Wafer processing equipment, systems, and control methods applied to wafer processing equipment

Abstract

This disclosure provides a wafer processing apparatus, system, and control method. The apparatus includes a processing mechanism, a wafer boat loading / unloading chamber, a wafer boat base located within the wafer boat loading / unloading chamber, a wafer loading / unloading chamber, a wafer transfer mechanism located within the wafer loading / unloading chamber, multiple isolation chambers, multiple wafer boats, and a transfer device. A front door is provided between the isolation chamber and the wafer loading / unloading chamber, and a rear door is provided between the isolation chamber and the wafer boat loading / unloading chamber. The transfer device is used to transfer the wafer boat within the wafer loading / unloading chamber and the isolation chambers, and also to transfer the wafer boat within the wafer loading / unloading chamber and the isolation chambers. The multiple isolation chambers include first and second isolation chambers. The first isolation chamber is used to accommodate wafer boats transferred from the wafer loading / unloading chambers and loaded with wafers to be processed, and the second isolation chamber is used to accommodate wafer boats transferred from the wafer loading / unloading chambers and loaded with processed wafers. This solution improves production efficiency while reducing wafer contamination.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure belongs to the field of semiconductor technology, and specifically relates to a wafer processing device, a wafer processing system, and a control method applied to the wafer processing device. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, wafer processing equipment such as furnace tube machines are often used to process large numbers of wafers at once. Traditional single-boat furnace tube machines have always suffered from the problem of long loading / unloading times for wafers. Based on this, dual-boat furnace tube machines were proposed and have been widely used. However, in existing dual-boat furnace tube machines, the two boats flow between a temporary storage area, a waiting / cooling area, and a base, respectively. The temporary storage area and the waiting / cooling area are located in the same chamber. This can lead to situations where processed wafer boats and unprocessed wafer boats are in the same chamber at the same time. Byproducts may be present on the processed wafers and diffuse onto the unprocessed wafers, causing particulate contamination. Furthermore, when the processed wafer boats are removed from the furnace tube, particulate contaminants from the furnace tube are carried out, causing particulate contamination on the unprocessed wafers in the waiting / cooling area.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to study a wafer processing device to solve the problem of cross-contamination between wafers on the two boats in the existing dual-boat furnace tube machine. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure provides a wafer processing equipment, a wafer processing system, and a control method applied to the wafer processing equipment, which can improve production efficiency, reduce wafer contamination, and increase wafer production yield.

[0005] The first aspect of this disclosure provides a wafer processing apparatus, comprising:

[0006] The processing area includes at least one processing facility;

[0007] The wafer loading and unloading area includes a wafer loading and unloading chamber and a wafer transfer mechanism located in the wafer loading and unloading chamber. The wafer transfer mechanism is used to transfer wafers to be processed in the wafer cassette to the wafer boat or to transfer processed wafers on the wafer boat to the wafer cassette.

[0008] The crystal boat loading and unloading area includes a crystal boat loading and unloading chamber and a crystal boat base located inside the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber. The crystal boat base is used to support the crystal boat and to send the crystal boat into or out of the processing mechanism.

[0009] An isolation zone, located between the wafer loading / unloading area and the wafer loading / unloading area, includes multiple independent isolation chambers. Each isolation chamber is connected to the wafer loading / unloading chamber by a front opening / closing door, which can be opened or closed to allow the isolation chamber to be connected to the wafer loading / unloading chamber. Additionally, each isolation chamber is connected to the wafer loading / unloading chamber by a rear opening / closing door, which can also be opened or closed to allow the isolation chamber to be connected to the wafer loading / unloading chamber.

[0010] At least two wafer boats and a transfer device, the transfer device being used to transfer the wafer boats inside the wafer loading / unloading chamber and the isolation chamber, and also to transfer the wafer boats inside the wafer loading / unloading chamber and the isolation chamber;

[0011] The plurality of isolation chambers include a first isolation chamber and a second isolation chamber. The first isolation chamber is used to accommodate a wafer boat that has been transferred to it from the wafer loading and unloading chamber and is loaded with wafers to be processed. The second isolation chamber is used to accommodate a wafer boat that has been transferred to it from the wafer loading and unloading chamber and is loaded with processed wafers.

[0012] In some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the air pressure inside the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber is lower than atmospheric pressure.

[0013] In some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the pressure inside the wafer loading / unloading chamber is greater than the pressure inside the wafer boat loading / unloading chamber.

[0014] In some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the pressure inside the wafer loading / unloading chamber is atmospheric pressure, or the pressure inside the wafer loading / unloading chamber is less than atmospheric pressure.

[0015] In some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the isolation zone further includes a pressure regulating mechanism, the pressure regulating mechanism being used for:

[0016] Before controlling the front switch door to open so that the isolation chamber and the wafer loading / unloading chamber are in an open state, the pressure in the isolation chamber is adjusted to be the same as the pressure in the wafer loading / unloading chamber;

[0017] Before controlling the rear door to open so that the isolation chamber and the crystal boat loading / unloading chamber are in an open state, the pressure in the isolation chamber is adjusted to be the same as the pressure in the crystal boat loading / unloading chamber.

[0018] In some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the processing mechanism includes a processing furnace tube disposed outside the wafer loading and unloading chamber and connected to the wafer loading and unloading chamber, the processing furnace tube being able to provide a working environment for processing wafers.

[0019] In some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the processing furnace tube is a vertical furnace tube, and the opening of the processing furnace tube is disposed opposite to the top of the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber;

[0020] The crystal boat base includes a base body and a lifting mechanism. The port of the processing furnace tube is projected onto the base body. The lifting mechanism is connected to the base body and is used to drive the base body to move up and down to close or open the processing furnace tube, so as to send the crystal boat carried on the base body into or out of the processing furnace tube.

[0021] In some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the processing mechanism further includes a furnace tube cover, which is disposed at the top of the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber and inside the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber, and is movable relative to the processing furnace tube to open or close the processing furnace tube;

[0022] The furnace tube cover is capable of closing the processing furnace tube when it is in a standby state.

[0023] In some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the furnace tube cover includes a cover plate, a slide rail, and a connecting rod connecting the cover plate and the slide rail, wherein the connecting rod is also used to support the cover plate;

[0024] The slide rail is fixedly connected to the top of the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber; one end of the connecting rod is fixedly connected to the cover plate, and the other end of the connecting rod is provided with a slider. The slider is slidably connected to the slide rail. The slider slides horizontally on the slide rail, causing the cover plate to move closer to or away from the processing furnace tube, thereby closing or opening the processing furnace tube.

[0025] In some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, multiple processing mechanisms are provided, and multiple crystal boat bases are provided, with each crystal boat base corresponding to one processing mechanism.

[0026] In some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the transfer device includes:

[0027] A first transfer robotic arm is disposed in the wafer loading and unloading chamber. The first transfer robotic arm is used to transfer a wafer boat loaded with wafers to be processed in the wafer loading and unloading chamber to the first isolation chamber when the first isolation chamber and the wafer loading and unloading chamber are in an open state. It is also used to transfer a wafer boat loaded with processed wafers in the second isolation chamber to the wafer loading and unloading chamber when the second isolation chamber and the wafer loading and unloading chamber are in an open state.

[0028] A second transfer robotic arm is disposed in the wafer loading and unloading chamber. The second transfer robotic arm is used to transfer a wafer loading and unloading chamber containing wafers to be processed in the first isolation chamber to the wafer loading and unloading chamber when the first isolation chamber and the wafer loading and unloading chamber are in an open state. It is also used to transfer a wafer loading and unloading chamber containing processed wafers to the second isolation chamber when the second isolation chamber and the wafer loading and unloading chamber are in an open state.

[0029] In some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the wafer processing apparatus further includes a temporary storage area for temporarily storing a plurality of wafer cassettes, wherein the wafer loading / unloading area is closer to the temporary storage area than the wafer boat loading / unloading area; and / or

[0030] The wafer loading and unloading chamber is equipped with a front-opening interface mechanical unit that cooperates with the wafer cassette. The front-opening interface mechanical unit is used to open or close the connection between the wafer cassette and the wafer loading and unloading chamber.

[0031] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a control method applied to the wafer processing equipment described in any of the preceding claims, the control method comprising:

[0032] After the control transfer device transfers the wafer loaded with processed wafers from the wafer loading and unloading chamber to the interior of the second isolation chamber, the control device opens the corresponding rear door of the first isolation chamber. Then, the control transfer device transfers the wafer loaded with unprocessed wafers from the first isolation chamber to the wafer base in the wafer loading and unloading chamber.

[0033] After the control transfer device transfers the wafer boat containing the wafers to be processed in the wafer loading and unloading chamber to the inside of the first isolation chamber, the control transfer device opens the front switch door corresponding to the second isolation chamber. Then, the control transfer device transfers the wafer boat containing the processed wafers in the second isolation chamber to the wafer loading and unloading chamber.

[0034] In some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, after the control transfer device transfers the wafer loaded with the processed wafer in the wafer loading and unloading chamber to the interior of the second isolation chamber, and before the control of the rear switch door corresponding to the first isolation chamber to open, the control of the rear switch door corresponding to the second isolation chamber to be closed.

[0035] After the control transfer device transfers the wafer boat containing the wafer to be processed in the wafer loading and unloading chamber to the inside of the first isolation chamber, and before the control transfer device opens the front switch door corresponding to the second isolation chamber, the control transfer device keeps the front switch door corresponding to the first isolation chamber closed.

[0036] In some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the control method further includes: during the processing of a wafer to be processed on a boat located within a processing mechanism:

[0037] The control wafer transfer mechanism transfers the wafers to be processed in the wafer cassette to the wafer boat located in the wafer loading and unloading chamber and in a state of not being fully loaded;

[0038] Alternatively, the control wafer transfer mechanism can transfer the processed wafers from the wafer boat, which is located in the wafer loading and unloading chamber and contains the processed wafers, to the wafer cassette.

[0039] A third aspect of this disclosure provides a wafer processing system comprising:

[0040] The wafer processing equipment described in any of the above claims; and

[0041] The master controller is used to implement the control method described in any of the above.

[0042] The technical solutions provided in this disclosure have at least the following advantages:

[0043] This disclosure provides a first isolation chamber and a second isolation chamber between a wafer loading / unloading chamber and a wafer boat loading / unloading chamber. The first isolation chamber is used to accommodate a wafer boat loaded with wafers to be processed, which flows into it from the wafer loading / unloading chamber. The second isolation chamber is used to accommodate a wafer boat loaded with processed wafers, which flows into it from the wafer boat loading / unloading chamber. This design not only allows the wafer boat loaded with wafers to be processed and the wafer boat loaded with processed wafers to be located in different chambers, but also ensures that the wafer boat loaded with wafers to be processed passes through different chambers during its flow and the isolation chambers that the wafer boat loaded with processed wafers passes through during its flow. Compared to a scheme where the wafer boat loaded with wafers to be processed and the wafer boat loaded with processed wafers are located in the same chamber and pass through the same chamber, this embodiment can avoid or improve the situation where reaction byproducts carried on the wafer boat loaded with processed wafers diffuse onto the wafers to be processed.

[0044] In addition, each isolation chamber is equipped with a switch door between itself and the wafer loading / unloading chamber and the wafer loading / unloading chamber. When the switch door is closed, the isolation chamber can be closed to the wafer loading / unloading chamber and the wafer loading / unloading chamber to avoid or improve the situation of cross-contamination between the chambers.

[0045] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part from practice of this disclosure.

[0046] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0047] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0048] Figure 1 A front view of a wafer processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0049] Figure 2 A top view of the wafer processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0050] Figure 3 A top view of the wafer processing apparatus described in another embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0051] Figures 4 to 9 The diagrams show the structure of the wafer processing apparatus of this disclosure after performing different steps.

[0052] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0053] 10. Processing mechanism; 101. Processing furnace tube; 102. Furnace tube cover; 1021. Cover plate; 1022. Slide rail; 1023. Connecting rod; 1024. Slider; 11. Wafer loading and unloading chamber; 12. Wafer transfer mechanism; 13. Wafer box; 14. Crystal boat; 14a. First crystal boat; 14b. Second crystal boat; 15. Front-opening interface mechanical unit; 16. Crystal boat loading and unloading chamber; 17. Crystal boat base; 171. Base body; 172. Lifting mechanism; 18. Isolation chamber; 18a. First isolation chamber; 18b. Second isolation chamber; 19. Front opening and closing door; 20. Rear opening and closing door; 21. First conveying robotic arm; 22. Second conveying robotic arm; 23. Temporary storage chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0054] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be more thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0055] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Numerous specific details are provided in the following description to give a thorough understanding of embodiments of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this disclosure can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, apparatuses, steps, etc., can be employed. In other instances, well-known methods, apparatuses, implementations, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of this disclosure.

[0056] The present disclosure will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present disclosure described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present disclosure, and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

[0057] This disclosure provides a wafer processing apparatus, which may include at least multiple processing areas such as a processing area, a wafer boat loading / unloading area, a wafer loading / unloading area, and an isolation area. It should be noted that the structural composition of each processing area is described in detail later and will not be repeated here. Furthermore, in addition to the aforementioned multiple processing areas, the wafer processing apparatus of this disclosure may also include a wafer boat and a transfer device, which allows the wafer boat to be transferred between the wafer loading / unloading area, the isolation area, and the wafer boat loading / unloading area.

[0058] The number of wafer boats can be set to multiple, such as two, three, four, etc., depending on the specific situation. By setting multiple wafer boats, at least some of the wafer boats can operate in different areas of the wafer processing equipment. For example, while one wafer boat loaded with wafers to be processed is processing in the processing area, another empty wafer boat can load wafers to be processed in the wafer loading and unloading area, or another wafer boat loaded with processed wafers can unload processed wafers in the wafer loading and unloading area. In this way, the wafer processing equipment can process wafers in batches, while also reducing the time spent on transferring and loading / unloading wafers, thereby improving the production efficiency of the wafer processing equipment.

[0059] The structure and working principle of the wafer processing equipment according to embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0060] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in this embodiment, the processing area may include at least one processing mechanism 10, which can process the wafer located therein.

[0061] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown in the embodiments of this disclosure, the wafer loading and unloading area may include a wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 and a wafer transfer mechanism 12. The wafer transfer mechanism 12 is located in the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11, and the wafer transfer mechanism 12 can be used to transfer the wafers to be processed in the wafer cassette 13 to the wafer boat 14 or to transfer the processed wafers on the wafer boat 14 to the wafer cassette 13.

[0062] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 may be provided with a front-opening interface mechanical standard (FIMS) 15 that cooperates with the wafer cassette 13. The front-opening interface mechanical standard 15 can be used to open or close the wafer cassette 13 and the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11. Specifically, during the wafer processing, the FIMS can be used to fix, purge, open and close the wafer cassette 13 to ensure the sealing between the wafer cassette 13 and the outside world before and after the door is opened, so that the wafer can be cleanly transferred between the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 and the wafer cassette 13.

[0063] It should be understood that when the wafer loading / unloading chamber 11 is equipped with a front-opening interface mechanical unit 15, the wafer cassette 13 mentioned in this embodiment can be designed as a front-opening unified pod (FOUP) that cooperates with the front-opening interface mechanical unit 15. The front-opening wafer cassette in this embodiment is a closed container, mainly used to store semiconductor wafers and to protect, transport, and store the wafers during the manufacturing process. Its closed design provides a high degree of cleanliness and protection to prevent the wafers from being contaminated and damaged by the external environment.

[0064] In addition, it should be noted that the number of wafers loaded in a wafer cassette 13 when it is fully loaded is usually less than the number of wafers loaded in a crystal boat 14 when it is fully loaded. Therefore, if each crystal boat 14 is fully loaded, it needs to be matched with multiple wafer cassettes 13. In other words, multiple wafer cassettes 13 form a group, and each group is matched with a crystal boat 14.

[0065] Among them, reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, a wafer transfer mechanism 12 can be provided in the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11, and the wafer can be transferred between the wafer boat 14 and the wafer box 13 using a wafer transfer mechanism 12. However, it is not limited to this. When there is enough space in the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11, the number of wafer transfer mechanisms 12 can also be multiple, which can improve the wafer loading and unloading efficiency.

[0066] In this embodiment of the disclosure, combined with Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the wafer loading and unloading area may include a wafer loading and unloading chamber 16 and a wafer base 17 located within the wafer loading and unloading chamber 16. The wafer base 17 is used to support the wafer 14 and to send the wafer 14 into or out of the processing mechanism 10. Specifically, the wafer base 17 can be used to support the wafer 14 loaded with wafers to be processed, and to send the wafer 14 loaded with wafers to be processed into the processing mechanism 10 for processing. After processing, the wafer base 17 can support the wafer 14 loaded with processed wafers and send the wafer 14 loaded with processed wafers out of the processing mechanism 10.

[0067] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the isolation zone is located between the wafer loading and unloading area and the wafer loading and unloading area, and the isolation zone may include multiple independent isolation chambers 18.

[0068] Each isolation chamber 18 is provided with a front opening and closing door 19 between it and the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11. The front opening and closing door 19 can be opened or closed to realize the opening or closing of the isolation chamber 18 and the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11. That is, when the front opening and closing door 19 is in the open state, the isolation chamber 18 and the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 are open, so that the transfer device can allow the wafer boat 14 to flow inside the isolation chamber 18 and the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11. When the front opening and closing door 19 is in the closed state, the isolation chamber 18 and the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 are closed, so that the isolation chamber 18 is in a sealed state relative to the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11, so as to avoid or improve the situation of mutual contamination between the isolation chamber 18 and the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11.

[0069] In addition, a rear opening and closing door 20 is provided between each isolation chamber 18 and the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16. The rear opening and closing door 20 can be opened or closed to realize the opening or closing between the isolation chamber 18 and the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16. That is, when the rear opening and closing door 20 is in the open state, the isolation chamber 18 and the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16 are open, so that the flow device can allow the crystal boat 14 to flow inside the isolation chamber 18 and the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16. When the rear opening and closing door 20 is in the closed state, the isolation chamber 18 and the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16 are closed, so that the isolation chamber 18 is in a sealed state relative to the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16, so as to avoid or improve the situation of mutual contamination between the isolation chamber 18 and the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16.

[0070] In embodiments of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 2As shown, the multiple isolation chambers 18 may include a first isolation chamber 18a and a second isolation chamber 18b. The first isolation chamber 18a is used to accommodate a wafer carrier 14 loaded with wafers to be processed, which is transferred to it from the wafer loading / unloading chamber 11. The second isolation chamber 18b is used to accommodate a wafer carrier 14 loaded with processed wafers, which is transferred to it from the wafer loading / unloading chamber 16. This design not only allows the wafer carrier 14 loaded with wafers to be processed and the wafer carrier 14 loaded with processed wafers to be located in different chambers, but also allows the chambers traversed by the wafer carrier 14 during its transfer to be different from those traversed by the wafer carrier 14 loaded with processed wafers. For example, the transfer route of the wafer carrier 14 loaded with wafers to be processed may be... The flow path of the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 → first isolation chamber 18a → wafer boat loading and unloading chamber 16 → processing mechanism 10 is processing mechanism 10 → wafer boat loading and unloading chamber 16 → second isolation chamber 18b → wafer loading and unloading chamber 11. That is, the flow path of the wafer boat 14 loaded with wafers to be processed is different from the isolation chamber 18 passed through in the flow path of the wafer boat 14 loaded with processed wafers. Compared with the scheme where the wafer boat 14 loaded with wafers to be processed and the wafer boat 14 loaded with processed wafers are located in the same chamber and pass through the same chamber, this embodiment can avoid or improve the diffusion of reaction byproducts carried on the wafer boat 14 loaded with processed wafers to the wafer to be processed (i.e., wafer to be processed).

[0071] Furthermore, during the process of removing a wafer boat 14 loaded with processed wafers from the processing unit 10, another wafer boat 14 loaded with wafers to be processed can be sealed in the first isolation chamber 18a for waiting. That is, the other wafer boat 14 loaded with wafers to be processed is located in the first isolation chamber 18a, and the rear door 20 between the first isolation chamber 18a and the wafer boat loading and unloading chamber 16 is closed. Compared with the scheme of transferring another wafer boat 14 loaded with unprocessed wafers to the wafer boat loading and unloading chamber 16 for waiting, this embodiment can avoid the situation where reaction byproducts in the processing unit 10 are sprayed onto the wafers to be processed, thus preventing the wafers to be processed from being contaminated.

[0072] It should be understood that during the process of removing the wafer boat 14 loaded with processed wafers from the processing mechanism 10, it is not limited to sealing another wafer boat 14 loaded with wafers to be processed in the first isolation chamber 18a for waiting, or the other wafer boat 14 loaded with wafers to be processed can be sealed in the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 for waiting, and the specific method can be adjusted according to the actual situation.

[0073] In some embodiments, reference Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the processing mechanism 10 may include a processing furnace tube 101, which is located outside and connected to the wafer loading and unloading chamber 16. The processing furnace tube 101 is used to accommodate the wafer boat 14 and can provide the necessary working environment for processing the wafers on the wafer boat 14. It should be understood that, in addition to the processing furnace tube 101 for accommodating the wafer boat 14, the processing mechanism 10 of this embodiment may also include a gas supply device (not shown in the figure), etc. The gas supply device can supply reactive gases into the processing furnace tube 101 to process the wafers located in the processing furnace tube 101.

[0074] For example, the processing furnace tube 101 can be a vertical furnace tube, and the opening of the processing furnace tube 101 is positioned opposite to the top of the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16. In other words, the processing furnace tube 101 can be located at the top of the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16, and the top of the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16 has an opening that matches the opening of the processing furnace tube 101, so that the interior of the processing furnace tube 101 can communicate with the interior of the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16; Reference Figure 1 As shown, the crystal boat base 17 may include a base body 171 and a lifting mechanism 172. The orthographic projection of the opening of the processing furnace tube 101 is inside the base body 171. The lifting mechanism 172 is connected to the base body 171 and is used to drive the base body 171 to perform lifting movements to close or open the processing furnace tube 101, so as to send the crystal boat 14 carried on the base body 171 into or out of the processing furnace tube 101.

[0075] Since the orifice of the processing furnace tube 101 is projected into the base body 171, after the lifting mechanism 172 drives the base body 171 to rise and completely send the crystal boat 14 carried on the base body 171 into the processing furnace tube 101, the base body 171 can seal the orifice of the processing furnace tube 101, thereby making the processing furnace tube 101 in a sealed state. On the one hand, it can provide a clean working environment for wafer processing, and on the other hand, it can improve the efficiency of wafer heat treatment.

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by using a vertical furnace tube in conjunction with a vertically lifting crystal boat base 17, the footprint of the wafer processing equipment can be reduced while the crystal boat 14 is being fed into or out of the processing furnace tube 101, so as to accommodate more production workshops.

[0077] In this embodiment of the disclosure, reference is made to Figure 1As shown, the processing mechanism 10 may also include a furnace tube cover 102. The furnace tube cover 102 is located at the top of the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16 and inside the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16. It can move relative to the processing furnace tube 101 to open or close the processing furnace tube 101. The furnace tube cover 102 can close the processing furnace tube 101 when the processing furnace tube 101 is in a standby state to prevent contaminants in the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16 from spreading into the processing furnace tube 101, thereby avoiding contamination of the wafers processed by the processing furnace tube 101 and improving product quality.

[0078] Furthermore, when the processing furnace tube 101 is in operation, the furnace tube cover 102 can open the processing furnace tube 101. At this time, the lifting mechanism 172 can drive the base body 171 to rise, so that the crystal boat 14 supported on the base body 171 is completely sent into the processing furnace tube 101 to realize the wafer processing.

[0079] In some alternative embodiments, the furnace tube cover 102 may include a cover plate 1021, a slide rail 1022, and a connecting rod 1023 connecting the cover plate 1021 and the slide rail 1022. The connecting rod 1023 is also used to support the cover plate 1021. The slide rail 1022 is fixedly connected to the top of the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16. One end of the connecting rod 1023 is fixedly connected to the cover plate 1021, and the other end of the connecting rod 1023 is provided with a slider 1024. The slider 1024 is slidably connected to the slide rail 1022. The slider 1024 slides horizontally on the slide rail 1022 to drive the cover plate 1021 to move closer to or away from the processing furnace tube 101, thereby closing or opening the processing furnace tube 101.

[0080] In this embodiment, by setting the furnace tube cover 102 on the top of the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16 and driving the cover plate 1021 in a horizontal driving manner, on the one hand, the movement path of the cover plate 1021 when opening or closing the processing furnace tube 101 can be shortened and the driving difficulty can be reduced. On the other hand, the interference between the furnace tube cover 102 and the crystal boat base 17 during the movement can be avoided.

[0081] In some embodiments, when the processing furnace tube 101 needs to be in a working state, the cover plate 1021 of the furnace tube cover 102 can be opened during the process of driving the base body 171 of the crystal boat base 17 to rise. For example, after the crystal boat 14 carrying the unprocessed wafer is transferred to the base body 171, the lifting mechanism 172 can be used to drive the base body 171 to move upward, so that the crystal boat 14 on the base body 171 moves vertically towards the processing furnace tube 101. Before the crystal boat 14 is about to enter the processing furnace tube 101, the slider 1024 can be driven to move horizontally away from the processing furnace tube 101, so as to drive the cover plate 1021 to move away from the processing furnace tube 101, thereby opening the processing furnace tube 101, which makes it convenient for the crystal boat base 17 to send the crystal boat 14 into the processing furnace tube 101. This design can reduce the exposure time inside the processing furnace tube 101, thereby reducing the possibility of contamination inside the processing furnace tube 101.

[0082] It should be noted that during the process of driving the cover plate 1021 to move away from the processing furnace tube 101 and opening the processing furnace tube 101, the lifting mechanism 172 can still synchronously drive the base body 171 to rise without stopping and waiting, so as to improve the processing efficiency of the wafer processing equipment.

[0083] However, it should be understood that in some other embodiments, the cover plate 1021 may be driven to move away from the processing furnace tube 101 first to fully open the processing furnace tube 101, and then the base body 171 may be driven to move upward to send the crystal boat 14 carried on the base body 171 into the processing furnace tube 101. The specific implementation method may be determined according to the specific situation.

[0084] In addition, when the processing furnace tube 101 needs to be in a standby state, the base body 171 of the crystal boat base 17 can be driven down first, so that the crystal boat 14 carried on the base body 171 is completely sent out of the processing furnace tube 101. Then, the cover plate 1021 is driven to move towards the processing furnace tube 101 to close the processing furnace tube 101.

[0085] For example, multiple processing mechanisms 10 and crystal boat bases 17 can be provided, with each crystal boat base 17 corresponding to one processing mechanism 10 to form a group. By providing multiple groups of cooperating processing mechanisms 10 and crystal boat bases 17, multiple wafers to be processed on crystal boats 14 can be processed simultaneously, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the wafer processing equipment. Figure 1 and Figure 3To explain, while a wafer boat 14 loaded with wafers to be processed is fed into the corresponding processing mechanism 10 by a wafer boat base 17 for processing, another wafer boat 14 loaded with wafers to be processed can be fed into the corresponding processing mechanism 10 by another wafer boat base 17 for processing. This can improve the production cycle of the entire wafer processing equipment.

[0086] In this embodiment, the processing mechanism 10 and the crystal boat base 17 are not limited to... Figure 3 The two shown could also be three, four, etc., depending on the actual situation. In this embodiment, the number of crystal boats 14 can be at least one more than the number of processing mechanisms 10 and crystal boat bases 17, for example: Figure 1 and Figure 2 When the processing mechanism 10 and the crystal boat base 17 shown are provided as a set, the number of crystal boats 14 can be two, but it is not limited to this and more can also be provided; Figure 3 When two sets of processing mechanism 10 and crystal boat base 17 are provided, the number of crystal boats 14 can be three, but not limited to this, and more can be provided. In this way, during the operation of the wafer processing equipment, the steps of loading, unloading, transfer and processing can be more closely connected, so as to reduce the idle time of each processing mechanism 10 and each chamber, thereby improving the production efficiency of the wafer processing equipment.

[0087] In the embodiments of this disclosure, after the wafers on the wafer boat 14 have completed processing within the processing mechanism 10, the wafer boat base 17 needs to deliver the wafer boat 14, which contains the processed wafers, out of the processing mechanism 10. To reduce the generation and diffusion of by-product particles during delivery, the air pressure within the processing mechanism 10 can be equal to or greater than the air pressure within the wafer boat loading / unloading chamber 16. It should be noted that when the wafers are processed in the processing furnace tube 101, the processing environment is typically a low-pressure environment, and the air pressure in the processing furnace tube 101 is usually lower than the air pressure within the wafer boat loading / unloading chamber 16.

[0088] Furthermore, the air pressure inside the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16 can be lower than the atmospheric pressure, making the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16 a negative pressure chamber. The pressure can be set according to actual needs, so that the pressure difference between the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16 and the processing furnace tube 101 is controlled within a suitable range when they are connected.

[0089] It should be understood that, since the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 in this embodiment is located upstream of the wafer boat loading and unloading chamber 16, that is, during the operation of the wafer processing equipment, the unprocessed wafers are first loaded onto the wafer boat 14 through the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11, and then the wafer boat 14 loaded with the unprocessed wafers is transferred to the wafer boat loading and unloading chamber 16; therefore, the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 is more likely to communicate with the external atmospheric environment than the wafer boat loading and unloading chamber 16. Based on this, the pressure inside the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 is designed to be greater than the pressure inside the wafer boat loading and unloading chamber 16 in this embodiment, so as to avoid the wafer being damaged during the transfer process due to excessive pressure difference between the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 and the external atmospheric environment.

[0090] For example, the pressure inside the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 can be atmospheric pressure, that is, the pressure inside the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 can be equal to the pressure of the external atmospheric environment. In this way, there is no need to install a pressure regulating mechanism inside the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11, thus reducing the cost of wafer processing equipment.

[0091] In other embodiments, the pressure inside the wafer loading / unloading chamber 11 may be slightly lower than atmospheric pressure, thus creating a negative pressure inside the wafer loading / unloading chamber 11. The pressure can be set according to actual needs to control the pressure difference between the wafer loading / unloading chamber 11 and the wafer boat loading / unloading chamber 16 within a suitable range, controlling the time required for the wafer boat 14 to be pressurized or depressurized after flowing into the isolation chamber 18.

[0092] Since the pressure in the wafer loading / unloading chamber 11 in front of the isolation chamber 18 differs from the pressure in the wafer loading / unloading chamber 16 behind the isolation chamber 18, a pressure regulating mechanism (not shown in the figure) can be provided in the isolation area to balance the pressure between the isolation chamber 18 and the loading / unloading chambers on both sides. This pressure regulating mechanism can be used to regulate the pressure in the isolation chamber 18. Specifically, before the control door 19 is opened to open the isolation chamber 18 and the wafer loading / unloading chamber 11, the pressure regulating mechanism of this embodiment can be used to adjust the pressure in the isolation chamber 18 to be the same as the pressure in the wafer loading / unloading chamber 11, avoiding... When the front door 19 is opened, convection occurs due to the pressure difference between the isolation chamber 18 and the wafer loading / unloading chamber 11, which can damage the wafers on the wafer boat 14 due to the suction force generated by the convection. Before the rear door 20 is opened to open the isolation chamber 18 and the wafer loading / unloading chamber 16, the pressure regulating mechanism can be used to adjust the pressure in the isolation chamber 18 to be the same as the pressure in the wafer loading / unloading chamber 16, so as to avoid the wafers on the wafer boat 14 being damaged by the suction force generated by the convection due to the pressure difference between the isolation chamber 18 and the wafer loading / unloading chamber 16 when the rear door 20 is opened.

[0093] In this embodiment, the pressure in the first isolation chamber 18a and the pressure in the second isolation chamber 18b can be independently controlled by a pressure regulating mechanism. For example, the pressure regulating mechanism may include a first pressure regulating device and a second pressure regulating device that are independently controlled. The first pressure regulating device can cooperate with the first isolation chamber 18a to regulate the pressure in the first isolation chamber 18a alone, and the second pressure regulating device can cooperate with the second isolation chamber 18b to regulate the pressure in the second isolation chamber 18b alone. This design can avoid the situation where the pressure in the first isolation chamber 18a and the pressure in the second isolation chamber 18b conflict with the actual working process during the transfer of the wafer boat 14, so that the wafer processing equipment can match various wafer boat 14 transfer situations.

[0094] For example, if a wafer carrier 14 carrying unprocessed wafers is being transferred from wafer loading / unloading chamber 11 to the first isolation chamber 18a, and simultaneously a wafer carrier 14 carrying processed wafers is being transferred from wafer loading / unloading chamber 16 to the second isolation chamber 18b, then the pressure in the first isolation chamber 18a can be adjusted to be the same as the pressure in the wafer loading / unloading chamber 11 using a first pressure regulating device before the front door 19 of the first isolation chamber 18a is opened. At the same time, the pressure in the second isolation chamber 18b can be adjusted to be the same as the pressure in the wafer loading / unloading chamber 16 using a second pressure regulating device before the rear door 20 of the second isolation chamber 18b is opened. Similarly; if, during the process of transferring a wafer boat 14 loaded with unprocessed wafers from the first isolation chamber 18a to the wafer boat loading / unloading chamber 16, a wafer boat 14 loaded with processed wafers also needs to be transferred from the second isolation chamber 18b to the wafer loading / unloading chamber 11, the pressure in the first isolation chamber 18a can be adjusted to be the same as the pressure in the wafer boat loading / unloading chamber 16 using the first pressure regulating device before the rear door 20 of the first isolation chamber 18a is opened, and at the same time, the pressure in the second isolation chamber 18b can be adjusted to be the same as the pressure in the wafer loading / unloading chamber 11 using the second pressure regulating device before the front door 19 of the second isolation chamber 18b is opened.

[0095] It should be understood that the pressure in the first isolation chamber 18a and the pressure in the second isolation chamber 18b can also be synchronously controlled by the pressure regulating mechanism. That is, the pressure in the first isolation chamber 18a and the pressure in the second isolation chamber 18b are always consistent. However, if the synchronous pressure regulation method is adopted, it is necessary to avoid the situation where the front opening door 19 of the first isolation chamber 18a and the rear opening door 20 of the second isolation chamber 18b are opened at the same time during the transfer process, or to avoid the situation where the rear opening door 20 of the first isolation chamber 18a and the front opening door 19 of the second isolation chamber 18b are opened at the same time during the transfer process. This is to avoid the situation where the pressure in the isolation chamber 18 is different from the pressure in the corresponding open side loading and unloading chamber, which would cause convection and damage to the wafers on the crystal boat 14 due to the suction force formed by convection.

[0096] In addition, it should be noted that before adjusting the pressure inside the isolation chamber 18, both the front and rear doors 20 corresponding to the isolation chamber 18 must be closed, so that the isolation chamber 18 is in a closed state, so as to facilitate the adjustment of the pressure inside the isolation chamber 18.

[0097] In some embodiments of this disclosure, reference is made to Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the transfer device may include a first transfer robotic arm 21 and a second transfer robotic arm 22. The first transfer robotic arm 21 may be located in the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11, and the second transfer robotic arm 22 may be located in the wafer boat loading and unloading chamber 16. By setting a transfer robotic arm in each loading and unloading chamber, the operation is more convenient and flexible while realizing the transfer of the wafer boat 14.

[0098] In this embodiment, the first transfer robotic arm 21 is used to transfer the wafer boat 14 loaded with wafers to be processed in the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 to the first isolation chamber 18a when the first isolation chamber 18a and the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 are in an open state. Furthermore, the first transfer robotic arm 21 is also used to transfer the wafer boat 14 loaded with processed wafers in the second isolation chamber 18b to the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 when the second isolation chamber 18b and the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 are in an open state. The second transfer robotic arm 22 is disposed in the wafer boat loading and unloading chamber 16, and the second transfer robotic arm 22 is used in the first isolation chamber... When the first isolation chamber 18a and the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16 are in the open state, the crystal boat 14 loaded with the wafer to be processed in the first isolation chamber 18a is transferred to the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16. Specifically, it can be transferred to the crystal boat base 17 in the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16. In addition, the second transfer robotic arm 22 is also used to transfer the crystal boat 14 loaded with the processed wafer in the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16 to the second isolation chamber 18b when the second isolation chamber 18b and the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16 are in the open state. Specifically, the crystal boat 14 loaded with the processed wafer on the crystal boat base 17 can be transferred to the second isolation chamber 18b.

[0099] In some embodiments of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 1 As shown, in addition to the aforementioned processing areas such as the wafer loading / unloading area, wafer boat loading / unloading area, processing area, and isolation area, the wafer processing equipment may also include a temporary storage area for temporarily storing multiple wafer cassettes 13. It should be noted that the multiple wafer cassettes 13 temporarily stored in the temporary storage area of ​​this embodiment may include wafer cassettes 13 containing unprocessed wafers, or wafer cassettes 13 containing processed wafers.

[0100] Among them, reference Figure 1As shown, the temporary storage area in this embodiment may include a temporary storage chamber 23 for accommodating the wafer cassette 13, but is not limited thereto. It may also include other mechanical mechanisms, such as a support for storing the wafer cassette 13, a transfer robotic arm for transferring the wafer cassette 13 to a designated position, etc., without further limitation here.

[0101] In addition, refer to Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the wafer loading and unloading area is closer to the temporary storage area than the wafer boat loading and unloading area, so as to shorten the transfer path of the wafer box 13 and improve the transfer efficiency.

[0102] Based on the wafer processing equipment described in any of the foregoing embodiments, this disclosure also provides a control method, which may include at least steps S100 and S102. The following, in conjunction with... Figures 1 to 2 The control method of the present disclosure will be described in detail.

[0103] In step S100: After the control transfer device transfers the wafer 14 loaded with processed wafers from the wafer loading / unloading chamber 16 to the interior of the second isolation chamber 18b, the rear door 20 corresponding to the first isolation chamber 18a is opened first. Then, the transfer device transfers the wafer 14 loaded with unprocessed wafers from the first isolation chamber 18a to the wafer base 17 of the wafer loading / unloading chamber 16 to await subsequent processing. This operation can prevent the wafer 14 loaded with unprocessed wafers from being located in the same wafer loading / unloading chamber 16 as the wafer 14 loaded with processed wafers, thereby improving the situation where by-products carried on the wafer 14 loaded with processed wafers diffuse onto the unprocessed wafers.

[0104] In some embodiments, after the control transfer device transfers the wafer 14 loaded with processed wafers in the wafer loading / unloading chamber 16 to the interior of the second isolation chamber 18b, and before the control transfer device opens the rear door 20 corresponding to the first isolation chamber 18a, the control transfer device keeps the rear door 20 corresponding to the second isolation chamber 18b closed. This allows the first isolation chamber 18a and the second isolation chamber 18b to be closed on the rear door 20 side, so as to prevent byproducts carried on the wafer 14 loaded with processed wafers in the second isolation chamber 18b from diffusing from the rear door 20 side to the unprocessed wafers in the first isolation chamber 18a.

[0105] It should be noted that after the control transfer device transfers the wafer boat 14 containing the processed wafers in the wafer boat loading and unloading chamber 16 to the interior of the second isolation chamber 18b, and before the control device opens the rear switch door 20 corresponding to the first isolation chamber 18a, in addition to controlling the rear switch door 20 corresponding to the second isolation chamber 18b to be closed, the front switch door 19 corresponding to the first isolation chamber 18a and the second isolation chamber 18b can also be controlled to be closed, so as to prevent by-products carried on the wafer boat 14 containing the processed wafers in the second isolation chamber 18b from diffusing from the front switch door 19 side to the unprocessed wafers in the first isolation chamber 18a or to the unprocessed wafers in the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11.

[0106] In step S102, after the control transfer device transfers the wafer boat 14 loaded with wafers to be processed in the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 to the interior of the first isolation chamber 18a, the front switch door 19 corresponding to the second isolation chamber 18b is first opened. Then, the transfer device is controlled to transfer the wafer boat 14 loaded with processed wafers in the second isolation chamber 18b to the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 to wait for subsequent unloading of processed wafers. This operation can avoid the situation where the wafer boat 14 loaded with unprocessed wafers and the wafer boat 14 loaded with processed wafers are located in the same wafer loading and unloading chamber 11, thereby improving the situation where by-products carried on the wafer boat 14 loaded with processed wafers diffuse to the unprocessed wafers.

[0107] In some embodiments, after the control transfer device transfers the wafer loading / unloading chamber 11 containing the wafer to be processed into the interior of the first isolation chamber 18a, and before the control transfer device opens the front switch door 19 corresponding to the second isolation chamber 18b, the control transfer device keeps the front switch door 19 corresponding to the first isolation chamber 18a closed. This allows the first isolation chamber 18a and the second isolation chamber 18b to be closed on the front switch door 19 side, so as to prevent byproducts carried on the wafer loading chamber 14 containing the processed wafer in the second isolation chamber 18b from diffusing from the front switch door 19 side into the unprocessed wafer in the first isolation chamber 18a.

[0108] It should be noted that after the control transfer device transfers the wafer boat 14 containing the wafers to be processed in the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 to the interior of the first isolation chamber 18a, and before the control transfer device opens the front switch door 19 corresponding to the second isolation chamber 18b, in addition to controlling the front switch door 19 corresponding to the first isolation chamber 18a to be closed, the rear switch door 20 corresponding to the first isolation chamber 18a and the second isolation chamber 18b can also be controlled to be closed, so as to prevent by-products carried on the wafer boat 14 containing the processed wafers in the second isolation chamber 18b from diffusing from the rear switch door 20 side to the unprocessed wafers in the first isolation chamber 18a.

[0109] In the aforementioned implementation scheme, the pressure in the wafer loading / unloading chamber 11 on the front side of the isolation chamber 18 is different from the pressure in the wafer loading / unloading chamber 16 on the rear side of the isolation chamber 18. Therefore, before opening the switch doors on the front and rear sides of the isolation chamber 18, a pressure regulating mechanism is needed to adjust the pressure inside the isolation chamber 18 so that it is the same as the pressure in the loading / unloading chamber on the corresponding open side. In this embodiment, in order to facilitate the adjustment of the pressure inside the isolation chamber 18, the switch doors on the front and rear sides of the isolation chamber 18 need to be kept closed before adjusting the pressure so that the isolation chamber 18 is in a sealed state.

[0110] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the control method may further include: during the processing of wafers to be processed on a wafer carrier 14 located in the processing mechanism 10: controlling the wafer transfer mechanism 12 to transfer wafers to be processed in the wafer cassette 13 to a wafer carrier 14 located in the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 and in a partially loaded state; or, controlling the wafer transfer mechanism 12 to transfer processed wafers on a wafer carrier 14 located in the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 and loaded with processed wafers to the wafer cassette 13. This design ensures that while wafers on one wafer carrier 14 are being processed in the processing mechanism 10, wafers on another wafer carrier 14 can be loaded and unloaded in the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the wafer processing equipment.

[0111] Furthermore, it should be noted that during the processing of wafers on a wafer boat 14 within the processing mechanism 10, the wafer boat 14 is not limited to being loaded and unloaded within the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11. Alternatively, a wafer boat 14 carrying unprocessed wafers may wait in the first isolation chamber 18a to enter the wafer loading and unloading chamber 16, or a wafer boat 14 carrying processed wafers may wait in the second isolation chamber 18b to enter the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11, etc., depending on the specific circumstances.

[0112] In a specific embodiment of this disclosure, combined with Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figures 4 to 9 As shown, taking a wafer processing apparatus comprising a processing mechanism 10, a wafer boat base 17, and two wafer boats 14, namely, a first wafer boat 14a and a second wafer boat 14b, as an example, the control method will be described. The control method of this embodiment may include:

[0113] Step S10: In the initial stage, both the first crystal boat 14a and the second crystal boat 14b are in an unloaded state and are located in the wafer loading / unloading chamber 11 awaiting wafer loading. (Refer to...) Figure 4 As shown;

[0114] Step S11: Control the robotic arm to move the wafer cassette 13 containing unprocessed wafers in the temporary storage area to the front-opening interface mechanical unit 15.

[0115] Step S12: Control the front-opening interface mechanical unit 15 to open the gap between the wafer cassette 13 and the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11, and control the wafer transfer mechanism 12 to transfer the unprocessed wafer in the wafer cassette 13 to the first wafer boat 14a.

[0116] Step S13: After the first wafer boat 14a is fully loaded with unprocessed wafers, the front switch door 19 corresponding to the first isolation chamber 18a is opened, and then the first transfer robotic arm 21 is controlled to transfer the first wafer boat 14a loaded with unprocessed wafers into the first isolation chamber 18a. Figure 5 As shown, the front switch door 19 corresponding to the first isolation chamber 18a is then closed. Next, the pressure regulating mechanism is controlled to reduce the pressure in the first isolation chamber 18a to the pressure in the wafer loading and unloading chamber 16. Then, the rear switch door 20 corresponding to the first isolation chamber 18a is opened. It should be noted that before the process of "controlling the front switch door 19 corresponding to the first isolation chamber 18a to open", the pressure regulating mechanism must first be controlled to adjust the pressure in the first isolation chamber 18a to the pressure in the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11. This pressure regulation process can be performed after the process of "the first wafer 14a is fully loaded with unprocessed wafers", or it can be performed simultaneously with the process of "controlling the wafer transfer mechanism 12 to transfer the unprocessed wafers in the wafer cassette 13 to the first wafer 14a".

[0117] In step S14, after the rear door 20 corresponding to the first isolation chamber 18a is opened, the second transfer robotic arm 22 is controlled to transfer the first crystal boat 14a loaded with unprocessed wafers to the crystal boat base 17 in the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16. After that, the rear door 20 corresponding to the first isolation chamber 18a is controlled to close.

[0118] Step S15: Control the furnace tube cover 102 to open the processing furnace tube 101, and control the lifting mechanism 172 of the crystal boat base 17 to drive the base body 171 to move upward, so as to lift the first crystal boat 14a loaded with unprocessed wafers into the processing furnace tube 101. (Refer to...) Figure 6 As shown;

[0119] Step S16: After the first crystal boat 14a loaded with unprocessed wafers is completely fed into the processing furnace tube 101 and the base body 171 of the crystal boat base 17 seals the processing furnace tube 101, the wafers on the first crystal boat 14a are processed.

[0120] In step S17, during the process of the first wafer boat 14a loaded with unprocessed wafers being transferred step by step from the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11 to the processing furnace tube 101 for processing, the wafer transfer mechanism 12 can be controlled to transfer the unprocessed wafers in the wafer box 13 to the second wafer boat 14b.

[0121] Step S18: After the second crystal boat 14b is fully loaded with unprocessed wafers, the front switch door 19 corresponding to the first isolation chamber 18a is opened, and then the first transfer robotic arm 21 is controlled to transfer the second crystal boat 14b loaded with unprocessed wafers into the first isolation chamber 18a. Figure 7 As shown, the front switch door 19 corresponding to the first isolation chamber 18a is then closed. Next, the pressure regulating mechanism is controlled to reduce the pressure in the first isolation chamber 18a to the pressure in the wafer loading and unloading chamber 16. Before the process of "controlling the front switch door 19 corresponding to the first isolation chamber 18a to open", the pressure regulating mechanism must first be controlled to adjust the pressure in the first isolation chamber 18a to the pressure in the wafer loading and unloading chamber 11. This pressure regulating process can be performed after the process of "the second wafer 14b is fully loaded with unprocessed wafers", or it can be performed simultaneously with the process of "controlling the wafer transfer mechanism 12 to transfer the unprocessed wafers in the wafer cassette 13 to the second wafer 14b".

[0122] In step S19, after the wafer on the first crystal boat 14a has been processed in the processing furnace tube 101, the crystal boat base 17 is controlled to drive the first crystal boat 14a loaded with the processed wafer out of the processing furnace tube 101. It should be noted that the process of step S19 can be carried out simultaneously with the process of "controlling the pressure adjustment mechanism to reduce the pressure in the first isolation chamber 18a to the pressure in the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16" in step S18. However, it is not limited to this. The first crystal boat 14a can be withdrawn first, or the pressure in the first isolation chamber 18a can be reduced first, etc.

[0123] In step S20, after the first wafer boat 14a, loaded with processed wafers, is completely removed from the processing furnace tube 101 by the wafer boat base 17, the corresponding rear door 20 of the second isolation chamber 18b is opened. Then, the second transfer robotic arm 22 is controlled to transfer the first wafer boat 14a loaded with processed wafers into the second isolation chamber 18b. Figure 8 As shown, the rear door 20 corresponding to the second isolation chamber 18b is then closed. Next, the pressure regulating mechanism is used to raise the pressure inside the second isolation chamber 18b to the pressure inside the wafer loading / unloading chamber 11. Then, the front door 19 corresponding to the second isolation chamber 18b is opened. Finally, the first transfer robotic arm 21 is controlled to transfer the first wafer boat 14a, loaded with processed wafers, from the second isolation chamber 18b to the wafer loading / unloading chamber 11. (Refer to...) Figure 9As shown; it should be understood that before the rear switch door 20 corresponding to the second isolation chamber 18b is opened in step S20, the pressure in the second isolation chamber 18b needs to be adjusted to the pressure in the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16 using the pressure regulating mechanism. This process can be carried out simultaneously with the process of "controlling the pressure regulating mechanism to reduce the pressure in the first isolation chamber 18a to the pressure in the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber 16" in step S18, but it is not limited to this. The pressure in the first isolation chamber 18a and the second isolation chamber 18b can also be adjusted separately.

[0124] Step S21: After controlling the second transfer robotic arm 22 to transfer the first wafer boat 14a loaded with processed wafers to the second isolation chamber 18b, and controlling the corresponding rear door 20 of the second isolation chamber 18b to close, the corresponding rear door 20 of the first isolation chamber 18a is opened. Then, the second transfer robotic arm 22 is controlled to transfer the second wafer boat 14b loaded with unprocessed wafers to the wafer boat base 17 in the wafer boat loading / unloading chamber 16, as shown below. Figure 9 As shown, the rear door 20 corresponding to the first isolation chamber 18a is then closed.

[0125] In step S22, while controlling the wafer transfer mechanism 12 to transfer the processed wafer on the first wafer boat 14a into the wafer box 13, the lifting mechanism 172 of the wafer boat base 17 can also be controlled to drive the base body 171 to move upward, so as to drive the second wafer boat 14b loaded with unprocessed wafers to rise into the interior of the processing furnace tube 101 for processing.

[0126] It should be understood that after the processed wafers on the first wafer boat 14a are unloaded, the second wafer boat 14b is still being processed in the processing furnace tube 101. At this time, the unprocessed wafers in the wafer cassette 13 can be transferred to the first wafer boat 14a again, and then the above steps can be repeated to achieve alternating processing of the first wafer boat 14a and the second wafer boat 14b.

[0127] Furthermore, it should be noted that the control method of this embodiment is not limited to the aforementioned content, as long as it can ensure that the crystal boat 14 loaded with processed wafers and the crystal boat 14 loaded with unprocessed wafers are not located in the same chamber at the same time.

[0128] This disclosure also provides a wafer processing system, which includes a wafer processing device and a main controller. The specific structure of the wafer processing device can be referred to the description in any of the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here. The main controller can be used to implement the control method described in any of the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here either.

[0129] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0130] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "some embodiments," "exemplarily," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0131] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, any changes or modifications made in accordance with the claims and description of the present disclosure should fall within the scope of the patent coverage of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A wafer processing device, characterized in that, include: The processing area includes at least one processing facility; The wafer loading and unloading area includes a wafer loading and unloading chamber and a wafer transfer mechanism located in the wafer loading and unloading chamber. The wafer transfer mechanism is used to transfer wafers to be processed in the wafer cassette to the wafer boat or to transfer processed wafers on the wafer boat to the wafer cassette. The crystal boat loading and unloading area includes a crystal boat loading and unloading chamber and a crystal boat base located inside the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber. The crystal boat base is used to support the crystal boat and to send the crystal boat into or out of the processing mechanism. An isolation zone, located between the wafer loading / unloading area and the wafer loading / unloading area, includes multiple independent isolation chambers. Each isolation chamber is connected to the wafer loading / unloading chamber by a front opening / closing door, which can be opened or closed to allow the isolation chamber to be connected to the wafer loading / unloading chamber. Additionally, each isolation chamber is connected to the wafer loading / unloading chamber by a rear opening / closing door, which can also be opened or closed to allow the isolation chamber to be connected to the wafer loading / unloading chamber. At least two wafer boats and a transfer device, the transfer device being used to transfer the wafer boats inside the wafer loading / unloading chamber and the isolation chamber, and also to transfer the wafer boats inside the wafer loading / unloading chamber and the isolation chamber; The plurality of isolation chambers include a first isolation chamber and a second isolation chamber. The first isolation chamber is used to accommodate a wafer boat that has been transferred to it from the wafer loading and unloading chamber and is loaded with wafers to be processed. The second isolation chamber is used to accommodate a wafer boat that has been transferred to it from the wafer loading and unloading chamber and is loaded with processed wafers.

2. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air pressure inside the loading and unloading chamber of the crystal boat is lower than atmospheric pressure.

3. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pressure inside the wafer loading / unloading chamber is greater than the pressure inside the wafer boat loading / unloading chamber.

4. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The pressure inside the wafer loading / unloading chamber is atmospheric pressure, or the pressure inside the wafer loading / unloading chamber is less than atmospheric pressure.

5. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The isolation zone also includes a pressure regulating mechanism, which is used for: Before controlling the front switch door to open so that the isolation chamber and the wafer loading / unloading chamber are in an open state, the pressure in the isolation chamber is adjusted to be the same as the pressure in the wafer loading / unloading chamber; Before controlling the rear door to open so that the isolation chamber and the crystal boat loading / unloading chamber are in an open state, the pressure in the isolation chamber is adjusted to be the same as the pressure in the crystal boat loading / unloading chamber.

6. The wafer processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The processing mechanism includes: The processing furnace tube is located outside the wafer loading and unloading chamber and is connected to the wafer loading and unloading chamber. The processing furnace tube can provide a working environment for processing wafers.

7. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The processing furnace tube is a vertical furnace tube, and the opening of the processing furnace tube is positioned opposite to the top of the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber; The crystal boat base includes a base body and a lifting mechanism. The port of the processing furnace tube is projected onto the base body. The lifting mechanism is connected to the base body and is used to drive the base body to move up and down to close or open the processing furnace tube, so as to send the crystal boat carried on the base body into or out of the processing furnace tube.

8. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, The processing mechanism also includes a furnace tube cover, which is located at the top of the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber and inside the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber. The furnace tube cover is movable relative to the processing furnace tube to open or close the processing furnace tube. The furnace tube cover is capable of closing the processing furnace tube when it is in a standby state.

9. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that, The furnace tube cover includes a cover plate, a slide rail, and a connecting rod connecting the cover plate and the slide rail. The connecting rod is also used to support the cover plate. The slide rail is fixedly connected to the top of the crystal boat loading and unloading chamber; one end of the connecting rod is fixedly connected to the cover plate, and the other end of the connecting rod is provided with a slider. The slider is slidably connected to the slide rail. The slider slides horizontally on the slide rail, causing the cover plate to move closer to or away from the processing furnace tube, thereby closing or opening the processing furnace tube.

10. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The processing mechanism is provided in multiple ways, and the crystal boat base is provided in multiple ways, with each crystal boat base corresponding to one of the processing mechanisms.

11. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transfer device includes: A first transfer robotic arm is disposed in the wafer loading and unloading chamber. The first transfer robotic arm is used to transfer a wafer boat loaded with wafers to be processed in the wafer loading and unloading chamber to the first isolation chamber when the first isolation chamber and the wafer loading and unloading chamber are in an open state. It is also used to transfer a wafer boat loaded with processed wafers in the second isolation chamber to the wafer loading and unloading chamber when the second isolation chamber and the wafer loading and unloading chamber are in an open state. A second transfer robotic arm is disposed in the wafer loading and unloading chamber. The second transfer robotic arm is used to transfer a wafer boat containing wafers to be processed in the first isolation chamber to the wafer loading and unloading chamber when the first isolation chamber and the wafer loading and unloading chamber are in an open state. It is also used to transfer a wafer boat containing processed wafers in the wafer loading and unloading chamber to the second isolation chamber when the second isolation chamber and the wafer loading and unloading chamber are in an open state.

12. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a temporary storage area for temporarily storing multiple wafer cassettes, wherein the wafer loading / unloading area is closer to the temporary storage area than the wafer boat loading / unloading area; and / or The wafer loading and unloading chamber is equipped with a front-opening interface mechanical unit that cooperates with the wafer cassette. The front-opening interface mechanical unit is used to open or close the connection between the wafer cassette and the wafer loading and unloading chamber.

13. A control method applied to a wafer processing apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The control method includes: After the control transfer device transfers the wafer loaded with processed wafers from the wafer loading and unloading chamber to the interior of the second isolation chamber, the control device opens the corresponding rear door of the first isolation chamber. Then, the control transfer device transfers the wafer loaded with unprocessed wafers from the first isolation chamber to the wafer base in the wafer loading and unloading chamber. After the control transfer device transfers the wafer boat containing the wafers to be processed in the wafer loading and unloading chamber to the inside of the first isolation chamber, the control transfer device opens the front switch door corresponding to the second isolation chamber. Then, the control transfer device transfers the wafer boat containing the processed wafers in the second isolation chamber to the wafer loading and unloading chamber.

14. The control method according to claim 13, characterized in that, After the control transfer device transfers the wafer loaded with processed wafers from the wafer loading and unloading chamber to the interior of the second isolation chamber, and before the control of the rear switch door corresponding to the first isolation chamber is opened, the control of the rear switch door corresponding to the second isolation chamber is kept closed. After the control transfer device transfers the wafer boat containing the wafer to be processed in the wafer loading and unloading chamber to the inside of the first isolation chamber, and before the control transfer device opens the front switch door corresponding to the second isolation chamber, the control transfer device keeps the front switch door corresponding to the first isolation chamber closed.

15. The control method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The control method further includes: during the processing of the wafer to be processed on the boat located within the processing mechanism: The control wafer transfer mechanism transfers the wafers to be processed in the wafer cassette to the wafer boat located in the wafer loading and unloading chamber and in a state of not being fully loaded; Alternatively, the control wafer transfer mechanism can transfer the processed wafers from the wafer boat, which is located in the wafer loading and unloading chamber and contains the processed wafers, to the wafer cassette.

16. A wafer processing system, characterized in that, include: The wafer processing apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 12; as well as A master controller for implementing the control method according to any one of claims 13 to 15.

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