Cushion chamber device

Abstract

The utility model relates to a buffer cavity device. The buffer cavity device comprises a cavity shell, a bearing assembly, an air inlet unit and an exhaust unit. The bearing assembly divides the internal space of the chamber shell into a plurality of interlayer spaces for accommodating a plurality of wafers. The air inlet unit comprises a plurality of vent hole sets, and each vent hole set corresponds to one interlayer space so as to output purging gas to the corresponding interlayer space to clean the wafer contained in the corresponding interlayer space. The exhaust unit comprises a circulation hole and a gas circulation device and is used for exhausting gas in the inner space of the cavity shell. According to the invention, through cooperation of the gas inlet unit and the gas exhaust unit, clean gas is circularly conveyed into the chamber shell, then the bearing assembly is utilized to divide the internal space of the chamber shell into the plurality of interlayer spaces, and gas is conveyed into each interlayer space, so that cleaning of wafers accommodated on the bearing assembly is realized; the wafer is prevented from generating defects due to falling of foreign matters or gas corrosion, and the product yield is prevented from being affected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor equipment technology, and in particular to a buffer cavity device. Background Art

[0002] The Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) is part of the Automated Material Handling System (AMHS) and is responsible for the transport and handling of wafers during the manufacturing process.

[0003] The buffer station (BS) is an automated wafer exchanger within the EFEM that temporarily stores wafers. After completing the necessary processing in the process chamber, wafers are transferred to the buffer station within the EFEM. Wafers must wait until all wafers have been processed before being transferred to the next piece of equipment. While waiting in the buffer station, foreign matter can easily fall onto the wafers, causing defects. Furthermore, trace amounts of residual gas may adhere to the surface of some processed wafers, posing a risk of corrosion during this waiting period. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a buffer chamber device, comprising a chamber shell, wherein the chamber shell comprises an opening surface for wafers to be moved in and out;

[0005] A carrying assembly is disposed inside the chamber shell, and the carrying assemblies are spaced apart along the height direction of the buffer cavity device to divide the interior space of the chamber shell into a plurality of interlayer spaces for accommodating a plurality of wafers;

[0006] an air intake unit, comprising a plurality of vent groups formed on the chamber housing, each vent group corresponding to one of the interlayer spaces and capable of outputting gas to the corresponding interlayer space to clean the wafers contained therein;

[0007] The exhaust unit includes a circulation hole and a gas circulation device. The circulation hole is opened on the chamber shell. The gas circulation device is connected with the internal space of the chamber shell through the circulation hole to discharge the gas in the chamber shell.

[0008] In one embodiment, the chamber shell includes a rear side wall corresponding to the opening surface, and corresponding left and right side walls, the supporting assembly is at least partially located on the left and right walls, and at least one of the vent holes is located on the rear side wall.

[0009] In one embodiment, the left side wall includes a first left side wall and a second left side wall, the right side wall includes a first right side wall and a second right side wall, the first left side wall is connected to the rear side wall through the second left side wall, and the first right side wall is connected to the rear side wall through the second right side wall; wherein,

[0010] The bearing assembly is arranged on the first left side wall and the first right side wall, and the ventilation hole group is located on the second left side wall, the second right side wall and the rear side wall.

[0011] In one embodiment, the included angles between the second left side wall and the first left side wall and the rear side wall are greater than 90°, and the included angles between the second right side wall and the first right side wall and the rear side wall are greater than 90°.

[0012] In one embodiment, each of the supporting assemblies includes a first supporting member and a second supporting member that are oppositely disposed, wherein the first supporting member is located on the first left side wall, and the second supporting member is located on the first right side wall;

[0013] An upper surface of the first support member and an upper surface of the second support member are flush with each other in a horizontal direction.

[0014] In one embodiment, the first support member is chamfered at a corner close to the opening surface of the chamber shell and close to the second support member, and the second support member is chamfered at a corner close to the opening surface of the chamber shell and close to the first support member.

[0015] In one embodiment, each of the ventilation hole groups includes a first hole group, a second hole group, and a third hole group, wherein the first hole group is located on the second left side wall, the second hole group is located on the rear side wall, and the third hole group is located on the second right side wall;

[0016] The first hole group, the second hole group and the third hole group are located at the same height on the chamber shell, and output gas along the opening surface of the chamber shell to clean the wafers accommodated in the interlayer space.

[0017] In one embodiment, the gas flow paths of the gases output from the first hole group, the second hole group, and the third hole group intersect, and the intersection area is in the middle area of ​​the corresponding interlayer space.

[0018] In one embodiment, the gas circulation device can be configured as a vacuum pump, which includes a vacuum housing, an air inlet and an exhaust port. The internal space of the chamber housing is connected to the vacuum housing through the air inlet, and the vacuum housing is connected to the outside through the exhaust port.

[0019] A first rotor and a second rotor are provided in the vacuum housing. The first rotor and the second rotor cooperate with each other to realize gas circulation in the inner space of the chamber housing.

[0020] In one embodiment, the air intake unit further includes an angle adjustment member disposed between the vent group and the wafer, for adjusting a blowing angle of the output gas from the vent group.

[0021] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application may have the following beneficial effects:

[0022] It can be seen from the above embodiments that the buffer chamber device in the present application includes a chamber shell, a supporting assembly, an air intake unit and an exhaust unit. Among them, the supporting assembly divides the internal space of the chamber shell into a number of interlayer spaces for accommodating a number of wafers. The air intake unit includes a number of vent groups, each vent group corresponds to an interlayer space, so as to output purge gas to the interlayer space to clean the wafers accommodated in the interlayer space. The exhaust unit includes a circulation hole and a gas circulation device, the circulation hole is opened on the chamber shell, and the gas circulation device is connected to the internal space of the chamber shell through the circulation hole, and is used to discharge the gas in the internal space of the chamber shell. The present application circulates clean gas into the chamber shell through the cooperation of the air intake unit and the exhaust unit, and then uses the supporting assembly to divide the space inside the chamber shell into a number of interlayer spaces, and supplies gas to each interlayer space to achieve the cleaning of the wafers accommodated on the supporting assembly, so as to avoid defects in the wafers due to falling foreign matter or gas corrosion, which affects the product yield.

[0023] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the configuration of an automated material handling system provided in one embodiment of the present application at one viewing angle.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a buffer chamber device provided in one embodiment of the present application at one viewing angle.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a buffer chamber device provided in one embodiment of the present application at one viewing angle.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a buffer chamber device provided in one embodiment of the present application at one viewing angle.

[0029] Figure 5 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a buffer chamber device provided in one embodiment of the present application at one viewing angle.

[0030] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the automated material handling system provided in one embodiment of the present application from another perspective.

[0031] Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of a gas circulation device provided in one embodiment of the present application at one viewing angle.

[0032] Description of reference numerals:

[0033] 1. Equipment front-end module; 12. Buffer table; 13. Robot; 14. Wafer pre-alignment device.

[0034] 2. Wafer transfer box; 3. Loading platform; 4-4” wafer.

[0035] 10. Chamber shell; 100. Interlayer space; 102. Rear side wall; 103. Left side wall; 1031. First left side wall; 1032. Second left side wall; 104. Right side wall; 1041. First right side wall; 1042. Second right side wall.

[0036] 20. Carrying assembly; 201. First supporting member; 202. Second supporting member.

[0037] 30. Ventilation hole group; 301. First hole group; 302. Second hole group; 303. Third hole group.

[0038] 40. Gas circulation device; 401. Vacuum housing; 402. Air inlet; 403. Exhaust port; 404. First rotor; 405. Second rotor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. Rather, they are merely examples of devices consistent with certain aspects of the present application, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0040] Figure 1This diagram schematically illustrates the configuration of an automated material handling system (AMHS) in semiconductor manufacturing. It includes a wafer folding pod 2 (FOUP), an equipment front-end module 1 (EFEM), and a loading platform 3. The loading port of the FOUP 2 is mounted directly in front of the EFEM 1, allowing it to load sealed wafer cassettes (not shown). The EFEM 1 houses a buffer table 12, a robot 13, and a wafer pre-alignment device 14, all of which are well-known wafer transport devices.

[0041] The robot 13 needs to transfer the wafers on the alignment device to the buffer table 12 one by one. During this process, some wafers 4" are placed on the buffer table 12. During the waiting process on the buffer table 12, dust particles and other foreign matter are likely to fall on the surface of the wafers, causing contamination and defects of the wafers 4". At the same time, trace amounts of residual gas will adhere to the surface of some processed wafers 4", and there is also a risk of corrosion during the waiting process.

[0042] Based on the above problems, the present application provides a buffer chamber device 11, referring to Figures 2 to 6 , which includes a chamber shell 10, a supporting assembly 20, an air intake unit and an exhaust unit. The chamber shell 10 includes an opening surface for the wafer 4 to move in and out. The supporting assembly 20 is arranged inside the chamber shell 10, and the supporting assembly 20 is arranged at intervals along the height direction X of the buffer chamber device to divide the internal space of the chamber shell 10 into a plurality of interlayer spaces 100 for accommodating a plurality of wafers 4. The air intake unit includes a plurality of vent groups 30 opened on the chamber shell 10, each vent group 30 corresponds to an interlayer space 100, and can output purge gas to the corresponding interlayer space 100 to clean the wafer 4 accommodated in the corresponding interlayer space 100. The exhaust unit includes a circulation hole (not shown in the figure) and a gas circulation device 40. The circulation hole is opened on the chamber shell 10, and the gas circulation device 40 is connected to the internal space of the chamber shell 10 through the circulation hole to discharge the gas in the chamber shell 10.

[0043] First, the present application utilizes a carrier assembly 20 to divide the space inside the chamber shell 10 into multiple layers of interlayer spaces 100 for accommodating a plurality of wafers 4, and a vent group 30 is provided at positions corresponding to between each interlayer on the chamber shell 10. The vent group 30 is connected to an air source via a piping system to allow clean gas to flow into the interlayer space 100. During this process, due to the spatial characteristics of the interlayer space 100, the clean gas output by the vent group 30 can form a strong purge gas within the interlayer space 100. The purge gas acts on the upper surface of the wafer 4 to remove dust particles and debris that have fallen from the upper surface of the wafer 4 or in the air near the wafer 4, thereby completing the cleaning of the wafer 4.

[0044] In some embodiments, the gas source can be configured as a device capable of providing high-purity nitrogen gas to purge nitrogen gas onto the surface of the wafer 4. Purging nitrogen gas onto the wafer 4 not only cleans foreign matter from the wafer 4 but also prevents the wafer 4 from coming into contact with the air within the chamber housing 10 while the buffer chamber device waits for movement after the aluminum etching process. This input of nitrogen gas can also prevent the wafer 4 from corroding and thus being scrapped. Furthermore, the types of gases that can be output by the vent group 30 through the gas source are not limited to these and can be selected based on the actual needs of the wafer 4. No further details will be given here.

[0045] Secondly, the buffer chamber device 11 in the present application also utilizes an air intake unit and an exhaust unit to cooperate to form a gas circulation system to ensure gas circulation in the internal space of the buffer chamber device 11.

[0046] Specifically, while clean gas is being delivered to the chamber housing 10, the gas circulation device 40 is activated. The gas circulation device 40 evacuates the interior of the chamber housing 10 through the circulation holes. Exhaust gas that has cleaned the wafers 4 enters the gas circulation device through the circulation holes and is then discharged through other structures. This circulates gas within the buffer chamber device, maintaining the cleanliness of the gas within the chamber housing 10 and enhancing the cleaning of the wafers 4.

[0047] In some embodiments, the supporting assembly 20 may be disposed on three side walls other than the side wall where the opening surface 101 is located, and the supporting assembly 20 is configured to accommodate the wafer 4 and form a ring structure around the opening surface 101 .

[0048] In some embodiments, reference Figure 5 The chamber shell 10 includes a rear side wall 102 corresponding to the opening surface 101, and a left side wall 103 and a right side wall 104 arranged accordingly. The supporting assembly 20 is located on the left side wall 103 and the right side wall 104 for supporting the wafer 4. It is worth noting that the directional terms such as left and right here are only used to facilitate the understanding of the scheme and improve the readability of the content, and do not represent a specific orientation. In fact, no matter what state or orientation the chamber shell 10 is in, the side walls of the supporting assembly 20 located on both sides of the opening surface of the chamber shell 10 and arranged to accommodate a number of wafers 4 can be understood as the left side wall 103 and the right side wall 104 of the chamber shell 10.

[0049] In other embodiments, the carrying assembly 20 is located on the left side wall 103 , the right side wall 104 and the rear side wall 102 .

[0050] In some embodiments, the vent hole groups 30 are evenly distributed on the left side wall 103 , the rear side wall 102 , and the right side wall 104 , thereby improving the uniformity of airflow distribution and enhancing the cleaning effect on the wafer 4 .

[0051] In some embodiments, the vent group 30 is only provided on the rear sidewall 102. The vent group 30 is provided on the rear sidewall 102 corresponding to the opening surface of the chamber housing 10. The vent group 30 corresponds to the opening surface. When the gas is blown to remove dust and foreign matter from the gray wafers 4, some of the foreign matter can be blown out directly from the opening surface. This can effectively improve the smoothness of the airflow while reducing the time that some dust and foreign matter remain in the buffer chamber device, thereby improving the cleanliness of the wafers 4.

[0052] In some embodiments, the left sidewall includes a first left sidewall 1031 and a second left sidewall 1032, and the right sidewall includes a first right sidewall 1041 and a second right sidewall 1042. The first left sidewall 1031 is connected to the rear sidewall 102 via the second left sidewall 1032, and the first right sidewall 1041 is connected to the rear sidewall 102 via the second right sidewall 1042. The support assembly 20 is disposed on the first left sidewall 1031 and the first right sidewall 1041, and the vent hole group 30 is located on the second left sidewall 1032, the second right sidewall 1042, and the rear sidewall 102.

[0053] It can be understood that inclined sidewalls (i.e., second left sidewall 1032 and second right sidewall 1042) are added between the left sidewall 103 and rear sidewall 102 of the chamber housing 10, and between the right sidewall 104 and rear sidewall 102, giving the chamber housing 10 a chamfered design when viewed from above. The vent groups are distributed accordingly to the chamfered design of the chamber housing 10, allowing the purge gas output by the vent groups to cover more of the surface of the wafer 4, thereby improving the cleanliness of the wafer 4.

[0054] In some embodiments, the angles between the second left side wall 1032 and the first left side wall 1031 and the rear side wall 102 are greater than 90°, and the angles between the second right side wall 1042 and the first right side wall 1041 and the rear side wall 102 are both greater than 90°.

[0055] With this arrangement, when the vent groups are evenly distributed across the second left sidewall 1032, the rear sidewall 102, and the second right sidewall 1042, the angle between the sidewalls causes the purge gas path to change, allowing the purge gases output from different vent groups to converge, that is, the purge gas paths intersect, thereby increasing cleaning power. Furthermore, this change in the gas path significantly covers the surface of wafer 4, thereby increasing the purge gas's sweeping area and, consequently, enhancing the cleaning power of wafer 4.

[0056] In some embodiments, continue with reference to Figure 5The bearing assembly 20 includes a first support member 201 and a second support member 202 that are oppositely disposed. The first support member 201 is located on the first left side wall 1031, and the second support member 202 is located on the first right side wall 1041. The upper surface of the first support member 201 and the upper surface of the second support member 202 are flush in the horizontal direction.

[0057] The upper surfaces of the first support member 201 and the second support member 202 are flush to achieve stable placement of the wafer 4. In one embodiment, the first support member 201 and the second support member 202 are a series of partitions or brackets located on the inner wall of the chamber housing 10.

[0058] In some embodiments, the first support member 201 has a rounded corner near the opening surface 101 of the chamber housing 10 and near the second support member 202, and the second support member 202 has a rounded corner near the opening surface 101 of the chamber housing 10 and near the first support member 201. The rounded corners of the first and second support members 201 and 202 can provide a circumventing effect when the wafer 4 is moved into and out of the chamber housing 10, preventing the wafer 4 from being bumped or scratched during movement, which could cause damage to the wafer 4.

[0059] In some embodiments, each vent hole group includes a first hole group 301, a second hole group 302, and a third hole group 303. The first hole group 301 is located on the second left side wall 1032, the second hole group 302 is located on the rear side wall 102, and the third hole group 303 is located on the second right side wall 1042. The first hole group 301, the second hole group 302, and the third hole group 303 are located at the same height on the chamber housing 10 and output purge gas along the opening surface of the chamber housing 10 to clean the wafer 4 accommodated in the interlayer space 100.

[0060] In some embodiments, reference Figure 5 The airflow paths of the purge gases output from the first hole group 301 , the second hole group 302 and the third hole group 303 intersect, and the intersection area is in the middle area of ​​the corresponding interlayer space 100 .

[0061] Specifically, the first hole group 301, the second hole group 302, and the third hole group 303 each include a plurality of air outlet holes. The number of air outlet holes included in each hole group is determined according to actual needs, and the number of air outlet holes in the first hole group 301, the second hole group 302, and the third hole group 303 can be the same or different.

[0062] In some embodiments, the first hole group 301, the second hole group 302, and the third hole group 303 each include one, and with reference to Figure 5Based on the angles between the second left sidewall 1032 and the second right sidewall 1042 and the rear sidewall 102, the purge gas paths of the first hole group 301, the second hole group 302, and the third hole group 303 intersect. The intersection of the three purge gas paths occurs in the central region of the interlayer space. This arrangement increases the coverage of the purge gas on wafer 4, thereby improving the cleanliness of wafer 4. It should be noted that the central region can also be understood as the portion of the wafer 4 accommodated in the interlayer space 100 that radiates outward from the center of wafer 4.

[0063] In some embodiments, the air intake unit further includes an angle adjustment member disposed between the vent group and the wafer 4 for adjusting a blowing angle of the gas output from the vent group.

[0064] Specifically, the angle adjustment member is located in the blowing hole and rotates in the blowing hole to adjust the spray angle of the purge gas to adapt to wafers 4 of different sizes, thereby maximizing the cleaning effect of the wafer 4.

[0065] In some embodiments, a plurality of circulation holes may be evenly distributed on the bottom and top of the chamber housing 10 .

[0066] In some embodiments, the gas circulation device is configured as a vacuum pump, including but not limited to a dry screw vacuum pump, an oil-free reciprocating vacuum pump, a claw vacuum pump, and an oil-free scroll vacuum pump.

[0067] In some embodiments, the gas circulation device 40 is configured as a dry screw vacuum pump. The dry screw vacuum pump includes a vacuum housing 401, an air inlet 402, and an exhaust port 403. The interior of the chamber housing 10 is connected to the vacuum housing 401 via the air inlet 402, and the vacuum housing 401 is connected to the outside world via the exhaust port 403. A first rotor 404 and a second rotor 405 are disposed within the vacuum housing 401. The first rotor 404 and the second rotor 405 cooperate to achieve gas circulation within the interior of the chamber housing 10.

[0068] Continue to refer to Figure 7 , start the dry spiral vacuum pump, the first rotor 404 and the second rotor 405 rotate in coordination, and the air after cleaning the wafer 4 inside the chamber shell 10 is extracted through the air inlet 402 and the circulation hole set on the chamber shell 10. The gas flows through the vacuum shell 401 and is discharged from the exhaust port 403.

[0069] The present application sets up a gas circulation system to realize gas circulation in the buffer chamber device 11, thereby improving the cleanliness of the wafer 4. At the same time, it can also prevent some wafers 4 from being corroded during storage, causing defects in the wafer 4 and thus reducing the yield rate.

[0070] In some embodiments, the exhaust port 403 of the dry screw vacuum pump is connected to an exhaust gas processor, which is then connected to the factory's negative exhaust pressure. This negative exhaust pressure is used to recycle waste generated by the buffer chamber device 11. The operations in this step are conventional and will not be described in detail here.

[0071] The buffer chamber is also connected to the factory through a vacuum pump so that the residual gas exhausted from the exhaust port 403 can enter the factory, thereby preventing the residual gas from being discharged into the atmosphere and causing impact on the environment and workers.

Claims

1. A buffer chamber device, characterized in that: include: The chamber housing includes an opening surface for wafers to be moved in and out; A carrying assembly is disposed inside the chamber shell, and the carrying assemblies are spaced apart along the height direction of the buffer cavity device to divide the interior space of the chamber shell into a plurality of interlayer spaces for accommodating a plurality of wafers; an air intake unit, comprising a plurality of vent groups formed on the chamber housing, each vent group corresponding to one of the interlayer spaces and capable of outputting gas to the corresponding interlayer space to clean the wafers contained therein; The exhaust unit includes a circulation hole and a gas circulation device. The circulation hole is opened on the chamber shell. The gas circulation device is connected with the internal space of the chamber shell through the circulation hole to discharge the gas in the chamber shell.

2. The buffer chamber device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The chamber shell includes a rear side wall corresponding to the opening surface, and corresponding left and right walls. The supporting assembly is at least partially located on the left and right walls, and at least one ventilation hole group is located on the rear side wall.

3. The buffer chamber device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The left side wall includes a first left side wall and a second left side wall, the right side wall includes a first right side wall and a second right side wall, the first left side wall is connected to the rear side wall through the second left side wall, and the first right side wall is connected to the rear side wall through the second right side wall; wherein, The bearing assembly is arranged on the first left side wall and the first right side wall, and the ventilation hole group is located on the second left side wall, the second right side wall and the rear side wall.

4. The buffer chamber device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The included angles between the second left side wall and the first left side wall and the rear side wall are all greater than 90°, and the included angles between the second right side wall and the first right side wall and the rear side wall are all greater than 90°.

5. The buffer chamber device according to claim 3, characterized in that: Each of the bearing assemblies comprises a first support member and a second support member arranged opposite to each other, wherein the first support member is located on the first left side wall, and the second support member is located on the first right side wall; An upper surface of the first support member and an upper surface of the second support member are flush with each other in a horizontal direction.

6. The buffer chamber device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first support member has a rounded chamfer at a corner close to the opening surface of the chamber shell and close to the second support member, and the second support member has a rounded chamfer at a corner close to the opening surface of the chamber shell and close to the first support member.

7. The buffer chamber device according to claim 3, characterized in that: Each of the ventilation hole groups includes a first hole group, a second hole group, and a third hole group, the first hole group is located on the second left side wall, the second hole group is located on the rear side wall, and the third hole group is located on the second right side wall; The first hole group, the second hole group and the third hole group are located at the same height on the chamber shell, and output gas along the opening surface of the chamber shell to clean the wafers accommodated in the interlayer space.

8. The buffer chamber device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The gas flow paths of the gases output from the first hole group, the second hole group, and the third hole group intersect, and the intersection area is in the middle area of ​​the corresponding interlayer space.

9. The buffer chamber device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gas circulation device can be configured as a vacuum pump, which includes a vacuum housing, an air inlet and an exhaust port. The internal space of the chamber housing is connected to the vacuum housing through the air inlet, and the vacuum housing is connected to the outside through the exhaust port. A first rotor and a second rotor are provided in the vacuum housing. The first rotor and the second rotor cooperate with each other to realize gas circulation in the inner space of the chamber housing.

10. The buffer chamber device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The air intake unit further includes an angle adjustment member disposed between the vent hole group and the wafer, and configured to adjust a blowing angle of the output gas from the vent hole group.

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