Heat treatment equipment

Abstract

The invention provides heat treatment equipment. The heat treatment equipment comprises a reaction chamber, a supporting mechanism, one or more heating devices and a partition plate, the reaction chamber is provided with a gas inlet side and a gas outlet side which are arranged in the transverse direction. The supporting mechanism is located in the reaction chamber. The one or more heating devices are located outside the reaction chamber in the vertical direction. The partition plate is arranged in the reaction chamber and divides the reaction chamber into a first reaction chamber and a second reaction chamber, the first process gas flows into the first reaction chamber to thermally treat the first surface of the workpiece, and the second process gas flows into the second reaction chamber to thermally treat the second surface of the workpiece. The partition plate is arranged in the reaction chamber to divide the internal space of the reaction chamber into the first reaction chamber and the second reaction chamber, so that the upper surface and the lower surface of the workpiece can be subjected to heat treatment in relatively independent environments during heat treatment of the workpiece, and the heat treatment efficiency of the workpiece is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, and more particularly to a thermal processing apparatus. Background Art

[0002] Wafer heat treatment is a key step in the semiconductor wafer manufacturing process and is usually carried out in a closed chamber. Process gases are introduced into the chamber and the wafer is heated to cause a chemical reaction in the wafer. However, the independent chamber in the related technology is less efficient when heat treating wafers. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object of the present disclosure is to provide a heat treatment equipment, including a reaction chamber, a support mechanism, one or more heating devices and a partition. The reaction chamber has an air inlet side and an air outlet side arranged in a transverse direction, and the gas used for heat treatment flows into the reaction chamber from the air inlet side and flows out of the reaction chamber through the air outlet side. The support mechanism is located in the reaction chamber, and the workpiece to be heat treated is placed on the support mechanism. One or more heating devices are located outside the reaction chamber in the vertical direction and provide energy for performing heat treatment. The partition is arranged in the reaction chamber and divides the reaction chamber into a first reaction chamber and a second reaction chamber. The gas from the air inlet side includes a first process gas and a second process gas. The first process gas flows into the first reaction chamber to heat treat the first surface of the workpiece, and the second process gas flows into the second reaction chamber to heat treat the second surface of the workpiece opposite to the first surface.

[0004] The present invention provides a partition in the reaction chamber to separate the internal space of the reaction chamber into a first reaction chamber and a second reaction chamber. When the workpiece is heat treated, the upper and lower surfaces of the workpiece can be placed in relatively independent environments to undergo heat treatment, thereby improving the heat treatment efficiency of the workpiece.

[0005] In some embodiments, an air intake mechanism of the heat treatment equipment is provided on the air intake side, and the air intake mechanism includes a diffuser plate. A partition plate abuts against a side of the diffuser plate facing the reaction chamber to divide the diffuser plate into a first air intake diffuser portion and a second air intake diffuser portion, the first process gas flows into the first reaction chamber through the first air intake diffuser portion, and the second process gas flows into the second reaction chamber through the second air intake diffuser portion.

[0006] In some embodiments, the first inlet diffuser includes a plurality of first holes, and the second inlet diffuser includes a plurality of second holes. A ratio of the number of the plurality of first holes to the number of the plurality of second holes is related to the supply amount of the first process gas and the second process gas.

[0007] In some embodiments, the partition has an opening adapted to the shape of the workpiece, the workpiece is located in the opening, a first surface of the workpiece is located in the first reaction chamber, and a second surface of the workpiece is located in the second reaction chamber.

[0008] In some embodiments, the center of the opening is coaxial with the center of the workpiece, and the radius of the opening is larger than the radius of the workpiece to form a gap between the opening and the workpiece to allow the workpiece to rotate.

[0009] In some embodiments, the difference between the radius of the opening and the radius of the workpiece is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm and less than or equal to 2 mm.

[0010] In some embodiments, the heat treatment equipment further includes a gas replenishing mechanism disposed adjacent to a cavity wall of the reaction chamber, wherein a gas outlet of the gas replenishing mechanism is located in the first reaction cavity to replenish the first process gas to the first reaction cavity.

[0011] In some embodiments, the gas outlet end of the gas supplement mechanism is positioned at a midpoint between the gas inlet side and the gas outlet side in the transverse direction.

[0012] It should be understood that the contents described in the summary of the invention are not intended to limit the key or important features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become easily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The above and other features, advantages and aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent with reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements, wherein:

[0014] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the heat treatment equipment of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of area A.

[0016] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the heat treatment equipment of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Description of reference numerals:

[0018] 100: Heat treatment equipment;

[0019] 101: reaction chamber;

[0020] 1011: first reaction chamber;

[0021] 1012: second reaction chamber;

[0022] 102: partition;

[0023] 1021: Opening;

[0024] 103: Workpiece;

[0025] 104: air intake mechanism;

[0026] 1041: diffuser plate;

[0027] 1042: air intake pipe;

[0028] 105: air supply mechanism;

[0029] 1051: outlet end;

[0030] 106: support mechanism;

[0031] 107: Heating device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The following is a description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, including various details of the embodiments of the present disclosure to facilitate understanding, which should be considered as merely exemplary. Therefore, it should be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Similarly, for the sake of clarity and conciseness, descriptions of well-known functions and structures are omitted in the following description.

[0033] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the present disclosure provides a heat treatment device 100, including a reaction chamber 101, a support mechanism 106, one or more heating devices 107, a partition 102, etc. The reaction chamber 101 has an inlet side and an outlet side arranged in a horizontal direction, and the gas used for heat treatment flows into the reaction chamber 101 from the inlet side and flows out of the reaction chamber 101 through the outlet side. The support mechanism 106 is located in the reaction chamber 101, and the workpiece 103 to be heat treated is placed on the support mechanism 106. One or more heating devices 107 are located outside the reaction chamber 101 in the vertical direction (the height direction of the reaction chamber 101) and provide energy for performing heat treatment. The partition 102 is disposed in the reaction chamber 101 and divides the reaction chamber 101 into a first reaction chamber 1011 and a second reaction chamber 1012. The gas from the gas inlet side includes a first process gas and a second process gas. The first process gas flows into the first reaction chamber 1011 to heat-treat a first surface of the workpiece 103, and the second process gas flows into the second reaction chamber 1012 to heat-treat a second surface of the workpiece 103 opposite to the first surface.

[0034] like Figure 1 , Figure 3As shown, the heat treatment equipment 100 is a device for applying heat energy treatment to a workpiece 103 (such as a wafer) during the semiconductor manufacturing process. The workpiece 103 is placed in a reaction chamber 101 and undergoes heat treatment. The air inlet side of the reaction chamber 101 can be understood as the left side of the reaction chamber 101 in the figure, and the air outlet side of the reaction chamber 101 is the right side of the reaction chamber 101 in the figure. It can be understood that the heat treatment equipment 100 in this embodiment adopts the form of side air intake. When implementing the heat treatment process, the gas flows into the reaction chamber from one side of the reaction chamber 101, such as the left side in the figure, and flows out from the opposite side of the reaction chamber 101, such as the right side in the figure, after heat treatment, so that a stable gas flow field can be formed in the reaction chamber 101. The workpiece 103 is located in the stable gas flow field, which can improve the heat treatment effect of the workpiece 103.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, the support mechanism 106 is a structure for supporting the workpiece 103 in the reaction chamber 101. In some embodiments, the support mechanism 106 may be a lift pin, and the number of the lift pins may be adjusted according to process requirements. For example, when the workpiece 103 is large in size, a larger number of lift pins may be used to improve the stability of the workpiece 103 in the reaction chamber 101.

[0036] The heating device 107 is a device for providing heat treatment energy, such as Figure 1 As shown by the dotted line, the heating device 107 may have two parts, which are respectively arranged at the top and bottom of the heat treatment equipment 100, and are used to provide energy to the upper and lower parts of the reaction chamber 101 to improve the uniformity of the heat treatment result. In some embodiments, the heating device 107 may also have only one, which may be located only at Figure 1 The top can be adjusted according to process needs.

[0037] The partition 102 is Figures 1 to 3 The structure indicated by reference numeral 103 is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the partition 102 is located in the reaction chamber 101 and divides the internal space of the reaction chamber 101 into two parts, the upper part is a first reaction chamber 1011, and the lower part is a second reaction chamber 1012. The partition 102 has an opening 1021 adapted to the shape of the workpiece 103, and the workpiece 103 is located in the opening 1021. The first surface (i.e. Figure 1 The upper surface of the workpiece 103 is located in the first reaction chamber 1011, and the second surface of the workpiece 103 (i.e. Figure 1 The lower surface of the workpiece 103 is located in the second reaction chamber 1012. This arrangement allows the upper and lower surfaces of the workpiece 103 to be placed in relatively independent environments for heat treatment, thereby improving the heat treatment efficiency of the workpiece 103.

[0038] In the above embodiment, the center of the opening 1021 of the partition 102 is coaxial with the center of the workpiece 103, and the radius of the opening 1021 is greater than the radius of the workpiece 103, so as to form a gap between the opening 1021 and the workpiece 103 to allow the workpiece 103 to rotate. In this embodiment, the difference between the radius of the opening 1021 and the radius of the workpiece 103 can be greater than or equal to 0.5 mm and less than or equal to 2 mm. By setting a gap of 0.5-2 mm, not only can the collision between the workpiece 103 and the partition 102 be avoided, but also the circulation of the gas in the first reaction chamber 1011 and the gas in the second reaction chamber 1012 can be reduced as much as possible. In some other embodiments, the partition 102 can be made of transparent quartz.

[0039] In this embodiment, the gas flowing in from the air inlet side can be divided into two parts, wherein one part of the gas (i.e., the first process gas) flows into the first reaction chamber 1011 to participate in the heat treatment of the upper surface of the workpiece 103, and the other part of the gas (i.e., the second process gas) flows into the second reaction chamber 1012 to participate in the heat treatment of the lower surface of the workpiece 103, thereby improving the gas utilization rate. For example, the two parts of gas are respectively guided to the first reaction chamber 1011 and the second reaction chamber 1012 by two air inlet pipelines. For example, the gas flowing in from the air inlet side is divided into the first process gas and the second process gas by the partition 102 when entering the reaction chamber 101. The first process gas and the second process gas can be gases of the same composition.

[0040] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, in the above embodiment, the air intake side is provided with an air intake mechanism 104 of the heat treatment equipment 100, and the air intake mechanism 104 may include a diffuser plate 1041. The partition plate 102 abuts against the side of the diffuser plate 1041 facing the reaction chamber 101 to divide the diffuser plate 1041 into a first air intake diffuser portion and a second air intake diffuser portion, and the first process gas flows into the first reaction chamber 1011 through the first air intake diffuser portion, and the second process gas flows into the second reaction chamber 1012 through the second air intake diffuser portion.

[0041] In the embodiment with the diffuser plate 1041, the diffuser plate 1041 can be used to diffuse the gas evenly. Figure 1 , Figure 2 For example, the gas flowing in from the air inlet side on the left side of the figure is evenly diffused into the first reaction chamber 1011 and the second reaction chamber 1012 through the diffusion plate 1041, and the diffused gas can improve the uniformity of the process results.

[0042] The structures of the first air inlet diffuser and the second air inlet diffuser can be adjusted. For example, the first air inlet diffuser includes a plurality of first holes, and the second air inlet diffuser includes a plurality of second holes. The arrangement of the plurality of first holes and the arrangement of the plurality of second holes can be adjusted. The ratio of the number of the plurality of first holes to the number of the plurality of second holes can be related to the supply amount of the first process gas and the second process gas. For example, if the supply amount of the first process gas is twice the supply amount of the second gas, the ratio of the number of the first holes to the number of the second holes is adjusted to 2:1.

[0043] The air intake mechanism 104 may further include an air intake pipe 1042, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the left side of the air inlet pipe 1042 can be connected to the gas source, and the right side of the air inlet pipe 1042 is arranged opposite to the diffuser plate 1041. The gas is discharged from the air inlet pipe 1042 to the left side of the diffuser plate 1041. The gas diffused by the diffuser plate 1041 flows out from the right side and is naturally separated by the partition 102 into the first process gas and the second process gas. It can be understood that the partition 102 not only separates the internal space of the reaction chamber 101, but also divides the gas into the first process gas and the second process gas.

[0044] In combination with the above embodiment, the air inlet pipeline 1042 may include a first air inlet pipeline and a second air inlet pipeline, the air inlet port of the first air inlet pipeline may be connected to a gas source, and the air outlet port of the first air inlet pipeline may extend into the first reaction chamber 1011, for guiding the first process gas to the first reaction chamber 1011. The air inlet port of the second air inlet pipeline may be connected to a gas source, and the air outlet port of the second air inlet pipeline may extend into the second reaction chamber 1012, for guiding the second process gas to the second reaction chamber 1012. Diffuser plates 1041 may also be provided at the air outlet port of the first air inlet pipeline and the air outlet port of the second air inlet pipeline, respectively.

[0045] The gas volume of the first process gas and the gas volume of the second process gas can be the same or different. For example, in some embodiments, the consumption of the first process gas is greater than the consumption of the second process gas when the workpiece 103 is heat treated. Therefore, the gas volume of the first process gas is adjusted to be greater than the gas volume of the second process gas to improve the heat treatment effect on the surface of the workpiece 103.

[0046] like Figure 3 As shown, in other embodiments, the heat treatment equipment 100 further includes a gas replenishing mechanism 105 disposed adjacent to the chamber wall of the reaction chamber 101, for adjusting the gas volume of the process gas. The gas outlet 1051 of the gas replenishing mechanism 105 is located in the first reaction chamber 1011 to replenish the first process gas to the first reaction chamber 1011. The replenished gas may be the same as the first process gas or a combination of one or more components in the first process gas.

[0047] The gas supply mechanism 105 is a structure for supplying the first process gas to the first reaction chamber 1011. The heat treatment effect on the upper surface of the workpiece 103 can be further improved by setting the gas supply mechanism 105. The position of the gas outlet 1051 of the gas supply mechanism 105 relative to the reaction chamber 101 can be adjusted, for example Figure 3 As shown, the gas outlet end 1051 of the gas supply mechanism 105 is positioned at the midpoint between the gas inlet side and the gas outlet side in the horizontal direction. In this way, the gas discharged from the gas outlet end 1051 covers substantially the same area on the left side of the workpiece 103 and the right side of the workpiece 103, thereby improving the uniformity of the heat treatment on the upper surface of the workpiece 103.

[0048] In the description of this specification, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present disclosure.

[0049] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present disclosure, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0050] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present disclosure can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0051] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, a first feature being “above” or “below” a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being “above”, “above”, and “above” a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being “below”, “below”, and “below” a second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0052] The disclosure above provides many different embodiments or examples to realize different structures of the present disclosure. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present disclosure, the components and settings of specific examples are described above. Of course, they are only examples, and the purpose is not to limit the present disclosure. In addition, the present disclosure can repeat reference numbers and / or reference letters in different examples, and this repetition is for the purpose of simplification and clarity, and does not itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed.

[0053] The above specific implementations do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the present disclosure. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modification, equivalent substitution and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present disclosure shall be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A heat treatment device comprising: A reaction chamber having an inlet side and an outlet side arranged in a transverse direction, wherein a gas for heat treatment flows into the reaction chamber from the inlet side and flows out of the reaction chamber through the outlet side; A support mechanism, located in the reaction chamber, on which the workpiece to be heat treated is placed; One or more heating devices are vertically located outside the reaction chamber and provide energy for implementing the heat treatment; and a partition is arranged in the reaction chamber and divides the reaction chamber into a first reaction chamber and a second reaction chamber, the gas from the gas inlet side includes a first process gas and a second process gas, the first process gas flows into the first reaction chamber to heat treat the first surface of the workpiece, and the second process gas flows into the second reaction chamber to heat treat the second surface of the workpiece opposite to the first surface.

2. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 1, wherein: The air intake side is provided with an air intake mechanism of the heat treatment equipment, and the air intake mechanism includes a diffusion plate; The partition is against the side of the diffusion plate facing the reaction chamber to divide the diffusion plate into a first air inlet diffusion part and a second air inlet diffusion part. The first process gas flows into the first reaction chamber through the first air inlet diffusion part, and the second process gas flows into the second reaction chamber through the second air inlet diffusion part.

3. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 2, wherein: The first air intake diffuser includes a plurality of first holes, and the second air intake diffuser includes a plurality of second holes; A ratio of the number of the plurality of first holes to the number of the plurality of second holes is related to supply amounts of the first process gas and the second process gas.

4. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 1, wherein: The partition has an opening adapted to the shape of the workpiece, the workpiece is located in the opening, the first surface of the workpiece is located in the first reaction chamber, and the second surface of the workpiece is located in the second reaction chamber.

5. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 2, wherein: The center of the opening is coaxial with the center of the workpiece, and the radius of the opening is larger than the radius of the workpiece, so as to form a gap between the opening and the workpiece to allow the workpiece to rotate.

6. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 3, wherein: A difference between a radius of the opening and a radius of the workpiece is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm and less than or equal to 2 mm.

7. The heat treatment equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The heat treatment equipment further includes a gas replenishing mechanism disposed adjacent to a cavity wall of the reaction chamber, wherein a gas outlet of the gas replenishing mechanism is located in the first reaction cavity to replenish the first process gas to the first reaction cavity.

8. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 7, wherein: The air outlet end of the air supplement mechanism is positioned at a midpoint between the air inlet side and the air outlet side along the transverse direction.

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