Pressing needle driving device and substrate fixing device

Abstract

The application discloses a pressing needle driving device and a substrate fixing device, and is applied to the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The substrate fixing device comprises the pressing needle driving device and a pressing needle. The pressing needle driving device comprises a first temperature-variable spring, a second temperature-variable spring and a rotor. When the temperature is in a low-temperature interval, the deformation amount of the first temperature-variable spring is greater than that of the second temperature-variable spring, so that the rotor drives the pressing needle to deflect in a certain direction; when the temperature is in a high-temperature interval, the deformation amount of the second temperature-variable spring is greater than that of the first temperature-variable spring, so that the rotor drives the pressing needle to deflect in the opposite direction. In this way, a pressing needle driving structure which is independent of an electromagnet, high-temperature resistant and anti-creeping is provided.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and in particular to a pressing needle driving device and a substrate fixing device. BACKGROUND

[0002] In some semiconductor manufacturing processes, a pressing needle is needed to fix a substrate (also known as a wafer) placed on a carrier plate. For example, a vacuum coating process is a key process for preparing semiconductor devices. In order to realize film coating on a substrate under high vacuum conditions, a carrier plate, as an important component in a vacuum coating device, plays a role of carrying a substrate and transporting the substrate into a vacuum cavity. According to the structure of the vacuum coating device, the selection of the carrier plate can be divided into horizontal carrier plates and vertical carrier plates. Among them, the vertical carrier plate fixes the substrate through a pressing needle to ensure that the substrate does not fall off during the movement of the carrier plate and the venting and coating process of the cavity.

[0003] A conventional pressing needle driving device is usually composed of an electromagnet, a common spring and a lever structure. This device mainly has the following three shortcomings: first, high-temperature failure, the elastic modulus of the common spring material (such as stainless steel) decays at high temperature, resulting in pressure drift, limited opening of the pressing needle, and risk of substrate falling off from the carrier plate; second, thermal expansion interference, the carrier plate and the pressing needle are stuck or poorly contacted due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient; third, indentation problem, since the pressing needle has a certain coverage area and blocks part of the surface area of the substrate, film layers cannot be deposited in the blocked area, thereby affecting the uniform coverage of the film layers on the entire substrate surface and possibly causing adverse effects on subsequent processes. SUMMARY

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a pressing needle driving device and a substrate fixing device.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a pressing needle driving device. The pressing needle is used to fix a substrate placed on a carrier plate. The pressing needle driving device comprises a first temperature-variable spring, a second temperature-variable spring and a rotor.

[0006] The free end of the first temperature-variable spring and the free end of the second temperature-variable spring are both connected to the rotor, and the rotor is connected to the pressing needle. The fixed end of the first temperature-variable spring and the fixed end of the second temperature-variable spring are located on the same side of the rotor, and the pressing needle is located on the other side of the rotor.

[0007] When the temperature is in the low temperature interval, the deformation amount of the first temperature-variable spring is greater than that of the second temperature-variable spring, so that the rotor drives the pressing needle to deflect in a first direction; when the temperature is in the high temperature interval, the deformation amount of the second temperature-variable spring is greater than that of the first temperature-variable spring, so that the rotor drives the pressing needle to deflect in a second direction. The lower limit temperature of the high temperature interval is not less than the upper limit temperature of the low temperature interval, and the second direction is opposite to the first direction.

[0008] In some embodiments, the lower limit temperature of the high temperature interval and the upper limit temperature of the low temperature interval are both 150℃.

[0009] In some embodiments, the maximum deflection range of the pressing needle is -90° to 90°.

[0010] In some embodiments, the fixed end of the first temperature-variable spring and the fixed end of the second temperature-variable spring are both fixed to the back of a carrier plate, and the carrier plate is used to carry the substrate.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first temperature-variable spring and the second temperature-variable spring are both fixed to the back of a carrier plate, and the rotor is fixed to the front of the carrier plate. On this basis, the carrier plate is provided with a through hole, so that the free end of the first temperature-variable spring and the free end of the second temperature-variable spring pass through the carrier plate and are connected with the rotor.

[0012] In some embodiments, the rotor is made of metal.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first temperature-variable spring is made of at least one of platinum, aluminum and copper.

[0014] In some embodiments, the second temperature-variable spring is made of silicon carbide ceramic and / or boron nitride.

[0015] In the second aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a substrate fixing device. The substrate fixing device comprises a pressing needle for fixing a substrate and the pressing needle driving device as described in the first aspect.

[0016] In some embodiments, the pressing needle is made of aluminum-silicon alloy.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the technical scheme provided by the embodiments of the present application has the following advantages:

[0018] (1) The difference in deformation amount of different materials at different temperatures is used to drive the rotor to rotate, thereby driving the pressing needle to deflect, and a pressing needle driving structure that does not depend on electromagnets, is resistant to high temperature and anti-creep is provided;

[0019] (2) The deflection amount of the pressing needle changes with the change of the working condition temperature, and the pressing needle does not always block the fixing area of the substrate, thereby improving the indentation problem;

[0020] (3) The improvement of the indentation problem is conducive to improving the uniformity of the whole film layer and preventing the non-coated area from becoming a bad point to affect the normal operation of the subsequent process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the application and serve to explain the principles of the application together with the specification.

[0022] Figure 1 The structure diagram of the substrate fixing device provided by the embodiment of the application.

[0023] Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the deflection direction of the pressing needle at different temperatures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In order to enable the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the application to be more clearly understood, the embodiments of the application will be further described below. It should be noted that the embodiments of the application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0025] In the following description, many specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the application. However, the application can be practiced in different ways from those described herein. Obviously, the embodiments described in the specification are only a part of the embodiments of the application, not all the embodiments.

[0026] Figure 1 The structure diagram of the substrate fixing device provided by the embodiment of the application. As shown in Figure 1 The substrate fixing device 100 includes a pressing needle driving device 110 and a pressing needle 120. The pressing needle 120 is used to fix the substrate (such as a silicon wafer) placed on the carrier plate.

[0027] The pressing needle driving device 110 includes a first temperature variable spring 111, a second temperature variable spring 112 and a rotor 113. The free end of the first temperature variable spring 111 and the free end of the second temperature variable spring 112 are connected with the rotor 113, and the rotor 113 is connected with the pressing needle 120 (for example, by aluminum sheet welding). The fixed end of the first temperature variable spring 111 and the fixed end of the second temperature variable spring 112 are located on the same side of the rotor 113 (for example, the left side) Figure 1 , and the pressing needle 120 is located on the other side of the rotor 113 (for example, the right side) Figure 1 ).

[0028] The temperature variable spring refers to a spring whose characteristics (such as length) will change significantly with the change of temperature. The characteristics (such as length) of the ordinary spring are basically unchanged at the working temperature. Therefore, the deformation amount of the temperature variable spring can be controlled by temperature.

[0029] In the embodiments of the present application, the temperature variation characteristics of the first temperature variation spring and the second temperature variation spring are different. By using this point, the torsion generated by the deformation of the springs makes the rotor rotate, and further drives the pressing needle 120 to deflect. Specifically, when the temperature is in the low temperature interval, the deformation amount of the first temperature variation spring 111 is greater than that of the second temperature variation spring 112 (i.e., the first temperature variation spring 111 dominates the rotation of the rotor 113), so that the rotor 113 drives the pressing needle 120 to deflect in a certain direction (referred to as the first direction); when the temperature is in the high temperature interval, the deformation amount of the second temperature variation spring 112 is greater than that of the first temperature variation spring 111 (i.e., the second temperature variation spring 112 dominates the rotation of the rotor 113), so that the rotor 113 drives the pressing needle 120 to deflect in the opposite direction (referred to as the second direction). It should be noted that the lower limit temperature of the high temperature interval is not less than (for example, equal to) the upper limit temperature of the low temperature interval.

[0030] In some embodiments, the lower limit temperature of the high temperature interval and the upper limit temperature of the low temperature interval are both 150°C, for example, the low temperature interval is (25°C, 150°C), and the high temperature interval is (150°C, 300°C).

[0031] In some embodiments, the maximum deflection range of the pressing needle 120 is -90° to 90°.

[0032] For example only, with reference to Figure 2 , the pressing needle presses on the substrate (yellow rectangle), when the temperature is in the low temperature interval, the first temperature variation spring dominates the rotation of the rotor, so that the rotor drives the pressing needle to deflect to the left (counterclockwise); when the temperature is in the high temperature interval, the second temperature variation spring dominates the rotation of the rotor, so that the rotor drives the pressing needle to deflect to the right (clockwise).

[0033] In some embodiments, the first temperature variation spring 111 is made of at least one of platinum, aluminum, and copper.

[0034] In some embodiments, the second temperature variation spring 112 is made of silicon carbide ceramic and / or boron nitride.

[0035] In some embodiments, the rotor 113 is made of metal, i.e., a metal rotor.

[0036] In some embodiments, the fixed end of the first temperature variation spring 111 and the fixed end of the second temperature variation spring 112 are both fixed to the back surface of the carrier plate. The front surface of the carrier plate refers to the surface on which the substrate (such as a silicon wafer) is placed, and the other surface is the back surface. For example only, the fixed end of the first temperature variation spring 111 and the fixed end of the second temperature variation spring 112 can be welded to the back surface of the carrier plate through an aluminum sheet.

[0037] In some embodiments, the first temperature variation spring 111 and the second temperature variation spring 112 are both fixed to the back surface of the carrier plate, and the rotor 113 is fixed to the front surface of the carrier plate. With reference toFigure 1 The center black part of the rotor 113 is the rotating shaft 114, and the rotor is fixed to the front surface of the carrier plate through the rotating shaft 114. On this basis, the carrier plate is provided with a through hole, so that the free end of the first temperature change spring 111 and the free end of the second temperature change spring 112 pass through the carrier plate and are connected with the rotor 113.

[0038] The pressing needle 120 can be made of a light texture (i.e. low density) and high temperature resistant metal (including but not limited to aluminum silicon alloy). In this way, it is prevented that the spring force is not enough to offset the pressing needle to the expected position, and it is prevented that the pressing needle is deformed at high temperature.

[0039] It can be understood that, since the present application aims to provide a high temperature resistant pressing needle driving device and a substrate fixing device, the components of the pressing needle driving device 110 and the substrate fixing device 100 are made of high temperature resistant materials, such as high temperature resistant metal materials and / or non-metal materials.

[0040] In practical application, one substrate can be fixed by two or more substrate fixing devices 100, and the pressing needles 120 of these substrate fixing devices 100 can be uniformly distributed on the substrate, so as to make the substrate bear force uniformly and prevent the substrate from being damaged by edge collapse.

[0041] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second", and the like can be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. Moreover, the terms "comprises", "comprising", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but can include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element preceded by "comprises a" does not, without more constraints, foreclose the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

[0042] The above description is only an embodiment of the present application, which enables those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present application. Various modifications of the embodiment will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application will not be limited to the embodiments described herein, but will conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A pressure needle driving device, wherein the pressure needle is used to fix a substrate placed on a carrier plate, characterized in that, The pressure needle driving device includes a first thermostatic spring, a second thermostatic spring, and a rotor; The free ends of the first temperature-sensitive spring and the second temperature-sensitive spring are both connected to the rotor, and the rotor is connected to the pressure needle; the fixed ends of the first temperature-sensitive spring and the second temperature-sensitive spring are located on the same side of the rotor, and the pressure needle is located on the other side of the rotor; When the temperature is in the low-temperature range, the deformation of the first temperature-sensitive spring is greater than that of the second temperature-sensitive spring, causing the rotor to drive the pressure needle to deflect in the first direction; when the temperature is in the high-temperature range, the deformation of the second temperature-sensitive spring is greater than that of the first temperature-sensitive spring, causing the rotor to drive the pressure needle to deflect in the second direction; the lower limit temperature of the high-temperature range is not less than the upper limit temperature of the low-temperature range, and the second direction is opposite to the first direction.

2. The pressure needle driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower limit temperature of the high-temperature range and the upper limit temperature of the low-temperature range are both 150°C.

3. The pressure needle driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The maximum deflection range of the pressure needle is -90° to 90°.

4. The pressure needle driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed ends of the first temperature-sensitive spring and the second temperature-sensitive spring are both fixed to the back of the carrier plate, which is used to support the substrate.

5. The pressure needle driving device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The rotor is fixed to the front side of the carrier plate; the carrier plate is provided with through holes so that the free ends of the first temperature-sensitive spring and the second temperature-sensitive spring can pass through the carrier plate and connect to the rotor.

6. The pressure needle driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotor is made of metal.

7. The pressure needle driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first temperature-sensitive spring is made of at least one of platinum, aluminum, and copper.

8. The pressure needle driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second temperature-sensitive spring is made of silicon carbide ceramic and / or boron nitride.

9. A substrate fixing device, comprising pressure pins for fixing a substrate, characterized in that, It also includes the pressure needle drive device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The substrate fixing device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The pressure needle is made of aluminum-silicon alloy.

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