KR102612086B1 - Particle free remote plasma source isolation valve - Google Patents

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a particle-free remote plasma source shutoff valve that allows the remote plasma source unit to be replaced without breaking the vacuum inside the CVD chamber for cleaning the CVD chamber in the CVD device.

Description

Particle free remote plasma source isolation valve

The present invention relates to a remote plasma source (RPS) blocking valve, and more specifically, to a particle-free remote valve that allows the remote plasma source unit to be separated without breaking the vacuum of the CVD chamber when replacing the remote plasma source unit. It is about a plasma source shutoff valve.

In the semiconductor process, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition equipment (PECVD, Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition Equipment), which takes various forms depending on the reaction gas, pressure, and temperature, is used to form films such as insulating films through gaseous chemical reactions on semiconductor substrates. Chemical Vapor Deposition Equipment is used.

The above-described chemical vapor deposition device is a device for depositing thin films such as SiNx and SiOx on wafers or glass. In general, deposition is performed by injecting process gas while maintaining the interior of the CVD chamber, which forms the space where thin film deposition is performed, in a high-temperature vacuum state. The process proceeds.

When the process is completed, the film is not only deposited on the wafer or glass, but also on other surfaces inside the CVD chamber. Accordingly, in order to periodically perform cleaning, the remote plasma source unit ionizes the cleaning gas (NF ₃ ) into plasma and sends it to the CVD chamber, and removes the film deposited on other surfaces inside the CVD chamber through a chemical reaction. .

NF ₃ gas introduced from the remote plasma source unit is decomposed into N ₂ , F, and F ₂ , and the decomposed gas is introduced into the CVD chamber and reacts with SiO ₂ present in the CVD chamber to recombine into SiF ₄ + O ₂ , thereby performing a cleaning process. will be performed.

The decomposition gas produced by the remote plasma source unit is easy to remove the deposited film accumulated on the wall or susceptor inside the CVD chamber. However, due to the radical nature of the decomposed gas, it also causes damage by etching sealing members such as O-rings of pipes or pipe path connections within the remote plasma source unit.

This can be avoided with careful design of the sealing member of the fixed part, but etching damage cannot be avoided with the sealing member mounted on the valve itself for sealing. As a result, particles in the sealing member are generated within a short period of time.

For this reason, a blocking valve has not been installed between the remote plasma source unit and the CVD chamber so far, and the remote plasma source unit and the CVD chamber have been connected directly through piping. In addition, the remote plasma source unit requires replacement or separate repair when its basic lifespan has expired or when it malfunctions. Therefore, in order to separate the remote plasma source unit, the internal temperature of the CVD chamber must be lowered and the CVD chamber must be opened to bring it to atmospheric pressure in order to replace the remote plasma source unit.

In other words, a significant waiting time is required to lower the temperature of the CVD chamber above 400°C to below 100°C, where remote plasma source unit replacement or separation for repair is possible. Additionally, after completing replacement or repair of the remote plasma source unit, a significant waiting time is required to create a vacuum inside the CVD chamber and increase the temperature to over 400°C. As the CVD chamber becomes larger, the waiting time becomes longer.

In addition, in the case of the CVD chamber, due to thermal expansion due to temperature changes, the temperature is lowered to below 100℃ where it can be maintained, and then lowered to above 400℃ where the process can proceed. When raised, there are frequent cases where gaps occur in the seals of the joints, etc., making it difficult to create a vacuum. Accordingly, it sometimes takes 2 to 3 days to create a vacuum inside the CVD chamber.

As a result, a problem arises in which the productivity of semiconductors, LCDs, OLEDs, etc. is significantly reduced.

Republic of Korea Patent No. 10-2172822 (announced on November 3, 2020)

Therefore, the present invention is intended to solve the problems of the prior art described above, and provides a remote plasma source blocking valve that does not generate particles when replacing the remote plasma source unit without breaking the vacuum inside the CVD chamber in the CVD device. Make it an assignment.

The technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is not limited to the technical problem mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. There will be.

In order to achieve the above-described technical problem, an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 13 having a housing hollow portion penetrating in one direction therein, and a stator hollow portion penetrating so as to have the same axis as the housing hollow portion formed therein. The stator 15 and the rotary valve passage 21, which are inserted and coupled in vacuum tight contact with the inside of the housing so that the housing hollow part and the stator hollow part have the same direction, are formed through and formed inside the stator 15. It has a rotary valve (20) inside that is rotatably coupled, and is sealed to maintain a vacuum by a sealing member. One side is coupled to the CVD chamber (3), and the other side is detachable from the remote plasma source unit (2). A valve body (10) that is coupled to open or block the flow path of the cleaning gas supplied from the remote plasma source unit (2) to the CVD chamber (3); and a rotary actuator 40 that provides rotary force to the rotary valve 20, wherein the valve body 10 is interposed in an area between the stator 15 and the rotary valve 20 and operates the rotary valve 20. A plurality of ceramic bearings (110) rotatably supporting (20) inside the stator (15); And the plurality of ceramic bearings 110 are interposed between the rotary valve 20 and the stator 15 at a position on the opposite side of the rotary valve passage 21, so that both ends of the rotary valve 20 can be rotated. The remote device further includes a ceramic bearing shield 120 that supports and blocks the flow path through which cleaning gas leaked from the ceramic bearing 110 moves to a sealing member for vacuum sealing. A plasma source shutoff valve is provided.

In order to achieve the above-described technical problem, another embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 13 having a housing hollow portion penetrating in one direction therein, and a stator hollow portion penetrating so as to have the same axis as the housing hollow portion formed therein. The stator 15 and the rotary valve passage 21, which are inserted and coupled in vacuum tight contact with the inside of the housing so that the housing hollow part and the stator hollow part have the same direction, are formed through and formed inside the stator 15. It has a rotary valve (20) inside that is rotatably coupled, and is sealed to maintain a vacuum by a sealing member. One side is coupled to the CVD chamber (3), and the other side is detachable from the remote plasma source unit (2). A valve body (10) that is coupled to open or block the flow path of the cleaning gas supplied from the remote plasma source unit (2) to the CVD chamber (3); A rotation actuator (40) that provides rotational force to the rotation valve (20); and a manual drive switch unit 600 for manually controlling the rotation of the rotary valve 20 that opens or closes the cleaning gas flow path, and the valve body 10 includes the stator 15. and a plurality of ceramic bearings 110 disposed in an area between the rotary valve 20 and rotatably supporting the rotary valve 20 inside the stator 15; And the plurality of ceramic bearings 110 are interposed between the rotary valve 20 and the stator 15 at a position on the opposite side of the rotary valve passage 21, so that both ends of the rotary valve 20 can be rotated. Manual, characterized in that it further includes a ceramic bearing shield 120 that supports and blocks the flow path through which the cleaning gas leaked from the ceramic bearing 110 moves to the sealing member for vacuum sealing. Provides a remote plasma source shutoff valve.

The ceramic bearing 110, which is configured in the remote plasma source blocking valve and the manual remote plasma source blocking valve, is concentric so as to rotatably fix the first ceramic ball 111 and the first ceramic ball 111 by a retainer. It may be configured to include a first inner ring 112 and a first outer ring 113 that are coupled to form an axis. The ceramic bearing 110 is coupled to be positioned between the stator 15 and the rotary valve 20 and is configured to rotatably support the rotary valve 20 inside the stator 15.

The ceramic bearing shield portion 120 includes a second ceramic ball 121 and a second inner ring 122 and a second outer ring ( 123). The ceramic bearing shield portion 120 is installed on both outer sides of the ceramic bearing 110 on opposite sides of the rotary valve passage 21 to rotatably support the rotary valve 20 inside the stator 15. At the same time, the flow path through which the cleaning gas passing through the ceramic bearing 110 moves to the sealing member is shielded. In order to shield the passage through which the cleaning gas passing through the ceramic bearing 110 moves to the sealing member, the second ceramic ball 121 has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the first ceramic ball 111 and the second inner ring ( 122) and the second outer ring 123.

The diameter of the second ceramic ball 121 may be 1 to 5 mm. And the first ceramic ball 111 has a larger diameter than the second ceramic ball 121.

In order to achieve the above-described technical problem, another embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 13 having a housing hollow portion penetrating in one direction therein, and a stator hollow portion penetrating so as to have the same axis as the housing hollow portion formed therein. The stator 15 and the rotary valve passage 21, which are inserted and coupled in vacuum tight contact with the inside of the housing so that the housing hollow part and the stator hollow part have the same direction, are formed through and formed inside the stator 15. It has a rotary valve (20) inside that is rotatably coupled, and is sealed to maintain a vacuum by a sealing member. One side is coupled to the CVD chamber (3), and the other side is detachable from the remote plasma source unit (2). A valve body (10) that is coupled to open or block the flow path of the cleaning gas supplied from the remote plasma source unit (2) to the CVD chamber (3); A rotation actuator (40) that provides rotational force to the rotation valve (20); Vacuum leakage area between the stator 15 and the rotary valve shaft 23 that rotates the rotary valve 20 inside the valve body 10 when the rotary valve 20 is opened for supply of a remote plasma source. (7) and a leakage air discharge valve (50) connected to the foreline of the vacuum pump and discharging leakage air (5) when opened; And a foreline connection valve ( It provides a remote plasma source blocking valve, characterized in that it includes a Foreline Connecting valve (60).

The remote plasma source blocking valve detects the pressure of the vacuum leakage area (7) when a vacuum leak occurs in the area between the two rotary seals (130) and detects the pressure at a certain pressure (e.g., 500 torr) or less. It may be configured to further include a pressure switch 47 that opens the leakage air discharge valve 50.

In order to achieve the above-described technical problem, another embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 13 having a housing hollow portion penetrating in one direction therein, and a stator hollow portion penetrating so as to have the same axis as the housing hollow portion formed therein. The stator 15 and the rotary valve passage 21, which are inserted and coupled in vacuum tight contact with the inside of the housing so that the housing hollow part and the stator hollow part have the same direction, are formed through and formed inside the stator 15. It has a rotary valve (20) inside that is rotatably coupled, and is sealed to maintain a vacuum by a sealing member. One side is coupled to the CVD chamber (3), and the other side is detachable from the remote plasma source unit (2). A valve body (10) that is coupled to open or block the flow path of the cleaning gas supplied from the remote plasma source unit (2) to the CVD chamber (3); A rotation actuator (40) that provides rotational force to the rotation valve (20); A bellows valve assembly (800) connected to the leakage air discharge path (141) when shielded to block the supply of a remote plasma source and discharging leakage air (6) when shielded; A foreline connecting valve (60) connected to the bellows valve unit (800) and opened and closed to bypass the leaked air to a foreline connected to a vacuum pump; And a manual remote plasma source shut-off valve comprising a manual drive switch unit 600 that allows manual control of the rotation of the rotary valve 20 that opens or closes the cleaning gas flow path. .

The bellows valve unit 800 includes a shielding disk 820 that blocks or opens the leakage air discharge passage 141; A hydraulic drive unit 860 that raises and lowers the shielding disk 820 to shield or open the leakage air discharge passage 141; The shielding disk 820 and the hydraulic driving unit 860 are used to separate the internal atmospheric area (a) and the external vacuum area (v) to seal the coupling portion of the shielding disc 820 and the hydraulic driving unit 860. Bellows 830 that seals the joint portion; And it may be configured to include a foreline connection valve connection pipe 870 that communicates the vacuum area (v) with the foreline connection valve 60.

The manual remote plasma source blocking valve may further include a bellows drive switch unit 700 that manually controls the opening and closing of the bellows valve unit 800.

When supplying cleaning gas for cleaning the CVD chamber 3, the remote plasma source shutoff valve of the embodiments of the present invention described above includes a ceramic bearing 110, a plurality of second ceramic balls 121, and a second inner ring. The ring-shaped sealing member is protected by the ceramic bearing shield portion 120 composed of (122) and the second outer ring 123, providing the effect of blocking particle generation due to the etching action.

The remote plasma source shut-off valve of the embodiments of the present invention described above protects the ring-shaped sealing member and blocks the generation of particles due to the etching action, so that when the CVD chamber 3 is in a process standby state, the remote plasma source unit By allowing (2) to be installed removably, productivity is improved and maintenance, such as replacement and repair of the remote plasma source unit (2), is significantly facilitated.

The remote plasma source blocking valve of the embodiments of the present invention described above is provided with a leak air discharge valve 50 and a pressure switch 47 to prevent vacuum leakage from the rotary chamber 130 when the remote plasma source blocking valve is in the open state. When this occurs, the pressure switch 47 is activated to open the leak air discharge valve 50, thereby bypassing the vacuum leak in the open state to the foreline, preventing the inflow of moisture in the air during the cleaning process, and connecting the foreline. It is equipped with a valve 60 to bypass vacuum leakage in the area between the housing 13, the stator 15, and the rotary valve 20 to the foreline connected to the vacuum pump when the remote plasma source blocking valve is in the blocked state. By maintaining the internal area of the valve body 10 in a vacuum state and at the same time bypassing leaked air to the foreline, the function of the valve can be maintained while preventing air or moisture from flowing into the valve body 10. It provides an effect that allows it to be configured.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the configuration of the invention described in the detailed description or claims of the present invention.

Figure 1 is a right side perspective view of the remote plasma source shutoff valve (1) of an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a left side perspective view of the remote plasma source shutoff valve (1) of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the remote plasma source shutoff valve (1) viewed in direction B after cutting vertically along line A of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a front view of the pendant 90.
Figure 5 is a rear view of the pendant 90.
Figure 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the remote plasma source blocking valve (1) of Figure 1 is coupled between the remote plasma source unit (2) and the CVD chamber (3).
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the remote plasma source shutoff valve 1 of FIG. 1 showing a state in which the plasma cleaning gas is blocked from being injected from the remote plasma source unit 2 into the interior of the CVD chamber 3.
Figure 8 shows an open state to inject plasma cleaning gas from the remote plasma source unit 2 into the interior of the CVD chamber 3, and a quad ring, etc. coupled to the outer peripheral area of the rotary valve shaft 23. This is a cross-sectional view of the remote plasma source shutoff valve (1) showing possible vacuum leakage in the area between the rotary seals (130).
Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the remote plasma source shutoff valve 1 of Figure 1 showing a state in which the plasma cleaning gas supplied from the remote plasma source unit 2 into the interior of the CVD chamber 3 is blocked.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of a manual remote plasma source shutoff valve 500 of another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of the manual remote plasma source shutoff valve (1) viewed in the D direction after cutting vertically along line C of Figure 10.

In the following description of the present invention, if a detailed description of a related known function or configuration is judged to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

Since embodiments according to the concept of the present invention can make various changes and have various forms, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the specification or application. However, this is not intended to limit the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention to a specific disclosed form, and the present invention should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

When a component is said to be "connected" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that it may be directly connected to or connected to the other component, but that other components may exist in between. It should be. On the other hand, when it is mentioned that a component is “directly connected” or “directly connected” to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between. Other expressions that describe the relationship between components, such as "between" and "immediately between" or "neighboring" and "directly adjacent to" should be interpreted similarly.

The terms used herein are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as “include” or “have” are intended to indicate the existence of a described feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof, but are not intended to indicate the presence of one or more other features or numbers. It should be understood that this does not preclude the existence or addition of steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to embodiments of the present invention and the accompanying drawings.

The remote plasma source blocking valve (1) and the manual remote plasma source blocking valve (500) of an embodiment of the present invention connect the remote plasma source unit (2) and the CVD chamber (3) to prevent CVD from the remote plasma source unit (2). It is configured to supply cleaning gas supplied to the chamber (3).

The remote plasma source shutoff valve (1) and the manual remote plasma source shutoff valve (500) of the above configuration prevent leakage of the cleaning gas supplied from the remote plasma source unit (2) to the CVD chamber (3), and the CVD chamber (3) ), it is vacuum sealed using a sealing member such as a plurality of O rings 19 or a rotary seal 130 to maintain the vacuum state inside.

In this case, when the cleaning gas supplied by the remote plasma source shutoff valve (1) and the manual remote plasma source shutoff valve (500) leaks and comes into contact with the sealing member, the sealing member is damaged due to the radical characteristics of the cleaning gas, causing particles. This is created. If the generated particles are supplied into the CVD chamber (3), they may cause product defects.

In addition, if vacuum leakage occurs inside the remote plasma source shutoff valve (1) and the manual remote plasma source shutoff valve (500), the inside of the CVD chamber (3) also cannot maintain vacuum, making it impossible to perform the CVD process. . And when external air containing moisture flows into the valve body 10 of the remote plasma source shutoff valve 1 and the manual remote plasma source shutoff valve 500 due to vacuum leakage, the moisture undergoes an explosive radical reaction with the cleaning gas. This causes further acceleration of damage to the sealing member.

Accordingly, the remote plasma source blocking valve (1) and the manual remote plasma source blocking valve (500) of an embodiment of the present invention blocks the flow path through which the internal cleaning gas moves to the sealing member and prevents vacuum leakage from being connected to the vacuum pump. Its technical feature is that it is configured to maintain an internal vacuum state while preventing damage to the sealing member by the cleaning gas by bypassing it through the foreline.

Figure 1 is a right side perspective view of the remote plasma source shutoff valve (1) of an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a left side perspective view of the remote plasma source shutoff valve (1) of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the remote plasma source shutoff valve (1) viewed in direction B after cutting vertically along line A of Figure 1.

1 to 3, the remote plasma source blocking valve 1 may be configured to include a valve body 10 and a rotation actuator 40.

The valve body 10 includes a housing 13 having a housing hollow portion penetrating in one direction therein, and a stator hollow portion penetrating so as to have the same axis as the housing hollow portion, and the housing hollow portion and the stator. A stator (15) inserted and coupled in vacuum tight contact with the inside of the housing so that the hollow portion has the same direction, and a rotary valve flow path (21) formed through the rotary valve (20) rotatably coupled to the inside of the stator (15). ) can be provided inside. And it is sealed to maintain a vacuum by a sealing member such as a plurality of O-rings or a rotary seal 130.

The stator 15 may be inserted and installed on the outer peripheral surface of the body of the rotary valve 20 to rotatably support the rotary valve 20 inside the valve body 10.

The stator 15 is a leakage device that discharges leakage air introduced by air leakage in the internal vacuum area of the valve body 10 into the foreline connected to the vacuum pump when the remote plasma source blocking valve 1 is in the blocked state. An air discharge passage 141 may be formed.

When the cleaning gas inside the valve body 10 of the above-described configuration leaks and comes into contact with a sealing member, the sealing member may be damaged by a radical reaction and particles may be generated.

Accordingly, the valve body 10 includes a plurality of ceramic bearings 110 and a plurality of ceramic bearing shields to prevent the cleaning gas supplied through the rotary valve 20 from moving to the sealing member. It may be configured to further include (120).

The ceramic bearings 110 are disposed in a region between the stator 15 and the rotary valve 20 and are configured to support the rotary valve 20 so as to be rotatable inside the stator 15.

For this purpose, the ceramic bearing 110 includes a first ceramic ball 111, a first inner ring 112 and a first outer ring that are concentrically coupled to rotatably fix the first ceramic ball 111 by a retainer. It may be configured to include (113). The ceramic bearing 110 is located between the stator 15 and the rotary valve 20 and is configured to rotatably support the rotary valve 20 inside the stator 15.

The ceramic bearing shield portion 120 shields the flow path of the cleaning gas to the sealing member. To this end, the ceramic bearing shield unit 120 includes a plurality of second ceramic balls 121 having a smaller diameter than the first ceramic ball 111, and the second ceramic balls 121 rotate on the inside opposite each other. It includes a second inner ring 122 and a second outer ring 123 that are arranged concentrically and are provided with a retainer (not shown) that supports and prevents separation and rollably supports the second ceramic ball 121. It can be configured as follows.

The ceramic bearing shield portion 120 is interposed between the rotary valve 20 and the stator 15 at a position on the opposite side of the rotary valve flow path 21 of the plurality of ceramic bearings 110 to operate the rotary valve 20. ) Rotatably supports both ends. At the same time, the flow path through which the cleaning gas leaked from the ceramic bearing 110 moves to the sealing member for vacuum sealing is blocked to prevent the sealing member from being damaged by the radical characteristics of the cleaning gas and generating particles.

The stator 15, the rotary valve 20, the ceramic bearing 110, the first inner ring 112, the second outer ring 123, the second inner ring 122, and the second outer ring 123 are Al ₂ O ₃ It can be made of high-strength and high-hardness ceramic materials containing , ZrO ₂ , etc. Additionally, the housing 13, stator 15, and rotary valve 20 may be made of anodized aluminum material.

In addition, the valve body 10 may further include a side cover 16 that shields the opening formed on the side for internal maintenance of the stator 15.

In addition, the remote plasma source blocking valve (1) may be configured to further include a rotation actuator (40) mounted on one side of the valve body (10) to rotate the rotation valve (20).

When air containing moisture flows into the remote plasma source shutoff valve 1 into the valve body 10, the moisture reacts with the cleaning gas, causing an explosive radical reaction. As a result, sealing members such as the seal member 19 and the rotary seal 130 are rapidly damaged, causing a rapid increase in particles.

Accordingly, in order to prevent air containing moisture from flowing into the valve body 10 when vacuum leaks, the remote plasma source shutoff valve 1, when opened, rotates the rotary valve inside the valve body 10. A leakage air discharge valve 50 extending from the vacuum leakage area 7 formed between the rotary valve shaft 23 that rotates (20) and the stator 15, and the leakage air discharge passage 141 when shielded. It may be configured to further include a foreline connecting valve 60 that is connected to and discharges leaking air.

The remote plasma source shutoff valve (1) discharges leakage air (5) introduced by vacuum leakage into the foreline through the leakage air discharge valve (50) in the open state. The foreline is a pipe connected from the intake port of the vacuum pump connected to create a vacuum inside the CVD chamber (3) to the CVD chamber (3).

At this time, leakage air 5 during opening may occur at the vacuum atmosphere boundary 17 on the rotary actuator 40 side of the rotary valve 20 inside the valve body 10. The air leakage 5 upon opening may accumulate to form a vacuum leakage area 7 between the two rotary seals 130 that rotatably support and seal the rotary valve 20 in FIG. 3 .

For this reason, the remote plasma source blocking valve (1) detects the pressure of the vacuum leakage area (7) accumulated in the area between the two rotary seals (130) and detects the pressure when it becomes below a certain pressure (e.g., 500 torr). It may further include a pressure switch 47 that opens the leakage air discharge valve 50.

The remote plasma source blocking valve (1) is provided with the leakage air discharge valve (50) and the pressure switch (47) of the above-described configuration, so that the opening that occurs when the remote plasma source blocking valve (1) is in the open state Bypass leaking air through the foreline connected to the vacuum pump. As a result, the inner area of the valve body 10, including the area between the housing 13, the stator 15, and the rotary valve 20, is maintained in a vacuum state and the leaked air is bypassed to the foreline, thereby forming the CVD chamber. (3) It can be configured to maintain the function of the valve while preventing air or moisture from entering the interior.

The foreline connection valve 60 is installed to extend from the valve body 10 to communicate with the leakage air discharge passage 141 and is then connected to the foreline.

The foreline connection valve 60 of the above-described configuration leaks during shielding generated by vacuum leakage due to a micro gap occurring in the valve body 10 when the remote plasma source blocking valve 1 is blocked. Air (6, see Figure 9) is bypassed to the foreline. As a result, the inner area of the valve body 10, including the area between the housing 13, the stator 15, and the rotary valve 20, is maintained in a vacuum state and air or moisture is prevented from entering the CVD chamber 3. It can be configured to maintain the function of the valve while preventing inflow.

In addition, the remote plasma source blocking valve (1) further includes a cap door portion (70) that shields the inlet (11) when the remote plasma source unit (2) is separated from the remote plasma source blocking valve (1). It can be configured to include.

Referring to FIG. 2, the cap door unit 70 includes a cap door 71 that shields the intake port 11, and a cap door 71 that rotates to shield and open the intake port 11. A cap door housing 73 whose one end is eccentrically axially coupled to the cap door 71 and whose other end extends parallel to the cap door 71, and a cap door housing 73 that rotates the cap door housing 73. A shaft (not shown) coupled to the end of the housing 73 that is not connected to the cap door 71, and coupled to the outer peripheral surface of the shaft to provide an elastic force that brings the cap door 71 into close contact with the intake port 11. It may include an elastic member (not shown) and a cap door bracket that rotatably supports the shaft.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 to 3, the valve body 10 includes a plurality of cooling channels 14 formed inside the housing 13 to cool the valve body 10, The remote plasma source blocking valve (1) may further include a coolant inlet/outlet portion (80) that allows the coolant to flow in and out. Accordingly, when the valve body 10 is driven to supply the plasma cleaning gas, which is a remote plasma source, to the CVD chamber 3, the valve body 10 is cooled by the cooling water to form an O-Ring or quad. The sealing members 19 such as the ring (quad ring) and the rotary seal 130 are maintained at room temperature to further prevent damage in the form of particles.

In addition, the remote plasma source blocking valve (1) provides a communication interface with external equipment and can be configured to further include a pendant (90) to set manual operation of the remote plasma source blocking valve (1). .

Figure 4 is a front view of the pendant 90 and a rear view of the pendant 90 of Figure 5.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the pendant 90 is configured to enable manual operation of the remote plasma source shutoff valve (1). And on the back of the pendant 90, there is a pendant interface 93 for communication between the pendant 90 and an external device such as a laptop as a communication port, and a communication port between the pendant 90 and an external device such as a laptop and the remote plasma source shutoff valve 1. An equipment interface 95 for can be formed.

In addition, the remote plasma source blocking valve (1) may be configured to include a control unit 200 that controls the operation of the remote plasma source blocking valve (1).

Although not shown in the drawing, the remote plasma source blocking valve (1) may be configured to further include a display for providing a control interface. Since the CVD chamber 3 has a large size of about 2 to 3 meters, the display is preferably installed in a location that does not require climbing up the CVD chamber 3 when operation is required.

The remote plasma source shutoff valve (1) of the above configuration is coupled between the remote plasma source unit (2) and the CVD chamber (3) and cleansing gas supplied from the remote plasma source unit (2) to the CVD chamber (3). It may be configured to open or shield the flow path.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the remote plasma source blocking valve (1) of Figure 1 is coupled between the remote plasma source unit (2) and the CVD chamber (3).

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the remote plasma source shutoff valve 1 of FIG. 1 showing a state in which the plasma cleaning gas is blocked from being injected from the remote plasma source unit 2 into the interior of the CVD chamber 3.

As shown in Figure 8, the remote plasma source blocking valve (1) is a remote plasma source unit ( The remote plasma source unit (2) and the CVD chamber (3) are communicated by communicating with the exhaust port (11) of 1) and the intake port (11) of the remote plasma source blocking valve. At this time, the foreline connection valve 60, which consists of a solenoid valve connected to the foreline, is in a blocked state.

Figure 8 shows an open state to inject plasma cleaning gas from the remote plasma source unit 2 into the interior of the CVD chamber 3, and a quad ring, etc. coupled to the outer peripheral area of the rotary valve shaft 23. This is a cross-sectional view of the remote plasma source shutoff valve (1) showing possible vacuum leakage in the area between the rotary seals (130).

In a state in which the remote plasma source shutoff valve (1) is opened to inject plasma cleaning gas from the remote plasma source unit (2) into the interior of the CVD chamber (3), as shown in FIG. 8, the outer peripheral area of the rotary valve shaft (23) If a vacuum leakage area (7) exists in the area between the rotary seals (130) such as the quad ring (Quad Ring) coupled to the Detect the pressure in area (7). When the detected pressure falls below a preset pressure (eg, 500 torr), the pressure switch 47 determines that a vacuum leak exists and automatically opens the leak air discharge valve 50. At the same time, the leakage air discharge valve 50 is opened to bypass the leakage air to the foreline. As a result, there is no influence at all on the CVD chamber 3, and the interior of the CVD chamber 3 can be maintained in a vacuum state.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the remote plasma source shutoff valve 1 of Figure 1 showing a state in which the plasma cleaning gas supplied from the remote plasma source unit 2 into the interior of the CVD chamber 3 is blocked.

As shown in Figure 9, when the remote plasma source blocking valve 1 blocks the plasma cleaning gas supplied from the remote plasma source unit 2 to the inside of the CVD chamber 3, the rotation valve 20 is rotated. The valve passage 21 is positioned vertically to shield the space between the exhaust port 11 of the remote plasma source unit 1 and the intake port 11 of the remote plasma source blocking valve. At this time, a gap is formed between the stator 15 and the valve body 10. In addition, a fine gap is formed between the stator 15 and the rotary valve 20. When the remote plasma source unit (1) is detached, vacuum leakage occurs due to these micro-gaps. To prevent this, the remote plasma source shutoff valve 1 of the embodiment of the present invention allows air leakage at the micro leakage level. This small amount of leaked air (6) is bypassed through the foreline by opening the foreline connection valve (60). As a result, there is no influence at all on the CVD chamber 3, and the interior of the CVD chamber 3 can be maintained in a vacuum state.

In addition, when the remote plasma source unit (2) is separated while the remote plasma source shutoff valve (1) is in a blocked state, the inlet port (11) is fully opened. Since the open intake port 11 is in contact with the atmosphere, micro level air leakage occurs between the stator 15 and the rotary valve 20 through this space. To prevent this, the cap door unit 70 is driven to shield the intake port with the cap door 71 until the remote plasma source unit 2 is remounted. Therefore, even when working for a long time with the remote plasma source unit (2) separated, air leakage is fundamentally blocked.

The remote plasma source shutoff valve 500 of another embodiment of the present invention may be configured as a manual remote plasma source shutoff valve that is manually operated.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a manual remote plasma source shutoff valve 500 of another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of the manual remote plasma source shutoff valve (1) viewed in the D direction after cutting vertically along line C of Figure 10.

10 and 11, the manual remote plasma source blocking valve 500 includes a valve body 10, a rotation actuator 40, a manual drive switch unit 600, and a bellows drive switch unit 700. It can be configured.

The valve body 10 has the same configuration as the valve body 10 of the remote plasma source shutoff valve 1 of FIGS. 3 to 9 except for the bellows valve portion 800, so refer to FIGS. 3 to 9. This explains.

The valve body 10 includes a housing 13 having a housing hollow portion penetrating in one direction therein, and a stator hollow portion penetrating so as to have the same axis as the housing hollow portion, and the housing hollow portion and the stator. A stator (15) inserted and coupled in vacuum tight contact with the inside of the housing so that the hollow portion has the same direction, and a rotary valve flow path (21) formed through the rotary valve (20) rotatably coupled to the inside of the stator (15). ) is provided inside, and is sealed to maintain a vacuum by a sealing member, one side is coupled to the CVD chamber (3), and the other side is detachably coupled to the remote plasma source unit (2). ) may be configured to open or shield the flow path of the cleaning gas supplied to the CVD chamber 3.

In addition, the valve body 10 includes a plurality of ceramics that are interposed in the area between the stator 15 and the rotary valve 20 and support the rotary valve 20 to be rotatable inside the stator 15. The bearing 110 and the plurality of ceramic bearings 110 are interposed between the rotary valve 20 and the stator 15 at a position on the opposite side of the rotary valve flow path 21, and are positioned at both ends of the rotary valve 20. It may further include a ceramic bearing shield 120 that rotatably supports the ceramic bearing 110 and blocks the flow path through which the cleaning gas passing through the ceramic bearing 110 moves to the sealing member for vacuum sealing. there is.

The ceramic bearing 110 includes a first ceramic ball 111, a first inner ring 112 and a first outer ring 113 that are concentrically coupled to rotatably fix the first ceramic ball 111 by a retainer. ) may be configured to include. The ceramic bearing 110 is coupled to be positioned between the stator 15 and the rotary valve 20 and is configured to rotatably support the rotary valve 20 inside the stator 15.

The ceramic bearing shield portion 120 includes a second ceramic ball 121 and a second inner ring 122 and a second outer ring ( 123). The ceramic bearing shield part 120 is installed at a position opposite to the rotary valve passage 21 of the ceramic bearing 110 and rotatably supports the rotary valve 20 inside the stator 15. The flow path through which the cleaning gas passing through the ceramic bearing 110 moves to the sealing member is shielded. In order to shield the passage through which the cleaning gas passing through the ceramic bearing 110 moves to the sealing member, the second ceramic ball 121 has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the first ceramic ball 111 and the second inner ring ( 122) and the second outer ring 123.

Additionally, the valve body 10 may further include a side cover 16.

Since the stator 15 and the side cover 16 are configured to perform the same configuration and operation as the stator 15 of FIGS. 1 to 9, the detailed description of FIGS. 1 to 9 will be referred to and the description thereof will be omitted. do.

The rotation actuator 40 is mounted on one side of the valve body 10 to rotate the rotation valve 20.

In addition, the manual remote plasma source blocking valve 500 includes a bellows valve assembly (800) that is connected to the leakage air discharge passage 141 when shielded and discharges leakage air 6 when shielded; A bellows drive switch unit 700 that manually controls the opening and closing of the bellows valve unit 800; And it may further include a foreline connecting valve 60 that is connected to the bellows valve unit 800 and opens and closes to bypass the leaked air to the foreline connected to the vacuum pump.

The bellows valve unit 800 may be installed to extend from the valve body 10 to communicate with the leakage air discharge passage 141.

The bellows valve unit 800 includes a shielding disk 820 for shielding or opening the leakage air discharge passage 141, and the shielding disk 820 for shielding or opening the leakage air discharge passage 141. A hydraulic drive unit 860 that lowers the shield disk 820 to separate the internal atmospheric area (a) from the external vacuum area (v) to seal the joint between the shield disk 820 and the hydraulic drive unit 860. It may be configured to include a bellows 830 that seals the coupling portion of the hydraulic drive unit 860 and a foreline connection valve connection pipe 870 that communicates the vacuum region (v) with the foreline connection valve 60. there is.

The shielding disk 820 performs ceramic nano-coating on the surface in contact with the housing 13, which is sealed by the seal member 19 while shielding or opening the leakage air discharge path 141, and then wraps it. It may further include a surface finishing layer 821 formed by performing polishing.

The surface finishing layer 821 may be formed to have a surface roughness of 0.4 ㎛ by coating Al ₂ O ₃ nanoparticles to a thickness of 500 ㎛ or more, followed by lapping and polishing.

The hydraulic drive unit 860 may be configured to include a raising and lowering piston 840 connected to the shielding disk 820 and a cylinder 850 that raises and lowering the raising and lowering piston 840 by hydraulic pressure.

The foreline connection valve 60 is connected to the bellows 830 to bypass leakage air (6, see FIG. 11) generated by vacuum leak inside the valve body 10 to the foreline. It communicates with the vacuum area (v) defined by and may be installed to communicate with the foreline.

When supplying cleaning gas for cleaning the CVD chamber 3, the manual remote plasma source shutoff valve 500 of the above-described configuration includes a ceramic bearing 110, a plurality of second ceramic balls 121, and a second ceramic bearing 110. The ring-shaped sealing member is protected by the ceramic bearing shield portion 120 composed of the inner ring 122 and the second outer ring 123 to block particle generation due to the etching action.

In addition, the manual remote plasma source shut-off valve 500 rotates the rotary valve 20 by manually manipulating the drive switch unit 600 when separation from the remote plasma source unit 2 is required to rotate the valve body 10. ) Shield the internal cleaning gas flow path. Afterwards, the bellows valve driving switch 700 is manually operated to lower the shielding disk 820 of the bellows valve unit 800 to open the leakage air discharge passage 141. As a result, the vacuum area v of the bellows valve part 800 and the foreline connection valve 60 are communicated through the foreline connection valve connection pipe 870. Afterwards, the remote plasma source unit (2) is separated and the intake port (11) is shielded using the cap door (71). In the above-described state, replacement or repair of the remote plasma source unit 2 is performed. In this process, leaked air due to vacuum leakage occurring between the rotary valve 20 and the stator 15 of the valve body 10 is connected to the vacuum area v of the bellows valve part 800 and the foreline connection valve connection pipe. It is discharged to the foreline through (870) and the foreline connection valve (60) to maintain the vacuum inside the valve body (10). By this, it is possible to maintain the vacuum inside the CVD chamber (3) even when the remote plasma source unit (2) is separated.

The remote plasma source blocking valve or manual remote plasma source blocking valve of the embodiment of the present invention includes a ceramic bearing (110) for blocking the cleaning gas flow path, excluding the leakage air discharge valve (50) and the pressure switch (47) equipped with a pressure sensor. ) and a ceramic bearing shield portion 120.

In addition, the remote plasma source blocking valve or manual remote plasma source blocking valve of the embodiment of the present invention is used to bypass vacuum leakage, except for the ceramic bearing 110 and the ceramic bearing shield 120 for blocking the cleaning gas flow path. It may be configured to include a leaking air discharge valve 50, a foreline connection valve 60, and a pressure switch 47 equipped with a pressure sensor.

In addition, the remote plasma source blocking valve or manual remote plasma source blocking valve of the embodiment of the present invention includes a ceramic bearing 110 and a ceramic bearing shield unit 120 for blocking the cleaning gas flow path and leaking air for bypassing vacuum leakage. It may be configured to include a discharge valve 50, a foreline connection valve 60, and a pressure switch 47 with a pressure sensor.

The technical idea of the present invention described above has been specifically described in preferred embodiments, but it should be noted that the embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended for limitation. Additionally, those skilled in the art of the present invention will understand that various embodiments are possible within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the attached claims.

1: Remote plasma source shutoff valve
2: Remote plasma source unit
3: CVD chamber
5: Air leakage when open
6: Air leakage during shielding
7: Vacuum leakage area
10: valve body
11: Inlet
12: exhaust port
13: Housing
14: Cooling channel
15: stator
16; side cover
17: Vaccum Atmosphere border line
19: Seal member (O-ring)
20: Rotating valve
21: Rotating valve flow path
23: Rotating valve shaft
40: Rotation actuator
47: pressure switch
50: Leakage air discharge valve
60: foreline connecting valve
70: Cap door part
71: Cap door
73: Cap door housing
75: shaft
77: Elastic member
79: Cap door bracket
80: Coolant inlet/outlet
81: Cooling water inlet
83: Cooling water outlet
90: Pendant
93: Pendant interface
95: Equipment interface
110: Ceramic bearing 111: First ceramic ball
112: first inner ring
113: first paddle
120: Ceramic bearing shield
121: Quid seal->2nd ceramic ball
122: Second inner ring
123: 2nd paddle
130: rotary seal
141: Leakage air discharge path
200: control unit
500: Manual remote plasma source
600: Manually operated switch unit
700: Bellows valve manual operation switch unit
800: Bellows Vave Assembly
820: Shielding disk
821: Surface finishing layer
830: bellows
840: Raising and lowering piston
850: cylinder
860: Hydraulic drive unit
870: Foreline connection valve connection pipe
a: waiting area
v: vacuum area

Claims (10)

delete delete delete The stator 15 and the rotary valve flow path 21 are formed through a rotary valve 20 rotatably coupled to the inside of the stator 15, and the valve is sealed to maintain a vacuum by a sealing member. body (10);
A rotation actuator (40) that provides rotational force to the rotation valve (20); and
It includes a manual drive switch unit 600 that allows manual control of the rotation of the rotary valve 20 to open or close the cleaning gas flow path inside the valve body 10,
The valve body 10 is,
A plurality of ceramic bearings 110 interposed between the stator 15 and the rotary valve 20 to support the rotary valve 20 to be rotatable inside the stator 15; and
At a position on the opposite side of the rotary valve passage 21 of the plurality of ceramic bearings 110, both ends of the rotary valve 20 are rotatably supported on the inner surface of the stator 15, and the ceramic bearings 110 A manual remote plasma source blocking valve, characterized in that it further comprises a plurality of ceramic bearing shield parts 120 that block the flow path through which the leaked cleaning gas moves to the sealing member for vacuum sealing. The method of claim 4, wherein the ceramic bearing 110 is:
It is configured to include a first ceramic ball 111 and a first inner ring 112 and a first outer ring 113 that are concentrically coupled to rotatably fix the first ceramic ball 111 by a retainer, A manual remote plasma source blocking valve, characterized in that it is configured to rotatably support the rotary valve (20) on the inner surface of the stator (15). The method of claim 5, wherein the ceramic bearing shield portion 120 is,
It is composed of a second ceramic ball 121 and a second inner ring 122 and a second outer ring 123 that are concentrically coupled to rotatably fix the second ceramic ball 121 by a retainer,
At least one ceramic bearing 110 is installed at a position opposite to the rotary valve passage 21 to rotate the rotary valve 20 inside the stator 15, so that the cleaning gas leaked from the ceramic bearing 110 is A manual remote plasma source blocking valve, characterized in that it is configured to shield the flow path moving to the sealing member. The stator 15 and the rotary valve flow path 21 are formed through a rotary valve 20 rotatably coupled to the inside of the stator 15, and the valve is sealed to maintain a vacuum by a sealing member. body (10);
A rotation actuator (40) that provides rotational force to the rotation valve (20);
The vacuum leakage area 7 between the rotary valve shaft 23 that rotates the rotary valve 20 inside the valve body 10 and the stator 15 is connected to the foreline of the vacuum pump and leaks air when opened. Leakage air discharge valve (50) discharging (5); and
A foreline connection valve (60) connected to a leakage air discharge path (141) when shielding the rotary valve (20) for blocking the supply of remote plasma source and a foreline connection valve (60) that is connected to the foreline of the vacuum pump and discharges leakage air (6) when shielded. ) A remote plasma source shutoff valve, characterized in that it includes. In clause 7,
A remote plasma source shut-off valve, characterized in that it further includes a pressure switch (47) that detects the pressure of the vacuum leak area (7) and opens the leak air discharge valve (50) when the pressure falls below a certain level. The stator 15 and the rotary valve flow path 21 are formed through a rotary valve 20 rotatably coupled to the inside of the stator 15, and the valve is sealed to maintain a vacuum by a sealing member. body (10);
A rotation actuator (40) that provides rotational force to the rotation valve (20);
A bellows valve unit (800) connected to the leakage air discharge passage (141) to discharge leakage air (6) when shielded;
A foreline connection valve 60 connected to the bellows valve unit 800 and opened and closed to bypass the leakage air 6 to the foreline; and
A manual remote plasma, characterized in that it includes a manual drive switch unit 600 to manually control the rotation of the rotary valve 20, which opens or closes the cleaning gas flow path inside the valve body 10. Source shutoff valve. The method of claim 9, wherein the bellows valve unit 800,
A shielding disk 820 that blocks or opens the leakage air discharge passage 141;
A hydraulic drive unit 860 that raises and lowers the shielding disk 820 to shield or open the leakage air discharge passage 141;
The shielding disk 820 and the hydraulic driving unit 860 are used to separate the internal atmospheric area (a) and the external vacuum area (v) to seal the coupling portion of the shielding disc 820 and the hydraulic driving unit 860. Bellows 830 that seals the joint portion; and
A manual remote plasma source shutoff valve, characterized in that it includes a foreline connection valve connection pipe (870) that communicates the vacuum area (v) and the foreline connection valve (60).