Process chamber and semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a process chamber and semiconductor process equipment, the process chamber comprises a chamber body, an upper cover which covers the top of the chamber body, a driving structure which is arranged at the top of the upper cover and is fixedly connected with the upper cover, and a lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism comprises a lead screw, one end of which is connected with the driving structure; the nut is connected with the cavity body, and the nut has a freely movable stroke of a first preset distance relative to the cavity body in the axial direction; the nut is matched and connected with the lead screw; the driving structure is used for driving the lead screw to rotate so that the upper cover can ascend and descend relative to the cavity body, when the upper cover covers the cavity body, the lead screw can be continuously driven to rotate so that the nut can move upwards by a second preset distance, and the second preset distance is smaller than or equal to the first preset distance. The overall weight of the upper half part of the process chamber is directly supported on the chamber body, so that the service life of the lifting mechanism can be prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and in particular to a process chamber and semiconductor process equipment. Background Art

[0002] As semiconductor manufacturing places higher and higher demands on production capacity and cost, the application of 4-station chambers is becoming more and more widespread. In order to reduce the footprint of the equipment, the chambers of some 4-station equipment (such as CVD and ALD) are designed as vertical lifting open chamber structures. During maintenance, half of the chamber (including the upper cover and the pipelines and equipment installed on the upper part of the upper cover) rises vertically, and only the height space needs to be reserved for maintenance operations on the equipment.

[0003] An existing process chamber uses a screw lifting mechanism to control the lifting of the upper part of the chamber. The weight of the upper part of the chamber always acts on the threaded connection structure of the lifting mechanism. Since the weight and stroke of the upper part of the chamber are large, the weight can exceed 500Kg and the stroke can exceed 0.5m, which will greatly reduce the service life of the lifting mechanism. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above technical problems, the present application provides a process chamber and a semiconductor process equipment, which can improve the problem of short service life of the lifting mechanism in the existing process chamber.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, in a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a process chamber, comprising a chamber body, an upper cover covering the top of the chamber body, a driving structure fixedly connected to the upper cover at the top of the upper cover, and a lifting mechanism, wherein the lifting mechanism comprises:

[0006] A lead screw, one end of which is connected to the driving structure;

[0007] A nut connected to the chamber body, and the nut has a freely movable stroke of a first preset distance relative to the chamber body in the axial direction; the nut is cooperatively connected to the lead screw;

[0008] The driving structure is used to drive the screw to rotate so that the upper cover can move up and down relative to the chamber body, and when the upper cover seals the chamber body, continue to drive the screw to rotate so that the nut moves upward a second preset distance, and the second preset distance is less than or equal to the first preset distance.

[0009] Optionally, the process chamber further includes a column, wherein the column passes through the upper cover and is connected to the chamber body, and the upper cover can move up and down relative to the column.

[0010] A first avoidance hole is provided on the top surface of the column, and the first avoidance hole is used to avoid the lead screw when the lead screw performs a lifting motion.

[0011] Optionally, the lifting mechanism further includes a guide assembly disposed at the bottom of the lead screw, and the guide assembly and the first avoidance hole are movably connected up and down.

[0012] Optionally, the top surface of the column is further provided with a fixing hole;

[0013] The nut is provided with a first threaded hole matched with the lead screw and a first through hole provided on the nut and extending in the axial direction;

[0014] The lifting mechanism further includes a first connecting nail, which passes through the first through hole and is connected to the fixing hole. The nut can move up and down on the first connecting nail through the first through hole, and the movable stroke is the first preset distance.

[0015] Optionally, the first connecting nail and the fixing hole are threadedly connected.

[0016] Optionally, a mounting seat is provided at the top of the column, and the fixing hole is arranged on the mounting seat.

[0017] Optionally, a reference shaft is provided at the bottom end of the nut, and the first threaded hole passes through the reference shaft;

[0018] The mounting seat is provided with a second avoidance hole which is clearance-matched with the reference shaft. The second avoidance hole is coaxial with the first avoidance hole and has a diameter larger than that of the first avoidance hole.

[0019] The outer side of the reference shaft is provided with a first limiting groove extending in the axial direction;

[0020] A second limiting groove is provided on the hole wall of the second avoidance hole;

[0021] The lifting mechanism further includes a positioning pin, and the positioning pin is matched in the first limiting groove and the second limiting groove.

[0022] Optionally, the process chamber further comprises a fixing frame arranged on the top surface of the upper cover, and the driving structure is arranged on the fixing frame to be connected to the top of the upper cover through the fixing frame;

[0023] The lifting mechanism also includes:

[0024] A limit block is arranged on the nut;

[0025] The travel switch is arranged on the fixing frame and is located below the limit block, and is used for sending a first stop driving signal to the driving structure when the travel switch moves upward to contact the limit block.

[0026] Optionally, the lifting mechanism further includes:

[0027] A distance sensor is arranged on the column and located below the limit block, and is used to measure the distance between the distance sensor and the nut, and send a second stop driving signal to the driving structure when the distance increases by the second preset distance.

[0028] Optionally, two lifting mechanisms are provided, which are respectively arranged at two diagonal positions of the upper cover;

[0029] The driving structure comprises:

[0030] Drive motor;

[0031] The commutator is connected to the output shaft of the driving motor, and the two lifting mechanisms are respectively connected to the two output shafts of the commutator.

[0032] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a semiconductor process equipment, including a process chamber as described in the above embodiments.

[0033] As described above, in the process chamber of the present application, the nut is connected to the chamber body and has a movable distance d1 (first preset distance) relative to the chamber body in the axial direction. When the upper cover is in the rising and opening state, the overall weight of the upper cover, the driving structure and the lifting mechanism is transmitted to the nut through the lead screw and finally supported on the upper side of the chamber body, and the threaded matching structure between the lead screw and the nut bears the above-mentioned overall weight. When the control is to descend, the driving structure drives the lead screw to rotate. Since the nut is arranged on the chamber body, the nut remains stationary, so the upper part will descend with the lead screw until the upper cover covers the chamber body and cannot descend further; at this time, the driving structure continues to drive the lead screw to rotate, the lead screw remains stationary, and the nut will rise relative to the lead screw, and the nut can be controlled to rise a second preset distance d2 (d2≤d1), thereby relieving the overall weight of the upper part borne between the lead screw and the nut, so that the overall weight of the upper part is directly supported on the chamber body, which can not only improve the service life of the lifting mechanism, but also make the operation of the lifting mechanism more stable and safe. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application, and are used together with the specification to explain the principles of the present application. In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments are briefly introduced below. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative labor.

[0035] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a process chamber of the related technology;

[0036] Figure 2 1 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a process chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application, wherein (a) is a main view and (b) is a cross-sectional view;

[0037] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the working principle of the process chamber provided in the embodiment of the present application, wherein (a) is a schematic diagram of the nut when it is lowered to the lowest position, and (b) is a schematic diagram of the nut being lifted up after being lowered to the lowest position;

[0038] Figure 4 : is a schematic diagram of the structure of a column provided in an embodiment of the present application, wherein (a) is a main view, (b) is a cross-sectional view along the AA line in (a), and (c) is a top view;

[0039] Figure 5 : is a structural schematic diagram of a nut provided in an embodiment of the present application, wherein (a) is a main view, (b) is a cross-sectional view along line BB in (a), (c) is a top view, and (d) is a bottom view;

[0040] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a connection between a lead screw and a column provided in an embodiment of the present application, wherein (a) is a main view and (b) is a cross-sectional view;

[0041] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the layout of a driving structure of a process chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of a driving structure provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0043] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this application will be further described in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. The above-mentioned drawings have shown clear embodiments of this application, which will be described in more detail later. These drawings and textual descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept of this application in any way, but to illustrate the concept of this application to those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The implementations described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with the present application. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0045] It should be noted that, in this article, the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "includes a ..." does not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element. In addition, components, features, and elements with the same name in different embodiments of the present application may have the same meaning or different meanings, and their specific meanings need to be determined by their explanation in the specific embodiment or further combined with the context of the specific embodiment.

[0046] It should be further understood that the terms "comprising" and "including" indicate the presence of the described features, steps, operations, elements, components, items, kinds, and / or groups, but do not exclude the presence, occurrence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, items, kinds, and / or groups. The terms "or", "and / or", "including at least one of the following", etc. used in this application may be interpreted as inclusive, or mean any one or any combination. For example, "including at least one of the following: A, B, C" means "any one of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A and B and C", and for another example, "A, B or C" or "A, B and / or C" means "any one of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A and B and C". Exceptions to this definition will only occur when the combination of elements, functions, steps or operations is inherently mutually exclusive in some way.

[0047] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of this document, the first information may also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information may also be referred to as the first information. Depending on the context, as used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless otherwise indicated in the context.

[0048] It should be understood that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "top", "bottom", "up", "down", "vertical", and "horizontal" are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description. They do not indicate or imply that the device referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0049] It should be emphasized that A and B are fixedly connected, and A can be directly fixedly connected to B, or A can be indirectly fixedly connected to B through C.

[0050] For ease of description, in the following embodiments, orthogonal spaces determined by horizontal planes and vertical directions are used as examples for illustration, and this premise should not be construed as a limitation to the present application.

[0051] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a process chamber of the related technology. The top of the chamber body 11a is provided with an upper cover 12a, and the column 13a passes through the upper cover 12a and is connected to the chamber body 11a. The upper cover 12a can move up and down relative to the column 13a. The top of the upper cover 12a is provided with a bracket 14a, and the driving mechanism includes a driving part 21a arranged on the bracket 14a, a nut 22a arranged on the column 13a, and a screw 23a connected to the driving part 21a at one end and threadedly connected to the nut 22a at the other end. The driving part 21a controls the rotation of the screw 23a, and the screw 23a moves up and down relative to the nut 22a, which can drive the upper cover 12a and the parts arranged on the upper cover 12a to move up and down accordingly. The weight above the upper cover 12a always acts on the threaded connection structure of the lifting mechanism. Since the weight and stroke above the upper cover 12a are large, the weight can exceed 500Kg, and the stroke can exceed 0.5m, which will greatly reduce the service life of the lifting mechanism. Based on this, the present application provides a process chamber and semiconductor process equipment.

[0052] See also Figure 2 , Figure 2It is a schematic diagram of the partial structure of a process chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application, wherein (a) is a main view and (b) is a cross-sectional view. The process chamber may include a chamber body 10, an upper cover 20, a drive structure 30 and a lifting mechanism 40. The upper cover 20 is sealed on the top of the chamber body 10, and the drive structure 30 is arranged on the top of the upper cover 20 and is fixedly connected to the upper cover 20. As an example, the drive structure 30 can be fixed to the top of the upper cover 20 by a fixing member (such as a fixing frame). The lifting mechanism 40 includes a lead screw 41 and a nut 42, one end of the lead screw 41 is connected to the drive structure 30, and the nut 42 is connected to the chamber body 10, and the nut 42 has a free movable stroke of a first preset distance d1 relative to the chamber body 10 in the axial direction, that is, the nut 42 and the chamber body 10 are axially movable, and the movable distance is the first preset distance d1. It should be noted that the nut 42 and the chamber body 10 can be directly connected or indirectly connected through other structures. For example, the upper cover 20 may be provided with a hole or a hollow portion, and the nut 42 may be directly connected to the chamber body 10 through a guide column so as to be movable up and down; a column 50 (see below) may also be provided, and the nut 42 may be connected to the column 50 so as to be movable up and down, and connected to the chamber body 10 through the column 50. The nut 42 is cooperatively connected with the lead screw 41. The driving structure 30 is used to drive the lead screw 41 to rotate so as to make the upper cover 20 perform lifting and lowering motion relative to the chamber body 10, and when the upper cover 20 covers the chamber body 10, the lead screw 41 continues to be driven to rotate so as to make the nut 42 move upward by a second preset distance d2, and the second preset distance d2 is smaller than the first preset distance d1.

[0053] Please combine Figure 3 , Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the working principle of the process chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application, wherein (a) is a schematic diagram when the nut is dropped to the lowest position, and (b) is a schematic diagram when the nut is lifted up after dropping to the lowest position. Figure 3 It is just an abstract principle diagram, not an actual structure diagram, to more intuitively understand the working principle of the process chamber of the present application. The working principle of the process chamber of this embodiment is: Figure 3As shown in (a), the nut 42 is connected to the chamber body 10 and has an axially movable distance d1 (a first preset distance) relative to the chamber body 10. When the upper cover 20 is in the raised and opened state, the overall weight of the upper cover 20, the drive structure 30 and the lifting mechanism 40 (referred to as the upper half) is transferred to the nut 42 through the screw 41 and finally supported on the top of the chamber body 10. The threaded matching structure between the screw 41 and the nut 42 bears the above-mentioned overall weight. When the control is to descend, the drive structure 30 drives the screw 41 to rotate. Since the nut 42 is arranged on the chamber body 10, the nut 42 bears the weight of the upper half and remains stationary. Therefore, the upper half will descend together with the screw 41 until the upper cover 20 covers the chamber body 10 and cannot descend further; at this time, the drive structure 30 continues to drive the screw 41 to rotate, and the screw 41 remains stationary, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown in (b), the nut 42 will rise relative to the screw 41, and the nut 42 can be controlled to rise a second preset distance d2 (d2≤d1), thereby relieving the overall weight of the upper part borne between the screw 41 and the nut 42, so that the overall weight of the upper part is directly supported on the chamber body 10, which can not only improve the service life of the lifting mechanism, but also make the operation of the lifting mechanism more stable and safe. It can be understood that in theory, d2 only needs to be greater than 0 to release the gravity constraint of the upper part borne by the nut 42. For example, under the premise of being less than d1, d2 can be 3-5mm. After release, continue to drive the screw 41 to rotate, and the nut 42 can continue to rise (but it is not necessary) until it reaches the maximum stroke, that is, d1. At this time, the screw 41 can no longer rotate and can only reverse, so d2≤d1.

[0054] In addition, the nut 42 has a movable distance d1 in the axial direction relative to the chamber body 10, which refers to the connection method between the two. Without considering other structures, the nut 42 is movable in the axial direction relative to the chamber body 10. In the actual working process, the nut 42 needs to be threaded with the screw 41, and the nut 42 can only rise or fall with the rotation of the screw 41, and is not free to move. It is precisely because of the design of this movable distance d1 that the upper half of the gravity constraint on the nut 42 can be released when the upper cover 20 is lowered to support the chamber body 10 and the screw 41 is further rotated.

[0055] In one embodiment, a sealing ring 21 is further provided on the contact surface between the upper cover 20 and the chamber body 10. The elastic deformation of the sealing ring 21 can improve the sealing performance between the upper cover 20 and the chamber body 10. In addition, the deformation of the sealing ring 21 is completely controlled by the driving force provided by the driving mechanism in the conventional process chamber, and the sealing performance is heavily dependent on the operating accuracy of the motor of the driving mechanism. In this embodiment, the deformation of the sealing ring 21 is directly determined by the overall weight of the upper half, which reduces the requirements for the operating accuracy of the motor.

[0056] In this embodiment, the connection method between the nut 42 and the chamber body 10 is not particularly limited, as long as the nut 42 can be movable relative to the chamber body 10 by a distance d1 in the axial direction. For example, the nut 42 may include a flange, which is connected to the chamber body 10 via a guide post, and the nut 42 can slide relative to the guide post via the flange.

[0057] As another example of a nut 42 that can be movably connected, see Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 , Figure 4 : is a schematic diagram of the structure of a column provided in an embodiment of the present application, wherein (a) is a main view, (b) is a cross-sectional view along the AA line in (a), and (c) is a top view. Figure 5 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a nut provided in an embodiment of the present application, wherein (a) is a main view, (b) is a cross-sectional view, (c) is a top view, and (d) is a bottom view. The process chamber may further include a column 50, which passes through the upper cover 20 and is connected to the chamber body 10, and the upper cover 20 can move up and down relative to the column 50.

[0058] For example, the column 50 and the upper cover 20 may be connected via a linear bearing 71, the linear bearing 71 is installed in the through hole of the upper cover 20, and a bearing retaining ring 72 is provided at the bottom end of the linear bearing 71 to prevent the linear bearing 71 from falling from the through hole of the upper cover 20. The side wall of the chamber body 10 may be provided with a mounting hole 101, the column 50 is fixed in the mounting hole 101, and a locking hole 505 may be provided on the column 50 along the radial direction, such as Figure 4 and Figure 2 As shown in (b), the chamber body 10 and the column 50 are locked and fixed by the transverse locking screws 11.

[0059] In one embodiment, see Figure 4 The top surface of the column 50 may be provided with a first avoidance hole 501, and the first avoidance hole 501 is used to avoid the lead screw 41 when the lead screw 41 is lifting and lowering. Figure 2 As shown in (b) in the figure, the depth of the first avoidance hole 501 can be determined according to the stroke of the lead screw, or it can be a through hole.

[0060] In one embodiment, see Figure 5 The top surface of the column 50 is also provided with a fixing hole 502, the nut 42 is also provided with a first threaded hole 401 that cooperates with the lead screw 41, and a first through hole 402 that is provided on the nut 42 and extends along the axial direction. Please also refer to Figure 2The lifting mechanism 40 further includes a first connecting nail 43, which passes through the first through hole 402 and is connected to the fixing hole 502. The nut 42 can move up and down on the first connecting nail 43 through the first through hole 402, and the movable stroke is a first preset distance d1.

[0061] The connection method between the first connecting nail 43 and the fixing hole 502 is not particularly limited in this embodiment. For example, the first connecting nail 43 can be welded to the fixing hole 502. As another embodiment, the first connecting nail 43 and the fixing hole 502 are threadedly connected. The first connecting nail 43 can be provided with a threaded structure on the entire side, or only the part connected to the fixing hole 502 can be provided with a thread, and the part connected to the first through hole 402 of the nut 42 is an optical axis, and the two can be matched with a clearance. In addition, a mounting seat 51 can be provided at the top of the column 50, and the fixing hole 502 is provided on the mounting seat 51, so that the nut 42 is connected to the mounting seat 51 to achieve connection with the column 50. The mounting seat 51 can be integrally formed with the column 50, or it can be an independent component.

[0062] It can be understood that when the upper cover 20 is in the raised and supported state, the nut 42 is located at the lowest position. Figure 3 As shown in (a), when the upper cover 20 descends to cover the top of the chamber body 10 and the lead screw 41 continues to rotate in the descending direction, since the lead screw 41 cannot continue to move downward, the nut 42 moves upward along the thread of the lead screw 41. The position of the nut 42 is as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown in (b), the overall weight of the upper part of the threaded connection structure between the lead screw 41 and the nut 42 can be relieved. The first connecting nail 43 and the fixing hole 502 on the column 50 can be provided with a plurality of corresponding ones, such as Figure 4 In the embodiment, six fixing holes 502 are provided, and six first connecting nails 43 can be provided accordingly. Alternatively, two fixing holes 502 can be selected and two first connecting nails 43 can be provided accordingly for assembly.

[0063] For further information, please refer to Figure 5 A reference shaft 421 may also be provided at the bottom end of the nut 42, and the first threaded hole 401 passes through the reference shaft 421. Figure 4 A mounting seat 51 is provided at the top of the column 50, a fixing hole 502 is provided on the mounting seat 51, a second avoidance hole 503 is provided on the mounting seat 51, and the second avoidance hole 503 is coaxial with the first avoidance hole 501, and has a larger diameter than the first avoidance hole 501, so as to ensure that the nut 42 can move freely (without friction) up and down relative to the mounting seat 51;

[0064] In one embodiment, the outer side of the reference shaft 421 is provided with a first limiting groove 403 extending in the axial direction, and the hole wall of the second avoidance hole 503 is provided with a second limiting groove 504. The lifting mechanism 40 also includes a positioning pin 45, please also refer to Figure 2 , the positioning pin 45 is matched in the first limiting groove 403 and the second limiting groove 504. By setting the positioning pin 45, the nut 42 can be prevented from rotating relative to the column 50. It should be noted that the first connecting nail 43 can also prevent the nut 42 from rotating relative to the column, but the accuracy cannot be controlled. In this embodiment, the assembly accuracy between the nut 42 and the column 50 can be improved by setting the positioning pin 45. And after the positioning of the positioning pin 45, the first connecting nail 43 and the fixing hole 502 can be directly assembled without manual alignment. The positioning pin 45, the first limiting groove 403 and the second limiting groove 504 can be correspondingly set in two or more groups, and two of them can be selected for assembly and positioning during assembly.

[0065] It should be noted that the first limiting groove 403 may be only provided on the outer side where the reference axis 421 extends. Figure 5 In the perspective (bottom view) corresponding to (d), the shape of the first limiting groove 403 can be semicircular. The first limiting groove 403 can also extend from the reference shaft 421 to the nut 42, that is, the first limiting groove 403 includes a first part with a semicircular cross section and a second part with a circular cross section, so Figure 5 In the perspective corresponding to (d), the shape of the first limiting groove 403 can be circular. The outer side of the reference shaft 421 is provided with a first limiting groove 403 extending along the axial direction.

[0066] In one embodiment, see Figure 6 , Figure 6 : is a schematic diagram of the connection between a lead screw and a column provided in an embodiment of the present application, wherein (a) is a main view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view. The lifting mechanism 40 may also include a guide assembly 44 disposed at the bottom of the lead screw 41, and the guide assembly 44 and the first avoidance hole 501 on the top surface of the column 50 may be movably connected up and down. By providing the guide assembly 44, the lower free end of the lead screw 41 will not produce radial swing. As an example, the guide assembly 44 may include a guide sleeve 441 and a shaft retaining ring 442 sequentially sleeved on the lower end of the lead screw 41, the guide sleeve 441 may position the lower part of the lead screw 41 to prevent radial swing, and the shaft retaining ring 442 may fix the guide sleeve 441 on the lead screw 41 to prevent the guide sleeve 441 from slipping off the lead screw 41.

[0067] In an example of automatically controlling the upper cover 20 to rise, please continue to refer to Figure 2The process chamber further includes a fixing frame 60 disposed on the top surface of the upper cover 20, and the driving structure 30 is disposed on the fixing frame 60 to be connected to the top of the upper cover 20 through the fixing frame 60. The lifting mechanism 40 may further include a limit block 46 and a travel switch 47, and the limit block 46 is disposed on the nut 42. For example, a second threaded hole 404 may be disposed on the top surface of the nut 42, such as Figure 5 As shown in (c), the limit block 46 is connected and fixed to the second threaded hole 404 by screws. Multiple second threaded holes 404 can be arranged along the circumferential direction, and any one can be selected during installation, so that the installation angle of the limit block 46 can be easily adjusted. The travel switch 47 is arranged on the fixing frame 60 and is located below the limit block 46. It is used to send a first stop drive signal to the drive structure 30 when the travel switch 47 moves upward to contact with the limit block 46. That is, when the upper cover 20 is driven to move upward, the upper cover 20, the fixing frame 60 and the travel switch 47 arranged on the fixing frame 60 will move upward as a whole, while the limit block 46 arranged on the nut 42 remains stationary. When the travel switch 47 rises to touch the limit block 46, the travel switch 47 sends a first stop drive signal to the drive structure 30, and the drive structure 30 stops driving the lead screw 41 to rotate, and the upper cover 20 reaches the upper limit of the travel. As an example, the drive structure 30 can be connected to the lead screw 41 through a bearing seat 70. For details, please refer to Figure 2 The bearing seat 70 is connected between the fixing frame 60 and the driving structure 30 , and the lead screw 41 rotatably passes through the bearing hole of the bearing seat 70 to be connected to the driving structure 30 .

[0068] In an example of automatically controlling the lowering of the upper cover 20, please continue to refer to Figure 2 The lifting mechanism 40 may further include a distance sensor 48, which is disposed on the column 50 and is located below the limit block 46. For example, a fixing plate 49 may be disposed on the side of the column 50, and the distance sensor 48 may be mounted on the column 50 through the fixing plate 49. Figure 4Specifically, a third threaded hole 506 can be provided on the side of the mounting seat 51, and the fixing plate 49 can be fixedly connected to the third threaded hole 506 by screws. A plurality of third threaded holes 506 can also be provided along the circumferential direction, and one can be selected during installation. The distance sensor 48 is used to measure the distance between the distance sensor 48 and the nut 42, and when the distance increases by a second preset distance d2 (d2≤d1), a second stop drive signal is sent to the drive structure 30. Specifically, during the rising process of the upper cover 20 and before it descends to contact with the chamber body 10, the nut 42 is stationary relative to the column 50, so the distance measured by the distance sensor 48 arranged on the column 50 remains unchanged. When the upper cover 20 descends to contact with the chamber body 10 and the nut 42 is lifted, the distance measured by the distance sensor 48 will gradually increase, indicating that the overall weight of the upper half of the threaded connection structure between the lead screw 41 and the nut 42 is released, and the distance sensor 48 sends a second stop drive signal to the drive structure 30, and the drive structure 30 stops driving the lead screw 41 to rotate.

[0069] As an example, a radial injection hole 405 may be provided on the nut 42, and the injection hole 405 is used to inject lubricating oil into the threaded portion of the nut 42. Instead, a plunger or a screw may be used for sealing.

[0070] In one embodiment, see Figure 7 , Figure 7 : This is a schematic diagram of the layout of a driving structure of a process chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application. This view is a top view. The process chamber may include two lifting mechanisms 40, which are respectively arranged at two diagonal positions of the upper cover 20. The driving structure 30 may include a driving motor 31 and a commutator 32. The commutator 32 is connected to the output shaft of the driving motor 31. The two lifting mechanisms 40 are respectively connected to the two output shafts of the commutator 32, that is, the two lifting mechanisms 40 are controlled simultaneously by one driving motor 31 and the commutator 32. Preferably, the driving motor 31 is a servo motor, which can realize adjustable speed, so that the lifting speed of the upper cover 20 can be controlled.

[0071] As an example, the commutator 32 and the two lifting mechanisms 40 can also be connected via a reducer. Figure 7The commutator 32 is connected to the output shaft of the driving motor 31. The commutator 32 includes a first output shaft 321A and a second output shaft 321B. The first output shaft 321A is connected to the first reducer 34A through the first transmission shaft 33A. The output shaft 341A of the first reducer 34A is connected to the lead screw 41 of one of the lifting mechanisms 40. For example, the lead screw 41 can be fixed to the output shaft 341A of the first reducer 34A by screws 342 and gaskets 343. The second output shaft 321B of the commutator 32 is connected to the second reducer 34B through the second transmission shaft 33B. The output shaft 341B of the second reducer 34B is connected to the lead screw 41 of another lifting mechanism 40. Exemplarily, the first reducer 34A and the second reducer 34B can be worm gear reducers. The two ends of the first transmission shaft 33A can be connected to the commutator 32 and the first reducer 34A respectively by universal couplings, and keys can be used for limiting when connected. The second transmission shaft 33B can be connected in the same manner.

[0072] In this embodiment, the weight of the lifting part of the process chamber is borne by the bearings and the bearing seats, and the two reducers only bear the rotational torque output by the drive motor 31, thereby solving the problem of miniaturization and lightness of the reducer; in this embodiment, universal joints are used to connect the two ends of the transmission shaft, which does not require high processing and installation precision, and can achieve the goals of reliable transmission and low processing and installation costs.

[0073] In one embodiment, see Figure 8 , Figure 8 3 is a schematic diagram of a driving structure provided in an embodiment of the present application. The driving structure 30 may further include a manual control member 33, which is connected to the driving motor 31 and is used to manually control the rotation of the output shaft of the driving motor 31. For example, the manual control member 33 may be a hand wheel, and after a power outage, the manual control member 33 may be used to control the rotation of the output shaft of the driving motor 31 to perform lifting and lowering operations on the upper cover 20.

[0074] The present application also provides a semiconductor process equipment, which may include the process chambers described in the above embodiments. The semiconductor process equipment may be a CVD device, an ALD device, etc., and adopts a vertical lifting chamber opening mode. The semiconductor process equipment of this embodiment operates more safely and smoothly.

[0075] For other working principles and processes of the semiconductor process equipment of this embodiment, please refer to the description of the process chamber in the aforementioned embodiment of the present invention, which will not be repeated here.

[0076] The above is a detailed introduction to a process chamber and semiconductor process equipment provided by the present application. This article uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. It should be noted that in the present application, the descriptions of various embodiments have different focuses. For parts that are not described or recorded in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0077] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present application, and the patent scope of the present application is not limited thereto. The various technical features of the technical solution of the present application can be arbitrarily combined. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the various technical features in the above embodiments are described. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the specification and drawings of this application, or directly or indirectly used in other related technical fields, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, are equally included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A process chamber, comprising a chamber body, an upper cover covering the top of the chamber body, a driving structure fixedly connected to the upper cover at the top of the upper cover, and a lifting mechanism, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism comprises: A lead screw, one end of which is connected to the driving structure; A nut connected to the chamber body, and the nut has a freely movable stroke of a first preset distance relative to the chamber body in the axial direction; the nut is cooperatively connected to the lead screw; The driving structure is used to drive the screw to rotate so that the upper cover can move up and down relative to the chamber body, and when the upper cover seals the chamber body, continue to drive the screw to rotate so that the nut moves upward a second preset distance, and the second preset distance is less than or equal to the first preset distance.

2. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The process chamber further comprises a column, wherein the column passes through the upper cover and is connected to the chamber body, and the upper cover can move up and down relative to the column.

3. The process chamber according to claim 2, characterized in that: A first avoidance hole is provided on the top surface of the column, and the first avoidance hole is used to avoid the lead screw when the lead screw performs a lifting motion.

4. The process chamber according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism further comprises a guide assembly arranged at the bottom of the lead screw, and the guide assembly is movably connected to the first avoidance hole up and down.

5. The process chamber according to claim 3, characterized in that: The top surface of the column is also provided with a fixing hole; The nut is provided with a first threaded hole matched with the lead screw and a first through hole provided on the nut and extending in the axial direction; The lifting mechanism further includes a first connecting nail, which passes through the first through hole and is connected to the fixing hole. The nut can move up and down on the first connecting nail through the first through hole, and the movable stroke is the first preset distance.

6. The process chamber according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first connecting nail is threadedly connected to the fixing hole.

7. The process chamber according to claim 6, characterized in that: A mounting seat is provided at the top end of the column, and the fixing hole is arranged on the mounting seat.

8. The process chamber according to claim 7, characterized in that: A reference shaft is provided at the bottom end of the nut, and the first threaded hole passes through the reference shaft; The mounting seat is provided with a second avoidance hole which is clearance-matched with the reference shaft. The second avoidance hole is coaxial with the first avoidance hole and has a diameter larger than that of the first avoidance hole.

9. The process chamber according to claim 8, characterized in that: The outer side of the reference shaft is provided with a first limiting groove extending in the axial direction; A second limiting groove is provided on the hole wall of the second avoidance hole; The lifting mechanism further includes a positioning pin, and the positioning pin is matched in the first limiting groove and the second limiting groove.

10. The process chamber according to claim 2, characterized in that: The process chamber further comprises a fixing frame arranged on the top surface of the upper cover, and the driving structure is arranged on the fixing frame to be connected to the top of the upper cover through the fixing frame; The lifting mechanism also includes: A limit block is arranged on the nut; The travel switch is arranged on the fixing frame and is located below the limit block, and is used for sending a first stop driving signal to the driving structure when the travel switch moves upward to contact with the limit block.

11. The process chamber according to claim 10, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism also includes: A distance sensor is arranged on the column and located below the limit block, and is used to measure the distance between the distance sensor and the nut, and send a second stop driving signal to the driving structure when the distance increases by the second preset distance.

12. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting mechanisms are provided with two, which are respectively arranged at two diagonal positions of the upper cover; The driving structure comprises: Drive motor; The commutator is connected to the output shaft of the driving motor, and the two lifting mechanisms are respectively connected to the two output shafts of the commutator.

13. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: A process chamber comprising any one of claims 1-12.

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