A sealing structure and a substrate processing apparatus having the same

Abstract

This invention relates to a sealing structure for sealing between a flange, a top, and a cavity in a substrate processing apparatus. The structure includes: a flange-top sealing isolation assembly for sealing between the flange and the top, and providing vertical protection against contact breakage of the top; a top-cavity sealing isolation assembly for sealing between the top and the cavity, and providing vertical protection against contact breakage of the top; a flange-cavity sealing assembly for sealing between the flange and the cavity; and a horizontal top isolation assembly for horizontal protection against contact breakage of the top. This invention also relates to a substrate processing apparatus using this sealing structure. This invention, while achieving vacuum sealing and top alignment of the substrate processing apparatus at high temperatures, completely isolates direct contact between quartz and metal during installation and processing, solving the technical problem of the risk of breakage of the quartz top.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor epitaxial processes, and more specifically to a sealing structure and a substrate processing apparatus having the sealing structure. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor epitaxy, a substrate processing apparatus, or semiconductor processing equipment, is required to hold the semiconductor substrate to be epitaxially processed. This substrate processing apparatus includes a metal cavity, a quartz top, and a metal flange for pressing the quartz top. The high-temperature processing steps often utilize infrared radiation emitted from an external infrared light source, which passes through the quartz top of the substrate processing apparatus to radiate and heat the substrate placed in the metal cavity, rapidly raising the substrate temperature to the processing temperature. When heating the substrate, the temperature of each component of the substrate processing equipment also rises significantly. This process requires the substrate processing equipment to be in a sealed vacuum environment, so the main technical challenges are as follows: 1. The structure needs to achieve vacuum-sealed connection between components of different materials under both room temperature and high temperature conditions; 2. The material of the top is fragile quartz, while the materials of the cavity and flange are metal. If the two are assembled in direct contact, the stress will easily cause the quartz to break and lose the vacuum seal environment. Therefore, the structure must avoid direct contact between the two; 3. At high temperatures, the top will slip relative to the O-ring, causing the center of the top to misalign with the center of the cavity, resulting in process errors.

[0003] Existing technologies often address the above problems by using the following method: multiple O-rings are placed between the outer circumference of the top and the cavity, and multiple O-rings are also placed between the outer circumference of the top and the flange. This can effectively achieve vacuum sealing and top alignment under high-temperature conditions, but it still has the following drawbacks:

[0004] 1. There is a risk of the quartz top breaking during installation. Because the top is made of quartz, during installation, the side wall of the top may come into contact with the metal flange or cavity, causing an impact that could damage the quartz top.

[0005] 2. Even during normal processing, the chance of contact between the quartz top and the metal flange or cavity cannot be completely avoided. In existing technology, due to the thermal expansion caused by heat treatment, the quartz top may come into contact with the metal flange or metal cavity due to uneven lateral stress. Such contact can easily cause the quartz to break under stress, leading to process failure and increased production costs. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a sealing structure and a substrate processing device having the sealing structure, which, while ensuring the vacuum sealing of the substrate processing device under high temperature conditions and the centering function of the quartz top, completely isolates the direct contact between the quartz and the metal, thus solving the technical problem of the risk of breakage of the quartz top.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a sealing structure for sealing between the flange, the top, and the cavity of a substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

[0008] A flange-top sealing and isolation assembly is disposed between the flange and the top, for sealing between the flange and the top, and for vertical protection against contact breakage of the top;

[0009] A top-cavity sealing and isolation assembly is disposed between the top and the cavity for sealing between the top and the cavity, and for vertical protection against contact breakage of the top.

[0010] A flange-cavity sealing assembly is disposed between the flange and the cavity for sealing the flange and the cavity;

[0011] A horizontal isolation component is disposed around the top sidewall to provide horizontal protection against contact breakage.

[0012] Furthermore, the upper horizontal isolation component includes:

[0013] The isolation guide ring is made of non-metallic material and is a hollow ring that can accommodate the top. After installation, the inner side of the isolation guide ring abuts against the side wall of the top, or a gap of 0mm to 5mm is provided. The outer side of the isolation guide ring abuts against the flange or the inner wall of the cavity, or a gap of 0mm to 5mm is provided, so that the top does not directly contact the flange or the cavity in the horizontal direction.

[0014] An isolation guide ring fixing device is used to fix the isolation guide ring inside the substrate processing equipment.

[0015] Preferably, the isolation guide ring fixing device is a high-temperature resistant adhesive, one side of which covers the inner or outer ring surface of the isolation guide ring, and the other side covers the installation position of the isolation guide ring inside the substrate processing equipment.

[0016] Furthermore, the flange-top sealing isolation assembly includes:

[0017] The flange-top sealing ring is a closed ring made of elastic material, and is arranged in a ring between the bottom surface of the flange and the top surface of the top. The upper surface of the flange-top sealing ring abuts against the bottom surface of the flange, and the lower surface of the flange-top sealing ring abuts against the top surface of the top, so that the flange and the top do not directly contact each other in the vertical direction, and an airtight seal is achieved by the flange and the top pressing the flange-top sealing ring together.

[0018] The flange-top sealing ring groove is an annular groove adapted to the flange-top sealing ring. It is recessed into the bottom surface of the flange and partially accommodates the flange-top sealing ring within the groove, for fixing the flange-top sealing ring.

[0019] Preferably, the flange-top sealing isolation assembly consists of multiple pairs of flange-top sealing rings and flange-top sealing ring grooves with different inner diameters and spaced apart.

[0020] Furthermore, the top-cavity sealing and isolation assembly includes:

[0021] The top-cavity sealing ring is a closed ring made of elastic material. It is arranged in a ring between the bottom surface of the top and the top surface of the cavity opening. The upper surface of the top-cavity sealing ring abuts against the bottom surface of the top, and the lower surface of the top-cavity sealing ring abuts against the top surface of the cavity opening, so that the top and the cavity do not directly contact each other in the vertical direction. An airtight seal is achieved by the top and the cavity pressing the top-cavity sealing ring together.

[0022] The upper top-cavity sealing ring groove is an annular groove adapted to the upper top-cavity sealing ring. It is recessed on the top surface of the cavity opening and partially accommodates the upper top-cavity sealing ring within the groove, for fixing the upper top-cavity sealing ring.

[0023] Preferably, the top-cavity sealing and isolation assembly consists of multiple pairs of top-cavity sealing rings and top-cavity sealing ring grooves with different inner diameters and spaced apart.

[0024] Furthermore, the flange-cavity sealing assembly includes:

[0025] The flange-cavity sealing ring is a closed ring made of elastic material. It is arranged in a ring between the bottom surface of the flange and the top surface of the cavity opening. The upper surface of the flange-cavity sealing ring abuts against the bottom surface of the flange, and the lower surface of the flange-cavity sealing ring abuts against the top surface of the cavity opening. An airtight seal is achieved by the flange and the cavity pressing the flange-cavity sealing ring together.

[0026] The flange-cavity sealing ring groove assembly consists of two symmetrical annular grooves adapted to the flange-cavity sealing ring. It includes a flange sealing ring groove and a cavity sealing ring groove. The flange sealing ring groove is recessed into the bottom surface of the flange, and the cavity sealing ring groove is recessed into the top surface of the cavity opening. After installation, the vertical projections of the flange sealing ring groove and the cavity sealing ring groove completely overlap, and the flange-cavity sealing ring is partially accommodated within the groove assembly for fixing the flange-cavity sealing ring.

[0027] A positioning and locking mechanism is used to lock the flange to the cavity.

[0028] Preferably, the flange-cavity sealing assembly comprises multiple sets of flange-cavity sealing rings and flange-cavity sealing ring grooves with different inner diameters and spaced apart.

[0029] Preferably, the positioning and locking mechanism comprises at least one pair of positioning holes provided on the flange and a matching positioning pin provided on the cavity, as well as at least one pair of fixing holes provided on the flange and a matching fixing bolt.

[0030] Preferably, the isolation guide ring is made of Teflon, polyurethane, or polyethylene.

[0031] Preferably, one end of the isolation guide ring along the axial direction is a bending deformation release end, and a bending deformation release groove is provided at the port of the bending deformation release end. The bending deformation release groove is a plurality of evenly distributed ports extending to a certain length inside the ring body, used to release the bending wrinkles of the isolation guide ring.

[0032] Preferably, the isolation guide ring has an openable and closable ring interface to prevent the ring from deforming or breaking due to high temperature.

[0033] Preferably, one end of the isolation guide ring along the axial direction is a guide end, which is used for guidance during the top installation. The wall thickness of the guide end decreases uniformly from the inside of the ring body towards the port direction, forming a guide slope on the inner wall of the isolation guide ring.

[0034] Preferably, the guide angle formed by the guide ramp and the vertical line is 0° to 30°.

[0035] Preferably, the isolation guide ring is two identical first isolation guide rings and second isolation guide rings, wherein,

[0036] The first isolation guide ring is installed between the inner wall of the flange and the side wall of the top. The inner wall of the flange is provided with a matching first mounting end face. The guide end of the first isolation guide ring after installation is vertically downward.

[0037] The second isolation guide ring is installed between the inner wall of the cavity and the side wall of the top. The inner wall of the cavity is provided with a matching second mounting end face. The guide end of the second isolation guide ring after installation is vertically upward.

[0038] Preferably, after installation, the guide end of the first isolation guide ring is lower than the bottom surface of the flange, making the top easy to install.

[0039] Preferably, after installation, the guide end of the second isolation guide ring is lower than the cavity opening surface of the cavity, making the top easy to install.

[0040] Furthermore, the sealing structure also includes a high-pressure nitrogen alignment system, comprising:

[0041] The air inlet is a hollow pipe fixed to the outside of the flange, with one end connected to a nitrogen gas source and the other end connected to the inside of the flange, used to transfer nitrogen gas to the inside of the flange;

[0042] The centering gas chamber is an airtight, sealed space surrounding the upper top sidewall, communicating only with the air inlet, and is used to contain nitrogen gas; the centering gas chamber is composed of the flange inner wall, the flange-cavity sealing assembly, the cavity inner wall, the upper top-cavity sealing isolation assembly, the upper top sidewall, and the flange-upper top sealing isolation assembly.

[0043] Preferably, the centering gas chamber further includes an annular vent groove, which is disposed on the inner wall of the centering gas chamber, specifically recessed in the inner wall of the flange that forms the inner wall of the centering gas chamber, and the vent groove communicates with the cutout at the bending deformation release end of the first isolation guide ring.

[0044] Furthermore, the sealing structure also includes a water-cooling system for reducing the temperature of the flange and the sealing structure, comprising:

[0045] The inlet pipe is a hollow pipe fixed to the outside of the flange. One end is connected to the cooling water source, and the other end is connected to the inside of the flange, which is used to connect the cooling water source to the inside of the flange.

[0046] The outlet pipe is a hollow pipe fixed to the outside of the flange. One end is connected to the inside of the flange, and the other end is connected to the cooling water discharge mechanism. It is used to connect the cooling water after heat exchange with the cooling water discharge mechanism.

[0047] The cooling water channel is a pipe-shaped cavity located inside the flange, with its two ends connected to the inlet pipe and outlet pipe, respectively, for heat exchange between the cooling water and the flange.

[0048] Meanwhile, the present invention also provides a substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

[0049] The cavity, made of metal, is a hollow chamber with an opening at the top, used to hold the semiconductor substrate to be processed;

[0050] The top part, made of transparent quartz, is placed at the top of the cavity to allow infrared rays required for the process to penetrate and irradiate.

[0051] A flange, made of metal, is placed at the top of the cavity and the top, with a perforated top hole in the middle to ensure that the center of the top is unobstructed. After installation, the flange is fastened to the cavity to fix the top.

[0052] The aforementioned sealing structure is used to achieve vacuum sealing of the substrate processing equipment and protection against contact breakage of the top.

[0053] In summary, compared with the prior art, the sealing structure and substrate processing equipment having the sealing structure provided by the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0054] 1. The use of an isolation guide ring can provide overall protection for the entire circumference of the quartz top, solving the technical problem that the quartz top is prone to collision with the metal flange or the side wall of the metal cavity during installation and thus breakage. This reduces installation risk, makes operation simpler and more convenient, and saves time.

[0055] 2. The use of an isolation guide ring solves the problem of uneven pressure on the top side of the quartz, reduces the risk of breakage during normal processing, improves the success rate of the process, and saves production costs;

[0056] 3. By using adhesive bonding on one side of the isolation guide ring, the bonding force between the isolation guide ring and the epitaxial process equipment body is increased, which greatly reduces the risk of the isolation guide ring falling off due to high temperature environment and improves reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0057] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the flange structure of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the isolation guide ring structure of the present invention;

[0060] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the installation cross-section of the isolation guide ring of the present invention.

[0061] Figures 1-4 middle:

[0062] 1: Top;

[0063] 11: Top outer edge;

[0064] 2: Cavity;

[0065] 21: Process Chamber

[0066] 3: Flange;

[0067] 411: First flange - top sealing ring;

[0068] 412: First flange - top sealing ring groove;

[0069] 421: Second flange - top sealing ring;

[0070] 422: Second flange - top sealing ring groove;

[0071] 431: First upper-top cavity sealing ring;

[0072] 432: First upper top - cavity sealing ring groove;

[0073] 441: Second upper top - cavity sealing ring;

[0074] 442: Second upper top - cavity sealing ring groove;

[0075] 451: First flange - cavity sealing ring;

[0076] 4521: First flange - cavity sealing ring groove assembly - flange groove;

[0077] 4522: First flange - cavity sealing ring groove assembly - cavity groove;

[0078] 453: Positioning hole;

[0079] 454: Fixing hole;

[0080] 51: First isolation guide ring;

[0081] 511: Bending deformation release end;

[0082] 5111: Bending deformation release groove;

[0083] 512: Guide end;

[0084] 513: High-temperature resistant adhesive;

[0085] 514: Ring body interface;

[0086] a: Guide angle;

[0087] b: Height difference;

[0088] 52: Second isolation guide ring;

[0089] 53: First mounting end face;

[0090] 61: Water inlet pipe;

[0091] 62: Cooling water channel;

[0092] 63: Water outlet pipe;

[0093] 71: Air intake;

[0094] 72: Centered gas chamber;

[0095] 721: Ventilation slot. Detailed Implementation

[0096] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, provides a further detailed explanation of the sealing structure and substrate processing equipment having the sealing structure proposed in this invention. The advantages and features of this invention will become clearer from the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, intended only to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of this invention, and are not intended to limit the implementation conditions of this invention. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to size, without affecting the effects and objectives achieved by this invention, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in this invention.

[0097] It should be noted that, in this invention, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only the expressly listed elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0098] Combined with appendix Figures 1-4 As shown, this embodiment provides a sealing structure, mainly applied to a substrate processing device. (See attached diagram) Figure 1 , 2As shown, the substrate processing equipment in this embodiment mainly includes a flange 3, an upper top 1, and a cavity 2. The cavity 2 has an open upper part and a hollow interior, used to accommodate the semiconductor substrate to be processed. The upper top 1 is a cylindrical object made of transparent quartz material, placed on the upper end of the cavity 2. The vertical projection surface of the upper top 1 after installation is circular, with a thinner central part around the center to allow infrared light required for the process to penetrate and irradiate. The outer circumference of the projection circle is a thicker outer edge 11 of the upper top. The flange 3 is a hollow, cubical metal component with a circular projection surface of the hollow interior. The hollow interior ensures that the center of the upper top is unobstructed. The flange 3 and the cavity 2 are fastened together to clamp the outer edge 11 of the upper top, thereby fixing the upper top 1. After installation, the process chamber 21 formed between the upper top 1, the cavity 2, and the flange 3 is used for semiconductor epitaxial processing.

[0099] The sealing structure is used to seal the process chamber 21, and includes:

[0100] A flange-top sealing and isolation assembly is disposed between the flange 3 and the top 1 for sealing between the flange 3 and the top 1, and for vertical protection against contact breakage of the top 1.

[0101] The top-cavity sealing and isolation assembly is disposed between the top 1 and the cavity 2 for sealing between the top 1 and the cavity 2, and for protecting the top 1 from contact breakage in the vertical direction.

[0102] A flange-cavity sealing assembly is disposed between the flange 3 and the cavity 2 for sealing the space between the flange 3 and the cavity 2;

[0103] A horizontal isolation component is disposed around the side wall of the upper top 1 to provide horizontal protection against contact breakage of the upper top 1.

[0104] Preferably, a high-pressure nitrogen alignment system is disposed on the outer periphery of the side wall of the upper top 1 to maintain the alignment of the upper top 1 with the process chamber 21 during the high-temperature process;

[0105] Preferably, a water-cooled cooling system is installed inside the flange 3 to reduce the temperature of the sealing structure during the process.

[0106] The flange-top sealing and isolation assembly includes:

[0107] The flange-top sealing ring is a closed ring made of elastic material. It is annularly positioned between the bottom surface of the flange 3 and the top surface of the outer edge 11 of the top. The upper surface of the flange-top sealing ring abuts against the bottom surface of the flange 3, and the lower surface of the flange-top sealing ring abuts against the top surface of the outer edge 11 of the top. This prevents the flange 3 and the top 1 from directly contacting each other in the vertical direction. The flange-top sealing ring is pressed together by the flange 3 and the top 1 to achieve an airtight seal. This seal is used for vertical sealing between the flange 3 and the top 1, and prevents the top 1 from directly contacting the flange 3 in the vertical direction and causing it to break.

[0108] The flange-top sealing ring groove is an annular groove adapted to the flange-top sealing ring. It is recessed into the bottom surface of the flange 3 and partially accommodates the flange-top sealing ring in the groove for fixing the flange-top sealing ring.

[0109] Preferably, the flange-top sealing isolation assembly consists of multiple pairs of flange-top sealing rings and flange-top sealing ring grooves with different inner diameters spaced apart.

[0110] In this embodiment, the flange-top sealing and isolation assembly consists of a first flange-top sealing ring 411 and a matching first flange-top sealing ring groove 412, and a second flange-top sealing ring 421 with a slightly larger inner diameter and a matching second flange-top sealing ring groove 422. The first flange-top sealing ring 411 and the second flange-top sealing ring 421 are O-rings made of fluororubber. The first flange-top sealing ring groove 412 and the second flange-top sealing ring groove 422 are arranged concentrically on the lower surface of the flange 3. After installation, the top surface of the top 1 does not contact the flange 3, but only abuts against the first flange-top sealing ring 411 and the second flange-top sealing ring 421, thereby preventing the top 1 from directly contacting the flange 3 and breaking. Furthermore, an airtight seal is achieved between the top 1 and the flange 3 through the compressed first flange-top sealing ring 411 and the second flange-top sealing ring 412.

[0111] The top-cavity sealing and isolation assembly includes:

[0112] The upper top-cavity sealing ring is a closed ring made of elastic material. It is annularly positioned between the bottom surface of the outer edge 11 of the upper top and the top surface of the cavity 2. The upper surface of the upper top-cavity sealing ring abuts against the bottom surface of the outer edge 11 of the upper top, and the lower surface of the upper top-cavity sealing ring abuts against the top surface of the cavity 2. This prevents the upper top 1 and the cavity 2 from directly contacting each other in the vertical direction. An airtight seal is achieved by the upper top 1 and the cavity 2 pressing the upper top-cavity sealing ring together. This seal is used for vertical sealing between the upper top 1 and the cavity 2, and prevents the upper top 1 and the cavity 2 from directly contacting each other in the vertical direction and breaking.

[0113] The upper top-cavity sealing ring groove is an annular groove adapted to the upper top-cavity sealing ring. It is recessed on the top surface of the cavity opening of the cavity 2 and partially accommodates the upper top-cavity sealing ring in the groove for fixing the upper top-cavity sealing ring.

[0114] Preferably, the top-cavity sealing and isolation assembly consists of multiple pairs of top-cavity sealing rings and top-cavity sealing ring grooves with different inner diameters spaced apart.

[0115] In this embodiment, the top-cavity sealing and isolation assembly comprises a first top-cavity sealing ring 431 and a matching first top-cavity sealing ring groove 432, as well as a second top-cavity sealing ring 441 with a slightly larger inner diameter and a matching second top-cavity sealing ring groove 442. The first top-cavity sealing ring 431 and the second top-cavity sealing ring 441 are O-rings made of fluororubber. The first top-cavity sealing ring groove 432 and the second top-cavity sealing ring groove 442 are concentrically located on the top surface of the cavity 2. After installation, the bottom surface of the top 1 does not contact the cavity 2, but only abuts against the first top-cavity sealing ring 431 and the second top-cavity sealing ring 441, thereby preventing the top 1 from directly contacting the cavity 2 and breaking. Furthermore, an airtight seal is achieved between the top 1 and the cavity 2 through the compressed first top-cavity sealing ring 431 and the second top-cavity sealing ring 441.

[0116] The flange-cavity sealing assembly includes:

[0117] The flange-cavity sealing ring is a closed ring made of elastic material. It is annularly disposed between the bottom surface of the flange 3 and the top surface of the cavity 2. The upper surface of the flange-cavity sealing ring abuts against the bottom surface of the flange 3, and the lower surface of the flange-cavity sealing ring abuts against the top surface of the cavity 2. An airtight seal is achieved by the flange 3 and the cavity 2 pressing the flange-cavity sealing ring together, which is used for sealing between the flange 3 and the cavity 2.

[0118] The flange-cavity sealing ring groove assembly consists of two symmetrical annular grooves adapted to the flange-cavity sealing ring. It includes a flange sealing ring groove and a cavity sealing ring groove. The flange sealing ring groove is recessed into the bottom surface of the flange 3, and the cavity sealing ring groove is recessed into the top surface of the cavity opening of the cavity 2. After installation, the vertical projections of the flange sealing ring groove and the cavity sealing ring groove completely overlap, and the flange-cavity sealing ring is partially accommodated within the groove assembly for fixing the flange-cavity sealing ring.

[0119] A positioning and locking mechanism is used to combine and lock the cavity 2 and the flange 3.

[0120] Preferably, the flange-cavity sealing assembly consists of multiple sets of flange-cavity sealing rings and flange-cavity sealing ring grooves with different inner diameters spaced apart.

[0121] Preferably, the positioning and locking mechanism comprises at least one pair of positioning holes provided on the flange and a matching positioning pin provided on the cavity, as well as at least one pair of fixing holes provided on the flange and a matching fixing bolt.

[0122] In this embodiment, the flange-cavity sealing assembly consists of a first flange-cavity sealing ring 451 and a set of matching first flange-cavity sealing ring grooves (composed of a first flange-cavity sealing ring groove set-flange groove 4521 and a first flange-cavity sealing ring groove set-cavity groove 4522). The first flange-cavity sealing ring 451 is an O-ring made of fluororubber. The positioning and locking mechanism consists of eight positioning holes 453 on the flange 3 and eight matching positioning pins on the cavity 2, as well as four fixing holes 454 on the flange 3 and four matching fixing bolts. During installation, the flange 3 and the cavity 2 are engaged with each other by the first flange-cavity sealing ring groove group, and the first flange-cavity sealing ring 451 is clamped and accommodated inside the groove group. Eight positioning pins on the cavity 2 pass through eight positioning holes 453 on the flange 3, and four fixing bolts are passed through four fixing holes 454 on the flange 3 and locked in place. The airtight seal between the flange 3 and the cavity 2 is achieved by pressing the first flange-cavity sealing ring 451.

[0123] As attached Figure 3 , 4 As shown, the upper horizontal isolation component includes:

[0124] The isolation guide ring is made of non-metallic material. The isolation guide ring is a hollow ring-shaped body, and the hollow part can accommodate the outer edge 11 of the upper top. The isolation guide ring is arranged around the periphery of the side wall of the upper top 1, and the inner wall of the isolation guide ring abuts against the side wall of the upper top 1 or leaves a small gap of 0 to 5 mm, so that the upper top 1 does not directly contact the flange 3 and the cavity 2 in the horizontal direction, in order to avoid the upper top 1 breaking due to direct contact with the flange 3 and the cavity 2 in the horizontal direction.

[0125] Preferably, the isolation guide ring is provided with a high-temperature resistant adhesive 513, which has a temperature resistance limit of 120°C or higher, and is provided on the side of the isolation guide ring that abuts against the upper top 1 or the side that faces away from the upper top 1, partially or completely covering it, for fixing the isolation guide ring.

[0126] Preferably, the isolation guide ring is made of Teflon, polyurethane or polyethylene and has a thickness of 3mm to 8mm.

[0127] Preferably, the isolation guide ring has an openable and closable ring interface 514 to prevent the ring from deforming or breaking due to high temperature.

[0128] Preferably, one end of the isolation guide ring along the axial direction is a bending deformation release end 511, and the port of the bending deformation release end 511 has a bending deformation release groove 5111. The bending deformation release groove 5111 is a plurality of evenly distributed small cuts extending from the port to a certain length inside the ring body, used to release the bending wrinkles of the isolation guide ring so that it does not deform.

[0129] Preferably, the other end of the isolation guide ring along the axial direction is a guide end 512. The wall thickness of the guide end 512 decreases uniformly from the inside of the ring body towards the port, thereby forming a guide slope on the inner wall. The guide angle α formed by the guide slope and the vertical line is 0° to 30°, which is used for guidance when the upper top 1 is installed, making the upper top 1 easy to install.

[0130] Preferably, the isolation guide ring is two identical first isolation guide ring 51 and second isolation guide ring 52:

[0131] The first isolation guide ring 51 is placed on the side of the flange 3 and installed between the inner wall of the flange 3 and the side wall of the top 1. It is used to isolate the flange 3 and the top 1 in the horizontal direction. The inner wall of the flange 3 is provided with a first mounting end face 53 that matches the first isolation guide ring 51. After installation, the guide end 512 of the first isolation guide ring 51 is oriented downward, and the first isolation guide ring 51 is lower than the bottom surface of the flange 3. The height difference b is 0mm to 5mm, which makes it easy to install the top 1.

[0132] The second isolation guide ring 52 is placed on the side of the cavity 2 and installed between the inner wall of the cavity 2 and the side wall of the outer edge 11 of the top, for horizontally isolating the cavity 2 and the top 1. The inner wall of the cavity 2 is provided with a second mounting end face that matches the second isolation guide ring 52. After installation, the guide end 512 of the second isolation guide ring 52 is upward, and the guide end 512 of the second isolation guide ring 52 is lower than the cavity opening surface of the cavity 2, with a height difference of 0mm to 5mm, so that the top 1 can be easily installed.

[0133] In this embodiment, two identical first isolation guide rings 51 and second isolation guide rings 52 are placed on the flange 3 side and the cavity 2 side, respectively. Both the first isolation guide rings 51 and second isolation guide rings 52 are made of Teflon material, and the transverse thickness of the ring wall is 5mm. Both the first isolation guide rings 51 and second isolation guide rings 52 are interface rings, and the ring interface 514 can be opened and closed, and the ring interface 514 is smooth and without protrusions. Both the first isolation guide rings 51 and second isolation guide rings 52 are completely covered with high-temperature resistant adhesive 513 on the side facing away from the top 1.

[0134] The high-pressure nitrogen alignment system includes:

[0135] The air inlet 71 is a hollow pipe fixed to the outside of the flange 3. One end is connected to a nitrogen gas source, and the other end is connected to the inner wall of the flange 3 for transmitting nitrogen gas to the inner wall of the flange 3.

[0136] The centering gas chamber 72 is an airtight, sealed space surrounding the side wall of the upper top 1, communicating only with the air inlet 71. It is used to contain nitrogen gas. By filling the centering gas chamber 72 with high-pressure nitrogen gas, an inward pressure is applied to the upper top 1, thereby maintaining the centering of the upper top 1. The centering gas chamber 72 is composed of the inner wall of the flange 3, the flange-cavity sealing assembly, the inner wall of the cavity 2, the upper top-cavity sealing isolation assembly, the side wall of the upper top 1, and the flange-upper top sealing isolation assembly. In the part of the inner wall of the flange 3 that forms the centering gas chamber 72, an annular concave vent groove 721 is provided. The vent groove 721 communicates with the bending deformation release groove 5111 of the first isolation guide ring 51.

[0137] During the process, a high-pressure nitrogen gas source is connected to the air inlet 71 to fill the gas inlet. The nitrogen gas is quickly and evenly distributed in the centering gas chamber 72 through the ventilation groove 721 and the bending deformation release groove 5111, applying uniform inward pressure to the upper top 1 from all directions, thereby fixing the position of the upper top 1 and preventing displacement, and maintaining the alignment of the upper top 1 with the process chamber 21 during the high-temperature process.

[0138] The water-cooled cooling system includes:

[0139] The water inlet pipe 61 is a hollow pipe with one end fixed to the outer surface of the flange 3 and the other end connected to the cooling water source, which is used to connect the cooling water source to the inside of the flange 3.

[0140] The water outlet pipe 63 is a hollow pipe with one end fixed to the outer surface of the flange 3 and the other end connected to the cooling water discharge mechanism, which is used to connect the cooling water after heat exchange with the cooling water discharge mechanism.

[0141] The cooling water channel 62 is a tubular cavity located inside the flange 3, with its two ends connected to the inlet pipe 61 and the outlet pipe 63, respectively.

[0142] During the process, cooling water is continuously injected through the inlet pipe 61, flows through the cooling water channel 62, and is discharged from the outlet pipe 63. During the flow of the cooling water, it exchanges heat with the flange 3, reducing the temperature of the flange 3 and the sealing structure, so that each sealing ring is at the normal operating temperature, thereby maintaining the vacuum seal of the substrate processing equipment.

[0143] In addition, this embodiment also provides a substrate processing apparatus, including:

[0144] Cavity 2, made of metal, is a hollow chamber with one open side, facing upwards, used to accommodate the semiconductor substrate to be processed; in this embodiment, cavity 2 with a circular hollow interior is used.

[0145] The top part 1 is made of transparent quartz material. It is a cylindrical shape that is slightly thinner in the middle and slightly convex upward, and slightly thicker at the outer edge. It is placed on the upper end of the cavity 2 to allow infrared rays required for the process to penetrate and radiate heat to the substrate. In this embodiment, the middle part of the top part 1 is circular.

[0146] Flange 3 is made of metal and is hollow inside. The shape of the hollow part matches the vertical projection of the middle protrusion of the upper top 1. The outer part of the flange 3 can completely cover the horizontal outer edge of the upper top 1 and is used to fix the upper top 1 with the cavity 2. In this embodiment, a flange with a circular hollow part and an approximately square outer edge is used.

[0147] The sealing structure provided in the above embodiments is used to achieve vacuum sealing of the substrate processing equipment and to prevent the top 1 from breaking due to direct contact with the flange 3 and the cavity 2 during installation and use.

[0148] The specific installation and operation steps for the substrate processing equipment are as follows:

[0149] 1. Install the first isolation guide ring 51. Align the outer side of the first isolation guide ring 51 with the first mounting end face 53 of the flange 3, and secure it with high-temperature resistant adhesive 513;

[0150] 2. Install the second isolation guide ring 52. Align the outer side of the second isolation guide ring 52 with the second mounting end face of the cavity 2, and secure it with high-temperature resistant adhesive 513;

[0151] 3. Install the upper top 1 onto the flange 3. Flip the flange 3 so that the bottom surface is facing up, and then tilt the upper top 1 at a certain angle. Using the height difference b between the flange 3 and the top surface of the first isolation guide ring 51, and the guide angle a of the first isolation guide ring 51, bring one side wall of the upper top 1 closer to and gently abut against one side wall of the first isolation guide ring 51. Then gently lower the other side of the upper top 1 so that the upper half of the side wall of the upper top 1 is completely surrounded by the first isolation guide ring 51.

[0152] 4. Install the cavity 2. Place the substrate to be processed into the cavity 2, move and install the flange 3 of the upper top 1 so that the positioning hole 453 of the flange 3 is aligned with the positioning pin on the cavity 2, and drop the flange 3 vertically to combine with the cavity 2 so that the lower half of the side wall of the upper top 1 is completely surrounded by the second isolation guide ring 52;

[0153] 5. Lock the substrate processing equipment. Lock the flange 3 to the cavity 2 through the fixing hole 454 and fixing bolts, and achieve an airtight seal by pressing the sealing rings of the sealing structure;

[0154] 6. Start the water cooling system. Connect the inlet pipe 61 to the cooling water source and the outlet pipe 63 to the cooling water discharge mechanism. Turn on the cooling water source to ensure continuous cooling water flow.

[0155] 7. Start the high-pressure nitrogen alignment system. Connect the air inlet 71 to the high-pressure nitrogen source, turn on the high-pressure nitrogen source to fill the system with gas to the set pressure, and then turn off the high-pressure nitrogen source to stop filling.

[0156] 8. Begin process control.

[0157] In summary, the sealing structure and substrate processing equipment with the sealing structure provided by this invention provide overall protection for the quartz top along its entire circumference using an isolation guide ring. This prevents the quartz top from colliding with the metal flange or the sidewall of the metal cavity during installation, thus reducing installation risks, simplifying and facilitating operation, and saving time. The isolation guide ring also reduces the risk of the quartz top breaking due to uneven pressure on its sides, improving the success rate of the process and saving production costs. Furthermore, the adhesive bonding on one side of the isolation guide ring significantly reduces the risk of it detaching, improving reliability. Reliability; by adopting an isolation guide ring with an interface, the problem of the ring body potentially breaking due to high-temperature deformation is solved; by setting the bending deformation release groove 5111 of the isolation guide ring, the bending wrinkles of the isolation guide ring are eliminated, allowing it to fit better within the process equipment, with uniform force distribution and less prone to falling off; by setting an annular vent groove on the inner wall of the flange and setting the bending deformation release groove 5111 of the isolation guide ring, the high-pressure nitrogen gas that is filled in can be evenly distributed in the centering gas chamber 72 through the vent groove and the bending deformation release groove 5111, applying uniform inward pressure to the top, and better maintaining the centering of the quartz top under high temperature conditions.

[0158] Although the present invention has been described in detail through the preferred embodiments above, it should be understood that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention. Various modifications and substitutions to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the above description. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus, said substrate processing apparatus being used for semiconductor epitaxial processes, characterized in that, include: The cavity, made of metal, is a hollow chamber with an opening at the top, used to hold the semiconductor substrate to be processed. The top part, made of transparent quartz, is placed at the top of the cavity to allow infrared rays required for the process to penetrate and irradiate. The flange, made of metal, is placed on the cavity and the top of the top. It has a hole in the middle to ensure that the center of the top is unobstructed. After installation, the flange is fastened to the cavity to fix the top. A sealing structure is provided at the contact end between the upper top and the cavity and the flange, for vacuum sealing between the flange, the upper top and the cavity of the substrate processing equipment and for protection against contact breakage of the upper top; The sealing structure includes: A flange-top sealing and isolation assembly is disposed between the flange and the top, for sealing between the flange and the top, and for vertical protection against contact breakage of the top; A top-cavity sealing and isolation assembly is disposed between the top and the cavity for sealing between the top and the cavity, and for vertical protection against contact breakage of the top. A flange-cavity sealing assembly is disposed between the flange and the cavity for sealing the flange and the cavity; A top horizontal isolation component is disposed around the top sidewall for horizontal contact breakage protection of the top; the top horizontal isolation component includes two isolation guide rings, and the upper and lower halves of the top sidewall are completely surrounded by the two isolation guide rings; multiple bending deformation release grooves are evenly distributed on the isolation guide rings; A high-pressure nitrogen alignment system is installed on the periphery of the upper top sidewall; the high-pressure nitrogen alignment system applies uniform inward pressure to the upper top through each of the bending deformation release grooves to keep the upper top aligned with the cavity.

2. The substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The isolation guide ring is made of non-metallic material and is a hollow ring that can accommodate the top. After installation, the inner side of the isolation guide ring abuts against the side wall of the top, or a gap of 0mm to 5mm is provided. The outer side of the isolation guide ring abuts against the flange or the inner wall of the cavity, or a gap of 0mm to 5mm is provided, so that the top does not directly contact the flange or the cavity in the horizontal direction. The top horizontal isolation component also includes: An isolation guide ring fixing device is used to fix the isolation guide ring inside the substrate processing equipment.

3. The substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The isolation guide ring fixing device is a high-temperature resistant adhesive. One side of the high-temperature resistant adhesive covers the inner or outer ring surface of the isolation guide ring, and the other side covers the installation position of the isolation guide ring inside the substrate processing equipment.

4. The substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The flange-top sealing isolation assembly includes: The flange-top sealing ring is a closed ring made of elastic material, and is arranged in a ring between the bottom surface of the flange and the top surface of the top. The upper surface of the flange-top sealing ring abuts against the bottom surface of the flange, and the lower surface of the flange-top sealing ring abuts against the top surface of the top, so that the flange and the top do not directly contact each other in the vertical direction, and an airtight seal is achieved by the flange and the top pressing the flange-top sealing ring together. The flange-top sealing ring groove is an annular groove adapted to the flange-top sealing ring. It is recessed into the bottom surface of the flange and partially accommodates the flange-top sealing ring within the groove, for fixing the flange-top sealing ring.

5. The substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The flange-top sealing and isolation assembly consists of multiple pairs of flange-top sealing rings and flange-top sealing ring grooves with different inner diameters and spaced apart.

6. The substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The top-cavity sealing and isolation assembly includes: The top-cavity sealing ring is a closed ring made of elastic material. It is arranged in a ring between the bottom surface of the top and the top surface of the cavity opening. The upper surface of the top-cavity sealing ring abuts against the bottom surface of the top, and the lower surface of the top-cavity sealing ring abuts against the top surface of the cavity opening, so that the top and the cavity do not directly contact each other in the vertical direction. An airtight seal is achieved by the top and the cavity pressing the top-cavity sealing ring together. The upper top-cavity sealing ring groove is an annular groove adapted to the upper top-cavity sealing ring. It is recessed on the top surface of the cavity opening and partially accommodates the upper top-cavity sealing ring within the groove, for fixing the upper top-cavity sealing ring.

7. The substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The top-cavity sealing and isolation assembly consists of multiple pairs of top-cavity sealing rings and top-cavity sealing ring grooves with different inner diameters and spaced apart.

8. The substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The flange-cavity sealing assembly includes: The flange-cavity sealing ring is a closed ring made of elastic material. It is arranged in a ring between the bottom surface of the flange and the top surface of the cavity opening. The upper surface of the flange-cavity sealing ring abuts against the bottom surface of the flange, and the lower surface of the flange-cavity sealing ring abuts against the top surface of the cavity opening. An airtight seal is achieved by the flange and the cavity pressing the flange-cavity sealing ring together. The flange-cavity sealing ring groove assembly consists of two symmetrical annular grooves adapted to the flange-cavity sealing ring. It includes a flange sealing ring groove and a cavity sealing ring groove. The flange sealing ring groove is recessed into the bottom surface of the flange, and the cavity sealing ring groove is recessed into the top surface of the cavity opening. After installation, the vertical projections of the flange sealing ring groove and the cavity sealing ring groove completely overlap, and the flange-cavity sealing ring is partially accommodated within the groove assembly for fixing the flange-cavity sealing ring. A positioning and locking mechanism is used to lock the flange to the cavity.

9. The substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The flange-cavity sealing assembly consists of multiple sets of flange-cavity sealing rings and flange-cavity sealing ring grooves with different inner diameters and spaced apart.

10. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that, The positioning and locking mechanism comprises at least one pair of positioning holes provided on the flange and a matching positioning pin provided on the cavity, as well as at least one pair of fixing holes provided on the flange and a matching fixing bolt.

11. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, The isolation guide ring is made of Teflon, polyurethane, or polyethylene.

12. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, One end of the isolation guide ring along the axial direction is a bending deformation release end. A bending deformation release groove is provided at the port of the bending deformation release end. The bending deformation release groove is a plurality of evenly distributed ports extending to a certain length inside the ring body, used to release the bending wrinkles of the isolation guide ring.

13. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, The isolation guide ring has an openable and closable ring interface to prevent the ring from deforming or breaking due to high temperature.

14. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that, The other end of the isolation guide ring along the axial direction is the guide end, which is used for guidance during the top installation. The wall thickness of the guide end is uniformly thinned from the inside of the ring body towards the port direction, forming a guide slope on the inner wall of the isolation guide ring.

15. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that, The guide angle formed by the guide ramp and the vertical line is 0° to 30°.

16. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that, The isolation guide ring consists of two identical first isolation guide rings and second isolation guide rings, wherein... The first isolation guide ring is installed between the inner wall of the flange and the side wall of the top. The inner wall of the flange is provided with a matching first mounting end face. The guide end of the first isolation guide ring after installation is vertically downward. The second isolation guide ring is installed between the inner wall of the cavity and the side wall of the top. The inner wall of the cavity is provided with a matching second mounting end face. The guide end of the second isolation guide ring after installation is vertically upward.

17. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that, After installation, the guide end of the first isolation guide ring is lower than the bottom surface of the flange, making the top easy to install.

18. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that, After installation, the guide end of the second isolation guide ring is lower than the cavity opening surface of the cavity, making the top easy to install.

19. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that, The high-pressure nitrogen alignment system includes: The air inlet is a hollow pipe fixed to the outside of the flange, with one end connected to a nitrogen gas source and the other end connected to the inner wall of the flange, used to transmit nitrogen gas to the inner wall of the flange. The centering gas chamber is an airtight, sealed space surrounding the upper top sidewall, communicating only with the air inlet, and is used to contain nitrogen gas; the centering gas chamber is composed of the flange inner wall, the flange-cavity sealing assembly, the cavity inner wall, the upper top-cavity sealing isolation assembly, the upper top sidewall, and the flange-upper top sealing isolation assembly.

20. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 19, characterized in that, The centering gas chamber also includes an annular vent groove, which is disposed on the inner wall of the centering gas chamber, specifically recessed in the inner wall of the flange that forms the inner wall of the centering gas chamber. The vent groove communicates with the cutout at the bending deformation release end of the first isolation guide ring.

21. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, The sealing structure also includes a water-cooling system for reducing the temperature of the flange and the sealing structure, including: The inlet pipe is a hollow pipe fixed to the outside of the flange. One end is connected to the cooling water source, and the other end is connected to the inside of the flange, which is used to connect the cooling water source to the inside of the flange. The outlet pipe is a hollow pipe fixed to the outside of the flange. One end is connected to the inside of the flange, and the other end is connected to the cooling water discharge mechanism. It is used to connect the cooling water after heat exchange with the cooling water discharge mechanism. The cooling water channel is a pipe-shaped cavity located inside the flange, with its two ends connected to the inlet pipe and outlet pipe, respectively, for heat exchange between the cooling water and the flange.

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