KR102614454B1 - High pressure wafer processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention includes an internal chamber formed to accommodate a substrate to be processed and a reaction gas supplied at a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure; an outer housing accommodating the inner chamber, and an outer door movable between a closed state to close the outer housing and an open state to open the outer housing, and a second pressure set in relation to the first pressure. an outer chamber formed to receive the supplied shielding gas; and a support protrusion installed on the external housing, a rotating member rotatably installed on the external door, and a locking protrusion protruding from the rotating member and disposed on the supporting protrusion as the rotating member rotates in the closed state. Provided is a high-pressure substrate processing device including a fastening module provided with a.

Description

High pressure substrate processing device {HIGH PRESSURE WAFER PROCESSING APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to processing equipment used to process substrates in high pressure environments.

Generally, during the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, various treatments are performed on the semiconductor substrate. Examples of such treatments include oxidation, nitriding, silicide, ion implantation, and deposition processes. There is also a hydrogen or deuterium heat treatment process to improve the interface properties of semiconductor devices.

The gas used to process the substrate is supplied to the chamber at high pressure and acts on the semiconductor substrate. To maintain the chamber at high pressure, the door must close securely against the chamber's housing.

If the closed state of the chamber is loosened by high-pressure gas, a gap may form between the housing and the door. These gaps may serve as passages through which gas within the chamber leaks to the outside.

One object of the present invention is to provide a high-pressure substrate processing device that can firmly maintain a closed state between the housing and the door even under high pressure within the chamber.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a high-pressure substrate processing device that can minimize the power required for fastening between a housing and a door.

A high-pressure substrate processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention for realizing the above-described object includes an internal chamber formed to accommodate a substrate to be processed and a reaction gas supplied at a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure; an outer housing accommodating the inner chamber, and an outer door movable between a closed state to close the outer housing and an open state to open the outer housing, and a second pressure set in relation to the first pressure. an outer chamber formed to receive the supplied shielding gas; and a support protrusion installed on the external housing, a rotating member rotatably installed on the external door, and a locking protrusion protruding from the rotating member and disposed on the supporting protrusion as the rotating member rotates in the closed state. It may include a fastening module having a.

Here, the rotating member may be located within an area defined by the external housing.

Here, the rotating member may include a rotating ring having a ring shape.
A high-pressure substrate processing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention includes an internal chamber formed to accommodate a substrate to be processed and a reaction gas supplied at a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure; an outer housing accommodating the inner chamber, and an outer door movable between a closed state to close the outer housing and an open state to open the outer housing, and a second pressure set in relation to the first pressure. an outer chamber formed to receive the supplied shielding gas; and a fastening module including a support protrusion installed on the external housing, and a locking protrusion disposed on the support protrusion in a state connected to the external door as it moves in the closed state, wherein the external door is in the closed state. an upper plate in contact with the external housing; and a lower plate disposed at a different level from the upper plate, and the locking protrusion may be disposed between the upper plate and the lower plate.

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Here, the locking protrusion includes an upper portion disposed to correspond to a side surface of the upper plate; And it may include one of the lower portion disposed to correspond to the side of the lower plate.

Here, the external door further includes a sealing material that contacts the external housing in the closed state, and the locking protrusion may be formed to rotate independently of the contact between the sealing material and the external housing.

Here, the fastening module may further include a driving unit configured to rotate and drive the locking protrusion.

Here, the fastening module may further include a rotation member on which the locking protrusion is formed, and the driving unit may be formed to rotate the rotation member around a rotation axis disposed along the opening/closing direction of the external door.

Here, the driving unit includes a driven gear formed on the rotating member; a drive gear engaged with the driven gear; And it may include a motor that rotates the driving gear.

A high-pressure substrate processing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention includes a housing formed to accommodate a substrate to be processed and process gas supplied at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, a closed state for closing the housing, and an open state for opening the housing. a chamber having a door configured to move between states; and a fastening module including a support protrusion installed on the housing, and a locking protrusion disposed on the support protrusion in a state connected to the door as it moves in the closed state, wherein the door is connected to the housing in the closed state. an upper plate in contact with; and a lower plate disposed at a different level from the upper plate, and the locking protrusion may be disposed between the upper plate and the lower plate.

Here, the locking protrusion may be rotatably installed on the door and supported by the support protrusion as it rotates.

Here, the door further includes a sealing material installed on the upper plate, and the locking protrusion may be formed to move independently of contact between the housing and the sealing material in the closed state.

According to the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention configured as described above, the housing and the door accommodating the substrate and high-pressure gas are maintained in a fastened state by the fastening module, and the fastening module has a locking protrusion with respect to the support protrusion installed on the housing. As it is configured to move with respect to the external door and be disposed on the support protrusion, the closed state between the housing and the door can be firmly maintained even under high pressure within the chamber due to the fastening between the locking protrusion and the support protrusion.

Additionally, since the locking protrusion moves independently of the door, only the locking protrusion, excluding the door, needs to be moved to fasten the housing and the door. Thereby, it is possible to minimize the power required for fastening between the housing and the door.

Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the high pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 in an open state.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the high pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 of FIG. 2 in a closed state.
FIG. 4 is a cutaway perspective view for explaining a configuration for driving the rotary ring 157 of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a main portion of a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100' according to a modified example of the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 of FIG. 3.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the main portion of a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100” according to another modification of the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 of FIG. 3.

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

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be subject to various changes and may be implemented in various different forms. Only this example is provided to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but substitutes or adds to the configuration of one embodiment and the configuration of another embodiment, as well as all changes and equivalents included in the technical spirit and scope of the present invention. It should be understood to include substitutes.

The attached drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical idea disclosed in the present specification is not limited by the attached drawings, and all changes and equivalents included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention are not limited to the attached drawings. It should be understood to include water or substitutes. In the drawings, components may be expressed exaggeratedly large or small in size or thickness for convenience of understanding, etc., but the scope of protection of the present invention should not be construed as limited due to this.

The terms used in this specification are only used to describe specific implementations or examples, and are not intended to limit the invention. And singular expressions include plural expressions, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the specification, terms such as ~include, ~consist of, etc. are intended to indicate the existence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or a combination thereof described in the specification. That is, in the specification, terms such as ~include, ~consist of, etc. should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition possibility of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Terms containing ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

When a component is said to be "connected" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that it may be directly connected 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.

When a component is referred to as being "on top" or "below" another component, it should be understood that not only is it placed directly on top of the other component, but there may also be other components in between. .

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related technology, and unless explicitly defined in the present application, should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal sense. No.

Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to this drawing, the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 may include an internal chamber 110, an external chamber 120, an air supply module 130, and an exhaust module 140.

The internal chamber 110 forms a processing space that accommodates an object for processing. The inner chamber 110 may be made of a non-metallic material, for example, quartz, to reduce contamination in a high temperature and high pressure working environment. Depending on the operation of a heater (not shown) disposed outside the internal chamber 110, the temperature of the internal chamber 110 may range from hundreds to thousands of degrees Celsius. The object may be, for example, a semiconductor substrate (W, see FIG. 2) mounted on a holder. The holder may be a wafer boat (113, see FIG. 2) capable of stacking the substrate to be processed (W) in multiple layers.

The outer chamber 120 forms an internal space that accommodates the inner chamber 110. The outer chamber 120 is disposed outside the inner chamber 110. Unlike the inner chamber 110, the outer chamber 120 is free from the risk of causing contamination to the object, and may be made of a metal material.

The air supply module 130 supplies gas to the inner chamber 110 and the outer chamber 120. The air supply module 130 has a gas supplier 131 that serves as a source of gas. The gas supplier 131 may selectively provide, for example, hydrogen/deuterium, fluorine, ammonia, chlorine, nitrogen, etc. to the internal chamber 110 as a reaction gas for a heat treatment process. The gas supplier 131 may provide, for example, nitrogen, an inert gas, as a protective gas to the external chamber 120. The reaction gas and the protective gas may simply be referred to as process gas. The process gas is supplied to the inner chamber 110 or the outer chamber 120 through the reaction gas line 133 or the protective gas line 135, respectively. The protective gas supplied to the external chamber 120 is specifically supplied to the space (protection space) between the external chamber 120 and the internal chamber 110.

The process gas may be supplied to form a high pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, for example, from several atmospheres to tens of atmospheres. When the pressure of the reaction gas is a first pressure and the pressure of the protective gas is a second pressure, they can be maintained in a set relationship. For example, the second pressure may be set to be somewhat greater than the first pressure. Such a pressure difference provides the advantage that the reaction gas does not leak from the internal chamber 110.

The exhaust module 140 is configured to exhaust the process gas. In order to exhaust the reaction gas from the internal chamber 110, an exhaust pipe 141 is connected to the upper part of the internal chamber 110. In order to exhaust the protective gas from the external chamber 120, an exhaust pipe 145 that similarly communicates with the external chamber 120 may be provided. Since these exhaust pipes 141 and 145 are integrated into one, the reaction gas is diluted with the protective gas during the exhaust process, thereby lowering its concentration.

The fastening structure of the external chamber 120 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 in an open state, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 of FIG. 2 in a closed state.

Referring to these drawings, the inner chamber 110 includes an inner housing (not shown) and an inner door 115. The inner housing forms the processing space for accommodating the substrate to be processed (W), and its lower portion may have an open shape. The inner door 115 has a shape that closes the open lower part of the inner housing. The inner door 115 may have a trough shape that is generally open downward.

As the inner door 115 is lowered, the processing space is opened (open state, see FIG. 2). In the open state, the substrate to be processed is unloaded from the boat 113, and a new substrate to be processed is loaded into the boat 113. As the inner door 115 rises, the processing space is closed (closed state, see Figure 3). In the closed state, the processing target substrate W is processed, for example, heat treatment, deposition, etc.

The outer chamber 120 also includes an outer housing 121 and an outer door 125. The outer housing 121 has a size to accommodate the inner chamber 110. An inner housing (not shown) is mounted on the outer housing 121. As the outer door 125 is also moved, the outer housing 121 can be opened and closed. The outer door 125 is connected to the inner door 115 by a support member 119. The support member 119 has a spring support structure that elastically expands and contracts along the opening and closing direction (E). The opening/closing direction (E) is the direction in which the external door 125 moves to switch between the closed state and the open state. When the external housing 121 is erected, the opening/closing direction E may be the same as the lifting or vertical direction. In the process of switching from the open state to the closed state, the support member 119 allows the outer door 125 to move toward the inner door 115.

The outer door 125 moves up and down together with the inner door 115 to open and close the outer housing 121. Unlike the above, the inner door 115 and the outer door 125 are not connected to each other and may be opened and closed independently.

The high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 may further include a fastening module 150 for fastening the external housing 121 and the external door 125 in the closed state. Since the inner door 115 is supported on the outer door 125 by the support member 119, the fastening module 150 also ensures that the inner door 115 is pressed against the inner housing. The fastening module 150 maintains the protective gas at the second pressure within the external chamber 120. The fastening module 150 also exerts a fastening force to maintain the reaction gas at the first pressure within the internal chamber 110.

Specifically, the fastening module 150 may include a support protrusion 151 and a locking protrusion 155.

The support protrusion 151 is a protrusion installed on the external housing 121. The support protrusion 151 may be installed on the inner peripheral surface of the external housing 121, as in this embodiment. A plurality of support protrusions 151 may be arranged along the circumferential direction of the inner peripheral surface. The plurality of support protrusions 151 may be arranged at the same level or plane along the lifting direction (E).

The locking protrusion 155 has a size that passes between a pair of adjacent supporting protrusions 151 when the external door 125 moves in the lifting direction E. The locking protrusions 155 may be provided in plural numbers like the supporting protrusions 151. The locking protrusion 155 is formed to move relative to the external door 125 and be disposed on the supporting protrusion 151 in the closed state.

According to this embodiment, the locking protrusion 155 can move while connected to the external door 125. The locking protrusion 155 may be rotatably installed on the external door 125, for example. As a result, the locking protrusion 155 moves relative to the outer door 125.

Unlike the above, the locking protrusion 155 may be movably installed on the external housing 121. The locking protrusion 155 moves from the outer housing 121 toward the outer door 125 and is coupled to the outer door 125. To this end, the external door 125 may have a groove-like configuration (not shown) that accommodates the locking protrusion 155. As a result, the locking protrusion 155 moves toward the outer door 125.

The locking protrusion 155 may be supported by the supporting protrusion 151 when placed on the supporting protrusion 151 as it moves (fastened state). As a result, the external door 125 can remain firmly fastened to the external housing 121 despite the high pressure of the process gas.

When a plurality of locking protrusions 155 are provided, the plurality of locking protrusions 155 can rotate individually. Alternatively, the locking protrusion 155 may be integrated with the rotation member 157 and rotate together with the rotation member 157. The rotating member 157 may have a ring shape as illustrated. In this embodiment, the rotating member 157 may be referred to as a rotating ring. The locking protrusion 155 may be formed to protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating ring 157 in an outward direction. The rotation ring 157 may be arranged to rotate along the rotation direction R (about a rotation axis along the elevation direction E).

The rotating ring 157 may be rotatably coupled to the external door 125. The outer door 125 has an upper plate 126 and a lower plate 127, and a rotating ring 157 (and a locking protrusion 155) may be disposed between them 126 and 127. A bearing 159 may be disposed between each of the upper plate 126 and lower plate 127 and the rotating ring 157. A thrust bearing may be used as the bearing 159. The rotating ring 157 may also be located within the area defined by the outer housing 121 {and the abutment protrusion 151}.

The upper plate 126 is disposed in contact with the external housing 121 in the closed state. The upper plate 126 and lower plate 127 may be connected by a spacer 128. Thereby, the lower plate 127 can be placed at a different level from the upper plate 126. Spacer 128 may have a smaller diameter or width than upper plate 126 and/or lower plate 127. The spacer 128 may be formed as a separate member from the upper plate 126 and the lower plate 127, or may form a single member with one of them. The rotating ring 157 and further the locking protrusion 155 are located in the space secured by the spacer 128. The rotating ring 157 may be disposed generally parallel to the outer door 125 with the spacer 128 inserted into its hollow portion.

While the rotary ring 157 rotates in the closed state, the outer door 125 may not be linked to the rotation of the rotary ring 157. In other words, while the upper plate 126 is maintained in contact with the external housing 121 via the sealing material 129, the rotary ring 157 can rotate independently of the contact state. The sealing material 129 may be an O-ring installed on the upper surface of the upper plate 126.

The configuration for rotating the rotary ring 157 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a cutaway perspective view for explaining a configuration for driving the rotary ring 157 of FIG. 3.

With further reference to this figure, the rotary ring 157 may be driven to rotate by the drive unit 161.

The drive unit 161 may have a driven gear 163, a drive gear 164, and a motor 165. The driven gear 163 may be formed on the inner peripheral surface of the rotating ring 157. The driving gear 164 may be a gear meshed with the driven gear 163. The drive gear 164 may be located between the rotating ring 157 and the spacer 128.

According to this configuration, the rotational force of the motor 165 is transmitted to the driving gear 164. The transmission shaft connecting the output shaft of the motor 165 and the driving gear 164 may be arranged to penetrate the lower plate 127. As the driving gear 164 rotates, the driven gear 163 engaged with the driving gear 164 also rotates. As the driven gear 163 rotates, the rotation ring 157 rotates, and the locking protrusion 155 also rotates along the rotation direction (R, see FIG. 2). The locking protrusion 155 may move on the supporting protrusion 151 or move to a position offset from the supporting protrusion 151 according to its rotation.

In the process of rotating the locking protrusion 155, the outer door 125 does not rotate together with the locking protrusion 155. The power to be output from the motor 165 is sufficient to rotate the locking protrusions 155, excluding the outer door 125.

Although the drive unit 161 has been described as being comprised of gears 163 and 164 and a motor 165, the present invention is not limited thereto. The driving unit may be constructed using other actuators such as cylinders.

Other forms of the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the main portion of the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100' according to a modified example of the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 of FIG. 3, and FIG. 6 is another view of the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 of FIG. 3. This is a cross-sectional view showing the main part of a high-pressure substrate processing device (100”) according to a modified example. In these drawings, the same components as in FIG. 3 are given the same reference numerals, and the bearing 159 is omitted for simplification of the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 5, the locking protrusion 155', unlike the previous locking protrusion 155, further has an upper portion 155a. The upper portion 155a may be a portion disposed to correspond to the side surface of the upper plate 126'.

The upper surface of the upper portion 155a may have approximately the same level as the upper surface of the upper plate 126'. As a result, the upper surface of the locking protrusion 155' may be in contact with the external housing 121', and the lower surface of the locking protrusion 155' may be in contact with the support protrusion 151.

Referring to FIG. 6, the locking protrusion 155”, unlike the previous locking protrusion 155, further has an upper part 155a and a lower part 155b. The upper portion 155a may be a portion disposed to correspond to the side surface of the upper plate 126'. The lower portion 155b may be a portion disposed to correspond to the side surface of the lower plate 127'.

The upper surface of the upper portion 155a may have approximately the same level as the upper surface of the upper plate 126'. The lower surface of the lower portion 155b may have approximately the same level as the lower surface of the lower plate 127'. As a result, the upper surface of the locking protrusion (155”) may be in contact with the external housing (121”), and the lower surface of the locking protrusion (155”) may be in contact with the support protrusion (151).

In order to drive the rotation of the rotary rings 157' and 157" above, the driving unit 161 previously described with reference to FIG. 4 may also be applied to the present modified examples.

In this specification, a processing device having a dual chamber as a high-pressure substrate processing device (100, 100', 100") has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Processing devices with a single chamber are also within the scope of the present invention. The single chamber consists of one housing and one door. A wafer substrate is placed in the chamber, and gas for processing the wafer substrate is supplied. The fastening modules (150, 150', 150”) also apply to these single chambers. The fastening modules 150, 150', 150" ensure that the door is firmly fastened to the housing despite the pressure of the gas.

In this specification, a batch type processing device is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The present invention can also be applied to a single wafer type processing device.

100,100’,100”: High pressure substrate processing device 110: Internal chamber
120: external chamber 130: air supply module
140: Exhaust module 150,150’,150”: Fastening module

Claims (12)

an internal chamber formed to accommodate a substrate to be processed and a reaction gas supplied at a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure;
an outer housing accommodating the inner chamber, and an outer door movable between a closed state to close the outer housing and an open state to open the outer housing, and a second pressure set in relation to the first pressure. an outer chamber formed to receive the supplied shielding gas; and
A support protrusion installed on the external housing, a rotating member rotatably installed on the external door, and a locking protrusion formed to protrude from the rotating member and disposed on the supporting protrusion as the rotating member rotates in the closed state. A high-pressure substrate processing device comprising a fastening module.
According to paragraph 1,
The rotating member is,
A high pressure substrate processing apparatus located within an area defined by the external housing.
According to paragraph 1,
The rotating member is,
A high pressure substrate processing apparatus comprising a rotating ring having a ring shape.
an internal chamber formed to accommodate a substrate to be processed and a reaction gas supplied at a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure;
an outer housing accommodating the inner chamber, and an outer door movable between a closed state to close the outer housing and an open state to open the outer housing, and a second pressure set in relation to the first pressure. an outer chamber formed to receive the supplied shielding gas; and
A fastening module including a support protrusion installed on the external housing and a locking protrusion disposed on the support protrusion in a state connected to the external door as it moves in the closed state,
The external door is,
an upper plate in contact with the external housing in the closed state; and
It includes a lower plate disposed at a different level from the upper plate,
The locking protrusion is,
A high-pressure substrate processing device disposed between the upper plate and the lower plate.
According to paragraph 4,
The locking protrusion is,
an upper portion disposed to correspond to a side surface of the upper plate; and
A high-pressure substrate processing apparatus comprising one of the lower portions disposed to correspond to a side of the lower plate.
According to paragraph 1,
The external door is,
Further comprising a sealing material in contact with the external housing in the closed state,
The locking protrusion is,
A high-pressure substrate processing device configured to rotate independently of contact between the sealing material and the external housing.
According to paragraph 1,
The fastening module is,
A high-pressure substrate processing apparatus further comprising a driving unit configured to rotate and drive the locking protrusion.
In clause 7,
The fastening module is,
Further comprising a rotating member on which the locking protrusion is formed,
The driving unit is,
A high-pressure substrate processing apparatus configured to rotate the rotating member around a rotating axis disposed along the opening/closing direction of the external door.
According to clause 8,
The driving unit is,
a driven gear formed on the rotating member;
a drive gear engaged with the driven gear; and
A high-pressure substrate processing device comprising a motor that rotates the driving gear.
A chamber including a housing formed to accommodate a substrate to be processed and a process gas supplied at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, and a door formed to move between a closed state to close the housing and an open state to open the housing; and
A fastening module including a support protrusion installed on the housing and a locking protrusion disposed on the support protrusion in a state connected to the door as it moves in the closed state,
The door is
an upper plate in contact with the housing in the closed state; and
It includes a lower plate disposed at a different level from the upper plate,
The locking protrusion is,
A high-pressure substrate processing device disposed between the upper plate and the lower plate.
According to clause 10,
The locking protrusion is,
A high-pressure substrate processing device that is rotatably installed on the door and supported by the support protrusion as it rotates.
According to clause 10,
The door is
Further comprising a sealing material installed on the upper plate,
The locking protrusion is,
A high-pressure substrate processing apparatus configured to move independently of contact between the housing and the sealing material in the closed state.

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