Wafer chuck and semiconductor device

Abstract

The invention provides a wafer chuck and semiconductor equipment, and the wafer chuck comprises a housing, a clamping jaw gear structure, a rotating disc, a telescoping part, a lifting limiting part, and a driving part, and the structure enables all clamping jaws to carry out clamping and releasing operations at the same time while meeting the requirements of wafer rotation operation; the clamping jaw gear is meshed with the teeth of the turntable gear, so that the torque required to be provided for opening and closing the clamping jaw can be reduced in the torque transmission and rotation process. Therefore, the wafer chuck and the semiconductor device which are simple in structure and high in operation convenience can be provided, further, good sealing can be achieved through the sealing piece and the dust removal air channel arranged between the rotating shaft and the shell, and therefore wafers and device parts can be well protected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of semiconductor equipment and relates to a wafer chuck and semiconductor equipment. Background Art

[0002] Wafer chuck, also known as wafer holder, is a key device used to carry and position wafers in the semiconductor manufacturing process. It clamps the wafer through clamping force to ensure stability and precision during the manufacturing process.

[0003] In the process of semiconductor device processing, it is usually necessary to rotate the wafer, such as in the process of wafer cleaning, spin drying, etc. Among them, when the wafer is rotated, the wafer is driven to rotate by the rotation of the wafer chuck. For example, in the wafer cleaning process, the wafer is clamped by the wafer chuck and the wafer on the wafer chuck is driven to rotate when the wafer chuck rotates, so that the liquid medicine can be evenly sprayed on the surface of the wafer to improve the uniformity of the liquid medicine distribution; or in the wafer spin drying process, the wafer is clamped by the wafer chuck and the centrifugal force is used to drive the wafer on the wafer chuck to rotate when the wafer chuck rotates, so as to achieve rapid wafer spin drying. However, in order to achieve the clamping and release of the wafer, the existing wafer chucks are often more complex in structure, and the convenience and consistency of operation are poor.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a wafer chuck and a semiconductor device. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide a wafer chuck and a semiconductor device for solving the problems of complex structure, poor operation convenience and poor consistency of the wafer chuck in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned object and other related objects, the present invention provides a wafer chuck, the wafer chuck comprising:

[0007] case;

[0008] A claw gear structure, the claw gear structure comprising a claw gear, a transmission rod, a rotating shaft, a bearing platform and a claw, wherein the claw gear and the rotating shaft are respectively arranged at opposite ends of the transmission rod, the bearing platform and the claw are located at an end of the rotating shaft away from the transmission rod, and the claw gear and the transmission rod are located inside the shell, the bearing platform and the claw are located outside the shell, the bearing platform is used to carry a wafer, and the claw is arranged on the side of the bearing platform to clamp the wafer;

[0009] A turntable, wherein a turntable gear and a turntable limiting groove corresponding to the claw gear are arranged at the edge of the turntable, and the claw gear is meshed with the turntable gear;

[0010] A telescopic member, one end of which is connected to the housing, and the other end of which is connected to the rotating disk;

[0011] A lifting limiter, wherein the lifting limiter is arranged corresponding to the limiter groove of the turntable, and the turntable is limited and released by the lifting and lowering operation of the lifting limiter;

[0012] A driving member, wherein the driving member is connected to the shell and the turntable to provide rotational power. When the wafer needs to be clamped, the lifting and limiting member releases the turntable, and the telescopic member allows the turntable and the shell to remain relatively still, and the clamping claw is located in the wafer clamping position, and the turntable and the shell operate synchronously under the action of the driving member; when the wafer needs to be released, the lifting and limiting member limits the turntable, and the shell operates under the action of the driving member, so that an offset angle is generated between the shell and the turntable, and the clamping claw is located in the wafer releasing position.

[0013] Optionally, the telescopic member includes a spring or a cylinder.

[0014] Optionally, N claw gear structures are included, wherein 3≤N, and the N claw gear structures are distributed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction.

[0015] Optionally, a pan seal is provided between the rotating shaft and the housing.

[0016] Optionally, a dust removal air duct is also provided, and a port of the dust removal air duct is in contact with the flood seal.

[0017] Optionally, a rotating shaft ring is further provided between the rotating shaft and the housing, and the rotating shaft ring comprises a silicon carbide ring or a silicon nitride ring.

[0018] Optionally, the transmission mode of the driving member includes bearing transmission, gear transmission, belt transmission, chain transmission, hydraulic transmission or pneumatic transmission.

[0019] Optionally, the distance between the surface of the support platform and the surface of the shell is 0.5-2 cm; and a nozzle is further provided on the surface of the shell.

[0020] Optionally, the clamping claw comprises a PCTEF clamping claw; the clamping claw comprises a clamping claw with a clamping groove at the end or a clamping claw with a clamping plate at the end.

[0021] The present application also provides a semiconductor device, which includes any of the above-mentioned wafer chucks.

[0022] As described above, the wafer chuck and semiconductor equipment of the present invention include a housing, a claw gear structure, a turntable, a telescopic member, a lifting limit member and a driving member. While satisfying the need for wafer rotation operation, the structure can also enable each claw to clamp and release at the same time; through the meshing of the claw gear and the turntable gear, the torque required to be provided by the switch claw can be reduced during the torque transmission rotation process. Therefore, the present application can provide a wafer chuck and semiconductor equipment with a simple structure and strong operational convenience.

[0023] Furthermore, by providing a seal and a dust removal air duct between the rotating shaft and the housing, good sealing can be achieved to provide good protection for the wafer and equipment parts. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 Shown is a side view structural schematic diagram of a wafer chuck in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 Display as Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the top view structure.

[0026] Figure 3 Display as Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the structure viewed from above after the lower shell is removed.

[0027] Figure 4 Display as Figure 3 A partial enlarged view of area A.

[0028] Figure 5 Display as Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of area A after the shell and the turntable have an offset angle.

[0029] Figure 6 Display as Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along C-C'.

[0030] Figure 7 Shown is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a claw gear structure in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 8 Display as Figure 6 A partial enlarged view of area B in the middle.

[0032] Description of Reference Numerals

[0033] 100 Shell

[0034] 101 Upper shell

[0035] 102 Lower shell

[0036] 200 claw gear structure

[0037] 201 claw gear

[0038] 202 Transmission rod

[0039] 203 Shaft

[0040] 204 Loading platform

[0041] 205 Claw

[0042] 300 Turntable

[0043] 301 Turntable gear

[0044] 302 Turntable limit slot

[0045] 400 Telescopic parts

[0046] 500 Seals

[0047] 501 Pan Seal

[0048] 502 Sealing ring

[0049] 600 Shaft Collar

[0050] 700 Dust removal air duct DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The following describes the embodiments of the present invention through specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0052] See also Figures 1 to 8 It should be noted that the illustrations provided in this embodiment are only used to illustrate the basic concept of the present invention in a schematic manner, and the drawings only show components related to the present invention rather than being drawn according to the number, shape and size of components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the type, quantity and proportion of each component may be changed arbitrarily, and the component layout may also be more complicated.

[0053] This embodiment provides a wafer chuck, the wafer chuck comprising:

[0054] Housing 100;

[0055] A claw gear structure 200, the claw gear structure 200 includes a claw gear 201, a transmission rod 202, a rotating shaft 203, a carrier 204 and a claw 205, wherein the claw gear 201 and the rotating shaft 203 are respectively arranged at opposite ends of the transmission rod 202, the carrier 204 and the claw 205 are located at one end of the rotating shaft 203 away from the transmission rod 202, and the claw gear 201 and the transmission rod 202 are located on the inner side of the housing 100, the carrier 204 and the claw 205 are located on the outer side of the housing 100, the carrier 204 is used to carry a wafer, and the claw 205 is arranged on the side of the carrier 204 to clamp the wafer;

[0056] A turntable 300, wherein a turntable gear 301 and a turntable limiting groove 302 corresponding to the claw gear 201 are arranged at the edge of the turntable 300, and the claw gear 201 is meshed with the turntable gear 301;

[0057] A telescopic member 400, one end of which is connected to the housing 100, and the other end of which is connected to the rotating disk 300;

[0058] A lifting limiter (not shown), the lifting limiter is arranged corresponding to the rotating disk limiter slot 302, and the rotating disk 300 is limited and released by the lifting and lowering operation of the lifting limiter;

[0059] A driving member (not shown) is connected to the shell 100 and the turntable 300 to provide rotational power. When the wafer needs to be clamped, the lifting and limiting member releases the turntable 300, and the telescopic member 400 allows the turntable 300 and the shell 100 to remain relatively still, and the multiple claws 205 are located in the wafer clamping position, and the turntable 300 and the shell 100 operate synchronously under the action of the driving member; when the wafer needs to be released, the lifting and limiting member limits the turntable 300, and the shell 100 operates under the action of the driving member, so that an offset angle is generated between the shell 100 and the turntable 300, and the claws 205 are located in the wafer release position.

[0060] See also Figure 2 In order to facilitate the installation, replacement, and maintenance of components, in this embodiment, the housing 100 includes an upper housing 101 and a lower housing 102 to provide a cavity for installing components, thereby protecting the components installed in the cavity and preventing them from being damaged by cleaning fluids. The material and installation of the housing 100 are not limited here.

[0061] See also Figure 2In this embodiment, N claw gear structures 200 are included, wherein preferably 3≤N, such as N is 3, 4, 5, 6, etc., and preferably N claw gear structures 200 are evenly spaced along the circumference, so that the wafers clamped subsequently can be uniformly stressed to avoid the risk of fragments caused by uneven stress during the rotation operation. The specific value of N is not excessively restricted here.

[0062] The claw 205 is preferably a corrosion-resistant PCTEF claw to extend the service life and reduce contamination to the wafer, but the material of the claw 205 is not limited thereto. As required, the claw 205 may include a claw with a slot at the end or a claw with a clamping plate at the end, so as to clamp the wafer through the slot or the clamping plate. In this embodiment, a relatively simple slot-type claw is used, but the type of the claw 205 is not limited thereto.

[0063] Among them, see Figure 2 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 In this embodiment, the carrier 204 for carrying the wafer and the clamping claw 205 for clamping the wafer are both disposed above the upper housing 101, and the rotating shaft 203 penetrates through the upper housing 101 and is movably connected to the upper housing 101. Figure 8 In this embodiment, the outer side of the rotating shaft 203 is preferably provided with a rotating shaft ring 600, so that the rotating shaft 203 can be movably connected with the upper shell 101 through the rotating shaft ring 600, wherein the rotating shaft ring 600 is preferably made of a wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant high-hardness material, such as a silicon carbide rotating shaft or a silicon nitride rotating shaft, so as to extend the service life and reduce the amount of pollutants generated by friction.

[0064] See also Figure 8 In this embodiment, the support platform 204 is preferably conical, and the inclined conical surface of the support platform 204 can contact the edge of the wafer, so that the wafer can be suspended by supporting the wafer through the multiple support platforms 204, and the inclined conical surface can prevent the support platforms 204 from rubbing against the back side of the wafer when rotating, thereby avoiding damage to the back side of the wafer.

[0065] For further information, see Figure 8 Preferably, the distance D between the surface of the carrier 204 and the surface of the upper shell 101 is 0.5 to 2 cm, such as 0.5 cm, 1 cm, 2 cm, etc., so that the wafer can be mounted on the upper shell 101, and sufficient space can be reserved. When a nozzle is set on the surface of the upper shell 101, such as a cleaning liquid nozzle or a gas nozzle, double-sided processing of the wafer can be achieved to expand the scope of application. The specific value of the distance D is not excessively limited here.

[0066] Since the rotating shaft 203 is connected to the upper housing 101, see Figure 6 and Figure 7 When the claw gear 201 is acted upon by an external force and moves clockwise or counterclockwise, the transmission rod 202 swings clockwise or counterclockwise, so that the shaft 203 connected to the other end of the transmission rod 202 and the supporting platform 204 and the claw 205 at the end of the shaft 203 rotate synchronously clockwise or counterclockwise, so that the rotation of the claw 205 can realize the clamping and release of the wafer on the supporting platform 204.

[0067] Among them, see Figure 3 to Figure 5 Since the claw gear 201 is meshed with the turntable gear 301, when the turntable 300 and the upper shell 101 are relatively displaced, it is equivalent to providing a driving force for the claw gear 201, which can make the transmission rod 202 swing to drive the claw 205 to rotate.

[0068] Specifically, during the process of cleaning and drying the wafer, the lifting limit member is away from the turntable 300. Driven by the driving member, the shell 100, the turntable 300 located in the shell 100 and the claw gear structure 200 for clamping the wafer operate synchronously. The telescopic member 400, which is connected to the shell 100 at one end and to the turntable 300 at the other end, can effectively prevent the turntable 300 and the shell 100 from being displaced. Under the traction of the telescopic member 400, the claw 205 can be placed in the wafer clamping position to clamp the wafer. Figure 3 and Figure 4 .

[0069] When the processing of the wafer is finished, the lifting limiter is lifted and is locked in the turntable limiter slot 302, thereby preventing the turntable 300 from rotating, while the upper housing 101 continues to rotate under the drive of the driving member. Figure 4 to Figure 5 At this time, an offset angle is generated between the upper shell 101 and the turntable 300, the telescopic member 400 is in a stretched state, and the claw gear 201 is blocked by the turntable gear 301, so that the transmission rod 202 swings, so that the support platform 204 and the claw 205 located above the upper shell 101 rotate, so that the claw 205 is transferred from the wafer clamping position to the wafer releasing position to release the wafer.

[0070] See also Figure 3 to Figure 5 In this embodiment, the telescopic member 400 adopts a spring, but the type of the telescopic member 400 is not limited thereto, and it may also be a cylinder, etc., and no excessive restriction is made here.

[0071] In this embodiment, the driving member can be used as a rotating power member in the wafer processing process, and at the same time, it can also be used as a driving member for clamping and releasing the wafer, so that the simultaneous clamping and simultaneous release operations of each of the clamping claws 205 can be achieved. In addition, since the clamping claw gear 201 is meshed and connected with the turntable gear 301, the torque required to open and close the clamping claws 205 can be reduced during the torque transmission rotation process. Therefore, this embodiment can provide a wafer chuck with a simple structure and strong operational convenience.

[0072] The transmission mode of the driving member may include bearing transmission, gear transmission, belt transmission, chain transmission, hydraulic transmission or pneumatic transmission, etc., which can be selected according to needs. In this embodiment, gear transmission is selected, but it is not limited to this.

[0073] See also Figure 6 and Figure 8 There are installation gaps T1 and T2 between the claw gear structure 200 and the upper housing 101. The gaps T1 and T2 may cause cleaning liquid to penetrate into the housing 100, causing damage to components. Therefore, in this embodiment, a seal 500 is further provided in the wafer chuck to seal the gaps T1 and T2.

[0074] Among them, Figure 8 A flood seal 501 and a sealing ring 502 may be provided at the connection between the rotating shaft 203 and the upper housing 101 to effectively seal the gap T1 and the gap T2.

[0075] Further, such as Figure 8 Preferably, a dust removal air duct 700 is also provided in the wafer chuck to provide airflow through the dust removal air duct 700 to promptly remove pollutants such as dust caused by rotation. When the port of the dust removal air duct 700 contacts the pan-seal 501, the pan-seal 501 can also block the pollutants, thereby effectively preventing the pollutants from leaking along the gap T1 and / or the gap T2 to contaminate the wafer.

[0076] This embodiment also provides a semiconductor device, which includes any of the above-mentioned wafer chucks. The type of the semiconductor device is not overly limited here, and may include single-sided wafer cleaning equipment or double-sided wafer cleaning equipment.

[0077] In summary, the wafer chuck and semiconductor equipment of the present invention include a housing, a claw gear structure, a turntable, a telescopic member, a lifting limit member and a driving member. While satisfying the need for wafer rotation operation, the structure can also enable each claw to clamp and release at the same time; through the meshing of the claw gear and the turntable gear, the torque required to be provided by the switch claw can be reduced during the torque transmission rotation process. Therefore, the present application can provide a wafer chuck and semiconductor equipment with a simple structure and strong operational convenience.

[0078] Furthermore, by providing a seal and a dust removal air duct between the rotating shaft and the housing, good sealing can be achieved to provide good protection for the wafer and equipment parts.

[0079] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone familiar with the art may modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed by the present invention shall still be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer chuck, characterized in that: The wafer chuck comprises: case; A claw gear structure, the claw gear structure comprising a claw gear, a transmission rod, a rotating shaft, a bearing platform and a claw, wherein the claw gear and the rotating shaft are respectively arranged at opposite ends of the transmission rod, the bearing platform and the claw are located at an end of the rotating shaft away from the transmission rod, and the claw gear and the transmission rod are located inside the shell, the bearing platform and the claw are located outside the shell, the bearing platform is used to carry a wafer, and the claw is arranged on the side of the bearing platform to clamp the wafer; A turntable, wherein a turntable gear and a turntable limiting groove corresponding to the claw gear are arranged on the edge of the turntable, and the claw gear is meshed with the turntable gear; A telescopic member, one end of which is connected to the housing, and the other end of which is connected to the rotating disk; A lifting limiter, wherein the lifting limiter is arranged corresponding to the limiter groove of the turntable, and the turntable is limited and released by the lifting and lowering operation of the lifting limiter; A driving member, wherein the driving member is connected to the shell and the turntable to provide rotational power. When the wafer needs to be clamped, the lifting and limiting member releases the turntable, and the telescopic member allows the turntable and the shell to remain relatively still, and the clamping claw is located in the wafer clamping position, and the turntable and the shell operate synchronously under the action of the driving member; when the wafer needs to be released, the lifting and limiting member limits the turntable, and the shell operates under the action of the driving member, so that an offset angle is generated between the shell and the turntable, and the clamping claw is located in the wafer releasing position.

2. The wafer chuck according to claim 1, characterized in that: The telescopic member comprises a spring or a cylinder.

3. The wafer chuck according to claim 1, characterized in that: It comprises N claw gear structures, wherein 3≤N, and the N claw gear structures are distributed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction.

4. The wafer chuck according to claim 1, characterized in that: A flood seal is provided between the rotating shaft and the housing.

5. The wafer chuck according to claim 4, characterized in that: A dust removal air duct is also provided, and a port of the dust removal air duct is in contact with the flood seal.

6. The wafer chuck according to claim 1, characterized in that: A rotating shaft ring is also arranged between the rotating shaft and the shell, and the rotating shaft ring comprises a silicon carbide ring or a silicon nitride ring.

7. The wafer chuck according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission mode of the driving member includes bearing transmission, gear transmission, belt transmission, chain transmission, hydraulic transmission or pneumatic transmission.

8. The wafer chuck according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance between the surface of the support platform and the surface of the shell is 0.5-2 cm; a nozzle is also arranged on the surface of the shell.

9. The wafer chuck according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping claw comprises a PCTEF clamping claw; the clamping claw comprises a clamping claw with a clamping groove at the end or a clamping claw with a clamping plate at the end.

10. A semiconductor device, characterized in that: The semiconductor device comprises the wafer chuck according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images