Wafer bearing device and semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a wafer bearing device and semiconductor process equipment, and relates to the technical field of semiconductors. The wafer bearing device is used for removing corrosive gas remaining on the surface of a wafer, the wafer bearing device comprises a device body, a movable door and a bearing part used for bearing the wafer, the movable door is movably connected with the device body, the bearing part is arranged in a containing cavity of the device body, the bearing part is provided with a wafer bearing part, and the wafer bearing part is arranged in the containing cavity of the device body. The bearing part is provided with a gas spraying opening, the device body is provided with a gas extraction opening communicated with the containing cavity, and under the condition that the movable door is matched with the device body in a sealing mode, the gas spraying opening sprays process gas to the wafer, and the process gas is extracted through the gas extraction opening. According to the scheme, the problem that an existing wafer bearing device is low in efficiency of removing residual corrosive gas on the surface of the wafer can be solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of semiconductor technology, and specifically relates to a wafer carrier and semiconductor process equipment. Background Art

[0002] In the fields of DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), 3D NAND (NAND Flash Memory) and logic chip processes, some corrosive gases, such as hydrogen bromide, chlorine, hydrogen chloride and other gases, will remain on the surface of the wafer after the etching process is completed. These gases will be brought into the process front-end module, such as EFEM (Equipment Front End Module), along with the wafer transmission. There is a certain amount of water vapor inside the EFEM (water vapor exists in the air, which is often called "humidity". Although the EFFM has a humidity control function, it is impossible to completely remove the water vapor). At this time, the corrosive gas combines with the water vapor to form an acidic substance, which will corrode the wafer and other parts in the equipment.

[0003] In practical applications, in order to remove the corrosive gas on the wafer surface, process gas is usually introduced into the accommodating space of the wafer carrier to remove the corrosive gas on the wafer surface. However, the above cleaning method is less efficient in removing the corrosive gas on the wafer surface, especially for some highly corrosive gases, which are almost impossible to remove. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a wafer carrier and semiconductor process equipment that can solve the problem of low efficiency of the current wafer carrier in removing corrosive gases remaining on the surface of the wafer.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, this application is implemented as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a wafer carrying device for removing corrosive gases remaining on the surface of a wafer, comprising a device body, a movable door, and a carrying member for carrying a wafer, wherein the movable door is movably connected to the device body, the carrying member is arranged in a receiving cavity of the device body, the carrying member has a wafer carrying portion, the carrying member is provided with an air jet, and the device body is provided with an exhaust port connected to the receiving cavity.

[0007] When the movable door is in sealing cooperation with the device body, the gas injection port injects process gas toward the wafer, and the process gas is extracted through the gas extraction port.

[0008] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a semiconductor process equipment, including a process front-end module, wherein the process front-end module includes a module body and the above-mentioned wafer carrier, and the wafer carrier is arranged in a accommodating space of the module body.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present application, a carrier for carrying wafers is provided with a gas jet, and a device body of the wafer carrying device is provided with an exhaust port connected to the accommodating chamber. When the movable door is sealed with the device body, the gas jet sprays process gas toward the wafer. At this time, the flow rate of the process gas is relatively large and has a certain kinetic energy, which is beneficial to improving the efficiency of removing corrosive gases from the surface of the wafer; and, the process gas sprayed toward the wafer by the gas jet has a purging effect, which can cool the wafer; at the same time, the process gas in the accommodating chamber is extracted by the gas jet, and at this time, the exhaust port and the gas jet form an airflow channel, thereby accelerating the circulation rate of the process gas, so as to further improve the efficiency and cooling efficiency of the process gas in removing corrosive gases from the surface of the wafer; in addition, in the process of removing corrosive gases from the surface of the wafer, the movable door is sealed with the device body to prevent the gas in the device body from contaminating other components.

[0010] In addition, when the wafer carrier disclosed in the present application is placed in the process front-end module of the semiconductor process equipment, there is no need to set up a special cleaning chamber separately, and a process chamber can be reserved for other processes, which is beneficial to improving the efficiency of wafer processing; and, since the wafer box for storing wafers is usually connected to the accommodating space of the module body of the process front-end module, the present application places the wafer carrier in the process front-end module, and after the wafer cleaning is completed, the wafer can be directly transferred into the wafer box; and, after the movable door is opened, under the action of the exhaust port, the pressure in the device body is lower than the pressure in the EFEM, so that the airflow in the EFEM flows into the device body, and the gas in the device body will not flow into the EFEM, thereby preventing the components in the EFEM from being corroded; in addition, the wafer carrier disclosed in the present application is small in size, occupies less space, and has less impact on other equipment in the process front-end module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer carrier device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0012] Figures 2 to 4 It is a cross-sectional view of the wafer carrying device disclosed in the embodiment of the present application at different viewing angles;

[0013] Figure 5 A bottom view of a wafer carrier device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0014] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view of the wafer carrier device disclosed in the embodiment of the present application.

[0015] Description of reference numerals:

[0016] 100-device body, 110-air extraction port, 120-bottom plate, 121-avoidance opening, 122-first guide groove, 123-second guide groove, 130-frame, 140-first side plate, 150-second side plate, 160-back plate, 170-top plate;

[0017] 200-movable door;

[0018] 300-wafer;

[0019] 400 - carrier, 410 - wafer carrier, 420 - jet nozzle, 430 - air inlet channel, 440 - first column, 450 - second column;

[0020] 500-air intake assembly, 510-first connector, 520-air intake hose, 530-second connector;

[0021] 600 - heating element, 610 - first heating zone, 620 - second heating zone, 630 - third heating zone, 640 - fourth heating zone, 650 - fifth heating zone;

[0022] 710-housing, 720-driving mechanism, 721-driving source, 722-screw rod, 723-nut, 730-guide rod, 740-connecting block;

[0023] 800-exhaust hood;

[0024] 910 - first protective cover, 920 - second protective cover. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0026] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described here, and the objects distinguished by "first", "second", etc. are generally of one type, and the number of objects is not limited. For example, the first object can be one or more. In addition, "and / or" in the specification and claims represents at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship.

[0027] The wafer carrier and semiconductor process equipment provided in the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below through specific embodiments and their application scenarios in combination with the accompanying drawings.

[0028] like Figures 1 to 6As shown, an embodiment of the present application discloses a wafer carrier device for removing corrosive gas remaining on the surface of the wafer 300. Optionally, the corrosive gas can be at least one of hydrogen bromide, chlorine, and hydrogen chloride, and of course can also be other gases. The embodiment of the present application does not impose specific restrictions on this. The wafer carrying device includes a device body 100, a movable door 200 and a carrier 400 for carrying a wafer 300. Optionally, the device body 100 includes a frame 130, a bottom plate 120, a first side plate 140, a second side plate 150, a back plate 160 and a top plate 170. The bottom plate 120, the first side plate 140, the second side plate 150, the back plate 160 and the top plate 170 can be detachably arranged on the frame 130 and enclose a receiving cavity for easy disassembly and assembly. Of course, the bottom plate 120, the first side plate 140, the second side plate 150, the back plate 160 and the top plate 170 can also be welded to the frame 130 to improve the sealing of the receiving cavity, which is not specifically limited here. The movable door 200 is movably connected to the device body 100, and the movable connection here specifically refers to the movable door 200 rotating or sliding relative to the device body 100. The carrier 400 is arranged in the accommodating cavity of the device body 100. Optionally, the carrier 400 is detachably arranged on the bottom plate 120 of the device body 100 to facilitate the disassembly and assembly of the carrier 400. Further, optionally, the carrier 400 is arranged on the bottom plate 120 by screws. Of course, it can also be plugged in, etc., which is not specifically limited here. The carrier 400 has a wafer carrying part 410, and the carrier 400 is provided with a gas jet 420. Optionally, the gas jet 420 is located above the wafer carrying part 410 so that the process gas ejected from the gas jet 420 can fully act on the surface of the wafer 300. The device body 100 is provided with a gas extraction port 110 connected to the accommodating cavity. The process gas ejected from the jet nozzle 420 can be used to remove the corrosive gas remaining on the surface of the wafer 300. Of course, if the process requirement of the wafer 300 is not to remove the corrosive gas remaining on its surface, but only to cool it, or to achieve other purposes through the process gas ejected from the jet nozzle 420, it also falls within the protection scope of the wafer carrier device disclosed in the embodiment of the present application.

[0029] When the movable door 200 is sealed with the device body 100, that is, when the movable door 200 closes the opening of the device body 100, the jet nozzle 420 sprays the process gas to the wafer 300. At this time, the flow rate of the process gas is relatively large and has a certain kinetic energy, which is conducive to improving the efficiency of removing the corrosive gas on the surface of the wafer 300; and the process gas sprayed by the jet nozzle 420 to the wafer 300 has a purging effect, which can cool the wafer 300; at the same time, the process gas in the accommodating chamber is extracted through the exhaust port 110, and the exhaust port 110 and the jet nozzle 420 form an air flow channel, thereby accelerating the circulation rate of the process gas, so as to further improve the efficiency and cooling efficiency of the process gas in removing the corrosive gas on the surface of the wafer 300. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application can solve the problem that the current wafer carrier device has a low efficiency in removing the corrosive gas remaining on the surface of the wafer 300.

[0030] It should be noted that, since the temperature of the wafer 300 is relatively high, if the temperature of the process gas is relatively low, when the nozzle 420 sprays the process gas onto the surface of the wafer 300, the temperature difference is relatively large, which may easily cause the wafer 300 to break. Based on this, optionally, the process gas is a high-temperature process gas, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the process gas and the wafer 300, thereby protecting the wafer 300. Of course, the temperature of the high-temperature process gas is still lower than the temperature of the wafer 300.

[0031] Optionally, the wafer carrier 410 may be provided with only one layer; or, the number of the wafer carrier 410 is at least two layers, the wafer carriers 410 of each layer are arranged at intervals, and the air jets 420 are provided with at least two groups, and each group of air jets 420 is alternately arranged with each layer of the wafer carrier 410. In this case, the carrier 400 can carry at least two wafers, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency. The carrier 400 is also provided with an air inlet channel 430, which is respectively connected to the air jets 420 of each layer, so that the air jets 420 of each layer are simultaneously supplied with air through one air inlet channel 430, which is conducive to simplifying the structure of the carrier 400 and reducing the difficulty of manufacturing. Of course, each layer of the air jets 420 can also be provided with an air inlet channel 430.

[0032] In an optional embodiment, the wafer carrier device further includes an air intake assembly 500, one end of which is connected to the air jet 420, and the other end of which extends through the device body 100 to the outside of the accommodating cavity and is connected to the air source, thereby continuously supplying air to the air jet 420. The air intake assembly 500 includes a first joint 510, an air intake hose 520, and a second joint 530 that are sequentially connected. The first joint 510 is disposed on the device body 100. Optionally, both sides of the first joint 510 can be clamped on the top plate 170 of the device body 100 by two nuts, and the first joint 510 is threadedly connected to the two nuts respectively, thereby improving the firmness of the first joint 510; further optionally, the first joint 510 can be a joint with a sealing ring, thereby improving the sealing between the first joint 510 and the device body 100. The second joint 530 is disposed on the carrier 400, and the two ends of the air intake hose 520 are respectively sealed with the first joint 510 and the second joint 530, thereby improving the sealing of the air intake assembly 500, so that the air jet 420 has sufficient pressure, and the process gas ejected has sufficient kinetic energy; and the air intake hose 520 is relatively flexible and easy to set. Of course, the air intake hose 520 can also be replaced by a hard pipe, which is not bendable and is not as flexible as the air intake hose 520.

[0033] In an embodiment where the carrier 400 is also provided with an air intake channel 430, one end of the air intake component 500 is connected to the air intake channel 430, and the other end of the air intake component 500 extends through the device body 100 to the outside of the accommodating cavity. At this time, only one set of air intake components 500 is required, which is beneficial to saving the production cost of the wafer carrier device and is more convenient to install.

[0034] Optionally, the exhaust rate of the exhaust port 110 may be equal to the jet rate of the jet port 420. At this time, the rate at which the process gas enters the accommodating chamber is low, and the process gas is easily accumulated in the accommodating chamber, thereby reducing the cleaning efficiency. Therefore, in other optional embodiments, the exhaust rate of the exhaust port 110 is greater than the jet rate of the jet port 420. At this time, the pressure in the accommodating chamber is lower than the pressure outside the device body 100, that is, the internal pressure of the wafer carrier is controlled to be lower than the internal pressure of the EFEM, so that the process gas can smoothly enter the accommodating chamber of the wafer carrier, avoiding the overflow of the process gas due to poor sealing of the wafer carrier, thereby preventing the parts in the EFEM from being corroded; at the same time, it can also avoid the process gas from being retained in the accommodating chamber, which is beneficial to improving the working efficiency of the wafer carrier.

[0035] Optionally, the carrier 400 can be a ring-shaped bracket; or, in other embodiments, the carrier 400 includes a first column 440 and a second column 450 arranged at intervals, and a wafer accommodating space is provided between the first column 440 and the second column 450, that is, the wafer 300 is located between the first column 440 and the second column 450, the first column 440 has a first wafer supporting portion, the second column 450 has a second wafer supporting portion, and the first wafer supporting portion and the second wafer supporting portion are coplanarly arranged to form a wafer supporting portion 410. At this time, the opposite ends of the wafer 300 are respectively supported on the first wafer supporting portion and the second wafer supporting portion, and the central area of ​​the wafer 300 can be suspended in the air, thereby increasing the contact area with the process gas. Optionally, both the first column 440 and the second column 450 may be provided with an air jet 420; or, in other embodiments, one of the first column 440 and the second column 450 is provided with an air jet 420, that is, only the first column 440 or the second column 450 is provided with an air jet 420, and the air extraction port 110 is opened on the side wall of the device body 100, and optionally, one of the first side plate 140 and the second side plate 150 is provided with an air extraction port 110. The air extraction port 110 faces the air jet 420, and the air flow channel formed between the air extraction port 110 and the air jet 420 extends in the horizontal direction, that is, the air flow channel flows along the surface of the wafer 300, which can not only speed up the efficiency of cleaning the wafer 300, but also improve the utilization rate of the process gas to save costs.

[0036] In a further optional embodiment, the first column 440 is provided with a jet outlet 420. Optionally, the number of the first columns 440 can be one. In this case, the first column 440 can adopt a fan-shaped structure, and its cross-sectional area can be set to be larger to increase the support area of ​​the first wafer support portion, thereby improving the stability of the wafer 300; or, the number of the first columns 440 is at least two, and each first column 440 is arranged in sequence along the circumference of the wafer 300. At this time, the cross-sectional area of ​​each first column 440 can be set to be smaller. On the basis of ensuring the stability of the wafer 300, the contact area between the wafer 300 and the first column 440 is reduced, thereby increasing the contact area between the wafer 300 and the process gas, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the wafer 300; in addition, multiple jet outlets 420 simultaneously spray process gas to the wafer 300, which is beneficial to further improve the cleaning efficiency of the wafer 300.

[0037] Optionally, the number of second pillars 450 can be one; or, the number of second pillars 450 can be at least two, and the second pillars 450 are arranged in sequence along the circumference of the wafer 300. In this case, the cross-sectional area of ​​each second pillar 450 can be set to be smaller. On the basis of ensuring the stability of the wafer 300, the contact area between the wafer 300 and the second pillars 450 is reduced, thereby increasing the contact area between the wafer 300 and the process gas, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the wafer 300.

[0038] Optionally, the first column 440 and the second column 450 can be fixed on the bottom plate 120 of the device body 100 in an immovable manner. In this case, the carrier 400 can only carry one size of wafer 300, and the scope of application is small. Therefore, in another optional embodiment, at least one of the first column 440 and the second column 450 can be slidably arranged on the bottom plate 120 of the device body 100, so that the first column 440 and the second column 450 can be relatively close or far away, thereby adjusting the distance between the first column 440 and the second column 450 to adapt to wafers 300 of different sizes and improve the scope of application of the carrier 400. Optionally, the carrier 400 can be mainly used to adapt to 8-inch and 12-inch wafers 300, and of course it can also adapt to wafers 300 of other sizes, and the embodiment of the present application does not make specific restrictions on this.

[0039] Optionally, the bottom plate 120 of the device body 100 may be provided with a first guide groove 122 and a second guide groove 123, and the first column 440 may be slidably disposed in the first guide groove 122, and the second column 450 may be slidably disposed in the second guide groove 123, so that the first column 440 and the second column 450 slide along the first guide groove 122 and the second guide groove 123 respectively, avoiding deviation, which is conducive to improving the efficiency of adjusting the first column 440 and the second column 450. Further, after the positions of the first column 440 and the second column 450 are determined, they can be fixed by screws.

[0040] Optionally, the wafer carrier device also includes a first protective cover 910 and a second protective cover 920. The first protective cover 910 and the second protective cover 920 are both arranged on the base plate 120 and are both located below the base plate 120. The first protective cover 910 covers the first guide groove 122, and the second protective cover 920 covers the second guide groove 123. The first protective cover 910 and the second protective cover 920 are respectively sealed with the base plate 120, thereby improving the sealing of the accommodating cavity.

[0041] Since the temperature of the wafer 300 is relatively high, if the temperature in the accommodation chamber is relatively low, when the wafer 300 is placed on the carrier 400, the temperature difference is relatively large, which may easily cause the wafer 300 to break. Based on this, optionally, the wafer carrier device further includes a heating element 600, which wraps at least a portion of the device body 100, thereby heating the device body 100, so that the heat of the device body 100 is diffused into the accommodation chamber, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the inside of the accommodation chamber and the wafer 300, so as to further protect the wafer 300. Of course, the temperature inside the accommodation chamber is still lower than the temperature of the wafer 300.

[0042] It should be noted that, in the process of the heating element 600 wrapping the device body 100, if it encounters structures such as screws or thermocouples, holes can be punched on the heating element 600 to avoid them.

[0043] Optionally, in an embodiment where the device body 100 includes a frame 130, a bottom plate 120, a first side plate 140, a second side plate 150, a back plate 160 and a top plate 170, the heating element 600 includes a first heating belt 610, a second heating belt 620, a third heating belt 630, a fourth heating belt 640 and a fifth heating belt 650, the first heating belt 610 wraps at least a portion of the bottom plate 120, the second heating belt 620 wraps at least a portion of the first side plate 140, the third heating belt 630 wraps at least a portion of the second side plate 150, the fourth heating belt 640 wraps at least a portion of the back plate 160, and the fifth heating belt 650 wraps at least a portion of the top plate 170, to facilitate the setting of the heating element 600.

[0044] In another optional embodiment, the bottom plate 120 of the device body 100 is provided with an avoidance opening 121, and the wafer carrying device further comprises a shell 710 and a driving mechanism 720, the shell 710 is arranged on the bottom plate 120, and the shell 710 is located below the bottom plate 120, and optionally, the shell 710 is detachably connected to the bottom plate 120 by screws, and of course, it can also be directly welded to the bottom plate 120, and no specific restrictions are made here. The driving mechanism 720 is arranged on the shell 710, and optionally, the driving mechanism 720 can be detachably connected to the shell 710 by screws, and the driving mechanism 720 is connected to the movable door 200, and the driving mechanism 720 can drive the movable door 200 to rise and fall, so that at least part of the movable door 200 extends out of the shell 710 through the avoidance opening 121, and is sealed with the device body 100. The movable door 200 in this solution is arranged below the device body 100. At this time, the entire wafer carrier occupies a smaller space in the horizontal plane. When the wafer carrier is arranged in the front-end module of the device, the impact on other structures can be reduced. Of course, the housing 710, the drive mechanism 720 and the movable door 200 can all be arranged on one side of the device body 100, that is, the left side or the right side. At this time, the movable door 200 can slide in the horizontal direction.

[0045] Optionally, at least one of the device body 100 and the movable door 200 may be provided with a position detection component to detect the specific position of the movable door 200, and determine whether the movable door 200 is sealed with the device body 100 based on the detection result of the position detection component, so as to control whether the nozzle 420 sprays process gas to the wafer 300, thereby improving the working efficiency of the nozzle 420.

[0046] In a further optional embodiment, the drive mechanism 720 includes a drive source 721 and a transmission member, the transmission member is connected between the drive source 721 and the movable door 200, the drive source 721 drives the movable door 200 to rise and fall through the transmission member, and the transmission member needs to occupy a certain height at this time, which will increase the height of the entire wafer carrying device. In view of this, the drive mechanism 720 also includes a screw 722 and a nut 723, the drive source 721 is arranged on the housing 710, and the drive source 721 is located outside the housing 710, one end of the screw 722 is connected to the bottom plate 120, and the other end of the screw 722 passes through the housing 710 and is connected to the drive source 721, the nut 723 is threadedly matched with the screw 722, and the movable door 200 is connected to the nut 723, and optionally, the movable door 200 can be detachably connected to the nut 723 by screws, and of course it can also be directly welded to the nut 723, which is not specifically limited here. The drive source 721 drives the nut 723 to rise and fall along the extension direction of the screw 722 through the screw 722. In this solution, the movable door 200 and the screw rod 722 are arranged side by side. In the vertical direction, the screw rod 722 does not need to occupy additional space, which is beneficial to improving the structural compactness of the wafer supporting device, reducing the height of the wafer supporting device, and having better stability; in addition, the nut 723 and the screw rod 722 threaded cooperation are beneficial to accurately control the lifting speed of the movable door 200.

[0047] In the process of the nut 723 driving the movable door 200 to rise and fall along the extension direction of the screw rod 722, the screw rod 722 not only plays a driving role, but also has a guiding function. However, at this time, the screw rod 722 needs to be located in the middle position of the movable door 200, otherwise the movable door 200 is prone to tilt during the lifting process; or, in other embodiments, the wafer carrying device also includes a guide rod 730 and a connecting block 740, the guide rod 730 is arranged in the housing 710, and optionally, the guide rod 730 is detachably connected to the housing 710 by screws, and of course, it can also be directly welded to the housing 710, which is not specifically limited here. The guide rod 730 and the screw rod 722 are arranged side by side, and both are located on the same side of the movable door 200, and the connecting block 740 is slidably sleeved on the guide rod 730, and the connecting block 740 is connected to the movable door 200, and optionally, the movable door 200 is detachably connected to the connecting block 740 by screws, and of course, it can also be directly welded to the connecting block 740, which is not specifically limited here. In this solution, the screw rod 722 and the guide rod 730 can be located at both ends of the movable door 200 to prevent the movable door 200 from tilting during the lifting process, while reducing the setting flexibility of the screw rod 722; and the movable door 200 is respectively connected to the connecting block 740 and the nut 723, which is beneficial to increase the connection area of ​​the movable door 200, thereby improving the stability of the movable door 200.

[0048] In an optional embodiment, the wafer carrier device further includes an exhaust hood 800, which is disposed on the outer surface of the device body 100. Optionally, the exhaust hood 800 is detachably connected to the device body 100 by screws for easy disassembly and assembly. Of course, it can also be connected in other ways, which are not specifically limited here. The exhaust hood 800 is sealed with the device body 100, and one end of the exhaust hood 800 is connected to the exhaust port 110, so that the process gas in the accommodating chamber is discharged through the exhaust hood 800. Optionally, when the wafer carrier device is disposed in the front-end module of the device, the other end of the exhaust hood 800 can extend outside the front-end module of the device, so as to prevent the process gas from entering the process chamber of the front-end module of the device and contaminating other structures.

[0049] Optionally, the air exhaust port 110 can be a circular port, a triangular port, a rectangular port, etc.; or, the air exhaust port 110 is a strip port, which can ensure a larger air exhaust area, prevent external impurities from entering the containing chamber, and ensure a larger pressure difference between the inside and outside of the containing chamber to meet the air exhaust needs.

[0050] Optionally, when the exhaust port 110 is a strip-shaped port, the strip-shaped port may be horizontally arranged, and the length of the strip-shaped port may be smaller than the diameter of the wafer 300 , thereby preventing the wafer 300 from being sucked away.

[0051] Optionally, the number of the air suction port 110 can be one. If the cross-sectional area of ​​the air suction port 110 is large, the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the accommodating chamber is small, which will result in a small suction force; if the cross-sectional area of ​​the air suction port 110 is small, the suction force is large, but the suction efficiency is low. Based on this, the number of the air suction ports 110 is at least two, and the air suction ports 110 are arranged in sequence at intervals. At this time, it can be ensured that each air suction port 110 has sufficient suction force and a high suction efficiency.

[0052] Based on the wafer carrier device disclosed in the embodiments of the present application, the embodiments of the present application also discloses a semiconductor process equipment, including a process front-end module, the process front-end module includes a module body and the wafer carrier device described in any of the above embodiments, and the wafer carrier device is arranged in the accommodating space of the module body.

[0053] In the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in the present application, when the wafer carrier is arranged in the accommodation space of the module body of the process front-end module, the specific working process of the wafer carrier is as follows: after the robot calibrates the wafer 300, it lifts the wafer 300 to the front of the frame 130 of the device body 100, and the driving mechanism 720 drives the movable door 200 to be fully opened after receiving the descending signal, and then the robot places the wafer 300 on the carrier 400, the robot retracts, and then the driving mechanism 720 drives the movable door 200 to be raised to the closed state after receiving the ascending signal; then the air jet 420 The process gas is sprayed toward the wafer 300. At this time, the flow rate of the process gas is relatively large and has a certain kinetic energy, which is beneficial to improving the efficiency of removing the corrosive gas on the surface of the wafer 300. Moreover, the process gas sprayed toward the wafer 300 by the nozzle 420 has a purging effect, which can cool the wafer 300. At the same time, the process gas in the accommodating chamber is extracted through the exhaust port 110. At this time, the exhaust port 110 and the nozzle 420 form an air flow channel, which is beneficial to speed up the circulation rate of the process gas, so as to further improve the efficiency of the process gas in removing the corrosive gas on the surface of the wafer 300 and the cooling efficiency.

[0054] When the movable door 200 is opened, the jet port 420 will immediately stop jetting process gas. At this time, under the action of the exhaust port 110, the pressure in the device body 100 is lower than the pressure in the EFEM, so that the airflow in the EFEM flows into the device body 100, while the gas in the device body 100 will not flow into the EFEM, thereby preventing the components in the EFEM from being corroded.

[0055] In addition, the wafer carrier disclosed in the present application can be placed in the process front-end module of the semiconductor process equipment, so there is no need to set up a special cleaning chamber separately, and the process chamber can be reserved for other processes, which is beneficial to improving the efficiency of wafer processing; and, since the wafer box for storing wafers is usually connected to the accommodation space of the module body of the process front-end module, the present application places the wafer carrier in the process front-end module, and after the wafer 300 is cleaned, the wafer 300 can be directly transferred into the wafer box; in addition, the wafer carrier disclosed in the present application is small in size, occupies less space, and has less impact on other equipment in the process front-end module.

[0056] It should be noted that during the process of processing the wafer 300 by the semiconductor process equipment, the exhaust port 110 can continue to work to ensure that the pressure inside the device body 100 is always lower than the pressure outside the device body 100 (ie inside the EFEM), thereby preventing other components from being corroded.

[0057] Optionally, when the wafer supporting part 410 has at least two layers, the robot can place the wafers 300 in sequence, and when the wafers 300 are full, the robot can take the wafers in sequence, thereby avoiding taking out uncleaned wafers 300.

[0058] The embodiments of the present application are described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned specific implementation methods. The above-mentioned specific implementation methods are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Under the guidance of the present application, ordinary technicians in this field can also make many forms without departing from the purpose of the present application and the scope of protection of the claims, all of which are within the protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A wafer carrier device for removing corrosive gas remaining on the surface of a wafer, characterized in that: The invention comprises a device body (100), a movable door (200) and a carrier (400) for carrying a wafer (300), wherein the movable door (200) is movably connected to the device body (100), the carrier (400) is arranged in a receiving cavity of the device body (100), the carrier (400) has a wafer receiving portion (410), the carrier (400) is provided with an air jet (420), and the device body (100) is provided with an air extraction port (110) connected to the receiving cavity. When the movable door (200) is in sealed cooperation with the device body (100), the jet nozzle (420) jets process gas toward the wafer (300), and the process gas is extracted through the exhaust port (110).

2. The wafer carrier device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air jets (420) are located above the wafer supporting parts (410); the number of the wafer supporting parts (410) is at least two layers, and the wafer supporting parts (410) of each layer are arranged at intervals; the air jets (420) are arranged in at least two groups, and the air jets (420) of each group are arranged alternately with the wafer supporting parts (410) of each layer; the supporting part (400) is also provided with an air intake channel (430), and the air intake channel (430) is respectively connected to the air jets (420) of each layer.

3. The wafer carrier device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wafer carrier device also includes an air intake assembly (500), one end of which is connected to the air injection port (420), and the other end of which passes through the device body (100) and extends outside the accommodating cavity. The air intake assembly (500) includes a first connector (510), an air intake hose (520) and a second connector (530) which are connected in sequence. The first connector (510) is arranged on the device body (100), and the second connector (530) is arranged on the carrier (400). The two ends of the air intake hose (520) are respectively sealed with the first connector (510) and the second connector (530).

4. The wafer carrier device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The suction rate of the suction port (110) is greater than the injection rate of the injection port (420).

5. The wafer carrier device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The carrier (400) includes a first column (440) and a second column (450) which are arranged at an interval, a wafer accommodating space is provided between the first column (440) and the second column (450), the first column (440) has a first wafer supporting portion, the second column (450) has a second wafer supporting portion, the first wafer supporting portion and the second wafer supporting portion are arranged coplanarly to form the wafer supporting portion (410), one of the first column (440) and the second column (450) is provided with the air injection port (420), the air exhaust port (110) is opened on the side wall of the device body (100), and the air exhaust port (110) faces the air injection port (420).

6. The wafer carrier device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first column (440) is provided with the air injection port (420), the number of the first columns (440) is at least two, and the first columns (440) are arranged in sequence and at intervals along the circumference of the wafer (300).

7. The wafer carrying device according to claim 5, characterized in that: At least one of the first column (440) and the second column (450) is slidably disposed on the bottom plate (120) of the device body (100) so that the first column (440) and the second column (450) can be relatively close to or away from each other.

8. The wafer carrier device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wafer carrying device further comprises a heating element (600), wherein the heating element (600) wraps at least a portion of the device body (100).

9. The wafer carrier device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom plate (120) of the device body (100) is provided with an avoidance opening (121), and the wafer carrying device also includes a shell (710) and a driving mechanism (720), wherein the shell (710) is arranged on the bottom plate (120), and the shell (710) is located below the bottom plate (120), and the driving mechanism (720) is arranged on the shell (710), and the driving mechanism (720) is connected to the movable door (200), and the driving mechanism (720) can drive the movable door (200) to rise and fall, so that at least part of the movable door (200) passes through the avoidance opening (121) and extends out of the shell (710), and is sealed with the device body (100).

10. The wafer carrying device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The driving mechanism (720) comprises a driving source (721), a screw rod (722) and a nut (723); the driving source (721) is arranged on the housing (710) and is located outside the housing (710); one end of the screw rod (722) is connected to the bottom plate (120); the other end of the screw rod (722) passes through the housing (710) and is connected to the driving source (721); the nut (723) is threadedly matched with the screw rod (722); the movable door (200) is connected to the nut (723); the driving source (721) drives the nut (723) to rise and fall along the extension direction of the screw rod (722) through the screw rod (722).

11. The wafer carrying device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The wafer carrying device also includes a guide rod (730) and a connecting block (740), wherein the guide rod (730) is arranged in the shell (710), the guide rod (730) and the screw rod (722) are arranged side by side, and both are located on the same side of the movable door (200), and the connecting block (740) can be slidably mounted on the guide rod (730), and the connecting block (740) is connected to the movable door (200).

12. The wafer carrying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wafer carrying device also includes an exhaust hood (800), which is arranged on the outer surface of the device body (100), the exhaust hood (800) is sealed with the device body (100), and one end of the exhaust hood (800) is connected to the air exhaust port (110).

13. The wafer carrier device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air extraction port (110) is a strip-shaped port; The number of the air extraction ports (110) is at least two, and the air extraction ports (110) are arranged in sequence and at intervals.

14. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: It comprises a process front-end module, which comprises a module body and a wafer carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the wafer carrier is arranged in a accommodating space of the module body.

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