Wafer box door opening device and semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a film magazine door opening device and semiconductor process equipment. The film magazine door opening device comprises an isolation body, a door opening assembly, at least one door opening driving assembly and a sealing structure. The isolation body is provided with a transmission port. The door opening assembly is used for taking out or putting back the door plate of the wafer box at the taking and putting position and can carry the door plate to move between the taking and putting position and the initial position. At least one closed containing cavity is formed in the shell, and the door opening driving assemblies are sealed in the containing cavities in a one-to-one correspondence mode. The door opening driving assembly comprises a rotary driving piece located in the containing cavity and a transmission piece penetrating through the shell, and the sealing structure is arranged to seal the penetrating position of the transmission piece on the shell. The transmission part is used for transmitting rotation power of the rotation driving part to the door opening assembly so that the door opening assembly can penetrate through the conveying opening in the preset linear direction and move between the initial position and the taking and placing position. The risk that particles enter the two function chambers can be reduced, and the number of the particles in the environment where the wafer is located is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments disclosed herein relate to, but are not limited to, the semiconductor field, and specifically to a wafer cassette opening device and semiconductor process equipment. Background Technology

[0002] The Front-opening Interface Mechanical Standard (FIMS) module is mainly used for the opening and closing functions of the front-opening wafer carrier (FOUP). For example, the fully sealed FIMS mechanism is used for the wafer transfer process between the storage stack side of the furnace and the main chassis.

[0003] With the continuous improvement of process technology, more stringent requirements are being placed on the sealing performance and particle count control of semiconductor process equipment. Good sealing performance can ensure that the wafer is in a relatively stable oxygen content and humidity environment, while controlling the particle count can reduce the impact of particles on the wafer and improve product yield. Therefore, improving the sealing performance of the wafer transport device and reducing the dust generation of the transport device are priority factors in the design.

[0004] When the wafer is sealed within the FOUP, it is not in contact with the outside environment, and there is no factor that generates particles. However, when the FIMS is opened, its moving parts lack sealing. For example, the moving parts used to remove the FOUP door panel will generate a large number of particles during the removal process. These particles can directly enter the FOUP or semiconductor process equipment, resulting in a large number of particles in the semiconductor process equipment, which in turn contaminates the wafer. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and proposes a wafer cassette opening device and semiconductor process equipment, which can reduce the risk of particles entering two functional chambers and reduce the number of particles in the environment where the wafer is located.

[0006] To achieve the objectives of this invention, a wafer cassette opening device is provided, comprising an isolator disposed between two functional chambers of a semiconductor process equipment, the isolator having a transfer port, and further comprising: a housing, an opening assembly, at least one opening drive assembly, and a sealing structure; the housing is disposed on a first side of the isolator for opening or sealing the transfer port; the housing has at least one closed receiving cavity, and the opening drive assembly is correspondingly sealed in the receiving cavity; the opening assembly is disposed on the side outside the receiving cavity facing the transfer port; the opening drive assembly includes a rotary drive member located within the receiving cavity and a transmission member penetrating the housing, the first end and the second end of the transmission member being respectively connected to the rotary drive member and the opening assembly, the transmission member being used to transmit the rotational power of the rotary drive member to the opening assembly, so that the opening assembly passes through the transfer port along a predetermined straight direction and moves between an initial position and a pick-up / placement position; the opening assembly is used to pick up or put back the door panel of the wafer cassette at the pick-up / placement position, and is capable of carrying the door panel between the pick-up / placement position and the initial position; the sealing structure is configured to seal the penetration position of the transmission member on the housing.

[0007] In one embodiment, the transmission component includes a first transmission part and a second transmission part; the first end of the first transmission part is fixedly connected to the driving end of the rotary drive component, and the second end of the first transmission part is provided with a slider; the first end of the second transmission part passes through the housing and is fixedly connected to the door opening assembly, and the sealing structure is configured to seal the through position of the second transmission part on the housing; the second end of the second transmission part is provided with a groove that allows the slider to move, so that the second transmission part can move along a preset straight line direction under the drive of the slider.

[0008] In one embodiment, the second transmission part includes a guide part, a guide rail, and a connecting part; both the guide part and the guide rail are disposed in the receiving cavity, and a sliding groove is disposed in the guide part; the guide rail extends along a preset straight direction, and the guide part is movably disposed in the guide rail; the connecting part is disposed through the housing, one end of the connecting part is connected to the guide part, and the other end of the connecting part is connected to the door opening assembly.

[0009] In one embodiment, the second transmission part includes a pair of guide rails, each guide rail extending along a preset straight line direction and fixedly disposed in a corresponding receiving cavity; the guide part is movably disposed on the pair of guide rails.

[0010] In one embodiment, the rotation axis of the first transmission part, the extension direction of the slide groove, and the predetermined straight line direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0011] In one embodiment, the rotary drive is fixedly disposed in the receiving cavity.

[0012] In one embodiment, the rotary drive includes a swing cylinder.

[0013] In one embodiment, it further includes a vacuum assembly for evacuating gas from the containment cavity.

[0014] The present invention also provides a semiconductor process apparatus, including two functional chambers and a chamber wall located between the two functional chambers, and a wafer cassette opening device disposed on the chamber wall, wherein the wafer cassette opening device adopts the wafer cassette opening device described above; wherein, a wafer cassette for placing wafers is disposed on the side of the isolator away from the housing, and the door plate of the wafer cassette is opposite to the transfer port.

[0015] In one embodiment, a third seal is provided on the body of the cartridge, and the third seal is sealed to the isolator to seal the transmission port on the second side of the isolator.

[0016] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] In this embodiment, the door opening drive assembly includes moving parts (i.e., rotational drive and transmission parts) that drive the door opening assembly to move. These parts generate a large number of particles due to their movement, which is the source of particle generation. By sealing the door opening drive assembly in the receiving cavity, this embodiment can isolate the source of particle generation to a certain extent. That is, there is only a risk of particles spreading out at the location where the sealed structure penetrates the shell. Compared with directly exposing the door opening drive assembly to the process chamber, this can effectively reduce the particles that spread outside the receiving cavity, thereby reducing the risk of particles entering the process chamber or cassette and improving sealing and particle suppression performance.

[0018] Other objects and features of the present invention will become clear from reading the specification, claims and drawings of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a right view of a cartridge opening device in related technologies.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a partial cross-sectional view of a cartridge opening device in related technologies.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the relative positional relationship between the film box opening device and the film box door panel in related technologies.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a half-sectional view of the disc cassette opening device when it is docked with the disc cassette in the relevant technology.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of the disc box opening device and the disc box docking according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the interior of the housing in the cassette opening device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 7a This is a structural schematic diagram of the opening device of the disc box opening device according to an embodiment of the present invention in the pick-up and put-down position.

[0027] Figure 7b This is a structural schematic diagram of the opening device of the disc box opening device according to an embodiment of the present invention in its initial position.

[0028] Figure 8 This is an exploded view of the disc box opening device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 9 This is a structural schematic diagram of the door opening drive assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Explanation of key component symbols:

[0031] 1. Thin-film cylinder; 2. Linear bearing; 3. Optical axis; 4. Support base; 5. Front panel for opening the box; 6. Wafer carrier box; 7. Cavity;

[0032] 20. Film box; 21. Door panel;

[0033] 100. Isolator; 110. Transmission port;

[0034] 200, shell; 210, receiving cavity; 220, first receiving groove; 230, second receiving groove; 200a, first sub-shell; 200b, second sub-shell; 200c, through hole;

[0035] 300. Door opening assembly; 310. Support plate; 320. Adsorption mechanism;

[0036] 400. Door opening drive assembly; 410. Rotation drive component; 421. First transmission part; 421a. Slider; 4221. Guide part; 4221a. Slide groove; 4222. Connecting part; 423. Guide rail;

[0037] 510. First seal; 520. Second seal; 530. Third seal;

[0038] 600. First driving component. Detailed Implementation

[0039] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0040] See Figures 1 to 4The related FIMS technology includes a thin cylinder 1, four linear bearings 2, an optical axis 3, a support base 4, and an opening front plate 5. The support base 4 is fixedly installed in the cavity 7 of the process chamber. The thin cylinder 1 and the four linear bearings 2 are all mounted on the support base 4. The cylinder rod of the thin cylinder 1 is mounted on the opening front plate 5, and the optical axis 3 is also mounted on the opening front plate 5. When the thin cylinder 1 is ventilated, it can move back and forth, causing the opening front plate 5 to move back and forth within the linear bearings 2, thereby realizing the opening or closing of the wafer carrier 6.

[0041] The main motion structure of the aforementioned FIMS includes four linear bearings 2 and a thin cylinder 1, which enables the opening and closing of the FOUP. When the FOUP's door is open, the motion structure is fully exposed to the process chamber, allowing particles generated during its movement to escape into the process chamber. For example, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 2 When the thin cylinder 1 moves, the particles generated by the thin cylinder 1, linear bearing 2 and optical axis 3 are all released into the process chamber. These particles will fall onto the wafer under the disturbance of airflow, which is not conducive to improving the yield under high process conditions.

[0042] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a tablet box opening device that seals the moving structure, thereby isolating the particle generation source to a certain extent. Compared to related technologies that directly expose the moving structure, this effectively reduces the particles diffusing into the process chamber and lowers the risk of particles entering the tablet box 20, thus improving sealing and particle suppression performance.

[0043] To better explain this embodiment, the following description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the structures in the drawings are merely illustrative and do not impose specific limitations on the structures in this embodiment. Other structures derived from these drawings are also within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0044] This invention provides a wafer cassette opening device, which can be applied to semiconductor processing equipment. The semiconductor processing equipment includes two functional chambers, and the wafer cassette opening device is disposed on the chamber wall between the two functional chambers. The two functional chambers are a transfer chamber and a process chamber. A wafer cassette 20 is disposed in the transfer chamber. The wafer cassette 20 can be moved towards the process chamber. (See also...) Figure 5At this point, the wafer cassette 20 can be sealed and connected to the wall of the process chamber. The process chamber also includes a wafer cassette opening device and a wafer transfer device. The wafer cassette opening device is located on the chamber wall and corresponds to the position of the wafer cassette 20 on the opposite side. This device opens the transfer port 110 for wafers to pass through, and during this process, removes the door plate 21 of the wafer cassette 20 through the transfer port 110, allowing the interior of the wafer cassette 20 to communicate with the process chamber through the transfer port 110. In this situation, the wafer transfer device can perform a wafer removal operation and transfer the wafer to be processed into the process chamber. Similarly, processed wafers can be transferred back to the wafer cassette 20 via the transfer port 110. Afterward, the wafer cassette opening device can seal the transfer port 110 and, during this process, place the door plate 21 of the wafer cassette 20 back into the wafer cassette 20. Of course, in practical applications, the wafer cassette opening device provided in this embodiment of the invention can also be applied between other functional compartments of semiconductor processing equipment to enable the opening or closing of the wafer transfer port 110, as well as the removal and placement of the wafer cassette 20 door plate 21.

[0045] Based on this, the wafer cassette opening device includes an isolator 100, a housing 200, an opening assembly 300, at least one opening drive assembly 400, and a sealing structure. The isolator 100 is disposed between two functional compartments of the semiconductor process equipment. The isolator 100 can be installed on the compartment wall between the two functional compartments, or it can be used directly as the compartment wall. The isolator 100 is provided with a transfer port 110, which allows wafers to pass through and also allows the door plate 21 of the wafer cassette 20 to pass through.

[0046] Based on this, the housing 200 is disposed on the first side of the isolation body 100, that is, on the side where one of the functional chambers is located. In this case, the disc cassette 20 is disposed on the second side of the isolation body 100, that is, on the side where the other functional chamber is located, with the door panel 21 of the disc cassette 20 facing the transmission port 110. Optionally, Figure 5 The left side represents the environment inside the transfer chamber, and the right side represents the environment inside the process chamber. A sealing ring is provided on the box body or isolator 100 of the disc cassette 20. The sealing ring is sealed and connected to the isolator 100 or box body to seal the transfer port 110 on the second side of the isolator 100.

[0047] The housing 200 is used to open or seal the transfer port 110. Specifically, the housing 200 is movable, for example, it can move toward or away from the isolator 100 (or translate parallel to the isolator 100) so that the housing 200 can move between a position in sealing contact with the isolator 100 and a position separated from the isolator 100. Furthermore, when in the position separated from the isolator 100, the housing 200 can also be moved away from that position to expose the transfer port 110 to the process chamber, thus opening the transfer port 110. The housing 200 can also return to a position facing the transfer port 110 and move from that position to a position in sealing contact with the isolator 100, thereby sealing the transfer port 110.

[0048] The housing 200 has at least one enclosed receiving cavity 210. The number of door opening drive assemblies 400 is the same as the number of receiving cavities 210, and each door opening drive assembly 400 is sealed in a corresponding receiving cavity 210. The housing 200 provides space for fixing and installing the door opening drive assemblies 400. The door opening assembly 300 is located outside the receiving cavity 210 on the side facing the transmission port 110.

[0049] The door opening drive assembly 400 includes a rotary drive member 410 and a transmission member. The rotary drive member 410 is located within the receiving cavity 210. The transmission member extends through the housing 200. A first end and a second end of the transmission member are respectively connected to the rotary drive member 410 and the door opening assembly 300. The transmission member is used to transmit the rotational power of the rotary drive member 410 to the door opening assembly 300, so that the door opening assembly 300 passes through the transmission port 110 along a preset straight direction and moves between an initial position and a pick-up / placement position. The door opening assembly 300 is used to pick up or put back the door panel 21 of the disc tray 20 at the pick-up / placement position, and is capable of carrying the door panel 21 between the pick-up / placement position and the initial position.

[0050] The door opening drive assembly 400 includes moving parts (i.e., a rotation drive 410 and a transmission component) that drive the door opening assembly 300 to move. It generates a large number of particles due to its movement, which is the source of particle generation. In this embodiment of the invention, by sealing the door opening drive assembly 400 in the receiving cavity 210, the source of particle generation can be isolated to a certain extent. That is, there is only a risk of particles spreading out at the location where the sealing structure penetrates the housing 200. Compared with directly exposing the door opening drive assembly 400 to the process chamber, this can effectively reduce the particles that diffuse outside the receiving cavity 210, thereby reducing the risk of particles entering the process chamber or the cassette 20 and improving the sealing and particle suppression performance. Based on this, in order to realize the above-mentioned movement process of the door opening assembly 300, the present invention embodiment is provided with a sealing structure, which is set to seal the through position of the transmission member on the housing 200, so that when the door opening assembly 300 carrying the door panel 21 is in the initial position, the receiving cavity 210 is in a completely sealed state. At this time, the particles generated by the door opening drive assembly 400 in the receiving cavity 210 cannot diffuse outside the receiving cavity 210, thereby preventing particles from entering the already opened cassette 20, and further improving the sealing and particle suppression performance.

[0051] The sealing structure that achieves the above functions can be a static seal, that is, the through position of the housing 200 is sealed when the door opening assembly 300 is in the initial position, or a dynamic seal, that is, the through position of the housing 200 can be sealed when the door opening assembly 300 is in any position. Static seals have a lower risk of generating particles compared to dynamic seals.

[0052] The door opening drive component 400 that implements the above functions can have various structures, for example, see Figure 9 The rotary drive 410 is fixedly disposed in the receiving cavity 210. The transmission component includes a first transmission part 421 and a second transmission part. The first end of the first transmission part 421 is fixedly connected to the drive end of the rotary drive 410, and the second end of the first transmission part 421 is provided with a slider 421a. The first end of the second transmission part passes through the housing 200 and is fixedly connected to the door opening assembly 300. The sealing structure is configured to seal the through position of the second transmission part in the housing 200. The second end of the second transmission part is provided with a groove 4221a that allows the slider 421a to move, so that the second transmission part can move along a preset linear direction under the drive of the slider 421a.

[0053] The second transmission unit includes a guide portion 4221, a guide rail 423, and a connecting portion 4222. Both the guide portion 4221 and the guide rail 423 are disposed within the receiving cavity, and a sliding groove is disposed on the guide portion. The guide rail extends along a predetermined straight direction, and the guide portion is movably disposed on the guide rail. The connecting portion penetrates the housing, with one end connected to the guide portion and the other end connected to the door opening assembly.

[0054] The second transmission unit includes a pair of guide rails 423. Each guide rail 423 extends along a predetermined straight line and is fixedly disposed in a corresponding receiving cavity 210. The guide part 4221 is movably disposed on the pair of guide rails 423 and is capable of moving along the first straight guide rail 423.

[0055] The rotational shaft of the first transmission unit, the extension direction of the slide groove, and the preset straight line direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0056] The first transmission part 421 transmits the rotational power of the rotary drive member 410 to the guide part 4221, which then transmits it to the connecting part 4222. Since the connecting part 4222 penetrates the housing 200 and connects to the door opening assembly 300 (i.e., the support plate 310), the above-mentioned force transmission process can transmit the rotational power of the rotary drive member 410 to the door opening assembly 300 (i.e., the support plate 310). Optionally, there can be one or more connecting parts 4222. The connecting part 4222 is, for example, a guide post. Specifically, the rotary drive member 410 may include a swing cylinder, one end of the first transmission part 421 is connected to the output shaft of the swing cylinder by a screw, and the other end is connected to the guide part 4221. Related technologies often use cylinders as driving components, but cylinders are prone to generating particles, thereby increasing the number of particles in the wafer's environment. In contrast, the swing cylinder in this embodiment does not have this problem, and its structure is simple and consistent. When the wafer cassette opening device includes multiple opening drive components 400, the consistency of movement among the multiple opening drive components 400 can be guaranteed, improving the stability of the door panel 21's movement. In this embodiment, the rotational power provided by the rotary drive component 410 is converted into the power to drive the door panel 21 to move linearly through the cooperation between the first transmission part 421 and the second transmission part. The guide rail 423 can be fixed to the housing 200 with screws to limit the movement direction of the guide part 4221 to the direction of movement towards or away from the isolator 100 (i.e., the movement direction of the door panel 21 of the support plate 310).

[0057] In this embodiment, the door opening assembly 300 can be driven by the rotation of a swing cylinder, which occupies less space than linear drive. Furthermore, the opening stroke of the door opening assembly 300 is not limited by the stroke of the rotary drive component 410 and can be flexibly adjusted according to the design.

[0058] In an optional embodiment, the housing 200 includes a first sub-housing 200a and a second sub-housing 200b, which are joined together to form the housing 200 to facilitate maintenance of the door opening drive assembly 400. A sealing element is provided at the joint between the first sub-housing 200a and the second sub-housing 200b to further reduce the particle content within the process chamber.

[0059] The door opening assembly 300 includes a support plate 310, a suction mechanism 320, and an unlocking mechanism. In some embodiments, the support plate 310 in the door opening assembly 300 is, for example, plate-shaped and is disposed opposite to the door panel 21 of the aforementioned tray 20. One end of the connector is connected to the door opening assembly 300 (i.e., the support plate 310), and the other end passes through the housing 200 and is connected to the door opening drive assembly 400 in the receiving cavity 210, for example, as a single unit.

[0060] The adsorption mechanism 320 is used to adsorb and fix the door panel 21 to the support plate 310 when the support plate 310 is moved to the pick-up / place position. In one example, the adsorption mechanism 320 is, for example, a vacuum adsorption device. For example, the vacuum adsorption device has a plurality of suction cups disposed on the side of the support plate 310 adjacent to the door panel 21, and the adsorption port of the gas pipeline of the vacuum adsorption device is located on the surface of each suction cup adjacent to the door panel 21. There are various adsorption mechanisms 320 that realize the above adsorption function, which are known technologies and will not be described in detail here.

[0061] The unlocking mechanism is used to open or close the lock of the plate holder 20 when the support plate 310 moves to the pick-up / place position. Specifically, a lock is provided on the door panel 21. The unlocking mechanism includes multiple lock cylinders (not shown in the figure) provided on the side of the support plate 310 adjacent to the door panel 21, and a lock cylinder driving component (not shown in the figure) for driving the movement of the multiple lock cylinders. When the support plate 310 moves to the position of contacting the door panel 21, each lock cylinder cooperates with the corresponding moving component (e.g., bolt) in the lock on the door panel 21. When the lock cylinder driving component drives each lock cylinder to the locking position, the door panel 21 is locked, and at this time the door panel 21 cannot be separated from the plate holder 20. When the lock cylinder driving component drives each lock cylinder to the unlocking position, the door panel 21 is unlocked. At this time, the door panel 21 can be separated from the plate box 20. In this case, after the adsorption mechanism 320 adsorbs and fixes the door panel 21 onto the support plate 310, the door lock can be opened by the unlocking mechanism. Then, driven by the door opening driving module, the support plate 310 carries the door panel 21 back to the initial position. There are various unlocking mechanisms that can achieve the above unlocking function, which are well known technologies and will not be described in detail here.

[0062] The support plate 310 is positioned opposite the transmission port 110. A transmission component is connected to the support plate 310. An adsorption mechanism 320 is located on the side of the support plate 310 facing the door opening drive assembly 400. An unlocking mechanism is also located on the side of the support plate 310 facing the door opening drive assembly 400.

[0063] See Figure 7a and 7bThe housing 200 is provided with a first receiving groove 220 and a second receiving groove 230. The opening of the first receiving groove 220 faces the transmission port 110. The second receiving groove 230 is located between the first receiving groove 220 and the transmission port 110. The support plate 310 is used to move into the second receiving groove 230 and reach the initial position under the drive of the door opening drive assembly 400. It can also seal the first receiving groove 220 at the initial position, so that the adsorption mechanism 320 and the unlocking mechanism can both move into the sealed first receiving groove 220 to seal the portions of the adsorption mechanism 320 and the unlocking mechanism away from the door panel 21 (e.g., at least a portion of the lock cylinder drive component).

[0064] The support plate 310 and the first receiving groove 220 can form a sealed space enclosing the adsorption mechanism 320 and the unlocking mechanism, thereby achieving a complete seal between the adsorption mechanism 320 and the unlocking mechanism, and thus preventing the particles generated by the adsorption mechanism 320 and the unlocking mechanism from diffusing into the cassette 20 or the process chamber. It should be noted that the second receiving groove 230 can provide accommodating space for the support plate 310 and the door panel 21, and the annular plate between the first receiving groove 220 and the second receiving groove 230 can also limit the movement of the door opening assembly 300, that is, when the door opening assembly 300 moves to the initial position, it prevents the door opening assembly 300 from moving further, thereby limiting the door opening module to the initial position.

[0065] See Figure 6 and Figure 8 The cartridge opening device includes two opening drive assemblies 400. The housing 200 has two receiving cavities 210 and a first receiving groove 220 located between the two receiving cavities 210.

[0066] Optionally, the housing 200 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape in the vertical direction, and its interior is divided into three cavities arranged sequentially in the vertical direction (accommodating cavity 210, first accommodating groove 220, and accommodating cavity 210). Since the two door opening drive assemblies 400 are sealed in the two accommodating cavities 210 in a one-to-one correspondence, the particles that may be generated when the door opening drive assembly 400 moves can be effectively controlled in the upper and lower accommodating cavities 210.

[0067] The housing 200 has a first seal 510 on the surface adjacent to the isolator 100. The first seal 510 surrounds the opening of the first receiving groove 220 and is used to seal and connect with the support plate 310 when the support plate 310 is in the initial position.

[0068] The first seal 510 can be a sealing ring. The function of the first seal 510 is that when the door opening drive moves the door panel 21 to the initial position, the support plate 310 can press the first seal 510, sealing the adsorption mechanism 320 and the unlocking mechanism in a separate chamber (i.e., the first receiving groove 220). The first seal 510 is installed in the sealing groove on the housing 200.

[0069] The housing 200 has a second seal 520 on the surface adjacent to the isolator 100. The seal surrounds the transmission port 110 to seal the transmission port 110.

[0070] The cartridge opening device also includes a first drive assembly 600 and a second drive assembly. Both the first drive assembly 600 and the second drive assembly are located on the same side of the housing 200 as the isolator 100. In other words, the first drive assembly 600 and the second drive assembly are located on the same side.

[0071] The first drive assembly 600 is connected to both the isolator 100 and the housing 200. The first drive assembly 600 drives the door opening assembly 300 to move towards or away from the isolator 100. The first drive assembly 600, which performs the above-mentioned driving function, can be of various types, such as a linear cylinder, a linear electric cylinder, etc.

[0072] The second drive assembly is connected to both the isolator 100 and the housing 200. The second drive assembly is used to move the housing 200 to a position facing the transmission port 110 or move it away from that position. Various types of second drive assemblies can be used to achieve the above-mentioned driving function, such as linear cylinders, linear electric cylinders, etc.

[0073] In an optional embodiment, the cassette opening device further includes a vacuum assembly. The vacuum assembly is used to extract gas from the containment cavity 210 so that the gas in the containment cavity 210 can be extracted and replaced, thereby further reducing the risk of particles in the containment cavity 210 diffusing into the process chamber through the through-hole 200c on the housing 200 (through which the vacuum assembly is connected to the containment cavity 210).

[0074] When it is necessary to transfer wafers to semiconductor process equipment, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 7aWhen the door opening assembly 300 is in the pick-up / place-down position, the pivot shaft of the swing cylinder rotates axially, driving the first transmission part 421 to rotate. The slider 421a on the first transmission part 421 slides in the sliding groove on the guide part 4221. The push force on the slider 421a pushes the guide part 4221, while the linear guide rail limits the movement of the guide part 4221 in the direction of approaching or moving away from the transmission port 110. The transmission component composed of the first transmission part 421 and the guide part 4221 converts the rotational motion of the pivot shaft into the linear motion of the connecting part 4222, thereby driving the support plate 310 carrying the door panel 21 to pass through the transmission port 110 in a straight line and enter the second receiving groove 230. For example, Figure 7b .

[0075] In summary, the cassette opening device provided in this embodiment of the invention, by providing a closed receiving cavity 210 in the housing 200, can seal the opening drive assembly 400 within the receiving cavity 210, thereby isolating the particle generation source to a certain extent. This reduces the risk of particles entering the two functional chambers and improves sealing and particle suppression performance. Furthermore, to enable the movement of the opening assembly 300, this invention provides a sealing structure, which is configured to seal the penetration position of the transmission component in the housing 200.

[0076] As another technical solution, this embodiment of the invention also provides a semiconductor process apparatus. The semiconductor process apparatus includes two functional chambers and a chamber wall located between the two functional chambers, as well as a wafer cassette opening device disposed on the chamber wall. The wafer cassette opening device adopts the aforementioned wafer cassette opening device. Specifically, a wafer cassette 20 for placing wafers is disposed on the side of the isolator 100 facing away from the housing 200. The door plate 21 of the wafer cassette 20 is opposite to the transfer port 110. This has been described in detail in the above embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0077] The semiconductor processing equipment provided in this embodiment of the invention can reduce the risk of particles entering the two functional chambers and improve sealing and particle suppression performance by adopting the wafer cassette opening device provided in this embodiment of the invention.

[0078] In an optional embodiment, the cartridge 20 is provided with a third seal 530, which is sealed to the isolator 100 to seal the transfer port 110 on the second side of the isolator 100.

[0079] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0080] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows for communication; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0081] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer cassette opening device, comprising an isolator disposed between two functional chambers of a semiconductor process equipment, the isolator being provided with a transmission port, characterized in that, Also includes: The housing, the door opening assembly, at least one door opening drive assembly, and the sealing structure; The housing is disposed on the first side of the isolator and is used to open or seal the transmission port; the housing is provided with at least one closed receiving cavity, and the door opening drive assembly is sealed in the receiving cavity one by one; the door opening assembly is disposed on the side of the receiving cavity facing the transmission port. The door opening drive assembly includes a rotary drive component located within the receiving cavity and a transmission component extending through the housing. A first end and a second end of the transmission component are respectively connected to the rotary drive component and the door opening assembly. The transmission component transmits the rotational power of the rotary drive component to the door opening assembly, causing the door opening assembly to pass through the transmission port along a preset straight line and move between an initial position and a pick-up / placement position. The door opening assembly is used to remove or place the door panel of the disc tray at the pick-up / placement position and is capable of carrying the door panel between the pick-up / placement position and the initial position. The sealing structure is configured to seal the penetration point of the transmission component in the housing.

2. The disc cassette opening device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission component includes a first transmission part and a second transmission part; The first end of the first transmission part is fixedly connected to the driving end of the rotary drive member, and the second end of the first transmission part is provided with a slider. The first end of the second transmission part passes through the housing and is fixedly connected to the door opening assembly; the sealing structure is configured to seal the through-hole position of the second transmission part in the housing. The second end of the second transmission part is provided with a groove that allows the slider to move, so that the second transmission part can move along the preset straight line direction under the drive of the slider.

3. The disc cassette opening device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second transmission part includes a guide part, a guide rail, and a connecting part; Both the guide portion and the guide rail are disposed within the receiving cavity, and the sliding groove is disposed within the guide portion; The guide rail extends along the preset straight line direction, and the guide portion is movably disposed on the guide rail; The connecting part extends through the housing, with one end connected to the guide part and the other end connected to the door opening assembly.

4. The disc cassette opening device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second transmission unit includes a pair of guide rails, each of which extends along the preset straight line direction and is fixedly disposed in the corresponding receiving cavity; The guide portion is movably mounted on a pair of guide rails.

5. The disc cassette opening device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The rotation axis of the first transmission unit, the extension direction of the slide groove, and the preset straight line direction are perpendicular to each other.

6. The disc cassette opening device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rotary drive component is fixedly disposed in the receiving cavity.

7. The disc cassette opening device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rotary drive component includes a swing cylinder.

8. The disc cassette opening device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, Also includes: A vacuum assembly for evacuating gas from the containment cavity.

9. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized in that, It includes two functional rooms and a wall between the two functional rooms, and a film box opening device disposed on the wall, wherein the film box opening device is the film box opening device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; A wafer cassette for placing wafers is provided on the side of the isolator away from the housing, and the door panel of the wafer cassette is opposite to the transfer port.

10. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that, The cartridge body is provided with a third sealing element, which is sealed to the isolator to seal the transmission port on the second side of the isolator.

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