Heater, semiconductor heat treatment apparatus, and positioning aid

Abstract

The application provides a heater, a semiconductor heat treatment device and a positioning auxiliary part. The heater comprises a plurality of heat insulation support rings stacked in a vertical direction. Each heat insulation support ring comprises a ring body and a positioning part. The top and bottom of the ring body are respectively provided with a first boss and a second boss. The outer diameter of the first boss is smaller than the inner diameter of the second boss. The positioning part above the ring body has a first butt joint surface, and the first butt joint surface has a first positioning part. The positioning part below the ring body has a second butt joint surface, and the second butt joint surface has a second positioning part. The first boss of any heat insulation support ring is nested in the second boss of the adjacent heat insulation support ring, and the first positioning part and the second positioning part of the adjacent heat insulation support ring are positioned and matched. The matching relationship between the first positioning part and the second positioning part plays a positioning role, which can ensure the concentricity of the two adjacent heat insulation support rings and make the radial size of each gap on the support body consistent.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, and more specifically, to a heater, semiconductor heat treatment equipment, and positioning auxiliary components. Background Technology

[0002] Semiconductor thermal processing equipment is widely used in the fabrication of integrated circuit devices, enabling processes such as oxidation, annealing, and thin film growth. The core component of semiconductor thermal processing equipment is the heater, which surrounds the process chamber to heat it.

[0003] The heater includes a heating element and multiple heat-insulating support rings. These rings are stacked vertically to form a support body. The heating element is spirally arranged on the inner circumference of the heat-insulating support rings, with each ring supporting one ring of heating elements. Adjacent rings are spaced vertically apart to prevent short circuits. In some related technologies, any two adjacent heat-insulating support rings are not fitted together radially, and a gap exists between them to allow for deformation space due to thermal expansion caused by high temperatures.

[0004] However, it is difficult to keep the radial dimensions of the gaps on the support body, which consists of multiple thermal insulation support rings, consistent. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and proposes a heater, a semiconductor heat treatment device and a positioning auxiliary component.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a heater for a semiconductor heat treatment apparatus, the heater comprising: a plurality of heat-insulating support rings stacked in a vertical direction;

[0007] Each heat insulation support ring includes: an annular body and positioning components; wherein, the top of the annular body is provided with a first boss protruding upward, and the bottom of the annular body is provided with a second boss protruding downward, the outer diameter of the first boss being smaller than the inner diameter of the second boss; at least one positioning component is provided above the annular body as an upper positioning component, the upper positioning component having a first mating surface, the first mating surface having a first positioning portion; at least one positioning component is provided below the annular body as a lower positioning component, the lower positioning component having a second mating surface, the second mating surface having a second positioning portion, and the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion facing each other in the vertical direction;

[0008] Multiple heat-insulating support rings are stacked vertically, with the first boss of any heat-insulating support ring nested within the second boss of an adjacent heat-insulating support ring; the first mating surface of any heat-insulating support ring is used to face the second mating surface of an adjacent heat-insulating support ring, and the first positioning part on the first mating surface and the second positioning part on the second mating surface opposite to the first mating surface are positioned and engaged.

[0009] In one possible implementation, one of the first positioning part and the second positioning part is a positioning hole, and the other is a positioning protrusion.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the upper positioning member is fixedly disposed on the top of the first boss, and the lower positioning member is fixedly disposed on the bottom of the annular body; and / or, the upper positioning member is fixedly disposed on the top of the annular body, and the lower positioning member is fixedly disposed on the bottom of the second boss.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the positioning element includes a positioning plate, an annular body, and at least one of the first boss and the second boss, each having a fixing groove, with the positioning plate of each positioning element being fitted into the corresponding fixing groove.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the distance between the first surface of the positioning plate facing away from the bottom wall of the corresponding fixing groove and the bottom wall of the fixing groove in the vertical direction is equal to the depth of the fixing groove.

[0013] In one possible implementation, each positioning plate is bonded to its corresponding fixing groove using adhesive.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the second side of the positioning plate facing the bottom wall of the corresponding fixing groove has a receiving groove, which is filled with adhesive.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the positioning plate has multiple circumferential ribs protruding from the second side of the bottom wall of the fixing groove. The multiple circumferential ribs are arranged radially at intervals along the heat insulation support ring, and each of the multiple circumferential ribs is arc-shaped with its center located on the central axis of the heat insulation support ring.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the positioning plate has a plurality of radial ribs protruding from the second side of the bottom wall of the fixing groove. The plurality of radial ribs are distributed at intervals around the central axis of the heat insulation support ring and extend radially along the heat insulation support ring.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the positioning element further includes a limiting plate, one end of the positioning plate of each positioning element is connected to one end of the limiting plate by a bend, and the limiting plate extends in the vertical direction; the limiting plate of the upper positioning element abuts against the circumferential side of the first boss; the limiting plate of the lower positioning element abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the second boss or the inner circumferential surface of the annular body.

[0018] In one possible implementation, a plurality of first positioning parts are provided on the first mating surface, and a plurality of second positioning parts are provided on the second mating surface; or, a plurality of upper positioning parts and a plurality of lower positioning parts are provided, each upper positioning part having a first positioning part and each lower positioning part having a second positioning part; and the plurality of first positioning parts and the plurality of second positioning parts are distributed at intervals around the central axis of the annular body, and the plurality of first positioning parts and the plurality of second positioning parts are aligned vertically.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the inner diameter of the first boss is smaller than the inner diameter of the annular body, and the heater further includes a heating element disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the annular body; and / or, the outer diameter of the second boss is equal to the outer diameter of the annular body, and the heater further includes a heat insulation layer surrounding the outer periphery of a support body composed of multiple heat insulation support rings.

[0020] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a semiconductor thermal processing apparatus, comprising: a process chamber and any of the heaters provided in the first aspect of the present invention, the heaters surrounding the outside of the process chamber and there being a gap between the two.

[0021] Thirdly, the present invention provides a positioning aid for assisting in adjusting the positioning part of the heat insulation support ring in any of the heaters provided in the first aspect of the present invention. The positioning aid includes: an auxiliary plate, the auxiliary plate having an auxiliary plane and a fixed plane that are opposite to each other.

[0022] An auxiliary plane is configured to be positioned opposite to the first mating surface of the heater's heat insulation support ring. A first limiting portion is formed on the auxiliary plane, and the first limiting portion and a first positioning portion on the first mating surface opposite to the auxiliary plane are positioned and engaged. Alternatively, the auxiliary plane is configured to mate with the second mating surface of the heat insulation support ring. A second limiting portion is formed on the auxiliary plane, and the second limiting portion and a second positioning portion on the second mating surface opposite to the auxiliary plane are positioned and engaged. A fixed plane is configured for placing a leveling instrument to detect the levelness of the auxiliary plane.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the auxiliary plate includes a fixed plate, a positioning ring, and a connector located between the fixed plate and the positioning ring; the positioning ring surrounds the outer periphery of the fixed plate, and when the auxiliary plane is opposite to the mating surface of the heat insulation support ring, the positioning ring and the heat insulation support ring are concentric; the top surface of the fixed plate is a fixed plane; one end of the connector is connected to the fixed plate, and the other end is connected to the positioning ring.

[0024] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0025] The heater's heat insulation support ring provided by this invention has a first mating surface and a second mating surface. During the process of stacking two heat insulation support rings to assemble a support body, the mating relationship between the first positioning part on the first mating surface and the second positioning part on the second mating surface opposite to the first mating surface plays a positioning role for the two heat insulation support rings. Furthermore, since the first positioning part and the second positioning part are aligned vertically, the concentricity of the two stacked heat insulation support rings can be ensured.

[0026] Thus, in the heater provided by the present invention, the support body composed of multiple heat-insulating support rings can have good concentricity, and the gap formed by every two stacked heat-insulating support rings on the support body has a consistent radial dimension. This is beneficial in ensuring that a gap is formed between any two adjacent heat-insulating support rings on the heater's support body, allowing for the release of any expansion deformation of any heat-insulating support ring. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a top view of a thermal insulation support ring representing a related technology;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a partial cross-sectional view of a thermal insulation support ring representing a related technology;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a partial cross-sectional view of a support structure consisting of two thermally insulating support rings in the relevant technology;

[0030] Figure 4 (a) to Figure 4 (b) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the assembly error between two adjacent thermal insulation support rings in the support of the heater of the relevant technology;

[0031] Figure 5 (a) to Figure 5 (b) is a simplified top view showing the assembly error between two adjacent thermal insulation support rings in the support of the heater of the relevant technology;

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a semiconductor heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 7 This is a partial cross-sectional view showing the engagement of two adjacent heat-insulating support rings in the support body of a heater according to an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a support body composed of four heat-insulating support rings in a heater according to an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 9 It means Figure 8A partial cross-sectional view of the support structure shown;

[0036] Figure 10 It means Figure 9 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle;

[0037] Figure 11 It means Figure 8 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the central thermal insulation support ring;

[0038] Figure 12 It means Figure 11 The diagram shown is a three-dimensional representation of the thermal insulation support ring without the positioning components.

[0039] Figure 13 It means Figure 12 The top view of the thermal insulation support ring shown;

[0040] Figure 14 It means Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the cross-section of the thermal insulation support ring shown;

[0041] Figure 15 It means Figure 11 The bottom view of the upper positioning component in the thermal insulation support ring shown;

[0042] Figure 16 It means Figure 11 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the upper positioning component in the thermal insulation support ring shown;

[0043] Figure 17 It means Figure 11 The bottom view of the lower positioning component in the thermal insulation support ring shown;

[0044] Figure 18 It means Figure 11 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the lower positioning component in the thermal insulation support ring shown;

[0045] Figure 19 This describes a positioning aid in an embodiment of this application. Figure 11 A three-dimensional schematic diagram showing the engagement of the first positioning part of a heat insulation support ring;

[0046] Figure 20 It means Figure 19 Exploded view of the center positioning auxiliary component and the heat insulation support ring;

[0047] Figure 21 It means Figure 19 A partial cross-sectional view of the alignment between the positioning auxiliary component and the thermal insulation support ring;

[0048] Figure 22 It means Figure 19 A partial schematic diagram of the positioning auxiliary component;

[0049] Figure 23 This represents another positioning aid in an embodiment of this application. Figure 11 A three-dimensional schematic diagram showing the engagement of the second positioning part of a heat insulation support ring;

[0050] Figure 24 It means Figure 23 Exploded view of the center positioning auxiliary component and the heat insulation support ring;

[0051] Figure 25 It means Figure 23 A partial cross-sectional view of the alignment between the positioning auxiliary component and the thermal insulation support ring;

[0052] Figure 26 It means Figure 23 A partial schematic diagram of the positioning auxiliary component.

[0053] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0054] 100 - Semiconductor heat treatment equipment;

[0055] 10-Heater; 11-Heating element; 12-Heat insulation support ring; 120-Annular body; 121-First boss; 122-Second boss; 123-First positioning part; 124-Second positioning part; 125-Positioning component; 125A-Upper positioning component; 125B-Lower positioning component; 1251-Circumferential rib; 1252-Radial rib; 1253-Receiving groove; 1254-Positioning plate; 1255-Limiting plate; 126-Groove; 127-Fixing groove; 128-Right angle chamfer; 13-Gap;

[0056] 20-Crystal Boat;

[0057] 30 - Process chamber;

[0058] 40 - Outer shell;

[0059] 50 - Sealing plate;

[0060] 60 - Insulation layer;

[0061] 70-Insulation Container;

[0062] 80-Cable;

[0063] 200-Auxiliary plate; 210-Fixed plate; 220-Positioning ring; 230-Connector; 240-First limiting part; 250-Second limiting part. Detailed Implementation

[0064] The following embodiments of this application provide a semiconductor heat treatment apparatus that can be used to perform processes such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD). This semiconductor heat treatment apparatus can be a vertical heat treatment apparatus, but this is not limiting. The following description uses a vertical heat treatment apparatus as an example.

[0065] Semiconductor thermal processing equipment includes a heater and a process chamber. The heater surrounds the outer periphery of the process chamber and is used to heat the process chamber so that the workpiece to be processed inside the process chamber reaches the desired process temperature. A gap exists between the heater and the process chamber to prevent the process chamber from colliding with the inner circumference of the heater or the heating element during installation. The heater includes a heating element, heat-insulating support rings, and a housing. The heating element is used for generating heat, and commonly, the heating element is spiral-shaped. Multiple heat-insulating support rings are stacked vertically to form a support body. Each ring of heating elements is positioned on the inner circumference of one heat-insulating support ring. This arrangement supports the heating element and maintains a vertical distance between adjacent rings of heating elements, preventing short circuits and heater burnout caused by overlapping. The heating element and the multiple heat-insulating support rings together form the heating body. The housing is cylindrical and fits around the support body formed by the multiple heat-insulating support rings to protect it.

[0066] In related technologies, the thermal insulation support ring 12a is as follows: Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the thermal insulation support ring 12a includes an annular body 120a, a first boss 121a, and a second boss 122a. The first boss 121a protrudes above the annular body 120a, and the second boss 122a protrudes below the annular body 120a. The outer diameter of the first boss 121a is smaller than the inner diameter of the second boss 122a. The stacking arrangement of any two adjacent thermal insulation support rings 12a can be referenced. Figure 3 As shown, a heat-insulating support ring 12a1 is stacked on a heat-insulating support ring 12a2. The second boss 122a and the bottom surface of the annular body 120a of the heat-insulating support ring 12a1 press against the top surface of the annular body 120a and the first boss 121a of the heat-insulating support ring 12a2, respectively. Furthermore, along the radial direction of the heat-insulating support ring 12a, there is a gap 13a between the inner circumferential surface of the second boss 122a of the heat-insulating support ring 12a1 and the outer circumferential surface of the first boss 121a of the heat-insulating support ring 12a2. With this design, during heat treatment, the heater often needs to heat to 1200℃-1500℃. The heat-insulating support ring 12a is prone to thermal expansion due to the high temperature; this gap 13a provides deformation space for the thermal expansion of the heat-insulating support ring 12a.

[0067] However, in actual assembly, assembly errors are prone to occur between adjacent heat-insulating support rings 12a, making it difficult to ensure the concentricity of adjacent heat-insulating support rings 12a. Therefore, it is impossible to accurately control the gap 13a between adjacent heat-insulating support rings 12a, resulting in inconsistent radial dimensions of the gaps 13a on the support body formed by multiple heat-insulating support rings 12a. Specifically, due to assembly errors, the assembly of adjacent heat-insulating support rings 12a may be as follows: Figure 4 As shown in (a), the inner circumferential surface of the second boss 122a of the heat insulation support ring 12a1 may fit against the outer circumferential surface of the first boss 121a of the heat insulation support ring 12a2, and no gap 13a is reserved between the heat insulation support rings 12a1 and 12a2. The assembly configuration of two adjacent heat insulation support rings 12a may also be as shown in (a). Figure 4 As shown in (b), the radial dimension of the gap 13a between the thermal insulation support ring 12a1 and the thermal insulation support ring 12a2 is too large.

[0068] Based on this, if there are two adjacent thermal insulation support rings 12a in the support body, such as Figure 4 As shown in (a), when the two thermal insulation support rings 12a are thermally expanded due to high temperature, the expansion deformation of the thermal insulation support rings 12a cannot be released, resulting in internal stress between the two thermal insulation support rings 12a. Under the action of internal stress, the thermal insulation support rings 12a are prone to cracks.

[0069] Furthermore, when two adjacent thermal insulation support rings 12a in the support body have assembly errors, the concentricity of the support body composed of these two thermal insulation support rings 12a will be poor. In this case, the support body will inevitably have the following problems: First, any two adjacent thermal insulation support rings 12a in the support body may have assembly errors. Figure 4 (a) When the minimum inner diameter of the support body decreases, the size of the process chamber is reduced, which limits the process type and the specifications and quantity of the parts to be processed; secondly, the support body has any two adjacent heat-insulating support rings 12a, such as Figure 4 (b) When the maximum outer diameter of the support increases, there is a risk that the support may not be able to match the outer shell of the heater.

[0070] The inner diameter of each thermal insulation support ring 12a is set to D. inner Both outer diameters are D outer Under ideal conditions, two adjacent thermal insulation support rings 12a are concentric. In this case, the inner diameter of the support formed by the two thermal insulation support rings 12a is D. inner The outer diameter is D outer When two adjacent thermal insulation support rings 12a are not concentric, the two adjacent thermal insulation support rings 12a deviate radially, and the eccentricity between them is vector e→. It should be noted that... Figure 5 Both (a) and 5(b) are simplified diagrams of the two thermal insulation support rings 12a. Figure 5 (a) Primarily to facilitate the illustration of the positional relationship of the inner circumferential surfaces of the two heat-insulating support rings 12a when they are not concentric and there is no gap between them, it can be seen that the inner circumferential surfaces of the two heat-insulating support rings 12a are inscribed in the horizontal projection onto the plane. Figure 5 (a) The circle indicated by the dashed line, that is, the minimum inner diameter D' of the support body composed of the two thermal insulation support rings 12a = D inner -|e→|; Figure 5 (b) Primarily to illustrate the positional relationship of the outer circumferential surfaces of the two thermal insulation support rings 12a when they are not concentric and the radial gap 13a between them is too large, it can be seen that the projection of the outer circumferential surfaces of the two thermal insulation support rings 12a onto the horizontal plane is circumscribed by... Figure 5 (b) The circle indicated by the dashed line, that is, the maximum outer diameter D” of the support body composed of the two thermal insulation support rings 12a = D outer +|e→|.

[0071] Vertical heat treatment equipment is typically up to 1.5m high, meaning the heater is quite tall. It can be understood that the heater has N insulating support rings 12a, where N ≥ 3, and N is an integer. Therefore, the minimum inner diameter ID of the support structure composed of N insulating support rings 12a is D. inner -Max(|∑e→|), the maximum outer diameter OD of the support body composed of N thermal insulation support rings 12a is D. outer +Max(|∑e→|). Where ∑e→ is the cumulative value of the eccentricity between every two adjacent thermal insulation support rings 12a.

[0072] Therefore, it can be seen that when there are two adjacent thermal insulation support rings 12a in the support body, the assembly situation is as follows: Figure 4 As shown in (a), the minimum inner diameter of the support decreases. Without changing the distance between the support and the process chamber, the outer diameter of the process chamber must be reduced, thus limiting the specifications and quantity of the workpiece to be processed, and also limiting the types of processes that the process chamber can perform. And / or, when there are two adjacent thermal insulation support rings 12a in the support assembly, as shown in (a)... Figure 4 As shown in (b), when the maximum outer diameter of the support increases, and the maximum outer diameter of the support exceeds the inner diameter of the shell, the support cannot be installed into the shell of the heater. Therefore, the support obtained after assembling multiple heat insulation support rings 12a is a defective product.

[0073] It should also be noted that when any two adjacent heat insulation support rings 12a in the support are not concentric, the corresponding two adjacent heating elements are also not concentric, which affects the uniformity of the temperature field of the heating cavity enclosed by the heater, resulting in poor uniformity of the deposited film.

[0074] In view of the above, embodiments of this application provide a heater and a semiconductor heat treatment apparatus. To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of this invention, the heater and semiconductor heat treatment apparatus provided by this invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0075] Example 1

[0076] like Figure 6 As shown in the embodiment of this application, in the semiconductor thermal processing apparatus 100, the top of the process chamber 30 is closed and the bottom is open. The semiconductor thermal processing apparatus 100 also includes a crystal boat 20, which is used to carry the workpiece to be processed (such as a wafer). The crystal boat 20 can be moved into the process chamber 30 through the opening at the bottom of the process chamber 30, so that the workpiece to be processed can enter the process chamber 30 for thermal processing.

[0077] This application embodiment also provides a heater 10, which further includes a heating element 11 and a plurality of heat-insulating support rings 12. The plurality of heat-insulating support rings 12 are stacked in the vertical direction and together form a support body. Each coil of the spiral heating element 11 is respectively disposed on the inner circumferential surface of a heat-insulating support ring 12 so as to support the heating element 11, and to make adjacent coils of heating element 11 have a gap in the vertical direction to avoid short circuit.

[0078] The specific structure of the thermal insulation support ring 12 will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0079] like Figure 7 As shown, the heat insulation support ring 12 includes an annular body 120 and a positioning member 125. The top of the annular body 120 is provided with a first boss 121 protruding upward, and the bottom of the annular body 120 is provided with a second boss 122 protruding downward. The outer diameter of the first boss 121 is smaller than the inner diameter of the second boss 122, which is located in the direction from the inside of the annular body 120 to the outside. Figure 7 (shown as O) The second boss 122 is located outside the first boss 121. In this example, the first boss 121 of each heat-insulating support ring 12 is nested within the second boss 122 of a heat-insulating support ring 12 stacked above it. Since the inner diameter of the second boss 122 is larger than the outer diameter of the first boss 121, a gap 13 is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the first boss 121 and the inner peripheral surface of the second boss 122.

[0080] exist Figure 7 In this configuration, the inner diameter of the first protrusion 121 is smaller than the inner diameter of the annular body 120. Thus, the first protrusion 121 and the annular body 120 together form a stepped surface. When this heat-insulating support ring 12 is used to support the heating element 11, each ring of the heating element 11 can be specifically mounted on this stepped surface. Furthermore, in... Figure 7In the middle, the outer diameter of the second protrusion 122 is equal to the outer diameter of the annular body 120.

[0081] At least one positioning member 125 is disposed above the annular body 120 as an upper positioning member 125A, the upper positioning member 125A having a first mating surface and a first positioning portion 123 on the first mating surface. At least one positioning member 125 is disposed below the annular body 120 as a lower positioning member 125B, the lower positioning member 125B having a second mating surface and a second positioning portion 124 on the second mating surface, and the first positioning portion 123 and the second positioning portion 124 facing each other in the vertical direction. Figure 7 The diagram schematically illustrates the stacking arrangement of two adjacent thermal insulation support rings 12. It can be understood that the first mating surface of the upper positioning member 125A of each thermal insulation support ring 12 abuts with the second mating surface of the lower positioning member 125B of the thermal insulation support ring 12 stacked above it, and the first positioning portion 123 on the first mating surface and the second positioning portion 124 on the second mating surface opposite to the first mating surface are positioned and engaged. Simultaneously, the second mating surface of the lower positioning member 125B of each thermal insulation support ring 12 abuts with the first mating surface of the upper positioning member 125A of the other thermal insulation support ring 12 stacked below it, and the second positioning portion 124 on the second mating surface and the first positioning portion 123 on the first mating surface opposite to the second mating surface are positioned and engaged.

[0082] During the process of assembling the support body of the heater 10 by stacking multiple heat-insulating support rings 12 sequentially in the vertical direction, when each heat-insulating support ring 12 mates with an adjacent heat-insulating support ring 12, the mating relationship between the first positioning part 123 on the first mating surface of the upper positioning member 125A and the second positioning part 124 on the second mating surface opposite to the first mating surface plays a positioning role for the two heat-insulating support rings 12. Furthermore, since the first positioning part 123 and the second positioning part 124 are directly opposite each other in the vertical direction, the concentricity of the support body formed by the two heat-insulating support rings 12 can be ensured, and the gap 13 formed by the stacking of the two heat-insulating support rings 12 can be uniquely determined.

[0083] The aforementioned positioning component 125 can be made of high-rigidity materials such as magnesium-aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or ceramic. The heat insulation support ring 12 can be made of a material with low thermal conductivity and heat capacity, such as aluminum silicate. In this way, the heat insulation support ring 12 can play a heat insulation role, thereby slowing down the heat exchange between the process chamber 30 and the external environment and reducing the heat dissipation rate of the process chamber 30.

[0084] Therefore, according to the heater 10 provided in this embodiment, a gap 13 is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the first boss 121 and the inner peripheral surface of the second boss 122 of any two adjacent heat insulation support rings 12 in the support body. The expansion deformation of any heat insulation support ring 12 can be released, so as to avoid the internal stress generated between two adjacent heat insulation support rings 12 due to expansion deformation and compression, thus solving the problem that the heat insulation support ring 12 is prone to cracking.

[0085] Furthermore, the support body composed of multiple heat-insulating support rings 12 has good concentricity, so the gap 13 formed by every two stacked heat-insulating support rings 12 on the support body has the same radial dimension along the heat-insulating support rings 12, so as not to affect the inner diameter and outer diameter of the support body by the offset of the heat-insulating support rings 12. In this way, on the one hand, it can be ensured that the minimum inner diameter of the support body will not decrease, so without changing the interval distance between the support body and the process chamber 30, there is no need to reduce the outer diameter of the process chamber 30, which helps to avoid the specification and quantity of the workpiece to be processed and the types of processes that can be performed by the process chamber 30 being limited by the reduction of the outer diameter of the process chamber 30. On the other hand, it can be ensured that the maximum outer diameter of the support body composed of multiple heat-insulating support rings 12 will not increase. Thus, in the embodiment where the heater 10 also has a shell 40, which is fitted outside the heating body (that is, the shell 40 is fitted outside the support body) (see description below), the heating body can be installed inside the shell 40, thereby ensuring that the heater 10 can be assembled.

[0086] In addition, because the support has good concentricity, the heating element 11 corresponding to each heat insulation support ring 12 will not shift, which helps to avoid affecting the uniformity of the temperature field of the heating cavity enclosed by the heater 10, thus ensuring better uniformity of the film.

[0087] It should also be noted that in the embodiment where the material of the heat insulation support ring 12 is aluminum silicate, aluminum silicate is relatively soft. In this embodiment, the heat insulation support ring 12 of the heater 10 is designed to include a positioning member 125, and a first positioning part 123 is formed on the upper positioning member 125A and a second positioning part 124 is formed on the lower positioning member 125B. The rigidity of the positioning member 125 is relatively higher to ensure the reliability of the cooperation between the first positioning part 123 and the second positioning part 124.

[0088] The following section will provide a detailed description of the specific structure of the positioning element 125 and the possible ways to achieve its installation position, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0089] It should be understood that multiple heat-insulating support rings 12 are stacked vertically, with the top surface of the first protrusion 121 of any heat-insulating support ring 12 facing the bottom surface of the annular body 120 of the heat-insulating support ring 12 stacked above it, and simultaneously, the top surface of the annular body 120 of any heat-insulating support ring 12 facing the bottom surface of the second protrusion 122 of the heat-insulating support ring 12 stacked above it. Based on this, it can be understood that, as Figures 8 to 10 As shown, in the first scenario of this example, the upper positioning member 125A and the lower positioning member 125B can be respectively disposed on the top of the first boss 121 and the bottom of the annular body 120. In the second scenario of this example, the upper positioning member 125A and the lower positioning member 125B can be respectively disposed on the top of the annular body 120 and the bottom of the second boss 122.

[0090] Of course, such as Figure 7 As shown, in other cases of this example, the first and second cases can be combined. In this case, the number of matching groups of the first positioning part 123 and the second positioning part 124 increases, which further improves the positioning effect on the two adjacent heat insulation support rings 12.

[0091] like Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, the first positioning part 123 can be a positioning hole, and the second positioning part 124 can be a corresponding positioning protrusion. For example, the positioning protrusion can be a pin, which is inserted into the corresponding positioning hole and has an interference fit with it. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the first positioning part 123 can be a positioning protrusion, and the second positioning part 124 can be a corresponding positioning hole. It should be noted that in embodiments where both the top of the first boss 121 and the top of the annular body 120 are provided with an upper positioning member 125A, the first positioning part 123 on the upper positioning member 125A on the top of the first boss 121 and the first positioning part 123 on the upper positioning member 125A on the top of the annular body 120 can be the same (i.e., both are positioning holes or positioning protrusions) or different.

[0092] The following text describes the specific structure of the positioning element 125 in detail, using the example of the positioning element 125A and the lower positioning element 125B being respectively located at the top of the first boss 121 and the bottom of the annular body 120.

[0093] Please refer to the following: Figure 7 , Figures 9 to 13The positioning member 125 includes a positioning plate 1254. A fixing groove 127 is recessed on the top surface of the first boss 121, and the positioning plate 1254 of the upper positioning member 125A is fitted into the fixing groove 127 on the top surface of the first boss 121. A fixing groove 127 is recessed on the bottom surface of the annular body 120, and the positioning plate 1254 of the lower positioning member 125B is fitted into the fixing groove 127 on the bottom surface of the annular body 120. By providing fixing grooves 127 on the first boss 121 and the annular body 120 for mounting the positioning plate 1254 of the positioning member 125, the mating relationship between the positioning plate 1254 and the corresponding fixing groove 127 can also play a positioning role, so as to make it easier to find the installation position of the positioning plate 1254. This helps to ensure the accurate relative position of the first positioning part 123 on the upper positioning member 125A and the second positioning part 124 on the lower positioning member 125B with the annular body 120. This ensures that the two heat insulation support rings 12 stacked and assembled based on the mating relationship of the first positioning part 123 and the second positioning part 124 are concentric, thus ensuring the concentricity of the support body formed by any two heat insulation support rings 12.

[0094] In some embodiments, the first surface of the positioning plate 1254 faces away from the bottom wall of the corresponding fixing groove 127, and the distance between the first surface of the positioning plate 1254 and the bottom wall of the corresponding fixing groove 127 is greater than the depth of the fixing groove 127 in the vertical direction. In this case, the positioning plate 1254 protrudes from the corresponding fixing groove 127. In this example, the top surface of the first boss 121 and the bottom surface of the annular body 120 of a heat-insulating support ring 12 stacked above it are vertically spaced. In this example, the positioning plate 1254 of the upper positioning member 125A of the heat-insulating support ring 12 directly abuts against the positioning plate 1254 of the lower positioning member 125B of the heat-insulating support ring 12 stacked above it.

[0095] exist Figures 8 to 14 In the illustrated embodiment, the distance between the first surface of the positioning plate 1254 and the bottom wall of the corresponding fixing groove 127 in the vertical direction is equal to the depth of the fixing groove 127. At this time, the first surface of the positioning plate 1254 of the upper positioning member 125A on the first boss 121 is flush with the top surface of the first boss 121, and the first surface of the positioning plate 1254 of the lower positioning member 125B at the bottom of the annular body 120 is flush with the bottom surface of the annular body 120. In this example, in addition to the first mating surface of the upper positioning member 125A contacting the second mating surface of an adjacent heat-insulating support ring 12, the top surface of the first boss 121 also contacts the bottom surface of the annular body 120 of an adjacent heat-insulating support ring 12. Compared with the embodiment where the positioning plate 1254 protrudes from the corresponding fixing groove 127, this embodiment uses this design, resulting in a larger contact area between two adjacent heat-insulating support rings 12, thus improving the contact reliability of the two adjacent heat-insulating support rings 12.

[0096] As disclosed in this paper, the positioning plate 1254 and the corresponding fixing groove 127 can be connected by snap-fit ​​or welding, or by adhesive bonding. The adhesive can be a high-temperature resistant adhesive (e.g., silicone adhesive) to ensure that it does not fail due to high temperatures during the manufacturing process.

[0097] It is worth noting that when the positioning plate 1254 is connected to the corresponding fixing groove 127 by adhesive, the sum of the thickness of the adhesive and the thickness of the positioning plate 1254 is equal to the depth of the corresponding fixing groove 127, so as to ensure that the first mating surface of the upper positioning member 125A is flush with the top surface of the first boss 121, and to ensure that the second mating surface of the lower positioning member 125B is flush with the bottom surface of the annular body 120.

[0098] Based on the embodiment where the positioning plate 1254 is connected to the corresponding fixing groove 127 by adhesive, a further embodiment is provided where a receiving groove is formed on the second surface of the positioning plate 1254 facing the bottom wall of the corresponding fixing groove 127, and the receiving groove is filled with adhesive. During assembly, the adhesive can be pre-filled into the receiving groove before the positioning plate 1254 is moved into the corresponding fixing groove 127. This facilitates assembly and confines the adhesive within the receiving groove to prevent it from escaping.

[0099] Please see Figures 15 to 18 In some embodiments, each positioning plate 1254 has a plurality of circumferential ribs 1251 protruding from the second surface of the bottom wall of the fixing groove 127. The plurality of circumferential ribs 1251 are arranged radially spaced along the heat insulation support ring 12, and each of the plurality of circumferential ribs 1251 is arc-shaped with its center located on the central axis of the heat insulation support ring 12. This design not only helps to improve the structural strength of the positioning plate 1254, but the circumferential ribs 1251 can also limit the radial displacement of the positioning plate 1254 in the annular body 120 to a certain extent, thereby improving the installation stability of the positioning plate 1254. This helps to reduce the possibility that the first positioning part 123 and the second positioning part 124 cannot be accurately positioned and engaged due to the radial movement of the positioning plate 1254 relative to the annular body 120, thus ensuring the concentricity of the two adjacent heat insulation support rings 12.

[0100] Please continue reading. Figures 15 to 18In some embodiments, each positioning plate 1254 has a plurality of radial ribs 1252 protruding from the second surface of the bottom wall of the fixing groove 127. The plurality of radial ribs 1252 are distributed at intervals around the central axis of the heat insulation support ring 12, and the plurality of radial ribs 1252 extend radially along the heat insulation support ring 12. This design not only helps to improve the structural strength of the positioning plate 1254, but the radial ribs 1252 can also limit the displacement of the positioning plate 1254 in the circumferential direction of the annular body 120 to a certain extent, thereby improving the installation stability of the positioning plate 1254. This helps to reduce the possibility that the first positioning part 123 and the second positioning part 124 cannot be accurately positioned and engaged due to the circumferential movement of the positioning plate 1254 relative to the annular body 120, thus ensuring the concentricity of the two adjacent heat insulation support rings 12.

[0101] Understandably, in embodiments where the second surface of the positioning plate 1254 is provided with multiple circumferential ribs 1251 and multiple radial ribs 1252, any one circumferential rib 1251 can intersect with each of the radial ribs 1252. Thus, as... Figure 15 and Figure 17 As shown, two adjacent circumferential ribs 1251 and two adjacent radial ribs 1252 can together form a receiving groove 1253. Thus, the receiving groove 1253 can be formed by using the circumferential ribs 1251 and the radial ribs 1252, which helps to simplify the structure of the heat insulation support ring 12.

[0102] In some embodiments, such as Figure 10 , Figure 16 and Figure 18 As shown, the positioning member 125 also includes a limiting plate 1255. One end of the positioning plate 1254 of each positioning member 125 is connected to one end of the limiting plate 1255 by a bend. The limiting plate 1255 is perpendicular to the positioning plate 1254 and extends in the vertical direction.

[0103] exist Figure 10 In the example shown, the limiting plate 1255 on the upper positioning member 125A abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the first boss 121. In other variations, the limiting plate 1255 on the upper positioning member 125A may also abut against the outer peripheral surface of the first boss 121. Figure 10 As shown, the limiting plate 1255 on the lower positioning member 125B abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the second boss 122. In other variations, such as Figure 7 As shown, the limiting plate 1255 on the lower positioning member 125B can also abut against the inner circumferential surface of the annular body 120.

[0104] This design allows the limiting plate 1255 on the upper positioning member 125A to engage with the inner or outer circumferential surface of the first boss 121, thus providing a positioning function and facilitating accurate placement of the upper positioning member 125A. For example, during assembly, the positioning plate 1254 of the upper positioning member 125A can be moved above the first boss 121, with the limiting plate 1255 of the upper positioning member 125A facing the interior of the first boss 121. The positioning plate 1254 of the upper positioning member 125A is then moved downwards until it contacts the bottom wall of the fixing groove 127 on the top surface of the first boss 121. Finally, the positioning plate 1254 of the upper positioning member 125A is adjusted to move radially along the annular body 120, causing the limiting plate 1255 of the upper positioning member 125A to fit against the inner circumferential surface of the first boss 121. Similarly, the relative fit between the limiting plate 1255 on the lower positioning member 125B and the inner circumferential surface of the second boss 122 or the inner circumferential surface of the annular body 120 can play a positioning role, so as to accurately locate the installation position of the lower positioning member 125B.

[0105] In one embodiment where the limiting plate 1255 of the upper positioning member 125A abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the first boss 121, such as... Figure 13 and Figure 14 The inner circumferential surface of the first boss 121 may also be provided with a groove 126, which is connected to the fixing groove 127. The limiting plate 1255 of the upper positioning member 125A is correspondingly embedded in the groove 126, and the side of the limiting plate 1255 of the upper positioning member 125A facing away from the groove 126 is flush with the inner circumferential surface of the first boss 121, so as to prevent the limiting plate 1255 of the upper positioning member 125A from protruding from the inner side of the first boss 121 and affecting the minimum inner diameter of the support.

[0106] It should also be noted that the thickness d1 of the limiting plate 1255 of the upper positioning member 125A, the thickness d2 of the limiting plate 1255 of the lower positioning member 125B, and the sum of the thicknesses of the limiting plates 1255 of the upper positioning member 125A and the lower positioning member 125B, d1+d2, are all less than the difference between the inner diameter of the second boss 122 and the outer diameter of the first boss 121. In other words, d1, d2, and d1+d2 are all less than the radial dimension W of the gap 13. This helps to prevent the limiting plates 1255 of the upper positioning member 125A and / or the lower positioning member 125B from completely occupying the radial space of the gap 13 when they extend into it, thus ensuring that deformation space is reserved for the thermal expansion of the heat insulation support ring 12.

[0107] like Figure 13 As shown, a right-angle chamfer 128 can also be formed at the connection between the top surface and the inner circumferential surface of the first boss 121 of the thermal insulation support ring 12 disclosed herein, in order to reduce stress concentration at the connection.

[0108] In addition, please refer to the following: Figure 8 , Figure 11 Each upper positioning member 125A and lower positioning member 125B can be provided in threes, with the three upper positioning members 125A and three lower positioning members 125B evenly distributed around the central axis of the annular body 120. Furthermore, each upper positioning member 125A has a first positioning part 123, and each lower positioning member 125B has a second positioning part 124. The first positioning parts 123 on the three upper positioning members 125A and the second positioning parts 124 on the three lower positioning members 125B are vertically aligned. This increases the number of mating groups of the first positioning parts 123 and the second positioning parts 124, further improving the positioning effect on the two adjacent heat-insulating support rings 12 and ensuring the concentricity of the two adjacent heat-insulating support rings 12. It is understood that the number of upper positioning members 125A and lower positioning members 125B is not limited to three; multiple upper positioning members 125A and multiple lower positioning members 125B can be provided at intervals around the central axis of the annular body 120.

[0109] In other variations, the upper positioning member 125A and the lower positioning member 125B may also be annular. The first mating surface of the upper positioning member 125A is provided with a plurality of first positioning parts 123, and the second mating surface of the lower positioning member 125B is provided with a plurality of second positioning parts 124. The plurality of first positioning parts 123 and the plurality of second positioning parts 124 are aligned vertically.

[0110] like Figure 6 As shown, the heater 10 may further include a housing 40, which is fitted around the outer periphery of a support body composed of multiple heat-insulating support rings 12 to support the heating element and make the entire heating element more stable. In this example, the housing 40 can be made of sheet metal, which has high structural strength. It should be noted that during the process of stacking multiple heat-insulating support rings 12 to assemble the support body, adjacent heat-insulating support rings 12 will not shift. Therefore, the support body composed of multiple heat-insulating support rings 12 has good concentricity, and the maximum outer diameter of the support body will not increase. Thus, when the housing 40 is a sheet metal part, even if the size of the housing 40 processed by the sheet metal process cannot be changed, the heating element can still be fitted into the housing 40. It can be seen that the material of the housing 40 of the heater 10 in this embodiment does not exclude sheet metal, and the range of materials that can be selected is wide.

[0111] Furthermore, the heater 10 may also include a sealing plate 50, which covers the top of the housing 40 to close the opening at the top of the housing 40.

[0112] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 6In any of the above embodiments, the heater 10 may further include a heat insulation layer 60, which surrounds the outside of the support body composed of a plurality of heat insulation support rings 12, and the inner peripheral surface of the heat insulation layer 60 is not in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the heater 10, forming an air duct between them. The heat insulation layer 60 may be a cylindrical structure, or it may be semi-circular or arc-shaped.

[0113] The material of the insulation layer 60 can be similar to that of the insulation support ring 12. That is, the material of the insulation layer 60 can also be a material with low thermal conductivity and heat capacity, such as aluminum silicate. In this way, both the insulation layer 60 and the insulation support ring 12 play a role in heat insulation, so as to further reduce the heat dissipation rate of the process chamber 30.

[0114] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, the heater 10 also includes a heat insulation cylinder 70, which is fitted between the support body composed of multiple heat insulation support rings 12 and the outer shell 40. Furthermore, it should be noted that in embodiments where the heater 10 has both a heat insulation layer 60 and a heat insulation cylinder 70, the heat insulation cylinder 70 is also nested between the heat insulation layer 60 and the outer shell 40. The material of the heat insulation cylinder 70 can be, for example, flocculent aluminum silicate, which has the advantages of low density and soft texture.

[0115] With this design, on the one hand, the insulation cylinder 70 can reduce the heat loss of the process chamber 30, and on the other hand, the insulation cylinder 70 can be compressed and deformed to compensate for the assembly error between the heating body composed of multiple heat insulation support rings 12 and heating elements and the outer shell 40, thereby helping to reduce the difficulty of assembling the heating body and the outer shell 40.

[0116] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 The heater 10 also includes a cable 80, one end of which is connected to a power source located outside the housing 40, and the other end extends through the housing 40 into the interior of the housing 40 and is electrically connected to the heating element 11 to transfer electrical energy to the heating element 11. After the heating element 11 is powered on, it can convert electrical energy into heat energy, thereby heating the process chamber 30.

[0117] Example 2

[0118] This application embodiment also provides a positioning auxiliary component, which is used to assist in adjusting the first positioning part 123 of the heat insulation support ring 12 in any of the heaters 10 in Embodiment 1, so that the first positioning part 123 of the heat insulation support ring 12 and the second positioning part 124 of an adjacent heat insulation support ring 12 can be accurately positioned and engaged.

[0119] like Figures 19 to 21As shown, the positioning aid includes an auxiliary plate 200, which has an auxiliary plane and a fixed plane facing away from each other. A first limiting portion 240 is formed on the auxiliary plane. The auxiliary plane can be positioned opposite to the first mating surface of the heat insulation support ring 12. When the auxiliary plane is opposite to the first mating surface, the first limiting portion 240 on the auxiliary plane and the first positioning portion 123 on the first mating surface opposite to the auxiliary plane are positioned and engaged. The fixed plane is used for placing a leveling instrument to detect the levelness of the auxiliary plane.

[0120] The structure of the first limiting part 240 is the same as that of the second positioning part 124, so as to achieve cooperation with the first positioning part 123. The heat insulation support ring 12 is as follows... Figure 11 As shown, the first positioning part 123 is a positioning hole, and the second positioning part 124 is a positioning protrusion. At this time, as... Figure 21 and Figure 22 As shown, the first limiting part 240 is also a positioning protrusion. When the first positioning part 123 is a positioning protrusion, the first limiting part 240 and the second positioning part 124 are both positioning holes.

[0121] It is understandable that during the actual assembly process, either the positioning hole or the positioning protrusion may have a machining error, which may cause the positioning protrusion of one of the heat insulation support rings 12 to be inserted into the positioning hole of the adjacent heat insulation support ring 12 when one heat insulation support ring 12 is stacked on top of another heat insulation support ring 12 during the assembly of the heater 10. This results in the first mating surface and the second mating surface not being able to be horizontally mated, thereby affecting the concentricity of the two adjacent heat insulation support rings 12.

[0122] According to the positioning aid of this embodiment, before the heat insulation support ring 12 is stacked and assembled into the heater 10 after processing, the positioning aid can be used to adjust the first positioning part 123 of the upper positioning member 125A to ensure that the first mating surface and the second mating surface can be horizontally mated when the first positioning part 123 of the heat insulation support ring 12 and the second positioning part 124 of an adjacent heat insulation support ring 12 are positioned and engaged. Here, the positioning aid of this embodiment is used to adjust the first mating surface and the second mating surface. Figure 11 Adjust the first mating part of the heat insulation support ring 12 shown, please combine it with the adjustment. Figures 19 to 21 The adjustment process is roughly as follows:

[0123] Step 1: Place the heat insulation support ring 12 on a horizontal operating table with the first mating surface facing upwards and the second mating surface facing downwards. This ensures that the first protrusion 121 of the heat insulation support ring 12 faces upwards and the second protrusion 122 faces downwards. Here, the horizontal operating table can stably support the heat insulation support ring 12, facilitating the leveling operation. The horizontal operating table can be, for example, a table.

[0124] Step 2: Move the positioning auxiliary component above the heat insulation support ring 12, with the auxiliary plane of the auxiliary plate 200 facing downward and the fixed plane facing upward, and align the first limiting part 240 on the auxiliary plane with the first positioning part 123 on the first mating surface; move the auxiliary plate 200 downward until the first limiting part 240 on the auxiliary plane of the auxiliary plate 200 engages with the first positioning part 123.

[0125] Step 3: Detect the levelness of the auxiliary plane using a leveling instrument set on the fixed plane, and determine whether there is an angle between the auxiliary plane and the first mating surface based on the detected levelness.

[0126] Step 4: If there is an angle between the auxiliary plane and the first mating surface, disassemble the positioning auxiliary component from the heat insulation support ring 12, and then grind the first positioning part 123 to ensure the levelness of the auxiliary plane when the first positioning part 123 of the first mating surface mates with the first limiting part 240, that is, to ensure that the first mating surface and the auxiliary plane are horizontally mated; then return to step 2 and continue to use the positioning auxiliary component to detect the levelness of the auxiliary plane until the auxiliary plane reaches a horizontal state, thereby realizing the adjustment of the first positioning part 123.

[0127] As can be seen from the above, after the heat insulation support ring 12 is processed, the positioning auxiliary component of this embodiment can be used to adjust the first positioning part 123 of the heat insulation support ring 12 to ensure the horizontality of the second mating surface of the adjacent heat insulation support ring 12 when the first positioning part 123 of the heat insulation support ring 12 and the second positioning part 124 of the heat insulation support ring 12 stacked on top of it are positioned and engaged. This ensures that the support body composed of the two heat insulation support rings 12 has good concentricity.

[0128] As a further optional embodiment, please continue to refer to Figures 19 to 21 The auxiliary plate 200 includes a fixed plate 210, a positioning ring 220, and a connector 230 located between the fixed plate 210 and the positioning ring 220. The positioning ring 220 surrounds the outer periphery of the fixed plate 210, with its bottom surface serving as an auxiliary plane and the top surface of the fixed plate 210 serving as a fixed plane. The fixed plate 210 is used to support the leveling instrument. One end of the connector 230 is connected to the fixed plate 210, and the other end is connected to the positioning ring 220.

[0129] Thus, when the positioning aid in this example is used to adjust the first positioning part 123, the bottom surface of the positioning ring 220 is positioned opposite to the first mating surface, and the positioning ring 220 is concentric with the heat insulation support ring 12.

[0130] The connector 230 can be a plate-like structure or a column-like structure; this embodiment does not impose any limitation on this. Three connectors 230 may be provided, and the three connectors 230 are evenly distributed around the central axis of the positioning ring 220 to improve the structural stability of the auxiliary plate 200. It is understood that the number of connectors 230 is not limited to the above-mentioned number and can be designed according to requirements and actual working conditions.

[0131] Connector 230 is not limited to, for example Figure 19 The radial extension of the locating ring 220 shown, or the extension direction of the connector 230 may also have an angle with the radial direction of the locating ring 220.

[0132] By designing the auxiliary plate 200 to include a positioning ring 220, when adjusting the first positioning part 123 using the positioning aid in this example, it is beneficial to ensure that the positioning ring 220 is concentric with the heat insulation support ring 12. Therefore, this embodiment is applicable to a scheme where the heat insulation support ring 12 has multiple first positioning parts 123, which are spaced apart around the central axis of the annular body 120. By making the positioning ring 220 concentric with the heat insulation support ring 12, it is beneficial to ensure that the center of the multiple first positioning parts 123 is located on the central axis of the annular body 120, thereby ensuring the concentricity of the two stacked heat insulation support rings 12.

[0133] Specifically, the positioning aid used in this embodiment is employed to... Figure 11 Taking the adjustment of the first mating part of the heat insulation support ring 12 as an example, after step 4, step 5 can also be performed.

[0134] Step 5: Make the inner circumferential surface of the positioning ring 220 coplanar with the inner circumferential surface of the first boss 121 and the side of the limiting plate 1255 of the upper positioning member 125A facing away from the groove 126, so that the center of the plurality of first positioning parts 123 is located on the central axis of the annular body 120.

[0135] Example 3

[0136] like Figures 23 to 25 As shown, this application embodiment also provides another positioning aid, which is basically the same as that in embodiment two. The difference is that the positioning aid in this embodiment is used to assist in adjusting the second positioning part 124 of the heat insulation support ring 12 in any of the heaters 10 in embodiment one, so that the second positioning part 124 of the heat insulation support ring 12 and the first positioning part 123 of the adjacent heat insulation support ring 12 can be accurately positioned and matched.

[0137] Specifically, in this embodiment, the positioning auxiliary component uses a second limiting part 250 to replace the first limiting part 240 of the positioning auxiliary component in embodiment two. That is, the second limiting part 250 is formed on the auxiliary plane of the positioning plate 1254, and the auxiliary plane can be used to be positioned opposite to the second mating surface of the heat insulation support ring 12. When the auxiliary plane is opposite to the second mating surface, the second limiting part 250 on the auxiliary plane and the second positioning part 124 on the second mating surface opposite to the auxiliary plane are positioned and engaged.

[0138] It is understandable that the structure of the second limiting part 250 is the same as that of the first positioning part 123, so as to achieve cooperation with the second positioning part 124. The heat insulation support ring 12 is as follows... Figure 11 As shown, the second positioning part 124 is a positioning protrusion, and the first positioning part 123 is a positioning hole. At this time, as... Figure 25 and Figure 26 As shown, the first limiting part 240 is also a positioning hole.

[0139] According to the positioning aid of this embodiment, before the heat insulation support ring 12 is stacked and assembled after processing, the second positioning part 124 of the heat insulation support ring 12 can be adjusted using the positioning aid to ensure that the first mating surface and the second mating surface can be horizontally mated when the second positioning part 124 of the heat insulation support ring 12 and the first positioning part 123 of the adjacent heat insulation support ring 12 are positioned and engaged. Here, the positioning aid of this embodiment is used to adjust the second positioning part 124 of the heat insulation support ring 12 and the first positioning part 123 of the adjacent heat insulation support ring 12. Figure 11 Adjust the second mating part of the heat insulation support ring 12 shown, please combine it with the adjustment. Figures 23 to 25 The adjustment process is roughly as follows:

[0140] Step 1: Place the heat insulation support ring 12 on a horizontal operating table with the second mating surface facing upward and the first mating surface facing downward. Then, the second protrusion 122 of the heat insulation support ring 12 will face upward and the first protrusion 121 will face downward.

[0141] Step 2: Move the positioning auxiliary component above the heat insulation support ring 12, with the auxiliary plane of the auxiliary plate 200 facing downward and the fixed plane facing upward, and align the second limiting part 250 on the auxiliary plane with the second positioning part 124 on the second mating surface; move the auxiliary plate 200 downward until the second limiting part 250 on the auxiliary plane of the auxiliary plate 200 engages with the second positioning part 124.

[0142] Step 3: Detect the levelness of the auxiliary plane using a leveling instrument set on the fixed plane, and determine whether there is an angle between the auxiliary plane and the second mating surface based on the detected levelness.

[0143] Step 4: If there is an angle between the auxiliary plane and the second mating surface, disassemble the positioning auxiliary component from the heat insulation support ring 12, and then grind the second positioning part 124 to ensure the levelness of the auxiliary plane when the second positioning part 124 of the second mating surface mates with the second limiting part 250, that is, to ensure that the second mating surface and the auxiliary plane are horizontally mated; then return to step 2 and continue to use the positioning auxiliary component to detect the levelness of the auxiliary plane until the auxiliary plane reaches a horizontal state, thereby realizing the adjustment of the second positioning part 124.

[0144] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A heater for use in semiconductor heat treatment equipment, characterized in that, include: Multiple thermal insulation support rings stacked vertically; Each of the aforementioned heat insulation support rings includes: an annular body and a positioning element; The annular body has a first protrusion protruding upward at its top and a second protrusion protruding downward at its bottom. The outer diameter of the first protrusion is smaller than the inner diameter of the second protrusion. At least one positioning member is positioned above the annular body as an upper positioning member, having a first mating surface and a first positioning portion thereon. At least one positioning member is positioned below the annular body as a lower positioning member, having a second mating surface and a second positioning portion thereon. The first positioning portion and the second positioning portion are directly opposite each other in the vertical direction. The first boss of any of the heat insulation support rings is nested within the second boss of an adjacent heat insulation support ring, and the first mating surface of any of the heat insulation support rings is used to face the second mating surface of an adjacent heat insulation support ring, and the first positioning part on the first mating surface and the second positioning part on the second mating surface opposite to the first mating surface are positioned and engaged.

2. The heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, One of the first positioning part and the second positioning part is a positioning hole, and the other is a positioning protrusion.

3. The heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper positioning component is fixedly disposed on the top of the first boss, and the lower positioning component is fixedly disposed on the bottom of the annular body; and / or, The upper positioning component is fixedly disposed on the top of the annular body, and the lower positioning component is fixedly disposed on the bottom of the second boss.

4. The heater according to claim 3, characterized in that, The positioning element includes a positioning plate. The annular body and at least one of the first boss and the second boss are provided with fixing grooves. The positioning plate of each positioning element is embedded in the corresponding fixing groove.

5. The heater according to claim 4, characterized in that, In the vertical direction, the distance between the first surface of the positioning plate facing away from the bottom wall of the corresponding fixing groove and the bottom wall of the fixing groove is equal to the depth of the fixing groove.

6. The heater according to claim 4, characterized in that, Each of the positioning plates is bonded to the corresponding fixing groove with adhesive.

7. The heater according to claim 6, characterized in that, The positioning plate has a receiving groove formed on the second side of the bottom wall of the corresponding fixing groove, and the receiving groove is filled with the adhesive.

8. The heater according to claim 4, characterized in that, The positioning plate has a plurality of circumferential ribs protruding from the second surface of the bottom wall of the fixing groove. The plurality of circumferential ribs are arranged radially spaced along the heat insulation support ring. The plurality of circumferential ribs are all arc-shaped and their centers are located on the central axis of the heat insulation support ring.

9. The heater according to claim 4, characterized in that, The positioning plate has a plurality of radial ribs protruding from the second side of the bottom wall of the fixing groove. The plurality of radial ribs are distributed at intervals around the central axis of the heat insulation support ring and extend radially along the heat insulation support ring.

10. The heater according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that, The positioning component also includes a limiting plate, one end of the positioning plate of each positioning component is connected to one end of the limiting plate by a bend, and the limiting plate extends in the vertical direction; The limiting plate of the upper positioning member abuts against the circumferential side of the first boss; The limiting plate of the lower positioning member abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the second boss or the inner circumferential surface of the annular body.

11. The heater according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The first mating surface is provided with a plurality of first positioning parts, and the second mating surface is provided with a plurality of second positioning parts; or, the upper positioning member and the lower positioning member are provided with a plurality of parts, each upper positioning member is provided with a first positioning part, and each lower positioning member is provided with a second positioning part. Furthermore, the plurality of first positioning parts and the plurality of second positioning parts are distributed at intervals around the central axis of the annular body, and the plurality of first positioning parts and the plurality of second positioning parts are directly opposite each other in the vertical direction.

12. The heater according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The inner diameter of the first boss is smaller than the inner diameter of the annular body; the heater further includes a heating element disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the annular body; and / or, The outer diameter of the second boss is equal to the outer diameter of the annular body. The heater also includes a heat insulation layer, which surrounds the outer periphery of the support body composed of a plurality of heat insulation support rings.

13. A semiconductor heat treatment apparatus, characterized in that, include: Process chambers; as well as The heater according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the heater surrounds the outside of the process chamber and there is a gap between the two.

14. A positioning aid for assisting in adjusting the positioning portion of the heat insulation support ring in the heater according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The positioning aid includes: an auxiliary plate, the auxiliary plate having an auxiliary plane and a fixed plane that are opposite to each other; The auxiliary plane is configured to be disposed opposite to the first mating surface of the heat insulation support ring of the heater. A first limiting part is formed on the auxiliary plane, and the first limiting part and a first positioning part on the first mating surface opposite to the auxiliary plane are positioned and engaged; or, the auxiliary plane is configured to mate with the second mating surface of the heat insulation support ring. A second limiting part is formed on the auxiliary plane, and the second limiting part and a second positioning part on the second mating surface opposite to the auxiliary plane are positioned and engaged. The fixed plane is used for placing a leveling instrument to detect the levelness of the auxiliary plane.

15. The positioning aid according to claim 14, characterized in that, The auxiliary plate includes a fixed plate, a positioning ring, and a connector located between the fixed plate and the positioning ring; When the positioning ring surrounds the outer periphery of the fixed plate and the auxiliary plane is opposite to the mating surface of the heat insulation support ring, the positioning ring and the heat insulation support ring are concentric. The top surface of the fixed plate is the fixed plane; One end of the connector is connected to the fixed plate, and the other end is connected to the positioning ring.

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