Vacuum transmission valve and semiconductor film equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a vacuum transmission valve and semiconductor thin film equipment, the semiconductor thin film equipment comprises a reaction chamber, a transmission chamber and a vacuum transmission valve, and the vacuum transmission valve is installed between the reaction chamber and the transmission chamber. The vacuum transmission valve comprises a valve box, a valve plate fixing shaft, a first sealing valve plate, a second sealing valve plate and a driving assembly, and the valve plate fixing shaft, the first sealing valve plate, the second sealing valve plate and the driving assembly are arranged in the valve box. The first sealing valve plate and the second sealing valve plate are detachably and fixedly arranged on the valve plate fixing shaft back to back in the radial direction of the valve plate fixing shaft. The driving assembly is used for driving the valve plate fixing shaft to drive the first sealing valve plate to move towards the first opening so as to seal the first opening, and driving the second sealing valve plate to move towards the second opening so as to seal the second opening. The two-way sealing valve plate integrally mounted on the valve plate fixing shaft is driven by the driving assembly to move to achieve two-way sealing, and the occupied space is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a vacuum transmission valve and a semiconductor thin film device. Background Art

[0002] Semiconductor thin film equipment typically consists of an EFEM (equipment front-end module), LL (vacuum and atmosphere switching chamber), TM (transfer module), and PM (process module). Each module is separated by a pneumatically or electrically controlled vacuum transfer valve (SLV), which is primarily composed of a drive mechanism, a sealing valve plate, and a sealing valve box. Because the transfer chamber can connect to multiple reaction chambers, and the sealing valve plate in the middle is exposed to harsh environments such as high temperature and corrosive gases for long periods of time, it requires frequent maintenance as a consumable part. During maintenance, the transfer chamber must be inflated to atmospheric pressure, causing the entire machine to shut down and making it impossible for other reaction chambers to perform deposition operations, seriously affecting equipment utilization and resulting in production capacity losses. To address this problem, the traditional solution is to add two vacuum transfer valves between the reaction chamber and the transfer chamber. This way, when maintaining the valve plate on one side of the reaction chamber, the transfer valve on the side close to the transfer chamber remains closed, preventing the transfer chamber from breaking the vacuum, allowing other reaction chambers to operate normally. However, this dual-valve design will at least triple the space occupied by the SLV, which not only significantly increases the equipment footprint but also significantly increases the overall cost. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The embodiments of the present invention provide a vacuum transmission valve and a semiconductor thin film device, which aim to solve the problem of space occupation by a vacuum transmission valve with a double valve design between a TM cavity and a PM cavity.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a vacuum transmission valve, comprising: a valve box and a valve plate fixing shaft disposed in the valve box, a first sealing valve plate, a second sealing valve plate, and a drive assembly, wherein the valve box is provided with a first opening and a second opening on two radially opposite side walls facing the valve plate fixing shaft, respectively, and the first sealing valve plate and the second sealing valve plate are detachably fixed to the valve plate fixing shaft in a back-to-back manner along the radial direction of the valve plate fixing shaft;

[0005] The driving assembly is configured to drive the valve plate fixing shaft to drive the first sealing valve plate to move toward the first opening to close the first opening, and to drive the second sealing valve plate to move toward the second opening to close the second opening.

[0006] Furthermore, the driving assembly includes a lifting driving member, which is connected to one end of the valve plate fixing shaft away from the first sealing valve plate and the second sealing valve plate to drive the valve plate fixing shaft to move up and down.

[0007] Furthermore, the driving assembly further includes a first horizontal driving member, which is connected to a side wall of the valve plate fixing shaft facing the first opening to drive the valve plate fixing shaft to move horizontally toward or away from the first opening.

[0008] Furthermore, the driving assembly further includes a second horizontal driving member, which is connected to a side wall of the valve plate fixing shaft facing the second opening to drive the valve plate fixing shaft to move horizontally toward or away from the second opening.

[0009] Furthermore, the first sealing valve plate is provided with a first sealing surface facing the first opening, the area of ​​the first sealing surface is larger than the area of ​​the first opening, wherein, when the first opening is closed, the first sealing surface is in contact with the inner side wall of the valve box where the first opening is located; and / or,

[0010] The second sealing valve plate is provided with a second sealing surface facing the second opening, and the area of ​​the second sealing surface is larger than the area of ​​the second opening. When the second opening is closed, the second sealing surface is in contact with the inner wall of the valve box where the second opening is located.

[0011] Furthermore, a first annular sealing lip is provided on the first sealing surface, wherein when the first opening is closed, the first annular sealing lip surrounds the first opening; and / or,

[0012] A second annular sealing lip is provided on the second sealing surface, wherein when the second opening is closed, the second annular sealing lip surrounds the second opening.

[0013] Furthermore, a first annular sealing ring is provided on the outer side wall of the valve box around the first opening; and / or,

[0014] A second annular sealing ring is provided on the outer side wall of the valve box surrounding the second opening.

[0015] Furthermore, the valve box includes a box body and a box cover, the box body is provided with an installation opening in the axial direction toward the valve plate fixing axis, the installation opening reveals the first sealing valve plate and the second sealing valve plate, and the box cover is detachably fixed to the installation opening.

[0016] Furthermore, a first fixing column and a second fixing column are spaced apart on the end portion of the valve plate fixing shaft facing the mounting opening, and the first sealing valve plate and the second sealing valve plate are respectively provided with a first fixing hole and a second fixing hole along the axial direction of the valve plate fixing shaft, the first sealing valve plate is passed through the first fixing hole to be detachably fixedly connected to the first fixing column, and the second sealing valve plate is passed through the second fixing hole to be detachably fixedly connected to the second fixing column.

[0017] Furthermore, the box body includes an upper box body, a lower box body and a middle partition, the middle partition is arranged between the upper box body and the lower box body to separate the two, the drive assembly is arranged in the lower box body, the first sealing valve plate and the second sealing valve plate are arranged in the upper box body, a through hole is opened on the middle partition, and the valve plate fixing shaft can be movably passed through the through hole.

[0018] In a second aspect, the present invention also provides a semiconductor thin film deposition device, comprising: at least one reaction chamber, a transfer chamber and a vacuum transfer valve, wherein the vacuum transfer valve is the above-mentioned vacuum transfer valve, and the vacuum transfer valve is arranged between the reaction chamber and the transfer chamber, and the first opening of the vacuum transfer valve is connected to the first film transfer port of the reaction chamber, and the second opening of the vacuum transfer valve is connected to the second film transfer port of the transfer chamber.

[0019] The present invention provides a vacuum transmission valve and a semiconductor thin film device, which includes a reaction chamber, a transmission chamber and a vacuum transmission valve. The vacuum transmission valve is installed between the reaction chamber and the transmission chamber. The vacuum transmission valve includes a valve box and a valve plate fixing shaft, a first sealing valve plate, a second sealing valve plate and a drive assembly arranged in the valve box. A first opening and a second opening are respectively opened on the opposite side walls of the valve box. The first opening is connected to the first transmission port of the reaction chamber, and the second opening is connected to the second opening of the transmission chamber. The first sealing valve plate and the second sealing valve plate are detachably fixed back to back on the valve plate fixing shaft. On both sides of the fixed axis in the radial direction; therefore, when the first sealing valve plate is maintained, the drive assembly drives the valve plate fixed axis to drive the second sealing valve plate to move toward the second opening to close the second opening to keep the transmission chamber sealed. At this time, the transmission chamber is in a vacuum state, the vacuum is not broken, and the normal operation of the interaction with other reaction chambers is not affected; when the second sealing valve plate is maintained, the drive assembly drives the valve plate fixed axis to drive the first sealing valve plate to move toward the first opening to close the first opening to keep the reaction chamber sealed. At this time, the reaction chamber is in a vacuum state, and there is no need to break the vacuum state of the reaction chamber, thereby improving the utilization rate of the machine and reducing production capacity loss. Compared with the traditional vacuum transmission valve with a dual-valve design, there is no need for two independent sets of valves. A set of drive assemblies drives the movement of the dual valve plates integrated on the valve plate fixed axis to achieve bidirectional sealing, which greatly reduces space occupancy and saves equipment costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0021] Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a vacuum transmission valve according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of a semiconductor thin film device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0023] Figure 3 Shown Figure 2 A magnified view of part A;

[0024] Figure 4 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a vacuum transmission valve according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0025] Figure 5 Another perspective schematic diagram of a vacuum transmission valve according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0026] Figure 6 An exploded diagram of a vacuum transmission valve according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0027] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing a bidirectional sealing valve plate of a vacuum transmission valve according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0028] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a semiconductor thin film device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0029] Figure 9a-9c A schematic diagram illustrating maintenance of the second sealing valve plate of a vacuum transmission valve according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0030] Figure 10a-Figure 10c A schematic diagram illustrating maintenance of the first sealing valve plate of a vacuum transmission valve according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0031] Reference numerals:

[0032] 1. Vacuum transmission valve; 11. Valve box; 111. Upper box body; 1111. First opening; 1112. Second opening; 1113. Mounting opening; 112. Lower box body; 113. Box cover; 114. Middle partition; 115. Partition sealing ring; 116. First annular sealing ring; 117. Second annular sealing ring; 12. Valve plate fixing shaft; 121. First fixing column; 122. Second fixing column; 123. Fastening screw; 13. A sealing valve plate; 131, a first sealing surface; 132, a first annular sealing lip; 133, a first fixing hole; 14, a second sealing valve plate; 141, a second sealing surface; 142, a second annular sealing lip; 143, a second fixing hole; 15, a driving assembly; 151, a lifting driving member; 152, a first horizontal driving member; 153, a second horizontal driving member; 2, a reaction chamber; 21, a first film transmission port; 3, a transmission chamber; 31, a second film transmission port. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] Directional terms used herein, such as "upper," "lower," "front," "back," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," and "side," refer only to directions in the accompanying drawings. Therefore, these directional terms are intended to illustrate and facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, similar or identical structures are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0035] In semiconductor thin-film equipment, a vacuum transfer valve (SLV) is typically used to isolate the TM and PM chambers. Since the sealing valve plate is exposed to high-temperature corrosive environments for long periods of time and requires frequent maintenance, the traditional solution is to add a dual-valve design between the two chambers to ensure that maintenance on one valve does not disrupt the vacuum state of the other. However, this design requires the stacking of two independent valve structures, which increases the equipment space by at least two times, significantly increasing the complexity and overall cost of the chamber layout. There is an urgent need for an optimized solution that can achieve bidirectional sealing and isolation while avoiding space redundancy.

[0036] To this end, an embodiment of the present invention provides a vacuum transmission valve and a semiconductor thin film device, which realizes bidirectional sealing by driving a set of driving components to move a double valve plate integrated on a valve plate fixed shaft, thereby solving the problem of space occupation by the double valve design, greatly reducing the occupied space and saving equipment costs.

[0037] To address the aforementioned space-consuming issue, the present invention employs the following principles: By designing a novel bidirectional sealing valve plate valve structure, two sealing valve plates are mounted back-to-back on the same valve plate fixed shaft, and the two sealing valve plates share a common drive assembly. This drive assembly drives the valve plate fixed shaft to perform vertical lifting, horizontal leftward movement, and horizontal rightward movement, thereby driving the two sealing valve plates to move and seal the reaction chamber and the transmission chamber, respectively. Compared to conventional vacuum transmission valves with dual valve designs, which require two independent valve sets, each including an independent drive mechanism, sealing valve plates, and a sealing valve box, this solution integrates the two sealing valve plates onto the same valve plate fixed shaft, requiring only one drive assembly and one valve box. This drive assembly drives the bidirectional sealing valve plates to achieve bidirectional sealing between the reaction chamber and the transmission chamber. This structure achieves bidirectional sealing of the sealing valve plates without changing the thickness of the valve box or increasing it as little as possible, thereby reducing space consumption and saving equipment costs.

[0038] In order to better understand the above technical solution, the above technical solution will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0039] See also Figure 1-10c An embodiment of the present invention shows a vacuum transmission valve 1, comprising: a valve box 11 and a valve plate fixing shaft 12, a first sealing valve plate 13, a second sealing valve plate 14 and a driving assembly 15 arranged in the valve box 11, wherein the valve box 11 is respectively provided with a first opening 1111 and a second opening 1112 on two opposite radial side walls facing the valve plate fixing shaft 12, and the first sealing valve plate 13 and the second sealing valve plate 14 are detachably fixed to the valve plate fixing shaft 12 back to back along the radial direction of the valve plate fixing shaft 12; wherein the driving assembly 15 is used to drive the valve plate fixing shaft 12 to drive the first sealing valve plate 13 to move toward the first opening 1111 to close the first opening 1111, and to drive the second sealing valve plate 14 to move toward the second opening 1112 to close the second opening 1112.

[0040] Reference Figure 1-Figure 3Specifically, the vacuum transmission valve 1 of this embodiment is installed between the reaction chamber 2 and the transmission chamber 3, isolating the reaction chamber 2 from the transmission chamber 3 so that both chambers maintain a corresponding vacuum state. The vacuum transmission valve 1 comprises a valve housing 11, a valve plate fixing shaft 12, a first sealing valve plate 13, a second sealing valve plate 14, and a drive assembly 15. The valve housing 11 is generally flat and box-shaped, with a relatively low thickness. The valve housing 11 is installed along the thickness direction between the reaction chamber 2 and the transmission chamber 3. The valve plate fixing shaft 12, the first sealing valve plate 13, the second sealing valve plate 14, and the drive assembly 15 are all disposed within the valve housing 11. The valve box 11 has two opposite side walls formed with a first opening 1111 and a second opening 1112. Both the first opening 1111 and the second opening 1112 are rectangular openings, and the first opening 1111 and the second opening 1112 match the shape and size of the first wafer transfer port 21 of the reaction chamber 2 and the second wafer transfer port 31 of the transfer chamber 3. The first opening 1111 faces the first wafer transfer port 21 of the reaction chamber 2, and the second opening 1112 faces the second wafer transfer port 31 of the transfer chamber 3. The first wafer transfer port 21, the first opening 1111, the second opening 1112, and the second wafer transfer port 31 form a wafer transfer channel. The valve plate fixing axis 12 is arranged along the height direction of the valve box 11, that is, its axial direction is in the vertical direction. The first opening 1111 and the second opening 1112 on the side walls of the valve box 11 are respectively located on both sides of the radial direction of the valve plate fixing axis 12. The first sealing valve plate 13 is used to close the first opening 1111 to seal the reaction chamber, and the second sealing valve plate 14 is used to close the second opening 1112 to seal the transmission chamber. The first sealing valve plate 13 and the second sealing valve plate 14 are both rectangular plates, and their areas are slightly larger than the areas of the first opening 1111 and the second opening 1112. The first sealing valve plate 13 and the second sealing valve plate 14 are detachably mounted on the valve plate fixing shaft 12 back to back along the radial direction of the valve plate fixing shaft 12. There are many ways to detachably mount the first sealing valve plate 13 and the second sealing valve plate 14 to the valve plate fixing shaft 12, such as screw fastening, snap fastening, interference fit, etc., which are not limited here. The first sealing valve plate 13 and the second sealing valve plate 14 can be fixed to the end of the valve plate fixing shaft 12, or fixed to the side wall of the valve plate fixing shaft 12, which are not limited here. The driving component 15 is connected to the valve plate fixed shaft 12. The driving component 15 drives the first sealing plate and the second sealing plate to move by driving the valve plate fixed shaft 12 to move. The driving component 15 can be of various types, for example, it can be a cylinder or a motor, etc., which is not limited here. No matter what type of driving component 15 is, as long as it can drive the first sealing plate to move toward the first opening 1111 and drive the second sealing plate to move toward the second opening 1112 to achieve two-way sealing, it is not limited here.

[0041] Through the above-mentioned structural design, when it is necessary to maintain the second sealing valve plate 14 on one side of the transmission chamber, the driving component 15 drives the valve plate fixing shaft 12 to drive the first sealing valve plate 13 to move toward the first opening 1111 until the first sealing valve plate 13 closes the first opening 1111, thereby sealing the reaction chamber, and the reaction chamber remains in a vacuum state, without breaking the vacuum, and the machine equipment does not need to be shut down, thereby improving equipment utilization and reducing production capacity loss; when it is necessary to maintain the first sealing valve plate 13 on one side of the reaction chamber, the driving component 15 drives the valve plate fixing shaft 12 to drive the second sealing valve plate 14 to move toward the second opening 1112 until the second sealing valve plate 14 closes the second opening 1112, thereby sealing the transmission chamber, and the transmission chamber remains in a vacuum state, without breaking the vacuum, and will not affect the normal operation of other reaction chambers, and the machine equipment does not need to be shut down, thereby improving equipment utilization and increasing production capacity. It can be seen that the present embodiment, through the structural design of the bidirectional sealing valve plate, achieves that when the first sealing valve plate 13 is maintained, the vacuum of the transmission chamber 3 is not broken; when the second sealing valve plate 14 is maintained, the vacuum of the reaction chamber 2 is not broken, which significantly improves the equipment utilization rate, does not cause waste of machine resources, and improves production capacity. Moreover, compared with the traditional vacuum transmission valve 1 with a dual-valve design, which requires two independent sets of valves, each set of valves includes an independent drive mechanism, a sealing valve plate and a sealing valve box 11, the vacuum transmission valve 1 of this embodiment has only one valve box 11 and a set of drive components 15. The first sealing valve plate 13 and the second sealing valve plate 14 are integrated and installed on the same valve plate fixed shaft 12. Only one set of drive components 15 drives the first sealing valve plate 13 and the second sealing valve plate 14 to achieve bidirectional sealing. In this way, the bidirectional sealing of the sealing valve plate can be achieved without changing the thickness of the valve box 11 or increasing the thickness as little as possible, thereby reducing the occupied space and saving equipment costs.

[0042] Reference Figure 1In one embodiment, the drive assembly 15 includes a lifting drive member 151, which is connected to the end of the valve plate fixing shaft 12 away from the first sealing valve plate 13 and the second sealing valve plate 14 to drive the valve plate fixing shaft 12 to move up and down. Specifically, the drive assembly 15 of this embodiment includes a lifting drive member 151, which can be a cylinder or a motor, and its output end is connected to the bottom end of the valve plate fixing shaft 12 (i.e., the end away from the first sealing valve plate 13 and the second sealing valve plate 14). When the lifting drive member 151 is activated, it can drive the valve plate fixing shaft 12 to move up and down in the vertical direction, thereby adjusting the height position of the first sealing valve plate 13 and the second sealing valve plate 14, and ensuring the alignment accuracy of the valve plates and the corresponding openings. For example, when the valve is open, the lifting drive 151 lowers the valve plate fixing shaft 12, causing the two sealing valve plates to fall below the first opening 1111 and the second opening 1112, without affecting the wafer transmission; when the valve is closed, the lifting drive 151 first raises the valve plate fixing shaft 12 to a preset height, so that the first sealing valve plate 13 and the second sealing valve plate 14 are on the same horizontal plane as the first opening 1111 and the second opening 1112, providing a positioning reference for subsequent horizontal sealing movement. The design of the lifting drive 151 enables the valve plate to accurately control the height position of the valve plate fixing shaft 12 before sealing, ensuring that the two sealing valve plates are accurately aligned during horizontal movement, thereby ensuring the stability and reliability of valve switching.

[0043] Continue to refer to Figure 1In this embodiment, the drive assembly 15 further includes a first horizontal drive member 152, which is connected to the side wall of the valve plate fixing shaft 12 facing the first opening 1111 to drive the valve plate fixing shaft 12 to move horizontally toward or away from the first opening 1111. Furthermore, the drive assembly 15 is further provided with a first horizontal drive member 152, such as a cylinder or a motor. In this embodiment, the first horizontal drive member 152 is disposed between the side wall of the valve box 11 and the valve plate fixing shaft 12. The first horizontal drive member 152 specifically adopts a cylinder structure, the cylinder body of which is fixed to the inner wall of the valve box 11 in the horizontal direction, and the piston rod thereof is rigidly connected to the side wall of the valve plate fixing shaft 12 facing the first opening 1111. When the first sealing valve plate 13 needs to be driven toward the first opening 1111 to achieve sealing, the piston rod of the first horizontal driving member 152 retracts, driving the valve plate fixing shaft 12 to translate toward the first opening 1111 as a whole, until the first sealing valve plate 13 is tightly attached to the sidewall of the valve box 11 surrounding the first opening 1111, thereby sealing the first opening 1111. Conversely, when the sealing state of the first sealing valve plate 13 needs to be released, the piston rod of the first horizontal driving member 152 is pushed out, driving the valve plate fixing shaft 12 and the first sealing valve plate 13 away from the first opening 1111. This horizontal driving method enables precise sealing and release of the first sealing valve plate 13 from the first opening 1111, ensuring that the first sealing valve plate 13 can reliably isolate the reaction chamber 2 and maintain its vacuum state and environment during maintenance of the second sealing valve plate 14 without disrupting the vacuum state of the reaction chamber 2. This reduces maintenance time, improves machine utilization, and reduces production capacity losses.

[0044] Continue to refer to Figure 1In this embodiment, the drive assembly 15 further includes a second horizontal drive member 153, which is connected to the side wall of the valve plate fixing shaft 12 facing the second opening 1112 to drive the valve plate fixing shaft 12 to move horizontally toward or away from the second opening 1112. Furthermore, the drive assembly 15 further includes a second horizontal drive member 153, such as a cylinder or a motor, whose structure is symmetrical to the first horizontal drive member 152. In this embodiment, the second horizontal drive member 153 is disposed between the side wall of the valve box 11 and the valve plate fixing shaft 12. The second horizontal drive member 153 also adopts a cylinder structure, whose cylinder body is fixed to the inner wall of the valve box 11 in the horizontal direction, and whose piston rod is rigidly connected to the side wall of the valve plate fixing shaft 12 facing the second opening 1112. When it is necessary to drive the second sealing valve plate 14 toward the second opening 1112 to achieve sealing, the piston rod of the second horizontal driving member 153 retracts, driving the valve plate fixing shaft 12 to translate as a whole toward the second opening 1112 until the second sealing valve plate 14 is tightly attached to the side wall of the valve box 11 surrounding the second opening 1112, thereby sealing the second opening 1112. Conversely, when it is necessary to release the sealing state of the second sealing valve plate 14, the piston rod of the second horizontal driving member 153 is pushed out, driving the valve plate fixing shaft 12 and the second sealing valve plate 14 away from the second opening 1112. This horizontal driving method enables the second sealing valve plate 14 to accurately seal and disengage from the second opening 1112, ensuring that when the first sealing valve plate 13 is maintained, the second sealing valve plate 14 can effectively isolate the transfer chamber 3 and maintain its vacuum environment, thereby avoiding shutdown of the entire equipment due to maintenance operations and improving equipment utilization and production efficiency.

[0045] Reference Figure 3In one embodiment, the first sealing valve plate 13 is provided with a first sealing surface 131 facing the first opening 1111, the area of ​​the first sealing surface 131 being larger than the area of ​​the first opening 1111, wherein when the first opening 1111 is closed, the first sealing surface 131 abuts against the inner sidewall of the valve box 11 where the first opening 1111 is located; and / or the second sealing valve plate 14 is provided with a second sealing surface 141 facing the second opening 1112, the area of ​​the second sealing surface 141 being larger than the area of ​​the second opening 1112, wherein when the second opening 1112 is closed, the second sealing surface 141 abuts against the inner sidewall of the valve box 11 where the second opening 1112 is located. Specifically, the first sealing valve plate 13 is provided with a first sealing surface 131 facing the first opening 1111, the area of ​​the first sealing surface 131 being larger than the area of ​​the first opening 1111, and the first sealing surface 131 being a rectangular planar structure, wherein both the length and width dimensions thereof are slightly larger than the corresponding dimensions of the first opening 1111. When the vacuum transmission valve 1 performs the closing action to close the first opening 1111, the first sealing surface 131 fits tightly against the inner wall of the valve box 11 where the first opening 1111 is located, forming a surface contact seal. Accordingly, the second sealing valve plate 14 is provided with a second sealing surface 141 facing the second opening 1112. The area of ​​the second sealing surface 141 is larger than the area of ​​the second opening 1112. The second sealing surface 141 is specifically a rectangular plane structure, and its length and width dimensions are slightly larger than the corresponding dimensions of the second opening 1112. When the second opening 1112 is closed, the second sealing surface 141 also fits tightly against the inner wall of the valve box 11 where the second opening 1112 is located. Through this size design, the sealing valve plate can completely cover the film transmission channel when closing the opening, ensuring the vacuum isolation sealing reliability of the reaction chamber 2 or the transmission chamber 3, and improving the process stability and reliability of the equipment.

[0046] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 7In one embodiment, a first annular sealing lip 132 is provided on the first sealing surface 131, wherein when the first opening 1111 is closed, the first annular sealing lip 132 surrounds the first opening 1111; and / or a second annular sealing lip 142 is provided on the second sealing surface 141, wherein when the second opening 1112 is closed, the second annular sealing lip 142 surrounds the second opening 1112. Furthermore, the first annular sealing lip 132 provided on the first sealing surface 131 has an overall triangular cross-section. The first annular sealing lip 132 can be made of a detachable perfluoroether rubber ring or a perfluoroether rubber ring integrally bonded to the metal base plate and attached to the first sealing valve plate 13. When the first sealing valve plate 13 closes the first opening 1111, the first annular sealing lip 132 surrounds the periphery of the first opening 1111, forming a line-contact elastic seal. Similarly, a second annular sealing lip 142 is provided on the second sealing surface 141, and its cross-section is generally triangular. The second annular sealing lip 142 can be made of a removable ordinary fluororubber rubber ring, or it can be made of an ordinary fluororubber rubber ring integrated with a metal substrate and attached to the second sealing valve plate 14. When the second sealing valve plate 14 closes the second opening 1112, the second annular sealing lip 142 surrounds the periphery of the second opening 1112. This annular sealing lip structure produces compression deformation when the valve plate and the inner wall of the valve box 11 are in contact, thereby enhancing the airtightness of the sealing interface and effectively improving the sealing performance. It is particularly suitable for the high vacuum sealing environment of semiconductor equipment. This annular sealing lip design can not only adapt to the slight displacement and angular deviation of the valve plate during the sealing process, but also effectively resist the erosion of process gases, extending the service life of the sealing structure and ensuring that the equipment maintains stable vacuum performance during long-term operation.

[0047] Reference Figure 3-Figure 5In one embodiment, a first annular sealing ring 116 is provided on the outer wall of the valve box 11 around the first opening 1111; and / or a second annular sealing ring 117 is provided on the outer wall of the valve box 11 around the second opening 1112. Specifically, the first annular sealing ring 116 provided on the outer wall of the valve box 11 around the first opening 1111 is made of perfluoroether rubber material, or ordinary rubber material. Its cross-section is rectangular and is embedded in an annular groove opened on the outer wall of the valve box 11. The height of the first annular sealing ring 116 is slightly higher than the depth of the groove to ensure that the sealing ring protrudes from the surface of the groove when not under pressure. When the valve box 11 is connected to the flange of the first transmission port 21 of the reaction chamber 2 by bolts, the first annular sealing ring 116 is compressed to form a tight sealing interface, effectively preventing external air from infiltrating into the reaction chamber 2. Similarly, the second annular sealing ring 117 is also made of perfluoroelastomer or ordinary rubber material, and has the same structure as the first annular sealing ring 116. It is embedded in an annular groove surrounding the second opening 1112 on the outer wall of the valve box 11. When the valve box 11 is flange-connected to the second transfer port 31 of the transfer chamber 3, the second annular sealing ring 117 is compressed and deformed, achieving a reliable seal between the valve box 11 and the transfer chamber 3. This design of providing an annular sealing ring on the outer wall of the valve box 11 achieves a vacuum seal between the valve box 11 and the corresponding chamber through compression deformation. This design not only compensates for machining errors and assembly deviations of the flange connection surface, but also maintains stable sealing performance in high-temperature and highly corrosive process environments, ensuring the airtightness of the entire vacuum transfer system, reducing the risk of process gas leakage, and improving the reliability and process yield of semiconductor equipment.

[0048] Reference Figure 6In one embodiment, the valve box 11 includes a box body and a box cover 113. The box body is provided with an installation opening 1113 in the axial direction toward the valve plate fixing shaft 12. The installation opening 1113 exposes the first sealing valve plate 13 and the second sealing valve plate 14. The box cover 113 is detachably fixed to the installation opening 1113. Specifically, the valve box 11 includes a box body and a box cover 113. The box body is provided with an installation opening 1113 in the axial direction toward the valve plate fixing shaft 12. The installation opening 1113 exposes the first sealing valve plate 13 and the second sealing valve plate 14 to facilitate installation and maintenance. The box cover 113 is detachably fixed to the installation opening 1113 by screws, and a sealing rubber ring is provided between the box cover 113 and the box body to ensure the vacuum sealing of the valve box 11. When the first sealing valve plate 13 and the second sealing valve plate 14 need to be maintained or replaced, it is only necessary to remove the fastening screws 123 of the box cover 113, and then the two valve plates can be directly contacted and operated through the installation opening 1113. There is no need to completely dismantle the connection between the valve box 11 and the reaction chamber 2 and the transfer chamber 3, which greatly shortens the maintenance time and improves the maintenance convenience of the equipment. At the same time, the setting of the sealing rubber ring ensures the vacuum sealing of the valve box 11 during normal operation.

[0049] Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7In this embodiment, a first fixing column 121 and a second fixing column 122 are spaced apart at the end of the valve plate fixing shaft 12 facing the mounting opening 1113, and the first sealing valve plate 13 and the second sealing valve plate 14 are respectively provided with a first fixing hole 133 and a second fixing hole 143 along the axial direction of the valve plate fixing shaft 12. The first sealing valve plate 13 is passed through the first fixing hole 133 to be detachably fixedly connected to the first fixing column 121, and the second sealing valve plate 14 is passed through the second fixing hole 143 to be detachably fixedly connected to the second fixing column 122. Specifically, a first fixing column 121 and a second fixing column 122 are arranged at intervals on the end of the valve plate fixing shaft 12 facing the mounting opening 1113. The first fixing column 121 and the second fixing column 122 extend axially and have diameters slightly smaller than the apertures of the first fixing hole 133 and the second fixing hole 143. The first sealing valve plate 13 is sleeved on the first fixing column 121 through the first fixing hole 133 and is fastened and fixed by the fastening screw 123. The second sealing valve plate 14 is sleeved on the second fixing column 122 through the second fixing hole 143 and is fastened and fixed by the fastening screw 123. The matching structure of the fixing column and the fixing hole ensures the precise positioning of the double sealing valve plate on the valve plate fixing shaft 12, thereby avoiding displacement of the sealing valve plate during movement. This fixing structure allows the installation and disassembly of the two valve plates to be completed by simply operating the fastening screws 123. Combined with the detachable design of the box cover 113, there is no need to disassemble the connection between the valve box 11 and the chamber during maintenance, which significantly improves the convenience of replacing the valve plates. At the same time, the rigid support of the fixing column ensures the stability of the valve plate during movement, avoiding leakage problems caused by offset during sealing.

[0050] Continue to refer to Figure 6In this embodiment, the box body includes an upper box body 111, a lower box body 112, and a middle partition 114. The middle partition 114 is disposed between the upper box body 111 and the lower box body 112 to separate them. The drive assembly 15 is disposed in the lower box body 112. The first sealing valve plate 13 and the second sealing valve plate 14 are disposed in the upper box body 111. The middle partition 114 has a through hole, through which the valve plate fixing shaft 12 can be movably inserted. Specifically, the upper box body 111 and the lower box body 112 each have a rectangular cavity structure. The middle partition 114 is flat, with its edges tightly fitting against the inner walls of the upper and lower box bodies 112 and fixedly connected by bolts. The middle partition 114 divides the interior of the box body into two independent upper and lower spaces. The drive assembly 15 (including the lifting drive member 151, the first horizontal drive member 152 and the second horizontal drive member 153) is installed in the lower box body 112. The lower end of the valve plate fixed shaft 12 is connected to the drive assembly 15, and the upper end extends through the through hole of the middle partition 114 to the upper box body 111 and is connected to the first sealing valve plate 13 and the second sealing valve plate 14. The first opening 1111 and the second opening 1112 are opened on the side wall of the upper box body 111. A partition sealing ring 115 is provided between the upper box body 111 and the middle partition 114 or between the lower box body 112 and the middle partition 114 to ensure vacuum isolation between the upper and lower chambers. The inner diameter of the through hole is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the valve plate fixed shaft 12, allowing the valve plate fixed shaft 12 to freely rise and fall and move horizontally in the through hole. An annular groove is provided on the mating surfaces of the upper and lower box bodies 112 or on the edge of the middle partition 114. The partition seal 115 is made of perfluoroether rubber or ordinary rubber, with a circular cross-section, and is embedded in the groove. When the upper box body 111 and the lower box body 112 are tightened by bolts, the partition seal 115 is compressed and deformed, forming a reliable sealing interface, ensuring that the vacuum environment of the upper box body 111 is effectively isolated from the lower box body 112, preventing particulate contaminants generated during the movement of the drive assembly 15 from entering the upper box body 111 and affecting the stability of wafer transmission and process processing. This layered design divides the drive mechanism and the sealing valve plate into separate areas, which not only facilitates separate maintenance but also prevents contaminants generated by the drive assembly 15 from affecting the sealing performance. The cooperation between the partition seal 115 and the middle partition 114 also significantly improves the sealing performance and reliability of the entire vacuum transmission valve 1.

[0051] Reference Figure 8An embodiment of the present invention further provides a semiconductor thin film deposition apparatus, comprising: at least one reaction chamber 2, a transfer chamber 3, and a vacuum transfer valve 1. The vacuum transfer valve 1 is the aforementioned vacuum transfer valve 1 and is disposed between the reaction chamber 2 and the transfer chamber 3. The first opening 1111 of the vacuum transfer valve 1 communicates with the first film transfer port 21 of the reaction chamber 2, and the second opening 1112 of the vacuum transfer valve 1 communicates with the second film transfer port 31 of the transfer chamber 3. Specifically, the vacuum transfer valve 1 has been described in detail in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0052] During normal operation of the semiconductor thin film deposition equipment, the drive assembly 15 of the vacuum transfer valve 1 drives the valve plate fixed shaft 12 to move the first sealing valve plate 13 and the second sealing valve plate 14. The lifting drive 151 drives the valve plate fixed shaft 12 to a set position, and then the first horizontal drive 152 drives the valve plate fixed shaft 12 toward the first opening 1111, so that the first sealing surface 131 of the first sealing valve plate 13 is in contact with the inner wall of the valve box 11 where the first opening 1111 is located, thereby sealing the reaction chamber 2. At this time, the second horizontal drive 153 does not move, and the second sealing valve plate 14 remains disengaged from the second opening 1112, which does not affect the normal transfer of wafers between other reaction chambers 2 and the transfer chamber 3. This state ensures that the reaction chamber 2 and the transfer chamber 3 maintain their respective required vacuum environments, meeting the normal progress of the thin film deposition process.

[0053] Reference Figure 9a-9c When the second sealing valve plate 14 needs to be maintained, the lifting drive member 151 of the drive assembly 15 first drives the valve plate fixing shaft 12 to move the two sealing valve plates as a whole to a preset height. The second horizontal drive member 153 does not move, so that the second sealing valve plate 14 is separated from the second opening 1112. Then the first horizontal drive member 152 drives the valve plate fixing shaft 12 to move toward the first opening 1111, so that the first sealing surface 131 of the first sealing valve plate 13 is in contact with the inner wall of the valve box 11 where the first opening 1111 is located, thereby sealing the reaction chamber 2 and maintaining the vacuum state of the reaction chamber 2. At this time, the transfer chamber 3 can be inflated to the atmospheric state. By removing the box cover 113 of the valve box 11, the second sealing valve plate 14 can be maintained or replaced. The normal process of the reaction chamber 2 is not affected, effectively reducing the production capacity loss caused by maintenance and improving the equipment operation efficiency.

[0054] Reference Figure 10a-Figure 10cWhen the first sealing valve plate 13 needs to be maintained, the lifting drive member 151 of the drive assembly 15 first drives the valve plate fixing shaft 12 to move the two sealing valve plates as a whole to a preset height. The first horizontal drive member 152 does not move, so that the first sealing valve plate 13 is separated from the first opening 1111. Then, the second horizontal drive member 153 drives the valve plate fixing shaft 12 to move toward the second opening 1112, so that the second sealing surface 141 of the second sealing valve plate 14 is in contact with the inner wall of the valve box 11 where the second opening 1112 is located, thereby sealing the transfer chamber 3 and maintaining the vacuum state of the transfer chamber 3. At this time, the reaction chamber 2 can be inflated to the atmospheric state. By removing the box cover 113 of the valve box 11, the first sealing valve plate 13 can be maintained or replaced. During this process, the transfer chamber 3 can interact normally with other reaction chambers 2 to avoid overall equipment downtime and improve equipment utilization.

[0055] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and such modifications or substitutions are intended to be within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be subject to the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A vacuum transmission valve, characterized in that: include: A valve box and a valve plate fixing shaft, a first sealing valve plate, a second sealing valve plate and a drive assembly are arranged in the valve box, wherein the valve box is respectively provided with a first opening and a second opening on two opposite radial side walls facing the valve plate fixing shaft, and the first sealing valve plate and the second sealing valve plate are detachably fixed to the valve plate fixing shaft in a back-to-back manner along the radial direction of the valve plate fixing shaft; The driving assembly is configured to drive the valve plate fixing shaft to drive the first sealing valve plate to move toward the first opening to close the first opening, and to drive the second sealing valve plate to move toward the second opening to close the second opening.

2. The vacuum transmission valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving assembly includes a lifting driving member connected to an end of the valve plate fixing shaft away from the first sealing valve plate and the second sealing valve plate to drive the valve plate fixing shaft to move up and down.

3. The vacuum transmission valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: The driving assembly further includes a first horizontal driving member connected to a side wall of the valve plate fixing shaft facing the first opening to drive the valve plate fixing shaft to move horizontally toward or away from the first opening.

4. The vacuum transmission valve according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The driving assembly further includes a second horizontal driving member connected to a side wall of the valve plate fixing shaft facing the second opening to drive the valve plate fixing shaft to move horizontally toward or away from the second opening.

5. The vacuum transmission valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first sealing valve plate is provided with a first sealing surface facing the first opening, the area of ​​the first sealing surface being larger than the area of ​​the first opening, wherein when the first opening is closed, the first sealing surface is in contact with the inner side wall of the valve box where the first opening is located; and / or, The second sealing valve plate is provided with a second sealing surface facing the second opening, and the area of ​​the second sealing surface is larger than the area of ​​the second opening. When the second opening is closed, the second sealing surface is in contact with the inner wall of the valve box where the second opening is located.

6. The vacuum transmission valve according to claim 5, characterized in that: A first annular sealing lip is provided on the first sealing surface, wherein when the first opening is closed, the first annular sealing lip surrounds the first opening; and / or, A second annular sealing lip is provided on the second sealing surface, wherein when the second opening is closed, the second annular sealing lip surrounds the second opening.

7. The vacuum transmission valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first annular sealing ring is provided on the outer wall of the valve box surrounding the first opening; and / or, A second annular sealing ring is provided on the outer side wall of the valve box surrounding the second opening.

8. The vacuum transmission valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve box includes a box body and a box cover. The box body is provided with an installation opening in the axial direction toward the valve plate fixing axis. The installation opening reveals the first sealing valve plate and the second sealing valve plate. The box cover is detachably fixed to the installation opening.

9. The vacuum transmission valve according to claim 8, characterized in that: A first fixing post and a second fixing post are arranged at intervals on the end of the valve plate fixing shaft facing the mounting opening, and the first sealing valve plate and the second sealing valve plate are respectively provided with a first fixing hole and a second fixing hole along the axial direction of the valve plate fixing shaft, the first sealing valve plate is passed through the first fixing hole to be detachably fixedly connected to the first fixing post, and the second sealing valve plate is passed through the second fixing hole to be detachably fixedly connected to the second fixing post.

10. The vacuum transmission valve according to claim 8, characterized in that: The box body includes an upper box body, a lower box body and a middle partition, the middle partition is arranged between the upper box body and the lower box body to separate the two, the driving assembly is arranged on the lower box body, the first sealing valve plate and the second sealing valve plate are arranged on the upper box body, a through hole is opened on the middle partition, and the valve plate fixing shaft can be movably passed through the through hole.

11. A semiconductor thin film deposition device, characterized in that: include: At least one reaction chamber, a transfer chamber and a vacuum transfer valve, wherein the vacuum transfer valve is the vacuum transfer valve according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and the vacuum transfer valve is arranged between the reaction chamber and the transfer chamber, wherein the first opening of the vacuum transfer valve is connected to the first film transfer port of the reaction chamber, and the second opening of the vacuum transfer valve is connected to the second film transfer port of the transfer chamber.

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