KR20090002639A - Valve and apparatus and method for treating substrate with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A valve and an apparatus and a method for treating a substrate with the valve are provided to facilitate the soft pumping and the gas flow control in respect with a vacuum line between the vacuum pump and the processing chamber. A valve(100) comprises a housing(110), a plate(120), a shaft(122), a piston(130), a pressure meter(140), an air supply line(150), a sensor(160), and a controller(170). The fluid passage is formed in the housing. The plate controls the aperture ratio of the fluid passage while moving with the piston. The plate is positioned at the lower portion of the driving space(b1,b2,b3). The shaft connects the plate and the piston. The piston moves up and down perpendicular to the fluid passage while being positioned in the upper side of the drive space. The pressure meter measures the internal pressure of vacuum line. The air supply line supplies the air to the drive space. The sensor is positioned at the side wall of the housing and senses the location of piston in the drive space. The valve is arranged between the substrate processing apparatus and the vacuum pump. The substrate processing apparatus processes the substrate through the valve. The vacuum pump can reduce the pressure in the processing chamber through the valve.

Description

VALVE AND APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TREATING SUBSTRATE WITH THE SAME

1 is a view showing a valve according to the prior art.

2 is a view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention.

3 is a view showing the configuration of the valve shown in FIG.

4A and 4D are diagrams for describing an operation process of the valve.

* Description of symbols on the main parts of the drawings *

1: substrate processing apparatus

20: process chamber

30: vacuum pump

40: vacuum line

100: valve

110: housing

120: plate

130: piston

140: pressure gauge

150: air supply line

160: Detector

170: controller

The present invention relates to a valve and a substrate processing apparatus and method including the same, and more particularly, a valve for controlling a flow rate of a vacuum line for adjusting a pressure of a process chamber in which a substrate processing process is performed and a substrate having the same. An apparatus and method are provided.

A general semiconductor substrate processing apparatus includes a process chamber in which a process of processing a substrate is performed. During the process, the interior of the process chamber must satisfy a predetermined pressure, for which the apparatus has a member for adjusting the pressure in the process chamber. Such a pressure regulating member has a vacuum pump, a vacuum line connecting the process chamber and the vacuum pump, and a valve installed in the vacuum line.

Among them, the valve controls the flow rate of the gas sucked into the vacuum pump from the process chamber by the vacuum pump during the process. In general, an isolation valve (hereinafter, referred to as an 'isolation valve') is used as a member for adjusting the flow rate of a vacuum line installed in a process chamber in which a semiconductor manufacturing process is performed.

Referring to FIG. 1, a general isolation valve 10 has a housing 11, a plate 12, a piston 13, a spring 14, an air supply line 15, and a soft pumping line 16. . The housing 12 is installed on the vacuum line 40 connecting the process chamber 20 and the vacuum pump 30. The housing 12 is provided with a passage (a) through which gas flows. One end of the passage (a) is connected to one end of the vacuum line to communicate with the process chamber (2), the other end of the passage (a) is connected to the other end 44 of the vacuum line to communicate with the vacuum pump (4) do. The plate 12 is linearly reciprocated in the housing 11 to open and close the passage a. The piston 13 drives the plate 12. The piston 13 and the plate 12 are connected by the shaft 12a. The piston 13 is installed to reciprocate linearly on the air supply space b. The spring 14 is installed in the air supply space b to pressurize the piston 13 downward.

And, the soft pumping line 16 is provided for soft pumping (soft pumping) of the valve (10). The soft pumping pumps the inside of the isolation valve 10 to a flow rate less than the flow rate at the time of main pumping to a certain pressure before performing the opening / closing operation by the plate 14 during the process so that the plate 12 passes through the passage a. When the door is opened and closed, an impact is prevented from being applied to the inside of the housing 11. One end of the soft pumping line 16 is connected to one end 42 of the vacuum line 40, and the other end is connected to the other end 44 of the vacuum line 40. The aperture of the soft vacuum line 16 is provided smaller than the aperture of the vacuum line 6. The valve 16a is installed on the soft vacuum line 16.

However, the isolation valve 10 is not soft pumped when the valve 16a installed in the soft vacuum line 16 malfunctions, thereby impacting internal components of the isolation valve 10 and damaging the valve 10. The pressure regulation efficiency of the process chamber 20 may be lowered.

In addition, the general isolation valve 10 simply performs the opening and closing of the passage (a). That is, since the isolation valve 10 only performs the operation of closing or opening the vacuum line 40 depending on the driving force by the supply of air, the function of precisely adjusting the flow rate in the vacuum line 40 is performed. Does not perform

In addition, since the general isolation valve 10 is provided with a soft vacuum line 16 for soft pumping, there is a problem in that the structure is complicated and maintenance is not easy.

An object of the present invention is to provide a valve for efficiently controlling the flow rate in a gas flow line, and a substrate processing apparatus and method having the same.

An object of the present invention is to provide a valve, and a substrate processing apparatus and method having the same, which prevents the flow rate regulation efficiency of the valve from lowering due to a malfunction of the soft vacuum line.

An object of the present invention is to provide a valve capable of precise flow rate regulation, and a substrate processing apparatus and method having the same.

A valve according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a valve for adjusting the flow rate of the fluid flowing in the line through which the fluid flows, the housing provided with a passage through which the fluid flows, the inside of the housing A plate installed to reciprocate linearly to adjust the opening ratio of the passage, and a driving portion for driving the plate, wherein the driving portion includes a first position for completely closing the passage, a second position for partially opening the passage, The plate is then moved between the third positions, which fully open the passage.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the valve is a piston installed so as to linearly move in a drive space partitioned with the passage in the housing, one end is connected to the plate and the other end is connected to the piston, and the drive The air supply line further includes an air supply line for supplying air to the space, wherein the gas supply line includes a first line for supplying air to the first region of the driving space, and a second line for supplying air to the second region of the driving space. And a third line for supplying air to a third region of the driving space, wherein the first region is provided closer to the passage than the second region and the third region, and the second region is the first region. It is provided between 1 area | region and the said 3rd area | region.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the valve further comprises a sensing unit for sensing the position of the piston, the sensing unit is a first sensor for sensing the position of the piston when the plate is located in the first position, the And a second sensor for sensing the position of the piston when the plate is located at the second position, and a third sensor for sensing the position of the piston when the plate is positioned at the third position.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the valve further includes a pressure meter for measuring the pressure in the passage and a controller for controlling the gas supply of the gas supply line according to the pressure value measured by the pressure meter, the controller When the passage is partially opened, the valve installed in the first line and the second line is opened when the second sensor is turned on after opening the valve installed in the third line.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when the first sensor is in an on state after opening the valve installed in the third line when the controller is fully open, the first line and the second line. It is characterized by closing the valve installed in the.

A substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes a process chamber in which a substrate processing process is performed and a pressure adjusting member for adjusting the pressure inside the process chamber, the pressure adjusting member sucks gas in the process chamber A vacuum pump configured to connect the process chamber and the vacuum pump, and a valve installed on the vacuum line to control a flow rate of gas flowing through the vacuum line, wherein a passage through which a fluid flows is provided. A housing, a plate installed to reciprocate linearly within the housing to adjust an opening ratio of the passage, and a driving portion to drive the plate, wherein the driving portion is a first position that completely closes the passage, and partially opens the passage. To a second position, and to a third position to fully open the passage. Move the plate.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the valve is a piston which is installed to move in a straight reciprocating in the drive space partitioned with the passage in the housing, one end is connected to the plate and the other end is connected to the piston, and the An air supply line for supplying air to the driving space, wherein the gas supply line includes a first line for supplying air to a first region of the driving space, and a second for supplying air to a second region of the driving space; A line and a third line for supplying air to a third region of the drive space, wherein the first region is provided closer to the passage than the second region and the third region, and the second region is It is provided between the first region and the third region.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the valve further comprises a sensing unit for sensing the position of the piston, the sensing unit first sensor for sensing the position of the piston when the plate is located in the first position, the plate Is a second sensor for detecting the position of the piston when the position is located in the second position, and a third sensor for detecting the position of the piston when the plate is positioned in the third position.

The substrate processing method according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a process chamber in which a substrate processing process is performed, a vacuum line connected to the process chamber for adjusting the pressure inside the process chamber, a vacuum pump connected to the vacuum line, And a valve installed on the vacuum line to control a flow rate of the gas in the vacuum line to process the substrate, wherein the flow rate control of the valve is performed by soft pumping a plate for adjusting the opening / closing rate of the passage in which the gas flows in the valve. It is made by moving between the position for the position and the main pump for each other.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the soft pumping is connected to the vacuum line and is provided without a soft vacuum line having a diameter smaller than that of the vacuum line.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the soft pumping is done by the plate opening only part of the passageway.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the opening and closing rate of the passage is controlled by the plate between the first position to completely close the passage, the second position to partially open the passage, and the third position to completely open the passage. It is done by moving.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the movement between the first position, the second position, and the third position of the plate moves air to different regions of the air supply space in which a piston for moving the plate in the valve is installed. By supply.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the movement between the first position, the second position, and the third position of the plate consists of only air supply and discharge to the air supply space without the provision of a spring for urging the piston.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the movement between the first position, the second position, and the third position of the plate is made using a plurality of sensors for sensing the position of the piston driving the plate.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein but may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments introduced herein are provided so that the disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the spirit of the invention to those skilled in the art.

In addition, the present embodiment has been described taking a valve installed in a vacuum line that is connected to the process chamber in which the semiconductor manufacturing process is carried out to control the pressure in the process chamber as an example, the present invention is installed in various types of lines of the fluid in the line It is possible to apply to all the valves for adjusting the flow rate and the substrate processing apparatus and method having the same.

(Example)

2 is a view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 3 is a view showing the configuration of the valve shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 2, an apparatus for treating substrate 10 in the present invention includes a process chamber 20 and a pressure control member. The pressure regulating member includes a vacuum pump 30, a vacuum line 40, and a valve 100.

The process chamber 20 performs a process of processing a semiconductor substrate (hereinafter, referred to as a wafer) W. FIG. The process chamber 20 has a chamber body 22, a chuck 24, and a gas supply member 26. The chamber body 22 provides a space in which a wafer processing process is performed. One side of the chamber body 22 is provided with an entrance and exit 22a through which the wafer W is entered. In addition, one side of the chamber body 22 is formed with a discharge port 22b through which the gas in the chamber body 22 is discharged. The vacuum pump 30 sucks gas inside the process chamber 20. The vacuum pump 30 is connected to the process chamber 20 by the vacuum line 40. The vacuum line 40 is divided into a first vacuum line 42 and a second vacuum line 44 based on the valve 100. The first vacuum line 42 is a line connecting the outlet 22b of the process chamber 20 and the valve 100, and the second vacuum line 44 connects the valve 100 and the vacuum pump 40. Line. The valve 100 is installed on the vacuum line 40 to regulate the flow rate of the gas flowing inside the vacuum line 40.

Subsequently, the configurations of the valve 100 according to the present invention will be described in detail. Referring to FIG. 3, the valve 100 includes a housing 110, a plate 120, a piston 130, a pressure measure part 140, and an air supply line. an air supply line 150, a sensing part 160, and a controller 170.

The housing 110 is installed on the vacuum line 40. One end 112a of the housing 110 is connected to the first vacuum line 42, and the other end 112b of the housing 110 is connected to the second vacuum line 44. Inside the housing 110, an air supply space b through which air is supplied to drive the gas flow passage a and the piston 130 is formed. The passage a and the air supply space b are completely partitioned by the partition plate 114. The passage (a) receives gas from one end 112a of the housing 110 and is formed inside the housing 110 so that the gas introduced therein moves to the other end 112b of the housing 110. In the center of the passage (a) is provided a regulator (a '). The opening (a ') is controlled by the plate 120 opening ratio. Protruding portion 116 protruding inwardly is formed inside the housing 110 to form the adjusting opening a '.

The plate 120 adjusts the opening ratio of the control opening a '. The plate 120 is installed to linearly reciprocate on the passage a. The plate 120 has a first position (L1 in FIG. 4A) which completely closes the control opening a 'of the passage a, a second position (L2 in FIG. 4C) which partially opens the control opening a', And between the third positions (L3 in Fig. 4C) which fully open the adjusting opening a '. The plate 120 is connected to the piston 130 by the shaft 122.

The piston 130 is installed to linearly reciprocate in the air supply space b. The piston 130 is connected to the piston 130 by the shaft 122. Therefore, the plate 120 is moved by the movement of the piston 130. The piston 130 is a position when the plate 120 is located at the first position L1 (hereinafter referred to as a first driving position), and a position when the plate 120 is located at the second position L2 (hereinafter referred to as a , A second driving position) and a position when the plate 120 is positioned at the third position L3 (hereinafter referred to as a third driving position) are moved to each other.

The pressure meter 140 measures the pressure inside the passage (a). The pressure meter 140 is connected to one end 112a of the housing 110. The pressure measuring unit 140 measures the pressure inside the passage (a) during the process and transmits data about the pressure to the controller 170.

The air supply line 150 supplies air to the air supply space b. The air supply line 150 includes a first line 152, a second line 154, and a third line 156. The first line 152 supplies air to the first space b1, the second line 154 supplies air to the second space b2, and the third line 156 supplies the third space b3. ) To supply air. Valves 152a, 154a, and 156a are provided in the first to third lines 152, 154, and 156, respectively. Valves 152a, 154a, 156a are controlled by controller 170.

The detector 160 senses the position of the piston 130. That is, the sensor 160 includes a first sensor 162, a second sensor 164, and a third sensor 166. Each of the sensors 162, 164, and 166 uses a switch that is turned on or off depending on whether the piston 130 is located at a predetermined position. The first sensor 162 is arranged to be in an on state when the piston 130 is located in the first position, and the second sensor 164 is on when the piston 130 is in the second position. ) State, and the third sensor 166 is disposed to be in an on state when the piston 130 is positioned at the third position. Accordingly, the second sensor 164 is disposed between the first sensor 162 and the third sensor 166.

The controller 170 receives the data measured by the pressure gauge 140 and the data sensed by the detector 160 to control the valve 100. Detailed description of the process by which the controller 170 controls the valve 100 will be omitted.

Hereinafter, the process of the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the present invention will be described in detail. When the process starts, the wafer W is loaded into the housing 22 of the process chamber 20 through the entrance 22a and then loaded into the chuck 24. When the wafer W is loaded on the chuck 24, the vacuum pump 30 sucks gas in the housing 22 through the vacuum line 40 to reduce the internal pressure of the housing 22 to a process pressure. When the pressure inside the housing 22 is reduced to the process pressure, the gas supply member 26 supplies the process gas into the housing 22. The supplied process gas is discharged to the outside of the housing 22 through the discharge port 22b after processing the wafer (W).

When the processing of the wafer W is completed, the gas supply member 26 supplies an inert gas into the housing 22 to increase the pressure inside the housing 22. When the pressure inside the housing 22 rises above a certain pressure, the wafer W is taken out of the housing 22 and transferred to a facility where a subsequent process is performed.

Subsequently, an operation process of the valve 100 according to the present invention will be described in detail. 4A and 4D are diagrams for describing an operation process of the valve. More specifically, Figure 4a is a view showing a closed state of the passage (a) of the valve 100, Figures 4b and 4c is a view showing a portion of the passage (a) of the valve 100 is opened. 4D is a view showing a state in which the passage c of the valve 100 is completely opened.

As shown in FIG. 4A, when the valve 100 closes the vacuum line 40, the controller 170 of the valve 100 opens the valve 156a installed in the third line 156. To supply air to the third space b3. The piston 130 is pushed downward in the downward direction X1 by the air supplied to the third space b3. When the plate 120 is positioned at the first position L1 after the piston 130 is lowered, the plate 120 completely closes the adjusting opening a 'of the passage a. At this time, the first sensor 162 of the detector 160 is in an on state by detecting the piston 130.

When the vacuum pump 30 is operated to reduce the internal pressure of the process chamber 20 in the process of performing the above-described processing, soft pumping of the valve 100 is started. That is, referring to FIG. 4B, the controller 170 opens the valve 154a of the second line 154 to supply air to the first space b1. The piston 130 is pressurized in the upward direction X2 by the air supplied to the first space b1, and thus the plate 120 is moved in the upward direction X2. As shown in FIG. 4C, when the piston 130 is raised and the second sensor 164 is turned on, the controller 170 opens the valve 156a of the third line 156. Air is supplied to the third space b3.

Here, when the second sensor 164 is in an on state, the controller 170 controls the air supply line 150 such that the pressures of the air received by both sides of the piston 130 are equal to each other. That is, the piston 130 is supplied to the first space (b1) of the air to raise the piston 130 and the second and third spaces (b2, b3) of the air to lower the piston 130 Under pressure at the same time. In this case, the controller 170 controls the air supply line 150 to fix the position of the piston 130 when the second sensor 164 is turned on. Accordingly, the position of the piston 130 is stopped and the plate 120 is kept at the second position L2, and the passage a is partially opened to perform soft pumping.

When the soft pumping of the valve 100 is performed for a certain time, the internal pressure of one end 112a of the housing 110 and the internal pressure of the other end 112b are generally adjusted similarly. At this time, the controller 170 when the pressure value measured by the pressure gauge 140 due to soft pumping reaches a predetermined pressure value, the controller 170 is the valve 100 to perform the main pumping of the process chamber 10 To control. That is, the controller 170 closes the valves 154a and 156a of the second and third lines 154 and 156 to stop the air supply to the second and third spaces b2 and b3. Thus, the piston 130 is moved in the upward direction (X2) by the pressure of the air supplied to the first space (b1) to raise the plate 120. When the third sensor 166 is turned on after the piston 130 is raised and the second sensor 164 is turned off, the adjusting opening a 'of the passage a is fully open. do. Therefore, the main pumping of the vacuum pump 30 is performed so that the pressure inside the process chamber 20 is reduced to the process pressure.

If closing of the valve 100 is required after the processing of the wafer W is completed, the controller 170 closes the valve 152a of the first line 152 and then the valve 156a of the third line 156. Open). Thus, the piston 130 is moved downward (X1) by the air supplied to the third region (b3), the plate 120 completely closes the passage (a).

As described above, the present invention performs the flow rate control of the vacuum line 40 by positioning the piston 120 step by step only by the driving force of the air. In particular, the present invention performs soft pumping and main pumping only by the supply pressure of the air supplied to the valve 100 without the provision of a spring for pressing the line 130 and the piston 130 for soft pumping, soft pumping Malfunctions in the line prevent deterioration of the valve's flow regulation efficiency.

The foregoing detailed description illustrates the present invention. In addition, the foregoing description shows and describes preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments. That is, changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the concept of the invention disclosed in this specification, the scope equivalent to the disclosed contents, and / or the skill or knowledge in the art. The foregoing embodiments illustrate the best state for implementing the technical idea of the present invention, the use of other inventions, such as the present invention, the implementation in other states known in the art, and the specific fields of application and uses of the invention. Many changes are also possible. Accordingly, the detailed description of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to the disclosed embodiments. Also, the appended claims should be construed to include other embodiments.

The valve and the substrate processing apparatus and method including the same according to the present invention efficiently regulate the flow rate of a line through which gas flows.

The valve according to the present invention, and a substrate processing apparatus and method including the same, perform soft pumping of the valve without providing a soft pumping line.

The valve according to the present invention, and a substrate processing apparatus and method having the same, enable precise flow rate control of a gas by performing a step of completely closing, partially opening, and completely opening a line only by driving force of air.

Claims (15)

In the valve which is installed in the line through which the fluid flows to regulate the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the line, A housing provided with a passage through which fluid flows; A plate installed to linearly reciprocate in the housing to adjust an opening ratio of the passage; Including a drive for driving the plate, The driving unit, And move the plate between a first position that completely closes the passageway, a second position that partially opens the passageway, and a third position that fully opens the passageway. The method of claim 1, The valve, A piston installed to linearly move in a drive space partitioned from the passage in the housing; A shaft having one end connected to the plate and the other end connected to the piston, and Further comprising an air supply line for supplying air to the drive space, The gas supply line, A first line for supplying air to the first region of the drive space; A second line for supplying air to a second region of the drive space, and A third line for supplying air to a third region of the driving space; The first area, Is provided closer to the passageway than the second and third regions, The second area is, And a valve provided between the first region and the third region. The method of claim 2, The valve, Further comprising a detector for detecting the position of the piston, The detection unit, A first sensor for detecting a position of the piston when the plate is located at the first position; A second sensor for sensing a position of the piston when the plate is located at the second position, and And a third sensor for sensing a position of the piston when the plate is positioned at the third position. The method of claim 3, wherein The valve, A pressure gauge for measuring the pressure in the passage; Further comprising a controller for controlling the gas supply of the gas supply line according to the pressure value measured by the pressure meter, The controller, And partially opening the passage, opening the valve installed in the third line and opening the valve installed in the first line and the second line if the second sensor is turned on. The method of claim 4, wherein The controller, When the passage is fully opened, if the first sensor is in the on state after opening the valve installed in the third line, the valves provided in the first line and the second line are closed. valve. In the apparatus for processing a substrate, A process chamber in which a substrate treatment process is performed; Including a pressure adjusting member for adjusting the pressure inside the process chamber, The pressure regulating member, A vacuum pump for sucking gas in the process chamber, A vacuum line connecting the process chamber and the vacuum pump, and A valve installed on the vacuum line to adjust a flow rate of gas flowing through the vacuum line, A housing provided with a passage through which fluid flows; A plate installed to linearly reciprocate in the housing to adjust an opening ratio of the passage; Including a drive for driving the plate, The driving unit, And move the plate between a first position which completely closes the passage, a second position which partially opens the passage, and a third position which completely opens the passage. The method of claim 6, The valve, A piston installed to linearly move in a drive space partitioned from the passage in the housing; A shaft having one end connected to the plate and the other end connected to the piston, and Further comprising an air supply line for supplying air to the drive space, The gas supply line, A first line for supplying air to the first region of the drive space; A second line for supplying air to a second region of the drive space, and A third line for supplying air to a third region of the driving space; The first area, Is provided closer to the passage than the second region and the third region, The second area is, The substrate processing apparatus is provided between the first region and the third region. The method of claim 7, wherein The valve, Further comprising a detector for detecting the position of the piston, The detection unit, A first sensor for detecting a position of the piston when the plate is located at the first position; A second sensor for sensing the position of the piston when the plate is in the second position, and And a third sensor for sensing the position of the piston when the plate is located at the third position. A process chamber in which a substrate treatment process is performed, a vacuum line connected to the process chamber for adjusting the pressure inside the process chamber, a vacuum pump connected to the vacuum line, and a flow rate of gas in the vacuum line installed on the vacuum line. Process the substrate by having a valve to control the Flow control of the valve, And a plate for adjusting the opening and closing rate of the passage in which the gas flows in the valve is moved between a position for soft pumping and a position for main pumping. The method of claim 9, The soft pumping, And a soft vacuum line connected to the vacuum line and having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the vacuum line. The method of claim 9, The soft pumping, And said plate is made by partially opening said passage. The method according to claim 9 to 11, Opening and closing rate control of the passage, And moving the plate between a first position which completely closes the passage, a second position which partially opens the passage, and a third position which completely opens the passage. The method of claim 12, The movement between the first position, the second position, and the third position of the plate, And supplying air to different regions of an air supply space in which a piston for moving the plate in the valve is installed. The method of claim 13, The movement between the first position, the second position, and the third position of the plate, A substrate processing method comprising only air supply and discharge to the air supply space without provision of a spring for pressing the piston. The method of claim 12, The movement between the first position, the second position, and the third position of the plate, And a plurality of sensors for detecting a position of a piston for driving the plate.

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