Vapor deposition wafer carrier

Abstract

The vapor deposition wafer carrying device of the present invention comprises at least one disc and a large disc module, wherein a wafer positioning through hole is provided in the center of the disc and an annular connecting portion is provided at the edge; the large disc module has a disc groove for positioning the disc, and the disc groove is provided with an annular groove for the connecting portion to be placed, the annular groove is connected to an air inlet channel, the tangential direction component of the air inlet channel relative to the connecting angle with the annular groove is greater than the radial direction component, so as to introduce flotation gas into the annular groove to exert force on the connecting portion to suspend and rotate the disc, and the annular groove is connected to a guide outlet for the flotation gas to be discharged, thereby making the heating effect and film forming effect of the wafer more uniform.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor chemical vapor deposition operation equipment, and in particular to a chemical vapor deposition wafer carrying device. Background Art

[0002] Chemical vapor deposition is an important means of forming a thin film on the reaction surface of a wafer. It is done by placing the wafer in a reaction chamber, heating the wafer, and contacting the reaction surface of the wafer with the reaction gas to form a thin film. In the high-temperature and low-pressure vapor deposition process, whether the contact between the reaction surface of the wafer and the reaction gas is uniform, and whether the heating temperature of the reaction surface of the wafer is accurate and uniform, will directly affect the quality of the film formation. Among them, the positioning and carrying method of the wafer after being placed in the reaction chamber will also affect the quality of the film formation. The mechanism for carrying the wafer sometimes involves many transmission mechanisms and driving and rotating mechanisms. These transmission and driving and rotating mechanisms will directly affect the contact effect of the reaction gas on the reaction surface of the wafer, the heating method of the non-reaction surface of the wafer, and whether the wafer is easy to execute through automated equipment, thus affecting the wafer production capacity. Summary of the invention

[0003] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a vapor deposition wafer carrier device, comprising: at least one disc, a wafer positioning through hole is provided in the center, and an annular connecting portion is provided on the edge; and a large disc module, which has at least one disc groove for positioning at least one disc, and at least one disc groove is provided with an annular groove for the connecting portion to be placed, the annular groove is connected to an air inlet channel, the tangential direction component of the air inlet channel relative to the connection angle with the annular groove is greater than the radial direction component, so as to introduce flotation gas into the annular groove to apply force to the connecting portion to suspend and rotate at least one disc, and the annular groove is connected to a guide outlet for the flotation gas to be discharged.

[0004] Through the aforementioned technical means, the vapor deposition wafer carrier of the present invention can pneumatically drive the disk to suspend and rotate. In addition to being able to drive the wafer to rotate so that the reaction surface of the wafer obtains a uniform film forming effect, its wafer positioning through hole is not a general blind hole, but a design that is through from top to bottom, so that both sides of the wafer (reaction surface and non-reaction surface) are in a non-contact state, which can make the non-reaction surface of the wafer exempt from the problem of contact heat conduction involved in traditional machines, and is more conducive to heating the wafer in a manner mainly providing radiant heat, thereby ensuring that the heating process of the wafer is more uniform. Secondly, while driving the wafer to rotate, the present invention does not need to set up a related rotating shaft or transmission mechanism. Through the air flotation principle and the design of the wafer positioning through hole, it can drive the wafer to rotate without contacting the two sides of the wafer. Therefore, whether it is a vapor deposition operation of the upper type (the reaction surface of the wafer faces up) or the lower type (the reaction surface of the wafer faces down), the vapor deposition wafer carrier of the present invention can be used without limitation.

[0005] During implementation, the air inlet channel can guide the floating gas to the bottom of the annular groove, and a plurality of convex teeth are arranged at the bottom of the connecting part to make it easier for the floating gas to drive the disc to rotate.

[0006] During implementation, the large disk module has a heat source surface and maintains a heating distance with the wafer carried by the wafer positioning through hole. The heating distance is at least 20 times the warping deformation of the wafer to improve the wafer production quality.

[0007] During implementation, a flow control valve is provided at the air inlet end of the air inlet channel to control the flow of the floating gas, thereby controlling the suspension height of at least one disk, thereby indirectly controlling the heating distance between the wafer and the heat source surface, and at the same time controlling the amount of heat taken away by the annular groove, thereby affecting the temperature of the wafer edge.

[0008] During implementation, the floating gas includes at least two gases with different thermal effects (thermal conductivity), and the gas inlet end of the gas inlet channel is provided with at least two flow control valves to control the flow rates of the at least two gases with different thermal effects. For example, one of the gases is a relatively low thermal conductivity gas, and the other is a relatively high thermal conductivity gas. By adjusting the total flow rates of the relatively low thermal conductivity gas and the relatively high thermal conductivity gas, the suspension height of at least one disk can be controlled, and the heated distance between the wafer and the heat source surface can be indirectly controlled; and by controlling the introduction ratio of the relatively low thermal conductivity gas and the relatively high thermal conductivity gas, the amount of heat taken away from the annular groove can be changed, thereby more accurately affecting the temperature of the wafer edge.

[0009] During implementation, the heat source surface is arranged above the wafer positioning through hole, and the wafer is placed in the wafer positioning through hole with the reaction surface facing downward. A through hole is arranged below the large disk module corresponding to the wafer positioning through hole to carry the wafer for surface-down vapor deposition operation.

[0010] During implementation, the heat source surface is arranged below the wafer positioning through hole, and the wafer positioning through hole is used to place the wafer with the reaction surface facing upward to carry the wafer for the surface-up vapor deposition operation.

[0011] During implementation, a plurality of bearing fingers are arranged at the edge of the wafer positioning through hole, and each bearing finger has an inclined bearing surface to effectively reduce contact heat conduction to the edge of the wafer.

[0012] Compared to the prior art, the structural design of the present invention is quite simple. In addition to greatly reducing the contact heat conduction of the wafer, there is no excessive or complicated transmission mechanism, which is very conducive to maintenance. Secondly, the unique design of the present invention can be widely used in surface-up and surface-down vapor deposition operations, and can provide wafers with better product yield. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1It is a top exploded schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 3 The disc of the first embodiment of the present invention is provided with a convex tooth pattern (I);

[0016] Figure 4 The disc of the first embodiment of the present invention is provided with a convex tooth pattern (II);

[0017] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of flotation gas control according to the first embodiment of the present invention (I);

[0018] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of flotation gas control according to the first embodiment of the present invention (II);

[0019] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of a top exploded view of a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Fig. 9 The disc is provided with convex teeth pattern (1) according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Fig.10 The disc is provided with convex teeth pattern (II) according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Among them, 1. vapor deposition wafer carrying device; 10. disc; 11. wafer positioning through hole; 12. connecting part; 121. convex tooth; 122. windward surface; 13. carrying finger; 20. large disc module; 21. first large disc; 22. second large disc; 23. disc groove; 24. annular groove; 25. air inlet; 26. outlet; 27. heat source surface; 28. through hole; 30. wafer; 40. external heater; D. heated distance; C. warping deformation; d. center distance; 50. flow control valve; 50a. flow control valve; 50b. flow control valve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the first embodiment is a vapor deposition wafer carrier 1 suitable for a surface-down vapor deposition operation. The vapor deposition wafer carrier 1 includes at least one tray 10 and a large tray module 20 for carrying a wafer 30 .

[0025] A wafer positioning through hole 11 is provided in the center of the disk 10, and a ring-shaped connecting portion 12 is provided at the edge. The wafer positioning through hole 11 is designed to be through from top to bottom, so that both sides of the wafer 30 are in a non-contact state. This is the implementation of the surface-down vapor deposition operation, and the reaction surface of the wafer 30 is set downward. A plurality of bearing fingers 13 are provided at the edge of the wafer positioning through hole 11, and each bearing finger 13 has an inclined bearing surface to effectively reduce contact heat conduction to the edge of the wafer 30.

[0026] The large disk module 20 is composed of a first large disk 21 and a second large disk 22. The large disk module 20 has at least one disk slot 23 for positioning the disk 10, and at least one disk slot 23 is provided with an annular groove 24 for the connection portion 12 to be placed, the annular groove 24 is connected to an air inlet 25, and the tangential direction component of the air inlet 25 relative to the connection angle with the annular groove 24 is greater than the radial direction component, so as to introduce floating gas into the annular groove 24 to exert force on the connection portion 12 to suspend and rotate the disk 10, and the annular groove 24 is connected to a guide outlet 26 for the floating gas to be discharged.

[0027] The large disk module 20 has a heat source surface 27 and maintains a heated distance D corresponding to the wafer positioning through hole 11. In this embodiment, the heat source surface 27 is arranged above the wafer positioning through hole 11, and the wafer positioning through hole 11 is used to place the wafer 30 with the reaction surface facing downward. The large disk module 20 is provided with a through hole 28 below the wafer positioning through hole 11. The heat source surface 27 can provide radiant heat to the wafer 30 after being heated by the external heater 40. The through hole 28 allows the reaction gas to enter and react with the downward reaction surface of the wafer 30.

[0028] Figure 2 The thickness, heated spacing D, warping deformation C and center distance d of the wafer 30 shown in the figure are only for illustration and ease of understanding and are not actual precise dimensions. Generally, heat is transferred in three ways, including thermal radiation, thermal convection and thermal conduction. In low-pressure or near-vacuum processes, the effect of thermal convection is relatively small, and heat transfer is mainly based on thermal radiation and thermal conduction. In order to provide better heating uniformity for the wafer 30, this embodiment is specially designed to prevent contact heat conduction from occurring in the center of the critical wafer 30 under any circumstances. Only the tiny bearing fingers 13 located at the edge of the wafer 30 have contact, which can avoid uneven heat transfer. Secondly, when the wafer 30 is heated and warped, the wafer 30 can present a maximum warping deformation C, and therefore the center distance d between the heat source surface 27 and the center of the wafer 30 will change. To ensure that the center of the wafer 30 does not contact the heat source surface 27, the center distance d>0. Under this consideration, the size of the heated distance D is preferably more than 20 times the warping deformation C generated during the thin film deposition process of the wafer 30, so as to weaken the impact of uneven heating caused by the warping of the wafer 30 during the reaction process.

[0029] See also Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, during implementation, the air inlet channel 25 is used to guide the floating gas to the bottom of the annular groove 24. A plurality of protruding teeth 121 are provided at the bottom of the connecting portion 12 to make it easier for the floating gas to drive the disc 10 to rotate. The size, number and shape of the protruding teeth 121 shown in the figure are only for illustrative purposes. In response to different wafer sizes and usage requirements, the size and number of the protruding teeth 121 can also be adjusted to a finer size and a more dense arrangement than the figure; or as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown, the protruding teeth 121 can be changed in shape or provided with a special windward surface 122 to further control or adjust the driving effect presented by the floating gas.

[0030] See also Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, a flow control valve 50 is provided at the air inlet end of the air inlet channel 25 to control the flow rate of the flotation gas introduced, so as to control the suspension height of the disk 10, and indirectly control the heating distance between the wafer 30 and the heat source surface 27, while controlling the amount of heat taken away from the annular groove 24, thereby affecting the temperature of the edge of the wafer 30.

[0031] See also Figure 6 As shown, the flotation gas includes at least two gases with different thermal effects (thermal conductivity). At least two flow control valves 50a and 50b are provided at the air inlet end of the air inlet channel 25 to respectively control the introduction flow of at least two gases with different thermal effects. One flow control valve 50a is used to introduce a gas with relatively low thermal conductivity, and the other flow control valve 50b is used to introduce a gas with relatively high thermal conductivity. By adjusting the total introduction flow of the relatively low thermal conductivity and relatively high thermal conductivity gases, the suspension height of the disk 10 can be controlled, and the heated distance between the wafer 30 and the heat source surface 27 can be indirectly controlled; and by controlling the introduction ratio of the relatively low thermal conductivity and relatively high thermal conductivity gases, the amount of heat taken away from the annular groove 24 can be changed, thereby more accurately affecting the temperature of the edge of the wafer 30.

[0032] See also Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the second embodiment is a vapor deposition wafer carrier 1 suitable for surface-type vapor deposition operations. The vapor deposition wafer carrier 1 also includes at least one dish 10 and a large plate module 20 for carrying a wafer 30. The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the heat source surface 27 is arranged below the wafer positioning through hole 11. The wafer positioning through hole 11 is used to place the wafer 30 with the reaction surface facing upward, so that the reaction surface of the wafer 30 is directly exposed upward. The design of the large plate module 20 of the second embodiment is more streamlined than that of the first embodiment; the heating distance D of the second embodiment is preferably more than 20 times the warpage deformation amount C generated during the thin film deposition process of the wafer 30.

[0033] See also Fig. 9 and Fig.10 As shown, during implementation, the air inlet channel 25 is used to guide the floating gas to the bottom of the annular groove 24. A plurality of protruding teeth 121 are provided at the bottom of the connecting portion 12 to make it easier for the floating gas to drive the disc 10 to rotate. The size, number and shape of the protruding teeth 121 shown in the figure are only for illustrative purposes. In response to different wafer sizes and usage requirements, the size and number of the protruding teeth 121 can also be adjusted to a finer size and a more dense arrangement than the figure; or as shown in FIG. Fig.10 As shown, the protruding teeth 121 can be changed in shape or provided with a special windward surface 122 to further control or adjust the driving effect presented by the floating gas.

[0034] The above description is only to illustrate the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of implementation. For example: Figure 2 as well as Figure 8 The warping deformation ratio shown by the imaginary lines is for the purpose of exaggerating the warping pattern, and is not intended to limit the actual warping ratio. All simple substitutions and equivalent changes made according to the claims and the description of the present invention are within the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vapor deposition wafer carrier, characterized in that: Include: At least one disk, with a wafer positioning through hole in the center and an annular connecting portion at the edge, wherein the wafer positioning through hole is used for placing a wafer; and A large disk module, which has at least one disk groove for positioning the at least one disk, and the at least one disk groove is provided with an annular groove for the connection part to be placed, the annular groove is connected to an air inlet, the tangential direction component of the air inlet relative to the connection angle with the annular groove is greater than the radial direction component, so as to introduce floating gas into the annular groove to exert force on the connection part to suspend and rotate the at least one disk, and the annular groove is connected to a guide outlet for the floating gas to be discharged; The air inlet channel can guide the floating gas to the bottom of the annular groove, and a plurality of convex teeth are provided at the bottom end of the connecting portion; A plurality of bearing fingers are arranged on the edge of the wafer positioning through hole, and each bearing finger has an inclined bearing surface.

2. The vapor deposition wafer carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that: The large disk module has a heat source surface and a heating distance is maintained corresponding to the wafer carried by the wafer positioning through hole. The heating distance is at least 20 times the warping deformation of the wafer.

3. The vapor deposition wafer carrier device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The air inlet end of the air inlet passage is provided with a flow control valve to control the introduction flow of the flotation gas.

4. The vapor deposition wafer carrier device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The flotation gas includes at least two gases with different thermal effects, and the gas inlet end of the gas inlet passage is provided with at least two flow control valves to respectively control the introduction flow of the at least two gases with different thermal effects.

5. The vapor deposition wafer carrier device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The heat source surface is arranged above the wafer positioning through hole, and the wafer is placed in the wafer positioning through hole with the reaction surface facing downward. The large plate module is provided with a through hole below the wafer positioning through hole.

6. The vapor deposition wafer carrying device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The heat source surface is arranged below the wafer positioning through hole, and the wafer is placed in the wafer positioning through hole with the reaction surface facing upward.

Images