Load lock assembly and semiconductor processing apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a load lock assembly and a semiconductor processing equipment. The load lock assembly is used in the semiconductor processing equipment and comprises a load lock chamber, a pre-pressure adjusting chamber and a control valve connected between the load lock chamber and the pre-pressure adjusting chamber. In a closed state of the control valve, the pre-pressure adjusting chamber is pre-adjusted to a different air pressure state from the load lock chamber to form a pressure difference. In an open state of the control valve, the pre-pressure adjusting chamber is communicated with the load lock chamber to adjust the air pressure in the load lock chamber. The load lock assembly of the application can pre-adjust the air pressure in the pre-pressure adjusting chamber when other steps are performed, and the load lock chamber can quickly reach a vacuum state or an atmospheric state after being communicated with the pre-pressure adjusting chamber, so that the waiting time of a wafer in the transmission process is reduced, and the transmission efficiency of the whole machine is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, and more specifically, to a load-locking component and semiconductor process equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Loadlock chambers are a crucial component of semiconductor process equipment. Semiconductor process equipment may include an Equipment Front-End Module, a vacuum transfer module, and at least one process module, where processes such as etching, deposition, and resist stripping are performed. The chamber environments in the process module and the vacuum transfer module are typically vacuum-controlled, while the equipment front-end module operates at atmospheric conditions. Therefore, a loadlock chamber located between the vacuum transfer module and the equipment front-end module is needed to bridge the gap between the vacuum and atmospheric environments.

[0003] like Figure 1 The top view shown shows that the equipment front-end module 1', load locking chamber 2', vacuum transmission module 3', and process module 4' are connected in sequence. The vacuum transmission module 3' has a vacuum chamber, and valves are installed between the vacuum chamber and the chambers of the multiple process modules 4'. A vacuum manipulator is installed in the vacuum chamber. Valvees are installed between one end of the load locking chamber 2' and the vacuum chamber, and between the other end of the load locking chamber 2' and the equipment front-end module 1'. The valves control the opening and closing of their respective sides.

[0004] When the wafer needs to be transferred between the vacuum chamber and the load-locking chamber 2', both valves must first be closed, and the load-locking chamber 2' must be evacuated. After evacuation, the valve between the vacuum chamber and the load-locking chamber 2' is opened to allow the wafer to be transferred between them. When the wafer needs to be moved between the load-locking chamber 2' and the front-end module of the equipment, both valves must first be closed, and the load-locking chamber 2' is filled with gas. After filling, the valve between the load-locking chamber 2' and the front-end module of the equipment is opened to allow the wafer to be transferred between them.

[0005] However, in the existing technology, the filling and evacuation time of the load locking chamber is too long during the switching between vacuum and atmospheric conditions, and the wafer needs to wait for a long time during the transmission process, resulting in a reduction in the overall transmission efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to at least solve the problem in the prior art that the filling and evacuation time of the load locking chamber is too long during the switching between vacuum and atmospheric conditions, and the wafer needs to wait for a long time during the transmission process, which leads to a reduction in the overall transmission efficiency.

[0007] To achieve the purpose of the present application, a load lock assembly is provided, a load lock assembly for semiconductor process equipment, comprising: a load lock chamber; a pre-pressure regulating chamber, the volume of the pre-pressure regulating chamber is greater than the volume of the load lock chamber; a control valve connected between the load lock chamber and the pre-pressure regulating chamber, the control valve has an open state of communication between the load lock chamber and the pre-pressure regulating chamber and a closed state of blocking between the load lock chamber and the pre-pressure regulating chamber; in the closed state of the control valve, the pre-pressure regulating chamber is pre-adjusted to a different gas pressure state from the load lock chamber to form a pressure difference; in the open state of the control valve, the pre-pressure regulating chamber is communicated with the load lock chamber, under the action of the pressure difference, the pre-pressure regulating chamber exhausts or fills gas into the load lock chamber to adjust the gas pressure in the load lock chamber.

[0008] Further, the pre-pressure regulating chamber comprises: a pre-exhaust chamber, which is communicated with the load lock chamber through an exhaust pipeline; the control valve comprises: a first control valve, which is arranged on the exhaust pipeline to control the opening and closing of the exhaust pipeline; and / or the pre-pressure regulating chamber comprises: a pre-gas filling chamber, which is communicated with the load lock chamber through a gas filling pipeline; the control valve comprises: a second control valve, which is arranged on the gas filling pipeline to control the opening and closing of the gas filling pipeline.

[0009] Further, the load lock chamber comprises a first load lock chamber and a second load lock chamber, the pre-exhaust chamber is located below the first load lock chamber, and the pre-gas filling chamber is located below the second load lock chamber.

[0010] Further, an exhaust port is arranged in the load lock chamber, and the exhaust port is communicated with a first end of the exhaust pipeline.

[0011] Further, the pre-exhaust chamber is connected with a vacuum pump to pre-adjust the interior of the pre-exhaust chamber to a vacuum state.

[0012] Further, it further comprises: an auxiliary exhaust pipeline, a first end of the auxiliary exhaust pipeline is communicated with the vacuum pump, and the other end of the auxiliary exhaust pipeline is communicated with the load lock chamber to exhaust the load lock chamber; a third control valve is arranged on the auxiliary exhaust pipeline to control the opening and closing of the auxiliary exhaust pipeline.

[0013] Further, the load lock assembly further comprises an adsorption device arranged in the load lock chamber for supporting and fixing the wafer, wherein the adsorption device is in communication with the pre-evacuation chamber for providing adsorption force for adsorbing the wafer.

[0014] Further, the adsorption device comprises a support arranged in the load lock chamber, wherein the support has a support surface for supporting the wafer, and the support has an adsorption channel inside, wherein a first end of the adsorption channel is in communication with the pre-evacuation chamber, and a second end of the adsorption channel extends to the support surface to form an adsorption hole for adsorbing the wafer.

[0015] Further, the adsorption device further comprises an adsorption pipeline, wherein a first end of the adsorption pipeline is in communication with the first end of the adsorption channel, and a second end of the adsorption pipeline is in communication with the pre-evacuation chamber; and a fourth control valve arranged on the adsorption pipeline for controlling the opening and closing of the adsorption pipeline.

[0016] Further, the load lock chamber is internally provided with an air inlet, wherein the air inlet is in communication with the first end of the air filling pipeline, and the air inlet is arranged at a position outside the wafer placement area.

[0017] Further, the pre-evacuation chamber is connected with a gas source for pre-adjusting the inside of the pre-evacuation chamber to an atmospheric state.

[0018] Further, the load lock assembly further comprises an auxiliary air filling pipeline, wherein a first end of the auxiliary air filling pipeline is in communication with the gas source, and the other end of the auxiliary air filling pipeline is in communication with the load lock chamber for air filling of the load lock chamber; and a fifth control valve arranged on the auxiliary air filling pipeline for controlling the opening and closing of the auxiliary air filling pipeline.

[0019] Further, according to the second aspect of the present application, a semiconductor process equipment is disclosed, which comprises at least one process module, a vacuum transmission module, and the above-mentioned load lock assembly, wherein the process module and the load lock assembly are connected with the vacuum transmission module.

[0020] Further, the load lock assembly comprises: the pre-regulating chamber comprises: a pre-pumping chamber and a pre-filling chamber, the pre-pumping chamber is communicated with the load lock chamber through a pumping pipeline; the pre-filling chamber is communicated with the load lock chamber through a filling pipeline; the control valve comprises: a first control valve and a second control valve, the first control valve is arranged on the pumping pipeline, and the second control valve is arranged on the filling pipeline and used for controlling opening and closing of the filling pipeline; the semiconductor process equipment further comprises: a controller, the controller is used for controlling working states of the first control valve and the second control valve; the semiconductor process equipment has a filling state and a pumping state; in the pumping state, the first control valve is opened, and the second control valve is closed; in the filling state, the first control valve is closed, and the second control valve is opened.

[0021] The load lock assembly for the semiconductor process equipment process of the present application can pre-adjust the air pressure in the pre-regulating chamber when other steps are performed, so that a pressure difference is formed between the pre-regulating chamber and the load lock chamber, and the pre-regulating chamber is directly used for pumping or filling the load lock chamber when the air pressure in the load lock chamber needs to be adjusted. Since the volume of the pre-regulating chamber is greater than that of the load lock chamber, the pre-regulating chamber can rapidly pump out or fill the load lock chamber after being communicated with the load lock chamber, so that the load lock chamber rapidly reaches a vacuum state or an atmospheric state, the waiting time of the wafer in the transmission process is reduced, and the transmission efficiency of the whole machine is improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic view of the load lock chamber in the prior art;

[0023] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic view of the load lock assembly of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic view of the load lock assembly of the second embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic view of the load lock assembly of the third embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 5 It is a pipeline connection schematic view of the pre-pumping chamber and the load lock chamber of the load lock assembly of the second embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic view of the load lock chamber of the second embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 7A schematic diagram of a pre-charging chamber of a load lock assembly of the second embodiment of the present application connected with a load lock chamber pipeline;

[0029] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a structure of a suction device of the load lock assembly of the second embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 9 A step diagram of a control method during pumping of the semiconductor process equipment of the second embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 10 A specific flow of the control method during pumping of the semiconductor process equipment of the second embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 11 A step diagram of a control method during charging of the semiconductor process equipment of the second embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 12 A specific flow of the control method during charging of the semiconductor process equipment of the second embodiment of the present application;

[0034] List of reference signs:

[0035] 10, load lock chamber; 10a, first load lock chamber; 10b, second load lock chamber; 11, exhaust port; 12, gas inlet; 20, pre-regulating chamber; 20a, pre-pumping chamber; 20b, pre-charging chamber; 30, control valve; 30a, first control valve; 30b, second control valve; 40a, pumping pipeline; 40b, charging pipeline; 50a, vacuum pump; 50b, gas source; 60a, auxiliary pumping pipeline; 60b, auxiliary charging pipeline; 70a, third control valve; 70b, fifth control valve; 80, suction device; 81, support; 811, support table; 812, support column; 82, suction passage; 83, suction pipeline; 84, fourth control valve; 90, balance valve; 100, equipment front end module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] In order for those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present application, the load lock assembly for semiconductor process equipment, the semiconductor process equipment and the control method thereof provided by the present application are described in detail below in combination with the drawings.

[0037] As shown in Figure 2 Fig. 1, the first embodiment of the present application discloses a load lock assembly for semiconductor process equipment, which comprises a load lock chamber 10, a pre-regulating chamber 20 and a control valve 30.

[0038] The load lock chamber 10 is used to accommodate a wafer; the volume of the pre-pressure regulating chamber 20 is larger than that of the load lock chamber 10; the control valve 30 is connected between the load lock chamber 10 and the pre-pressure regulating chamber 20, and the control valve 30 has an open state to communicate the load lock chamber 10 with the pre-pressure regulating chamber 20 and a closed state to block the load lock chamber 10 from the pre-pressure regulating chamber 20; in the closed state of the control valve 30, the pre-pressure regulating chamber 20 is pre-adjusted to a different gas pressure state from the load lock chamber 10 to form a pressure difference; in the open state of the control valve 30, the pre-pressure regulating chamber 20 communicates with the load lock chamber 10, and under the action of the pressure difference, the pre-pressure regulating chamber 20 extracts or fills the gas in the load lock chamber 10 to adjust the gas pressure in the load lock chamber 10.

[0039] In use, for example, when the load lock chamber 20 needs to be switched from an atmospheric state to a vacuum state, the control valve 30 is closed, the pre-pressure regulating chamber 20 is connected with the vacuum pump 50a, and the pre-pressure regulating chamber 20 is pre-formed into a vacuum state by the vacuum pump 50a; when the control valve 30 is opened, the pre-pressure regulating chamber 20 communicates with the load lock chamber 10, and under the action of the pressure difference, the pre-pressure regulating chamber 20 rapidly extracts the gas in the load lock chamber 10 to rapidly switch the load lock chamber 10 into a vacuum state; when the load lock chamber 20 needs to be switched from a vacuum state to an atmospheric state, the control valve 30 is closed, the pre-pressure regulating chamber 20 is connected with the gas source 50b, and the pre-pressure regulating chamber 20 is pre-formed into a state slightly higher than a conventional atmospheric pressure state by the gas source 50b; when the control valve 30 is opened, the pre-pressure regulating chamber 20 communicates with the load lock chamber 10, and under the action of the pressure difference, the gas in the pre-pressure regulating chamber 20 rapidly fills into the load lock chamber 10 to rapidly switch the load lock chamber 10 into an atmospheric state.

[0040] That is, by pre-adjusting the pre-pressure regulating chamber 20 to a different gas pressure state from the load lock chamber 10 to form a pressure difference, when the control valve 30 is opened, the pre-pressure regulating chamber 20 communicates with the load lock chamber 10, and under the action of the pressure difference, the pre-pressure regulating chamber 20 rapidly extracts the gas in the load lock chamber 10 or rapidly fills the gas into the load lock chamber 10 to balance the pressure of the two to adjust the gas pressure in the load lock chamber 10.

[0041] It can be seen that the load lock assembly for semiconductor process equipment of the present application can pre-adjust the air pressure in the pre-adjusting chamber 20 when other steps are performed, so as to form a pressure difference between the pre-adjusting chamber 20 and the load lock chamber 10, and directly use the pre-adjusting chamber 20 to pump or charge the load lock chamber 10 when the air pressure in the load lock chamber 10 needs to be adjusted. Since the volume of the pre-adjusting chamber 20 is larger than that of the load lock chamber 10, the pre-adjusting chamber 20 can quickly pump out or charge the load lock chamber 10 after being communicated with the load lock chamber 10, so as to quickly achieve a vacuum state or an atmospheric state in the load lock chamber 10, reduce the waiting time of the wafer during transmission, and improve the transmission efficiency of the whole machine.

[0042] As shown in the second embodiment of the present application shown in Figure 3 , a load lock assembly is disclosed, which comprises a load lock chamber 10, a pre-adjusting chamber 20, and a control valve 30. The pre-adjusting chamber 20 comprises a pre-pumping chamber 20a and a pre-charging chamber 20b, and the control valve 30 comprises a first control valve 30a and a second control valve 30b.

[0043] The load lock chamber 10 is used to accommodate a wafer; the volume of the pre-pumping chamber 20a is larger than that of the load lock chamber 10, the pre-pumping chamber 20a is connected with the load lock chamber 10, and is used to pump out the gas in the load lock chamber 10; the volume of the pre-charging chamber 20b is larger than that of the load lock chamber 10, the pre-charging chamber 20b is connected with the load lock chamber 10, and is used to charge the gas in the load lock chamber 10; the first control valve 30a is arranged between the load lock chamber 10 and the pre-pumping chamber 20a, and is used to control the on-off between the load lock chamber 10 and the pre-pumping chamber 20a; and the second control valve 30b is arranged between the load lock chamber 10 and the pre-charging chamber 20b, and is used to control the on-off between the load lock chamber 10 and the pre-charging chamber 20b.

[0044] In use, the pre-pumping chamber 20a can be pumped in advance to form a vacuum state inside the pre-pumping chamber 20a, and similarly, the pre-charging chamber 20b can be charged in advance to form an atmospheric state or a state slightly higher than the atmospheric pressure.

[0045] When it is required to switch the load lock chamber 10 from the atmospheric state to the vacuum state, since the pre-evacuation chamber 20a is in the vacuum state in advance and the volume of the pre-evacuation chamber 20a is greater than the volume of the load lock chamber 10, after the first control valve 30a is opened and the second control valve 30b is closed, the load lock chamber 10 is communicated with the pre-evacuation chamber 20a, at the moment when the load lock chamber 10 is communicated with the pre-evacuation chamber 20a, the gas in the load lock chamber 10 is rapidly evacuated by the pre-evacuation chamber 20a, so that the load lock chamber 10 rapidly reaches the vacuum state, thereby the pressure of the two is balanced.

[0046] Similarly, when it is required to switch the load lock chamber 10 from the vacuum state to the atmospheric state, since the pre-charge chamber 20b is in the atmospheric state or slightly higher than the atmospheric state in advance and the volume of the pre-charge chamber 20b is greater than the volume of the load lock chamber 10, after the first control valve 30a is closed and the second control valve 30b is opened, the load lock chamber 10 is communicated with the pre-charge chamber 20b, at the moment when the load lock chamber 10 is communicated with the pre-charge chamber 20b, the gas in the pre-charge chamber 20b is rapidly charged into the load lock chamber 10, so that the load lock chamber 10 rapidly reaches the atmospheric state or the state close to the atmospheric state, thereby the pressure of the two is balanced.

[0047] It can be seen that the load lock assembly for the semiconductor process equipment of the present application can pre-evacuate the pre-evacuation chamber 20a and pre-charge the pre-charge chamber 20b, so that the pre-evacuation chamber 20a and the pre-charge chamber 20b are in the ready-to-use state at any time, and when it is required, the load lock chamber 10 is immediately evacuated or charged by the pre-evacuation chamber 20a and the pre-charge chamber 20b, since the volume of the pre-evacuation chamber 20a and the pre-charge chamber 20b is greater than the volume of the load lock chamber 10, after being communicated with the load lock chamber 10, the pre-evacuation chamber 20a and the pre-charge chamber 20b can rapidly evacuate the gas from the inside of the load lock chamber 10 or charge the gas into the load lock chamber 10, so that the inside of the load lock chamber 10 rapidly reaches the vacuum state or the atmospheric state, thereby reducing the waiting time of the wafer in the transmission process and improving the transmission efficiency of the whole machine.

[0048] It should be noted that in the second embodiment, one load lock chamber 10 is provided with one pre-evacuation chamber 20a and one pre-charge chamber 20b, and the load lock chamber 10 can be respectively evacuated and charged by the pre-evacuation chamber 20a and the pre-charge chamber 20b. However, this is not restrictive, in the third embodiment, one load lock chamber 10 is provided with two pre-evacuation chambers 20a and two pre-charge chambers 20b, and the load lock chamber 10 can be respectively evacuated and charged by the two pre-evacuation chambers 20a and the two pre-charge chambers 20b. Figure 4In the third embodiment shown, its structure is basically the same as that of the second embodiment. The difference is that in this embodiment, there are two load locking chambers 10, namely a first load locking chamber 10a and a second load locking chamber 10b. There is one pre-evacuation chamber 20a and one pre-inflation chamber 20b. The first load locking chamber 10a is connected to the pre-evacuation chamber 20a and the pre-inflation chamber 20b, respectively. The second load locking chamber 10b is connected to the pre-evacuation chamber 20a and the pre-inflation chamber 20b, respectively. This method can improve turnover efficiency. Therefore, without violating the working principle, the above situations are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0049] Furthermore, in this third embodiment, the pre-evacuation chamber 20a is located below the first load locking chamber 10a; the pre-inflation chamber 20b is located below the second load locking chamber 10b. This arrangement reduces the equipment's footprint and improves vertical space utilization.

[0050] In such Figure 3 and Figure 5 In the second embodiment shown, the load locking assembly further includes: a suction pipe 40a, the first end of which is connected to the interior of the load locking chamber 10, and the other end of which is connected to the interior of the pre-vacuum chamber 20a. A first control valve 30a is disposed on the suction pipe 40a and is used to control the on / off state of the suction pipe 40a. Figure 5 As shown, the load locking chamber 10 is connected to the front-end module 100 of the equipment, and the pre-evacuation chamber 20a is arranged adjacent to the front-end module 100 of the equipment and located below the load locking chamber 10. The first control valve 30a and the evacuation pipeline 40a are located between the load locking chamber 10 and the pre-evacuation chamber 20a. This arrangement can reduce the floor space occupied by the equipment and improve the vertical space utilization.

[0051] When the first control valve 30a is opened, the interior of the load locking chamber 10 is connected to the interior of the pre-evacuation chamber 20a through the evacuation pipe 40a, thereby allowing the gas in the load locking chamber 10 to be extracted from the pre-evacuation chamber 20a. When it is necessary to fill the interior of the load locking chamber 10 with gas, the first control valve 30a is closed to prevent the gas from being extracted from the pre-evacuation chamber 20a.

[0052] It should be noted that, as Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, an exhaust port 11 is provided inside the load locking chamber 10. The exhaust port 11 is located at the bottom of the load locking chamber 10 and below the wafer placement position. The exhaust port 11 is connected to the first end of the evacuation pipe 40a. Since the gas in the load locking chamber 10 needs to be quickly extracted after the load locking chamber 10 is connected to the pre-evacuation chamber 20a, therefore, as Figure 6As shown, the exhaust port 11 is large in size so that more gas can be exhausted in a short time.

[0053] It can be understood that, in order to facilitate the pre-exhausting of the pre-exhausting chamber 20a, Figure 5 As shown, the pre-exhausting chamber 20a is connected with the vacuum pump 50a. By connecting with the vacuum pump 50a, the pre-exhausting chamber 20a can be pre-exhausted by the vacuum pump 50a before the wafer is transported, so that the interior of the pre-exhausting chamber 20a is pre-adjusted to a vacuum state. Therefore, when the wafer needs to be transported, the load lock chamber 10 can be immediately exhausted, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of the whole machine.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the load lock assembly further comprises an auxiliary exhaust pipeline 60a and a third control valve 70a. The first end of the auxiliary exhaust pipeline 60a is in communication with the vacuum pump 50a, and the other end of the auxiliary exhaust pipeline 60a is in communication with the load lock chamber 10, for exhausting the load lock chamber 10. The third control valve 70a is arranged on the auxiliary exhaust pipeline 60a, for controlling the opening and closing of the auxiliary exhaust pipeline 60a.

[0055] In order to avoid the fact that, after the pre-exhausting chamber 20a is connected with the load lock chamber 10, the air pressure in the load lock chamber 10 cannot reach the preset vacuum state, the auxiliary exhaust pipeline 60a is arranged. After the first control valve 30a between the pre-exhausting chamber 20a and the load lock chamber 10 is closed, the vacuum pump 50a can continue to exhaust the load lock chamber 10 through the auxiliary exhaust pipeline 60a, so that the air pressure in the load lock chamber 10 can reach the preset vacuum state.

[0056] In the second embodiment as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, Figure 3 and Figure 7 As shown, the load lock assembly further comprises a gas filling pipeline 40b. The first end of the gas filling pipeline 40b is in communication with the load lock chamber 10, and the other end of the gas filling pipeline 40b is in communication with the pre-gas filling chamber 20b. A second control valve 30b is arranged on the gas filling pipeline 40b, for controlling the opening and closing of the gas filling pipeline 40b. Figure 7 As shown, the load lock chamber 10 is connected with the equipment front end module 100, the pre-gas filling chamber 20b is arranged adjacent to the equipment front end module 100 and below the load lock chamber 10, and the second control valve 30b and the gas filling pipeline 40b are located between the load lock chamber 10 and the pre-gas filling chamber 20b. By adopting this arrangement, the floor area of the equipment can be reduced, and the space utilization in the vertical direction can be improved.

[0057] When the second control valve 30b is opened, the inside of the load lock chamber 10 is communicated with the inside of the pre-charging chamber 20b through the charging pipeline 40b, so that the gas in the pre-charging chamber 20b is filled into the load lock chamber 10. When it is needed to charge the inside of the load lock chamber 10, the second control valve 30b is closed, so that the pre-charging chamber 20b avoids filling the gas into the load lock chamber 10.

[0058] It should be noted that, as Figure 6 shown in the embodiment, the inside of the load lock chamber 10 is provided with an air inlet 12, the air inlet 12 is arranged at the bottom of the load lock chamber 10, and the air inlet 12 is communicated with the first end of the charging pipeline 40b. Because the load lock chamber 10 is communicated with the pre-charging chamber 20b, the load lock chamber 10 will be quickly filled with gas, so that a large air flow will be generated in a short time, and the air flow will be blown out from the air inlet 12, which is easy to cause the wafer displacement. In order to avoid the influence of the air flow on the wafer, the air inlet 12 is arranged at a position outside the wafer placement area, so that the air inlet 12 is far away from the wafer, thereby reducing the influence of the air flow on the wafer. It should be noted that, because the space inside the load lock chamber 10 is limited, in order to facilitate the wafer to avoid, compared with the size of the exhaust port 11, the size of the air inlet 12 is relatively small, only for the purpose of ensuring that the gas can be quickly filled into the load lock chamber 10 through the air inlet 12, the air inlet 12 is multiple, and the multiple air inlets 12 are distributed in a circumferential direction, so as to ensure that more gas can be discharged in a short time. Preferably, as Figure 6 shown in the embodiment, the number of air inlets 12 is 4, but this is not restrictive, and in some other embodiments not shown in the figure, the number of air inlets 12 can also be 2, 3 or 5, etc.

[0059] It can be understood that, in order to facilitate the pre-charging chamber 20b to be charged, as Figure 7 shown, the pre-charging chamber 20b is connected with a gas source 50b (for example: a compressed air source). By being connected with the gas source 50b, the pre-charging chamber 20b can be pre-charged by the gas source 50b before the wafer is transported, so that the inside of the pre-charging chamber 20b is pre-adjusted to an atmospheric state or a state slightly higher than the atmospheric pressure, thereby the gas can be immediately filled into the load lock chamber 10 when the wafer needs to be transported, and the transmission efficiency of the whole machine is improved.

[0060] As Figure 3As shown in FIG. 2, the load lock assembly further comprises a balance valve 90 arranged on the load lock chamber 10 for balancing the air pressure inside and outside the load lock chamber 10. In order to avoid the air pressure inside the load lock chamber 10 being higher or lower than the external atmospheric pressure after the pre-charging chamber 20b is communicated with the load lock chamber 10, the balance valve 90 is arranged to enable the load lock chamber 10 to be communicated with the external atmosphere after the load lock chamber 10 is charged with air, so that the air pressure inside the load lock chamber 10 is consistent with the external atmosphere.

[0061] Further, in the second embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, Figure 3 and Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 2, the load lock assembly further comprises an auxiliary charging pipeline 60b and a fifth control valve 70b. The first end of the auxiliary charging pipeline 60b is communicated with the air source 50b, and the other end of the auxiliary charging pipeline 60b is communicated with the load lock chamber 10 for charging the load lock chamber 10 with air. The fifth control valve 70b is arranged on the auxiliary charging pipeline 60b for controlling the opening and closing of the auxiliary charging pipeline 60b.

[0062] In addition to the balance valve 90 balancing the air pressure of the load lock chamber 10 with the external atmosphere, the auxiliary charging pipeline 60b and the fifth control valve 70b can also be used to adjust the air pressure inside the load lock chamber 10. By arranging the auxiliary charging pipeline 60b, after the second control valve 30b between the pre-charging chamber 20b and the load lock chamber 10 is closed, the air source 50b can continue to charge the load lock chamber 10 with air through the auxiliary charging pipeline 60b, so that the air pressure inside the load lock chamber 10 can reach a preset air pressure state.

[0063] In the second embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, Figure 3 and Figure 8 In order to ensure the stability of the wafer during the charging or pumping process of the load lock chamber 10, the load lock assembly further comprises an adsorption device 80 arranged in the load lock chamber 10 for supporting and fixing the wafer. The adsorption device 80 is communicated with the pre-pumping chamber 20a for providing an adsorption force for adsorbing the wafer. By arranging the adsorption device 80, after the wafer is placed on the adsorption device 80, the wafer can be fixed by the adsorption force generated by the pre-pumping chamber 20a, so as to avoid the influence of the air flow formed during the charging or pumping process of the load lock chamber 10 on the wafer.

[0064] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, Figure 8As shown, the adsorption device 80 comprises a bracket 81, an adsorption pipeline 83 and a fourth control valve 84. The bracket 81 is arranged in the load lock chamber 10, the bracket 81 has a support surface for supporting a wafer, and the bracket 81 has an adsorption channel 82 inside, a first end of the adsorption channel 82 is communicated with the pre-pumping chamber 20a, and a second end of the adsorption channel 82 extends to the support surface to form an adsorption hole for adsorbing the wafer.

[0065] Specifically, the bracket 81 comprises a support table 811 and a plurality of support columns 812, the support table 811 is arranged in the load lock chamber 10, the plurality of support columns 812 are distributed on the support table 811 in a circumferential direction, each of the support columns 812 has a support end and a connecting end arranged oppositely, the connecting end of the support column 812 is connected with the support table 811, and the support end of the support column 812 forms a support surface for supporting the wafer; the support table 811 and the support column 812 are both internally provided with two sub-adsorption channels connected in sequence, the two sub-adsorption channels are communicated to form the adsorption channel 82, a first end of the adsorption channel 82 is communicated with a first end of the adsorption pipeline 83, a second end of the adsorption channel 82 extends to the support surface of the support column 812 to form an adsorption hole for adsorbing the wafer, and a second end of the adsorption pipeline 83 is communicated with the pre-pumping chamber 20a; the fourth control valve 84 is arranged on the adsorption pipeline 83 and used for controlling the opening and closing of the adsorption pipeline 83.

[0066] In use, the wafer can be placed on the bracket 81 first, and the support surfaces of the plurality of support columns 812 on the bracket 81 jointly support the wafer. When the load lock chamber 10 needs to be filled with gas or pumped, the first control valve 30a can be opened first to generate suction in the adsorption hole, and the wafer is fixed with the support column 812 through the suction, so that the wafer is prevented from being blown off due to too large gas flow, and the transmission reliability is improved.

[0067] According to the application, a semiconductor process equipment is also disclosed, which comprises a process module, a vacuum transmission module, an equipment front end module, a controller and the above load lock assembly, the process module, the vacuum transmission module, the load lock chamber and the equipment front end module are sequentially connected. The vacuum transmission module has a vacuum chamber, the equipment front end module has an atmospheric chamber, the load lock chamber 10 is communicated with the vacuum chamber and the atmospheric chamber respectively, a first door valve is arranged between the load lock chamber 10 and the vacuum chamber, a second door valve is arranged between the load lock chamber 10 and the atmospheric chamber, and the controller is used for controlling the working states of the first door valve, the second door valve, the first control valve 30a and the second control valve 30b.

[0068] The semiconductor process equipment has a gas filling state and a gas pumping state; in the gas pumping state, the first control valve 30a is opened and the second control valve 30b is closed; in the gas filling state, the first control valve 30a is closed and the second control valve 30b is opened.

[0069] When the wafer is to be transferred from the front-end module to the vacuum transfer module, the second door valve is first opened, and the wafer is transferred from the atmospheric chamber to the load lock chamber 10, and then the second door valve is closed, the semiconductor processing equipment is in a pumping state, the first control valve 30a is opened, and the second control valve 30b is closed, so that the load lock chamber 10 is pumped. After the load lock chamber 10 is pumped, the first door valve is opened, and the wafer is transferred to the vacuum chamber, thereby realizing the process of transferring the wafer from the front-end module to the vacuum transfer module. Conversely, when the wafer is to be taken out, the first door valve is first opened, the wafer is transferred from the vacuum chamber to the load lock chamber 10, and then the first door valve is closed, the semiconductor processing equipment is in a gassing state, the first control valve 30a is closed, the second control valve 30b is opened, and the load lock chamber 10 is gassed. After the pressure in the load lock chamber 10 is balanced with the pressure in the atmospheric chamber, the second door valve is opened, and the wafer is transferred to the atmospheric chamber, thereby realizing the process of transferring the wafer from the vacuum transfer module to the front-end module.

[0070] According to a third aspect of the present application, as shown in Figure 9 a control method for the semiconductor processing equipment is also disclosed, and the control method comprises the following steps:

[0071] S110: closing the first door valve and the second door valve;

[0072] S120: controlling the first control valve 30a to be opened to reduce the pressure in the load lock chamber 10. After the first control valve 30a is opened for a preset time, the first control valve 30a is closed, the pressure in the pre-pumping chamber 20a is restored to the initial state, and step S130 is performed after the load lock chamber 10 reaches a preset pressure value.

[0073] S130: opening the first door valve, and performing the next process step.

[0074] When the load lock chamber 10 needs to be pumped, the first door valve and the second door valve are first closed to form a closed space in the load lock chamber 10. Then, the first control valve 30a is opened to connect the pre-pumping chamber 20a and the load lock chamber 10. Since the pre-pumping chamber 20a is in a vacuum state and the volume of the pre-pumping chamber 20a is greater than the volume of the load lock chamber 10, the gas in the load lock chamber 10 is quickly pumped out by the pre-pumping chamber 20a at the moment when the load lock chamber 10 is connected to the pre-pumping chamber 20a, so that the load lock chamber 10 quickly reaches a vacuum state. After the first control valve 30a is opened for a preset time, the pressure in the pre-pumping chamber 20a and the load lock chamber 10 is balanced, the first control valve 30a can be closed, and the pressure in the pre-pumping chamber 20a can gradually return to the initial state, thereby preparing for the next use. Meanwhile, after the transition chamber reaches a preset pressure, the first door valve can be opened to put in or take out the wafer.

[0075] Further, as Figure 10 shown, in step S120 specifically includes the following steps:

[0076] S121: open the first control valve 30a;

[0077] S122: after the first control valve 30a is opened for a preset time, close the first control valve 30a to restore the air pressure in the pre-pumping chamber 20a to the initial state;

[0078] S123: obtain the air pressure value P1 in the load lock chamber 10, and obtain the first preset air pressure value P2;

[0079] S124: compare P1 and P2;

[0080] S125: selectively execute step S130 according to the comparison result.

[0081] In step S125 specifically includes the following steps:

[0082] If P1>P2, open the third control valve 70a and return to step S123;

[0083] If P1≤P2, close the third control valve 70a and execute step S130.

[0084] The control method of the application can control the opening and closing of the first control valve 30a on the auxiliary pumping line 60a according to the air pressure value in the load lock chamber 10. If the air pressure value in the load lock chamber 10 does not meet the standard, the vacuum pump 50a and the auxiliary pumping line 60a can continue to pump the load lock chamber 10, so that the air pressure in the load lock chamber 10 can reach the preset vacuum state, improving the reliability.

[0085] According to a fourth aspect of the application, as Figure 11 shown, a control method for the above-mentioned semiconductor process equipment is also disclosed, and the control method comprises the following steps:

[0086] The control method comprises the following steps:

[0087] S210: close the first gate valve and the second gate valve;

[0088] S220: control the second control valve 30b to open to increase the air pressure in the load lock chamber 10, and after the second control valve 30b is opened for a preset time, close the second control valve 30b to restore the air pressure in the pre-charging chamber 20b to the initial state; after the load lock chamber 10 reaches the preset air pressure value, execute step S230;

[0089] S230: open the second gate valve and execute the next process step.

[0090] When the load lock chamber 10 needs to be filled with air, the first door valve and the second door valve are closed to form a closed space in the load lock chamber 10. Then, the second control valve 30b is opened to connect the pre-charging chamber 20b and the load lock chamber 10. Since the pre-charging chamber 20b is in an atmospheric state or slightly higher than the atmospheric state and the volume of the pre-charging chamber 20b is greater than the volume of the load lock chamber 10, the gas in the pre-charging chamber 20b can quickly fill the load lock chamber 10 at the moment of connection between the load lock chamber 10 and the pre-charging chamber 20b, so that the load lock chamber 10 quickly reaches an atmospheric state or an atmospheric state close to the atmospheric state. After the second control valve 30b is opened for a preset time, the pre-charging chamber 20b and the load lock chamber 10 are pressure balanced, and the second control valve 30b can be closed, so that the air pressure in the pre-charging chamber 20b can gradually return to the initial state, ready for the next use. At the same time, after the transition chamber reaches a preset air pressure, the second door valve can be opened to put or take out the wafer.

[0091] Further, as shown in step S230, the following steps are specifically included: Figure 12

[0092] S221: opening the second control valve 30b;

[0093] S222: after a preset time interval, closing the second control valve 30b and opening the balance valve 90;

[0094] S223: obtaining the air pressure value P1 in the load lock chamber 10, obtaining the external air pressure value P3, and obtaining the preset pressure difference value ΔP0;

[0095] S224: calculating the difference ΔP between P1 and P3 and comparing ΔP0 and ΔP;

[0096] S225: selectively executing step S230 according to the comparison result.

[0097] Further, step S225 specifically includes the following steps:

[0098] If |P|≤ΔP0, the balance valve 90 is closed, and step S230 is executed;

[0099] If |P|>ΔP0, the balance valve 90 is kept open, and step S233 is returned to.

[0100] The control method of the present application can control the opening and closing of the balance valve 90 according to the air pressure value in the load lock chamber 10. If the air pressure value in the load lock chamber 10 is not up to standard (the air pressure value is too low or too high), the load lock chamber 10 can be connected to the outside through the balance valve 90, so that the air pressure in the load lock chamber 10 and the outside gradually balances, improving the reliability.​

[0101] Further, in order to avoid the wafer sliding caused by the too large air flow when the load lock chamber 10 is filled with air, step S210 further comprises the following steps:

[0102] opening the fourth control valve 84, and starting the adsorption device 80 to adsorb the wafer on the adsorption device 80;

[0103] Step S230 further comprises the following steps:

[0104] Before opening the second gate valve, the fourth control valve 84 is closed to stop the adsorption device 80.

[0105] It should be noted that in the embodiment, the controller comprises a storage unit and a processing unit, and the executable program is stored in the storage unit. When the processing unit calls the executable program, the above control method can be realized. Preferably, in the embodiment, the controller is the host computer or the slave computer in the semiconductor process equipment.

[0106] The control method of the present application can fix the wafer by starting the adsorption device 80 to generate suction force after the wafer is placed on the adsorption device 80, thereby avoiding the influence of the air flow formed in the process of filling or exhausting air on the wafer in the load lock chamber 10.

[0107] It should be understood that the above embodiments are only exemplary embodiments for illustrating the principles of the present application, and the present application is not limited thereto. Various modifications and improvements can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and essence of the present application, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A load lock assembly for a semiconductor process apparatus, characterized by, The load lock assembly comprises: a load lock chamber (10); a pre-regulation chamber (20), the volume of the pre-regulation chamber (20) being greater than the volume of the load lock chamber (10); a control valve (30) connected between the load lock chamber (10) and the pre-regulation chamber (20), the control valve (30) having an open state for communicating the load lock chamber (10) with the pre-regulation chamber (20) and a closed state for blocking the load lock chamber (10) from the pre-regulation chamber (20); in the closed state of the control valve (30), the pre-regulation chamber (20) is pre-regulated to a different gas pressure state from the load lock chamber (10), forming a pressure difference; in the open state of the control valve (30), the pre-regulation chamber (20) communicates with the load lock chamber (10), and under the action of the pressure difference, the pre-regulation chamber (20) extracts or fills gas into the load lock chamber (10) to regulate the gas pressure in the load lock chamber (10).

2. The load lock assembly according to claim 1, wherein: the pre-regulation chamber (20) comprises a pre-extraction chamber (20a) communicating with the load lock chamber (10) through an extraction pipeline (40a); the control valve (30) comprises a first control valve (30a) arranged on the extraction pipeline (40a) for controlling the opening and closing of the extraction pipeline (40a); and / or the pre-regulation chamber (20) comprises a pre-filling chamber (20b) communicating with the load lock chamber (10) through a filling pipeline (40b); the control valve (30) comprises a second control valve (30b) arranged on the filling pipeline (40b) for controlling the opening and closing of the filling pipeline (40b).

3. The load lock assembly according to claim 2, wherein: the load lock chamber (10) comprises a first load lock chamber (10a) and a second load lock chamber (10b), the pre-extraction chamber (20a) is arranged below the first load lock chamber (10a), and the pre-filling chamber (20b) is arranged below the second load lock chamber (10b).

4. The load lock assembly according to claim 2, wherein: an exhaust port (11) is arranged in the load lock chamber (10) and communicates with a first end of the extraction pipeline (40a).

5. The load lock assembly according to claim 2, wherein: the pre-extraction chamber (20a) is connected with a vacuum pump (50a) to pre-regulate the interior of the pre-extraction chamber (20a) to a vacuum state.

6. The load lock assembly of claim 5, wherein, Further comprising: an auxiliary pumping line (60a) having a first end in communication with the vacuum pump (50a) and a second end in communication with the load lock chamber (10) for pumping the load lock chamber (10); a third control valve (70a) disposed on the auxiliary pumping line (60a) for controlling the opening and closing of the auxiliary pumping line (60a).

7. The load lock assembly of claim 2, wherein, Further comprising: an adsorption device (80) disposed in the load lock chamber (10) for supporting and fixing a wafer, the adsorption device (80) being in communication with the pre-pumping chamber (20a) for providing an adsorption force for adsorbing the wafer.

8. The load lock assembly of claim 7, wherein, The adsorption device (80) comprises: a support (81) disposed in the load lock chamber (10), the support (81) having a support surface for supporting a wafer, the support (81) having an adsorption channel (82) inside, a first end of the adsorption channel (82) being in communication with the pre-pumping chamber (20a), and a second end of the adsorption channel (82) extending to the support surface to form an adsorption hole for adsorbing the wafer.

9. The load lock assembly of claim 8, wherein, The adsorption device (80) further comprises: an adsorption line (83) having a first end in communication with the first end of the adsorption channel (82) and a second end in communication with the pre-pumping chamber (20a); a fourth control valve (84) disposed on the adsorption line (83) for controlling the opening and closing of the adsorption line (83).

10. The load lock assembly of claim 2, wherein an air inlet (12) is disposed inside the load lock chamber (10), the air inlet (12) being in communication with the first end of the gas charging line (40b), and the air inlet (12) being disposed at a position outside a wafer placement area.

11. The load lock assembly of claim 2, wherein the pre-charging chamber (20b) is connected to a gas source (50b) to pre-adjust the inside of the pre-charging chamber (20b) to an atmospheric state.

12. The load lock assembly of claim 11, wherein, The load lock assembly further comprises: an auxiliary gas charging line (60b) having a first end in communication with the gas source (50b) and a second end in communication with the load lock chamber (10) for charging the load lock chamber (10); a fifth control valve (70b) disposed on the auxiliary gas charging line (60b) for controlling the opening and closing of the auxiliary gas charging line (60b).

13. The load lock assembly of claim 2, wherein, The load lock assembly further comprises: a balance valve (90) disposed on the load lock chamber (10) for balancing the air pressure inside and outside the load lock chamber (10).

14. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized by, Comprising: At least one process module, a vacuum transfer module, and the load lock assembly of any one of claims 1-13, the process module, the load lock assembly each being connected with the vacuum transfer module.

15. The semiconductor process apparatus according to claim 14, wherein The load lock assembly comprises: The pre-regulation chamber (20) comprises: a pre-pumping chamber (20a) and a pre-charging chamber (20b), the pre-pumping chamber (20a) and the load lock chamber (10) are communicated through a pumping pipeline (40a); the pre-charging chamber (20b) and the load lock chamber (10) are communicated through a charging pipeline (40b); The control valve (30) comprises: a first control valve (30a) and a second control valve (30b), the first control valve (30a) is arranged on the pumping pipeline (40a), and the second control valve (30b) is arranged on the charging pipeline (40b) and used for controlling opening and closing of the charging pipeline (40b); The semiconductor process equipment further comprises: a controller, the controller is used for controlling working states of the first control valve (30a) and the second control valve (30b); The semiconductor process equipment has a charging state and a pumping state; In the pumping state, the first control valve (30a) is opened, and the second control valve (30b) is closed; In the charging state, the first control valve (30a) is closed, and the second control valve (30b) is opened.

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