Height measuring device and semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

The utility model provides a height measuring device and semiconductor process equipment, relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing, and aims to solve the problem of inconvenience in measuring collapse of the top of the inner wall of a process pipe. The height measuring device comprises a measuring module and a driving module, the measuring module comprises a display assembly and a measuring rod assembly extending upwards, the top end of the measuring rod assembly can make contact with the top of the inner wall of the process pipe, and the display assembly is used for displaying the position of the measuring rod assembly; the driving module is in transmission connection with the measuring module and is used for driving the measuring module to move. The convenience of measuring the collapse of the top of the inner wall of the process pipe can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing, in particular to a height measuring device and semiconductor process equipment. Background Art

[0002] Vertical furnace equipment is an important process equipment for integrated circuit manufacturing, suitable for various oxidation, annealing and thin film growth processes in the integrated circuit manufacturing process. The process tube (Tube) in the vertical furnace equipment is located in the heated furnace body, providing a chemical reaction space for the wafer. The material of the process tube is generally quartz, which is transparent. Due to the nature of the quartz material, after long-term high-temperature heating and alternating temperature changes, it will produce different degrees of collapse at the dome arc transition position due to the material and structural characteristics. It needs to be monitored every three months after assembly and before machine maintenance (Product Maintenance, PM). However, due to the cleanliness requirements of the plant and the structural characteristics of the process tube, special equipment is required to measure the height of the dome of the process tube and monitor the collapse of the process tube. Utility Model Content

[0003] The first purpose of the utility model is to provide a height measuring device to solve the technical problem of the inconvenience of measuring the top collapse of the inner wall of the process pipe in the prior art.

[0004] The height measuring device provided by the utility model is applied to semiconductor process equipment, wherein the semiconductor process equipment comprises a process tube opening downward, and the height measuring device is used to measure the height of the top of the inner wall of the process tube, and comprises:

[0005] a measuring module, comprising a display assembly and a measuring rod assembly extending upward, wherein the top end of the measuring rod assembly can contact the top of the inner wall of the process pipe, and the display assembly is used to display the position of the measuring rod assembly; and

[0006] The driving module is transmission-connected to the measuring module and is used to drive the measuring module to move.

[0007] In a preferred technical solution, the measuring rod assembly includes a rod body and a pressure sensor, and the pressure sensor is arranged at the top end of the rod body.

[0008] In a preferred technical solution, the height measuring device further comprises a guiding module, which is connected to the measuring module and can guide the movement of the measuring module in a vertical direction and at least one horizontal direction.

[0009] In a preferred technical solution, the guide module includes a horizontal guide mechanism and a vertical guide mechanism, the measuring module is connected to the vertical guide mechanism, the vertical guide mechanism is connected to the movable end of the horizontal guide mechanism, and the horizontal guide mechanism is configured to be detachably connected to the process pipe.

[0010] In a preferred technical solution, the vertical guide mechanism includes a posture detection component and a slide capable of moving horizontally, the slide is provided with a vertical sleeve, the vertical sleeve has a through hole extending in the vertical direction, the posture detection component is fixedly arranged on the inner wall of the through hole of the vertical sleeve, the measuring rod assembly passes through the posture detection component, and the posture detection component is used to detect the posture of the measuring rod assembly relative to the slide.

[0011] In a preferred technical solution, the display assembly includes a vertical scale, and the vertical scale is fixedly connected to the measuring rod assembly.

[0012] In the preferred technical solution, the vertical guide mechanism includes a slide seat capable of horizontal movement, and the horizontal guide mechanism includes a horizontal rod support capable of being connected to the process pipe; the display component also includes a horizontal movement mark and a horizontal scale, the horizontal movement mark is arranged on the slide seat, and the horizontal scale is connected to the horizontal rod support.

[0013] In the preferred technical solution, the display component also includes a first processor and a display, and the first processor is respectively connected to the display and the pressure sensor signal, and the first processor is used to control the display to display the horizontal position and vertical position of the measuring rod assembly after the pressure sensor senses the pressure signal.

[0014] In a preferred technical solution, the driving module includes a longitudinal driving mechanism and a horizontal driving mechanism, the horizontal driving mechanism is installed at a power output end of the longitudinal driving mechanism, and the power output end of the horizontal driving mechanism is transmission-connected to the measuring module.

[0015] In the preferred technical solution, the longitudinal drive mechanism includes a longitudinal drive motor, a longitudinal transmission wheel and a longitudinal transmission member, the longitudinal drive motor is transmission-connected to the longitudinal transmission wheel, the longitudinal transmission wheel is transmission-connected to the longitudinal transmission member, and the horizontal drive mechanism is installed on the longitudinal transmission member.

[0016] In a preferred technical solution, the horizontal driving mechanism includes a horizontal driving motor and a horizontal moving member, the horizontal driving motor is fixedly mounted on a power output end of the longitudinal driving mechanism, and the horizontal moving member is transmission-connected to the horizontal driving motor and to the measuring module.

[0017] In the preferred technical solution, the horizontal drive mechanism also includes a fine-tuning component, which is located at the power output end of the horizontal drive mechanism, and the fine-tuning component is used to adjust the posture of the measuring rod assembly relative to the slide according to the posture measurement component.

[0018] In the preferred technical solution, the measuring module also includes a measuring base, which is fixedly connected to the measuring rod assembly in a vertical plane; the fine-tuning assembly includes a plurality of fine-tuning support rods and a plurality of fine-tuning motors, the fine-tuning motors are transmission-connected to the fine-tuning support rods one by one, and the plurality of fine-tuning support rods abut the bottom surface of the measuring base.

[0019] In a preferred technical solution, the top end of the fine-tuning support rod is a hemispherical surface.

[0020] The second purpose of the utility model is to provide a semiconductor process equipment to solve the technical problem of inconvenience in measuring the collapse of the top of the inner wall of the process tube.

[0021] The semiconductor process equipment provided by the utility model comprises a process tube and any one of the above-mentioned height measuring devices, wherein the height measuring device is detachably connected to the process tube.

[0022] The beneficial effects brought by the height measuring device and semiconductor process equipment of the utility model are:

[0023] The height measuring device and semiconductor process equipment are provided with a measuring rod assembly that can be extended upward in the measuring module. The measuring rod assembly can be used to extend from below into a downwardly opening process tube. The driving module drives the measuring rod assembly to move. The top end of the measuring rod assembly contacts the top of the inner wall of the process tube, and the specific height of the corresponding position of the inner wall of the process tube can be measured, thereby obtaining information about the inner wall of the process tube to intuitively reflect the collapse condition inside the process tube.

[0024] In addition, the height measuring device described above does not require the process tube to be removed, thus reducing the number of operations required to disassemble and assemble the process tube. Moreover, there is no need to transport the process tube to an environment with a corresponding purification level for testing, no need for long-distance transportation, and naturally no need for vacuum packaging, anti-shatter packaging, and other operations, thereby reducing the cost and difficulty of testing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments or background technologies of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or background technology descriptions are briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely embodiments of the present invention, and ordinary technicians in this field can obtain other drawings based on the provided drawings without paying any creative work.

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a height measuring device provided in Embodiment 1 of the present utility model;

[0027] Figure 2 A partial schematic diagram of the measuring rod assembly in the height measuring device provided in the first embodiment of the utility model detecting the height of the top of the inner wall of the process pipe;

[0028] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the combined structure of a measuring module and a guiding module in a height measuring device provided in Embodiment 1 of the present utility model;

[0029] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a pressure-sensitive collar in a height measurement device provided in Embodiment 1 of the present utility model detecting the posture of a measuring rod assembly;

[0030] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a fine-adjustment assembly supporting a measuring base in a height measuring device provided in Embodiment 1 of the present utility model;

[0031] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of adjusting a measuring base by a fine-tuning assembly in a height measuring device provided in Embodiment 1 of the utility model;

[0032] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of signal transmission for adjusting the posture of a measuring base in a height measuring device provided in Embodiment 1 of the utility model.

[0033] Description of reference numerals:

[0034] 100-process pipe;

[0035] 200 - measurement module; 210 - rod body; 220 - pressure sensor; 230 - measurement base; 240 - first processor; 250 - display;

[0036] 300-guide module; 310-horizontal guide mechanism; 311-horizontal guide rod; 312-horizontal rod support; 313-horizontal movement mark; 314-horizontal scale; 320-vertical guide mechanism; 321-slide seat; 322-vertical slide sleeve; 323-pressure-sensitive sleeve ring; 324-vertical scale; 325-fixed block; 326-locking piece;

[0037] 400-driving module; 410-longitudinal driving mechanism; 411-longitudinal driving motor; 412-longitudinal transmission member; 413-longitudinal driving wheel; 414-longitudinal passive wheel; 415-motor bracket; 420-horizontal driving mechanism; 421-horizontal driving motor; 422-horizontal moving member; 431-fine-tuning motor; 432-fine-tuning support rod. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] In the related technology, a universal three-coordinate measuring instrument is generally used to measure the special-shaped structure of the process pipe dome. The probe of the three-coordinate measuring instrument moves in three mutually perpendicular directions. After the probe moves to the specified position through the three coordinates, it transmits a signal after contacting the object to be measured. The signal is processed by the displacement measurement system and the coordinates of the contact point of the object to be measured are calculated. The probe of a high-precision three-coordinate measuring instrument can be an extremely high-precision red envelope pool. All three coordinates use high-precision granite guide rails, and the measurement accuracy can reach the micron level.

[0039] However, due to the special structure of the process tube dome in the vertical furnace and the high height inside the wall of the process tube, it is difficult to measure with ordinary measuring tools. Even if a three-coordinate measuring machine is used, due to the particularity of the semiconductor industry, there are generally the following problems:

[0040] 1. In order to regularly detect whether the process tube has collapsed after the process is carried out, the dome of the process tube needs to be measured after a certain process time, usually three months of operation of the process module (PM). The disassembly and assembly of the process tube is relatively complicated. If the process tube is disassembled, other corresponding assembly parts need to be disassembled first, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

[0041] 2. Generally speaking, the vertical furnace machine does not have the conditions for three-coordinate detection. If it is sent to a special place to use a three-coordinate measuring instrument, the place needs to have a million-level purification environment, and vacuum packaging and anti-shatter packaging are required during transportation, which seriously increases the cost and difficulty of detection.

[0042] 3. Due to the special structure of the process tube, the general three-coordinate measuring instrument can only measure points on the outer contour surface of the process tube. This measure cannot directly reflect the collapse of the process tube and cannot detect whether a collision has occurred. If it is necessary to measure the inside of the process tube, the equipment needs to be used to raise the process tube to a certain height, and a special three-coordinate measuring instrument needs to be used to extend into the process tube. This also increases the difficulty of measurement.

[0043] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the utility model more obvious and easy to understand, the specific embodiments of the utility model are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only used to explain the utility model and are not used to limit the utility model.

[0044] Embodiment 1:

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the height measuring device provided in the first embodiment of the utility model. Figure 1As shown, the height measuring device provided in the first embodiment of the utility model is applied to semiconductor process equipment, and the semiconductor process equipment includes a process tube 100 opening downwardly, and the height measuring device is used to measure the height of the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100, and includes a measuring module 200 and a driving module 400; the measuring module 200 includes a display assembly and a measuring rod assembly extending upward, the top end of the measuring rod assembly can contact the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100, and the display assembly is used to display the position of the measuring rod assembly; the driving module 400 is transmission-connected to the measuring module 200, and is used to drive the measuring module 200 to move.

[0046] By providing a measuring rod assembly that can extend upward in the measuring module 200, the measuring rod assembly can be used to extend from below into the downwardly opening process tube 100, and the driving module 400 drives the measuring rod assembly to move. The top end of the measuring rod assembly contacts the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100, and the specific height of the corresponding position of the inner wall of the process tube 100 can be measured, thereby obtaining information about the inner wall of the process tube 100 to intuitively reflect the collapse condition inside the process tube 100.

[0047] In addition, by using the height measuring device, since the process tube 100 does not need to be disassembled, the operation of disassembling and assembling the process tube 100 is reduced. Moreover, there is no need to transport the process tube 100 to an environment with a corresponding purification level for testing, and there is no need for long-distance transportation, and naturally there is no need for vacuum packaging, anti-shatter packaging and other operations, thereby reducing the cost and difficulty of testing.

[0048] Figure 2 A partial schematic diagram of the measuring rod assembly in the height measuring device provided in the first embodiment of the utility model detecting the height of the top of the inner wall of the process pipe; Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the combined structure of the measuring module and the guiding module in the height measuring device provided in the first embodiment of the utility model; Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, preferably, the measuring rod assembly includes a rod body 210 and a pressure sensor 220 , and the pressure sensor 220 is arranged at the top end of the rod body 210 .

[0049] The pressure sensor 220 includes a probe, in which a pressure-sensitive sensor is disposed. When the top of the probe contacts the inner wall of the process tube 100, the probe transmits pressure downward, so that the pressure-sensitive sensor is compressed and generates a signal. The rod body 210 can be connected to the guide module 300 described later. Those skilled in the art should know that the rod body 210 is a vertical rod.

[0050] By setting up the pressure sensor 220, the pressure sensor 220 can be used to contact the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100. When a pressure signal is generated, it can be determined that the pressure sensor 220 has contacted the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100, thereby stopping the drive module 400. Not only can the height of the corresponding position of the inner wall of the process tube 100 be measured in a timely and accurate manner, but it can also prevent the height measuring device from being damaged due to bearing too much load.

[0051] Moreover, in the scheme described later, when the display component includes a first processor 240 and a display 250, the first processor 240 is respectively connected to the display 250 and the pressure sensor 220 signals. After the pressure sensor 220 senses the pressure signal, the first processor 240 can control the display 250 to display the horizontal position and vertical position of the measuring rod assembly, thereby reflecting the corresponding height of the top inner wall of the process pipe 100 at different horizontal positions.

[0052] In another implementation, the pressure sensor 220 may not be provided, and the top of the rod body 210 may directly contact the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100. If the top of the rod body 210 contacts the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100, the motor current in the driving module 400 may be too large, and the measurement rod assembly may be judged to be moved into position based on the current signal of the motor.

[0053] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, preferably, the height measuring device further comprises a guiding module 300, which is connected to the measuring module 200, and the guiding module 300 can guide the movement of the measuring module 200 in the vertical direction and at least one horizontal direction.

[0054] In this embodiment, the guide module 300 can guide the movement of the measuring module 200 in the vertical direction and one horizontal direction. In another implementation, in addition to guiding the measuring module 200 in the vertical direction, the guide module 300 can also guide the measuring module 200 in two orthogonal horizontal directions.

[0055] By providing a guide module 300 to connect with the measuring module 200 and guide the measuring module 200, the moving accuracy of the measuring module 200 can be improved to ensure that after the measuring module 200 moves to a certain horizontal position and is raised and lowered, the inner wall height of the process tube 100 corresponding to the horizontal position can be accurately measured, so that the accurate measurement data can be compared with the standard size of the process tube 100 to determine whether the inner wall of the process tube 100 collapses and the degree of collapse, thereby improving the accuracy of the measurement.

[0056] like Figure 3As shown, preferably, the guide module 300 includes a horizontal guide mechanism 310 and a vertical guide mechanism 320, the measuring module 200 is connected to the vertical guide mechanism 320, the vertical guide mechanism 320 is connected to the movable end of the horizontal guide mechanism 310, and the horizontal guide mechanism 310 is configured to be detachably connected to the process pipe 100.

[0057] The vertical guide mechanism 320 is connected to the movable end of the horizontal guide mechanism 310, and the fixed part of the horizontal guide mechanism 310 is installed on the process tube 100 to achieve the installation and fixation of the guide module 300. This makes it easier to connect the height measuring device to the semiconductor process equipment, so that the inner wall of the process tube 100 can be measured without disassembling and transporting the process tube 100.

[0058] like Figure 3 As shown, preferably, the vertical guide mechanism 320 includes a slide 321, and the measuring rod assembly is slidably arranged on the slide 321 along the vertical direction; the horizontal guide mechanism 310 includes a horizontal guide rod 311 and a horizontal rod support 312, and the two ends of the horizontal guide rod 311 are respectively connected to the horizontal rod support 312, the slide 321 is slidably arranged on the horizontal guide rod 311 along the horizontal direction, and the horizontal rod support 312 is configured to be detachably connected to the process pipe 100.

[0059] Specifically, in this embodiment, there are two horizontal rod supports 312, and two horizontal guide rods 311 are arranged in parallel, and both ends of the horizontal guide rods 311 are inserted into the horizontal rod supports 312. The horizontal production can be fixed to the bottom of the process tube 100, so that the horizontal guide mechanism 310 is fixedly installed on the process block.

[0060] The slide 321 is roughly a block-shaped cube, and parallel horizontal sleeves are provided on the slide 321 to respectively realize horizontal sliding with the two horizontal guide rods 311. The slide 321 is also provided with a vertical sleeve 322, and the vertical sleeve 322 has a through hole extending in the vertical direction. The vertical sleeve 322 is slidably connected to the rod body 210 of the measuring rod assembly to realize the positioning and guidance of the lifting and lowering of the measuring rod assembly. Among them, the vertical sleeve 322 can have a sleeve part and a flange part that are fixedly connected, and the sleeve part is provided with a through hole extending in the vertical direction. The flange part is located on the upper surface of the slide 321 and is fixedly connected to the slide 321, and the sleeve part is slidably connected to the rod body 210.

[0061] By detachably connecting the horizontal rod support 312 to the process tube 100, most of the area of ​​the horizontal guide rod 311 can be located below the opening area of ​​the process tube 100, and the slide 321 slidingly arranged in the horizontal direction with the horizontal guide rod 311 can move horizontally below the opening area of ​​the process tube 100 to drive the vertical guide mechanism 320 and the measuring module 200 to measure different areas on the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100 to detect whether the inner wall of the process tube 100 collapses, thereby improving the quality of detection.

[0062] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the pressure-sensitive collar in the height measurement device provided in the first embodiment of the utility model detecting the posture of the measuring rod assembly; Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, preferably, the vertical guide mechanism 320 includes a posture detection component, which is fixedly arranged on the inner wall of the through hole of the vertical sleeve 322, and the measuring rod assembly passes through the posture detection component, and the posture detection component is used to detect the posture of the measuring rod assembly relative to the slide 321.

[0063] In this embodiment, the posture detection component can be a pressure-sensitive collar 323. The posture of the rod assembly relative to the slide 321 is measured, which refers to whether the portion of the rod body 210 accommodated in the slide 321 is parallel to the vertical sleeve 322 of the slide 321, and, if the rod body 210 is not parallel, it also includes the angle of the portion of the rod body 210 accommodated in the vertical sleeve 322 relative to the axis of the vertical sleeve 322.

[0064] If the rod body 210 is tilted in the vertical sleeve 322, pressure will be generated on at least one area of ​​the pressure-sensitive collar 323. For example, the pressure on the east side area of ​​the pressure-sensitive collar 323 increases, while the pressure on the west side area of ​​the pressure-sensitive collar 323 decreases, which means that the upper part of the pressure-sensitive collar 323 is tilted toward the east, so the posture of the rod body 210 needs to be adjusted so that the upper part of the rod body 210 moves toward the west, and finally the rod body 210 remains vertical.

[0065] By setting a pressure-sensitive ring 323 to be fixed relative to the slide 321 to detect the posture of the measuring rod assembly relative to the slide 321, when the inclination of the measuring rod assembly relative to the slide 321 and the inclination direction are known, the angle of the rod body 210 can be changed manually or automatically, so that the rod body 210 remains vertical, so as to obtain a height at a certain horizontal position that can accurately correspond to the horizontal position, thereby improving the measurement accuracy.

[0066] In another implementation, the posture detection component may also select multiple pressure sensors arranged in the through hole of the slide 321. For example, a pressure sensor may be arranged in the east, south, west and north directions of the inner wall of the through hole of the vertical sleeve 322. When the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor in a certain direction is greater than that of the other pressure sensors, it indicates that the measuring rod assembly is tilted toward this direction.

[0067] like Figure 3 As shown, preferably, the display assembly includes a vertical scale 324, and the vertical scale 324 is fixedly connected to the measuring rod assembly.

[0068] In this embodiment, the upper end and the lower end of the vertical scale 324 are respectively fixedly connected to the upper end and the lower end of the rod body 210 through the fixing block 325. The vertical scale 324 is marked with scales, and a fixed position of the slider can be observed, for example, the change of the upper surface or the lower surface of the slider relative to the scale on the vertical scale 324 can be observed to read the inner wall height of the process tube 100 corresponding to the horizontal position.

[0069] like Figure 3 As shown, preferably, the vertical guide mechanism 320 further includes a locking member 326 , which is connected to the slide 321 , and is used to lock the relative position of the slide 321 and the horizontal guide rod 311 .

[0070] In this embodiment, the locking member 326 can be a set screw or a top screw. Specifically, a horizontal threaded hole can be set on the slide 321, and the inner end of the threaded hole is connected to the horizontal guide rod 311. When the locking member 326 is locked, the horizontal guide rod 311 can be pressed to fix the slide 321.

[0071] When the slide 321 moves to a certain position on the horizontal guide rod 311, it is necessary to measure the inner wall height of the process tube 100 corresponding to the position, and the slide 321 can be locked on the horizontal guide rod 311 by using the locking member 326. Then, when the measuring rod assembly is raised or lowered, the slide 321 will not be driven to move in the horizontal direction because of the horizontal component force exerted by the top end of the measuring rod assembly contacting the inner wall of the process tube 100, thereby ensuring the accurate horizontal position of the slide 321, so as to measure the inner wall height of the process tube 100 accurately corresponding to the position of the slide 321.

[0072] like Figure 3 As shown, preferably, the display assembly includes a horizontal movement mark 313 and a horizontal scale 314 , the horizontal movement mark 313 is arranged on the slide 321 , and the horizontal scale 314 is connected to the horizontal rod support 312 .

[0073] The two ends of the horizontal scale 314 are respectively installed on the side of the horizontal rod support 312, and the horizontal scale 314 is arranged parallel to the horizontal guide rod 311. For example, when the slide 321 is located at the center of the horizontal guide rod 311, that is, the measuring rod assembly is located directly below the top center of the inner wall of the process tube 100, the horizontal movement mark 313 corresponds to the zero position of the horizontal scale 314. The horizontal movement mark 313 can be a notch or a colored mark set on the side of the slide 321, the notch or mark can be set on a bent plate, or the horizontal movement mark 313 can be an inverted triangle pointer set on the side of the slide 321.

[0074] By setting the horizontal movement mark 313, it is convenient for the operator to observe when the slide 321 moves to a certain position, and the corresponding number of the horizontal movement mark 313 on the horizontal guide rod 311 can be used to obtain the horizontal position of the slide 321, so as to determine the corresponding horizontal position of the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100, thereby facilitating comparison of the measured value with the standard value of the horizontal position to determine whether the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100 collapses.

[0075] like Figure 2 As shown, preferably, the display assembly also includes a first processor 240 and a display 250. The first processor 240 is signal-connected to the display 250 and the pressure sensor 220, respectively. The first processor 240 is used to control the display 250 to display the horizontal position and vertical position of the measuring rod assembly after the pressure sensor 220 senses the pressure signal.

[0076] Among them, in this embodiment, when the pressure sensor 220 senses the pressure signal, it can be determined that the pressure sensor 220 has contacted the top of the inner wall of the upper process tube 100. At this time, the position of the measuring rod assembly can represent the corresponding position of the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100. For example, at a certain horizontal position, if the measuring rod assembly rises 1000mm relative to the position when its top end is level with the pipe mouth at the bottom of the process tube 100, it can be considered that at this horizontal position, the height of the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100 is 1000mm.

[0077] The horizontal position of the measuring rod assembly can be read by the horizontal drive motor 421 described later and determined in combination with the installation position of the horizontal guide mechanism 310 on the process tube 100. The rising height of the measuring rod assembly relative to the opening position where the top end is level with the bottom of the process tube 100 can be read by the longitudinal drive motor 411. For example, the horizontal drive motor 421 and the longitudinal drive motor 411 can be servo motors, and the horizontal position and rising height of the measuring rod assembly can be obtained according to the number of revolutions of the servo motor and in combination with the speed ratio of the corresponding transmission assembly, and then the size of the inner wall top of the process tube 100 can be obtained.

[0078] like Figure 1As shown, preferably, the driving module 400 includes a longitudinal driving mechanism 410 and a horizontal driving mechanism 420 , the horizontal driving mechanism 420 is installed at the power output end of the longitudinal driving mechanism 410 , and the power output end of the horizontal driving mechanism 420 is transmission-connected to the measuring module 200 .

[0079] The horizontal driving mechanism 420 and the longitudinal driving mechanism 410 can drive the measuring module 200 to be raised and lowered horizontally and vertically without the operator having to drive the measuring module 200 to be raised and lowered, thereby freeing the operator's hands to improve operating efficiency.

[0080] like Figure 1 As shown, preferably, the longitudinal drive mechanism 410 includes a longitudinal drive motor 411, a longitudinal transmission wheel and a longitudinal transmission member 412, the longitudinal drive motor 411 is transmission-connected to the longitudinal transmission wheel, the longitudinal transmission wheel is transmission-connected to the longitudinal transmission member 412, and the horizontal drive mechanism 420 is installed on the longitudinal transmission member 412.

[0081] In this embodiment, the longitudinal driving motor 411 can be disposed on the ground via a motor bracket 415 . In other words, the motor bracket 415 can bear the weight of the driving module 400 and the measuring module 200 .

[0082] In this embodiment, the longitudinal transmission wheel may include a longitudinal driving wheel 413 and a longitudinal passive wheel 414, and the longitudinal driving wheel 413 and the longitudinal passive wheel 414 are driven by a longitudinal transmission belt. The longitudinal transmission member 412 is the longitudinal transmission belt. The horizontal driving mechanism 420 is fixedly mounted on the longitudinal transmission belt, and the horizontal driving mechanism 420 can be guided by a lifting guide rail not shown in the figure. The longitudinal passive wheel 414 can be rotatably mounted on a bracket not shown in the figure, which will not be described in detail here.

[0083] In another implementation, the longitudinal transmission member 412 may also be in other forms. If the longitudinal transmission member 412 is a synchronous toothed belt, then the longitudinal driving wheel 413 and the longitudinal driven wheel 414 are both synchronous toothed belts; if the longitudinal transmission member 412 is a chain, then the longitudinal driving wheel 413 and the longitudinal driven wheel 414 are both sprockets; if the longitudinal transmission member 412 is a wire rope, then the longitudinal driving wheel 413 and the longitudinal driven wheel 414 are both drums that can be wound with wire ropes; if the longitudinal transmission member 412 is a rack, then the longitudinal driven wheel 414 may not be set, and only a gear as the longitudinal driving wheel 413 is set, and the gear is meshed with the rack to achieve longitudinal transmission.

[0084] The longitudinal drive motor 411 can be connected to the longitudinal driving wheel 413 through a speed reducer, or the longitudinal drive motor 411 is directly connected to a speed reducer to connect the longitudinal driving wheel 413. The longitudinal transmission wheel is sleeved on the output shaft of the longitudinal drive motor 411 motor or the speed reducer, and is fixedly connected to the output shaft. Therefore, the longitudinal drive motor 411 is in transmission connection with the longitudinal driving wheel 413.

[0085] By providing a longitudinal drive motor 411 to be connected to the longitudinal drive wheel, the rotation of the longitudinal drive wheel can be used to drive the longitudinal transmission member 412, and then drive the horizontal drive mechanism 420 to move up and down, which is beneficial to control the measurement module 200 to move up and down.

[0086] like Figure 1 As shown, preferably, the horizontal driving mechanism 420 includes a horizontal driving motor 421 and a horizontal moving member 422, the horizontal driving motor 421 is fixedly installed at the power output end of the longitudinal driving mechanism 410, and the horizontal moving member 422 is transmission-connected to the horizontal driving motor 421 and is transmission-connected to the measuring module 200.

[0087] The horizontal drive motor 421 can be installed on a lifting seat (not shown), which is fixedly connected to the longitudinal transmission member 412. A horizontal moving member 422 can be installed at the output end of the horizontal drive motor 421, and the horizontal moving member 422 can be a protruding rod, one end of which is in transmission connection with the measuring module 200. The horizontal drive motor 421 can be a motor of an electric push rod. The electric push rod can drive the horizontal moving member 422 to move horizontally.

[0088] By providing a horizontal driving motor 421 to drive and connect the horizontal moving member 422 , the horizontal driving motor 421 can be used to drive the horizontal moving member 422 , thereby driving the measuring module 200 to move on the horizontal guide mechanism 310 to measure the inner wall of the process tube 100 .

[0089] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a fine-adjustment assembly supporting a measuring base in a height measuring device provided in Embodiment 1 of the present utility model; Figure 6 Schematic diagram of adjusting the measuring base of the fine-tuning assembly in the height measuring device provided in the first embodiment of the utility model; Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, preferably, the horizontal driving mechanism 420 also includes a fine-tuning component, which is located at the power output end of the horizontal driving mechanism 420, and the fine-tuning component is used to adjust the posture of the measuring rod assembly relative to the slide 321 according to the posture measurement component.

[0090] By setting a fine-tuning component at the power output end of the horizontal drive mechanism 420, the posture of the measuring rod assembly can be adjusted so that the measuring rod remains vertical, so that the horizontal position of the bottom of the measuring rod can correspond to the vertical projection of the top of the measuring rod assembly along the vertical direction, thereby improving the measurement accuracy.

[0091] Since the tilt of the measuring rod assembly is caused by the inconsistency between the horizontal position of the vertical through hole in the vertical sleeve 322 and the top of the measuring rod assembly, in addition to the above-mentioned fine-tuning assembly to adjust the horizontality of the bottom of the measuring rod assembly to directly keep the measuring rod assembly vertical, the horizontal position of the slide 321 can also be adjusted, for example, the horizontal driving mechanism 420 can be activated to drive the slide 321 to move relative to the horizontal guide rod 311. In this way, the horizontal position of the through hole in the vertical sleeve 322 and the top of the measuring rod assembly are consistent.

[0092] Specifically, for example, the attitude measurement assembly in the vertical sleeve 322 feels the greatest pressure from the measuring rod assembly toward the east, which actually means that the upper part of the measuring rod assembly is tilted toward the east. Therefore, by moving the slide 321 toward the east so that the through hole of the vertical sleeve 322 is in the same horizontal position as the top of the measuring rod assembly, the tilting state can be eliminated to ensure the accuracy of the measurement data.

[0093] Alternatively, the posture measurement component may be used alone to measure that the posture of the measuring rod is not in a plumb state, and the first processor 240 controls the display 250 to display this information or issue an alarm, and the operator manually adjusts the posture of the measuring rod component.

[0094] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, preferably, the measuring module 200 also includes a measuring base 230, which is fixedly connected to the measuring rod assembly in a vertical plane; the fine-tuning assembly includes a plurality of fine-tuning support rods 432 and a plurality of fine-tuning motors 431, the fine-tuning motors 431 are transmission-connected to the fine-tuning support rods 432 in a one-to-one correspondence, and the plurality of fine-tuning support rods 432 abut against the bottom surface of the measuring base 230.

[0095] In this embodiment, a recessed portion may be provided at the free end of the horizontal moving member 422, and the recessed portion may accommodate the measuring base 230, wherein the measuring base 230 may be adjacent to the side wall of the recessed portion at the side where the moving direction of the horizontal moving member 422 is located. Being adjacent to the side wall of the recessed portion does not limit the adjacent state to be in any time. Because the adjacent state is in both the positive and negative directions of the movement of the horizontal moving member 422 at any time, the fine-tuning component may be unable to adjust the posture of the measuring base 230.

[0096] As the horizontal moving member 422 moves, the recessed portion also moves, and the recessed portion abuts against the measuring base 230, thereby driving the measuring base 230 to move together with the horizontal moving member 422. The measuring base 230 can drive the rod body 210, and drive the slide 321 to move horizontally through the vertical sliding sleeve 322.

[0097] In the present embodiment, four fine-tuning assemblies can be provided, and four fine-tuning motors 431 are arranged in a square on a horizontal plane. The center of the square can be the vertical downward projection of the center of the measuring rod assembly. Each pressure sensor in the attitude detection assembly is respectively connected to the fine-tuning motor 431 signal of the same east, south, west, and north directions. Further, each pressure sensor can be connected to the second processor 260 signal, and the second processor 260 signal is connected to each fine-tuning motor 431. Of course, the second processor 260 can be one or more. For example, the pressure sensor in each orientation is connected to a second processor 260, and each second processor 260 is connected to a fine-tuning motor 431.

[0098] The measuring base 230 is fixedly connected to the measuring rod assembly in a vertical plane, which means that the measuring rod assembly can be raised and lowered together with the measuring base 230, that is, when the measuring base 230 rises or falls, the measuring rod assembly can be raised and lowered synchronously with the same speed and direction. Moreover, when the posture of the measuring base 230 changes, that is, when the pitch of the measuring base 230 changes, the measuring rod assembly also swings at the same speed, direction and amplitude.

[0099] Of course, in this embodiment, the measuring rod assembly and the measuring base 230 may be fixedly connected. For example, the bottom of the rod body 210 of the measuring rod assembly may be threadedly connected to the measuring base 230, or the bottom end of the rod body 210 of the measuring rod assembly may be inserted into a blind hole of the measuring base 230 through interference fit. In the threaded connection, a pair of mutually parallel clamping planes may be provided at the bottom of the rod body 210 to facilitate clamping by tools such as a wrench or pliers and rotating relative to the measuring base 230.

[0100] In another implementation, the rod body 210 of the measuring rod assembly may be inserted into the blind hole of the measuring base 230, and the rod body 210 may rotate relative to the measuring base 230, with the axis of relative rotation being the axis of the rod body 210. Such relative rotation of the two will not affect the fine-tuning assembly adjusting the measuring base 230 and thus changing the posture of the measuring rod assembly.

[0101] By setting up a fine-tuning component and utilizing each fine-tuning motor 431 to drive the fine-tuning support rod 432 to abut the measuring base 230, the height of the contact position between the bottom surface of the measuring base 230 and the fine-tuning support rod 432 can be changed, thereby changing the posture of the fine-tuning base, thereby controlling the fine-tuning support rod 432 to change its posture.

[0102] Alternatively, in another implementation, the posture adjustment of the measuring rod assembly may not pass through the second processor 260. For example, the sensors at various positions of the posture detection assembly directly output voltage or current signals to the fine-tuning motor 431. Specifically, the sensor on the east side of the posture detection assembly is subjected to pressure, and outputs a current signal or a voltage signal to the fine-tuning motor 431. The fine-tuning motor 431 drives the corresponding fine-tuning support rod 432 to extend, so that the top of the measuring rod assembly moves westward until the measuring rod assembly remains vertical. In short, whichever side of the sensor is subjected to pressure will cause the fine-tuning support rod 432 on that side to extend upward. Because, in theory, if the measuring rod assembly remains absolutely vertical, the sensors at various positions in the posture detection assembly should not feel the pressure.

[0103] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, preferably, the top end of the fine-tuning support rod 432 is a hemispherical surface.

[0104] By setting the top end of the fine-tuning support rod 432 as a hemispherical surface, the contact area between the fine-tuning support rod 432 and the bottom surface of the fine-tuning base can actually achieve surface contact, thereby avoiding scratches on the fine-tuning bottom surface and wear on the bottom of the fine-tuning support rod 432 caused by too small a contact area. The fine-tuning assembly smoothly changes the posture of the measuring base 230 and the measuring rod assembly during operation.

[0105] The operating principle of this embodiment is:

[0106] When it is necessary to perform collapse detection on the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100, the horizontal rod support seat can be installed to the bottom of the process tube 100 so that the horizontal guide rod 311 is located below the opening of the process tube 100. Then, the slide seat 321 can be driven by the measuring rod assembly to move along the horizontal guide rod 311 to detect the top area of ​​the inner wall of the process tube 100 at different horizontal positions.

[0107] Then the motor bracket 415 is set on the ground, and the horizontal drive motor 421 in the horizontal drive mechanism 420 is started, driving the horizontal moving member 422, and further driving the measuring base 230 to move horizontally. Since the measuring rod assembly cannot move horizontally relative to the slide 321, the slide 321 is also driven to move on the horizontal guide rod 311. The moving position of the slide 321 can be read from the position of the horizontal movement mark 313 and the horizontal scale 314 on the slide 321. When it moves to the required position, the horizontal drive motor 421 stops. The operator locks the locking member 326 to fix the slide 321 relative to the horizontal guide rod 311.

[0108] Then, the longitudinal drive motor 411 operates, driving the pulley as the longitudinal driving wheel 413 to rotate, and the longitudinal driving wheel 413 drives the longitudinal driven wheel 414 to rotate through the belt as the longitudinal transmission member 412. The horizontal drive mechanism 420 fixedly connected to the longitudinal transmission member 412 also rises and falls together with the longitudinal transmission member 412, thereby driving the measurement base 230 and the measurement rod assembly to rise and fall. When the pressure sensor 220 of the measurement rod assembly contacts the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100, it senses a significant increase in pressure, and the pressure sensor 220 feeds back the signal to the control device, and the longitudinal drive motor 411 stops running.

[0109] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of signal transmission for adjusting the posture of the measuring base in the height measuring device provided in the first embodiment of the utility model. Figure 4 and Figure 7 As shown, if a certain area of ​​the pressure-sensitive collar 323 feels pressure at this time, for example, the pressure on the east side area of ​​the pressure-sensitive collar 323 increases, while the pressure on the west side area of ​​the pressure-sensitive collar 323 decreases, it means that the upper part of the measuring rod assembly is tilted to the east. The second processor 260 receives a signal of increased pressure in the east side area of ​​the pressure-sensitive collar 323, and controls the fine-tuning motor 431 located in the east below the measuring base 230 in the fine-tuning assembly to drive the corresponding fine-tuning support rod 432 to extend upward to push the measuring base 230 in this area upward. Optionally, the fine-tuning support rod 432 located in the west below the measuring base 230 of the fine-tuning assembly shrinks downward so that this area of ​​the measuring base 230 can be lowered. As a result, the upper part of the measuring rod assembly moves to the west, and finally, the rod body 210 of the measuring rod assembly remains in a vertical state. As a result, the top of the measuring rod assembly can be located in the correct horizontal position.

[0110] After confirming that the measuring rod assembly remains vertical, the operator reads the position change of the upper surface or lower surface of the slide 321 on the vertical scale 324, thereby obtaining the corresponding height of the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100. For example, when the top of the measuring rod assembly is at the same height as the opening of the process tube 100, the position of the upper surface of the slide 321 on the vertical scale 324 is 0, and at the same horizontal position, when the top of the measuring rod assembly contacts the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100, the position of the upper surface of the slide 321 on the vertical scale 324 is 1000mm, and it can be considered that the height of the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100 at this position is 1000mm. If it is less than 1000mm, it means that the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100 has collapsed. Or, if the display shows that the height of the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100 is less than 1000mm, it means that the top of the inner wall of the process tube 100 has collapsed.

[0111] It should be noted that each time before the longitudinal driving mechanism 410 drives the horizontal driving mechanism 420 to move, it is preferable to restore to the same height in order to record relevant data.

[0112] Embodiment 2:

[0113] Embodiment 2 further provides a semiconductor process equipment, comprising the above-mentioned height measuring device and a process tube, wherein the height measuring device is detachably connected to the process tube.

[0114] By arranging the height measuring device in the semiconductor process equipment, the semiconductor process equipment accordingly has all the advantages of the height measuring device, which will not be described one by one here.

[0115] Although the utility model is disclosed as above, the utility model is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of the utility model shall be subject to the scope defined by the claims.

[0116] Finally, it should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the term "comprises" or any other variant thereof is 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 other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprises a ..." do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the elements.

[0117] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of directions such as “upper” and “lower” are all based on the drawings.

[0118] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables professionals in the field to implement or use the utility model. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to professionals in the field, and the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the utility model.

[0119] Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein but will be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A height measuring device, applied to a semiconductor process equipment, the semiconductor process equipment comprising a process tube (100) opening downward, the height measuring device being used to measure the height of the top of the inner wall of the process tube (100), characterized in that: include: A measuring module (200), comprising a display assembly and a measuring rod assembly extending upward, wherein the top end of the measuring rod assembly can contact the top of the inner wall of the process pipe (100), and the display assembly is used to display the position of the measuring rod assembly; as well as, The driving module (400) is transmission-connected to the measuring module (200) and is used to drive the measuring module (200) to move.

2. The height measuring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The measuring rod assembly comprises a rod body (210) and a pressure sensor (220), wherein the pressure sensor (220) is arranged at the top end of the rod body (210).

3. The height measuring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The height measuring device further comprises a guiding module (300), wherein the guiding module (300) is connected to the measuring module (200), and the guiding module (300) is capable of guiding the movement of the measuring module (200) in a vertical direction and in at least one horizontal direction.

4. The height measuring device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The guide module (300) comprises a horizontal guide mechanism (310) and a vertical guide mechanism (320), the measurement module (200) is connected to the vertical guide mechanism (320), the vertical guide mechanism (320) is connected to the movable end of the horizontal guide mechanism (310), and the horizontal guide mechanism (310) is configured to be detachably connected to the process pipe (100).

5. The height measuring device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The vertical guide mechanism (320) comprises a posture detection component and a slide seat (321) capable of horizontal movement, the slide seat (321) is provided with a vertical sleeve (322), the vertical sleeve (322) has a through hole extending in the vertical direction, the posture detection component is fixedly arranged on the inner wall of the through hole of the vertical sleeve (322), the measuring rod assembly passes through the posture detection component, and the posture detection component is used to detect the posture of the measuring rod assembly relative to the slide seat (321).

6. The height measuring device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The display assembly comprises a vertical scale (324), and the vertical scale (324) is fixedly connected to the measuring rod assembly.

7. The height measuring device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The vertical guide mechanism (320) includes a slide (321) capable of horizontal movement, and the horizontal guide mechanism (310) includes a horizontal rod support (312) capable of being connected to the process pipe (100); the display component also includes a horizontal movement mark (313) and a horizontal scale (314), the horizontal movement mark (313) is arranged on the slide (321), and the horizontal scale (314) is connected to the horizontal rod support (312).

8. The height measuring device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The display assembly further comprises a first processor (240) and a display (250), wherein the first processor (240) is respectively connected to the display (250) and the pressure sensor (220) by signals, and the first processor (240) is used to control the display (250) to display the horizontal position and the vertical position of the measuring rod assembly after the pressure sensor (220) senses a pressure signal.

9. The height measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The driving module (400) comprises a longitudinal driving mechanism (410) and a horizontal driving mechanism (420); the horizontal driving mechanism (420) is installed at a power output end of the longitudinal driving mechanism (410); and the power output end of the horizontal driving mechanism (420) is transmission-connected to the measuring module (200).

10. The height measuring device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The longitudinal drive mechanism (410) comprises a longitudinal drive motor (411), a longitudinal transmission wheel and a longitudinal transmission member (412); the longitudinal drive motor (411) is transmission-connected to the longitudinal transmission wheel, the longitudinal transmission wheel is transmission-connected to the longitudinal transmission member (412), and the horizontal drive mechanism (420) is mounted on the longitudinal transmission member (412).

11. The height measuring device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The horizontal driving mechanism (420) comprises a horizontal driving motor (421) and a horizontal moving member (422); the horizontal driving motor (421) is fixedly mounted on a power output end of the longitudinal driving mechanism (410); the horizontal moving member (422) is transmission-connected to the horizontal driving motor (421) and is transmission-connected to the measuring module (200).

12. The height measuring device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The horizontal driving mechanism (420) further comprises a fine-tuning component, which is located at the power output end of the horizontal driving mechanism (420) and is used to adjust the posture of the measuring rod assembly relative to the slide (321) according to the posture measurement component.

13. The height measuring device according to claim 12, characterized in that: The measuring module (200) further comprises a measuring base (230), wherein the measuring base (230) is fixedly connected to the measuring rod assembly in a vertical plane; the fine-tuning assembly comprises a plurality of fine-tuning support rods (432) and a plurality of fine-tuning motors (431), wherein the fine-tuning motors (431) are transmission-connected to the fine-tuning support rods (432) in a one-to-one correspondence, and the plurality of fine-tuning support rods (432) abut against the bottom surface of the measuring base (230).

14. The height measuring device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The top end of the fine-tuning support rod (432) is a hemispherical surface.

15. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: The semiconductor process equipment comprises a process tube (100) and a height measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the height measuring device is detachably connected to the process tube (100).

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