Silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus and assembly inspection method

Abstract

The application discloses a silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing device, which comprises a lower half moon assembly, an upper half moon assembly and a rotating carrier plate which are connected with each other, the lower half moon assembly is horizontally arranged, and an upstream coating assembly is arranged on the top surface of the lower half moon assembly, characterized in that the upstream coating assembly comprises a first cover plate and a second cover plate which are assembled and matched in alignment along the vertical direction of the conveying direction of the process gas; a first assembly surface is formed on the outer wall of the first cover plate facing the second cover plate, a second assembly surface is formed on the outer wall of the second cover plate facing the first cover plate, the first assembly surface and the second assembly surface are arranged in alignment and matched in parallel, the extension direction of the first assembly surface is a first direction, the assembly direction of the first cover plate and the second cover plate is a second direction, and the included angle between the first direction and the second direction is an acute angle. The application further discloses a processing method using the above-mentioned silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor wafer finishing technology and related equipment, and particularly to a silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus and an assembly and inspection method for the apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Silicon carbide wafers, as a core component in the semiconductor field, play a crucial role in the performance and technological development of semiconductor products. In the typical silicon carbide wafer manufacturing process, corresponding processing equipment is usually used to ensure the quality of epitaxial growth and forming of silicon carbide semiconductor materials. Consequently, the performance of this equipment for silicon carbide epitaxial growth and processing is one of the key areas for technological improvement in the industry.

[0003] Generally, silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing equipment typically uses an upstream coating component as a matching cover for the lower half-moon assembly. This upstream coating component is usually composed of two left and right cover plates aligned and spliced ​​together. The assembled upstream coating component is aligned and placed on the top end face of the lower half-moon assembly, that is, on the top surface of the lower half-moon assembly. Then, a central rotating shaft is assembled in the middle of the lower half-moon assembly, and a rotating carrier disk is aligned and assembled on top of the central rotating shaft, thus completing the main structure assembly of the equipment. During actual operation, the protective gas introduced into the lower half-moon assembly is used to moderately lift the rotating carrier disk, and with the fixed-axis rotation of the rotating carrier disk, the epitaxial growth and shaping of silicon carbide located on the rotating carrier disk is achieved.

[0004] However, although the aforementioned device structure can meet the basic requirements of current silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing, there is a large gap between the two cover plates of the existing upstream coating component during alignment and assembly. Furthermore, the opening direction of this gap is basically aligned with the blowing direction of the process gas. The main delivery direction of the process gas is generally parallel to the top surface of the lower half of the module, i.e., the upstream end face of the lower half of the module. However, during the process gas blowing process, due to the gap between the two cover plates of the upstream coating component, a portion of the process gas at the bottom of the gas flow is easily trapped through... The process gas enters the device through this gap, causing it to come into contact with the outer wall of the main structure of the lower half-moon component. As the equipment's service life increases, the process gas passing through the gap will etch deep trenches at the alignment point between the two cover plates of the lower half-moon component and the upstream coating component. The surface of these etched trenches is rough and contains a lot of black carbon powder. During the subsequent silicon carbide epitaxial growth process, this black carbon powder will be blown onto the surface of the silicon carbide wafer along with the process gas flow, thus adversely affecting the epitaxial growth quality of the silicon carbide wafer.

[0005] Correspondingly, during the silicon carbide epitaxial growth process, the process gas frequently flows through the gap between the two cover plates, which causes a large number of 3C-SiC (i.e., cubic silicon carbide) impurities to grow at the structural tips and corners corresponding to the gap. After long-term operation of the equipment, the thick cubic silicon carbide crystals at the corners and other positions will seriously affect the flow path and blowing mode of the process gas, thereby affecting the uniformity of the silicon carbide epitaxial growth thickness and adversely affecting the quality of silicon carbide wafer products.

[0006] Of course, the industry has also considered molding the two cover plates into one piece, that is, directly processing the upstream coating part into one piece. However, in actual applications, the process temperature of silicon carbide epitaxial growth is usually between 1500℃ and 1600℃. This will cause excessive internal stress in the upstream coating part with an integrated structure, resulting in severe deformation or even cracking and damage to the upstream coating part. This will not only seriously affect the silicon carbide epitaxial growth effect and result in poor molding quality of the final silicon carbide epitaxial product, but also reduce the service life of the components of the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing equipment and increase the use and maintenance costs of the equipment accordingly.

[0007] In view of this, how to optimize the component structure of the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus, avoid the structural gaps of its upstream coating parts from adversely affecting the silicon carbide epitaxial forming, ensure the quality of silicon carbide epitaxial growth forming, and make the upstream coating parts more durable, so as to reduce the use and component maintenance costs of the equipment, is an important technical problem that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide a silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus that effectively avoids the adverse effects of structural gaps in the upstream coating component on silicon carbide epitaxial growth, ensuring the quality of silicon carbide epitaxial growth and making the upstream coating component more durable, thereby reducing the cost of equipment use and component maintenance. Another purpose of this invention is to provide an assembly and inspection method for the aforementioned silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus.

[0009] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus, including a lower half-moon assembly, an upper half-moon assembly and a rotating carrier disk connected to each other. The lower half-moon assembly is arranged horizontally, and an upstream coating assembly is provided on the top surface of the lower half-moon assembly. The upstream coating assembly includes a first cover plate and a second cover plate that are aligned and fitted together along the conveying direction perpendicular to the process gas.

[0010] The first cover plate forms a first assembly surface on the outer wall facing the second cover plate, and the second cover plate forms a second assembly surface on the outer wall facing the first cover plate. The first assembly surface and the second assembly surface are aligned and parallel to each other, and the extension direction of the first assembly surface is a first direction, the assembly direction of the first cover plate and the second cover plate is a second direction, and the angle between the first direction and the second direction is an acute angle.

[0011] Preferably, the first cover plate has a first air-blocking part protruding from one side toward the second cover plate, and the first assembly surface is located inside the first air-blocking part;

[0012] The second cover plate has a second air-blocking part protruding from one side toward the first cover plate, and the second assembly surface is located on the outside of the second air-blocking part;

[0013] The first air-blocking part is located above the second air-blocking part, and the first air-blocking part and the second air-blocking part are arranged to overlap in the vertical direction to form an overlapping wind-blocking section, and the first assembly surface and the second assembly surface are aligned and adapted.

[0014] Preferably, the windward surface of the first gas-blocking part in conjunction with the process gas is a horizontal plane.

[0015] Preferably, the first assembly surface and the second assembly surface are aligned and fitted together.

[0016] Preferably, the overlapping windbreak section is located in the middle of the upstream coating assembly.

[0017] Preferably, the width of the overlapping windbreak section along the direction perpendicular to the process gas conveying direction is 0.1mm to 100mm.

[0018] Preferably, the width of the upstream coating assembly along the direction perpendicular to the process gas delivery direction is 200mm to 210mm.

[0019] Preferably, the width of either the first cover or the second cover along the direction perpendicular to the process gas delivery direction is 110mm to 130mm.

[0020] The present invention also provides an assembly and inspection method for a silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus, used in any of the preceding claims, comprising the following steps:

[0021] Place the lower half of the component on a horizontal surface and check whether there are any abnormal pits or abnormal protruding particles at each corner of the first cover and the second cover. After the inspection is completed and it is confirmed that there are no abnormal pits or abnormal protruding particles at each corner, align and assemble the first cover and the second cover into the upstream coating component.

[0022] The assembled upstream coating component is aligned and installed into the slot on the top end face of the lower half-moon component, ensuring that the first assembly surface and the second assembly surface are aligned and parallel to each other.

[0023] After the lower half-moon assembly with the upstream coating components is assembled with the matching upper half-moon assembly and the rotating carrier, it is placed into the process chamber. Then, the chamber is closed, vacuumed, gas backfilled and heated in sequence before the silicon carbide epitaxial growth operation is carried out.

[0024] Preferably, after inspection and confirmation that there are no abnormal pits or abnormal protruding particles at the corners of the first cover and the second cover, the first cover and the second cover are respectively aligned and installed into the slots on the top end face of the lower half-moon component, and the first cover and the second cover are aligned and assembled after installation to ensure that the first assembly surface and the second assembly surface are aligned and parallel to each other.

[0025] Compared to the aforementioned background technology, the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus provided by the present invention, during component assembly and operation, features an extended surface structure where both the first and second assembly surfaces are designed as non-parallel to the assembly direction of the first and second cover sheets. This results in the formation of sloping edge structures at the edge of the first cover sheet where its first assembly surface is located and at the edge of the second cover sheet where its second assembly surface is located. Therefore, after aligning and assembling the first and second cover sheets, the alignment and parallel fit between the first and second assembly surfaces can create a fitted structure that is not connected to the flow of process gas. Thus, regardless of whether there is a mating between the first and second assembly surfaces... The gaps between the first and second cover plates, with the windward side of the one closer to the upstream, effectively block the process gas from entering the mating structure between the first and second assembly surfaces. This ensures that the process gas flow always blows above the upstream coating components, effectively preventing the process gas from entering the mating structure between the first and second assembly surfaces. This also effectively eliminates the etching of the lower half of the component caused by the process gas flowing through the gap between the first and second cover plates for a long time. Furthermore, it avoids the contamination of the silicon carbide wafer surface by black carbon powder generated from the etching of the lower half of the component, thereby optimizing the silicon carbide epitaxial growth and the quality of the corresponding wafer products. In addition, since the process gas no longer flows through the mating gap between the first and second cover plates, it effectively avoids the formation of cubic silicon carbide and other impurities in the corresponding mating gap. This prevents interference with the process gas flow path and blowing pattern caused by the presence of impurities, thus ensuring the uniformity of the epitaxial growth thickness of the silicon carbide wafer products and resulting in better silicon carbide wafer product forming. Meanwhile, the upstream coating component still adopts the first cover plate and the second cover plate assembly structure. Under high temperature conditions, even if the upstream coating component expands due to heat, only a small misalignment or warping will occur at the joint between the first and second assembly surfaces. The integrated upstream coating component will not deform or even crack due to heat, thus effectively ensuring the structural reliability and operating condition tolerance of the upstream coating component, making it more durable. This also reduces the use and maintenance costs of the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing device accordingly.

[0026] Furthermore, the present invention also provides an assembly and testing method for the aforementioned silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus. Through sequentially implemented operation steps, it effectively ensures the reliable alignment and assembly of the lower half-moon component and the upstream coating component. After assembly, the upstream coating component effectively prevents process gases from flowing through the mating gap between the first and second cover plates into the non-working parts of the lower half-moon component, thereby preventing etching at the corresponding positions of the lower half-moon component. This effectively avoids the adverse effects of black carbon powder generated by etching on silicon carbide epitaxial growth and the corresponding wafer product forming effect, ensuring the quality of silicon carbide epitaxial growth and forming, and effectively improving the working condition adaptability and service life of the upstream coating component. As a result, the overall operation and maintenance costs of the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus are correspondingly reduced. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0028] Figure 1 This is an isometric view of the assembly structure of the upstream coating component and the lower crescent component of the silicon carbide epitaxial growth apparatus provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Top view of the mid-to-upstream coating assembly;

[0030] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first cover plate;

[0031] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the second cover plate.

[0032] in:

[0033] 10 - Upstream coating components;

[0034] 11-First cover plate; 111-First assembly surface; 112-First air-blocking part;

[0035] 12-Second cover plate; 121-Second assembly surface; 122-Second air barrier;

[0036] 13-Overlapping windbreak sections;

[0037] 20 - Second Half of the Month Component. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The core of this invention is to provide a silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus that can effectively avoid the adverse effects of structural gaps in the upstream coating components on silicon carbide epitaxial forming, ensure the quality of silicon carbide epitaxial growth and forming, and make the upstream coating components more durable, thereby reducing the cost of equipment use and component maintenance; it also provides an assembly and inspection method for the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus used in the above-mentioned silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus.

[0039] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0040] Please refer to the reference. Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 .

[0041] In a specific embodiment, the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus provided by the present invention includes a lower half-moon assembly 20, an upper half-moon assembly, and a rotating carrier disk connected to each other. The lower half-moon assembly 20 is arranged horizontally, and an upstream coating assembly 10 is provided on the top surface of the lower half-moon assembly 20. The upstream coating assembly 10 includes a first cover plate 11 and a second cover plate 12 that are aligned and fitted together along the conveying direction perpendicular to the process gas.

[0042] The first cover plate 11 forms a first assembly surface 111 on the outer wall facing the second cover plate 12, and the second cover plate 12 forms a second assembly surface 121 on the outer wall facing the first cover plate 11. The first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121 are aligned and parallel to each other, and the extension direction of the first assembly surface 111 is the first direction, the assembly direction of the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12 is the second direction, and the angle between the first direction and the second direction is an acute angle.

[0043] During the specific component assembly and operation, since both the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121 are designed as extended surface structures that are not parallel to the assembly direction of the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12, the first cover plate 11 at one end edge where the first assembly surface 111 is located and the second cover plate 12 at one end edge where the second assembly surface 121 is located respectively form a sloping edge structure. Thus, after the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12 are aligned and assembled, the alignment and parallel adaptation between the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121 can be used to form an adaptation structure that is not connected to the flow of process gas.

[0044] Thus, regardless of whether there is a gap between the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121, the process gas can be blocked outside the adapter structure of the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121 by the windward side of the one closer to the upstream of the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12. This ensures that the flow of process gas is always blown above the upstream coating component 10, thereby effectively preventing process gas from entering the adapter structure between the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121. This effectively prevents the etching of the lower half-moon component 20 caused by the long-term flow of process gas through the gap between the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12. At the same time, it also avoids the contamination of the silicon carbide wafer surface by the black carbon powder generated by the etching of the lower half-moon component 20. As a result, the quality of silicon carbide epitaxial growth and the corresponding wafer products can be optimized accordingly.

[0045] Furthermore, since the process gas no longer flows through the mating gap between the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12, the generation of cubic silicon carbide and other impurities at the corresponding mating gap is effectively avoided. This avoids interference with the flow path and blowing mode of the process gas caused by the presence of impurities, thereby ensuring the uniformity of the epitaxial growth thickness of the silicon carbide wafer product and making the silicon carbide wafer product forming effect better.

[0046] Meanwhile, the upstream coating component 10 still adopts the assembly structure of the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12. Under high-temperature working conditions, even if the upstream coating component 10 expands due to heat, only a small misalignment or warping will occur at the joint between the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121. The integrated upstream coating component 10 will not deform or even crack due to heat, thus effectively ensuring the structural reliability and working condition tolerance of the upstream coating component 10, making it more durable. This also reduces the use and maintenance costs of the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing device accordingly.

[0047] It is easy to understand that, under normal circumstances, the lower half-moon module 20 is arranged horizontally, and the upstream coating module 10 is also arranged horizontally on the top surface of the lower half-moon module 20. Considering that under normal operating conditions, the process gas is located in the space of the upstream coating module 10 and is blown roughly horizontally, the upstream end face of the lower half-moon module 20 used to arrange the upstream coating module 10 can also be understood as the top surface of the lower half-moon module 20. The relevant descriptions of the upstream end face and top surface of the lower half-moon module 20 in the rest of this article can be understood with reference to this, and will not be repeated here.

[0048] Correspondingly, the range of the coordination angle between the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121 and the main flow of process gas is relatively large, so as to effectively increase the difficulty of process gas entering the gap between the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121, so that the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121 form a large-angle inclined surface arrangement structure relative to the main flow of process gas, ensuring the corresponding windproof and wind-blocking effects.

[0049] Generally, the process gas is usually hydrogen or a mixture of gases containing hydrogen. Of course, in practical applications, other types of gases can also be used as the specific application type of the process gas to meet the working and operating requirements of the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing equipment. The staff can make appropriate selections and adjustments based on the specific working conditions and factors such as actual process costs, which will not be elaborated further.

[0050] Specifically, the first cover plate 11 has a first air-blocking part 112 protruding from the side facing the second cover plate 12, and the first assembly surface 111 is located inside the first air-blocking part 112.

[0051] The second cover plate 12 protrudes from the side facing the first cover plate 11 and is provided with a second air-blocking part 122, and the second assembly surface 121 is located outside the second air-blocking part 122.

[0052] The first air-blocking part 112 is located above the second air-blocking part 122, and the first air-blocking part 112 and the second air-blocking part 122 are arranged to overlap in the vertical direction to form an overlapping windbreak section 13, and the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121 are aligned and adapted.

[0053] Thus, the overlapping windbreak section 13 can be used as a specific adaptation structure at the alignment and mating point of the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12 to further protect the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121, preventing the adaptation gap between the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121 from being directly exposed to the process gas delivery path. This further prevents the process gas from flowing through the mating gap between the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121, thereby achieving the purpose of preventing the lower half-moon component 20 from being etched by the process gas and generating impurities such as black carbon powder. This also prevents the silicon carbide wafer from being contaminated by impurities such as black carbon powder. At the same time, it can also further prevent the generation of cubic silicon carbide and other impurities at the corners of the mating gap between the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12, thereby ensuring that the flow path and blowing mode of the process gas remain stable, so as to ensure the uniformity of the thickness and the forming effect of the corresponding silicon carbide wafer epitaxial growth.

[0054] In fact, through the above structural arrangement, the first gas-blocking part 112 and the second gas-blocking part 122 can respectively form a ramp structure, and the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121 are respectively located at the slope position of each ramp. In this way, while ensuring the alignment and adaptation effect of the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121, the ramp structure can effectively improve the structural strength at the mutual adaptation point of the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12, so as to further optimize the structural reliability of the upstream coating component 10 and improve its protection and optimization effect for silicon carbide epitaxial growth molding.

[0055] More specifically, the windward surface of the first gas-blocking section 112, which interacts with the process gas, is horizontal. This maximizes the effective blocking area of ​​the first gas-blocking section 112 against the process gas located at the bottom of the airflow, thereby optimizing the blocking effect of the overlapping windbreak section 13 on the process gas. This achieves optimal structural protection at the joint between the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12, based on the existing component assembly structure, and improves the quality of silicon carbide epitaxial growth and product molding.

[0056] It is easy to understand that in the specific assembly application of the upstream coating component 10 mentioned in this solution, the first cover plate 11 can be located on the left side as shown in the figure, and the second cover plate 12 can be located on the right side as shown in the figure, or the second cover plate 12 can be located on the left side as shown in the figure, while the first cover plate 11 is located on the right side as shown in the figure. That is, the relative assembly position of the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12 is not specifically limited. However, regardless of the assembly form, it should be ensured that one cover plate is located upstream of the other cover plate, and the outer wall of the corresponding gas-blocking part on the cover plate located upstream should have the aforementioned windward surface structure to ensure the blocking effect on the process gas.

[0057] In practical assembly applications, the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121 can be aligned and fitted together. This completely eliminates the gap between the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121, thereby completely preventing process gases from flowing through this gap. This avoids the adverse effects of etching of the lower half-moon component 20 and black carbon powder on silicon carbide epitaxial growth and product forming quality. It also further prevents the formation of impurities such as cubic silicon carbide, thus eliminating their interference with the normal blowing mode and flow path of process gases. This further optimizes the silicon carbide epitaxial growth forming effect and the corresponding wafer product quality.

[0058] Furthermore, the overlapping windbreak section 13 is typically arranged in the middle of the upstream coating assembly 10. Arranging the overlapping windbreak section 13 in the middle of the upstream coating assembly 10 can fully adapt to the conventional delivery path of the process gas, thereby effectively ensuring the wind protection effect of the overlapping windbreak section 13 at the mating point of the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12, thereby further optimizing the corresponding silicon carbide epitaxial growth effect and silicon carbide wafer forming quality.

[0059] On the other hand, the width bc of the overlapping windbreak section 13 along the direction perpendicular to the process gas conveying direction is 0.1mm to 100mm, that is, the width of the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121 along the direction perpendicular to the process gas conveying direction is 0.1mm to 100mm.

[0060] Accordingly, the width ad of the upstream coating assembly 10 along the direction perpendicular to the process gas delivery direction is 200mm~210mm.

[0061] Based on this, the width ac of the first cover plate 11 along the direction perpendicular to the process gas conveying and the width bd of the second cover plate 12 along the direction perpendicular to the process gas conveying are 110mm~130mm respectively.

[0062] It should be noted that, considering that under normal operating conditions, the lower half-moon component 20 is horizontally arranged in the working position, while the upstream coating component 10 is arranged horizontally and aligned and installed on top of the lower half-moon component 20, the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12 in this solution are also aligned and assembled horizontally. The width dimensions mentioned above are also the corresponding horizontal width dimensions of each component. All related content mentioned in the rest of this document can be understood by referring to this section and will not be repeated here.

[0063] In one specific embodiment, the assembly and inspection method for the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus provided by the present invention, using the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus as described above, includes the following steps:

[0064] First, place the lower half of the moon component 20 on a horizontal surface and check whether there are any abnormal pits or abnormal protruding particles at the corners of the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12. After checking and confirming that there are no abnormal pits or abnormal protruding particles at the corners, align and assemble the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12 to form the upstream coating component 10.

[0065] Afterwards, the assembled upstream coating component 10 can be aligned and installed into the slot on the top end face of the lower half-moon component 20, ensuring that the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121 are aligned and parallel.

[0066] Finally, the lower half-moon assembly 20, which is equipped with the upstream coating assembly 10, is assembled with the matching upper half-moon assembly and the rotating carrier and then placed into the process cavity. After that, the cavity is closed, vacuum is drawn, gas is backfilled and heated in sequence, and then the silicon carbide epitaxial growth operation is carried out.

[0067] In the operation and application of the above-mentioned assembly and testing method, the sequential implementation of each operation step effectively ensures the reliable alignment and assembly of the lower half-moon component 20 and the upstream coating component 10. After assembly, the upstream coating component 10 can effectively prevent process gas from flowing through the mating gap between the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12 into the non-working parts of the lower half-moon component 20, thereby preventing etching at the corresponding positions of the lower half-moon component 20. This effectively avoids the adverse effects of the black carbon powder generated by etching on the silicon carbide epitaxial growth and the corresponding wafer product forming effect, ensuring the quality of silicon carbide epitaxial growth and forming, and effectively improving the working condition adaptability and service life of the upstream coating component. As a result, the overall operation and maintenance costs of the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing device and the components are reduced accordingly.

[0068] In another specific embodiment, the assembly and inspection method for the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus provided by the present invention uses the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus as described above, and includes the following steps:

[0069] First, place the lower half of the moon component 20 on a horizontal surface and check whether there are any abnormal pits or abnormal protruding particles at the corners of the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12.

[0070] After inspection and confirmation that there are no abnormal pits or abnormal protruding particles at the corners of the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12, the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12 are respectively aligned and installed into the slots on the top end face of the lower half-moon assembly 20. The first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12 are then aligned and assembled to ensure that the first assembly surface 111 and the second assembly surface 121 are aligned and parallel.

[0071] Finally, the lower half-moon assembly 20, which is equipped with the upstream coating assembly 10, is assembled with the matching upper half-moon assembly and the rotating carrier and then placed into the process cavity. After that, the cavity is closed, vacuum is drawn, gas is backfilled and heated in sequence, and then the silicon carbide epitaxial growth operation is carried out.

[0072] In the operation and application of the above-mentioned assembly and testing method, the sequential implementation of each operation step effectively ensures the reliable alignment and assembly of the lower half-moon component 20 and the upstream coating component 10. After assembly, the upstream coating component 10 can effectively prevent process gas from flowing through the mating gap between the first cover plate 11 and the second cover plate 12 into the non-working parts of the lower half-moon component 20, thereby preventing etching at the corresponding positions of the lower half-moon component 20. This effectively avoids the adverse effects of the black carbon powder generated by etching on the silicon carbide epitaxial growth and the corresponding wafer product forming effect, ensuring the quality of silicon carbide epitaxial growth and forming, and effectively improving the working condition adaptability and service life of the upstream coating component. As a result, the overall operation and maintenance costs of the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing device and the components are reduced accordingly.

[0073] In summary, the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus provided in this invention, during component assembly and operation, features an extended surface structure designed with both the first and second assembly surfaces as non-parallel to the assembly direction of the first and second cover sheets. This results in the formation of sloping edge structures at the edges of the first and second cover sheets located on their respective first and second assembly surfaces. Consequently, after aligning and assembling the first and second cover sheets, the parallel alignment between the first and second assembly surfaces creates a mating structure that is not connected to the flow of process gas. Thus, regardless of whether there is a gap between the first and second assembly surfaces, this design ensures that the process gas flow remains uninterrupted. Both methods can effectively block the process gas from entering the mating structure between the first and second cover plates by using the windward side of the cover plate closer to the upstream. This ensures that the process gas flow always blows above the upstream coating component, effectively preventing the process gas from entering the mating structure between the first and second cover plates. This also effectively eliminates the etching of the lower half of the component caused by the process gas flowing through the gap between the first and second cover plates for a long time. Furthermore, it avoids the contamination of the silicon carbide wafer surface by black carbon powder generated from the etching of the lower half of the component, thereby optimizing the silicon carbide epitaxial growth and the quality of the corresponding wafer products. In addition, since the process gas no longer flows through the mating gap between the first and second cover plates, it effectively avoids the formation of cubic silicon carbide and other impurities in the corresponding mating gap. This prevents interference with the process gas flow path and blowing pattern caused by the presence of impurities, thus ensuring the uniformity of the epitaxial growth thickness of the silicon carbide wafer product and resulting in better silicon carbide wafer product forming. Meanwhile, the upstream coating component still adopts the first cover plate and the second cover plate assembly structure. Under high temperature conditions, even if the upstream coating component expands due to heat, only a small misalignment or warping will occur at the joint between the first and second assembly surfaces. The integrated upstream coating component will not deform or even crack due to heat, thus effectively ensuring the structural reliability and operating condition tolerance of the upstream coating component, making it more durable. This also reduces the use and maintenance costs of the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing device accordingly.

[0074] Furthermore, the assembly and inspection method for the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus provided in this invention, used in the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus as described above, effectively ensures reliable alignment and assembly of the lower half-moon component and the upstream coating component through sequentially implemented operation steps. The assembled upstream coating component effectively prevents process gases from flowing through the mating gap between the first and second cover plates into the non-working parts of the lower half-moon component, thereby preventing etching at the corresponding positions of the lower half-moon component. This effectively avoids the adverse effects of black carbon powder generated by etching on silicon carbide epitaxial growth and the corresponding wafer product forming effect, ensuring the quality of silicon carbide epitaxial growth and effectively improving the working condition adaptability and service life of the upstream coating component. Consequently, the overall operation and maintenance costs of the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus are correspondingly reduced.

[0075] The foregoing has provided a detailed description of the silicon carbide epitaxial growth apparatus and the assembly and inspection method for the silicon carbide epitaxial growth apparatus provided by the present invention. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are merely for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications to the present invention without departing from its principles, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus, comprising a lower crescent assembly, an upper crescent assembly, and a rotating carrier disk connected to each other, wherein the lower crescent assembly is horizontally arranged, and an upstream coating assembly is disposed on the top surface of the lower crescent assembly, characterized in that, The upstream coating assembly includes a first cover plate and a second cover plate that are aligned and fitted together along the direction of process gas delivery. The first cover plate forms a first assembly surface on the outer wall facing the second cover plate, and the second cover plate forms a second assembly surface on the outer wall facing the first cover plate. The first assembly surface and the second assembly surface are aligned and parallel to each other, and the extension direction of the first assembly surface is a first direction, the assembly direction of the first cover plate and the second cover plate is a second direction, and the angle between the first direction and the second direction is an acute angle.

2. The silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first cover plate has a first air-blocking part protruding from one side toward the second cover plate, and the first assembly surface is located inside the first air-blocking part; The second cover plate has a second air-blocking part protruding from one side toward the first cover plate, and the second assembly surface is located on the outside of the second air-blocking part; The first air-blocking part is located above the second air-blocking part, and the first air-blocking part and the second air-blocking part are arranged to overlap in the vertical direction to form an overlapping wind-blocking section, and the first assembly surface and the second assembly surface are aligned and adapted.

3. The silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The windward surface of the first gas barrier unit, which cooperates with the process gas, is a horizontal plane.

4. The silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first assembly surface and the second assembly surface are aligned and fitted together.

5. The silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The overlapping windbreak section is located in the middle of the upstream coating assembly.

6. The silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The width of the overlapping windbreak section perpendicular to the process gas conveying direction is 0.1mm to 100mm.

7. The silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The width of the upstream coating assembly along the direction perpendicular to the process gas delivery direction is 200mm~210mm.

8. The silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The width of either the first cover or the second cover along the direction perpendicular to the process gas delivery direction is 110mm to 130mm.

9. A method for assembling and inspecting a silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus, characterized in that, An apparatus for silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising the steps of: Place the lower half of the component on a horizontal surface and check whether there are any abnormal pits or abnormal protruding particles at each corner of the first cover and the second cover. After the inspection is completed and it is confirmed that there are no abnormal pits or abnormal protruding particles at each corner, align and assemble the first cover and the second cover into the upstream coating component. The assembled upstream coating component is aligned and installed into the slot on the top end face of the lower half-moon component, ensuring that the first assembly surface and the second assembly surface are aligned and parallel to each other. After the lower half-moon assembly with the upstream coating components is assembled with the matching upper half-moon assembly and the rotating carrier, it is placed into the process chamber. Then, the chamber is closed, vacuumed, gas backfilled and heated in sequence before the silicon carbide epitaxial growth operation is carried out.

10. The assembly and inspection method for the silicon carbide epitaxial growth processing apparatus as described in claim 9, characterized in that, After inspection and confirmation that there are no abnormal pits or abnormal protruding particles at the edges of the first and second cover plates, the first and second cover plates are respectively aligned and installed into the slots on the top end face of the lower half-moon assembly. The first and second cover plates are then aligned and assembled to ensure that the first and second assembly surfaces are aligned and parallel.

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