KR101019243B1 - System for detecting pressure leak per chamber of semiconductor manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A system for detecting pressure leak per a chamber of semiconductor manufacturing equipment is provided to monitor air pressure supplied to a cylinder actuator by each chamber, thereby reducing loss due to equipment error. CONSTITUTION: A slit valve(10) is placed between a process chamber and a transfer chamber. The slit valve opens and closes a slit of each isolated chamber. A pressure sensor(20) senses a leaked pressure value of air supplied to the slit value. The pressure value sensed by the pressure sensor is transmitted to a monitor unit(50). A program for sensing pressure leak by a chamber of the semiconductor equipment is stored in the monitor unit.

Description

Pressure Leak Detection System by Chamber of Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment {SYSTEM FOR DETECTING PRESSURE LEAK PER CHAMBER OF SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT}

The present invention relates to a pressure leakage detection system for each chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing facility. Specifically, the pressure for each chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing facility for monitoring the pneumatic pressure supplied to the cylinder actuator for each chamber to reduce the loss caused by the equipment failure. Relates to a leak detection system.

In general, semiconductor manufacturing equipment is carried out in a special atmosphere, and in order to form these special process atmospheres, a main process is performed by forming separate small spaces that are easily controlled or controlled, and separating these spaces from the outside. The interior of the space is to maintain a uniform process atmosphere at all times.

A passage is provided for the wafer to enter and exit this small space while the process is insulated from the outside, and the passage is normally interrupted by a valve that is opened and closed by a pneumatic actuator.

For example, a semiconductor manufacturing facility includes a process chamber in which a process is performed in a vacuum state, and other chambers installed adjacent thereto.

That is, a process chamber in which a wafer processing process is performed, a load lock chamber for loading or unloading a wafer for processing, and a transfer chamber installed between the process chamber and the load lock chamber to transfer wafers.

A slit for passing the wafer is formed between the above-mentioned chambers, and a slit valve for opening and closing the slit is provided in the slit to open and close the slit.

In addition, a slit valve is used to isolate the process chamber, the buffer chamber and the load lock chamber.

Here, slit valve semiconductor and LCD process equipments use GAS and CAMICAL to perform a special process under vacuum condition in the chamber. Therefore, various kinds of valves and cylinders are used to isolate the chambers in order to perform various special processes. Some vacuum valves used at this time are called slit valves.

The slit valve is mainly operated by pneumatic pressure, the valve body to close and close the slit by the lifting and tilting movement (L-Motion method) around the slit of the chamber, the valve for lifting and tilting the valve body It consists of a form containing an actuator and the like.

However, the conventional semiconductor manufacturing process through the slit valve has the following problems.

First, as the sullet valve drive uses an air driven cylinder actuator, the value of the air pressure supplied as the piston part (consumable seal) used inside the cylinder actuator is worn out during long-term open / close use, and thus the normal value is lost. There is a problem that an accident occurs because an operation (for example, a valve isolation function) is not performed.

Second, as cylinder and valve isolation functions that require driving are lost, gas particles flow into the buffer chamber during the semiconductor / LCD processor, causing contamination on the wafer surface during cooling or process waiting, resulting in a large amount of quality defects. .

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, to provide a pressure leakage detection system for each chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment to reduce the loss due to equipment failure by monitoring the pneumatic pressure supplied to the cylinder actuator for each chamber. The purpose is.

Another object of the present invention is to monitor the pneumatic pressure supplied to the cylinder actuator for each chamber, when the pressure loss occurs when the drop below the dangerous level to generate a set alarm (set-alarm) to prevent the quality of the semiconductor manufacturing in advance The present invention provides a pressure leak detection system for each chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing facility.

Another object of the present invention is to monitor the pneumatic pressure supplied to the cylinder actuator for each chamber to observe the trend of pressure loss, and to take measures according to the observed pressure loss trend to improve the equipment operation rate chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment To provide a star pressure leak detection system.

The objects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned objects, and other objects which are not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

Pressure leak detection system for each chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing facility according to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, in the pressure leak detection system for each chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing facility, the slit of each chamber is isolated by operating by pneumatic Slit valve to open and close the; A pressure sensor for detecting a leaking pressure value of air supplied to the slit valve; And the pressure value obtained by comparing the pressure value obtained by subtracting the sensed pressure value from the pressure value of the pneumatic pressure supplied to the slit valve and the preset reference pressure value, is smaller than the reference pressure value. It is characterized in that it comprises a monitor unit for informing the replacement time of the seal portion by determining that the seal portion is broken or worn and pneumatic leakage.

Preferably, the monitor unit includes a memory for storing a predetermined reference pressure value and the failure notification history information and environment setting information of the seal portion; A controller configured to compare the pressure value obtained by subtracting the sensed pressure value with a preset reference pressure value, and to notify a replacement time of a seal portion of the slit valve based on the comparison result; And under the control of the annoying controller, characterized in that it comprises a notification unit for notifying the replacement time of the actual portion.

Preferably, the control unit is characterized in that for managing the history of the replacement time.

Preferably, the control unit is characterized in that it is possible to set the pneumatic pressure, the reference pressure value supplied to the slit valve for each chamber.

Preferably, the pressure sensor is connected to a pneumatic supply pipe for supplying air through the open port and the closed port at least one of the open port and the closed port provided in the slit valve to leak through the open port or the closed port Characterized in that the sensing pressure.

Preferably, the pressure sensor is provided with a plurality, and after receiving each pressure value sensed through the plurality of pressure sensors integrally, the pressure value detected through the plurality of pressure sensors to the monitor side using one transmission line It characterized in that it further comprises a repeater for transmitting.

The present invention has the effect of reducing the loss due to equipment failure by monitoring the pneumatic pressure supplied to the cylinder actuator for each chamber by the above-mentioned problem solving means.

In addition, by monitoring the pneumatic pressure supplied to the cylinder actuator for each chamber, when a pressure loss occurs, when the pressure drops below the dangerous level, a set alarm is generated to prevent quality accidents of the manufactured semiconductors in advance. have.

In addition, by monitoring the pneumatic pressure supplied to the cylinder actuator for each chamber, it is possible to observe the trend of pressure loss, and to take measures according to the observed pressure loss trend to improve the facility operation rate.

1 is an exemplary view for explaining the position of the slit valve applied to the pressure leakage detection system for each chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is an exemplary view showing a typical slit valve.
Figure 3 is an exemplary view showing the internal structure of the cylinder employed in the slit valve.
4 is an exemplary view showing a broken PSD yarn in Figure 3;
5 is an exemplary view showing a pressure leakage detection system for each chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a block diagram corresponding to each component of the chamber-specific pressure leakage monitoring system of FIG. 5;
Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the monitor unit according to the present invention.
8 to 10 are exemplary views for explaining a monitor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the following description, specific details of the chamber-specific pressure leak detection system of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the present invention are shown to provide a more general understanding of the present invention, and the present invention may be readily made without these specific details and by their modifications. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced.

In the following description, VENT will be used immediately, which means that the pneumatic pressure supplied to the closed port / open port is leaked to the opposite port side so that the blade can close / open the slit of the chamber by driving the cylinder.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail, focusing on the parts necessary to understand the operation and action according to the present invention.

1 is an exemplary view for explaining the position of the slit valve applied to the pressure leakage detection system for each chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the slit valve 10 according to the present invention is a valve for isolating the process chamber a and the transfer chamber b, and is provided between the process chamber a and the transfer chamber b.

The slit valve 10 has an open port and a closed port as an air line pneumatic port, and is configured in a mostly double-acting manner so that the cylinder can piston by the pneumatic pressure supplied to the open and closed ports, respectively. Is as shown in FIG. 2.

That is, the slit valve 10 having the outer shape as shown in FIG. 2 opens / closes the pneumatic port by pneumatic operation, and allows the cylinder to operate by pneumatic pressure.

The internal structure of the cylinder employed in the slit valve 10 is the same as the perspective view shown in FIG.

That is, the cylinder 19 includes a body 31, a piston 30 and a shaft 32, the upper end of the body 31 is finished with a finish 33.

Accordingly, when the air pressure is provided to the inside of the body 31, the cylinder 30 and the cylinder up and down operation may be performed while the piston 30 and the shaft 32 integrally therewith move.

A bushing 26 is installed on the inner circumferential surface of the finishing body 33 supporting the shaft 32 in the cylinder 19, and the bushing 26 guides the shaft movement at this time, thereby driving the shaft 32 during cylinder up-down driving. ) Can move exactly vertically, which in turn improves the overall cylinder operating performance.

In addition, a U-packing 27 is provided inside the position where the bushing 26 is installed and is in contact with the circumference of the shaft 32 while being fixed to the finish 33 side, thereby effectively preventing air from leaking. .

The piston 29 of the cylinder 19 is made of a dual PSD seal method can minimize the etching of the seal.

For example, the piston 30 has a form in which the PSD seal 29 is coupled up and down with the magnetic 28 therebetween, thereby increasing the durability of the entire seal portion.

In FIG. 3, the cylinder 19 in the case of two PSD seals 29 has been described as an example, but a cylinder having one PSD seal is generally applicable to a pressure leakage detection system for each chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. Do.

In this way, by applying the dual PSD seal system and the bushing 26 and the U-packing 27 to the cylinder, it is possible to improve the cylinder operating performance and extend the overall life of the cylinder.

However, if the PSD seal 29 corresponding to the seal portion is broken or worn as shown in Fig. 4, the cylinder of the slit valve 10 will not operate at normal pneumatic pressure.

Then, the blade of the slit valve located between the process chamber and the transfer chamber does not block the slit between the process chamber and the transfer chamber at a constant pressure, so that gas particles flow into the transfer chamber side during cooling of the semiconductor / LCD process, thereby cooling or Process Contamination may occur on the surface of the wafer that is waiting to cause a large amount of quality defects, thereby stopping the process. Here, even if the U-packing 27 is damaged in addition to the PSD seal 29, the same phenomenon as that of the aforementioned PSD seal 29 may occur.

Accordingly, the present invention configures a system that monitors the pneumatic pressure supplied to the cylinder actuator for each chamber to notify it when the pneumatic pressure falls below a dangerous level. The reason why the pneumatic pressure falls below the dangerous level is that air is leaked by the broken PSD seal 29 or the U-packing 27.

Pneumatic monitoring method is an open port by connecting a pressure sensor to two pneumatic ports provided in the slit valve 10, that is, a pneumatic supply pipe supplying air through the open port and the closed port to at least one of the open port and the closed port. Or sense the pressure leaking through the closed port.

Therefore, it is possible to grasp the life and the replacement cycle of the seal portion, there is an advantage to prevent the occurrence of poor quality due to the particles attached to the surface of the wafer waiting for cooling or process.

5 is an exemplary view showing a pressure leakage detection system for each chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 corresponds to each component of the pressure leakage monitoring system for each chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing equipment. 7 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the monitor unit according to the present invention.

5 and 6, the slit valve 10 operates the blade for opening and closing the slit by the cylinder performs the piston movement by pneumatic. Thus, air is supplied to the open port and the closed port provided in the slit valve 10, respectively.

The pressure sensor 20 is connected to the pneumatic supply pipe for supplying air connected to the open port and the closed port so that the cylinder is driven so that the blade can operate.

The pressure sensor 20 is connected to at least one of the pneumatic supply pipes of the pneumatic supply pipes respectively connected to the open port and the closed port to measure the air pressure of the cylinder operated by the pneumatic pressure supplied to the slit valve.

Then, the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor 20 is transmitted to the monitor unit 50.

The monitor unit 50 stores a program for detecting pressure leakage for each chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, and includes a memory 51 for storing a predetermined reference pressure value and damage notification history information and environment setting information of a seal part. ), A control unit 53 which compares the pressure value obtained by subtracting the detected pressure value and the preset reference pressure value, and controls to notify the replacement time of the seal portion of the slit valve 10 based on the comparison result. And a notification unit 55 for notifying the replacement time of the actual part under the control of the controller 53.

That is, the monitor unit 50 compares the pressure value obtained by subtracting the detected pressure value from the pressure value corresponding to the pneumatic pressure supplied to the slit valve 10 with a preset reference pressure value.

As a result of the comparison, if the pressure value is lower than the reference pressure value, the notification unit 55 indicates whether the slit valve 10 is abnormal. Here, the notification unit 55 may be a display unit for displaying the state information of the slit valve, and may be a notification sound processing unit for notifying whether or not abnormality as the state information of the slit valve 10 through the notification sound. In the case of the display unit as the notification unit 55, the display unit may be provided as a touch screen to allow a user to set a reference pressure value.

5 and 6 illustrate one slit valve 10 and a pressure sensor 20, for example, it is obvious that the slit valve 10 and the pressure sensor should be provided corresponding to the process chamber.

In this obvious matter, when there are a plurality of pressure sensors 20 employed in correspondence with the plurality of slit valves 10, the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor 20 can be directly transmitted to the monitor unit 50. Although a transmission line may be connected to the monitor unit 50, it may not only look aesthetically, but also may not easily manage complicated wiring.

Accordingly, in the present invention, the repeater 40 includes a repeater 40 to receive the pressure values detected by the plurality of pressure sensors 20 through the respective transmission lines, and the repeater 40 by using one transmission line. And the monitor unit 50 may be connected to transmit the detected pressure values of the plurality of pressure sensors 20 to the monitor unit 50.

Next, the monitor unit 50 will be described in detail.

8 to 10 are exemplary views for explaining a monitor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 8 to 10, it is assumed that there are four process chambers a and two solenoid valves 10 are employed in each process chamber a.

8 to 10, first, the screen data of FIG. 8 is displayed through the notification unit 55 of the monitor unit 50. On the left side of the screen data, the slit valve 10 is disposed in one process chamber a. ) Is a screen showing that two) are provided, and it can be seen that a total of eight channels are configured. In addition, the pressure value corresponding to the slit valve 10 currently being operated for each channel is represented by the number 21.1 as shown by reference numeral 'C'. In this case, when the number indicated by the reference numeral 'C' is '21 .1 ', it may be a normal state which means that a pneumatic pressure higher than the reference pressure value is detected.

In addition, the pressure value of the slit channel 10 which is currently operating may be displayed on the upper right side of the screen data, and green may be displayed to indicate a normal state.

If the seal part is broken, air leaks from the inside due to the pressure VENT. The monitor 50 detects and displays the leak pressure detected by the pressure sensor 20.

In addition, a function button for siren off, history view and environment setting may be displayed on the lower right of the screen.

If the VENT pressure rises during open / closed according to the operation of the slit valve, you can check the 'Siren OFF' of the function button that can be set to activate the alarm siren, and the history of damage notification of the internal seal part due to the VENT pressure rise. 'History' of the function button to set the environment, such as the 'view history' of the function button, the reference pressure value supplied to the valve and cylinder for each process chamber, the pressure detection time, the alarm reference pressure value, etc. Can be.

When the reference pressure value is detected by the pressure sensor 20 in the display state of the notification unit 55, as shown in FIG. 9, the controller 53 displays the process chamber in red as an example, and the corresponding process. The pressure value (6.1) of the chamber is indicated as reference D.

In addition, the controller 53 displays the state information of the process chamber A1 on the upper right side of the screen, and sounds the siren when the siren alarm is set to the ON state.

When the manager checks the history by operating the monitor unit 50 to the siren sound, the screen data as shown in FIG. 10 is displayed and the pressure value measured by the slit valve 10 corresponding to 'A1' is equal to or less than the reference pressure value. Is displayed along with time information.

The controller 53 displays the history of the slit valve 10 corresponding to the case of the reference pressure value or less as screen data as shown by reference numeral 'E' of FIG. 10.

Accordingly, the manager can easily inquire the history of the slit valve 10.

Meanwhile, in the detailed description of the present invention, specific embodiments have been described, but various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined not only by the scope of the following claims, but also by the equivalents of the claims.

Claims (6)

In the chamber pressure leakage detection system of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment,
A slit valve which opens and closes the slit of each chamber by operating by pneumatic pressure;
A pressure sensor for detecting a leaking pressure value of air supplied to the slit valve; And
When the pressure value obtained by comparing the pressure value obtained by subtracting the leaked pressure value of the air from the pressure value of the pneumatic pressure supplied to the slit valve and the preset reference pressure value is smaller than the reference pressure value, the slit valve is provided. The pressure leak detection system according to the chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, characterized in that it comprises a monitor unit for informing the replacement time of the seal portion by determining that the seal portion is broken or worn out to leak the pneumatic.
The method of claim 1, wherein the monitor unit,
A memory configured to store a preset reference pressure value, damage notification history information, and environment setting information of a real part;
A controller configured to compare the pressure value obtained by subtracting the sensed pressure value with a preset reference pressure value, and to notify a replacement time of a seal portion of the slit valve based on the comparison result; And
Pressure leak detection system for each chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, characterized in that it comprises a notification unit for notifying the timing of the replacement of the seal portion under the control of the annoying control unit.
The method of claim 2, wherein the control unit,
Pressure leakage detection system for each chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, characterized in that for managing the history of the replacement time.
The method of claim 2, wherein the control unit,
Pressure leakage detection system for each chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, characterized in that it is possible to set the pneumatic pressure, the reference pressure value supplied to the slit valve for each chamber.
The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor,
A pressure sensor is connected to a pneumatic supply pipe that supplies air through at least one of the open port and the closed port provided in the slit valve through the open port and the closed port to sense the pressure leaking through the open port or the closed port. Pressure leak detection system for each chamber of semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
According to claim 1, The pressure sensor is provided with a plurality, and after receiving each pressure value sensed through the plurality of pressure sensors integrally, by using a transmission line to detect the plurality of pressure sensors to the monitor side Pressure leak detection system for each chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, characterized in that it further comprises a repeater for transmitting the pressure value.

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