Wafer stage, dummy wafer chamber and semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a wafer stage, a dummy wafer chamber and semiconductor process equipment, and the wafer stage comprises at least two bearing mechanisms which are arranged around a preset circle and are used for supporting a wafer from the edge of the wafer; with the center of a preset circle as a reference, each bearing mechanism comprises a first fixed seat, a second fixed seat and a third fixed seat, the end, close to the circle center, of the second fixing base is provided with a second supporting part, and the end, away from the circle center, of the second fixing base is rotationally connected with the end, close to the circle center, of the first fixing base. When the second fixing seat rotates to a first target position towards one side far away from the circle center, the first supporting part is used for bearing a wafer of a first size; and when the second fixing seat rotates to a second target position towards one side close to the circle center, the second supporting part is used for bearing a wafer of a second size. According to the invention, compatible supporting of wafers with different sizes can be realized; and during switching, a supporting structure does not need to be changed, equipment does not need to be debugged again, the structure is simple, and the cost is low.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a wafer carrier, a dummy wafer chamber and semiconductor process equipment. Background Art

[0002] The manufacturing process of various semiconductor devices such as RF and power includes the process of metal interconnection or electrode preparation, in which the dielectric etching cutoff layer is usually a metal material, such as Ti / Pt / Au / Al. In order to ensure that the dielectric is etched cleanly and the conductivity is ensured, it is inevitable that the bottom metal will be over-etched, and the metal particles generated by etching will be deposited on the dielectric window. The metal deposited on the window will shield the electromagnetic field energy coupled by the ICP coil, thereby reducing the ICP plasma density in the process chamber, and ultimately leading to a decrease in etching efficiency.

[0003] In order to remove the metal particles on the window, an inter-wafer cleaning solution is generally adopted. Specifically, a dummy chamber is set up, and a test wafer (Test wafer, also known as Dummy wafer or dummy wafer) is placed in the dummy chamber. After processing a wafer, the dummy wafer is transferred from the dummy chamber to the process chamber, and the dummy wafer is placed on the electrostatic chuck (ESC) to cover the surface of the ESC to prevent metal particles from being deposited on the ESC surface when the window is cleaned. This will cause incomplete release of the ESC charge during the etching process, which will cause the wafer to stick.

[0004] In order to reduce equipment procurement costs and improve equipment utilization, process chambers are usually equipped with multi-size wafer processes. For example, a process chamber used to process 8-inch wafers can be backward compatible with 6-inch and 4-inch wafers. However, the wafer carrier of the existing dummy wafer chamber is usually only suitable for one size of wafer. When the process chamber switches to wafers of different sizes, the wafer carrier of the dummy wafer chamber needs to be replaced. After replacement, it needs to be re-debugged, which takes a long time to restore the machine, reducing production efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0005] In response to the above technical problems, the present application provides a wafer carrier, a dummy film chamber and semiconductor process equipment, which can improve the problem that the wafer carrier of the existing dummy film chamber is not compatible with wafers of different sizes.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, in a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a wafer stage, comprising at least two bearing mechanisms arranged around a preset circle, for supporting the wafer from the edge of the wafer; with the center of the preset circle as a reference, each of the bearing mechanisms comprises:

[0007] A first fixing seat, with a first supporting portion disposed at one end close to the center of the circle;

[0008] A second fixing seat, wherein a second supporting portion is disposed at one end close to the center of the circle and an end away from the center of the circle is rotatably connected to an end of the first fixing seat close to the center of the circle;

[0009] When the second fixing seat rotates to a first target position toward a side away from the center of the circle, the first supporting portion is used to carry a wafer of a first size;

[0010] When the second fixing seat rotates to a second target position toward a side close to the center of the circle, the second supporting portion is used to carry a wafer of a second size.

[0011] Optionally, the first supporting portion is protruding from a side surface of one end of the first fixing seat close to the center of the circle;

[0012] When the second fixing seat rotates to the first target position, the second fixing seat does not extend beyond the side surface of the first fixing seat at one end close to the center of the circle.

[0013] Optionally, a first receiving groove is provided on the side of the first fixing seat facing the center of the circle, and the second fixing seat is received in the first receiving groove when the second fixing seat is rotated to the first target position.

[0014] Optionally, the first fixing seat includes a first side wall constituting a groove bottom of the first receiving groove, a second side wall and a third side wall connected to two opposite sides of the first side wall, and a bottom wall connecting the first side wall, the second side wall and the third side wall from the bottom;

[0015] The first fixing seat is connected to the external supporting platform via the bottom wall, the first supporting portion is provided on a side of the second side wall facing the center of the circle, and / or the first supporting portion is provided on a side of the third side wall facing the center of the circle.

[0016] Optionally, the bearing mechanism further includes a first locking member; a first locking hole is further provided on the second side wall and / or the third side wall, and when the second fixing seat is rotated to the second target position, the first locking member is engaged with the first locking hole to lock the second fixing seat; and / or,

[0017] The supporting mechanism also includes a second locking member; a second locking hole is also provided on the second side wall and / or the third side wall, and when the second fixing seat is received in the first receiving groove, the second locking member fits into the second locking hole to lock the second fixing seat.

[0018] Optionally, the height of the first side wall is lower than the heights of the second side wall and the third side wall, so as to form a notch at the bottom of the groove;

[0019] The second fixed seat is hinged to the portion of the second side wall that extends beyond the first side wall, and / or the second fixed seat is hinged to the portion of the third side wall that extends beyond the first side wall; and when the second fixed seat is rotated to the second target position, an end of the second fixed seat away from the center of the circle cooperates with the notch to limit the rotation angle.

[0020] Optionally, the carrying mechanism further includes:

[0021] A third fixing seat, wherein a third supporting portion is provided at one end close to the center of the circle, and an end away from the center of the circle is rotatably connected to an end of the second fixing seat close to the center of the circle;

[0022] When the third fixing seat rotates to a third target position toward a side away from the center of the circle, the second supporting portion is used to carry the wafer of the second size;

[0023] When the third fixing seat rotates to a fourth target position toward a side close to the center of the circle, the third supporting portion is used to carry a wafer of a third size.

[0024] Optionally, the second supporting portion is protruding from a side surface of the second fixing seat at one end close to the center of the circle;

[0025] When the third fixing seat is rotated to the third target position, the third fixing seat does not exceed the side surface of the end of the second fixing seat close to the center of the circle.

[0026] Optionally, a second receiving groove is provided on the top surface of the second fixing seat;

[0027] When the third fixing seat is rotated to the third target position, it is received in the second receiving groove.

[0028] Optionally, a groove is provided at the bottom of the end of the third fixing seat away from the center of the circle;

[0029] When the third fixing seat rotates to the fourth target position, the groove cooperates with the bottom of the second receiving groove to limit the rotation angle.

[0030] Optionally, the second fixing seat is further provided with a third locking hole penetrating through the side wall of the second receiving groove;

[0031] The bearing mechanism further includes a third locking member, and when the third fixing seat is received in the second receiving groove, the third locking member is engaged with the third locking hole to lock the third fixing seat.

[0032] Optionally, a portion of the side surface of the first fixing seat facing the center of the circle and located above the first supporting portion is a first inclined surface, so that the wafer of the first size slides from the first inclined surface to the first supporting portion when it is offset; and / or,

[0033] The part of the side surface of the second fixing seat facing the center of the circle and located above the second supporting portion is a second inclined surface, so that the wafer of the second size can slide from the second inclined surface to the second supporting portion when it is offset; and / or,

[0034] The portion of the side surface of the third fixing seat facing the center of the circle and located above the third supporting portion is a third inclined surface, so that the wafer of the third size can slide from the third inclined surface to the third supporting portion when it is offset.

[0035] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a dummy film chamber, comprising a chamber body, and a wafer stage as described in the above embodiments;

[0036] The wafer carrier is arranged in the chamber body.

[0037] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a semiconductor process equipment, including a transfer platform, at least one process chamber, and a dummy film chamber as described in the above embodiments;

[0038] The at least one process chamber and the dummy wafer chamber are distributed around the transfer platform, and the transfer platform is used to transfer the test wafer in the dummy wafer chamber to the process chamber when metal particle cleaning is performed.

[0039] The wafer stage of the present application includes a first fixed seat and a second fixed seat, the second fixed seat rotates to a first target position relative to the first fixed seat, corresponding to the second fixed seat being in a recovered state, and the first support portion of the first fixed seat is used to carry a wafer of a first size; the second fixed seat rotates to a second target position relative to the first fixed seat, corresponding to the second fixed seat being in an unfolded state, and the second support portion of the second fixed seat is used to carry a wafer of a second size, that is, the wafer stage of this embodiment can be used for wafers of two different sizes, so that the wafer stage of the present application does not need to change the support structure and does not need to re-debug the equipment when switching to wafers of different sizes, which can improve production efficiency. In addition, the wafer stage of the present application is small in size, simple in mechanical structure, and lower in cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] The drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application, and are used together with the specification to explain the principles of the present application. In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments are briefly introduced below. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative labor.

[0041] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a wafer carrier in the related technology;

[0042] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of ;

[0043] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a pseudo-sheet chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the first state structure of the first bearing mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the second state structure of the first bearing mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the use state of the first bearing mechanism provided in the embodiment of the present application when it is in the second state;

[0047] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the use state of the first bearing mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application when it is in a first state;

[0048] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of various fixed structures of a bearing mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the second bearing mechanism provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Fig.10 yes Figure 4 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of ;

[0051] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of the second state structure of the second bearing mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of the use state of the second bearing mechanism provided in the embodiment of the present application when it is in the second state;

[0053] Fig.13is a schematic diagram of a limiting structure when a third fixing structure provided in an embodiment of the present application is in an unfolded state;

[0054] Fig.14 It is a structural schematic diagram of a semiconductor process equipment provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0055] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this application will be further described in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. The above-mentioned drawings have shown clear embodiments of this application, which will be described in more detail later. These drawings and textual descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept of this application in any way, but to illustrate the concept of this application to those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The implementations described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with the present application. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0057] It should be noted that, in this article, the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "includes a ..." does not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element. In addition, components, features, and elements with the same name in different embodiments of the present application may have the same meaning or different meanings, and their specific meanings need to be determined by their explanation in the specific embodiment or further combined with the context of the specific embodiment.

[0058] It should be further understood that the terms "comprising" and "including" indicate the presence of the described features, steps, operations, elements, components, items, kinds, and / or groups, but do not exclude the presence, occurrence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, items, kinds, and / or groups. The terms "or", "and / or", "including at least one of the following", etc. used in this application may be interpreted as inclusive, or mean any one or any combination. For example, "including at least one of the following: A, B, C" means "any one of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A and B and C", and for another example, "A, B or C" or "A, B and / or C" means "any one of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A and B and C". Exceptions to this definition will only occur when the combination of elements, functions, steps or operations is inherently mutually exclusive in some way.

[0059] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of this document, the first information may also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information may also be referred to as the first information. Depending on the context, as used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless otherwise indicated in the context.

[0060] It should be understood that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "top", "bottom", "up", "down", "vertical", and "horizontal" are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description. They do not indicate or imply that the device referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0061] For the convenience of description, in the following embodiments, the horizontal and vertical directions are used as references for illustration, and this premise should not be understood as a limitation to the present application.

[0062] In this application, for the convenience of description, test wafer, wafer, and dummy wafer can all be regarded as the same concept.

[0063] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a wafer carrier in the related technology. Figure 2 yes Figure 1The cross-sectional structural diagram of the wafer carrier includes a fixed platform 10a, a rotation drive mechanism 20a, a bevel gear assembly 30a, a preset number of ball screw assemblies 40a and a preset number of mobile clamping assemblies 50a. The rotation drive mechanism 20a transmits a rotational force to each ball screw assembly 40a through the bevel gear assembly 30a, and the ball screw assembly 40a converts the rotational force into a linear motion. The extended directions of the linear motions of the preset number of ball screw assemblies 40a intersect at the same point, so as to drive the preset number of mobile clamping assemblies 50a to move horizontally and synchronously in a direction close to each other, thereby clamping and fixing the wafer at a preset position.

[0064] Although the above-mentioned wafer carrier can be applied to wafers of different sizes, it has obvious defects. On the one hand, it occupies a large space and has poor practicality. On the other hand, the entire driving structure is complex and the cost is high.

[0065] See also Figure 3 , Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of a dummy film chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application. The dummy film chamber includes a chamber body 210 and a wafer stage 100. The wafer stage of each embodiment of the present application can be applied to the dummy film chamber.

[0066] Specifically, the wafer stage 100 of the embodiment of the present application may include at least two bearing mechanisms 110, and all bearing mechanisms 110 are arranged around a preset circle to support the wafer from the edge of the wafer. It is understandable that two, three, four, five, etc. bearing mechanisms 110 can be provided. When two bearing mechanisms 110 are provided, the contact area between each bearing mechanism 110 and the wafer can be provided to be large enough to provide stable support for the wafer. When more than two bearing mechanisms are provided, all bearing mechanisms 110 can be evenly distributed around the preset circle, or unevenly distributed, as long as they can stably support the wafer.

[0067] See also Figure 4 , Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the first state structure of the first bearing mechanism provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 Taking the center O of the preset circle as a reference, each bearing mechanism 110 may include a first fixed seat 10 and a second fixed seat 20. The first fixed seat 10 is provided with a first support portion 11 at one end close to the center O, and the second fixed seat 20 is provided with a second support portion 21 at one end close to the center O. The end away from the center O is rotatably connected to the end of the first fixed seat 10 close to the center O. For example, the end of the second fixed seat 20 away from the center O may be directly hinged to the first fixed seat 10, or may be indirectly hinged to the first fixed seat 10 through a connecting member, which may be a rotating arm to increase the distance between the second fixed seat 20 and the first fixed seat 10. Please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the second state structure of the first bearing mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application, Figure 6 1 is a schematic diagram of the first bearing mechanism provided in the embodiment of the present application in the second state. When the second fixing seat 20 rotates to the first target position (recovery state) away from the center O, the first supporting portion 11 is used to carry the wafer of the first size. Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the first bearing mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present application in the first state. When the second fixing seat 20 rotates to the second target position (expanded state) toward the side close to the center of the circle O, the second supporting portion 21 is used to carry a wafer of a second size. For example, the first size may correspond to 8 inches, and the second size may correspond to 6 inches, or the first size may correspond to 6 inches, and the second size may correspond to 4 inches. The specific size may be designed according to actual needs.

[0068] In the wafer stage 100 of the present embodiment, each bearing mechanism 110 includes a first fixed seat 10 and a second fixed seat 20, the second fixed seat 20 rotates to a first target position relative to the first fixed seat 10, corresponding to the second fixed seat 20 being in a recovered state, and the first support portion 11 of the first fixed seat 10 is used to carry a wafer of a first size; the second fixed seat 20 rotates to a second target position relative to the first fixed seat 10, corresponding to the second fixed seat 20 being in an unfolded state, and the second support portion 21 of the second fixed seat 20 is used to carry a wafer of a second size, that is, the wafer stage 100 of the present embodiment can be used for wafers of two different sizes, so that when the wafer stage 100 of the present embodiment is switched to wafers of different sizes, it is not necessary to change the support structure and re-debug the equipment, which can improve production efficiency. In addition, the wafer stage 100 of the present application is small in size, simple in mechanical structure, and lower in cost.

[0069] The specific configuration of the first support portion 11 is not particularly limited in the present embodiment. For example, it can extend from the top surface, side surface or bottom surface of the first fixing seat 10. As an example, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 8 The first support portion 11 is convexly disposed on a side surface 111 of the first fixing seat 10 at one end close to the center O. The side surface 111 may be a plane or a stepped surface ( Figure 5 When the second fixing seat 20 rotates to the first target position, the second fixing seat 20 does not exceed the side surface 111 of the first fixing seat 10 close to the center O, so that the first supporting portion 11 can be avoided, so that the first supporting portion 11 can support the wafer of the first size, such as Figure 6Preferably, the side surface 111 of the first fixing seat 10 facing the center O and located above the first supporting portion 11 is a first inclined surface, so that when a wafer of the first size is offset, it slides from the first inclined surface to the first supporting portion 11, which can reduce the operation accuracy of placing the wafer on the wafer stage.

[0070] It should be noted that when the second fixing seat 20 is rotated to the first target position and is in the retracted state, it can be exposed to the outside of the first fixing seat 10. The embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit the retracted state, but in order to improve the compactness of the overall structure, as an example of the second fixing seat 20 in the retracted state, please continue to refer to Figure 5 A first receiving groove 12 is provided on a side surface 111 of the first fixing seat 10 facing the center O. When the second fixing seat 20 rotates to the first target position, it is received in the first receiving groove 12 .

[0071] In this embodiment, the first support portion 11 is protruding from the side 111 of the first fixing seat 10 toward the center O, so that when the second fixing seat 20 is received in the first receiving groove 12, the protruding first support portion 11 can be used to carry the wafer of the first size to achieve switching between the first support portion 11 and the second support portion 21.

[0072] As an example of a first fixing seat 10, please refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of each bearing structure of a bearing mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application. The first fixed seat 10 includes a first side wall 101 constituting the bottom of the first receiving groove 12, a second side wall 102 and a third side wall 103 connected to the first side wall 101 on two opposite sides, and a bottom wall 104 connecting the first side wall 101, the second side wall 102 and the third side wall 103 from the bottom. It should be noted that the first side wall 101 is the bottom of the first receiving groove 12. Since the first receiving groove 12 is placed vertically, the bottom wall 104 is the bottom of the first fixed seat 10. The first fixed seat 10 is connected to the external support platform through the bottom wall 104. For example, a threaded hole 105 can be set on the bottom wall 104, and the first fixed seat 10 is connected to the machine platform by screws. The side of the second side wall 102 facing the center of the circle O (i.e. Figure 5 The middle side surface 111 is provided with a first support portion 11, and / or a side of the third side wall 103 facing the center O (i.e. Figure 5 The middle side surface 111 is provided with a first supporting portion 11 .

[0073] In one embodiment, see Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 8 and Fig. 9 , Fig. 9It is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the second bearing mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present application. The bearing mechanism 110 includes a first fixed structure 10 and a second fixed structure 20, and also includes a first locking member 41; a first locking hole 13 is also provided on the second side wall 102 or the third side wall 103 of the first fixed structure 10, and when the second fixed seat 20 rotates to the second target position, the first locking member 41 fits into the first locking hole 13 to lock the second fixed seat 20. When the first locking holes 13 are provided on both the second side wall 102 and the third side wall 103, two first locking members 41 can be provided accordingly. For example, the first locking member 41 can be a top screw, or the first locking member 41 can be a pin, and a pin hole can be provided on the second fixed seat 20.

[0074] It should be noted that, when the second fixing seat 20 is received in the first receiving groove 12, due to the effect of gravity, a locking structure may not be required, or a locking structure may be added. In order to improve the stability of the structure, the bearing mechanism 110 may also include a second locking member 42, and a second locking hole 15 is also provided on the second side wall 102 or the third side wall 103 of the first fixing structure 10. When the second fixing seat 20 is received in the first receiving groove 12, the second locking member 42 is matched to the second locking hole 15 to lock the second fixing seat 20. When the second locking hole 15 is provided on both the second side wall 102 and the third side wall 103, two second locking members 42 may be provided accordingly. For example, the second locking member 42 may be a top screw or a pin, and a pin hole may be provided on the second fixing seat 20.

[0075] In the above embodiment, when the second fixing seat 20 is rotated relative to the first fixing seat 10 to the second target position in the unfolded state, it is theoretically necessary to rotate the target angle and then use the first locking member 41 to lock it. Manual adjustment is time-consuming and not precise enough. Therefore, as some examples of the unfolded angle positioning of the second fixing seat 20, please continue to refer to Fig. 9 When the second fixing seat 20 is in the unfolded state, a positioning structure 23 can be provided on the second fixing seat 20 at a position directly opposite to the first locking hole 13, and the first locking member 41 passes through the first locking hole 13 and cooperates with the positioning structure 23 to lock the second fixing seat 20. For example, the positioning structure 23 can be a blind hole or a through hole. It can also be a stopper, and the first locking member 41 abuts against the stopper and then is tightened and locked.

[0076] As a preferred example of the precise positioning of the rotation angle of the second fixing seat 20 when it is unfolded, please continue to refer to Figure 8 and Fig.10 , Fig.10 yes Figure 4The cross-sectional structural diagram shows that the height of the first side wall 101 of the first fixing seat 10 is lower than the height of the second side wall 102 and the third side wall 103, so as to form a notch 106 at the bottom of the groove, and the second fixing seat 20 is hinged to the portion of the second side wall 102 that exceeds the first side wall 101, and / or, the second fixing seat 20 is hinged to the portion of the third side wall 103 that exceeds the first side wall 101; and when the second fixing seat 20 rotates to the second target position, the end of the second fixing seat 20 away from the center O cooperates with the notch to limit the rotation angle. Please refer to Fig.10 After the second fixing seat 20 rotates 90° clockwise, it is blocked by the top surface of the first side wall 101 (fitted in the notch 106), thereby achieving the positioning of the second target position.

[0077] In one embodiment, each supporting mechanism 110 includes a first fixing seat 10, a second fixing seat 20, and may also include a third fixing seat 30. Figure 4 , Figure 7 , Fig.11 and Fig.12 , Fig.11 It is a structural schematic diagram of the second state (expanded state) of the second bearing mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application; Fig.12 : is a schematic diagram of the use state of the second bearing mechanism provided in the embodiment of the present application when it is in the second state; wherein, the first state (recovery state) structural schematic diagram of the third fixing seat 30 can be referred to Figure 4 The schematic diagram of the use state of the third fixing seat 30 when it is in the first state can be referred to Figure 7 . The third fixed seat 30 is provided with a third support portion 31 at one end close to the center O of the circle, and the end away from the center O is rotatably connected to the end of the second fixed seat 20 close to the center O of the circle; for example, the end of the third fixed seat 30 away from the center O can be directly hinged to the second fixed seat 20, or can be indirectly hinged to the second fixed seat 20 through a connecting member, and the connecting member can be a rotating arm to increase the distance between the third fixed seat 30 and the second fixed seat 20. When the third fixed seat 30 rotates to the side away from the center O to the third target position (recovery state), the second support portion 21 is used to carry the wafer of the second size; when the third fixed seat 30 rotates to the side close to the center O to the fourth target position (expanded state), the third support portion 31 is used to carry the wafer of the third size. For example, in this embodiment, the first size can correspond to 8 inches, the second size can correspond to 6 inches, and the third size can correspond to 4 inches. The specific size can be designed according to actual needs.

[0078] The wafer stage of this embodiment is compatible with three wafers of different sizes.

[0079] As an example, see Figure 8 and Fig.12, like the structural arrangement of the first support portion 11, the second support portion 21 can be convexly arranged on the side surface 211 of the second fixing seat 20 near the center O, when the third fixing seat 30 rotates to the third target position (recovery state, see Figure 4 ), the third fixing seat 30 does not extend beyond the side surface 211 of the second fixing seat 20 near the center O. Similarly, as an example, please continue to refer to Figure 8 and Fig.11 , the third support portion 31 may also be protruding from the side surface 311 of the third fixing seat 30 at one end close to the circle center O. In addition, preferably, the side surface 211 of the second fixing seat 20 facing the circle center O and located above the second support portion 21 is a second inclined surface, so that when the wafer of the second size is offset, it slides from the second inclined surface to the second support portion 21; similarly, the side surface 311 of the third fixing seat 30 facing the circle center O and located above the third support portion 31 is a third inclined surface, so that when the wafer of the third size is offset, it slides from the third inclined surface to the third support portion 31, which can reduce the operational accuracy of placing the wafer on the wafer carrier. For example, please refer to Figure 8 When the bearing surface of the third supporting portion 31 is a horizontal plane, the angle θ between the side surface 311 of the third fixing seat 30 facing the center O and the portion located above the third supporting portion 31 and the third supporting portion 31 is preferably greater than 90°.

[0080] Similarly, when the third fixing seat 30 is rotated to the third target position in the retracted state, it can be exposed to the outside of the second fixing seat 20. However, in order to improve the compactness of the overall structure, as an example of the third fixing seat 30 in the retracted state, please continue to refer to Figure 4 and Fig.11 , a second receiving groove 22 can be provided on the top surface of the second fixing seat 20 ; when the third fixing seat 30 is rotated to the third target position, it is received in the second receiving groove 22 .

[0081] It should be noted that the third fixing seat 30 can be rotated to the fourth target position by using the structure of the top screw-locking hole in the above solution to limit the position, but in order to make the rotation angle of the third fixing seat 30 more accurate when it is unfolded, in one embodiment, refer to 8 and Fig.13 , Fig.13 This is a schematic diagram of a limiting structure when a third fixed structure provided in an embodiment of the present application is in an expanded state, a groove 32 is provided at the bottom of the end of the third fixed seat 30 away from the center O; when the third fixed seat 30 is rotated to the fourth target position, the groove 32 cooperates with the groove bottom 221 of the second receiving groove 22 to limit the rotation angle.

[0082] It is understandable that when the second fixing base 20 is in the unfolded state, the third fixing base 30 can be stably received in the second receiving groove 22 without being locked, but when the second fixing base 20 is received in the first receiving groove 12, the third fixing base 30 may be unfolded if it is not locked. Figure 4 , Fig. 9 and Fig.11 In one embodiment, a third locking hole 24 penetrating the side wall of the second receiving groove 22 may be further provided on the second fixing seat 20; the supporting mechanism 110 also includes a third locking member 43. When the third fixing seat 30 is received in the second receiving groove 22, the third locking member 43 engages with the third locking hole 24 to lock the third fixing seat 30.

[0083] Preferably, as some examples, when the second fixing seat 20 is in the unfolded state, the bearing surface of the second support portion 21 is located in the same plane as the bearing surface of the first support portion 11. Wafers of different sizes can be kept at the same support height, reducing the debugging of the equipment when the wafers are switched. Similarly, preferably, when the third fixing seat 30 is in the unfolded state, the bearing surface of the third support portion 31 is located in the same plane as the bearing surface of the second support portion 21.

[0084] The present application also provides a dummy film chamber 200, see Figure 3 The dummy wafer chamber 200 includes a chamber body 210 and a wafer stage 100 as described in the above embodiments. The wafer stage 100 is disposed in the chamber body 210. In addition, a window 220 for wafer transfer may be further disposed on the side wall of the chamber body 210.

[0085] The dummy wafer chamber 200 of the present embodiment is compatible with wafers of various sizes, and when switching to wafers of different sizes, it is not necessary to change the support structure or re-debug the equipment, thereby improving production efficiency. When the dummy wafer chamber 200 of the present embodiment is used in conjunction with a process chamber, it can be used to transfer test wafers to the process chamber for inter-wafer cleaning to prevent metal particles from being deposited on the ESC surface, and it can remove the lower electrode (BRF) power that needs to be loaded in the traditional cleaning process, thereby improving the service life of the ESC.

[0086] The present application also provides a semiconductor process equipment. Fig.14 , which includes the dummy wafer chamber 200, the transfer platform 300, and at least one process chamber 400 as described in the above embodiments. In the figure, three process chambers 400 are set as an example. All process chambers 400 and the dummy wafer chamber 200 are distributed around the transfer platform 300. The transfer platform 300 is used to transfer the test wafer in the dummy wafer chamber 200 to the process chamber 400 when cleaning metal particles, so as to prevent metal particles from being deposited on the ESC surface.

[0087] The above is a detailed introduction to a wafer stage, a dummy wafer chamber, and a semiconductor process equipment provided by the present application. This article uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. It should be noted that in the present application, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described or recorded in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant description of other embodiments.

[0088] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present application, and the patent scope of the present application is not limited thereto. The various technical features of the technical solution of the present application can be arbitrarily combined. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the various technical features in the above embodiments are described. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the specification and drawings of this application, or directly or indirectly used in other related technical fields, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, are equally included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A wafer stage, characterized in that: It comprises at least two supporting mechanisms arranged around a preset circle, and is used to support the wafer from the edge of the wafer; Taking the center of the preset circle as a reference, each of the bearing mechanisms comprises: A first fixing seat, with a first supporting portion disposed at one end close to the center of the circle; A second fixing seat, wherein a second supporting portion is disposed at one end close to the center of the circle and an end away from the center of the circle is rotatably connected to an end of the first fixing seat close to the center of the circle; When the second fixing seat rotates to a first target position toward a side away from the center of the circle, the first supporting portion is used to carry a wafer of a first size; When the second fixing seat rotates to a second target position toward a side close to the center of the circle, the second supporting portion is used to carry a wafer of a second size.

2. The wafer stage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first supporting portion is protrudingly disposed on a side surface of one end of the first fixing seat close to the center of the circle; When the second fixing seat rotates to the first target position, the second fixing seat does not extend beyond the side surface of the first fixing seat at one end close to the center of the circle.

3. The wafer stage according to claim 2, characterized in that: A first receiving groove is provided on the side of the first fixing seat facing the center of the circle, and the second fixing seat is received in the first receiving groove when the second fixing seat rotates to the first target position.

4. The wafer stage according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first fixing seat includes a first side wall constituting the bottom of the first receiving groove, a second side wall and a third side wall connected to two opposite sides of the first side wall, and a bottom wall connecting the first side wall, the second side wall and the third side wall from the bottom; The first fixing seat is connected to the external supporting platform via the bottom wall, the first supporting portion is provided on a side of the second side wall facing the center of the circle, and / or the first supporting portion is provided on a side of the third side wall facing the center of the circle.

5. The wafer stage according to claim 4, characterized in that: The bearing mechanism further includes a first locking member; a first locking hole is further provided on the second side wall and / or the third side wall, and when the second fixing seat is rotated to the second target position, the first locking member is engaged with the first locking hole to lock the second fixing seat; and / or, The supporting mechanism also includes a second locking member; a second locking hole is also provided on the second side wall and / or the third side wall, and when the second fixing seat is received in the first receiving groove, the second locking member fits into the second locking hole to lock the second fixing seat.

6. The wafer stage according to claim 4, characterized in that: The height of the first side wall is lower than the height of the second side wall and the third side wall, so as to form a notch at the bottom of the groove; The second fixed seat is hinged to the portion of the second side wall that extends beyond the first side wall, and / or the second fixed seat is hinged to the portion of the third side wall that extends beyond the first side wall; and when the second fixed seat is rotated to the second target position, an end of the second fixed seat away from the center of the circle cooperates with the notch to limit the rotation angle.

7. The wafer stage according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The carrying mechanism also includes: A third fixing seat, wherein a third supporting portion is provided at one end close to the center of the circle, and an end away from the center of the circle is rotatably connected to an end of the second fixing seat close to the center of the circle; When the third fixing seat rotates to a third target position toward a side away from the center of the circle, the second supporting portion is used to carry the wafer of the second size; When the third fixing seat rotates to a fourth target position toward a side close to the center of the circle, the third supporting portion is used to carry a wafer of a third size.

8. The wafer stage according to claim 7, characterized in that: The second supporting portion is convexly disposed on a side surface of one end of the second fixing seat close to the center of the circle; When the third fixing seat is rotated to the third target position, the third fixing seat does not exceed the side surface of the end of the second fixing seat close to the center of the circle.

9. The wafer stage according to claim 8, characterized in that: A second receiving groove is provided on the top surface of the second fixing seat; When the third fixing seat is rotated to the third target position, it is received in the second receiving groove.

10. The wafer stage according to claim 9, characterized in that: A groove is provided at the bottom of one end of the third fixing seat away from the center of the circle; When the third fixing seat rotates to the fourth target position, the groove cooperates with the bottom of the second receiving groove to limit the rotation angle.

11. The wafer stage according to claim 9, characterized in that: The second fixing seat is also provided with a third locking hole penetrating through the side wall of the second receiving groove; The bearing mechanism further includes a third locking member, and when the third fixing seat is received in the second receiving groove, the third locking member is engaged with the third locking hole to lock the third fixing seat.

12. The wafer stage according to claim 9, characterized in that: The portion of the side surface of the first fixing seat facing the center of the circle and located above the first supporting portion is a first inclined surface, so that the wafer of the first size can slide from the first inclined surface to the first supporting portion when it is offset; and / or, The part of the side surface of the second fixing seat facing the center of the circle and located above the second supporting portion is a second inclined surface, so that the wafer of the second size can slide from the second inclined surface to the second supporting portion when it is offset; and / or, The portion of the side surface of the third fixing seat facing the center of the circle and located above the third supporting portion is a third inclined surface, so that the wafer of the third size can slide from the third inclined surface to the third supporting portion when it is offset.

13. A pseudo film chamber, characterized in that: It comprises a chamber body and a wafer stage as described in any one of claims 1 to 12; The wafer carrier is arranged in the chamber body.

14. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: comprising a transfer platform, at least one process chamber, and the dummy film chamber of claim 13; The at least one process chamber and the dummy wafer chamber are distributed around the transfer platform, and the transfer platform is used to transfer the test wafer in the dummy wafer chamber to the process chamber when metal particle cleaning is performed.

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