Transmission chamber, semiconductor process equipment and wafer transmission method

Abstract

The invention provides a transmission chamber, semiconductor process equipment and a wafer transmission method. The transmission chamber comprises a transmission cavity, a wafer transmission device arranged in the transmission cavity and a gas uniformizing disc. The gas uniformizing disc is arranged around a driving part of the wafer transmission device, a gas flow channel communicated with an external protective gas source is arranged in the gas uniformizing disc, and the gas flow channel is provided with a plurality of gas outlets formed in the surface of the gas uniformizing disc and used for blowing protective gas outwards so as to improve the gas replacement efficiency in a transmission cavity, and a protective gas curtain is formed on the peripheral side of the gas uniformizing disc so as to improve the gas replacement efficiency. Therefore, the risk that the particles enter the process chamber is reduced, and the protective gas curtain is utilized to isolate the wafer transmission device from the surrounding gas environment, so that the protection of the driving part of the transmission device is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular relates to a transmission chamber, a semiconductor process equipment and a wafer transmission method. Background Art

[0002] Currently, if Figure 1 As shown, a transfer chamber 01 is usually set at the wafer inlet end of the existing process chamber 02, so that before the semiconductor process starts, the robot in the transfer chamber can transfer the wafer from the load lock 03 to the process chamber 02.

[0003] However, the loading chamber, which is connected to the external environment, may contain a large number of contaminants from the external environment. During the aforementioned wafer transfer process, when the wafer transfer port of the loading chamber is opened, the contaminants deposited in the loading chamber will be introduced into the process chamber, resulting in an increase in particles on the wafer surface and a decrease in the yield of the epitaxial process. Moreover, when the wafer transfer port of the process chamber is opened, the process gas in the process chamber will diffuse into the transfer chamber. The diffused process gas will have a certain impact on the driving components of the robot arm, causing frequent damage to the robot arm, which will seriously affect the production capacity of the entire equipment and increase maintenance costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention at least solves the problem that particles are easily introduced into the existing transfer chamber and the robot is easily damaged, and provides a transfer chamber, semiconductor process equipment and a wafer transfer method.

[0005] An embodiment of the present invention provides a transfer chamber for use in semiconductor process equipment, comprising:

[0006] A transmission cavity, wherein the transmission cavity has a main exhaust port, and the main exhaust port is used to exhaust the gas inside the transmission cavity when it is opened;

[0007] A wafer transfer device is disposed in the transfer cavity; the wafer transfer device includes a gripping portion and a driving portion that are movably connected, the gripping portion is used to grip the wafer; the driving portion is connected to the transfer cavity and is used to drive the gripping portion to move;

[0008] A gas distribution disk is arranged around the driving part; the gas distribution disk has a gas flow channel connected to an external protective gas source, and the gas flow channel has a plurality of gas outlets arranged on the surface of the gas distribution disk for blowing protective gas into the transmission cavity.

[0009] Optionally, the gas flow channel has multiple first gas outlets and multiple second gas outlets; the multiple first gas outlets are circumferentially distributed on the top of the gas uniforming disk for blowing protective gas upward; the multiple second gas outlets are circumferentially distributed on the outer peripheral surface of the gas uniforming disk for blowing protective gas toward the peripheral side of the gas uniforming disk.

[0010] Optionally, the gas flow channel includes a first gas channel communicating with the plurality of first gas outlets and a second gas channel communicating with the plurality of second gas outlets;

[0011] The air inlet of the first air channel and the air inlet of the second air channel are both opened on the bottom surface of the air distribution plate;

[0012] A first air inlet hole and a second air inlet hole are provided on the bottom plate of the transmission cavity, which are respectively arranged corresponding to the air inlet of the first air duct and the air inlet of the second air duct; the air inlets of the first air duct and the second air duct are connected to the external protective gas source through the first air inlet hole and the second air inlet hole respectively.

[0013] Optionally, the air distribution disk includes a first annular portion and a second annular portion located below the first annular portion; the first air duct is arranged inside the first annular portion; the second air duct is arranged inside the second annular portion; multiple first air outlets are evenly distributed on the top surface of the first annular portion; and multiple second air outlets are evenly distributed on the outer peripheral surface of the second annular portion.

[0014] Optionally, the inner diameter of the second annular portion is smaller than the inner diameter of the first annular portion;

[0015] The transmission chamber further comprises a mounting flange, the top end of the mounting flange having a mounting flange protruding from the outer peripheral surface; the lower surface of the mounting flange is pressed onto the top end surface of the second annular portion; the bottom end surface of the mounting flange is fixedly connected to the bottom plate of the transmission chamber to fix the gas distribution plate on the bottom plate of the transmission chamber;

[0016] The mounting flange has a mounting through hole, and the mounting through hole is sealed and connected to the outer surface of the driving part.

[0017] Optionally, the transfer chamber is connected to at least one process chamber;

[0018] The transfer chamber also includes an exhaust device; the exhaust device has at least one exhaust port connected to the transfer chamber, and the exhaust port is arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the process chamber and is located near the corresponding film transfer port of the process chamber; the exhaust device is used to perform exhaust when the film transfer port of the process chamber is opened.

[0019] Optionally, the exhaust device further includes an exhaust pump and exhaust pipes arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the exhaust ports; one end of each exhaust pipe is connected to the corresponding exhaust port, and the other end is connected to the factory exhaust pipe; each exhaust pipe is provided with a normally closed valve, and the normally closed valve is used to open when the corresponding process chamber film transfer port is opened;

[0020] The vacuum pump is arranged between the other end of each of the vacuum pipes and the factory exhaust pipe, and is used to extract air when the film transfer port of any process chamber is opened.

[0021] Optionally, the transfer chamber is connected to at least one process chamber;

[0022] The transmission chamber further includes a main valve for controlling the opening and closing of the main exhaust port;

[0023] The main valve is used to open when all the film transfer ports of the process chambers are closed, and to close when any one of the film transfer ports of the process chambers is opened.

[0024] As another technical solution, the present invention further provides a semiconductor process equipment, which comprises: the transfer chamber as described above, and at least one process chamber; wherein,

[0025] The film transfer port of each process chamber is communicated with the transfer chamber; the process chamber is used for performing semiconductor processes.

[0026] As another technical solution, the present invention further provides a wafer transfer method, which is applied to the semiconductor process equipment described above; the method comprises:

[0027] S1, control the gas outlet of the gas flow channel to keep the gas out, and control the main exhaust port to be open;

[0028] S2. When the wafer arrives at the wafer transfer port of the designated process chamber, the wafer transfer port of the designated process chamber is controlled to be opened so as to perform a process in the process chamber; and at the same time, the main exhaust port is controlled to be closed.

[0029] Optionally, during the process in the process chamber, the wafer transfer method further includes:

[0030] S3, controlling the designated film transfer port of the process chamber to remain closed, and controlling the main exhaust port to open;

[0031] S4, controlling the gas outlet of the gas flow channel to keep gas out;

[0032] After the process in the process chamber is completed, the wafer transfer method further includes:

[0033] S5. Control the wafer transfer port of the designated process chamber to open, and control the wafer transfer device to take out the wafer from the designated process chamber and move it to the loading chamber.

[0034] Optionally, the wafer transfer method further includes:

[0035] When the film transfer port of the process chamber is controlled to be opened, the corresponding gas extraction port is opened to perform gas extraction.

[0036] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0037] The transmission chamber provided by an embodiment of the present invention can use the gas outlet arranged on the surface of the gas uniforming disk to blow protective gas into the transmission chamber by adding an air uniforming disk arranged around the driving part of the chip transmission device in the transmission chamber, thereby protecting the driving part of the chip transmission device and promoting gas replacement inside the transmission chamber, thereby reducing the particle content inside the transmission chamber and improving the process effect.

[0038] The chip transfer method provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes controlling the opening of the gas outlet of the gas flow channel in the gas uniforming plate and controlling the opening of the main exhaust port of the transfer chamber during the process of transferring the wafer, so as to promote the gas replacement inside the transfer chamber by continuously blowing out gas, thereby reducing the particle content inside the transfer chamber and improving the process effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1 A simplified structural diagram of a semiconductor process equipment in the related art;

[0040] Figure 2 Provides a simplified structural diagram of semiconductor process equipment for an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 3 A simplified cross-sectional view of a transmission chamber provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 4 An airflow field simulation result of a transmission chamber provided in an embodiment of the invention;

[0043] Figure 5 This is a simulation result of an airflow field in a transmission chamber in the related art;

[0044] Figure 6A A longitudinal cross-sectional view of an aerator provided in an embodiment of the invention;

[0045] Figure 6B Another longitudinal cross-sectional view of the gas distribution plate provided in an embodiment of the invention;

[0046] Figure 6C A transverse cross-sectional view of an aerator provided in an embodiment of the invention;

[0047] Figure 6D Another transverse cross-sectional view of the gas distribution plate provided in an embodiment of the invention;

[0048] Figure 7 Another airflow field simulation result of the transmission chamber provided in an embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0050] It should be understood that the specific embodiments and drawings described herein are only used to explain the present invention rather than to limit the present invention.

[0051] It can be understood that, in the absence of conflict, the various embodiments of the present invention and the various features therein can be combined with each other.

[0052] It can be understood that, for the convenience of description, the drawings of the present invention only show parts related to the embodiments of the present invention, and parts unrelated to the embodiments of the present invention are not shown in the drawings.

[0053] It is understandable that, in the absence of conflict, the functions and steps marked in the flowcharts and block diagrams of the embodiments of the present invention may occur in an order different from that marked in the drawings.

[0054] It will be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments for illustrating the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and substance of the present invention, and such modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0055] Please refer to Figure 2 This embodiment provides a transfer chamber that can be applied to semiconductor process equipment. The transfer chamber includes a transfer chamber body 1, a wafer transfer device 2, and a gas uniforming plate 3.

[0056] The transfer chamber 1 has a main exhaust port 13, which is used to exhaust the gas inside the transfer chamber when opened. A wafer transfer device 2 is disposed within the transfer chamber 1 and is used to transfer wafers. The wafer transfer device 2 includes a connected gripper 21 and a drive unit 22. The gripper 21 is used to grip the wafer; the drive unit 22 is fixedly connected to the transfer chamber 1 and is used to drive the gripper 21 to move. Specifically, the drive unit 22 includes, for example, a drive motor and a transmission structure for connecting the drive motor and the gripper 21.

[0057] like Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the uniform gas disk 3 is arranged around the driving part 22 of the wafer transfer device 2. The uniform gas disk has a gas flow channel inside that is connected to the external protective gas source. The gas flow channel has multiple gas outlets arranged on the surface of the uniform gas disk, which are used to blow protective gas into the inner body of the transfer chamber 1, thereby forming a protective airflow around the driving part 22 to protect the driving part 22. Moreover, when the main exhaust port 13 is opened, the airflow output by the air outlet can form an airflow field inside the transfer chamber that flows toward the main exhaust port 13, thereby promoting gas replacement inside the transfer chamber and improving the process effect.

[0058] In some specific embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the transfer chamber 1 is connected to at least one loading chamber 6 and at least one process chamber 5 ( Figure 2 The two process chambers in the embodiment are represented by dotted boxes and are connected; the loading chamber 6 is used to perform preliminary vacuuming after the external wafer is introduced to prevent external gas from entering the transfer chamber; the process chamber 5 is used to perform semiconductor processes, such as silicon epitaxial processes, etc. Correspondingly, the wafer transfer device 2 is used to take the wafer out of the transfer chamber 1 and transfer the wafer to the process chamber 5, and is also used to take the wafer out of the process chamber 5 after the process is completed and transfer the processed wafer to the loading chamber 6. Since the loading chamber 6 is connected to the external environment, it is inevitable that contaminant particles will enter the transfer chamber when the loading chamber 6 is connected to the transfer chamber 1. The gas distribution plate 3 proposed in this embodiment can promote the gas replacement inside the transfer chamber by blowing out protective gas. Thereby, it can be avoided that the loading chamber brings contaminant particles into the transfer chamber when transferring the wafer to the transfer chamber, thereby reducing the risk of particles entering the transfer chamber and the process chamber connected to the transfer chamber.

[0059] In some embodiments, as Figure 6A As shown, the gas flow channel has a plurality of first gas outlets 31 and a plurality of second gas outlets 32 .

[0060] Among them, multiple first air outlets 31 are circumferentially distributed on the top of the gas uniforming disk 3 to blow protective gas upward; so as to form a protective air curtain that can surround the driving part 22 above the driving part 22, so that the driving part 22 can be isolated from the surrounding gas environment by the protective air curtain, and the process gas or externally introduced contaminants are prevented from contacting the driving part 22 and causing damage to components such as the driving motor and the transmission structure, thereby extending the service life of the driving part 22, thereby extending the maintenance cycle and reducing maintenance costs, and ensuring the stability of the movement of the gripping part 21. In actual applications, the driving motor of the driving part 22 usually has a rotor made of permanent magnet material, and the permanent magnet material is easily damaged by reaction with the process gas. For example, when the rotor is made of neodymium iron boron magnet, it is easy to react with hydrogen and may be corroded by hydrogen into powder. The solution proposed in this embodiment of forming a protective air curtain using multiple first air outlets 31 can effectively prevent the rotor of the driving motor from contacting the process gas, thereby effectively preventing the rotor from being corroded by hydrogen.

[0061] Multiple second gas outlets 32 are circumferentially distributed on the outer peripheral surface of the gas uniforming disk 3, and are used to blow shielding gas toward the peripheral side of the gas uniforming disk 3. In this way, the shielding gas blown out of the gas uniforming disk 3 can form a gas flow field that flows toward the main exhaust port 13, thereby preventing contaminants from entering the interior of the transmission cavity 1 or being deposited at the bottom of the transmission cavity 1, thereby reducing the risk of contaminants entering the process chamber 5 and improving the process effect of the process chamber 5.

[0062] Furthermore, in some embodiments, Figure 6A and 6B As shown, the gas flow channel includes a first gas channel 33 connected to a plurality of first gas outlets 31 and a second gas channel 34 connected to a plurality of second gas outlets 32. The gas inlets of the first gas channel 33 and the second gas channel 34 are both opened on the bottom surface of the gas uniforming plate 3; Figure 3 As shown, a first air inlet hole 11 and a second air inlet hole 12 are provided on the bottom plate of the transmission chamber 1, which are respectively arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the air inlets of the first air duct 33 and the second air duct 34; the air inlets of the first air duct 33 and the second air duct 34 are connected to the protective gas source through the first air inlet hole 11 and the second air inlet hole 12 respectively. In this way, the top purge and the peripheral side purge of the gas uniforming disk 3 can be controlled separately, so that the purge can be adaptively performed according to the film transmission situation; for example, when the film transmission port of the loading chamber 6 is opened, the peripheral side purge can be turned on separately to prevent contaminated particles from entering the transmission chamber 1; for example, when the film transmission port of the process chamber 5 is opened, the top purge can be turned on separately to isolate the process gas and the drive part 22. However, it is easy to understand that turning on the peripheral side purge and the top purge at the same time can achieve the best effect of isolating the process gas and contaminated particles.

[0063] In some specific embodiments, such as Figure 2As shown, the gas uniforming disk 3 also includes two purge pipes 35 connected to the external protective gas source. The two purge pipes 35 are connected to the first air duct 33 and the second air duct 34 through the first air inlet hole 11 and the second air inlet hole 12 respectively to transport the protective gas to the first air duct 33 and the second air duct 34 respectively.

[0064] Preferably, Figure 2 As shown, both purge lines 35 are further provided with filters 351 to prevent contaminant particles from being contained in the purged shielding gas. Both purge lines 35 are also provided with flow restrictors 352 to reduce the gas flow velocity within the first and second gas channels 33 and 34, thereby preventing excessive gas flow from the gas distribution plate 3 from excessively high velocity and thereby significantly affecting the gas flow field within the transmission chamber 1.

[0065] Specifically, the gas flow channel in the gas uniforming disk 3 is connected to a nitrogen gas source, for example, to blow nitrogen outward.

[0066] In some embodiments, as Figure 6A As shown, the gas distribution disk 3 includes a first annular portion 3a and a second annular portion 3b located below the first annular portion 3a. The first air duct 33 is arranged inside the first annular portion 3a; the second air duct 34 is arranged inside the second annular portion 3b. A plurality of first air outlets 31 are evenly distributed on the top surface of the first annular portion 3a to form a uniform protective air curtain in the circumferential direction, thereby ensuring that all angles of the driving portion 22 are blocked by the protective gas. A plurality of second air outlets 32 are evenly distributed on the outer peripheral surface of the second annular portion 3b to form a uniform air flow field centered on the gas distribution disk 3, thereby isolating the process gas and contaminant particles while avoiding interference with the air flow field inside the transmission cavity 1. Moreover, as Figure 7 As shown, the above-mentioned uniform gas plate 3 structure can achieve uniform outflow of the protective gas without forming a gas vortex inside the transmission chamber 1, thereby preventing the negative pressure suction force generated by the gas vortex from sucking the process gas or contaminant particles into the transmission chamber 1.

[0067] In some preferred embodiments, the first annular portion 3a and the second annular portion 3b are integrally formed to ensure good sealing.

[0068] In other embodiments, the first annular portion 3a and the second annular portion 3b may also adopt a split structure, but a sealing ring needs to be installed between the two to ensure sealing.

[0069] Preferably, Figure 6A As shown, the outer diameters of the first annular portion 3a and the second annular portion 3b are equal, so that the outer circumferential surfaces of the first annular portion 3a and the second annular portion 3b are flush in the circumferential direction.

[0070] In some specific embodiments, such as Figure 6A and 6CAs shown, the first air channel 33 includes a first annular air channel 331 and a plurality of first sub-air channels 332; Figure 6D As shown, the second air channel 34 includes a second annular air channel 341 and second sub-air channels 342. The plurality of first sub-air channels 332 extend parallel to the axis of the first annular portion 3a; the plurality of first sub-air channels 332 are connected to the plurality of first air outlets 31 in a one-to-one correspondence, and the plurality of first sub-air channels 332 are connected to the first annular air channel 331. The plurality of second sub-air channels 342 are connected to the second annular air channel 341, and the plurality of second sub-air channels 342 are connected to the plurality of second air outlets 32 in a one-to-one correspondence; the plurality of second sub-air channels 342 extend radially along the first annular portion 3a, penetrate the first annular portion 3a, and are connected to the corresponding second air outlets 32.

[0071] In some embodiments, as Figure 6A As shown, the inner diameter of the first annular portion 3a is larger than the inner diameter of the top surface of the second annular portion 3b, that is, a part of the top surface of the second annular portion 3b will be covered by the first annular portion 3a, while the other part will not be covered. Figure 3 As shown, the gas-distributing disk 3 also includes a mounting flange 36. The top end of the mounting flange 36 has a mounting flange protruding from the outer peripheral surface. The lower surface of the mounting flange is pressed against the top surface of the second annular portion 3b. The bottom end surface of the mounting flange 36 is fixedly connected to the bottom plate of the transmission chamber 1, so that the gas-distributing disk 3 is fixed to the bottom plate of the transmission chamber 1 using the mounting flange 36. For example, the mounting flange 36 and the bottom plate are fixedly connected using multiple screws. The mounting flange 36 has a mounting through hole, which is sealed to the outer surface of the drive unit 22. When the drive unit 22 extends outside the bottom plate, the sealing is performed, thereby preventing the transmission chamber 1 from being contaminated by external gas.

[0072] Specifically, the axial lengths of the first annular portion 3a and the second annular portion 3b can be designed based on the size of the drive portion 22 of the wafer transfer device 2. Preferably, the sum of the axial lengths of the first annular portion 3a and the second annular portion 3b is sufficient to shield the drive portion 22 as much as possible while avoiding interference with the normal operation of the gripping portion 21 of the wafer transfer device 2, thereby achieving optimal protection for the drive portion 22.

[0073] In some embodiments, the transmission chamber further comprises an air extraction device 4. Figure 2As shown, the exhaust device 4 has at least one exhaust port 41 connected to the transfer chamber 1. The exhaust ports 41 are arranged one-to-one with the process chambers, and each exhaust port 41 is located near the film transfer port of the corresponding process chamber 5. The exhaust device 4 is used to extract gas when the film transfer port of the process chamber 5 is open, so as to extract the process gas escaping from the process chamber 5, thereby suppressing the diffusion of the process gas within the transfer chamber 1. In addition, the exhaust port 41 can also extract the protective gas to promote the flow of the protective gas, so that the gas environment inside the transfer chamber 1 can be quickly replaced with a protective gas environment.

[0074] Figure 4 The figure shows the simulation results of an airflow field of the transfer chamber of this embodiment. It can be seen that the transfer chamber proposed in this embodiment can form an airflow field flowing toward the edge area of ​​the transfer chamber 1, and can form an airflow field from the transfer chamber to the outside near the film transfer port of the process chamber 5. Figure 5 The simulation result of an air flow field inside an existing transfer chamber is shown. It can be clearly seen by comparison that, compared with the existing transfer chamber, the transfer chamber proposed in this embodiment can better prevent the diffusion of process gas escaping from the process chamber 5, and can prevent the contamination particles inside the loading chamber 6 from being introduced into the transfer chamber 1.

[0075] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 As shown, the exhaust device 4 also includes an exhaust pump 43 and exhaust pipes 42 arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the exhaust ports 41. One end of each exhaust pipe 42 is connected to the corresponding exhaust port 41, and the other end is connected to the factory exhaust pipe; each exhaust pipe 42 is provided with a normally closed valve 421, which is used to open when the film transfer port of the corresponding process chamber 5 is opened, and remain closed when the film transfer ports of other corresponding process chambers 5 are closed. Figure 2 As shown, an exhaust pump 43 is arranged between the other end of each exhaust pipe and the factory exhaust pipe to connect the factory exhaust pipe and each exhaust pipe 42 respectively, and is used to exhaust gas when the film transfer port of the corresponding process chamber 5 is opened to extract the gas escaping from the process chamber 5.

[0076] In some specific embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the air extraction port 41 is opened on the bottom plate of the transmission chamber 1 .

[0077] In some embodiments, as Figure 2As shown, the transfer chamber 1 also has a main valve 14 for controlling the opening and closing of the main exhaust port 13. This main valve 14 is designed to open when the film transfer ports of all process chambers 5 are closed, and close when the film transfer port of any process chamber 5 is open. In this way, when the film transfer port of any process chamber 5 is open, the transfer chamber 1 is prevented from communicating with the external environment, thereby eliminating the possibility of external gas contamination of the process chamber 5. When the film transfer ports of all process chambers 5 are closed, the corresponding exhaust device 4 is also closed.

[0078] As another technical solution, this embodiment also provides a semiconductor process equipment, such as Figure 2 As shown, it comprises: the transfer chamber as described above and at least one process chamber 5 connected to the transfer chamber. The transfer port of each process chamber 5 is connected to the transfer chamber body 1 of the transfer chamber; the process chamber 5 is used to perform semiconductor processing.

[0079] In some embodiments, the semiconductor process equipment further includes at least one loading chamber 6. A wafer transfer port of each loading chamber 6 is connected to the transfer chamber 1; the loading chamber 6 is used to load wafers.

[0080] Based on the above-mentioned transfer chamber and semiconductor process equipment, this embodiment further provides a wafer transfer method, which includes the following steps:

[0081] S1. Control the gas outlet of the gas flow channel to keep the gas out, and control the main exhaust port 13 to be open, so that the protective gas blown out by the gas uniform disk 3 flows out from the main exhaust port 13, thereby preventing contamination particles from entering the transmission cavity 1 by purging the protective gas;

[0082] S2. When the wafer arrives at the wafer transfer port of the designated process chamber, the wafer transfer port of the designated process chamber 5 is controlled to open so that the wafer can be moved into the designated process chamber 5 for processing in the process chamber 5; at the same time, the main exhaust port 13 is controlled to close;

[0083] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the wafer transfer method further includes:

[0084] During the process in process chamber 5:

[0085] S5, controlling the film transfer port of the designated process chamber 5 to remain closed, and controlling the main exhaust port 13 to open;

[0086] S4. Control the gas outlet of the gas flow channel to keep the gas out.

[0087] After the process in process chamber 5 is completed:

[0088] S5 , controlling the wafer transfer port of the designated process chamber 5 to open, and controlling the wafer transfer device to take the wafer out of the designated process chamber 5 .

[0089] Furthermore, in step S5 , the wafer transfer port of the process chamber may be controlled to be closed immediately after the wafer is moved out of the process chamber 5 .

[0090] In some embodiments, the wafer transfer method further includes:

[0091] When the film transfer port of the control process chamber is opened, the corresponding exhaust port is opened to perform exhaust.

[0092] Specifically, when performing the above-mentioned step S3, in the process of transferring the chip into the process chamber 5, the corresponding exhaust port is controlled to be opened, so that the exhaust device 4 can be used to extract the gas escaping from the process chamber 5 at the moment when the chip transfer port of the process chamber 5 is opened, thereby preventing the process gas from diffusing in the transmission chamber 1. At the same time, the protective gas output by the gas uniforming disk 3 will also be extracted by the exhaust device 4, forming a protective gas flow flowing to the exhaust device 4, thereby continuously isolating the drive unit 22 of the chip transfer device 2 from the process chamber 5 by the protective gas flow, so as to prevent the drive unit 22 from reacting with the process gas and being damaged. When performing the above-mentioned step S5, in the process of taking the chip out of the process chamber 5, the corresponding exhaust port is controlled to be opened. Similarly, this can prevent the process gas from diffusing in the transmission chamber 1.

[0093] It should be noted that in the wafer transfer method provided in this embodiment, the gas uniforming disk 3 remains open before the wafer transfer begins, during the process, and after the wafer transfer is completed, and the main exhaust port 13 also remains open to avoid an increase in the internal pressure of the transfer chamber 1 and to avoid damage to the equipment. In this way, when the wafer transfer device 2 is not in operation and the wafer transfer ports of all process chambers 5 are closed, the gas uniforming disk 3 remains purged, and the purged protective gas can flow out from the main exhaust port 13, so that the interior of the transfer chamber 1 is continuously in a protective gas environment. In some specific embodiments, in the above-mentioned stages, only the first air outlet 31 located at the top of the gas uniforming disk 3 can be opened, and the second air outlet 32 ​​located on the circumference of the gas uniforming disk can remain closed.

[0094] It will be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments for illustrating the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and substance of the present invention, and such modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A transfer chamber, used in semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: include: The transmission cavity has a main exhaust port, and the main exhaust port is used to exhaust the gas inside the transmission cavity when it is opened; A wafer transfer device is disposed in the transfer cavity; the wafer transfer device includes a gripping portion and a driving portion that are movably connected, the gripping portion is used to grip the wafer; the driving portion is connected to the transfer cavity and is used to drive the gripping portion to move; A gas distribution disk is arranged around the driving part; the gas distribution disk has a gas flow channel connected to an external protective gas source, and the gas flow channel has a plurality of gas outlets arranged on the surface of the gas distribution disk for blowing protective gas into the transmission cavity.

2. The transmission chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that The gas flow channel has multiple first gas outlets and multiple second gas outlets; the multiple first gas outlets are circumferentially distributed on the top of the gas uniforming disk for blowing protective gas upward; the multiple second gas outlets are circumferentially distributed on the outer peripheral surface of the gas uniforming disk for blowing protective gas toward the peripheral side of the gas uniforming disk.

3. The transmission chamber according to claim 2, characterized in that The gas flow channel includes a first gas channel communicating with the plurality of first gas outlets and a second gas channel communicating with the plurality of second gas outlets; The air inlet of the first air duct and the air inlet of the second air duct are both opened on the bottom surface of the air uniforming disk; A first air inlet hole and a second air inlet hole are provided on the bottom plate of the transmission cavity, which are respectively arranged corresponding to the air inlet of the first air duct and the air inlet of the second air duct; the air inlets of the first air duct and the second air duct are connected to the external protective gas source through the first air inlet hole and the second air inlet hole respectively.

4. The transmission chamber according to claim 3, characterized in that The gas distribution plate includes a first annular portion and a second annular portion located below the first annular portion The first air duct is arranged inside the first annular portion; the second air duct is arranged inside the second annular portion; multiple first air outlets are evenly distributed on the top surface of the first annular portion; multiple second air outlets are evenly distributed on the outer circumference of the second annular portion.

5. The transmission chamber according to claim 4, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the second annular portion is smaller than the inner diameter of the first annular portion; The transmission chamber further comprises a mounting flange, the top end of the mounting flange having a mounting flange protruding from the outer peripheral surface; the lower surface of the mounting flange is pressed onto the top end surface of the second annular portion; the bottom end surface of the mounting flange is fixedly connected to the bottom plate of the transmission chamber to fix the gas distribution plate on the bottom plate of the transmission chamber; The mounting flange has a mounting through hole, and the mounting through hole is sealed and connected to the outer surface of the driving part. The transmission chamber according to claim 1 , wherein: The transfer chamber is in communication with at least one process chamber; The transfer chamber also includes an exhaust device; the exhaust device has at least one exhaust port connected to the transfer chamber, and the exhaust port is arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the process chamber and is located near the corresponding film transfer port of the process chamber; the exhaust device is used to perform exhaust when the film transfer port of the process chamber is opened.

7. The transmission chamber according to claim 6, characterized in that The exhaust device further includes an exhaust pump and exhaust pipes corresponding to the exhaust ports; one end of each exhaust pipe is connected to the corresponding exhaust port, and the other end is connected to the factory exhaust pipe; each exhaust pipe is provided with a normally closed valve, and the normally closed valve is used to open when the corresponding process chamber film transfer port is opened; The vacuum pump is arranged between the other end of each of the vacuum pipes and the factory exhaust pipe, and is used to extract air when the film transfer port of any process chamber is opened.

8. The transmission chamber according to claim 1, wherein: The transfer chamber is in communication with at least one process chamber; The transmission chamber further includes a main valve for controlling the opening and closing of the main exhaust port; The main valve is used to open when all the film transfer ports of the process chambers are closed, and to close when any one of the film transfer ports of the process chambers is opened.

9. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: include: The transfer chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and at least one process chamber; wherein: The film transfer port of each process chamber is communicated with the transfer chamber; the process chamber is used for performing semiconductor processes.

10. A wafer transfer method, applied to the semiconductor process equipment according to claim 9; characterized in that: include: S1, control the gas outlet of the gas flow channel to keep the gas out, and control the main exhaust port to be open; S2. When the wafer arrives at the wafer transfer port of the designated process chamber, the wafer transfer port of the designated process chamber is controlled to be opened so as to perform a process in the process chamber; and at the same time, the main exhaust port is controlled to be closed.

11. The wafer transfer method according to claim 10, wherein: During the process of performing the process in the process chamber, the wafer transfer method further includes: S3, controlling the designated film transfer port of the process chamber to remain closed, and controlling the main exhaust port to open; S4, controlling the gas outlet of the gas flow channel to keep gas out; After the process in the process chamber is completed, the wafer transfer method further includes: S5. Control the wafer transfer port of the designated process chamber to open, and control the wafer transfer device to take out the wafer from the designated process chamber.

12. The wafer transfer method according to claim 10 or 11, using the transfer chamber according to claim 7, characterized in that: The wafer transmission method further comprises: When the film transfer port of the process chamber is controlled to be opened, the corresponding gas extraction port is opened to perform gas extraction.

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