Wafer boat, semiconductor equipment and anti-bonding method in film growth process

By setting up relatively movable support components on the crystal boat, alternate support and periodic movement are achieved, the bonding problem between the silicon wafer and the carrier wafer during the growth of polysilicon thin film is solved, and the quality of the film layer and the silicon wafer are improved. Strength, suitable for ultra-high film thickness processes.

CN119252775APending Publication Date: 2025-01-03SHANGHAI INTEGRATED CIRCUIT EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS INDUSTRY INNOVATION CENTER CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202410887136.2
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-07-03
Publication Date
2025-01-03

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

During the growth of polycrystalline silicon thin film, the bonding problem between the silicon wafer and the carrier wafer causes the edges of the silicon wafer to appear in the shadows and edge collapse, which affects the strength of the silicon wafer and may cause lobes. The existing technology, such as increasing the surface roughness of the boat teeth, can cause lobes. Or designing inclined angle boat teeth is ineffective in ultra-high film thickness processes and has a high loss ratio.

Method used

Design a wafer boat, including a first support assembly and a second support assembly that can move relatively, through their alternating support and periodic reciprocating movement, avoiding the bonding between the silicon wafer and the support part during thin film deposition, and is suitable for ultra-high Film thickness production.

Benefits of technology

It effectively avoids the bonding problem between the silicon wafer and the support part, improves the strength of the silicon wafer and the yield of the membrane layer, reduces the loss of lobes caused by bonding, and supports the production of ultra-high film thickness.

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Abstract

The invention discloses a wafer boat, semiconductor equipment and an anti-bonding method in a thin film growth process, and the wafer boat comprises a supporting assembly which comprises a first supporting assembly and a second supporting assembly, and the first supporting assembly and the second supporting assembly are arranged to be capable of changing relative positions in the axial direction, and are used for alternate supporting. Through the change of the relative position between the first supporting assembly and the second supporting assembly, the processing object is alternately supported, the problem that the processing object and the supporting part are mutually bonded due to film layer deposition in the thin film deposition process can be avoided, and therefore the film layer with the ultrahigh film thickness can be produced.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor integrated circuit technology, and in particular to a wafer boat, semiconductor equipment and an anti-adhesion method in a thin film growth process. Background Art

[0002] Polysilicon thin film technology is often used for gettering of single-crystal silicon wafers. During the growth of polysilicon thin films, adhesion between the silicon wafer (wafer) and the carrier boat is inevitable. As the thickness of the film increases, the degree of adhesion will become heavier, resulting in corner chipping and edge collapse at the edge of the silicon wafer, which will affect the strength of the silicon wafer, and may cause cracking and loss.

[0003] At present, the commonly used methods to reduce the degree of adhesion are, on the one hand, to change the contact morphology between the boat teeth and the silicon wafer by increasing the surface roughness of the boat teeth (support feet) used to support the silicon wafer on the wafer boat; on the other hand, to design the boat teeth to be tilted upward at a certain angle to change the contact mode with the silicon wafer from ordinary surface contact to line contact, thereby reducing the degree of adhesion.

[0004] However, the above method of increasing the surface roughness of the boat teeth will gradually lose its effect due to repeated friction between the boat teeth and the silicon wafer, as well as the corrosion caused by cleaning. As for the method of designing the boat teeth with tilted angles, during the continuous use of the wafer boat and after multiple cleanings, the surface of the above-mentioned line contact area will be slowly consumed, and will slowly turn into a small area contact, so that the degree of adhesion will gradually increase. Moreover, the design method of tilted boat teeth with line contact is basically ineffective when dealing with ultra-high film thickness processes (for example, film thickness > 5µm), and the proportion of corner chipping and edge collapse losses caused is extremely high. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned defects in the prior art and to provide a wafer boat, a semiconductor device and an anti-adhesion method in a thin film growth process.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: The present invention provides a wafer boat, comprising: The support assembly comprises a first support assembly and a second support assembly, wherein the first support assembly and the second support assembly are configured to be able to change their relative positions in the axial direction for alternate support.

[0007] Furthermore, at least one of the first supporting assembly and the second supporting assembly is movably disposed on the wafer boat.

[0008] Further, the number of the first supporting assemblies is N, the number of the second supporting assemblies is M, N≧3, M≧3, and each of the first supporting assemblies and each of the second supporting assemblies are axially distributed on the edge of the wafer boat.

[0009] Further, the first support assembly includes a first support column arranged along the axial direction, and one or more first support feet arranged on the first support column along the axial direction, the second support assembly includes a second support column arranged along the axial direction, and one or more second support feet arranged on the second support column along the axial direction, the first support foot and the second support foot are arranged correspondingly in the axial direction and are located on different support planes, the first support column is fixed on the wafer boat, and the second support column is movably arranged on the wafer boat, when the second support column is driven to move axially relative to the first support column, the position of the second support foot changes from one side of the support plane where the first support foot is located to the other side of the support plane where the first support foot is located, and the support function is alternated between the first support foot and the second support foot.

[0010] Furthermore, the first supporting legs and the second supporting legs are arranged radially or inclined toward the top of the wafer boat.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes: a top plate and a bottom plate, the top plate and the bottom plate are arranged opposite to each other, the first support column and the second support column are axially arranged between the top plate and the bottom plate, and distributed circumferentially along the top plate and the bottom plate, the upper end and the lower end of the second support column are respectively provided with guide columns, the top plate and the bottom plate are respectively provided with guide holes corresponding to the guide columns, when the second support column moves axially, the positions of the upper end and the lower end of the second support column when they contact with the top plate and the bottom plate accordingly limit the stroke of the second support foot when the position changes on both sides of the support plane where the first support foot is located.

[0012] The present invention also provides a semiconductor device, comprising a process chamber and the above-mentioned wafer boat, wherein the semiconductor device is used to transport the wafer boat and the processing object loaded therein to the process chamber for a thin film deposition process.

[0013] Furthermore, before performing the thin film deposition process, the semiconductor device loads the processing object into the wafer boat and supports it on a first support assembly among the support assemblies, and then transports the wafer boat loaded with the processing object into the process chamber for the thin film deposition process. During the thin film deposition process, the semiconductor device controls the second support assembly among the support assemblies to move upward relative to the first support assembly, so that the processing object is lifted up from the first support assembly and replaced by being supported on the second support assembly, and controls the second support assembly to move up and down reciprocatingly relative to the first support assembly according to a set unidirectional movement frequency, so that the processing object is periodically alternately supported on the first support assembly and the second support assembly.

[0014] The present invention also provides an anti-adhesion method in a thin film growth process, using the above-mentioned wafer boat, comprising: The processing object is loaded into the wafer boat and supported on a first supporting assembly among the supporting assemblies; The wafer boat is sent into a process chamber, and a thin film deposition process is performed on the processing object in the wafer boat; During the thin film deposition process, the second support assembly in the support assembly is moved upward relative to the first support assembly, so that the processing object is lifted up from the first support assembly and replaced by being supported on the second support assembly, and according to the set unidirectional movement frequency, the second support assembly is moved up and down reciprocatingly relative to the first support assembly, so that the processing object is periodically alternately supported on the first support assembly and the second support assembly.

[0015] Furthermore, the method for setting the frequency of the unidirectional movement includes a setting method of performing a unidirectional movement once every certain period of time or a setting method of performing a unidirectional movement once every deposition of a film of a certain thickness.

[0016] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the present invention provides a first support assembly and a second support assembly that can move relative to each other on the wafer boat, so as to alternately support the processing object by changing the relative position between the first support assembly and the second support assembly, thereby avoiding the problem of mutual adhesion between the processing object and the supporting part caused by film deposition during the thin film deposition process. And by forming a periodic reciprocating movement between the first support assembly and the second support assembly, a film layer with ultra-high film thickness can be produced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 The figure is a schematic structural diagram of a wafer boat according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2The figure is a schematic diagram of the configuration structure of a first supporting assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of a second supporting assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention for realizing alternating support.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the position state of a second support column after moving upward according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used herein should be understood by people with general skills in the field to which the present invention belongs. "Including" and similar words used in this article mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word include the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects.

[0023] In the existing thin film deposition process, since the silicon wafer is always supported on the boat teeth (support legs) in a fixed manner, the film material deposited on the silicon wafer and the boat teeth at the same time will cause adhesion problems between the silicon wafer and the carrier wafer boat. And as the thickness of the film increases, the degree of adhesion will become more serious, resulting in corner chipping and edge collapse at the edge of the silicon wafer, which will in turn affect the strength of the silicon wafer, which may cause cracking and loss.

[0024] Among the ways to reduce the degree of adhesion, the improvement method of increasing the surface roughness of the boat teeth will gradually lose its effect due to repeated friction between the boat teeth and the silicon wafer, as well as the corrosion caused by cleaning. As for the improvement method of designing the inclined angle boat teeth, during the continuous use of the wafer boat and after multiple cleanings, the surface of the above-mentioned line contact area will be slowly consumed, and will slowly turn into a small area contact, so that the degree of adhesion will gradually increase. Moreover, the design method of inclined boat teeth with line contact is basically ineffective when dealing with ultra-high film thickness processes (for example, film thickness > 5µm), and the proportion of corner chipping and edge collapse losses caused is extremely high.

[0025] In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a wafer boat and a semiconductor device and an anti-adhesion method in a thin film growth process. By setting a new type of support assembly on the wafer boat, the first support assembly and the second support assembly included in the support assembly can move relative to each other. By changing the relative position between the first support assembly and the second support assembly, the processing object can be alternately supported, thereby avoiding the problem of mutual adhesion between the processing object and the support part caused by film layer deposition during the thin film deposition process. And by forming a periodic reciprocating movement between the first support assembly and the second support assembly, a film layer with ultra-high film thickness can be produced.

[0026] The specific implementation modes of the present invention are further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0027] refer to Figure 1 . The wafer boat of the present invention includes a support assembly. The support assembly is used to support the processing object transferred to the wafer boat so that the processing object is supported in the wafer boat for semiconductor processing. The semiconductor process may be a thin film deposition process. The processing object may be a wafer (hereinafter, the processing object is represented by a wafer). For example, the wafer boat can be used to support the wafer transferred to the wafer boat, and is placed in a semiconductor process chamber, and a thin film deposition process is used to deposit, for example, a polysilicon thin film on the surface of the wafer. However, it can be understood that the wafer may also be other types of substrates, and the deposited film is not limited to a polysilicon thin film.

[0028] The support assembly includes a first support assembly 1 and a second support assembly 2. The first support assembly 1 and the second support assembly 2 are configured to be able to move relative to each other, so that the relative positions can change in the axial direction, and are used to alternately support the wafers from below. At least one wafer can be placed in a horizontal support state in the wafer boat.

[0029] In some embodiments, at least one of the first supporting assembly 1 and the second supporting assembly 2 is disposed on the wafer boat in a movable connection manner.

[0030] In some embodiments, the first support assembly 1 is fixedly disposed on the wafer boat, and the second support assembly 2 is movably disposed on the wafer boat.

[0031] In some embodiments, the first support assembly 1 is movably disposed on the wafer boat, and the second support assembly 2 is fixedly disposed on the wafer boat.

[0032] In some embodiments, the first supporting assembly 1 and the second supporting assembly 2 are each movably disposed on the wafer boat.

[0033] refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments, there are N first support assemblies 1 and M second support assemblies 2, N≧3, M≧3. In addition, each first support assembly 1 and each second support assembly 2 are axially distributed on the edge of the wafer boat. For example, Figure 1 The wafer boat structure is shown in FIG. 1 with four first support assemblies 1 and three second support assemblies 2 (only two of the second support assemblies 2 are shown). However, it is understood that the number of first support assemblies 1 and second support assemblies 2 on the wafer boat may be different.

[0034] refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments, the first support assembly 1 includes a first support column 11 arranged in the axial direction, and at least one first support foot 12 arranged on the first support column 11. When there are multiple first support feet 12, each first support foot 12 is arranged in the axial direction on the first support column 11. The second support assembly 2 includes a second support column 21 arranged in the axial direction, and at least one second support foot 22 arranged on the second support column 21. When there are multiple second support feet 22, each second support foot 22 is arranged in the axial direction on the second support column 21. In order to increase the loading capacity, a plurality of wafers generally need to be loaded on the wafer boat, so multiple groups of support feet need to be arranged accordingly. Among them, the first support feet 12 located on each first support column 11 and located on the same support plane form a group, and the second support feet 22 located on each second support column 21 and located on the same support plane form another group. The multiple groups of first support feet 12 located on the first support column 11 are used to support multiple wafers correspondingly, and any group of second support feet 22 located on the second support column 21 is used to alternately support the wafers supported by the corresponding group of first support feet 12. In other words, when a plurality of wafers are loaded in the wafer boat, each wafer is loaded in layers along the axial direction, and each support foot group (first support foot group or second support foot group) forms a plurality of loading levels accordingly, and a loading space with a certain height is formed between two adjacent first support feet 12 or between two adjacent second support feet 22 in the axial direction to meet the necessary maneuvering space required in the axial direction when the wafers are loaded.

[0035] In some embodiments, the wafer boat further includes a top plate 3 and a bottom plate 4 horizontally disposed opposite to each other, and the first support column 11 and the second support column 21 are axially disposed between the top plate 3 and the bottom plate 4 and distributed along the circumference of the top plate 3 and the bottom plate 4 .

[0036] In some embodiments, the wafer boat is cylindrical, the top plate 3 and the bottom plate 4 form the upper and lower end surfaces of the cylinder, the first support column 11 and the second support column 21 are arranged along the circumference of the cylinder, and the wafer boat is used to load wafers. However, it can be understood that the wafer boat can also adopt other shapes, such as elliptical cylinder, polygonal prism, etc., to adapt to wafers (processing objects) with corresponding shapes.

[0037] The wafer boat structure of the present invention is described in detail below by taking an example in which the wafer boat is cylindrical and used to load wafers, four first supporting assemblies 1 are fixedly arranged on the wafer boat, and three second supporting assemblies 2 are movably arranged on the wafer boat.

[0038] refer to Figure 1-Figure 3 , Figure 2 The wafer boat structure is shown when the second supporting component 2 is omitted. Figure 3 The independent structure of the second support assembly 2 is shown. In some embodiments, four mutually parallel first support assemblies 1 are fixedly connected between the top plate 3 and the bottom plate 4 through the upper and lower ends of their respective first support columns 11, and a loading opening with a width corresponding to the wafer diameter is formed between two adjacent first support assemblies 1 (first support columns 11), such as Figure 1 The loading opening shown in FIG. 1 is formed obliquely toward the right.

[0039] In some embodiments, the wafer boat is provided with a marking structure for indicating the direction of the loading opening. In one example, the marking structure for indicating the direction of the loading opening is a top plate cutout 7 provided on the corresponding side of the top plate 3, and the direction of the top plate cutout 7 is orthogonal to the loading direction.

[0040] In some embodiments, through holes 6 are respectively opened in the middle of the top plate 3 and the bottom plate 4 , which can reduce the weight of the wafer boat itself, help the flow of airflow during the process, and facilitate sensing through the through holes 6 .

[0041] The three mutually parallel second support assemblies 2 are slidably connected between the top plate 3 and the bottom plate 4 through the upper and lower ends of each second support column 21, so that they can move axially between the top plate 3 and the bottom plate 4 when driven. And each second support column 21 (second support assembly 2) is respectively located between every two adjacent first support columns 11 on the rear side of the loading opening. Preferably, two of the second support columns 21 are arranged as close as possible to the two first support columns 11 forming the loading opening, but will not interfere with the first support columns 11 when moving axially; the third second support column 21 (not shown) is located in the middle of the first support columns 11 adjacent to both sides to ensure that the three second support assemblies 2 can provide stable support for the wafer.

[0042] When the second support column 21 is driven to move axially relative to the first support column 11, the position of the second support foot 22 will change from being located on one side of the support plane where the first support foot 12 is located to being located on the other side of the support plane where the first support foot 12 is located, so that the supporting function is alternated between the first support foot 12 and the second support foot 22.

[0043] refer to Figure 4 Combined with reference Figure 1Among them, the first supporting legs 12 arranged on the first supporting column 11 and the second supporting legs 22 arranged on the second supporting column 21 are arranged correspondingly in the axial direction, and the two corresponding groups of first supporting legs 12 and second supporting legs 22 for alternately supporting the same wafer A are located on different supporting planes. For example, initially, a wafer A is loaded and supported on a group of four first supporting legs 12 ( Figure 4 Only the first support legs 12 located on two of the first support columns 11 are shown. The support surface of the group of first support legs 12 defines a first support plane. When the group of first support legs 12 needs to be replaced, the corresponding group of three second support columns 21 ( Figure 4 Only one of the second support columns 21 and the corresponding second support legs 22 thereon are shown moving upward until the wafer A supported on the four first support legs 12 is lifted up, thereby separating the same wafer A from the four first support legs 12 and replacing it with one supported on a corresponding group of second support legs 22 that are moved and raised. At this time, the supporting surfaces of the three second support legs 22 define a second supporting plane.

[0044] Depend on Figure 4 It can be seen that when the second support column 21 moves upward relative to the first support column 11, the second support foot 22 changes from being relatively located at the lower side of the first support plane where the first support foot 12 is located to being relatively located at the upper side of the first support plane where the first support foot 12 is located (that is, the first support foot 12 changes from being relatively located at the upper side of the second support plane where the second support foot 22 is located to being relatively located at the lower side of the second support plane where the second support foot 22 is located), and the second support plane and the first support plane are located on two different support planes, one above the other. Therefore, the second support column 21 can be moved upward relative to the first support column 11 to achieve the support replacement of the same wafer A between the first support assembly 1 and the second support assembly 2.

[0045] Furthermore, when the second support column 21 continues to move downward relative to the first support column 11, that is, moves in the opposite direction to the above-mentioned movement direction, the upper and lower relative positions between the first support leg 12 (first support plane) and the second support leg 22 (second support plane) will be interchanged, so that the wafer A can be replaced from being supported on the second support leg 22 to being supported on the first support leg 12, so that the support function is replaced between the first support leg 12 (first support component 1) and the second support leg 22 (second support component 2), and a mutual replacement support cycle between the first support component 1 and the second support component 2 is completed. The aforementioned mutual replacement support cycle is at least one.

[0046] refer to Figure 1In some embodiments, the first supporting leg 12 and the second supporting leg 22 are arranged radially, so that the first supporting leg 12 and the second supporting leg 22 form a horizontal supporting surface through the upper surface.

[0047] In some embodiments, the first supporting foot 12 and the second supporting foot 22 are tilted toward the top of the wafer boat to form tilted supporting feet, so that the first supporting foot 12 and the second supporting foot 22 form an approximately line-contact support for the wafer through the edge of the upper surface.

[0048] The present invention does not limit the shape of the above-mentioned supporting feet, and the shape of existing conventional supporting feet may be referred to.

[0049] In some embodiments, the upper end and the lower end of the second support column 21 are respectively provided with guide columns 211 protruding along the axial direction. Figure 3 At the same time, the top plate 3 and the bottom plate 4 are respectively provided with guide holes 5 corresponding to the two guide pillars 211, as shown Figure 1-Figure 2 As shown, the upper guide post 211 of the second support post 21 is inserted into the guide hole 5 on the top plate 3 to form a movable fit, and the lower guide post 211 of the second support post 21 is inserted into the guide hole 5 on the bottom plate 4 to form a movable fit. In addition, the end of the lower guide post 211 of the second support post 21 is exposed after passing through the bottom plate 4, and the lower guide post 211 of the second support post 21 can be driven and controlled to move up and down, so as to realize the movement control of the second support post 21 relative to the first support post 11.

[0050] In some embodiments, the column diameter of the guide column 211 on the second support column 21 is smaller than the column diameter of the second support column 21, and a shoulder structure is formed at the connection between the guide column 211 and the second support column 21. The shoulder structure can be used as a limit structure to limit the up and down movement of the second support column 21. When the second support column 21 moves upward to the point where the upper end (shoulder structure) of the second support column 21 conflicts with the lower surface of the top plate 3, the second support column 21 will be prevented from continuing to move upward, thereby limiting the upward position of the second support column 21; when the second support column 21 moves downward to the point where the lower end (shoulder structure) of the second support column 21 conflicts with the upper surface of the bottom plate 4, the second support column 21 will be prevented from continuing to move downward, thereby limiting the downward position of the second support column 21. That is, by providing shoulder structures at the upper and lower ends of the second support column 21, the limit function of limiting the stroke of the second support leg 22 when the position of the second support leg 12 changes on both sides of the support plane where the first support leg 12 is located is played.

[0051] Figure 5 The figure shows the position state of the second support column 21 after being driven to move upward relative to the first support column 11; Figure 1The second support column 21 is shown in the initial position or reset position. It can be seen that when the top of the upper guide column 211 of the second support column 21 is not higher than the upper surface of the top plate 3, it indicates that the second support column 21 is in the initial position or reset position; at this time, the lower end of the second support column 21 is in conflict with the upper surface of the bottom plate 4. When the top of the upper guide column 211 of the second support column 21 is higher than the upper surface of the top plate 3, it indicates that the second support column 21 is in the replacement support position after moving up; at this time, the upper end of the second support column 21 is in conflict with the lower surface of the top plate 3.

[0052] It can be understood that both the first support column 11 and the second support column 21 can be movably arranged on the wafer boat, and the above-mentioned alternating support function can be achieved by simultaneously driving the first support column 11 and the second support column 21 to move relative to each other.

[0053] A semiconductor device of the present invention comprises a process chamber and the wafer boat of the present invention. The semiconductor device is used to transport the wafer boat and the wafers loaded therein to the process chamber for a thin film deposition process.

[0054] In some embodiments, before performing a thin film deposition process, the semiconductor device uses a wafer loading mechanism to load the wafer into a wafer boat and supports the wafer on a first support assembly 1 in the support assembly; then, a wafer boat transport mechanism, such as a transport mechanism with a screw elevator base (boat elevator) dedicated to carrying the wafer boat, is used to transport the wafer-loaded wafer boat into a process chamber for a thin film deposition process.

[0055] In some embodiments, a lifting mechanism is provided at the bottom of the screw elevator base, for example, the lifting mechanism composed of a driving motor and a transmission pair is used to control the lifting of the lower guide column 211 of the second support column 21 on the wafer boat supported on the screw elevator base, so as to enable the second support column 21 to move up and down between the top plate 3 and the bottom plate 4. The lifting mechanism composed of the driving motor and the transmission pair can be a conventional electric-controlled lifting mechanism, such as a lifting mechanism in the form of an electric cylinder, or an electric push rod, etc., which is not limited in the present invention.

[0056] During the thin film deposition process, the semiconductor device controls the second support column 21 in the support assembly to move upward relative to the first support column 11, so that the wafer is lifted from the first support leg 12 of the first support column 11, and is then supported on the second support leg 22 of the second support column 21. In addition, the semiconductor device controls the second support column 21 to move up and down relative to the first support column 11 according to the set unidirectional movement frequency, so that the wafer is periodically alternately supported on the first support assembly 1 and the second support assembly 2, thereby avoiding the problem of mutual adhesion between the wafer and the support leg caused by film deposition.

[0057] In some embodiments, the semiconductor device is provided with a control module, which may be, for example, a host computer and / or a slave computer, or the control module may be arranged in the host computer and / or the slave computer. The host computer and / or the slave computer controls the driving mechanism to drive the second support column 21 to perform periodic up and down reciprocating movement relative to the first support column 11 according to the set unidirectional movement frequency and frequency.

[0058] In some embodiments, the semiconductor device may be a vertical furnace tube device for thin film deposition. The furnace tube device may be used to perform, for example, a polysilicon thin film deposition process on a wafer. By using the above-mentioned wafer boat of the present invention, and controlling the drive mechanism to drive the second support column 21 to perform periodic up and down reciprocating movement relative to the first support column 11 according to the set unidirectional movement frequency and frequency through the upper computer and / or the lower computer, the problem of mutual adhesion between the wafer and the support foot caused by the continuous deposition of the polysilicon thin film at the contact portion between the wafer and the support foot can be effectively avoided.

[0059] An anti-adhesion method in a thin film growth process of the present invention can use the wafer boat of the present invention and can be implemented by the semiconductor device of the present invention. The method comprises: The wafer is loaded into the wafer boat and supported on the first supporting assembly 1 (the first supporting leg 12 of the first supporting column 11) in the supporting assembly; The wafer boat is sent into the process chamber to perform a thin film deposition process on the wafers in the wafer boat; During the thin film deposition process, the second support assembly 2 in the support assembly is moved upward relative to the first support assembly 1, so that the wafer is lifted up by the second support assembly 2 (the second support leg 22 of the second support column 21) from the first support assembly 1, and is thereby alternately supported on the second support assembly 2. The second support assembly 2 is periodically reciprocated up and down relative to the first support assembly 1 according to a set unidirectional movement frequency, so that the wafer is periodically alternately supported on the first support assembly 1 and the second support assembly 2.

[0060] In some embodiments, the method for setting the frequency of unidirectional movement includes driving the second support column 21 to move unidirectionally once after a certain process time. Alternatively, the method for setting the frequency of unidirectional movement includes driving the second support column 21 to move unidirectionally once after a certain thickness of film is deposited on the wafer.

[0061] refer to Figure 4 Combined with reference Figure 1 and Figure 5In some embodiments, first, a plurality of wafers are horizontally fed into the wafer boat in sequence through a wafer loading mechanism, and are supported on a group of first supporting feet 12 of four first supporting columns 11, respectively. At this time, the second supporting feet 22 on the three second supporting columns 21 are in the initial position (first position) before movement, so a group of second supporting feet 22 on the corresponding layer of the second supporting columns 21 are on a supporting plane lower than the first supporting feet 12, so that there is a first distance L1 greater than zero between the wafer A supported on the first supporting feet 12 and the second supporting feet 22 below.

[0062] After all the target number of wafers are placed in the wafer boat, the wafer boat is placed in the process chamber by the wafer boat loading mechanism. After it is ready, a polysilicon thin film deposition process, for example, can be started on the wafers in the wafer boat.

[0063] During the polysilicon thin film deposition process, the upper computer and / or the lower computer controls the lifting mechanism to drive the second support column 21 to make periodic axial reciprocating movements relative to the first support column 11 according to the set unidirectional movement frequency and frequency, so that the wafer being processed is periodically alternately supported on the first support assembly 1 and the second support assembly 2.

[0064] Taking the example of performing one unidirectional movement (upward movement or downward reset) of the second support column 21 once for each deposition of a film thickness of 500Å, when 500Å of polysilicon is first deposited on wafer A, the first movement is performed. By moving the second support column 21 upward by a second distance L2, a group of second support legs 22 of a corresponding layer on the second support column 21 is placed on a support plane higher than the first support leg 12. Thus, by the upward movement of the second support column 21, the wafer A originally supported on the first support leg 12 is lifted from the first support leg 12 and supported on a group of second support legs 22 of a corresponding layer on the second support column 21, and further raised with the second support leg 22 to the terminal position (second position) corresponding to the second distance L2 of the upward movement of the second support column 21. At this time, there is a third distance L3 greater than zero between the wafer A supported on the second support leg 22 and the first support leg 12 below. Among them, the second distance L2 is the height difference between the second position and the first position, L2=L1+L3.

[0065] Afterwards, when the film thickness of 500Å is continuously deposited, the second support column 21 is reversely moved downward (reset) for the second time, and moves downward the same second distance L2. During the downward movement of the second support column 21, when the wafer A follows the second support foot 22 and descends the third distance L3 until it is blocked by the first support foot 12, it is converted to be supported on the first support foot 12, and the second support foot 22 will continue to descend the first distance L1, so that the second support column 21 and its second support foot 22 are reset (initial position / first position). Therefore, by repeatedly supporting the wafer A alternately between the first support assembly 1 and the second support assembly 2, the problem of mutual adhesion between the wafer A and the support foot (first support foot 12 / second support foot 22) caused by the continuous deposition of the polysilicon film at the contact area between the wafer A and the support foot can be effectively avoided.

[0066] By increasing the frequency of unidirectional movement of the second support column 21, thicker polysilicon film can be continuously deposited without being affected. Thus, according to the anti-adhesion method in the thin film growth process of the present invention and using the crystal boat of the present invention, thin film deposition can be performed on the wafers in the crystal boat through a furnace tube device, and ultra-high film thickness polysilicon with improved adhesion can be obtained, thereby improving the yield and eliminating the loss of cracks caused by adhesion.

[0067] In summary, the present invention provides a first support assembly 1 and a second support assembly 2 that can move relative to each other on the wafer boat, so as to alternately support the wafers by changing the relative position between the first support assembly 1 and the second support assembly 2, thereby avoiding the problem of mutual adhesion between the wafer and the support part caused by film deposition during the thin film deposition process. And by forming a periodic reciprocating movement between the first support assembly 1 and the second support assembly 2, a film layer with ultra-high film thickness can be produced.

[0068] Although the embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to these embodiments. However, it should be understood that such modifications and variations are within the scope and spirit of the present invention as described in the claims. Moreover, the present invention described herein may have other embodiments and may be implemented or realized in a variety of ways.

Claims

1. A wafer boat, characterized in that: include: The support assembly comprises a first support assembly and a second support assembly, wherein the first support assembly and the second support assembly are configured to be able to change their relative positions in the axial direction for alternate support.

2. The wafer boat according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one of the first supporting assembly and the second supporting assembly is movably disposed on the wafer boat.

3. The wafer boat according to claim 2, characterized in that: There are N first supporting assemblies and M second supporting assemblies, N≧3, M≧3, and each of the first supporting assemblies and each of the second supporting assemblies are axially distributed on the edge of the wafer boat.

4. The wafer boat according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first support assembly includes a first support column arranged along the axial direction, and one or more first support feet arranged on the first support column or arranged along the axial direction. The second support assembly includes a second support column arranged along the axial direction, and one or more second support feet arranged on the second support column or arranged along the axial direction. The first support foot and the second support foot are arranged correspondingly in the axial direction and are located on different support planes. The first support column is fixed on the wafer boat, and the second support column is movably arranged on the wafer boat. When the second support column is driven to move axially relative to the first support column, the position of the second support foot changes from one side of the support plane where the first support foot is located to the other side of the support plane where the first support foot is located, and the support function is alternated between the first support foot and the second support foot.

5. The wafer boat according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first supporting legs and the second supporting legs are arranged radially or inclined toward the top of the wafer boat.

6. The wafer boat according to claim 4, characterized in that: Also includes: A top plate and a bottom plate, the top plate and the bottom plate are arranged opposite to each other, the first support column and the second support column are axially arranged between the top plate and the bottom plate, and are distributed circumferentially along the top plate and the bottom plate, the upper end and the lower end of the second support column are respectively provided with guide columns, and the top plate and the bottom plate are respectively provided with guide holes corresponding to the guide columns. When the second support column moves axially, the positions of the upper end and the lower end of the second support column when they contact with the top plate and the bottom plate accordingly limit the stroke of the second support foot when the position changes on both sides of the support plane where the first support foot is located.

7. A semiconductor device, characterized in that: It comprises a process chamber, and a wafer boat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the semiconductor equipment is used to transport the wafer boat and the processing object loaded therein to the process chamber for a thin film deposition process.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein: Before performing a thin film deposition process, the semiconductor device loads the processing object into the wafer boat and supports it on a first support assembly among the support assemblies, and then transports the wafer boat loaded with the processing object into the process chamber for a thin film deposition process. During the thin film deposition process, the semiconductor device controls the second support assembly among the support assemblies to move upward relative to the first support assembly, so that the processing object is lifted up from the first support assembly and replaced by being supported on the second support assembly, and controls the second support assembly to move up and down reciprocatingly relative to the first support assembly according to a set unidirectional movement frequency, so that the processing object is periodically and alternately supported on the first support assembly and the second support assembly.

9. An anti-adhesion method in a thin film growth process, using the wafer boat according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: include: The processing object is loaded into the wafer boat and supported on a first supporting assembly among the supporting assemblies; The wafer boat is sent into a process chamber, and a thin film deposition process is performed on the processing object in the wafer boat; During the thin film deposition process, the second support assembly in the support assembly is moved upward relative to the first support assembly, so that the processing object is lifted up from the first support assembly and replaced by being supported on the second support assembly, and according to the set unidirectional movement frequency, the second support assembly is moved up and down reciprocatingly relative to the first support assembly, so that the processing object is periodically alternately supported on the first support assembly and the second support assembly.

10. The anti-adhesion method in the thin film growth process according to claim 9, characterized in that: The method for setting the frequency of the unidirectional movement includes a setting method of performing a unidirectional movement once every certain period of time or a setting method of performing a unidirectional movement once every deposition of a film of a certain thickness.