CN1170012C - Reactor with replaceable inner wall and cooling system - Google Patents

Abstract

A reactor with gas cooling having replaceable internal walls and a cooling system including a gas conditioning temperature assembly, a gas supply assembly and a gas control assembly. The gas regulating temperature assembly is positioned between the inner wall and the side wall of the reactor, the gas supply assembly is connected with the gas regulating temperature assembly and supplies gas required by the operation of the gas regulating temperature assembly, and the gas control assembly is connected with the gas supply assembly and controls the flow rate and the flow velocity of the gas entering the gas regulating temperature assembly from the gas supply assembly so as to obtain the real-time temperature regulating temperature.

Description

Reactor with replaceable inner walls and cooling system

technical field

The present invention relates to a cooling system for a reactor with replaceable inner walls, and more particularly to a cooling system which directly uses gas to cool the inner walls.

Background technique

Since many semiconductor manufacturing procedures are carried out in the reactor (chamber), and the progress of the semiconductor manufacturing procedures will affect the space in the entire reactor. Therefore, although the semiconductor manufacturing process is to process the wafer above the substrate of the reactor, and the wafer reaction in the semiconductor manufacturing process is usually controlled by the top plate opposite to the substrate, the side wall (wall) of the reactor will still be polluted, damage, etc., especially when the reactor is subjected to etching procedures. And its direct impact is that the reactor (at least the side wall) must be cleaned frequently, and even the service life of the reactor (or the side wall) will be shortened due to damage. For example, the above-mentioned problems exist in the prior art disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. U.S. 6,083,323 and U.S. 5,855,677.

Aiming at this problem, as shown in the cross-sectional schematic diagram of Figure 1A, a common practice is to place a detachable inner wall 14 (liner) on the side wall 13 of the reactor facing the wafer 12, so that the semiconductor manufacturing process only affects The base plate 10 , the top plate 11 and the inner wall 14 will not cause pollution and damage to the side wall 13 . Since the inner wall 14 is detachable, it only needs to clean or replace the inner wall 14, and the service life and quality of the side wall 13, which is basically not affected by the semiconductor manufacturing process, can be guaranteed. Generally speaking, since the inner wall 14 is usually only used to protect the side wall 13, the devices for controlling parameters such as the temperature and electric field of the reactor are still placed in the side wall 13, thereby simplifying the structure of the inner wall 14 as a consumable and reducing costs. In addition, the inner wall 14 is usually fixed on the side wall 13 by hanging or locking. If the inner wall 14 is completely sealed with the side wall 13, as in the situation shown in Figure 1A, the heat transmission pipe between the two has only contact transmission; and when the inner wall 14 is not completely sealed with the side wall 13, as shown in Figure 1B In this case, the heat transmission pipeline between the two has two possibilities of contact transmission and radiation transmission.

Obviously, since the inner wall 14 and the side wall 13 will interact with the semiconductor manufacturing process carried out in the reactor, the temperature of the inner wall 14 and the side wall 13 must be effectively controlled, especially when the reactor can be heated by means of coils or microwaves. At this time, the temperature control (such as cooling) of the inner wall 14 and the side wall 13 becomes an indispensable part of controlling the temperature in the reactor. As shown in the schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 1C and the top view of FIG. 1D , most of the prior art uses a freezer 15 (chiller) located in the side wall 13 and surrounding the wafer 12 to control the temperature, especially the control is directly affected by the semiconductor manufacturing process. The temperature of the inner wall 14, and generally all use liquid as the refrigerant required for the operation of the freezer 15.

In any case, the following disadvantages are almost unavoidable. First of all, since the heat transmission pipe between the side wall 13 and the inner wall 14 has only contact propagation and radiation propagation, the efficiency of radiation propagation is not good when the reactor is evacuated (especially high vacuum), and the contact propagation is limited by the inner wall 14 and the inner wall 14. Due to the material and shape used for the connection between the side walls 13 , the heat transfer efficiency between the side walls 13 and the inner wall 14 is not high. Secondly, since the freezer 15 does not directly contact the inner wall 14 but is located in the side wall 13, the temperature of the inner wall 14 must be changed by changing the temperature of the side wall 13, so the temperature of the inner wall 14 cannot be adjusted accurately. Furthermore, the temperature change of the liquid used in the freezer 15 takes a long time, and it cannot respond to the temperature change of the inner wall 14 in real time, so the temperature of the inner wall 14 cannot be adjusted in real time.

In summary, since the use of the inner wall can indeed reduce the maintenance cost and prolong the service life of the inner wall of the reactor, but the existing technology cannot effectively control the temperature of the inner wall, so the development of a new way to control the temperature of the inner wall has become the application of the inner wall. important topic.

Contents of the invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a reactor with gas cooling function, so as to overcome the unavoidable problems of the coolers using liquid refrigerant in the prior art.

According to the reactor with gas cooling function of the present invention, it at least includes: a base plate, a top plate, a side wall, an inner wall, a gas pipeline, an anti-leakage device and a cooling system, the base plate can be used to carry a wafer; the top plate and the base plate are located on opposite sides of the wafer , the side wall connects the bottom plate and the substrate and surrounds the wafer, while the inner wall is located between the side wall and the wafer, and the inner wall and the side wall are in contact and can be disassembled and replaced. The inner wall and the side wall are not tightly sealed and there is a closed space between the inner wall and the side wall Between the walls, the gas pipe is connected to the closed space and can supply gas to the closed space, while the leak stop device is located between the inner wall and the side wall and at the edge of the closed space, so that the closed space is the inner wall, the side wall and the stop leak device It is closed and only communicates with the gas pipeline.

According to the present invention, a cooling system for a reactor with a replaceable inner wall comprises at least a gas regulating temperature assembly, a gas supply assembly and a gas control assembly, the gas regulating temperature assembly is located between the inner wall and the side wall of the reactor During the period, the gas supply assembly is connected with the gas regulating temperature assembly, and supplies the gas required for the operation of the gas regulating temperature assembly, and the gas control assembly is connected with the gas supply assembly, and controls the gas entering the gas regulating assembly The flow rate and velocity of the gas in the temperature assembly.

The invention can directly adjust the temperature of the inner wall and effectively and elastically control the temperature of the inner wall of the reactor due to the adoption of the cooling system.

In order to better understand the purpose, features and advantages of the present invention, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Description of drawings

1A to 1D are three schematic cross-sectional views and a top view in sequence, which are respectively a schematic cross-sectional view of a reactor without an inner wall in the prior art, a schematic cross-sectional view of a reactor with an inner wall in the prior art, and a schematic view of a reactor using a cooling system. A schematic cross-sectional view and a top view of a reactor with an inner wall;

2A to 2D are schematic cross-sectional views and top views of two possible configurations of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

3A to 3E are several possible cross-sectional schematic diagrams of another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

Although the inner wall is added to the reactor to protect the side wall from contamination and damage, the cooling system of the reactor has not changed accordingly, and the cooler located in the side wall is still used, so the temperature of the inner wall cannot be directly and effectively adjusted . In addition, using liquid as the refrigerant of the cooler, although liquid cooling can take away more heat, the structure of the cooler using liquid as the refrigerant is more complicated, and it takes a long time to adjust the liquid temperature, and the flexibility of use is low.

In view of the above two problems, the inventor of the present invention proposes a method that can improve or even eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages: directly cool the inner wall with gas. Since the inner wall is directly cooled, the temperature of the inner wall can be directly and accurately adjusted by adjusting the flow rate, flow rate and temperature of the gas. At the same time, the gas in direct contact with the inner wall takes thermal energy away from the inner wall in the form of convective transmission, which is obviously more efficient than the contact transmission and radiation transmission of the prior art. In addition, since the gas temperature changes quickly, real-time responses can be made to adjust the temperature of the inner wall. Finally, due to the simple structure of the system using gas cooling, the structure of the reactor will not become more complicated, and even if the gas leaks, it can be pumped out of the reactor without causing much pollution. Of course, although the present invention directly cools the inner wall with gas, the present invention can also use the liquid cooling of the prior art to enhance the cooling function of the entire reactor.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a cooling system suitable for reactors with replaceable inner walls, as shown in Figure 2A and Figure 2B, this embodiment at least includes a gas regulating temperature assembly 21, a gas supply assembly 22 and gas control assembly 23.

The gas regulating temperature assembly 21 is located between the inner wall 24 of the reactor and the side wall 25 of the reactor, so as to directly adjust the temperature of the inner wall 24 . Generally speaking, the gas regulating temperature assembly 21 allows the gas to directly contact the inner wall 24, but O-rings (not shown in FIGS. Partially separated, so as to prevent the wafer 26 and the ongoing semiconductor manufacturing process in the reactor from being disturbed by the gas. Certainly, the gas regulating temperature assembly 21 can also make the gas directly contact the side wall 25 , so that the gas regulating temperature assembly can also directly adjust the temperature of the side wall 25 .

The gas supply assembly 22 is connected with the gas regulating temperature assembly 21, and supplies the gas required for the operation of the gas regulating temperature assembly 21, such as high-pressure air, dry air, nitrogen or inert gas. The position of the gas supply assembly 22 is not the key point of the present invention. The gas supply assembly 22 can be located on the side wall 25 or the inner wall 24, but it is usually located in the side wall 25 to simplify the construction of the replaceable inner wall 24 and reduce the cost. . Here it is shown that the gas supply manifold 22 is located within the side wall 25, and the gas supply source is not specifically shown. Of course, the gas supply assembly 22 only needs to be connected to the gas regulating temperature assembly 21 to supply the required gas, and the gas supply assembly 22 does not need to surround the wafer 26 .

The gas control assembly 23 is connected with the gas supply assembly 22 and controls the flow and velocity of the gas entering the gas regulating temperature assembly 21 from the gas supply assembly 22 . Generally, the gas control assembly 23 is a combination of a valve and a computer and can be located at any position. Here, the gas control assembly 23 is located on the outer edge of the side wall 25 as shown. Of course, gas control assembly 23 need not surround wafer 26 either.

Certainly, this embodiment may further include a cooler using liquid as a refrigerant in the prior art. In other words, as shown in FIG. 2C and FIG. 2D , this embodiment may further include a liquid regulating temperature assembly 271 and a liquid supply assembly 272 located on the side wall 25 . Here, the liquid regulating temperature assembly 271 is connected with the liquid supply assembly 272 , and the liquid supply assembly 272 obtains the liquid required for operation and discharges the liquid that has absorbed heat to the liquid supply assembly 272 . In addition, this embodiment may further include a liquid control assembly 273 connected with the liquid supply assembly 272 and controlling the flow rate and velocity of the liquid entering the liquid temperature adjustment assembly 271 from the liquid supply assembly 272 .

Another preferred embodiment of the present invention is a reactor with gas cooling function, as shown in Figure 3A, Figure 3B and Figure 3C, at least including: a base plate 31, a top plate 32, a side wall 33, an inner wall 34, and a gas pipeline 35 and anti-leak device 36.

Here, the base plate 31 can be used to carry the chip 37 , the top plate 32 and the base plate 31 are located on opposite sides of the chip 37 , and the sidewall 33 connects the top plate 32 and the base plate 31 and surrounds the chip 37 . Apparently, the base plate 31 , the top plate 32 and the side walls 33 form the basic outline of the reactor. Certainly, there are many variations in the structures of the base plate 31 , the top plate 32 and the side wall 33 , but they are not the focus of this embodiment, and this embodiment is not limited thereto. And because the details of the pipelines for supplying reactants, the microwave tubes for supplying energy, the wires for supplying electromagnetic fields, etc. vary with the content of different reactors, these details are omitted here and not drawn.

The inner wall 34 is located between the wafer 37 and the side wall 33 of the reactor, and the inner wall 34 is in contact with the side wall 33 and is detachable and replaceable. But in this embodiment, the inner wall 34 and the side wall 33 are not sealed, and there is a closed space 38 between the inner wall 34 and the side wall 33, and the closed space 38 usually surrounds the wafer 37, so as to provide a uniform temperature in the reactor control. The closed space 38 can be at least one groove formed by the inner wall 34 on the side facing the side wall 33, as shown in FIG. 3A, or at least one groove formed on the side wall 33 facing the inner wall 3, as shown in FIG. 3B. , or formed by curved inner walls 34 and straight side walls 33, as shown in FIG. 3C. Here, the connection method between the inner wall 34 and the side wall 33 is not the focus of this embodiment, and whether the inner wall 34 covers the entire side wall 33 is not the focus of this embodiment, these are details that can be changed arbitrarily in this embodiment.

The gas pipe 35 is connected to the closed space 38 and can supply gas to the closed space 38 . Of course, the gas pipeline 38 is connected to the gas supply source for providing the gas and the pump for pumping the gas out of the enclosed space, but the gas supply source and the pump need not be part of the reactor proposed in this embodiment, so they are not included. are shown in the accompanying drawings. Besides, since the inner wall 34 is detachable, the gas pipe 35 is usually located on the side wall 33 , but can also be located on the inner wall 34 . Generally, the gas pipeline 35 can be divided into an input pipeline and an output pipeline. The gas enters the closed space from the gas supply source through the inflow pipeline, and the gas leaves the closed space through the outflow pipeline. Moreover, the input pipes and output pipes can be randomly distributed in the side wall 33 and the inner wall 34 as required.

The anti-leakage device 36 is located between the inner wall 34 and the side wall 33, and is positioned at the edge of the closed space 38, so that the closed space 38 is closed by the inner wall 34, the side wall 33 and the anti-leakage device 36, and is only connected to the gas pipeline 35. Pass. Obviously, the quality of the anti-leakage device 36 is the key to whether the present embodiment can not interfere with the wafer 37 and the normal progress of the semiconductor manufacturing process. Generally, an O-ring is sandwiched between the inner wall 34 and the side wall 33 and surrounds the entire enclosed space 38 .

In addition, this embodiment can further include a gas control device 39 for controlling the flow and velocity of the gas, and the gas control device 39 is usually composed of a valve and a microcomputer, and can be located at the edge of the reactor, as shown in the figure 3D, or elsewhere. Of course, the gas control device 39 and the enclosed space 38 are not necessarily related.

Of course, this embodiment can also incorporate prior art liquid cooling to enhance the temperature control performance of the entire reactor. In other words, as shown in FIG. 3E , in this embodiment, a liquid pipe 41 located on the side wall 33 and having liquid flowing therein, and a liquid control device 42 for controlling the flow and velocity of the liquid can also be used. Liquid piping 41 usually surrounds wafer 37 to provide uniform temperature control capability, while liquid control device 42 is usually a combination of valves and microcomputers and can be located at the edge of the reactor or elsewhere.

The above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention; all other equivalent changes or modifications that do not deviate from the spirit disclosed in the present invention should be included in this application. In the patent protection scope of the invention application.

Claims (10)

1. A reactor with gas cooling function in a semiconductor manufacturing process, characterized in that it at least includes: a substrate capable of carrying at least one wafer; a top plate located on opposite sides of the wafer from the base plate; a side wall connecting the base plate to the substrate and surrounding the wafer; An inner wall, which is located between the side wall and the wafer, the inner wall is in contact with the side wall and can be disassembled and replaced, and the inner wall and the side wall are not in close contact with each other There is a closed space between the side walls; A gas pipeline, which is connected to the closed space and can supply gas to the closed space; a leakage prevention device, which is located between the inner wall and the side wall, and is located at the edge of the closed space, so that the closed space The closed space is closed by the inner wall, the side wall and the anti-leakage device, and only communicates with the gas pipeline; and a cooling system. 2. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the gas conduit is located on the inner wall. 3. The reactor of claim 1, wherein said gas conduit is located on said side wall. 4 . The reactor according to claim 1 , wherein the inner wall has at least one groove on a side facing the side wall, and the groove forms at least part of the closed space. 5 . The reactor according to claim 1 , wherein at least one groove exists on the side of the side wall facing the inner wall, and the groove forms at least part of the enclosed space. 5 . 6. The reactor according to claim 1, characterized in that the cooling system comprises at least: A gas regulating temperature assembly, the gas regulating temperature assembly is located between the inner wall and the side wall of the reactor; a gas supply assembly, which is connected to the gas regulating temperature assembly and supplies the gas required for the operation of the gas regulating temperature assembly; and A gas control assembly, the gas control assembly is connected with the gas supply assembly, and controls the flow rate and flow rate of the gas entering the gas regulating temperature assembly from the gas supply assembly. 7. The reactor of claim 6, wherein the gas regulating temperature assembly directs the gas in contact with the inner wall. 8. The reactor of claim 6, wherein the gas regulating temperature assembly places the gas in direct contact with the sidewall. 9. The reactor of claim 6, wherein the gas supply assembly is located on the side wall. 10. The reactor of claim 6, wherein the gas supply assembly is located on the inner wall.

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