Coating apparatus – Intercontrol or safety interlock
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-01
2001-05-01
Bueker, Richard (Department: 1763)
Coating apparatus
Intercontrol or safety interlock
C118S715000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224676
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a gas supply apparatus, and particularly, to a gas supply apparatus suitable for supplying gas such as process gas to a reaction chamber for forming an insulating film on a semiconductor wafer.
In a process of manufacturing a memory such as DRAM of a semiconductor and a CPU such as a microcomputer, an interlayer insulating film such as silicon dioxide (SiO
2
) is used in forming an insulating film on a semiconductor wafer. As a film forming apparatus for forming the interlayer insulating film on the semiconductor wafer, a plasma CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) apparatus is used. The plasma CVD apparatus is provided with a reaction chamber for receiving process gas to form an interlayer insulating film on a semiconductor wafer, into which reaction chamber are supplied silane (SiH
4
), argon (Ar), oxygen (O
2
) or the like as process gas. In the maintenance, nitrogen (N
2
) as gas for purge or gas dilution is supplied to the reaction chamber, and in the cleaning, gas such as nitrogen trifluoride (NF
3
) is supplied thereto. As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 6-284061, the gas supply apparatus for supplying these gases to the reaction chamber proposed so far employs a module mounting construction in which groups of blocks constituting one element of a gas supply flow path are dispersed and arranged on the base, a flow control valve (MFC: Mass Flow Controller) or an operating valve is arranged between the blocks, and opposite ends of the MFC or the operating valve are locked to the blocks by means of bolts to shorten the overall length of the gas supply apparatus.
When the module mounting construction for locking the MFC or the operating valve on the blocks is employed in place of connecting the MFC or the operating valve by means of pipes, the overall length of the gas supply apparatus can be shortened, and the MFC or the operating valve can be locked to the blocks by means of bolts from an upper portion, thus facilitating the maintenance of MFC.
However, the prior art has a construction in which a cable for supplying power and a signal to the MFC is connected from the upper portion of the MFC. It is necessary to have room for the cable in consideration of an allowable radius of curvature of the cable. This sometimes results in that the cable is projected upward of the MFC, the height of the whole MFC increases, and the space in height is restricted. Further, since the cable is installed in the air, it is sometimes in the way when the MFC is removed unless processing of the cable is taken into consideration. Moreover, since a cable is long, the MFC is sometimes erroneously operated due to noises.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a gas supply apparatus capable of making use of a region between elements constituting a gas supply flow path for a region for a signal transmission system to reduce an occupying space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
For achieving the aforementioned object, according to the present invention, there is provided a gas supply apparatus comprising: block groups arranged in a relation spaced apart from each other to constitute one element of a gas supply flow path; a gas control means arranged adjacent to a plurality of blocks out of the block groups to constitute one element of the gas supply flow path and receiving a supply of power and a signal to control a flow of gas; and a signal transmission means for transmitting power and a signal to the gas control means, wherein the gas control means is united with the plurality of blocks adjacent to each other in a direction crossing a line for joining the blocks adjacent to each other in such a manner as to be mounted on partial regions of the adjacent blocks, and is connected to the gas supply flow path of the plurality of blocks adjacent to each other through the partial regions, and the signal transmission means is arranged in a region between the blocks adjacent to each other out of regions adjacent to the partial regions.
Alternatively, in constituting the gas supply apparatus, there can be employed a constitution in which a plurality of gas control means are provided, and power and a signal are transmitted from the signal transmission means to the respective gas control means.
In constituting the gas supply apparatus, the following elements can be added.
(1) The block groups are secured onto a base, the gas control means is provided with a signal input portion on the surface opposed to the base, and the signal transmission means comprises a uniting portion detachably united with the signal input portion of the gas control means, a power supply line and a signal line connected to the uniting portion, and a support portion secured onto the base to support the uniting portion, the power supply line and the signal line being wired along the support portion.
(2) An external uniting portion connected to the power line and the signal line, to which are connected a power line and a signal line different from the first mentioned power line and signal line is secured in a state of being exposed to the surface or the side of the support portion.
(3) The block groups are secured onto the base, the gas control means is provided with a signal input portion on the surface opposed to the base, and a power supply line and a signal line for transmitting power and a signal to the gas control means are wired along the base and connected to the signal input portion.
(4) A power supply for supplying power to the gas control means is secured to a position corresponding to the gas control means out of surfaces opposite to the block secured surface of the base, and a power supply line connected to the power supply is inserted into the base and connected to a signal input portion of the gas control means.
Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a film forming apparatus comprising: a reaction chamber for receiving a supply of process gas to deposit a film on a film forming subject; and a gas supply means for supplying process gas to the reaction chamber, wherein the gas supply apparatus is arranged in close proximity to the reaction chamber, the gas supplying apparatus comprising block groups arranged in a relation spaced apart from each other to constitute one element of a gas supply flow path, a gas control means arranged adjacent to a plurality of blocks out of the block groups to constitute one element of the gas supply flow path and receiving a supply of power and a signal to control a flow of gas, and a signal transmission means for transmitting power and a signal to the gas control means; the gas control means being united with the plurality of blocks adjacent to each other in a direction crossing a line for joining the blocks adjacent to each other in such a manner as to be mounted on partial regions of the adjacent blocks, and being connected to the gas supply flow path of the plurality of blocks adjacent to each other through the partial regions, the signal transmission means being arranged in a region between the blocks adjacent to each other out of regions adjacent to the partial regions.
According to the means, since the signal transmission means constituting a signal transmission system is arranged in a region surrounded by the gas control means and a plurality of blocks, a region between elements constituting the gas supply flow path can be utilized for the region of the signal transmission system, enabling reduction in occupying space. That is, the entire apparatus can be lowered in height. Further, the power supply is arranged on the surface opposite to the block secured surface of the base whereby the wiring of the power supply line is shortened to prevent the gas control means from being erroneously operated due to the noise, and the apparatus can be miniaturized. Further, the gas supply apparatus is arranged in the vicinity of the reaction chamber whereby the length of the gas supply flow path can be shortened, the occupying area of the film forming apparatus can be made small, and the time till gas is s
Ishiguro Koji
Nakajima Katsunori
Saruta Hikaru
Setoyama Eiji
Shida Hiroyuki
Bueker Richard
Hitachi , Ltd.
Mattingly Stanger & Malur, P.C.
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