TWI872998B - Gas supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

A gas supply device is provided, configured to be connected between a semiconductor manufacturing equipment and an off-gas treatment system, including: a first intake unit, a second intake unit, a mixing chamber, a gas supply channel and a control unit. The first intake unit is configured for a first gas to be introduced and includes a first inlet channel and a first flow controller disposed on the first inlet channel. The second unit is configured for a second gas to be introduced and includes a second inlet channel and a second flow controller disposed on the second inlet channel. The mixing chamber is communicated respectively with the first inlet channel and the second inlet channel. The gas supply channel is communicated with the mixing chamber and configured to be communicated with an exhaust channel of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The control unit is respectively connected with and controls the first flow controller and the second flow controller. The first gas is nitrogen, the second gas is air, and the control unit changes intake amounts of the first gas and the second gas according to a target oxygen content of a mixed gas.

Description

Gas supply device

The present invention relates to a gas supply device which can be connected to a semiconductor process equipment.

In general semiconductor process equipment (such as epitaxy), special reactive gases are often required to react with the surface of the wafer. The waste gas after the reaction may contain substances that are harmful to the environment or human body or flammable. Therefore, it needs to be treated by the waste gas treatment system before it can be discharged into the atmosphere.

The semiconductor process equipment and the exhaust gas treatment system are interconnected by an exhaust pipe. After long-term use, the substances in the exhaust gas often adhere to the wall of the exhaust pipe, so the exhaust pipe needs to be replaced regularly. However, when the exhaust pipe is disassembled, the residual exhaust gas in the pipe may cause air pollution or the risk of combustion or explosion, which poses a safety concern.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide a novel and advanced gas supply device to solve the above-mentioned problems.

The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a gas supply device that helps to remove harmful gases and ensures the safety of operation when repairing or maintaining semiconductor process equipment.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a gas supply device for connecting between semiconductor process equipment and an exhaust gas treatment system, including: a first air intake unit, a second air intake unit, a mixing chamber, a gas supply channel and a control unit. The first air intake unit is used to introduce a first gas and includes a first air intake channel and a first flow controller disposed in the first air intake channel; the second air intake unit is used to introduce a second gas and includes a second air intake channel and a second flow controller disposed in the second air intake channel; the mixing chamber is respectively connected to the first air intake channel and the second air intake channel for the first gas and the second gas to mix to form a mixed gas; the air supply channel is connected to the mixing chamber and is connected to an exhaust pipeline of the semiconductor process equipment, and the exhaust pipeline is used to exhaust a waste gas to the waste gas treatment system; the control unit is connected to the first flow controller and the second flow controller and can respectively control the intake amount of the first gas and the second gas input into the mixing chamber. The first gas is nitrogen, and the second gas is air. The control unit changes the intake amount of the first gas and the second gas according to a target oxygen content of the mixed gas.

The following examples are merely used to illustrate possible implementations of the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention, so it should be noted in advance.

Please refer to Figures 1 to 4, which show a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The gas supply device 1 of the present invention is connected between a semiconductor process equipment 2 and a waste gas treatment system 3, and includes: a first air intake unit 10, a second air intake unit 20, a mixing chamber 30, a gas supply channel 40 and a control unit 50.

The first air intake unit 10 is used to introduce a first gas and includes a first air intake channel 11 and a first flow controller 12 arranged on the first air intake channel 11; the second air intake unit 20 is used to introduce a second gas and includes a second air intake channel 21 and a second flow controller 22 arranged on the second air intake channel 21; the mixing chamber 30 is respectively connected to the first air intake channel 11 and the second air intake channel 21 so that the first gas and the second gas are mixed to form a mixed gas; the air supply channel 40 is connected to the mixing chamber 30 and is connected to an exhaust pipe 210 of the semiconductor process equipment 2, and the exhaust pipe 210 is used to discharge a waste gas to the waste gas treatment system 3; the control unit 50 is connected to the first flow controller 12 and the second flow controller 22 and can respectively control the intake amount of the first gas and the second gas input into the mixing chamber 30. Thereby, the gas supply device 1 can adjust the content of the first gas and the second gas according to the use demand, and input them into the exhaust pipe 210 through the gas supply channel 40 to dilute the exhaust gas or react with the substances in the exhaust gas, thereby preventing the substances in the exhaust gas from reacting with the external air when the exhaust pipe 210 is removed, and the operation safety is good.

The gas supply device 1 further includes a pressure sensor 220 and a valve 51 that can block the gas supply channel 40. The pressure sensor 220 is used to sense a gas pressure in the exhaust pipe 210. When the gas pressure is greater than a pressure upper limit, the control unit 50 controls the valve 51 to block the gas supply channel 40 to prevent excessive pressure in the pipe to ensure safe operation. In this embodiment, the pressure sensor 220 is a part of the semiconductor process equipment 2, such as an exhaust pump disposed in the semiconductor process equipment 2, and transmits its sensing result to the control unit 50 by wired or wireless means; in other embodiments, the pressure sensor can also be disposed in the part of the gas supply channel connected to the exhaust pipe.

The gas supply device 1 further includes an oxygen sensor 60 and a bypass pipe 70. The bypass pipe 70 is used to connect the mixing chamber 30 with an external environment to remove excess gas in the mixing chamber 30. The oxygen sensor 60 is connected to the control unit 50 and is connected between the bypass pipe 70 and one of the gas supply channel 40 and the mixing chamber 30. It can measure the oxygen content in the mixed gas to confirm that it complies with the regulation of the control unit 50 to avoid danger caused by errors.

In this embodiment, the first gas is nitrogen, the second gas is air, and the control unit 50 changes the intake volume of the first gas and the second gas according to a target oxygen content of the mixed gas. Before replacing the exhaust pipe 210, the operator can first connect the air supply channel 40 with the exhaust pipe 210, and the control unit 50 can sequentially execute a first air supply stage and a second air supply stage. In the first air supply stage, the control unit 50 controls the valve 51 to close so that the mixing chamber 30 is disconnected from the exhaust pipe 210 and the first flow controller 12 gradually increases the intake volume of the first gas within a first period of time. At the same time, the second flow controller 22 is controlled to gradually decrease the intake volume of the second gas within the first period of time. At this time, the nitrogen content in the mixed air increases, which can remove the water vapor and impurities in the mixing chamber 30 and discharge them from the bypass pipe 70. In the second air supply stage, the control unit 50 controls the first flow controller 12 to gradually decrease the intake volume of the first gas in a second period, and at the same time controls the second flow controller 22 to gradually increase the intake volume of the second gas in the second period, thereby increasing the oxygen content of the mixed gas. When the air supply channel 40 is connected to the exhaust pipe 210, the oxygen in the mixed gas can react and burn with the substances in the exhaust gas or adhered to the pipe wall, thereby ensuring the safety when removing the exhaust pipe 210. After the first air supply stage, the control unit 50 can preferably control the valve 51 to connect the mixing chamber 30 with the exhaust pipe 210, thereby removing the original gas in the exhaust pipe 210, reducing the concentration fluctuation of the mixed gas in the second air supply stage, and gradually increasing the oxygen content of the gas in the exhaust pipe 210 as the mixed gas is supplied in the second air supply stage, thereby effectively improving operational safety.

Preferably, the gas supply device 1 further comprises a pressure control unit 80, the pressure control unit 80 comprises a first pressure regulating valve 81 disposed in the first air inlet passage 11 and a second pressure regulating valve 82 disposed in the second air inlet passage 21, the first pressure regulating valve 81 and the second pressure regulating valve 82 are used to manually adjust the intake amount of the first gas and the second gas input into the mixing chamber 30. The gas supply device 1 further comprises a temperature sensor 310 connected to the control unit 50, the temperature sensor 310 is used to sense the temperature in the exhaust pipe 210; in this embodiment, the temperature sensor 310 is a component of the exhaust gas treatment system 3, and transmits its sensing result to the control unit 50 by wired or wireless means. Thus, during the second air supply stage, it can be determined whether the material in the exhaust pipe 210 is completely burned according to the sensing result of the temperature sensor 310; when the sensing temperature of the temperature sensor 310 is lower than a preset temperature (indicating that the combustible material in the exhaust pipe 210 has been completely burned), the operator can operate the first pressure regulating valve 81 and the second pressure regulating valve 82 to blow nitrogen into the exhaust pipe, thereby exhausting the residue in the pipe, and the exhaust pipe 210 can be safely removed. In other embodiments, the temperature sensor can also be arranged at the part of the air supply channel connected to the exhaust pipe.

The gas supply device 1 further includes a cart body 90, which includes a housing 91 and a plurality of roller assemblies 92 disposed on a bottom side of the housing 91. The first air intake unit 10, the second air intake unit 20, the mixing chamber 30 and the control unit 50 are disposed inside the housing 91, which is convenient for movement to be used in the required semiconductor process equipment 2, and has good mobility. Preferably, the connection ends of the first air intake channel 11, the second air intake channel 21 and the air supply channel 40 are fixed on the same side wall of the housing 91 to avoid unexpected collisions and facilitate operation.

Preferably, the gas supply device 1 further includes a flow meter 52 disposed in the gas supply channel 40 and connected to the control unit 50 and a prompt unit 53 connected to the control unit 50. When the control unit 50 determines that a detection value of the flow meter 52 does not meet a preset flow value, the control unit 50 controls the prompt unit 53 to send a prompt signal, so as to accurately control the gas supply and detect abnormalities in time, and the use safety is good. The prompt signal includes at least one of a light, sound, text and a picture, which can be selected as needed. The control unit 50 also includes an operation display interface 54 disposed in the housing 91, and the operation display interface 54 can be used for external operation and setting the pressure upper limit value and the preset flow value to meet different usage requirements.

Preferably, the second air intake unit 20 further includes a dehydration device 23 for removing moisture from the second gas, which effectively removes moisture from the air, avoids affecting the internal temperature and humidity, and protects internal components; the dehydration device 23 includes a liquid storage barrel 231, which is disposed outside the housing 91 for easy movement.

1: Gas supply device 2: Semiconductor process equipment 3: Waste gas treatment system 10: First air intake unit 11: First air intake channel 12: First flow controller 20: Second air intake unit 21: Second air intake channel 22: Second flow controller 23: Water removal device 231: Liquid storage tank 30: Mixing chamber 40: Air supply channel 50: Control unit 51: Valve 52: Flow meter 53: Prompt unit 54: Operation display interface 60: Oxygen sensor 70: Bypass line 80: Pressure control unit 81: First pressure regulating valve 82: Second pressure regulating valve 90: Cart body 91: Shell 92: Roller assembly 210: Exhaust pipe 220: Pressure sensor 310: Temperature sensor

Figure 1 is a three-dimensional diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a three-dimensional diagram of another preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a rear view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a structural block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

11: First air inlet channel 21: Second air inlet channel 231: Liquid storage tank 40: Air supply channel 53: Prompt unit

Claims (8)

A gas supply device for connecting between a semiconductor process equipment and a waste gas treatment system, comprising: a first air intake unit for introducing a first gas, comprising a first air intake channel and a first flow controller provided in the first air intake channel; a second air intake unit for introducing a second gas, comprising a second air intake channel and a second flow controller provided in the second air intake channel; a mixing chamber, respectively connected to the first air intake channel and the second air intake channel, for mixing the first gas and the second gas to form a mixed gas; a gas supply channel, connected to the mixing chamber and to an exhaust pipeline of the semiconductor process equipment, the exhaust pipeline for exhausting a waste gas to the waste gas treatment system; and A control unit is connected to the first flow controller and the second flow controller, and can control the intake volume of the first gas and the second gas into the mixing chamber respectively; Wherein, the first gas is nitrogen, and the second gas is air, and the control unit changes the intake volume of the first gas and the second gas according to a target oxygen content of the mixed gas. The gas supply device as described in claim 1 further includes an oxygen sensor and a bypass pipe, wherein the bypass pipe is used to connect the mixing chamber with an external environment, and the oxygen sensor is connected to the control unit and connected between the bypass pipe and one of the gas supply channels and the mixing chamber. A gas supply device as described in claim 1, wherein the second air inlet unit further includes a dehydration device for removing water vapor from the second gas. The gas supply device as described in claim 1 further includes a pressure sensor and a valve that can block the air supply channel, wherein the pressure sensor is used to sense a gas pressure in the exhaust pipe, and when the gas pressure is greater than an upper pressure limit, the control unit controls the valve to block the air supply channel. The gas supply device as described in claim 1 further includes a flow meter arranged in the gas supply channel and connected to the control unit, and a prompt unit connected to the control unit, wherein when the control unit determines that a detection value of the flow meter does not meet a preset flow value, the control unit controls the prompt unit to send a prompt signal. The gas supply device as described in claim 1 further includes a pressure control unit, wherein the pressure control unit includes a first pressure regulating valve arranged in the first air intake passage and a second pressure regulating valve arranged in the second air intake passage, and the first pressure regulating valve and the second pressure regulating valve are used to manually adjust the intake amount of the first gas and the second gas input into the mixing chamber. The gas supply device as described in claim 1 further includes a trolley body, wherein the trolley body includes a shell and a plurality of roller assemblies arranged on a bottom side of the shell, the first air intake unit, the second air intake unit, the mixing chamber and the control unit are arranged inside the shell, and the connecting ends of the first air intake channel, the second air intake channel and the air supply channel are fixed on the same side wall of the shell. A gas supply device as described in claim 2, wherein the control unit can sequentially execute a first air supply stage and a second air supply stage; in the first air supply stage, the control unit controls the first flow controller to gradually increase the intake volume of the first gas within a first time period, and simultaneously controls the second flow controller to gradually decrease the intake volume of the second gas within the first time period; in the second air supply stage, the control unit controls the first flow controller to gradually decrease the intake volume of the first gas within a second time period, and simultaneously controls the second flow controller to gradually increase the intake volume of the second gas within the second time period; and the gas supply device further includes a temperature sensor connected to the control unit, and the temperature sensor is used to sense the temperature in the exhaust pipe.

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