JP3295195B2 - Exhaust device for gas replacement and operating method thereof - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an exhaust device for gas replacement such as a semiconductor manufacturing device for exhausting a special gas and a method of operating the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 shows a configuration example 1 of a conventional exhaust device of this type.
FIG. In the figure, reference numeral 5 denotes a reaction chamber 5 for manufacturing semiconductor products. The reaction chamber 5 is connected to a pipe 1 for supplying a film-forming gas and a pipe 3 for supplying a cleaning gas. An exhaust system including a pipe 6, a main gate valve 7, and a vacuum pump 8 for exhausting the film gas, and an exhaust system including a pipe 12, a main gate valve 13, and a vacuum pump 14 for exhausting the cleaning gas are connected. I have. A gate valve 2 is connected to the pipe 1, and a gate valve 4 is connected to the pipe 3. The pipes 11 and 15 are exhaust pipes for evacuating the vacuum pumps 8 and 14 to the outside.

When several kinds of special gases which must not be mixed are used in an exhaust system such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having the above structure, a semiconductor material is placed in a reaction chamber 5 and a gate valve 2,
4. The main gate valve 7 is closed, the main gate valve 13 is opened, and the vacuum pump 1 is opened.
4 to operate the reaction chamber 5 through the pipes 12 and 15.
Exhaust gas. Next, the main gate valve 13 is closed and the gate valve 2 is closed.
Is opened, and a gas for film formation is caused to flow through the pipe 1 into the reaction chamber 5 to form a film on the semiconductor surface. Next, the gate valve 2 is closed, the main gate valve 7 is opened, and the vacuum pump 8 is operated to operate the pipe 6 and the pipe 1.
The film forming gas in the reaction chamber 5 is exhausted through 1.

Next, the main gate valve 7 is closed and the gate valve 4 is opened, and a cleaning gas is passed through the pipe 3 to the reaction chamber 5 to wash the semiconductor surface. When the cleaning is completed, the gate valve 4 is closed and the main gate valve 13 is closed.
And the vacuum pump 14 is operated to operate the pipes 12 and 1
The cleaning gas in the reaction chamber 5 is exhausted through 5. The above procedure is performed alternately and repeatedly. Accordingly, the exhaust system of the vacuum pump 8 exclusively exhausts the film forming gas, and the exhaust system of the vacuum pump 14 exclusively exhausts the cleaning gas, so that both gases are not mixed in the exhaust system.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a second example of the configuration of a conventional exhaust device. The exhaust system of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2 is replaced by a single exhaust system, that is, an exhaust system composed of a pipe 6, a main gate valve 7, a vacuum pump 8, and a pipe 11, for the purpose of cost reduction.

FIG. 4 is a view showing an example of the configuration of a conventional gas replacement exhaust device. This has a single exhaust system. The purge gas flows into the reaction chamber 5 through the pipe 16 and the gate valve 17, and the purge gas flows from the reaction chamber 5 to the exhaust system to remove the preceding gas. It is configured to purge (replace).

[0007]

However, the above-described conventional exhaust devices have the following disadvantages. The exhaust system having the configuration shown in FIG. 2 requires two exhaust systems, which increases costs.

In the exhaust system having the structure shown in FIG. 3, when the special gas for film formation and the cleaning gas are alternately flowed, the time interval is short, so that the special gas for film formation and the cleaning gas are supplied in the exhaust system. (In the vacuum pump 8 and the pipes 6 and 11), or a product produced by the film forming process reacts with the cleaning gas to generate another product in the exhaust system, which accumulates in the exhaust system. There was a problem.

In the exhaust system having the structure shown in FIG.
During the purging of the gas, the reaction gas is supplied to the reaction chamber 5 through the pipe 16 and the gate valve 17.
The purging gas flows into the reaction chamber 5, so that the amount thereof is limited to a small amount, so that the gas in the exhaust system is sufficiently purged. There was a problem that was not.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has been made in view of the above circumstances. It is intended to provide a driving method thereof.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reaction chamber 5 in which two or more gases which must not be mixed are alternately supplied, as shown in FIG.
And a gas exhaust system for exhausting gas from the reaction chamber 5 through the pipe 6, the main gate valve 7 and the vacuum pump 8 is provided, comprising a pipe 6, a main gate valve 7, and a vacuum pump 8. A pipe 9 for flowing a purge gas is connected between the outlet of the main gate valve 7 of the exhaust system and the vacuum pump 8, and a purge valve 10 for controlling the purge gas is provided on the pipe 9. It is characterized by.

The invention of claim 2 of the present application provides the reaction chamber 5
After the exhaust gas has been exhausted by the exhaust system, the main gate valve 7 of the exhaust system is closed, and the exhaust gas is exhausted into the exhaust system after the outlet of the main gate valve 7.
It is characterized in that the gas for the gas is flowed for an amount and time necessary to replace the gas remaining there.

[0013]

According to the present invention, as described above, since the number of exhaust systems is one, the cost is low, and the pipe 9 for supplying the purge gas is connected between the outlet of the main gate valve 7 and the vacuum pump 8. After exhausting the film-forming gas and the cleaning gas, the main gate valve 7 is closed, the purge valve 10 is opened, the purge gas flows from the pipe 9 to the exhaust system, and the gas remaining in the exhaust system is removed. Purge. Therefore, since another operation can be performed in the reaction chamber 5 during the purging, the operation efficiency is improved as compared with the conventional case. Further, since the purging gas does not pass through the inside of the reaction chamber 5, the amount thereof can be increased to the amount limited by the vacuum pump 8, so that the gas can be sufficiently purged. The purge amount and time are determined by the capacity of the exhaust system.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a gas replacement exhaust device of the present invention. As shown in the figure, a pipe 1 for supplying a film-forming gas and a pipe 3 for supplying a cleaning gas are connected to a reaction chamber 5 for manufacturing a semiconductor product, and the film-forming gas and the cleaning gas are exhausted from the reaction chamber 5. A single exhaust system composed of a pipe 6, a main gate valve 7, a vacuum pump 8 and a pipe 11 is connected. A pipe 9 for supplying a purge gas is connected between the main gate valve 7 and the vacuum pump 8 of the exhaust system. The pipe 1 is provided with a gate valve 2, the pipe 3 is provided with a gate valve 4, and the pipe 9 is provided with a purge valve 10 for controlling a purge gas.

The film forming gas flows through the pipe 1 and the gate valve 2 to the reaction chamber 5, and the cleaning gas similarly flows through the pipe 3 and the gate valve 4 into the reaction chamber 5. The gas in the reaction chamber is drawn by the vacuum pump 8 through the main gate valve 7 and the pipe 6 and exhausted through the pipe 11. The purge gas flows through a pipe 9 and a purge valve 10 to an exhaust system after the outlet of the main gate valve 7.

The semiconductor material is placed in the reaction chamber 5, the gate valves 2, 4 and the purge valve 10 are closed, the main gate valve 7 is opened, the vacuum pump 8 is operated, and the gas in the reaction chamber 5 is released. The gas is exhausted to the pipe 11 through the pipe 6 and the main gate valve 7. Next, when the gate valve 2 is opened, the film forming gas flows into the reaction chamber 5 and a film is formed on the surface of the semiconductor material. Next, the sluice valve 2 and the main sluice valve 7 are closed, the purge valve 10 is opened, and a purge gas is injected, and a vacuum pump 8 and a pipe 6 connected thereto are provided.
The film forming gas remaining in 9 and 11 is purged.

Next, the purge valve 10 is closed, the main gate valve 7 and the gate valve 4 are opened, and a cleaning gas flows into the reaction chamber 5 to clean the semiconductor surface. Next, the sluice valve 4 and the main sluice valve 7 are closed, the purge valve 10 is opened, and a purge gas is injected to the vacuum pump 8.
And purging the cleaning gas in the pipes 6, 9 and 11 connected thereto. Next, the purge valve 10 is closed, the main gate valve 7 is opened, and the gas in the reaction chamber 5 is exhausted. Operate the above procedure repeatedly.

In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which two kinds of gases, a film forming gas and a cleaning gas, are alternately supplied to the reaction chamber 5. The type of gas used is not limited to this, and two or more supply pipes may be provided in the reaction chamber 5 so that two or more types of gas are alternately supplied. Also, the reaction chamber is not limited to semiconductor product manufacturing.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following excellent effects are expected. (1) Since the exhaust system is one system, the cost is low, and
After exhausting the film-forming gas and the cleaning gas, the main gas is exhausted, the main gate valve of the exhaust system is closed, and then the gas flows into the exhaust system after the outlet of the main gate valve. Work can be performed, and work efficiency is improved as compared with the past.

(2) Further, since the purging gas does not pass through the reaction chamber, its amount can be increased to the amount limited by the vacuum pump, so that the gas can be purged sufficiently.

(3) Since the flow rate and time of the purge gas are determined by the capacity of the exhaust system, for example, in the conventional gas replacement exhaust system shown in FIG. 4, the purge gas flows 1 SLM for about 10 seconds. Although the purging was not sufficiently performed, the gas replacement exhaust system of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 drastically reduced the products in the exhaust system by flowing 20 SLM for 20 seconds immediately after the main gate valve. I was able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a gas replacement exhaust device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a conventional exhaust device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a conventional exhaust device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional gas replacement exhaust device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 pipe 2 gate valve 3 pipe 4 gate valve 5 reaction chamber 6 pipe 7 main gate valve 8 vacuum pump 9 pipe 10 purge valve 11 pipe

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-5-152217 (JP, A) JP-A-1-201916 (JP, A) JP-A-2-49978 (JP, A) JP-A-63- 285924 (JP, A) JP-A-5-106578 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) F04B 37/16

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A gas replacement exhaust device connected to a reaction chamber to which two or more kinds of gases which must not be mixed are alternately supplied, comprising a pipe, a main gate valve, and a vacuum pump. An exhaust system of a system for exhausting the gas by a vacuum pump through the pipe and the main gate valve, connecting a pipe for flowing a purge gas between the main gate valve of the exhaust system and the vacuum pump, and purging the pipe An exhaust device for gas replacement, comprising a purge valve for controlling a gas to be used. 2. A method for operating a gas replacement exhaust device connected to a reaction chamber to which a generation gas and a cleaning gas are alternately supplied, comprising a pipe, a main gate valve, and a vacuum pump. A gas exhaust system is provided by a vacuum pump through the pipe and the main gate valve. After the gas in the reaction chamber is exhausted by the exhaust system, the main gate valve of the exhaust system is closed and the main gate is closed. A method for operating an exhaust system for gas replacement, characterized in that a purging gas flows into an exhaust system after an outlet of a valve for an amount and time necessary for replacing gas remaining therein.