Semiconductor processing equipment and its wafer support structure

Abstract

The present application provides a semiconductor process equipment and a wafer support structure thereof. The wafer support structure includes: a lifting assembly, a support assembly, a tightening assembly and an adjusting assembly. The lifting assembly is disposed in a loading and unloading chamber. The first end of the support assembly is sleeved on the top of a lifting shaft of the lifting assembly. A clearance fit is formed between the inner peripheral wall of the first end and the outer peripheral wall of the lifting shaft to form an adjusting space. The second end of the support assembly extends along the radial direction of the lifting shaft. The lifting shaft is used to drive the support assembly to lift in the vertical direction. The tightening assembly is sleeved on the outer periphery of the top of the lifting shaft and is located in the adjusting space. The adjusting assembly is disposed at the top of the lifting shaft and the first end. The bottom of the adjusting assembly can extend into the adjusting space. When the adjusting assembly presses against the first end, the bottom end of the adjusting assembly abuts against the tightening assembly to cause it to deform, lock the lifting shaft and the first end, and level the posture of the support assembly. The present application can quickly realize the horizontal adjustment of the support assembly, thereby reducing the cost of disassembly, installation and maintenance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor processing technologies. Specifically, the present application relates to a semiconductor process equipment and a wafer support structure thereof. Background Art

[0002] Currently, in a wafer transfer system, in order to cool or transfer wafers, a support structure is often used. This support structure has various forms, such as a central beam needle type, a central beam bracket type, a cantilever beam bracket type, and so on.

[0003] In the prior art, the support structure is mostly arranged in the loading and unloading chamber of the semiconductor process equipment, mainly used for temporarily storing the wafers transferred from the front-end chamber and cooling the wafers that have completed the process. Specifically, an atmospheric manipulator places the wafer on the support structure, the loading and unloading chamber is evacuated, and then a vacuum manipulator transfers the wafer from the loading and unloading chamber to the process chamber for processing. The processes involved are processes such as tungsten atomic layer deposition, dry cleaning, and plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition. After the wafer has completed the process in the process chamber, the vacuum manipulator then takes out the wafer from the process chamber and transfers it to the support structure in the vacuum state loading and unloading chamber. Then the support structure drives the wafer to descend, and the wafer is lowered onto the cold plate directly below for cooling. After the cooling is completed, the loading and unloading chamber returns to the atmospheric state, and then the atmospheric manipulator transfers the wafer out of the loading and unloading chamber. Thus, it can be seen that at the very front end and the very end of the entire process flow, the support structure plays an important role. However, in the prior art, due to the structural design problem of the support structure, its own levelness is poor and there is a problem of inconvenient adjustment, resulting in problems such as wafer slipping or fragmentation when carrying the wafer, and even seriously affecting the process yield. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the disadvantages of the existing methods, the present application provides a semiconductor process equipment and a wafer support structure thereof, aiming to solve the technical problem in the prior art that wafer slipping or fragmentation is caused due to poor levelness of the support structure and inconvenient adjustment.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a wafer support structure disposed in a loading and unloading chamber of a semiconductor processing apparatus for supporting a wafer and moving the wafer to a cooling plate in the loading and unloading chamber for cooling, including: a lifting assembly, a support assembly, a tightening assembly, and an adjusting assembly; the lifting assembly is disposed in the loading and unloading chamber, a first end of the support assembly is sleeved on top of a lifting shaft of the lifting assembly, and an inner peripheral wall of the first end is in clearance fit with an outer peripheral wall of the lifting shaft to form an adjustment space, a second end of the support assembly extends along a radial direction of the lifting shaft, and the lifting shaft is configured to drive the support assembly to move up and down in a vertical direction; the tightening assembly is sleeved on an outer periphery of the top of the lifting shaft and is located in the adjustment space; the adjusting assembly is disposed on tops of the lifting shaft and the first end, is connected to the first end, and a bottom end of the adjusting assembly extends into the adjustment space; when the adjusting assembly presses against the first end, a bottom end of the adjusting assembly abuts against the tightening assembly to cause the tightening assembly to deform, lock the lifting shaft and the first end, and adjust an attitude of the support assembly to level the support assembly.

[0006] In an embodiment of the present application, the tightening assembly includes an inner expansion sleeve and an outer expansion sleeve which are nested inside and outside, the inner expansion sleeve can swing relative to the outer expansion sleeve, and when the adjusting assembly abuts against the inner expansion sleeve, the inner expansion sleeve and the outer expansion sleeve are pressed against each other to deform.

[0007] In an embodiment of the present application, an inner peripheral wall of the inner expansion sleeve is attached to an outer peripheral wall of the lifting shaft, an outer peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve is attached to an inner peripheral wall of the first end, both an outer peripheral wall of the inner expansion sleeve and an inner peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve are inclined surfaces structures that incline inwards from top to bottom, and the outer peripheral wall of the inner expansion sleeve is in line contact with the inner peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve, so that the inner expansion sleeve can swing relative to the outer expansion sleeve.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present application, an inner peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve has an inner inclined surface and an inner arc surface, both the inner inclined surface and the inner arc surface extend circumferentially along the inner peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve, the inner inclined surface is located at the top of the inner peripheral wall, the inner arc surface is located at the bottom of the inner inclined surface and is connected to the inner inclined surface, the inner arc surface is an arc surface structure that bulges inwards, and the inner arc surface is in line contact with the outer peripheral wall of the inner expansion sleeve.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present application, the adjusting assembly includes a pressing sleeve and an adjusting member. The bottom of the pressing sleeve extends into the adjusting space and is used to abut against the inner expansion sleeve. The outer periphery of the top of the pressing sleeve has an annular boss; a plurality of adjusting members are arranged circumferentially along the annular boss and are connected to the first end, and are used to selectively press the pressing sleeve and the first end. By respectively adjusting the plurality of adjusting members, the posture of the support assembly can be adjusted to level the support assembly.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present application, the adjusting member includes a threaded connecting rod and a pressing block formed integrally. The threaded connecting rod slidably penetrates through the annular boss and is threadedly connected to the first end, and the pressing block presses against the annular boss.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present application, the plurality of adjusting members are evenly distributed circumferentially along the annular boss, and at least one of the adjusting members is located in the extending direction of the support assembly.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present application, the support assembly includes an adapter block, a cross beam and a bracket. The adapter block is sleeved on the top of the lifting shaft. One end of the cross beam is sleeved on the adapter block and is connected to the adapter block. A clearance fit is formed between the inner peripheral wall of the adapter block and the outer peripheral wall of the lifting shaft to form the adjusting space. The other end of the cross beam extends radially along the lifting shaft; the bracket is arranged on the cross beam and is used to support the wafer.

[0013] In an embodiment of the present application, the lifting shaft includes a body section and a mounting section. The mounting section is arranged at the top end of the body section, and the diameter of the body section is larger than the diameter of the mounting section. The first end is sleeved on the mounting section and is carried on the top end of the body section.

[0014] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a semiconductor process equipment, including: a vacuum transfer chamber, a front-end chamber, and a loading / unloading chamber. The loading / unloading chamber is arranged between the vacuum transfer chamber and the front-end chamber, and a wafer support structure as provided in the first aspect is arranged in the loading / unloading chamber.

[0015] The beneficial technical effects brought by the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application are:

[0016] In the embodiment of the present application, the first end of the support component is sleeved on the top of the lifting shaft, and an adjustment space is formed between the first end and the lifting shaft. The expansion component is arranged in the adjustment space, and the adjustment component is arranged on the top of the first end and the lifting shaft. The top of the adjustment component is used to connect with the first end, and the bottom can extend into the adjustment space to abut against the expansion component. During the process of the adjustment component pressing the first end, the levelness of the support component can be adjusted. And during the process of abutting against the expansion component to make it deform and expand, fine adjustment of the posture of the support component can be realized, further realizing the leveling of the support component, and at the same time, the adjustment component, the first end and the lifting shaft can be locked. Since the adjustment component is connected with the first end and abuts against the expansion component at the same time, the embodiment of the present application can quickly realize the leveling of the posture of the support component, thereby greatly reducing the cost of disassembly, installation and maintenance. In addition, since the leveling of the posture of the support component is ensured, the risk of wafer sliding and fragmentation during transmission can be greatly reduced, thereby greatly improving the transmission efficiency of the embodiment of the present application.

[0017] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be given in part in the following description, which will become apparent from the following description, or can be understood through the practice of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and easy to understand from the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1A is a schematic structural diagram of a wafer support structure provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 1B is an exploded schematic diagram of a wafer support structure provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 2A is a schematic structural diagram of an expansion component provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 2B is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an expansion component provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2C is a partially enlarged cross-sectional schematic diagram of an expansion component provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional schematic diagram of a wafer support structure provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 4A is a partially cross-sectional schematic diagram of a first state of a wafer support structure provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 4BA partial top view schematic diagram of the first state of a wafer support structure provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 4C A partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the second state of a wafer support structure provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 4D A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the third state of a wafer support structure provided by an embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0029] The present application will be described in detail below. Examples of embodiments of the present application are shown in the accompanying drawings, where the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar components or components having the same or similar functions throughout. In addition, if a detailed description of the known art is unnecessary for showing the features of the present application, it will be omitted. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application and should not be construed as a limitation of the present application.

[0030] Those skilled in the art of the present technology can understand that, unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical terms and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as the general understanding of those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present application belongs. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in a general dictionary should be understood to have a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the prior art, and will not be interpreted with an idealized or overly formal meaning unless specifically defined as here.

[0031] The technical solution of the present application and how the technical solution of the present application solves the above technical problems will be described in detail below with specific embodiments.

[0032] An embodiment of the present application provides a wafer support structure, which is disposed in a loading and unloading chamber of a semiconductor process equipment, and is used to support a wafer and move the wafer to a cooling plate in the loading and unloading chamber for cooling. The structural schematic diagram of the wafer support structure is as Figure 1A and Figure 1BAs shown in the figure, it includes: a lifting component 1, a support component 2, a tightening component 3 and an adjustment component 4; the lifting component 1 is arranged in a loading and unloading chamber (not shown in the figure), the first end 21 of the support component 2 is sleeved on the top of the lifting shaft 11 of the lifting component 1, and a clearance fit is formed between the inner peripheral wall of the first end 21 and the outer peripheral wall of the lifting shaft 11 to form an adjustment space 12. The second end 22 of the support component 2 extends along the radial direction of the lifting shaft 11, and the lifting shaft 11 is used to drive the support component 2 to lift in the vertical direction; the tightening component 3 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the top of the lifting shaft 11 and is located in the adjustment space 12; the adjustment component 4 is arranged on the top of the lifting shaft 11 and the first end 21, is connected to the first end 21, and the bottom of the adjustment component 4 extends into the adjustment space 12; when the adjustment component 4 presses against the first end 21, the bottom end of the adjustment component 4 abuts against the tightening component 3 to cause it to deform, lock the lifting shaft 11 and the first end 21, and adjust the attitude of the support component 2 to level the support component 2.

[0033] As Figure 1A and Figure 1BAs shown, the semiconductor processing equipment can be equipment for performing processes such as tungsten atomic layer deposition, dry cleaning, and plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition. However, the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art can adjust the settings according to the actual situation. The lifting assembly 1 can be arranged in a loading and unloading chamber (not shown in the figure) and can be located on one side of a cooling plate (not shown in the figure). The lifting shaft 11 in the lifting assembly 1 can be lifted and lowered in the vertical direction. The first end 21 of the support assembly 2 can be sleeved on the top of the lifting shaft 11, and there is a clearance fit between the inner peripheral wall of the support assembly 2 and the outer peripheral wall of the lifting shaft 11 to form an annular adjustment space 12. The second end 22 of the support assembly 2 can be extended along the radial direction of the lifting shaft 11, that is, the support assembly 2 is horizontally placed above the cooling plate. The support assembly 2 is used to support the wafer 100 and can be lifted and lowered under the drive of the lifting shaft 11 to drive the wafer 100 to descend and be placed on the cooling plate. Since the support assembly 2 extends directly above the cooling plate, it can avoid the disadvantages of uneven wafer cooling caused by the occupation of the cooling plate volume by the central beam bracket in the prior art, and avoid the problem of affecting the wafer yield due to the needles of the central beam. The expansion assembly 3 can be sleeved on the outer periphery of the top of the lifting shaft 11 and is located in the adjustment space 12. The inner peripheral wall of the expansion assembly 3 can be attached to the outer peripheral wall of the lifting shaft 11, and the outer peripheral wall of the expansion assembly 3 can be attached to the inner peripheral wall of the first end 21. The adjustment assembly 4 can be arranged on the top of the lifting shaft 11 and the first end 21 and is connected to the first end 21. The bottom of the adjustment assembly 4 can extend into the adjustment space 12 to be used for abutting against the expansion assembly 3. The adjustment assembly 4 is connected to the top of the first end 21 and can be pressed against the first end 21. In actual application, while the adjustment assembly 4 is connected to the first end 21, the attitude of the support assembly 2 can be adjusted. For example, the extension direction of the support assembly 2 can be adjusted to the horizontal direction, and the bottom end of the adjustment assembly 4 abuts against the expansion assembly 3 at the same time. At this time, the expansion assembly 3 deforms to squeeze the lifting shaft 11 and the first end 21 to finely adjust the attitude of the support assembly 2. And when the extension direction of the support assembly 2 is adjusted to the horizontal direction, the adjustment assembly 4, the first end 21, and the lifting shaft 11 are locked simultaneously.

[0034] In the embodiment of the present application, the first end of the support component is sleeved on the top of the lifting shaft, and an adjustment space is formed between the first end and the lifting shaft. The expansion component is arranged in the adjustment space, and the adjustment component is arranged on the top of the first end and the lifting shaft. The top of the adjustment component is used to connect with the first end, and the bottom can extend into the adjustment space to abut against the expansion component. During the process of the adjustment component pressing the first end, the levelness of the support component can be adjusted. And during the process of abutting against the expansion component to make it deform and expand, fine adjustment of the posture of the support component can be realized, further realizing the leveling of the support component, and at the same time, the adjustment component, the first end and the lifting shaft can be locked. Since the adjustment component is connected to the first end and abuts against the expansion component at the same time, the embodiment of the present application can quickly realize the leveling of the posture of the support component, thereby greatly reducing the cost of disassembly, installation and maintenance. In addition, since the leveling of the posture of the support component is ensured, the risk of wafer sliding and fragmentation during transmission can be greatly reduced, thereby greatly improving the transmission efficiency of the embodiment of the present application.

[0035] It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific application scenario of the wafer support structure. For example, the wafer support structure can also be arranged at other positions and does not have to be arranged in the loading and unloading chamber. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art can adjust the setting according to the actual situation.

[0036] In an embodiment of the present application, as Figures 1A to 2C shown, the expansion component 3 includes an inner expansion sleeve 31 and an outer expansion sleeve 32 which are nested inside and outside. The inner expansion sleeve 31 can swing relative to the outer expansion sleeve 32, and when the adjustment component 4 abuts against the inner expansion sleeve 31, the inner expansion sleeve 31 and the outer expansion sleeve 32 are mutually extruded and deformed.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 1 to Figure 2C shown, both the inner expansion sleeve 31 and the outer expansion sleeve 32 can adopt a sleeve structure, and a notch 33 extending axially is formed on the peripheral wall. The inner expansion sleeve 31 is nested inside the outer expansion sleeve 32. Under normal conditions, the top of the inner expansion sleeve 31 is exposed above the top of the outer expansion sleeve 32. In actual application, during the process of the inner expansion sleeve 31 descending under the abutment of the adjustment component 4, due to the existence of the notch 33, the inner expansion sleeve 31 and the outer expansion sleeve 32 can be deformed simultaneously, that is, the outer diameter of the outer expansion sleeve 32 becomes larger and the outer diameter of the inner expansion sleeve 31 becomes smaller, so as to realize the locking of the first end 21 and the lifting shaft 11. Further, the inner expansion sleeve 31 can swing inside the outer expansion sleeve 32, that is, the axis of the inner expansion sleeve 31 can be inclined in any direction relative to the axis of the outer expansion sleeve 32. With reference to Figure 2A and Figure 2BAs shown, due to the above design of the expansion assembly 3, the support assembly 2 can swing relative to the lifting shaft 11, thereby realizing the adjustment of the level of the support assembly 2. With the above design, the embodiment of the present application not only has a simple structure, but also facilitates the adjustment of the support assembly 2, thus greatly improving the disassembly, installation, maintenance and efficiency.

[0038] It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific implementation manner of the expansion assembly 3. For example, the inner expansion sleeve 31 can be nested at the bottom of the outer expansion sleeve 32, and the adjustment assembly 4 is used to abut against the outer expansion sleeve 32. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art can adjust and set according to the actual situation.

[0039] In an embodiment of the present application, as Figures 1A to 2C shown, the inner peripheral wall of the inner expansion sleeve 31 is attached to the outer peripheral wall of the lifting shaft 11, the outer peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve 32 is attached to the inner peripheral wall of the first end 21, the outer peripheral wall of the inner expansion sleeve 31 and the inner peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve 32 are both inclined surface structures that are inclined inwards from top to bottom, and the outer peripheral wall of the inner expansion sleeve 31 is in line contact with the inner peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve 32, so that the inner expansion sleeve 31 can swing relative to the outer expansion sleeve 32.

[0040] As Figures 1A to 2C shown, the inner peripheral wall of the inner expansion sleeve 31 is integrally in a cylindrical structure for sleeving on the lifting shaft 11, and the inner peripheral wall of the inner expansion sleeve 31 is attached to the outer peripheral wall of the lifting shaft 11. The top of the inner expansion sleeve 31 is in a cylindrical structure, and the bottom is in an inverted conical frustum structure, that is, the outer peripheral wall of the inner expansion sleeve 31 forms an outer inclined surface 311, and the outer inclined surface 311 is an inclined surface structure that is inclined inwards from top to bottom. The outer inclined surface 311 is used to press against the outer expansion sleeve 32 during the downward pressing process, so that both of them are deformed. The outer expansion sleeve 32 is integrally in a cylindrical structure, and the outer expansion sleeve 32 is nested in the adjustment space 12, so that the outer peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve 32 is attached to the inner peripheral wall of the first end 21. The top of the inner peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve 32 can be in a funnel shape, that is, an inner inclined surface 321 is formed on the inner peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve 32, and the inner inclined surface 321 is an inclined surface structure that is inclined inwards from top to bottom, so as to cooperate with the outer inclined surface 311 of the inner expansion sleeve 31 for guiding and introducing the inner expansion sleeve 31 into the outer expansion sleeve 32. With the above design, the outer peripheral wall of the inner expansion sleeve 31 is in line contact with the inner peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve 32 to reduce the resistance between the two, thereby realizing the swing of the inner expansion sleeve 31 relative to the outer expansion sleeve 32, and also improving the deformation amount of the two, thereby improving the applicability and scope of application.

[0041] It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific structures of the inner expansion sleeve 31 and the outer expansion sleeve 32. For example, the entire outer peripheral wall of the inner expansion sleeve 31 is an inclined surface structure, and the entire inner peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve 32 is an inclined surface structure. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art can adjust and set according to the actual situation.

[0042] In an embodiment of the present application, as Figures 1A to 2C shown, the inner peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve 32 has an inner inclined surface 321 and an inner arc surface 322. Both the inner inclined surface 321 and the inner arc surface 322 extend circumferentially along the inner peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve 32. The inner inclined surface 321 is located at the top of the inner peripheral wall, and the inner arc surface 322 is located at the bottom of the inner inclined surface 321 and is connected to the inner inclined surface 321. The inner arc surface 322 is an arc surface structure protruding inward, and the inner arc surface 322 is in line contact with the outer peripheral wall of the inner expansion sleeve 31. Specifically, both the inner inclined surface 321 and the inner arc surface 322 extend circumferentially along the inner peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve 32. With reference to Figure 2C shown, the top end of the inner arc surface 322 is connected to the bottom end of the inner inclined surface 321, and the connection between the two is smoothly transitioned. That is, the inner inclined surface 321 is located at the top of the inner peripheral wall, and the inner arc surface 322 is located at the bottom of the inner inclined surface 321. The inner peripheral wall at the bottom of the inner arc surface 322 extends along the axial direction of the outer expansion sleeve 32; in other words, a circular inner arc surface 322 is formed between the inner inclined surface 321 and the axially extending inner peripheral wall. That is, the inner arc surface 322 is located at the bottom of the inner inclined surface 321, and the inner arc surface 322 is an arc surface structure protruding toward the axis of the outer expansion sleeve 32. In practical applications, the outer inclined surface 311 of the inner expansion sleeve 31 contacts the inner arc surface 322 to achieve line contact between the two, so that the inner expansion sleeve 31 can swing relative to the outer expansion sleeve 32. With the above design, the embodiment of the present application can achieve the swing of the inner expansion sleeve 31 relative to the outer expansion sleeve 32 with a relatively simple structure, which can not only greatly reduce the application and maintenance costs, but also reduce the failure rate and extend the service life.

[0043] It should be noted that the specific structure of the inner arc surface 322 is not limited in the embodiment of the present application. For example, the inner arc surface 322 can also be a convex ring formed on the inner peripheral wall, and the cross-sectional shape of the convex ring is a semi-circular structure, which can also achieve line contact with the inner expansion sleeve 31. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art can adjust and set according to the actual situation.

[0044] In an embodiment of the present application, as Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 3As shown, the adjusting assembly 4 includes a pressing sleeve 41 and an adjusting member 42. The bottom of the pressing sleeve 41 extends into the adjusting space 12 for abutting against the inner expansion sleeve 31. The outer periphery of the top of the pressing sleeve 41 has an annular boss 43. A plurality of adjusting members 42 are arranged circumferentially along the annular boss 43 and are inserted through the annular boss 43 and connected to the first end 21 for selectively pressing the pressing sleeve 41 and the first end 21 together. By adjusting the plurality of adjusting members 42 respectively, the attitude of the support assembly 2 can be adjusted to level the support assembly 2. Specifically, the pressing sleeve 41 is sleeved on the top end of the lifting shaft 11. The annular boss 43 is integrally formed on the outer periphery of the top of the pressing sleeve 41, and a plurality of light holes are formed in the annular boss 43 for the plurality of adjusting members 42 to be inserted through one by one. The bottom of the pressing sleeve 41 extends into the adjusting space 12, and the bottom end of the pressing sleeve 41 can abut against the top end of the inner expansion sleeve 31. The plurality of adjusting members 42 can be arranged circumferentially along the annular boss 43, respectively inserted through the plurality of light holes in the annular boss 43, and connected to the first end 21. In practical applications, the adjusting member 42 can gradually press the pressing sleeve 41 downward. Under the action of the pressure, the inner expansion sleeve 31 gradually enters the outer expansion sleeve 32. By adjusting the pressing depth of the plurality of adjusting members 42, the support assembly 2 can be pressed or pulled, so as to level the attitude of the support assembly 2. After leveling is completed, the pressing depths of the plurality of adjusting members 42 are made the same to press the support assembly 2 tightly on the first end 21. And due to the action of the expansion assembly 3, the support assembly 2 is also locked with the lifting shaft 11. With the above design, the adjustment in the embodiment of the present application is simple and easy to implement, and has high stability, thus greatly improving the work efficiency.

[0045] In an embodiment of the present application, as Figure 1A 、 Figure 1B and Figure 3 shown, the adjusting member 42 includes a threaded connecting rod 421 and a pressing block 422 formed integrally. The threaded connecting rod 421 slides through the annular boss 43, and the bottom is threadedly connected to the first end 21. The pressing block 422 presses against the annular boss 43.

[0046] As Figure 1A 、 Figure 1B and Figure 3As shown, the adjusting member 42 can specifically be a bolt, where the threaded connecting rod 421 is the screw part, and the pressing block 422 is the nut part. In actual application, the threaded connecting rod 421 slides through the light hole, and the bottom end is threadedly connected to the first end 21, while the pressing block 422 is located on the annular boss 43. By operating the pressing block 422, the threaded connecting rod 421 is screwed into the first end 21, so that the adjusting member 42 can pull the support assembly 2 to achieve leveling of the attitude of the support assembly 2. For example, by operating the adjusting member 42 close to the support assembly 2, the position of the support assembly 2 corresponding to this adjusting member 42 can be made closer to the annular boss 43, so that the side of the support assembly 2 corresponding to this adjusting member 42 is raised. With the above design, not only can the application and maintenance costs of the embodiments of the present application be effectively reduced, but also the adjustment efficiency can be further improved.

[0047] In an embodiment of the present application, as Figure 1A 、 Figure 1B and Figure 3 As shown, a plurality of adjusting members 42 are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction of the annular boss 43, and at least one of the adjusting members 42 is located in the extending direction of the support assembly 2. Specifically, three adjusting members 42 are evenly and spacedly arranged on the annular boss 43, and at least one of them is located in the extending direction of the support assembly 2, and the other two adjusting members 42 are respectively located on both sides of the extending direction of the support assembly 2. In actual application, by adjusting the adjusting member 42 on the axis of the support assembly 2, the extending direction of the support assembly 2 can be adjusted to the horizontal direction; and by adjusting the two sides of the extending direction of the support assembly 2, it can be prevented that the support assembly 2 tilts to both sides with the extending direction as the center line, so that the overall attitude of the support assembly 2 is in a horizontal state, to further avoid the problems of wafer sliding and fragmentation. With the above design, not only can the stability of the embodiments of the present application be greatly improved, but also the flexibility of adjustment can be further improved. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific number and arrangement mode of the adjusting members 42, and those skilled in the art can adjust and set according to the actual situation.

[0048] In an embodiment of the present application, as Figure 1A 、 Figure 1B and Figure 3As shown, the support component 2 includes a cross beam 23, a bracket 24 and an adapter block 25. The adapter block 25 is sleeved on the top of the lifting shaft 11. One end of the cross beam 23 is sleeved on the adapter block 25 and connected to the adapter block 25. The inner peripheral wall of the adapter block forms an adjustment space 12 in clearance fit with the outer peripheral wall of the lifting shaft 11. The other end of the cross beam 23 extends along the radial direction of the lifting shaft 11. The bracket 24 is arranged on the cross beam 23 and is used to support the wafer. Specifically, the adapter block 25 is sleeved on the top of the lifting shaft 11. The adapter block 25 can be a cylindrical structure made of metal. A through hole is provided at the center of the top of the adapter block 25 for cooperating with the outer peripheral wall of the lifting shaft 11 to form the adjustment space 12. The cross beam 23 can be a rod-shaped structure made of metal. One end of the cross beam 23 is sleeved on the adapter block 25, and the adapter block 25 can be fixedly connected to one end of the cross beam 23 by a plurality of fasteners, and then the cross beam 23 and the adapter block 25 are both sleeved on the lifting shaft 11. Since the adapter block 25 can raise the height of the cross beam 23, the length of the pressing sleeve 41 is longer, thus providing space for adjusting the levelness of the cross beam 23. In addition, the provision of the adapter block 25 can also reduce the processing cost of the cross beam 23. The bracket 24 can include two oppositely arranged arc-shaped brackets, and accommodation grooves are provided on the arc-shaped brackets. Both arc-shaped brackets are arranged at the bottom of the cross beam 23 to support the two opposite edges of the wafer. With the above design, not only can the weight of the support component 2 be greatly reduced, but also the structure of the embodiment of the present application is simple and easy to implement, thus greatly reducing the application and maintenance costs.

[0049] It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the connection manner between the adapter block 25 and the cross beam 23. For example, the two can be fixedly connected by integral forming or welding. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art can adjust the setting according to the actual situation.

[0050] As Figure 1A 、 Figure 1B and Figure 3As shown in the figure, the lifting shaft 11 includes a main body section 13 and a mounting section 14. The mounting section 14 is provided at the top end of the main body section 13, and the diameter of the main body section 13 is greater than that of the mounting section 14. The first end 21 is sleeved on the mounting section 14 and is borne on the top end of the main body section 13. Specifically, the main body section 13 may specifically adopt a cylindrical structure, and its top end has a cylindrical mounting section 14. The diameter of the mounting section 14 is smaller than that of the main body section 13, so that the first end 21 of the support assembly 2 can be sleeved on the mounting section 14 and is borne by the top end of the main body section 13, which is convenient for disassembly, installation and maintenance, and can reduce the sizes of the first end 21 and the expansion assembly 3, thereby greatly reducing the space occupied by the embodiment of the present application. Optionally, the overall diameter dimension of the lifting shaft 11 is relatively small, and an annular flange is integrally formed at a position close to the top end for bearing the support assembly 2, and the above technical effects can also be achieved. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific structure of the lifting shaft 11, and those skilled in the art can adjust and set it according to the actual situation.

[0051] To further illustrate the beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present application, the following specifically describes the adjustment process of the present application in conjunction with FIGS. 1 to Figure 4D As shown in the figure, during the installation process of the present application, it is necessary to level the attitude of the support assembly 2, and generally the following situations exist: First, the second end 22 of the support assembly 2 sags or rises, that is, there is an included angle between the extending direction of the cross beam 23 and the horizontal direction; Second, one end of the bracket 24 sags or rises, that is, the support assembly 2 is deflected to the left or right with the extending direction of the cross beam 23 as the center line. As Figure 4B shown, the upper side of the cross beam 23 is the left side and the lower side is the right side. For the convenience of description, the three adjusting members 42 are respectively defined as a first adjusting member 421, a second adjusting member 422 and a third adjusting member 423. The first adjusting member 421 is located in the extending direction of the cross beam 23, while the second adjusting member 422 and the third adjusting member 423 are respectively located above and below the extending direction of the cross beam 23.

[0052] As Figure 4A shown, taking the first situation as an example for leveling, during the adjustment process, the electronic wafer needs to be placed on the bracket 24 throughout the process for real-time horizontal monitoring. After the expansion assembly 3 has been preliminarily pressed tightly after the plurality of adjusting members 42 are pre-tightened, the whole mechanism is in a preliminary fixed state. By continuously increasing the torques of the first adjusting member 421 and the second adjusting member 422, the expansion assembly 3 is completely tightened, and during this process, the inner expansion sleeve 31 will swing to cause a situation of lower on the left and higher on the right. At the same time, the right side of the cross beam 23 will be driven by the adapter block 25 to rise, so that the level of the cross beam 23 will be alleviated but the amplitude is small. Specifically, as Figure 4CAs shown in the figure. Since the system is fully tightened, if the torque of the first adjusting member 421 is further increased at this time, the cross beam 23 will be subjected to the pulling force of the first adjusting member 421, causing the extension direction of the cross beam 23 to quickly adjust and move horizontally. And through the numerical display of the electronic wafer, the final horizontal requirement is achieved, specifically as Figure 4D shown in the figure. Similarly, when the second end 22 of the cross beam 23 rises, the first adjusting member 421 is pre-tightened, and then the second adjusting member 422 and the third adjusting member 423 are adjusted to complete the adjustment; when the support assembly 2 is left-offset with the extension direction of the cross beam 23 as the center line, the third adjusting member 423 is pre-tightened and the second adjusting member 422 is adjusted to complete the adjustment; when the support assembly 2 is right-offset with the extension direction of the cross beam 23 as the center line, the second adjusting member 422 is pre-tightened and the third adjusting member 423 is adjusted to complete the adjustment. Of course, in the adjustment process, because the adjusting member 42 is arranged in a three-point positioning manner, relying on adjusting a single adjusting member 42 often cannot solve the problem, and it is also necessary to finely adjust other adjusting members 42 and comprehensively adjust to achieve horizontality.

[0053] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present application provides a semiconductor process equipment, including a vacuum transfer chamber, a front-end chamber, and a loading and unloading chamber. The loading and unloading chamber is arranged between the vacuum transfer chamber and the front-end chamber, and the wafer support structure provided in the above embodiments is arranged in the loading and unloading chamber.

[0054] Applying the embodiment of the present application can at least achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0055] In the embodiment of the present application, the first end of the support assembly is sleeved on the top of the lifting shaft, and an adjustment space is formed between the first end and the lifting shaft. The tightening assembly is arranged in the adjustment space, and the adjustment assembly is arranged on the top of the first end and the lifting shaft. The top of the adjustment assembly is used to connect with the first end, and the bottom can extend into the adjustment space to abut against the tightening assembly. During the process of the adjustment assembly pressing the first end, the levelness of the support assembly can be adjusted, and during the process of abutting against the tightening assembly to make it deform and expand, fine adjustment of the posture of the support assembly can be realized, further realizing the leveling of the support assembly, and at the same time, the adjustment assembly, the first end and the lifting shaft can be locked. Since the adjustment assembly is connected to the first end and abuts against the tightening assembly at the same time, the embodiment of the present application can quickly realize the leveling of the posture of the support assembly, thereby greatly reducing the cost of disassembly, installation and maintenance. In addition, since the leveling of the posture of the support assembly is ensured, the risk of wafer sliding and fragmentation during transmission can be greatly reduced, thereby greatly improving the transmission efficiency of the embodiment of the present application.

[0056] It should be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments adopted to illustrate the principles of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For those of ordinary skill in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0057] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0058] The terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise stated, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more.

[0059] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0060] In the description of this specification, specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics can be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0061] The above are only some embodiments of the present application. It should be pointed out that for those of ordinary skill in the art, several improvements and refinements can be made without departing from the principle of the present application, and these improvements and refinements should also be regarded as within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A wafer support structure is disposed in the loading and unloading chamber of a semiconductor processing apparatus for supporting a wafer and moving the wafer to a cooling plate in the loading and unloading chamber for cooling, characterized in that, Including: A lifting component, a supporting component, a tightening component and an adjusting component; The lifting component is arranged in the loading and unloading chamber. The first end of the supporting component is sleeved on the top of the lifting shaft of the lifting component, and a clearance fit is formed between the inner peripheral wall of the first end and the outer peripheral wall of the lifting shaft to form an adjusting space. The second end of the supporting component extends along the radial direction of the lifting shaft, and the lifting shaft is used to drive the supporting component to lift in the vertical direction; The tightening component is sleeved on the outer periphery of the top of the lifting shaft and is located in the adjusting space; the adjusting component is arranged on the top of the lifting shaft and the first end, is connected to the first end, and the bottom of the adjusting component extends into the adjusting space; When the adjusting component presses against the first end, the bottom end of the adjusting component abuts against the tightening component to cause it to deform, lock the lifting shaft and the first end, and adjust the posture of the supporting component to level the supporting component.

2. The wafer support structure according to claim 1, wherein The tightening component includes an inner expansion sleeve and an outer expansion sleeve which are nested inside and outside. The inner expansion sleeve can swing relative to the outer expansion sleeve, and when the adjusting component abuts against the inner expansion sleeve, the inner expansion sleeve and the outer expansion sleeve are mutually extruded and deformed.

3. The wafer support structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner peripheral wall of the inner expansion sleeve is attached to the outer peripheral wall of the lifting shaft, the outer peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve is attached to the inner peripheral wall of the first end, the outer peripheral wall of the inner expansion sleeve and the inner peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve are both inclined inwards from top to bottom, and the outer peripheral wall of the inner expansion sleeve is in line contact with the inner peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve, so that the inner expansion sleeve can swing relative to the outer expansion sleeve.

4. The wafer support structure according to claim 3, wherein, The inner peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve has an inner inclined surface and an inner arc surface, both of which extend circumferentially along the inner peripheral wall of the outer expansion sleeve. The inner inclined surface is located at the top of the inner peripheral wall, the inner arc surface is located at the bottom of the inner inclined surface and is connected to the inner inclined surface. The inner arc surface is an arc surface structure protruding inwards, and the inner arc surface is in line contact with the outer peripheral wall of the inner expansion sleeve.

5. The wafer support structure according to claim 2, wherein The adjusting component includes a pressing sleeve and an adjusting member. The bottom of the pressing sleeve extends into the adjusting space and is used to abut against the inner expansion sleeve. The outer periphery of the top of the pressing sleeve has an annular boss; a plurality of the adjusting members are arranged circumferentially through the annular boss along the annular boss and are connected to the first end, and are used to selectively press the pressing sleeve and the first end. By respectively adjusting the plurality of adjusting members, the posture of the supporting component can be adjusted to level the supporting component.

6. The wafer support structure according to claim 5, wherein, The adjusting member includes a threaded connecting rod and a pressing block which are integrally formed. The threaded connecting rod slides through the annular boss and is threadedly connected to the first end, and the pressing block presses against the annular boss.

7. The wafer support structure according to claim 6, wherein The plurality of adjusting members are evenly distributed circumferentially along the annular boss, and at least one of the adjusting members is located in the extending direction of the supporting component.

8. The wafer support structure according to claim 1, wherein, The support assembly includes an adapter block, a cross beam and a bracket. The adapter block is sleeved on the top of the lifting shaft. One end of the cross beam is sleeved on the adapter block and connected to the adapter block. A clearance fit is formed between the inner peripheral wall of the adapter block and the outer peripheral wall of the lifting shaft to form the adjustment space. The other end of the cross beam extends along the radial direction of the lifting shaft. The bracket is arranged on the cross beam and is used for supporting the wafer.

9. The wafer support structure according to claim 1, wherein The lifting shaft includes a body section and a mounting section. The mounting section is arranged at the top end of the body section, and the diameter of the body section is larger than that of the mounting section. The first end is sleeved on the mounting section and is borne on the top end of the body section.

10. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that, It includes a vacuum transfer chamber, a front end chamber and a loading / unloading chamber. The loading / unloading chamber is arranged between the vacuum transfer chamber and the front end chamber. The wafer support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is arranged in the loading / unloading chamber.

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