Carrier assembly, method of controlling the same and semiconductor process apparatus

Abstract

The application discloses a bearing assembly, a control method thereof and a semiconductor process equipment. The bearing assembly comprises a base and at least three top-holding mechanisms, the base and the at least three top-holding mechanisms are respectively used for supporting a workpiece to be processed, the base is provided with a plurality of through holes, each top-holding mechanism comprises a top-holding piece, and a plurality of top-holding pieces are correspondingly arranged in the plurality of through holes; at least one top-holding mechanism further comprises a pressure detection piece, and the top-holding piece in the top-holding mechanism is supported on the pressure detection piece. The bearing assembly can solve the problem that the semiconductor process equipment cannot monitor the sliding phenomenon of a wafer in a wafer conveying process, so that the wafer is in a state of relative eccentricity with the base in a subsequent processing process, and the wafer may be invalid or even broken.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of semiconductor processing technology, specifically relating to a carrier component and its control method and semiconductor process equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Due to its excellent electrical conductivity and resistance to electromigration, tungsten is commonly used in semiconductor processing, particularly in chemical vapor deposition (CVD), to fill holes or trenches with tungsten to achieve electrical connections between front-end devices and back-end metal interconnects. Generally, after metal filling, chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) is used to remove residual tungsten from the wafer surface. To ensure proper metal removal, a shielding ring with an inner diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the wafer is typically placed around the wafer edge before metal deposition. This ensures a deposit-free, uniformly wide annular region is formed on the wafer's upper surface from its outer edge. To guarantee that the deposit-free region at the wafer's outer edge is of uniform or nearly uniform width, the annular ring, the wafer, and the wafer support base must be concentrically positioned. In current wafer transfer processes, multiple ejector pins pre-support the wafer. Then, as the base rises, it lifts the wafer from the tips of the ejector pins, propelling the wafer further to the processing station.

[0003] Because current process equipment cannot detect the possibility of wafer slippage when the wafer is moved to the ejector pin, the wafer may be relatively off-center from the substrate when it is supported on the ejector pin. In this case, after the substrate supports the wafer to complete the metal deposition process, the wafer may be off-center after edge removal, or even fail or break. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a carrier component and its control method and semiconductor process equipment to solve the problem that current semiconductor process equipment cannot monitor the wafer slippage phenomenon that may occur during wafer transfer, resulting in the wafer being in a state of relative eccentricity with the base for subsequent processing, which may cause wafer failure or even fragmentation.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application disclose a support component, which includes a base and at least three supporting mechanisms. The base and at least three supporting mechanisms are respectively used to support the workpiece to be processed. The base is provided with a plurality of through holes, and each supporting mechanism includes a supporting member, and the plurality of supporting members can be correspondingly inserted into the plurality of through holes.

[0006] At least one of the supporting mechanisms further includes a pressure detection element, and the supporting element in the supporting mechanism is supported by the pressure detection element.

[0007] Secondly, this application discloses a control method applied to the aforementioned support assembly. The support assembly further includes a position adjustment mechanism, and each of the supporting mechanisms is mounted on the position adjustment mechanism. The position adjustment mechanism is used to drive each of the supporting mechanisms to move relative to the base in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the through hole. The control method includes:

[0008] S1. Obtain the detection value of the pressure detection element;

[0009] S2. If the detected value does not meet the preset pressure, control the position adjustment mechanism to drive multiple top holding mechanisms to move relative to the base, so as to reduce the distance between the center of the workpiece and the center of the base in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the through hole.

[0010] Thirdly, embodiments of this application also disclose a semiconductor process apparatus, which includes a process chamber and the aforementioned support assembly, wherein the base is vertically and elliptically mounted in the process chamber.

[0011] This application discloses a support component, which includes a base for supporting a workpiece and at least three supporting mechanisms. The base is provided with multiple through holes, and the supporting members of each supporting mechanism can be inserted into the multiple through holes in a one-to-one correspondence, thereby ensuring that both the supporting mechanism and the base have the ability to support the workpiece. Meanwhile, at least one of the multiple holding mechanisms also includes a pressure detection element, and the holding element in the holding mechanism is supported by the pressure detection element, so that the pressure detection element can detect the magnitude of the pressure value borne by the holding element. Then, when the workpiece to be processed is supported on multiple holding mechanisms, by comparing the pressure detection value of the pressure detection element with the preset pressure value, it can be determined whether the center of the workpiece to be processed is concentric or basically concentric with the center of the base. If the workpiece to be processed does not meet the concentricity requirement with the base, the workpiece to be processed can be re-transferred into the process chamber by re-executing the transfer step, etc., so that the workpiece to be processed can be stably supported on multiple holding mechanisms without slipping, and the center of the workpiece to be processed and the center of the base meet the concentricity requirement, thereby ensuring that the subsequent process can be carried out reliably and forming a workpiece that meets the processing requirements. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of the carrier component disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0014] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the assembly between the support member and the pressure detection member in the load-bearing assembly disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0015] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly between the drive component and the connecting frame disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0016] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing that the base of the support component disclosed in this application and the workpiece are in a concentric state;

[0017] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing that the base of the load-bearing component disclosed in the embodiments of this application is in an eccentric state with respect to the workpiece;

[0018] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the distribution relationship between the center of the base and the through holes in the load-bearing component disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0019] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0020] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing a portion of the structure in the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in the embodiments of this application in another state;

[0021] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of the control method disclosed in an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure label:

[0023] 100 - Base, 110 - Through hole

[0024] 210 - Top support, 220 - Pressure detection component, 230 - Base, 240 - Cable

[0025] 310-Drive component, 311-First drive shaft, 312-Second drive shaft, 320-Connecting bracket, 330-Elastic sleeve, 340-Connecting rod, 350-Extended boss, 360-Sealing ring,

[0026] 400 - Process chamber, 410 - Exhaust port, 420 - Perforation

[0027] 500 - Parts to be processed. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0029] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0030] like Figures 1-8 As shown, this application discloses a support component that can be applied to semiconductor process equipment and used to provide support for a wafer awaiting processing 500. Figure 1 As shown, the support assembly includes a base 100 and at least three top-holding mechanisms.

[0031] The base 100 and at least three supporting mechanisms are used to support the workpiece 500. The supporting mechanisms primarily provide temporary support for the workpiece 500 before it undergoes processing, and also provide clearance for the transfer mechanism as it moves the workpiece 500 from outside the process chamber 400 into it. Figure 1 As shown, the supporting mechanism may include a supporting member 210, and the supporting member 210 may specifically be a metal needle-like structure, so that while having a reliable supporting function, the diameter and other parameters of the supporting member 210 are relatively small, thereby reducing the space occupied by the supporting member 210.

[0032] As described above, the number of supporting mechanisms is at least three. More specifically, any one of the supporting mechanisms can provide point support for the workpiece 500. When three or more supporting mechanisms work together, they can provide reliable support for the workpiece 500; or, the workpiece 500 can be supported simultaneously on at least three supporting mechanisms. Optionally, the number of supporting mechanisms is four or more to improve the support effect of the workpiece 500. In one specific embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 1 As shown, there are three supporting mechanisms, and the lines connecting the tops of the three supporting mechanisms form an acute triangle.

[0033] As described above, the base 100 also supports the workpiece 500 to be processed. During the processing of the workpiece 500, the base 100 replaces the supporting mechanism in supporting the workpiece 500. Furthermore, by equipping the base 100 with corresponding functions, it can also provide heating or cooling functions for the workpiece 500. Specifically, the base 100 may include a chuck, which, when the carrier component is used in semiconductor process equipment, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 7 As shown, the base 100 can be raised and lowered within the process chamber 400 via a lifting mechanism, thereby enabling the base 100 to have process stations and wafer transfer stations, etc.

[0034] In addition, since the supporting mechanism can also be used to support the workpiece 500 to be processed, the base 100 is also provided with a plurality of through holes 110. As mentioned above, the supporting mechanism includes a plurality of supporting members 210. Based on this, the plurality of supporting members 210 can be inserted into the plurality of through holes 110 in a corresponding manner. Of course, depending on the different connection relationships between the supporting members 210 and the base 100, during the operation of the bearing component disclosed in this application embodiment, the supporting members 210 can always be accommodated in the corresponding through holes 110. Alternatively, when the base 100 and the supporting members 210 have the ability to move relative to each other, when the base 100 is lifted to the process station, the supporting members 210 can be disengaged from the through holes 110. That is, the supporting members 210 are located outside the through holes 110 and below the base 100.

[0035] In one specific embodiment of this application, the top holding mechanism and the base 100 can be movable in the support direction, or the top holding mechanism can be fixedly installed inside the process chamber 400, and when the base 100 moves upward relative to the process chamber 400, the base 100 can rise above the top holding mechanism and support the workpiece 500 to be processed, so that the detection accuracy of the top holding mechanism is relatively higher.

[0036] Furthermore, in the bearing assembly disclosed in this application embodiment, at least one supporting mechanism also includes a pressure detection element 220. The pressure detection element 220 can specifically be a pressure sensor with relatively high accuracy, typically reaching 0.01N. Simultaneously, in the supporting mechanism including the pressure detection element 220, the supporting member 210 is supported by the pressure detection element 220, enabling the pressure detection element 220 to detect the pressure on the supporting member 210 connected to it. Based on the specific distribution of the multiple supporting mechanisms relative to the center of the base 100, the specific position parameters of the supporting mechanism where the pressure detection element 220 is located, and parameters such as the weight of the workpiece 500, the pressure detection value of the pressure detection element 220 can be used to determine whether the position of the workpiece 500 is centered, i.e., whether the center of the workpiece 500 and the base 100 are concentric, when the transfer mechanism transfers the workpiece 500 to the multiple supporting mechanisms.

[0037] Specifically, one end of the support member 210 can be fixedly connected to the detection head of the pressure detection member 220 by means of bonding or other methods, thereby enabling the pressure detection member 220 to detect the pressure on the support member 210. More specifically, when one end of the support member 210 is fixed to the detection head of the pressure detection member 220, the pressure detection member 220 can be directly or indirectly fixed in the process chamber 400.

[0038] Of course, in order to reduce the installation difficulty of the pressure detection component 220, such as Figure 2 As shown, the supporting mechanism may also include a base 230, which is pre-assembled with the pressure detection element 220. During the installation of the supporting mechanism, the base 230 can be used to install the entire supporting mechanism into the process chamber 400, ensuring relatively high installation accuracy of the pressure detection element 220. The pressure detection element 220 and the base 230 can form a relatively reliable fixed relationship through pre-bonding or threaded connection. A through hole in the center of the base 230 allows the cable 240 of the pressure detection element 220 to be led out from the base 230, thus enabling information transmission. Furthermore, in other embodiments of this application, the supporting mechanism may also have the ability to move relative to the process chamber 400 to meet specific requirements.

[0039] Taking a scenario where there are four supporting mechanisms, with the lines connecting the tops of the four supporting mechanisms forming a square, and the distances between the centers of the four supporting mechanisms and the base 100 being equal, if the workpiece 500 is simultaneously supported on the tops of the supporting members 210 of all four supporting mechanisms, and the center of the workpiece 500 is concentric with the center of the base 100, then regardless of which of the four supporting mechanisms includes the pressure detection element 220, the pressure detection value of the pressure detection element 220 will be equal to or approximately equal to one-quarter of the weight of the workpiece 500. Accordingly, during the process, if the pressure detection value of the pressure detection element 220 is less than or greater than one-quarter of the weight of the workpiece 500 when the supporting mechanisms employ the above technical solution, it can be basically determined that there is a misalignment between the workpiece 500 and the base 100. Of course, a preset range can be set according to parameters such as the weight of the workpiece 500 to be processed, and the pressure detection value of the pressure detection element 220 can be compared with the aforementioned preset range to prevent the difficulty of transferring the workpiece 500 from being greatly increased and the efficiency of transferring the workpiece from being reduced due to factors such as the detection accuracy and error of the pressure detection element 220.

[0040] Accordingly, if the pressure detection value of the pressure detection element 220 indicates that the center of the workpiece 500 and the base 100 are not concentric, it is considered that the transfer mechanism may have experienced slippage when transferring the workpiece 500 to the top holding mechanism. Based on this, the transfer mechanism can be used to move the transferred workpiece 500 back outside the process chamber 400. Then, if the workpiece 500 meets other requirements, the transfer mechanism can transfer the workpiece 500 back into the process chamber 400, and the workpiece 500 can be supported on the top holding mechanism, so that the center of the workpiece 500 is concentric or substantially concentric with the center of the base 100.

[0041] This application discloses a support component, which includes a base 100 for supporting a workpiece 500 and at least three supporting mechanisms. The base 100 is provided with a plurality of through holes 110, and the supporting members 210 of each supporting mechanism can be inserted into the plurality of through holes 110 in a corresponding manner, thereby ensuring that both the supporting mechanism and the base 100 have the ability to support the workpiece 500. Meanwhile, at least one of the multiple holding mechanisms also includes a pressure detection element 220, and the holding element 210 in the holding mechanism is supported by the pressure detection element 220, so that the pressure detection element 220 can detect the magnitude of the pressure value borne by the holding element 210. Then, when the workpiece 500 to be processed is supported on multiple holding mechanisms, by comparing the pressure detection value of the pressure detection element 220 with the preset pressure value, it can be determined whether the center of the workpiece 500 to be processed is concentric or basically concentric with the center of the base 100. If the workpiece 500 to be processed does not meet the concentricity requirement with the base 100, the workpiece 500 to be processed can be re-transferred into the process chamber 400 by re-executing the transfer step, etc. Without slippage of the workpiece 500, the workpiece 500 to be processed can be stably supported on multiple holding mechanisms, and the center of the workpiece 500 to be processed and the center of the base 100 can meet the concentricity requirement, thereby ensuring that the subsequent process can be carried out reliably and forming a workpiece that meets the processing requirements.

[0042] During the operation of the bearing assembly disclosed in the above embodiments, by comparing the detection value of the pressure detection element 220 with the preset pressure, it can be determined whether the workpiece 500 has been conveyed to a position concentric with the base 100. Furthermore, if the workpiece 500 slips during the conveying process, causing it to fail to be concentric with the base 100 when supported on the top holding mechanism, it may be necessary to repeat the transfer step using the transfer mechanism, which would have a significant adverse impact on process efficiency.

[0043] Based on this, in this embodiment, the bearing assembly further includes a position adjustment mechanism. Each supporting mechanism is mounted on the position adjustment mechanism, and the position adjustment mechanism is used to drive each supporting mechanism to move relative to the base 100 in an axial direction perpendicular to the through hole 110. This allows the bearing assembly disclosed in this embodiment to provide position adjustment for the workpiece 500 supported on multiple supporting mechanisms during operation. It should be noted that because the supporting member 210 of the supporting mechanism passes through the through hole 110 of the base 100, the adjustment range of the position adjustment mechanism disclosed in this embodiment is limited.

[0044] Specifically, the number of position adjustment mechanisms can be the same as the number of holding mechanisms, and each holding mechanism can be equipped with a position adjustment mechanism in a one-to-one correspondence. By keeping the driving direction and driving amount of each position adjustment mechanism consistent, the displacement of multiple holding mechanisms relative to the base 100 can be the same, thereby ensuring that the workpiece 500 to be processed can be stably supported by the holding mechanism.

[0045] In another embodiment of this application, in order to reduce the number of moving parts and thus reduce the difficulty of control, the position adjustment mechanism may optionally include a drive member 310 and a connecting frame 320. Each holding mechanism is mounted on the connecting frame 320, and the drive member 310 is connected to the connecting frame 320. Thus, multiple holding mechanisms can be driven to move relative to the base 100 simultaneously using the same drive member 310. This can further improve the consistency of the actions of multiple holding mechanisms and improve the stability of the workpiece 500 when it moves relative to the base 100 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the through hole 110.

[0046] Specifically, the drive unit 310 may include devices with linear driving function such as linear motors, and may be equipped with a transmission mechanism for the linear drive mechanism. By changing the state of the transmission mechanism or by connecting the linear motor to different transmission mechanisms, the linear drive device can drive the workpiece 500 to move in mutually perpendicular directions through the transmission mechanism, so that the workpiece 500 is as concentric as possible with the base 100.

[0047] Furthermore, the drive component 310 and related transmission mechanisms can be installed within the process chamber 400. To prevent the presence of the aforementioned components from adversely affecting the process accuracy, in another embodiment of this application, the connecting frame 320 is disposed within the process chamber 400, and the center of the connecting frame 320 is kept concentric with the center of the process chamber 400. The drive component 310 is disposed outside the process chamber 400, and by providing a through hole 420 at a corresponding position on the process chamber 400, it is ensured that the drive connection structure of the drive component 310 can be connected to the connecting frame 320 within the process chamber 400 through the aforementioned through hole 420.

[0048] Meanwhile, with the aforementioned perforation 420 provided in the process chamber 400, to prevent the process environment inside the process chamber 400 from being damaged by the external atmospheric environment, an elastic sleeve 330 can be provided at the perforation 420. Specifically, the elastic sleeve 330 is formed of a material with relatively high structural strength, such as stainless steel, and can have a corrugated structure to give it a certain deformation capacity. This ensures that when the driving component 310 moves the connecting frame 320, the elastic sleeve 330 can always provide a good sealing effect for the perforation 420. The maximum relative displacement of the opposite ends of the elastic sleeve 330 in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the elastic sleeve 330 is greater than the required active correction amount of the holding mechanism in this application. For example, the maximum relative displacement of the elastic sleeve 330 can be 3 mm, while the active correction amount of the holding mechanism is usually less than or equal to 1 mm.

[0049] Specifically, one end of the elastic sleeve is connected to the outer wall of the process chamber 400, and the other end is connected to the drive component 310 to seal the perforation 420. Furthermore, to reduce the installation difficulty of the elastic sleeve 330, the drive component 310 can be connected to the connecting frame 320 via a connecting rod 340, and the end of the connecting rod 340 connected to the drive component 310 can be provided with an extended boss 350, allowing the elastic sleeve 330 to be fitted outside the connecting rod 340, with the end of the elastic sleeve 330 facing away from the process chamber 400 connected to the extended boss 350. Of course, to further improve the sealing effect of the elastic sleeve 330, flexible sealing rings 360 can also be provided at both opposite ends of the elastic sleeve 330.

[0050] Furthermore, as described above, the drive member 310 is used to drive the connecting frame 320 to move in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the process chamber 400. To reduce the driving difficulty of the drive member 310, the drive member 310 can include a first drive shaft 311 and a second drive shaft 312, which are used to provide driving action in a first direction and a second direction, respectively. The first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other and are both perpendicular to the axial direction of the process chamber 400, i.e., the holding direction.

[0051] In cases where one of the multiple supporting mechanisms includes a pressure detection element 220, the adjustment direction and adjustment magnitude of the position adjustment mechanism can be determined based on parameters such as the detection value of the pressure detection element 220 and its relative position to the center of the base 100. Specifically, if the pressure detection value of the pressure detection element 220 is less than the preset pressure, it can be assumed that the actual position of the workpiece 500 is usually offset further away from the pressure detection element 220 relative to the preset position of the workpiece 500. In this case, the position detection element can be used to move the workpiece 500 along the direction from the center of the base 100 toward the pressure detection element 220 via the multiple supporting mechanisms. Conversely, if the pressure detection value of the pressure detection element 220 is greater than the preset pressure value, the position detection element can be used to move the workpiece 500 along the direction from the pressure detection element 220 toward the center of the base 100 via the multiple supporting mechanisms.

[0052] In the above embodiments, the adjustment accuracy is relatively low, and a single adjustment may not be able to make the center of the workpiece 500 and the center of the base 100 concentric or substantially concentric, resulting in relatively high difficulty in adjusting the workpiece 500. Therefore, in this embodiment, each supporting mechanism further includes a pressure detection element 220, and each supporting member 210 in any supporting mechanism is supported on the corresponding pressure detection element 220, so that the pressure applied to each supporting member 210 can be detected by the corresponding pressure detection element 220.

[0053] When the above technical solution is adopted, when the transfer mechanism transfers the workpiece 500 to multiple holding mechanisms, the pressure detection element 220 of each holding mechanism can obtain the corresponding pressure detection value. Based on the multiple pressure detection values ​​and the relative positional relationship between the multiple pressure detection elements 220 and the center of the base 100, the direction and magnitude of the offset of the workpiece 500 relative to the center of the base 100 can be obtained, that is, the offset vector of the workpiece 500. Based on the aforementioned offset vector, the position adjustment mechanism can provide position adjustment for the workpiece 500 with relatively accurate positioning.

[0054] More specifically, after obtaining the offset vector of the workpiece 500, the position adjustment mechanism, through multiple supporting mechanisms, moves the workpiece 500 a distance equal to the value of the offset vector in a direction opposite to the offset vector, thus making the center of the workpiece 500 concentric with the center of the base 100. Of course, if the position adjustment mechanism only provides driving action in two mutually perpendicular directions, and the direction of the offset vector is tilted relative to the driving direction of the position adjustment mechanism, the center of the workpiece 500 and the center of the base 100 can be made concentric by the position adjustment mechanism through multiple driving actions. The resultant motion of the multiple driving actions of the position adjustment mechanism is the opposite vector of the aforementioned offset vector. Furthermore, considering the relatively small weight of the workpiece 500, the detection accuracy of each pressure detection element 220 should be relatively high to improve detection and adjustment accuracy.

[0055] As described above, the number of supporting mechanisms can be three, and the line connecting the tops of the three supporting mechanisms forms an acute triangle. Since the supporting members 210 of the supporting mechanisms are all correspondingly inserted into the through holes 110 of the base 100, that is, the number of through holes 110 on the base 100 can be three, and the line connecting the centers of the three through holes 110 forms an acute triangle.

[0056] In order to further improve the support stability of the multiple support mechanisms for the workpiece 500 and reduce the difficulty of obtaining the offset of the workpiece 500 by using the measurement values ​​of multiple pressure detection elements 220, in this embodiment of the application, the distance between the center of the three through holes 110 and the center of the base 100 can be equal. That is, the line connecting the centers of the three through holes 110 forms an equilateral triangle, and the center of the equilateral triangle is concentric with the center of the base 100.

[0057] Based on the above embodiments, the included angle between any two adjacent support mechanisms and the center of the base 100 is 120°. In this case, when the workpiece 500 is supported on the three support mechanisms and the center of the workpiece 500 is concentric with the center of the base 100, the detection value of the pressure detection element 220 of any support mechanism is equal and is one-third of the weight of the workpiece 500 (without considering the weight of the support element 210).

[0058] Accordingly, when the workpiece 500 is transferred to the holding mechanism, if the detection value of any pressure sensor 220 is not equal to one-third of the weight of the workpiece 500, it indicates that there is an eccentricity between the workpiece 500 and the base 100. In this case, coordinate axes are established with the center of the base 100 pointing to the centers of the three through holes 110. like Figure 6As shown, the offset between the center of the workpiece 500 and the center of the base 100 is... Substituting into the coordinate system above, the relationship is: And F1+F2+F3=mg (mg is the weight of the workpiece 500).

[0059] Based on the carrier component disclosed in any of the above embodiments, when the carrier component includes the aforementioned position adjustment mechanism, this application also discloses a control method, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the control methods include:

[0060] S1. Obtain the detection value of the pressure detection element. Specifically, the pressure of the corresponding support element in the support mechanism can be obtained through the pressure detection element used to support the support element in the support mechanism. Then, the detection value of the pressure detection element can be compared with the preset pressure to determine the concentricity between the center of the workpiece and the center of the base.

[0061] Subsequently, the control methods also include:

[0062] S2. If the detected value does not meet the preset pressure, the position adjustment mechanism drives multiple supporting mechanisms to move relative to the base, thereby reducing the distance between the center of the workpiece and the center of the base in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the through hole. Specifically, by utilizing the relationship between the detected value of the pressure sensor and the preset pressure, the approximate deviation direction of the center of the workpiece from the center of the base can be determined. Then, the position adjustment mechanism can drive the workpiece to move in the opposite direction, so that when the workpiece is supported on the base, the distance between the center of the workpiece and the center of the base is smaller, or even coincides.

[0063] To further quantify the adjustment parameters of the position adjustment mechanism, each supporting mechanism in the bearing assembly can include a pressure detection element, and the supporting element in any supporting mechanism can be supported on the corresponding pressure detection element, thereby allowing the pressure on the supporting element of each supporting mechanism to be detected accordingly. In this case, in the control method disclosed in the embodiments of this application, the above step S1 includes:

[0064] The detection values ​​of each pressure detection element are obtained. That is, the pressure of each supporting element can be obtained through multiple pressure detection elements. If any of the detection values ​​of each pressure detection element does not meet its corresponding preset pressure, it can be considered that there is an eccentricity between the center of the workpiece and the center of the base.

[0065] Accordingly, based on parameters such as the installation position of multiple support mechanisms relative to the base, the relative position between each pressure detection element and the center of the base is also a known parameter. Therefore, using the aforementioned parameters, the magnitude and direction of the offset of the center of the workpiece relative to the center of the base can be obtained.

[0066] Specifically, step S2 above may include:

[0067] If any of the multiple detection values ​​does not meet the corresponding preset pressure, the offset vector of the workpiece relative to the center of the base is obtained based on the multiple detection values. As described above, based on the relative positions of the multiple pressure detection elements and the center of the base, as well as the specific magnitudes of each detection value, the magnitude and direction of the offset of the center of the workpiece relative to the center of the base, i.e., the aforementioned offset vector, can be calculated. It should be noted that if the equivalent relative positions between the multiple holding mechanisms and the center of the base are different, the preset pressure of each pressure detection element may also be different. However, if the distance between the multiple holding mechanisms and the base is equal, and the angle between the lines connecting any two adjacent holding mechanisms and the center of the base is equal, the preset pressure is the same value.

[0068] Furthermore, given the aforementioned offset vector, the position adjustment mechanism can adjust the position of the workpiece accordingly. To this end, step S2 further includes:

[0069] When the value of the offset vector is less than or equal to the adjustment range of the position adjustment mechanism, the position adjustment mechanism drives multiple supporting mechanisms to move relative to the base. Correspondingly, the adjustment distance of the position adjustment mechanism is equal to the value of the offset vector, that is, the adjustment distance is equal to the magnitude of the offset vector. The adjustment direction of the position adjustment mechanism is opposite to the direction of the offset vector, thereby enabling the position adjustment mechanism to drive the workpiece to move relative to the base. This ensures that when the base rises and supports the workpiece, the center of the workpiece is concentrically aligned with the center of the base. The adjustment range of the position adjustment mechanism is related to the dimension of the through hole in the direction perpendicular to its own axis, for example, it can be 1 mm, which is not limited in this paper. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the movement of the workpiece driven by the position adjustment mechanism can be divided into multiple component movements, and the resultant movement of these component movements corresponds to the aforementioned offset vector.

[0070] Since the workpiece may slip significantly during the transfer process, causing the offset vector to exceed the adjustment range of the position adjustment mechanism, in order to improve the processing accuracy of the workpiece, if the position adjustment mechanism cannot provide good adjustment capability, the position of the workpiece can be adjusted without using the position adjustment mechanism. Instead, the workpiece can be transferred out of the process chamber. If other conditions of the workpiece meet the requirements, the workpiece can be transferred back into the process chamber using the transfer mechanism. In this case, if the slippage does not occur again during the next transfer process, the center of the workpiece can be or is basically concentric with the center of the base when the workpiece is supported on the top holding mechanism.

[0071] Therefore, step S2 above also includes:

[0072] When the value of the offset vector is greater than the adjustment range of the position adjustment mechanism, the workpiece to be processed is controlled to move out of the process chamber.

[0073] As described above, in the aforementioned embodiment, the offset vector of the center of the workpiece relative to the center of the base can be obtained using the detection values ​​of multiple pressure sensors. If the value of the offset vector exceeds the adjustment range of the position adjustment mechanism, the workpiece can be re-transferred out of the process chamber using the transfer mechanism to resolve the slippage phenomenon that occurred during the previous transfer process. However, since the deviation between the actual position and the preset position of the workpiece is not significant when slippage occurs, if the offset between the center of the workpiece supported on the top holding mechanism and the center of the base is relatively large after the transfer process is completed, it is considered that the transfer mechanism may have a transfer failure.

[0074] Therefore, in the control method of this application embodiment, if the value of the offset vector is greater than the adjustment range of the position adjustment mechanism and less than the preset offset, it means that although the offset of the workpiece exceeds the adjustment range of the position adjustment mechanism, it is likely caused by the slippage phenomenon. Therefore, the transfer mechanism can be controlled to move the workpiece out of the process chamber and re-execute the transfer step. If the slippage phenomenon does not occur during the next transfer step, the workpiece can be stably transferred to multiple top holding mechanisms, and the center of the workpiece is concentric or substantially concentric with the center of the base.

[0075] If the value of the offset vector is greater than the adjustment range of the position adjustment mechanism and equal to or greater than the preset offset, it means that the deviation between the actual position of the workpiece and the preset position may not necessarily be due to slippage during the wafer transfer process. In this case, the wafer transfer mechanism can be controlled to move the workpiece out of the process chamber and issue an alarm signal to prompt the equipment or user to check the working status of the wafer transfer mechanism and other devices, ensuring that all devices and set parameters in the semiconductor process equipment are in normal condition. It should be noted that issuing an alarm message does not necessarily mean that there is a malfunction in the devices within the semiconductor process equipment.

[0076] Based on the carrier component disclosed in any of the above embodiments, this application also discloses a semiconductor process equipment, which includes a process chamber and any of the above carrier components. The base in the carrier component is vertically mounted in the process chamber. In addition, the process chamber 400 may also be provided with an exhaust port 410 so that by-products generated during the process can be extracted from the exhaust port 410 to the outside of the process chamber 400.

[0077] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatuses in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Additionally, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0078] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A load-bearing component, characterized in that, It includes a base, a position adjustment mechanism, and at least three supporting mechanisms. The base and the at least three supporting mechanisms are used to support the workpiece to be processed. The base is provided with multiple through holes. Each supporting mechanism includes a supporting member, and the multiple supporting members can be inserted into the multiple through holes one by one. At least one of the supporting mechanisms further includes a pressure detection element, and the supporting element in the supporting mechanism is supported by the pressure detection element, so as to determine whether the center of the workpiece to be processed and the center of the base are concentric by the pressure detection value of the pressure detection element; Each of the aforementioned supporting mechanisms is mounted on the position adjustment mechanism, which is used to move each of the supporting mechanisms relative to the base in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the through hole when the workpiece to be processed does not meet the concentricity requirement with the base.

2. The load-bearing component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The position adjustment mechanism includes a drive component and a connecting frame. Each of the top holding mechanisms is mounted on the connecting frame, and the drive component is connected to the connecting frame.

3. The load-bearing component according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned support mechanisms includes the pressure detection element, and the support element in any of the aforementioned support mechanisms is supported by the pressure detection element.

4. The load-bearing component according to claim 3, characterized in that, The number of through holes is three, and the line connecting the centers of the three through holes forms an acute triangle.

5. The load-bearing component according to claim 4, characterized in that, The distance between the center of each of the three through holes and the center of the base is equal.

6. A control method applied to the load-bearing component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bearing assembly further includes a position adjustment mechanism, and each of the supporting mechanisms is mounted on the position adjustment mechanism. The position adjustment mechanism is used to drive each of the supporting mechanisms to move relative to the base in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the through hole. The control method includes: S1. Obtain the detection value of the pressure detection element; S2. If the detected value does not meet the preset pressure, control the position adjustment mechanism to drive multiple top holding mechanisms to move relative to the base, so as to reduce the distance between the center of the workpiece and the center of the base in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the through hole.

7. The control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned supporting mechanisms includes the pressure detection element, and the supporting element in any of the aforementioned supporting mechanisms is supported by the pressure detection element. In the control method, S1 includes: Obtain the detection values ​​of each of the pressure detection elements; S2 includes: If any of the multiple detection values ​​does not meet the corresponding preset pressure, the offset vector of the center of the workpiece relative to the center of the base is obtained based on the multiple detection values. When the value of the offset vector is less than or equal to the adjustment range of the position adjustment mechanism, the position adjustment mechanism is controlled to drive multiple top holding mechanisms to move relative to the base, wherein the adjustment distance of the position adjustment mechanism is equal to the value of the offset vector, and the adjustment direction is opposite to the direction of the offset vector; If the value of the offset vector is greater than the adjustment range of the position adjustment mechanism, the workpiece to be processed is controlled to move out of the process chamber.

8. The control method according to claim 7, characterized in that, When the value of the offset vector is greater than the adjustment range of the position adjustment mechanism, controlling the workpiece to be processed to move out of the process chamber includes: If the value of the offset vector is greater than the adjustment range of the position adjustment mechanism but less than the preset offset, the workpiece to be processed is moved out of the process chamber and the transfer step is repeated. If the value of the offset vector is greater than the adjustment range of the position adjustment mechanism and equal to or greater than the preset offset, the workpiece to be processed is moved out of the process chamber and an alarm message is issued.

9. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized in that, It includes a process chamber and a support assembly as described in any one of claims 1-5, wherein the base is vertically and elliptically mounted in the process chamber.

Images