Carrying platform monitoring device and semiconductor equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a carrying platform monitoring device and a semiconductor device, the device comprises a gravity sensing part which is arranged below the bottom surface of a carrying platform, a plurality of gravity sensors are uniformly distributed on the upper surface of the gravity sensing part, and each gravity sensor is used for monitoring the carrying platform when the carrying platform is freely located on the upper surface of the gravity sensing part; sensing the local weight of the carrying platform in the sensing range; and the supporting part is used for supporting the lower surface of the gravity sensing part. According to the utility model, whether the local weight of the carrying platform reaches the standard or not can be monitored in real time, so that whether damage or smudginess exists on the surface of the carrying platform or not can be effectively monitored on line, the health condition of the carrying platform can be accurately mastered, and the yield is ensured and improved.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Advanced processes in the semiconductor industry require accurate and efficient monitoring of the carrier inside the chamber to ensure it is in normal condition. This is to prevent damage or contamination on the carrier surface, which could affect the substrates being processed and reduce the yield.

[0003] Existing inspections for surface damage and contamination on the carrier require opening the chamber each time. This is not only inconvenient and time-consuming, but also significantly impacts production capacity. Furthermore, existing inspections typically rely on visual inspection. However, visual inspections of even minor damage and contamination on the carrier surface present a high risk, making it difficult to guarantee accurate monitoring. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned defects in the prior art and provide a stage monitoring device and a semiconductor device.

[0005] To achieve the above purpose, the technical solution of the utility model is as follows:

[0006] The utility model provides a platform monitoring device, comprising:

[0007] a gravity sensing portion disposed below the bottom surface of the carrier, wherein a plurality of gravity sensors are evenly distributed on the upper surface of the gravity sensing portion, each of the gravity sensors being configured to sense a local weight of the carrier within a sensing range when the carrier is freely positioned on the upper surface of the gravity sensing portion;

[0008] The supporting portion is used to support the lower surface of the gravity sensing portion.

[0009] Furthermore, the orthographic projection of the bottom surface of the carrier on the upper surface of the gravity sensing part is located within the upper surface of the gravity sensing part, and the orthographic projection of the lower surface of the gravity sensing part on the upper surface of the supporting part is located within the upper surface of the supporting part.

[0010] Furthermore, the gravity sensors are densely distributed on the upper surface of the gravity sensing part, or the gravity sensors are arranged closely adjacent to each other; the sensing ranges of any two adjacent gravity sensors partially overlap, and the sensing range of the gravity sensor located at the outermost side of any one of the gravity sensors covers the edge of the corresponding carrier.

[0011] Furthermore, each of the gravity sensors is embedded in the gravity sensing portion.

[0012] Furthermore, it also includes a camera unit, which is arranged above the carrier and is used to shoot the top surface morphology of the carrier.

[0013] Furthermore, the supporting portion includes a transfer mechanism, which is used to move the gravity sensing portion and the platform freely located thereon in horizontal and vertical directions, so that the top surface of the platform is within the shooting range of the camera portion and is in a focused state.

[0014] Furthermore, the transfer mechanism is also provided with a lifting pin, which is used to lift the carrier freely located on the gravity sensing part and separate it from the gravity sensing part in the first state, and to place the lifted carrier on the gravity sensing part in the second state so that the carrier is freely located on the gravity sensing part.

[0015] Furthermore, the gravity sensor includes a piezoelectric sensor, or the gravity sensor includes an FBAR sensor, and / or the imaging unit includes a camera, and the camera is provided with an illumination light source facing the carrier.

[0016] The utility model also provides a semiconductor device, comprising a chamber, a carrier arranged in the chamber, and the carrier monitoring device.

[0017] Furthermore, the carrier is used to set a substrate in the first state and is empty in the second state. When the carrier is in the second state and is freely located on the upper surface of the gravity sensing part, the carrier monitoring device senses the local weight of the carrier within the sensing range of each gravity sensor through multiple gravity sensors evenly arranged on the upper surface of the gravity sensing part to monitor whether the local weight of the carrier meets the standard.

[0018] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the present invention provides a gravity sensing unit below the carrier and evenly distributes multiple gravity sensors on the gravity sensing unit. When the carrier is freely positioned on the gravity sensing unit, each gravity sensor can sense the local weight of the carrier within its sensing range, thereby obtaining the weight changes of each tiny area of ​​the carrier. Therefore, without opening the chamber, it is possible to monitor in real time whether the local weight of the carrier meets the standard during the idle period (second state) of the process. Therefore, it is possible to effectively monitor online whether the surface of the carrier has damage or dirt, for example. Furthermore, by providing a camera unit, when an abnormal weight of the carrier is detected, the top surface of the carrier at the abnormal location can be photographed to help determine whether the surface of the carrier has damage or dirt, for example, and to facilitate further analysis of the abnormality type, thereby accurately grasping the health of the carrier and ensuring and improving the yield rate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the surface condition of the carrier when it is damaged or dirty. (a) is damaged, and (b) is dirty.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of a platform monitoring device according to a preferred embodiment of the present utility model.

[0021] Figure 3-Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the distribution of a gravity sensor on a gravity sensing part according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a comparative schematic diagram of the lifting and lowering states of a platform in a preferred embodiment of the present utility model, in which (a) is lowering and (b) is raising.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a stage monitoring device installed in a semiconductor equipment chamber according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used herein should be the common meanings understood by people with ordinary skills in the field to which the present invention belongs. The words "including" and similar words used in this article mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word include the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects.

[0025] refer to Figure 1 . Taking the epitaxial growth of SiP / SiGeB and other thin films as an example, the wafer substrate is placed on the carrier 13 in the chamber to undergo the epitaxial process. The material of the carrier 13 is generally graphite with a SiC layer wrapped on the surface. When the epitaxial machine (semiconductor equipment) is idle, a large amount of HCl gas will be introduced into the chamber. However, the HCl gas will react with the SiC on the surface of the carrier 13. When the SiC is slowly reacted and becomes thinner, the underlying graphite will be exposed, causing damage to the surface of the carrier 13, such as 1. Figure 1 As shown in (a). If exposed graphite falls on the substrate surface, it will cause a decrease in chip yield.

[0026] In addition, during the periodic use of the carrier 13, dirt 2 may also adhere to the surface, such as Figure 1 (b) shows the presence of dirt. The presence of dirt raises the substrate, making the surface uneven. At the same time, particles generated by the dirt also contaminate the substrate surface. All of these factors can reduce chip yield.

[0027] Existing inspections for surface damage and contamination on the carrier 13 require opening the chamber each time. This is not only inconvenient and time-consuming, but also significantly impacts production capacity. Furthermore, existing inspections of the carrier 13 typically rely on visual observation. However, this is generally only easily detected when significant surface damage is evident. Contamination marks with subtle color and thickness are often difficult to quickly identify. Consequently, visual inspections are difficult to accurately determine.

[0028] Therefore, real-time monitoring of the health of the carrier 13 in the chamber and performing regular maintenance at appropriate times are crucial to stabilizing and improving the yield.

[0029] The specific implementation of the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] refer to Figure 2 The platform monitoring device of the present invention includes a gravity sensing portion 12 and a supporting portion 11 .

[0031] The gravity sensing unit 12 is positioned below the bottom surface of the carrier 13. A substrate is mounted on the top surface of the carrier 13. The substrate can be a chip (e.g., a wafer) undergoing semiconductor processing. Multiple gravity sensors 121 are evenly distributed on the top surface of the gravity sensing unit 12. Each gravity sensor 121 is configured to sense the weight of the portion of the carrier 13 within its sensing range when the carrier 13 is freely positioned on the top surface of the gravity sensing unit 12, thereby obtaining local weight data for different areas of the carrier 13.

[0032] The support portion 11 is disposed below the gravity sensing portion 12 and is used to support the lower surface of the gravity sensing portion 12. Thus, when the carrier 13 is freely positioned on the upper surface of the gravity sensing portion 12, the support portion 11 can simultaneously support the gravity sensing portion 12 and the carrier 13 supported thereon, so that each gravity sensor 121 on the gravity sensing portion 12 receives stable support from below, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the sensing signal of the gravity sensor 121.

[0033] Subsequently, the obtained local weight data of different areas on the platform 13 can be compared with the reference weight (calibration value) obtained by calibrating the local weight of the corresponding area on the platform 13 in advance, so as to obtain the weight changes in each small area of ​​the platform 13 and monitor whether the local weight of the platform 13 meets the standard.

[0034] When the surface (top surface) of the carrier 13 is partially damaged due to corrosion by the process gas (refer to Figure 1 (a)), the local weight of the corresponding portion of the carrier 13 will decrease (relative to the reference weight), and thus can be detected in time.

[0035] When dirt is attached to the surface (top surface) of the carrier 13 (refer to Figure 1 (b)), the local weight of the corresponding portion of the carrier 13 will increase (relative to the reference weight), and thus can be detected in time.

[0036] In this way, by real-time monitoring of the local weight of the carrier 13, damage or dirt on the carrier 13 can be discovered in time, and the surface condition of the carrier 13 can be effectively monitored online, thereby ensuring that the carrier 13 is always in a healthy state suitable for the process.

[0037] refer to Figure 2In some embodiments, the support portion 11 , the gravity sensing portion 12 , and the carrier 13 are sequentially arranged horizontally to ensure the sensing accuracy of the gravity sensor 121 when in use.

[0038] In some embodiments, the gravity sensing portion 12 is fixed on the upper surface of the supporting portion 11 via the lower surface.

[0039] In some embodiments, the carrier 13 is fixed on the upper surface of the gravity sensing portion 12 via its bottom surface.

[0040] In some embodiments, the carrier 13 is detachably disposed on the upper surface of the gravity sensing portion 12 .

[0041] In some embodiments, the support portion 11 is fixed on a horizontal reference plane, and the gravity sensing portion 12 remains fixed relative to the reference plane.

[0042] In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of the bottom surface of the carrier 13 on the upper surface of the gravity sensing portion 12 is located within the upper surface of the gravity sensing portion 12 .

[0043] In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of the lower surface of the gravity sensing portion 12 on the upper surface of the supporting portion 11 is located within the upper surface of the supporting portion 11 .

[0044] In some embodiments, the gravity sensors 121 are densely distributed on the upper surface of the gravity sensing portion 12 .

[0045] In some embodiments, the gravity sensors 121 are arranged closely adjacent to each other.

[0046] refer to Figure 3 . In some embodiments, the gravity sensors 121 are arranged in rows and columns to form an array and are densely distributed on the upper surface of the gravity sensing portion 12. In addition, the sensing ranges of any two adjacent gravity sensors 121 partially overlap to ensure that the local weight of different areas of the platform 13 can be sensed by a gravity sensor 121 below to the greatest extent. Among them, the sensing range of any outermost gravity sensor 121 among the gravity sensors 121 covers the edge of the corresponding platform 13. There can be a certain distance between any two gravity sensors 121, or they can be arranged closely adjacent to each other.

[0047] refer to Figure 4In some embodiments, each gravity sensor 121 includes a central gravity sensor 121-1 aligned with the center of the platform 13, and multiple circles of gravity sensors 121 arranged in sequence in a concentric circle manner around the central gravity sensor 121-1. Each circle has multiple gravity sensors 121, forming multiple circles of gravity sensors 121 symmetrically distributed on the upper surface of the gravity sensing part 12 with the central gravity sensor 121-1 as the center. In addition, the sensing ranges of any two adjacent gravity sensors 121 partially overlap to ensure that the local weight of different areas of the platform 13 can be sensed by a gravity sensor 121 below to the greatest extent. Among them, the sensing range of any outermost gravity sensor 121 among the gravity sensors 121 covers the edge of the corresponding platform 13. There can be a certain distance between any two gravity sensors 121, or they can be arranged closely adjacent to each other.

[0048] In some embodiments, each gravity sensor 121 is embedded in the gravity sensing portion 12. For example, the gravity sensing portion 12 includes a body, and each gravity sensor 121 is embedded in the body of the gravity sensing portion 12. The gravity sensor 121 needs to be always fixed on the gravity sensing portion 12.

[0049] In some embodiments, the platform 13 has a horizontal bottom surface, and the sensing surface of the upper end of each gravity sensor 121 is located on the same horizontal plane. When the platform 13 is freely positioned on the gravity sensing unit 12, the sensing surface of the upper end of each gravity sensor 121 is ensured to be in contact with the lower surface of the platform 13 to achieve sensing.

[0050] In some embodiments, when the bottom surface of the carrier 13 has an uneven structure, the sensing part surface at the upper end of each gravity sensor 121 forms a contour with the bottom surface of the carrier 13 at the corresponding position, so that when the carrier 13 is freely located on the gravity sensing part 12, it is ensured that the sensing part surface at the upper end of each gravity sensor 121 can contact the lower surface of the carrier 13 to achieve sensing.

[0051] In some embodiments, the shape of the area enclosed by each gravity sensor 121 corresponds to the shape of the platform 13. For example, when the platform 13 is circular, the shape of the area enclosed by each gravity sensor 121 also forms a circle. When the platform 13 is polygonal, the shape of the area enclosed by each gravity sensor 121 also forms a polygon.

[0052] refer to Figure 2In some embodiments, the monitoring device for the platform 13 further includes a camera unit 14. The camera unit 14 is located above the platform 13 and is used to photograph the top surface of the platform 13. By providing the camera unit 14, when an abnormal weight of the platform 13 is found, the top surface of the platform 13 at the abnormal location can be photographed to help determine whether there is indeed damage or dirt on the surface of the platform 13, for example, to facilitate further analysis of the abnormality type, thereby achieving an accurate grasp of the health status of the platform 13.

[0053] In some embodiments, the camera unit 14 is positioned above the platform 13. When the gravity sensor 121 detects an abnormal weight at a certain location on the platform 13, the camera unit 14 can be moved to the location above the platform 13 corresponding to the abnormality and focused to capture a clear image of the top surface of the platform 13 at the abnormality.

[0054] In some embodiments, the camera unit 14 is fixedly mounted above the stage 13. The support unit 11 is fixedly mounted on a horizontal reference plane and includes a transfer mechanism 111. The transfer mechanism 111 is configured to synchronously move the supported gravity sensing unit 12 and the stage 13 freely positioned on the gravity sensing unit 12 in the horizontal direction (x-axis and y-axis) and the vertical direction (z-axis). After the movement, the portion of the top surface of the stage 13 to be photographed is within the photographing range of the camera unit 14, and the camera unit 14 is in a focused state.

[0055] refer to Figure 5 In some embodiments, a platform monitoring device of the present invention includes a gravity sensing portion 12 and a supporting portion 11 .

[0056] The gravity sensing unit 12 is positioned below the bottom surface of the carrier 13. A substrate is mounted on the top surface of the carrier 13. The substrate can be a chip (e.g., a wafer) undergoing semiconductor processing. Multiple gravity sensors 121 are evenly distributed on the top surface of the gravity sensing unit 12. Each gravity sensor 121 is configured to sense the weight of the portion of the carrier 13 within its sensing range when the carrier 13 is freely positioned on the top surface of the gravity sensing unit 12, thereby obtaining local weight data for different areas of the carrier 13.

[0057] The support portion 11 is disposed below the gravity sensing portion 12 and is used to support the lower surface of the gravity sensing portion 12. Thus, when the carrier 13 is freely positioned on the upper surface of the gravity sensing portion 12, the support portion 11 can simultaneously support the gravity sensing portion 12 and the carrier 13 supported thereon, so that each gravity sensor 121 on the gravity sensing portion 12 receives stable support from below, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the sensing signal of the gravity sensor 121.

[0058] Subsequently, the obtained local weight data of different areas on the platform 13 can be compared with the reference weight (calibration value) obtained by calibrating the local weight of the corresponding area on the platform 13 in advance, so as to obtain the weight changes in each small area of ​​the platform 13 and monitor whether the local weight of the platform 13 meets the standard.

[0059] When the surface (top surface) of the carrier 13 is partially damaged due to corrosion by the process gas (refer to Figure 1 (a)), the local weight of the corresponding portion of the carrier 13 will decrease (relative to the reference weight), and thus can be detected in time.

[0060] When dirt is attached to the surface (top surface) of the carrier 13 (refer to Figure 1 (b)), the local weight of the corresponding portion of the carrier 13 will increase (relative to the reference weight), and thus can be detected in time.

[0061] In this way, by real-time monitoring of the local weight of the carrier 13, damage or dirt on the carrier 13 can be discovered in time, and the surface condition of the carrier 13 can be effectively monitored online, thereby ensuring that the carrier 13 is always in a healthy state suitable for the process.

[0062] refer to Figure 5 In some embodiments, the support portion 11 , the gravity sensing portion 12 , and the carrier 13 are sequentially arranged horizontally to ensure the sensing accuracy of the gravity sensor 121 when in use.

[0063] In some embodiments, the gravity sensing portion 12 is fixed on the upper surface of the supporting portion 11 via the lower surface.

[0064] In some embodiments, the carrier 13 is disposed on the upper surface of the gravity sensing portion 12 in a vertically detachable manner through its bottom surface.

[0065] In some embodiments, the support portion 11 is fixed on a horizontal reference plane, and the gravity sensing portion 12 remains fixed relative to the reference plane.

[0066] In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of the bottom surface of the carrier 13 on the upper surface of the gravity sensing portion 12 is located within the upper surface of the gravity sensing portion 12 .

[0067] In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of the lower surface of the gravity sensing portion 12 on the upper surface of the supporting portion 11 is located within the upper surface of the supporting portion 11 .

[0068] In some embodiments, the gravity sensors 121 are densely distributed on the upper surface of the gravity sensing portion 12 .

[0069] In some embodiments, the gravity sensors 121 are arranged closely adjacent to each other.

[0070] refer to Figure 3 . In some embodiments, the gravity sensors 121 are arranged in rows and columns to form an array and are densely distributed on the upper surface of the gravity sensing portion 12. In addition, the sensing ranges of any two adjacent gravity sensors 121 partially overlap to ensure that the local weight of different areas of the platform 13 can be sensed by a gravity sensor 121 below to the greatest extent. Among them, the sensing range of any outermost gravity sensor 121 among the gravity sensors 121 covers the edge of the corresponding platform 13. There can be a certain distance between any two gravity sensors 121, or they can be arranged closely adjacent to each other.

[0071] refer to Figure 4 In some embodiments, each gravity sensor 121 includes a central gravity sensor 121-1 aligned with the center of the platform 13, and multiple circles of gravity sensors 121 arranged in sequence in a concentric circle manner around the central gravity sensor 121-1. Each circle has multiple gravity sensors 121, forming multiple circles of gravity sensors 121 symmetrically distributed on the upper surface of the gravity sensing part 12 with the central gravity sensor 121-1 as the center. In addition, the sensing ranges of any two adjacent gravity sensors 121 partially overlap to ensure that the local weight of different areas of the platform 13 can be sensed by a gravity sensor 121 below to the greatest extent. Among them, the sensing range of any outermost gravity sensor 121 among the gravity sensors 121 covers the edge of the corresponding platform 13. There can be a certain distance between any two gravity sensors 121, or they can be arranged closely adjacent to each other.

[0072] In some embodiments, each gravity sensor 121 is embedded in the gravity sensing portion 12. For example, the gravity sensing portion 12 includes a body, and each gravity sensor 121 is embedded in the body of the gravity sensing portion 12. The gravity sensor 121 needs to be always fixed on the gravity sensing portion 12.

[0073] In some embodiments, the platform 13 has a horizontal bottom surface, and the sensing surface of the upper end of each gravity sensor 121 is located on the same horizontal plane. When the platform 13 is freely positioned on the gravity sensing unit 12, the sensing surface of the upper end of each gravity sensor 121 is ensured to be in contact with the lower surface of the platform 13 to achieve sensing.

[0074] In some embodiments, when the bottom surface of the carrier 13 has an uneven structure, the sensing part surface at the upper end of each gravity sensor 121 forms a contour with the bottom surface of the carrier 13 at the corresponding position, so that when the carrier 13 is freely located on the gravity sensing part 12, it is ensured that the sensing part surface at the upper end of each gravity sensor 121 can contact the lower surface of the carrier 13 to achieve sensing.

[0075] In some embodiments, the shape of the area enclosed by each gravity sensor 121 corresponds to the shape of the platform 13. For example, when the platform 13 is circular, the shape of the area enclosed by each gravity sensor 121 also forms a circle. When the platform 13 is polygonal, the shape of the area enclosed by each gravity sensor 121 also forms a polygon.

[0076] refer to Figure 5 In some embodiments, the monitoring device for the platform 13 further includes a camera unit 14. The camera unit 14 is located above the platform 13 and is used to photograph the top surface of the platform 13. By providing the camera unit 14, when an abnormal weight of the platform 13 is found, the top surface of the platform 13 at the abnormal location can be photographed to help determine whether there is indeed damage or dirt on the surface of the platform 13, for example, to facilitate further analysis of the abnormality type, thereby achieving an accurate grasp of the health status of the platform 13.

[0077] In some embodiments, the camera unit 14 is positioned above the platform 13. When the gravity sensor 121 detects an abnormal weight at a certain location on the platform 13, the camera unit 14 can be moved to the location above the platform 13 corresponding to the abnormality and focused to capture a clear image of the top surface of the platform 13 at the abnormality.

[0078] In some embodiments, the camera unit 14 is fixedly mounted above the stage 13. The support unit 11 is fixedly mounted on a horizontal reference plane and includes a transfer mechanism 111. The transfer mechanism 111 is configured to synchronously move the supported gravity sensing unit 12 and the stage 13 freely positioned on the gravity sensing unit 12 in the horizontal direction (x-axis and y-axis) and the vertical direction (z-axis). After the movement, the portion of the top surface of the stage 13 to be photographed is within the photographing range of the camera unit 14, and the camera unit 14 is in a focused state.

[0079] In some embodiments, the support portion 11 is further provided with a lifting pin 112. The lifting pin 112 is used to lift the carrier 13 freely located on the gravity sensing portion 12 in the first state, so that the carrier 13 is separated from the gravity sensing portion 12. Figure 5 (b), and in the second state, the lifted carrier 13 is placed on the gravity sensing portion 12, so that the carrier 13 is freely located on the gravity sensing portion 12, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 (a) shown.

[0080] The first state corresponds to the process state, and the second state corresponds to the idle state during the process. In the first state, the carrier 13 is used to place a substrate; in the second state, no substrate is placed on the carrier 13, that is, the carrier 13 is in an idle state.

[0081] In the first state, the lift pins 112 lift the carrier 13, which is vacant and freely located on the gravity sensing unit 12, to separate the carrier 13 from the gravity sensing unit 12. At this point, the carrier 13 can be used to place a substrate and perform processing. In the second state, the substrate placed on the carrier 13 is removed, leaving the carrier 13 vacant. The lift pins 112 lower the lifted carrier 13 again onto the gravity sensing unit 12, allowing the carrier 13 to freely reside on the gravity sensing unit 12. At this point, the gravity sensors 121 on the gravity sensing unit 12 sense the local weight of each area of ​​the carrier 13 and output their respective weight sensing signals.

[0082] In some embodiments, the lifting pin 112 can be independently provided with the transfer mechanism 111 , or can be integrated with the transfer mechanism 111 .

[0083] In some embodiments, the lifting pin 112 can be raised and lowered and its lifting stroke controlled by a cylinder mechanism.

[0084] In some embodiments, there are multiple lifting pins 112, which are arranged around the side of the gravity sensing portion 12. Preferably, there are three lifting pins 112, which are evenly arranged around the side of the gravity sensing portion 12.

[0085] After the lifting pins 112 are lowered and the platform 13 is placed on the gravity sensing portion 12, the top ends of the lifting pins 112 are separated from the platform 13 (or are not subjected to weight), thereby preventing the sensing accuracy of the gravity sensor 121 from being affected. Preferably, after the lifting pins 112 are completely lowered, they are accommodated in the support portion 11.

[0086] It should be noted that for equipment such as epitaxy or deposition, which increase mass during the process, to prevent damage to the gravity sensor 121 during the process, the carrier 13 is lifted during the process and placed on the gravity sensing unit 12 for weight monitoring only when idle. For equipment that does not exert weight during measurement, the lift pins 112 can be omitted, and the carrier 13 to be measured can be placed directly on the gravity sensing unit 12.

[0087] In some embodiments, gravity sensor 121 includes a piezoelectric sensor.

[0088] In some embodiments, the gravity sensor 121 includes a film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) sensor or a sensor based on an FBAR structure. FBAR sensors can measure small weight changes of an object with high precision.

[0089] In some embodiments, the imaging unit 14 includes a camera 141. The camera 141 may include a CCD camera. The camera 141 records surface information (damaged or dirty features) at abnormal locations on the stage 13. The magnification of the camera 141 is generally preferably no less than 10 times.

[0090] In some embodiments, the camera 141 is provided with an illumination light source facing the stage 13. The illumination light source may be a light bead. For example, multiple light beads may be provided and arranged around the camera lens. By directing light from the illumination light source onto the surface of the stage 13 in the area to be captured, the lighting can be enhanced, improving the image quality of the camera 141.

[0091] In some embodiments, the material of the carrier 13 includes graphite with a SiC layer coated on the surface.

[0092] refer to Figure 6 A semiconductor device of the present invention includes a chamber 21, a carrier 13 disposed in the chamber 21, and the carrier monitoring device of the present invention.

[0093] In some embodiments, the stage 13 is used to place a substrate (eg, a chip / wafer) thereon. Furthermore, the stage 13 is used to place a substrate thereon in a first state (process state) and is idle in a second state (ie, no substrate is placed thereon).

[0094] In some embodiments, the bottom surface of the chamber 21 is used as a horizontal reference surface, and the support portion 11 is disposed on the bottom surface of the chamber 21 .

[0095] In some embodiments, the camera unit 14 (camera 141 ) is disposed on the top of the chamber 21 .

[0096] When the platform 13 is in an empty state and freely located on the upper surface of the gravity sensing part 12, the platform monitoring device senses the local weight of the platform 13 within the sensing range of each gravity sensor 121 through multiple gravity sensors 121 evenly arranged on the upper surface of the gravity sensing part 12, so as to monitor whether the local weight of the platform 13 meets the standard.

[0097] Furthermore, by setting up the camera unit 14, when it is found that the weight of the platform 13 is abnormal, the top surface morphology of the platform 13 at the abnormal location can be photographed to help determine whether there is indeed damage or dirt on the surface of the platform 13, etc., which is convenient for further analysis of the type of abnormality, thereby achieving an accurate grasp of the health status of the platform 13.

[0098] In some embodiments, the semiconductor equipment includes semiconductor deposition equipment, semiconductor epitaxial equipment, etc.

[0099] Some examples of the working process of the utility model are as follows (but not limited to):

[0100] The following description will be made by taking the example of using graphite with a SiC layer coated on the surface of the carrier 13 and epitaxial SiP / SiGeB film growth.

[0101] Each time a new stage 13 or a stage 13 after maintenance is installed in chamber 21, the unoccupied stage 13 is positioned freely on the upper surface of gravity sensing unit 12. Multiple gravity sensors 121, evenly distributed on gravity sensing unit 12, sense the local weight of the stage 13 within the sensing range of each gravity sensor 121 to obtain initial local weight data for each corresponding area of ​​the stage 13. Calibration is performed using these initial local weights as a reference, with each value being recorded as 100 (calibration value), which serves as the relative reference weight for each corresponding area of ​​the stage 13.

[0102] To begin the epitaxial growth process, the lift pins 112 on the support portion 11 are first driven to raise the carrier 13, lifting it off the gravity sensing portion 12 and separating it from the gravity sensing portion 12. The wafer is then transferred into the chamber 21 by a robotic arm and positioned on the top surface of the carrier 13. The epitaxial growth process can then begin. At this point, the gravity sensors 121 on the gravity sensing portion 12 are in a standby state.

[0103] After epitaxy is complete, the robotic arm grabs the wafer from stage 13 and transfers it out of chamber 21, where it remains idle, awaiting the next epitaxy. At this point, the lift pins 112 are driven downward, lowering the raised stage 13 back onto the gravity sensing unit 12, allowing it to rest freely on the gravity sensing unit 12. Each gravity sensor 121 on the gravity sensing unit 12 senses the local weight of each area of ​​stage 13 and outputs a weight sensing signal, which serves as local weight monitoring data.

[0104] The obtained monitoring partial weight is compared with the corresponding initial partial weight to obtain the relative weight of each monitoring partial weight compared to the initial partial weight. For example, if each initial partial weight is recorded as 100 (calibrated value), when the calculated ratio of a monitoring partial weight to the initial partial weight is 90%, then the monitoring partial weight is recorded as 90 (converted value); when the calculated ratio of a monitoring partial weight to the initial partial weight is 130%, then the monitoring partial weight is recorded as 130 (converted value).

[0105] If the converted value of each monitored partial weight is less than 100 (for example, 90), it indicates that the partial weight of the platform 13 at the corresponding position has decreased, i.e., abnormal data has occurred. It can be preliminarily determined that the platform 13 at the corresponding position has been partially damaged.

[0106] Alternatively, if the converted value of each monitored local weight is greater than 100 (e.g., 130), it indicates that the local weight of the platform 13 at the corresponding location has increased, i.e., abnormal data has occurred. It can be preliminarily determined that the platform 13 at the corresponding location is partially contaminated.

[0107] Both of the above situations indicate that the carrier 13 is in an abnormal state. To confirm this, the transfer mechanism 111 can be further driven to move the carrier 13 so that the local area corresponding to the abnormal data is directly below the camera 141. By adjusting the lifting height of the transfer mechanism 111, the surface of the carrier 13 is within the focus range of the camera 141. The camera 141 can capture a clear image of the carrier 13 surface in the abnormal area, thereby obtaining surface information of the carrier 13 in the abnormal area.

[0108] By observing the above image, the state of the abnormal area on the platform 13 can be determined, and then it can be judged whether the platform 13 is still suitable for continued use. If it is determined that the platform 13 cannot be used, it will be shut down and the platform 13 will be maintained.

[0109] By accumulating data, empirical data can be obtained on the local weight fluctuation range of each area on the platform 13 when the platform 13 is suitable for continued use. Threshold values ​​can be set accordingly (for example, a threshold of 95 for damage and a threshold of 105 for contamination). The threshold values ​​can also be modified based on process results to improve monitoring accuracy.

[0110] When the local weight fluctuation range of each area on the carrier 13 is within the threshold, it indicates that the health of the carrier 13 is good, and the next round of epitaxial growth can be continued. The appropriate time for maintenance can be selected at ease, avoiding the impact on yield and production capacity. This enables online, real-time, and accurate monitoring of the health of the carrier 13. It can accurately detect conditions such as damage or dirt on the surface of the carrier 13, eliminating the need to open the chamber 21 as in the past to inspect the surface condition of the carrier 13. It also avoids the risk of misjudgment caused by the possibility of errors caused by previous visual inspections. This is crucial to stabilizing and improving yield.

[0111] In some embodiments, the transfer mechanism 111, the gravity sensor 121 and the camera 141 may be connected to an equipment control system to control the displacement of the transfer mechanism 111, and to control the gravity sensor 121 and the camera 141 and collect and process the data outputted by them.

[0112] In some embodiments, the control system includes a computer.

[0113] In some embodiments, the control system includes a host computer and / or a slave computer 22 .

[0114] In some embodiments, the local weight data of the platform 13 output by the gravity sensor 121 can be manually processed by, for example, Excel software, and drawn into a MAP chart corresponding to the surface of the platform 13. The MAP chart displays the initial local weight calibration value (100) and the monitored local weight conversion value (e.g., 90 or 130, etc.) corresponding to each sensing position of the gravity sensor 121 on the surface of the platform 13. Based on this, the image captured by the camera 141 can be combined to accurately analyze and judge the type of abnormality, thereby achieving a precise grasp of the health status of the platform 13. Of course, other tools in the host computer and / or the slave computer 22 can also be used to draw the MAP chart.

[0115] In summary, the present invention disposes a gravity sensing unit 12 below the carrier 13 and evenly distributes multiple gravity sensors 121 on the gravity sensing unit 12. When the carrier 13 is freely positioned on the gravity sensing unit 12, each gravity sensor 121 can sense the local weight of the carrier 13 within its sensing range, thereby detecting weight changes in each micro-region of the carrier 13. This allows real-time monitoring of whether the local weight of the carrier 13 meets the required standards during idle periods (the second state) during the process, without opening the chamber 21. This effectively enables online monitoring of the presence of, for example, damage or contamination on the surface of the carrier 13. Furthermore, by providing an imaging unit 14, when an abnormal weight condition is detected on the carrier 13, the top surface of the carrier 13 at the abnormal location can be captured, helping to determine whether damage or contamination, for example, exists on the surface of the carrier 13, and facilitating further analysis of the abnormality. This allows for a precise understanding of the health of the carrier 13, ensuring and improving yield.

[0116] While the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made to these embodiments. However, it should be understood that such modifications and variations are within the scope and spirit of the present invention as set forth in the claims. Furthermore, the present invention described herein may have other embodiments and may be implemented or carried out in a variety of ways.

Claims

1. A stage monitoring device, characterized in that: include: a gravity sensing portion disposed below the bottom surface of the carrier, wherein a plurality of gravity sensors are evenly distributed on the upper surface of the gravity sensing portion, each of the gravity sensors being configured to sense a local weight of the carrier within a sensing range when the carrier is freely positioned on the upper surface of the gravity sensing portion; The supporting portion is used to support the lower surface of the gravity sensing portion.

2. The stage monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The orthographic projection of the bottom surface of the carrier on the upper surface of the gravity sensing part is located within the upper surface of the gravity sensing part, and the orthographic projection of the lower surface of the gravity sensing part on the upper surface of the support part is located within the upper surface of the support part.

3. The stage monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gravity sensors are densely distributed on the upper surface of the gravity sensing part, or the gravity sensors are arranged closely adjacent to each other; the sensing ranges of any two adjacent gravity sensors partially overlap, and the sensing range of the gravity sensor located at the outermost side of any one of the gravity sensors covers the edge of the corresponding carrier.

4. The stage monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein: Each of the gravity sensors is embedded in the gravity sensing portion.

5. The stage monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a camera unit, which is arranged above the platform and is used to shoot the top surface morphology of the platform.

6. The stage monitoring device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The support portion includes a transfer mechanism, which is used to move the gravity sensing portion and the platform freely located thereon in horizontal and vertical directions, so that the top surface of the platform is within the shooting range of the camera portion and is in a focusing state.

7. The stage monitoring device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The transfer mechanism is also provided with a lifting pin, which is used to lift the carrier freely located on the gravity sensing part and separate it from the gravity sensing part in a first state, and to place the lifted carrier on the gravity sensing part in a second state so that the carrier is freely located on the gravity sensing part.

8. The stage monitoring device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The gravity sensor includes a piezoelectric sensor, or the gravity sensor includes an FBAR sensor, and / or the imaging unit includes a camera, and the camera is provided with an illumination light source facing the carrier.

9. A semiconductor device comprising a chamber, a stage arranged in the chamber, and the stage monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein The carrier is used to set a substrate in the first state and is empty in the second state. When the carrier is in the second state and is freely located on the upper surface of the gravity sensing part, the carrier monitoring device senses the local weight of the carrier within the sensing range of each gravity sensor through multiple gravity sensors evenly arranged on the upper surface of the gravity sensing part to monitor whether the local weight of the carrier meets the standard.

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