The present disclosure relates to a flow path member.
A flow path member is widely used in a variety of applications. For example, in a semiconductor manufacturing process, a film forming step is performed in which a gas is supplied onto a substrate, and a thin film of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or the like is formed on the substrate by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method.
Herein, in the film forming step, when the gas is supplied, a flow path member (shower plate) is used that is provided with a flow path in an inside thereof and that can supply the gas from a plurality of discharge holes connected to this flow path (see Patent Document 1, for example).
Moreover, Patent Document 2 describes a flow path member (shower plate) in the form of a manifold made of ceramics.
Furthermore, Patent Document 3 describes creating a flow path member (shower plate) by laminating ceramic sheets on one another.
Patent Document 1: JP 2018-148143 A
Patent Document 2: WO 2020/009478 Pamphlet
Patent Document 3: JP 2015-95551 A
A flow path member of the present disclosure includes: a base having a first surface, and further having a first inflow port and a first outflow port; and a flow path that connects to the first inflow port and the first outflow port in an inside of the base. The flow path includes a first flow path that goes along the first surface and a second flow path that intersects the first flow path. The first flow path includes a first projection. A surface of the first projection is continuous with a wall surface of the second flow path.
The flow path member of the present disclosure has a low deterioration in quality of an inflow gas.
The flow path member of the present disclosure is unlikely to inhibit a flow of the inflow gas.
A shower plate of the present disclosure has high quality of a treatment target object.
A heat exchanger of the present disclosure has excellent heat exchange efficiency.
A chemical reactor of the present disclosure has excellent fluid reaction efficiency.
A flow path member of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.
The flow path member 1 of the present disclosure includes a base 2 and a flow path 3 located inside the base 2. The base 2 has a first surface 2a. In the perspective view of
Next,
Moreover, the flow path 3 has a second flow path 3b that intersects the first flow path 3a.
Then, the base 2 in the flow path member 1 of the present disclosure has a first projection 4 in the first flow path 3a, and a surface of the first projection 4 is continuous with a wall surface 3c of the second flow path 3b. In this way, the flow path member 1 has the first projection 4 in the first flow path 3a in the flow path 3, and the surface of the first projection 4 is continuous with the wall surface 3c of the second flow path 3b. Thus, even if foreign matter or the like is erroneously mixed into the flowing gas, which flows in the flow path 3, during installation and piping of the flow path member 1, the foreign matter can be retained by the first projection 4. Therefore, if the flow path member 1 of the present disclosure is used, then there is little deterioration in the quality of the inflow gas since the foreign matter and the like are hardly contained in the flowing gas.
Note that the first projection 4 refers to the one that projects by 20 μm or more from a virtual line obtained by extending a straight line drawn while taking as a reference an inner wall (a lower wall in the drawing) in front of the first projection 4 on such a cross section as illustrated in
Thus far, description of the flow path member 1 of the present disclosure has been given with reference to from
Next,
Next,
Next,
Next,
Furthermore, between the first projection 4 and the second projection 5, the first projection 4 may be higher. When such a configuration is satisfied, the flow of the flowing gas that has returned from the wall 6 does not become too strong, and the flowing gas can be guided into the second flow path 3b.
Next,
Next,
Next,
Next,
Next,
Next,
Next,
Moreover,
The flow path member has been described while being denoted by symbols 1 and 11 to 113 in accordance with differences in the configurations thereof, but below, the flow path member will be described as the flow path member 1.
The base 2 in the flow path member 1 of the present disclosure may be composed of any material such as resin, metal, and ceramics. When the base 2 is made of ceramics, the base 2 is superior to that of resin or metal in terms of mechanical strength, heat resistance, corrosion resistance, and the like.
Here, ceramics refers to aluminum oxide ceramics, zirconium oxide ceramics, silicon nitride ceramics, aluminum nitride ceramics, silicon carbide ceramics, cordierite ceramics, mullite ceramics, or the like.
Then, for example, aluminum oxide ceramics is a material in which aluminum oxide accounts for 70 mass % or more among 100 mass % as all the components which constitute the ceramics. Note that the same applies to other ceramics.
Moreover, the material of a target base can be confirmed by the following method. First, a value of 2θ (2θ indicates a diffraction angle) obtained by measurement using an X-ray diffractometer (XRD) is identified via a JCPDS card. Herein, a case where the presence of aluminum oxide is confirmed in the target base by XRD is described as an example. Next, a quantitative analysis of aluminum (Al) is performed using an ICP emission spectrophotometer (ICP) or an X-ray fluorescent (XRF) analyzer. Then, if a content calculated from the content of Al measured by ICP or XRF to aluminum oxide (Al2O3) is 70 mass % or greater, the target base is composed of aluminum oxide ceramics.
Then, when the flow path member 1 of the present disclosure includes a plurality of the first outflow ports 2c and the base 2 is made of ceramics, the flow path member 1 can be suitably used in a shower plate for use in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus required to have corrosion resistance. Then, the flow path member 1 of the present disclosure has a low deterioration in the quality of the inflow gas, and accordingly, brings high quality of the treatment target.
Moreover, when the first projection 4 projects toward the first surface 2a, the flow path member 1 of the present disclosure can efficiently exchange heat on the first surface 2a due to the flowing gas flowing in the first flow path 3a rising due to the first projection 4. At this time, the first surface 2a is a heat exchange surface, and the flow path member 1 that satisfies such a configuration is a heat exchanger.
The flow path member 114 of the present disclosure further includes a second inflow port 2d in addition to the first inflow port 2b that connects to the flow path 3 illustrated in the flow path member 1 of the present disclosure. At this time, if a region including the first projection 4 is a reaction region, reaction efficiency is improved by promoting agitation of two types of fluids, and therefore is suitable as a chemical reactor.
An example of a method for manufacturing the flow path member of the present disclosure will be described below. Note that a case where the flow path member is composed of ceramics will be described as an example.
First, predetermined amounts of a sintering aid, a binder, a solvent, a dispersant, and the like are added to a raw material powder such as aluminum oxide (Al2O3) powder, silicon nitride (Si3N4) powder, aluminum nitride (AlN) powder, and silicon carbide (SiC) powder, followed by mixing, whereby slurry is prepared.
Next, using this slurry, a green sheet is formed by a doctor blade method. Alternatively, the slurry is spray dried by spray drying (spray drying method) to be granulated and form a green sheet by a roll compaction method.
Then, the obtained green sheet is processed using a publicly known method such as a laser and a mold so as to have a desired shape. At this time, in the green sheet, any shaped grooves or holes which serve as the first flow path and the second flow path are formed. Moreover, green sheets corresponding to the first projection and the second projection are prepared.
Next, the green sheets are laminated on one another by a lamination method to obtain a molded body. Herein, the green sheet corresponding to the first projection may be disposed so that the surface of the first projection is continuous with the wall surface of the second flow path as a result of confirming a flowing direction of the flowing gas. The green sheet corresponding to the second projection may be disposed so that the surface of the second projection is continuous with the wall surface of the second flow path. When the flow path member is formed to include the first projection and the second projection, the first projection and the second projection may be disposed so that the surfaces of both thereof are continuous with the wall surface of the second flow path.
Furthermore, when the flow path member is formed to include the first projection and the second projection, the green sheets corresponding to the first projection and the second projection may be arranged so as to go around the intersecting portions of the first flow path and the second flow path.
Moreover, when the first projection is formed to include a first inclined surface that increases in height while approaching the second flow path, an inclined green sheet corresponding to the first projection may be prepared, and at the time of disposing the green sheet, the green sheet may be disposed so as to increase in height while approaching the second flow path. Furthermore, when the second projection is formed to include a second inclined surface that increases in height while approaching the second flow path, an inclined green sheet corresponding to the second projection may be prepared, and at the time of disposing the green sheet, the green sheet may be disposed so as to increase in height while approaching the second flow path.
Moreover, in order for the base to have a wall on the end surface of the first flow path and to be continuous with the wall surface of the second flow path, the length of the groove or the hole may be adjusted so that the wall is continuous with the wall surface of the second flow path in the green sheet that constitutes the first flow path. Further, in order for the base to have a wall on the end surface of the first flow path and to have an extended portion of the first flow path between the wall and the second flow path, the length of the groove or the hole may be adjusted so that the extended portion of the first flow path is provided between the wall and the second flow path in the green sheet that constitutes the first flow path. Furthermore, when the wall is formed to have a recessed portion, the wall may be composed of a plurality of green sheets, and the length of the groove or the hole may be adjusted.
Further, when the first projection is formed to include the smoothly connected top portion located further outward than the wall surface of the second flow path, a green sheet corresponding to the first projection and having a smoothly connected top portion located further outward than the wall surface of the second flow path may be prepared. At the time of disposing the green sheet, the green sheet may be disposed so that the smoothly connected top portion is located further outward than the outer diameter of the second flow path.
Further, when the second projection is formed to include the smoothly connected top portion located further outward than the wall surface of the second flow path, a green sheet corresponding to the second projection and having a smoothly connected top portion located further outward than the wall surface of the second flow path may be prepared. At the time of disposing the green sheet, the green sheet may be disposed so that the smoothly connected top portion is located further outward than the outer diameter of the second flow path.
Further, when the first projection and the second projection are formed to include the smoothly connected top portions located further outward than the wall surface of the second flow path, green sheets corresponding to the first projection and the second projection and having smoothly connected top portions located further outward than the wall surface of the second flow path may be prepared. At the time of disposing the green sheets, the green sheets may be disposed so that the smoothly connected top portions are located further outward than the outer diameter of the second flow path.
Moreover, when the first projection is formed to include the recessed portion with a recessed shape in the cross section of the center in the width direction of the flow path over the entire surface on the first inclined surface, a green sheet corresponding to the first projection and having a recessed portion with a recessed shape in the cross section of the center in the width direction of the flow path over the entire surface of the first inclined surface may be prepared. At the time of disposing the green sheet, the green sheet may be disposed so that the recessed portion with a recessed shape in the cross section of the center of the width direction of the flow path is located over the entire surface of the first inclined surface.
Further, when the second projection is formed to include the recessed portion with a recessed shape in the cross section of the center in the width direction of the flow path over the entire surface on the second inclined surface, a green sheet corresponding to the second projection and having a recessed portion with a recessed shape in the cross section of the center in the width direction of the flow path over the entire surface of the second inclined surface may be prepared. At the time of disposing the green sheet, the green sheet may be disposed so that the recessed portion with a recessed shape in the cross section of the center of the width direction of the flow path is located over the entire surface of the second inclined surface.
Furthermore, when the first projection and the second projection are formed to include the recessed portions with recessed shapes in the cross section of the center in the width direction of the flow path over the entire surfaces on the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface, green sheets corresponding to the first projection and the second projection and having recessed portions with recessed shapes in the cross section of the center in the width direction of the flow path over the entire surfaces of the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface may be prepared. At the time of disposing the green sheets, the green sheets may be disposed so that the recessed portions with recessed shapes in the cross section of the center of the width direction of the flow path are located over the entire surfaces of the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface.
Moreover, when the first projection is formed to include the smoothly connected top portion having the flat surface that goes along the first surface, a green sheet corresponding to the first projection and having a smoothly connected top portion having the flat surface that goes along the first surface may be prepared. At the time of disposing the green sheet, the green sheet may be disposed so that the smoothly connected top portion becomes the flat surface that goes along the first surface.
Further, when the second projection is formed to include the smoothly connected top portion having the flat surface that goes along the first surface, a green sheet corresponding to the second projection and having a smoothly connected top portion having the flat surface that goes along the first surface may be prepared. At the time of disposing the green sheet, the green sheet may be disposed so that the smoothly connected top portion becomes the flat surface that goes along the first surface.
Furthermore, when the first projection and the second projection are formed to include the smoothly connected top portions having the flat surfaces that go along the first surface, green sheets corresponding to the first projection and the second projection and having smoothly connected top portions having the flat surfaces that go along the first surface may be prepared. At the time of disposing the green sheets, the green sheets may be disposed so that the smoothly connected top portions become the flat surfaces that go along the first surface.
Moreover, when the inclination of the second inclined surface of the second projection is set greater than the inclination of the first inclined surface of the first projection, green sheets corresponding to the second projection and the first projection and for which the inclination of the second inclined surface of the second projection is greater than the inclination of the first inclined surface of the first projection may be prepared. At the time of disposing the green sheets, the green sheets may be disposed so that the inclination of the second inclined surface of the second projection is greater than the inclination of the first inclined surface of the first projection.
Then, the above-mentioned slurry may be used as a bonding agent for use when laminating the green sheets together.
Next, the obtained molded body is dried and degreased, and then fired to match firing conditions of each raw material powder to obtain the flow path member of the present disclosure.
Moreover, at the time of forming the first projection, after a laminate in which only a portion that becomes the first flow path is formed is obtained, a process may be performed to advance a drill from the second flow path in the direction of the first flow path toward a desired position where the first flow path and the second flow path intersect each other, and a portion that becomes the first projection may be formed in conjunction with the formation of the second flow path. Furthermore, in the green sheet prior to the lamination, a process may be performed to advance the drill toward the desired position where the first flow path and the second flow path intersect each other.
Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications, improvements, and the like may be made to the embodiment within the scope without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2019-101507 | May 2019 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2020/020956 | 5/27/2020 | WO |