JPH06254524A - Method and device for sweeping pipeline - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the need for the large-scale overhaul and maintenance of an exhaust gas pipeline and to facilitate maintenance in sweeping the pipeline. CONSTITUTION:The sweeping ball 6 is forced into an exhaust gas pipeline 3 by a compressor 1 connected to the pipeline 3 to drop the deposit 11 in the pipeline 3, and the deposit is recovered in a recovery part 8. The recovery part 8 is connected to an exhaust gas treating device with a filter 10 in between, and the deposit 11 in the pipeline 3 is trapped. Meanwhile, the recovery part 8 is detachable, and the deposit 11 is taken out along with the ball 6.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for cleaning exhaust system piping such as a CVD apparatus in a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices,
The CVD apparatus has become indispensable as a thin film deposition apparatus.

An example of the conventional CVD apparatus described above will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 8 shows a configuration diagram of a conventional atmospheric pressure CVD (AP-CVD) apparatus.

In the AP-CVD apparatus shown in FIG. 8, a raw material gas is first controlled by the mass flow controller 12 and introduced from the head 13 into the reaction section 14. Reaction part 1
In 4, on the substrate 16 heated by the heater 15,
A thin film is deposited by reacting the source gas. However, here, not all source gases react,
The unreacted gas passes through the exhaust system pipe 17 and is processed by the exhaust gas processing device 18. As a CVD apparatus, a low pressure CVD (L
P-CVD), and plasma CVD (PE-CVD) in which a reaction is caused by plasma in a vacuum state shown in FIG. In these devices as well, the unreacted gas is processed by the exhaust gas processing device 18 after passing through the exhaust system pipes 17 and 17 'and the vacuum pump 19. In these devices, a rotary pump was often used as the vacuum pump 19, but since the rotary pump often undergoes maintenance such as oil exchange, it is being replaced with a dry pump that does not require maintenance.

[0005]

By the way, in the structure as shown in FIG. 8, reaction occurs in the unreacted gas exhaust system pipe 17,
As shown in FIG. 1, since the reactant 20 is accumulated in the exhaust system pipe 17, the exhaust system pipe 17 is clogged. Therefore, in order to prevent clogging, maintenance for disassembling the exhaust system pipe 17 on a large scale and cleaning the exhaust system pipe 17 is performed.
It had a problem that it had to be done regularly. Here, the devices of FIGS. 9 and 10 have similar problems.

Further, CVD having a structure as shown in FIGS.
When a dry pump is used as the vacuum pump 19 in the apparatus, the unreacted gas and the trap of the reaction product due to the oil are eliminated, so that the reaction product is more easily deposited in the pipe. Therefore, in order to prevent clogging, there is a problem that maintenance is required to periodically disassemble the exhaust system piping and clean the exhaust system piping.

In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a pipe cleaning method and an apparatus for the same, which allows easy maintenance of exhaust system pipes.

[0008]

In order to solve the above problems, the pipe cleaning method and apparatus of the present invention are such that a cleaning ball is pressure-fed into an exhaust system pipe by a pressure device, and deposits removed by this pressure feeding. Also, the cleaning balls are collected by the collecting unit.

[0009]

According to the present invention, in the above-mentioned method, the cleaning balls are pumped to the exhaust system pipe, and the deposits in the exhaust system pipe are physically removed.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A pipe cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a pipe cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, 3 is an exhaust system pipe, the starting end of which is connected to a device (not shown) and the end of which is connected to an exhaust gas treatment device (not shown). A compressor 1 is connected near the start end of the exhaust system pipe 3 via a connecting part 2, and a recovery part 8 is connected near the end of the exhaust system pipe 3.
Connected through. In the connecting pipe 2 ′ between the connecting part 2 connecting the compressor 1 and the exhaust system pipe 3, a ball holding part 7 for holding a cleaning ball 6 having a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the exhaust system pipe 3 is provided. A switching valve 4 is provided for connecting / disconnecting the connecting pipe 2'to / from the exhaust system pipe 3 and connecting / disconnecting the exhaust system pipe 3 to / from the apparatus. Further, in the connection pipe 9 ′ between the connection portion 9 connecting the recovery unit 8 and the exhaust system pipe 3, this connection pipe 9 ′ is connected to the exhaust system pipe 3.
A switching valve 5 is provided for connecting / disconnecting the shutoff / exhaust pipe 3 to / from the exhaust gas treatment device. Further, a filter 10 is provided on the downstream side of the recovery section 8, and the downstream side of the filter 10 is connected to an exhaust gas treatment device via a connection section 9 ″. It is a deposit of.

The operation of the pipe cleaning apparatus configured as described above will be described below with reference to FIGS. First, as shown in FIG. 2, the compressor 1 is removed, the cleaning ball 6 is held by the holding portion 7, and the compressor 1 is connected as shown in FIG. Then, the switching valve 4 is switched to disconnect the connection between the exhaust system pipe 3 and the device, and the connecting pipe 2 '.
To communicate with the exhaust system pipe 3. Switching valve 5 at the same time
Is switched to disconnect the exhaust system pipe 3 from the exhaust gas treatment device, and connect the exhaust system pipe 3 to the connection pipe 9 '.

Next, the pressure is increased by the compressor 1. When this pressure reaches a pressure at which the holding portion 7 cannot hold the cleaning ball 6, the cleaning ball 6 is pushed out into the exhaust system pipe 3 as shown in FIG. The cleaning ball 6 pushed out is the exhaust system piping 3
The deposits 11 in the inside are scraped off, and as shown in FIG.
The deposit 11 is trapped by the filter 10.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the switching valves 4 and 5 are switched so that the compressor 1 and the recovery unit 8 are connected.
And disconnecting the exhaust system piping 3 from each other. Finally, as shown in FIG. 7, the collecting part 8 is removed from the connecting part 9, the deposit 11 and the cleaning ball 6 accumulated in the filter 10 are taken out, and the collecting part 8 is connected by the connecting part 9.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the compressor 1 pushes the cleaning ball 6 into the exhaust system pipe 3, scrapes off the deposit 11 on the exhaust system pipe 3, and collects the deposit 11 and the cleaning ball 6 from the recovery unit. Since it is collected in No. 8, the inside of the exhaust system pipe 3 can be easily and surely cleaned.

Although the compressor 1 is used as the pressurizing device in this embodiment, a high-pressure cylinder of an inert gas may be used as the pressurizing device.

[0016]

As is apparent from the above description of the embodiments, since the present invention is designed so that the cleaning balls are pressure-fed to the exhaust system piping by the pressurizing device, the deposits in the exhaust system piping can be easily removed. The maintenance work is good because it does not require large-scale disassembly of the exhaust system piping.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a pipe cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a pipe cleaning device for explaining the operation in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a pipe cleaning device for explaining the operation in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a pipe cleaning device for explaining the operation in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a pipe cleaning device for explaining the operation in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a pipe cleaning device for explaining the operation in the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a pipe cleaning device for explaining the operation in the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional CVD apparatus.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a conventional CVD apparatus.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a conventional CVD apparatus.

[Fig. 11] Cross-sectional view of exhaust system piping

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Compressor 2 Connection part 3 Exhaust system piping 4 Switching valve 5 Switching valve 6 Cleaning ball 7 Holding part 8 Recovery part 9 Connection part 10 Filter 11 Deposit

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An exhaust system pipe, a pressurizing device connectable near a start end of the exhaust system pipe, and a recoverable unit connectable near an end end of the exhaust system pipe, which are cleaned by the pressurizing device. A pipe cleaning method of pumping a ball into an exhaust system pipe to clean the inside of the exhaust system pipe. 2. The pipe cleaning method according to claim 1, wherein the pressurizing device comprises a compressor or a high-pressure cylinder. 3. An exhaust system pipe, a pressurizing device connected near a starting end of the exhaust system pipe, a cleaning ball pumped in the exhaust system pipe by the pressurizing device, and an end of the exhaust system pipe. The recovery unit is connected near the section, the pressurizing device and the recovery unit are detachably connected, and the connecting unit between the pressurizing device and the exhaust system pipe and the communication between the starting end of the exhaust system pipe and the device are connected.
A pipe cleaning device provided with a switching valve for shutting off, a connection part between the recovery part and the exhaust system pipe, and a switching valve for connecting / disconnecting the exhaust gas treatment device with the end part of the exhaust system pipe. 4. The pipe cleaning device according to claim 3, wherein the pressurizing device comprises a compressor or a high-pressure valve.