Wafer baking chamber and semiconductor equipment

Abstract

A wafer baking chamber and a semiconductor device are provided, a chamber body in the wafer baking chamber comprises a process chamber, a plurality of pedestals used for bearing wafers are arranged in the process chamber at intervals, and the plurality of pedestals are arranged in each process chamber, so that the wafer handling capacity of the process chamber is improved. Besides, a plurality of air inlets are arranged on the side wall of the process chamber and are communicated with the process chamber, and the extraction opening is communicated with the process chamber and is arranged at the bottom or the top of the process chamber, that is, the extraction opening and the plurality of air inlets are arranged at intervals. Therefore, the gas enters the process chamber from the side wall of the process chamber and is discharged from the bottom or the top of the process chamber, so that the gas can form directional flow in the process chamber, reaction byproducts can be discharged in time, and the baking quality and uniformity of wafers are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor equipment, and more particularly to a wafer baking chamber and semiconductor equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In chip manufacturing, etching plays a crucial role. Etching is primarily used to remove the oxide layer from the wafer surface, preparing it for subsequent processing steps. Based on actual production needs, etching processes are mainly divided into two categories: dry etching and wet etching. Dry etching utilizes chemical or physical reactions in the gas phase to remove the material surface, while wet etching uses chemical solutions to do so.

[0003] Dry etching systems typically consist of two main components: a reaction unit and a baking unit. The reaction unit, as the primary functional unit, introduces a specific proportion of a special gas and reacts with the wafer surface under specific temperature conditions. The baking unit, by setting temperature conditions and introducing an inert gas, allows unwanted dielectric materials on the wafer to evaporate after the reaction. To ensure the overall performance of the etching system, a baking unit with a capacity matching that of the reaction unit is required.

[0004] Currently, most baking equipment on the market adopts a single-chamber design, with each chamber only able to hold one wafer for baking. This single-chamber design limits the improvement of overall production efficiency and has low space utilization. Utility Model Content

[0005] The problem solved by this utility model embodiment is to provide a wafer baking chamber and semiconductor equipment for simultaneously accommodating multiple wafers for baking, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0006] To address the aforementioned problems, this utility model provides a wafer baking chamber, comprising: a cavity including a process chamber, wherein a plurality of bases for supporting wafers are spaced apart in the process chamber; an air inlet disposed on the side wall of the process chamber and communicating with the process chamber, wherein the number of air inlets is plurality; and an air extraction port communicating with the process chamber, wherein the air extraction port is disposed at the bottom or top of the process chamber.

[0007] Optionally, the air inlet is located at the top of each side wall, and the air outlet is located at the center of the bottom or top of the process chamber.

[0008] Optionally, the process chamber is triangular in shape, and the base is arranged in an equilateral triangle within the process chamber.

[0009] Optionally, the process chamber includes a first direction in a plane and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the bases are arranged in a matrix in the process chamber along the first and second directions; the number of air extraction ports is multiple, and the multiple air extraction ports are arranged along the second direction and located between adjacent bases.

[0010] Optionally, the air inlet is positioned between adjacent bases, and the air inlet is higher than the bases in the vertical direction.

[0011] Optionally, the process chamber is rectangular and the air inlets on opposite side walls are coaxially arranged.

[0012] Optionally, the process chamber has a wafer transfer port on its side wall in the first direction; the chamber includes: a cover plate, detachably disposed on the top of the process chamber; and an observation window, disposed on the side wall of the process chamber in the second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0013] Optionally, the cavity includes two process chambers, namely a top process chamber and a bottom process chamber, each process chamber being provided with a wafer transfer port; the wafer baking chamber further includes: an upper gate valve, disposed at the wafer transfer port of the top process chamber, for opening or closing the wafer transfer port; and a lower gate valve, disposed at the wafer transfer port of the bottom process chamber, for opening or closing the wafer transfer port.

[0014] Optionally, the process chamber is provided with a wafer transfer port on the side wall in the first direction; the cavity includes two process chambers, namely a top process chamber and a bottom process chamber; the wafer baking chamber further includes: a maintenance structure, which is detachably disposed in the bottom process chamber and located on the side wall of the bottom process chamber in the second direction.

[0015] Optionally, the wafer baking chamber further includes a partition structure for vertically separating the top process chamber and the bottom process chamber, and the partition structure has a heating unit.

[0016] Optionally, the maintenance structure includes: a fixed structure; an observation window disposed on the fixed structure; and an air inlet penetrating the fixed structure and spaced apart from the observation window in the first direction.

[0017] Optionally, in the vertical direction, the positions of the bases in the same process chamber are the same, and the positions of the air inlets on each side wall of the process chamber are the same.

[0018] This utility model embodiment also provides a semiconductor device, including: the wafer baking chamber, the process chamber having a wafer transfer port; a transfer device corresponding to the wafer transfer port, used to remove the baked wafer from the process chamber, or to place the wafer to be baked into the process chamber; and a negative pressure generating device, the negative pressure generating device being connected to the air extraction port of the process chamber through an air extraction channel.

[0019] Optionally, the cavity includes two process chambers, namely a top process chamber and a bottom process chamber; the number of negative pressure generating devices is two, and the exhaust ports of the top process chamber and the bottom process chamber are connected to different negative pressure generating devices; the wafer baking chamber further includes: an upper gate valve, disposed at the wafer transfer port of the top process chamber, for opening or closing the wafer transfer port; and a lower gate valve, disposed at the wafer transfer port of the bottom process chamber, for opening or closing the wafer transfer port.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of this utility model embodiment has the following advantages:

[0021] The wafer baking chamber provided in this embodiment includes a process chamber with multiple bases for supporting wafers spaced apart within it. By providing multiple bases in each process chamber, the wafer processing capacity of the process chamber is increased. Furthermore, multiple air inlets are located on the side wall of the process chamber and communicate with it. An exhaust port communicates with the process chamber and is located at the bottom or top of the process chamber. This arrangement of the exhaust port and multiple air inlets allows gas to enter the process chamber from the side wall and exit from the bottom or top, enabling directional gas flow within the process chamber. This facilitates the timely removal of reaction byproducts and improves the baking quality and uniformity of the wafers. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a vertical cross-sectional structural diagram of the first embodiment of the wafer baking chamber of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the horizontal cross-sectional structure of the first embodiment of the wafer baking chamber of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a horizontal cross-sectional structural diagram of another embodiment of the wafer baking chamber of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a horizontal cross-sectional structural diagram of some other embodiments of the wafer baking chamber of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a vertical cross-sectional structural diagram of the second embodiment of the wafer baking chamber of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a vertical cross-sectional structural diagram of the first embodiment of the semiconductor device of this utility model;

[0028] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure in direction A;

[0029] Figure 8 This is an isometric structural schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the semiconductor device of this utility model;

[0030] Figure 9 This is a vertical cross-sectional structural diagram of the second embodiment of the semiconductor device of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0031] As can be seen from the background technology, the single-chamber design of existing baking equipment limits the improvement of overall production efficiency and has low space utilization.

[0032] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the wafer baking chamber provided in this embodiment includes a process chamber with multiple bases for supporting wafers spaced apart within it. By providing multiple bases in each process chamber, the wafer processing capacity of the process chamber is increased. Furthermore, multiple air inlets are located on the side wall of the process chamber and communicate with it. An exhaust port communicates with the process chamber and is located at the bottom or top of the process chamber. This arrangement of the exhaust port and multiple air inlets allows gas to enter the process chamber from the side wall and exit from the bottom or top, enabling directional gas flow within the process chamber. This facilitates the timely removal of reaction byproducts and improves the baking quality and uniformity of the wafers.

[0033] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The first embodiment of the wafer baking chamber of this utility model includes: a cavity 100, including a process chamber 101, with a plurality of bases 102 for supporting wafers spaced apart in the process chamber 101; an air inlet 103, which is disposed on the side wall of the process chamber 101 and communicates with the process chamber 101, and there are a plurality of air inlets 103; and an air extraction port 104, which communicates with the process chamber 101 and is disposed at the bottom or top of the process chamber 101.

[0035] In the wafer baking chamber provided in this embodiment of the present invention, the cavity 100 includes a process chamber 101, and a plurality of bases 102 for supporting wafers are arranged at intervals in the process chamber 101. By providing a plurality of bases 102 in each process chamber 101, the wafer processing capacity of the process chamber 101 is increased. In addition, an air inlet 103 is provided on the side wall of the process chamber 101 and communicates with the process chamber 101. There are multiple air inlets 103. An air extraction port 104 communicates with the process chamber 101 and is provided at the bottom or top of the process chamber 101. That is, the air extraction port 104 and the plurality of air inlets 103 are arranged at intervals, so that gas enters the process chamber 101 from the side wall of the process chamber 101 and exits from the bottom or top of the process chamber 101. This allows the gas to form a directional flow in the process chamber 101, which is beneficial for timely removal of reaction by-products and improves the baking quality and uniformity of the wafers.

[0036] In this embodiment, the process chamber 101 includes a first direction X in the plane and a second direction Y perpendicular to the first direction X. The base 102 is arranged in a matrix in the process chamber 101 along the first direction X and the second direction Y.

[0037] The bases 102 are arranged in a matrix along the first direction X and the second direction Y in the process chamber 101, forming a regular and orderly airflow channel in the process chamber 101. With the coordination of the air inlet 103 and the air outlet 104, the gas enters the process chamber 101 from the air inlet 103 and is discharged from the air outlet 104 through the airflow channel between adjacent bases 102. Therefore, the uniformity and fluidity of the gas distribution in the process chamber 101 are ensured, which is conducive to timely discharge of reaction by-products and improves the baking quality and uniformity of the wafer.

[0038] In this embodiment, the cavity 100 is a cuboid. The cuboid is a regular geometric shape, and the use of a regular geometric shape provides a stable spatial structure for the stacking arrangement of the process chambers 101, realizing the alignment of the process chambers 101 in the first direction X and the second direction Y, thereby laying a structural foundation for the regular arrangement of functional components such as the air inlet 103 and the exhaust port.

[0039] In this embodiment, a heating wire is provided in the base 102. The heating wire, as a heating element, provides the required ambient temperature for wafer processing, ensuring the stability and reliability of the baking process, thus improving the wafer baking quality.

[0040] It should also be noted that a heat homogenizing layer (not shown in the figure) is provided on the surface of the base 102, which serves as the wafer support surface.

[0041] The uniform heat distribution layer on the base 102, in conjunction with the heating wire, achieves indirect heating of the wafer, avoiding direct contact between the wafer and the base 102. This results in more uniform heat conduction to the wafer, ensuring that the wafer is heated evenly during the baking process. Consequently, the baking quality of the wafer is improved, making the entire baking process more controllable and contributing to the improvement of wafer baking quality.

[0042] Specifically, the heat distribution layer is a silicon wafer. The heat distribution layer uses a silicon wafer design because silicon wafers and wafers have the same material properties, which can evenly transfer the heat generated by the heating wire of the base 102 to the wafer, thereby avoiding the problem of uneven heat distribution and making the entire baking process more controllable.

[0043] It should be noted that the heating wires in each base 102 can be independently controlled. This independent control of the heating wires in each base 102 allows for precise temperature adjustment of each base 102, ensuring a stable heat input for each wafer, guaranteeing temperature uniformity and controllability during the process, improving the reliability of the wafer baking process, and enabling multiple wafers to simultaneously achieve consistent heat treatment results, thus improving product yield and production efficiency.

[0044] The air inlet 103 is connected to the process chamber 101. During the wafer baking process, inert gas is supplied to the process chamber 101 through the air inlet 103, so that a stable process environment can be formed in the process chamber 101. The inert gas has stable chemical properties and will not react with the wafer surface. It can protect the wafer surface quality during high-temperature baking and help remove impurities generated during the process.

[0045] In this embodiment, the air inlet 103 is located at the top of each side wall, and the air outlet 104 is located at the center of the bottom or top of the process chamber 101.

[0046] The air inlet 103 is located at the center of each side wall, and the air outlet 104 is located at the center of the bottom or top of the process chamber 101, so that gas can enter the process chamber 101 from the center of the side wall and form a directional gas flow path converging from the periphery to the center within the process chamber 101 (e.g., Figure 2 (As shown by the dashed line in the middle), thereby ensuring the stability of the gas environment during the process, thus effectively improving the flow and distribution uniformity of the gas, enabling the entire baking system to provide a stable and controllable process environment for the wafer, which is conducive to improving the baking quality of the wafer.

[0047] In this embodiment, the process chamber 101 is rectangular, and the air inlets 103 on opposite side walls are coaxially arranged.

[0048] The process chamber 101 adopts a cuboid structure, with the air inlets 103 on opposite side walls arranged coaxially. This allows the gas to converge, collide, and disperse throughout the process chamber 101 after entering from both sides, thus forming a uniform and controllable airflow distribution within the process chamber 101. This ensures the fluidity and uniformity of gas distribution within the process chamber 101, thereby improving gas utilization efficiency and enabling timely removal of volatile byproducts from the process chamber 101, which is beneficial for improving the baking quality of the wafer.

[0049] In this embodiment, the air inlet 103 is positioned between adjacent bases 102, and the air inlet 103 is higher than the base 102 in the vertical direction.

[0050] Because the exhaust port 104 is located at the bottom or top of the process chamber 101, and the inlet port 103 is positioned between adjacent bases 102 and vertically higher than the bases 102, a stable airflow path is formed between the inlet port 103 and the exhaust port 104 during wafer baking. This guides the byproducts generated during wafer volatilization towards the exhaust port 104, making the wafer baking process more uniform and controllable, which is beneficial for improving wafer baking quality and production efficiency. Specifically, when the exhaust port 104 is located at the bottom of the process chamber 101, after the gas enters the process chamber 101 from the inlet port 103, it forms a uniform downward airflow under the action of gravity and converges towards the exhaust port 104.

[0051] As an example, the process chamber has a wafer transfer port 107, an exhaust port 104 is located at the bottom of the process chamber 101, and in the vertical direction, an air inlet 103 is located above the wafer transfer port 107.

[0052] In this embodiment, the wafer baking chamber further includes an air inlet pipe (not shown in the figure), which is connected to the air inlet 103. The air inlet pipe and the air inlet 103 are connected to form a gas delivery channel, thereby ensuring that the process gas can be stably and reliably delivered to the interior of the process chamber 101.

[0053] In this embodiment, the selection of the inlet pipe material needs to simultaneously meet requirements such as corrosion resistance, good airtightness, and high temperature resistance. This is because gas needs to be introduced during the baking process, and it is also necessary to ensure that the gas can form a stable directional flow path within the process chamber 101. The selection of the inlet pipe material directly affects the reliability and process effect of the wafer baking system. As an example, 316L stainless steel is used as the main structural material.

[0054] As an example, the connection between the intake pipe and the intake port 103 adopts a through-type structural design, specifically including a double sealing ring structure. The inner ring uses fluororubber as the primary seal, and the outer ring uses perfluoroether rubber as a backup seal. The connection between the intake pipe and the intake port 103 uses a standard flange-type sealing connection structure, achieving precise positioning through locating pins and fixing with evenly spaced bolts to ensure uniform distribution of sealing pressure. In other embodiments, the intake pipe and intake port can also adopt other connection methods.

[0055] In other embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, there are multiple air extraction ports 104a. These multiple air extraction ports 104a are arranged along the second direction Y and are also located between adjacent bases 102.

[0056] The number of extraction ports 104a is multiple, which improves extraction efficiency; in addition, the multiple extraction ports 104a are arranged along the second direction Y and located at the center of the first direction X, that is, the multiple extraction ports 104a cooperate with the air inlet 103a to generate a directional and symmetrical airflow path (e.g., Figure 3 (As shown by the dashed line in the middle), this makes the gas flow in the process chamber 101 more uniform and controllable, so that each base 102a position can obtain a stable gas environment, which is beneficial to improving the baking quality of the wafer.

[0057] In other embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the process chamber 101 is triangular in shape, and the base 102c is arranged in an equilateral triangle in the process chamber 101.

[0058] The three bases 102c in the triangular process chamber 101 are arranged in an equilateral triangle. Because the three side walls have air inlets 103c and the bottom has an exhaust port 104c, a highly efficient and uniform gas flow path is formed, improving gas utilization efficiency and facilitating the timely removal of volatile byproducts from the wafer from the process chamber 101. Furthermore, since there is only one exhaust port 104c, only one negative pressure generator needs to be connected to it, significantly reducing costs.

[0059] In this embodiment, a wafer transfer port 107 is provided on the side wall of the process chamber 101 in the first direction X. The wafer baking chamber includes a valve 108 disposed at the wafer transfer port 107 of the process chamber 101a, for opening or closing the wafer transfer port 107.

[0060] The cavity 100 includes: a cover plate 105, which is detachably disposed on the top of the process chamber 101; and an observation window (not shown in the figure), which is disposed on the side wall of the process chamber 101 in the second direction Y.

[0061] The observation window is used to monitor the internal status of the process chamber 101 in real time without affecting the airtightness of the process chamber 101. When an abnormality is observed and maintenance is required, the removable cover 105 provides a quick maintenance channel, which improves the maintainability of the equipment and the controllability of the process, making the entire baking process more reliable and efficient, and is conducive to improving wafer baking quality and production efficiency.

[0062] In this embodiment, the exhaust port 104 extends vertically. During the operation of the wafer baking chamber, the exhaust port 104 is connected to an external negative pressure generating device, causing gas to be extracted from the exhaust port 104.

[0063] In the wafer baking chamber, the exhaust port 104 is used to connect to an external negative pressure generating device, so that gas is extracted from the exhaust port 104. The exhaust port 104 extends vertically and forms a stable directional gas flow path with the air inlet 103, so that the gas environment in each process chamber 101 is kept consistent. Therefore, the gas flow and distribution uniformity are effectively improved, and volatiles are discharged in time. This allows the entire baking system to provide a stable and controllable process environment for baking multiple wafers at the same time.

[0064] refer to Figure 5 This utility model also proposes a second embodiment of the wafer baking chamber. The similarities with the first embodiment will not be repeated here, but the differences are as follows:

[0065] In this embodiment, the cavity 100 includes two process chambers 101, namely a top process chamber 101a and a bottom process chamber 101b.

[0066] The top process chamber 101a and bottom process chamber 101b arranged vertically improve space utilization, enabling higher production capacity within the same floor area. This ensures that if one process chamber 101 fails, the other process chamber 101 can continue to operate, thus improving the reliability and production continuity of the wafer baking chamber, resulting in higher production efficiency and stronger fault tolerance.

[0067] In this embodiment, the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b are aligned at both ends in the first direction X, and the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b are aligned at both ends in the second direction Y.

[0068] The alignment of the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b at both ends in the first direction X and the second direction Y facilitates that the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b have identical internal spatial structures, providing a consistent gas flow environment and the same heating conditions for the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b. This ensures the consistency and controllability of the wafer baking process in the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b, thus enabling the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b to maintain a stable processing environment simultaneously, which is beneficial to improving the consistency and yield of wafer baking.

[0069] In this embodiment, the process chamber 101 is provided with a wafer transfer port 107 (not shown in the figure). The wafer baking chamber includes: an upper gate valve 108a, which is provided at the wafer transfer port 107 in the top process chamber 101a, for opening or closing the wafer transfer port 107; and a lower gate valve 108b, which is provided at the wafer transfer port 107 in the bottom process chamber 101b, for opening or closing the wafer transfer port 107.

[0070] The top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b are respectively equipped with the upper gate valve 108a and the lower gate valve 108b. The independent gate valve design enables the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b to achieve a time-differential alternating wafer transfer working mode. Therefore, it can ensure the continuity and stability of the wafer baking process, which is conducive to reducing production costs and improving equipment utilization.

[0071] The cavity 100 includes: a cover plate 105, which is detachably disposed on the top of the top process chamber 101a; and an observation window (not shown in the figure), which is disposed on the side wall of the top process chamber 101a in the second direction Y.

[0072] The observation window is used to monitor the internal status of the top process chamber 101a in real time without affecting the airtightness of the top process chamber 101a. When an abnormality is observed and maintenance is required, the removable cover plate 105 provides a quick inspection channel, making the entire baking process more reliable and efficient, which is conducive to improving wafer baking quality and production efficiency.

[0073] In this embodiment, the bases 102 in the same process chamber 101 are positioned identically in the vertical direction, and the air inlets 103 on each side wall of the process chamber 101 are also positioned identically. This means that all bases 102 and air inlets 103 are at the same height. Therefore, when the wafer baking chamber is operating, the gas entering the process chamber 101 from the air inlets 103 settles to the same height on each wafer. This provides a uniform processing environment for the wafers, ensuring the uniformity and stability of the process, thus improving the consistency of wafer baking quality and increasing product yield. Furthermore, the uniform height of the bases 102 facilitates wafer loading and unloading operations by robotic arms, improving production efficiency.

[0074] In this embodiment, the wafer baking chamber further includes a partition structure 106 for isolating adjacent process chambers 101 in the vertical direction, and the partition structure 106 has a heating unit.

[0075] Adjacent process chambers 101 are isolated by a partition structure 106, ensuring complete independence of the process environment within each process chamber 101 and guaranteeing that each process chamber 101 can operate independently without interference. The partition structure 106 not only isolates the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b but also provides heat to them, resulting in a more uniform temperature environment within the top and bottom process chambers 101a and 101b, which is beneficial for improving wafer baking quality.

[0076] The wafer baking chamber also includes a maintenance structure (not shown in the figure), which is detachably disposed in the bottom process chamber 101b and located on the side wall of the bottom process chamber 101b in the second direction Y.

[0077] The maintenance structure facilitates maintenance of the bottom process chamber 101b, enabling maintenance operations to be performed without affecting the operation of the top process chamber 101. This improves the maintainability of the wafer baking chamber and reduces the impact on the upper process chamber 101 when maintaining the lower one, significantly enhancing the maintenance efficiency of the wafer baking chamber and ensuring its continuous and stable operation. Maintenance structures are also provided on the two sidewalls in the second direction Y, giving the process chamber 101 dual-sided maintenance capabilities and providing more flexible maintenance operation space.

[0078] In this embodiment, the maintenance structure is detachably mounted on the two side walls in the second direction Y.

[0079] The maintenance structure is detachably installed on the two side walls in the second direction Y, which improves the convenience and comprehensiveness of maintenance, reduces the difficulty of maintenance, and significantly improves maintenance efficiency, which is beneficial to the daily maintenance and troubleshooting of the wafer baking chamber.

[0080] In this embodiment, the maintenance structure includes: a fixed structure; an observation window disposed on the fixed structure; and an air inlet 103 that penetrates the fixed structure and is spaced apart from the observation window in the first direction X. The air inlet 103 is further away from the exhaust port 104 than the observation window.

[0081] The fixed structure provides a structural basis for fixing the maintenance structure to the bottom process chamber 101b on the Y-side wall in the second direction. The observation window is used to observe the internal condition of the bottom process chamber 101b in real time during the wafer baking process, which helps to detect abnormal conditions in the baking process in a timely manner, thereby ensuring the stability of the baking process. Therefore, it improves the reliability of the wafer baking chamber operation and helps to improve the quality of wafer baking.

[0082] As an example, the observation window employs a multi-layered structural design, consisting of a high-temperature resistant quartz glass window, double-layer sealing rings, and a stainless steel fixing frame, from the inside out. The quartz glass window utilizes a special anti-reflective treatment process, coating its surface with multiple layers of dielectric thin films to reduce light reflection loss and improve observation clarity. The double-layer sealing rings feature a labyrinthine design; the inner sealing ring primarily provides an airtight seal, while the outer sealing ring offers dust protection and secondary protection, significantly enhancing the overall sealing reliability. The stainless steel fixing frame employs a split design, with evenly distributed bolt preload ensuring stable sealing performance even at high temperatures, facilitating long-term reliable operation.

[0083] In this embodiment, the exhaust port 104 of the bottom process chamber 101 is located at the bottom of the bottom process chamber 101, and the exhaust port 104 of the top process chamber 101 is located at the top of the top process chamber 101. The exhaust ports 104 of the top process chamber 101 and the bottom process chamber 101 are respectively used to connect to different negative pressure generating devices, which is beneficial to the independent and precise control of the gas environment inside the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b, and is beneficial to improving the wafer baking quality of the wafer baking chamber.

[0084] refer to Figures 6 to 8 The present invention also provides a first embodiment of a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes: a wafer baking chamber, the process chamber 101 having a wafer transfer port 107; a transfer device (not shown in the figure), corresponding to the wafer transfer port 107, used to remove the baked wafer from the process chamber 101, or to place the wafer to be baked into the process chamber 101; and a negative pressure generating device 110, the negative pressure generating device 110 being connected to the air extraction port 104 of the process chamber 101 through an air extraction channel 109.

[0085] In the semiconductor equipment provided in this embodiment of the present invention, multiple wafer-carrying bases 102 are spaced apart in the process chamber 101 of the wafer baking chamber, which helps to increase the wafer throughput. The process chamber 101 is provided with a wafer transfer port 107, and a transfer device is used to achieve precise correspondence with the wafer transfer port 107, so that the baked wafers can be automatically removed from the process chamber 101, or the wafers to be baked can be placed into the process chamber 101, thus greatly improving production efficiency. Regarding the gas flow direction, there are multiple air inlets 103, and the exhaust port 104 is connected to the process chamber 101. The exhaust port 104 is located at the bottom or top of the process chamber 101. That is to say, the exhaust port 104 and multiple air inlets 103 are arranged alternately. Through the alternating arrangement of the air inlets 103 and the exhaust port 104, the gas can enter the process chamber 101 from the side wall and exit from the bottom or top of the process chamber 101. This allows the gas to form a directional flow within the process chamber 101, which is beneficial for timely removal of reaction byproducts and improves the baking quality and uniformity of the wafer.

[0086] It should be noted that the cavity 100 includes two process chambers 101, namely a top process chamber 101 and a bottom process chamber 101. There are two negative pressure generating devices. The exhaust ports 104 of the top process chamber 101 and the bottom process chamber 101 are connected to different negative pressure generating devices, which facilitates independent and precise control of the internal gas environment of the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b, and helps improve the wafer baking quality of the wafer baking chamber.

[0087] In this embodiment, the negative pressure generating device 110 is a molecular pump. The molecular pump can quickly evacuate the process chamber 101 to a high vacuum state, which can prevent impurities or moisture from adsorbing onto the wafer surface, thereby improving the purity and quality of the wafer.

[0088] In this embodiment, the conveying device is a three-axis robot. Through precise motion control in the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the vertical direction, the three-axis robot achieves automated wafer conveying and precise positioning. This improves the reliability and stability of wafer conveying between the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b. Furthermore, by implementing a conveying strategy with a time difference, it enhances the working efficiency of semiconductor equipment, thereby increasing overall production capacity and yield.

[0089] In this embodiment, the semiconductor device further includes a heating unit (not shown), disposed in the wafer baking chamber, for raising the temperature in the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b to the temperature environment required for wafer baking.

[0090] refer to Figure 9This utility model also provides a second embodiment of a semiconductor device. The similarities between this utility model and the first embodiment are not repeated here; the differences are as follows:

[0091] In this embodiment, the cavity 100 includes two process chambers 101, namely a top process chamber 101a and a bottom process chamber 101b; there are two negative pressure generating devices 110, and the air extraction port 104 of the top process chamber 101a and the air extraction port 104 of the bottom process chamber 101b are connected to different negative pressure generating devices 110.

[0092] The top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b are each equipped with an independent negative pressure generating device 110. When the valves of each process chamber 101 are closed, they ensure that the interior of the process chamber 101 is a sealed space, allowing the negative pressure generating device 110 to effectively create a vacuum environment within the process chamber 101. Simultaneously, the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b utilize a three-axis robotic arm to transfer wafers. The wafer handling actions of the two process chambers 101 are coordinated through a time difference, ensuring the orderly progress of the process. Furthermore, each process chamber 101 has an independent air inlet 103 and an exhaust outlet, which, in conjunction with their respective independent valve systems, ensures the uniformity and consistency of the gas environment.

[0093] The wafer baking chamber also includes: an upper gate valve 108a, which is disposed on the wafer transfer port 107 of the top process chamber 101a, for opening or closing the wafer transfer port 107; and a lower gate valve 108b, which is disposed on the wafer transfer port 107 of the bottom process chamber 101b, for opening or closing the wafer transfer port 107.

[0094] In this embodiment of the present invention, the specific workflow of the wafer baking chamber having two process chambers 101 is as follows: First, the upper gate valve 108a of the top process chamber 101a and the lower gate valve 108b of the bottom process chamber 101b are simultaneously closed, forming a sealed space inside both the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b; then, the evacuation port 104 is connected to an external molecular pump through the evacuation channel 109, so that the molecular pump evacuates the internal space of the process chamber 101 into a vacuum environment. Subsequently, inert gas is introduced into the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b through the inlet 103, so that the gas environment of the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b is consistent, while the heating unit of the entire chamber 100 heats the interior of the chamber 100 to the required temperature environment. During wafer baking, inert gases are chemically stable and do not react with the wafer surface. They can protect the wafer surface quality during high-temperature baking and help remove impurities generated during the process.

[0095] In this embodiment, the exhaust ports 104 of the bottom process chamber 101b and the top process chamber 101a are connected to different exhaust channels 109, making the exhaust channels 109 of the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b independent and unaffected by each other. Structurally, this avoids interference between the corresponding exhaust channels 109 of the bottom process chamber 101b and the top process chamber 101a, allowing the two process chambers 101 to form independent and stable gas flow paths. This ensures the uniformity and flowability of gas distribution within each chamber, thereby improving exhaust efficiency, making the process more stable and controllable, and contributing to improved wafer baking quality.

[0096] Once the internal environment of cavity 100 reaches a stable state, the upper gate valve 108a or the lower gate valve 108b is opened one cavity 100 at a time, regardless of the order of opening, thereby enabling wafer transfer via a three-axis robotic arm. Under normal operating conditions, the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b can accommodate a total of eight wafers for simultaneous baking. The robotic arm places two wafers onto the base 102 of one of the process chambers 101. It should be noted that the base 102 is equipped with heating wires; the wafers do not directly contact the base 102. A silicon wafer is placed above the base 102 as a heat homogenizing layer to indirectly heat the wafers, ensuring uniform heating during the baking process.

[0097] Once the wafer in a process chamber 101 has completed baking, the gate valve 108 of that process chamber 101 is first opened, and a robotic arm removes and transfers the wafer. The gate valve 108 is then closed until it is reopened for the next wafer insertion. For wafers baked in another process chamber 101, the robotic arm performs the same wafer removal procedure. This design allows the top process chamber 101a and the bottom process chamber 101b to operate completely independently without interference. If one process chamber 101 is not working, the other process chamber 101 can still continue operating.

[0098] During operation in the wafer baking chamber, the internal condition of the process chamber 101 can be monitored in real time through observation windows located on the two side walls in the second direction Y. When an abnormality occurs in the top process chamber 101a, the gas inside the process chamber 101 needs to be extracted through the upper vent 104 to break the vacuum environment, thereby opening the cover plate 105 to perform maintenance work inside the top process chamber 101a. Similarly, when an abnormality occurs in the bottom process chamber 101b, the gas inside the bottom process chamber 101b needs to be extracted through the lower vent 104 to break the vacuum environment, and then the maintenance structure needs to be removed before performing maintenance work inside the bottom process chamber 101b. It should be noted that the design of the maintenance structure allows for maintenance of the bottom process chamber 101b without affecting the top process chamber 101a, reducing the difficulty of maintenance.

[0099] While the present invention has been disclosed above, it is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention; therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A wafer baking chamber, characterized in that, include: The cavity includes a process chamber, in which multiple bases for supporting wafers are spaced apart, and a wafer transfer port is provided on the side wall of the process chamber in a first direction. An air inlet is disposed on the side wall of the process chamber and communicates with the process chamber; there are multiple air inlets; the process chamber is rectangular and the air inlets on opposite side walls are coaxially arranged. The air inlet is positioned between adjacent bases and is vertically higher than the bases, and is located above the wafer transfer port in the vertical direction; the exhaust port communicates with the process chamber and is located at the bottom or top of the process chamber.

2. The wafer baking chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The air inlet is located at the top of each side wall, and the air outlet is located at the center of the bottom or top of the process chamber.

3. The wafer baking chamber as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The process chamber is triangular in shape, and the base is arranged in an equilateral triangle within the process chamber.

4. The wafer baking chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The process chamber includes a first direction in the plane and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the base is arranged in a matrix in the process chamber along the first and second directions; The number of air extraction ports is multiple, and these multiple air extraction ports are arranged along the second direction and are also located between adjacent bases.

5. The wafer baking chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cavity includes: A cover plate is detachably mounted on top of the process chamber; An observation window is provided on the side wall of the process chamber in a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction.

6. The wafer baking chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cavity includes two process chambers, namely a top process chamber and a bottom process chamber, and each process chamber is provided with a wafer transfer port; The wafer baking chamber further includes: an upper door valve, which is disposed in the wafer transfer port of the top process chamber, for opening or closing the wafer transfer port; A lower gate valve is installed at the wafer transfer port in the bottom process chamber to open or close the wafer transfer port.

7. The wafer baking chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The process chamber is provided with a wafer transfer port on the side wall in the first direction; The cavity includes two process chambers, namely a top process chamber and a bottom process chamber; The wafer baking chamber further includes a maintenance structure, which is detachably disposed in the bottom process chamber and located on the side wall of the bottom process chamber in a second direction.

8. The wafer baking chamber as described in claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The wafer baking chamber also includes: A partition structure is provided to isolate the top process chamber and the bottom process chamber in the vertical direction, and the partition structure includes a heating unit.

9. The wafer baking chamber as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The maintenance structure includes: Fixed structure; An observation window is provided on the fixed structure; The air inlet penetrates the fixed structure and is spaced apart from the observation window in the first direction.

10. The wafer baking chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In the vertical direction, the bases in the same process chamber are in the same position, and the air inlets on each side wall of the process chamber are in the same position.

11. A semiconductor device, characterized in that, include: The wafer baking chamber as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the process chamber has a wafer transfer port; A conveying device, corresponding to the wafer conveying port, is used to remove the baked wafer from the process chamber or to place the wafer to be baked into the process chamber. A negative pressure generating device is connected to the air extraction port of the process chamber through an air extraction channel.

12. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that, The cavity includes two process chambers, namely a top process chamber and a bottom process chamber; The number of negative pressure generating devices is two, and the air extraction port of the top process chamber and the air extraction port of the bottom process chamber are connected to different negative pressure generating devices. The wafer baking chamber further includes: an upper gate valve, disposed at the wafer transfer port of the top process chamber, for opening or closing the wafer transfer port; and a lower gate valve, disposed at the wafer transfer port of the bottom process chamber, for opening or closing the wafer transfer port.

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