Particle prevention component of wafer carrier and wafer carrier
By designing anti-particle components on the U-side of the wafer carrier, the problem of wafer surface contamination is solved, achieving effective particle protection, reducing costs, and improving product quality. This technology is suitable for the semiconductor processing industry.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ZHEJIANG INVENTCHIP TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-05
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-17
AI Technical Summary
In semiconductor cleanrooms, tiny particles can easily accumulate on the U-side of wafer carriers, leading to wafer surface contamination. Existing technologies struggle to effectively prevent particle contamination, especially in areas with high cleanliness requirements where costs are prohibitive.
A particle-resistant component was designed, comprising a rectangular area, a narrowed rectangular area, and a trapezoidal transition area, covering the U-side of the wafer carrier, combined with reinforcing ribs and rounded chamfers, and made of ABS-ESD7 material, to prevent particle contamination and provide antistatic and abrasion-resistant properties.
It effectively prevents particulate contamination, reduces the risk of wafer surface contamination, avoids high-cost enclosed environments or high cleanliness requirements, and improves the reliability of wafer processing and product quality.
Smart Images
Figure CN224139429U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor processing technology, and in particular to a particle-resistant component for a wafer carrier and a wafer carrier. Background Technology
[0002] In semiconductor cleanrooms, various types of wafer carriers are typically used to transport and process product wafers. Product wafers are loaded into wafer carriers for transport within the cleanroom and placed on workbenches for processing by the appropriate equipment. Different shaped wafer carriers are suitable for different equipment applications; one type of general-purpose wafer carrier is widely used in 6 / 8-inch wafer semiconductor cleanrooms.
[0003] A typical wafer carrier consists of two main parts: the U-side and the H-side. When a semiconductor product is placed in the wafer carrier, the front side of the product usually faces the U-side, while the back side faces the H-side. During processing, the U-side of the wafer carrier typically faces upwards. However, because tiny particles may still be present in the wafer fabrication room, these particles can easily fall onto the U-side and adhere to the surface of the wafer to be processed, leading to increased particle contamination. This can cause product quality issues and even lead to fatal defects on the wafer.
[0004] To reduce particulate contamination, a closed working environment or an upgraded cleanroom cleanliness level is typically required. However, constructing a completely closed working environment or further upgrading the cleanroom significantly increases manufacturing costs. Furthermore, this costly solution is not suitable for all equipment areas; therefore, particulate contamination is difficult to completely avoid in some equipment or areas, potentially leading to increased product defect rates. Utility Model Content
[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a particle-resistant component for a wafer carrier and a wafer carrier itself, thereby solving the technical problem of particle contamination of wafers on a wafer carrier.
[0006] The first embodiment of this utility model discloses a particle-resistant component for a wafer carrier, wherein the particle-resistant component is a sheet material, comprising:
[0007] First rectangular region;
[0008] A second rectangular region with a narrower width is located on one side of the length direction of the first rectangular region;
[0009] The trapezoidal transition area between the first rectangular region and the second rectangular region.
[0010] The particulate-proof component according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a reinforcing rib located on one side.
[0011] According to the first embodiment of the particle-resistant component of this utility model, the reinforcing rib is cross-shaped.
[0012] The particle-resistant component according to the first embodiment of this utility model is formed by 3D printing or cutting of rigid sheet.
[0013] According to the first embodiment of the present invention, the anti-particle component is made of ABS-ESD7.
[0014] According to the first embodiment of the particle-resistant component of the present invention, the two corners of the first rectangular region away from the trapezoidal transition region have rounded chamfers;
[0015] The two corners of the second rectangular region away from the trapezoidal transition region have rounded chamfers.
[0016] The second embodiment of this utility model discloses a wafer carrier, including: a particle-resistant component according to the first embodiment of this utility model.
[0017] The main differences and effects of this utility model embodiment compared with the prior art are as follows:
[0018] In this invention, there is a first rectangular region; a second rectangular region narrowing in width on one side along the length of the first rectangular region; and a trapezoidal transition region between the first and second rectangular regions. The first rectangular region and the trapezoidal transition region closely conform to the shape of the wafer carrier's accommodating space, positioned on top of the U-shaped surface to prevent particle contamination of the wafer within the accommodating space, and are themselves not misidentified as wafer products by equipment. The second rectangular region also covers the support plate area of the wafer carrier, making the covered area larger than the wafer product but not larger than the wafer carrier, thus improving particle protection performance.
[0019] In this invention, the particle-repellent component includes reinforcing ribs on one side to prevent deformation of the component and thus maintain its particle-repellent performance.
[0020] In this invention, the first rectangular area and the second rectangular area have rounded chamfers to prevent chipping upon impact.
[0021] In this invention, the anti-particle component is made of ABS-ESD7, which provides antistatic and wear-resistant properties. Attached Figure Description
[0022] Figure 1 A view of a wafer carrier according to an embodiment of this application is shown.
[0023] Figure 2 A view of one side of the particulate-resistant component according to an embodiment of this application is shown.
[0024] Figure 3A schematic diagram showing an anti-particle component installed on a wafer carrier according to an embodiment of this application is illustrated.
[0025] Figure 4 Another schematic diagram shows an anti-particle component installed on a wafer carrier according to an embodiment of this application.
[0026] Figure 5 A view of one side of a particle-resistant component with reinforcing ribs according to an embodiment of this application is shown.
[0027] Figure 6 A view showing one face of a chamfered particle-resistant component according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation
[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0029] The wafer carrier according to the embodiments of this application is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the wafer carrier 100 includes a receiving space 101, a support plate 102a, and a support plate 102b. The receiving space 101 is used to receive the wafer, and the support plates 102a and 102b are used to support the wafer carrier 100. The wafer carrier 100 has two surfaces parallel to the wafer, namely a U-face 103 and an H-face 104. When the wafer is placed in the wafer carrier 100, the front side of the wafer typically faces the U-face 103, while the back side faces the H-face 104. Tiny particles in the workshop can easily fall onto the U-face 103, causing wafer contamination.
[0030] To address the above technical problems, embodiments of this application provide a particle-resistant component for a wafer carrier. This particle-resistant component is a substrate. Figure 2 The diagram shows a view of one side of a particle-repellent component according to an embodiment of the present invention. The particle-repellent component 200 includes: a first rectangular region 201; a second rectangular region 202 whose width narrows on one side along the length of the first rectangular region; and a trapezoidal transition region 203 between the first and second rectangular regions.
[0031] The particle protection component 200 can be mounted on the U-side 103 of the wafer carrier 100, such as... Figure 3 As shown. At that time, the first rectangular region 201 and the trapezoidal transition region 203 cover the receiving space 101 of the wafer carrier on the U-face 103; the second rectangular region 202 covers the support plate 102a and support plate 102b regions on the U-face 103. In practice, the U-face 103 of the wafer carrier 100 is usually facing upwards, as shown. Figure 4As shown. In this scenario, the first rectangular region 201 and the trapezoidal transition region 203 can closely conform to the shape of the receiving space of the wafer carrier 100 and be placed on top of the U-face 103 to prevent particles from falling into the wafer 401 in the receiving space and causing contamination. Furthermore, the particle-resistant component 200 itself will not be mistakenly identified as a wafer product by the equipment. The second rectangular region 202 can also cover the support plate area of the wafer carrier, making the shielding area larger than the wafer product but not larger than the wafer carrier, thus improving particle-resistant performance.
[0032] The particle-resistant component according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a reinforcing rib located on one side. As a preferred embodiment, the reinforcing rib may be cross-shaped. For example, as... Figure 5 As shown, the particle-resistant component 500 includes: a first rectangular region 501; a second rectangular region 502, narrowing in width on one side of the first rectangular region along its length; a trapezoidal transition region 503 between the first and second rectangular regions; and a cross-shaped reinforcing rib 504. The cross-shaped reinforcing rib 504 extends laterally within the first rectangular region 501 in the width direction (shape 504a) and longitudinally across the first rectangular region 501, the trapezoidal transition region 503, and the second rectangular region 502 in the length direction (shape 504b).
[0033] In this invention, the particle-repellent component includes reinforcing ribs on one side to prevent deformation of the component and thus maintain its particle-repellent performance.
[0034] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the anti-particle component has rounded chamfers at the two corners of the first rectangular region away from the trapezoidal transition region; and rounded chamfers at the two corners of the second rectangular region away from the trapezoidal transition region. For example, as... Figure 6 As shown, the first rectangular region 601 has rounded chamfers 601a and 601b; the second rectangular region 602 has rounded chamfers 602a and 602b.
[0035] In this invention, the first rectangular area and the second rectangular area have rounded chamfers to prevent chipping upon impact.
[0036] The particle-resistant component according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed by 3D printing or cutting of a rigid plate.
[0037] The particulate-proof component according to an embodiment of the present invention is made of ABS-ESD7.
[0038] In this invention, the anti-particle component is made of ABS-ESD7, which provides antistatic and wear-resistant properties.
[0039] The second embodiment of this utility model discloses a wafer carrier, including: a particle-resistant component according to an embodiment of this utility model.
[0040] It is understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely for illustrative purposes and not for limiting the scope of this application. Furthermore, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to this application, and not all of the structures or processes. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in this specification denote similar items in the accompanying drawings.
[0041] It should be understood that although the terms "first," "second," etc., may be used herein to describe various features, these features should not be limited by these terms. The use of these terms is merely for distinction and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, a first feature may be referred to as a second feature, and similarly, a second feature may be referred to as a first feature.
[0042] The illustrative embodiments of this application include, but are not limited to, anti-particle components for wafer carriers and wafer carriers.
[0043] Various aspects of the illustrative embodiments will be described using terminology commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey the essence of their work to others skilled in the art. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that some alternative embodiments will be practiced using the features partially described. Specific figures and configurations are set forth for purposes of explanation in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the illustrative embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that alternative embodiments may be practiced without specific details. In some other instances, well-known features have been omitted or simplified herein to avoid obscuring the illustrative embodiments of this application.
[0044] References to "embodiments," "illustrative embodiments," etc., in this specification indicate that the described embodiments may include specific features, structures, or properties; however, each embodiment may or may not necessarily include specific features, structures, or properties. Furthermore, these phrases are not necessarily directed at the same embodiment. Additionally, when specific features are described in conjunction with specific embodiments, the knowledge of those skilled in the art can influence the combination of these features with other embodiments, whether or not those embodiments are explicitly described.
[0045] Unless the context otherwise specifies, the terms “comprising,” “having,” and “including” are synonyms. The phrase “A and / or B” means “(A), (B), or (A and B).”
[0046] In the accompanying drawings, some structures may be shown in a specific arrangement and / or order. However, it should be understood that such a specific arrangement and / or order is not necessary. Rather, in some embodiments, these features may be illustrated in a manner and / or order different from that shown in the illustrative drawings. Furthermore, the structures included in a particular drawing do not mean that all embodiments need to include such features; in some embodiments, these features may not be included or may be combined with other features.
[0047] The embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the use of the technical solutions of this application is not limited to the various applications mentioned in the embodiments of this application. Various structures and modifications can be easily implemented with reference to the technical solutions of this application to achieve the various beneficial effects mentioned herein. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, all changes made without departing from the spirit of this application should be considered within the scope of this patent application.
Claims
1. A particle prevention member of a wafer carrier, characterized by, The particle-resistant component is a sheet material, including: First rectangular region; A second rectangular region with a narrower width is located on one side of the length direction of the first rectangular region; The trapezoidal transition area between the first rectangular region and the second rectangular region.
2. The anti-particle component of claim 1, wherein Includes reinforcing ribs located on one side.
3. The anti-particle component of claim 2, wherein, The reinforcing ribs are cross-shaped.
4. The anti-particle component of claim 3, wherein, Formed by 3D printing or cutting of rigid sheets.
5. The anti-particle component of claim 4, wherein, The material is ABS-ESD7.
6. The anti-particle component of claim 1, wherein, The two corners of the first rectangular region that are away from the trapezoidal transition region have rounded chamfers. The two corners of the second rectangular region away from the trapezoidal transition region have rounded chamfers.
7. A wafer carrier, comprising: include: The particulate-proof component according to any one of claims 1-6.