KR20060085459A - Gas supply box of semiconductor equipment and method for purging gas line - Google Patents

Abstract

A gas supply box and a gas line purge method of a semiconductor manufacturing facility are provided. The gas supply box according to the present invention is for supplying the reaction gas to the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the first gas line for transporting the reaction gas, and a purge for purging the first gas line connected in the middle of the first gas line A second gas line for supplying gas, and a heater attached to the second gas line for heating the purge gas.

Description

Gas supply box of semiconductor equipment and method for purging gas line

1 is a schematic diagram showing a gas line and a gas line purge method of a conventional gas supply box.

2 is a schematic view showing a gas line and a gas line purge method of a gas supply box according to the present invention.

3 is a flow chart showing a gas line purge method according to the present invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and more particularly, to a gas supply box for supplying a reaction gas and a method of purging the gas line.

The semiconductor element is formed by repeatedly forming a predetermined circuit pattern on a semiconductor substrate, for example, a silicon substrate. More specifically, in order to form a semiconductor device, a deposition process for forming a thin film, an ion implantation process, a heat treatment process, a photolithography process for etching a pattern, and an etching process Are repeated repeatedly. Therefore, in order to proceed with these processes, the semiconductor production line is equipped with various manufacturing facilities.

Here semiconductor manufacturing facilities include deposition apparatuses such as sputtering or chemical vapor deposition apparatuses, heat treatment apparatuses such as rapid heat treatment apparatuses or furnaces, coating apparatuses, exposure apparatuses and etchings. Device and the like. Among such semiconductor manufacturing facilities, for example, a chemical vapor deposition apparatus, an etching apparatus, or a sputtering apparatus and the like perform operations using a reaction gas.

Accordingly, such semiconductor manufacturing facilities using a reactive gas are connected with a plurality of gas lines, which are effectively managed through a gas supply box. However, gas lines such as chemical vapor deposition apparatus and etching apparatus using gas reaction are easily contaminated by organic reaction gas, reaction by-products and the like. Out-gassing of contaminated gas lines also causes contamination of the reaction gas and reaction chamber. Therefore, after a period of time, these gas lines must be cleaned or replaced.

Referring to FIG. 1, gas lines 110, 120 in a conventional gas supply box (not shown) are shown. A mass flow meter 130 is connected to the reaction gas line 110. The flow regulator 130 serves to adjust the amount of inflow of the reaction gas. A purge gas line 120 for purging the reaction gas line 110 is connected to a front end of the reaction gas line 110.

In the usual case, the reaction gas is supplied to the chamber (not shown) through the reaction gas line 110. However, if the reaction gas line 110 is contaminated after a certain period of time, the reaction gas line 110 is purged or a purge operation is performed after a replacement operation is performed. In this case, nitrogen may be used as the purge gas 140 of the purge gas line 120. That is, the purge operation is performed by supplying the cold nitrogen gas 140 to the reaction gas line 110 through the purge gas line 120 and pumping it.

However, even if the reaction gas line 110 is purged with cold nitrogen gas 140, contaminants such as reaction by-products of the reaction gas line 110 may not be completely removed. Thus, out-gassing may continue to occur in the reaction gas line 110 even after purging. Outgassing of the reaction gas line 110 may cause contamination of the reaction chamber.

The technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to provide a gas supply box of a semiconductor manufacturing equipment that can effectively eliminate the out-gassing of the reaction gas line.

Another technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to provide a gas line purge method that can effectively eliminate the out-gassing of the reaction gas line.

According to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above technical problem, for supplying a reaction gas to a semiconductor manufacturing facility, a first gas line for transporting the reaction gas; A second gas line connected to the middle of the first gas line, for supplying a purge gas for purging the first gas line; And a heater attached to the second gas line to heat the purge gas.

It is preferable that the said heater is a heating coil, and furthermore, the said heating coil spirally wound the said 2nd gas line. In addition, the purge gas is preferably an inert gas. Further, the purge gas is more preferably nitrogen or argon.

In addition, the first gas line includes a gas flow regulator, and the gas flow regulator is connected after the middle of the first gas line to which the second gas line is connected to be purged by the purge gas. desirable.

According to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above another technical problem, a method for purging the first gas line of the gas supply box, comprising: stopping supply of the reaction gas of the first gas line; Heating the second gas line; And heating the purge gas while passing through the second gas line to supply the purge gas to the first gas line.

The purge gas is preferably nitrogen or argon. In addition, the heating of the second gas line is preferably carried out through the heater.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but will be implemented in various forms, and only the present embodiments are intended to complete the disclosure of the present invention and to those skilled in the art to fully understand the scope of the invention. It is provided to inform you. In the drawings, the components may be exaggerated in size for convenience of description.

2 is a schematic view showing gas lines 210 and 220 and a gas line purge method of a gas supply box according to the present invention.

2, a purge gas line 220 is connected to a front end of the reaction gas line 210 for transporting the reaction gas. The purge gas line 220 is for supplying a purge gas 240 for purging the reaction gas line 210. In this case, the reaction gas line 210 and the purge gas line 220 may be connected by, for example, a three-way valve to control the flow of gas.

For example, when supplying the reaction gas to the reaction chamber (not shown), the direction of the purge gas line 220 is blocked, and the reaction gas line 210 is conducted. When the reaction gas line 210 is purged, the reaction gas line 210 is blocked, and the purge gas line 220 and the reaction gas line 210 are connected to each other. Accordingly, the purge gas 240 may be supplied to the reaction gas line 210 through the purge gas line 220.

On the other hand, the reaction gas line 210 may include a flow regulator 230. At this time, the flow regulator 230 is preferably connected to the rear end of the connection of the purge gas line 220 and the reaction gas line 210. Accordingly, the purge gas 240 may purge not only the reaction gas line 210 but also the flow regulator 230.                     

The purge gas line 220 is attached with a heater 250 for heating the purge gas 240. The heater 250 is preferably a heating coil. This heating coil may be formed of hot wire tape. Further, the heating coil 250 is more preferably wrapped in a spiral purge gas line 220. Accordingly, the purge gas line 220 is heated, and the purge gas 240 passing through the purge gas line 220 is heated by the heat.

That is, when it is necessary to purge the reaction gas line 210, the heated purge gas 240 may be supplied to the reaction gas line 210 through the purge gas line 210. Accordingly, the heated purge gas 240 is vaporized to remove contaminants and the like in the reaction gas line 210 and the flow regulator 230.

At this time, it is preferable that the purge gas 240 is an inert gas having no reactivity. This is because the purge gas 240 should not form a reaction with the reaction gas line 210 or by-products therein. For example, the purge gas 240 is preferably nitrogen or argon.

Thus, inert purge gas 240 heated by heater 250 may effectively eliminate out-gasing of reactant gas line 210 and flow regulator 230. That is, as the out-gassing is removed, it becomes possible to prevent contamination of the reaction gas and the reaction chamber.

3 is a flow chart showing a gas line purge method 300 according to the present invention. The gas line purge method 300 according to the present invention uses the gas supply box according to the present invention described above, and may refer to FIG. 2.                     

Referring to FIG. 3, first, the reaction gas supply of the reaction gas line 210 of FIG. 2 is stopped (step 310). More specifically, the supply of the reaction gas may be controlled by shutting off the supply portion of the reaction gas (not shown) or by adjusting a three-way valve to which the reaction gas line (210 of FIG. 2) and the purge gas line (220 of FIG. 2) are connected. You can block.

Subsequently, the purge gas line 220 of FIG. 2 is heated (step 320). More specifically, the purge gas line 220 of FIG. 2 is heated through a heater 250 of FIG. 2, for example a hot coil.

Subsequently, the purge gas (240 in FIG. 2) is heated while passing through the purge gas line (220 in FIG. 2), and is supplied to the reaction gas line (210 in FIG. 2) (step 330). That is, the purge gas (240 in FIG. 2) is heated while passing through the heated purge gas line (220 in FIG. 2). The heated purge gas (240 in FIG. 2) effectively removes out-gassing of the reaction gas line (210 in FIG. 2). Accordingly, contamination of the reaction chamber and the reaction gas due to out-gassing of the reaction gas line 210 of FIG. 2 can be prevented.

The foregoing description of specific embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it is apparent that many modifications and changes can be made in the technical spirit of the present invention by one of ordinary skill in the art in combination. .

The gas box of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to the invention is provided with a heater for heating the purge gas. Thus, the inert purge gas heated by the heater can effectively eliminate out-gasing of the reactor gas line and the flow regulator. That is, as the out-gassing is removed, it becomes possible to prevent contamination of the reaction gas and the reaction chamber.

Claims (9)

As for supplying the reaction gas to the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, A first gas line for transporting the reaction gas; A second gas line connected to the middle of the first gas line, for supplying a purge gas for purging the first gas line; And And a heater attached to the second gas line to heat the purge gas. The gas supply box according to claim 1, wherein the heater is a heating coil. The gas supply box according to claim 2, wherein the heating coil is spirally wound around the second gas line. The gas supply box according to claim 1, wherein the purge gas is an inert gas. The gas supply box according to claim 4, wherein the purge gas is nitrogen or argon. The gas flow regulator of claim 1, wherein the first gas line includes a gas flow regulator, and the gas flow regulator is after the middle of the first gas line to which the second gas line is connected to be purged by the purge gas. Gas supply box of a semiconductor manufacturing facility, characterized in that connected to. A method for purging a first gas line of the gas supply box of claim 1, comprising: Discontinuing the supply of the reaction gas in the first gas line; Heating the second gas line; And Heating the purge gas while passing through the second gas line, and supplying the purge gas to the first gas line. 8. The gas line purge method of claim 7, wherein the purge gas is nitrogen or argon. 8. The gas line purge method of claim 7, wherein heating of the second gas line is performed through the heater.

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