Mechanism capable of improving wafer conveying reliability and thin film deposition equipment thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a mechanism capable of improving wafer conveying reliability. The mechanism comprises a heating disc, a supporting plate, a lifting ejector pin and a heavy hammer cap. The supporting plate is arranged below the heating disc and can be controlled to move close to or away from the heating disc, and a plurality of through holes are formed in the heating disc; a heavy hammer is arranged at the lower end of the lifting ejector pin, the top end of the lifting ejector pin penetrates through the through hole, and the heavy hammer is embedded in a heavy hammer cap; a containing cavity is formed in the heavy hammer cap, the heavy hammer cap is connected to the supporting plate, the heavy hammer is located in the containing cavity, and the heavy hammer is not separated from the containing cavity in the descending process of the heavy hammer cap. According to the mechanism capable of improving the wafer conveying reliability and the thin film deposition equipment thereof, the heavy hammer cap is additionally arranged outside the heavy hammer of the lifting ejector pin, and meanwhile, the stroke limitation between the lifting ejector pin and the heating disc is relieved, so that when the through hole in the heating disc is blocked due to thin film deposition and the lifting ejector pin cannot naturally fall, the heavy hammer cap applies pulling force to the lifting ejector pin; therefore, the wafer can be prevented from being damaged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of thin film deposition equipment, and in particular to a mechanism capable of improving film transmission reliability and a thin film deposition equipment thereof. Background Art

[0002] In the application fields of CVD (chemical vapor deposition) and ALD (atomic layer deposition) processes, the wafer transfer system generally uses a lift pin to perform a lifting action to transfer the wafer from the robot to the heating plate, and then perform a thin film deposition process after heating on the heating plate.

[0003] Among them, the lifting pin is inserted into the heating plate. The lifting pin is driven by an external drive unit to rise, and the lifting pin and the counterweight hammer fall naturally due to gravity. However, during the long-term thin film deposition process, the perforations on the heating plate for inserting the lifting pin are prone to clogging, resulting in increased friction, which may cause the lifting pin to be unable to fall naturally due to gravity, resulting in the wafer not being smoothly transferred or even damaged. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a mechanism and a thin film deposition device that can improve the reliability of film transmission, so as to solve the technical problem that the existing lifting pin is easily stuck and cannot fall naturally.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a mechanism for improving the reliability of film transmission, which includes: a heating plate, a support plate, a lifting pin and a weight cap;

[0007] The support plate is arranged below the heating plate and can be controlled to move closer to or farther from the heating plate. The heating plate is provided with a plurality of through holes.

[0008] A weight is provided at the lower end of the lifting ejector pin, the top end of the lifting ejector pin is passed through the through hole, and the weight is embedded in the weight cap;

[0009] A cavity is provided in the weight cap, the weight cap is connected to the support plate, the weight is located in the cavity, and the weight does not leave the cavity during the descent of the weight cap.

[0010] Wherein, the upper end portion of the lifting pin can extend out of the top surface of the heating plate through the through hole or descend and sink into the through hole.

[0011] Wherein, the weight is buckledly connected to the lifting ejector pin.

[0012] Among them, an axially extending opening is provided in the weight, and a plurality of elastic pieces extend upward from the top edge of the opening. The plurality of elastic pieces enclose a conical guiding opening, and the lifting ejector pin is inserted into the opening through the conical guiding opening and is clamped in the weight.

[0013] Among them, a clamping groove is provided on the inner wall of the elastic piece, and a clamping protrusion corresponding to the clamping groove is provided on the outer wall of the lower end of the lifting ejector pin.

[0014] Among them, the weight cap is snap-connected to the support plate.

[0015] Among them, a connection hole is provided on the support plate, an annular groove is recessed outward on the side wall of the connection hole, and a plurality of clamping convex parts are provided on the outer wall of the lower end of the weight cap. The clamping convex parts are clamped in the annular groove.

[0016] Among them, the weight cap includes an annular top plate and a plurality of spaced side plates vertically bent from the outer edge of the annular top plate. The clamping convex parts are arranged on the outer side surfaces of the spaced side plates.

[0017] Among them, the distance between the side wall of the weight and the inner edge of the annular top plate is greater than 5 mm, the distance between the annular top plate and the weight in the vertical direction is less than 5 mm, and the distance between the side wall of the weight and the inner side wall of the cavity is greater than 5 mm.

[0018] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a thin film deposition device, and the thin film deposition device includes the mechanism for improving the reliability of wafer transfer as described in any one of the above.

[0019] The mechanism for improving the reliability of wafer transfer of the present invention and its thin film deposition device add a weight cap outside the weight of the lifting ejector pin, and at the same time release the stroke limit between the lifting ejector pin and the heating plate. When the through hole on the heating plate is blocked due to thin film deposition and the lifting ejector pin cannot fall naturally, the weight cap applies a pulling force to the lifting ejector pin to make it fall smoothly, thereby avoiding damage to the wafer.

[0020] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to be able to understand the technical means of the present invention more clearly, it can be implemented according to the content of the specification. And in order to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, the following preferred embodiments are specifically described in detail as follows. Description of the Drawings

[0021] Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional view of a process device for wafer thin film deposition in the prior art.

[0022] Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional view of a thin film deposition device of the mechanism for improving the reliability of wafer transfer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the mechanism for improving the reliability of wafer transfer in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 and Figure 5 are Figure 2 partial enlarged structural schematic diagrams at two locations in

[0025] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0026] Conventional thin film deposition equipment 100, thin film deposition equipment 200, process chamber 21, process cavity 211, support plate 22, connection hole 221, annular groove 222, heating plate 23, through hole 231, lifting ejector pin 24, upper end portion 241, card slot 242, weight 25, weight main body 251, opening 2511, elastic sheet 250, strip hole 2501, clip 252, card convex 2521, guide sheet 253, conical guiding port 254, weight cap 26, cavity 2611, annular top plate 261, spaced hole 2612, round hole 2613, spaced side plate 262, card convex portion 263, manipulator 27, support structure 28, wafer 300, process chamber 11, heating plate 12, manipulator 13, ejector pin 14, counterweight 15, end cap 16, support plate 17. Detailed implementation manners

[0027] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer and more understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation manners.

[0028] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without making creative efforts belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc. is the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0030] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality of" means two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0031] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms such as "mounted", "connected", "coupled", "fixed", etc. shall be construed in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral molding; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0032] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the first feature being "on" or "under" the second feature may include the direct contact between the first and second features, or may include the situation where the first and second features are not in direct contact but in contact through additional features therebetween. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "over" and "on top of" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or merely means that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature being "under", "below" and "beneath" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or merely means that the horizontal height of the first feature is lower than that of the second feature.

[0033] In the description of this specification, the descriptions with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples", etc. mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic descriptions of the above terms should not be understood as necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0034] In the application fields of CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) and ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) processes, where the wafer transfer system generally uses lift pins to perform the lifting action to transfer the wafer from the robot arm to the hot plate, and after heating on the hot plate, the thin film deposition process is carried out.

[0035] Among them, the lifting ejector pin is inserted into the heating plate. The upward movement of the lifting ejector pin is driven by an external drive unit, and the downward movement is due to the natural fall of the lifting ejector pin under its own gravity. However, during the long-term thin film deposition process, the perforations on the heating plate for inserting the lifting ejector pins are prone to blockage, resulting in an increase in friction, which may cause the lifting ejector pins to not fall naturally under their own weight, leading to the wafer not being transferred smoothly or even being damaged. To solve the above problems, this embodiment discloses a thin film deposition device 200 with a mechanism that can improve the reliability of wafer transfer.

[0036] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 which is a partial structural schematic diagram of a conventional thin film deposition device 100 commonly used in the prior art. The conventional thin film deposition device 100 includes: a process chamber 11, a heating plate 12, a support plate 17, and a lifting ejector pin assembly disposed in the process chamber of the process chamber 11. Among them, the heating plate 13 and the support plate 17 are arranged vertically up and down. The middle of the heating plate 12 is supported by a support unit, and the bottom of the lifting ejector pin assembly is supported on the upper plate surface of the support plate 17, and the top end of the lifting ejector pin assembly is inserted into the heating plate 12. The lifting ejector pin assembly includes: an ejector pin 14, a counterweight 15 disposed at the lower end of the ejector pin 14, and an end cap 16 disposed at the top end of the ejector pin 14. The counterweight 15 is disposed on the top plate surface of the support plate 17, and there is no fixed connection between them. The end cap 16 can limit the downward travel of the ejector pin 14, that is, when the ejector pin 14 descends to the lowest position, the end cap 16 is hooked on the heating plate 12, so that the ejector pin 14 cannot continue to fall. When transferring the wafer 300, the manipulator 13 transfers the wafer 300 to directly above the heating plate 12, and then the support plate 17 is controlled by the drive unit to rise. When the support plate 17 rises, it synchronously pushes all the ejector pin assemblies to rise, so that the upper end of the ejector pin 14 protrudes from the upper plate surface of the heating plate 12. At this time, the manipulator descends, and the wafer 300 can be transferred to the top of the ejector pin 14. Multiple ejector pins 14 jointly support the wafer 300. Then, the support plate 17 is controlled to descend again. At this time, the ejector pin 14 naturally falls under the action of the counterweight 15 until the wafer 300 descends and is placed on the upper plate surface of the heating plate 12. Finally, the heating plate 12 is started to heat the wafer 300, and process gas is introduced to deposit a thin film on the surface of the wafer 300.

[0037] In the above-mentioned conventional thin film deposition apparatus 100, a large amount of process gas is introduced during the thin film deposition process. After long-term use, the process gas will block the through hole on the heating plate 12, and the ejector pin 14 cannot fall naturally by relying on the counterweight 15 and its own gravity. On the one hand, it will cause the wafer 300 to be placed unevenly, and on the other hand, it may also cause the wafer 300 to slip and damage its surface, ultimately affecting the quality of thin film deposition. In order to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned conventional thin film deposition apparatus 100, this embodiment proposes a new thin film deposition apparatus 100, which includes a mechanism that can improve the reliability of wafer transmission.

[0038] See also Figures 2 to 5 The mechanism for improving the reliability of film transmission includes: a heating plate 23, a support plate 22, a lifting pin 24 and a weight cap 26;

[0039] The support plate 22 is disposed below the heating plate 23 and can be controlled to move closer to or farther from the heating plate 23. The heating plate 23 is provided with a plurality of through holes 231.

[0040] A weight 25 is disposed at the lower end of the lifting pin 24, the top end of the lifting pin 24 is passed through the through hole 231, and the weight 25 is embedded in the weight cap 26;

[0041] The weight cap 26 has a cavity 2611 therein, the weight cap 26 is connected to the support plate 22 , the weight 25 is located in the cavity 2611 , and the weight 25 does not separate from the cavity 2611 when the weight cap 26 is descending.

[0042] In this embodiment, in order to solve the problem that the lifting pin 24 may be stuck in the through hole 231 and cannot fall automatically after the thin film deposition equipment is used for a long time, a weight cap 26 is provided on the outside of the weight 25, and the weight cap 26 is connected to the support plate 22. When the support plate 22 descends, the weight cap 26 will generate a downward pulling force on the weight 25, so that the lifting pin 24 falls along the through hole 231, and finally the top end of the lifting pin 24 falls below the top disk surface of the heating plate 23, thereby avoiding adverse effects on the wafer 300.

[0043] The upper end 241 of the lifting pin 24 can extend from the top surface of the heating plate 23 through the through hole 231 or sink into the through hole 231. Compared with the conventional thin film deposition device 100, in the mechanism that can improve the reliability of film transmission, the end cap of the upper end 241 of the lifting pin 24 is removed. At this time, the lifting pin 24 can follow the support plate 22 to move up and down within a larger stroke, and the heating plate 23 will not limit the lifting pin 24 in the vertical direction, and the lifting pin 24 will not be damaged by the heating plate 23.

[0044] Of course, it can be understood that if the lifting thimble 24 is not stuck in the through hole 231, the lifting thimble 24 naturally descends only by its own gravity and the gravity of the weight 25, and the weight cap 26 does not play a role in pulling down during this process.

[0045] In this embodiment, the weight 25 is snap-connected to the lifting thimble 24.

[0046] Wherein, an axially extending opening 2511 is provided in the weight 25, and a plurality of elastic pieces 250 extend upward from the top edge of the opening 2511. The plurality of elastic pieces 250 enclose a conical guiding opening 254. The lifting thimble 24 is inserted into the opening 2511 through the conical guiding opening 254 and is snap-connected within the weight 25.

[0047] A clamping convex 2521 is provided on the inner wall of the elastic piece 250, and a clamping groove 242 corresponding to the clamping convex 2521 is provided on the outer wall of the lower end of the lifting thimble 24. Of course, the clamping convex 2521 and the clamping groove 242 can be interchanged on the elastic piece 250 and the lifting thimble 24.

[0048] Specifically, the weight 25 includes: a weight main body 251, an opening 2511 is axially provided in the weight main body 251, a plurality of clamping pieces 252 extend upward from the top edge of the opening 2511, and a guiding piece 253 extends outward from the top edge of the clamping piece 252. The clamping piece 252 and the guiding piece 253 together form the elastic piece 250. Among them, the clamping piece 252 is arranged parallel to the axis of the opening 2511, and the guiding piece 253 extends in an outwardly expanding manner from bottom to top. The plurality of guiding pieces 253 together enclose the conical guiding opening 254. In this embodiment, the weight main body 251 is a cylinder, and the opening 2511 is provided at the axis position of the cylinder. The corresponding plurality of elastic pieces 250 also form a symmetric structure approximately centered on the axis where the opening 2511 is located, so that the lifting thimble 24 can perform lifting actions more stably and precisely under the action of the weight 25, and will not be laterally offset, affecting the levelness of wafer support.

[0049] Please refer to again Figure 3 , a strip-shaped hole 2501 is provided between the plurality of spaced elastic pieces 250. The strip-shaped hole 2501 provides a greater elastic space for the outward expansion of the plurality of elastic pieces 250, so as to provide a greater elastic force for snap-connecting with the lifting thimble 24 on the small-sized weight 25.

[0050] Please refer to again Figure 2 、 Figure 3 and Figure 5 , the weight cap 26 is snap-connected to the support plate 22.

[0051] Among them, a connection hole 221 is provided on the support plate 22, and an annular groove 222 is recessed outwardly on the side wall of the connection hole 221. A plurality of clamping protrusions 263 are provided on the outer wall of the lower end of the weight cap 26, and the clamping protrusions 263 are clamped in the annular groove 222.

[0052] In this embodiment, the connection hole 221 is a circular hole, and the annular groove 222 is recessed outwardly along the radial direction of the connection hole 221. The annular groove 222 forms a clamping groove structure for clamping and fixing the weight cap 26.

[0053] Specifically, the weight cap 26 includes an annular top plate 261, a plurality of spaced side plates 262 vertically bent from the outer edge of the annular top plate 261, and the clamping protrusions 263 are arranged on the outer side surfaces of the spaced side plates 262. The bottom of the weight cap 26 is an open structure, and a circular hole 2613 is formed in the middle of the annular top plate 261. Spacing holes 2612 are reserved between adjacent spaced side plates 262. The weight cap 26 is clamped to the support plate 22 in the following manner: radially squeeze the spaced side plates 262 of the weight cap 26 to make it contract inward, then insert the weight cap 26 into the connection hole 221, and finally release the spaced side plates 262. At this time, the clamping protrusions 263 are snapped into the annular groove 222, and finally the weight cap 26 is clamped to the support plate 22.

[0054] Please refer to again Figures 2 to 5 , the mechanism for improving the reliability of film transfer in this embodiment is assembled as follows: First, insert the lifting ejector pin 24 into the opening 2511 from the tapered guiding port 254 of the weight 25, so that the clamping protrusion 2521 is clamped in the clamping groove 242, so that the lifting ejector pin 24 is assembled with the weight 25. Then, insert the assembled lifting ejector pin 24 and weight 25 into the cavity 2611 from the bottom opening of the weight cap 26. Among them, the weight main body 261 is located in the cavity 2611, and the elastic piece 250 extends out from the circular hole 2613, which is convenient for subsequent alignment and assembly with the heating plate 23. Finally, radially squeeze the spaced side plates 262 to make them contract, insert them into the connection hole 221 and then release the spaced side plates 262, so that the clamping protrusions 263 are snapped into the annular groove 222, and finally the weight cap 26 is assembled to the support plate 22.

[0055] Please refer to again Figure 5 , in this embodiment, the distance A between the side wall of the weight 25 and the inner edge of the annular top plate 261 is greater than 5 mm, the distance B between the annular top plate 261 and the weight 25 in the vertical direction is less than 5 mm, and the distance C between the side wall of the weight 25 and the inner side wall of the cavity 2611 is greater than 5 mm, that is, the distance C between the side wall of the weight 25 and the inner wall of the spaced side plate 262 is greater than 5 mm. With the above distance settings, the assembly convenience between various components can be well balanced, and at the same time, the reliability of film transfer during use can be improved.

[0056] An embodiment of the present invention provides a thin film deposition apparatus 200, and the thin film deposition apparatus 200 includes the mechanism for improving the reliability of wafer transfer as described in any one of the above. The mechanism for improving the reliability of wafer transfer is disposed in the process chamber 211 of the process chamber 21. A manipulator 27 is further disposed above the heating plate 23, and the manipulator 27 is configured to transfer the wafer 300 from the previous station to the heating plate 23 in the process chamber 211. A support structure 28 is further disposed at the center of the bottom of the heating plate 23. The heating plate 23 and the support plate 22 are generally in a disc structure. A plurality of the lifting ejector pins 24 and the weight caps 26 are uniformly distributed in the same circumference around the center of the disc structure.

[0057] The mechanism for improving the reliability of wafer transfer and the thin film deposition apparatus thereof in this embodiment add a weight cap outside the weight of the lifting ejector pin, and at the same time remove the stroke limit between the lifting ejector pin and the heating plate. When the through hole on the heating plate is blocked due to thin film deposition and the lifting ejector pin cannot fall naturally, the weight cap applies a pulling force to the lifting ejector pin to make it fall smoothly, thereby avoiding damage to the wafer.

[0058] The above only further illustrates the technical content of the present invention by way of examples for the convenience of readers to understand more easily, but does not mean that the implementation manners of the present invention are limited thereto. Any technical extension or re-creation made according to the present invention is protected by the present invention. The protection scope of the present invention is subject to the claims.

Claims

1. A mechanism that can improve the reliability of film transfer, characterized in that include: Heating plate, support plate, lifting pin and weight cap; The support plate is arranged below the heating plate and can be controlled to move closer to or farther from the heating plate. The heating plate is provided with a plurality of through holes. A weight is provided at the lower end of the lifting ejector pin, the top end of the lifting ejector pin is passed through the through hole, and the weight is embedded in the weight cap; A cavity is provided in the weight cap, the weight cap is connected to the support plate, the weight is located in the cavity, and the weight does not leave the cavity during the descent of the weight cap.

2. The mechanism for improving the reliability of film transfer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper end of the lifting pin can extend out of the top surface of the heating plate through the through hole or descend and sink into the through hole.

3. The mechanism for improving the reliability of film transfer according to claim 2, characterized in that The weight is buckled and connected to the lifting ejector pin.

4. The mechanism for improving the reliability of film transfer according to claim 3, characterized in that, An axially extending opening is provided in the weight, and a plurality of elastic sheets extend upward from the top edge of the opening. The plurality of elastic sheets enclose a conical guide opening, and the lifting ejector pin is inserted into the opening through the conical guide opening and is clamped in the weight.

5. The mechanism for improving the reliability of film transfer according to claim 4, characterized in that The inner wall of the elastic sheet is provided with a clamping groove, and the outer wall of the lower end of the lifting ejector pin is provided with a clamping protrusion corresponding to the clamping groove.

6. The mechanism for improving the reliability of film transfer according to claim 2, characterized in that, The weight cap is buckled and connected to the support plate.

7. The mechanism for improving the reliability of film transfer according to claim 6, characterized in that, The support plate is provided with a connecting hole, the side wall of the connecting hole is provided with an annular groove outwardly, and the outer wall of the lower end of the weight cap is provided with a plurality of clamping protrusions, and the clamping protrusions are clamped in the annular groove.

8. The mechanism for improving the reliability of film transfer according to claim 7, characterized in that, The weight cap comprises an annular top plate, and a plurality of spaced side plates which are vertically bent from the outer edge of the annular top plate, and the clamping protrusion is arranged on the outer side surface of the spaced side plates.

9. The mechanism for improving the reliability of film transfer according to claim 8, wherein The distance between the side wall of the weight and the inner edge of the annular top plate is greater than 5 mm, the distance between the annular top plate and the weight in the vertical direction is less than 5 mm, and the distance between the side wall of the weight and the inner wall of the cavity is greater than 5 mm.

10. A thin film deposition device, characterized in that, The thin film deposition equipment comprises a mechanism capable of improving film transmission reliability as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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