JPH01312074A - Load locking device of semiconductor treating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the deterioration of a sealing member and to improve the maintainability by providing an O ring having a gap with a seating face when a valve is closed and facing the seating face at a part inside the gas discharge port of a valve disk. CONSTITUTION:The metallic O ring 21 is provided at a part inside the gas discharge port 14 of a valve disk 12 and facing the wafer inlet 4 of the seating face 17 when the valve is closed. The ring 21 is not used for sealing, and the diameter d1 is made slightly smaller than the diameter d2 of an O ring 13 used for sealing. The rings 13 and 21 are respectively pressed on or approached to the seating face 17 as shown in the figure to close the load locking device 20, and a track-shaped elliptical annular space 22 having an end gap 23 is formed inside the ring 13. The width g2 of the end gap 23 is smaller than the conventional width by the diameter d1 of the ring 21, and is narrowed. Accordingly, the velocity of the flow of an inert gas at this part is increased as compared with the conventional method, the infiltration of a gaseous etchant into the space 22 is strongly blocked, and the corrosion of the ring 13 by the gaseous etchant can be prevented.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] Regarding a load lock device that opens and closes the wafer loading port of a semiconductor processing chamber, the present invention aims to improve maintenance f1 by preventing deterioration of the sealing member. A load lock device that opens and closes the opening is provided with a sealing member that presses a portion of the seating surface that surrounds the wafer loading port when the valve is in the closed state. Inert gas is discharged from the force valve outlet formed on the inner side of the sealing member, and a portion of the valve body inside the gas discharge outlet is in contact with the seating surface in the closed state. A metal O-ring is provided that faces the seating surface with a gap in between, and when the valve is closed, a gap is formed between the metal O-ring and the seating surface, and the The active gas is configured to flow out to the wafer loading port side through the gap.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a load lock device for opening and closing a wafer loading port of a semiconductor processing chamber.

FIG. 3 shows a general semiconductor processing apparatus. In the figure, 1 is a cold wall type CVD chamber which is an example of a semiconductor processing chamber, and electrodes 2. Reference numerals 1 and 4 are wafer loading ports, in which tables 3 and the like on which wafers are placed are provided.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a wafer transfer chamber, which is equipped with a mechanism (not shown) for holding and moving the wafer.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a load lock device, which is provided between the CVD chamber 1 and the wafer transfer chamber 5, opens and closes the wafer loading port 4, and partitions both.

7 is a wafer.

Airtightness of the CVD chamber 1 is important. For this reason, a high seal is required for the load lock device 6, and this seal is generally maintained in the seal member 8.

CV l) By processing, CV is applied not only to the front side of the wafer 7
l) The film is also deposited on the inner wall of chamber 1. This film may peel off, become particles, and contaminate the wafer 7. Therefore, the CVD chamber 1 is periodically dry-edged to remove the film.

For this dry etching, an etching gas having a strong chemical reaction force, such as N3.CF4, is used.

When this gas comes into contact with the seal member 8, the seal portion U8 deteriorates relatively quickly. Therefore, it is necessary to replace the sealing member at a relatively short period 4u.

Replacing and covering this seal member is relatively troublesome, and furthermore, the operation of the semiconductor processing chamber is stopped during this time.

For this reason, the load lock device 6 needs to have excellent maintainability since the sealing member needs to be replaced for a long time.

(Conventional technology) FIG. 4 shows a conventional load lock device 10. As shown in FIG.

In the figure, parts corresponding to those shown in FIG. 3 are given the same reference numerals.

11 is a box-shaped casing, 12 is a plate-shaped valve body, 13 is an O-ring attached to the valve body 12 (pulled), and 14 is a gas discharge port.

When dry etching the CVD chamber 1, the load lock device 10 closes the wafer loading port 4, as shown in FIG.
2 or A) is discharged as shown by arrow 15.

This gas flow 15 passes through the end gap 19 of the annular space 18 between the valve body 12 and the seating surface 17 and flows into the wafer inlet 4 from the entire periphery thereof, and the etching gas flow shown by the arrow 16 flows into the space 18. This is to prevent water from flowing inside.

However, the width g1 of the gap 19 at the end facing the wafer loading port 4 is approximately 5
Therefore, the flow of the gas flow 15 in the end gap 19 is gentle, and the flow of the gas flow into the annular space 18 is stopped. Noj is weak.

Therefore, a part of the turing gas passes through the end gap 19 and flows into the annular space 18 as shown by the arrow 16A, and comes into contact with the O-ring 13.

As a result, the O-ring 13 is corroded and deteriorated, and the load lock device 10 has a high seal t! 1 could not be maintained for a long period of time, and the O-ring 13 had to be replaced in a relatively short period of time, resulting in insufficient maintainability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a 1"-dlock device that can prevent deterioration of the seal member and improve maintainability. .

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a load lock device for opening and closing a wafer loading port of a semiconductor processing chamber, in which a portion of the seating surface surrounding the wafer loading port is pressed against a valve body in a closed state. discharging inert scum from a scum discharge port formed in an inner part of the sealing member of the valve body; A3 is provided with a metal O-ring that faces the seating surface with a gap between the metal O-ring and the seating surface when the valve is closed; A gap is formed between them, and the inert gas flows out to the wafer loading port side through the gap.

[Effect]

The gap increases the flow rate of the inert gas exiting through this section. As a result, the force of the inert gas flow to prevent the etching gas from entering the sealing member side becomes strong.

Therefore, deterioration of the seal portion H due to etching gas is prevented, the period for replacing the seal portion H can be extended, and maintainability can be improved.

Furthermore, it is sufficient to add a metal O-ring to the conventional device, making it easy to improve the device.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows a load lock device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
shows. Figure 2 does not show the valve body. In each figure, parts corresponding to those shown in FIG. 4 are given the same reference numerals.

Reference numeral 21 denotes a metal O-ring, which is attached to a portion of the seating surface 17 that faces the wafer inlet 4 when the valve is closed, inside the waste discharge port 14 of the valve body 12.

This metal O-ring 21 does not have a sealing effect, but is used to narrow the end gap that is the outlet of the annular space 18, and its diameter d1 is the diameter d of the O-ring 13, which is a sealing member.
Slightly smaller than 2.

In the load lock device 20, as shown in FIG. 1, the O-ring 13 presses against the seating surface 17, and the metal O-ring 21 approaches the seating surface 17, so that the valve is closed.

As a result, the left side in FIG. 1 becomes the seating surface 17. Valve body 1 on the right side
2. ○ ring on the outer circumference side 13. Metal O-ring 1 on the inner circumference
4, an oval track-shaped annular space 22 having an end gap 23 on the inner circumferential side is formed.

In the conventional case, the width q2 of this end gap 23 is actually 0.5 m, without the difference of the diameter d1 of the metal O-ring 14 from Q1 in the conventional case.
Narrow as below.

Therefore, during dry etching, the inert gas discharged from the gas discharge port 14 into the annular space 22 flows through the gap 23 to the wafer loading port 4 side as shown by arrow 24.

Since the width g2 of the gap 23 is narrow, the flow of the inert gas in this portion becomes considerably faster than in the conventional case, and the force for preventing the etching gas from entering the space 22 becomes stronger accordingly.

Therefore, the etching gas approaches the gap 23 as shown by the arrow 25, but is pushed away by the fast flow 15 as shown by the arrow 25A and does not enter the space 22.

As a result, it is possible to prevent the O-ring 13 from being corroded by the etching gas and causing early deterioration.

In this way, early deterioration of the O-ring 13 can be prevented, so the load-lock device 10 can maintain its sealing performance for a long period of time, and the O-ring 13 must be replaced regularly. The period can be made longer than in the conventional case, and maintainability is greatly improved compared to the conventional case.

7j Root-shaped valve body 12 is metal! 110 ring 21, there is no need to change the shape of the valve body 12, and the conventional valve body 12 can be used as is.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, the flow rate of the inert gas flowing through the gap is J:, and it is possible to effectively prevent the T-filling gas from reaching the sealing member. This prevents the seal member from deteriorating due to the etching gas, lengthens the replacement period for the seal member, and improves maintainability.

In addition, it is sufficient to simply remove the metal 0 ring from the equipment currently in operation, making it easy to carry out.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a load lock device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a valve body taken out from FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a semiconductor device to which the load lock device of the present invention can be applied. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a conventional load lock device. In the figure, 1 is a CVD chamber, 4 is a loading port, 11 is a casing, 12 is a valve body, 13 is an O-ring, 14 is a gas discharge 1], 17 is a seating surface, 20 is a load lock device, and 21 is a 22 is an annular space, 23 is an end gap, 24 is an inert gas flow, and 25.25A is an edging gas flow. 'I-ITfB' Medium 4 To Δ Dimensions (5 hops as grass removal Fig. 2'° - To Book 7, To 4 - ~ [222 Shishi! 22° " ■ O (Next Road Drop) Book t1 showing 1 down 113 figures

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a load lock device for opening and closing a wafer loading port (4) of a semiconductor processing chamber (1), a valve body (12) is connected to the wafer loading port of a seating surface (17) in a closed state. (4) is provided, and an inert gas is supplied from a gas discharge port (14) formed in the inner part of the seal member (13) of the valve body (12). At the same time, in a closed state, the seating surface (17) is placed on a portion of the valve body (12) inside the gas discharge port (14).
A metal O-ring (21) is provided facing the seating surface (17) with a gap between the metal O-ring (21) and the seating surface (17) in the closed state. A gap (23) is formed between the inert gas and the gap (23).
A load lock device for a semiconductor processing chamber, characterized in that the load lock device is configured to flow through the wafer loading port (4) side.