Diffusion furnace
Through the design of blowing air at the top and bottom exhaust in the transmission area after the diffusion furnace, the problem of slow cooling speed and dust irritation is solved, and more efficient cooling and lower dust ash adhesion is achieved, improving the production efficiency and quality of the wafer.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422279293.3
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-09-18
- Publication Date
- 2025-07-04
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-09-18
AI Technical Summary
The wafer cooling rate in existing diffusion furnaces is too slow and dust is easily generated during cooling, which affects production efficiency and wafer quality.
A blow pipe is provided at the top of the rear conveying area of the diffusion furnace to blow the boat, and an exhaust pipe is provided at the bottom to flow the gas from top to bottom to reduce wafer cooling time and reduce dust.
It improves the cooling efficiency of the wafer, reduces the chance of dust adhering to the wafer, and improves the yield of the wafer.
Smart Images
Figure CN223061137U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of semiconductor diffusion, and particularly to a diffusion furnace. Background Art
[0002] Since the wafers are getting thinner and thinner, before the wafers enter the furnace tube of the diffusion furnace for the next step of processing, multiple wafers need to be stacked and placed in a boat to store and transport the wafers, so as to protect the wafers from being damaged during the transportation and transfer process. After the wafers enter the furnace tube of the diffusion furnace for processing, they will be transferred to the rear transfer space of the diffusion furnace machine for cooling. There are generally two existing cooling methods. The first is to provide gas cooling on the side of the boat. Although this cooling method can accelerate the cooling time of the boat, it will cause dust in the rear transfer space and affect the wafer out-of-furnace quality. The other is natural cooling. Although this cooling method will not cause dust in the rear transfer space, the cooling time is slower. Compared with the gas cooling method, it generally needs to be increased by thirty minutes, which will prolong the production time and reduce the production efficiency. Summary of the Utility Model
[0003] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a diffusion furnace to solve the problems of too slow cooling speed of the wafers after being processed by the furnace tube and dust in the space.
[0004] To achieve the above object, the present disclosure provides a diffusion furnace, including:
[0005] A rear transfer area, including a box body with a hollow interior for placing a boat, and the box body has a top wall and a bottom wall arranged oppositely;
[0006] A gas source, arranged in the box body;
[0007] A blow pipe, communicated with the gas source and arranged on the top wall, for blowing air to the boat; and
[0008] An exhaust pipe, connected to the bottom wall and capable of extending into the box body to communicate the box body with the outside.
[0009] Optionally, the blow pipe is an annular pipe, and a plurality of branch pipes are circumferentially and spacedly distributed on the annular pipe, and the branch pipes are located below the annular pipe.
[0010] Optionally, the included angle between the branch pipe and the annular pipe ranges from 30° to 60°.
[0011] Optionally, the included angles between the plurality of branch pipes and the annular pipe are the same.
[0012] Optionally, the diffusion furnace includes a filter screen spaced above the bottom wall, so that the gas blown out by the blow pipe blows to the exhaust pipe after passing through the filter screen.
[0013] Optionally, an air extraction member is provided on the exhaust pipe.
[0014] Optionally, the air extraction member is an air extraction check valve.
[0015] Optionally, the diffusion furnace includes a furnace tube connected to the box body, a furnace door is provided on the box body and can be opened and closed, the furnace door is located on one side of the furnace tube, and the furnace tube is internally communicated with the rear transfer area through the furnace door.
[0016] Optionally, the furnace door is located at the bottom of the furnace tube, and the furnace door is provided on the top wall.
[0017] Optionally, one end of the furnace door is hinged to the box body, and the blow pipe is connected to the hinged part of the furnace door and the box body.
[0018] Through the above technical solutions, a blow pipe is provided at the top of the rear transfer area of the diffusion furnace to blow air on the susceptor below, and at the same time, an exhaust pipe is provided at the bottom to discharge gas, which can not only reduce the cooling time of the wafers in the susceptor and improve production efficiency. At the same time, since the gas flow direction is from top to bottom, it can also reduce the internal dust raising situation in the rear transfer area and reduce the probability of dust adhering to the wafers, thereby achieving the effect of improving the yield of the wafers.
[0019] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be described in detail in the subsequent specific implementation part. Brief Description of the Drawings
[0020] The drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and constitute a part of the specification. They are used to explain the present disclosure together with the following specific implementation manners, but do not constitute a limitation to the present disclosure. In the drawings:
[0021] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a diffusion furnace according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0022] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the rear transfer area of a diffusion furnace according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the blow pipe of a diffusion furnace according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0024] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the blow pipe of a diffusion furnace from another perspective according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0025] Description of the Reference Numerals
[0026] 1 - Rear transfer area; 11 - Top wall; 12 - Bottom wall; 2 - Gas source; 3 - Blowing pipe; 31 - Branch pipe; 4 - Exhaust pipe; 5 - Filter screen; 6 - Air extraction part; 7 - Furnace tube; 71 - Furnace door; 8 - Boat. Detailed implementation manners
[0027] The following will describe in detail the specific implementation manners of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific implementation manners described herein are only for the purpose of illustration and explanation of the present disclosure, and are not used to limit the present disclosure.
[0028] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise stated, the orientation terms such as "upper" and "lower" are defined according to the arrangement direction of the diffusion furnace during actual use, and the orientation terms such as "inner" and "outer" are defined according to the contour of the corresponding components. The use of terms such as "first" and "second" is for the purpose of distinguishing different components, and does not have sequentiality and importance. In addition, in the following description, when referring to the drawings, unless otherwise explained, the same reference numerals in different drawings represent the same or similar elements.
[0029] According to an implementation manner of the present disclosure, as Figures 1 to 4 shown, a diffusion furnace is provided, including a rear transfer area 1, a gas source 2, a blowing pipe 3 and an exhaust pipe 4. Among them, the rear transfer area 1 includes a box body with a hollow interior for placing the boat 8, and the box body has a top wall 11 and a bottom wall 12 arranged opposite to each other. The gas source 2 is arranged in the box body. The blowing pipe 3 is communicated with the gas source 2 and arranged on the top wall 11 for blowing air on the boat 8. The exhaust pipe 4 is connected to the bottom wall 12, and the exhaust pipe 4 can extend into the box body and enable the box body to communicate with the outside.
[0030] Through the above technical solution, the blowing pipe 3 is arranged at the top of the rear transfer area 1 of the diffusion furnace to blow air on the boat 8 below, and at the same time, the exhaust pipe 4 is arranged at the bottom to discharge the gas, which can not only reduce the cooling time of the wafers in the boat 8 and improve the production efficiency. At the same time, since the gas flow direction is from top to bottom, it can also reduce the internal dust generation in the rear transfer area 1 and reduce the probability of dust adhering to the wafers, thereby achieving the effect of improving the yield of the wafers.
[0031] It should be noted that, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the diffusion furnace may further include a furnace tube 7 connected to the box body of the rear transfer area 1, and an openable and closable furnace door 71 is arranged on the box body. The furnace door 71 is located on one side of the furnace tube 7, and the furnace tube 7 is communicated with the inside of the rear transfer area 1 through the furnace door 71. In this way, after the wafers in the boat 8 are processed in the furnace tube 7, they can enter the rear transfer area 1 through the furnace door 71 for cooling treatment.
[0032] Here, the diffusion furnace can be a vertical diffusion furnace, that is, the furnace door 71 is located at the bottom of the furnace tube 7, and the furnace door 71 is arranged on the top wall 11. Here, a channel can be formed at the position corresponding to the furnace door 71 on the top wall 11. The furnace tube 7 is connected to one side of the channel, and the furnace door 71 is connected to the other side of the channel. After the wafer is processed in the furnace tube 7, the furnace door 71 is opened, and the boat 8 loaded with the wafer can vertically enter the post-transfer area 1 from the furnace tube 7. In the solution of the vertical diffusion furnace, one end of the furnace door 71 can be hinged to the box body, and the air blowing pipe 3 is connected to the hinge of the furnace door 71 and the box body. In this way, when the furnace door 71 is opened, the air blowing pipe 3 also rotates with the furnace door 71 to avoid interfering with the movement of the boat 8. The air blowing pipe 3 can also be directly fixed on the top wall 11 and located outside the periphery of the furnace door 71 without interfering with the rotation of the furnace door 71. The present disclosure does not limit this.
[0033] Of course, multiple furnace tubes 7 in the diffusion furnace can be arranged side by side, and multiple corresponding furnace doors 71 can also be arranged on the top wall 11 of the box body in the post-transfer area 1. An air blowing pipe 3 can be connected to each furnace door 71. After multiple boats 8 loaded with wafers enter the post-transfer area 1 from the furnace doors 71 at the same time, the multiple air blowing pipes 3 can cool them simultaneously, improving production efficiency.
[0034] In addition, the diffusion furnace can also be a horizontal diffusion furnace, that is, the furnace door 71 is located on the side of the furnace tube 7 in the horizontal direction. At this time, the furnace door 71 is located on the side wall of the box body. After the wafer is processed in the furnace tube 7, the furnace door 71 is opened, and the boat 8 loaded with the wafer can enter the post-transfer area 1 from the side of the furnace tube 7.
[0035] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as Figure 3 shown, the air blowing pipe 3 can be an annular pipe, and branch pipes 31 are circumferentially and spacedly distributed on the annular pipe, and the branch pipes 31 are located below the annular pipe. Since multiple wafers are stacked up and down in the boat 8, setting the air blowing pipe 3 as an annular pipe can blow air to the boat 8 in the circumferential direction of the boat 8, so that the gas in the branch pipes 31 can at least blow to the edges of each wafer, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect of the wafers in the boat 8 and reducing the cooling time.
[0036] Here, for the setting method of the branch pipe 31 and the air blowing pipe 3, as Figure 4As shown, the branch pipe 31 can be inclined. The inclined setting can change the air flow direction, so that the gas blown out from a single branch pipe 31 can be blown to the bottom of the box body in a spiral direction, thereby blowing into the gap between two adjacent wafers, further improving the heat dissipation effect of the wafers in the susceptor 8. Here, the range of the angle between the branch pipe 31 and the annular pipe can be 30° to 60°, and the present disclosure does not limit this. In addition, the orientation of the outlet of the branch pipe 31 can be towards the inner direction of the ring where the annular pipe is located, or towards the tangential direction of the ring, and the present disclosure also does not limit this. In addition, the angles between multiple branch pipes 31 and the annular pipe can also be the same, which can prevent the gases blown out from multiple branch pipes 31 from colliding with each other and avoid interfering with the overall air flow direction.
[0037] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the diffusion furnace may further include a filter screen 5 disposed above the bottom wall 12 at intervals, so that the gas blown out by the blowing pipe 3 passes through the filter screen 5 and then blows towards the exhaust pipe 4. In this way, dust can be adsorbed at the filter screen 5, reducing the possibility of a large amount of dust being mixed in the gas discharged from the exhaust pipe 4, ensuring that the gas emissions in the factory area meet the standards, and reducing environmental pollution. The filter screen 5 can also be provided in multiple layers, and the mesh numbers of the multiple layers of filter screens 5 are different, and the present disclosure does not limit this.
[0038] To improve the air release effect of the exhaust pipe 4, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, an air extraction member 6 can also be provided on the exhaust pipe 4. Using the air extraction member 6 can accelerate the air circulation in the rear transfer area 1, so that the gas heated after contacting the wafer blown out by the blowing pipe 3 can be discharged from the box body in the rear transfer area 1 faster, reducing the residence time of the high-temperature gas in the rear transfer area 1, thereby improving the cooling speed of the wafer. The air extraction member 6 can be an air extraction pump or an air extraction check valve. When the air extraction member 6 is an air extraction check valve, it can also prevent the gas from flowing back into the box body in the rear transfer area 1 after the gas is extracted, affecting its cooling effect.
[0039] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of the present disclosure, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of the present disclosure, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.
[0040] In addition, it should be noted that, in the above specific embodiments, the various specific technical features described can be combined in any suitable manner without conflict. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the present disclosure does not further describe various possible combination methods.
[0041] In addition, any combination can be made among various different embodiments of the present disclosure, as long as it does not violate the idea of the present disclosure, and it should equally be regarded as the content disclosed by the present disclosure.
Claims
1. A diffusion furnace, characterized in that, Comprising: A post-transfer area, including a box body with a hollow interior for placing a susceptor, the box body having a top wall and a bottom wall disposed opposite to each other; A gas source, disposed in the box body; A blow pipe, communicated with the gas source and disposed on the top wall, for blowing air to the susceptor; And An exhaust pipe, connected to the bottom wall and capable of extending into the box body to communicate the box body with the outside.
2. The diffusion furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The blow pipe is an annular pipe, and a plurality of branch pipes are circumferentially and spacedly distributed on the annular pipe, and the branch pipes are located below the annular pipe.
3. The diffusion furnace according to claim 2, wherein, The included angle range between the branch pipe and the annular pipe is 30° to 60°.
4. The diffusion furnace according to claim 3, wherein The included angles between the plurality of branch pipes and the annular pipe are the same.
5. The diffusion furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diffusion furnace includes a filter screen disposed above the bottom wall at intervals, such that the gas blown out by the blow pipe blows towards the exhaust pipe after passing through the filter screen.
6. The diffusion furnace according to claim 1, wherein An air extraction member is disposed on the exhaust pipe.
7. The diffusion furnace according to claim 6, wherein The air extraction member is an air extraction check valve.
8. The diffusion furnace according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The diffusion furnace includes a furnace tube connected to the box body, and a furnace door is disposed on the box body in an openable and closable manner. The furnace door is located on one side of the furnace tube, and the furnace tube is communicated with the interior of the post-transfer area through the furnace door.
9. The diffusion furnace according to claim 8, characterized in that, The furnace door is located at the bottom of the furnace tube, and the furnace door is disposed on the top wall.
10. The diffusion furnace according to claim 9, characterized in that, One end of the furnace door is hinged to the box body, and the blow pipe is connected to the hinge joint between the furnace door and the box body.