapor from the upper part of the process area during the process of removing water vapor from the process area.

[0014] The positive and progressive effects of this application are as follows:

[0015] 1. The valve opens during the moisture removal process, allowing moisture to escape from the upper part of the process zone through the second vent and the second vent pipeline. This prevents moisture from accumulating in the upper part of the process zone, thereby improving the efficiency of the entire moisture removal process and ensuring that the furnace tube equipment reaches the state required for the dry process in a short time. During non-moisture removal processes, the valve remains closed, without affecting the normal process.

[0016] 2. This furnace tube equipment, by installing an exhaust pipe within the process zone and placing its inlet in the upper part of the process zone, can more effectively discharge gaseous water vapor from the upper area. This design allows water vapor and other gases to be quickly discharged from the upper part of the process zone, avoiding water vapor retention, improving exhaust efficiency, shortening process changeover time, and increasing equipment production efficiency. Furthermore, this embodiment does not require changes to the existing process tube structure, resulting in lower equipment modification costs.

[0017] Overview of the attached figures

[0018] Figure 1 is a first structural schematic diagram of the furnace tube device of Embodiment 1 of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the second structure of the furnace tube device of Embodiment 1 of this application;

[0020] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the furnace tube equipment of Embodiment 2 of this application.

[0021] Preferred embodiments of this application

[0022] The present application is further illustrated below by way of embodiments, but this does not limit the present application to the scope of the embodiments.

[0023] Example 1

[0024] The inventors of this application have discovered that the reason why existing furnace tube equipment takes a long time to remove water vapor after a wet process is that water vapor has a low density at high temperatures and tends to accumulate in the upper part of the process zone, while the gas outlet of the furnace tube equipment is located in the lower part. During the water vapor removal process, it is difficult to completely remove the water vapor from the upper part of the process zone, thus resulting in a long time consumption.

[0025] Therefore, this embodiment provides a furnace tube device capable of quickly discharging water vapor from the process zone 110. As shown in Figure 1, the furnace tube device includes a process tube 100, a first exhaust pipe 300, and a second exhaust pipe 400. The process tube 100 includes the process zone 110. A first exhaust port 130 is provided at the lower part of the process tube 100, and a second exhaust port 140 is provided at the upper part of the process tube 100. The first exhaust pipe 300 is connected to the first exhaust port 130. The second exhaust pipe 400 is connected to the second exhaust port 140. A valve 410 is provided on the second exhaust pipe 400. The valve 410 opens during the process of removing water vapor from the process zone 110 to discharge water vapor from the upper area of ​​the process zone 110 through the second exhaust pipe 400. The valve closes during the process of not removing water vapor from the process zone 110 to shut off the second exhaust pipe 400.

[0026] By additionally setting a second outlet 140 at the upper part of the process tube 100, working in conjunction with the first outlet 130 to remove water vapor, the water vapor discharge rate can be effectively improved. During the water vapor removal process, the furnace tube equipment needs continuous heating, and the inlet pipe 200 provides purge gas. Driven by the purge gas, some water vapor will be discharged from the first outlet 130, while the remaining water vapor tends to remain in the upper area of ​​the process zone 110. The setting of the second outlet 140 allows the water vapor in the upper area of ​​the process zone 110 to be discharged quickly. The valve 410 opens during the water vapor removal process, and through the second outlet 140 and the second outlet pipe 400, the discharge of water vapor in the upper area of ​​the process zone 110 can be accelerated, preventing water vapor from remaining in the upper area of ​​the process zone 110, thereby improving the efficiency of the entire water vapor removal process and ensuring that the furnace tube equipment reaches the state required for the dry process in a short time. During non-water vapor removal processes, the valve 410 is closed, without affecting the normal process.

[0027] The upper portion of the process tube 100 can be flexibly set according to actual conditions and is not specifically limited here. For example, this range can be within 10cm from the top of the process tube, or within 1 / 10 of the total height of the process tube 100.

[0028] In some embodiments, the furnace tube equipment further includes a power unit disposed on the second exhaust pipe 400, used to extract water vapor and other gases from the upper region of the process zone 110. Specifically, as shown in FIG1, the power unit is a pump 420. The addition of the pump 420 effectively increases the airflow power, which can further enhance the water vapor discharge efficiency and ensure that the water vapor in the upper region of the process zone 110 can be discharged more quickly.

[0029] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2, the power unit is a Venturi tube 430. Specifically, the negative pressure end of the Venturi tube 430 is connected to the second outlet pipe 400. The furnace tube equipment also includes a third branch pipe 600, the inlet end of which is connected to a gas source. The inlet and outlet ends of the Venturi tube 430 are connected in series to the third branch pipe 600. After the airflow passes through the Venturi tube 430, a negative pressure is generated at its negative pressure end, which extracts water vapor and other gases from the upper area of ​​the process zone 110. The outlet end of the third branch pipe 600 is connected to the first outlet pipe 300, which can discharge the water vapor extracted from the process zone 110 to the plant end for treatment. A pressure gauge and a flow meter can also be installed on the third branch pipe 600 to control the gas supply pressure and flow rate, respectively.

[0030] In some embodiments, the air inlet end of the third branch pipe 600 may also be connected to the air inlet pipe 200 to supply gas.

[0031] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, the outlet end of the second outlet pipe 400 is connected to the first outlet pipe 300. Gas extracted from the process area 110 can be discharged together to the plant terminal for processing.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in some embodiments, the second exhaust pipe 400 and the first exhaust pipe 300 are interconnected at the first connection point 910. The furnace tube equipment also includes a steam detection unit 510, located downstream of the first connection point 910. The steam detection unit 510 can detect steam in the gas discharged from the process zone 110, and can simultaneously acquire the gas discharged from the first exhaust pipe 300 and the second exhaust pipe 400, ensuring more accurate detection results. Specifically, the steam detection unit 510 is connected to the first exhaust pipe 300 via a steam detection pipe 520, which is also equipped with a valve 530.

[0033] In some embodiments, the outlet end of the second vent pipe 400 can also be directly discharged to the plant end.

[0034] In some embodiments, the furnace tube equipment further includes an air inlet pipe 200, and an air inlet 120 is provided at the upper part of the process tube 100, with the air inlet pipe 200 connected to the air inlet 120.

[0035] In some embodiments, the process pipe 100 further includes an air supply chamber 150, multiple air inlets 120 are provided, and an air inlet pipe 200 is connected to the air supply chamber 150 to supply air to the multiple air inlets 120 through the air supply chamber 150.

[0036] In some embodiments, the intake pipe 200 includes a first branch pipe 212 and a second branch pipe 220. There are two first branch pipes 212, both connected to the ignition chamber 211. The entire workflow is described below using Figure 1 as an example. When the furnace tube equipment is performing a wet process, valve 221 on the second branch pipe 220, valve 410 on the second outlet pipe 400, and valve 530 on the water vapor detection pipe 520 are closed. Hydrogen and oxygen are respectively introduced into the two first branch pipes 212 and ignited in the ignition chamber 211 to generate water vapor which enters the process zone 110. The gas in the process zone 110 is discharged through the first outlet pipe 300. When switching from the wet process to the dry process, a moisture removal process is performed. This requires opening valves 221 and 410, and introducing purge gas, such as nitrogen, through the second branch pipe 220. The purge gas discharges the gas in process zone 110 through the first outlet pipe 300 and the second outlet pipe 400 to remove moisture. By closing valve 310 and opening valve 530, the gas path can be changed, allowing the gas discharged from process zone 110 to enter the moisture detection pipe 520 for moisture detection. Throughout this process, the furnace tube equipment remains in a heated state.

[0037] Example 2

[0038] As shown in Figure 3, this embodiment provides a furnace tube device that eliminates the need for an additional second exhaust port 140 on the process tube 100. The furnace tube device includes a process tube 100, a first exhaust pipe 300, and an exhaust pipe 720. The process tube 100 includes a process zone 110, and an exhaust port is located at the lower part of the process tube 100. The first exhaust pipe 300 is connected to the first exhaust port 130. The exhaust pipe 720 is located within the process zone 110, with its inlet end situated in the upper region of the process zone 110. The exhaust pipe 720 is used to discharge water vapor from the upper region of the process zone 110 during the removal of water vapor from the process zone 110.

[0039] This furnace tube equipment, by installing an exhaust pipe 720 within the process zone 110 and placing its inlet end in the upper part of the process zone 110, can more effectively discharge water vapor from the upper region. This design allows water vapor and other gases to be quickly discharged from the upper region of the process zone 110, avoiding water vapor retention, improving exhaust efficiency, shortening process changeover time, and increasing equipment production efficiency. Furthermore, this embodiment does not require changes to the existing structure of the process tube 100, resulting in lower equipment modification costs.

[0040] The upper part of the process area 110 can be flexibly set according to the actual situation, and no specific limitation is made here. For example, this range can be within 10cm from the top of the process area 110, or within 1 / 10 of the total height of the process area 110.

[0041] In some embodiments, the furnace tube equipment further includes a gas supply pipe 710, which is disposed within the process zone 110, with its outlet end lower than the inlet end of the exhaust pipe 720. During the discharge of water vapor, gas is supplied only through the gas supply pipe 710. The low-positioned gas supply pipe 710 helps to push the water vapor and other gases to flow towards the upper region of the process zone 110, thereby accelerating the discharge of water vapor from the upper region of the process zone 110. Through this reasonable airflow layout, water vapor in the process zone 110 can be removed more efficiently, the water vapor removal time can be shortened, and the exhaust efficiency can be improved.

[0042] In some embodiments, the exhaust pipe 720 is embedded within the process pipe 100. That is, the exhaust pipe 720 is disposed within the wall of the process pipe 100 or welded to the wall of the process pipe 100, and the exhaust pipe 720 and the process pipe 100 are designed as an integral unit.

[0043] This furnace tube equipment achieves a more compact structural design by embedding the exhaust pipe 720 inside the process pipe 100, reducing the space occupied by the gas supply pipe 710 in the process area 110.

[0044] In some embodiments, the furnace tube equipment further includes a third exhaust pipe 800 and a power unit 820. The third exhaust pipe 800 is connected to the exhaust end of the exhaust pipe 720, and the power unit 820 is disposed on the third exhaust pipe 800 for extracting water vapor and other gases from the upper region of the process zone 110. Specifically, the power unit 820 is a pump or a venturi tube. The installation of the venturi tube is the same as that in Embodiment 1.

[0045] In some embodiments, a valve 810 is also provided on the third vent pipe 800. During the process of removing water vapor in the process zone 110, the valve 810 is opened to discharge water vapor in the upper area of ​​the process zone 110 through the third vent pipe 800. During the process of not removing water vapor in the process zone 110, the valve 810 is closed to shut off the third vent pipe 800.

[0046] In some embodiments, the exhaust pipe 720 may be removed from the furnace tube assembly during the process of not removing moisture from the process zone 110.

[0047] In some embodiments, the furnace tube equipment may also be equipped with the same water vapor detection unit 510 as in Embodiment 1 on the first gas outlet pipe 300. Specifically, the third gas outlet pipe 800 and the first gas outlet pipe 300 are connected to each other at the second connection point 920, and the water vapor detection unit 510 is located downstream of the second connection point 920.

[0048] In some embodiments, the furnace tube equipment further includes an air inlet pipe 200, and an air inlet 120 is provided at the upper part of the process tube 100, with the air inlet pipe 200 connected to the air inlet 120.

[0049] While specific embodiments of this application have been described above, those skilled in the art should understand that these are merely illustrative examples. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of this application, but all such changes and modifications fall within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A furnace tube device, characterized in that, include: A process tube, the interior of which includes a process area, a first air outlet is provided at the lower part of the process tube, and a second air outlet is provided at the upper part of the process tube. A first air outlet pipe is connected to the first air outlet; and The second vent pipe is connected to the second vent. A valve is installed on the second vent pipe. The valve opens during the process of removing water vapor from the process area to discharge water vapor from the upper part of the process area through the second vent pipe. The valve closes during the process of not removing water vapor from the process area to shut off the second vent pipe.

2. The furnace tube equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a power unit, which is installed on the second air outlet pipe and is used to extract water vapor from the upper area of ​​the process zone.

3. The furnace tube equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outlet end of the second outlet pipe is connected to the first outlet pipe.

4. The furnace tube equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an air inlet pipe, with an air inlet provided at the upper part of the process pipe, and the air inlet pipe is connected to the air inlet.

5. The furnace tube equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first gas outlet pipeline and the second gas outlet pipeline are connected to each other at the first connection point. The furnace tube equipment also includes a water vapor detection unit, which is located downstream of the first connection point.

6. A furnace tube device, characterized in that, include: A process tube, the interior of which includes a process area, and a first air outlet is provided at the lower part of the process tube; The first air outlet pipe is connected to the first air outlet. as well as An exhaust pipe is installed within the process area, with its inlet located in the upper part of the process area. The exhaust pipe is used to discharge water vapor from the upper part of the process area during the process of removing water vapor from the process area.

7. The furnace tube equipment as described in claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes an air intake pipe, which is disposed within the process area, with the air outlet end of the air intake pipe being lower than the air inlet end of the exhaust pipe.

8. The furnace tube equipment as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The exhaust pipe is embedded in the process pipe.

9. The furnace tube equipment as described in any one of claims 6-8, characterized in that, It also includes a third exhaust pipe and a power unit. The third exhaust pipe is connected to the exhaust end of the exhaust pipe. The power unit is installed on the third exhaust pipe and is used to extract water vapor from the upper area of ​​the process zone. Alternatively, it also includes a third exhaust pipe and a valve. The third exhaust pipe is connected to the exhaust end of the exhaust pipe. The valve is installed on the third exhaust pipe. The valve opens during the process of removing water vapor from the process zone to discharge water vapor from the upper area of ​​the process zone through the third exhaust pipe. The valve closes during the process of not removing water vapor from the process zone to shut off the third exhaust pipe.

10. The furnace tube equipment as described in claim 9, characterized in that, It also includes a water vapor detection unit. The outlet end of the third outlet pipe is connected to the first outlet pipe at the second connection point. The water vapor detection unit is located downstream of the second connection point.

11. The furnace tube equipment as described in claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes an air inlet pipe, with an air inlet provided at the upper part of the process pipe, and the air inlet pipe is connected to the air inlet.

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