Semiconductor process equipment and rotary air inlet device thereof

Abstract

The invention provides semiconductor process equipment and a rotary air inlet device thereof. The rotary air inlet device comprises a rotating shaft, a shell arranged outside the rotating shaft in a sleeving mode and a sealing assembly arranged between the rotating shaft and the shell. A plurality of gas channels which are isolated from one another are arranged in the rotating shaft, the shell is provided with a plurality of gas inlet channels, and the gas inlet channels are used for providing gas for the gas channels; a first cylindrical gap is formed between the rotating shaft and the shell, and the sealing assembly comprises a plurality of first annular sealing structures which are sequentially arranged at intervals in the axial direction of the rotating shaft so that the first cylindrical gap can be divided into a plurality of annular subspaces which communicate with the multiple gas channels in a one-to-one correspondence mode. Therefore, the rotating shaft can provide mutually independent multi-path gas outwards during rotation, and the multi-path gas supply device can be suitable for complex process conditions of multi-path gas.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to, but are not limited to, the field of semiconductor technology. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a semiconductor processing apparatus and a rotating gas inlet device thereof. Background Art

[0002] The epitaxial process refers to a process of growing a completely ordered single crystal layer on a substrate. Generally speaking, the epitaxial process is to grow a crystal layer with the same lattice orientation as the original substrate on a single crystal substrate. The epitaxial process is widely used in semiconductor manufacturing, such as epitaxial silicon wafers in the integrated circuit industry, and embedded source / drain epitaxial growth of MOS transistors. According to the different states of the growth phase, the epitaxial growth methods can be divided into solid-phase epitaxy, liquid-phase epitaxy, and vapor-phase epitaxy. In integrated circuit manufacturing, the commonly used epitaxial methods are solid-phase epitaxy and vapor-phase epitaxy.

[0003] The growth methods of vapor-phase epitaxy include chemical vapor epitaxial growth (CVE), molecular beam epitaxy (MBD), atomic layer epitaxy (ALE), etc. In integrated circuit manufacturing, the most commonly used is chemical vapor epitaxial growth (CVE). Chemical vapor epitaxy and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) have basically the same principle, which are both processes of depositing a thin film by using a chemical reaction that occurs on the wafer surface after gas mixing.

[0004] Semiconductor processing apparatuses applying chemical vapor epitaxy will involve technical key points such as rotary sealing and multi-channel gas inlet that affect the process results. Related technologies generally solve the technical problems of rotary sealing, but only involve a single gas path and cannot be applied to complex process situations with multi-channel gas inlet. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and provides a semiconductor processing apparatus and a rotating gas inlet device thereof. The rotating gas inlet device can provide multiple channels of gas, and solves the technical problem that the related technology cannot be applied to multi-channel gas inlet.

[0006] To achieve the object of the present invention, a rotating gas inlet device for a semiconductor processing apparatus is provided, which includes a rotating shaft, a housing sleeved outside the rotating shaft, and a sealing assembly disposed between the rotating shaft and the housing; a plurality of gas channels isolated from each other are provided inside the rotating shaft, the housing is provided with a plurality of gas inlet channels for supplying gas to the gas channels; a first cylindrical gap is formed between the rotating shaft and the housing, and the sealing assembly includes a plurality of first annular sealing structures sequentially and spaced apart along the axial direction of the rotating shaft to divide the first cylindrical gap into a plurality of annular sub-spaces, which are in one-to-one correspondence with and communicate with the plurality of gas channels.

[0007] In some embodiments, it also includes multiple annular uniform flow structures arranged in sequence along the axial direction of the rotating shaft. The annular uniform flow structure is located between the annular subspace and the corresponding gas channel. The annular uniform flow structure is used to adjust the flow rate of the gas flowing from the intake channel to the corresponding gas channel.

[0008] In some embodiments, each annular flow uniforming structure includes an annular flow uniforming shell and multiple gas regulating parts; the annular flow uniforming shell is provided with an air outlet facing the rotating shaft and multiple air inlets facing the annular subspace; the annular flow uniforming shell is rotatably arranged on the first annular sealing structure, and the annular flow uniforming shell is fixed to the rotating shaft; the annular flow uniforming shell has an annular cavity for gas flow inside, and multiple gas regulating parts are arranged in the annular cavity at intervals along the circumference of the rotating shaft to divide the annular cavity into multiple arc cavities, and each gas regulating part is provided with at least one air hole for connecting two adjacent arc cavities.

[0009] In some embodiments, the shell is provided with a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet; a first cooling assembly and a second cooling assembly are respectively provided on both sides of the radial direction of the sealing assembly, the first cooling assembly is used to allow the coolant to flow from the coolant inlet and to flow to the coolant outlet; the second cooling assembly is used to allow the coolant from the first cooling assembly to flow along the axial direction of the rotating shaft.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first cooling assembly includes a cylindrical partition and a baffle member arranged on the cylindrical partition, and a coolant communication inlet and a coolant communication outlet are provided on the cylindrical partition; the cylindrical partition is arranged between the rotating shaft and the shell, and the wall of the cylindrical partition facing the rotating shaft is connected to the sealing assembly, and a second cylindrical gap is formed between the wall of the cylindrical partition facing away from the rotating shaft and the shell; the baffle member is used to separate the second cylindrical gap into a first coolant channel and a second coolant channel, the first coolant channel is connected to the coolant inlet and the coolant communication inlet, and the second cooling channel is connected to the coolant outlet and the coolant communication outlet.

[0011] In some embodiments, the second cooling assembly includes a plurality of first annular cooling members, a second annular cooling member, a second annular sealing structure, a third annular sealing structure, an annular partition, a return water pipe, and a plurality of water inlet pipes; the plurality of first annular cooling members, the second annular cooling member, and the annular partition are sequentially and spaced apart along the axis of the rotating shaft; the first annular cooling member is located between the first annular sealing structure and the annular flow equalizing structure, and an annular cavity for the coolant to flow is provided inside the first annular cooling member, and a water inlet pipe is provided between every two adjacent first annular cooling members to connect the adjacent two annular cavities; one side of the second annular cooling member is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, and the other side is rotatably connected to the second annular sealing structure; one side of the annular partition is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, and the other side is rotatably connected to the third annular sealing structure; the two ends of the return water pipe are respectively connected to the first annular cooling member farthest from the annular partition and the gap between the annular partition and the second cooling member; the coolant communication inlet is provided at the gap between the first annular cooling member closest to the second annular member and the second annular cooling member, and the coolant communication outlet is provided at the gap between the annular partition and the first annular cooling member.

[0012] In some embodiments, it further includes an end cap connected to one end of the rotating shaft, and a sealing ring is provided on the side of the end cap facing away from the rotating shaft; the rotary air intake device further includes a third cooling assembly, which is located between the coolant inlet and the first coolant passage and is used to cool the sealing ring.

[0013] In some embodiments, the side of the end cap facing away from the sealing ring is used to jointly form an annular liquid inlet area with the housing, and the annular liquid inlet area surrounds the rotating shaft; the third cooling assembly includes a first liquid inlet pipe and a second liquid inlet pipe. The first liquid inlet pipe is located inside the first coolant passage, and its two ends are respectively connected to the coolant inlet and the annular liquid inlet area; the second liquid inlet pipe is arranged in the annular liquid inlet area, and its two ends are respectively connected to the annular liquid inlet area and the first coolant passage.

[0014] In some embodiments, it further includes a first bearing and a second bearing respectively arranged at both ends of the rotating shaft, and the second cooling assembly is located between the first bearing and the second bearing; the housing is provided with a first air intake passage for supplying clean gas to the first bearing gap between the first bearing and the second cooling assembly, and a second air intake passage for supplying clean gas to the second bearing gap between the second bearing and the second cooling assembly.

[0015] In some embodiments, the plurality of gas passages include at least one clean gas passage, and the clean gas passage is used to connect the second bearing gap and the second air intake passage.

[0016] The present invention also provides a semiconductor processing apparatus, which includes a chamber, a rotary gas inlet device, a susceptor and a tray disposed in the chamber. The tray is used to carry a wafer, and the susceptor is disposed below the tray. The rotary gas inlet device adopts the above-mentioned rotary gas inlet device and is used to supply gas into the susceptor to drive the tray to rotate relative to the susceptor.

[0017] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] The rotary gas inlet device of the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a housing, a rotating shaft and a sealing assembly located between the two. The sealing assembly includes a plurality of first annular sealing structures arranged in sequence and at intervals along the axial direction of the rotating shaft. The plurality of first annular sealing structures can enable the rotating shaft to provide multiple independent paths of gas outward when rotating, and can be applicable to complex process conditions of multiple gas inlets.

[0019] By reading the specification, claims and drawings of this application, other objects and features of the present invention will be clear. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and be readily understood from the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where:

[0021] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a rotary adsorption device in the related art.

[0022] Figure 2 is an exploded view of the rotary gas inlet device of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 is an axonometric view of the rotary gas inlet device of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 is a partial enlarged view of the rotary gas inlet device of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 is a front view of the rotary gas inlet device of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the rotary gas inlet device of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of the rotating shaft of the rotary gas inlet device of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of the annular flow equalizing structure of the rotary gas inlet device of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the annular flow equalizing structure of the rotary gas inlet device of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 10 It is a top view of the rotary intake device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 11 It is a structural schematic diagram of the rotary intake device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 12 It is Figure 11 a partial enlarged view of

[0033] Figure 13 It is Figure 11 a partial enlarged view of

[0034] Figure 14 It is a structural schematic diagram of the first annular cooling member of the rotary intake device according to an embodiment of the present invention arranged in sequence.

[0035] Figure 15 It is a schematic diagram of the coolant flowing in the rotary intake device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 16 It is a schematic diagram of the coolant flowing in the rotary intake device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 17 It is a structural schematic diagram of the semiconductor process equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Description of main element symbols:

[0039] 1. Support column; 11. Suction channel; 3. Rotating shaft; 31. Radial channel; 32. Axial channel; 4. First seal; 5. Second seal; 6. First bearing; 7. Second bearing;

[0040] 10. Rotary intake device; 20. Support base; 30. Cavity; 40. Base; 50. Tray;

[0041] 100. Housing; 110. Intake channel; 120. Coolant inlet; 130. Coolant outlet; 140. First intake channel; 150. Second intake channel;

[0042] 200. Rotating shaft; 210. Gas channel; 211. Driving gas radial channel; 212. Driving gas axial channel; 212a. Second opening; 213. First cleaning gas channel; 214. Second cleaning gas channel; 215. Third cleaning gas channel;

[0043] 300. First annular sealing structure; 310. Upper pole shoe; 320. Lower pole shoe; 330. Permanent magnet; 340. Magnetic fluid;

[0044] 400, Annular uniform flow structure; 410, Annular uniform flow housing; 411, Air inlet; 420, Gas regulating member;

[0045] 510, First bearing; 520, Second bearing; 600, End cover; 610, Installation groove;

[0046] 710, First cooling assembly; 711, Cylindrical partition; 711a, Coolant communication inlet; 711b, Coolant communication outlet; 712, Baffle member; 712a, Strip plate; 713, Third bending section;

[0047] 720, Second cooling assembly; 721, First annular cooling member; 722, Second annular cooling member; 723, Water inlet pipe; 723a, First water inlet pipe; 724, Water return pipe; 725, Second annular sealing structure; 726, Third annular sealing structure; 727, Annular partition;

[0048] 730, First coolant channel; 740, Second coolant channel; 750, First liquid inlet pipe; 760, Second liquid inlet pipe;

[0049] 810, First bending section; 820, Second bending section; 830, Annular liquid inlet area;

[0050] 910, Annular subspace; 920, Second annular gap; 930, Third annular gap;

[0051] 940, Fourth annular gap; 950, Fifth annular gap; 960, Sixth annular gap. Detailed implementation mode

[0052] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, where the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention and should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0053] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "center", "thickness", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the 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. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood 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 the described features. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality of" means two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0054] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "mounted", "connected" and "coupled" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection or an integral connection; it may be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection or a connection capable of mutual communication; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0055] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified 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 other 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.

[0056] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different structures of the present invention. To simplify the disclosure of the present invention, the components and settings of specific examples are described below. Of course, they are only examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, the present invention may repeat reference numerals and / or reference letters in different examples. Such repetition is for the purpose of simplification and clarity and does not itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed. In addition, the present invention provides examples of various specific processes and materials, but those of ordinary skill in the art may be aware of the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0057] The rotary adsorption device in the related art includes a support column 1, a rotating shaft 3, a first seal 4, a second seal 5, a first bearing 6, and a second bearing 7. For details, please refer to Figure 1 . A through hole is provided inside the support column 1 along its axial direction. The upper end of the rotating shaft 3 is installed at one end of the through hole through the first bearing 6, and the lower end of the rotating shaft 3 is installed at the other end of the through hole through the second bearing 7. The upper end of the rotating shaft 3 is fixedly connected to a chuck for carrying a wafer, and the lower end of the rotating shaft 3 is connected to a motor for driving the rotating shaft 3 to rotate so as to drive the chuck to rotate.

[0058] The chuck is provided with an air path communicating with the through hole inside the support column 1. An air suction channel 11 communicating with the through hole is provided on the side wall of the support column 1. A radial channel 31 and an axial channel 32 communicating with the air suction channel 11 are provided inside the rotating shaft 3. Further, after the chuck contacts the wafer, the chuck firmly adsorbs the wafer by sucking air through the channels. The first seal 4 is provided between the air suction channel 11 and the first bearing 6, and the second seal 5 is provided between the air suction channel 11 and the second bearing 7. The first seal 4 and the second seal 5 can be in sealing contact with the outer wall surface of the rotating shaft 3 and the inner wall surface of the support column 1 simultaneously when the rotating shaft 3 rotates, so as to effectively prevent gas from leaking through the gap between the rotating shaft 3 and the support column 1, thereby ensuring the continuous adsorption of the wafer by the chuck when the motor drives the rotating shaft 3 to rotate.

[0059] However, the above-mentioned rotary adsorption device in the related art has the following two technical problems:

[0060] (1) It is only applicable to the rotary seal of a single air path and does not involve the complex process conditions of multiple air paths;

[0061] (2) It is only applicable to the air extraction working condition to realize the vacuum adsorption of the chuck to the wafer. If the working condition is changed to supply air to the chuck, eddy currents will be generated in the cavity due to the influence of the pressure difference and the speed difference, thereby reducing the flow rate of the inlet gas, affecting the stability of the inlet air, and reducing the inlet efficiency.

[0062] To solve at least one of the above technical problems, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a rotary air inlet device 10 for a semiconductor processing equipment.

[0063] The rotary air inlet device 10 of this embodiment includes a rotating shaft 200, a housing 100, and a sealing assembly. The housing 100 is sleeved outside the rotating shaft 200, and the sealing assembly is arranged between the rotating shaft 200 and the housing 100. For details, please refer to Figure 2 .

[0064] A plurality of gas channels 210 that are isolated from each other are provided inside the rotating shaft 200, that is, the plurality of gas channels 210 are not connected to each other. Specifically, both ends of each gas channel 210 respectively form a first opening and a second opening 212a on the rotating shaft 200, and gas can flow from the first opening to the second opening 212a. The first opening is located on the circumferential outer surface of the rotating shaft 200, and the second opening 212a is located on the end face of the rotating shaft 200. Optionally, the plurality of second openings 212a of the plurality of gas channels 210 are located on the same end face of the rotating shaft 200. For details, reference can be made to Figure 7 and Figure 10 . The plurality of first openings are located at different heights in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 200. Each gas channel 210 is used for separately supplying gas to flow, and the specific functions and components of the gas are not specifically limited herein.

[0065] The housing 100 is provided with a plurality of intake channels 110, and the intake channels 110 are used to supply gas to the gas channels 210. A first cylindrical gap is formed between the rotating shaft 200 and the housing 100. The sealing assembly includes a plurality of first annular sealing structures 300 that are sequentially and spaced apart along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 200 to divide the first cylindrical gap into a plurality of annular sub-spaces 910. For details, reference can be made to Figure 6 . The plurality of annular sub-spaces 910 are in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of gas channels 210, so that the intake channels 110 supply gas to the corresponding gas channels 210 through the annular sub-spaces 910.

[0066] In some embodiments, the first annular sealing structure 300 may include a magnetorheological fluid 340 to form a rotatable "O-ring seal", thereby avoiding the problem of gas leakage between adjacent annular sub-spaces 910. It can be understood that the magnetorheological fluid 340 can effectively ensure the sealing performance between different annular sub-spaces 910, and realizes the precise one-to-one control between the intake channels 110 and the gas channels 210. Optionally, the first annular sealing structure 300 further includes an upper pole shoe 310, a permanent magnet 330, a lower pole shoe 320 and a magnetorheological fluid 340. For details, reference can be made to Figure 13 . The upper pole shoe 310 and the lower pole shoe 320 adsorb the magnetorheological fluid 340 to jointly form the first annular sealing structure 300 that can perform dynamic sealing. Sealing grooves may be provided on the upper pole shoe 310 and the lower pole shoe 320 to provide sealing rings.

[0067] In the embodiment of the present application, the rotating shaft 200 can provide multiple independent gas paths from either end (the end face where the second opening 212a is located) to the outside (of the rotating shaft 200), and each gas path does not interfere with each other when flowing in the rotary intake device 10. The flow path of each gas in the rotary intake device 10 can be: intake channel 110 → annular sub-space 910 → first opening → gas channel 210 → second opening 212a.

[0068] It should be noted that the semiconductor process equipment may include, in addition to the rotary gas inlet device 10, a chamber 30, a base 40, and a plurality of trays 50. The base 40 and the trays 50 are disposed inside the chamber 30, and the inside of the chamber 30 is used to perform corresponding process treatments. The rotary gas inlet device 10 is disposed outside the chamber 30. For details, please refer to Figure 17 . A plurality of wafers are respectively carried by the plurality of trays 50. The rotating shaft 200 of the rotary gas inlet device 10 is coaxially arranged with the base 40, and the gas passage 210 inside the rotating shaft 200 is used to introduce driving gas. The base 40 includes a plurality of sub-bases, and the plurality of sub-bases are arranged circumferentially. A tray 50 is disposed above each sub-base. One end of the sub-base is detachably connected to the support seat 20, and the other end of the sub-base extends radially along the rotating shaft 200. The support seat 20 is connected to the rotating shaft 200, so that the rotating shaft 200 can drive the sub-base to rotate; an air delivery passage is provided inside the sub-base, and the plurality of gas passages 210 are in one-to-one correspondence and communication with the plurality of air delivery passages; a flow guiding structure is provided on the top surface of the sub-base, and the flow guiding structure is communicated with the air delivery passage for guiding the driving gas to drive the tray 50 to rotate.

[0069] The rotary gas inlet device 10 is used to transmit the driving gas to the air delivery airway inside the base 40 to provide driving force for the air-floating rotation of the tray 50. Specifically, the second opening 212a of the rotating shaft 200 faces the base 40.

[0070] In some embodiments, when the driving gas flows in the gas passage 210, optionally, the gas passage 210 may include a driving gas radial passage 211 and a driving gas axial passage 212 that are connected. The driving gas radial passage 211 extends along the radial direction of the rotating shaft 200 and forms a first opening on the rotating shaft 200. The driving gas axial passage 212 extends along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 200 and forms a second opening 212a on the rotating shaft 200. For details, please refer to Figure 7 . In this embodiment, the flow path of each path of driving gas in the rotary gas inlet device 10 may be: intake passage 110 → annular sub-space 910 → first opening → gas passage 210 (driving gas radial passage 211 → driving gas axial passage 212) → second opening 212a → base 40.

[0071] The rotary gas inlet device 10 further includes a plurality of annular flow equalizing structures 400, and the plurality of annular flow equalizing structures 400 are sequentially arranged along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 200. For details, please refer to Figure 6 . The annular flow equalizing structure 400 is located between the annular sub-space 910 and the corresponding gas passage 210. The annular flow equalizing structure 400 is used to adjust the flow rate of the gas flowing from the intake passage 110 to the corresponding gas passage 210, so that the gas can enter the rotating shaft 200 at a uniform flow rate.

[0072] It can be understood that each annular flow equalizing structure 400 is provided with an air inlet 411 and an air outlet. The air inlet 411 communicates with the annular sub-space 910, and the air outlet communicates with the gas passage 210. In this embodiment, the flow path of each gas in the rotary air inlet device 10 can be: air inlet passage 110 → annular sub-space 910 → annular flow equalizing structure 400 (air inlet 411 → air outlet) → first opening → gas passage 210 → second opening 212a.

[0073] Each annular flow equalizing structure 400 includes an annular flow equalizing housing 410 and a plurality of gas regulating members 420. For details, reference can be made to Figure 8 and Figure 9 . The annular flow equalizing housing 410 is provided with an air outlet and a plurality of air inlets 411. The annular flow equalizing housing 410 is a C-shaped structure with an opening (the opening is the air outlet) facing the rotating shaft 200. The air outlet faces the rotating shaft 200, and the plurality of air inlets 411 face the annular sub-space 910. The annular flow equalizing housing 410 is rotatably arranged on the first annular sealing structure 300, and the annular flow equalizing housing 410 is fixed to the rotating shaft 200. The interior of the annular flow equalizing housing 410 has an annular cavity for gas flow, and the annular cavity communicates with the air outlet and the plurality of air inlets 411. The plurality of gas regulating members 420 are circumferentially spaced along the rotating shaft 200 in the annular cavity to divide the annular cavity into a plurality of arc-shaped cavities. At least one air hole for communicating adjacent two arc-shaped cavities is provided on each gas regulating member 420.

[0074] Optionally, the plurality of air inlets 411 are evenly distributed to achieve the first flow equalization of the gas from the air inlet passage 110 into the gas passage 210. Optionally, a plurality of evenly distributed air holes are provided on each gas regulating member 420 for the gas to pass through to achieve the second flow equalization of the gas from the air inlet passage 110 into the gas passage 210.

[0075] The annular flow equalizing structure 400 of the present disclosure embodiment can perform multiple flow equalizations on the gas during the process of the gas entering the gas passage 210 from the air inlet passage 110, improving the uniformity of gas supply. In addition, if the rotary air inlet device 10 is used for the gas supply working condition, the annular flow equalizing structure 400 can also avoid the generation of eddy currents between the housing 100 and the rotating shaft 200.

[0076] In some embodiments, the annular flow equalizing structure 400 is hermetically connected to the rotating shaft 200. Optionally, each annular flow equalizing structure 400 is hermetically connected to the rotating shaft 200 by welding. On the one hand, it can avoid gas leakage, and on the other hand, it can also enable each annular flow equalizing structure 400 to move synchronously with the rotating shaft 200. In other words, the plurality of annular flow equalizing structures 400 will rotate with the rotation of the rotating shaft 200.

[0077] In other embodiments, a sealing connection is also performed between each two adjacent annular flow-uniform structures 400. Optionally, the two adjacent annular flow-uniform structures 400 can be sealed by welding to ensure synchronous movement between the multiple annular flow-uniform structures 400.

[0078] The housing 100 is provided with a coolant inlet 120 and a coolant outlet 130. For details, see Figure 11 A first cooling assembly 710 and a second cooling assembly 720 are provided on either side of the sealing assembly in the radial direction, respectively, to achieve double-layer cooling of the sealing assembly, thereby improving the cooling effect of the sealing assembly and reducing heat loss of the sealing assembly. The first cooling assembly 710 is used to allow coolant to flow from the coolant inlet 120 and to the coolant outlet 130. The second cooling assembly 720 is used to allow coolant from the first cooling assembly 710 to flow in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 200.

[0079] Specifically, the coolant inlet 120 and the coolant outlet 130 are both higher than the second cooling assembly 720 .

[0080] The first cooling assembly 710 includes a cylindrical partition 711 and a baffle 712 disposed on the cylindrical partition 711. For details, see Figure 10 and Figure 11 The cylindrical partition 711 is provided with a coolant communication inlet 711a and a coolant communication outlet 711b. The cylindrical partition 711 is sleeved between the rotating shaft 200 and the housing 100. The wall of the cylindrical partition 711 facing the rotating shaft 200 is connected to the sealing assembly. Optionally, the inner wall of the cylindrical partition 711 is provided with a plurality of limiting grooves that are the same in number and correspond one to one with the plurality of first annular sealing structures 300, and the first annular sealing structures 300 are arranged in the corresponding limiting grooves.

[0081] A second cylindrical gap is formed between the wall of the cylindrical partition 711 away from the rotating shaft 200 and the housing 100. The baffle 712 is used to separate the second cylindrical gap into a first coolant channel 730 and a second coolant channel 740. For details, see Figure 10 The first cooling liquid channel 730 is connected to the cooling liquid inlet 120 and the cooling liquid communication inlet 711 a , and the second cooling liquid channel is connected to the cooling liquid outlet 130 and the cooling liquid communication outlet 711 b .

[0082] Specifically, the first cooling assembly 710 is located between the sealing assembly and the housing 100. The first cooling assembly 710 can form a first coolant channel 730 and a second coolant channel 740 extending along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 200. The coolant in the first coolant channel 730 and the second coolant channel 740 is used to cool the side of the sealing assembly facing the housing 100. The second cooling assembly 720 forms a third coolant channel extending along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 200 and communicating with the first coolant channel 730, and is arranged inside the plurality of sealing assemblies. The coolant in the third coolant channel is used to cool the side of the sealing assembly facing the rotating shaft 200.

[0083] The second cooling assembly 720 includes a plurality of first annular cooling members 721, a second annular cooling member 722, a second annular sealing structure 725, a third annular sealing structure 726, an annular partition 727, a return water pipe 724, and a plurality of water inlet pipes 723. For details, please refer to Figure 11 . The plurality of first annular cooling members 721, the second annular cooling member 722, and the annular partition 727 are arranged in sequence and at intervals along the axis of the rotating shaft 200. Optionally, a plurality of support columns can be arranged between adjacent first annular cooling members 721 to connect and support the first annular cooling members 721.

[0084] The first annular cooling member 721 is located between the first annular sealing structure 300 and the annular flow equalizing structure 400. An annular cavity for the flow of coolant is provided inside the first annular cooling member 721. A water inlet pipe 723 is arranged between every two adjacent first annular cooling members 721 to communicate the adjacent annular cavities. Specifically, the plurality of water inlet pipes 723 include a first water inlet pipe 723a, and the first water inlet pipe 723a is used to connect two adjacent first annular cooling members close to the second annular cooling member 722.

[0085] One side of the second annular cooling member 722 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 200, and the other side is rotatably connected to the second annular sealing structure 725. One side of the annular partition 727 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 200, and the other side is rotatably connected to the third annular sealing structure 726. A third annular gap 930 is formed between the second annular cooling member 722 and the annular partition 727. One end of the return water pipe 724 communicates with the first annular cooling member 721 farthest from the annular partition 727, and the other end of the return water pipe 724 communicates with the third annular gap 930. For details, please refer to Figure 11, so that the coolant in the first annular cooling member 721 farthest from the annular partition 727 can flow through the return pipe 724 to the third annular gap 930. Since the third annular gap 930 communicates with the coolant communication outlet 711b, the coolant flowing through the return pipe 724 to the third annular gap 930 can flow to the coolant communication outlet 711b, and then leave the third coolant passage and flow into the second coolant passage 740 through the coolant communication outlet 711b.

[0086] A second annular gap 920 is formed between the plurality of first annular cooling members 721 and the second annular cooling member 722. The second annular gap 920 communicates with the coolant communication inlet 711a, so that the coolant in the first coolant passage 730 can enter the second annular gap 920 through the coolant communication inlet 711a, and under the accumulation of continuous coolant, enter the first annular cooling member 721.

[0087] The rotary intake device 10 further includes an end cap 600. The end cap 600 is connected to one end of the rotating shaft 200. For details, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 . A sealing ring is provided on the side of the end cap 600 facing away from the rotating shaft 200. The rotary intake device 10 further includes a third cooling assembly located between the coolant inlet 120 and the first coolant passage 730 for cooling the sealing ring.

[0088] The side of the end cap 600 facing away from the sealing ring is used to jointly form an annular liquid inlet area 830 with the housing 100. The annular liquid inlet area 830 is arranged around the rotating shaft 200. For details, please refer to Figure 11 . The third cooling assembly includes a first liquid inlet pipe 750 and a second liquid inlet pipe 760. The first liquid inlet pipe 750 is located in the first coolant passage 730. Specifically, one end of the first liquid inlet pipe 750 can be welded to the housing 100, and the other end of the first liquid inlet pipe 750 can be welded to the first bent section 810. In particular, the first liquid inlet pipe 750 is set as an L-shaped bent pipe. And both ends of the first liquid inlet pipe 750 communicate with the coolant inlet 120 and the annular liquid inlet area 830 respectively. The second liquid inlet pipe 760 is arranged in the annular liquid inlet area 830, and both ends of it communicate with the annular liquid inlet area 830 and the first coolant passage 730 respectively.

[0089] Specifically, an annular mounting groove 610 is provided on the end cap 600. For details, please refer to Figure 12 . A sealing ring is arranged in the annular mounting groove 610. The coolant of the third cooling assembly passes through the annular liquid inlet area 830 to cool the sealing ring arranged in the annular mounting groove 610.

[0090] The embodiments of the present disclosure can also be used to cool the sealing ring at the end cap 600, realizing the cooling of the sealing ring, reducing the frequency of replacing the sealing ring, increasing the service life of the rotary intake device 10, and improving the reliability of the semiconductor process equipment. Specifically, the flow path of the coolant is: coolant inlet 120 → first liquid inlet pipe 750 → annular liquid inlet area 830 → second liquid inlet pipe 760 → first coolant channel 730 → coolant connection inlet 711a → third coolant channel → coolant connection outlet 711b → second coolant channel 740 → coolant outlet 130. It should be noted that the flow path of the coolant in the rotary intake device 10 in the embodiments of the present disclosure is a single one-way path.

[0091] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the flow path of the coolant is: coolant inlet 120 → first liquid inlet pipe 750 → annular liquid inlet area 830 → second liquid inlet pipe 760 → first coolant channel 730 → coolant connection inlet 711a → second annular gap 920 → first annular cooling member 721 → first connecting pipe 723a → first annular cooling member 721 → next connecting pipe of the first connecting pipe 723a → … → return pipe 724 → third annular gap 930 → coolant connection outlet 711b → second coolant channel 740 → coolant outlet 130, and specific details can be seen in Figure 15 and Figure 16 . It should be noted that the flow path of the coolant in the rotary intake device 10 in the embodiments of the present disclosure is a single one-way path.

[0092] Such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the rotary intake device 10 further includes a first bearing 510 and a second bearing 520. The first bearing 510 and the second bearing 520 are respectively arranged at both ends of the rotating shaft 200. The first bearing 510 is arranged close to the second opening 212a, and the end cap 600 is connected to the housing 100 and the first bearing 510. Optionally, the second cooling assembly 720 is located between the first bearing 510 and the second bearing 520. The housing 100 is provided with a first intake channel 140 and a second intake channel 150. The first intake channel 140 is used to supply clean gas to the first bearing gap between the first bearing 510 and the second cooling assembly 720, and the second intake channel 150 is used to supply clean gas to the second bearing gap between the second bearing 520 and the second cooling assembly 720.

[0093] Furthermore, the first bearing 510 is spaced from the first annular sealing structure 300 that is closest to the first bearing 510 among the plurality of first annular sealing structures to form a fourth annular gap 940, and specific details can be seen in Figure 6。The first intake passage 140 penetrates the housing 100 and communicates with the fourth annular gap 940. The first intake passage 140 is configured to supply clean gas to the fourth annular gap 940 to clean the first bearing 510 by using the clean gas in the fourth annular gap 940. The clean gas will finally flow out of the first bearing 510 through the gap, flow into the cavity 30 through the gap between the structures, and then be discharged from the cavity 30. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the flow path of the clean gas for cleaning the first bearing 510 is: the first intake passage 140 → the fourth annular gap 940 → the gap of the first bearing 510 → the cavity 30.

[0094] In some embodiments, the plurality of gas passages 210 include at least one clean gas passage, and the clean gas passage is configured to communicate the second bearing gap and the second intake passage 150. Specifically, the clean gas passage includes a first clean gas passage 213, a second clean gas passage 214, and a third clean gas passage 215. For details, reference can be made to Figure 6 。The first clean gas passage 213 extends along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 200 and penetrates the axial end faces of the rotating shaft 200. The first clean gas passage 213 is located at the center of the rotating shaft 200. The second clean gas passage 214 and the third clean gas passage 215 both extend along the radial direction of the rotating shaft 200 and can communicate with the first clean gas passage 213 independently of each other, where the second clean gas passage 214 and the third clean gas passage 215 are located at different heights.

[0095] The second bearing 520 is spaced apart from the annular partition 727 to form a fifth annular gap 950, and the fifth annular gap 950 communicates with the third clean gas passage 215. The second intake passage 150 communicates with the second clean gas passage 214. Among them, the annular flow equalizing structure 400 closest to the second bearing 520 can be used for the clean gas from the second intake passage 150 to pass through and flow to the second clean gas passage 214. Specifically, the plurality of first annular sealing structures 300 include a first annular sealing structure member a, a first annular sealing structure member b, a first annular sealing structure member c, and a first annular sealing structure member d arranged in sequence, where the first annular sealing structure member a is closest to the second bearing 520. The first annular sealing structure member c and the first annular sealing structure member d are configured to form a sixth annular gap 960 for the clean gas from the second intake passage 150 to flow to the corresponding second clean gas passage 214. For details, reference can be made to Figure 6 。

[0096] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a cleaning gas is provided to the first cleaning gas channel 213 and the fifth annular gap 950. Not only can the cleaning gas in the first cleaning gas channel 213 be used to clean the pore wall of the first cleaning gas channel 213 and the driving member therein (the driving member is used to drive the rotation of the rotating shaft 200 and is arranged in the first cleaning gas channel 213), but also the cleaning gas in the fifth annular gap 950 can be used to clean the second bearing 520. The cleaning gas will finally flow out from the gap of the second bearing 520 and flow into the cavity 30. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the flow path of the cleaning gas for cleaning the first cleaning gas channel 213 and the second bearing 520 is: the second intake channel 150 → the sixth annular gap 960 → the annular flow equalizing structure closest to the second bearing 520 among the plurality of annular flow equalizing structures 400 → the second cleaning gas channel 214 → the first cleaning gas channel 213 → the third cleaning gas channel 215 → the fifth annular gap 950 → the gap of the second bearing 520 → the cavity 30.

[0097] In some embodiments, when the rotary intake device 10 only provides X-way driving gas, there are X gas channels 210 arranged in the rotating shaft 200, X intake channels 110 arranged on the housing 100, (X + 1) first annular sealing structures 300 and X annular flow equalizing structures 400 arranged between the housing 100 and the rotating shaft 200. Wherein X is an integer greater than 2.

[0098] In other embodiments, when the rotary intake device 10 provides X-way driving gas and 2-way cleaning gas, there are X gas channels 210 and 2 cleaning gas channels 210 (the first cleaning gas channel 213, the second cleaning gas channel 214 and the third cleaning gas channel 215) arranged in the rotating shaft 200. There are X intake channels 110 and 2 channels (the first intake channel 140 and the second intake channel 150) for the cleaning gas pipe to pass through arranged on the housing 100, (X + 1) annular flow equalizing structures 400, X first annular sealing structures 300, 1 second annular sealing structure 725 and 1 third annular sealing structure 726 arranged between the housing 100 and the rotating shaft 200. Optionally, the first annular sealing structure 300, the second annular sealing structure 725 and the third annular sealing structure 726 adopt the same structure.

[0099] Optionally, the end of the housing 100 close to the end cover 600 is sequentially provided with a first bending section 810 and a second bending section 820. Specifically, reference can be made to Figure 4 and Figure 11。The first bending section 810 bends inwards along the radial direction of the rotating shaft 200 from the housing 100, the second bending section 820 bends away from the housing 100 along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 200 from the first bending section 810, and the first bearing 510 is connected to the first bending section 810 and the second bending section 820. The first bending section 810 and the second bending section 820 are used to form an annular liquid inlet area 830 with the end cover 600. The first end of the cylindrical partition plate 711 is connected to the first bending section 810, and the second end of the cylindrical partition plate 711 is provided with a third bending section 713 to be connected to the housing 100. Both the first bearing 510 and the second bearing 520 are arranged between the cylindrical partition plate 711 and the rotating shaft 200.

[0100] In some embodiments, the baffle member 712 includes two strip-shaped plates 712a, and both of the two strip-shaped plates 712a extend along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 200. The axial length of each strip-shaped plate 712a is equal to the axial length of the annular partition plate 727. One end of each of the two strip-shaped plates 712a is connected to the third bending section 713, and the other end is connected to the first bending section 810.

[0101] It can be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments adopted to illustrate the principle of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For those of ordinary skill 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 regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rotary intake device for semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that, It includes a rotating shaft, a shell sleeved on the rotating shaft, and a sealing assembly arranged between the rotating shaft and the shell; The rotating shaft is provided with a plurality of gas channels isolated from each other, and the housing is provided with a plurality of air inlet channels, and the air inlet channels are used to supply gas to the gas channels; A first cylindrical gap is formed between the rotating shaft and the housing, and the sealing assembly includes a plurality of first annular sealing structures arranged sequentially and at intervals along the axial direction of the rotating shaft to divide the first cylindrical gap into a plurality of annular subspaces, which are connected to the plurality of gas channels one by one.

2. The rotary intake device for semiconductor process equipment according to claim 1, wherein It also includes a plurality of annular flow-uniform structures arranged in sequence along the axial direction of the rotating shaft, the annular flow-uniform structure is located between the annular subspace and the corresponding gas channel, and the annular flow-uniform structure is used to adjust the flow rate of the gas flowing from the air inlet channel to the corresponding gas channel.

3. The rotary intake device for semiconductor processing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the annular flow-uniform structures includes an annular flow-uniform shell and a plurality of gas regulating parts; The annular flow equalizer housing is provided with an air outlet facing the rotating shaft and a plurality of air inlets facing the annular subspace; the annular flow equalizer housing is rotatably provided on the first annular sealing structure, and the annular flow equalizer housing is fixed to the rotating shaft; The annular flow-uniform shell has an annular cavity for gas flow inside, and a plurality of gas regulating members are arranged in the annular cavity at intervals along the circumference of the rotating shaft to divide the annular cavity into a plurality of arc-shaped cavities, and each of the gas regulating members is provided with at least one air hole for connecting two adjacent arc-shaped cavities.

4. The rotary intake device for semiconductor processing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The housing is provided with a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet; A first cooling assembly and a second cooling assembly are respectively provided on both sides of the sealing assembly in a radial direction, wherein the first cooling assembly is used for allowing coolant to flow from the coolant inlet and for allowing the coolant to flow to the coolant outlet; The second cooling assembly is used to allow the coolant from the first cooling assembly to flow along the axial direction of the rotating shaft.

5. The rotary intake device for semiconductor processing equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first cooling assembly includes a cylindrical partition and a baffle member provided on the cylindrical partition, wherein the cylindrical partition is provided with a coolant communication inlet and a coolant communication outlet; The cylindrical partition is sleeved between the rotating shaft and the housing, the wall of the cylindrical partition facing the rotating shaft is connected to the sealing assembly, and a second cylindrical gap is formed between the wall of the cylindrical partition facing away from the rotating shaft and the housing; The baffle member is used to separate the second cylindrical gap into a first coolant channel and a second coolant channel, the first coolant channel is connected to the coolant inlet and the coolant communication inlet, and the second coolant channel is connected to the coolant outlet and the coolant communication outlet.

6. The rotary intake device for semiconductor processing equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second cooling assembly includes a plurality of first annular cooling elements, a second annular cooling element, a second annular sealing structure, a third annular sealing structure, an annular partition, a water return pipe, and a plurality of water inlet pipes; A plurality of the first annular cooling members, the second annular cooling members and the annular partition are sequentially and spaced apart along the axis of the rotating shaft; the first annular cooling member is located between the first annular sealing structure and the annular flow equalizing structure, and an annular cavity for the coolant to flow is provided in the first annular cooling member, and a water inlet pipe is provided between every two adjacent first annular cooling members to communicate the adjacent two annular cavities; One side of the second annular cooling member is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, and the other side is rotatably connected to the second annular sealing structure; One side of the annular partition is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, and the other side is rotatably connected to the third annular sealing structure; Both ends of the water return pipe are respectively connected to the first annular cooling member farthest from the annular partition and the gap between the annular partition and the second cooling member; The coolant communication inlet is provided at the gap between the first annular cooling member closest to the second annular member and the second annular cooling member, and the coolant communication outlet is provided at the gap between the annular partition and the first annular cooling member.

7. The rotational intake device for semiconductor processing equipment according to claim 5, wherein It further includes an end cover connected to one end of the rotating shaft, and a sealing ring is provided on the side of the end cover facing away from the rotating shaft; The rotary air intake device further includes a third cooling assembly located between the coolant inlet and the first coolant passage for cooling the sealing ring.

8. The rotational intake device for a semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, The side of the end cover facing away from the sealing ring is used to jointly form an annular liquid inlet area with the housing, and the annular liquid inlet area is arranged around the rotating shaft; The third cooling assembly includes a first liquid inlet pipe and a second liquid inlet pipe. The first liquid inlet pipe is located in the first coolant passage, and both ends thereof are respectively communicated with the coolant inlet and the annular liquid inlet area; The second liquid inlet pipe is arranged in the annular liquid inlet area, and both ends thereof are respectively communicated with the annular liquid inlet area and the first coolant passage.

9. The rotational intake device for semiconductor processing equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, It further includes a first bearing and a second bearing respectively arranged at both ends of the rotating shaft, and the second cooling assembly is located between the first bearing and the second bearing; The housing is provided with a first air intake passage for supplying clean gas to the first bearing gap between the first bearing and the second cooling assembly, and a second air intake passage for supplying clean gas to the second bearing gap between the second bearing and the second cooling assembly.

10. The rotary intake device for semiconductor process equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that, The plurality of gas passages include at least one clean gas passage for communicating the second bearing gap and the second air intake passage.

11. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that, It includes a cavity, a rotary air intake device, and a base and a tray arranged in the cavity. The tray is used to carry a wafer, and the base is arranged below the tray; The rotary air intake device adopts the rotary air intake device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and is used to supply gas into the base to drive the tray to rotate relative to the base.

Images