JP2005109383A - Exhaust pipe for semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and semiconductor manufacturing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance the maintainability of a trapping means for mixtures in an exhaust gas which cause the overload stoppage of a pump for a reduced-pressure exhaust system. <P>SOLUTION: The trapping means 70 for mixtures in the exhaust gas is installed in an exhaust pipe 60 that connects a mechanical booster pump 40 and a dry pump 50. In addition, an inspection means 80 for the trapping means 70 is installed in the exhaust pipe 60. By adopting such a configuration, the maintenance of the trapping means 70 can be performed without removing the dry pump 50 and the exhaust pipe 60, and hence the efficiency of the maintenance can be enhanced markedly as compared to the case in which the maintenance is performed after removing the dry pump 50 and the exhaust pipe 60. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique of a vacuum exhaust system such as a CVD apparatus, and can be effectively applied particularly to prevention of an overload stop of a dry pump based on clogging due to inclusions in exhaust.

  The technology described below has been studied by the present inventors in researching and completing the present invention, and the outline thereof is as follows.

  In manufacturing a semiconductor device, various thin films are formed. As a technique for forming such a thin film, there is a CVD method (Chemical Vapor Deposition). In this method, a thin film material is supplied in a gas phase and is deposited in a thin film form on a wafer using a catalytic reaction.

  Among such CVD methods, the thermal CVD method grows in a state lower than atmospheric pressure, that is, in a reduced pressure state, compared to the atmospheric pressure CVD method in which a thin film is grown under atmospheric pressure when growing a thin film on a wafer. There are a low-pressure CVD method to be performed, a quasi-atmospheric pressure CVD method in which growth is performed at a pressure slightly lower than atmospheric pressure, and the like.

  In a CVD apparatus that performs thin film growth at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, including quasi-atmospheric pressure, the pressure in the chamber for depositing the gas phase source gas on the wafer is pumped into the exhaust system provided in the chamber. By doing so, the pressure is reduced to a predetermined pressure.

  For example, when the schematic configuration of the exhaust system of the CVD apparatus is shown, as shown in FIG. 8A, the chamber 1 of the CVD apparatus is provided with an exhaust system 2 for decompressing the chamber. An exhaust pipe 3 communicating with the inside of the chamber is provided with an isolation valve 4 and a slot valve 5, and further provided with a mechanical booster pump 6 and a dry pump 7.

  In the CVD apparatus having the exhaust system 2 having such a configuration, the mechanical booster pump 6 and the dry pump 7 work together in the chamber 1 so that the pressure can be reduced to a predetermined pressure when forming a thin film.

  When the mechanical booster pump 6 and the dry pump 7 are driven, a thin film forming substance or a by-product is sucked into the exhaust pipe 3 from the chamber through the exhaust system 2. Such thin film forming substances, by-products and the like are clogged between the rotor and the stator of the dry pump 7 to cause an overload state, and the dry pump 7 is stopped.

  Therefore, in order to prevent such an overload stop of the dry pump 7, a mesh is formed on the connection side of the dry pump 7 to the exhaust pipe 8 to the mechanical booster pump 6 as shown in FIG. A trapezoidal filter 9 is provided, and the filter 9 captures a mixture such as a thin film product and a by-product contained in the exhaust gas.

  By cleaning the filter 9 by periodic maintenance, the trapped matter of the filter 9 is removed, the overload stop of the dry pump 7 is prevented in advance, and a smooth CVD process can be performed.

  However, the present inventor has found that there are the following problems in the above-described trapping technology for exhaust system inclusions.

  That is, as described above, in order to smoothly operate the CVD apparatus, it is necessary to periodically clean the filter 9 to eliminate clogging due to the inclusions in the exhaust gas captured by the filter 9, Since the filter 9 is provided on the dry pump 7 side, it takes time to clean the filter 9. In particular, the recent CVD apparatus has been miniaturized, and the pump unit composed of the mechanical booster pump 6, the exhaust pipe 8, and the dry pump 7 is configured in a small space, and the cleaning work of the filter 9 is not easy.

  For example, in order to clean the filter 9, the dry pump 7 must be pulled out from the pump unit section, and the exhaust pipe (also referred to as dry pump suction section exhaust pipe) 8 must be removed from the dry pump 7. This is extremely troublesome. In addition, after cleaning, assembly must be performed in the reverse procedure of removal, which is also a troublesome operation as with removal. The present inventor considered that it was necessary to develop a technique for performing filter maintenance more easily.

  An object of the present invention is to facilitate maintenance of trapping means for trapping in-exhaust substances that cause an overload stop of a vacuum exhaust system pump.

  The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

  Of the inventions disclosed in the present application, the outline of typical ones will be briefly described as follows.

  That is, the exhaust pipe connecting the mechanical booster pump of the exhaust system and the dry pump is provided with a trapping means for inclusions in the exhaust and an inspection means for the trapping means.

  Among the inventions disclosed in the present application, effects obtained by typical ones will be briefly described as follows.

  Since the exhaust pipe connecting the mechanical booster pump and the dry pump is equipped with a trapping means for inclusions in the exhaust and an inspection means for the trapping means, the maintenance efficiency of the trapping means is significantly higher than when the trapping means is provided on the dry pump side. Can be improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that components having the same function are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings for describing the embodiment, and the repetitive description thereof may be omitted.

  Further, in this specification, the exhaust system means a configuration that is made up of piping necessary for passing exhaust, valves provided in the piping, pumps for sucking the exhaust, etc., and exhibiting an exhaust function. Shall.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a case where the exhaust pipe for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is applied to a CVD apparatus. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged exhaust pipe portion for a semiconductor device. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the main part of the exhaust pipe part for a semiconductor device in cross section.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the semiconductor device exhaust pipe 10 can be used in a vacuum exhaust system such as a CVD apparatus. The present invention can be effectively applied to a low pressure CVD apparatus and a quasi-atmospheric pressure CVD apparatus.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, an exhaust system 30 is provided in the chamber 21 of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 20 configured in the CVD apparatus 20 a, and the inside of the chamber 21 can be exhausted so that the pressure can be reduced. An exhaust pipe 31 communicating with the inside of the chamber 21 is provided with an isolation valve 32 and a slot valve 33, and further provided with a mechanical booster pump 40 and a dry pump 50.

  In the CVD apparatus 20 a having the exhaust system 30 having such a configuration, a wafer table 22 for holding a wafer W is provided in the chamber 21. Above the wafer table 22 is provided a shower head 24 that guides a carrier gas or a raw material gas for forming a thin film from a tank 23 provided outside the chamber 21 and sprays it on the surface of the wafer W like a shower.

  In the chamber 21, the pressure is reduced to a predetermined pressure by the mechanical booster pump 40 and the dry pump 50 during the CVD process. At the time of the suction pressure reduction, the exhaust gas exhausted from the chamber 21 includes a thin film product and a by-product together with a film forming raw material gas and a carrier gas. Such thin film products and by-products, so-called exhaust inclusions, enter the mechanical portion of the dry pump 50 and cause the dry pump 50 to stop functioning. Therefore, the inclusion capturing means 70 is provided in the exhaust pipe 60 connecting the dry pump 50 and the mechanical booster pump 40. In the figure, it is surrounded by a broken line.

  As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 2, the exhaust pipe 60 includes a pipe part 61 extending in a straight cylinder shape from the dry pump 50 side, and a branch pipe part 62 branched from the pipe part 61 toward the mechanical booster pump 40. It is composed of

  One pipe end 61a side of the piping part 61 is connected to the dry pump 50 side by a flange 63, and the other pipe end 61b side is connected to an inspection means 80 provided with a lid 80a that can be opened and closed as shown in FIG. It is configured.

  As shown in detail in FIG. 3, the inspection means 80 has a lid 80a overlaid on a flange 64 provided on the pipe end 61b side of the piping portion 61 via an O-ring 65. It is configured to be closed. The clamp 81 can be appropriately opened when necessary for maintenance of the piping portion 61 or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a filter 70 a formed in the shape of a mesh dish is provided on the pipe end 61 a side of the piping unit 61 as a trapping unit 70 for inclusions in the exhaust. It is provided to be locked to the locking portion 66. As shown in FIG. 3, the filter 70 a is provided on the side close to the dry pump 50 in the pipe portion 61.

  The inclusions in the exhaust gas that enter the piping unit 61 from the mechanical booster pump 40 side via the branch piping unit 62 and pass through the exhaust piping 60 to the dry pump 50 side are captured by the filter 70a. Since the inclusions in the exhaust gas are captured by the filter 70a, clogging of mechanical narrow portions such as the rotor and the stator of the dry pump 50 is prevented, and the overload stop of the dry pump 50 is prevented in advance.

  The filter 70a having such a configuration must be cleaned by regular maintenance. At the time of such cleaning, maintenance is performed by opening the clamp 81 constituting the inspection means 80 described above, opening the lid 80a, pulling up the filter 70a, and replacing it with another filter 70a that is not clogged.

  Or after clogging of filter 70a pulled up from the inside of piping part 61 is cleaned, you may return in piping part 61 again. After completion of the cleaning, the cover 80a is put on again, closed with the clamp 81, and the tube end 61b side is brought into a sealed state.

  The configuration of the filter 70a may be any shape as long as the inclusions in the exhaust can be captured. In the case shown in FIG. 3, a case where the mesh is formed in a dish shape is shown. However, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the stay 71 a matched to the length of the pipe portion 61 is placed on the mesh dish portion. And the tip of the stay 71a may be shaped so as to be locked to a locking portion (not shown) on the pipe end 61b side of the piping portion 61. By adopting such a configuration, when the lid 80a is opened for maintenance, the stay 71a can be lifted without performing troublesome work such as hooking the filter 70a below the piping portion 61 to the tip of a rod or the like and pulling it up. The filter 70a can be pulled up easily.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG.4 (c), you may form in the cylindrical filter 70b of the external shape which adheres to the internal peripheral surface of the piping part 61 substantially. As shown in FIG. 4C, the filter 70 b is provided with a branch pipe opening 72 on the side surface of the cylinder 71 so as to communicate with the branch pipe 62. A mesh is stretched on the bottom side of the cylindrical body 71. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the filter 70b having such a configuration is provided in the piping part 61. FIG.

  Thus, if the cylindrical filter 70b is provided in the piping part 61, it passes through the branch piping part 62 from the mechanical booster pump 40 side, and the cylindrical body of the filter 70b from the opening 72 opened in the cylindrical body 71 of the filter 70b. The exhaust enters the 71 and exhausts to the dry pump 50 side. Therefore, the inclusions in the exhaust are captured by the mesh portion provided on the bottom side of the cylinder 71, and the inclusions do not enter the dry pump 50 side.

  Further, since the exhaust gas passes through the cylindrical body 71 through the opening 72, the mixed material does not adhere to the inner wall side of the piping part 61. The mixture adheres to the inner wall side in the cylindrical body 71, and it is effective to prevent the mixture from adhering to the inner wall in the pipe portion 61 as compared with the case where the filter 70a or the like not having such a cylindrical configuration is used. Can be done.

  Although the case where the bottom side in the cylindrical body 71 has a mesh structure has been described, the entire cylindrical body 71 may have a mesh structure capable of capturing a mixture. By adopting such a configuration, the mixture 71 is captured using the entire surface of the cylinder 71, and the mixture can be captured more efficiently by increasing the mesh area.

  As described above, the trapping means 70 is provided in the exhaust pipe 60, and the inspection means 80 such as a lid 80a for checking the trapping means 70 is provided in the exhaust pipe 60, so that the trapping means 70 is different from the conventional configuration. At the time of maintenance, it is not necessary to perform extremely troublesome work such as pulling out the dry pump 50 from the pump unit and removing the exhaust pipe 60 from the dry pump 50. This maintenance time, which previously took about 3 hours, can be completed in about 30 minutes.

  In addition, since the maintenance in a short time is possible, the number of maintenance can be increased without greatly affecting the operation of the apparatus. Accordingly, the overload stop of the dry pump 50 can be prevented and the life of the dry pump 50 can be extended. The overhaul cost can be reduced accordingly. For example, according to a trial calculation, it is possible to reduce the cost which has been 1.4 M / month until 0.9 M / month. Cost reduction effect of about 36%.

  The maintenance cycle so far has been set to a cycle that seems to be appropriate from an empirical point of view with respect to the operation time of the CVD apparatus. However, if the maintenance cycle can be automatically notified to the operator, etc. Even when the operation time becomes irregular, the apparatus can be operated without worrying about when maintenance should be performed.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, maintenance time notification means 90 such as a pressure gauge 90a may be provided on the inspection means 80 side. In the case shown in FIG. 6A, the pressure gauge 90a is connected to an alarm means 91 such as a buzzer 91a.

  In such a configuration, for example, inclusions in the exhaust are captured by the filter 70a, and the exhaust pressure increases as the amount of inclusions increases. That is, it becomes an overload state. If it is set in advance that the buzzer 91a issues an alarm with the pressure in the exhaust pipe 60 at the amount of trapping that requires maintenance, the buzzer 91a sounds when the filter 70a needs to be cleaned, and maintenance is performed. The time can be automatically notified to the operator.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, the pressure gauge 90 a may be attached by providing dedicated ports 92 and 82 on the lid 80 a and connecting both ports 92 and 82 with a CV joint 83.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, if the maintenance time notification means 90 is connected to the control unit 93 and further connected to the interlock device 94, the alarm means 91 indicates that the maintenance time has come. Even if it is overlooked without responding to the alarm means 91, an operation command is issued to the interlock device 94 in a state where the control unit 93 keeps operating until the limit of the device overload stop does not occur, The apparatus can be interlocked with the operation of the CVD apparatus being well separated. In other words, the filter 70a is interlocked so as not to restart unless maintenance is performed, and an overload stop can be prevented in advance.

  As mentioned above, the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Needless to say.

  In the above embodiment, the exhaust system of the CVD apparatus has been described as an example, but the present invention uses a vacuum exhaust system having a configuration in which a mechanical booster pump and a dry pump are connected by an exhaust pipe other than the CVD apparatus. Any device can be applied.

  The present invention can be effectively used in the field of semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses having a vacuum exhaust system such as a CVD apparatus.

It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the case where the exhaust pipe for semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses of one embodiment of this invention is applied to a CVD apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which expands and shows typically the exhaust pipe part for semiconductor devices of one embodiment of this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows typically the principal part of the exhaust pipe part for semiconductor devices of one embodiment of this invention in a cross section. (A), (b), (c) is a perspective view which shows the modification of a capture means, respectively. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically a mode that the capture | acquisition means comprised by the cylindrical filter was provided in exhaust piping. (A) is partial explanatory drawing which shows the structure which provided the pressure gauge as a maintenance time notification means, (b) is principal part explanatory drawing which shows the attachment condition of a pressure gauge. It is explanatory drawing which shows the condition which incorporated the interlock system in one embodiment of this invention. (A) It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the exhaust system so far, (b) is principal part explanatory drawing which shows the attachment condition of the capture | acquisition means.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Chamber 2 Exhaust system 3 Exhaust pipe 4 Isolation valve 5 Slot valve 6 Mechanical booster pump 7 Dry pump 8 Exhaust pipe 9 Filter 10 Exhaust pipe for semiconductor devices 20 Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 20a CVD apparatus 21 Chamber 22 Wafer table 23 Tank 24 Shower head DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 30 Exhaust system 31 Exhaust pipe 32 Isolation valve 33 Slot valve 40 Mechanical booster pump 50 Dry pump 60 Exhaust piping 61 Piping part 61a Pipe end 61b Pipe end 62 Branch piping part 63 Flange 64 Flange 65 O-ring 66 Locking part 70 Capture means 70a filter 70b filter 71 cylinder 71a stay 72 opening 80 inspection means 80a lid 81 clamp 82 port 83 CV joint 90 maintenance time notification means 0a pressure gauge 91 warning means 91a buzzer 92 port 93 control unit 94 interlocks W wafer

Claims (5)

An exhaust pipe for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus characterized in that it connects between the mechanical booster pump and the dry pump of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having an exhaust system using a mechanical booster pump and a dry pump, and has the following means;
(A) a capturing means that is provided in a pipe of the exhaust pipe and captures a mixture in the exhaust gas passing through the pipe;
(B) Inspection means for inspecting the capturing means. An exhaust pipe for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus characterized in that it connects between the mechanical booster pump and the dry pump of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having an exhaust system using a mechanical booster pump and a dry pump, and has the following means;
(A) a capturing means that is provided in a pipe of the exhaust pipe and captures a mixture in the exhaust gas passing through the pipe;
(B) inspection means for inspecting the capturing means;
(C) Inspection time notification means for notifying the inspection time of the capturing means. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus characterized in that the mechanical booster pump and a dry pump of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having an exhaust system using a mechanical booster pump and a dry pump are connected to each other and have the following piping section and means. Exhaust piping;
(A) a pipe part that is a pipe end provided with a lid that can be opened and closed at one end at a connection pipe end to the dry pump;
(B) a branch pipe part branched from the middle of the pipe part, and a branch end serving as a connection pipe end to the mechanical booster pump;
(C) A capturing unit that is provided on the connection pipe end side of the piping part (a) and captures the inclusions in the exhaust gas passing through the piping part. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus characterized in that the mechanical booster pump and a dry pump of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having an exhaust system using a mechanical booster pump and a dry pump are connected to each other and have the following piping section and means. Exhaust piping;
(A) a pipe part that is a pipe end provided with a lid that can be opened and closed at one end at a connection pipe end to the dry pump;
(B) a branch pipe part branched from the middle of the pipe part, and a branch end serving as a connection pipe end to the mechanical booster pump;
(C) (a) a capturing means that is provided on the connecting pipe end side of the piping section and captures the inclusions in the exhaust gas passing through the piping section;
(D) (a) Exhaust pressure display means provided on the pipe end side of the pipe section and indicating the exhaust pressure of the pipe section. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus characterized in that the processing chamber for processing a wafer is exhausted by an exhaust system using a mechanical booster pump and a dry pump, and has the following means:
(A) a capturing means that is provided in an exhaust pipe connecting the mechanical booster pump and the dry pump and captures a mixture in the exhaust that passes through the exhaust pipe;
(B) Inspection means provided on the exhaust pipe for inspecting the capturing means.

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