JP2000294509A - Semiconductor vacuum equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a semiconductor vacuum apparatus, having a structure improving sealing property (adhesion) in an O-ring part which is used for maintaining airtightness between a chamber having a vacuum, and the outside. SOLUTION: A CAP open-close drive part 11 is a coupling port, where a board 14 on which products (wafers or the like) are set, is carried in and out from a furnace core pipe side 13 as a chamber for vacuum. In an open-close tight contact part between the furnace core pipe side 13 and the CAP open-close drive part 11, an O-ring 52 is arranged also on a CAP 12 of the reverse side, facing an O-ring 51 installed on the furnace core pipe side 13. These O-rings 51, 52 are brought closely into contact with each other, while shifting.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to semiconductor manufacturing, and more particularly to a semiconductor vacuum apparatus having an O-ring in a furnace tube with reduced pressure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A semiconductor vacuum apparatus related to a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) apparatus, a vacuum evaporation apparatus, and the like, which plays an important role in a semiconductor manufacturing process, observes an entrance (CAP) through which products are put in and out of a chamber and the inside of the chamber. It has windows and the like. It is important for the CAP and the window unit integrated with such a chamber to have a sealing property (adhesion) so as to minimize the leakage of the atmosphere when the chamber is evacuated.

[0003] As a structure for improving the sealing property (adhesion), O
Rings are known. O-ring is for example C
This is a fluorine-based ring-shaped packing provided at the AP mounting port. By this O-ring, the vicinity of the inlet / outlet of the chamber and the facing surface of the CAP are brought into close contact with each other, so that the airtightness is sufficient.

FIG. 4A is a sectional view showing a conventional structure using an O-ring in a low pressure CVD furnace, and FIG. 4B is a front view showing an O-ring provided on the CVD furnace side. The CAP opening / closing drive unit 81 is a communication port through which a board 84 on which a product (a wafer or the like) is set is put in and taken out of a furnace tube side 83 serving as a vacuum chamber. The CAP opening / closing drive section 81 can open and close by sliding the CAP 82.

An O-ring 85 is provided on the furnace tube side 83 at a position facing the CAP 2. When the CAP is closed and the inside of the chamber (83) is evacuated, the sealing performance of the O-ring 85 is very important so as not to impair the degree of vacuum.

[0006]

However, the sealing performance of the O-ring 85 provided on the furnace tube side 83 alone deteriorates remarkably, and the sealing performance becomes insufficient. Leakage), which promotes the growth of a natural oxide film on the product. This allows
There was a problem that the characteristics of the product fluctuated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to improve the sealing property (adhesion) of an O-ring portion for maintaining the airtightness between a chamber with a vacuum and the outside. An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor vacuum device having a structure for causing the semiconductor vacuum device to have a structure.

[0008]

A semiconductor vacuum apparatus according to the present invention includes an open / close contact portion provided as a communication path with the outside in an airtight chamber, and an O-ring on one side of the open / close contact portion. An O-ring is provided on the opposite side to the opposite side, and these O-rings are characterized by having a close contact structure while being shifted from each other.

According to the present invention, the airtightness of the O-ring of the open / close contact portion is increased, the sealing property is improved, the air leak into the chamber is reduced, and high reliability and stability of the semiconductor manufacturing process are obtained. .

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 (a) is a configuration showing a first embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration using an O-ring in a low pressure CVD furnace, and FIG. Front view showing the state of close contact with the O-ring, and FIG.
FIG. 3A is an enlarged view showing a contact portion of an O-ring of FIG.

The CAP opening / closing drive section 11 is a communication port for taking in and out a board 14 on which a product (a wafer or the like) is set in a furnace tube 13 as a vacuum chamber. The CAP opening / closing drive unit 11 can slide and open / close the CAP 12.

An open / close contact portion between the core tube side 13 and the CAP opening / closing drive unit 11 is provided with an O-ring 51 provided on the core tube side 13.
An O-ring 52 is also provided on the CAP 12 on the opposite side. These O-rings 51 and 52 are in close contact with each other while being shifted from each other. For example, the dotted line in FIG. 1B indicates the core tube side 13 of the O-ring 52 on the CAP 12 side.
3 shows a close contact to the contact.

That is, the contact structure by the O-rings 51 and 52 will be described in detail below. In FIG. 1C, reference numeral 6 denotes a counterbore for fixing each of the O-rings 51 and 52. There are three contact portions: a contact portion Z between the furnace tube 13 and the O-ring 52, a contact portion Y between the CAP 12 and the O-ring 51, and a contact portion X between the O-rings 51 and 52.

According to the above configuration, a triple sealing effect in X, Y and Z is realized only by increasing the area for one O-ring in the opening / closing contact portion. Thereby, the effect of reducing the minute leak of the atmosphere during the evacuation of the apparatus is much better than the conventional one.

In the above embodiment, the O on the furnace tube side 13
Although the structure is shown in which the ring 51 is provided so as to mesh with the inside and the O-ring 52 on the CAP 12 side is provided with the outside, the arrangement may be reversed. That is, although not shown, the O-ring 51 on the core tube side 13 is on the outside and the O-ring 5 on the CAP 12 side is
The same effect can be expected even in a structure in which the two are engaged with each other.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, and is an enlarged view showing a contact portion of an O-ring in a semiconductor vacuum device. In this embodiment, the furnace tube side 23 and the CA
The opening / closing contact portion with P22 has a flange 21 to be connected with an inclination angle. In the portion of the flange 21, the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, that is, the O-ring 62 is provided also on the CAP 22 on the opposite side to the O-ring 61 on the core tube side 23. That is, these O
The rings 61 and 62 are in close contact with each other while being shifted from each other.

The size t1 of the flange 21 can be reduced by making the open / close contact portion oblique. If compared with a flange having no inclination angle, as shown in FIG. 2, the improvement space t is t = t1−t2 · cos θ.
It is.

According to the above structure, the O-ring is opposed to the opening / closing contact portion so that the O-ring is opposed to the opening / close contact portion, so that the triple sealing effect similar to that of X, Y, Z shown in the first embodiment is obtained.
Reduces minute leakage of air during evacuation of the device. Also, in this embodiment, the O-rings may be engaged in a reverse arrangement. That is, although not shown, a similar effect can be expected even in a structure in which the O-ring 61 on the furnace tube side 23 is provided on the outside and the O-ring 62 on the CAP 22 is provided on the inside.

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, and is an enlarged view showing a contact portion of an O-ring in a semiconductor vacuum device. In this embodiment, the furnace tube side 33 and the CAP
32, the CA tube side 33 also has a CA
The P32 side also has a plurality of O-rings (71, 72, 7).
3, 74), and these O-rings 71 to 74 are in close contact with each other while being shifted from each other.

According to the above configuration, the contact portions are the locations A to G as shown in the figure. That is, a high sealing effect can be obtained only by increasing the area of two O-rings in the open / close contact portion.

If the number of O-rings is n, the contact point m
Is m = 1 + 2 (n-1). Thus, a further sealing effect can be enhanced by increasing the number of O-rings. The same effect can be expected for the staggered meshing even if the inner-outer positional relationship is reversed.

The following advantages can be obtained by adopting the mutual O-ring contact mode according to each of the above embodiments.
That is, (1) improvement of sealing performance (adhesion), (2) reduction of minute leak of the atmosphere, and (3) suppression of oxide film growth of a product (wafer) and stabilization of product characteristics are realized. You. (4) It is suitable for measures to extend the life of the O-ring.

In the above embodiment, a low pressure CVD apparatus has been described as an example. However, another semiconductor manufacturing method having an open / close contact portion provided as a communication path between a chamber for reducing pressure and the outside, or a window portion such as a quartz window. It is also useful for devices.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Provided is a semiconductor vacuum device capable of improving sealing performance by providing an O-ring opposed to the opening / closing contact portion to shift the meshing and bringing the O-ring into close contact, thereby improving the reliability and stability of a semiconductor product manufacturing process. can do.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a configuration showing a first embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration using an O-ring in a low pressure CVD furnace, and FIG. 1B is a sectional view showing an O-ring provided on a CVD furnace side. (C) is an enlarged view showing a contact portion of the O-ring.

FIG. 2 is a configuration showing a second embodiment of the present invention, and is an enlarged view showing a contact portion of an O-ring in a semiconductor vacuum device.

FIG. 3 is a configuration showing a third embodiment of the present invention, and is an enlarged view showing a contact portion of an O-ring in a semiconductor vacuum device.

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional configuration using an O-ring in a low pressure CVD furnace, and FIG. 4B is a front view showing an O-ring provided on the CVD furnace side.

[Explanation of symbols]

11: CAP open / close drive unit, 12: CAP (product inlet / outlet), 13: Low pressure CVD furnace tube side, 14: Product mounting board, 51, 52, 61, 62, 71 to 74: O-ring.

Claims (3)

[Claims] In an airtight chamber, an open / close contact portion provided as a communication path with the outside is provided, and an O-ring is provided on the opposite side of the O-ring on one side of the open / close contact portion.
A vacuum semiconductor device in which rings are provided, and these O-rings have a close contact structure while being shifted from each other. 2. The vacuum semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said opening / closing contact portion has a flange which is connected at an inclined angle, and said flange portion is provided with a contact structure for said O-ring. apparatus. 3. The vacuum semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the O-rings are provided on at least one side.