TWM514648U - Cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

A cleaning equipment is adapted to clean the quartz tube. The quartz tube has a hollow chamber and a lower opening, an upper opening connected therewith. The cleaning equipment includes a carrier, an upper connecting assembly and at least one liquid filling head. The carrier is configured to sustain the quartz tube. The lower opening side surface of the quartz tube faces a carrying surface of the carrier, so as to seal between the quartz tube and the carrier in a sealing area of the carrier. The upper connecting assembly is configured to fit and fix the upper opening of the quartz tube, so as to connect the upper connecting opening. The liquid filling head is disposed in the sealing area for instilling the cleaning solution toward the hollow chamber. The cleaning solution flows out after being fully filled in the hollow chamber.

Description

Cleaning equipment

The novel creation is related to a cleaning device, and in particular to a cleaning device for a quartz tube.

In the current commercial semiconductor process, the deposition of polycrystalline germanium is mostly by chemical vapor deposition, for example, by dissolving the germanium methane after heating to deposit the desired polycrystalline germanium layer. The chemical vapor deposition furnace tube reactor is a hot wall type reactor, and the furnace tube itself is composed of a tempered quartz tube. In addition, around the periphery of the quartz tube is a set of heaters for heating the tube. Since the temperature of the furnace tube is equal to the temperature of the wafer when the quartz tube is heated, the reaction product is deposited on the inner surface of the quartz tube in addition to being deposited on the wafer. If these deposits on the quartz tube are poorly attached, they tend to be the source of the particles in the process and affect the yield of the wafer. Therefore, cleaning the inner and outer tubes regularly is a way to avoid excessive accumulation of deposits on the inner surface of the quartz tube.

At present, there is no standardized automatic cleaning method for the quartz tube, and it is still necessary to manually immerse the quartz tube in the cleaning liquid, and the quartz tube needs to be immersed in the cleaning liquid for a certain period of time. However, the general cleaning solution is mostly composed of a strong acid or a strong base chemical solvent. Therefore, the cleaning liquid simultaneously corrodes the wall surface of the quartz tube while removing the surface adhering matter of the quartz tube. Therefore, when the quartz tube is immersed in the cleaning liquid, the inner and outer wall surfaces of the quartz tube are simultaneously corroded by the cleaning liquid, which detracts from the life of the quartz tube. In addition, directly immersing the quartz tube in the cleaning solution may cause the problem of uneven cleaning quality of the quartz tube surface. Furthermore, the quartz tube is manually cleaned, and the cleaning operation time is increased during the process of taking the quartz tube back and forth. At the same time, the long-term exposure of cleaning workers to chemical solvents such as strong acids or bases increases the risk of work.

The novel creation provides a cleaning apparatus that seals the interior of a quartz tube to provide uniform cleaning quality.

The novel creation provides a cleaning device that avoids the loss of the quartz tube to increase the service life of the quartz tube.

The novel creation provides a cleaning device that can shorten the cleaning time of the quartz tube and increase the cleaning efficiency of the quartz tube.

The novel creation provides a cleaning device that can automate operations throughout the entire process, reducing manpower usage and cost.

The cleaning device created by the present invention is suitable for cleaning quartz tubes. The quartz tube has a hollow chamber and a bottom open end connecting the hollow chamber and a top open end. The cleaning device includes a carrier, a top connection assembly, and at least one liquid injection head. The carrier is used to carry a quartz tube. The open end of the bottom of the quartz tube faces the bearing surface of the carrier and forms a seal between the sealing area of the bearing surface and the carrier. The top connection assembly is used to align and And fixing the top open end of the quartz tube to connect the top open end to the first line. The liquid injection head is disposed in the sealing area for injecting the cleaning liquid into the hollow chamber. After the cleaning fluid fills the hollow chamber, it is adapted to be output to the first conduit via the top open end.

In an embodiment of the novel creation, the hollow chamber has a central axis that is perpendicular to the bearing surface. The liquid discharge direction of the liquid injection head is offset from the central axis, and the liquid discharge direction is inclined by less than 90 degrees with the bearing surface.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned carrier includes a sealing ring, the sealing ring is disposed on the bearing surface, and the sealing ring is supported between the open end of the bottom and the bearing surface.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning apparatus further includes a pressing device disposed above the carrier. The bottom open end of the quartz tube has a side skirt that extends outwardly horizontally. The pressing device is adapted to press against the top of the side skirt to form a seal between the open end of the bottom and the carrier.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning apparatus further includes a cover disposed in the sealed area. The cover is arranged to block in the direction of discharge of the liquid injection head.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the carrier further includes a plurality of guiding adjustment devices disposed above the carrier and located outside the sealing region for guiding and adjusting the position of the quartz tube relative to the carrier .

In an embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning apparatus further includes a buffer tank and a second pipeline. The first conduit is connected between the top open end and the buffer tank, and the second conduit is connected between the at least one liquid injection head and the buffer tank.

In an embodiment of the novel creation, the top connection assembly includes an interface, a plurality of positioning jaws, and a telescopic alignment mechanism. The interface is used to connect the top open end. A jaw is disposed around the interface for holding the top open end to fix the position of the top open end relative to the interface. The telescopic alignment mechanism is coupled between the interface and the fixed end of the cleaning device to provide a buffer displacement in the contact direction when the top open end contacts the interface.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning apparatus further includes an automatic cart for picking up and placing a quartz tube on the carrier.

The above described features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent and understood from the following description.

50‧‧‧ cleaning solution

100‧‧‧cleaning equipment

110‧‧‧ bearing seat

112‧‧‧ bearing surface

113‧‧‧ Sealed area

114‧‧‧Drain hole

115‧‧‧Seal ring

117‧‧‧Holding device

118‧‧‧ spray ring

118a, 156a‧‧‧Management

130‧‧‧Injection head

135‧‧‧ Cover

135a‧‧‧ liquid hole

140‧‧‧Air head

150‧‧‧Top connection assembly

151‧‧‧ fixed end

151a‧‧‧first mount

151b‧‧‧Second seat

151b1‧‧‧ sensor

152‧‧‧ interface

153‧‧‧ Telescopic alignment mechanism

153a‧‧‧Fixed plate

153b‧‧‧Battery board

153c‧‧‧Compressed spring

155‧‧‧Positioning jaws

156‧‧‧Spray ring

157‧‧‧ hanging wire

158‧‧‧ injection hole

170‧‧‧ guidance adjustment device

180‧‧‧buffer tank

181‧‧‧First line

182‧‧‧Second line

183‧‧‧ third pipeline

184‧‧‧First gas line

190‧‧‧ outer casing

192‧‧‧ instrument panel

195‧‧‧Automatic cart

196‧‧‧Electronic control unit

197‧‧‧ Maintaining institutions

200‧‧‧Quartz tube

210‧‧‧ hollow room

212‧‧‧Bottom open end

213‧‧‧Side skirt

213a‧‧‧ top

214‧‧‧Top open end

215‧‧‧ inner wall

216‧‧‧ outer wall

A1‧‧‧ central axis

1 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of the creation in accordance with the present invention.

2 is a top plan view of the carrier of FIG. 1.

3 is a side elevational view of the cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1.

4 is an enlarged schematic view of the top connection assembly of FIG. 1.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a carrier according to another embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a schematic illustration of an outer casing and an automatic cart of a cleaning apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

1 is a schematic illustration of a cleaning apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a top plan view of the carrier of FIG. 1. Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2. The cleaning apparatus 100 of the present embodiment can be used to clean the quartz tube 200. The quartz tube 200 has a hollow chamber 210 and a bottom open end 212 that connects the hollow chamber 210 and a top open end 214. In addition, the cleaning apparatus 100 includes a carrier 110, a top connection assembly 150, and at least one liquid injection head 130 (two are illustrated in FIG. 2). The carrier 110 can be used to carry the quartz tube 200, and the bottom open end 212 of the quartz tube 200 faces the bearing surface 112 of the carrier 110. Furthermore, the quartz tube 200 forms a seal with the carrier 110 in the sealing region 113 of the bearing surface 112. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the bottom open end 212 of the quartz tube 200 has an outwardly extending side skirt portion 213. Further, the cleaning apparatus 100 may have a pressing device 117 disposed above the carrier 110. In the present embodiment, the pressing device 117 is pressed against the top portion 213a of the side skirt portion 213, for example, in a pneumatically driven manner to form a seal between the bottom open end 212 of the quartz tube 200 and the carrier 110.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2 , the carrier 110 may also include a sealing ring 115 , and the sealing ring 115 is disposed on the bearing surface 112 . The seal ring 115 of the present embodiment is, for example, an O-ring, and when the quartz tube 200 is placed on the carrier 110, the seal ring 115 can bear against the bottom open end 212 of the quartz tube 200 and the carrier 110. Between the bearing surfaces 112, the sealing effect between the bottom open end 212 and the bearing surface 112 is further enhanced by the elastic elasticity of the sealing ring 115.

Furthermore, the top connection assembly 150 is adapted to be aligned and fixed to the quartz tube 200 The top open end 214 is configured to communicate the top open end 214 with the first conduit 181. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the liquid filling head 130 is disposed in the sealing area 113 for injecting the cleaning liquid 50 into the hollow chamber 210 of the quartz tube 200, and the injection direction of the cleaning liquid 50 can be as shown in the figure. The direction of the arrow on the liquid filling head 130 in 2 is shown. When the cleaning liquid 50 fills the hollow chamber 210 of the quartz tube 200, the cleaning liquid 50 can be output through the top open end 214 and the first line 181.

3 is a side elevational view of the cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the hollow chamber 210 of the quartz tube 200 has a central axis A1 of the vertical bearing surface 112. In the present embodiment, the liquid discharge direction of the liquid filling head 130 (as indicated by the arrows in FIGS. 2 and 3) is offset from the central axis A1, and the liquid discharge direction is less than 90 degrees between the bearing surface 112 of the carrier 110. Inclination. For example, in the present embodiment, the liquid discharge direction of the liquid injection head 130 and the bearing surface 112 can be inclined by 45 degrees. Of course, the direction and angle of the liquid injection head 130 created by the present invention can be adjusted according to actual needs, and the novel creation does not limit this.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the quartz tube 200 has an inner wall 215 and an outer wall 216. The cleaning liquid 50 is injected through the liquid filling head 130 and fills the hollow chamber 210 of the entire quartz tube 200 to clean the inner wall 215 of the quartz tube 200, and the quartz tube 200 is removed, for example, on the inner wall 215 in the semiconductor process. Deposition deposits. It is worth mentioning that in order to remove deposited deposits on the inner wall 215 of the quartz tube 200, the cleaning solution 50 usually contains a strong acid or a strong base chemical solvent to enhance the scavenging effect. However, the cleaning liquid 50 may also erode the wall of the quartz tube 200 while reacting with the deposit and removing the deposit. Since the liquid filling head 130 of the embodiment is only The inner wall 215 of the quartz tube 200 is sprayed and cleaned. Therefore, during the cleaning process, the outer wall 216 of the quartz tube 200 can contact the cleaning liquid 50 in a small or no part, so as to prevent the cleaning liquid 50 from eroding the outer wall 216 of the quartz tube 200, thereby prolonging the use of the quartz tube 200. life.

In addition, referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , in the embodiment, a plurality of air jets 140 (four illustrated in FIG. 2 ) may be additionally disposed on the bearing base 110 of the cleaning device 100 in the sealing area 113 of the carrier 110 . Internally, and the air jet head 140 can eject a gas (not shown) into the hollow chamber 210. The gas outlet direction of the jet head 140 can be as indicated by the dashed arrow in FIG. In the present embodiment, the air outlet direction of the air jet head 140 is offset from the central axis A1 of the hollow chamber 210, and the air outlet direction is inclined by less than 90 degrees with the load bearing surface 112. Additionally, the air jet head 140 can be coupled to a gas supply source (not shown) via a first gas line 184. In the present embodiment, in the hollow chamber 210, the gas ejected from the air jet head 140 can extend or change the liquid discharge path and direction of the cleaning liquid 50 injected by the liquid filling head 130, and the inner wall 215 of the quartz tube 200 is made. The cleaning liquid 50 can be uniformly cleaned to avoid the problem of uneven cleaning quality of each part of the quartz tube 200.

Furthermore, referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the carrier 110 may further include a plurality of guiding adjustment devices 170 disposed thereon. Furthermore, the guide adjustment device 170 is located outside the sealing region 113 of the carrier 110 to guide and adjust the position of the quartz tube 200 relative to the carrier 110. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a spray ring 118 surrounding the quartz tube 200 may be additionally disposed outside the seal region 113 on the bearing surface 112, and the spray ring 118 has a plurality of manifolds 118a thereon. In the present embodiment, when the cleaning liquid 50 is cleaned against the inner wall 215 of the quartz tube 200, the cleaning liquid 50 may pass through the manifold on the liquid discharge ring 118. 118a sprays the outer wall 216 of the quartz tube 200, and the cleaning fluid 50 for cleaning the inner wall 215 and the outer wall 216 of the quartz tube 200 may be the same or different to accommodate different cleaning requirements of the inner wall 215 and the outer wall 216, such as The outer wall 216 of the quartz tube 200 can be cleaned only with pure water.

On the other hand, the cleaning apparatus 100 may include a buffer tank 180 and a second line 182, wherein the second line 182 is connected between the liquid filling head 130 and the buffer tank 180. In addition, one end of the first pipe 181 is connected to the top connection assembly 150 and the other end is connected to the buffer groove 180. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, the quartz tube 200 can be coupled to the top connection assembly 150, and the top connection assembly 150 is coupled to the buffer tank 180 via the first line 181. Then, the buffer tank 180 is further connected to the liquid filling head 130 in the quartz tube 200 via the second line 182 to form a circulation flow path of the cleaning liquid 50. Furthermore, in the center of the carrier 110 of the present embodiment, a drain hole 114 and a third conduit 183 connected to the drain hole 114 may be additionally disposed, and the third conduit 183 is also connected to the buffer tank 180. When the cleaning liquid 50 is injected into the hollow chamber 210 of the quartz tube 200 via the liquid filling head 130, and the cleaning of the inner wall 215 of the quartz tube 200 is completed, part of the cleaning liquid 50 can be connected via the top open end 214 and the connection top. The first line 181 of 150 is discharged into the buffer tank 180, and the remaining portion of the cleaning liquid 50 can be directly discharged into the buffer tank 180 through the liquid discharge hole 114 in the center of the carrier 110 to increase the discharge of the cleaning liquid 50 into the quartz tube. 200 speed.

4 is an enlarged schematic view of the top connection assembly of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 4 , the top connection assembly 150 of the present embodiment includes an interface 152 , a plurality of positioning jaws 155 (three are illustrated in FIG. 4 ), and a telescopic alignment mechanism 153 . Interface 152 can be used to connect stones The top open end 214 of the British tube 200. Additionally, a positioning jaw 155 is disposed about the interface 152 to hold the top open end 214 of the quartz tube 200 and secure the position of the top open end 214 relative to the interface 152. Moreover, in the present embodiment, the telescopic alignment mechanism 153 is used to connect between the interface 152 and the fixed end 151 of the cleaning apparatus 100. The telescoping alignment mechanism 153 can be in the direction of contact of the top open end 214 with the interface 152 when the top open end 214 contacts the interface 152, that is, in the vertical direction of the top open end 214 and the interface 152 (X-axis direction of FIG. 4) A buffer displacement is provided on it.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the telescopic alignment mechanism 153 of the present embodiment includes a fixing plate 153a, a buffer plate 153b, and a compression spring 153c. The compression spring 153c is disposed between the fixed plate 153a and the baffle plate 153b, and the positioning jaw 155 can be fixed to the fixed plate 153a. Further, the telescopic alignment mechanism 153 can be suspended from the fixed end 151 of the cleaning apparatus 100 via two suspension wires 157. The telescopic alignment mechanism 153 is movable relative to the fixed end 151 in the X-axis direction in FIG. 4 by the elastic force of the compression spring 153c. Therefore, when the top open end 214 of the quartz tube 200 abuts the interface 152 of the top connection assembly 150 in the X-axis direction, the telescopic alignment mechanism 153 can be buffered by the compression spring 153c to absorb the top open end 214 and the interface 152. The impact force generated during docking. In addition, in the embodiment, the fixed end 151 of the cleaning device 100 includes a first fixing seat 151a and a second fixing seat 151b respectively located on opposite sides of the top connecting assembly 150, wherein the second fixing seat 151b is located near the interface. One end of 152. Furthermore, the top connection assembly 150 of the present embodiment can be respectively connected to and fixed to the cleaning device 100 via the first fixing seat 151a and the second fixing seat 151b.

In addition, since the second fixing base 151b of the embodiment is disposed close to the connection One end of the port 152, therefore, a plurality of sensors 151b1 can be disposed on the second mount 151b for sensing the position of the top open end 214 of the quartz tube 200 for the docking of the top open end 214 with the interface 152. Moreover, the top connection assembly 150 can also include a spray ring 156 disposed around the interface 152. The spray ring 156 has a plurality of manifolds 156a thereon, and the manifolds 156a are connected to the liquid injection holes 158 via spray wash rings 156, respectively. When the top open end 214 of the quartz tube 200 is coupled to the interface 152 of the top connection assembly 150, the cleaning fluid 50 can be injected into the spray ring 156 via the injection hole 158 and the top opening of the quartz tube 200 can be sprayed via the manifold 156a. The outer edge of the end 214.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a carrier according to another embodiment of the present invention. The structure of the carrier of the present embodiment is similar to that of the carrier in FIG. 2, and therefore the same or similar components are denoted by the same or similar symbols, and the description thereof will not be repeated. Referring to FIG. 5, the difference between this embodiment and the embodiment of FIG. 2 is that the present embodiment can selectively configure the cover 135 above the sealing area 113 of the carrier 110, and the cover 135 is configured to block The liquid discharge head 130 shown in Fig. 2 is in the liquid discharge direction. However, the cleaning liquid 50 is again injected into the hollow chamber 210 from the liquid discharge hole 135a in the cover 135. In the present embodiment, the blocking of the cover body 135 prevents excessive cleaning liquid 50 from being directly sprayed onto the surface of the inner wall 215 of the quartz tube 200 via the liquid filling head 130, resulting in uneven cleaning quality. In addition, since the cover 135 can block a large amount of the cleaning liquid 50 from entering the quartz tube 200 via the liquid injection head 130 in a very short time, the cleaning liquid 50 enters the hollow chamber of the quartz tube 200 at a more uniform and stable rate. 210.

Figure 6 is an outer casing of a cleaning apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Schematic with an automatic cart. The cleaning apparatus 100 further includes an outer casing 190 and an automatic cart 195. In this embodiment, the above-mentioned carrier 110 and top connection assembly 150 can be placed in the outer casing 190, and the quartz tube 200 can be placed in the outer casing 190 for cleaning to increase the safety of the cleaning process and avoid cleaning. The liquid 50 is leaked to the surrounding working environment. In addition, the outer casing 190 can be configured with an instrument panel 192 to control the cleaning time of the quartz tube 200 and the temperature and humidity during cleaning. Furthermore, the buffer tank 180 for storing the cleaning liquid 50 may be placed in the outer casing 190. In addition, the cleaning apparatus 100 of the present embodiment further includes an automatic cart 195 that can take the quartz tube 200 from the carrier 110 and transport the quartz tube 200 into or out of the outer casing 190. The automatic cart 195 includes an electronic control unit 196 and a holding mechanism 197. Thus, the automated cart 195 can be electronically controlled 196 to control its forward, reverse, and forward direction. In addition, the automatic cart 195 can hold the quartz tube 200 by the holding mechanism 197 to prevent the quartz tube 200 from swaying during transportation to improve the safety of the transportation process.

In summary, the cleaning device created by the present invention can seal the quartz tube and inject the cleaning liquid into the quartz tube to clean the quartz tube. In detail, the quartz tube can be held and placed between the carrier and the top connection assembly, and the quartz tube can form a seal with the carrier in the sealing area of the carrier. Furthermore, the liquid injection head is disposed in the sealing area of the carrier to inject cleaning liquid into the hollow chamber of the quartz tube to clean the inner wall surface of the quartz tube. In addition, the new cleaning device can be equipped with an automatic cart for automated handling of quartz tubes. Through the above configuration, the novel creation can achieve automatic cleaning of the quartz tube, replacing the traditional manual cleaning method and improving The cleaning speed and efficiency of the quartz tube. In addition, since the cleaning device created by the present invention does not need to completely immerse the quartz tube in the cleaning liquid when cleaning the quartz tube, the corrosion of the cleaning liquid on the wall surface of the quartz tube can be slowed down, thereby prolonging the service life of the quartz tube.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the novel creation, and any person skilled in the art can make some changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel creation. Retouching, the scope of protection of this new creation is subject to the definition of the scope of the patent application attached.

100‧‧‧cleaning equipment

110‧‧‧ bearing seat

112‧‧‧ bearing surface

117‧‧‧Holding device

118‧‧‧ spray ring

118a‧‧‧Management

150‧‧‧Top connection assembly

182‧‧‧Second line

183‧‧‧ third pipeline

184‧‧‧First gas line

200‧‧‧Quartz tube

210‧‧‧ hollow room

212‧‧‧Bottom open end

213‧‧‧Side skirt

213a‧‧‧ top

214‧‧‧Top open end

Claims (10)

A cleaning device adapted to clean a quartz tube having a hollow chamber and a bottom open end connecting the hollow chamber and a top open end, the cleaning device comprising: a carrier for carrying the quartz a tube, wherein the bottom open end of the quartz tube faces a bearing surface of the carrier, and forms a seal with the carrier in a sealing area of the bearing surface; a top connecting assembly adapted to be aligned Fixed to the top open end of the quartz tube to communicate the top open end and a first pipeline; and at least one liquid injection head disposed in the sealing area for injecting a cleaning liquid into the interior of the hollow chamber And the cleaning fluid is filled in the hollow chamber and is adapted to be output to the first conduit via the top open end. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the hollow chamber has a central axis perpendicular to the bearing surface, a liquid discharge direction of the at least one liquid injection head is offset from the central axis, and the liquid discharge direction An angle of inclination of less than 90 degrees is clamped to the bearing surface. The cleaning device of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of air jet heads disposed in the sealing area, wherein an air outlet direction of each of the air jet heads is offset from the central axis, and the air outlet direction and the bearing surface are less than A dip of 90 degrees. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the carrier includes a sealing ring disposed on the bearing surface, and the sealing ring bears between the open end of the bottom and the bearing surface. The cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a pressing device disposed above the carrier, the bottom open end of the quartz tube having a skirt extending laterally outwardly, and the pressing The device is adapted to press against the top of the side skirt to form a seal between the open end of the bottom and the carrier. The cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a cover disposed in the sealing area, the cover being disposed to block in a liquid discharge direction of the at least one liquid injection head. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the carrier further comprises a plurality of guiding adjustment devices disposed above the carrier and outside the sealing region for guiding and adjusting the quartz tube relative to The position of the carrier. The cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a buffer tank and a second pipeline, wherein the first pipeline is connected between the top open end and the buffer tank, and the second pipeline Connected between the at least one liquid injection head and the buffer tank. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the top connection assembly comprises: an interface for connecting the top open end; and a plurality of positioning jaws disposed around the interface for holding the top An open end for fixing a position of the top open end relative to the interface; and a telescopic alignment mechanism coupled between the interface and a fixed end of the cleaning device for contacting the interface at the top open end The interface is provided with a buffer displacement along a contact direction. The cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising an automatic cart for picking up and placing the quartz tube on the carrier.