JPH10125652A - Semiconductor manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus such as etching and ion implantation, which efficiently removes gas from reaction products attached to a chamber when the chamber is opened to the atmosphere. A chamber for processing a semiconductor.
An introduction line 24 for introducing a moisture-containing gas into the chamber 12, an exhaust line 26 for exhausting from the chamber 12, and a heating means 3 for heating the chamber 12.
And control means 36 for heating the chamber 12 by heating the chamber 12 by flowing a moisture-containing gas into the chamber 12 through the introduction line 24 and the exhaust line 28 when the chamber 12 is opened to the atmosphere. Configuration. Further, the vent for opening the chamber 12 to the atmosphere and the evacuation for evacuating the chamber 12 are alternately repeated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus such as etching and ion implantation used for manufacturing a semiconductor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the manufacture of semiconductors, dry etching such as plasma etching and reactive ion etching (RIE) is often used. Dry etching is performed while introducing a predetermined gas into the chamber. The ion implantation is also performed while introducing a predetermined gas into the chamber.

In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus such as an etching apparatus or an ion implantation apparatus, a semiconductor wafer is inserted into a chamber and a semiconductor wafer is discharged from the chamber using a load lock. Therefore, the chamber is usually opened to the atmosphere. Never. However, in maintenance etc.
The chamber may be open to the atmosphere.

[0004] When the chamber is opened to the atmosphere, it is necessary to forcibly exhaust the residual gas in the chamber so that the residual gas in the chamber does not flow into the clean room when the chamber is opened. is there. For this reason, the chamber was conventionally purged using an inert gas. However, recently, various types of process gases have been used, and depending on the type of process gas, even if the chamber is purged with an inert gas, some of the gases cannot be completely purified. There is a problem that cannot be completely cleaned.

[0005] JP-A-5-259133 and JP-A-7-243681 disclose purging a chamber using a water-containing gas instead of an inert gas to remove generated gas which could not be cleaned conventionally. It is disclosed that the chamber can be considerably cleaned. Moisture in the moisture-containing gas turns the product gas into its oxides and is therefore easier to purify.

[0006]

However, it is not easy to remove such reaction products if they adhere to the chamber walls. Such a reaction product releases a harmful gas when the chamber is opened to the atmosphere, and contaminates a clean room.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus capable of efficiently purifying gas from reaction products attached to a chamber when the chamber is opened to the atmosphere.

[0008]

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a chamber for processing a semiconductor, an introduction line for introducing a moisture-containing gas into the chamber, and an exhaust line for exhausting the chamber. A heating means for heating the chamber; and a water-containing gas flowing into the chamber through the introduction line and the exhaust line when the chamber is opened to the atmosphere. And a control means for heating the heater.

In the above structure, when the chamber is opened to the atmosphere, the valve arranged in the introduction line, the valve arranged in the exhaust line, and the vacuum pump are operated in synchronization with each other to open the chamber to the atmosphere. The vent to be opened and the evacuation to evacuate the chamber may be alternately repeated. Further, the venting and the evacuation may be automatically repeated within a predetermined pressure range.

[0010] According to the above feature, when the chamber is opened to the atmosphere, it is possible to efficiently purify the gas emitted from the attached reaction product and prevent the clean room from being contaminated.

[0011]

FIG. 1 shows a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 is implemented as an ion implantation apparatus. This semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10
Can also be implemented as, for example, an etching device or the like.

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 has a chamber 12 and a supply line 14 for supplying a gas necessary for ion implantation.
And a discharge line 16 for discharging the gas is provided in the chamber 12.
It is connected to the. Valves 14a and 16a are arranged on the supply line 14 and the discharge line 16 for discharging, respectively. Further, a duct 20 including the safety valve 18 is connected.
Known means (not shown) for ion implantation are arranged in the chamber 12 as necessary.

Further, an inert gas introduction line 22 and a water-containing gas introduction line 24 are connected to the chamber 12. The inert gas introduction line 22 includes a valve 22a, and the moisture-containing gas introduction line 24 includes a valve 24a. A desired gas can be introduced into the chamber 12 by opening and closing these valve valves 22a and 24a. The inert gas introduction line 22 is used as needed, and the moisture-containing gas introduction line 24 is more important in the present invention. As the moisture-containing gas, for example, air containing steam, nitrogen containing steam, or the like is used.

Further, exhaust lines 26 and 28 are connected to the chamber 12. The exhaust line 26 is a valve 26a
The exhaust line 28 includes a valve 28 a and a high vacuum pump 32. Normally, when the chamber 12 is evacuated, the roughing vacuum pump 30 is first operated to make the inside of the chamber 12 a low vacuum state, and then the high vacuum vacuum pump 32 is operated to make the inside of the chamber 12 a high vacuum state. I do. An oil diffusion pump or the like is used as the high vacuum vacuum pump 32.

In addition, heaters 34 are mounted around and at the bottom of the outer wall forming chamber 12,
Can be heated. The control device 36 including the microprocessor and the like
Particularly, in the present invention, when the chamber 12 is opened to the atmosphere for maintenance or the like, the moisture-containing gas is supplied to the chamber 12 through the moisture-containing gas introduction line 24 and the exhaust line 26, and the heater 34 Is operated to heat the chamber 12.

As described above, when the chamber 12 is opened to the atmosphere, by flowing a water-containing gas into the chamber 12, if there is a reaction product attached to the inner surface of the chamber 12, harmful substances generated from the reaction product will be generated. The reaction between the gas and the moisture in the moisture-containing gas facilitates the purification of the harmful gas.
By heating 2, the reaction between the harmful gas and moisture can be promoted, and the chamber 12 can be more easily purified.

Further, preferably, not only the flow of the moisture-containing gas into the chamber 12 but also the valve 24a and the exhaust line 26 disposed in the moisture-containing gas introduction line 24 are provided.
26a and roughing vacuum pump 30
Are operated synchronously. Thus, the vent that opens the chamber 12 to the atmosphere and the chamber 1
2 is alternately repeated. By doing so, the harmful gas that has reacted with moisture can be more reliably separated from the reaction product. Therefore, chamber 1
2 can be further purified.

Preferably, such venting and evacuation are automatically repeated within a predetermined pressure range. In the embodiment, the inside of the chamber 12 is 7
Rough roughing until 00 Torr, then 10 ^-2
Evacuation was performed until the pressure reached Torr, and this was repeated for 30 minutes.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the results of examining the gas concentration in the chamber 12 when the chamber 12 is opened to the atmosphere under various conditions. Curve A shows the gas concentration when a water-containing gas (water vapor-containing air) is flown while heating the chamber 12, and the venting and evacuation are automatically repeated.

A curve B shows the gas concentration when the inert gas is flowed while the chamber 12 is heated. Curve C shows the gas concentration when an inert gas is flown while the chamber 12 is heated, and venting and evacuation are repeated. Curve D shows the gas concentration when the inert gas is flown without heating the chamber 12. From these results, according to the present invention, the inside of the chamber 12 can be considerably cleaned.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention,
When the chamber is opened to the atmosphere, the gas emanating from the adhered reaction products can be efficiently removed, and the inside of the chamber can be considerably cleaned, thereby keeping the inside of the clean room clean.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing results of examining gas concentrations in a chamber when the chamber is opened to the atmosphere under various conditions.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 ... Chamber 24 ... Moisture-containing gas introduction line 24a ... Valve 26 ... Exhaust line 26a ... Valve 30 ... Rough vacuum pump 32 ... High vacuum vacuum pump 34 ... Heater 36 ... Control device

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A chamber for processing a semiconductor, an introduction line for introducing a moisture-containing gas into the chamber, an exhaust line for exhausting the chamber, and a heating unit for heating the chamber. A control means for supplying a moisture-containing gas to the chamber through the introduction line and the exhaust line when the chamber is opened to the atmosphere and operating the heating means to heat the chamber. Semiconductor manufacturing equipment. 2. When the chamber is opened to the atmosphere, a valve arranged on the introduction line, a valve arranged on the exhaust line, and a vacuum pump are synchronously operated to open the chamber to the atmosphere. 2. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vent and the evacuation for evacuating the chamber are alternately repeated. 3. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the venting and the evacuation are automatically repeated within a predetermined pressure range.