Epitaxial furnace maintenance system and method

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of epitaxial furnaces, and specifically provides an epitaxial furnace maintenance system and method, the system comprising: a reaction chamber; a maintenance chamber; an image acquisition component; a conveying chamber; a controller, which is used to control a first switch valve to open after the epitaxial growth process is completed, and then use a mechanical arm to move the upper half of the reaction chamber to the top of the image acquisition component, and is also used to use the image acquisition component to collect image information of the bottom surface of the reaction chamber, and then obtain deposition particle parameter information based on the image information of the bottom surface of the reaction chamber, and analyze whether it is necessary to maintain the upper half of the reaction chamber based on the deposition particle parameter information and preset particle parameters. If so, the first switch valve is controlled to close and a reminder maintenance message is generated; the system can effectively solve the problem of oxidation of graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber due to contact between the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber and air, and effectively improve maintenance efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of epitaxial furnaces, and in particular to an epitaxial furnace maintenance system and method. Background Art

[0002] During the epitaxial growth process, the process gas will undergo a chemical reaction on the bottom surface of the upper half-moon reaction chamber to form particles on the bottom surface of the upper half-moon reaction chamber. In order to avoid the situation where some particles fall onto the wafer due to excessive particles deposited on the bottom surface of the upper half-moon reaction chamber, causing falling object defects, the relevant technology usually maintains the upper half-moon reaction chamber after the cumulative completion number of the epitaxial growth process reaches a preset number of times to remove the particles deposited on the upper half-moon reaction chamber. The relevant upper half-moon reaction chamber maintenance process is: separate the transfer chamber from the reaction chamber to expose the upper half-moon reaction chamber; take the upper half-moon reaction chamber out of the reaction chamber; maintain the upper half-moon reaction chamber; put the upper half-moon reaction chamber that has completed maintenance back into the reaction chamber; connect the transfer chamber to the reaction chamber. Since the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber will be exposed to the air after the transfer chamber is separated from the reaction chamber, the related art has the problem of oxidation of the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber due to contact with the air. Moreover, since a long time is required to separate the transfer chamber from the reaction chamber and to connect the transfer chamber with the reaction chamber, the related art also has the problem of low maintenance efficiency, which leads to low epitaxial growth efficiency of the epitaxial furnace.

[0003] There is no effective technical solution to the above problems. It should be noted that the above information disclosed in this section is only used to understand the background of the present invention, and therefore may contain information that does not constitute prior art. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to provide an epitaxial furnace maintenance system and method, which can effectively solve the problem of oxidation of graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber due to contact between the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber and air, and effectively improve the maintenance efficiency.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides an epitaxial furnace maintenance system, which includes:

[0006] A reaction chamber, wherein an upper half-moon reaction chamber and a lower half-moon reaction chamber are provided, wherein the upper half-moon reaction chamber is placed on the lower half-moon reaction chamber;

[0007] A maintenance chamber, on which a maintenance chamber door is provided, and one side of the maintenance chamber is connected to the reaction chamber via a first switch valve;

[0008] An image acquisition component is arranged on the inner bottom wall of the maintenance room;

[0009] a transfer room, connected to the other side of the maintenance room, in which a robotic arm is located;

[0010] The controller is used to control the first switch valve to open after the epitaxial growth process is completed, and then use the robotic arm to move the upper half of the reaction chamber to above the image acquisition component. It is also used to use the image acquisition component to collect image information of the bottom surface of the reaction chamber, and then obtain the deposition particle parameter information based on the image information of the bottom surface of the reaction chamber, and analyze whether it is necessary to maintain the upper half of the reaction chamber based on the deposition particle parameter information and preset particle parameters. If so, the first switch valve is controlled to close and a reminder maintenance information is generated.

[0011] The present application provides an epitaxial furnace maintenance system, which can analyze whether the upper half of the reaction chamber needs maintenance through the cooperation of the first switch valve, the robotic arm and the image acquisition component. When it is analyzed that the upper half of the reaction chamber needs maintenance, the present application controls the first switch valve to close and generates a reminder maintenance message. Since the first switch valve is in a closed state when the upper half of the reaction chamber is taken out for maintenance, that is, the reaction chamber is separated from the maintenance chamber, the present application can effectively avoid the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber from being exposed to the air during the maintenance of the upper half of the reaction chamber, thereby effectively solving the problem of oxidation of the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber due to contact with the air. Since the present application only needs to open the maintenance chamber door to take out the upper half of the reaction chamber, that is, the present application does not need to separate the transfer chamber from the reaction chamber and connect the transfer chamber to the reaction chamber, the present application can effectively improve the maintenance efficiency, thereby effectively improving the epitaxial growth efficiency of the epitaxial furnace.

[0012] Optionally, after the epitaxial growth process is completed, the process of controlling the first switch valve to open and then using a robotic arm to move the upper half-moon reaction chamber to above the image acquisition component includes:

[0013] When the epitaxial growth process is completed and the cumulative number of completions of the epitaxial growth process reaches a preset number, the first switch valve is controlled to open, and then the upper half of the reaction chamber is moved to above the image acquisition component by a robotic arm;

[0014] The controller is also used to clear the accumulated completion times of the epitaxial growth process when generating the maintenance reminder information.

[0015] Since the number of particles deposited on the bottom surface of the upper half-moon reaction chamber is limited when the cumulative number of completions of the epitaxial growth process is small, particles will not fall onto the wafer at this time. This technical solution is equivalent to moving the upper half-moon reaction chamber from the reaction chamber to the maintenance chamber and analyzing whether the upper half-moon reaction chamber needs maintenance only when the epitaxial growth process is completed and the cumulative number of completions of the epitaxial growth process reaches a preset number. Therefore, this technical solution can effectively reduce the number of times the upper half-moon reaction chamber is moved and the number of times maintenance is analyzed, thereby further improving the epitaxial growth efficiency of the epitaxial furnace.

[0016] Optionally, the deposited particle parameter information includes the deposited particle coverage rate, and the preset particle parameter includes the preset particle coverage rate, and the deposited particle coverage rate is the ratio of the area of ​​the region where particles are deposited on the bottom surface of the upper half of the reaction chamber to the total area of ​​the bottom surface of the upper half of the reaction chamber.

[0017] Optionally, the epitaxial furnace maintenance system also includes a vacuum pumping component and an inert gas supply component, both of which are connected to the maintenance chamber. The controller is also used to control the vacuum pumping component to vacuum the maintenance chamber when the upper half-moon reaction chamber that has completed maintenance is placed back into the maintenance chamber and the maintenance chamber door is closed, until the air pressure in the maintenance chamber reaches a first preset pressure, and then control the inert gas supply component to supply inert gas to the maintenance chamber until the air pressure in the maintenance chamber reaches a second preset pressure. The controller is also used to control the first switch valve to open when the air pressure in the maintenance chamber reaches the second preset pressure, and then use a robotic arm to place the upper half-moon reaction chamber that has completed maintenance on the lower half-moon reaction chamber.

[0018] When the upper half-moon reaction chamber that has completed maintenance is put back into the maintenance chamber and the maintenance chamber door is closed, the technical solution first controls the vacuum pumping component to vacuum the maintenance chamber to extract the air in the maintenance chamber, and then controls the inert gas supply component to supply inert gas to the maintenance chamber to balance the air pressure in the reaction chamber and the maintenance chamber, and finally controls the first switch valve to open, and uses the robotic arm to place the upper half-moon reaction chamber that has completed maintenance on the lower half-moon reaction chamber, that is, the technical solution is equivalent to purifying the gas in the maintenance chamber by first vacuuming and then supplying inert gas. Therefore, the technical solution can effectively avoid the situation in which the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber are in contact with air and oxidized when the upper half-moon reaction chamber that has completed maintenance is placed on the lower half-moon reaction chamber due to the presence of air in the maintenance chamber.

[0019] Optionally, the transfer chamber is connected to the other side of the maintenance chamber via a second switch valve, and the second switch valve is opened or closed synchronously with the first switch valve.

[0020] Since the transfer chamber of the above technical solution is connected to the maintenance chamber, the vacuum pumping object and the inert gas supply object of the above technical solution are both the transfer chamber and the maintenance chamber. Since the transfer chamber of the technical solution is connected to the other side of the maintenance chamber through the second switch valve, the second switch valve is opened or closed synchronously with the first switch valve. Therefore, the vacuum pumping object and the inert gas supply object of the technical solution are only the maintenance chamber, thereby effectively improving the vacuum pumping efficiency, shortening the time required to increase the air pressure in the maintenance chamber to the second preset air pressure, and reducing the amount of inert gas used to increase the air pressure in the maintenance chamber to the second preset air pressure, thereby further improving the maintenance efficiency.

[0021] Optionally, the epitaxial furnace maintenance system further includes a transparent protective cover, which is disposed on the inner bottom wall of the maintenance chamber and enclosed with the inner bottom wall of the maintenance chamber to form a protective cavity, and the image acquisition component is located in the protective cavity.

[0022] Since the transparent protective cover of the technical solution is arranged on the inner bottom wall of the maintenance room and encloses the inner bottom wall of the maintenance room to form a protective cavity, the image acquisition component is located in the protective cavity, and the transparent protective cover prevents particles deposited on the bottom surface of the upper semi-moon reaction cavity from falling onto the image acquisition component. Therefore, the technical solution can effectively avoid the situation in which the image acquisition component is damaged or contaminated due to particles deposited on the bottom surface of the upper semi-moon reaction cavity falling onto the image acquisition component.

[0023] Optionally, the controller is further configured to control the robot arm to place the upper half-moon reaction chamber onto the lower half-moon reaction chamber when it is analyzed that the upper half-moon reaction chamber does not need to be maintained.

[0024] Optionally, the robotic arm includes a wafer clamp and a connecting arm, the wafer clamp is connected to the end of the connecting arm, the wafer clamp is used to clamp the wafer, the connecting arm is provided with a limiting portion, the top of the connecting arm can contact the bottom surface of the upper semi-moon reaction chamber, and the limiting portion can contact one end of the upper semi-moon reaction chamber.

[0025] Optionally, the epitaxial furnace maintenance system further includes a sample introduction chamber, which is connected to the transfer chamber via a third switch valve.

[0026] In a second aspect, the present application further provides an epitaxial furnace maintenance method, which is applied in the epitaxial furnace maintenance system provided in the first aspect above, and the epitaxial furnace maintenance method comprises the following steps:

[0027] S1. After the epitaxial growth process is completed, the first switch valve is controlled to open, and then the upper half of the reaction chamber is moved to above the image acquisition component by a robotic arm;

[0028] S2. Use the image acquisition component to collect image information of the bottom surface of the reaction chamber, then obtain the deposition particle parameter information based on the image information of the bottom surface of the reaction chamber, and analyze whether it is necessary to maintain the upper half of the reaction chamber based on the deposition particle parameter information and the preset particle parameters. If so, control the first switch valve to close and generate a maintenance reminder information.

[0029] The present application provides an epitaxial furnace maintenance method, which can analyze whether the upper half-moon reaction chamber needs maintenance through the cooperation of a first switch valve, a robotic arm and an image acquisition component. When it is analyzed that the upper half-moon reaction chamber needs maintenance, the present application controls the first switch valve to close and generates a reminder maintenance message. Since the first switch valve is in a closed state when the upper half-moon reaction chamber is taken out for maintenance, that is, the reaction chamber is separated from the maintenance chamber, the present application can effectively avoid the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber from being exposed to the air during the maintenance of the upper half-moon reaction chamber, thereby effectively solving the problem of oxidation of the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber due to contact with the air. Since the present application only needs to open the maintenance chamber door to take out the upper half-moon reaction chamber, that is, the present application does not need to separate the transfer chamber from the reaction chamber and connect the transfer chamber to the reaction chamber, the present application can effectively improve the maintenance efficiency, thereby effectively improving the epitaxial growth efficiency of the epitaxial furnace.

[0030] As can be seen from the above, the epitaxial furnace maintenance system and method provided by the present application can analyze whether the upper half-moon reaction chamber needs maintenance through the cooperation of the first switch valve, the robotic arm and the image acquisition component, and when it is analyzed that the upper half-moon reaction chamber needs maintenance, the present application controls the first switch valve to close and generates a reminder maintenance message. Since the first switch valve is in a closed state when the upper half-moon reaction chamber is taken out for maintenance, that is, the reaction chamber is separated from the maintenance chamber, the present application can effectively avoid the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber from being exposed to the air during the maintenance of the upper half-moon reaction chamber, thereby effectively solving the problem of oxidation of the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber due to contact with the air, and since the present application only needs to open the maintenance chamber door to take out the upper half-moon reaction chamber, that is, the present application does not need to separate the transfer chamber from the reaction chamber and connect the transfer chamber to the reaction chamber, the present application can effectively improve the maintenance efficiency, thereby effectively improving the epitaxial growth efficiency of the epitaxial furnace. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an epitaxial furnace maintenance system provided in an embodiment of the present application in which the upper half-moon reaction chamber is not moved into a maintenance room.

[0032] Figure 2A schematic structural diagram of an epitaxial furnace maintenance system for moving an upper half-moon reaction chamber into a maintenance room provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0033] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the upper half-moon reaction chamber and the robotic arm provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0034] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the control relationship of an epitaxial furnace maintenance system provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0035] Figure 5 A schematic cross-sectional view of the upper half-moon reaction chamber, the lower half-moon reaction chamber and the insulation assembly provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0036] Figure 6 A flowchart of an epitaxial furnace maintenance method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] Figure numerals: 1, reaction chamber; 2, upper half of the reaction chamber; 3, lower half of the reaction chamber; 4, maintenance chamber; 5, first switch valve; 6, image acquisition component; 7, transfer chamber; 8, robotic arm; 81, wafer clamp; 82, connecting arm; 9, controller; 10, vacuum assembly; 11, inert gas supply assembly; 111, inert gas delivery pipeline; 112, inert gas storage assembly; 113, fourth switch valve; 12, second switch valve; 13, transparent protective cover; 14, maintenance chamber door; 15, injection chamber; 16, third switch valve; 17, wafer; 18, graphite tray; 19, limit part; 20, insulation assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present application described and shown in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the application claimed for protection, but merely represents the selected embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments of the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative work belong to the scope of protection of the present application.

[0039] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following drawings, so once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent drawings. At the same time, in the description of this application, the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish the description and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0040] First, as Figure 1-Figure 5 As shown, the present application provides an epitaxial furnace maintenance system, which includes:

[0041] A reaction chamber 1, wherein an upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 and a lower half-moon reaction chamber 3 are provided, wherein the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 is placed on the lower half-moon reaction chamber 3;

[0042] A maintenance chamber 4 is provided with a maintenance chamber door 14, and one side of the maintenance chamber 4 is connected to the reaction chamber 1 through a first switch valve 5;

[0043] An image acquisition component 6 is arranged on the inner bottom wall of the maintenance room 4;

[0044] a transfer chamber 7, connected to the other side of the maintenance chamber 4, in which a robot arm 8 is arranged;

[0045] The controller 9 is used to control the first switch valve 5 to open after the epitaxial growth process is completed, and then use the robot arm 8 to move the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 to above the image acquisition component 6. It is also used to use the image acquisition component 6 to collect image information of the bottom surface of the reaction chamber, and then obtain the deposition particle parameter information based on the image information of the bottom surface of the reaction chamber, and analyze whether it is necessary to maintain the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 based on the deposition particle parameter information and preset particle parameters. If so, the first switch valve 5 is controlled to close and a reminder maintenance message is generated.

[0046] The reaction chamber 1 of this embodiment can be an existing reaction chamber 1, and the reaction chamber 1 can perform an epitaxial growth process on the wafer 17 to form an epitaxial layer on the surface of the wafer 17. Specifically, the reaction chamber 1 of this embodiment is provided with an upper half-moon reaction chamber 2, a lower half-moon reaction chamber 3 and a gas path element. The upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 and the lower half-moon reaction chamber 3 form a reaction chamber. The lower half-moon reaction chamber 3 is provided with a graphite tray 18 for placing the wafer 17. The gas path element is used to transport the gas required for the epitaxial growth process. The upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 is placed on the lower half-moon reaction chamber 3, that is, the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 and the lower half-moon reaction chamber 3 of this embodiment are not fixedly connected, that is, the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 of this embodiment can be separated from the lower half-moon reaction chamber 3 under the action of external force. The maintenance chamber 4 of this embodiment is provided with a maintenance chamber door 14, which is preferably arranged at the top of the maintenance chamber 4. This embodiment can connect or isolate the maintenance chamber 4 from the outside by opening or closing the maintenance chamber door 14. Therefore, when the maintenance chamber door 14 is in an open state, this embodiment can take the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 located in the maintenance chamber 4 out of the maintenance chamber 4 to maintain the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2. Preferably, a sealing ring or sealing strip or other device capable of improving air tightness is provided between the maintenance chamber door 14 and the maintenance chamber 4 of this embodiment. One side of the maintenance chamber 4 of this embodiment is connected to the reaction chamber 1 through the first switch valve 5, which is preferably a gate valve. This embodiment can connect or isolate the maintenance chamber 4 from the reaction chamber 1 by controlling the first switch valve 5 to open or close. The image acquisition component 6 of this embodiment can be a component capable of acquiring image information, such as a camera or a visual sensor, and the image acquisition component 6 is arranged on the inner bottom wall of the maintenance chamber 4. The transfer chamber 7 of this embodiment can be an existing transfer chamber 7, which is connected to the other side of the maintenance chamber 4. A robotic arm 8 is provided in the transfer chamber 7, and the robotic arm 8 can grab objects and drive the grabbed objects to move along multiple axes. Specifically, the robotic arm 8 of this embodiment is used for loading and unloading wafers 17 and moving the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 from the reaction chamber 1 to the maintenance chamber 4 or from the maintenance chamber 4 to the reaction chamber 1.

[0047] The controller 9 of this embodiment is electrically connected to the first switch valve 5, the robotic arm 8 and the image acquisition component 6 respectively. After completing the epitaxial process, the controller 9 of this embodiment can control the first switch valve 5 to open so that the reaction chamber 1 is connected with the maintenance chamber 4 and the transfer chamber 7, and then use the robotic arm 8 to move the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 to above the image acquisition component 6. The controller 9 of this embodiment can also use the image acquisition component 6 to collect image information of the bottom surface of the reaction chamber (including the image of the bottom surface of the upper half of the reaction chamber 2), and then obtain the deposition particle parameter information according to the image information of the bottom surface of the reaction chamber, and analyze whether it is necessary to maintain the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 according to the deposition particle parameter information and the preset particle parameters. If so, the first switch valve 5 is controlled to be closed to generate a reminder maintenance information. This embodiment can obtain the deposition particle parameter information according to the bottom surface image information of the reaction chamber based on the existing image recognition technology. Specifically, the deposition particle parameter information in this embodiment can be the size of the particles deposited on the bottom surface of the upper half of the reaction chamber 2. The deposition particle parameter information in this embodiment can also be the distribution density of the particles deposited on the bottom surface of the upper half of the reaction chamber 2. It should be understood that when the number of particles deposited on the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 increases, the distribution density of the particles and the size of the particles will increase, that is, the distribution density of the particles and the size of the particles are positively correlated with the number of particles. Therefore, this embodiment can analyze the particles deposited on the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 based on the distribution density of the particles or the size of the particles. Whether the number of particles on the bottom surface of the cavity 2 is too large is used to analyze whether maintenance of the upper half-moon reaction cavity 2 is required. Specifically, taking the deposition particle parameter information as the size of the particles deposited on the bottom surface of the upper half-moon reaction cavity 2 as an example, the preset particle parameter of this embodiment is the preset particle size. If the size of the particles deposited on the bottom surface of the upper half-moon reaction cavity 2 is greater than or equal to the preset particle size, it is considered that maintenance of the upper half-moon reaction cavity 2 is required. If the size of the particles deposited on the bottom surface of the upper half-moon reaction cavity 2 is less than the preset particle size, it is considered that maintenance of the upper half-moon reaction cavity 2 is not required. The reminder maintenance information of this embodiment is used to remind relevant personnel that maintenance of the upper half-moon reaction cavity 2 is required. It should be understood that after the maintenance reminder information is generated, the relevant personnel first open the maintenance chamber door 14, and then take out the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 from the maintenance room 4 to maintain the upper half of the reaction chamber 2. When it is analyzed that the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 needs to be maintained, this embodiment isolates the reaction chamber 1 from the maintenance room 4 by controlling the first switch valve 5. Therefore, even if the relevant personnel open the maintenance chamber door 14, the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber 1 will not be exposed to the air.

[0048] The present application provides an epitaxial furnace maintenance system, which can analyze whether the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 needs maintenance through the cooperation of the first switch valve 5, the mechanical arm 8 and the image acquisition component 6. When it is analyzed that the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 needs maintenance, the present application controls the first switch valve 5 to close and generates a reminder maintenance message. Since the first switch valve 5 is in a closed state when the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 is taken out for maintenance, that is, the reaction chamber 1 is separated from the maintenance chamber 4, the present application can effectively avoid the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber 1 from being exposed to the air during the maintenance of the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2, thereby effectively solving the problem of oxidation of the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber 1 due to contact with the air. Since the present application only needs to open the maintenance chamber door 14 to take out the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2, that is, the present application does not need to separate the transfer chamber 7 from the reaction chamber 1 and connect the transfer chamber 7 to the reaction chamber 1, the present application can effectively improve the maintenance efficiency, thereby effectively improving the epitaxial growth efficiency of the epitaxial furnace. In addition, since the prior art analyzes whether maintenance of the upper-half-moon reaction chamber 2 is required by analyzing whether the number of completions of the epitaxial growth process reaches a preset number, the prior art may result in a large number of particles being deposited on the bottom surface of the upper-half-moon reaction chamber 2 before the number of completions of the epitaxial growth process reaches the preset number, or only a small number of particles being deposited on the bottom surface of the upper-half-moon reaction chamber 2 when the number of completions of the epitaxial growth process reaches the preset number, thereby resulting in untimely maintenance or unnecessary maintenance. Since the present application analyzes whether maintenance of the upper-half-moon reaction chamber 2 is required based on the deposited particle parameter information and the preset particle parameters, the present application can effectively solve the problem of untimely maintenance or unnecessary maintenance caused by analyzing whether maintenance of the upper-half-moon reaction chamber 2 is required based only on the number of completions of the epitaxial growth process and the preset number.

[0049] In some preferred embodiments, after the epitaxial growth process is completed, the process of controlling the first switch valve 5 to open and then using the robotic arm 8 to move the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 to above the image acquisition component 6 includes:

[0050] When the epitaxial growth process is completed and the cumulative completion times of the epitaxial growth process reaches a preset number, the first switch valve 5 is controlled to open, and then the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 is moved to above the image acquisition component 6 by the robotic arm 8;

[0051] The controller 9 is also used to clear the accumulated completion times of the epitaxial growth process when generating the maintenance reminder information.

[0052] Since the particles deposited on the bottom surface of the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 are limited when the cumulative number of completions of the epitaxial growth process is small, the particles will not fall onto the wafer 17 at this time. This embodiment is equivalent to moving the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 from the reaction chamber 1 to the maintenance chamber 4 and analyzing whether the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 needs maintenance only when the epitaxial growth process is completed and the cumulative number of completions of the epitaxial growth process reaches a preset number of times. Therefore, this embodiment can effectively reduce the number of times the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 is moved and the number of times the maintenance is analyzed, thereby further improving the epitaxial growth efficiency of the epitaxial furnace. It should be understood that when the epitaxial growth process is completed and the cumulative number of completions of the epitaxial growth process does not reach the preset number of times, this embodiment only controls the first switch valve 5 to open and uses the robot arm 8 to load and unload the wafer 17.

[0053] In some preferred embodiments, the deposition particle parameter information includes a deposition particle coverage rate, the preset particle parameter includes a preset particle coverage rate, and the deposition particle coverage rate is a ratio of the area of ​​the region where particles are deposited on the bottom surface of the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 to the total area of ​​the bottom surface of the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2. As the epitaxial growth process proceeds, the area where particles are deposited on the bottom surface of the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 and the number of particles deposited on the bottom surface of the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 will both increase, so this embodiment can analyze whether the number of particles deposited on the bottom surface of the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 is too much by analyzing whether the deposition particle parameter information is greater than or equal to the preset particle coverage rate, and the preset particle coverage rate is preferably 50%.

[0054] In some preferred embodiments, the epitaxial furnace maintenance system also includes a vacuum pumping component 10 and an inert gas supply component 11, both of which are connected to the maintenance chamber 4. The controller 9 is also used to control the vacuum pumping component 10 to vacuum the maintenance chamber 4 when the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 that has completed maintenance is put back into the maintenance chamber 4 and the maintenance chamber door 14 is closed, until the air pressure in the maintenance chamber 4 reaches a first preset air pressure, and then control the inert gas supply component 11 to supply inert gas to the maintenance chamber 4 until the air pressure in the maintenance chamber 4 reaches a second preset air pressure. The controller 9 is also used to control the first switch valve 5 to open when the air pressure in the maintenance chamber 4 reaches the second preset air pressure, and then use the robotic arm 8 to place the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 that has completed maintenance on the lower half-moon reaction chamber 3. The first preset air pressure of this embodiment is preferably 3 mbar, the second preset air pressure of this embodiment is preferably atmospheric pressure, the vacuum pumping component 10 of this embodiment is preferably a vacuum pump, and this embodiment can use the vacuum pumping component 10 to evacuate the maintenance room 4. The inert gas supply component 11 of this embodiment preferably includes an inert gas delivery pipeline 111, an inert gas storage component 112 and a fourth switch valve 113, and the two ends of the inert gas delivery pipeline 111 are respectively connected to the maintenance room 4 and the inert gas storage component 112, and the fourth switch valve 113 is arranged on the inert gas delivery pipeline 111. This embodiment can use the inert gas supply component 11 to supply inert gas (preferably argon) into the maintenance room 4. When the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 that has completed maintenance is put back into the maintenance chamber 4 and the maintenance chamber door 14 is closed, this embodiment first controls the vacuum pumping component 10 to vacuum the maintenance chamber 4 to extract the air in the maintenance chamber 4, and then controls the inert gas supply component 11 to supply inert gas to the maintenance chamber 4 to balance the air pressure in the reaction chamber 1 and the maintenance chamber 4, and finally controls the first switch valve 5 to open, and uses the robot arm 8 to place the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 that has completed maintenance on the lower half-moon reaction chamber 3, that is, this embodiment is equivalent to purifying the gas in the maintenance chamber 4 by first vacuuming and then supplying inert gas. Therefore, this embodiment can effectively avoid the situation in which the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber 1 are in contact with the air and the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber 1 are oxidized when the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 that has completed maintenance is placed on the lower half-moon reaction chamber 3 due to the presence of air in the maintenance chamber 4.

[0055] In some preferred embodiments, the transfer chamber 7 is connected to the other side of the maintenance chamber 4 through the second switch valve 12, and the second switch valve 12 is opened or closed synchronously with the first switch valve 5. Since the transfer chamber 7 of the above embodiment is connected to the maintenance chamber 4, the vacuum pumping object and the inert gas supply object of the above embodiment are both the transfer chamber 7 and the maintenance chamber 4, and since the transfer chamber 7 of this embodiment is connected to the other side of the maintenance chamber 4 through the second switch valve 12, and the second switch valve 12 is opened or closed synchronously with the first switch valve 5, the vacuum pumping object and the inert gas supply object of this embodiment are only the maintenance chamber 4, thereby effectively improving the vacuum pumping efficiency, shortening the time required to increase the air pressure in the maintenance chamber 4 to the second preset air pressure, and reducing the amount of inert gas used to increase the air pressure in the maintenance chamber 4 to the second preset air pressure, thereby further improving the maintenance efficiency.

[0056] In some preferred embodiments, the epitaxial furnace maintenance system further includes a transparent protective cover 13, which is arranged on the inner bottom wall of the maintenance chamber 4 and encloses the inner bottom wall of the maintenance chamber 4 to form a protective cavity, and the image acquisition component 6 is located in the protective cavity. The transparent protective cover 13 of this embodiment is preferably a quartz protective cover. Since the transparent protective cover 13 of this embodiment is arranged on the inner bottom wall of the maintenance chamber 4 and encloses the inner bottom wall of the maintenance chamber 4 to form a protective cavity, and the image acquisition component 6 is located in the protective cavity, the transparent protective cover 13 plays a role in preventing particles deposited on the bottom surface of the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 from falling onto the image acquisition component 6. Therefore, this embodiment can effectively avoid the situation in which the image acquisition component 6 is damaged or contaminated due to particles deposited on the bottom surface of the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 falling onto the image acquisition component 6. It should be understood that when the particles deposited on the bottom surface of the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 fall onto the transparent protective cover 13, the field of view of the image acquisition component 6 may be blocked, resulting in the inability to use the image acquisition component 6 to collect image information of the bottom surface of the reaction chamber. Therefore, the controller 9 of this embodiment can generate an alarm message when the field of view of the image acquisition component 6 is blocked to remind relevant personnel to clean up the particles that have fallen on the transparent protective cover 13. Preferably, when the field of view of the image acquisition component 6 is blocked, the controller 9 of this embodiment can first control the inert gas supply component 11 to supply inert gas into the maintenance room 4 to purge the particles that have fallen on the transparent protective cover 13. Only when the continuous purge time reaches a preset time and the field of view of the image acquisition component 6 is still blocked, the controller 9 of this embodiment will generate an alarm message, thereby minimizing the number of times the maintenance chamber door 14 needs to be opened to clean up the particles that have fallen on the transparent protective cover 13 due to the obstruction of the field of view of the image acquisition component 6.

[0057] In some preferred embodiments, the controller 9 is further configured to control the robot arm 8 to place the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 onto the lower half-moon reaction chamber 3 when it is analyzed that the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 does not need to be maintained.

[0058] In some preferred embodiments, the robot arm 8 includes a wafer clamp 81 and a connecting arm 82, the wafer clamp 81 is connected to the end of the connecting arm 82, the wafer clamp 81 is used to clamp the wafer 17, and a limiting portion 19 is provided on the connecting arm 82. The top of the connecting arm 82 can contact the bottom surface of the upper semi-moon reaction chamber 2, and the limiting portion 19 can contact one end of the upper semi-moon reaction chamber 2. Specifically, the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 and the lower half of the reaction chamber 3 of this embodiment are provided with a heat preservation component 20 outside, and there is a distance between the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 and the heat preservation component 20. When the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 needs to be moved out of the reaction chamber 1, this embodiment first moves the connecting arm 82 into the reaction chamber, and then lifts the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 by moving the connecting arm 82 upward, so that the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 is separated from the lower half of the reaction chamber 3, and finally moves the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 out of the reaction chamber 1 by resetting the connecting arm 82. The limiting portion 19 plays a positioning role for the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 during the process of the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 being moved out of the reaction chamber 1. It should be understood that when the top of the connecting arm 82 conflicts with the bottom surface of the upper half of the reaction chamber 2, although the connecting arm 82 will block some particles, this embodiment can still analyze whether the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 needs maintenance based on the deposition particle parameter information of the particles that are not blocked.

[0059] In some preferred embodiments, the epitaxial furnace maintenance system further includes a sample loading chamber 15, which is connected to the transfer chamber 7 via a third switch valve 16. The epitaxial furnace maintenance system of this embodiment further includes a sample loading chamber 15 (Loadlock), which is equivalent to a transition area for the wafer 17 to enter a high vacuum environment from the outside.

[0060] As can be seen from the above, the epitaxial furnace maintenance system provided by the present application can analyze whether the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 needs maintenance through the cooperation of the first switch valve 5, the mechanical arm 8 and the image acquisition component 6, and when it is analyzed that the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 needs maintenance, the present application controls the first switch valve 5 to close and generates a reminder maintenance message. Since the first switch valve 5 is in a closed state when the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 is taken out for maintenance, that is, the reaction chamber 1 is separated from the maintenance chamber 4, the present application can effectively avoid the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber 1 from being exposed to the air during the maintenance of the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2, thereby effectively solving the problem of oxidation of the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber 1 due to contact with the air, and since the present application only needs to open the maintenance chamber door 14 to take out the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2, that is, the present application does not need to separate the transfer chamber 7 from the reaction chamber 1 and connect the transfer chamber 7 to the reaction chamber 1, the present application can effectively improve the maintenance efficiency, thereby effectively improving the epitaxial growth efficiency of the epitaxial furnace.

[0061] Second, as Figure 6 As shown, the present application also provides an epitaxial furnace maintenance method, which is applied in the epitaxial furnace maintenance system provided in the first aspect above, and the epitaxial furnace maintenance method comprises the following steps:

[0062] S1. After the epitaxial growth process is completed, the first switch valve 5 is controlled to open, and then the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2 is moved to above the image acquisition component 6 by the robot arm 8;

[0063] S2. Use the image acquisition component 6 to collect the image information of the bottom surface of the reaction chamber, and then obtain the deposition particle parameter information based on the image information of the bottom surface of the reaction chamber, and analyze whether it is necessary to maintain the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 based on the deposition particle parameter information and the preset particle parameters. If so, control the first switch valve 5 to close and generate a reminder maintenance information.

[0064] An embodiment of the present application provides an epitaxial furnace maintenance method, which is applied in an epitaxial furnace maintenance system provided in the first aspect. The principle of the epitaxial furnace maintenance method provided in the embodiment is the same as the principle of the epitaxial furnace maintenance system provided in the first aspect, and will not be discussed in detail here.

[0065] As can be seen from the above, the epitaxial furnace maintenance system and method provided by the present application can analyze whether the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 needs maintenance through the cooperation of the first switch valve 5, the mechanical arm 8 and the image acquisition component 6, and when it is analyzed that the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 needs maintenance, the present application controls the first switch valve 5 to close and generates a reminder maintenance message. Since the first switch valve 5 is in a closed state when the upper half of the reaction chamber 2 is taken out for maintenance, that is, the reaction chamber 1 is separated from the maintenance chamber 4, the present application can effectively avoid the occurrence of graphite parts and The gas path components are exposed to the air during the maintenance of the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2, thereby effectively solving the problem of oxidation of the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber 1 due to the contact between the graphite parts and gas path components in the reaction chamber 1 and the air. Since the present application only needs to open the maintenance chamber door 14 to remove the upper half-moon reaction chamber 2, that is, the present application does not need to separate the transfer chamber 7 from the reaction chamber 1 and connect the transfer chamber 7 to the reaction chamber 1, the present application can effectively improve the maintenance efficiency, thereby effectively improving the epitaxial growth efficiency of the epitaxial furnace.

[0066] In the embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that, herein, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are merely used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations.

[0067] The above description is only an embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the protection scope of the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An epitaxial furnace maintenance system, characterized in that: The epitaxial furnace maintenance system comprises: A reaction chamber, wherein an upper half-moon reaction chamber and a lower half-moon reaction chamber are provided, wherein the upper half-moon reaction chamber is placed on the lower half-moon reaction chamber; A maintenance chamber, on which a maintenance chamber door is provided, and one side of the maintenance chamber is connected to the reaction chamber via a first switch valve; An image acquisition component is arranged on the inner bottom wall of the maintenance room; a transfer room connected to the other side of the maintenance room, wherein a robotic arm is arranged; The controller is used to control the first switch valve to open after the epitaxial growth process is completed, and then use the robotic arm to move the upper half-moon reaction chamber to above the image acquisition component, and is also used to use the image acquisition component to collect image information of the bottom surface of the reaction chamber, and then obtain deposition particle parameter information based on the image information of the bottom surface of the reaction chamber, and analyze whether it is necessary to maintain the upper half-moon reaction chamber based on the deposition particle parameter information and preset particle parameters. If so, control the first switch valve to close and generate maintenance reminder information.

2. The epitaxial furnace maintenance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: After the epitaxial growth process is completed, the process of controlling the first switch valve to open and then using the robotic arm to move the upper half-moon reaction chamber to above the image acquisition component includes: When the epitaxial growth process is completed and the cumulative number of completions of the epitaxial growth process reaches a preset number, the first switch valve is controlled to open, and then the upper half-moon reaction chamber is moved to above the image acquisition component by using the robotic arm; The controller is further configured to clear the accumulated completion times of the epitaxial growth process when generating the maintenance reminder information.

3. The epitaxial furnace maintenance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The deposited particle parameter information includes a deposited particle coverage rate, and the preset particle parameter includes a preset particle coverage rate, and the deposited particle coverage rate is a ratio of an area of ​​a region where particles are deposited on the bottom surface of the upper half-moon reaction chamber to a total area of ​​the bottom surface of the upper half-moon reaction chamber.

4. The epitaxial furnace maintenance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The epitaxial furnace maintenance system also includes a vacuum pumping component and an inert gas supply component, both of which are connected to the maintenance chamber. The controller is also used to control the vacuum pumping component to vacuum the maintenance chamber when the upper half-moon reaction chamber that has completed maintenance is put back into the maintenance chamber and the maintenance chamber door is closed, until the air pressure in the maintenance chamber reaches a first preset pressure, and then control the inert gas supply component to supply inert gas to the maintenance chamber until the air pressure in the maintenance chamber reaches a second preset pressure. The controller is also used to control the first switch valve to open when the air pressure in the maintenance chamber reaches the second preset pressure, and then use the robotic arm to place the upper half-moon reaction chamber that has completed maintenance on the lower half-moon reaction chamber.

5. The epitaxial furnace maintenance system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The transfer chamber is connected to the other side of the maintenance chamber through a second switch valve, and the second switch valve is opened or closed synchronously with the first switch valve.

6. The epitaxial furnace maintenance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The epitaxial furnace maintenance system also includes a transparent protective cover, which is arranged on the inner bottom wall of the maintenance chamber and encloses the inner bottom wall of the maintenance chamber to form a protective cavity, and the image acquisition component is located in the protective cavity.

7. The epitaxial furnace maintenance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is also used to control the robot arm to place the upper half-moon reaction chamber onto the lower half-moon reaction chamber when it is analyzed that the upper half-moon reaction chamber does not need to be maintained.

8. The epitaxial furnace maintenance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robotic arm includes a wafer clamp and a connecting arm, wherein the wafer clamp is connected to the end of the connecting arm, and is used to clamp a wafer. A limiting portion is provided on the connecting arm, and the top of the connecting arm can contact the bottom surface of the upper semi-moon reaction chamber, and the limiting portion can contact one end of the upper semi-moon reaction chamber.

9. The epitaxial furnace maintenance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The epitaxial furnace maintenance system further includes a sample introduction chamber, which is connected to the transfer chamber via a third switch valve.

10. A method for maintaining an epitaxial furnace, characterized in that: The epitaxial furnace maintenance method is applied in the epitaxial furnace maintenance system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and the epitaxial furnace maintenance method comprises the following steps: S1. After the epitaxial growth process is completed, the first switch valve is controlled to open, and then the upper half-moon reaction chamber is moved to above the image acquisition component by using the robotic arm; S2. Use the image acquisition component to acquire image information of the bottom surface of the reaction chamber, then obtain deposition particle parameter information based on the image information of the bottom surface of the reaction chamber, and analyze whether maintenance of the upper half of the reaction chamber is required based on the deposition particle parameter information and preset particle parameters. If so, control the first switch valve to close and generate maintenance reminder information.

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