Miniaturized semiconductor process systems

Abstract

The present invention relates to a miniaturized semiconductor process system, comprising: a shell, comprising an internal space and an opening connected to the internal space; a lifting mechanism, arranged in the internal space and comprising a carrier for placing a substrate, the carrier being movable along a first direction relative to the opening between a first position and a second position; a processing chamber, arranged in the internal space and comprising a supporting portion for placing the substrate; and a fetching and transporting mechanism, movably arranged along a second direction between the lifting mechanism and the processing chamber, for fetching and transporting the substrate between the carrier and the supporting portion; wherein a length-to-width ratio of the shell is between 1 and 6.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a process system, and in particular to a miniaturized semiconductor process system. Background Art

[0002] Vacuum technology plays an important role in the semiconductor industry. For example, processes such as sputtering, lithography and etching must be carried out in a vacuum chamber to reduce the impact of gas molecules on wafer processing and effectively ensure production quality.

[0003] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, in order to mass-produce semiconductor components, large-sized wafers are usually selected, and a robotic arm is used to transfer the wafers between multiple process chambers and storage spaces for continuous processing and manufacturing. However, in order to accommodate and transfer the aforementioned large-sized wafers, such vacuum systems have the disadvantages of being large in size and having high construction costs, which easily leads to cost waste in small-batch production or R&D testing stages, and the manufacturing time is long, resulting in poor production efficiency.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a novel and advanced miniaturized semiconductor process system to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0005] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a miniaturized semiconductor process system with small size and low manufacturing cost.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a miniaturized semiconductor process system, comprising: a shell, comprising an internal space and an opening connected to the internal space; a lifting mechanism, disposed in the internal space and comprising a carrier for placing a substrate, the carrier being movable relative to the opening along a first direction between a first position and a second position; a processing chamber, disposed in the internal space and comprising a supporting portion for placing the substrate; and a pick-up and delivery mechanism, movably disposed along a second direction between the lifting mechanism and the processing chamber, for picking up and delivering the substrate between the carrier and the supporting portion; wherein an aspect ratio of the shell is between 1 and 6; when the carrier is located at the first position, the carrier is at least partially located in the opening and can be used to pick up and place the substrate from the outside; when the carrier is located at the second position, the pick-up and delivery mechanism corresponds to the carrier and can pick up and place the substrate from the carrier.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, preferably, the pick-up and delivery mechanism includes a translation module and a rotation module arranged on the translation module, the rotation module includes a rotation axis parallel to the first direction and a material picking arm rotating about the rotation axis and for picking up and placing the substrate.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, preferably, the translation module includes a slide rail arranged on the housing parallel to the second direction and a slide seat movably arranged on the slide rail, and the rotation module is arranged on the slide seat.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, preferably, the picking and delivering mechanism further includes a lifting module arranged between the translation module and the rotation module, and the lifting module can drive the material picking arm to move along a direction parallel to the first direction.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, it is preferable to further include an electric control unit and an operation display interface electrically connected to the electric control unit, wherein the operation display interface is arranged on the shell for external operation, and the electric control unit is electrically connected to the lifting mechanism, the processing chamber and the picking and delivering mechanism.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, preferably, the shell includes a front side plate and a rear side plate, the front side plate extends toward the rear side plate and is provided with a circumferentially closed recess, and a side wall of the recess is provided with the opening.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, preferably, a length of the shell is not greater than 1.6 meters, and a width of the shell is not greater than 0.5 meters.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, it is more preferable to further include a cover that can be opened and closed to cover the opening and at least one actuating rod connected to the cover, wherein each actuating rod includes a first end connected to the cover and a second end relative to the first end and extending into the internal space; when the carrier moves toward the first position, the lifting mechanism pushes the second end so that the at least one actuating rod drives the cover relatively away from the opening.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, preferably, each actuating rod further includes a radially protruding stopper and is sleeved with a first elastic member that is elastically pressed between the shell and the stopper.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, preferably, the translation module includes a slide rail arranged on the shell body parallel to the second direction and a slide seat movably arranged on the slide rail, and the rotating module is arranged on the slide seat; the lifting mechanism, the translation module and the rotating module can be synchronously actuated; the processing chamber further includes a chamber door corresponding to the carrying part; the miniaturized semiconductor process system further includes an electronic control unit and an operation display interface electrically connected to the electronic control unit, the operation display interface is arranged on the shell body for external operation, and the electronic control unit is electrically connected to the lifting mechanism, the processing chamber and the taking The housing comprises a front plate and a rear plate, the front plate extending toward the rear plate and having a circumferentially closed recess, a side wall of the recess being provided with the opening; the recess being inclined relative to a side wall of the opening and extending toward a side provided with the opening; a length of the housing is not greater than 1.6 meters, and a width of the housing is not greater than 0.5 meters; the miniaturized semiconductor process system further comprises a cover that can be opened and closed and covers the opening and at least one actuating rod connected to the cover, each of the actuating rods comprising a first end connected to the cover and a second end relative to the first end and extending into the internal space two ends; the at least one actuating rod can be relatively slidably penetrated in the shell; the lifting mechanism also includes a movable platform connected to the carrier at an interval and a lifting drive unit that can drive the movable platform, and the movable platform can drive the carrier to move along the first direction; when the carrier moves toward the first position, the movable platform pushes the second end so that the at least one actuating rod drives the cover relatively away from the opening; each of the actuating rods also includes a radially protruding stopper and is sleeved with a first elastic member that is elastically pressed between the shell and the stopper; the carrier is provided with at least one guide groove corresponding to the at least one actuating rod. , each of the actuating rods is movably arranged in one of the guide grooves; the lifting mechanism further includes a plurality of connecting rods connecting the movable platform and the carrier and at least one second elastic member set on at least one of the connecting rods, and each of the second elastic members is elastically abutted between the movable platform and the carrier; the shell further includes a connecting frame, and the front side plate and the rear side plate cover are arranged on the connecting frame; the connecting frame divides the internal space into a first area and a second area, the lifting mechanism and the fetching and delivering mechanism are arranged in the first area, and the processing chamber is arranged in the second area; and the electronic control unit is arranged in the second area and is located above the processing chamber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, a brief introduction is given below to the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0017] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a partial enlarged view of a carrier in a preferred embodiment of the present invention when it is located at a first position.

[0020] Figure 4 It is a partial side view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention when the carrier is located at the first position.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a partial enlarged view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention when the carrier is located at a second position.

[0022] Figure 6 and Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the operation of a pick-up arm picking up a substrate from the carrier according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figures 8 to 12 It is a schematic diagram of the operation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Among them, 1: miniaturized semiconductor process system; 2: substrate; 10: housing; 11: internal space 111: first area; 112: second area; 12: opening 13: front side plate; 131: recess 132: side wall; 14: rear side plate; 15: assembly frame; 20: lifting mechanism; 21: carrier; 211: guide groove; 212: base; 213: supporting arm; 22: moving platform 23: lifting drive unit; 24: connecting rod; 25: second elastic member; 30: processing chamber 31: bearing part 32: chamber door 40: pick-up and delivery mechanism 41: translation module; 411: slide rail; 412: slide seat; 42: rotation module; 421: rotating shaft; 422: material picking arm; 423: recess; 43: lifting module; 50: sealing cover; 60: actuating rod; 61: first end; 62: second end; 63: stopper; 64: first elastic member; 70: electronic control unit; 80: operation display interface; D1: first direction; D2: second direction; L: length; W: width. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] The following examples are merely used to illustrate possible implementations of the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, so it is necessary to explain them first.

[0027] Please refer to Figures 1 to 12 , which shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the miniaturized semiconductor process system 1 of the present invention comprises: a shell 10, comprising an internal space 11 and an opening 12 connected to the internal space 11; a lifting mechanism 20, disposed in the internal space 11 and comprising a carrier 21 for placing a substrate 2, the carrier 21 being movable between a first position and a second position relative to the opening 12 along a first direction D1; a processing chamber 30, disposed in the internal space 11 and comprising a carrying portion 31 for placing the substrate 2; and a fetching and transporting mechanism 40, movably disposed between the lifting mechanism 20 and the processing chamber 30 along a second direction D2, for fetching and transporting the substrate 2 between the carrier 21 and the carrying portion 31; wherein the length-to-width ratio of the shell 10 is between 1 and 6; when the carrier 21 is located at the first position, the carrier 21 is at least partially located in the opening 12 and can be used to fetch and place the substrate 2 from the outside, such as Figure 3 When the stage 21 is located at the second position, the pick-up mechanism 40 corresponds to the stage 21 and can be placed from the stage 21 to the substrate 2, such as Figure 6 As shown, the miniaturized semiconductor process system 1 is small in size and low in manufacturing cost, and is suitable for small batch production in the research and development and testing stages.

[0028] Preferably, the miniaturized semiconductor process system 1 further includes a cover 50 that can be opened and closed to cover the opening 12 and at least one actuating rod 60 connected to the cover 50, each of the actuating rods 60 includes a first end 61 connected to the cover 50 and a second end 62 relative to the first end 61 and extending into the internal space 11; when the carrier 21 moves toward the first position, the lifting mechanism 20 pushes the second end 62 so that the at least one actuating rod 60 drives the cover 50 relatively away from the opening 12, thereby the cover 50 can be automatically opened. In this embodiment, the at least one actuating rod 60 can be relatively slidably disposed in the housing 10; the lifting mechanism 20 further includes a moving platform 22 spaced apart from the carrier 21 and a lifting driving unit 23 that can drive the moving platform 22. The lifting driving unit 23 drives the moving platform 22 to drive the carrier 21 to move along the first direction D1, and the moving platform 22 can push the second end 62 of the at least one actuating rod 60, so that the operation is smooth and the stability is good. Preferably, each of the actuating rods 60 further includes a radially protruding stopper 63 and is provided with a first elastic member 64 that is elastically abutted between the housing 10 and the stopper 63, so that each of the actuating rods 60 has a tendency to move in a direction away from the opening 12; when the carrier 21 moves toward the second position, the at least one actuating rod 60 can drive the cover 50 to automatically cover the opening 12 to prevent foreign matter from entering the internal space 11. In this embodiment, each of the stopper portions 63 is a nut, which has a simple structure and is easy to assemble; a sealing ring 51 is preferably provided between the cover 50 and the peripheral wall of the opening 12, which has a good sealing effect; the carrier 21 is provided with at least one guide groove 211 corresponding to the at least one actuating rod 60, and each of the actuating rods 60 is movably provided in one of the guide grooves 211 to guide the movement of the carrier 21; each of the two opposite sides of the opening 12 is provided with an actuating rod 60, which is stable in operation and not easy to deviate relative to each other. However, each of the actuating rods may not be provided with the first elastic member, and the cover can manually close the opening; the number and position of the at least one actuating rod can be changed according to structural requirements.

[0029] Specifically, the lifting mechanism 20 further includes a plurality of connecting rods 24 connecting the mobile platform 22 and the carrier 21 and at least one set of second elastic members 25 disposed on at least one of the connecting rods 24. Each of the second elastic members 25 is elastically pressed between the mobile platform 22 and the carrier 21 to provide a buffering effect. Figure 3 and Figure 4During operation, the movable platform 22 rises and drives the carrier 21 to move toward the first position. When the carrier 21 abuts against the housing 10 in the first direction D1, the movable platform 22 continues to rise to compress the at least one second elastic member 25 and push the second end 62 of each actuating rod 60 to open the cover 50, thereby allowing the substrate 2 to be taken in and out from the outside; then, the movable platform 22 descends and drives the carrier 21 to move toward the second position. When the movable platform 22 descends to the point where it does not abut against each actuating rod 60, each of the first elastic members 64 stretches and drives the two actuating rods 60 to make the cover 50 close the opening 12. Figure 5 and Figure 6 shown.

[0030] The pick-up and delivery mechanism 40 includes a translation module 41 and a rotation module 42 disposed on the translation module 41. The rotation module 42 includes a rotation axis 421 parallel to the first direction D1 and a pick-up arm 422 that rotates around the rotation axis 421 and is used to pick up and place the substrate 2. In detail, the translation module 41 includes a slide rail 411 disposed on the housing 10 parallel to the second direction D2 and a slide seat 412 movably disposed on the slide rail 411. The rotation module 42 is disposed on the slide seat 412, whereby the slide seat 412 can drive the rotation module 42 to move horizontally to shorten the conveying distance. The lifting mechanism 20, the translation module 41 and the rotation module 42 are preferably synchronously actuated, which can effectively shorten the conveying time and reduce the configuration space required for the pick-up and delivery mechanism 40, which is conducive to the miniaturization of the miniaturized semiconductor process system 1. Preferably, the pick-up and delivery mechanism 40 further includes a lifting module 43 disposed between the translation module 41 and the rotation module 42, and the lifting module 43 can drive the pick-up arm 422 to move along a direction parallel to the first direction D1. In this embodiment, the carrier 21 includes a base 212 connected to the mobile platform 22 and two support arms 213 spaced apart and protruding from the base 212, and the two support arms 213 are used to support the substrate 2; one end of the pick-up arm 422 is provided with a recess 423 for accommodating the substrate 2; when the carrier 21 is located at the second position, the translation module 41 drives the pick-up arm 422 to translate so that the recess 423 is located between the two support arms 213, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown, the lifting module 43 drives the pick-up arm 422 to rise and fall relative to the carrier 21 along the first direction D1, so as to lift the substrate 2 upward or place the substrate 2 downward. Figure 7 shown.

[0031] Mate Reference Figure 8 and Fig. 9After the pick-up arm obtains the substrate 2, the slide 412 drives the pick-up arm 422 to withdraw from the carrier 21, and the rotating shaft 421 drives the pick-up arm 422 to rotate toward one side of the processing chamber 30. When the recess 423 is adjacent to the processing chamber 30, the slide 412 drives the pick-up arm 422 to move toward the carrier 21 to allow the pick-up arm 422 to rotate until the recess 423 corresponds to the carrying portion 31. Fig.10 The processing chamber 30 further includes a chamber door 32 corresponding to the carrying portion 31. When the chamber door 32 is opened, the fetching and delivering mechanism 40 can extend into the processing chamber 30 and fetch and place the substrate 2 from the carrying portion 31. Fig.11 As shown, after the substrate 2 is placed on the carrier 31, the slide 412 drives the material taking arm 422 to withdraw from the processing chamber 30, and the chamber door 32 is closed to allow the process to proceed. Fig.12 The processing chamber 30 can be sealed and decompressed to a vacuum state according to the process requirements. The processing chamber 30 can include relevant process components such as a sputtering module, a thin film deposition module or a thermal evaporation film group according to the equipment function. The size of the substrate 2 is preferably not greater than 2 inches, which can effectively reduce material loss and shorten the process time.

[0032] The miniaturized semiconductor process system 1 further includes an electronic control unit 70 and an operation display interface 80 electrically connected to the electronic control unit 70. The operation display interface 80 is disposed on the housing 10 for external operation. The electronic control unit 70 is electrically connected to the lifting mechanism 20, the processing chamber 30 and the fetching and delivering mechanism 40. The operation display interface 80 can control various parameters in the processing chamber 30, such as but not limited to the pressure, temperature, light source intensity, opening and closing of the chamber door 32, etc. in the processing chamber 30, and can also control the actuation of the lifting mechanism 20 and the fetching and delivering mechanism 40.

[0033] The length L of the housing 10 is not greater than 1.6 meters, and the width W of the housing 10 is not greater than 0.5 meters, which limits the length and width of the miniaturized semiconductor process system 1 to effectively reduce the floor space. Further, the housing 10 includes a front side plate 13 and a rear side plate 14. The front side plate 13 extends toward the rear side plate 14 and is provided with a circumferentially closed recess 131. A side wall of the recess 131 is provided with the opening 12 to prevent foreign objects from colliding and entering the opening 12; preferably, the recess 131 extends obliquely toward the side provided with the opening 12 relative to a side wall 132 of the opening 12, so as to facilitate the placement of the substrate 2. However, the two adjacent side walls of the recess can also be vertically connected to each other. In this embodiment, the housing 10 further includes a mounting frame 15, the front side plate 13 and the rear side plate 14 are covered on the mounting frame 15, the lifting mechanism 20, the pick-up mechanism 40, the processing chamber 30 and the electric control unit 70 are all assembled on the mounting frame 15, which has good stability and is convenient for manufacturing and maintenance and replacement of components; the mounting frame 15 divides the internal space 11 into a first area 111 and a second area 112, the lifting mechanism 20 and the pick-up mechanism 40 are arranged in the first area 111, and the processing chamber 30 is arranged in the second area 112; the electric control unit 70 is arranged in the second area 112 and is located above the processing chamber 30, which can shorten the wiring distance. By means of the above configuration, the internal space 11 can be effectively utilized to miniaturize the miniaturized semiconductor process system 1.

[0034] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A miniaturized semiconductor process system, characterized in that: include: A housing including an inner space and an opening communicating with the inner space; A lifting mechanism is disposed in the inner space and includes a stage for placing a substrate, the stage being movable relative to the opening along a first direction between a first position and a second position; a processing chamber disposed in the inner space and comprising a carrying portion for placing the substrate; and A fetching and transporting mechanism is movably disposed along a second direction between the lifting mechanism and the processing chamber, and is used to fetch and transport the substrate between the carrier and the carrying portion; The shell has an aspect ratio between 1 and 6; when the carrier is located at the first position, the carrier is at least partially located in the opening so that the substrate can be taken in and placed from the outside; when the carrier is located at the second position, the pick-up and delivery mechanism corresponds to the carrier so that the substrate can be taken in and placed from the carrier; The miniaturized semiconductor process system further comprises a cover that can be opened and closed to cover the opening and at least one actuating rod connected to the cover, each of the actuating rods comprises a first end connected to the cover and a second end opposite to the first end and extending into the internal space; when the carrier moves toward the first position, the lifting mechanism pushes the second end so that the at least one actuating rod drives the cover to move relatively away from the opening; Each of the actuating rods further comprises a radially protruding stop portion and is sleeved with a first elastic member elastically abutting between the housing and the stop portion.

2. The miniaturized semiconductor process system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pick-up and delivery mechanism comprises a translation module and a rotation module arranged on the translation module. The rotation module comprises a rotation axis parallel to the first direction and a pick-up arm which rotates around the rotation axis and is used for picking up and placing the substrate.

3. The miniaturized semiconductor process system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The translation module comprises a slide rail arranged on the housing in parallel with the second direction and a slide seat movably arranged on the slide rail, and the rotation module is arranged on the slide seat.

4. The miniaturized semiconductor process system according to claim 2, wherein: The fetching and conveying mechanism further comprises a lifting module arranged between the translation module and the rotation module, and the lifting module can drive the fetching arm to move along a direction parallel to the first direction.

5. The miniaturized semiconductor process system according to claim 1, wherein: It also includes an electric control unit and an operation display interface electrically connected to the electric control unit, wherein the operation display interface is arranged on the shell for external operation, and the electric control unit is electrically connected to the lifting mechanism, the processing chamber and the fetching and delivering mechanism.

6. The miniaturized semiconductor process system according to claim 1, wherein: The shell comprises a front side plate and a rear side plate. The front side plate extends toward the rear side plate and is provided with a circumferentially closed concave portion. A side wall of the concave portion is provided with the opening.

7. The miniaturized semiconductor process system according to claim 1, wherein: A length of the shell is no greater than 1.6 meters, and a width of the shell is no greater than 0.5 meters.

8. The miniaturized semiconductor process system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The translation module includes a slide rail arranged on the shell in parallel with the second direction and a slide seat movably arranged on the slide rail, and the rotating module is arranged on the slide seat; the lifting mechanism, the translation module and the rotating module can be synchronously actuated; the processing chamber further includes a chamber door corresponding to the carrying part; the miniaturized semiconductor process system further includes an electric control unit and an operation display interface electrically connected to the electric control unit, the operation display interface is arranged on the shell for external operation, and the electric control unit is electrically connected to the lifting mechanism, the processing chamber and the fetching and delivering mechanism; the shell includes a front side plate and a rear side plate, the front side plate extends toward the rear side plate and is provided with a circumferentially closed recess, and a side wall of the recess is provided with the opening; the recess extends obliquely toward a side with the opening relative to a side wall of the opening; a length of the shell is not more than 1.6 meters, and a width of the shell is not more than 0.5 meters; the at least one actuating rod can be relatively slidably penetrated through the shell; the lifting mechanism It also includes a movable platform connected to the carrier at an interval and a lifting drive unit that can drive the movable platform, the movable platform can drive the carrier to move along the first direction; when the carrier moves toward the first position, the movable platform pushes the second end so that the at least one actuating rod drives the cover relatively away from the opening; the carrier is provided with at least one guide groove corresponding to the at least one actuating rod, and each of the actuating rods is movably arranged in one of the guide grooves; the lifting mechanism also includes a plurality of connecting rods connecting the movable platform and the carrier and at least one second elastic member set on at least one of the connecting rods, and each of the second elastic members is elastically abutted between the movable platform and the carrier; the shell further includes a connecting frame, and the front side plate and the rear side plate cover are arranged on the connecting frame; the connecting frame divides the internal space into a first area and a second area, the lifting mechanism and the pick-up and delivery mechanism are arranged in the first area, and the processing chamber is arranged in the second area; and the electronic control unit is arranged in the second area and is located above the processing chamber.

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