Apparatus for collecting by-product in semiconductor process

An apparatus for collecting a by-product in a semiconductor process, the apparatus provided on a line between a process chamber and a vacuum pump to collect a by-product in an exhaust gas, which is produced in the process chamber, the apparatus including:

• a housing provided with a gas inlet and a gas outlet respectively provided on an upper plate and a lower plate, which are detachably coupled to upper and lower openings respectively, and configured with a passage through which gas exhausted from the process chamber flows;
• a heater plate provided with multiple heat-dissipation fins, which are arranged radially with respect to a vertical direction, provided on a bottom surface of the upper plate, and heating an exhaust gas to supply energy required for chemically changing the exhaust gas introduced through the gas inlet of the upper plate and distributing the exhaust gas evenly inside the housing;
• a heater power supply unit supplying a power to the heater plate;
• a first upper horizontal bracket having multiple by-product collecting members, which are fixed on an upper surface of a quadrangular plate having a vertical mass gas passing opening at the center thereof in a radial direction with respect to the center point, allowing most of the exhaust gas introduced to the housing through the gas inlet of the upper plate to pass therethrough in the vertical direction, partly distributing the remaining exhaust gas evenly in the horizontal direction, and collecting a part of the by-product in a powder form;
• a second upper horizontal bracket having multiple minute gas passing holes, which have a relatively small diameter and formed at an outer circumference of a relatively large-area vertical mass gas passing opening formed at the center thereof, disposed to be spaced apart a predetermined distance from the bottom of the first upper horizontal bracket by multiple supporters to evenly distribute the exhaust gas introduced through the first upper horizontal bracket in the horizontal and vertical directions and to collect a part of the by-product in a powder form;
• a by-product collecting tower having a pyramid shape whose four sides are inclined in which isosceles trapezoidal shaped-multiple first and second directional vertical plates having multiple vertical gas passing holes formed only on a portion exposed to the outside when the vertical plates are engaged with each other are assembled in a lattice form in a manner that intersects each other in a direction of 90 degrees by connecting pieces partly left in bottom portions thereof for engagement, having a structure in which an exhaust gas passing space is formed into a hollow in most of a central upper portion of the by-product collecting tower, disposed between the second upper horizontal bracket and a lower horizontal bracket to allow most of the exhaust gas introduced through the second upper horizontal bracket to pass through the exhaust gas passing space and to allow the remaining exhaust gas to flow on the isosceles trapezoidal shaped-multiple first and second directional vertical plates, and collecting a part of the by-product in a powder form;
• the lower horizontal bracket having multiple rectangular shaped-gas holes formed in a number of rows in horizontal and vertical directions, provided fixedly between a lower surface of the by-product collecting tower and an upper surface of a window, guiding the exhaust gas vertically introduced through the by-product collecting tower toward the window, and collecting a part of the by-product contained in the exhaust gas in a powder form;
• the window having a structure in which four rectangular plates having multiple gas suction holes are assembled in a rectangular shape with upper and lower surfaces opened, configured such that an upper opening thereof is fixed to the lower horizontal bracket and a bottom surface thereof is spaced a predetermined distance apart from the lower plate of the housing by the multiple supporters, and having an exhaust gas vertical flow-in blocking plate to prevent the exhaust gas passing through the lower horizontal bracket from flowing directly toward a gas collecting and discharging port in the horizontal direction at an upper portion of the supporters such that the by-product that passes through the by-product collecting tower and the lower horizontal bracket or flows in the lateral direction through the inner space of the housing and then is converted into the powder form is blocked from directly introducing toward the gas collecting and discharging port and only the exhaust gas is guided toward the gas collecting and discharging port;
• and
• the gas collecting and discharging port disposed vertically between the inside of the window and a gas discharge opening provided on the lower plate of the housing, and collecting the exhaust gas introduced through the gas holes of the lower horizontal bracket, through the gas suction holes of the window, and through a gap between the bottom of the window and the lower plate of the housing to discharge outside.