KR20230144254A - A gas management system including a gas recycling system and a gas analysis system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gas management system including a gas recycling system and a gas analysis system, including a gas recycling system 230 and a gas analysis system 240, wherein the gas recycling system 230 includes an optical source 205. The exhaust gas mixture 232 is received from the discharge chamber 210 and a recycled gas mixture 234 is generated, and the gas analysis system 240 analyzes the gas mixture 233 flowing within the gas recycling system 230. and directly measure the amounts of various components of the gas mixture 233.

Description

A gas management system including a gas recycling system and a gas analysis system}

The present invention relates to a gas management system including a gas recycling system and a gas analysis system.

Photolithography is a process in which semiconductor circuits are patterned on a substrate such as a silicon wafer. The photolithography optical source provides deep ultraviolet (DUV) radiation that is used to expose photoresist on the wafer. One type of gas emission light source used in photolithography is known as an excimer light source or laser. Excimer light sources typically use a gas mixture that is a combination of one or more inert gases, such as argon, krypton, or xenon, and a reactive substance, such as fluorine or chlorine.

Therefore, the present invention was devised to solve the above problem, and one purpose is to provide a gas management system including a gas recycling system and a gas analysis system.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be explained below and will be learned by practice of the present invention. Additionally, the objects and advantages of the present invention can be realized by the means and combinations indicated in the claims.

In order to achieve the above object, the gas management system according to the present invention includes a gas recycling system 230 and a gas analysis system 240, and the gas recycling system 230 is a discharge chamber of the optical source 205. Receives the exhaust gas mixture 232 from 210 and produces a recycled gas mixture 234, wherein the gas analysis system 240 analyzes the gas mixture 233 flowing within the gas recycling system 230, The amount of various components of the gas mixture 233 is directly measured, and the control system 250 is connected to the gas recycling system 230 and the gas analysis system 240.

The gas analysis system 240 includes an air sample intake unit 110, a filter 112, a cooling unit 114, a moisture removal unit 116, an impurity removal unit 118, and an inert gas adsorption unit. It is characterized in that it includes (120), a primary enrichment unit (124), an inert gas separation and measurement unit (130), and a carrier gas supply unit (154).

The inert gas adsorption unit 120 is characterized by including a first adsorbent 121 capable of adsorbing xenon, and an oven 122 capable of heating the first adsorbent 121.

As above, the gas analysis system may be further configured to measure the amount of at least one gas component in the recycled gas mixture. The control system may be further configured to determine whether the measured amount of at least one gas component in the recycled gas mixture is within an acceptable value range.

1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a gas management system according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a gas analysis system according to the present invention.

Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

The advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described in detail below along with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various different forms. In the description below, when a part is connected to another part, this is not only the case when it is directly connected. This also includes cases where they are connected through other media in between. In addition, in the drawings, parts unrelated to the present invention are omitted to clarify the description of the present invention, and similar parts are given the same reference numerals throughout the specification.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a gas management system according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the gas management system includes a gas recycling system 230 and a gas analysis system 240.

Gas recycling system 230 receives exhaust gas mixture 232 from discharge chamber 210 of optical source 205 and produces recycled gas mixture 234.

The gas analysis system 240 analyzes the gas mixture 233 flowing within the gas recycling system 230.

The recycled gas mixture 234 is supplied to chamber 209. Chamber 209 may be a discharge chamber 210 of optical source 205, another discharge chamber of optical source 205, a discharge chamber of one or more other optical sources, and/or a gas mixture recycled for possible future use ( It may be a supply tank holding 234). Optical source 205 is any optical source that includes a discharge chamber using a gaseous gain medium. For example, optical source 205 may be an excimer laser.

Gas recycling system 230 implements a multi-step recycling process to produce recycled gas mixture 234. Gas mixture 233 may be a gas mixture at any stage of the recycling process. For example, the gas mixture 233 may be an exhaust gas mixture 232, a purified gas mixture formed by the gas recycling system 230, and/or a recycled gas mixture 234. Accordingly, the gas analysis system 240 measures the components of the gas mixture 233 at any or all stages of the gas recycling system 230.

Gas recycling system 230 analyzes gas mixture 233 for impurity components, and in some implementations, gas management system prevents recycled gas with unacceptable levels of impurity components from being supplied to the optical system. . Using a gas mixture containing unacceptably large amounts of impurity components in the discharge chamber of an optical source may degrade the performance of the optical source. Accordingly, compared to a recycling system that does not analyze impurity components, the gas recycling system 230 improves the performance of the optical system or optical systems configured to receive the recycled gas mixture 234.

Gas analysis system 240 directly measures the amounts of various components of gas mixture 233, including impurity components. Control system 250 is connected to gas recycling system 230 and gas analysis system 240. Control system 250 compares the measurand to known specifications to approximate the usefulness of recycled gas mixture 234. If the measured quantity is out of specification, control system 250 generates a command signal to cause gas recycling system 230 to add gas components to gas mixture 233 to produce recycled gas mixture 234.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a gas analysis system according to the present invention.

The gas analysis system 240 according to the present invention includes an air sample intake unit 110, a filter 112, a cooling unit 114, a moisture removal unit 116, an impurity removal unit 118, and an inert It includes a gas adsorption unit 120, a primary enrichment unit 124, an inert gas separation and measurement unit 130, and a carrier gas supply unit 154.

In this embodiment, the gas analysis system 240 detects and analyzes xenon, an inert gas, as an example.

The gas analysis system 240 according to this embodiment can measure the amount of xenon contained in the air by collecting and concentrating the xenon contained in the air. That is, the xenon contained in the air sample sucked into the air sample intake unit 110 is filtered through the filter 112, the cooling unit 114, the moisture removal unit 116, the impurity removal unit 118, and the primary It sequentially passes through the enrichment unit 124 and the inert gas separation and measurement unit 130, is separated and concentrated from other gases, and then flows back into the inert gas separation and measurement unit 130. ), the amount of xenon can be measured.

The air sample intake unit 110 sucks in air samples from the atmosphere and sends them to the filter 112. As the air sample intake unit 110, a high-capacity air compression device or various devices capable of sucking air can be used.

The filter 112 receives the air sample from the air sample intake unit 110 and removes dust, etc. from the air sample. The filter 112 may be connected to the supply unit () through a pipe. The filter 112 may be a paper filter or a variety of filters capable of filtering out foreign substances in the air.

The cooling unit 114 cools the air sample that has passed through the filter 112. As the cooling unit 114 cools the air sample, the moisture removal unit 116 can increase the removal efficiency of moisture in the air sample. The cooling unit 114 may be connected to the filter 112 through a pipe. As the cooling unit 114, a Peltier cooling device or various devices capable of cooling air may be used.

The moisture removal unit 116 receives the cooled air sample from the cooling unit 114 and removes moisture from the air sample. The moisture removal unit 116 may be connected to the cooling unit 114 through a pipe. As the moisture removal unit 116, a membrane filter or various other materials capable of removing moisture from the air may be used.

The impurity removal unit 118 serves to remove impurity gases other than the target of analysis, such as carbon dioxide, from the air sample from which moisture has been removed in the moisture removal unit 116. The impurity removal unit 118 may be connected to the moisture removal unit 116 through a pipe. A molecular sieve column may be used as the impurity removal unit 118. By using a molecular sieve column, relatively small non-radioactive substances can be removed.

The inert gas adsorption unit 120 is for adsorbing xenon in the air sample that has passed through the impurity removal unit 118. The inert gas adsorption unit 120 may be connected to the impurity removal unit 118 through a pipe. The inert gas adsorption unit 120 includes a first adsorbent 121 capable of adsorbing xenon, and an oven 122 capable of heating the first adsorbent 121. As the first adsorbent 121, various adsorbents capable of adsorbing xenon, such as an Ag/ZSM-5 column, may be used.

The inert gas adsorption unit 120 may receive carrier gas from the carrier gas supply unit 154. Xenon adsorbed on the first adsorbent 121 may be separated by the carrier gas supplied from the carrier gas supply unit 154. That is, the xenon adsorbed on the first adsorbent 121 can be separated from the first adsorbent 121 by spraying a carrier gas on the first adsorbent 121 while heating the first adsorbent 121 with the heat of the oven 122. there is. Xenon separated from the first adsorbent 121 may be transported to the primary concentrator 124 in a carrier gas. Nitrogen can be used as a carrier gas.

The primary concentrator 124 includes a second adsorbent 125 capable of adsorbing xenon, and an oven 126 capable of heating the second adsorbent 125. The primary enrichment unit 124 may be connected to the inert gas adsorption unit 120 through a pipe. As the second adsorbent 125, various adsorbents capable of adsorbing xenon, such as an Ag/ZSM-5 column, can be used. The second adsorbent 125 has a smaller adsorption volume than the first adsorbent 121. The primary concentrating unit 124 can primary concentrate xenon by adsorbing the xenon separated from the first adsorbent 121 of the inert gas adsorption unit 120 onto the second adsorbent 125, which has a relatively small adsorption volume. .

The primary enrichment unit 124 may receive carrier gas from the carrier gas supply unit 154. Xenon adsorbed on the second adsorbent 125 may be separated by the carrier gas supplied from the carrier gas supply unit 154. That is, by spraying a carrier gas onto the second adsorbent 125 while heating the second adsorbent 125 with the heat of the oven 126, the xenon adsorbed on the second adsorbent 125 can be separated from the second adsorbent 125. there is. The xenon separated from the second adsorbent 125 may be carried in a carrier gas and transferred to the inert gas separation and measurement unit 130 through the mixed gas supply pipe 128.

The inert gas separation and measurement unit 130 is used to receive the mixed gas discharged from the primary enrichment unit 124, separate the xenon contained in the mixed gas, and measure the amount of xenon. The inert gas separation and measurement unit 130 includes a quadrupole mass spectrometer (131, QMS, Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer) that can monitor the gas and measure the amount of xenon in the gas.

This quadrupole mass spectrometer 131 can be responsible for the qualitative analysis and gas separation step (S15) and the quantitative analysis step (S18) in the inert gas qualitative and quantitative analysis method to be described later. That is, in the qualitative analysis and gas separation step (S15), the quadrupole mass spectrometer 131 can monitor the mixed gas to separate xenon contained in the mixed gas that has passed through the primary enrichment unit 124 from other gases. . And in the quantitative analysis step (S18), the quadrupole mass spectrometer 131 can measure the amount of xenon in the analysis gas that passed through the radiation detector 160.

An inlet pipe 132 and an outlet pipe 133 are connected to the quadrupole mass spectrometer 131. The inlet pipe 132 is connected to the mixed gas supply pipe 128 to introduce the mixed gas that has passed through the primary enrichment unit 124 into the quadrupole mass spectrometer 131. The outflow pipe 133 discharges the gas that has passed through the quadrupole mass spectrometer 131 to the secondary enrichment unit 150.

Some of the mixed gas that passed through the primary enrichment section 124 flows into the quadrupole mass spectrometer 131 through the inlet pipe 132, and the other portion flows into the quadrupole mass spectrometer 131 along the bypass pipe 134. can be bypassed. The bypass pipe 134 is connected to the inlet pipe 132, and the mixed gas passing through the bypass pipe 134 may flow toward the secondary enrichment unit 150 without passing through the quadrupole mass spectrometer 131. . A bypass control valve 139 is connected to the bypass pipe 134 to control the flow of gas through the bypass pipe 134. Gas may flow into the bypass pipe 134 by the bypass control valve 139, or gas flow through the bypass pipe 134 may be blocked. The bypass control valve 139 is controlled by the control unit 170.

Xenon and other substances contained in the mixed gas heated and transferred from the primary enrichment unit 124 flow at time intervals according to their respective weights. That is, relatively light gas passes through the quadrupole mass spectrometer 131 first. The quadrupole mass spectrometer 131 monitors the flow pattern of the mixed gas, and the control unit (not shown) controls the separation valve 141 according to the monitoring results of the quadrupole mass spectrometer 131 to remove xenon from the mixed gas. It is possible to separate it from other gases.

The storage container 144 is for collecting gas that has passed through the quadrupole mass spectrometer 131.

Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing its technical idea or essential features. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of the claims described below rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modified forms derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts are included in the scope of the present invention. must be interpreted.

230: Gas recycling system
205: optical source
210: discharge chamber
232: Exhaust gas mixture
234: Recycled gas mixture
233: gas mixture
240: Gas analysis system

Claims (3)

Includes a gas recycling system 230 and a gas analysis system 240,
The gas recycling system (230) receives the exhaust gas mixture (232) from the discharge chamber (210) of the optical source (205) and produces a recycled gas mixture (234),
The gas analysis system 240 analyzes the gas mixture 233 flowing in the gas recycling system 230 and directly measures the amounts of various components of the gas mixture 233,
A gas management system, characterized in that a control system (250) is connected to a gas recycling system (230) and a gas analysis system (240). According to paragraph 1,
The gas analysis system 240 includes an air sample intake unit 110, a filter 112, a cooling unit 114, a moisture removal unit 116, an impurity removal unit 118, and an inert gas adsorption unit. A gas management system comprising (120), a primary enrichment unit (124), an inert gas separation and measurement unit (130), and a carrier gas supply unit (154). According to paragraph 2,
The inert gas adsorption unit 120 is a gas management system characterized in that it includes a first adsorbent 121 capable of adsorbing xenon, and an oven 122 capable of heating the first adsorbent 121.