Vacuum chamber structure

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of semiconductor material processing, in particular to a vacuum chamber structure, which comprises a cavity, at least one side wall of the cavity is provided with a transmission port, and the transmission port is used for transmitting a sample; the heating plate is arranged in the cavity and is used for heating a sample; the jacking mechanism is in sealed communication with the bottom wall of the cavity, the heating plate is arranged at the top end of the jacking mechanism, and the jacking mechanism is used for changing the longitudinal position of the heating plate in the cavity; the conveying mechanism is arranged in the cavity and used for conveying the sample to the position above the heating plate from the conveying opening; the driving end penetrates through the wall surface of the cavity in a sealing manner and is used for driving the conveying mechanism; and the gate valve is arranged at the transmission port and is used for selectively sealing the transmission port. According to the vacuum chamber structure provided by the invention, the wafer can be heated in a vacuum environment, and an oxidation reaction does not occur on the surface during the heating period.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor material processing, in particular to a vacuum chamber structure. BACKGROUND

[0002] Two or more wafers can be connected together in a stacked manner by wafer bonding technology, which plays an important role in the field of semiconductor packaging and has a wide range of applications in many fields such as microelectronic devices, sensors, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).

[0003] Some wafer bonding processes require heating the wafer to make the bonding medium on the wafer surface meet the bonding requirements. Generally, in order to improve the efficiency of bonding, the wafer is preheated before formal bonding. Under the existing technical conditions, the wafer is usually preheated in an atmospheric environment, which can cause the bonding medium on the wafer surface to chemically react with oxygen in the air to form surface oxides. These generated oxides can have a certain negative impact on the bonding process, interfere with the bonding effect, and disrupt the smooth progress of the overall process. UTILITY MODEL CONTENT

[0004] The utility model aims at providing a vacuum chamber structure for heating wafers in a vacuum environment to solve the negative impact of wafer surface oxidation during heating in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve this purpose, the utility model adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] A vacuum chamber structure comprises a cavity, at least one side wall of the cavity is provided with a transmission port, and the transmission port is used for transmitting a sample.

[0007] A heating plate is arranged in the cavity and used for heating the sample.

[0008] A jacking mechanism is sealingly communicated with the bottom wall of the cavity, the heating plate is arranged at the top end of the jacking mechanism, and the jacking mechanism is used for changing the longitudinal position of the heating plate in the cavity.

[0009] A conveying mechanism is arranged in the cavity and used for conveying the sample from the transmission port to above the heating plate.

[0010] A driving end is sealingly arranged in the wall surface of the cavity and used for driving the conveying mechanism.

[0011] A gate valve is arranged at the transmission port and used for selectively sealing the transmission port.

[0012] Preferably, a thermocouple is arranged on the heating plate and used for detecting the temperature of the heating plate.

[0013] Further, the atmosphere preparation device comprises a vacuum pump and a gas source;

[0014] The vacuum pump is connected to the cavity for selectively vacuumizing the cavity;

[0015] The gas source is connected to the cavity for selectively delivering gas to the cavity.

[0016] Preferably, the gas comprises inert gas, and after vacuumizing the cavity, backfilling the inert gas can keep the cavity in an oxygen-free environment and prevent oxidation.

[0017] Further, the number of the transmission ports is two.

[0018] The two transmission ports are arranged on different sidewalls of the cavity and serve as a sample inlet port and a sample outlet port respectively.

[0019] The sample outlet port is sealingly connected to another chamber, which can be an activation chamber or a bonding chamber.

[0020] Preferably, the two input ports are oppositely arranged on two walls of the cavity and serve as a sample input port for feeding and a sample output port for discharging respectively.

[0021] Preferably, the jacking mechanism comprises a sealing bellows assembly and a jacking rod.

[0022] The sealing bellows assembly comprises an upper connecting plate, a bellows and a lower connecting plate connected in sequence.

[0023] The upper connecting plate is arranged on the bottom wall of the cavity.

[0024] The jacking rod is arranged inside the sealing bellows assembly, with its bottom end arranged on the lower connecting plate and its top end penetrating through the upper connecting plate and the bottom wall of the cavity and extending into the cavity to be connected with the heating plate.

[0025] Preferably, the top end of the jacking rod is provided with a heat insulation plate.

[0026] The heating plate is arranged on the heat insulation plate, and the heat insulation plate can prevent heat transfer of the heating plate, which can improve the working efficiency of the heating plate and prevent damage of the device caused by heat transfer to other structures.

[0027] Further, the lifting driving assembly is connected to the lower connecting plate of the sealing bellows assembly.

[0028] Preferably, the lifting driving assembly cylinder, the telescopic rod of the cylinder is the output end, which is connected to the lower connecting plate of the sealed corrugated pipe assembly through a connecting piece.

[0029] Preferably, the conveying mechanism includes a chain extending along the conveying direction of the conveying port.

[0030] A transmission shaft is used to support and drive the chain, so that the chain has the ability to carry.

[0031] The transmission shaft is in driving connection with the driving end.

[0032] Preferably, the number of chains is two, and the two chains are arranged along the side wall of the cavity, forming an open space between the two chains, which serves as a space for the lifting movement of the heating plate.

[0033] Preferably, the driving end includes a magnetic fluid sealing shaft penetrating the wall surface of the cavity.

[0034] One end of the magnetic fluid sealing shaft inside the cavity is in driving connection with the transmission shaft.

[0035] One end of the magnetic fluid sealing shaft outside the cavity is connected to the power source.

[0036] Preferably, the power source is a driving motor.

[0037] Preferably, the sample includes a tray, and the tray is used to carry a wafer.

[0038] Preferably, the back of the tray is provided with a groove, and the groove is used to lap the chain to improve stability.

[0039] Preferably, the front of the tray is provided with a limiting structure for limiting the position of the wafer carried by the tray, and the limiting structure can be a protruding structure.

[0040] Preferably, it further includes a pressure blocking block, which is arranged above the heating plate and forms a limit in the longitudinal movement direction of the heating plate.

[0041] When the heating plate rises and abuts against the sample, the sample will be squeezed between the heating plate and the pressure blocking block as the heating plate rises, thereby reducing the gap between the sample and the heating plate and improving the heat conduction efficiency of the heating plate.

[0042] Preferably, it further includes a position sensor arranged on the side wall of the cavity for detecting the position of the sample relative to the cavity.

[0043] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The vacuum chamber structure provided in this application can heat semiconductor materials such as wafers and chips in a vacuum environment. During heating, no oxidation reaction occurs on the surface of these materials, fully meeting the corresponding process requirements and helping to improve the yield of the manufactured products. Structurally, the vacuum chamber is rationally designed, enabling the lifting operation of the heating plate in a vacuum environment, effectively improving the heat transfer efficiency of the heating plate. In addition, this vacuum chamber adopts a modular design, which can be connected to different back-end processing chambers, thereby meeting the needs of complex processing of semiconductor materials. Attached Figure Description

[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the vacuum chamber of this utility model;

[0045] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the vacuum chamber structure of this utility model;

[0046] Figure 3 This is a front view of the vacuum chamber structure of this utility model;

[0047] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the vacuum chamber of this utility model;

[0048] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the heat insulation plate structure in the vacuum chamber structure of this utility model;

[0049] In the diagram: 1. Cavity; 11. Front wall panel; 12. Transmission port; 13. Rear wall panel; 14. Side wall panel; 2. Lifting mechanism; 21. Lifting drive assembly; 22. Sealed bellows; 23. Upper connecting plate; 24. Lower connecting plate; 3. Conveying mechanism; 31. Magnetohydrodynamic sealing shaft; 32. Drive shaft; 33. Chain; 4. Valve; 5. Heating plate; 6. Pressure blocking block; 7. Insulation plate. Detailed Implementation

[0050] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present invention, not the entire structure.

[0051] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between 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.

[0052] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0053] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "upper," "lower," "right," etc., refer to the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for ease of description and simplification of operation, 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for distinction in description and have no special meaning.

[0054] See Figures 1 to 5 This application presents a vacuum process chamber structure specifically designed for heating semiconductor materials such as wafers and chips in a vacuum environment, thereby effectively preventing oxidation reactions on the surface of these semiconductor materials during heating.

[0055] Specifically, the vacuum process chamber structure provided in this embodiment includes a chamber 1. The chamber 1 has a front wall panel 11 and a rear wall panel 13 facing each other, with transfer ports 12 respectively provided on the front wall panel 11 and the rear wall panel 13. These transfer ports 12 serve as channels for loading and unloading samples. In addition, there is a side wall panel 14 with multiple pre-reserved interfaces. These interfaces can be connected to an air source or power mechanism outside the chamber, and all interface connections are sealed with airtight components. The structure also includes an upper wall panel and a lower wall panel, with an observation window on the upper wall panel for easy observation of the conditions inside the chamber. Furthermore, a valve 4 is provided, corresponding to the transfer ports 12. The valve 4 has both manual and automatic control modes, allowing selective sealing of the transfer ports 12 according to actual needs, thereby flexibly controlling the opening and closing state of the transfer ports 12, ensuring the stability of the internal environment of the chamber and the orderly flow of materials.

[0056] A lifting mechanism 2 is connected to the bottom wall of cavity 1 via a sealing mechanism. The lifting mechanism 2 consists of several components, including an upper connecting plate 23 connected to the bottom wall of cavity 1, a sealed bellows 22 connected to the upper connecting plate 23, and a lower connecting plate 24 connected to the other end of the sealed bellows 22. A lifting rod is also provided, positioned within the space enclosed by the sealed bellows 22. One end of the rod is connected to the lower connecting plate 24, and the other end passes through the upper connecting plate 23 and the bottom wall of cavity 1, extending into the interior space of cavity 1. A lifting drive assembly 21 is also included, comprising a power source and an output end. In this embodiment, a cylinder is used as the power source, and the output end is the piston rod of the cylinder. The piston rod of the cylinder is connected to the lower connecting plate 24. When the piston rod moves in extension and retraction under the control of the power source, the lower connecting plate 24 will move accordingly. At this time, the sealing bellows 22 will also move in extension and retraction in sync. In this way, the lifting rod can move in the longitudinal direction inside the cavity 1.

[0057] A heat insulation plate 7 is installed at the end of the lifting rod located inside the cavity 1, and the heating plate 5 is placed on the heat insulation plate 7. The heat insulation plate 7 plays a crucial role in effectively preventing the heat generated by the heating plate 5 from being transferred outwards. From the perspective of heat transfer efficiency, this allows the heating plate 5 to transfer heat to the sample more efficiently, ensuring that as much heat as possible is applied to the sample. From the perspective of protecting other structures, it prevents heat from being transferred to other structures, thus preventing damage to the device due to heat. Supported by the lifting rod and driven by the lifting rod, the heating plate 5 can move along the longitudinal direction of the cavity 1, thereby switching between different working positions to meet the needs of different process stages or operations.

[0058] The cavity 1 is equipped with a conveying mechanism 3, which includes chains 33 laid along the sample transport direction. In this embodiment, two chains 33 are set, arranged along the side wall plate 14 of the cavity, forming an open space between them. This open space serves as the area for the heating plate 5 to move up and down. The two chains 33 are supported by a drive shaft 32, which enables them to carry and transport samples stably. A magnetic fluid sealing shaft 31 is also provided on the side wall plate 14 of the cavity 1. The end of the magnetic fluid sealing shaft 31 located inside the cavity 1 is connected to the drive shaft 32, while the end located outside the cavity 1 is connected to a power source. In this embodiment, a drive motor is used as the power source. The drive motor drives the magnetic fluid sealing shaft 31 to rotate, thereby driving the drive shaft 32 and the chains 33 to operate, thus realizing the sample transport function.

[0059] In this embodiment, the sample includes a tray component, which serves to support the wafer. The tray is made of a metal material with good thermal conductivity, and its back has grooves. By connecting the grooves to the chain 33, the stability of the tray during placement can be effectively enhanced, ensuring that it will not easily shake during transportation and subsequent operations. A limiting structure is provided on the front of the tray. The main function of this limiting structure is to restrict the position of the wafer it supports. For example, the limiting structure can be a protrusion structure, thereby precisely fixing the position of the wafer and preventing the wafer from shifting on the tray. In addition, a pressure block 6 is also provided, which is set above the heating plate 5 and can limit the longitudinal movement of the heating plate 5. When the heating plate 5 moves upward and comes into contact with the sample, as the heating plate 5 continues to rise, the sample will be squeezed between itself and the pressure block 6. This squeezing action can reduce the gap between the sample and the heating plate 5, thereby improving the heat conduction efficiency of the heating plate 5 and allowing heat to be transferred to the sample more efficiently. Additionally, there is a position sensor, which is installed on the side wall plate 14 of the cavity 1. Its main purpose is to detect the position of the sample relative to the cavity 1, so as to keep track of the sample's specific position in the cavity at any time.

[0060] The specific procedure for heating the wafer is as follows:

[0061] First, place the wafer onto the tray. Then, open valve 4 and place the tray containing the wafer onto chain 33 through transfer port 12. Subsequently, drive chain 33 to rotate, which will move the tray into the cavity 1 until it is transported to a position above the heating plate 5.

[0062] Next, valve 4 is closed, and the chamber is evacuated. Once the appropriate vacuum level is reached, inert gas is backfilled to create a suitable internal environment. Then, the heating plate 5 and the lifting drive assembly 21 are activated. The lifting drive assembly 21 drives the heating plate 5 to rise, making it fully contact the tray, and then begins to heat the tray until the entire heating process is complete.

[0063] After heating is complete, the lifting rod is lowered, causing the heating plate 5 to move downwards. At this time, the tray will fall back onto the chain 33, and the chain 33 will then drive the tray out of the cavity 1 through the transfer port 12. The transfer port 12 mentioned here can be a transfer port provided on the rear wall plate 13 of the cavity 1, and this transfer port can be directly connected to another chamber. In this way, the heated wafer can be directly transferred to another chamber for seamless subsequent processing, such as directly to the wafer bonding chamber or the wafer surface activation chamber.

[0064] Obviously, the above embodiments of this utility model are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present utility model, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present utility model. Those skilled in the art can make various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions without departing from the protection scope of this utility model. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively describe all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A vacuum chamber structure, characterized in that, include: A cavity, wherein at least one side wall of the cavity is provided with a transfer port for transferring a sample; A heating plate, disposed in the cavity, is used to heat the sample; A lifting mechanism is sealed and connected to the bottom wall of the cavity, and the heating plate is located at the top of the lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism is used to change the longitudinal position of the heating plate in the cavity. A conveying mechanism, disposed in the cavity, is used to convey the sample from the transfer port to the area above the heating plate; The drive end is sealed and penetrates the wall of the cavity, and is used to drive the conveying mechanism; A valve is provided at the transmission port for selectively sealing the transmission port.

2. The vacuum chamber structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an atmosphere preparation device, which includes a vacuum pump and a gas source; The vacuum pump is connected to the cavity and is used to selectively evacuate the cavity to a vacuum state; The gas source is connected to the cavity and is used to selectively deliver gas to the cavity.

3. The vacuum chamber structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of transmission ports is two; The two transmission ports are located on different side walls of the cavity, serving as the sample inlet and outlet, respectively. The transfer port, which serves as the sample transfer outlet, is sealed to another chamber.

4. The vacuum chamber structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism includes a sealed bellows assembly and a lifting rod; The sealed bellows assembly includes an upper connecting plate, a bellows, and a lower connecting plate connected in sequence. The upper connecting plate is disposed on the bottom wall of the cavity; The lifting rod is located inside the sealed bellows assembly. Its bottom end is located on the lower connecting plate, and its top end passes through the upper connecting plate and the bottom wall of the cavity, extending into the cavity and connecting with the heating plate.

5. The vacuum chamber structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The top of the lifting rod is equipped with a heat insulation plate; The heating plate is disposed on the heat insulation plate.

6. The vacuum chamber structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a lifting drive assembly, the output end of which is connected to the lower connecting plate of the sealed bellows assembly.

7. The vacuum chamber structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveying mechanism includes a chain extending along the conveying direction of the transmission port; A drive shaft is used to support and drive the chain, enabling the chain to carry loads. The drive shaft is connected to the drive end in a transmission connection.

8. The vacuum chamber structure according to claim 7, characterized in that: The driving end includes a magnetohydrodynamic sealing shaft that passes through the wall of the cavity; The end of the magnetohydrodynamic sealing shaft located inside the cavity is drivenly connected to the drive shaft. The magnetohydrodynamic sealing shaft is located at one end outside the cavity and is connected to the power source.

9. The vacuum chamber structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sample includes a tray for holding the wafer.

10. The vacuum chamber structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes a pressure block, which is disposed above the heating plate and forms a limit in the longitudinal movement direction of the heating plate.

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