Connecting structure between fluid channel

Details Connecting structure between fluid channel Connecting structure between fluid channel

1999-03-04

2001-10-09

Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)

Pipe joints or couplings

Adjustable angle

C285S374000, C285S231000, C285S234000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06299218

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor equipment, and more especially, to a pipe union structure connection between fluid channel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the semiconductor industry, there usually takes a lot of processes to fabricate a chip. Some of these processes, such as physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and plasma etching (dry etching), need to process a gas, or vapor reaction, and therefore, need a fluid delivery system to deliver the reactive gas and/or precursor material into the processing chamber.
FIG. 1
depicts concisely a portion of a gas delivery system used to bring plasma gas into a wafer process chamber
10
in a photoresist stripping system, wherein the photoresist on the wafer
20
is stripped by plasma etching. In this system, the original gases are brought into a plasma tube
30
through the bubbler
32
, and converted into plasma with some reactions such as ionization reaction by using electrode
34
or the like. Once the plasma is generated, the plasma gases are introduced from the plasma tube
30
into the wafer process chamber
10
through the plasma transition passage
36
. In the wafer process chamber
10
, the photoresist stripping process is carried out by reactive ion etching (RIE). The plasma gases are drawn downward through a gas distribution plate
40
to the surface of the wafer
20
, and then the post-reaction gases are exhausted through exhaust passage
50
by an exhaust pump
60
.
In general, the conduit of the gas delivery system are not built as an integral object, but built with several discrete parts connected in turn for adapting to the configuration of the system.
FIG. 2
illustrates a conventional connecting pipe union structure used in the delivery passage between two discrete conduits such as the plasma tube
30
and the plasma transition passage
36
shown in FIG.
1
. The gas in the conduit is flowing from the first pipe
102
to the second pipe
104
as indicated by the arrow
106
. Typically, an O-ring
108
is used to seal between the two pipes and prevent leakage or contamination of gas, as well as prevent loss of proper chamber pressure.
A flow-guiding pipe
110
extends from the outlet of the first pipe
102
to the inlet of the second pipe
104
. The flow-guiding pipe
110
is disposed to avoid turbulence of the gas flow around the outlet of the first pipe
102
, and prevent seal damage by deleterious gas. To realize such a function, the flow-guiding pipe
110
must be disposed with a certain length extending into the first pipe
102
.
However, the gas delivery system is not a totally stationary system. A pump used in the system as shown in
FIG. 1
must be applied (not shown in this figure). When the pump is running and the gas flowing in the conduits, the conduits will shake, and the two pipes
102
and
104
will move relative to each other. These two pipes
102
and
104
will be bent with the O-ring seal
108
as the fulcrum. The dash lines in
FIG. 2
represents a possible position of the second pipe
104
when the shake occurs. In this situation, the distance between the outlet of the flow-guiding pipe
110
and the inner wall of the second conduit pipe
104
varies as the vibration occurs (and almost touch each other as shown in the figure). If the two pipes shake violently, the amplitude of the vibration becomes large, and the flow-guiding pipe
110
will tend to grind, scratch or collide the inner wall of the second pipe
104
.
Generally, the conduits of the delivery system are made of materials such as quartz, for withstanding various aggressive gases. When the grind or scratch happens, there could generate particles that will contaminate the plasma gases and then consequently the wafer positioned downstream from the two pipes
102
and
104
. Extremely, the collision could cause one or both of the pipes to crack or being broken.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention proposes a pipe union structure for connecting fluid conduit of a fluid delivery system. This connecting pipe union structure limits the length of the flow-guiding pipe extending into the delivery conduit, to avoid grind, scratch or collide between two pipes and reduce particle contaminates to the transition gases and the probability of crack of the conduit.
The present connecting pipe union structure comprises a first pipe, a second pipe with an inlet mounted to the outlet of the first pipe, and an inner pipe extending from the first pipe into the second pipe. The inner pipe has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameters of the first pipe and the second pipe, and extending into the second pipe with a certain length. The length of the inner pipe extending into the second pipe is less than the proportion of the minimum distance between the inner wall of the second pipe and the outlet of the inner pipe when standstill, to the tangent value of a certain angle &thgr;. The certain angle &thgr; is the maximum inclined angle between the second pipe and the inner pipe.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1562142 (1925-11-01), Braczik
patent: 4341405 (1982-07-01), Olson
patent: 5941070 (1999-08-01), Oldham
patent: 5984001 (1999-11-01), Welkey
patent: 0173488 (1935-02-01), None
patent: 0404314 (1966-06-01), None

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