KR20030039452A - Loadlock chamber for semiconductor fabrication apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A loadlock chamber of semiconductor device manufacturing equipment is provided to be capable of preventing the vortex of air due to the difference of pressure between the inside and outside of the loadlock chamber by adding an inlet pipe to the loadlock chamber. CONSTITUTION: A loadlock chamber(200) is used for temporarily conserving a wafer. The loadlock chamber(200) is provided with a pump(230) for vacuumizing the inside of the loadlock chamber and a part for changing the vacuum state of the loadlock chamber into atmospheric pressure. The part further includes a supply line(240) for supplying gas into the loadlock chamber and an inlet pipe(270) connected through room air for flowing the room air in the loadlock chamber. Preferably, switching valves(280) are installed on the supply line(240) and the inlet pipe(270), respectively.

Description

LOADLOCK CHAMBER FOR SEMICONDUCTOR FABRICATION APPARATUS}

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and more particularly, to a load lock chamber for temporarily storing a wafer to be processed in a process chamber and a wafer in which the process is completed in the process chamber.

In general, the process chamber performs processing on the wafer in a vacuum. In addition, the load lock chamber is a portion that is connected to the process chamber and is a space for temporarily storing the wafer to be processed in the process chamber and the wafer in which the process is completed in the process chamber while maintaining the vacuum degree of the process chamber. .

1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Referring to FIG. 1, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment includes a process chamber 10 and a load lock chamber 20.

The load lock chamber 20 is installed in communication with the process chamber 10 where the processing is performed on the wafer. An inner door 40 for maintaining the process environment of the process chamber 10 is provided at the boundary between the load lock chamber 20 and the process chamber 10. The load lock chamber 20 has an outer door 30 for maintaining the process environment of the load lock chamber 20.

The load lock chamber 20 loads a wafer for processing from the outside and maintains the atmospheric pressure when the wafer, which has been processed, is taken out. Atmospheric pressure of the load lock chamber 20 is made by nitrogen (N2) gas. The nitrogen gas is supplied into the load lock chamber 20 through a supply line 70. The opening / closing valve 90 is provided on the supply line 70 to which the nitrogen gas is supplied.

And the process chamber 10 in which the process with respect to a wafer is performed maintains a vacuum state. Therefore, the inside of the load lock chamber 20 must be maintained in a vacuum state in order to transfer wafers waiting in the load lock chamber 20 into the process chamber 10. The load lock chamber 20 is in a vacuum state. When the internal entrance 40 is opened, the wafer is brought into the process chamber (10). The vacuum in the load lock chamber 20 is maintained by the pump 50.

The load lock chamber 20 has a pressure gauge (60). The pressure gauge 60 detects whether the pressure of the load lock chamber 20 is at atmospheric pressure. The wafer in which the process is completed in the process chamber 10 is placed on the chuck 80 in the load lock chamber 20. When the inside of the load lock chamber 20 is sensed at atmospheric pressure by the pressure gauge 60, the external entrance 30 is opened by a controller (not shown) and the wafer placed on the chuck 80 is placed. It is taken out.

However, the pressure gauge 60 installed in the conventional load lock chamber 20 is set outside the reference range for detecting atmospheric pressure due to long-term use or vibration of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. This causes a malfunction in the controller (not shown) that receives and processes the signal from the pressure gauge 60. That is, even though the inside of the load lock chamber 20 is not in the atmospheric pressure state, the pressure gauge 60 recognizes the state inside the load lock chamber 20 as the atmospheric pressure state so that the external doorway 30 is opened by the controller. To do that. When the outside entrance 30 is opened while the inside of the load lock chamber 20 is not at atmospheric pressure, air rapidly flows into the load lock chamber 20 from the outside having a relatively high pressure by a pressure difference. do. Therefore, severe vortex phenomena occur in the load lock chamber 20, and the air introduced and particles present in the load lock chamber are scattered due to the vortex phenomena on the chuck 80 in the load lock chamber. It falls on the placed wafer. As a result, a problem arises that the processed wafer is contaminated.

An object of the present invention is to provide a load lock chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing equipment that can eliminate the generation of air vortex due to the pressure difference in the load lock chamber.

1 is a view schematically showing a conventional semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

2 is a schematic view showing a semiconductor manufacturing equipment of the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings

10,100: process chamber 20,200: load lock chamber

30,220: outside doorway 40,210: inside doorway

50,230 pump 60,250 pressure gauge

70,240: supply line 80,260: chuck

90,280: on-off valve 270: inlet pipe

290 filter

According to a feature of the present invention for achieving the above object, the load lock chamber for temporarily storing the wafer to be processed in the process chamber and the wafer completed in the process chamber to make the inside of the load lock chamber into a vacuum And a means for bringing the inside of the load lock chamber from vacuum to atmospheric pressure. The means consists of a supply line for supplying gas into the load lock chamber and an inlet pipe for communicating with the atmosphere so that atmospheric air flows into the load lock chamber. The gas is nitrogen (N 2).

According to the present invention, opening and closing valves are installed on the supply line and the inlet pipe, which are means, and the inlet pipe includes a filter for removing impurities contained in air introduced into the load lock chamber. Have

According to the present invention, the load lock chamber further includes a pressure gauge (guage) for detecting a pressure state in the load lock chamber.

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

2 is a schematic view showing a semiconductor manufacturing equipment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment includes a process chamber 100 and a load lock chamber 200.

The load lock chamber 200 is installed in communication with the process chamber 100 where the processing is performed on the wafer. An inner door 210 for maintaining a process environment of the process chamber 100 is provided at a boundary between the load lock chamber 200 and the process chamber 100, and the load lock chamber 200 is provided. Has an outer door 220 for maintaining the process environment of the load lock chamber.

First, a wafer for processing is loaded into the load lock chamber 200 while the outer door 220 is opened. At this time, the load lock chamber 200 maintains an atmospheric pressure state in order to prevent the sudden inflow of external air by the pressure difference. In order to maintain the pressure inside the load lock chamber 200 at atmospheric pressure, nitrogen (N 2), which is a gas, is first supplied through the supply line 240. Then, the air in the secondary air flows through the inlet pipe 270 to make the inside of the load lock chamber 200 to a complete atmospheric pressure state. An opening / closing valve 280 is installed on the supply line 240 and the inlet pipe 270, and the inlet pipe 270 is used to remove impurities contained in air introduced into the load lock chamber 200. And a filter 290. In addition, the inflow of air through the inlet pipe 270 is made slowly in consideration of the pressure difference.

The inside of the load lock chamber 200 should be made in a vacuum state in order to transfer the wafers waiting in the load lock chamber 200 into the process chamber 100 in a vacuum state in which the processing is performed. The interior of the load lock chamber 200 is vacuumed by the pump 230.

The processed wafer is placed on the chuck 260 of the load lock chamber 200 from the process chamber 100. At this time, the inside of the load lock chamber 200 maintains a vacuum state. The wafer placed on the chuck 260 of the load lock chamber is carried out to the outside, and the inside of the load lock chamber 200 is at atmospheric pressure by the gas supplied through the supply line 240. . The pressure state inside the load lock chamber 200 is sensed by the pressure gauge 250. When the pressure gauge 250 detects the pressure in the load lock chamber 200 at atmospheric pressure, the external entrance 220 is opened, and the wafer is carried out. However, in consideration of the case where the pressure gauge 250 incorrectly detects a pressure state inside the load lock chamber 200, external air may be introduced through the inlet pipe 270 before the external entrance 220 is opened. do. Impurities contained in the air introduced through the inlet pipe 270 are removed while passing through the filter 290. By doing so, the pressure state inside the load lock chamber 200 can be brought into a complete atmospheric pressure state before opening the external entrance 220.

Since the inside of the load lock chamber is completely at atmospheric pressure, the vortex of air caused by the pressure difference does not occur inside the load lock chamber while the wafer is carried out to the outside.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the apparatus of the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

According to the present invention, the load lock chamber further comprises an inlet pipe through which the atmospheric air can be introduced into the load lock chamber in addition to the supply line for supplying the gas for making the inside of the load lock chamber atmospheric pressure, The pressure in the load lock chamber can be maintained at full atmospheric pressure.

For this reason, it is possible to prevent the vortex of air caused by the pressure difference in the load lock chamber. In addition, due to the failure of the pressure gauge for detecting the pressure state in the load lock chamber it is possible to prevent the vortex of the air caused by the pressure difference generated in the load lock chamber.

Claims (5)

A load lock chamber for temporarily storing a wafer to be processed in a process chamber and a wafer that has been processed in the process chamber: A pump for vacuuming the inside of the load lock chamber; And Means for bringing the interior of the load lock chamber from vacuum to atmospheric pressure; The means comprises a supply line for supplying gas into the load lock chamber and an inlet pipe for communicating with the atmosphere to allow air in the air into the load lock chamber, characterized in that the load lock of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment chamber. The method of claim 1, Load lock chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, characterized in that further comprising on and off valves provided on the supply line and the inlet pipe. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The load lock chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, characterized in that it further comprises a filter for removing impurities contained in the air introduced into the load lock chamber through the inlet pipe. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The load lock chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, characterized in that it further comprises a pressure gauge (guage) for detecting a pressure state in the load lock chamber. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The gas is a load lock chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, characterized in that the nitrogen (N2).