Anti-pollution process cavity
By setting up barrier structures and sealing components in the transmission cavity, the upper and lower layers of the transmission cavity are isolated, which solves the problem of wafer contamination and ensures the cleanliness of the process cavity.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422398253.0
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-09-30
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-15
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-09-30
AI Technical Summary
In existing vapor deposition equipment, wafers that have not been processed coexist with wafers after process completion coexist in the same transmission chamber, resulting in contamination of wafers that have not been processed.
An anti-pollution process cavity is designed. The transmission cavity is divided into two layers, and is separated by a barrier structure and a sealing assembly. The sealing assembly includes a first cylinder and a sealing structure. The sealing structure is in contact with the barrier structure, and a sealing gasket design is adopted to achieve sealing of the upper and lower layers.
Effectively isolate wafers that have not been processed from wafers that have been processed to avoid contamination and ensure that wafers that have been processed are not contaminated.
Smart Images
Figure CN223226165U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model belongs to the technical field of semiconductors, and in particular relates to an anti-pollution process chamber. Background Art
[0002] Physical vapor deposition (PVD) is a process that uses physical methods to vaporize the surface of a material source (solid or liquid) into gaseous atoms or molecules, or partially ionize them into ions, under vacuum conditions. The process then deposits a thin film with certain special functions on the surface of the substrate through a low-pressure gas (or plasma) process. PVD is one of the main surface treatment technologies.
[0003] Chemical vapor deposition is a chemical technology that mainly uses one or more gaseous compounds or elements containing thin film elements to undergo chemical reactions on the surface of a substrate to form a thin film.
[0004] In existing vapor deposition (CVD) equipment, the platform, transfer chamber, and various process chambers are integrated. To improve efficiency, the transfer chamber is configured as a top-to-bottom structure, with both unprocessed and processed wafers placed in the same transfer chamber. Unprocessed wafers carry contaminants such as stray gases, which can contaminate the processed wafers. Utility Model Content
[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: a pollution-proof process chamber, the chamber including a platform chamber and a transfer chamber, the chamber is used to transport the wafers that need to be processed from one end of the transfer chamber into the platform chamber, the platform chamber is connected to the transfer chamber, one end of the transfer chamber is an inlet and outlet, and the other end is connected to the platform chamber, a barrier structure is provided in the transfer chamber, and the transfer chamber is divided into two layers by the barrier structure, including an upper layer of the transfer chamber for storing wafers that have completed the process and a lower layer of the transfer chamber for storing wafers that need to be processed.
[0006] As an improvement of the present invention, the cavity further includes a sealing assembly, and the sealing assembly is arranged at both ends of the transmission cavity.
[0007] As an improvement of the present invention, the sealing assembly includes a first cylinder and a sealing structure. The sealing structure is directly connected to the piston rod of the cylinder with bolts. The first cylinder controls the lifting and lowering of the sealing structure so that the sealing structure contacts the openings at both ends of the transmission chamber and the barrier structure.
[0008] As an improvement of the present invention, the barrier structure extends to contact the sealing structure of the sealing assembly.
[0009] As an improvement of the present invention, the sealing structure adopts a combined structure of a middle horizontal bar and a ring.
[0010] As an improvement of the present invention, a plurality of support blocks are provided on the upper layer of the transmission cavity.
[0011] As an improvement of the present invention, a plurality of support blocks are provided on the upper layer of the transmission cavity, and the support blocks are protrusions radially arranged on the inner wall of the transmission cavity.
[0012] As an improvement of the present invention, a carrier and a lifting pin are set in the lower layer of the transmission chamber. The lifting pin is used to receive the wafer that needs to be processed. The lifting pin includes a second cylinder. The second cylinder is connected to the mounting seat. The carrier has a through hole for the pin needle to move. One end of the metal bellows is sealed with the carrier, and the other end is sealed with the mounting seat. The bottom of the pin needle is against the column in the metal bellows. When the second cylinder controls the mounting seat to rise, the metal bellows is compressed, causing the pin needle to rise and extend out of the carrier surface, and the robot places the wafer on the pin needle.
[0013] Compared to existing technologies, the present invention offers the following advantages: The primary advantage is that the transfer chamber is divided into upper and lower layers, while the barrier plate extends to contact the sealing assembly's gasket, achieving a seal between the upper and lower layers. The gasket design utilizes a combination of a central horizontal bar and a ring. The ring seals the transfer chamber's wafer inlet and outlet (the opening through which wafers enter and exit the wafer), while the horizontal bar seal presses against the edge of the barrier plate, completely separating the upper and lower layers and preventing contamination of the upper layer by the lower layer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the anti-pollution process chamber of the utility model;
[0015] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the overall structure of the anti-pollution process chamber of the utility model;
[0016] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the sealing component structure of the anti-pollution process chamber of the utility model;
[0017] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting pin structure of the anti-pollution process chamber of the utility model;
[0018] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the support block position of the anti-pollution process chamber of the utility model.
[0019] List of illustration symbols: 1-platform chamber, 2-transmission chamber, 3-sealing assembly, 31-sealing gasket, 32-first cylinder, 4-blocking plate, 5-carrier, 6-support block, 7-lifting pin, 71-pin needle, 72-sealing ring, 73-mounting block, 74-metal bellows, 12-mounting seat, 13-second cylinder. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the following specific embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention and are not used to limit the scope of the present invention.
[0021] Example: See Figure 1 The process platform consists of a platform chamber 1 and a transfer chamber 2. Wafers to be processed are transported from one end of transfer chamber 2 into platform chamber 1. A robotic arm inside platform chamber 1 then moves them to the corresponding process chamber (which is mounted around platform chamber 1) for processing. After the process is complete, the processed wafers are moved to transfer chamber 2, where they are removed by an external robotic arm.
[0022] See Figure 2 The transfer chamber 2 is connected to the platform chamber 1. One end of the transfer chamber 2 is the wafer inlet and outlet, and the other end is connected to the platform chamber 1. Both ends are equipped with sealing components 3. A barrier structure is installed in the transfer chamber 2. In this embodiment, the barrier plate 4 is divided into two layers. The upper layer is used to store processed wafers, and the lower layer is used to store wafers that need to be processed.
[0023] The upper layer is provided with a number of support blocks 6, and the wafer can be placed on the support blocks 6. The lower layer is provided with a carrier 5 and a lifting pin 7, and the lifting pin 7 is used to receive the wafer that needs to be processed.
[0024] See Figure 2 and Figure 4 The second air cylinder 13 is connected to the mounting base 12. The stage 5 has a through-hole for the pin 71 to move. A metal bellows 74 is sealed to the stage 5 at one end and to the mounting base 12 at the other. The bottom of the pin 71 rests on a post within the metal bellows 74. When the second air cylinder 13 controls the mounting base 12 to rise, the metal bellows 74 compresses, causing the pin 71 to rise and extend beyond the surface of the stage 5. The robot then places the wafer on the pin 71.
[0025] See Figure 3 The first cylinder 32 controls the lifting of the sealing gasket 31 so that the sealing gasket 31 contacts the openings at both ends of the transmission chamber 2 and the blocking plate 4, thereby sealing the upper and lower layers of the transmission chamber 2.
[0026] During operation, sealing assembly 3 descends, pins 71 ascend, and the robot places the wafer on pins 71. The robot in platform chamber 1 removes the wafer for processing. After removing the wafer, platform chamber 1 also places an unprocessed wafer in the lower layer, so that there is always an unprocessed wafer in the lower layer. After the processing is completed, the robot moves the wafer to the support block 6 in the upper layer of transfer chamber 2. When the unprocessed wafer is removed for processing, both sealing assemblies 3 seal the transfer chamber 2 to prevent contamination of the upper layer from the lower layer.
[0027] It should be noted that the above content only illustrates the technical idea of the utility model and cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the utility model. For ordinary technicians in this technical field, they can make several improvements and modifications without departing from the principles of the utility model. These improvements and modifications all fall within the protection scope of the claims of the utility model.
Claims
1. A pollution-proof process chamber, characterized in that: The cavity includes a platform cavity and a transmission cavity. The cavity is used to transport the wafers that need to be processed from one end of the transmission cavity into the platform cavity. The platform cavity is connected to the transmission cavity. One end of the transmission cavity is an inlet and outlet port, and the other end is connected to the platform cavity. A barrier structure is provided in the transmission cavity, and the transmission cavity is divided into two layers by the barrier structure, including an upper layer of the transmission cavity for storing wafers that have completed the process and a lower layer of the transmission cavity for storing wafers that need to be processed.
2. The anti-pollution process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cavity further includes a sealing assembly, which is arranged at both ends of the transmission cavity.
3. The anti-pollution process chamber according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sealing assembly includes a first cylinder and a sealing structure. The sealing structure is directly connected to the piston rod of the cylinder by bolts. The first cylinder controls the lifting and lowering of the sealing structure so that the sealing structure contacts the openings at both ends of the transmission cavity and the barrier structure.
4. The anti-pollution process chamber according to claim 3, characterized in that: The barrier structure extends into contact with the sealing structure of the sealing assembly.
5. The anti-pollution process chamber according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sealing component adopts a combined structure of a middle horizontal bar and a ring.
6. The anti-pollution process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper layer of the transmission cavity is provided with a plurality of support blocks, and the support blocks are protrusions radially arranged on the inner wall of the transmission cavity.
7. The anti-pollution process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: A carrier and a lifting pin are set at the lower layer of the transmission chamber. The lifting pin is used to receive the wafer that needs to be processed. The lifting pin includes a second cylinder, which is connected to the mounting seat. The carrier has a through hole for the pin needle to move. One end of the metal bellows is sealed with the carrier, and the other end is sealed with the mounting seat. The bottom of the pin needle is against the column in the metal bellows. When the second cylinder controls the mounting seat to rise, the metal bellows is compressed, causing the pin needle to rise and extend out of the carrier surface, and the robot places the wafer on the pin needle.