Semiconductor processing equipment

Abstract

A semiconductor process machine comprises a buffer chamber, a robot arm, an air flow supply source, an exhaust system and a plurality of chambers. The buffer chamber has a buffer chamber body, wherein the buffer chamber body has an air inlet, an exhaust port, a first wafer channel and a second wafer channel, wherein the air inlet is adjacent to the first wafer channel, the exhaust port is adjacent to the second wafer channel, and the first wafer channel and the second wafer channel are arranged opposite to each other. The robot arm is arranged in the buffer chamber. The air flow supply source is connected to the air inlet. The exhaust system is connected to the exhaust port. The plurality of chambers are respectively connected to the first wafer channel and the second wafer channel of the buffer chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor processing machine. Background Art

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, thin film deposition and etching processes can be performed using appropriate process methods. Such processes can be performed in cluster tools with multiple reaction chambers, integrating different processes into one system, reducing the idle time between processes and increasing productivity.

[0003] However, when operating a cluster tool, there may be a difference in gas pressure between the reaction chamber and the buffer chamber of the cluster tool. This difference causes gas flow during wafer transfer, which in turn affects the flow of dust particles in the cluster tool, thereby causing film defects during film deposition. Summary of the invention

[0004] Some embodiments disclosed herein provide a semiconductor process machine, comprising a buffer chamber, a robot arm, an air flow supply source, an exhaust system, and a plurality of chambers. The buffer chamber has a buffer chamber body, wherein the buffer chamber body has an air inlet, an exhaust port, a first wafer channel, and a second wafer channel, wherein the air inlet is adjacent to the first wafer channel, the exhaust port is adjacent to the second wafer channel, and the first wafer channel and the second wafer channel are arranged opposite to each other. The robot arm is arranged in the buffer chamber. The air flow supply source is connected to the air inlet. The exhaust system is connected to the exhaust port. The plurality of chambers are respectively connected to the first wafer channel and the second wafer channel of the buffer chamber.

[0005] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a semiconductor process machine, comprising a buffer chamber, a robot arm, an airflow supply source, an exhaust system, and at least one process reaction chamber. The buffer chamber has a buffer chamber body, wherein the buffer chamber body has a plurality of wafer channels, wherein: the buffer chamber body has an air inlet and at least one exhaust port surrounding the air inlet; or, the buffer chamber body has an exhaust port and at least one air inlet surrounding the exhaust port. The robot arm is disposed in the buffer chamber. The airflow supply source is connected to the air inlet. The exhaust system is connected to the exhaust port. The process reaction chamber is connected to one of the plurality of wafer channels of the buffer chamber.

[0006] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a semiconductor process machine, comprising a buffer chamber, a first cover, an air flow supply source, and an exhaust system. The buffer chamber has a buffer chamber body, wherein the buffer chamber body has an air inlet and an exhaust port. The first cover is disposed on one of the air inlet and the exhaust port, wherein the first cover has a first top, a first bottom, and a first side, and the first bottom has a first bottom opening to circulate and connect the one of the air inlet and the exhaust port, and the first side has at least one first side opening to allow the air flow of the one of the air inlet and the exhaust port to circulate with the air flow of the buffer chamber. The air flow supply source is connected to the air inlet. The exhaust system is connected to the exhaust port. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a semiconductor process machine according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0008] Figure 2A is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a buffer chamber of a semiconductor process machine according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0009] Figure 2B yes Figure 2A A schematic top view of a buffer chamber;

[0010] Figure 2C is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a buffer chamber of a semiconductor process machine according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 3 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an air inlet cover according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 4 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an air extraction hole cover according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5D is a top view schematically showing a buffer chamber of a semiconductor process machine according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a buffer chamber of a semiconductor process machine according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a buffer chamber of a semiconductor process machine according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 8 The present invention is a flowchart of a method for using a semiconductor process tool according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0017]

Explanation of symbols

[0018] 100…Semiconductor processing equipment

[0019] 110…Buffer chamber body

[0020] 110A…base plate

[0021] 110B…Sidewall

[0022] 112…Air Inlet

[0023] 114…Air extraction port

[0024] 120…Gas Diffuser

[0025] 120L...Gas pipeline

[0026] 130…Exhaust system

[0027] 130L...Gas pipeline

[0028] 140…cover

[0029] 140H…Height

[0030] 140W…Width

[0031] 142…Bottom

[0032] 142O…Open

[0033] 144…Top

[0034] 146…Side

[0035] 146O…Open

[0036] 150…cover

[0037] 150H…Height

[0038] 150W...Width

[0039] 152…Bottom

[0040] 152O…Open

[0041] 154…Top

[0042] 156…Side

[0043] 156O…Open

[0044] 190…Controller

[0045] LP…Loading Port

[0046] FI…Factory Interface

[0047] LC…Load Lock Chamber

[0048] BC…Buffer Chamber

[0049] R1~R4…Reaction chamber

[0050] G1~G6…wafer channel

[0051] WI…Wafer Entry Chamber

[0052] WO…Wafer Delivery Room

[0053] WP…Wafer Box

[0054] A1, A2…Robotic Arm

[0055] GS...Gas Supply Source

[0056] GC1…Flow Controller

[0057] GC2...Flow valve

[0058] V1~V6…Valve

[0059] C…Center

[0060] M…Method

[0061] S1~S9…Steps DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] The present disclosure below will provide many different implementations or examples to implement the different features of the provided patent subject matter. Many components and configurations will be described below with specific examples to simplify the present disclosure. Of course, these examples are only used for illustration and should not be used to limit the present disclosure. For example, the description "a first feature is formed on a second feature" includes multiple implementations, including the first feature being in direct contact with the second feature, and additional features being formed between the first feature and the second feature so that the two are not in direct contact. In addition, in various embodiments, the present disclosure may repeat numbers and / or letters. This repetition is for simplicity and clarity of description, and is not intended to indicate the relationship between the various implementations and / or configurations discussed.

[0063] Furthermore, spatially relative terms, such as "lower," "below," "beneath," "beneath," "upper," "above," and other related terms, are used herein to simply describe the relationship of an element or feature to another element or feature, as shown in the figures. During use or operation, these spatially relative terms encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation shown in the figures. Alternatively, the devices may be rotated (90 degrees or other angles), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

[0064] Figure 1The semiconductor processing machine 100 is a schematic diagram of a configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The semiconductor processing machine 100 may be a cluster tool, including a factory interface (FI) FI, a load-lock chamber LC, a buffer chamber BC, and process reaction chambers R1-R4.

[0065] The factory interface FI may be, for example, an Equipment Front-End Module (EFEM). The factory interface FI includes a loading port LP to carry a wafer cassette WP. The wafer cassette WP may be loaded with multiple wafers and transported by a suitable automated handling system, such as an Overhead Hoist Transfer (OHT).

[0066] The factory interface FI is connected to the load lock chamber LC. The load lock chamber LC can be used to load or unload wafers. For example, the load lock chamber LC includes a wafer entry chamber WI and a wafer delivery chamber WO. The factory interface FI may be provided with a robot A1 to take out wafers from a wafer transfer box WP carried by a load port LP and transfer them to the wafer entry chamber WI of the load lock chamber LC, and also to take out wafers from a wafer delivery chamber WO of the load lock chamber LC and transfer them to a wafer transfer box WP carried by a load port LP.

[0067] The buffer chamber BC is also called a transfer chamber. The buffer chamber BC is connected to the load lock chamber LC and the reaction chambers R1 to R4. The buffer chamber BC may be provided with a robot A2 to transfer wafers between the load lock chamber LC and the reaction chambers R1 to R4.

[0068] In some embodiments, reaction chambers R1 to R4 may be used to perform chemical vapor deposition, such as high density plasma (HDP) process, atomic layer deposition, sputtering, etching, cleaning and other steps, wherein chemical vapor deposition may be low pressure chemical vapor deposition, plasma chemical vapor deposition or other appropriate processes. The number of reaction chambers R1 to R4 is for illustration only and should not be limited to this number. During the process, the reaction chambers R1 to R4 are connected to the buffer chamber BC by valves V1 to V4, which control the switch between the buffer chamber and the reaction chamber. For example, valves V1 to V4 may be slit valves, bellows or other appropriate components. Valves V1 to V4 may include appropriate elastic gaskets, such as rubber gaskets.

[0069] The steps of growing thin film are as follows: the silicon wafer in the wafer transfer box WP is configured to the wafer entry chamber WI through the factory interface FI, and then enters the buffer chamber BC from the wafer entry chamber WI, and then the robot A2 in the buffer chamber BC transfers the wafer to the process reaction chamber R1 responsible for thin film deposition. Then, thin film deposition is performed on the wafer. Afterwards, the robot A2 clamps the wafer from the process reaction chamber R1 back to the buffer chamber BC, and then enters the process reaction chamber R2, process reaction chamber R3 or process reaction chamber R4 according to the process requirements to perform other process steps.

[0070] Dust particles may exist in the buffer chamber BC, wherein the dust particles may come from the process reaction chambers R1~R4, the load lock chamber LC or other possible components. During the process, the airflow in the buffer chamber BC may be unevenly distributed, making the wafers entering the buffer chamber BC susceptible to contamination by dust particles in the buffer chamber BC. In many embodiments of the present invention, before the wafer enters the buffer chamber BC, the airflow in the buffer chamber BC is regulated to be stable to prevent the wafers entering the buffer chamber BC from being contaminated by dust particles. For example, the air inlet 112 and the air exhaust port 114 may be symmetrically arranged in the buffer chamber BC to achieve a symmetrical airflow field, thereby reducing the difference in airflow velocity in the buffer chamber BC to achieve uniform airflow coverage and thereby avoid dust. Figure 1 In the figure, the air inlet 112 and the air exhaust port 114 may be blocked by the robot arm A2, so the air inlet 112 and the air exhaust port 114 are drawn with dotted lines.

[0071] In this article, the term "airflow field" refers to the velocity and density distribution of airflow in a space. The term "airflow coverage" refers to the ratio of the area in the airflow space that reaches the target velocity to the total area. For example, in this embodiment, the target velocity may be in the range of about 1 cm / s to about 0.01 cm / s.

[0072] Figure 2A It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the buffer chamber BC of the semiconductor process machine 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The semiconductor process machine 100 includes a buffer chamber BC, which has a buffer chamber body 110 surrounding a space. In some embodiments, the buffer chamber body 110 at least includes a bottom plate 110A and a side wall 110B connected to the side of the bottom plate 110A. The bottom plate 110A of the buffer chamber body 110 is used to support the robot arm A2. The air inlet 112 and the air exhaust port 114 are disposed in the bottom plate 110A. The side wall 110B of the buffer chamber body 110 may be provided with a plurality of wafer channels G1~G4 to respectively connect each reaction chamber R1~R4 (refer to Figure 1 ), and the buffer chamber body 110 is provided with a plurality of wafer channels G5, G6 to respectively connect the wafer entry chamber WI and the wafer delivery chamber WO of the load lock chamber LC (refer to Figure 1). Thus, the robot arm A2 can transport wafers through the wafer channels G1 to G6. As mentioned above, the wafer channels G1 to G6 are respectively provided with valves V1 to V6 (refer to Figure 1 ). Thus, the wafer channels G1-G6 can be opened or closed by controlling the valves V1-V6.

[0073] Figure 2B yes Figure 2A Schematic diagram of the buffer chamber BC. Figure 2A and Figure 2B In this embodiment, the air inlet 112 and the air extraction port 114 are respectively adjacent to the wafer channels G4-G5 and the wafer channels G1-G2, wherein the wafer channels G4-G5 and the wafer channels G1-G2 are arranged opposite to each other. Thus, a substantially symmetrical airflow flow field can be generated, and by appropriately controlling the flow velocities of the air inlet 112 and the air extraction port 114, the flow velocity difference can be reduced, thereby achieving a uniform airflow coverage.

[0074] Furthermore, the air inlet 112 and the air exhaust port 114 are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the center C of the buffer chamber BC (for example, the line connecting the air inlet 112 and the air exhaust port 114 passes through the center C of the buffer chamber BC), and can roughly generate an airflow field with the line connecting the air inlet 112 and the air exhaust port 114 as the symmetry line, thereby achieving uniform airflow coverage.

[0075] In some embodiments of the present invention, the distance between the air inlet 112 and the center C and the distance between the air exhaust port 114 and the center C can be designed to be greater than about 450 mm in total. If the distance between the air inlet 112 and the center C and the distance between the air exhaust port 114 and the center C are less than about 450 mm in total, the local effect of the air flow is obvious, and there will be a problem of obvious uneven air flow coverage. In some embodiments, the distance between the air inlet 112 / air exhaust port 114 and the center C can be about 130 mm to about 345 mm, and if the distance between the air inlet 112 / air exhaust port 114 and the center C is less than about 130 mm, it may interfere with the structure of the robot arm A2, or the range covered by the air flow field may be too small to achieve uniform air flow coverage. If the distance between the air inlet 112 / air exhaust port 114 and the center C is greater than about 345 mm, the air flow may be significantly affected by the wall and uneven, and may also have a significant impact on the air flow of other chambers.

[0076] In order to achieve uniform airflow coverage, in some embodiments, the distance between the air inlet 112 and the center C can be designed to be approximately equal to the distance between the air outlet 114 and the center C. In some embodiments, the distance between the air inlet 112 and the center C may not be equal to the distance between the air outlet 114 and the center C. For example, the ratio of the distance between the air inlet 112 and the center C and the distance between the air outlet 114 and the center C is in the range of about 1 / 3 to about 3. If this distance ratio is less than 1 / 3 or greater than 3, there will be a problem of obviously uneven airflow coverage. Alternatively, the difference between the distance between the air inlet 112 and the center C and the distance between the air outlet 114 and the center C can be set to be less than about 450 mm, or even less than about 100 mm. If the difference between the distance between the air inlet 112 and the center C and the distance between the air outlet 114 and the center C is greater than 450 mm, there may be a problem of obviously uneven airflow coverage. Herein, the center C of the buffer chamber BC may be an intersection point of central extension lines of the wafer channels G1 to G6 of the buffer chamber BC. The robot arm A2 may be disposed at the center C of the buffer chamber BC.

[0077] In some embodiments, the air inlet 112 and the air extraction port 114 are located approximately between any two adjacent wafer channels G1 to G6. For example, here, the air inlet 112 is approximately between the wafer channels G4 to G5, and the air extraction port 114 is approximately between the wafer channels G1 to G2. In this way, the influence of the airflow of the buffer chamber BC on the airflow of other chambers can be reduced.

[0078] In some embodiments, reference is made to Figure 2A The semiconductor process machine 100 may further include an air inlet cover 140 and an air exhaust cover 150 supported by the bottom plate 110A, which are respectively disposed on the air inlet 112 and the air exhaust port 114 to adjust the air flow speed. The structures of the covers 140 and 150 will be described later.

[0079] Figure 2C1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a buffer chamber BC of a semiconductor processing machine 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The semiconductor processing machine 100 may include a gas diffuser 120 disposed in the gas inlet 112. The gas diffuser 120 can spray gas to all directions. The gas diffuser 120 can be connected to a gas supply source GS via an appropriate gas pipeline 120L to stably provide gas. For example, the gas supply source GS can contain nitrogen, inert gas (such as helium, neon and argon), appropriate compressed dry air (compressor dry air; CDA), etc. In some embodiments, a flow controller GC1 can be disposed on the gas pipeline 120L, wherein the flow controller GC1 can control the gas flow rate of the gas pipeline 120L. For example, the flow controller GC1 is a mass flow controller (Mass Flow Controller; MFC), a flow restrictor (flow restrictor) or a mass flow meter (Mass Flow Meter; MFM).

[0080] In some embodiments, the semiconductor process machine 100 may include an exhaust system 130, such as a vacuum exhaust system, which is connected to the exhaust port 114 through an appropriate gas pipeline 130L. For example, the exhaust system 130 may be an exhaust pump. In some embodiments, a flow valve GC2 may be disposed on the gas pipeline 130L, wherein the flow valve GC2 may control the gas flow rate or gas pressure of the gas pipeline 130L, thereby controlling the flow rate of the exhausted gas. For example, the flow valve GC2 may be an isolation valve, a throttle valve, or a restricted flow valve.

[0081] In some embodiments, the upper and lower openings of the air inlet 112 and the air outlet 114 are of equal width. In some other embodiments, the lower opening of the air inlet 112 and the air outlet 114 is smaller than the upper opening, so that the air inlet 112 and the air outlet 114 present an inverted trapezoidal shape.

[0082] The semiconductor process machine 100 may further include a controller 190. The controller 190 is used to control multiple process conditions in the deposition process. For example, the controller 190 is connected to the flow controller GC1 to control the gas intake operation of the gas diffuser 120; the controller 190 is connected to the flow valve GC2 to control the gas extraction operation of the gas extraction port 114; the controller 190 can also be connected to the gas extraction system 130 to control the gas extraction operation of the gas extraction port 114. In some embodiments, the controller 190 is a computer device including one or more processing units and one or more memory devices. The processing unit can be implemented in a variety of ways, such as dedicated hardware or general-purpose hardware (such as a single processor, a multi-processor, or a circular processing unit capable of parallel computing, etc.) using microcode or software instructions to perform the functions described herein. Each memory device can be a random access memory, a read-only memory, etc.

[0083] Figure 3 1 is a perspective view of an air inlet cover 140 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Specifically, the cover 140 has a bottom 142, a top 144, and a side 146 connecting the bottom 142 and the top 144. In this embodiment, the bottom 142 of the cover 140 has an opening 142O corresponding to the air inlet 112 (refer to Figure 2A , 2C ) is provided. In this embodiment, the side portion 146 of the cover body 140 has an opening 146O. For example, the side portion 146 includes a plurality of support columns 146C, and there are gaps between the support columns 146C to form the opening 146O. In this embodiment, the top 144 of the cover body 140 is solid and has no opening. In this way, the gas provided by the air inlet 112 can be blocked by the top 144 of the cover body 140 and slowed down, and flow into the buffer chamber BC through the openings 142O and 146O.

[0084] In this embodiment, the bottom 142, top 144 and side 146 of the cover 140 can be formed by any material with appropriate rigidity, such as aluminum plate, plastic, etc. The materials of the bottom 142, top 144 and side 146 of the cover 140 can be the same or different. In some embodiments, the bottom 142, top 144 and side 146 can be relatively fixed by appropriate methods (such as welding, bonding, assembly, etc.) to form the cover 140. In other embodiments, the bottom 142, top 144 and side 146 can be formed by integral molding (such as injection molding) to form the cover 140. In some other methods, one or more openings smaller than the opening 142O can be opened on the top 144 of the cover 140, so that the top 144 still has the effect of blocking airflow.

[0085] Figure 4is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an air extraction hole cover 150 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2A , 2C and Figure 4 Similarly, the cover 150 has a bottom 152, a top 154, and a side 156 connecting the bottom 152 and the top 154. The bottom 152 of the cover 150 has an opening 152O. The side 156 of the cover 150 has an opening 156O corresponding to the air extraction port 114 (refer to Figure 2A , 2C ) is provided. For example, the side portion 156 includes a plurality of support columns 156C, and there are gaps between the support columns 156C to form an opening 156O. In this embodiment, the top 154 ​​of the cover 150 is solid without an opening. In this way, the gas in the buffer chamber BC can be blocked by the top 154 ​​of the cover 150 and slowed down, and flow into the exhaust port 114 through the openings 152O and 156O.

[0086] In this embodiment, the bottom 152, top 154 ​​and side 156 of the cover 150 can be formed of any material with appropriate rigidity, such as aluminum plate, plastic, etc. The materials of the bottom 152, top 154 ​​and side 156 of the cover 150 can be the same or different. In some embodiments, the bottom 152, top 154 ​​and side 156 can be relatively fixed by appropriate methods (such as welding, bonding, assembly, etc.) to form the cover 150. In other embodiments, the bottom 152, top 154 ​​and side 156 can be formed by integral molding (such as injection molding) to form the cover 150. In some other methods, one or more openings smaller than the opening 152O can be opened on the top 154 ​​of the cover 150, so that the top 154 ​​still has the effect of blocking airflow.

[0087] Also refer to Figure 2C , Figure 3 and Figure 4. In some embodiments, in order to optimize the airflow rate of the supply and exhaust, the size of the cover 140 can be adjusted to be different from the size of the cover 150. For example, in view of the fact that the gas diffuser 120 can disperse the airflow of the supply, the cover 140 can be designed to provide a lower airflow dispersion effect compared to the cover 150. Specifically, the width 150W of the cover 150 (e.g., the diameter of the bottom 152 / top 154) can be designed to be larger than the width 140W of the cover 140 (e.g., the diameter of the bottom 142 / top 144), and the height 150H of the cover 150 (e.g., the height of the side 156) can also be designed to be larger than the height 140H of the cover 140 (e.g., the height of the bottom side 146). Thereby, the cover 150 has a greater resistance to the airflow, and can cause a greater dispersion effect on the exhaust airflow. In some embodiments, the diameter of the bottom 142 , 152 of the cover 140 , 150 may be different from the diameter of the top 144 , 154 , so that the cross-section of the cover 140 , 150 is in the shape of a regular trapezoid or an inverted trapezoid.

[0088] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5D 1 is a top view of a buffer chamber BC of a semiconductor process machine 100 according to multiple embodiments of the present disclosure. In the following embodiments, by adjusting the number, distribution, and shape of the air inlet 112 and the air extraction port 114, the flow field of the air flow can also be evenly and symmetrically distributed, without being limited to arranging the air inlet 112 and the air extraction port 114 on opposite sides of the center C.

[0089] refer to Figure 5A , the air extraction port 114 is arranged at the center C of the buffer chamber BC, and the plurality of air inlets 112a to 112f are arranged around the center C. Specifically, the plurality of air inlets 112a to 112f surround the air extraction port 114. In this embodiment, the distance between each air inlet 112a to 112f and the air extraction port 114 is substantially the same, and the distribution of the air inlets 112a to 112f is symmetrically arranged with respect to the air extraction port 114. In this way, a uniform and symmetrical flow field blowing from the outside to the inside can be generated.

[0090] In some embodiments, the spacing between the air inlets 112a to 112f is substantially the same. In other embodiments, the spacing between the air inlets 112a to 112f may be different. The number of the air inlets 112a to 112f is not limited thereto. For example, the air inlets 112b and 112e may be omitted, and the spacing between the air inlets 112a, 112c, 112d, and 112f may be different, but a symmetrical flow field may still be generated.

[0091] In some embodiments, the positions of the air inlets 112a-112f are respectively located approximately between any two adjacent wafer channels G1-G6 to reduce the impact of the airflow in the buffer chamber BC on other chambers. In this embodiment, by arranging the air inlets 112a-112f adjacent to the respective wafer channels G1-G6, it is possible to prevent the valves V1-V6 (refer to Figure 1 ) is turned on, the reaction chambers R1 to R4 (reference Figure 1 ) or load lock chamber LC (reference Figure 1 ) to the buffer chamber BC (reference Figure 1 )Blow air.

[0092] Figure 5B The implementation is similar to Figure 5A The difference is that: Figure 5B In the embodiment, the air inlet 114 is annular and surrounds the center C of the buffer chamber BC. The center of the annular air inlet 114 can be roughly aligned with the center C of the buffer chamber BC. In this embodiment, the distance between each air inlet 112a~112f and the center of the air inlet 114 is roughly the same, and the distribution of the air inlets 112a~112f is symmetrically arranged with respect to the center of the air inlet 114. In this way, a uniform and symmetrical flow field blowing from the outside to the inside can be generated. In this embodiment, the aforementioned gas pipeline 130L (reference Figure 2C ) is configured as an annular pipeline, connected to the annular air extraction port 114 in an annular manner. Other details of this embodiment are roughly as follows Figure 5A I will not repeat what has been said here.

[0093] refer to Figure 5C , the air inlet 112 is arranged at the center C of the buffer chamber BC, and a plurality of air extraction ports 114a to 114f are arranged around the center C. Specifically, the plurality of air extraction ports 114a to 114f surround the air inlet 112. In this embodiment, the distance between each of the air extraction ports 114a to 114f and the air inlet 112 is substantially the same, and the distribution of the air extraction ports 114a to 114f is symmetrically arranged with respect to the air inlet 112. In this way, a uniform and symmetrical flow field blowing from the inside to the outside can be generated.

[0094] In some embodiments, the spacing between the air suction ports 114a to 114f is substantially the same. In other embodiments, the spacing between the air suction ports 114a to 114f may be different. The number of air suction ports 114a to 114f is not limited thereto. For example, the air suction ports 114b and 114e may be omitted, and the spacing between the air suction ports 114a, 114c, 114d, and 114f may be different, but a symmetrical flow field may still be generated.

[0095] In some embodiments, the positions of the exhaust ports 114 a - 114 f are respectively located substantially between any two adjacent wafer channels 111 - 116 to reduce the impact of the airflow in the buffer chamber BC on other chambers.

[0096] Figure 5D The implementation is similar to Figure 5C The difference is that in this embodiment, the air inlet 112 is annular and surrounds the center C of the buffer chamber BC. The center of the annular air inlet 112 can be roughly aligned with the center C of the buffer chamber BC. In this embodiment, the distance between each of the air extraction ports 114a~114f and the center of the air inlet 112 is roughly the same, and the distribution of the air extraction ports 114a~114f is symmetrically arranged with respect to the center of the air inlet 112. In this way, a uniform and symmetrical flow field blowing from the inside to the outside can be generated. In this embodiment, the gas diffuser 120 (refer to Figure 2C ) can be arranged in a ring shape. In some embodiments, the aforementioned gas pipeline 120L (reference Figure 2C ) is configured as a ring-shaped pipeline to connect the gas diffuser 120 in a ring shape. Other details of this embodiment are roughly as follows Figure 5A I will not repeat what has been said here.

[0097] Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a buffer chamber BC of a semiconductor processing machine 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2C Similar to the implementation method of Figure 2C The difference between the embodiment of the present invention and the embodiment of the present invention is that the flow valve GC2 for controlling the flow rate of the exhaust gas is omitted in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the flow rate of the supply gas is controlled by the flow controller GC1, thereby controlling the flow rate of the gas in the buffer chamber BC. The other details of the present embodiment are roughly as described above and will not be repeated here.

[0098] Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a buffer chamber BC of a semiconductor processing machine 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2C Similar to the implementation method of Figure 2C The difference between the embodiment of the present invention and the embodiment of the present invention is that the flow controller GC1 for controlling the supply gas flow rate is omitted in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the exhaust gas flow rate is controlled by the flow valve GC2, thereby controlling the gas flow rate in the buffer chamber BC. The other details of the present embodiment are roughly as described above and will not be repeated here.

[0099] Figure 8 It is a flow chart of a method M for using a semiconductor process machine according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The method M comprises steps S1 to S9.

[0100] Also refer to Figure 1, Figure 2C and Figure 8 In step S1, a wafer transport box is placed on the loading port LP, and then the wafer is transferred to the load lock chamber LC. In step S2, the gas pressure in the buffer chamber BC is adjusted to a fixed pressure by connecting the flow controller GC1 of the gas supply source GS or the flow valve GC2 of the exhaust system 130. For example, in order to match the pressure of the reaction chamber R1, the fixed pressure can be approximately in the range of 100mTorr to 300mTorr. If the gas pressure is greater than 300mTorr, dust in the buffer chamber BC may be raised.

[0101] In step S3, valve V5 is opened to transfer the wafer from the load lock chamber LC to the buffer chamber BC, and then valve V5 is closed. In step S4, the pressure of the reaction chamber R1 is prepared so that the pressure of the reaction chamber R1 is lower than the pressure of the buffer chamber BC. In step S5, valve V1 is opened to transfer the wafer from the buffer chamber BC to the reaction chamber R1, and then valve V6 is closed.

[0102] In step S6, a process is performed on the wafer in the reaction chamber R1. As mentioned above, the process may be a high density plasma (HDP) process. In some embodiments, the HDP process may deposit a thin film and remove a portion of the thin film at the same time.

[0103] In step S7, the pressure in the buffer chamber BC is maintained at the fixed pressure by the flow controller GC1 connected to the gas supply source GS or the flow valve GC2 connected to the exhaust system 130. In step S8, the valve V1 is opened to transfer the wafer from the reaction chamber R1 to the buffer chamber BC, and then the valve V1 is closed. In step S9, the wafer is transferred from the buffer chamber BC to the reaction chambers R2 to R4 or the load lock chamber LC.

[0104] In multiple embodiments of the present disclosure, by symmetrically arranging the positions of the air inlet and the air extraction hole, the airflow coverage rate can be improved and the distribution of the airflow field can be made more uniform, thereby avoiding dust.

[0105] Some embodiments disclosed herein provide a semiconductor process machine, comprising a buffer chamber, a robot arm, an air flow supply source, an exhaust system, and a plurality of chambers. The buffer chamber has a buffer chamber body, wherein the buffer chamber body has an air inlet, an exhaust port, a first wafer channel, and a second wafer channel, wherein the air inlet is adjacent to the first wafer channel, the exhaust port is adjacent to the second wafer channel, and the first wafer channel and the second wafer channel are arranged opposite to each other. The robot arm is arranged in the buffer chamber. The air flow supply source is connected to the air inlet. The exhaust system is connected to the exhaust port. The plurality of chambers are respectively connected to the first wafer channel and the second wafer channel of the buffer chamber.

[0106] In some embodiments, the air inlet and the air exhaust port are respectively disposed on two opposite sides of a center of the buffer chamber.

[0107] In some embodiments, the buffer chamber further includes a third wafer channel, and the air inlet is adjacent to the first wafer channel and between the third wafer channel.

[0108] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a semiconductor process machine, comprising a buffer chamber, a robot arm, an airflow supply source, an exhaust system, and at least one process reaction chamber. The buffer chamber has a buffer chamber body, wherein the buffer chamber body has a plurality of wafer channels, wherein: the buffer chamber body has an air inlet and at least one exhaust port surrounding the air inlet; or, the buffer chamber body has an exhaust port and at least one air inlet surrounding the exhaust port. The robot arm is disposed in the buffer chamber. The airflow supply source is connected to the air inlet. The exhaust system is connected to the exhaust port. The process reaction chamber is connected to one of the plurality of wafer channels of the buffer chamber.

[0109] In some embodiments, when the buffer chamber body has an air inlet and at least one exhaust port, the at least one exhaust port is multiple and is respectively adjacent to two adjacent wafer channels; or when the buffer chamber body has an exhaust port and at least one air inlet, the at least one air inlet is multiple and is respectively adjacent to two adjacent wafer channels.

[0110] In some embodiments, when the buffer chamber body has an air inlet and at least one air extraction port, the air inlet is annular; or when the buffer chamber body has the air extraction port and at least one air inlet, the air extraction port is annular.

[0111] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a semiconductor process machine, comprising a buffer chamber, a first cover, an air flow supply source, and an exhaust system. The buffer chamber has a buffer chamber body, wherein the buffer chamber body has an air inlet and an exhaust port. The first cover is disposed on one of the air inlet and the exhaust port, wherein the first cover has a first top, a first bottom, and a first side, and the first bottom has a first bottom opening to circulate and connect the one of the air inlet and the exhaust port, and the first side has at least one first side opening to allow the air flow of the one of the air inlet and the exhaust port to circulate with the air flow of the buffer chamber. The air flow supply source is connected to the air inlet. The exhaust system is connected to the exhaust port.

[0112] In some embodiments, the semiconductor processing machine further includes a second cover body disposed on the other of the air inlet and the air exhaust port, wherein the second cover body has a second top, a second bottom and a second side, and the second bottom has a second bottom opening to circulate and connect the other of the air inlet and the air exhaust port, and the second side has at least one second side opening to allow the airflow of one of the air inlet and the air exhaust port to circulate with the airflow of the buffer chamber.

[0113] In some embodiments, the first cover is disposed on the air inlet, the second cover is disposed on the air outlet, and the height of the second side portion of the second cover is greater than the height of the first side portion of the first cover.

[0114] In some embodiments, the first cover is disposed on the air inlet, the second cover is disposed on the air exhaust port, and the width of the second top of the second cover is greater than the width of the first top of the first cover.

[0115] The above summarizes the features of multiple embodiments, and those with ordinary knowledge in the art can better understand the multiple aspects of the present disclosure. Those with ordinary knowledge in the art should understand that the present disclosure can be used as a basis for designing or modifying other programs or structures to implement the same purposes and / or achieve the same benefits mentioned in the embodiments. Those with ordinary knowledge in the art should also understand that these equivalent structures do not exceed the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and various changes, substitutions, and transformations can be made. Here, the spirit and scope of the present disclosure covers these changes, substitutions, and transformations.

Claims

1. A semiconductor process machine, characterized in that: Include: A buffer chamber, comprising a buffer chamber body, wherein the buffer chamber body comprises a bottom plate and a side wall connected to the bottom plate, the bottom plate comprises an air inlet and an air extraction port, the side wall comprises a first wafer channel and a second wafer channel, wherein the air inlet is adjacent to the first wafer channel, the air extraction port is adjacent to the second wafer channel, and the first wafer channel is arranged opposite to the second wafer channel; a robotic arm disposed in the buffer chamber; an air flow supply source connected to the air inlet; an air extraction system connected to the air extraction port; as well as A plurality of chambers are respectively connected to the first wafer channel and the second wafer channel of the buffer chamber.

2. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 1, wherein: The air inlet and the air extraction port are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of a center of the buffer chamber.

3. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 1, wherein: The buffer chamber further comprises a third wafer channel, and the air inlet is adjacent to the first wafer channel and between the third wafer channel.

4. A semiconductor process machine, characterized in that: Include: A buffer chamber, comprising a buffer chamber body, wherein the buffer chamber body comprises a bottom plate and a side wall connected to the bottom plate, the side wall comprises a plurality of wafer channels, wherein: the bottom plate comprises an air inlet and at least one exhaust port surrounding the air inlet; or the bottom plate comprises an exhaust port and at least one air inlet surrounding the exhaust port; a robotic arm disposed in the buffer chamber; an air flow supply source connected to the air inlet; an air extraction system connected to the air extraction port; and At least one process reaction chamber is connected to one of the plurality of wafer channels of the buffer chamber.

5. The semiconductor process machine according to claim 4, wherein: When the bottom plate of the buffer chamber body has the air inlet and the at least one exhaust port, the at least one exhaust port is multiple and is respectively adjacent to two adjacent ones of the multiple wafer channels; or when the bottom plate of the buffer chamber body has the air inlet and the at least one air inlet, the at least one air inlet is multiple and is respectively adjacent to two adjacent ones of the multiple wafer channels.

6. The semiconductor process machine according to claim 4, wherein: When the bottom plate of the buffer chamber body has the air inlet and the at least one air extraction port, the air inlet is annular; or when the bottom plate of the buffer chamber body has the air extraction port and the at least one air inlet, the air extraction port is annular.

7. A semiconductor process machine, characterized in that: Include: A buffer chamber having a buffer chamber body, wherein the buffer chamber body has an air inlet and an air extraction port; a first cover body, disposed on one of the air inlet and the air extraction port, wherein the first cover body has a first top, a first bottom, and a first side portion, and the first bottom has a first bottom opening for connecting the one of the air inlet and the air extraction port, and the first side portion has at least one first side opening for allowing the airflow of the one of the air inlet and the air extraction port to flow with the airflow of the buffer chamber; an air flow supply source connected to the air inlet; and A suction system is connected to the suction port.

8. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 7, wherein: Also includes: A second cover body is arranged on the other of the air inlet and the air exhaust port, wherein the second cover body has a second top, a second bottom and a second side, and the second bottom has a second bottom opening to circulate and connect the other of the air inlet and the air exhaust port, and the second side has at least one second side opening to allow the airflow of one of the air inlet and the air exhaust port to circulate with the airflow of the buffer chamber.

9. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 8, wherein: The first cover is disposed on the air inlet, the second cover is disposed on the air outlet, and the height of the second side portion of the second cover is greater than the height of the first side portion of the first cover.

10. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 8, wherein: The first cover is arranged on the air inlet, the second cover is arranged on the air exhaust port, and the width of the second top of the second cover is greater than the width of the first top of the first cover.

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