TWI592985B - Wet process equipment having vapor circulating device - Google Patents

Description

Wet process equipment with gas circulation device

This invention relates to a wet process apparatus, and more particularly to a wet process apparatus having a gas circulation device.

With the development of technology, the wet process technology has matured, making wet process equipment widely used in various manufacturing industries. However, there are still many problems to be solved in the traditional wet process equipment. For example, due to the poor design of some mechanisms, the maintenance of personnel is difficult, the liquid consumption of the equipment is large, the production cost is high, and the equipment is prone to liquid leakage. Damaged...etc. Furthermore, in the wet process, since the substrate is placed in a closed process chamber for a plurality of chemical processes, the process environment inside the process chamber is the key to affecting the wet process, and if the process environment is mutated, This causes problems in the quality of the substrate.

In conventional wet process equipment, a pumping device is generally disposed above the process chamber to draw the gas generated in the process out of the chamber. However, since the local position of the process chamber after the gas is extracted will exhibit a negative pressure state, the process pressure is affected, making it difficult to maintain a stable process environment inside the process chamber.

On the other hand, in order to improve the process efficiency, the conditions of the high temperature process are usually employed, and the inside of the process chamber is maintained at a high temperature to increase the speed of various chemical reactions. Of course However, due to the improvement of the process efficiency, the amount of gas generated in the process per unit time is relatively increased, thereby increasing the burden on the pumping equipment. In addition, in order to maintain the internal pressure balance of the process chamber, the same amount of gas is filled into the interior of the process chamber when the gas is drawn out of the process chamber. However, since the filled gas is usually a low temperature or normal temperature gas, it is easy to cause the temperature inside the process chamber to drop, so that the heater located inside the process chamber must be frequently used and/or maintained in a high power state, resulting in wetness. The power consumption of the process equipment is large and the service life of the heater is shortened.

In view of the above, it is necessary to provide a wet process apparatus to solve the problems of the prior art.

In order to solve the above technical problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a wet process apparatus having a gas circulation device, and the gas circulation device is in communication with the process chamber for returning gas extracted from the process chamber to the process chamber The inside of the body can effectively maintain the temperature and pressure inside the process chamber in a stable state.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a wet process apparatus having a gas circulation device, comprising: a process chamber including a first exhaust hole and a first intake air respectively located on opposite side walls of the process cavity; And a gas circulation device comprising: an air extraction unit disposed outside the processing chamber; and a transmission line connected to the air extraction unit, and the first air outlet and the first inlet The air vent is connected, wherein the air pumping unit draws a gas in the processing chamber into the transmission line through the first venting hole, and the gas is returned to the inside of the processing cavity through the first air inlet hole.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the transmission of the gas circulation device The pipeline includes: a first pipeline and a second pipeline, wherein two ends of the first pipeline are respectively connected to the first exhaust hole and the air suction unit, and two ends of the second pipeline are respectively Communicating with the pumping unit and the first intake port.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wet processing apparatus further includes a transfer unit for transporting a substrate disposed inside the process chamber, wherein the first exhaust hole is located in the transfer unit And the first intake port is below the transfer unit.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a liquid spraying unit is disposed in the processing chamber for spraying a process liquid, wherein the first exhaust hole is located above the liquid spraying unit, and the first The intake port is below the liquid spray unit.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the process chamber further includes a second venting opening in communication with a gas processing unit for discharging the gas in the process chamber to the gas processing unit.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second venting hole is located at an upper wall of the processing chamber and away from the first venting opening, and the upper wall and the processing cavity are opposite to each other. Side wall connection.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wet process apparatus further includes a gas-liquid separation unit coupled between the process chamber and the gas processing unit, including: an intake line for the process a high-humidity gas is introduced into the gas-liquid separation unit; a reaction line for accommodating a filter element, wherein the high-humidity gas passing through the filter element is separated into a chemical liquid and an exhaust gas; and a row A gas line extends through the second venting opening in communication with the gas processing unit for discharging the exhaust gas into the gas processing unit.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the intake of the gas-liquid separation unit The pipeline and the reaction conduit are disposed inside the process chamber.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wet processing apparatus further includes a transfer unit for transporting a substrate disposed inside the process chamber, wherein the reaction line of the gas-liquid separation unit is substantially along The traveling direction of the substrate extends obliquely.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the gas-liquid separation unit is at a lateral distance from the substrate.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the gas-liquid separation unit has an approximately "inverted Y" shape, wherein the reaction tube has a center and two ends inclined downward with respect to the center, and the two ends are respectively A portion of the connection to the intake line and the central connection of the exhaust line and the reaction line extend upwardly from the center.

10, 20‧‧‧ Wet process equipment

100‧‧‧Processing cavity

110‧‧‧First vent

120‧‧‧Second vent

130‧‧‧First air intake

102‧‧‧First side wall

104‧‧‧second side wall

106‧‧‧Upper wall

200‧‧‧ gas circulation device

210‧‧‧Pumping unit

220‧‧‧Transportation line

221‧‧‧First line

222‧‧‧Second pipeline

300‧‧‧Transfer unit

310‧‧‧Substrate

400‧‧‧Liquid spray unit

500‧‧‧Gas Handling Unit

610‧‧‧ gas

620‧‧‧Chemical liquid

630‧‧‧Exhaust

700‧‧‧ gas-liquid separation unit

710‧‧‧Filter elements

720‧‧‧Intake line

722‧‧‧Draining port

730‧‧‧Reaction line

740‧‧‧Exhaust line

X, Y, Z‧‧ Direction

L1‧‧‧ lateral distance

1 and 2 respectively show a first view and a second view of a wet process apparatus according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; and Figs. 3 and 4 respectively show a second preferred embodiment of the present invention The first view and the second view of the wet process device.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more <RTIgt;

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there are shown first and second views, respectively, of the wet process apparatus 10 of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. The wet processing apparatus 10 includes a process chamber 100, a gas circulation device 200, a transfer unit 300, a liquid spray unit 400, and a gas processing unit Yuan 500. The process chamber 100 includes opposing first and second sidewalls 102, 104, and an upper wall 106 coupled to the first sidewall 102 and the second sidewall 104. A first exhaust hole 110 is formed in the first sidewall 102 of the process chamber 100, a first air inlet hole 130 is formed on the second sidewall 104, and a second exhaust hole 120 is formed in the upper wall 106. The transfer unit 300 is disposed inside the process chamber 100 for transferring the substrate 310. The liquid spray unit 400 is also disposed inside the process chamber 100 for spraying process liquid to wet-process the substrate 310, such as etching. The substrate 310 can be a semiconductor substrate such as a thin film transistor substrate. Moreover, the gas processing unit 500 is in communication with the second exhaust hole 120 of the process chamber 100 for processing the gas 610 generated after the wet process. The gas 610 is a high humidity gas containing chemical liquid droplets.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the gas circulation device 200 is located outside the process chamber 100 and includes an air extraction unit 210 and a transmission line 220, wherein the transmission line 220 includes a first line 221 And a second line 222. The two ends of the first line 221 of the transmission line 220 and the first exhaust hole 110 of the process chamber 100 are respectively connected to the pumping unit 210, and the second line of the transmission line 220 Both ends of the 222 and the first air inlet 130 of the process chamber 100 are in communication with the air extraction unit 210. In operation, the pumping unit 210 of the gas circulation device 200 provides a power to pump the gas 610 in the process chamber 100 into the first conduit 221 of the transmission line 220 through the first exhaust hole 110. . The gas 610 is then transferred to the second line 222 via the pumping unit 210. Finally, the gas 610 is returned to the interior of the process chamber 100 through the first air inlet hole 130.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first exhaust hole 110 is preferably positioned above the transfer unit 300 and the liquid spray unit 400, and the first intake hole 130 is preferably positioned. Below the transfer unit 300 and the liquid spray unit 400. Moreover, the first exhaust hole 110 and the second exhaust hole 120 are disposed on substantially opposite sides of the process cavity 100. More specifically, the first exhaust hole 110 is located at the first sidewall 102 of the process chamber 100, and the second exhaust hole 120 is located adjacent to the process chamber 100. On one side of the second side wall 104. Therefore, the second exhaust hole 120 is away from the first exhaust hole 110. Thereby, when the first exhaust hole 110 and the second exhaust hole 120 are simultaneously pumping, the air pressure on both sides of the process chamber 100 is balanced, and the problem of high unilateral pressure is not generated. Moreover, the gas 610 is returned to the lower side of the process chamber 100 by the gas circulation device 200, so that the air pressure on the upper and lower sides of the process chamber 100 is balanced, thereby maintaining the interior of the process chamber 100 in a stable process environment. On the other hand, in order to maintain the internal pressure balance of the process chamber 100, when the gas 610 is drawn into the gas processing unit 500 via the second exhaust hole 120, the same amount of process gas is filled into the process chamber. Inside the body 100. However, since the gas circulation device 200 of the present invention returns gas to the inside of the process chamber 100, the amount of process gas used can be effectively reduced. Moreover, since the temperature of the gas 610 fed back into the process chamber 100 via the gas circulation device 200 is equivalent to the temperature inside the process chamber 100, the process chamber 100 can be prevented from being lowered due to the introduction of a large amount of process gas. The problem of the internal ambient temperature can effectively reduce the service time and/or power of the heater inside the process chamber 100 to improve the service life of the heater.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, there are shown first and second views, respectively, of the wet processing apparatus 20 of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. The wet processing apparatus 20 of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention is similar to the wet processing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment of the present invention, and also includes the process chamber 100, the gas circulation device 200, the transfer unit 300, and the liquid spray unit 400. And the gas processing unit 500, so it will not be described here. The wet process apparatus compared to the first embodiment of the present invention 10. The wet process apparatus 20 of the second preferred embodiment further includes a gas-liquid separation unit 700. The gas-liquid separation unit 700 is connected between the process chamber 100 and the gas processing unit 500 for gas-liquid separation of the gas 610 generated after the wet process in the process chamber 100. The gas processing unit 500 is for processing the exhaust gas 630 after the gas-liquid separation. The transfer unit 300 is disposed inside the process chamber 100 for transporting the substrate 310 in the Y direction.

As shown in FIG. 3, the gas-liquid separation unit 700 includes a pair of intake lines 720, a reaction line 730, an exhaust line 740, and a filter element 710 disposed in the reaction line 730, wherein The intake line 720, the reaction line 730, and the exhaust line 740 extend sequentially in a longitudinal direction (Z direction) such that the exhaust line 740 is located at a relatively high position and The pair of intake lines 720 are in a relatively low position. In addition, the reaction line 730 extends obliquely substantially along the traveling direction Y of the substrate 310. As such, the gas-liquid separation unit 700 has a substantially "inverted Y" shape.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pair of intake lines 720 are disposed at both ends of the reaction line 730, and the exhaust line 740 is disposed at the center of the reaction line 730 and extends upward. Both ends of the reaction line 730 extend obliquely downward from the center thereof in a direction away from each other. The pair of intake lines 720 are used to input the gas 610 generated by the process chamber 100 into the reaction line 730 of the gas-liquid separation unit 700. The gas 610 is a high humidity gas containing chemical liquid droplets. The reaction line 730 is for accommodating the filter element 710. When the gas 610 passes through the filter element 710, chemical liquid particles in the gas 610 will condense and adhere to the filter element 710, thereby separating the gas 610 into a chemical liquid 620 and an exhaust gas 630. The exhaust line 740 extends through the second exhaust hole 120 located above the process chamber 100 to the outside of the process chamber 100 to discharge the gas-liquid separated exhaust gas 630 into the same Inside the gas processing unit 500.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pair of intake lines 720 and the reaction line 730 of the gas-liquid separation unit 700 are disposed inside the process chamber 100. Furthermore, the reaction line 730 is designed to be inclined at both sides with respect to a horizontal plane (ie, the XY plane), that is, the center of the reaction line 730 is disposed at a higher position relative to both ends thereof, so that the gas-liquid separation The subsequent chemical liquid 620 will flow back along the inclined pipe wall to the bottom of the process chamber 100 via the liquid discharge port 722 located below the intake pipe 720; and then communicated to the process chamber by a connection The liquid recovery unit (not shown) at the bottom of 100 collects the chemical liquid 620 for recycling and reuse, thereby reducing production costs. On the other hand, since the gas-liquid separation reaction of the present invention is completed inside the process chamber 100, the chemical liquid 620 after the gas-liquid separation does not flow to the outside of the process chamber 100, thereby avoiding the process chamber. Damage to the body 100 and the safety of the operator. In addition, since most of the components of the gas-liquid separation unit 700 are disposed inside the process chamber 100, it is convenient for a person to repair and maintain the gas-liquid separation unit 700.

As shown in FIG. 4, the gas-liquid separation unit 700 and the substrate 310 are respectively maintained at a position separated by a lateral distance L1 when viewed from the side, so that the chemical liquid 620 dropped from the gas-liquid separation unit 700 is not The progress of the wet process is affected, thereby preventing the chemical liquid 620 from contaminating the reaction liquid of the substrate 310.

In summary, the present invention maintains a stable process pressure inside the process chamber 100 by providing the gas circulation device 200 in communication with the process chamber 100. Moreover, since the temperature of the gas 610 fed back into the process chamber 100 via the gas circulation device 200 is equivalent to the temperature inside the process chamber 100, the use of the heater inside the process chamber 100 can be effectively reduced. Time and / or power to increase the life of the heater. On the other hand, the present invention provides a portion of the gas-liquid separation unit 700 in the interior of the process chamber 100 so that The gas-liquid separation reaction is completed inside the process chamber 100. Therefore, the chemical liquid 620 after the gas-liquid separation does not flow to the outside of the process chamber 100, thereby avoiding damage to the process chamber 100 and endangering the safety of the operator.

While the invention has been described above in terms of the preferred embodiments, the invention is not intended to limit the invention, and the invention may be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is therefore defined by the scope of the appended claims.

10‧‧‧ Wet process equipment

100‧‧‧Processing cavity

110‧‧‧First vent

120‧‧‧Second vent

130‧‧‧First air intake

102‧‧‧First side wall

104‧‧‧second side wall

106‧‧‧Upper wall

200‧‧‧ gas circulation device

210‧‧‧Pumping unit

220‧‧‧Transportation line

221‧‧‧First line

222‧‧‧Second pipeline

300‧‧‧Transfer unit

310‧‧‧Substrate

400‧‧‧Liquid spray unit

500‧‧‧Gas Handling Unit

610‧‧‧ gas

X, Y, Z‧‧ Direction

Claims (11)

A wet process apparatus having a gas circulation device, comprising: a process cavity, comprising a first exhaust hole and a first air inlet hole respectively located on opposite side walls of the process cavity; and a gas circulation device The utility model comprises: an air extraction unit disposed outside the processing cavity; and a transmission pipeline connected to the air extraction unit and communicating with the first air outlet and the first air inlet hole, wherein the air pumping The unit draws a gas in the process chamber through the first exhaust hole into the transfer line, and the gas is returned to the inside of the process chamber through the first intake hole. The wet process apparatus with a gas circulation device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission line of the gas circulation device comprises: a first pipeline and a second pipeline, wherein the first pipeline Two ends are respectively connected to the first exhaust hole and the air suction unit, and two ends of the second line are respectively connected to the air suction unit and the first air inlet. The wet process apparatus with a gas circulation device according to claim 1, further comprising a transfer unit for transporting a substrate disposed inside the process cavity, wherein the first exhaust hole is located in the Above the transfer unit, and the first intake aperture is below the transfer unit. The wet process apparatus with a gas circulation device according to claim 1, wherein the process chamber is provided with a liquid spray unit for spraying a process liquid, wherein the first exhaust hole is sprayed in the liquid. Above the unit, and the first intake aperture is below the liquid spray unit. A wet process apparatus having a gas circulation device according to claim 1, wherein the The process chamber further includes a second venting port in communication with a gas processing unit for discharging the gas within the process chamber to the gas processing unit. The wet process apparatus with a gas circulation device according to claim 5, wherein the second exhaust hole is located at an upper wall of the process cavity and away from the first exhaust hole, the upper wall and The opposite side walls of the process chamber are connected. The wet process apparatus with a gas circulation device according to claim 5, further comprising a gas-liquid separation unit connected between the process chamber and the gas processing unit, comprising: an intake pipe, for a high-humidity gas in the process chamber is input into the gas-liquid separation unit; a reaction line for accommodating a filter element, so that the high-humidity gas passing through the filter element is separated into a chemical liquid and an exhaust gas; And an exhaust line extending through the second venting opening in communication with the gas processing unit for discharging the exhaust gas into the gas processing unit. The wet process apparatus with a gas circulation device according to claim 7, wherein the gas inlet pipe and the reaction pipe of the gas-liquid separation unit are disposed inside the process chamber. The wet process apparatus with a gas circulation device according to claim 7, further comprising a transfer unit for conveying a substrate disposed inside the process chamber, wherein the reaction line of the gas-liquid separation unit It extends obliquely along the direction of travel of the substrate. A wet process apparatus having a gas circulation device according to claim 9, wherein the gas-liquid separation unit is at a lateral distance from the substrate. A wet process apparatus having a gas circulation device according to claim 7, wherein the gas-liquid separation unit has an approximately "inverted Y" shape, wherein the reaction line has a center and The two ends are inclined downward with respect to the center, and the two ends are respectively connected to the opposite sections of the intake line, and the exhaust line is connected to the central portion of the reaction line and extends upward from the center.