Wafer limiting structure and semiconductor heating device using same

Abstract

The application discloses a wafer limiting structure and a semiconductor heating device using the same. The wafer limiting structure comprises a heater and at least one limiting column mechanism assembled on the heater. The heater is provided with a guide through hole. The limiting column mechanism comprises a column, a bearing seat and an elastic reset member. The column is slidably arranged in the guide through hole. The bearing seat is connected to the lower end of the column. The elastic reset member acts between the column and the bearing seat. When the heater is in the first station, the elastic reset member pushes the column to slide upward, and the top end of the column extends out of the top surface of the heater. When the heater is lifted to the second station, the bearing seat is blocked by the fixed structure below to stop moving, and the column remains static with the bearing seat. The heater continues to move upward, and the column slides downward relative to the heater, and the top end is retracted below the top surface of the heater. The application relies on the lifting of the heater itself and the elastic force of the elastic reset member, and does not need to add a driving mechanism, so that the wafer limiting and process fitting requirements can be met at the same time, and the wafer sliding deviation is inhibited.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor process equipment technology, and more specifically to a wafer limiting structure and a semiconductor heating device using the same. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor process equipment, wafers are lowered by transfer pins and fall into the carrier groove on the surface of the heater for subsequent heating processes. During the process of the wafer falling and contacting the heater surface, the wafer is prone to horizontal slippage due to the inertia of falling and the slight planar deviation of the heater. The slippage problem will further trigger the equipment's wafer transfer alarm and the undesirable consequence of uneven wafer heating. After the equipment completes the heater leveling operation, the probability and magnitude of wafer slippage will be further increased. Existing technical solutions make it difficult to achieve lateral restraint of the wafer during the wafer dropping stage without adding an independent drive source. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The embodiments of the present invention provide a wafer limiting structure and a semiconductor heating device using the same, which solves the technical problem that the wafer is prone to horizontal slippage and displacement when placed on the surface of the heater.

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, according to one aspect of this application, an embodiment of the present invention provides a wafer positioning structure, including a heater and at least one set of positioning post mechanisms disposed on the heater. The heater has a guide through-hole, and the positioning post mechanism includes a post body, a support seat, and an elastic reset member. The post body is slidably disposed within the guide through-hole, the support seat is disposed at the lower end of the post body, and the elastic reset member acts between the post body and the support seat. The elastic reset member can drive the top end of the post body to extend out of the top surface of the heater to laterally position the wafer.

[0005] Furthermore, the guide hole includes a first section and a second section. The first section is closer to the top surface of the heater than the second section. The diameter of the first section is larger than the diameter of the second section, so that a stepped surface is formed between them. The outer wall of the column is provided with a first flange, which is housed inside the first section. The outer diameter of the first flange is larger than the diameter of the second section. The stepped surface can form a supporting fit with the first flange to drive the column to move synchronously with the heater.

[0006] Furthermore, the outer wall of the column is provided with a second flange portion, which is located on the side of the heater facing away from the wafer. The outer diameter of the second flange portion is larger than the diameter of the second hole segment. The second flange portion is used to abut against the outer surface of the heater facing away from the wafer, limiting the maximum height of the column extending out of the top surface of the heater.

[0007] Furthermore, the top of the column is provided with a positioning pin head, and a guide slope is machined on the side of the positioning pin head facing the center of the top surface of the heater. The inclination angle of the guide slope matches the inclination angle of the side wall of the bearing groove on the top surface of the heater. The guide slope is used to provide guidance and positioning for the falling wafer.

[0008] Furthermore, the lower end of the column is provided with a third flange, the top surface of the bearing seat is provided with a pin hole, and the interior of the bearing seat is provided with an annular groove that communicates with the pin hole; the third flange is adapted to the contour of the pin hole, and the third flange can be inserted into the pin hole and rotated at a preset angle to be engaged in the annular groove.

[0009] Furthermore, the elastic reset component is a compression spring, and a spring mounting post is provided at the end of the column away from the head of the positioning pin. The compression spring is fitted on the outside of the spring mounting post. One end of the compression spring abuts against the bottom surface of the inner cavity of the bearing seat, and the other end abuts against the side of the third flange facing the bottom surface of the inner cavity of the bearing seat. The compression spring is in a pre-compressed assembly state and is used to apply an elastic thrust toward the top surface of the heater to the column.

[0010] Furthermore, the limiting post mechanism is provided in multiple sets, and the multiple sets of the limiting post mechanism are evenly spaced along the circumference of the bearing groove on the top surface of the heater; the top ends of the posts of the multiple sets of the limiting post mechanism together form a circumferential surrounding limiting boundary, which is used to apply lateral constraints to the falling wafer from multiple directions.

[0011] Furthermore, within the travel range where the bearing seat does not contact the external fixed stop structure, the step face supports the first flange to maintain the column and the heater relatively stationary, and the top of the column remains in a limited state extending beyond the top surface of the heater.

[0012] Furthermore, the axial height of the annular groove is greater than the axial thickness of the third flange, thus providing axial movement allowance for the third flange.

[0013] According to another aspect of this application, an embodiment of the present invention provides a semiconductor heating device, including a cavity fixing base and the above-mentioned wafer limiting structure; a fixing stop structure is fixedly disposed on the cavity fixing base, and the fixing stop structure is arranged on the vertical movement path of the support seat; the fixing stop structure is configured to abut against and limit the support seat, and when the support seat stops moving due to the constraint of the fixing stop structure, the column generates displacement relative to the heater.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the wafer limiting structure of the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The wafer positioning structure provided by the present invention includes a heater and at least one set of positioning post mechanisms mounted on the heater. The heater has a guide hole that extends through the axial direction. The positioning post mechanism includes a post body, a support seat, and an elastic reset member. The post body is slidably disposed inside the guide hole. The support seat is connected to the lower end of the post body. The elastic reset member acts between the post body and the support seat. The elastic reset member can drive the top end of the post body to extend out of the top surface of the heater to laterally position the wafer.

[0015] When the heater is in the first low position, the elastic thrust provided by the elastic reset component pushes the column to slide upward along the guide hole, and the top of the column extends out of the top surface of the heater. When the heater is raised to the second high position, the support seat stops moving due to the obstruction of the fixed structure below. The column remains stationary with the support seat, the heater continues to move upward, and the column slides downward relative to the heater. Finally, the top of the column retracts below the top surface of the heater.

[0016] To address the technical problem of horizontal slippage and displacement during the wafer drop process on the heater surface, this invention integrates an axially extendable limiting post mechanism onto the heater. Utilizing the heater's own lifting action combined with the elastic force of a resilient reset component, the post automatically extends at the first drop station, forming a lateral constraint structure around the wafer's drop path. This lateral constraint prevents significant horizontal slippage due to inertia or heater flatness deviations during the wafer's descent. When the heater rises to the second process station, the post automatically retracts below the top surface of the heater, ensuring complete contact between the wafer and the heater's support surface. This solution eliminates the need for a separate drive mechanism, simultaneously meeting the wafer limiting requirements during the drop stage and the complete contact requirements during the process stage, effectively suppressing wafer slippage and displacement.

[0017] The semiconductor heating device provided by the present invention is designed based on the above-mentioned wafer limiting structure. Its beneficial effects are the same as those of the wafer limiting structure, and will not be repeated here.

[0018] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, 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 the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the wafer positioning structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention at the first station; Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the wafer positioning structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention at the second station; Figure 3 for Figure 1 A partially enlarged schematic diagram of the guide hole for the intermediate heater; Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the pillar in the wafer limiting structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the carrier in the wafer limiting structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a top view schematic diagram of the wafer limiting structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Heater; 11. Guide through hole; 111. First hole section; 112. Second hole section; 2. Limiting post mechanism; 21. Post body; 211. First flange part; 212. Second flange part; 213. Positioning pin head; 2131. Guide slope; 214. Third flange part; 215. Spring mounting post; 22. Bearing seat; 221. Pin hole part; 222. Annular groove; 23. Elastic reset element. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To further illustrate the technical means and effects adopted by the present invention to achieve the intended purpose, the specific embodiments, structures, features, and effects according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments. In the following description, different "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, specific features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments can be combined in any suitable form.

[0022] In the description of this invention, it should be clearly stated that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence; the terms "vertical," "lateral," "longitudinal," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "up," "down," "horizontal," etc., indicate orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are merely for the convenience of describing this invention, and do not mean that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or position, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0023] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0024] In semiconductor wafer thermal processing, the wafer is transferred to the top of the heater via a transfer mechanism, where it is received by a lifting pin and lowered into a support groove on the heater surface. In existing structures, during the wafer's descent and contact with the heater surface, factors such as falling inertia, heater flatness deviation, and tilting after leveling can easily cause the wafer to slip horizontally. When the deviation exceeds the allowable range, it triggers a wafer transfer alarm. Furthermore, the shifted wafer leads to decreased heating uniformity, affecting process quality. Existing improvement solutions often require an additional independent drive mechanism to control the extension and retraction of the limiting structure, which not only increases equipment complexity and cost but also raises the risk of internal failures.

[0025] To address the aforementioned issues, this embodiment provides a wafer limiting structure. By integrating an axially extendable limiting post mechanism onto the heater body, and relying on the elastic reset component in conjunction with the heater's own lifting motion, the wafer dropping station automatically extends to the limiting position, and the process station automatically retracts to the bonding position. Without requiring an additional driving source, this effectively suppresses horizontal slippage during the wafer's descent without interfering with the bonding process.

[0026] To better understand the above technical solutions, the following will provide a detailed explanation of the technical solutions in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0027] Example 1 like Figures 1-6 As shown, the wafer positioning structure provided in this embodiment includes a heater 1 and at least one set of positioning post mechanisms 2 disposed on the heater 1. The heater 1 has a guide through hole 11. The positioning post mechanism 2 includes a post 21, a support seat 22, and an elastic reset member 23. The post 21 slides through the guide through hole 11. The support seat 22 is disposed at the lower end of the post 21. The elastic reset member 23 acts between the post 21 and the support seat 22. The elastic reset member 23 can drive the top end of the post 21 to extend out of the top surface of the heater 1 to laterally position the wafer. When the heater 1 is raised, the top end of the post can retract. When the heater 1 is in the first working position, the elastic reset member 23 drives the top end of the post 21 to extend out of the top surface of the heater 1 to laterally position the wafer. When the heater 1 moves upward to the second working position, the top end of the post 21 retracts below the top surface of the heater 1.

[0028] In this embodiment, heater 1 is a heating plate body in the semiconductor process chamber used to support and heat the wafer. Guide through hole 11 is opened vertically through the body of heater 1. Limiting post mechanism 2 is assembled one-to-one with guide through hole 11. Post 21 is a long rod-shaped component that can slide back and forth along the axial direction of guide through hole 11. Support seat 22 is connected to the lower end of post 21 and serves as the mounting support base for elastic reset member 23. Elastic reset member 23 is disposed inside support seat 22 and continuously applies reset elastic force to post 21. The first station corresponds to the wafer dropping and transfer station of the equipment, and the second station corresponds to the wafer processing station.

[0029] When heater 1 is in the first low position, the elastic reset member 23 releases its elastic force to push column 21 to slide upward along guide hole 11, and the top of column 21 protrudes from the top surface of heater 1; when heater 1 rises to the second high position, the support seat 22 stops moving due to the obstruction of the fixed structure below, column 21 remains stationary with support seat 22, heater 1 continues to rise, column 21 slides downward relative to heater 1, and finally the top of column 21 is submerged below the top surface of heater 1.

[0030] To address the technical problem of horizontal slippage and displacement of wafers when placed on the heater surface, this embodiment integrates an axially extendable limiting post mechanism 2 on the heater 1. At the first wafer drop station, the elastic reset member 23 drives the top of the post 21 to extend beyond the top surface of the heater 1, forming a lateral blocking structure around the wafer's drop path. During the wafer's fall, it is laterally constrained by the post 21, preventing significant horizontal slippage due to falling inertia or heater plane deviation. When the heater 1 rises to the second process station, the post 21 can automatically retract below the top surface of the heater 1, without interfering with the complete bonding between the wafer and the heater 1's bearing surface. This effectively suppresses wafer slippage and displacement by simultaneously meeting the requirements of wafer drop limiting and process bonding without the need for an additional independent driving source.

[0031] In a specific embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the guide hole 11 includes a first hole section 111 and a second hole section 112. The first hole section 111 is closer to the top surface of the heater 1 than the second hole section 112. The diameter of the first hole section 111 is larger than the diameter of the second hole section 112, so that a stepped surface is formed between them. The outer wall of the column 21 is provided with a first flange portion 211. The first flange portion 211 is housed inside the first hole section 111. The outer diameter of the first flange portion 211 is larger than the diameter of the second hole section 112. The stepped surface can form a supporting fit with the first flange portion 211 to drive the column 21 to move synchronously with the heater 1.

[0032] The first hole section 111 and the second hole section 112 are coaxially connected, and the stepped surface is an annular plane facing the side of the heater 1 away from the wafer. The first flange portion 211 protrudes outward along the radial direction of the column 21 and is integrally formed coaxially with the column 21. A sliding gap is left between the radial outer side of the first flange portion 211 and the inner wall of the first hole section 111 to avoid jamming during axial sliding. When the heater 1 moves upward toward the process side, the lower surface of the stepped surface contacts the upper surface of the first flange portion 211, and the lifting force is transmitted through the support and cooperation, driving the column 21 to move upward synchronously with the heater 1, ensuring that the column 21 will not move downward relative to the heater 1 during the upward process and maintain a stable extended state.

[0033] In addition, such as Figure 4 As shown, the outer wall of the column 21 is also provided with a second flange 212. The second flange 212 is located on the side of the heater 1 facing away from the wafer. The outer diameter of the second flange 212 is larger than the diameter of the second hole section 112. The second flange 212 is used to abut against the outer surface of the heater 1 facing away from the wafer, limiting the maximum height of the column 21 extending out of the top surface of the heater 1.

[0034] The column 21 is also provided with a second flange 212 to achieve a hard limit on the extension height. The second flange 212 also protrudes radially outward along the column 21, located below the first flange 211, and coaxially arranged with the column 21; the upper surface of the second flange 212 is a flat annular surface, which can be flatly fitted with the outer surface of the heater 1 facing away from the wafer. When the elastic reset member 23 pushes the column 21 upward, the second flange 212 abuts against the outer surface of the heater 1 to form a hard limit, preventing the column 21 from continuing to extend upward through the guide hole 11, accurately controlling the height of the top of the column 21 extending beyond the top surface of the heater 1, and ensuring that the extension height of multiple sets of limiting column mechanisms 2 is consistent.

[0035] In a specific embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, the top of the column 21 is provided with a positioning pin head 213. The positioning pin head 213 has a guide slope 2131 machined on the side facing the center of the support groove of the heater 1. The inclination angle of the guide slope 2131 matches the inclination angle of the side wall of the support groove on the top surface of the heater 1. The guide slope 2131 is used to provide guidance and positioning for the falling wafer.

[0036] The locating pin head 213 at the top of the column 21 is provided with a guide slope 2131 to optimize the guiding effect of the wafer falling. The locating pin head 213 is located at the top of the column 21, and the guide slope 2131 is a smooth slope that slopes inward radially along the bearing groove. If there is a small positional deviation during the wafer falling process, the edge of the wafer will first contact the guide slope 2131 and slide along the slope towards the center of the bearing groove to gradually return to its original position, further reducing the amount of wafer slippage and deviation. At the same time, it can avoid rigid collision between the edge of the wafer and the end of the column 21, protecting the edge of the wafer from damage.

[0037] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the end of the column 21 away from the head 213 of the positioning pin is provided with a third flange 214, the top surface of the bearing seat 22 is provided with a pin hole 221, and the interior of the bearing seat 22 is provided with an annular groove 222 that communicates with the pin hole 221; the third flange 214 is adapted to the contour of the pin hole 221, and the third flange 214 can be inserted into the pin hole 221 and rotated at a preset angle to be engaged in the annular groove 222.

[0038] Specifically, the column 21 and the support seat 22 are assembled using a rotary snap-fit ​​method, with axial locking achieved through the engagement of the third flange 214 and the annular groove 222. The third flange 214 is located on the outer wall of the lower end of the column 21 and protrudes radially outward. The outline of the pin hole 221 matches the outer outline of the third flange 214, and it is a round hole with notches on both sides, allowing the third flange 214 to pass through. The annular groove 222 is formed along the circumference of the support seat 22 below the pin hole 221 and communicates with the notch of the pin hole 221. During assembly, the third flange 214 is inserted into the notch of the pin hole 221. After the column 21 is rotated 90 degrees, the third flange 214 rotates into the annular groove 222, achieving axial locking. The column 21 cannot be directly pulled out of the support seat 22. The assembly method is simple and reliable, and facilitates subsequent disassembly and assembly.

[0039] In a specific embodiment, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the elastic reset member 23 is a compression spring. A spring mounting post 215 extends from one end of the column 21 away from the head 213 of the positioning pin. The compression spring is fitted on the outside of the spring mounting post 215. One end of the compression spring abuts against the bottom surface of the inner cavity of the support seat 22, and the other end abuts against the side of the third flange 214 facing the bottom surface of the inner cavity of the support seat 22. The compression spring is in a pre-compressed assembly state and is used to apply an elastic thrust toward the top surface of the heater 1 to the column 21.

[0040] As described above, the elastic reset component 23 uses a compression spring and is radially positioned via the spring mounting post 215 to ensure stable spring force output. The spring mounting post 215 extends coaxially downward from the lower end of the column 21, and its diameter is smaller than the main body diameter of the column 21. The compression spring is fitted onto the spring mounting post 215, which radially limits the compression spring to prevent radial deviation during spring compression. After pre-compression, the compression spring is assembled with its lower end supported on the bottom wall of the inner cavity of the bearing seat 22 and its upper end abutting against the lower surface of the third flange 214, continuously and stably applying an upward elastic thrust to the column 21 to ensure that the column 21 always has an upward extension tendency.

[0041] In a specific embodiment, the limiting post mechanism 2 is provided in multiple sets, and the multiple sets of the limiting post mechanism 2 are evenly spaced along the circumference of the bearing groove on the top surface of the heater 1; the top ends of the post 21 of the multiple sets of the limiting post mechanism 2 together form a circumferential surrounding limiting boundary, which is used to apply lateral constraints to the falling wafer from multiple directions.

[0042] The limiting post mechanism 2 adopts a multi-group circumferential arrangement to restrict wafer slippage in all directions. In this embodiment, the limiting post mechanism 2 can be set to 3 groups, 4 groups or more according to the size of the bearing groove, and evenly distributed along the circumference of the bearing groove; the top of each group of posts 21 together encloses an annular limiting area adapted to the outer diameter of the wafer, and applies lateral constraints from all sides of the wafer at the same time, restricting the horizontal slippage of the wafer in all directions, and improving the stability and reliability of the limiting.

[0043] Within the travel range of the support seat 22 before contacting the external fixed stop structure, the step surface supports the first flange 211, maintaining the column 21 and heater 1 relatively stationary, with the top of the column 21 extending beyond the top surface of the heater 1. During the initial travel of the heater 1, the column 21 and heater 1 move synchronously, continuously maintaining the limiting function. During the initial travel of the heater 1 from the first station to the second station, before the support seat 22 contacts the lower fixed stop structure, the spring force of the compression spring presses the first flange 211 against the step surface, and there is no relative displacement between the column 21 and heater 1, rising synchronously with the heater 1; during this process, the top of the column 21 remains extended, continuously applying lateral limiting to the wafer to prevent wafer displacement during the ascent.

[0044] The axial height of the annular groove 222 is greater than the axial thickness of the third flange portion 214, allowing it to provide axial movement allowance for the third flange portion 214. The annular groove 222 provides axial movement allowance to accommodate component machining and assembly tolerances. In this embodiment, a small axial gap is formed between the annular groove 222 and the third flange portion 214; this gap can absorb machining and assembly tolerances of components such as the column 21, the bearing seat 22, and the compression spring, preventing assembly jamming or spring failure, while ensuring that the spring force of the compression spring can be stably transmitted to the column 21 through the third flange portion 214, maintaining the reliability of the reset function.

[0045] Example 2 This embodiment provides a semiconductor heating device, including a cavity fixing base and the wafer limiting structure described in Embodiment 1; a fixing stop structure is fixedly provided on the cavity fixing base, and the fixing stop structure is arranged on the vertical movement path of the support seat 22; the fixing stop structure is configured to abut against and limit the support seat 22, and when the support seat 22 stops moving due to the constraint of the fixing stop structure, the column 21 is displaced relative to the heater 1.

[0046] This embodiment provides a semiconductor heating device using the aforementioned wafer limiting structure. The automatic retraction of the column 21 is achieved through a fixing stop structure on the cavity fixing base. The cavity fixing base is the fixing base of the semiconductor process chamber, and the fixing stop structure is an annular edge or block fixed on the base, arranged around the lower part of the heater 1. When the heater 1 rises to a preset height, the lower surface of the support seat 22 abuts against the upper surface of the fixing stop structure, and the support seat 22 and the column 21 stop rising. As the heater 1 continues to rise, the guide hole 11 moves upward relative to the column 21, and the top of the column 21 retracts below the top surface of the heater 1. The wafer falls smoothly into the support groove and enters the processing state.

[0047] The complete working process of the wafer limiting structure is as follows: Initially, heater 1 is in the first low-position working state, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the spring force of the compression spring pushes the column 21 to slide upward along the guide hole 11. The second flange 212 abuts against the outer surface of the heater 1 facing away from the wafer. The locating pin head 213 extends out of the top surface of the heater 1. Multiple sets of locating pin heads 213 together form a wafer limiting area. The wafer is lowered by the ejector pin. If there is a positional deviation, the edge of the wafer contacts the guide slope 2131 and returns to its center along the slope, ultimately being confined within the limiting area, preventing significant horizontal slippage.

[0048] Subsequently, heater 1 rises to the second station. Before the support seat 22 contacts the fixed stop structure, the stepped surface in the guide hole 11 supports the first flange 211, which drives the column 21, support seat 22 and heater 1 to rise synchronously. The locating pin head 213 always remains in the extended state, continuously limiting the wafer.

[0049] When the heater 1 rises to the preset height, the bottom surface of the support 22 abuts against the fixed stop structure, and the support 22 and the column 21 stop rising; the heater 1 continues to move upward, the column 21 slides downward relative to the guide hole 11, and the head of the positioning pin 213 gradually sinks below the top surface of the heater 1. The wafer falls smoothly into the support groove of the heater 1 and is completely attached to the surface of the heater, and enters the thin film deposition and other process steps.

[0050] After the process is completed, the heater 1 falls back down, and the step surface contacts the first flange 211 again, causing the column 21 and the support seat 22 to fall down synchronously. After the support seat 22 leaves the fixed stop structure, the compression spring continues to push the column 21 to reset upward, the second flange 212 re-abuts the outer surface of the heater, and the locating pin head 213 extends out of the top surface of the heater again, waiting for the next wafer transfer.

[0051] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A wafer limiting structure, characterized in that, The device includes a heater and at least one set of limiting post mechanisms disposed on the heater. The heater has a guide through hole. The limiting post mechanism includes a post body, a support seat, and an elastic reset member. The post body slides through the guide through hole. The support seat is disposed at the lower end of the post body. The elastic reset member acts between the post body and the support seat. The elastic reset member can drive the top end of the post body to extend out of the top surface of the heater to laterally limit the wafer.

2. The wafer limiting structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide hole includes a first section and a second section. The first section is closer to the top surface of the heater than the second section. The diameter of the first section is larger than that of the second section, so that a stepped surface is formed between them. The outer wall of the column is provided with a first flange, which is housed inside the first section. The outer diameter of the first flange is larger than that of the second section. The stepped surface can form a supporting fit with the first flange to drive the column to move synchronously with the heater.

3. The wafer limiting structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The outer wall of the column is also provided with a second flange, which is located on the side of the heater facing away from the wafer. The outer diameter of the second flange is larger than the diameter of the second hole section. The second flange is used to abut against the outer surface of the heater facing away from the wafer, limiting the maximum height of the column extending out of the top surface of the heater.

4. The wafer positioning structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the column is provided with a positioning pin head, and a guide slope is machined on the side of the positioning pin head facing the center of the top surface of the heater. The inclination angle of the guide slope matches the inclination angle of the side wall of the top surface of the heater. The guide slope is used to guide and return the falling wafer to its correct position.

5. The wafer limiting structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower end of the column is provided with a third flange, the top surface of the bearing seat is provided with a pin hole, and the interior of the bearing seat is provided with an annular groove that communicates with the pin hole. The third flange is adapted to the contour of the pin hole, and the third flange can be inserted into the pin hole and rotated at a preset angle to be engaged in the annular groove.

6. The wafer positioning structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, The elastic reset component is a compression spring. A spring mounting post extends from the lower end of the column. The compression spring is fitted onto the outside of the spring mounting post. One end of the compression spring abuts against the bottom surface of the inner cavity of the bearing seat, and the other end abuts against the side of the third flange facing the bottom surface of the inner cavity of the bearing seat. The compression spring is in a pre-compressed assembly state and is used to apply an elastic thrust toward the top surface of the heater to the column.

7. The wafer limiting structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The limiting post mechanism is provided in multiple sets, and the multiple sets of limiting post mechanisms are evenly spaced along the circumference of the top surface of the heater; the top ends of the posts of the multiple sets of limiting post mechanisms together form a circumferential surrounding limiting boundary, which is used to apply lateral constraints to the falling wafer from multiple directions.

8. The wafer positioning structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, Within the travel range where the bearing seat does not contact the external fixed stop structure, the step face supports the first flange to maintain the column and heater relatively stationary, and the top of the column remains in a limited state extending beyond the top surface of the heater.

9. The wafer positioning structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, The axial height of the annular groove is greater than the axial thickness of the third flange, thus providing axial movement allowance for the third flange.

10. A semiconductor heating device, characterized in that, The device includes a cavity fixing base and a wafer limiting structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; a fixing stop structure is fixedly provided on the cavity fixing base, and the fixing stop structure is arranged on the vertical movement path of the carrier; the fixing stop structure is configured to abut against and limit the carrier, and when the carrier stops moving due to the constraint of the fixing stop structure, the column is displaced relative to the heater.

Images