CN111524776B - Front-end module, control method thereof and semiconductor processing equipment - Google Patents
Front-end module, control method thereof and semiconductor processing equipment Download PDFInfo
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- CN111524776B CN111524776B CN202010363262.XA CN202010363262A CN111524776B CN 111524776 B CN111524776 B CN 111524776B CN 202010363262 A CN202010363262 A CN 202010363262A CN 111524776 B CN111524776 B CN 111524776B
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
- H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
- H01J37/02—Details
- H01J37/18—Vacuum locks ; Means for obtaining or maintaining the desired pressure within the vessel
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
- H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
- H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
- H01J37/32431—Constructional details of the reactor
- H01J37/3244—Gas supply means
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
- H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
- H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
- H01J37/32431—Constructional details of the reactor
- H01J37/3244—Gas supply means
- H01J37/32449—Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
- Y02P70/50—Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
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Abstract
The embodiment of the application provides a front-end module, a control method thereof and semiconductor processing equipment. The front end module includes: the device comprises a module main body, a rectifying plate assembly, an adjusting plate assembly and an exhaust pipe; the upper part of the module main body is provided with an air inlet; the rectifying plate assembly is arranged at the bottom of the module main body, a plurality of exhaust ports are formed in the rectifying plate assembly, and gas entering the module main body through the air inlet is only exhausted through the exhaust ports; the plurality of adjusting plate assemblies are arranged in the module main body, and each adjusting plate assembly is correspondingly arranged at each exhaust port and is used for adjusting the air pressure in the module main body by adjusting the opening and closing states of each exhaust port; the exhaust pipes are arranged on the outer side of the module main body, the air inlet ends of the exhaust pipes are respectively and correspondingly connected with the exhaust ports, and the air flowing through the exhaust ports is led out through the exhaust pipes. The embodiment of the application effectively keeps the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the front end module, thereby effectively avoiding particle pollution of the front end module caused by internal pressure and air flow disturbance.
Description
Technical Field
The application relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing, in particular to a front-end module, a control method thereof and semiconductor processing equipment.
Background
At present, plasma etching equipment is widely applied to manufacturing processes of Integrated Circuits (ICs) or micro-electromechanical systems (Micro Electro Mechanical System, MEMS), the etching process is a key process for forming a pattern in chip manufacturing, process gas is passed through radio frequency to generate plasma, the plasma contains a large amount of active particles such as electrons, ions, atoms in an excited state, molecules, free radicals and the like, and the active particles interact with a substrate to enable various physical and chemical reactions to occur on the surface of a material, so that the surface performance of the material is changed to complete the etching process. Before or during etching, particles caused by uncleanness of a transmission module or a process module fall down to form a mask in etching, so that the transfer of the original photoetching pattern is affected, the yield of products is reduced, and the problem of particle pollution has severely restricted the extension of the integrated circuit field to lower technology nodes. After etching, halogen gas or compound remains on the surface of the Wafer (Wafer), and the residual halogen gas or compound undergoes condensation reaction under the action of water vapor in the air to form condensation particles (Condensation defect) on the surface of the Wafer (Wafer). The condensed particles are generally in a water drop shape and irregularly distributed on the surface of the wafer, so that the yield of etched products is seriously affected. Meanwhile, compounds formed by halogen gas and compounds thereof under the action of water vapor in air corrode a wafer transmission system, so that related parts of a Front-End Module (EFEM) fail.
Further, in addition to the easy contamination of wafers during transport, there is also a risk of particle contamination of wafers in wafer cassettes. When the wafer box is scanned (mapping) in the process, the wafer box is moved back a small distance to start scanning again, so that a larger gap exists between the wafer box and the front end module, and the wafer is exposed and has risk. If the internal and external pressure difference (the difference between the internal pressure and the external pressure of the front end module, hereinafter referred to as the front end module pressure difference) inside the front end module is negative or positive. Part of the gas flows back into the wafer box, and the wafer without the process is possibly polluted by particles, so that the product yield is greatly reduced. Therefore, the front end module is ensured to have continuous gas flow, the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the front end module is kept, and the outside gas cannot overflow into the front end module.
The existing etching equipment adopts a multi-chamber parallel structure and is mainly divided into three parts: a process chamber, a transfer Module, and a Front-End Module (EFEM) of a semiconductor processing apparatus, wherein the process chamber is configured to perform a plasma etching process; the transmission module is used for completing the transmission of the wafer and comprises two pre-loading stations (LOADLOCK), the pre-loading stations complete the conversion of the wafer between the atmospheric and vacuum states, the front end module of the semiconductor processing equipment provides a microenvironment for the wafer, and uniform air flow from top to bottom is generated inside the front end module so as to ensure the clean environment of the wafer box, and therefore the influence of particles on the wafer is avoided. The front end module of the current standard is provided with a fan and a filter screen at the top, and air in the factory is sucked into the EFEM after passing through the filter screen, so that air flow from top to bottom is formed in the EFEM, and residual corrosive gas on the wafer subjected to the process is discharged from the bottom of the EFEM. The fan and filter screen ensure positive pressure inside the EFEM and no outside low pressure gas can enter the EFEM.
When the EFEM internal pressure is not within the specified range, the EFEM internal positive pressure is increased by first adjusting the EFEM bottom fairing to reduce losses from fan and filter screen airflows. When the fairing adjustment reaches a limit, the internal pressure environment of the EFEM may be improved by adjusting the fan speed. Therefore, the EFEM has continuous clean air flow inside and maintains a certain pressure difference between the inside and the outside, and external particles are isolated from entering. However, in the prior art, the size of the rectifying plate is large, and the adjusting difficulty exists in the rectifying plate at the lower part of the manipulator tank chain. Therefore, during the process of adjusting the internal pressure of the EFEM, it is difficult to adjust the bottom fairing as a whole, for example, only adjusting part of the fairing, which will cause particle pollution caused by disturbance of the internal pressure and air flow of the EFEM.
Disclosure of Invention
The application provides a front-end module, a control method thereof and semiconductor processing equipment aiming at the defects of the prior art, and aims to solve the technical problem of particle pollution caused by internal pressure and air flow disturbance of the front-end module in the prior art.
In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a front end module of a semiconductor processing apparatus, the front end module comprising: the device comprises a module main body, a rectifying plate assembly, an adjusting plate assembly and an exhaust pipe; the upper part of the module main body is provided with an air inlet; the rectifying plate assembly is arranged at the bottom of the module main body, a plurality of exhaust ports are formed in the rectifying plate assembly, and gas entering the module main body through the air inlet is exhausted only through the exhaust ports; the plurality of adjusting plate assemblies are arranged in the module main body, and each adjusting plate assembly is respectively and correspondingly arranged at each exhaust port and is used for adjusting the air pressure in the module main body by adjusting the opening and closing state of each exhaust port; the exhaust pipes are arranged on the outer side of the module main body, the air inlet ends of the exhaust pipes are respectively and correspondingly connected with the exhaust ports, and gas flowing through the exhaust ports is led out through the exhaust pipes.
In an embodiment of the application, the rectifying plate assembly includes a first rectifying plate, and the exhaust port is opened on the first rectifying plate; the adjusting plate assembly comprises an adjusting plate, the adjusting plate is movably arranged on the first rectifying plate, and the adjusting plate can adjust the opening and closing states of the exhaust port.
In an embodiment of the application, the adjusting plate is slidably disposed on the first rectifying plate, and adjusts the opening and closing degree of the air outlet through sliding connection with the first rectifying plate.
In an embodiment of the application, the two sides of each exhaust port are respectively provided with the adjusting plates.
In an embodiment of the present application, each of the exhaust ports is provided with a flange interface, the exhaust pipe is connected to the exhaust port through the flange interface, and an air outlet end of the exhaust pipe is connected to the air filtering system.
In an embodiment of the application, the rectifying plate assembly further includes a second rectifying plate and a third rectifying plate, and the second rectifying plate and the third rectifying plate are respectively located at two sides of the length direction of the first rectifying plate.
In an embodiment of the present application, a plurality of feeding ports are arranged on the outer side of the bottom of the module main body in parallel, and are used for temporarily storing the wafer; the exhaust ports are arranged on the rectifying plate assembly in parallel, and the exhaust ports are respectively arranged corresponding to the feeding ports.
In an embodiment of the application, the rectifying plate assembly and the adjusting plate assembly are made of stainless steel, and the outer surfaces of the rectifying plate assembly and the adjusting plate assembly are provided with corrosion resistant layers.
In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a semiconductor processing apparatus, including a front end module of the semiconductor processing apparatus as provided in the first aspect.
In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling a front end module, where the front end module of the semiconductor processing apparatus provided in the first aspect is applied, including the following steps: the air inlet of the module main body is controlled to start air inlet, and the air pressure value of the module main body is monitored in real time; and controlling the adjusting plate assembly according to the air pressure value to adjust the opening and closing state of the air outlet, thereby adjusting the air pressure in the module main body.
The technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the application has the beneficial technical effects that:
according to the embodiment of the application, the rectifying plate assembly is arranged at the bottom of the front end module of the semiconductor processing equipment, the rectifying plate assembly is provided with the plurality of air outlets, and each adjusting plate assembly is respectively used for adjusting the opening and closing states of each air outlet so as to achieve the purpose of adjusting the air pressure in the module main body. The opening and closing state of the exhaust port can be adjusted only through the adjusting plate assembly, so that the embodiment of the application is simple in structure and convenient to adjust, the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the front end module is effectively kept, external particles are isolated from entering, and particle pollution caused by internal pressure and air flow disturbance of the front end module of the semiconductor processing equipment is further effectively avoided. Furthermore, the problem of corrosion and pollution of the halogen acid of the parts in the front-end module is solved, and the periodic cleaning and maintenance period of the front-end module is prolonged, so that the use and maintenance cost is effectively reduced; meanwhile, the influence of particles generated by hydrobromic acid (HBr) corrosion on etching defects (defects) is reduced, and the yield of the wafer is further effectively improved.
Additional aspects and advantages of the application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the application.
Drawings
The foregoing and/or additional aspects and advantages of the application will become apparent and readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a front end module of a semiconductor processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application;
fig. 2A is a schematic front view of a partial structure of a front end module according to an embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 2B is a schematic top view of a front end module according to an embodiment of the present application;
fig. 3 is a flow chart of a control method of a front end module according to an embodiment of the present application.
Detailed Description
The present application is described in detail below, examples of embodiments of the application are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar components or components having the same or similar functions throughout. Further, if detailed description of the known technology is not necessary for the illustrated features of the present application, it will be omitted. The embodiments described below by referring to the drawings are illustrative only and are not to be construed as limiting the application.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs unless defined otherwise. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the prior art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
The following describes the technical scheme of the present application and how the technical scheme of the present application solves the above technical problems in detail with specific embodiments.
An embodiment of the present application provides a front end module of a semiconductor processing apparatus, where a schematic structural diagram of the front end module is shown in fig. 1 to 2B, and the front end module includes: comprises a module main body 1, a rectifying plate assembly 2, an adjusting plate assembly 3 and an exhaust pipe 4; the upper part of the module main body 1 is provided with an air inlet; the rectifying plate assembly 2 is arranged at the bottom of the module main body 1, a plurality of exhaust ports 24 are formed in the rectifying plate assembly 2, and the gas entering the module main body 1 through the gas inlet is only exhausted through the plurality of exhaust ports 24; the plurality of adjusting plate assemblies 3 are all arranged in the module main body 1, and each adjusting plate assembly 3 is correspondingly arranged at each exhaust port 24 and is used for adjusting the air pressure in the module main body 1 by adjusting the opening and closing states of each exhaust port 24; the plurality of exhaust pipes 4 are all provided outside the module body 1, and the intake ends of the exhaust pipes 4 are respectively connected to the exhaust ports 24, and the gas flowing through the exhaust ports 24 is guided out through the exhaust pipes 4.
Fig. 1 shows a schematic top view of a front end module, as shown in fig. 1 to 2B, a module body 1 is a cube structure made of a metal material and having a closed space, the closed space in the module body 1 provides a micro environment with a stable gas flow state for a wafer, an air inlet is provided at an upper portion of the module body 1, and a fan and a filter screen (not shown) may be provided at the air inlet for sucking gas into the inside of the module body 1. The rectifying plate assembly 2 is arranged at the bottom of the module main body 1, and a plurality of exhaust ports 24 are formed in the rectifying plate assembly 2, and the exhaust ports 24 are communicated with the inside and the outside of the module main body 1 and are used for exhausting gas in the module main body 1 only through the exhaust ports 24. The plurality of adjusting plate assemblies 3 are disposed in the module body 1, and the plurality of adjusting plate assemblies 3 may be disposed on the rectifying plate assembly 2, and each adjusting plate assembly 3 is disposed corresponding to each exhaust port 24. The exhaust pipes 4 are made of corrugated pipes, the air inlet end of each exhaust pipe 4 is correspondingly connected with each exhaust port 24, and the air outlet end of each exhaust pipe 4 can be provided with an air pump for providing negative pressure to guide out residual gas in the module main body 1 to the outside of a factory building, so that harm to operators is avoided. In practical application, when the interior of the module main body 1 is under negative pressure or under positive pressure, the opening and closing state of the exhaust port 24 can be adjusted through the adjusting plate assembly 3, so that the purpose of adjusting the air pressure state and the air flow state in the module main body 1 is achieved.
According to the embodiment of the application, the rectifying plate assembly is arranged at the bottom of the front end module of the semiconductor processing equipment, the rectifying plate assembly is provided with the plurality of air outlets, and each adjusting plate assembly is respectively used for adjusting the opening and closing states of each air outlet so as to achieve the purpose of adjusting the air pressure in the module main body. The opening and closing state of the exhaust port can be adjusted only through the adjusting plate assembly, so that the embodiment of the application is simple in structure and convenient to adjust, the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the front end module is effectively kept, external particles are isolated from entering, and particle pollution caused by internal pressure and air flow disturbance of the front end module of the semiconductor processing equipment is further effectively avoided. Furthermore, the problem of corrosion and pollution of the halogen acid of the parts in the front-end module is solved, and the periodic cleaning and maintenance period of the front-end module is prolonged, so that the use and maintenance cost is effectively reduced; meanwhile, the influence of particles generated by hydrobromic acid (HBr) corrosion on etching defects (defects) is reduced, and the yield of the wafer is further effectively improved.
The embodiment of the present application is not limited to the specific materials and structures of the module body 1 and the exhaust pipe 4, and the specific positions of the fan and the filter screen in the module body 1, for example, the module body 1 and the exhaust pipe 4 may be made of stainless steel. Therefore, the embodiment of the application is not limited to this, and the person skilled in the art can adjust the setting according to the actual situation.
In an embodiment of the present application, the rectifying plate assembly 2 includes a first rectifying plate 21, and the exhaust port 24 is formed on the first rectifying plate 21; the adjusting plate assembly 3 comprises an adjusting plate 31, the adjusting plate 31 is movably arranged on the first rectifying plate 21, and the adjusting plate 31 can adjust the opening and closing states of the exhaust port 24.
As shown in fig. 1, the first rectifying plates 21 are specifically rectangular plate-shaped structures made of stainless steel materials, and two first rectifying plates 21 are arranged in parallel at the middle position of the bottom of the module main body 1, and each first rectifying plate 21 is provided with two circular exhaust ports 24. The adjusting plate 31 is movably disposed on the first rectifying plate 21, and the adjusting plate 31 can selectively open or close the exhaust port 24, so as to adjust the air pressure in the module body 1. For example, when the negative pressure or the positive pressure is insufficient in the module body 1, the ventilation area of the exhaust port 24 may be reduced by the adjustment plate 31 or the exhaust port 24 may be directly closed, whereas the ventilation area of the exhaust port 24 may be enlarged by the adjustment plate 31 or the exhaust port 24 may be completely opened. With the above design, the adjusting plate 31 is movably disposed on the first rectifying plate 21, so that the embodiment of the application has a simple structure, and is convenient and quick in actual adjustment.
It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application is not limited to the driving manner of the adjusting plate 31, for example, the adjusting plate 31 may be driven by a cylinder or driven by an operator to implement adjustment. Further, the number and arrangement of the first rectifying plates 21 are not limited, and the specific number may be set correspondingly according to the specific specification of the module body 1. Therefore, the embodiment of the application is not limited to this, and the person skilled in the art can adjust the setting according to the actual situation.
In an embodiment of the present application, the adjusting plate 31 is slidably disposed on the first rectifying plate 21, and adjusts the opening and closing degree of the air outlet 24 through sliding connection with the first rectifying plate 21. Alternatively, both sides of each exhaust port 24 are provided with an adjusting plate 31, respectively.
As shown in fig. 1 to 2B, the adjusting plate 31 is also specifically a rectangular plate-like structure made of stainless steel, and the adjusting plate assembly 3 further includes a plurality of guides 32. The upper and lower ends of the adjustment plate 31 are provided with strip-shaped guide holes 311 extending in the lateral direction. The two adjusting plates 31 are respectively disposed at the left and right sides of the air outlet 24, the plurality of guiding elements 32 respectively pass through the guiding holes 311 and are connected with the first rectifying plate 21, and the guiding elements 32 are used for limiting and guiding the adjusting plates 31. In practical application, the guiding hole 311 and the guiding piece 32 cooperate to guide the adjusting plate 31, so that the opening and closing degree of the exhaust port 24 can be adjusted by pushing the adjusting plate 31. When the internal pressure of the module main body 1 exceeds the range and needs to be adjusted, the change of the ventilation area of the exhaust port 24 can be realized only by manually dragging the adjusting plate 31 along the horizontal movement of the direction of the guide hole 311, so that the internal pressure of the module main body 1 is adjusted, a long and heavy rectifying plate in the prior art is not required to be adjusted, the adjusting size is reduced, and the adjusting convenience is improved. Further, since the adjusting plate 31 is slidably disposed on the first rectifying plate 21, the installation space of the embodiment of the present application can be effectively reduced, so that the structure of the embodiment of the present application is simpler, and the efficiency of disassembly, assembly and maintenance can be effectively improved; since two opposite adjusting plates 31 are provided, the adjusting efficiency of the embodiment of the present application can be effectively improved.
It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application is not limited to the arrangement of the adjusting plate 31, for example, the adjusting plate 31 is one and is pivotally arranged on the air outlet 24. Therefore, the embodiment of the application is not limited to this, and the person skilled in the art can adjust the setting according to the actual situation.
In an embodiment of the present application, as shown in fig. 2A to 2B, each exhaust port 24 is provided with a flange interface, the exhaust pipe 4 is connected to the exhaust port 24 through the flange interface, and the air outlet end of the exhaust pipe 4 is connected to the air filtering system. Specifically, the first rectifying plate 21 is provided with a circular exhaust port 24, and a flange interface, which may be a plurality of internally threaded holes around the outer periphery of the exhaust port 24, is provided on the outer periphery of the exhaust port 24. The bottom of the exhaust pipe 4 passes through the exhaust port 24, and a flange at the top of the exhaust pipe 4 is connected with a flange interface. With the above design, the flange interface provided on the first rectifying plate 21 can respond to the interface requirements of different wafer factories. Optionally, the two adjusting plates 31 may also be disposed on the flange of the exhaust pipe 4 through the guide member 32, so that the structure of the embodiment of the present application is simpler, and the disassembly and maintenance efficiency is further improved. The air outlet end of the air exhaust pipe 4 can be connected with a factory filtering system of a wafer factory, namely, the air outlet end of the air exhaust pipe 4 is connected with the air filtering system. When the process is executed, residual gas in the module main body 1 is filtered by the gas filtering system and then discharged to the atmosphere, so that the harm to the atmosphere is effectively reduced. In an embodiment of the present application, the rectifying plate assembly 2 further includes a second rectifying plate 22 and a third rectifying plate 23, and the second rectifying plate 22 and the third rectifying plate 23 are respectively located at two sides of the first rectifying plate 21 in the length direction.
As shown in fig. 1, each of the second rectifying plate 22 and the third rectifying plate 23 has a plate-like structure made of stainless steel. Four second rectifying plates 22 are arranged above the first rectifying plates 21 in parallel, and four third rectifying plates 23 are arranged below the first rectifying plates 21 in parallel, that is, the rectifying plates are distributed at the bottom of the module main body 1 in an array manner. Further, each rectifying plate may be disposed on a frame (not shown) at the bottom of the module main body 1 by using screws, but the embodiment of the application is not limited thereto, and a person skilled in the art may adjust the disposition according to the actual situation. By adopting the design, as the rectifying component adopts the rectifying plates with a plurality of plate-shaped structures, the assembly, disassembly and maintenance are convenient, and the application and maintenance cost is effectively reduced.
Furthermore, because the space in the front end module is limited, and the space for the movement of the manipulator is required to be reserved in the front end module, the lower part in the front end module is not suitable for arranging a whole large single plate, so that the third rectifying plate 23 is arranged into four relatively small plate-shaped structures, the installation mode of the embodiment of the application is flexible, the installation space is effectively saved, and the movement of the manipulator is convenient.
Optionally, the four corners of the third rectifying plate 23 are provided with mounting holes 231, and the plate surface of the third rectifying plate 23 is further provided with strip-shaped holes 232, so that the mounting holes 231 and the strip-shaped holes 232 can be used for wires of the front end module to pass through in practical application. Further, a spacer 233 with a thickness of 40mm (millimeters) is further disposed above the mounting hole 231, for example, a fastener sequentially passes through the spacer 233 and the mounting hole 231 and then is connected to the frame at the bottom of the module body 1, so as to fix the third rectifying plate 23, and the fastener can also completely seal the mounting hole to avoid air leakage of the module body 1, but the embodiment of the application is not limited thereto. By adopting the design, the embodiment of the application is convenient to assemble, disassemble and maintain, and the space utilization rate and the sealing effect of the module main body 1 can be effectively improved.
It should be noted that, the embodiment of the present application is not limited to the arrangement manner of the second rectifying plate 22 and the third rectifying plate 23, for example, the second rectifying plate 22 and the third rectifying plate 23 are integrated with the module main body 1, or the bottom of the module main body 1 is provided with an integrated bottom plate, and the exhaust port 24 may be directly formed on the bottom plate of the module main body 1. Therefore, the embodiment of the application is not limited to this, and the person skilled in the art can adjust the setting according to the actual situation.
In an embodiment of the present application, as shown in fig. 1, a plurality of feeding ports 5 are arranged in parallel on the outer side of the bottom of the module main body 1; the exhaust ports 24 are arranged in parallel on the rectifying plate assembly 2, and the exhaust ports 24 are respectively arranged corresponding to the feed ports 5. Specifically, the number of the feeding ports 5 is four, and the number of the corresponding exhaust ports 24 is also four, that is, the center position of each exhaust port 24 is aligned with the center of the feeding port 5. Further, the center-to-center distance between any two adjacent exhaust ports 24 may be 505mm (millimeters), and the center-to-center distance between any two adjacent feed ports 5 may be 505mm (millimeters); while the center-to-center distance between the exhaust port 24 and the loading port 5 is 565mm (millimeters), it should be noted that the above-mentioned distance is not limited to the embodiment of the present application, and a person skilled in the art can adjust the arrangement according to the actual situation. By adopting the design, as the exhaust port 24 and the feeding port 5 are correspondingly arranged, when the wafer box is positioned in the module main body 1, the exhaust port 24 and the wafer box are aligned in the vertical direction, so that the air flow in the module main body 1 is more uniform, and the residual gas on the surface of the wafer can be effectively removed, thereby effectively improving the yield of the wafer.
In an embodiment of the present application, the rectifying plate assembly 2 and the adjusting plate assembly 3 are made of stainless steel, and the outer surfaces of the rectifying plate assembly 2 and the adjusting plate assembly 3 are provided with corrosion resistant layers. Specifically, the rectifying plate assembly and the adjusting plate assembly 3 can be made of stainless steel, namely, the first rectifying plate 21, the second rectifying plate 22, the third rectifying plate 23 and the adjusting plate 31 are made of stainless steel, and the outer surfaces of the components are provided with corrosion resistant layers made of plastic spraying technology, so that particles are not generated, particles in the module main body 1 can be effectively reduced, and the yield of wafers is effectively improved; but also can effectively prolong the service life of the embodiment of the application.
Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present application provides a semiconductor processing apparatus including the front end module of the semiconductor processing apparatus provided in the above embodiments.
Based on the same inventive concept, the control method of the front end module according to the embodiment of the present application is applied to the front end module of the semiconductor processing apparatus provided in the above embodiments, and includes the following steps:
s301: the air inlet of the module main body is controlled to start air inlet, and the air pressure value of the module main body is monitored in real time;
s302: and controlling the adjusting plate assembly according to the air pressure value to adjust the opening and closing state of the air outlet, thereby adjusting the air pressure in the module main body.
As shown in fig. 1 to 3, a controller (not shown) may control the air inlet of the module body 1 to start air intake, and the controller may be a lower computer of the semiconductor processing apparatus in particular. Specifically, the controller may control the fan at the gas inlet to start to operate to introduce gas into the module body 1 for providing a micro environment with a stable gas flow state for the wafer; the controller may also control the sensor in the module body 1 to monitor the air pressure in the module body 1 in real time and acquire the air pressure value in the module body 1. The controller can control the adjusting plate assembly 3 according to the air pressure value to adjust the opening and closing state of the air outlet 24, thereby achieving the purpose of adjusting the air pressure in the module main body 1. For example, when the negative pressure or the positive pressure is insufficient in the module body 1, the ventilation area of the exhaust port 24 may be reduced by the adjustment plate 31 of the adjustment plate assembly 3 or the exhaust port 24 may be directly closed, whereas the ventilation area of the exhaust port 24 may be enlarged by the adjustment plate 31 or the exhaust port 24 may be completely opened. It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application does not limit that the controller must use a lower computer of the semiconductor processing apparatus, for example, the controller may also be a single chip microcomputer. Therefore, the embodiment of the application is not limited to this, and the person skilled in the art can adjust the setting according to the actual situation.
In order to further illustrate the technical effects of the embodiments of the present application, the following will monitor the specific implementation manner of the embodiments of the present application and obtain the monitoring result, and then compare the monitoring result with the monitoring result of the front-end module in the prior art. Specifically, when the size of the exhaust port 24 is 100mm, the flow rate is 187m 3 And/h (cubic meters per hour), the rotation speed of the fan is 1300r/min (revolutions per minute). Compared with the monitoring result in the prior art, the air flow in the front end module is uniform, and the air overflowing to the outer side is greatly reduced; the air pressure in the front end module of the embodiment of the application does not change obviously relative to the front end module in the prior art, so that the internal pressure of the front end module can be deduced when the pumping speed of the air outlet is reduced, and the internal pressure of the front end module can be reduced when the pumping speed of the air outlet is increased.
By applying the embodiment of the application, at least the following beneficial effects can be realized:
according to the embodiment of the application, the rectifying plate assembly is arranged at the bottom of the front end module of the semiconductor processing equipment, the rectifying plate assembly is provided with the plurality of air outlets, and each adjusting plate assembly is respectively used for adjusting the opening and closing states of each air outlet so as to achieve the purpose of adjusting the air pressure in the module main body. The opening and closing state of the exhaust port can be adjusted only through the adjusting plate assembly, so that the embodiment of the application is simple in structure and convenient to adjust, the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the front end module is effectively kept, external particles are isolated from entering, and particle pollution caused by internal pressure and air flow disturbance of the front end module of the semiconductor processing equipment is further effectively avoided. Furthermore, the problem of corrosion and pollution of the halogen acid of the parts in the front-end module is solved, and the periodic cleaning and maintenance period of the front-end module is prolonged, so that the use and maintenance cost is effectively reduced; meanwhile, the influence of particles generated by hydrobromic acid (HBr) corrosion on etching defects (defects) is reduced, and the yield of the wafer is further effectively improved.
It is to be understood that the above embodiments are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the present application, but not in limitation thereof. Various modifications and improvements may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and substance of the application, and are also considered to be within the scope of the application.
In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings, merely to facilitate describing the present application and simplify the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be configured and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as limiting the present application.
The terms "first," "second," and the like, are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defining "a first" or "a second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more such feature. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise indicated, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more.
In the description of the present application, it should be noted that, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, and may be either fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally connected, for example; can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and can be communication between two elements. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present application will be understood in specific cases by those of ordinary skill in the art.
The foregoing is only a partial embodiment of the present application, and it should be noted that it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and adaptations can be made without departing from the principles of the present application, and such modifications and adaptations are intended to be comprehended within the scope of the present application.
Claims (6)
1. The front-end module of the semiconductor processing equipment is characterized by comprising a module main body, a rectifying plate assembly, an adjusting plate assembly and an exhaust pipe;
the upper part of the module main body is provided with an air inlet;
the rectifying plate assembly is arranged at the bottom of the module main body, a plurality of exhaust ports are formed in the rectifying plate assembly, and gas entering the module main body through the air inlet is exhausted only through the exhaust ports;
the plurality of adjusting plate assemblies are arranged in the module main body, and each adjusting plate assembly is respectively and correspondingly arranged at each exhaust port and is used for adjusting the air pressure in the module main body by adjusting the opening and closing state of each exhaust port;
the exhaust pipes are arranged on the outer side of the module main body, the air inlet ends of the exhaust pipes are respectively and correspondingly connected with the exhaust ports, and the gas flowing through the exhaust ports is led out through the exhaust pipes;
each exhaust port is provided with a flange interface, the bottom of each exhaust pipe penetrates through the corresponding exhaust port, and the flange at the top of each exhaust pipe is connected with the flange interface of the corresponding exhaust port;
the rectifying plate assembly comprises a first rectifying plate, and the exhaust port is formed in the first rectifying plate; the adjusting plate assembly comprises adjusting plates, two sides of each exhaust port are respectively provided with the adjusting plates, and the adjusting plates can adjust the opening and closing states of the exhaust ports;
the adjusting plate is arranged on the flange of the corresponding exhaust pipe in a sliding way through the guide piece, and the opening and closing degree of the exhaust port is adjusted through sliding connection between the adjusting plate and the flange; and is also provided with
The outer side of the bottom of the module main body is provided with a plurality of feeding ports in parallel, each exhaust port is arranged on the rectifying plate assembly in parallel, and each exhaust port is respectively corresponding to each feeding port.
2. The front end module of claim 1, wherein the outlet end of the exhaust pipe is connected to a gas filtration system.
3. The front end module of claim 1, wherein the fairing assembly further comprises a second fairing and a third fairing, the second fairing and the third fairing being located on opposite sides of the first fairing in a longitudinal direction.
4. A front end module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rectifying plate assembly and the regulating plate assembly are both made of stainless steel, and the outer surfaces of the rectifying plate assembly and the regulating plate assembly are each provided with a corrosion-resistant layer.
5. A semiconductor processing apparatus comprising the front end module of any one of claims 1 to 4.
6. A control method of a front end module, applying the front end module of the semiconductor processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by comprising the steps of:
the air inlet of the module main body is controlled to start air inlet, and the air pressure value of the module main body is monitored in real time;
and controlling the adjusting plate assembly according to the air pressure value to adjust the opening and closing state of the air outlet, thereby adjusting the air pressure in the module main body.
Priority Applications (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202010363262.XA CN111524776B (en) | 2020-04-30 | 2020-04-30 | Front-end module, control method thereof and semiconductor processing equipment |
| TW110115338A TWI768853B (en) | 2020-04-30 | 2021-04-28 | Front-end module and control method thereof, and semiconductor processing equipment |
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| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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| CN202010363262.XA CN111524776B (en) | 2020-04-30 | 2020-04-30 | Front-end module, control method thereof and semiconductor processing equipment |
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| CN111524776B true CN111524776B (en) | 2023-10-13 |
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| CN103187336A (en) * | 2011-12-29 | 2013-07-03 | 沈阳新松机器人自动化股份有限公司 | Pressure adjusting device |
| CN107424895A (en) * | 2016-05-24 | 2017-12-01 | 北京北方华创微电子装备有限公司 | A kind of semiconductor equipment front end processing device |
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| CN109037098A (en) * | 2017-06-09 | 2018-12-18 | 朗姆研究公司 | The recycling of front equipment end modular gas |
| CN208806234U (en) * | 2018-10-25 | 2019-04-30 | 长鑫存储技术有限公司 | The exhaust apparatus of semiconductor leading portion equipment mould group |
| TW201923941A (en) * | 2017-11-20 | 2019-06-16 | 台灣積體電路製造股份有限公司 | A wafer processing system |
| CN209328859U (en) * | 2019-02-21 | 2019-08-30 | 德淮半导体有限公司 | Semiconductor device |
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2020
- 2020-04-30 CN CN202010363262.XA patent/CN111524776B/en active Active
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2021
- 2021-04-28 TW TW110115338A patent/TWI768853B/en active
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| CN103187336A (en) * | 2011-12-29 | 2013-07-03 | 沈阳新松机器人自动化股份有限公司 | Pressure adjusting device |
| CN107424895A (en) * | 2016-05-24 | 2017-12-01 | 北京北方华创微电子装备有限公司 | A kind of semiconductor equipment front end processing device |
| CN108987319A (en) * | 2017-05-31 | 2018-12-11 | Tdk株式会社 | EFEM and the method for importing substitution gas to EFEM |
| CN109037098A (en) * | 2017-06-09 | 2018-12-18 | 朗姆研究公司 | The recycling of front equipment end modular gas |
| TW201923941A (en) * | 2017-11-20 | 2019-06-16 | 台灣積體電路製造股份有限公司 | A wafer processing system |
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| CN209328859U (en) * | 2019-02-21 | 2019-08-30 | 德淮半导体有限公司 | Semiconductor device |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| TWI768853B (en) | 2022-06-21 |
| CN111524776A (en) | 2020-08-11 |
| TW202143365A (en) | 2021-11-16 |
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