Baffle plate, apparatus for producing the same, method of producing the same, and gas processing apparatus containing baffle plate

• US 20030094135A1
• Filed: 10/11/2002
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Tomoyasu, Masayuki, Hosaka, Shigetoshi, Yonenaga, Tomihiro, Komiya, Taro, Osada, Hatsuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,648,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00777 horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4412 Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45591 Fixed means, e.g. wings, baffles
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32449 Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32834 Exhausting

Abstract

The present invention provides a gas process apparatus that realizes uniform exhaust without depending on process conditions, a gas process chamber that constitutes the gas process apparatus, a baffle plate mounted on the gas process chamber, a method of producing the baffle plate, and an apparatus for producing the baffle plate. The baffle plate of the present invention serves as a partition between a process space in which a chemical process is carried out with a supplied gas, and a duct that is adjacent to the process space and functions to discharge exhaust gas generated as a result of the chemical process. In accordance with the difference between the pressures on both sides of the baffle plate, which difference varies depending on the location on the baffle plate, the baffle holes are disposed on a plurality of locations on the baffle plate.

Claims

1. A baffle plate that parts a process space in which a chemical process is carried out with a supplied gas from a duct that is adjacent to the process space for discharging an exhaust gas generated as a result of the chemical process,

said baffle plate characterized in that, after a plurality of through holes are virtually formed at desired locations on the baffle plate, the plurality of through holes are actually formed at the desired location so that flow rates of the exhaust gas at the plurality of through holes become uniform.

2. A baffle plate that parts a process space in which a chemical process is carried out with a supplied gas from a duct that is adjacent to the process space for discharging an exhaust gas generated as a result of the chemical process,

said baffle plate characterized in that, through holes are formed at a plurality of locations on the baffle plate, depending on pressure differences between two sides of the baffle plate.

3. The baffle plate as claimed in claim 2, wherein the through holes are formed in accordance with a pressure variation of the exhaust gas along a flowing path of the exhaust gas inside the duct.

4. The baffle plate as claimed in claim 3, wherein the through holes are formed so that a flow rate of the exhaust gas flowing through the through holes calculated by the Hagen-Poisueille'"'"'s equation becomes constant.

5. The baffle plate as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least three through holes are arranged at various intervals along a flowing path of the exhaust gas inside the duct.

6. The baffle plate as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least two through holes having different pore sizes are formed.

7. A baffle plate that parts a process space in which a chemical process is carried out with a supplied gas from a duct that is adjacent to the process space for discharging an exhaust gas generated as a result of the chemical process, and a plurality of through holes are formed at desired locations,

said baffle plate characterized in that, the baffle plate varies in thickness at two or more locations among the desired locations.

8. A baffle plate that parts a process space in which a chemical process is carried out with a supplied gas from a duct for exhausting an exhaust gas generated as a result of the chemical process,

said baffle plate characterized in that, slits that penetrate through the baffle plate and vary in width along with a flowing path of the exhaust gas in the duct are formed in accordance with pressure differences between both sides of the baffle plate, the pressure differences varying depending on locations on the baffle plate.

9. A baffle plate that parts a process space in which a chemical process is carried out with a supplied gas from a duct that is adjacent to the process space so as to discharge an exhaust gas generated as a result of the chemical process,

said baffle plate characterized in that

slits that penetrate through the baffle plate and have uniform widths are formed along a flowing path of the exhaust gas inside the duct, and

the baffle plate varies in thickness along the flowing path.

10. A gas process apparatus that comprises:

a process space including a stand on which an object to be processed is placed, and a gas supply unit for supplying a gas to the object to be processed so as to perform a chemical process on the object placed on the stand;

a duct that is adjacent to the process space so as to discharge an exhaust gas generated as a result of the chemical process; and

a discharging unit that is connected to the duct for discharging the exhaust gas,

said gas process apparatus characterized by further comprising a partition unit that parts the duct from the process space, and adjusts a flow rate of the exhaust gas flowing from the process space to the duct depending on pressure differences between both sides of a boundary surface, the pressure differences varying with locations on the boundary surface between the process space and the duct.

11. A method of producing a baffle plate that parts a process space in which a chemical process is carried out with a supplied gas from a duct that is adjacent to the process space so as to discharge an exhaust gas generated as a result of the chemical process,

said method comprising the steps of:

calculating pressure differences between both sides of the baffle at desired locations on the baffle plate; and

forming through holes at a plurality of locations on the baffle plate, depending on the calculated pressure differences.

12. A method of producing a baffle plate that parts a process space in which a chemical process is carried out with a supplied gas from a duct that is adjacent to the process space so as to discharge an exhaust gas generated as a result of the chemical process,

said method comprising the steps of:

calculating pressure differences between both sides of the baffle plate, the pressure differences varying with locations on the baffle plate, and a pressure variation of the exhaust gas along a flowing path of the exhaust gas inside the duct; and

forming through holes at a plurality of locations on the baffle plate in accordance with the calculated pressure differences and the pressure variation.

13. A method of producing a baffle plate that parts a process space in which a chemical process is carried out with a supplied gas from a duct that is adjacent to the process space for discharging an exhaust gas generated as a result of the chemical process,

said method comprising the step of forming a plurality of through holes in the baffle plate so that a flow rate of the exhaust gas calculated in accordance with the Hagen-Poiseuille'"'"'s law becomes constant.

14. An apparatus for producing a baffle plate that parts a process space in which a chemical process is carried out with a supplied gas from a duct that is adjacent to the process space for discharging an exhaust gas generated as a result of the chemical process,

said apparatus comprising:

a calculating unit that calculates pressure differences between both sides of the baffle plate at various locations on the baffle plate; and

a hole forming unit that forms through holes at a plurality of locations on the baffle plate in accordance with the pressure differences calculated by the calculating unit.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

the calculating unit calculates a pressure variation of the exhaust gas along a flowing path of the exhaust gas inside the duct; and

the hole forming unit forms the through holes at the plurality of locations on the baffle plate in accordance with the pressure differences and the pressure variation calculated by the calculating unit.

16. An apparatus for producing a baffle plate that parts a process space in which a chemical process is carried out with a supplied gas from a duct that is adjacent to the process space for discharging an exhaust gas generated as a result of the chemical process,

said apparatus comprising:

a calculating unit that calculates hole forming locations so that flow rates of the exhaust gas at through holes formed in the baffle plate calculated in accordance with the Hagen-Poiseuille'"'"'s law become uniform; and

a hole forming unit that forms the through holes at the hole forming locations calculated by the calculating unit.