Device for reducing particle dust of wafer epitaxy equipment

Abstract

A device for reducing particle dust of wafer epitaxy equipment comprises an adsorption device for ensuring that the particle dust does not overflow; the atmospheric manipulator is used for grabbing, placing and carrying a combined body of the base plate, the carrier plate ring and the carrier plate, the adsorption device comprises a cavity, a dust collection air pipe, a blowing and sucking cleaning head and a lower cleaning head are arranged in the cavity, and a rotating mechanism is further arranged in the adsorption device. Through cooperation of the blowing and sucking cleaning head, the lower cleaning head and the rotating mechanism, particle dust on the upper surface and the lower surface of a base plate, a carrier plate ring, a carrier plate and a combination of the base plate, the carrier plate ring and the carrier plate can be adsorbed and cleaned, the situation that the particle dust accumulation amount of the carrier plate ring and the carrier plate exceeds a certain threshold value, and the reject ratio is caused can be prevented, the production efficiency of a factory is greatly improved, and the production cost is reduced. The production cost is reduced; by arranging the atmospheric manipulator, particle dust falling from the carrier plate only pollutes the upper surface of the protective sleeve, and cross contamination of the particle dust of the carrier plate is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor equipment, and in particular to a device and method for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment. Background Art

[0002] Currently, the epitaxial layer of the substrate is generally grown by a vapor phase method, usually using a method based on horizontal airflow induction heating. This method generally uses a flat disk-shaped graphite base as a substrate support and heat conduction platform.

[0003] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a common graphite substrate susceptor generally consists of three parts: the substrate at the top, supported by a quartz carrier ring, which rests on a circular graphite disk. After the three components are assembled outside the chamber, they are placed into the epitaxial growth chamber for epitaxial film growth.

[0004] Throughout the entire process, there are two areas where dust particles are most likely to form, contaminating the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate, impacting the quality of the epitaxial film and subsequent substrate processing. First, during the transfer of the graphite susceptor, friction causes particles to fall off, resulting in dust contamination. Second, during the vapor phase epitaxial growth process, the quartz carrier ring also grows particles that easily fall off, causing dust contamination.

[0005] At the same time, existing assembly methods are also highly susceptible to contamination of the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate. One method involves manual assembly, where the substrate, carrier ring, and graphite plate are manually assembled. Dirt on the surface of the hands can easily contaminate the contacted areas on the front of the substrate. The carrier ring and graphite plate can also easily vibrate and detach particles during handling, causing dust pollution. Furthermore, manual assembly requires waiting for the carrier ring and graphite plate to cool to room temperature before they can be removed. This long wait time is inefficient and can easily lead to burns if negligence is detected.

[0006] Another method is to use an automated disassembly mechanism to combine the substrate, carrier ring, and graphite disk, and then use a manipulator or robot to move the assembly to the airlock chamber (LLC) of the substrate epitaxial chamber. The manipulator or robot then moves the assembly back into the substrate epitaxial chamber for epitaxial film growth. This back and forth process will cause multiple contaminations to the substrate.

[0007] For example, the patent document for a method for automatic wafer transfer, with patent application publication number CN116544160A, describes the entire process of automatic wafer unloading and loading. This patent only avoids contact with the front of the substrate. Patent application publication number CN115588638A also describes a wafer transfer system and method for silicon carbide epitaxial equipment. This method can avoid the problem of contamination caused by contact with the front of the substrate. However, when the vacuum adsorption gripper of the atmospheric manipulator is transporting the assembly, the gripper surface is easily contaminated by particles and dust that fall off the graphite disk due to contact and friction with the graphite disk. After the process is completed, when the atmospheric manipulator removes the substrate from the assembly, the contaminated gripper will further contaminate the back of the substrate. In addition, during the transportation process, particles that easily fall off the quartz carrier ring can also easily cause dust pollution.

[0008] Therefore, it is necessary to develop a method and device to reduce the contamination of wafers caused by the falling of dust particles during the assembly, disassembly and transportation of the substrate, the carrier ring and the graphite disk. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of the present invention is to propose a device and method for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment, aiming to solve the technical problems in the prior art of particles falling from the upper and lower surfaces of the carrier ring, and graphite particles falling during transportation and cross-contaminating the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate.

[0010] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention proposes a device for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment, which is used in substrate epitaxial equipment. The device comprises:

[0011] The adsorption device is a sealed cavity to ensure that the particles and dust will not escape;

[0012] The atmospheric manipulator cooperates with the adsorption device to grasp, place and transport the combination of substrate, carrier ring and carrier plate.

[0013] Furthermore, the adsorption device includes a chamber, which is composed of panels located on the front and back surfaces, side panels on the left and right sides, and a top plate and a bottom plate. At least one taking window is opened on one of the panels, and a protective door lifting mechanism is provided below.

[0014] Furthermore, the protective door lifting mechanism includes a protective door slide rail and a lifting cylinder. Several quick-connect connectors are provided on one side of the protective door slide rail, and a protective door is provided above the protective door slide rail. A U-shaped baffle for anti-collision is provided on the outside of the protective door. The protective door slide rail and the protective door are fixedly connected through a connecting plate, and the protective door is also fixed on the base plate. A sealing ring is provided on the protective door.

[0015] Furthermore, at least one dust suction duct is provided in the chamber, the bottom end of the dust suction duct is fixed on the bottom plate, and at least one blowing and suction cleaning head is connected to the top end. One side of the blowing and suction cleaning head is connected to a slide cylinder, and the slide cylinder and one side of the dust suction duct are simultaneously fixed on the inner surface of one of the side plates.

[0016] Furthermore, the slide cylinder includes a cylinder base and a slider and a slide rail located on the cylinder base, and the slide cylinder also includes a slide sensor.

[0017] Furthermore, the blowing and suction cleaning head is provided with a roller soft brush for further removing particulate dust.

[0018] Furthermore, the adsorption device is provided with a rotating mechanism and an exhaust fan, the rotating mechanism includes a box body, at least one lower cleaning head is provided on the top of the box body, a base is provided at the bottom of the box body, the base is fixedly connected to the bottom plate, a lower bearing fixing plate and a motor fixing plate are provided above the base, wherein the upper surfaces of the lower bearing fixing plate and the motor fixing plate are located on the same horizontal line, an upper bearing fixing plate is provided above the lower bearing fixing plate, a rotating motor is provided below the motor fixing plate, a driven mechanism is provided on the upper surfaces of the lower bearing fixing plate and the motor fixing plate, a rotating shaft is provided on the upper surface of the upper bearing fixing plate, a vacuum suction cup is provided on the rotating shaft, the vacuum suction cup is used to adsorb the combination of the carrier ring and the carrier plate, and the exhaust fan includes a filter screen and axial flow fan blades arranged in sequence from bottom to top.

[0019] Furthermore, the driven mechanism includes a driven synchronous wheel, an active synchronous wheel and a synchronous belt. The rotating motor drives the active synchronous wheel, which drives the driven synchronous wheel to move through the synchronous belt, thereby driving the vacuum suction cup to rotate.

[0020] Furthermore, the atmospheric manipulator includes a base and a fixed flange located on the base, and a first manipulator arm, a second manipulator arm and a gripper hand are provided on the fixed flange, wherein the first manipulator arm, the second manipulator arm and the gripper hand are connected in sequence, and a vacuum suction nozzle is provided on the gripper hand, which is used to adsorb the protective cover, and an anti-slip pad is provided on the surface of the protective cover.

[0021] Furthermore, a first rotary drive motor is provided in the first robotic arm, and a second rotary drive motor is provided in the second robotic arm, wherein a third rotary drive motor is provided at the connection between the gripper hand and the second robotic arm, the first rotary drive motor is used to drive the first robotic arm, the second rotary drive motor is used to drive the second robotic arm, and the third rotary drive motor is used to drive the gripper hand, and a robotic arm lifting motor is provided in the base.

[0022] Furthermore, the device also includes a substrate calibrator, a substrate material box, a material silo, a monitoring camera and an industrial camera.

[0023] The present invention also proposes a method for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0024] Step 1: With the substrate calibrator and the pre-taught point, the atmospheric manipulator moves to the top of the silo, inserts the gripper under the protective cover, and absorbs the protective cover through vacuum adsorption, so that the protective cover is fixed on the upper surface of the gripper;

[0025] Step 2: Cooperate with the substrate calibrator and the pre-taught point. The atmospheric manipulator moves to the middle of the hopper and extends the gripper with a protective cover fixed on the upper surface under the carrier ring and carrier plate assembly. Remove the carrier ring and carrier plate assembly by lifting.

[0026] Step 3: The protective door of the adsorption device is lowered and opened. In conjunction with the substrate aligner and the pre-taught points, the atmospheric manipulator places the combination of the carrier ring and carrier plate onto the rotating mechanism of the adsorption device through the pick-up window on the panel, and the protective door is raised and closed.

[0027] Step 4: The blowing and suction cleaning head descends, and the blowing and suctioning are turned on at the same time. The lower cleaning head turns on suction, and the vacuum suction cup on the rotating mechanism turns on vacuum adsorption. Then, the combination of the carrier ring and the carrier plate is driven to rotate at a constant speed. The blowing and suction cleaning head and the lower cleaning head simultaneously suck away the particles and dust on the upper and lower surfaces of the carrier ring and the carrier plate combination. The exhaust fan sucks away the remaining particles and dust raised by the blowing and suction cleaning head and the lower cleaning head and discharges them to the air.

[0028] Step 5. After the adsorption of particulate dust is completed, the blowing and suction cleaning head rises, and the blowing and exhaust are turned off at the same time. The lower cleaning head turns off the suction, the rotating mechanism stops rotating, the vacuum adsorption is turned off, the exhaust fan stops running, the protective door drops and opens, and the atmospheric manipulator takes away the combination of the carrier ring and the carrier plate through the taking window on the panel, completing the particulate dust adsorption and removal process on the upper and lower surfaces of the carrier ring and the carrier plate.

[0029] The present invention provides a device and method for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment, which at least has the following features:

[0030] Beneficial effects:

[0031] 1. Through the cooperation of the blowing and suction cleaning head, the lower cleaning head and the rotating mechanism, the dust particles on the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate, the carrier ring and the carrier plate and their combination can be adsorbed and cleaned. It can also prevent the accumulation of dust particles on the carrier ring and the carrier plate from exceeding a certain threshold, which seriously affects the production of the wafer process and causes defective rates. In addition, since the previous wafer epitaxial equipment needs to be regularly shut down to replace the carrier ring and the carrier plate, the present invention can instantly remove the dust particles generated by the carrier ring and the carrier plate through the cooperation of the three, without the need for frequent shutdowns for replacement, thereby greatly improving the factory's production efficiency and reducing production costs.

[0032] 2. Through the cooperation of the adsorption device and the atmospheric manipulator, only the upper surface of the protective cover is in contact with the bottom surface of the carrier plate. Particles and dust dropped from the carrier plate will only contaminate the upper surface of the protective cover. When the atmospheric manipulator only needs to move the substrate, only the upper surface of the gripper contacts the back of the substrate, which will not cause cross contamination of particles and dust from the carrier plate.

[0033] 3. By setting up an exhaust fan, the remaining dust particles raised by the blowing and suction cleaning head and the lower cleaning head can be immediately removed by exhaust, thereby enhancing the cleaning effect of this patent;

[0034] 4. By setting up a slide cylinder, the blowing and suction cleaning head can move up and down on the slide rail, which can not only clean the particle dust generated by the carrier ring and carrier plate at multiple angles, but also cooperate with the atmospheric manipulator to move the carrier ring and carrier plate assembly faster and more accurately after cleaning, preventing the atmospheric manipulator and the blowing and suction cleaning head from colliding and causing damage, and also avoiding the particle dust generated by the collision. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of wafer separation according to the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a wafer assembly of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall assembly of the device for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment according to the present invention;

[0039] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall assembly of the adsorption device of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the adsorption device of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0041] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the adsorption device of the present invention Figure 2 ;

[0042] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lifting mechanism of the protective door of the adsorption device accessory of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 8This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the slide cylinder of the adsorption device accessory of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rotation mechanism of the adsorption device accessories of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the exhaust fan as an accessory of the adsorption device of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the overall assembly structure of the atmospheric manipulator of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the atmospheric manipulator gripper of the present invention.

[0048] In the attached figure:

[0049] 11. Base plate; 12. Plate carrier ring; 13. Plate carrier plate; 2. Adsorption device; 21. Chamber; 211. Panel; 212. Side panel; 213. Top plate; 214. Bottom plate; 215. Removal window; 216. Exhaust fan; 2161. Filter; 2162. Axial fan blade; 22. Protective door lifting mechanism; 221. Protective door slide rail; 222. Lifting cylinder; 23. Connecting plate; 24. U-shaped baffle; 25. Protective door; 251. Sealing ring; 26. Dust suction duct; 27. Blowing and suction cleaning head; 28. Slide cylinder; 281. Cylinder base; 282. Slider; 283. Slide rail; 284. Slide sensor; 29. ​​Rotation mechanism; 290. Box; 291. Lower cleaning head; 292. Base; 293. Lower bearing fixing plate; 294. Motor fixing plate; 295. Upper bearing fixing plate; 296. Rotating motor; 297. Driven mechanism; 2971. Driven synchronous pulley; 2972. Active synchronous pulley; 2973. Synchronous belt; 298. Rotating shaft; 299. Vacuum suction cup; 3. Atmospheric manipulator; 31. Base; 32. Fixed flange; 33. Third rotary drive motor; 34. First manipulator arm; 35. Second manipulator arm; 36. First rotary drive motor; 37. Second rotary drive motor; 38. Gripper; 39. Protective cover; 4. Substrate calibrator; 5. Substrate material box; 6. Material silo; 7. Surveillance camera; 8. Industrial camera.

[0050] The purpose, features and advantages of the present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with the embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0052] In the foregoing description of this specification, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, terms such as "fixed," "mounted," "connected," or "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, the term "connected" can refer to a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral connection; a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediary; or the internal connection between two components or the interaction between two components. Therefore, unless otherwise expressly defined in this specification, those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0053] According to the above description of this specification, those skilled in the art may also understand that the terms used below, such as "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "length", "width", "thickness", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", etc., which indicate the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings of this specification. They are only for the purpose of facilitating the explanation of the scheme of the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than explicitly or implicitly indicating that the device or element involved must have the specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, the above-mentioned orientation or position relationship terms cannot be understood or interpreted as limitations on the scheme of the present invention.

[0054] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features specified as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the fact that ordinary technicians in this field can implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0055] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2A device for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial growth equipment, used in substrate epitaxial growth equipment. A typical wafer generally consists of three components: the topmost substrate 11, supported by a quartz carrier ring 12, which rests on a disc-shaped carrier plate 13. After the three components are assembled outside the chamber, they are placed into the epitaxial growth chamber for epitaxial thin film growth. In this embodiment, the carrier plate 13 is a graphite plate, but other materials can be used as needed.

[0056] See also Figure 3 The device for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment of the present invention includes: an adsorption device 2, an atmospheric manipulator 3, a substrate calibrator 4, a substrate material box 5, a material silo 6, a monitoring camera 7 and an industrial camera 8.

[0057] In this embodiment, the substrate aligner 4 includes a visual positioning assembly (not shown) and a correction assembly (not shown). The correction assembly has the degrees of freedom to move in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. X and Y are horizontal directions, and Z is vertical. The visual recognition of the substrate aligner 4 and the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis degrees of freedom of the correction assembly enable the alignment of the substrate 11, carrier ring 12, and carrier plate 13.

[0058] In this embodiment, two substrate magazines 5 are provided. Alternatively, multiple, including but not limited to two, may be provided depending on actual needs. The substrate magazines 5 are used to store substrate materials to prevent contamination of the substrates 11. The silo is used to store the combination of the carrier ring 12 and the carrier plate 13. A bracket is provided on the top of the silo 6 for storing a protective cover.

[0059] In this embodiment, two monitoring cameras 7 are provided, one located at a corner of the device. Alternatively, multiple monitoring cameras, including but not limited to two, may be provided as needed. The monitoring cameras 7 are used to capture and record the placement of the substrate 11, the substrate carrier ring 12, the substrate carrier plate 13, and the assembly. The industrial camera 8 utilizes a high-definition resolution camera.

[0060] Furthermore, the adsorption device 2 and the atmospheric manipulator 3 are the main components of the present invention. The adsorption device 2 is a sealed cavity to ensure that particulate dust does not overflow.

[0061] See also Figures 4 to 6Furthermore, the adsorption device 2 includes a chamber 21, which is a sealed body. Specifically, the chamber 21 is surrounded by six surfaces: panels 211 located on the front and back surfaces, side panels 212 on the left and right sides, a top plate 213, and a bottom plate 214. One of the panels 211 is provided with at least one access window 215. Of course, multiple access windows 215 can also be provided according to actual needs. Specifically, the length and width of the access window 215 are preferably designed according to the dimensions of the substrate 11, the carrier ring 12, the carrier plate 13, and the assembly. A protective door lifting mechanism 22 is provided below the chamber 21, and the protective door lifting mechanism 22 is also located below the panel 211 provided with the access window 215.

[0062] See also Figure 7 Furthermore, the protective door lifting mechanism 22 includes a protective door slide rail 221 and a lifting cylinder 222. Of course, other lifting drive methods can also be selected according to actual needs, such as: a servo motor or stepper motor with multiple degrees of freedom drives a linear module. A number of quick-connect connectors 223 are provided on one side of the protective door slide rail 221, and a protective door 25 is provided above the protective door slide rail 221. A U-shaped baffle 24 for anti-collision is provided on the outside of the protective door 25. The U-shaped baffle 24 can further prevent the substrate 11, the carrier ring 12, the carrier plate 13 and the assembly in the chamber 21 from generating particulate dust after the protective door 25 collides. The protective door slide rail 221 is fixedly connected to the protective door 25 by a connecting plate 23, and the protective door 25 is also fixed on the bottom plate 214. A sealing ring 251 is provided on the protective door 25. The protective door 25 performs up and down linear motion under the action of the protective door lifting mechanism 22. When the protective door lifting mechanism 22 rises, the protective door 25 is closed, and the taking window 215 on the panel 211 is immediately closed; when the protective door lifting mechanism 22 falls, the protective door 25 is opened, and the taking window 215 on the panel 211 is immediately exposed.

[0063] See also Figure 5 and Figure 6 Furthermore, at least one dust collection duct 26 is provided within the chamber 21. The bottom end of the dust collection duct 26 is fixed to the bottom plate 214, and the top end is connected to at least one blowing and suction cleaning head 27. The blowing and suction cleaning head 27 may be equipped with a PVA roller brush to further remove particulate dust. Of course, other brushes, including but not limited to PVA roller brushes, may also be added as needed.

[0064] See also Figure 8Furthermore, a slide cylinder 28 is connected to one side of the blowing and suction cleaning head 27. The slide cylinder 28 and one side of the dust suction duct 26 are simultaneously fixed to the inner surface of one of the side panels 212. Specifically, the slide cylinder 28 includes a cylinder base 281, a slider 282, and a slide rail 283 located on the cylinder base. The slide cylinder 28 also includes a slide sensor 284 for sensing the movement of the slide cylinder 28. Of course, other lifting drive methods can also be selected based on actual needs, such as a multi-degree-of-freedom servo motor or stepper motor driving a linear module.

[0065] Please combine Figure 5 , see Figure 9 Furthermore, a rotating mechanism 29 is provided in the adsorption device 2, which includes a box body 290, and the box body 290 is a sealed hollow structure. At least one lower cleaning head 291 is provided on the top of the box body 290, and the lower cleaning head 291 is used to adsorb particulate dust on the substrate 11, the carrier ring 12, the carrier plate 13 and the lower surface of the assembly. Specifically, a base 292 is provided at the bottom of the box body 290, and the base 292 is fixedly connected to the bottom plate 214. A lower bearing fixing plate 293 and a motor fixing plate 294 are provided above the base 292, wherein the upper surfaces of the lower bearing fixing plate 293 and the motor fixing plate 294 are located on the same horizontal line, an upper bearing fixing plate 295 is provided above the lower bearing fixing plate 293, and a rotating motor 296 is provided below the motor fixing plate 294. The driving method of the rotating motor 296 also includes a servo motor or a stepping motor, and a rotary cylinder.

[0066] Furthermore, a driven mechanism 297 is provided on the upper surfaces of the lower bearing fixing plate 293 and the motor fixing plate 294. A rotating shaft 298 is provided on the upper surface of the upper bearing fixing plate 295. A vacuum suction cup 299 is mounted on the rotating shaft 298. The vacuum suction cup 299 is used to absorb the combination of the carrier ring 12 and the carrier plate 13. The driven mechanism 297 includes a driven synchronous pulley 2971, an active synchronous pulley 2972, and a synchronous belt 2973. The rotating motor 296 drives the active synchronous pulley 2972, which, through the synchronous belt 2973, drives the driven synchronous pulley 2971, thereby driving the vacuum suction cup 299. Of course, the driven mechanism 297 can also be replaced with a harmonic reducer or a planetary reducer as needed.

[0067] In this way, through the cooperation of the blowing and suction cleaning head 27, the lower cleaning head 291 and the rotating mechanism 29, the particulate dust on the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 11, the carrier ring 12, the carrier plate 13 and their combination can be adsorbed and cleaned, effectively removing the growth particles that are easy to fall off on the upper and lower surfaces of the carrier ring 12 and the carrier plate 13, and preventing the accumulation of particulate dust on the carrier ring 12 and the carrier plate 13 from exceeding a certain threshold, seriously affecting the production of the wafer process and causing defective rates. Since previous wafer epitaxial equipment needs to be shut down regularly to replace the carrier ring 12 and the carrier plate 13, the present invention can instantly remove the particulate dust generated by the carrier ring 12 and the carrier plate 13 through the cooperation of the three, without the need for frequent shutdowns for replacement, greatly improving the factory's production efficiency and reducing production costs.

[0068] See also Figure 10 Furthermore, the adsorption device 2 is further provided with an exhaust fan 216, which includes a filter 2161 and axial flow blades 2162 arranged in sequence from bottom to top. By providing the exhaust fan 216, the remaining particulate dust raised by the blowing and suction cleaning head 27 and the lower cleaning head 291 can be immediately removed by exhaust, thereby enhancing the cleaning effect of the present invention.

[0069] See also Figures 11-12 Furthermore, the atmospheric manipulator 3 cooperates with the adsorption device 2 to grasp, place and transport the combination of the substrate 11, the carrier ring 12 and the carrier plate 13.

[0070] Furthermore, the atmospheric manipulator 3 includes a base 31 and a fixed flange 32 located on the base 31, and a first manipulator arm 34, a second manipulator arm 35 and a gripper hand 38 are provided on the fixed flange 32, wherein the first manipulator arm 34, the second manipulator arm 35 and the gripper hand 38 are connected in sequence, and a vacuum suction nozzle is provided on the gripper hand 38, which is used to adsorb the protective cover 39, and an anti-slip pad is provided on the surface of the protective cover 39.

[0071] Specifically, a first rotary drive motor 36 is provided in the first manipulator 34, and a second rotary drive motor 37 is provided in the second manipulator 35. A third rotary drive motor 33 is provided at the connection between the gripper hand 38 and the second manipulator arm 35. The first rotary drive motor 36 is used to drive the first manipulator arm 34, the second rotary drive motor 37 is used to drive the second manipulator arm 35, and the third rotary drive motor 33 is used to drive the gripper hand 38. A manipulator lifting motor (not shown) is also provided in the base 31. The first rotary drive motor 36 and the second rotary drive motor 37 respectively control the vertical, radial and rotational movement of the first manipulator arm 34 and the second manipulator arm 35, i.e., the Z axis, R axis and θ axis. The manipulator lifting motor is used to control the raising and lowering of the atmospheric manipulator 3, and to remove or place the materials required by the atmospheric manipulator 3 from the corresponding components.

[0072] Of course, depending on the actual needs, the atmospheric manipulator 3 can be a cylindrical coordinate underactuated single-arm single-gripper three-axis manipulator, a cylindrical coordinate underactuated dual-arm dual-gripper four-axis manipulator, a multi-jointed single-arm single-gripper four-axis manipulator, or even a multi-jointed single-arm dual-gripper five-axis atmospheric manipulator. The movement of the first manipulator 34 and the second manipulator 35 can drive the movement of the gripper 38, thereby performing the assembly, disassembly, and transportation of the substrate 11, the carrier ring 12, and the carrier tray 13.

[0073] Specifically, the gripper hand 38 is provided with a vacuum nozzle (not shown) for adsorbing the protective cover 39 . The surface of the protective cover 39 is provided with an anti-slip pad (not shown) to prevent the carrier plate 13 from sliding when the carrier plate 13 is transported.

[0074] Specifically, the working principle of the atmospheric manipulator 3 is as follows: first, the protective cover 39 is placed on the top of the silo 6 . When the plate is lifted up, the plate is lifted up and the plate is moved back to the bottom of the hopper 6. When the plate is lifted up, the plate is lifted up and the plate is moved back to the bottom of the hopper 6. When the plate is lifted up, the plate is lifted up and the plate is moved back to the bottom of the hopper 6.

[0075] When the atmospheric manipulator 3 only needs to transport the substrate 11, the atmospheric manipulator 3 puts the protective cover 39 back on the hopper 6 and only uses the gripper hand 38 to directly adsorb and transport the substrate 11. At this time, the upper surface of the gripper hand 38 contacts the back of the substrate 11, and will not cause cross-contamination of particulate dust on the carrier plate 13.

[0076] The present invention also provides a method for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment, including the above-mentioned device for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment, specifically comprising the following steps:

[0077] Step 1: Cooperate with the substrate calibrator 4 and the pre-taught point, the atmospheric manipulator 3 moves to the top of the silo 6, extends the gripper 38 under the protective cover 39, and absorbs the protective cover 39 by vacuum adsorption, so that the protective cover 39 is fixed to the upper surface of the gripper 38.

[0078] Step 2: Cooperate with the substrate calibrator 4 and the pre-taught point, the atmospheric manipulator 3 moves to the middle of the hopper 6, and extends the gripper hand 38 with the protective cover 39 fixed on the upper surface into the bottom of the carrier ring 12 and carrier plate 13 assembly, and takes out the carrier ring 12 and carrier plate 13 assembly by lifting.

[0079] Step 3: The protective door 25 of the adsorption device 2 is lowered and opened. In conjunction with the substrate calibrator 4 and the pre-taught point, the atmospheric manipulator 3 places the combination of the carrier ring 12 and the carrier plate 13 into the rotating mechanism 29 of the adsorption device through the picking window 215 on the panel 211, and the protective door 25 is raised and closed.

[0080] In step three, when the protective door lifting mechanism 22 is lowered, the protective door 25 is opened and the taking window 215 on the panel 211 is exposed. When the protective door lifting mechanism 22 is raised, the protective door 25 is closed and the taking window 215 on the panel 211 is closed.

[0081] Step 4: The blowing and suction cleaning head 27 descends under the linear action of the slide cylinder 28, and the blowing and exhaust functions start at the same time. The lower cleaning head 291 inhales air, and the vacuum suction cup 299 on the rotating mechanism 29 starts vacuum adsorption. Then, the combination of the carrier ring 12 and the carrier plate 13 is driven to rotate at a constant speed. The blowing and suction cleaning head 27 and the lower cleaning head 291 simultaneously suck away the particles and dust on the upper and lower surfaces of the combination of the carrier ring 12 and the carrier plate 13. The exhaust fan 216 sucks away the remaining particles and dust raised by the blowing and suction cleaning head 27 and the lower cleaning head 291 and discharges them to the air.

[0082] Step 5. After the adsorption of particulate dust is completed, the blowing and suction cleaning head 27 rises, and the blowing and exhausting are completed at the same time. The suction of the lower cleaning head 291 is completed, the rotating mechanism 29 stops working, the vacuum adsorption is turned off, the exhaust fan 216 stops running, the protective door 25 drops and opens, and the atmospheric manipulator 3 takes away the combination of the carrier ring 12 and the carrier plate 13 through the taking window 215 on the panel 211, completing the particulate dust adsorption and removal process on the upper and lower surfaces of the carrier ring 12 and the carrier plate 13.

[0083] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made by using the contents of the present invention description and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect application in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment, used for substrate epitaxial equipment, characterized in that: The device comprises: An adsorption device (2), wherein the adsorption device (2) is a sealed cavity to ensure that the particle dust does not overflow; The atmospheric manipulator (3) cooperates with the adsorption device (2) and is used for grabbing, placing and transporting the combination of the substrate (11), the carrier ring (12) and the carrier plate (13).

2. The device for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adsorption device (2) comprises a chamber (21), wherein the chamber (21) is composed of panels (211) located at the front and rear surfaces, side panels (212) at the left and right sides, a top plate (213), and a bottom plate (214), wherein at least one taking window (215) is provided on one of the panels (211), and a protective door lifting mechanism (22) is provided below.

3. The device for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The protective door lifting mechanism (22) comprises a protective door slide rail (221) and a lifting cylinder (222). A plurality of quick-connect connectors are provided on one side of the protective door slide rail (221). A protective door (25) is provided above the protective door slide rail (221). A U-shaped baffle (24) for collision prevention is provided on the outer side of the protective door (25). The protective door slide rail (221) and the protective door (25) are fixedly connected via a connecting plate (23). The protective door (25) is also fixed on the bottom plate (214). A sealing ring is provided on the protective door (25).

4. The device for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: At least one dust suction duct (26) is provided in the chamber (21), the bottom end of the dust suction duct (26) is fixed on the bottom plate (214), and the top end is connected to at least one blowing and suction cleaning head (27), one side of the blowing and suction cleaning head (27) is connected to a slide cylinder (28), and the slide cylinder (28) and one side of the dust suction duct (26) are simultaneously fixed on the inner surface of one of the side plates (212).

5. The device for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The slide cylinder (28) includes a cylinder base (281) and a slider (282) and a slide rail (283) located on the cylinder base (281). The slide cylinder (28) also includes a slide sensor (284).

6. The device for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The blowing and suction cleaning head is provided with a roller soft brush for further removing particulate dust.

7. The device for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The adsorption device (2) is provided with a rotating mechanism (29) and an exhaust fan (216), the rotating mechanism (29) includes a box body (290), the top of the box body (290) is provided with at least one lower cleaning head (291), the bottom of the box body (290) is provided with a base (292), the base (292) is fixedly connected to the bottom plate (214), a lower bearing fixing plate (293) and a motor fixing plate (294) are provided above the base (292), the upper surfaces of the lower bearing fixing plate (293) and the motor fixing plate (294) are located on the same horizontal line, and the upper surface of the lower bearing fixing plate (293) is provided on the bottom plate (214). An upper bearing fixing plate (295) is provided on the side, a rotating motor (296) is provided below the motor fixing plate (294), a driven mechanism (297) is provided on the upper surface of the lower bearing fixing plate (293) and the motor fixing plate (294), a rotating shaft (298) is provided on the upper surface of the upper bearing fixing plate (295), a vacuum suction cup (299) is provided on the rotating shaft (298), and the vacuum suction cup (299) is used to adsorb the combination of the carrier ring (12) and the carrier plate (13), and the exhaust fan (216) includes a filter screen (2161) and an axial flow fan blade (2162) arranged in sequence from bottom to top.

8. The device for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that: The driven mechanism (297) includes a driven synchronous wheel (2971), an active synchronous wheel (2972) and a synchronous belt (2973). The rotating motor (296) drives the active synchronous wheel (2972), which drives the driven synchronous wheel (2971) to move through the synchronous belt (2973), thereby driving the vacuum suction cup (299) to rotate.

9. The device for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The atmospheric manipulator (3) comprises a base (31) and a fixed flange (32) located on the base (31); a first manipulator arm (34), a second manipulator arm (35) and a gripper hand (38) are provided on the fixed flange (32); the first manipulator arm (34), the second manipulator arm (35) and the gripper hand (38) are connected in sequence; a vacuum suction nozzle is provided on the gripper hand (38); the vacuum suction nozzle is used to adsorb a protective cover (39); and a non-slip pad is provided on the surface of the protective cover (39).

10. The device for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that: A first rotary drive motor (36) is provided in the first robotic arm (34), and a second rotary drive motor (37) is provided in the second robotic arm (35), wherein a third rotary drive motor (33) is provided at the connection between the gripper hand (38) and the second robotic arm (35). The first rotary drive motor (36) is used to drive the first robotic arm (34), the second rotary drive motor (37) is used to drive the second robotic arm (35), and the third rotary drive motor (33) is used to drive the gripper hand (38). A robotic arm lifting motor is provided in the base (31).

11. The device for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The device further comprises a substrate calibrator (4), a substrate material box (5), a material bin (6), a monitoring camera (7) and an industrial camera (8).

12. The device for reducing particle dust in wafer epitaxial equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The carrier plate (13) is a graphite plate.

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