Transferring chamber device and its vacuumizing method

Abstract

The application discloses a wafer conveying cavity device and a vacuum pumping method thereof. The device comprises a cavity, a cover plate and a gate valve. The cavity has a main cavity chamber and a side cavity chamber, and the main cavity chamber and the side cavity chamber are separated by a shared cavity wall. A communication port is arranged on the shared cavity wall. The upper end of the side cavity chamber has a top opening. The cover plate is arranged at the top opening. The gate valve comprises a valve seat and a valve plate. The valve seat is arranged on the cover plate and is in an integrated structure with the cover plate. The valve plate penetrates the valve seat and the cover plate at the top opening and extends into the side cavity chamber. The valve plate is movable relative to the valve seat to open or close the communication port. A molecular pump is connected to the side cavity chamber. The main cavity chamber and the side cavity chamber are separated, the molecular pump is directly connected to the side cavity chamber, and the cover plate and the valve seat are in an integrated structure. In the shortest air path and the mode of the constant vacuum of the side cavity chamber, the synchronous improvement of the three dimensions of the vacuum pumping speed, the ultimate vacuum degree and the wafer production capacity is realized, and the performance of the wafer conveying cavity device is significantly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, and more particularly to a wafer transfer cavity device and its vacuuming method. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, wafers need to be sequentially transferred between different process chambers to complete multiple processes such as etching, deposition, and thermal processing. Each process chamber is typically maintained in a high vacuum state to ensure the purity of the process atmosphere and the repeatability of the process results. Wafers are usually removed from wafer carriers in the atmospheric environment before entering the process chambers. Therefore, the semiconductor process platform needs to include a transition chamber between the atmospheric-side front-end module and the vacuum-side transfer platform, enabling the transition of wafers from the atmospheric environment to the vacuum environment and back again.

[0003] This transition chamber typically has an openable and closable door, with one side leading to the device's front-end module on the atmospheric side and the other side leading to the transfer platform on the vacuum side. When receiving a wafer, the transition chamber is first depressurized to atmospheric pressure. After the door opens, the wafer is fed into the transition chamber. Subsequently, the door closes, and the air inside the transition chamber is evacuated by a vacuum pump assembly to reduce the pressure in the transition chamber from atmospheric pressure to a vacuum pressure matching that of the transfer platform. Then, the door between the transition chamber and the transfer platform is opened, and the wafer enters the transfer platform. The process is reversed when the wafer returns from the vacuum side.

[0004] Currently, the performance of the transfer cavity device still needs to be improved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The problem solved by the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a wafer transfer cavity device and a vacuuming method thereof, which significantly improves the performance of the wafer transfer cavity device.

[0006] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a transfer chamber device, comprising: a chamber having a main chamber and a side chamber, the main chamber and the side chamber being separated by a common chamber wall, the common chamber wall having a communication port, and the upper end of the side chamber having a top opening; a cover plate covering the top opening; a valve including a valve seat and a valve plate, the valve seat being disposed on the cover plate, and the valve seat and the cover plate being an integral structure, the valve plate passing through the valve seat and the cover plate at the top opening and extending into the side chamber, the valve plate being movable relative to the valve seat to open or close the communication port; and a molecular pump, one end of which is connected to the side chamber.

[0007] Optionally, the connection port is located in the middle region of the shared cavity wall.

[0008] Optionally, the valve plate has a sealing surface on the side facing the connection port, which abuts against the common cavity wall and surrounds the area of ​​the connection port when the valve plate is in the closed position.

[0009] Optionally, the gate valve is a slide gate valve, which slides vertically to open or close the connection port.

[0010] Optionally, the volume of the side chamber is smaller than the volume of the main chamber.

[0011] Optionally, the transfer chamber device may also include: a dry pump; a pre-extraction valve, one end of which is connected to the main chamber and the other end of which is connected to the dry pump; and a fore-stage valve, one end of which is connected to the other end of the molecular pump and the other end of which is connected to the dry pump.

[0012] Optionally, the transfer chamber device is arranged in a mirror-symmetric manner with another transfer chamber device having the same structure, and the molecular pump of the transfer chamber device is independent of the molecular pump of the other transfer chamber device.

[0013] Accordingly, the present invention also provides a vacuuming method for the wafer transfer cavity device provided by the present invention, comprising: initially establishing a vacuum in the wafer transfer cavity device, the initial vacuuming step comprising: closing the valve and pre-evacuating the main chamber until the pressure in the main chamber drops below a first preset pressure value; pre-evacuating the side chamber and the molecular pump until the pressure in the side chamber and the molecular pump drops below the first preset pressure value; after confirming that the pressure in the main chamber is lower than the first preset pressure value, opening the valve to connect the main chamber and the side chamber; starting the molecular pump to evacuate the main chamber and the side chamber to a high vacuum; breaking the vacuum in the main chamber, the breaking vacuum step comprising: closing the valve to isolate the side chamber from the main chamber; depressurizing the main chamber to atmospheric pressure for wafer pick-and-place operations; after breaking the vacuum in the main chamber, restoring the vacuum in the wafer transfer cavity device, the restoring vacuum step comprising: keeping the molecular pump in operation and the side chamber in a vacuum state; pre-evacuating the main chamber until the pressure in the main chamber drops below the first preset pressure value; opening the valve to connect the main chamber and the side chamber.

[0014] Optionally, the transfer chamber device further includes: a dry pump; a pre-evacuation valve, one end of which is connected to the main chamber and the other end of which is connected to the dry pump; a fore-stage valve, one end of which is connected to the other end of the molecular pump and the other end of which is connected to the dry pump; the step of pre-evacuating the main chamber includes: opening the pre-evacuation valve and evacuating the main chamber using the dry pump; the step of pre-evacuating the side chamber and the molecular pump includes: closing the pre-evacuation valve, opening the fore-stage valve, and pre-evacuating the side chamber and the molecular pump using the dry pump.

[0015] Optionally, in the step of initially establishing a vacuum in the transfer chamber device, before opening the gate valve, the following steps are included: if it is confirmed that the pressure in the main chamber is higher than the first preset pressure value, then the fore-stage valve is closed, and the step of pre-evacuating the main chamber in the initial vacuum establishment step is re-executed.

[0016] Optionally, the first preset pressure value is 10 Pa.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the embodiments of the present invention has the following advantages: The transfer chamber device provided in this embodiment of the invention divides the chamber into a main chamber and a side chamber separated by a common chamber wall, and provides a connection port on the common chamber wall, allowing the main chamber and side chamber to be both connected and isolated. When the valve plate closes the connection port, the side chamber forms an independent closed space. One end of the molecular pump is directly connected to the side chamber, eliminating the lengthy connecting pipes and multiple valves between the molecular pump and the chamber in traditional shared molecular pump schemes. This maximizes the flow conductance from the pump's pump port to the side chamber, significantly reduces the pressure drop, and fully utilizes the effective pumping speed of the molecular pump, thereby improving the vacuuming speed of the chamber and reducing the ultimate vacuum. A cover plate is placed over the top opening of the side chamber, and the valve seat is mounted on the cover plate and is an integral part of the cover plate, with a single component simultaneously undertaking the functions of chamber sealing and... The valve seat has two functions, eliminating the need for a separate valve body flange and corresponding sealing interface, reducing potential leakage points and making the vacuum in the side chamber more stable. The valve plate passes through the valve seat and cover plate at the top opening and extends into the side chamber to open or close the connection port, so that the main chamber and the side chamber can be reliably isolated. When the main chamber is depressurized to atmospheric pressure for wafer handover, the side chamber and the molecular pump can maintain a constant vacuum state and the molecular pump can continue to run without stopping. After the wafer handover is completed, only the main chamber needs to be pre-pumped to the transition pressure, and then the valve plate is opened to connect the main chamber to the side chamber which is already in vacuum to restore the high vacuum state. This eliminates the waiting time for the molecular pump to be restarted and accelerated to the rated speed each time, greatly shortening the vacuum recovery cycle of each wafer handover, thereby improving wafer production capacity. In summary, the wafer transfer chamber device of the present invention, through the structural configuration of separating the main chamber and the side chamber, directly connecting the molecular pump to the side chamber, and integrating the cover plate and the valve seat, achieves simultaneous improvement in three dimensions: vacuuming speed, ultimate vacuum degree, and wafer production capacity by using the shortest gas path and a constant vacuum in the side chamber, thereby significantly improving the performance of the wafer transfer chamber device. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment of the transfer cavity device of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the steps corresponding to an embodiment of the vacuuming method for the plate transfer cavity device provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Currently, the performance of the transfer cavity device still needs to be improved.

[0020] Specifically, in existing semiconductor process platforms, two wafer transfer chambers are typically configured, and the two wafer transfer chambers share a single molecular pump. The cavity of the wafer transfer chamber is connected to the pump's exhaust port via piping, which is equipped with valves. The gas flow path from the pump's exhaust port to the interior of the wafer transfer chamber includes connecting piping and multiple valves connected in series. The connecting piping of each of the two wafer transfer chambers merges through corresponding valves and then connects to the same molecular pump.

[0021] In the aforementioned scheme using a single molecular pump, the gas flow path is impaired due to the long connecting pipeline and multiple valves between the pump's extraction port and the wafer transfer chamber. This prevents the pump from reaching its full potential, resulting in slow vacuuming speed and a relatively high achievable ultimate vacuum, which fails to meet the increasingly demanding vacuum quality requirements of modern processes. Furthermore, the valve opening and closing response time, combined with the pipeline length, prolongs the pumping cycle time, hindering the overall efficiency of wafer transfer. Since two wafer transfer chambers share a single molecular pump, a failure of this pump causes both chambers to stop operating simultaneously, leading to a system-wide shutdown and a high risk of single-point failure. In conclusion, the performance of the wafer transfer chamber device still needs improvement.

[0022] To address the technical problem, this invention provides a transfer chamber device, comprising: a chamber having a main chamber and a side chamber, the main chamber and the side chamber being separated by a common chamber wall, the common chamber wall having a communication port, and the upper end of the side chamber having a top opening; a cover plate covering the top opening; a valve including a valve seat and a valve plate, the valve seat being disposed on the cover plate and the valve seat and the cover plate being an integral structure, the valve plate passing through the valve seat and the cover plate at the top opening and extending into the side chamber, the valve plate being movable relative to the valve seat to open or close the communication port; and a molecular pump, one end of which is connected to the side chamber.

[0023] The transfer chamber device provided in this embodiment of the invention divides the chamber into a main chamber and a side chamber separated by a common chamber wall, and provides a connection port on the common chamber wall, allowing the main chamber and side chamber to be both connected and isolated. When the valve plate closes the connection port, the side chamber forms an independent closed space. One end of the molecular pump is directly connected to the side chamber, eliminating the lengthy connecting pipes and multiple valves between the molecular pump and the chamber in traditional shared molecular pump schemes. This maximizes the flow conductance from the pump's pump port to the side chamber, significantly reduces the pressure drop, and fully utilizes the effective pumping speed of the molecular pump, thereby improving the vacuuming speed of the chamber and reducing the ultimate vacuum. A cover plate is placed over the top opening of the side chamber, and the valve seat is mounted on the cover plate and is an integral part of the cover plate, with a single component simultaneously undertaking the functions of chamber sealing and... The valve seat has two functions, eliminating the need for a separate valve body flange and corresponding sealing interface, reducing potential leakage points and making the vacuum in the side chamber more stable. The valve plate passes through the valve seat and cover plate at the top opening and extends into the side chamber to open or close the connection port, so that the main chamber and the side chamber can be reliably isolated. When the main chamber is depressurized to atmospheric pressure for wafer handover, the side chamber and the molecular pump can maintain a constant vacuum state and the molecular pump can continue to run without stopping. After the wafer handover is completed, only the main chamber needs to be pre-pumped to the transition pressure, and then the valve plate is opened to connect the main chamber to the side chamber which is already in vacuum to restore the high vacuum state. This eliminates the waiting time for the molecular pump to be restarted and accelerated to the rated speed each time, greatly shortening the vacuum recovery cycle of each wafer handover, thereby improving wafer production capacity. In summary, the wafer transfer chamber device of the present invention, through the structural configuration of separating the main chamber and the side chamber, directly connecting the molecular pump to the side chamber, and integrating the cover plate and the valve seat, achieves simultaneous improvement in three dimensions: vacuuming speed, ultimate vacuum degree, and wafer production capacity by using the shortest gas path and a constant vacuum in the side chamber, thereby significantly improving the performance of the wafer transfer chamber device.

[0024] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] in, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment of the transfer cavity device of the present invention.

[0026] The transfer chamber device includes: a chamber having a main chamber 100 and a side chamber 101, the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 being separated by a common chamber wall 116, the common chamber wall 116 having a communication port 120, and the upper end of the side chamber 101 having a top opening; a cover plate 110 covering the top opening; a valve 178 including a valve seat 177 and a valve plate 112, the valve seat 177 being disposed on the cover plate 110, and the valve seat 177 and the cover plate 110 being an integral structure, the valve plate 112 passing through the valve seat 177 and the cover plate 110 at the top opening and extending into the side chamber 101, the valve plate 112 being movable relative to the valve seat 177 to open or close the communication port 120; and a molecular pump 160, one end of which is connected to the side chamber 101.

[0027] It should be noted that by dividing the cavity into a main chamber 100 and a side chamber 101 separated by a common cavity wall 116, and by providing a connection port 120 on the common cavity wall 116, the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 can be both connected and isolated. When the valve plate 112 closes the connection port 120, the side chamber 101 forms an independent closed space. One end of the molecular pump 160 is directly connected to the side chamber 101, eliminating the need for the traditional shared molecular pump 160 design where the pump is connected to the side chamber 101. The lengthy connecting pipeline and multiple valves between the molecular pump 160 and the chamber maximize the flow conductance from the pump port of the molecular pump 160 to the side chamber 101, significantly reducing the pressure drop and allowing the effective pumping speed of the molecular pump 160 to be fully utilized. This improves the evacuation speed of the chamber and reduces the ultimate vacuum level. The cover plate 110 covers the top opening of the side chamber 101, and the valve seat 177 is mounted on the cover plate 110 and is an integral part of the cover plate 110, so that a single component can simultaneously bear the responsibility of sealing the chamber. The valve plate 112, which integrates the functions of the valve seat 177 and the valve body 177, eliminates the need for a separate valve body flange and corresponding sealing interface, reducing potential leakage points and making the vacuum maintenance of the side chamber 101 more stable. The valve plate 112 passes through the valve seat 177 and the cover plate 110 at the top opening and extends into the side chamber 101 to open or close the connection port 120, so that the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 can be reliably isolated. When the main chamber 100 is depressurized to atmospheric pressure for wafer handover, the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 can maintain a constant vacuum state and the molecular pump 160 can continue to operate without stopping. After the wafer handover is completed, the main chamber 100 only needs to be pre-pumped to the transition pressure, and then the valve plate 112 is opened to connect the main chamber 100 to the side chamber 101 which is already in vacuum, to restore the high vacuum state. This eliminates the waiting time for the molecular pump 160 to restart and accelerate to the rated speed each time, greatly shortening the vacuum recovery cycle of each wafer handover, thereby improving the wafer production capacity. In summary, the wafer transfer chamber device of the present invention, through the structural configuration of separating the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101, directly connecting the molecular pump 160 to the side chamber 101, and integrating the cover plate 110 and the valve seat 177, achieves simultaneous improvement in three dimensions: vacuuming speed, ultimate vacuum degree, and wafer production capacity by using the shortest gas path and the side chamber 101 being constantly resident in vacuum, thereby significantly improving the performance of the wafer transfer chamber device.

[0028] In this embodiment, the cavity has a main chamber 100 and a side chamber 101. The main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 are separated by a common cavity wall 116. A communication port 120 is provided on the common cavity wall 116. The upper end of the side chamber 101 has a top opening.

[0029] Specifically, by dividing the cavity into a main chamber 100 and a side chamber 101 separated by a common cavity wall 116, the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 become two independent spaces within the same cavity rather than two separate cavities. The common cavity wall 116 serves as the physical boundary between the two, making the side chamber 101 a fixed component of the cavity in terms of structure. The main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 can be arranged in close proximity without the need for additional connecting components, resulting in a compact overall structure with high rigidity.

[0030] It should be noted that a connecting port 120 is provided on the common cavity wall 116, providing a channel for gas flow between the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101. When the connecting port 120 is open, the internal space of the main chamber 100 and the internal space of the side chamber 101 are directly connected through the connecting port 120, and the gas can flow between the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 through the connecting port 120. Since the connecting port 120 is directly provided on the common cavity wall 116, and the two sides of the connecting port 120 are the internal spaces of the two chambers, the airflow path is extremely short and the flow resistance is minimal. When the connecting port 120 is closed, the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 are separated into two independent closed spaces, each of which can maintain different pressure states without interfering with each other.

[0031] It should also be noted that the upper end of the side chamber 101 has a top opening, which provides an installation position for the cover plate 110. The cover plate 110 can be placed on the top opening from above to close the upper end of the side chamber 101. At the same time, the top opening also provides a channel for the valve plate 112 to enter the interior of the side chamber 101 from the outside.

[0032] In this embodiment, the communication port 120 is located in the middle region of the common cavity wall 116.

[0033] It should be noted that the connecting port 120 is located in the middle region of the common cavity wall 116, that is, the connecting port 120 is in the middle position in the vertical direction of the common cavity wall 116, neither too close to the upper end of the side chamber 101 nor too close to the lower end of the side chamber 101. This ensures that the valve plate 112, which passes through the cover plate 110 and valve seat 177 from above the side chamber 101 and enters the interior of the side chamber 101, can extend in the side chamber 101 to cover the connecting port 12 in the vertical direction. When the valve plate 112 moves downward to the closed position, its sealing surface can completely cover and abut against the common cavity wall 116 area around the connection port 120, ensuring that the connection port 120 is reliably closed. When the valve plate 112 moves upward to the open position, its lower end is raised above the upper edge of the connection port 120, so that the connection port 120 is open on both the main chamber 100 side and the side chamber 101 side, and gas can pass freely through the connection port 120.

[0034] It should also be noted that the connection port 120 is located in the middle area so that there is a certain vertical distance between the connection port 120 and the molecular pump 160 connected to the bottom of the side chamber 101. When the molecular pump 160 pumps gas into the side chamber 101, the gas enters the side chamber 101 from the connection port 120 and flows from top to bottom to the molecular pump 160, so that the gas flow direction is smooth.

[0035] In this embodiment, the volume of the side chamber 101 is smaller than the volume of the main chamber 100.

[0036] Specifically, the main chamber 100 is used to accommodate the wafer and to transfer the wafer to the front-end module of the equipment. It requires a sufficiently large internal space to meet the operational needs of the wafer carrying and transfer robot. Therefore, the volume of the main chamber 100 is relatively large. On the other hand, the core function of the side chamber 101 is to provide an independent space for the molecular pump 160 to maintain a vacuum state for a long time. The side chamber 101 does not need to accommodate the wafer, and its volume can be significantly smaller than that of the main chamber 100.

[0037] It should be noted that the volume of the side chamber 101 is smaller than that of the main chamber 100. During the subsequent vacuuming process, when the vacuum is initially established, the time required to pre-pump the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 to the first preset pressure value is shorter because the total amount of gas to be pumped out is less. The side chamber 101 can reach the transition pressure before the main chamber 100, thus shortening the time for the entire transfer chamber device to establish a vacuum for the first time.

[0038] It should also be noted that during the period when the main chamber 100 is devastated for wafer transfer while the side chamber 101 is kept under vacuum, the smaller the volume of the side chamber 101, the less gas is inside it. Even in the case of a slight leak, the pressure rise inside the side chamber 101 is slower, and the vacuum state of the side chamber 101 is maintained more stably. Furthermore, when the valve plate 112 is opened to connect the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101, the small volume of the side chamber 101 means that the pressure balance between the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 is achieved more quickly at the moment of connection, and the residual gas in the main chamber 100 can be quickly removed by the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160.

[0039] In this embodiment, the cover plate 110 is placed over the top opening.

[0040] Specifically, the cover plate 110 is placed over the top opening of the side chamber 101 to achieve a vacuum seal of the side chamber 101.

[0041] It should be noted that the cover plate 110 not only seals the upper end of the side chamber 101 to maintain the vacuum state of the side chamber 101, but also directly supports the valve seat 177, providing a mounting base for the valve seat 177. Since the cover plate 110 covers the top opening and the valve seat 177 is mounted on the cover plate 110 and is an integral structure with the cover plate 110, there is no need to set a separate connecting flange and sealing interface between the cover plate 110 and the valve seat 177. The valve seat 177 and the cover plate 110 themselves constitute a complete structural unit, eliminating the assembly gap and potential vacuum leakage path between the cover plate 110 and the valve seat 177.

[0042] It should also be noted that the cover plate 110 is located at the top of the side chamber 101, and the valve plate 112 extends downward into the side chamber 101 after passing through the cover plate 110 and the valve seat 177 from above. The drive mechanism of the valve plate 112 can be set in the external atmospheric environment above the cover plate 110, which facilitates the installation and maintenance of the drive mechanism and also facilitates the isolation of the drive mechanism from the vacuum area.

[0043] In this embodiment, the valve 178 includes a valve seat 177 and a valve plate 112. The valve seat 177 is disposed on the cover plate 110, and the valve seat 177 and the cover plate 110 are integral structures. The valve plate 112 passes through the valve seat 177 and the cover plate 110 at the top opening and extends into the side chamber 101. The valve plate 112 can move relative to the valve seat 177 to open or close the communication port 120.

[0044] Specifically, the valve seat 177 is disposed on the cover plate 110 and is an integral structure with the cover plate 110, so that the cover plate 110 not only has the function of sealing the top opening of the side chamber 101, but also constitutes the valve seat 177 itself, providing sliding guidance and sealing mating surface for the valve plate 112.

[0045] It should be noted that the valve seat 177 is mounted on the cover plate 110 and is an integral part of the cover plate 110. The cover plate 110 and the valve seat 177 are the same structure, eliminating the need for an independent valve body flange and the sealing interface between the cover plate 110 and the valve seat 177. The space occupied by the original independent valve body flange is freed up, making the structure of the plate transfer chamber device more compact in this part.

[0046] It should also be noted that the valve plate 112 passes through the valve seat 177 and the cover plate 110 at the top opening and extends into the side chamber 101. After passing over the cover plate 110, the valve plate 112 enters the side chamber 101. A sliding fit is formed between the valve plate 112 and the valve seat 177. The valve seat 177 provides guidance and constraint for the movement of the valve plate 112, allowing the valve plate 112 to move stably in a preset direction. Since the valve plate 112 extends into the side chamber 101 after passing through the valve seat 177 and the cover plate 110 at the top opening, the lower end of the valve plate 112 can reach the position of the common cavity wall 116 where the communication port 120 is located. Thus, when the valve plate 112 moves to the closed position, the communication port 120 is closed, and when the valve plate 112 moves to the open position, the communication port 120 is opened. When the valve plate 112 moves to the closed position, the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 are separated by the valve plate 112. The gas in the main chamber 100 cannot enter the side chamber 101 through the connecting port 120, and the gas in the side chamber 101 cannot enter the main chamber 100 through the connecting port 120. The side chamber 101 forms an independent closed space that is completely isolated from the main chamber 100. When the valve plate 112 moves to the open position, the connecting port 120 is open on both the main chamber 100 side and the side chamber 101 side. The main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 are connected through the connecting port 120. The gas can flow freely between the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101. The molecular pump 160 can pump gas from the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 at the same time.

[0047] In this embodiment, the valve plate 112 has a sealing surface on the side facing the communication port 120. When the valve plate 112 is in the closed position, the sealing surface abuts against the common cavity wall 116 and surrounds the area of ​​the communication port 120.

[0048] Specifically, the valve plate 112 has a sealing surface on the side facing the communication port 120. That is, a planar area for sealing is formed on the surface of the valve plate 112 facing the communication port 120. When the valve plate 112 is in the closed position, the sealing surface is in close contact with the corresponding area on the surface of the common cavity wall 116, and the area covered by the sealing surface is the annular area on the common cavity wall 116 surrounding the periphery of the communication port 120.

[0049] When the valve plate 112 is in the closed position, the sealing surface abuts against the area of ​​the common cavity wall 116 surrounding the connection port 120. The contact pressure between the sealing surface and the surface of the common cavity wall 116 forms a sealing ring around the connection port 120, blocking the gas flow path between the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 through the connection port 120. The sealing surface directly abuts against the surface of the common cavity wall 116 rather than against an additional sealing seat or sealing ring, so that the sealing interface is the common cavity wall 116 itself around the connection port 120, and the sealing path is a circle around the connection port 120, minimizing the sealing area and making the sealing structure most direct. Meanwhile, the valve plate 112 extends downward from the cover plate 110 to the communication port 120. The sealing surface is located on the side of the lower end of the valve plate 112 facing the communication port 120. The vertical movement of the valve plate 112 causes the sealing surface to press or retract in a direction perpendicular to the common cavity wall 116. The direction of the sealing force is consistent with the direction of movement of the valve plate 112. There is a good correspondence between the movement stroke of the valve plate 112 and the pressing force of the sealing surface, which makes it easy to accurately control the magnitude of the sealing force by controlling the displacement of the valve plate 112.

[0050] In this embodiment, the gate valve 178 is a slide gate valve, which slides vertically to open or close the communication port 120.

[0051] Specifically, the gate valve 178 adopts the structure of a slide gate valve. The valve plate 112 of the slide gate valve slides vertically to open or close the communication port 120. The movement mode of the slide gate valve is linear sliding. The valve plate 112 rises or falls vertically under the guidance of the valve seat 177.

[0052] In this embodiment, one end of the molecular pump 160 is connected to the side chamber 101.

[0053] It should be noted that one end of the molecular pump 160 is connected to the side chamber 101, that is, the pump port of the molecular pump 160 is directly connected to the internal space of the side chamber 101. The molecular pump 160 removes the gas inside the side chamber 101 to establish a high vacuum in the side chamber 101.

[0054] It should also be noted that, since the molecular pump 160 is directly connected to the side chamber 101, the gas path length between the pump port of the molecular pump 160 and the internal space of the side chamber 101 is extremely short. There is no redundant pipeline and multiple valves connected in series between the molecular pump 160 and the chamber as in the traditional shared molecular pump 160 scheme. The path that the gas takes from the inside of the side chamber 101 to the pump port of the molecular pump 160 only includes the connection between the two. The flow conduction on this path is not throttled by pipelines and valves. The gas flow rate at the pump port of the molecular pump 160 is close to that inside the side chamber 101. The pumping speed of the molecular pump 160 can be fully utilized, and the vacuuming speed of the side chamber 101 is significantly improved.

[0055] When valve plate 112 opens the connection port 120, the main chamber 100 is connected to the side chamber 101. Molecular pump 160 simultaneously pumps gas from the main chamber 100 through the side chamber 101 and the connection port 120. Since molecular pump 160 is directly connected to the side chamber 101, the gas in the main chamber 100 only needs to pass through the connection port 120 and the inside of the side chamber 101 to enter molecular pump 160. The flow path is also extremely short and the flow resistance is low. The vacuuming speed of molecular pump 160 in the main chamber 100 is also improved.

[0056] When valve plate 112 closes the connection port 120, the side chamber 101 is isolated from the main chamber 100. The molecular pump 160 only needs to maintain the vacuum state of the small volume space of the side chamber 101. The operating load of the molecular pump 160 is small, the vacuum state of the side chamber 101 is easy to maintain, and the molecular pump 160 can run continuously without stopping. This avoids the consumption of bearing life by the frequent start and stop of the molecular pump 160 and the waiting time consumed by accelerating to the rated speed after each restart.

[0057] In this embodiment, the transfer chamber device further includes: a dry pump 180; a pre-extraction valve 190, one end of which is connected to the main chamber 100 and the other end of which is connected to the dry pump 180; and a pre-stage valve 170, one end of which is connected to the other end of the molecular pump 160 and the other end of which is connected to the dry pump 180.

[0058] Specifically, the dry pump 180 serves as a rough vacuum generating device, used to pump the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 from atmospheric pressure to a transition pressure state, providing the necessary fore-stage pressure for the start-up and operation of the molecular pump 160.

[0059] The pre-evacuation valve 190 is connected between the main chamber 100 and the dry pump 180. When the pre-evacuation valve 190 is open, the dry pump 180 directly evacuates the main chamber 100 through the pre-evacuation valve 190. Since one end of the pre-evacuation valve 190 is directly connected to the main chamber 100, the evacuation path of the dry pump 180 to the main chamber 100 only passes through the pre-evacuation valve 190, resulting in a large evacuation flow. The main chamber 100 can be reduced from atmospheric pressure to below the first preset pressure value in a short time. When the pre-evacuation valve 190 is closed, the connection between the main chamber 100 and the dry pump 180 is cut off.

[0060] The pre-valve 170 is connected between the other end of the molecular pump 160 and the dry pump 180. One end of the molecular pump 160 is connected to the side chamber 101, and the other end of the molecular pump 160 is the outlet of the molecular pump 160. When the pre-valve 170 is open, the dry pump 180 can evacuate the outlet side of the molecular pump 160 through the pre-valve 170, that is, the side chamber 101 is evacuated through the pre-valve 170 and the molecular pump 160. At this time, the molecular pump 160 is in the evacuation state, and the dry pump 180 extracts the gas in the side chamber 101 in sequence through the pre-valve 170 and the molecular pump 160. When the pre-valve 170 is closed, the connection between the outlet of the molecular pump 160 and the dry pump 180 is cut off.

[0061] It should be noted that the pre-extraction valve 190 and the fore-stage valve 170 are controlled independently, so that the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 can be connected or disconnected from the dry pump 180 independently without interfering with each other. During the subsequent vacuuming process, the pre-vacuum valve 190 is first opened to allow the dry pump 180 to evacuate the main chamber 100 separately. After the pressure in the main chamber 100 drops below the first preset pressure value, the pre-vacuum valve 190 is closed and the pre-stage valve 170 is opened. The dry pump 180 then switches to evacuating the side chamber 101 separately via the pre-stage valve 170 and the molecular pump 160. During the roughing stage, the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 are served by the same dry pump 180 in a time-sharing manner, but their operations are independent of each other, avoiding potential mutual interference when the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 are simultaneously connected to the dry pump 180. During the vacuum breaking stage, after the connection port 120 is closed, the main chamber 100 is depressurized to atmospheric pressure, while the side chamber 101 is isolated by the valve plate 112. While maintaining a vacuum, both the pre-evacuation valve 190 and the fore-stage valve 170 remain closed. The dry pump 180 is neither connected to the main chamber 100 nor to the side chamber 101. During the vacuum recovery phase, the main chamber 100 has broken the vacuum while the side chamber 101 remains under vacuum. At this time, the pre-evacuation valve 190 is opened to allow the dry pump 180 to re-evacuate the main chamber 100. Once the pressure in the main chamber 100 drops below the first preset pressure value, the pre-evacuation valve 190 is closed, and then the valve plate 112 is opened to connect the main chamber 100 with the side chamber 101, which is already under vacuum. During the recovery process, the dry pump 180 only needs to process the gas in the main chamber 100, and the side chamber 101 does not need to be re-evacuated. The workload of the dry pump 180 is reduced, and the vacuum recovery time is shortened.

[0062] In this embodiment, the transfer chamber device and another transfer chamber device with the same structure are arranged in a mirror-symmetric manner, and the molecular pump 160 of the transfer chamber device and the molecular pump 160 of the other transfer chamber device are independent of each other.

[0063] Specifically, when the wafer transfer cavity device of this embodiment is applied to a semiconductor processing equipment, two sets of wafer transfer cavity devices are usually configured. The two sets of wafer transfer cavity devices have the same structure and are arranged in a mirror symmetrical manner.

[0064] It should be noted that the mirror-symmetric arrangement means that the side chambers 101 of the two wafer transfer devices are located outside their respective main chambers 100. The molecular pumps 160 of the two wafer transfer devices are independently connected to their respective side chambers 101. The molecular pumps 160 of one wafer transfer device and the molecular pumps 160 of the other wafer transfer device are structurally independent and do not affect each other in operation. When the main chamber 100 of one wafer transfer device is performing vacuum breaking, wafer transfer, and vacuum re-establishment operations, the other wafer transfer device can maintain its main chamber 100 and side chambers 101 in a high vacuum state and perform wafer transfer operations normally. The two wafer transfer devices work alternately to achieve continuous and uninterrupted wafer transfer, avoiding the waiting time when a single wafer transfer device cannot transfer wafers during vacuum breaking interactions. The overall wafer transfer efficiency of the equipment is greatly improved.

[0065] It should also be noted that, since the molecular pumps 160 of the two film transfer chambers are independent of each other, when the molecular pump 160 of one film transfer chamber fails, that film transfer chamber stops working for maintenance or replacement of the molecular pump 160, while the molecular pump 160 of the other film transfer chamber remains unaffected and can continue to operate independently. The equipment will not shut down as a whole due to the failure of one molecular pump 160, eliminating the risk of both film transfer chambers failing simultaneously when the molecular pump 160 fails, which is common in traditional schemes where two film transfer chambers share one molecular pump 160. This significantly improves operational reliability and equipment utilization.

[0066] Accordingly, the present invention also provides a vacuuming method for the plate transfer cavity device provided by the present invention.

[0067] in, Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the steps corresponding to an embodiment of the vacuuming method for the plate transfer cavity device provided by the present invention.

[0068] Step S1: Initially establish a vacuum in the transfer chamber device. The initial vacuum establishment steps include: closing the gate valve 178, pre-evacuating the main chamber 100 until the pressure in the main chamber 100 drops below the first preset pressure value; pre-evacuating the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 until the pressure in the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 drops below the first preset pressure value; after confirming that the pressure in the main chamber 100 is lower than the first preset pressure value, opening the gate valve 178 to connect the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101; starting the molecular pump 160 to evacuate the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 to a high vacuum.

[0069] Step S2: Break the vacuum in the main chamber 100. The steps of breaking the vacuum include: closing the valve 178 to isolate the side chamber 101 from the main chamber 100; depressurizing the main chamber 100 to atmospheric pressure to perform wafer pick-and-place operations.

[0070] Step S3: After breaking the vacuum in the main chamber 100, restore the vacuum in the transfer chamber device. The steps to restore the vacuum include: keeping the molecular pump 160 in operation and the side chamber 101 in a vacuum state; pre-evacuating the main chamber 100 until the pressure in the main chamber 100 drops below the first preset pressure value; and opening the valve 178 to connect the main chamber 100 with the side chamber 101.

[0071] It should be noted that during the initial vacuum establishment phase, valve 178 is first closed to isolate the main chamber 100 from the side chamber 101. Then, pre-evacuation is performed on the main chamber 100, the side chamber 101, and the molecular pump 160. Next, valve 178 is opened to connect the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101, and the molecular pump 160 is started to evacuate to a high vacuum. This allows the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 to complete rough evacuation to below the first preset pressure value independently before being connected, avoiding mutual interference between the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 during the rough evacuation phase, which would reduce the pre-evacuation efficiency. During the vacuum breaking phase, valve 178 is closed to isolate the side chamber 101 from the main chamber 100. Only the main chamber 100 is depressurized to atmospheric pressure for wafer handling operations. The side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 are then connected. Pump 160 maintains a vacuum state during this period without being disrupted, and the molecular pump 160 remains operational without needing to be shut down. During the vacuum recovery phase, the molecular pump 160 remains operational and the side chamber 101 remains under vacuum. Only the main chamber 100 is pre-evacuated to below the first preset pressure value, and then the valve 178 is opened to connect the main chamber 100 with the side chamber 101, which is already under vacuum, thus completing the recovery. This eliminates the waiting time for restarting the molecular pump 160 and accelerating it to the rated speed. The time required for the main chamber 100 to recover from atmospheric conditions to a vacuum state suitable for wafer transfer is significantly shortened. The vacuum recovery cycle between two adjacent wafer pick-and-place operations is compressed, thereby increasing the number of wafer transfers that can be completed per unit time and ultimately improving wafer production capacity.

[0072] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the following description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0073] Step S1: Initially establish a vacuum in the transfer chamber device. The initial vacuum establishment steps include: closing the gate valve 178, pre-evacuating the main chamber 100 until the pressure in the main chamber 100 drops below the first preset pressure value; pre-evacuating the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 until the pressure in the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 drops below the first preset pressure value; after confirming that the pressure in the main chamber 100 is lower than the first preset pressure value, opening the gate valve 178 to connect the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101; starting the molecular pump 160 to evacuate the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 to a high vacuum.

[0074] Specifically, during the initial vacuum establishment phase, the gate valve 178 is first closed, which isolates the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 into two independent spaces. The subsequent pre-evacuation operations of the main chamber 100, the side chamber 101, and the molecular pump 160 do not affect each other, and each can be independently evacuated to below the first preset pressure value.

[0075] It should be noted that during the pre-evacuation of the main chamber 100, the gas inside the main chamber 100 is extracted, and the pressure in the main chamber 100 drops from atmospheric pressure. Since the valve 178 is closed at this time, the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 do not participate in the pre-evacuation process of the main chamber 100. The main chamber 100 alone bears the entire pumping speed of the pre-evacuation operation. The pressure drop rate of the main chamber 100 is not affected by the internal volume of the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160. After the pressure in the main chamber 100 drops below the first preset pressure value, the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 are then pre-evacuated. At this time, the gas inside the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160, which may have originally been at atmospheric pressure or a higher pressure, is extracted, and the pressure in both the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 drops below the first preset pressure value.

[0076] It should also be noted that after the pressure in the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 drops below the first preset pressure value, it is reconfirmed whether the pressure in the main chamber 100 is still below the first preset pressure value. This confirmation action is used to rule out the possibility that the pressure in the main chamber 100 may rise above the first preset pressure value due to factors such as minor leakage during the pre-pumping of the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160. After confirming that the pressure in the main chamber 100 is still below the first preset pressure value, the valve 178 is opened, the connection port 120 is opened, and the main chamber 100 is connected to the side chamber 101. Since the pressure in both the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 is below the first preset pressure value at this time, there is no significant pressure difference between the two sides at the moment of connection, and gas impact will not occur due to sudden pressure balance. After connection is established, molecular pump 160 is started. Molecular pump 160 simultaneously evacuates the main chamber 100 and side chamber 101 to a high vacuum. Molecular pump 160 further reduces the pressure in the main chamber 100 and side chamber 101 from near the first preset pressure value to a high vacuum state, in preparation for wafer transfer between the main chamber 100 and the subsequent vacuum transfer chamber.

[0077] In this embodiment, during the initial vacuum establishment stage, the operation sequence of closing the gate valve 178 for pre-evacuation and then reconnecting before starting the molecular pump 160 ensures that both the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 can obtain sufficient pre-evacuation time during the rough evacuation stage, and that the pressure on both sides is roughly balanced when connected. When the molecular pump 160 starts, the inlet pressure is controlled below the first preset pressure value, avoiding the impact on the impeller and bearings of the molecular pump 160 when starting under excessively high inlet pressure, thus improving the lifespan of the molecular pump 160.

[0078] In this embodiment, the transfer chamber device further includes: a dry pump 180; a pre-extraction valve 190, one end of which is connected to the main chamber 100 and the other end of which is connected to the dry pump 180; and a pre-stage valve 170, one end of which is connected to the other end of the molecular pump 160 and the other end of which is connected to the dry pump 180.

[0079] Specifically, the dry pump 180 serves as a rough vacuum generating device, used to pump the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 from atmospheric pressure to a transition pressure state, providing the necessary fore-stage pressure for the start-up and operation of the molecular pump 160.

[0080] The pre-evacuation valve 190 is connected between the main chamber 100 and the dry pump 180. When the pre-evacuation valve 190 is open, the dry pump 180 directly evacuates the main chamber 100 through the pre-evacuation valve 190. Since one end of the pre-evacuation valve 190 is directly connected to the main chamber 100, the evacuation path of the dry pump 180 to the main chamber 100 only passes through the pre-evacuation valve 190, resulting in a large evacuation flow. The main chamber 100 can be reduced from atmospheric pressure to below the first preset pressure value in a short time. When the pre-evacuation valve 190 is closed, the connection between the main chamber 100 and the dry pump 180 is cut off.

[0081] The pre-valve 170 is connected between the other end of the molecular pump 160 and the dry pump 180. One end of the molecular pump 160 is connected to the side chamber 101, and the other end of the molecular pump 160 is the outlet of the molecular pump 160. When the pre-valve 170 is open, the dry pump 180 can evacuate the outlet side of the molecular pump 160 through the pre-valve 170, that is, the side chamber 101 is evacuated through the pre-valve 170 and the molecular pump 160. At this time, the molecular pump 160 is in the evacuation state, and the dry pump 180 extracts the gas in the side chamber 101 in sequence through the pre-valve 170 and the molecular pump 160. When the pre-valve 170 is closed, the connection between the outlet of the molecular pump 160 and the dry pump 180 is cut off.

[0082] It should be noted that the pre-extraction valve 190 and the fore-stage valve 170 are controlled independently, so that the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 can be connected or disconnected from the dry pump 180 independently without interfering with each other. During the subsequent vacuuming process, the pre-vacuum valve 190 is first opened to allow the dry pump 180 to evacuate the main chamber 100 separately. After the pressure in the main chamber 100 drops below the first preset pressure value, the pre-vacuum valve 190 is closed and the pre-stage valve 170 is opened. The dry pump 180 then switches to evacuating the side chamber 101 separately via the pre-stage valve 170 and the molecular pump 160. During the roughing stage, the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 are served by the same dry pump 180 in a time-sharing manner, but their operations are independent of each other, avoiding potential mutual interference when the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 are simultaneously connected to the dry pump 180. During the vacuum breaking stage, after the connection port 120 is closed, the main chamber 100 is depressurized to atmospheric pressure, while the side chamber 101 is isolated by the valve plate 112. While maintaining a vacuum, both the pre-evacuation valve 190 and the fore-stage valve 170 remain closed. The dry pump 180 is neither connected to the main chamber 100 nor to the side chamber 101. During the vacuum recovery phase, the main chamber 100 has broken the vacuum while the side chamber 101 remains under vacuum. At this time, the pre-evacuation valve 190 is opened to allow the dry pump 180 to re-evacuate the main chamber 100. Once the pressure in the main chamber 100 drops below the first preset pressure value, the pre-evacuation valve 190 is closed, and then the valve plate 112 is opened to connect the main chamber 100 with the side chamber 101, which is already under vacuum. During the recovery process, the dry pump 180 only needs to process the gas in the main chamber 100, and the side chamber 101 does not need to be re-evacuated. The workload of the dry pump 180 is reduced, and the vacuum recovery time is shortened.

[0083] In this embodiment, the step of pre-evacuating the main chamber 100 includes: opening the pre-evacuation valve 190 and evacuating the main chamber 100 by using the dry pump 180.

[0084] When the pre-evacuation valve 190 is opened and the main chamber 100 is evacuated by the dry pump 180, the dry pump 180 is directly connected to the main chamber 100 via the pre-evacuation valve 190. The evacuation path is from the main chamber 100 to the pre-evacuation valve 190 to the dry pump 180. The path passes through only one valve, the pre-evacuation valve 190, resulting in low conduction loss. The pumping capacity of the dry pump 180 can be fully utilized in the main chamber 100. The time required for the main chamber 100 to drop from atmospheric pressure to below the first preset pressure value is short. At the same time, since the fore-stage valve 170 is closed during this process, the pumping effect of the dry pump 180 is limited to pumping only the main chamber 100. The side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 are not connected to the dry pump 180. The pre-evacuation efficiency of the main chamber 100 is not affected by the amount of gas inside the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160. The effective pumping speed of the dry pump 180 is all concentrated on the main chamber 100.

[0085] In this embodiment, the pre-vacuuming steps of the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 include: closing the pre-vacuuming valve 190, opening the fore-stage valve 170, and pre-vacuuming the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 through the dry pump 180.

[0086] It should be noted that after the pre-evacuation of the main chamber 100 is completed and the pressure in the main chamber 100 has dropped below the first preset pressure value, the pre-evacuation valve 190 is closed to disconnect the connection between the dry pump 180 and the main chamber 100. At this time, the main chamber 100 is closed and maintained below the first preset pressure value. Subsequently, the pre-valve 170 is opened, and the dry pump 180 is connected to the outlet of the molecular pump 160 through the pre-valve 170. The pumping action of the dry pump 180 acts on the side chamber 101 in sequence through the pre-valve 170 and the molecular pump 160. The gas inside the side chamber 101 is drawn out by the dry pump 180 after passing through the internal flow channel of the molecular pump 160 and the pre-valve 170. The operation setting of closing the pre-evacuation valve 190 is set before opening the fore-stage valve 170 to ensure that when the dry pump 180 switches from evacuating the main chamber 100 to evacuating the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160, there will be no accidental connection between the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 through the dry pump 180 pipeline. The vacuum state in the main chamber 100 that has reached below the first preset pressure value is protected from interference by the pre-evacuation operation of the side chamber 101.

[0087] It should also be noted that the dry pump 180 pre-pumps the side chamber 101 via the fore-stage valve 170 and the molecular pump 160. The gas inside the side chamber 101, as it flows through the internal flow channel of the molecular pump 160, has a purging effect on the impeller of the molecular pump 160, helping to remove water vapor and particles that may have been adsorbed inside the molecular pump 160 during pump shutdown. After the pressure in the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 drops below the first preset pressure value, the side chamber 101 is ready to connect with the main chamber 100, and the fore-stage valve 170 can be closed at this time to prepare for the subsequent start-up and operation of the molecular pump 160.

[0088] In this embodiment, before opening the gate valve 178, the step of initially establishing a vacuum in the transfer chamber device further includes: if it is confirmed that the pressure in the main chamber 100 is higher than the first preset pressure value, then the front valve 170 is closed, and the step of pre-evacuating the main chamber 100 in the initial vacuum establishment step is re-executed.

[0089] Specifically, after the pressure in the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 drops below the first preset pressure value and before the valve 178 is opened, a confirmation step for the pressure in the main chamber 100 is added to check whether the pressure in the main chamber 100 has rebounded during the pre-pumping of the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 due to minor leakage at the sealing interface or other factors.

[0090] If the pressure in the main chamber 100 is confirmed to be higher than the first preset pressure value, it indicates that the vacuum state of the main chamber 100 has deteriorated during the pre-evacuation of the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160. If the valve 178 is opened directly under these circumstances, the higher-pressure gas in the main chamber 100 will rush into the side chamber 101, impacting the vacuum environment already established in the side chamber 101, and may cause particle agitation at the moment of connection, increasing the risk of wafer contamination by particles. Therefore, when the pressure in the main chamber 100 is confirmed to be higher than the first preset pressure value, the fore-stage valve 170 is closed first to disconnect the connection between the dry pump 180 and the molecular pump 160, protecting the vacuum state already obtained by the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 from interference. Then, the pre-evacuation step of the main chamber 100 is repeated to reduce the pressure of the main chamber 100 back below the first preset pressure value. The valve 178 is opened only after the pressure in the main chamber 100 is confirmed to be lower than the first preset pressure value. This improves the stability and reliability of the initial vacuum establishment process of the wafer transfer chamber device.

[0091] In this embodiment, the first preset pressure value is 10 Pa.

[0092] Step S2: Break the vacuum in the main chamber 100. The steps of breaking the vacuum include: closing the valve 178 to isolate the side chamber 101 from the main chamber 100; depressurizing the main chamber 100 to atmospheric pressure to perform wafer pick-and-place operations.

[0093] During the vacuum breaking stage, valve 178 is first closed, and valve plate 112 moves to the closed position. The sealing surface of valve plate 112 abuts against the area of ​​the common cavity wall 116 surrounding the connection port 120, sealing the connection port 120 and reliably isolating the main chamber 100 from the side chamber 101. After closing valve 178, the space formed by the side chamber 101 and the connected molecular pump 160 is in an independent closed vacuum state, completely isolated from the main chamber 100. The main chamber 100 is then depressurized to atmospheric pressure, and gas is introduced into the main chamber 100 to raise the pressure to a level comparable to the external atmospheric environment for wafer pick-and-place operations. During this period, the gate valve 178 remains closed. The space formed by the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 is isolated from the main chamber 100 by the gate valve 178 and is not affected by the depressurization of the main chamber 100. The pressure inside the side chamber 101 is maintained at or near the high vacuum level achieved by the molecular pump 160 during the initial vacuum establishment phase, and the molecular pump 160 continues to operate.

[0094] It should be noted that during the vacuum breaking stage, only the main chamber 100 is depressurized. The vacuum state of the side chamber 101 and the molecular pump 160 does not need to be broken, and the molecular pump 160 does not need to be stopped and restarted. Because the molecular pump 160 continues to operate, frequent start-stop cycles are avoided, thus reducing wear on its bearings and lubrication system and extending its service life. After the main chamber 100 is depressurized to atmospheric pressure, it connects to the front-end module of the equipment, and wafers can be removed from or placed into the main chamber 100, completing the wafer transfer.

[0095] Step S3: After breaking the vacuum in the main chamber 100, restore the vacuum in the transfer chamber device. The steps to restore the vacuum include: keeping the molecular pump 160 in operation and the side chamber 101 in a vacuum state; pre-evacuating the main chamber 100 until the pressure in the main chamber 100 drops below the first preset pressure value; and opening the valve 178 to connect the main chamber 100 with the side chamber 101.

[0096] During the vacuum recovery phase, the molecular pump 160 remains operational throughout the vacuum breaking phase and wafer pick-and-place operations, and the side chamber 101 also maintains a vacuum state. The main chamber 100 is at atmospheric pressure after the wafer pick-and-place operations are completed. At this time, the main chamber 100 is pre-evacuated, and the dry pump 180 evacuates the main chamber 100 separately. The pressure in the main chamber 100 begins to decrease from atmospheric pressure. When the pressure in the main chamber 100 drops below the first preset pressure value, the main chamber 100 is ready to communicate with the side chamber 101.

[0097] It should be noted that when the valve 178 is opened, the valve plate 112 moves to the open position, the connection port 120 is opened, and the main chamber 100 is connected to the side chamber 101. Since the side chamber 101 is still in a vacuum state maintained by the molecular pump 160, after the main chamber 100 is connected to the side chamber 101, the residual gas in the main chamber 100 quickly diffuses to the side chamber 101 and is continuously pumped away by the molecular pump 160. The main chamber 100 does not need to be pumped to a lower pressure by the dry pump 180 alone, and can quickly enter a high vacuum state with the help of the vacuum environment of the side chamber 101.

[0098] It should also be noted that during the vacuum recovery phase, the molecular pump 160 did not undergo any shutdown, cooling, or restart process. The molecular pump 160 maintained continuous operation from the initial vacuum establishment phase. Its operation was uninterrupted throughout the vacuum breaking and recovery phases. The time required to recover the vacuum was only the time it took for the main chamber 100 to be pre-evacuated to below the first preset pressure value, plus the time it took for the pressure in the main chamber 100 and the side chamber 101 to reach equilibrium after the valve 178 opened. This time is much shorter than the time required for the molecular pump 160 to restart from a standstill and accelerate to its rated speed. The vacuum recovery time after each wafer pick-and-place operation was significantly reduced. After vacuum recovery, the wafer transfer chamber was ready for the next wafer handover and could immediately be put into operation for the next wafer transfer cycle.

[0099] While the present invention has been disclosed above, it is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention; therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A plate transfer cavity device, characterized in that, include: The cavity has a main chamber and a side chamber, the main chamber and the side chamber are separated by a common cavity wall, the common cavity wall has a communication opening, and the upper end of the side chamber has a top opening; A cover plate is provided over the top opening; A valve includes a valve seat and a valve plate. The valve seat is disposed on the cover plate and the valve seat and the cover plate are integrally formed. The valve plate passes through the valve seat and the cover plate at the top opening and extends into the side chamber. The valve plate can move relative to the valve seat to open or close the communication port. A molecular pump, one end of which is connected to the side chamber.

2. The transfer cavity device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting port is located in the middle region of the shared cavity wall.

3. The transfer cavity device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The valve plate has a sealing surface on the side facing the communication port. When the valve plate is in the closed position, the sealing surface abuts against the wall of the common cavity and surrounds the area of ​​the communication port.

4. The transfer cavity device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The gate valve is a slide gate valve, which slides vertically to open or close the communication port.

5. The transfer cavity device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The volume of the side chamber is smaller than the volume of the main chamber.

6. The transfer cavity device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The plate transfer cavity device further includes: Dry pump; A pre-extraction valve, one end of which is connected to the main chamber and the other end of which is connected to the dry pump; A fore-stage valve, one end of which is connected to the other end of the molecular pump, and the other end of which is connected to the dry pump.

7. The transfer cavity device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The transfer chamber device is arranged in a mirror-symmetric manner with another transfer chamber device having the same structure, and the molecular pump of the transfer chamber device is independent of the molecular pump of the other transfer chamber device.

8. A method for evacuating a vacuum in a plate transfer cavity device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, include: The initial vacuum is established for the transfer chamber device. The initial vacuum establishment steps include: closing the valve and pre-evacuating the main chamber until the pressure in the main chamber drops below a first preset pressure value; pre-evacuating the side chamber and the molecular pump until the pressure in the side chamber and the molecular pump drops below the first preset pressure value; after confirming that the pressure in the main chamber is lower than the first preset pressure value, opening the valve to connect the main chamber and the side chamber; and starting the molecular pump to evacuate the main chamber and the side chamber to a high vacuum. The vacuum in the main chamber is broken, and the steps of breaking the vacuum include: closing the valve to isolate the side chamber from the main chamber; and depressurizing the main chamber to atmospheric pressure to perform wafer pick-and-place operations. After breaking the vacuum in the main chamber, the vacuum in the transfer chamber is restored. The steps of restoring the vacuum include: keeping the molecular pump running and the side chamber under vacuum; pre-evacuating the main chamber until the pressure in the main chamber drops below the first preset pressure value; and opening the valve to connect the main chamber with the side chamber.

9. The vacuuming method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The plate transfer cavity device further includes: Dry pump; A pre-extraction valve, one end of which is connected to the main chamber and the other end of which is connected to the dry pump; A fore-stage valve, one end of which is connected to the other end of the molecular pump, and the other end of which is connected to the dry pump; The step of pre-evacuating the main chamber includes: opening the pre-evacuation valve and evacuating the main chamber using the dry pump; The pre-vacuuming steps for the side chamber and the molecular pump include: closing the pre-vacuuming valve, opening the fore-stage valve, and pre-vacuuming the side chamber and the molecular pump using the dry pump.

10. The vacuuming method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, In the step of initially establishing a vacuum in the transfer cavity device, before opening the gate valve, the following is also included: If it is confirmed that the pressure in the main chamber is higher than the first preset pressure value, then the fore-stage valve is closed, and the step of pre-evacuating the main chamber in the initial vacuum establishment step is repeated.

11. The vacuuming method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The first preset pressure value is 10 Pa.

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