Centering tool and centering method

Abstract

The invention provides a centering tool and a centering method.The centering tool comprises a bearing base and a centering piece, the bearing base is used for supporting a mounting ring, an operation space penetrating in the axial direction is formed in the bearing base, an operation opening used for being communicated with the operation space is formed in the side wall of the bearing base, and a hand stretches into the operation opening; the centering piece is a hollow cylinder, the outer diameter of the centering piece is the same as the inner diameter of the center hole of the quartz ceiling, and the outer diameter of the nozzle is the same as the inner diameter of the centering piece. The quartz ceiling assembly is supported through the bearing base, the outer diameter of the centering piece is the same as the inner diameter of the center hole of the quartz ceiling, the inner diameter of the centering piece is the same as the outer diameter of the nozzle, centering assembly of the nozzle and the quartz ceiling is achieved, and the problems that when the nozzle and the quartz ceiling are assembled, collision occurs, and the assembly clearance is not uniform are effectively solved. And the side wall of the nozzle and the inner wall of the central hole of the quartz ceiling are damaged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of semiconductor equipment, and more specifically relates to a centering tool and a centering method. Background Art

[0002] Wafer manufacturing and processing are usually carried out in a Decoupled Plasma Nitridation (DPN) process chamber, in which a quartz lid is provided on the top of the process chamber. The quartz lid is mainly used to seal the process chamber. The quartz lid is generally circular in shape, and a center hole is provided at the center thereof, which is used to install the nozzle. When assembling the nozzle and the quartz lid, it is usually done by the operator's feel, which easily causes the side wall of the nozzle to collide with the inner wall of the center hole of the quartz lid, thereby causing damage to the side wall of the nozzle or the inner wall of the center hole. At the same time, the gap between the nozzle and the center hole of the quartz lid is not easy to control evenly. If the side wall of the nozzle or the inner wall of the center hole fits tightly, during the wafer processing, the process chamber is heated as a whole, and the side wall of the nozzle and the inner wall of the center hole of the quartz lid will expand and squeeze each other at the same time, which will also cause damage to the side wall of the nozzle or the inner wall of the center hole.

[0003] Therefore, how to make the assembly gap between the nozzle and the center hole of the quartz top plate uniform and avoid collision between the nozzle and the quartz top plate during assembly has become a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently. Summary of the invention

[0004] Based on the technical problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a centering tool and a centering method, aiming to solve the technical problems in the prior art that the nozzle and the quartz top plate are prone to collision during assembly and the assembly gap is uneven, resulting in damage to the side wall of the nozzle and the inner wall of the center hole of the quartz top plate.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, according to one aspect of the present invention, a centering tool is provided for assembling a quartz top plate assembly and a nozzle assembly, the quartz top plate assembly comprising a mounting ring, a limiting ring and a quartz top plate, the quartz top plate being mounted in the mounting ring by the limiting ring, and a center hole being provided at the center position of the quartz top plate; the nozzle assembly comprising a nozzle, an upper clamp, a lower clamp, an air intake block and an air intake pipe, one end of the air intake pipe being connected to the air intake block, and the air intake block being fixed between the upper clamp and the nozzle by the upper clamp and the lower clamp; the centering tool comprises a bearing base and a centering piece, the bearing base being used to support the mounting ring, the bearing base having an operating space extending axially therethrough, the side wall of the bearing base being provided with an operating port connected to the operating space, the operating port being used for a person to insert a hand; the centering piece is a hollow cylinder, the outer diameter of the centering piece is the same as the inner diameter of the center hole of the quartz top plate, and the outer diameter of the nozzle is the same as the inner diameter of the centering piece.

[0006] Optionally, there are multiple operation ports.

[0007] Optionally, the plurality of operation openings are spaced apart from each other and evenly distributed along the circumference of the bearing base.

[0008] Optionally, the operation port forms an opening at a bottom edge of the carrying base.

[0009] Optionally, the bearing base is a hollow cylindrical structure.

[0010] Optionally, the mounting ring includes a ring body and a lug arranged on the circumference of the ring body, the lug extends radially along the ring body, and a positioning groove adapted to the lug is arranged on the top of the side wall of the bearing base.

[0011] Optionally, the inner diameter of the bearing base is matched to the outer diameter of the ring body.

[0012] Optionally, the centering member includes a cylinder and an outer flange arranged along one end of the cylinder.

[0013] Optionally, the wall thickness of the cylinder is 1 mm.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, a centering method is provided, which is applied to the centering tool mentioned above, and the centering method comprises the following steps: S1. Place the mounting ring on the bearing base; S2. Install the quartz top plate in the mounting ring; S3. Install the limit ring; S4. Insert the centering member from the bottom of the quartz top plate into the center hole of the quartz top plate; S5. Insert the nozzle into the centering piece; S6. Install the lower fixture; S7. Install the air intake block; S8. Install the air intake pipe; S9. Install the fixture; S10. Remove the centering piece.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the centering tool and centering method provided by the present invention have the following beneficial effects: The quartz top plate assembly is supported by a bearing base, and the outer diameter of the centering piece is the same as the inner diameter of the center hole of the quartz top plate, and the inner diameter of the centering piece is the same as the outer diameter of the nozzle. The centering piece is inserted from the bottom of the quartz top plate into the center hole of the quartz top plate through the operating port of the bearing base, thereby realizing the centering assembly of the nozzle and the quartz top plate, effectively solving the problem of collision between the nozzle and the quartz top plate and uneven assembly gap during assembly, which leads to damage to the side wall of the nozzle and the inner wall of the center hole of the quartz top plate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0017] Figure 1 It is the schematic diagram of the assembly of the DPN process chamber; Figure 2 is an exploded schematic diagram of a DPN process chamber; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the disassembly of the centering tooling provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the use status of the centering tool provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 A schematic cross-sectional view of a centering tool provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 for Figure 5 Enlarged view of point A in the middle; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a supporting base provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 A schematic structural diagram of a centering member provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] The reference numerals in the above drawings are as follows: 10. Quartz ceiling assembly; 101, mounting ring; 1011, ring body; 1012, lug; 1013, handle; 102, limit ring; 103, quartz top plate; 104, center hole; 105, groove; 20. Nozzle assembly; 201. Nozzle; 202. Upper fixture; 203. Lower fixture; 204. Air intake block; 205. Air intake pipe; 206. Screw; 207. Sealing ring; 30. Carrying base; 301. Operating space; 302. Operating port; 303. Positioning slot; 40. Centering piece; 401. Cylinder body; 402. External flange. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0020] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0021] 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 the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0022] In the present invention, 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 or an electrical connection; 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 invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0023] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0024] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a DPN process chamber is used as an example for explanation, and a quartz ceiling assembly 10 and a nozzle assembly 20 are provided on the top of the process chamber. Figure 3 As shown, the quartz top plate assembly 10 includes a mounting ring 101, a limiting ring 102 and a quartz top plate 103. The quartz top plate 103 is installed in the mounting ring 101 through the limiting ring 102. A center hole 104 is provided at the center position of the quartz top plate 103. The nozzle assembly 20 includes a nozzle 201, an upper clamp 202, a lower clamp 203, an air intake block 204 and an air intake pipe 205. One end of the air intake pipe 205 is connected to the air intake block 204, and the other end of the air intake pipe 205 is connected to the air source. The air intake block 204 is fixed between the upper clamp 202 and the nozzle 201 through the upper clamp 202 and the lower clamp 203.

[0025] See also Figures 3 to 8As shown, it shows that an embodiment of the present invention provides a preferred structure of a centering tool, which is used for assembling the quartz top plate assembly 10 and the nozzle assembly 20. Figure 3 As shown, the centering tooling includes a bearing base 30 and a centering piece 40. The bearing base 30 is used to support the mounting ring 101. The bearing base 30 has an axially extending operating space 301 inside. The side wall of the bearing base 30 is provided with an operating port 302 connected to the operating space 301, and the operating port 302 is used for a person to insert a hand. The centering piece 40 is a hollow cylinder. The outer diameter of the centering piece 40 is the same as the inner diameter of the center hole of the quartz top plate 103, and the outer diameter of the nozzle 201 is the same as the inner diameter of the centering piece 40. Specifically, the supporting base 30 is vertically arranged along its axial direction. It can be understood that the supporting base 30 can be placed on the ground or on a movable transportation equipment, for example, a transport flatbed truck. In this way, after the quartz ceiling assembly 10 and the nozzle assembly 20 are assembled, the assembled quartz ceiling assembly 10 can be transported to the target location; the mounting ring 101 is placed on the supporting base 30, and then the quartz ceiling 103 is installed in the mounting ring 101, and then the limiting ring 102 is installed, and the limiting ring 102 is sleeved on the outside of the quartz ceiling 103, and the limiting ring 102 is located inside the mounting ring 101, so that the quartz ceiling 103 is limited to the preset installation position; after the quartz ceiling assembly 10 is installed, the centering piece 40 is held and extended from the operating port 302 into the operating port of the supporting base 30. In the working space 301, insert the centering piece 40 into the center hole 104 of the quartz top plate 103 from the bottom upward, insert the nozzle 201 into the centering piece 40, and then install the lower clamp 203 in the groove 105 on the quartz top plate 103, and the groove 105 is located outside the center hole 104 on the quartz top plate 103, and then install the air intake block 204 above the nozzle 201, connect the air intake end of the air intake block 204 to one end of the air intake pipe 205, and connect the other end of the air intake pipe 205 to the air source, cover the upper clamp 202 above the air intake block 204 and the lower clamp 203, and after fixing the upper clamp 202 and the lower clamp 203 with screws 206, remove the centering piece 40 to complete the assembly of the quartz top plate assembly 10 and the nozzle assembly 20. After the centering piece 40 is removed, a uniform gap is formed between the center hole 104 of the quartz top plate 103 and the nozzle 201, which solves the problem that it is difficult to control the gap when installing by feel, which easily leads to a large gap on one side of the nozzle 201 and a small gap on the other side, or even a tight fit. In this embodiment, a sealing ring 207 is also provided under the air intake block 204, and the sealing ring 207 is located between the air intake block 204 and the nozzle 201 to ensure the sealing of the air intake structure.

[0026] By applying the above technical scheme of the present invention, the quartz top plate assembly 10 is supported by the supporting base 30, the outer diameter of the centering piece 40 is the same as the inner diameter of the center hole 104 of the quartz top plate 103, and the inner diameter of the centering piece 40 is the same as the outer diameter of the nozzle 201. The centering piece 40 is inserted upward from the bottom of the quartz top plate 103 into the center hole 104 of the quartz top plate 103 through the operating port 302 of the supporting base 30, thereby realizing the centering assembly of the nozzle 201 and the quartz top plate 103, and effectively solving the problem of collision between the nozzle 201 and the quartz top plate 103 and uneven assembly gap during assembly, which causes damage to the side wall of the nozzle 201 and the inner wall of the center hole 104 of the quartz top plate 103.

[0027] See also Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, there are multiple operation ports 302. There are two or more operation ports 302, which can be set at different positions of the side wall of the bearing base 30. A person's hand can be inserted into the operation space 301 of the bearing base 30 from different positions, which is convenient for the installation of the nozzle 201. By setting the operation port 302, not only the centering operation is convenient, but also the weight of the bearing base 30 can be reduced, which is convenient for the carrying operation.

[0028] See also Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, a plurality of operation openings 302 are spaced apart from each other and evenly distributed along the circumference of the bearing base 30. For example, two operation openings 302 are provided, and the two operation openings 302 are symmetrically arranged about the center of the bearing base 30.

[0029] See also Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, the operation opening 302 is formed as an opening at the bottom edge of the supporting base 30. For example, the operation opening 302 is a door-shaped opening structure, so that the operator has a larger operating space for his hands.

[0030] See also Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, the supporting base 30 is a hollow cylindrical structure, and the interior of the cylindrical structure is an operating space 301, which has a simple structure and is easy to process and manufacture.

[0031] See also Figures 3 to 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the mounting ring 101 includes a ring body 1011 and a lug 1012 disposed on the circumference of the ring body 1011, the lug 1012 extends radially along the ring body 1011, and a positioning groove 303 adapted to the lug 1012 is disposed on the top of the side wall of the bearing base 30. Figure 3As shown, three lugs 1012 are arranged on the ring body 1011, two of which are symmetrically arranged about the center of the ring body 1011, and a handle 1013 is arranged above each of the two lugs 1012, which can facilitate the carrying of the mounting ring 101, and another lug 1012 is arranged between the above two lugs 1012, and is used to be fixedly connected to the air intake pipe 205. Three positioning grooves 303 with openings facing upward are arranged on the side wall of the bearing base 30, and the three positioning grooves 303 are arranged one-to-one with the three lugs 1012, respectively. When assembling, each lug 1012 is placed in the corresponding positioning groove 303 from the top of the bearing base 30. By providing the positioning grooves 303, the bearing base 30 has a positioning function, and the mounting ring 101 can be placed in the bearing base 30 in a specific direction, thereby improving the usability of the bearing base 30 and reducing the errors that may occur during the installation process.

[0032] See also Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the inner diameter of the bearing base 30 is matched with the outer diameter of the ring body 1011. Specifically, the bearing base 30 is a cylindrical structure, and the ring body 1011 of the mounting ring 101 is a circular ring structure, and the outer diameter of the ring body 1011 is matched with the inner diameter of the bearing base 30, so that the ring body 1011 of the mounting ring 101 is confined in the bearing base 30, avoiding the deviation of the mounting ring 101 during assembly to affect the assembly accuracy.

[0033] See also Figure 8 As shown, in some embodiments, the centering member 40 includes a cylinder 401 and an outer flange 402 arranged along one end of the cylinder 401, wherein the outer diameter of the cylinder 401 is the same as the inner diameter of the center hole 104 of the quartz top plate 103, and the outer flange 402 is arranged at the bottom of the cylinder 401, and the bottom of the outer flange 402 is the end away from the quartz top plate 103. By setting the outer flange 402, it is convenient for the operator to hold it during installation. During assembly, hold one end of the outer flange 402 and insert the top of the cylinder 401 into the center hole 104 of the quartz top plate 103.

[0034] In some embodiments, the wall thickness of the cylinder 401 is 1 mm. By setting the wall thickness of the cylinder 401 to 1 mm, the assembly accuracy between the central hole 104 of the quartz top plate 103 and the nozzle 201 can be effectively guaranteed.

[0035] According to another aspect of the present invention, a centering method is provided, which is applied to the centering tooling of any one of the above embodiments, and the centering method comprises the following steps: S1. Place the mounting ring 101 on the bearing base 30; Specifically, the bearing base 30 is a cylindrical structure and is vertically arranged along its axis; the mounting ring 101 is a circular ring structure, and two handles 1013 are symmetrically arranged on its edge, and the mounting ring 101 is carried and placed on the bearing base 30 through the handles 1013.

[0036] S2. The quartz top plate 103 is installed in the mounting ring 101; The mounting ring 101 has an inner flange for supporting the quartz top plate 103 , and the quartz top plate 103 is placed on the inner flange of the mounting ring 101 .

[0037] S3. Install the limit ring 102; The limiting ring 102 is sleeved on the outside of the quartz top plate 103 , and the limiting ring 102 is located inside the mounting ring 101 , so as to limit the quartz top plate 103 to a preset mounting position.

[0038] S4. The centering member 40 is inserted upward from the bottom of the quartz top plate 103 into the center hole 104 of the quartz top plate 103; Specifically, the centering piece 40 is held and extended from the operation opening 302 into the operation space 301 of the supporting base 30 , and the centering piece 40 is inserted upward from the bottom of the quartz top plate 103 into the central hole 104 of the quartz top plate 103 .

[0039] S5. Insert the nozzle 201 into the centering member 40; Specifically, the nozzle 201 is inserted downwardly into the centering member 40 from above the quartz top plate 103 .

[0040] S6. Install the lower fixture 203; The lower fixture 203 is installed in the groove 105 on the quartz top plate 103 . The groove 105 is located outside the central hole 104 on the quartz top plate 103 .

[0041] S7. Install the air intake block 204; The air inlet block 204 is mounted above the nozzle 201 .

[0042] S8. Install the air intake pipe; One end of the air inlet pipe 205 is connected to the air inlet end of the air inlet block 204, and the other end of the air inlet pipe 205 is connected to the air source.

[0043] S9. Install the upper fixture 202; The upper clamp 202 is placed over the air intake block 204 and the lower clamp 203 , and the upper clamp 202 and the lower clamp 203 are fixedly connected by screws 206 .

[0044] S10. Remove the centering member 40.

[0045] The centering piece 40 is pulled out from the bottom of the quartz top plate 103 to complete the assembly of the quartz top plate assembly 10 and the nozzle assembly 20. After the centering piece 40 is removed, a uniform gap is formed between the central hole 104 of the quartz top plate 103 and the nozzle 201.

[0046] It can be understood that the beneficial effects of the above-mentioned other aspect can be found in the relevant description of the above-mentioned first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0047] In summary, the centering tool and centering method provided in this embodiment have at least the following beneficial technical effects: (1) The quartz top plate assembly 10 is supported by the bearing base 30, and the outer diameter of the centering piece 40 is the same as the inner diameter of the center hole 104 of the quartz top plate 103, and the inner diameter of the centering piece 40 is the same as the outer diameter of the nozzle 201, so that the nozzle 201 and the quartz top plate 103 are aligned and assembled, which effectively solves the problem that the side wall of the nozzle 201 and the inner wall of the center hole 104 of the quartz top plate 103 are damaged due to collision and uneven assembly gap when the nozzle 201 and the quartz top plate 103 are assembled; (2) The centering member 40 of the present invention can be inserted into the center hole 104 during assembly and can be removed after assembly, so that it can be flexibly taken and is simple and easy to operate.

[0048] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and only specifically describe the technical principles of the present invention. These descriptions are only for explaining the principles of the present invention and cannot be interpreted as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention in any way. Based on the explanations here, any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention, and other specific implementations of the present invention that can be associated with by technicians in this field without creative labor, should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A centering tool, characterized in that: It is used for assembling a quartz top plate assembly and a nozzle assembly, the quartz top plate assembly comprises a mounting ring, a limiting ring and a quartz top plate, the quartz top plate is mounted in the mounting ring through the limiting ring, and a center hole is provided at the center of the quartz top plate; the nozzle assembly comprises a nozzle, an upper clamp, a lower clamp, an air intake block and an air intake pipe, one end of the air intake pipe is connected to the air intake block, and the air intake block is fixed between the upper clamp and the nozzle through the upper clamp and the lower clamp; The centering tool includes a bearing base and a centering piece, the bearing base is used to support the mounting ring, the bearing base has an operating space that runs axially therethrough, the side wall of the bearing base is provided with an operating port that is connected to the operating space, and the operating port is used for a person to insert a hand; the centering piece is a hollow cylinder, the outer diameter of the centering piece is the same as the inner diameter of the center hole of the quartz top plate, and the outer diameter of the nozzle is the same as the inner diameter of the centering piece.

2. The centering tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the operation ports is multiple.

3. The centering tool according to claim 2, characterized in that: The plurality of operation openings are spaced apart from each other and evenly distributed along the circumference of the bearing base.

4. The centering tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The operation port forms an opening at the bottom edge of the bearing base.

5. The centering tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bearing base is a hollow cylindrical structure.

6. The centering tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting ring comprises a ring body and a lug arranged on the circumference of the ring body, the lug extends radially along the ring body, and a positioning groove matched with the lug is arranged on the top of the side wall of the bearing base.

7. The centering tool according to claim 6, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the bearing base is matched with the outer diameter of the ring body.

8. The centering tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The centering member comprises a cylinder and an outer flange arranged along one end of the cylinder.

9. The centering tool according to claim 8, characterized in that: The wall thickness of the cylinder is 1 mm.

10. A centering method, characterized in that: Applied to the centering tool as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, the centering method comprises the following steps: S1. Place the mounting ring on the bearing base; S2. The quartz ceiling is installed in the mounting ring; S3. Install the limit ring; S4. The centering member is inserted upward from the bottom of the quartz top plate into the center hole of the quartz top plate; S5. Inserting the nozzle into the centering member; S6. Install the lower fixture; S7. Install the air intake block; S8. Install the air intake pipe; S9. Install the fixture; S10. Remove the centering member.

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