Substrate carrying structure

Abstract

The application discloses a substrate bearing structure, which comprises a base, a bearing area on the surface of the base for bearing a substrate, a plurality of support pieces arranged on a first circumference of the bearing area, the top end of the support piece being provided with a support surface for supporting the substrate, a plurality of guide pieces arranged on a second circumference of the periphery of the bearing area, the first circumference and the second circumference being concentric circles with the center of the bearing area as the center, the guide pieces being higher than the support pieces and used for horizontally limiting the substrate, and a plurality of guide sliding pieces arranged on the bearing area, all or part of the guide sliding pieces being located between the first circumference and the second circumference, the guide sliding pieces being not higher than the support pieces, the top end of the guide sliding pieces being provided with a guide sliding surface, and the friction coefficient of the guide sliding surface being smaller than that of the support surface. The substrate bearing structure has the effect of improving the guiding capacity of the substrate support structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor electroplating equipment, and more particularly to a substrate support structure. Background Technology

[0002] Semiconductor electroplating refers to the process in chip manufacturing where metal ions from an electroplating solution are electroplated onto the surface of a substrate to form metal interconnects.

[0003] Currently, in semiconductor electroplating processes, a robotic arm typically moves the substrate to be plated from the transfer box into a pre-wetting chamber. In the pre-wetting chamber, the silicon vias are wetted by immersion in a filling solution or spraying pre-wetting vapor. Next, the robotic arm moves the substrate into the electroplating chamber, immerses it in the electroplating solution, and applies an electric current for electroplating. Then, the robotic arm moves the substrate into a cleaning chamber, where it is cleaned by spraying deionized water onto its surface to remove residual chemicals. After cleaning, the robotic arm removes the substrate from the cleaning chamber.

[0004] In the above process, the substrate needs to be transported to the pre-wetting chamber, the electroplating chamber and the cleaning chamber in sequence. The substrate must be kept horizontal in each chamber. The horizontality of the substrate not only affects the electroplating process result, but also relates to the safety of the substrate when it is rotated.

[0005] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 The diagram shows a schematic of a substrate support device for a conventional pre-wetting chamber. The device includes a base 101 and several rubber pads 102 and several guide posts 103 fixed to the surface of the base 101. The rubber pads 102 are located below the substrate 10 and are used to support the substrate 10. The guide posts 103 are arranged along the edges of the substrate 10 and are used to horizontally limit the substrate 10. When the substrate 10 is positioned on the substrate support device, its position is corrected and limited by the guide posts 103.

[0006] Normally, if the substrate 10 is properly placed on the substrate support device, such as Figure 2 As shown, the substrate 10 will be in a horizontal state, and through the corrective action of the guide post 103, the center of the substrate 10 can be aligned with the center of the base 101, and the large friction of the rubber pad 102 can ensure that the substrate 10 will not slide when rotating.

[0007] However, occasionally, the aforementioned substrate support device may encounter situations where the substrate 10 gets stuck on the guide post 103 and cannot slide down smoothly, such as... Figure 3As shown, in some cases, when the substrate 10 is placed on the substrate support device by the robot, the substrate 10 is not stably supported on the rubber pad 102. Instead, one end is tilted up, straddling the guide post 103 and the rubber pad 102 at an angle. This phenomenon occurs because one side of the substrate 10 rests against the rubber pad 102, and the high friction of the rubber pad 102 prevents the substrate 10 from sliding down to a horizontal position. Once this situation occurs, the equipment will detect it and issue an alarm, the cavity will stop operating, thus affecting the production capacity of the substrate manufacturing plant and consuming manpower to handle the alarm.

[0008] Therefore, this patent aims to solve the technical problem of how to improve the guiding capability of the substrate support device. Summary of the Invention

[0009] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention aims to improve the guiding capability of the substrate support device so that the substrate can be placed stably on the substrate support device. To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a substrate support structure.

[0010] In some embodiments, the substrate support structure includes: a base having a support area on its surface for supporting the substrate; a plurality of support members disposed on a first circumference of the support area, the support members having a support surface at their top for supporting the substrate; a plurality of guide members disposed on a second circumference surrounding the support area, wherein the first circumference and the second circumference are concentric circles centered on the center of the support area, and the guide members are higher than the support members for horizontally limiting the substrate; and a plurality of sliding guide members disposed on the support area, wherein all or part of the sliding guide members are located between the first circumference and the second circumference, and the sliding guide members are not higher than the support members, the sliding guide members having a sliding surface at their top, the sliding surface having a friction coefficient less than the support surface.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0012] This invention adds a guide slide between the first circumference and the second circumference, and sets the friction coefficient at the top of the guide slide to be less than that at the top of the support, with the support slightly higher than the guide slide. This allows the substrate to slide relative to the top of the guide slide under its own weight, even if the substrate is not stably supported on the support but is tilted at one end and straddles the guide post and the guide slide during placement. This allows the substrate to slide to a horizontal position. After the substrate is corrected to a horizontal position, the support can still provide a large friction force to the bottom surface of the substrate, thus preventing the substrate from sliding during rotation. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The preferred embodiments will now be described in a clear and easy-to-understand manner, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, to further explain the above-mentioned characteristics, technical features, advantages, and implementation methods of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 1 This is a top view of an existing substrate support device;

[0015] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view along the aa direction with the middle substrate in a horizontal position;

[0016] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view along the aa direction with the middle substrate tilted.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a top view of one embodiment of the substrate support structure of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional view along the bb direction with the middle substrate in a horizontal state;

[0019] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional view along the bb direction with the middle substrate tilted.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a top view of another embodiment of the substrate support structure of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 8 This is a top view of another embodiment of the substrate support structure of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 9 This is a top view of another embodiment of the substrate support structure of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 10 yes Figure 9 A cross-sectional view along the cc direction with the middle substrate in a horizontal state;

[0024] Figure 11 yes Figure 9 A cross-sectional view along the cc direction with the middle substrate tilted.

[0025] Figure 12 This is a top view of another embodiment of the substrate support structure of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 13 yes Figure 12 A cross-sectional view along the dd direction with the middle substrate in a horizontal state;

[0027] Figure 14 yes Figure 12 A cross-sectional view along the dd direction with the middle substrate tilted.

[0028] Figure 15 This is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the substrate support structure of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 16 This is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the substrate support structure of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 17 This is a top view of another embodiment of the substrate support structure of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 18 yes Figure 17 A cross-sectional view of the middle substrate along the ee direction in a horizontal state; and

[0032] Figure 19 This is a top view of another embodiment of the substrate support structure of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the specific implementation methods of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings and other implementation methods can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0034] To keep the drawings concise, each figure only schematically shows the parts relevant to the invention, and these do not represent the actual structure of the product. Furthermore, to facilitate understanding, in some figures, only one of components with the same structure or function is schematically depicted, or only one is labeled. In this document, "one" not only means "only one," but can also mean "more than one."

[0035] In this document, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0036] Furthermore, in the description of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0037] This application discloses a substrate support structure that can be applied to the pre-wetting chamber or other cavities of an electroplating equipment to improve the guiding ability of the substrate support structure on the substrate 10 during the placement of the substrate 10 into the cavity by a robot.

[0038] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the substrate support structure includes: a base 20, a plurality of support members 30, a plurality of guide members 40, and a plurality of guide members 50 mounted on the surface of the base 20. The base 20 has a support area for supporting the substrate 10. The support members 30 are disposed on a first circumference 31 of the support area, and the top of the support member 30 has a support surface 32 for supporting the substrate 10. The guide members 50 are disposed on a second circumference 51 surrounding the support area, and the first circumference 31 and the second circumference 51 are concentric circles with the center of the support area as the center. The guide members 50 are higher than the support members 30 and are used to horizontally limit the substrate 10. The guide members 40 are disposed in the support area, all or part of which are located between the first circumference 31 and the second circumference 51. The guide members 40 are not higher than the support members 30, and the top of the guide member 40 has a guide surface 42, the coefficient of friction of the guide surface 42 being less than the coefficient of friction of the support surface 32. In practical applications, the support component 30 can be made of rubber, and the guide component 40 can be made of plastic.

[0039] It should be noted that the above-mentioned bearing area is consistent with the orthographic projection area of ​​the substrate 10 on the surface of the base 20, and the bearing area, the first circumference 31, the second circumference 51 and the third circumference 41 mentioned later are all conceptual constructs, the purpose of which is only to define the positional relationship of the relevant components.

[0040] like Figure 6 As shown, if the substrate 10 is not horizontal during placement, since all or part of the guide member 40 is disposed between the first circumference 31 and the second circumference 51, one side of the edge of the substrate 10 rests on the sidewall of the guide member 50, while the other side preferentially contacts the guide surface 42 at the top of the guide member 40. At this time, since the guide surface 42 has a small coefficient of friction, the static friction between the guide surface 42 and the edge of the substrate 10 is insufficient to keep the substrate 10 in an inclined state, thus causing the substrate 10 to slide and rub against the guide surface 42 under its own gravity until the substrate 10 slides to a horizontal state.

[0041] Furthermore, the aforementioned guide member 40 is not higher than the support member 30, which facilitates the effective support of the support member 30 for the substrate 10 after it has been placed stably. In a preferred example, the support member 30 is configured to be slightly higher than the guide member 40, for example, the support member 30 is 0.1 mm to 2 mm higher than the guide member 40. In this way, since the guide member 40 is lower than the support member 30, the guide member 40 will not hinder the full contact between the support member 30 and the substrate 10. When the substrate support structure drives the substrate 10 to rotate, the support member 30 will provide sufficient friction to the substrate 10 to ensure that the substrate 10 does not slide.

[0042] Specifically, the aforementioned support member 30, guide member 50 and guide slide member 40 can be set independently, or at least two of them can be integrated into one unit. For example, the guide slide member 40 can be integrated with the support member 30, or the guide slide member 40 can be integrated with the guide member 50, or the support member 30, guide member 50 and guide slide member 40 can be integrated into one unit.

[0043] Figure 4 This is a top view of a substrate support structure according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional view along the bb direction with the middle substrate in a horizontal state. Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional view along the bb direction with the middle substrate tilted.

[0044] Combination Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the guide slide 40 is disposed on the third circumference 41 of the bearing area, and the third circumference 41 is centered on the center of the bearing area and located between the first circumference 31 and the second circumference 51. The substrate bearing structure includes three independently disposed guides 50, three guide slides 40, and three supports 30, and the guides 50, guide slides 40, and supports 30 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of their respective circumferences. In a preferred example, the supports 30, guide slides 40, and guides 50 correspond one-to-one and are arranged sequentially on the same straight line, and this straight line is consistent with the radial direction of the first circumference 31.

[0045] Figure 7 This is a top view of a substrate support structure according to another embodiment of this application. This embodiment is... Figure 4 The cross-sectional shape of the guide member 40 is modified based on the substrate support structure shown. In practical applications, the cross-section of the guide member 40 is circular or polygonal, and when the cross-section of the guide member 40 is polygonal, the sides of the polygon face the support member 30, for example in... Figure 7 In the embodiment shown, the cross-sectional shape of the guide member 40 is determined by... Figure 4The circular shape is changed to an isosceles triangle, with the base of the isosceles triangle close to the support member 30 and the apex facing the guide member 50. This further reduces the friction of the guide member 40 on the edge of the substrate 10 when the substrate 10 is tilted, making it easier for the tilted substrate 10 to slide down and be corrected to a horizontal state.

[0046] Figure 8 This is a top view of a substrate support structure according to another embodiment of this application. This embodiment is... Figure 4 The number and position of the guide slide members 40 were changed based on the substrate support structure shown. The number of guide slide members 40 was changed from... Figure 4 The number of guide elements 40 has increased from three to six, and in Figure 8 In the example shown, the guide slide 40 is arranged on both sides of the straight line where the support 30 and the guide 50 are located, and the straight line is consistent with the radial direction of the first circumference 31.

[0047] In the embodiments where the support member 30, guide member 50, and guide slide member 40 are each independently arranged, the guide member 50, guide slide member 40, and support member 30 cooperate with each other to achieve the functions of horizontal positioning, tilt correction, and support for the substrate 10. In the embodiments where at least two of the support member 30, guide member 50, and guide slide member 40 are integrated into one unit, a similar design concept is adopted, achieving the same technical effect as the former while also facilitating production and assembly.

[0048] Figure 9 This is a top view of a substrate support structure according to another embodiment of this application. Figure 10 yes Figure 9 A cross-sectional view along the cc direction with the middle substrate in a horizontal position. Figure 11 yes Figure 9 A cross-sectional view along the cc direction with the middle substrate tilted.

[0049] Combination Figure 9 , Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, this embodiment is in Figure 4 The integration method between the support member 30, the guide member 40, and the guide member 50 has been changed based on the substrate support structure shown. The support member 30 and the guide member 40 are constructed from... Figure 4 The separate components in the original design have been modified so that the support member 30 and the guide member 40 are integrated into one unit. Specifically, the guide member 40 has a cylindrical structure with an open top, and it wraps around the periphery of the support member 30, without exceeding the height of the support member 30. Figure 9 and Figure 11As shown, if the substrate 10 is not in a horizontal state during the placement of the substrate 10, since the guide member 40 is partially located between the first circumference 31 and the second circumference 51, one side of the edge of the substrate 10 rests on the side wall of the guide member 50, while the other side preferentially contacts the guide surface 42 of the guide member 40 located between the first circumference 31 and the second circumference 51, thereby exerting the guiding function of the guide member 40.

[0050] Figure 12 This is a top view of a substrate support structure according to another embodiment of this application. Figure 13 yes Figure 12 A cross-sectional view along the dd direction with the middle substrate in a horizontal state. Figure 14 yes Figure 12 A cross-sectional view along the dd direction with the middle substrate tilted.

[0051] Combination Figure 12 , Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, this embodiment is in Figure 9 The integration method between the support member 30 and the guide member 40 has been changed based on the substrate bearing structure shown. Specifically, the guide member 40 has a columnar structure and is located between the first circumference 31 and the second circumference 51, and the guide member 40 is fixed to the side of the support member 30 away from the center of the bearing area. Figure 14 As shown, if the substrate 10 is not in a horizontal state during the placement of the substrate 10, since the guide members 40 are all located between the first circumference 31 and the second circumference 51, one side of the edge of the substrate 10 rests on the side wall of the guide member 50, while the other side preferentially contacts the guide surface 42, thereby exerting the guiding function of the guide member 40.

[0052] Figure 15 This is a cross-sectional view of a substrate support structure according to another embodiment of this application. Figure 15 perspective and Figure 13 Similarly. This embodiment is in Figure 13 The integration method between the support member 30, the guide member 40, and the guide member 50 has been changed based on the substrate bearing structure shown. The guide member 40 is composed of... Figure 12 The middle and support components 30 are integrated into one unit, and the guide slide component 40 and guide component 50 are integrated into one unit.

[0053] Figure 16 This is a cross-sectional view of a substrate support structure according to another embodiment of this application. Figure 16 perspective and Figure 13 Similarly. This embodiment is in Figure 13 The integration method between the support member 30, the guide member 40, and the guide member 50 has been changed based on the substrate bearing structure shown. The guide member 40 is composed of... Figure 12The support component 30 is integrated into one unit, and the guide component 40 and guide component 50 are integrated into one unit. The guide component 40 is at least partially clamped between the support component 30 and the guide component 50.

[0054] Figure 17 This is a top view of a substrate support structure according to another embodiment of this application. Figure 18 yes Figure 17 A cross-sectional view along the ee direction with the middle substrate in a horizontal position.

[0055] Combination Figure 17 and Figure 18 As shown, the substrate support structure of this embodiment is in Figure 4 The substrate support structure shown also includes several fixing seats 60. Each fixing seat 60 is provided with at least one support member 30, at least one guide member 40, and at least one guide member 50. Figure 18 In this structure, the substrate support structure includes three mounting bases 60, each mounting base 60 having a guide member 50, a sliding guide member 40, and a support member 30. The mounting bases 60 are mounted on the base 20 and are located on a circumference centered on the center of the support area. The support member 30, the sliding guide member 40, and the guide member 50 are integrated into the mounting bases 60 for easy component installation and replacement.

[0056] Figure 19 This is a top view of a substrate support structure according to another embodiment of this application. The substrate support structure of this embodiment... Figure 4 Based on the substrate support structure shown, a plurality of clamping members 70 are also included. These clamping members 70 are disposed on the base 20 and located on a circumference centered on the center of the support area, for clamping the edge of the substrate 10. It should be noted that the plurality of clamping members 70 disposed on the base 20 can be directly disposed on the base 20 or indirectly disposed on the base 20. For example, the plurality of clamping members 70 are disposed on the base 20 through a fixing seat 60.

[0057] It should be noted that, in accordance with the various embodiments of the above-described substrate support structure, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical features of the embodiments described above can be combined arbitrarily. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments have been described. However, as long as the combination of these technical features does not contradict each other, it should be considered within the scope of this specification. For example, the above... Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 , Figure 12 and Figure 17 The substrate support structure can also be equipped with clamping components 70.

[0058] It should be noted that the above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, such as modifying the size, quantity, position and specific material of each column. These improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A substrate support structure, characterized in that, include: A base, the surface of which has a bearing area for supporting a substrate; Several support members are disposed on the first circumference of the bearing area, and the top of each support member has a support surface for supporting the substrate. A plurality of guide members are disposed on the second circumference surrounding the bearing area, wherein the first circumference and the second circumference are concentric circles with the center of the bearing area as the center, and the guide members are higher than the support members, for horizontally limiting the substrate; A plurality of guide slides are disposed in the bearing area. All or part of the guide slides are located between the first circumference and the second circumference, and the guide slides are not higher than the support. The top of the guide slides has a guide surface, and the friction coefficient of the guide surface is less than the friction coefficient of the support surface.

2. The substrate support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support component is made of rubber, and the guide component is made of plastic.

3. The substrate support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support member is 0.1mm-2mm higher than the guide member.

4. The substrate support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support member, the guide member, and the sliding guide member are each independently provided. The sliding guide member is provided on the third circumference of the bearing area, and the third circumference is centered on the center of the bearing area and is located between the first circumference and the second circumference.

5. The substrate support structure according to claim 4, characterized in that, The guide member, the sliding member, and the support member are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of their respective circles.

6. The substrate support structure according to claim 4, characterized in that, The cross-section of the guide member is circular or polygonal, and when the cross-section of the guide member is polygonal, one of the sides of the polygon faces the support member.

7. The substrate support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least two of the support member, the guide member, and the guide member are integrated into one unit.

8. The substrate support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, It includes several fixed seats, each fixed seat being provided with at least one of the aforementioned support members, at least one of the aforementioned guide members, and at least one of the aforementioned guide members. The fixed seats are mounted on the base and located on a circumference centered on the center of the bearing area.

9. The substrate support structure according to claim 8, characterized in that, The support, the guide slide, and the guide are each independently configured.

10. The substrate support structure according to claim 8, characterized in that, At least two of the support member, the guide member, and the guide member are integrated into one unit.

11. The substrate support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, include: Several clamping members are disposed on the base and located on a circumference centered on the center of the bearing area, for clamping the edge of the substrate.

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