Supporting structure, base assembly and epitaxial growth equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a support structure, base subassembly and epitaxial growth equipment, support structure includes: first support seat, second support seat and deformation drive part, the first support seat has the first bearing surface that is used for bearing the substrate, the second support seat has the second bearing surface that is used for bearing the substrate, the deformation driving part is used for driving the first supporting seat and / or the second supporting seat to move, so that the supporting structure has a contracted state and an unfolded state, and in the unfolded state, the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface are flush in the vertical direction and are located on the horizontal plane; at least part of the orthographic projection of the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface in the unfolded state is located on the outer side of the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface in the contracted state. Therefore, the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface in the unfolded state jointly bear the substrate, so that the contact area between the supporting structure and the substrate is increased, the deformation of the substrate at the supporting structure is reduced, and the product quality is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a support structure, a base assembly, and an epitaxial growth device. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of semiconductor manufacturing processes, higher requirements are being placed on substrates, which are crucial to the semiconductor industry. The entire production process of epitaxial wafers includes five major processes: crystal pulling, forming, polishing, cleaning, and epitaxial growth. Among these, epitaxial growth is one of the most important processes in substrate epitaxial production. The epitaxial growth process typically involves growing a single-crystal thin film on the substrate with the same atomic arrangement as the substrate. This process can improve the crystal properties, native defects, resistivity, and flatness of the polished wafer.

[0003] Substrate backside support structure imprints are a typical defect in epitaxial growth. Taking 12-inch epitaxial products as an example, the requirements for substrate parameters are high during epitaxial growth. During the loading of the substrate from the robotic arm onto the base in the epitaxial growth equipment, and the unloading of the substrate from the base onto the robotic arm, the support structure comes into contact with the substrate. The substrate experiences greater pressure at the support structure location, making it prone to significant deformation and thus forming support structure imprints (pin marks) on the substrate backside surface. Microscopically, this manifests as uneven height on the substrate backside at the imprint location. Furthermore, the contact between the support structure and the substrate backside can also create surface defects (pin nano) on the substrate frontside and cause abnormal patterns on the MCLT, thereby affecting the quality of the epitaxially grown product. Therefore, the support structure requires further optimization. Utility Model Content

[0004] This invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a support structure, a base assembly, and an epitaxial growth apparatus. The support structure has a contracted state and an expanded state. In the expanded state, a first bearing surface and a second bearing surface jointly support the substrate, which facilitates increasing the contact area between the support structure and the substrate, thereby reducing substrate deformation at the support structure and improving product quality.

[0005] The support structure according to a first aspect embodiment of the present invention includes: a first support base, a second support base, and a deformation driving component. The first support base has a first bearing surface for supporting a substrate, and the second support base has a second bearing surface for supporting a substrate. The deformation driving component is used to drive the first support base and / or the second support base to move, so that the support structure has a contracted state and an expanded state. In the contracted state, the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface are spaced apart in the vertical direction. In the expanded state, the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface are flush in the vertical direction. On a horizontal plane, at least a portion of the orthographic projection of the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface in the expanded state is located outside the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface in the contracted state.

[0006] According to the support structure of this utility model embodiment, the support structure has a contracted state and an extended state. The first support base has a first bearing surface for bearing the substrate, and the second support base has a second bearing surface for bearing the substrate. The deformation driving component can switch the support structure from the contracted state to the extended state, so that the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface jointly bear the substrate, which facilitates increasing the contact area between the support structure and the substrate, reducing the pressure on the substrate at the support structure, thereby effectively reducing the deformation of the substrate at the support structure and improving product quality.

[0007] In some embodiments, in the retracted state, the first support is located above the second support, and on the horizontal plane, at least a portion of the orthographic projection of the second support is located within the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first support. In both the retracted and extended states, the deformation driving component is located below the first support.

[0008] In some embodiments, in the retracted state, the first support is located above the second support. The first support has the same structure in both the retracted and extended states. The second support is configured to include a plurality of support platforms arranged sequentially around the central axis of the first bearing surface. The plurality of support platforms define the second bearing surface. A deformation driving component is used to drive the plurality of support platforms to move. In the extended state, on a horizontal plane, a portion of the orthographic projection of the support platform is located outside the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first support.

[0009] In some embodiments, in both the retracted and extended states, the orthographic projection of the deformation driving component on the horizontal plane is located within the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first support base on the horizontal plane, and the deformation driving component includes a first driving mechanism and a second driving mechanism. The first driving mechanism is used to drive the support platform to move radially along the first bearing surface, and the second driving mechanism is used to drive the support platform to move at least in the vertical direction; or, the second driving mechanism is used to drive the support platform to move in the vertical direction, and the first driving mechanism is used to drive the support platform to move radially along the first bearing surface by driving the second driving mechanism.

[0010] In some embodiments, the deformation driving component further includes a support member fixedly disposed on the lower side of the first support base. The first driving mechanism includes a first gear and a first rack adapted to mesh. The first gear is rotatably disposed on the support member, and the first rack is fixedly disposed on the lower side of the support base and extends radially along the first bearing surface. The second driving mechanism includes a second gear and a second rack meshing. The second gear is rotatably disposed on the support member, and the second rack is disposed on the lower side of the support base and slides radially with the support base along the first bearing surface. The second rack extends vertically and is offset from the first rack.

[0011] In some embodiments, the support platform includes a driving part and a bearing part, the bearing part is connected to the radially outer side of the driving part, and the upper surface of the bearing part participates in defining a second bearing surface. The deformation driving component cooperates with the driving part, and the upper surface of the bearing part is higher than the upper surface of the driving part so that the support platform defines a groove. In the unfolded state, the first support seat cooperates with the groove.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first support is configured as a plate-like structure, the thickness of the first support is 0.05mm≤t1≤0.15mm; and / or, the thickness of the load-bearing portion is greater than or equal to twice the thickness of the first support.

[0013] In some embodiments, in the retracted state, the first support is located above the second support. The second support has the same structure in both the retracted and extended states. The first support is configured to include a plurality of support platforms that define a first bearing surface. The distance between two adjacent support platforms in the extended state is greater than the distance in the retracted state. In the extended state, the second support is located between at least two adjacent support platforms. The deformation driving component includes a third driving mechanism and a fourth driving mechanism. The third driving mechanism is used to drive the support platforms to move radially along the first bearing surface, and the fourth driving mechanism is used to drive the second support to move vertically.

[0014] A base assembly according to a second aspect embodiment of the present invention includes a base, a lifting drive component, and a support structure according to the first aspect embodiment of the present invention. The base has multiple mounting through holes, each of which is provided with a support structure. The lifting drive component drives the support structure to move up and down relative to the base between a first height position and a second height position. The first height position is higher than the second height position. At the second height position, the support structure is in a retracted state, and the bearing surface of the support structure is flush with or lower than the upper surface of the base. At the first height position, the support structure is in an extended state, and the bearing surface of the support structure is higher than the entire upper surface of the base.

[0015] According to the embodiments of the present invention, the base assembly, by adopting the above-described support structure, can improve the convenience of loading and unloading the substrate, and at the same time help to improve the stability of the base assembly operation.

[0016] In some embodiments, the upper surface of the base includes a first face and a second face, the second face being disposed around the first face. The first face and the second face are conical surfaces, the cone angle of the first face is greater than the cone angle of the second face, the mounting through hole corresponds to the first face, the cone angle α1 of the first face satisfies 179.7°≤α1≤179.8°, and the cone angle α2 of the second face satisfies 177°≤α2≤178°; and / or, in the contracted state, the thickness of the first support and the second support in the vertical direction is less than a preset distance x, the preset distance being the distance in the vertical direction between the upper end of the first face and the location of the corresponding support structure of the first face, 0.55mm≤x≤0.6mm.

[0017] An epitaxial growth apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention includes a base assembly according to the second aspect of the present invention described above.

[0018] The epitaxial growth apparatus according to the embodiments of the present invention can effectively improve the processing quality of the epitaxial growth apparatus by adopting the above-described base assembly.

[0019] Additional aspects and advantages of this invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this utility model will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0021] Figure 1 This is an assembly diagram of the support structure and base according to some embodiments of the present utility model, in which the support structure is in a retracted state;

[0022] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Another assembly diagram of the support structure and base shown;

[0023] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows another assembly of the support structure and base, with the support structure in an unfolded state.

[0024] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 The top view of the second support and the first support shown in the figure shows the support structure in an unfolded state;

[0025] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Another top view of the second and first support bases shown, in which the support structure is in a retracted state;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the support structure and base according to some embodiments of the present utility model;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a substrate and base according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0028] Reference numerals: Support structure 1, First support base 10, First bearing surface 12, Second support base 20, Second bearing surface 22, Deformation drive component 30, First drive mechanism 32, First gear 320, First rack 322, Second drive mechanism 34, Second gear 340, Second rack 342, Support member 36, Retracted state 40, Expanded state 50, Support platform 60, Drive part 62, Bearing part 64, Groove 66, Base 70, Mounting through hole 72, Limiting step 74, First surface part 75, Second surface part 76, Substrate 80. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0030] The following disclosure provides numerous different embodiments or examples for implementing various structures of the present invention. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. These are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples. Such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed. In addition, examples of various specific processes and materials are provided in this invention; however, those skilled in the art will recognize the applicability of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0031] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a support structure 1 according to a first aspect embodiment of the present invention will be described. The support structure 1 is used in an epitaxial growth apparatus, and is adapted to be vertically and flexibly mounted on a base 70 of the epitaxial growth apparatus.

[0032] like Figures 1-3As shown, the support structure 1 according to the first aspect embodiment of the present invention includes: a first support base 10, a second support base 20 and a deformation driving component 30. The first support base 10 has a first bearing surface 12 for bearing a substrate 80 (e.g., a silicon wafer), and the second support base 20 has a second bearing surface 22 for bearing the substrate 80. The deformation driving component 30 is used to drive the first support base 10 and / or the second support base 20 to move, so that the support structure 1 has a contracted state 40 and an expanded state 50.

[0033] In the contracted state 40, the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 are spaced apart in the vertical direction. In the unfolded state 50, the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 are flush in the vertical direction, and on the horizontal plane, at least a portion of the orthographic projection of the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 in the unfolded state 50 is located outside the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 in the contracted state 40. In the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, substrate 80 refers to a base material or wafer used for support and as a basis for epitaxial growth or other material deposition.

[0034] As can be seen, by driving the first support base 10 and / or the second support base 20 to move through the deformation driving component 30, the support structure 1 can switch between the retracted state 40 and the extended state 50, so that the support structure 1 can be adjusted according to different application requirements or working environment. In the retracted state 40, the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 are spaced apart in the vertical direction. At this time, the upper one of the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 can be used to support the substrate 80. For example, in the retracted state, if the first bearing surface 12 is above the second bearing surface 22, then the first bearing surface 12 can be used to support the substrate 80, and if the second bearing surface 22 is above the first bearing surface 12, then the second bearing surface 22 can be used to support the substrate 80. This helps to reduce the space occupied by the support structure 1 in the horizontal direction and facilitates the installation of the support structure 1. In the extended state 50, the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 are flush. At this time, the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 can be used together to support the substrate 80. The support structure 1 can provide a larger support surface, which improves the stability of the support structure 1 in supporting the substrate 80.

[0035] Furthermore, in the unfolded state 50, at least a portion of the orthographic projections of the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 onto the horizontal plane are located outside the outer contours of the orthographic projections of the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 in the contracted state 40. Let Ω1 be the orthographic projection of the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 onto the horizontal plane when the support structure 1 is in the contracted state 40, and Ω2 be the orthographic projection of the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 onto the horizontal plane when the support structure 1 is in the unfolded state 50. Then at least a portion of Ω2 is located outside the outer contour of Ω1, for example, a part of Ω2 is located outside the outer contour of Ω1, or the entire Ω2 is located outside the outer contour of Ω1. It can be seen that the unfolded support structure 1 has a larger support area in the horizontal direction, and the support range of the bearing surface of the unfolded support structure 1 is also increased, so that the support stability of the support structure 1 on the substrate 80 in the unfolded state is doubly improved.

[0036] In other words, when the support structure 1 switches from the contracted state 40 to the unfolded state 50, the orthographic projection of the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 on the horizontal plane will increase, thereby increasing the support area of ​​the support structure 1. At the same time, the support range of the support structure 1 in the horizontal direction will also increase. In the unfolded state 50, the substrate 80 is supported by the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22, which makes it easier to increase the contact area between the support structure 1 and the substrate 80, reduce the pressure on the substrate 80 at the support structure 1, and thus effectively reduce the deformation of the substrate 80 at the support structure 1. At the same time, the increased support range of the support structure 1 can provide better support stability, which is conducive to improving the placement stability of the substrate 80.

[0037] It is understood that there can be one or more support structures 1. When the size of the substrate 80 being processed is small, a single support structure 1 can be used. When the size of the substrate 80 to be processed or tested is large, multiple support structures 1 can be used, which can provide a larger support area and stronger support capacity. For example, the orthographic projections of the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 on the horizontal plane can all be located outside the outer contour of the orthographic projections of the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 on the horizontal plane in the contracted state 40. Then, in the unfolded state 50, the bearing surface composed of the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 is larger and has a wider distribution range, which makes the substrate 80 more stably supported, helps to reduce the deformation or damage of the substrate 80 during processing, and improves product quality.

[0038] In contrast to some technologies where the support structure supports the substrate solely through the first bearing surface, resulting in greater pressure on the substrate at the support structure and thus greater deformation, the support structure imprint (Pin Mark) may form on the back surface of the substrate, and surface defects (Pin Nano) may also form on the front surface. Furthermore, abnormal patterns may appear on the MCLT, affecting the product quality of the epitaxially grown substrate. However, according to the embodiment of this utility model, the support structure 1, in its unfolded state 50, uses both the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 to jointly support the substrate 80. This increases the support area and range of the support structure 1 on the substrate 80, effectively reducing the deformation of the substrate 80 at the support structure 1. Simultaneously, it makes the support structure 1 more stable when supporting the substrate 80, effectively reducing the possibility of forming support structure imprints and surface defects on the substrate 80, and decreasing the likelihood of abnormal patterns appearing on the MCLT, thereby improving the product quality of the epitaxially grown substrate 80.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, in the retracted state 40, the first support 10 is located above the second support 20, and on the horizontal plane, at least a portion of the orthographic projection of the second support 20 is located within the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first support 10. The stacked design of the first support 10 and the second support 20 effectively utilizes space in the vertical direction, reduces the space occupied by the support structure 1 in the horizontal direction in the retracted state 40, effectively reduces the overall volume of the support structure 1, and forms a more compact and stable structure when the first support 10 is located above the second support 20.

[0040] It is understood that in the above technical solution, the first bearing surface 12 is formed on the upper surface of the first support 10, and the second bearing surface 22 is formed on the upper surface of the second support 20. In the contracted state 40, the first bearing surface 12 is located above the second bearing surface 22, and on the horizontal plane, at least a portion of the orthographic projection of the second bearing surface 22 is located within the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first bearing surface 12.

[0041] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, in the retracted state 40, the orthographic projection of the second support 20 on the horizontal plane can be entirely within the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first support 10 on the horizontal plane, reducing the space occupied by the support structure 1 in the horizontal direction and facilitating the miniaturization design of the support structure 1. For example, as... Figure 5As shown, in the contracted state 40, the first support 10 is circular, the first bearing surface 12 is circular, the second support 20 is annular, and the second bearing surface 22 is annular. Furthermore, on the horizontal plane, the orthographic projection of the second support 20 is entirely within the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first support 10. Alternatively, in the contracted state 40, the first support 10 is circular, the first bearing surface 12 is circular, the second support 20 is cross-shaped, and the second bearing surface 22 is cross-shaped. Furthermore, on the horizontal plane, the orthographic projection of the second support 20 is entirely within the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first support 10.

[0042] Of course, in other embodiments of this application, in the contracted state 40, the second support 20 is located above the first support 10, and on the horizontal plane, at least a portion of the orthographic projection of the first support 10 is located within the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the second support 20.

[0043] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1-3 As shown, in both the contracted state 40 and the expanded state 50, the deformation driving component 30 is located below the first support 10. This allows the deformation driving component 30 to effectively utilize the space in the vertical direction, reducing the space occupied by the support structure 1 in the horizontal direction and facilitating the miniaturization design of the support structure 1. Furthermore, the fact that the deformation driving component 30 is located below the first support 10 ensures that there is a certain distance between the deformation driving component 30 and the substrate 80 in the vertical direction when the support structure 1 carries the substrate 80. This reduces the possibility of interference between the deformation driving component 30 and the substrate 80 and makes it less likely to affect the support of the first support 10 and / or the second support 20 for the substrate 80.

[0044] It is understood that the deformation driving component 30 can be located directly below the first support base 10, or the deformation driving component 30 can be located diagonally below the first support base 10, making the setting position of the deformation driving component 30 more flexible, and the specific position of the deformation driving component 30 can be adjusted according to the specific installation environment and space constraints.

[0045] like Figure 1As shown, in some embodiments, in the contracted state 40, the first support 10 is located above the second support 20, and on the horizontal plane, at least a portion of the orthographic projection of the second support 20 lies within the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first support 10. In both the contracted state 40 and the unfolded state 50, the deformation driving component 30 is located below the first support 10. The stacked design of the first support 10 and the second support 20 effectively utilizes space in the vertical direction, reducing the space occupied by the support structure 1 in the horizontal direction when in the contracted state 40. Moreover, the fact that the deformation driving component 30 is located below the first support 10 effectively utilizes space in the vertical direction, reducing the space occupied by the support structure 1 in the horizontal direction, can effectively reduce the overall volume of the support structure 1, facilitating the miniaturization design of the support structure 1. Furthermore, the fact that the deformation driving component 30 is located below the first support 10 ensures that when the support structure 1 carries the substrate 80, there is a certain distance between the deformation driving component 30 and the substrate 80 in the vertical direction, reducing the possibility of interference between the deformation driving component 30 and the substrate 80.

[0046] like Figures 1-5 As shown, in some embodiments, in the retracted state 40, the first support 10 is located above the second support 20. The first support 10 has the same structure in the retracted state 40 and the extended state 50. The second support 20 is configured to include a plurality of axes around the central axis of the first bearing surface 12 (e.g., ...). Figure 1 The support platforms 60 are arranged sequentially in the middle (L1), and the multiple support platforms 60 define the second bearing surface 22. The deformation driving component 30 is used to drive the multiple support platforms 60 to move. In the unfolded state 50, on the horizontal plane, a portion of the orthographic projection of the support platform 60 is located outside the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first support base 10. It can be understood that the first bearing surface 12 has a central axis L1, which extends vertically. "Axial axis" is the direction of extension of the central axis L1 of the first bearing surface 12, and "radial" is the direction passing through the central axis L1 in the radial plane. The radial plane is perpendicular to the axial axis.

[0047] Understandable, such as Figures 2-4 As shown, in the unfolded state 50, on the horizontal plane, the orthographic projection of at least the portion of the support platform 60 that defines the second bearing surface 22 is located outside the orthographic projection outline of the first support base 10, and the surface of the support platform 60 corresponding to the second bearing surface 22 is flush with the first bearing surface 12. At this time, the other part of the support platform 60 can still be located below the first support base 10. If the deformation driving component 30 is located below the first support base 10, the other part of the support platform 60 can easily cooperate with the deformation driving component 30 and is less likely to interfere with the first support base 10 bearing substrate 80.

[0048] As can be seen, in the contracted state 40, the multiple support platforms 60 are located below the first support base 10, making the vertical structure of the support structure 1 more compact. When the deformation driving component 30 drives the support structure 1 from the contracted state 40 to the expanded state 50, the multiple support platforms 60 can expand outwards during expansion, increasing the horizontal support area while still maintaining a compact vertical space. This reduces the pressure on the substrate 80 at the support structure 1, effectively reducing the deformation of the substrate 80 at the support structure 1. Moreover, in the expanded state 50, the first support base 10 and the multiple support platforms 60 can share the load, further improving the stability and reliability of the support structure 1 and contributing to a longer service life. In addition, the first support base 10 has the same structure in both the contracted state 40 and the expanded state 50, allowing the deformation driving component 30 to achieve the expansion and contraction of the support structure 1 without complex adjustments or operations to the first support base 10.

[0049] Alternatively, as Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, in the retracted state 40, on the horizontal plane, the orthographic projection of each support platform 60 of the second support 20 is entirely within the orthographic projection outer contour of the first support 10; of course, in other examples, in the retracted state 40, on the horizontal plane, a portion of the orthographic projection of each support platform 60 of the second support 20 is within the orthographic projection outer contour of the first support 10; furthermore, in the retracted state, on the horizontal plane, a portion of the orthographic projection of the portion of each support platform 60 defining the second bearing surface 22 is within the orthographic projection outer contour of the first support 10.

[0050] like Figures 1-3 As shown, in some embodiments, the deformation driving component 30 is used to drive the movement of multiple support platforms 60 of the second support base 20 to realize the switching of the support structure 1 between the retracted state 40 and the unfolded state 50. Moreover, in both the retracted state 40 and the unfolded state, the orthographic projection of the deformation driving component 30 on the horizontal plane is located within the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first support base 10 on the horizontal plane. Therefore, during the process of driving the multiple support platforms 60 to move to realize the state switching of the support structure 1, the orthographic projection of the deformation driving component 30 on the horizontal plane never exceeds the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first support base 10 on the horizontal plane. The deformation driving component 30 includes a first driving mechanism 32 and a second driving mechanism 34. The first driving mechanism 32 is used to drive the support platform 60 to move radially along the first bearing surface 12, and the second driving mechanism 34 is used to drive the support platform 60 to move at least in the vertical direction. Through the cooperative use of the first driving mechanism 32 and the second driving mechanism 34, the switching of the support structure 1 between the retracted state 40 and the unfolded state 50 can be realized.

[0051] Optionally, there are multiple first drive mechanisms 32 and second drive mechanisms 34, with each support platform 60 corresponding to one first drive mechanism 32 and one second drive mechanism 34; of course, in other examples, at least two support platforms 60 may share the second drive mechanism 34, but this is not the only one.

[0052] The above scheme can include the following examples: 1. The first drive mechanism 32 is used to directly drive the support platform 60 to move radially along the first bearing surface 12, and the second drive mechanism 34 is used to directly drive the support platform 60 to move vertically; 2. The first drive mechanism 32 is used to directly drive the support platform 60 to move radially along the first bearing surface 12, and the second drive mechanism 34 is used to indirectly drive the support platform 60 to rise and fall through the first drive mechanism 32. In this case, the second drive mechanism 34 is used to drive the first drive mechanism 32 and the support platform 60 to rise and fall synchronously, which can also realize the switching of the support structure 1 in the retracted state 40 and the unfolded state 50, so that the relative position of the support platform 60 and the first drive mechanism 32 remains unchanged during the movement, which is beneficial to enhancing the stability and rigidity of the entire support structure 1.

[0053] For example, the deformation drive component 30 drives the support structure 1 to switch from the retracted state 40 to the extended state 50, and the first drive mechanism 32 drives the support platform 60 to extend horizontally, so that at least a portion of the support platform 60 that participates in defining the second bearing surface 22 extends radially from the first bearing surface 12 to the periphery of the first support base 10. The second drive mechanism 34 then drives the support platform 60 to rise until the second bearing surface 22 rises to be flush with the first bearing surface 12 in the vertical direction, making the support structure 1 more stable and having a larger contact area when supporting the substrate 80. The deformation drive component 30 drives the support structure 1 to switch from the extended state 50 to the retracted state 40, and the second drive mechanism 34 drives the support platform 60 to descend, so that the support platform 60 descends below the first support base 10. The first drive mechanism 32 then drives the support platform 60 to retract horizontally, until at least a portion of the orthographic projection of the portion of the support platform 60 that participates in defining the second bearing surface 22 on the horizontal plane is located within the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first support base 10 on the horizontal plane, so that the support structure 1 can make fuller use of the space in the vertical direction.

[0054] As can be seen, by using the independent first drive mechanism 32 and second drive mechanism 34, the support platform 60 can be controlled to move in the vertical and horizontal directions, and the support structure 1 can be switched between the retracted state 40 and the extended state 50. At the same time, the first drive mechanism 32 or the second drive mechanism 34 can be maintained and repaired separately, reducing maintenance costs and shortening repair time.

[0055] For example, there are four support platforms 60, each extending in an arc shape. Each support platform 60 corresponds to a first driving mechanism 32. The first driving mechanism 32 drives the corresponding support platform 60 to unfold radially horizontally along the first bearing surface 12. The second driving mechanism 34 then drives the support platform 60 to rise, so that the second bearing surface 22 formed by the four support platforms 60 is flush with the first bearing surface 12 formed by the first support base 10. The first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 jointly support the substrate 80. At this time, the multiple support platforms 60 can be equally spaced around the central axis of the first bearing surface 12. It can be understood that the shape and number of support platforms 60 can be designed according to actual needs to meet actual production requirements, and are not limited thereto.

[0056] In this embodiment, the configuration of the first driving mechanism 32 and the second driving mechanism 34 is not limited to this; in some embodiments, the second driving mechanism 34 is used to drive the support platform 60 to move in the vertical direction, and the first driving mechanism 32 is used to drive the support platform 60 to move radially along the first bearing surface 12 by driving the second driving mechanism 34. That is, the first driving mechanism 32 enables the second driving mechanism 34 and the support platform 60 to move radially synchronously, thereby realizing the switching of the support structure 1 in the contracted state 40 and the unfolded state 50, so that the relative position of the support platform 60 and the second driving mechanism 34 remains unchanged during the movement, thereby enhancing the stability and rigidity of the entire support structure 1.

[0057] like Figures 1-3 As shown, in some embodiments, the deformation driving component 30 further includes a support member 36, which is fixedly disposed on the lower side of the first support base 10. The first driving mechanism 32 includes a first gear 320 and a first rack 322 adapted to mesh. The first gear 320 is rotatably disposed on the support member 36, and the first rack 322 is fixedly disposed on the lower side of the support platform 60 and extends radially along the first bearing surface 12. The second driving mechanism 34 includes a second gear 340 and a second rack 342 meshing. The second gear 340 is rotatably disposed on the support member 36, and the second rack 342 is disposed on the lower side of the support platform 60 and slides radially with the support platform 60 along the first bearing surface 12. The second rack 342 extends vertically and is offset from the first rack 322.

[0058] As can be seen, the support member 36 is fixed to the lower side of the first support base 10. The support member 36 provides a stable support foundation for the deformation driving component 30, which helps to improve the stability and reliability of the support structure 1 during the switching process between the retracted state 40 and the extended state 50. At the same time, the support member 36 can withstand various forces and torques generated by the deformation driving component 30 during operation, which helps to extend the service life of the support structure 1. The first driving mechanism 32 and the second driving mechanism 34 both adopt the gear and rack cooperation. The gear and rack cooperation has the characteristics of high-precision transmission, which can realize precise displacement and speed control, which helps to ensure the stability and accuracy of the support platform 60 during the lifting process. The second rack 342 is staggered from the first rack 322, which can avoid interference between the first driving mechanism 32 and the second driving mechanism 34 during the transmission process, which helps to improve the stability and reliability of the deformation driving component 30 and reduce failures caused by interference. Moreover, the staggered arrangement can make the spatial layout of the deformation driving component 30 more reasonable and compact, which helps to reduce the overall size and space occupied by the deformation driving component 30 and improve the space utilization of the support structure 1.

[0059] Furthermore, the second rack 342 is located on the lower side of the support platform 60 and slides radially with the support platform 60 along the first bearing surface 12. This ensures that when the first drive mechanism 32 drives the support platform 60 to move radially along the first bearing surface 12, the second rack 342 will not separate from the second gear 340 radially along the first bearing surface 12. In other words, when the first drive mechanism 32 drives multiple support platforms 60 to move radially, the second rack 342 can still maintain engagement with the second gear 340, thus improving the reliability of the second drive mechanism 34. When the second drive mechanism 34 drives the support platform 60 to move upward, the first gear 320 and the first rack 322 disengage, allowing the support platform 60 to move freely upward under the drive of the second drive mechanism 34 without being constrained by the first gear 320 and the first rack 322. When the second drive mechanism 34 drives the support platform 60 to move downward, the first gear 320 and the first rack 322 re-engage, so that when the support platform 60 needs to be unfolded again, the first drive mechanism 32 can drive the support platform 60 to move radially along the first bearing surface 12. This design improves the stability of the support platform 60 during the up-and-down movement, and the first drive mechanism 32 and the second drive mechanism 34 do not interfere with each other.

[0060] In some embodiments, both the first gear 320 and the second gear 340 are made of quartz. Quartz has very high hardness, giving the first gear 320 and the second gear 340 high wear resistance, enabling them to withstand greater friction and wear, thus improving their service life. Simultaneously, the outer surfaces of the first gear 320 and the second gear 340 are coated with a high-temperature resistant, corrosion-resistant, and friction-resistant coating, such as a silicon carbide coating. Silicon carbide is a material with excellent high-temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and friction resistance, thereby further improving the service life of the first gear 320 and the second gear 340. It is understood that the number of teeth, module, and other parameters of the first gear 320 and the second gear 340 should be matched with other components.

[0061] like Figures 1-3 As shown, in some embodiments, the support platform 60 includes a driving part 62 and a bearing part 64. The bearing part 64 is connected to the radial (i.e., radial) outer side of the driving part 62, and the upper surface of the bearing part 64 participates in defining the second bearing surface 22. The deformation driving member 30 cooperates with the driving part 62. The upper surface of the bearing part 64 is higher than the upper surface of the driving part 62 so that the support platform 60 defines a groove 66. In the unfolded state 50, the first support seat 10 cooperates with the groove 66.

[0062] As can be seen, by designing the bearing part 64 to be higher than the driving part 62, a groove 66 is formed to accommodate the first support seat 10, making the support structure 1 more compact. At the same time, it also facilitates the cooperation of the second support seat 20. That is, the first support seat 10 is located in the groove 66 of the second support seat 20, and the second support seat 20 is sleeved on the outside of the first support seat 10. The first support seat 10 and the second support seat 20 together form a more stable support structure 1, increasing the overall stability of the support structure 1.

[0063] In addition, dividing the support platform 60 into a drive section 62 and a load-bearing section 64, that is, setting different functional areas of the support platform 60, can effectively reduce the possibility of interference between the drive section 62 and the load-bearing section 64, thereby improving the stability and load-bearing capacity of the support platform 60. The load-bearing section 64 is specifically used to bear heavy objects, while the drive section 62 is used to provide driving force, thereby improving the working efficiency and stability of the support platform 60.

[0064] It is understandable that the design of the groove 66 can be adjusted according to actual needs to adapt to the first support 10 and the second support 20 of different sizes and shapes, so as to meet different usage requirements.

[0065] like Figures 1-3As shown, in some embodiments, the first support 10 is constructed as a plate-like structure with a thickness of 0.05mm ≤ t1 ≤ 0.15mm. This plate-like structure ensures sufficient strength while achieving a lightweight design, helping to reduce the weight of the support structure 1 and improve operational efficiency. Furthermore, the plate-like structure is relatively simple and easy to manufacture using standard machining or stamping processes, reducing production costs; and / or, the thickness of the load-bearing portion 64 (e.g., ...) Figure 1 The thickness t2) is greater than or equal to twice the thickness t1 of the first support 10. The thicker design of the bearing part 64 compared to the first support 10 provides stronger bearing capacity and makes it easier for the upper surface of the bearing part 64 to be flush with the first bearing surface 12 in the unfolded state, which helps to improve the stability of the first support 10 and the second support 20 jointly bearing the substrate 80.

[0066] like Figures 1-3 As shown, in some embodiments, the thickness of the support portion 64 (e.g.) Figure 1 The thickness t2 is equal to twice the thickness t1 of the first support 10, and the depth of the groove 66 is (e.g.) Figure 1 If t3) is equal to the thickness of the first support 10, then when the second support 20 is unfolded, the groove 66 and the first support 10 can be connected, so that the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 form a flat support surface, making the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 more stable when they jointly support the substrate 80.

[0067] For example, the thickness of the first support 10 is 0.1 mm, the thickness of the bearing portion 64 is 0.2 mm, and the depth of the groove 66 is 0.1 mm. Matching the thicknesses of the first support 10, the bearing portion 64, and the groove 66 improves the flexibility and adaptability of the support structure 1.

[0068] In this embodiment, the state switching settings of the support structure 1 are not limited to this; in some embodiments, in the retracted state 40, the first support seat 10 is located above the second support seat 20. The second support seat 20 has the same structure in the retracted state 40 and the unfolded state 50. The first support seat 10 is configured to include a plurality of support platforms 60, which define a first bearing surface 12. The distance between two adjacent support platforms 60 in the unfolded state 50 is greater than the distance in the retracted state 40. In the unfolded state 50, the second support seat 20 is located between at least two adjacent support platforms 60. The deformation driving component 30 includes a third driving mechanism and a fourth driving mechanism. The third driving mechanism is used to drive the support platform 60 to move radially along the first bearing surface 12, and the fourth driving mechanism is used to drive the second support seat 20 to move in the up and down direction.

[0069] As can be seen, in the contracted state 40, the multiple support platforms 60 of the first support 10 are located above the second support 20, making the structure of the support structure 1 more compact in the vertical direction. When the deformation driving component 30 drives the support structure 1 to switch from the contracted state 40 to the unfolded state 50, the multiple support platforms 60 can expand outward when unfolded. The distance between two adjacent support platforms 60 in the unfolded state 50 is greater than the distance in the contracted state 40, providing clearance space for the second support 20 to rise. That is, when the second support 20 is driven to rise, it will not interfere with the support platforms 60, so the second support 20 can rise smoothly to the predetermined position, further increasing the horizontal support area, which reduces the pressure on the substrate 80 at the support structure 1, thereby effectively reducing the deformation of the substrate 80 at the support structure 1. Moreover, in the unfolded state 50, the second support 20 and the multiple support platforms 60 can share the load, further improving the stability and reliability of the support structure 1, which is beneficial to improving the service life of the support structure 1.

[0070] Furthermore, the second support 20 has the same structure in both the retracted and extended states 50, so that the deformation drive component 30 can realize the extension and retraction of the support structure 1 without making complex adjustments or operations to the second support 20.

[0071] By using the third and fourth driving mechanisms in combination, the support structure 1 can be switched between a retracted state 40 and an extended state 50. For example, the deformation driving component 30 drives the support structure 1 to switch from a retracted state 40 to an extended state 50, the third driving mechanism drives the support platform 60 to extend horizontally, and the fourth driving mechanism drives the second support base 20 to rise, so that in the extended state 50, the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 are flush in the vertical direction, making the support structure 1 more stable and having a larger contact area when supporting the substrate 80; the deformation driving component 30 drives the support structure 1 to switch from an extended state 50 to a retracted state 40, the fourth driving mechanism drives the second support base 20 to descend, and the third driving mechanism drives the support platform 60 to retract horizontally, so that the support structure 1 can make fuller use of the space in the vertical direction.

[0072] In some embodiments of the present invention, the base assembly includes a base 70, a lifting drive component, and a support structure 1 according to the first aspect embodiment of the present invention described above. The base 70 has a plurality of mounting through holes 72, and each mounting through hole 72 is provided with a support structure 1. The lifting drive component is used to drive the support structure 1 to move up and down relative to the base 70 between a first height position and a second height position, wherein the first height position is higher than the second height position.

[0073] At the second height position, the support structure 1 is in a retracted state 40, and the bearing surface of the support structure 1 is flush with the upper surface of the base 70, or the bearing surface of the support structure 1 is lower than the upper surface of the base 70; at the first height position, the support structure 1 is in an extended state 50, and the bearing surface of the support structure 1 is higher than the entire upper surface of the base 70. It can be understood that in the retracted state 40, the bearing surface of the support structure 1 can be either the first bearing surface 12 or the second bearing surface 22.

[0074] As can be seen, the lifting drive component is used to drive the support structure 1 to move up and down relative to the base 70, so as to adjust the height of the support surface of the support structure 1. That is, through the joint cooperation of the lifting drive component and the support structure 1, the substrate 80 can be loaded and unloaded on the base 70. It can be understood that the first height position can be the highest position of the support structure 1 during lifting, and the second height position can be the lowest position of the support structure 1 during lifting.

[0075] Optionally, during the process of the support structure 1 rising from the second height position to the first height position, the support structure 1 can first rise to a certain height to switch from the contracted state 40 to the unfolded state 50, and then rise to the first height position. Alternatively, the support structure 1 can first maintain the contracted state 40 and rise to the first height position, and then switch from the contracted state 40 to the unfolded state 50. Since the space occupied by the support structure 1 in the horizontal direction in the contracted state 40 is smaller than the space occupied by it in the horizontal direction in the unfolded state 50, the above arrangement is conducive to appropriately reducing the opening size of the mounting through hole 72 and reducing the space required for the support structure 1 to be arranged on the base 70. When the base 70 is provided with multiple heat dissipation vents spaced apart from the mounting through hole 72, since the space required for the mounting through hole 72 is small, it is conducive to appropriately increasing the space for the heat dissipation vents, which helps to improve the problem of non-uniformity in the epitaxial growth process of the substrate 80 caused by the large space occupied by the mounting through hole 72.

[0076] For example, the support structure 1 has a third height position, which is located between the first and second height positions. A lifting drive component drives the support structure 1 to rise from the second height position to the third height position. At this time, both the first support base 10 and the second support base 20 are located outside the mounting through hole 72. The support structure 1 switches from a retracted state 40 to an extended state 50. In the extended state 50, the support structure 1 rises again from the third height position to the first height position, facilitating the loading of the substrate 80 by a transfer mechanism (e.g., a robotic arm). The substrate 80 can be placed on multiple support structures 1. Then, the lifting drive component drives the support structure 1 to descend in the extended state to transfer the substrate 80 to the base 70. After placement, the support structure 1 can form a [missing information - likely a shape or structure] between the substrate 80 and the base 70. Within the gap formed, the support structure 1 is switched from the expanded state 50 to the contracted state 40, and then the lifting drive component drives the support structure 1 to descend to the second height position, so that the support structure 1 in the contracted state 40 is located in the mounting through hole 72. At this time, the epitaxial growth process begins. After the epitaxial growth is completed, the lifting drive component unloads the substrate 80 and drives the support structure 1 to rise from the second height position to the third height position. At this time, the first support base 10 and the second support base 20 are both located outside the mounting through hole 72. The support structure 1 is switched from the contracted state 40 to the expanded state 50, and the lifting drive component drives the support structure 1 in the expanded state 50 to rise to the first height position, so that the substrate 80 is separated from the upper surface of the base 70, which facilitates the unloading of the substrate 80 by the conveying mechanism.

[0077] According to the embodiment of the present utility model, by adopting the above-described support structure 1, the base assembly can improve the convenience of loading and unloading the substrate 80, and at the same time help to improve the stability of the base assembly operation.

[0078] In some embodiments, the base 70 also has multiple heat dissipation vents. Since the support structure 1 is provided at the mounting through hole 72, the mounting through hole 72 lacks heat dissipation vents. In this embodiment, the support structure 1 is switched from a contracted state 40 to an expanded state 50 by the deformation driving component 30 to support the substrate 80. When the substrate 80 is epitaxially grown, the support structure 1 is in the contracted state 40 and located in the mounting through hole 72. This allows the bearing surface of the support structure 1 to increase in the expanded state 50, while the size of the mounting through hole 72 installed in the support structure 1 can be reduced in the contracted state. That is, while the support structure 1 can increase the contact area between the bearing surface and the substrate 80, it can effectively reduce the size of the mounting through hole 72, which can significantly reduce the non-uniformity in the epitaxial growth process of the substrate 80 caused by the large size of the mounting through hole 72 and the lack of vents.

[0079] For example, compared to some technologies where the support structure is larger to ensure sufficient contact area between the bearing surface and the substrate, the corresponding mounting via size is also larger, for example, the diameter of the mounting via is 5.78 mm. In this embodiment, the diameter of the mounting via 72 can be reduced to 3 mm to 5 mm, which can significantly reduce the non-uniformity during the epitaxial growth process on the substrate 80 caused by the large size of the mounting via 72 and the absence of vent holes. Optionally, when the mounting via 72 is a stepped hole, the mounting via 72 includes a first hole segment and a second hole segment. The first hole segment is located above the second hole segment, the diameter of the first hole segment is in the range of 3 mm to 5 mm, and the diameter of the second hole segment is in the range of 2 mm to 4 mm.

[0080] like Figures 1-3 As shown, in some embodiments, the mounting through hole 72 is a stepped hole, and a limiting step 74 is formed on the hole wall of the mounting through hole 72 so that the support structure 1 can be stably placed on the limiting step 74 in the retracted state 40. The limiting step 74 provides a stable support platform for the support structure 1, which can effectively reduce the possibility of the support structure 1 accidentally falling out of the mounting through hole 72 even if the base assembly is subjected to external impact or vibration, thereby improving the safety and stability of the base assembly during operation. Moreover, the limiting step 74 provides an accurate placement position for the support structure 1, which helps to improve the accuracy of the support structure 1 during installation. The user only needs to align the support structure 1 with the limiting step 74 and place it, without the need for additional fixing devices or complicated installation steps, which simplifies the installation process of the support structure 1.

[0081] For example, the mounting through hole 72 includes a first hole segment and a second hole segment. The first hole segment is located on the upper side of the second hole segment. In the contracted state, the diameter of the support structure 1 is smaller than the hole diameter of the first hole segment and larger than the hole diameter of the second hole segment. A portion of the deformation driving component 30 passes through the second hole segment and its diameter is smaller than the hole diameter of the second hole segment.

[0082] like Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, the upper surface of the base 70 includes a first face 75 and a second face 76, the second face 76 being disposed around the first face 75. The first face 75 and the second face 76 are conical surfaces, the cone angle α1 of the first face 75 is greater than the cone angle α2 of the second face 76, and the mounting through hole 72 corresponds to the first face 75, that is, the mounting through hole 72 is formed on the portion corresponding to the first face 75.

[0083] Where 179.7°≤α1≤179.8° and 177°≤α2≤178°, then on the longitudinal section of the base 70, the angle between the first facet 75 and the horizontal plane is 0.1°≤β1≤0.15°, and the angle between the second facet 76 and the horizontal plane is 1°≤β2≤1.5°. This results in a certain gap between the substrate 80 placed on the base 70 and the upper surface of the base 70. From the center of the base 70 to the edge, the gap gradually decreases. At the edge of the second facet 76, the gap between the substrate 80 and the base 70 becomes very small, reaching a contact state. During the epitaxial growth of the substrate 80, multiple heating elements are usually arranged above and below the base 70. Since the growth rate of the edge and center of the substrate 80 is different at the same temperature, the upper heating elements irradiate the substrate. The substrate 80 is directly heated. The lower heating element irradiates the base 70, and then the substrate 80 is heated by the thermal radiation of the base 70. The lower heating element has a larger amount of thermal radiation in the middle of the base 70. Since the first surface 75 and the second surface 76 are both formed as conical surfaces, the gap between the substrate 80 and the base 70 is the largest at the center, which helps to reduce the thermal radiation of the substrate 80 at the center of the base 70. As the gap gradually decreases, the substrate 80 and the second surface 76 reach a state of contact, which can increase the amount of thermal radiation at the edge of the substrate 80, resulting in better flatness of the substrate 80 during the epitaxial growth process. At the same time, there is a certain gap between the substrate 80 and the upper surface of the base 70, so that the heat dissipation vents are not blocked when the substrate 80 is placed on the base 70, thereby improving the product quality of the epitaxial growth of the substrate 80. Furthermore, users can adjust the power of the upper and lower heating components to provide different heating amounts to the edge and center of the substrate 80, resulting in better quality during epitaxial growth of the substrate 80; and / or, in the contracted state 40, the thickness of the first support 10 and the second support 20 in the vertical direction (e.g., Figure 1If the thickness of the first support 10 and the second support 20 in the vertical direction is less than the preset distance x, the preset distance is the distance between the upper end of the first face 75 and the position of the corresponding support structure 1 of the first face 75 in the vertical direction, 0.55mm≤x≤0.6mm. Since the thickness of the first support 10 and the second support 20 in the vertical direction is less than the preset distance x, when unloading the substrate 80, the lifting drive component drives the support structure 1 to rise until the first support 10 and the second support 20 are located outside the mounting through hole 72, that is, the first support 10 and the second support 20 are located above the base 70. In the gap formed between the substrate 80 and the base 70, the deformation drive component 30 will support... Structure 1 switches from the contracted state 40 to the extended state 50, ensuring that the support structure 1 does not interfere with the base 70 or the substrate 80 when switching from the contracted state 40 to the extended state 50. At the same time, it reduces the deformation that may be caused by the support structure 1 directly bearing the substrate 80 in the contracted state 40. Then, the lifting drive component drives the support structure 1 in the extended state to rise further until it reaches the third height position, so that the substrate 80 is separated from the upper surface of the base 70. That is, when the support structure 1 is at the third height position, there is a certain gap between the substrate 80 placed on the support structure 1 and the base 70, which facilitates the unloading of the substrate 80 by the conveying mechanism.

[0084] Optionally, α1 can be 179.7°, 179.71°, 179.72°, 179.75°, 179.76°, 179.79° or 179.8°, etc.; α2 can be 177°, 177.2°, 177.3°, 177.5°, 177.8° or 178°, etc.

[0085] The inventors of this application conducted multiple tests on one embodiment and a comparative example of this application. The test structures are shown in Table 1. In this embodiment, the first bearing surface 12 and the second bearing surface 22 in the unfolded state 50 jointly support the substrate 80, which facilitates increasing the contact area between the support structure 1 and the substrate 80. The diameter of the first hole segment of the mounting through hole 72 is 4.2 mm. The first support base 10 is circular with a diameter of 4 mm and a thickness of 0.1 mm. In the retracted state, the orthographic projection of the second support base 20 on the horizontal plane overlaps with the orthographic projection of the first support base 10 on the horizontal plane. The thickness of the bearing portion 64 of the second support base 20 is 0.2 mm, the radial width of the driving portion 62 of the second support base 20 is 0.75 mm, and the radial width of the bearing portion 64 of the second support base 20 is 0.95 mm. In the comparative example, the substrate is supported only by the first bearing surface, and all other test conditions are the same. The bearing surface surface area provided by the support structure in the comparative example is approximately 16.6 mm². 2 In the unfolded state of this embodiment, the surface area of ​​the bearing surface provided by the support structure 1 is approximately 20.2 mm². 2Under the new support rod condition, the pressure at the substrate support rod is reduced by 18% compared with the prototype, which effectively reduces the deformation of the substrate 80 at the support structure 1 and improves the process level.

[0086] During the epitaxial growth of substrate 80, when substrate 80 is affected by the imprint of the support structure, the quality and lattice structure of substrate 80 will change, causing MCLT anomalies, that is, the imprint of the support structure will reduce the MCLT value.

[0087] As can be seen from Table 1, when the substrate of the comparative example undergoes epitaxial growth, the abnormal MCLT values ​​mostly occur at the contact points between the substrate and its underlying support structure. These locations show clear imprints of the support structure, resulting in poor MCLT levels during substrate epitaxial growth. The MCLT MIN value is located at the position corresponding to the substrate and its underlying support structure. However, the substrate of this embodiment shows no obvious abnormalities during substrate 80 epitaxial growth, and the MCLT MIN value is generally not located at the position corresponding to the substrate and support structure 1. Substrate 80 does not show obvious support structure imprints. Excluding differences in substrate 80, the MCLT level of the substrate of this embodiment during substrate 80 epitaxial growth is superior to that of the comparative example. Furthermore, the NT2×2 and NT10×10 values ​​of the substrate under the comparative example's substrate assembly conditions are inferior to the NT2×2 and NT10×10 values ​​of substrate 80 under the conditions of this embodiment, indicating a significant improvement in NT levels. Among them, NT is a parameter related to the 80° flatness of the substrate. The lower this parameter, the better the 80° flatness of the substrate. MCLT is a parameter related to the minority carrier lifetime of the substrate. The higher this parameter, the longer the minority carrier lifetime in the substrate, and the better the product quality of the substrate epitaxial growth.

[0088] Table 1 shows the test results of the embodiments and comparative examples of this application.

[0089]

[0090] In some embodiments of the present invention, the epitaxial growth apparatus includes a base assembly according to the second aspect of the present invention described above. The base assembly may be disposed within the epitaxial cavity of the epitaxial growth apparatus and is used to support the substrate 80.

[0091] The epitaxial growth apparatus according to the embodiments of the present invention can effectively improve the processing quality of the epitaxial growth apparatus by adopting the above-described base assembly.

[0092] Furthermore, it should be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. To avoid unnecessary repetition, this application will not describe the various possible combinations separately. In addition, various different embodiments of this application can also be arbitrarily combined, as long as they do not violate the spirit of this application, they should also be regarded as the content disclosed in this application.

[0093] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "lateral," "length," "thickness," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. Furthermore, features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, it can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can refer to the internal communication of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0094] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on the upper side" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "on the lower side" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0095] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0096] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A support structure, characterized in that, The support structure is used for epitaxial growth equipment and is adapted to be vertically mounted on the base of the epitaxial growth equipment. The support structure includes: A first support base, the first support base having a first bearing surface for supporting a substrate; The second support has a second bearing surface for supporting the substrate; A deformation driving component is provided to drive the first support base and / or the second support base to move, so that the support structure has a contracted state and an extended state. In the contracted state, the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface are spaced apart in the vertical direction. In the extended state, the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface are flush in the vertical direction. On a horizontal plane, at least a portion of the orthographic projection of the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface in the extended state is located outside the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface in the contracted state.

2. The support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the retracted state, the first support is located above the second support on a horizontal plane, and at least a portion of the orthographic projection of the second support lies within the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first support. In both the contracted state and the expanded state, the deformation driving component is located below the first support base.

3. The support structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, In the retracted state, the first support is positioned above the second support. The first support has the same structure in the contracted state and the unfolded state. The second support is configured to include a plurality of support platforms arranged sequentially around the central axis of the first bearing surface. The plurality of support platforms define the second bearing surface. The deformation driving component is used to drive the plurality of support platforms to move. In the unfolded state, on the horizontal plane, a portion of the orthographic projection of the support platform is located outside the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first support.

4. The support structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, In both the contracted and extended states, the orthographic projection of the deformation driving component on the horizontal plane lies within the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first support base on the horizontal plane, and the deformation driving component includes a first driving mechanism and a second driving mechanism. The first driving mechanism is used to drive the support platform to move radially along the first bearing surface, and the second driving mechanism is used to drive the support platform to move at least vertically; or, The second driving mechanism is used to drive the support platform to move in the vertical direction, and the first driving mechanism is used to drive the support platform to move radially along the first bearing surface by driving the second driving mechanism.

5. The support structure according to claim 4, characterized in that, The deformation driving component further includes a support member, which is fixedly disposed on the lower side of the first support base. The first drive mechanism includes a first gear and a first rack adapted for meshing. The first gear is rotatably mounted on the support member, and the first rack is fixed to the lower side of the support platform and extends radially along the first bearing surface. The second drive mechanism includes a second gear and a second rack that mesh with each other. The second gear is rotatably mounted on the support member. The second rack is located on the lower side of the support platform and slides radially with the support platform along the first bearing surface. The second rack extends in the vertical direction and is offset from the first rack.

6. The support structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The support platform includes a driving part and a bearing part. The bearing part is connected to the radially outer side of the driving part, and the upper surface of the bearing part helps to define the second bearing surface. The deformation driving component cooperates with the driving part. The upper surface of the bearing portion is higher than the upper surface of the driving portion, so that the support platform defines a groove, and in the unfolded state, the first support seat engages with the groove.

7. The support structure according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first support is constructed as a plate-like structure. The thickness of the first support is 0.05mm ≤ t1 ≤ 0.15mm; and / or, The thickness of the bearing portion is greater than or equal to twice the thickness of the first support base.

8. The support structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, In the retracted state, the first support is located above the second support. The second support has the same structure in both the retracted and extended states. The first support is configured to include multiple support platforms that define the first bearing surface. The distance between two adjacent support platforms in the extended state is greater than the distance in the retracted state. In the extended state, the second support is located between at least two adjacent support platforms. The deformation driving component includes a third driving mechanism and a fourth driving mechanism. The third driving mechanism drives the support platforms to move radially along the first bearing surface, and the fourth driving mechanism drives the second support to move vertically.

9. A base assembly, characterized in that, The device includes a base, a lifting drive component, and a support structure according to any one of claims 1-8. The base has a plurality of mounting through holes, each of which is provided with the support structure. The lifting drive component drives the support structure to move up and down relative to the base between a first height position and a second height position. The first height position is higher than the second height position. At the second height position, the support structure is in a retracted state, and the bearing surface of the support structure is flush with or lower than the upper surface of the base. At the first height position, the support structure is in an extended state, and the bearing surface of the support structure is higher than the entire upper surface of the base.

10. The base assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that, The upper surface of the base includes a first facet and a second facet, with the second facet surrounding the first facet. Both the first and second facets are conical surfaces, with the cone angle of the first facet being greater than that of the second facet. The mounting through-hole corresponds to the first facet. The cone angle α1 of the first face satisfies 179.7°≤α1≤179.8°, and the cone angle α2 of the second face satisfies 177°≤α2≤178°; and / or, In the contracted state, the thickness of the first support and the second support in the vertical direction is less than a preset distance x. The preset distance is the vertical distance between the upper end of the first face and the position of the support structure corresponding to the first face, 0.55mm≤x≤0.6mm.

11. An epitaxial growth apparatus, characterized in that, Includes the base assembly as described in claim 9 or 10.

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