Substrate lifting mechanism, cooling module and substrate transfer chamber
By designing a substrate lifting mechanism and cooling module in semiconductor process equipment and utilizing the corrugated pipe assembly in the chamber wall holes, the space utilization of the equipment is optimized, solving the problem of increased equipment footprint and achieving compact layout and efficient production.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- YANWEI (JIANGSU) SEMICON TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-06-13
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-29
AI Technical Summary
As substrate size increases and process complexity rises, existing semiconductor process equipment occupies more floor space, resulting in a non-compact layout and low space utilization in semiconductor manufacturing production lines.
Design a substrate lifting mechanism, including a lifting unit and a transmission assembly, with a bellows assembly located inside the chamber wall hole. Combined with a cooling module and a substrate transfer chamber, it optimizes equipment space utilization and enhances reliability and durability through integrated design.
It reduces the space occupied by process equipment, improves space utilization, realizes compact layout and optimized integration of semiconductor manufacturing production lines, and enhances the reliability and durability of equipment.
Smart Images
Figure CN224306273U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a substrate lifting mechanism, a cooling module, and a substrate transfer chamber. Background Technology
[0002] To improve the processing speed of substrates, existing technologies often employ substrate processing systems that integrate a front-end transfer module, a load lock, a transfer chamber, and a processing chamber.
[0003] In the existing technology, as the substrate size continues to increase and the process complexity increases, the existing substrate process equipment, while meeting the requirements of efficient production and precision processing, also increases its footprint. Semiconductor manufacturing production lines urgently need compact layout and optimized integration. Utility Model Content
[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a substrate lifting mechanism, a cooling module, and a substrate transfer chamber, which are used to reduce the overall space occupied by semiconductor process equipment.
[0005] In a first aspect, this utility model provides a substrate lifting mechanism that can be installed in a cavity, the cavity including a wall having a wall hole penetrating the wall, characterized in that it includes: a lifting unit and a transmission assembly; the transmission assembly includes a top cover, a mounting plate, a lifting shaft, and a bellows assembly; the mounting plate is connected to the wall, the mounting plate has a through hole penetrating the mounting plate, and the lifting shaft passes through the through hole; the top end of the lifting shaft is connected to the top cover; one end of the bellows assembly is fixedly connected to the top cover, and the other end of the bellows assembly is fixedly connected to the mounting plate; the lifting unit is connected to the top cover; after the substrate lifting mechanism is installed in the wall, at least a portion of the bellows assembly is located within the wall hole.
[0006] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: This utility model arranges at least part of the corrugated pipe assembly in the wall hole that penetrates the chamber wall, making full use of part of the space of the chamber wall, which is conducive to reducing the overall space occupation of the process equipment, improving space utilization, and facilitating the compact layout and optimized integration of semiconductor manufacturing production lines.
[0007] Optionally, the top cover, the bellows assembly, the mounting plate, and the lifting shaft are integrated into one unit. The advantage of this is that the integrated design of the top cover, bellows assembly, and mounting plate simplifies the overall structure of the substrate lifting mechanism and optimizes the efficiency of the equipment during actual assembly. This results in tighter and more stable connections between components, reducing the errors and loosening risks that may arise from assembling independent components, thereby enhancing the reliability and durability of the entire lifting system.
[0008] Optionally, it also includes a first protective shell and a second protective shell; the first protective shell is fixed relative to the top cover; the second protective shell is fixed relative to the mounting plate; the first protective shell and the second protective shell are coaxially sleeved on the outside of the bellows assembly. The beneficial effect is that the coaxial sleeved arrangement of the first and second protective shells on the outside of the bellows assembly effectively prevents impurities in the chamber from contacting the bellows, avoiding the bellows from sticking to impurities or being damaged due to corrosion, thus extending the service life of the bellows and improving the reliability of the chamber seal.
[0009] Optionally, the lifting unit includes a lifting member and several supporting members; the lifting member is C-shaped; the several supporting members are distributed along the inner periphery of the lifting member to support the substrate.
[0010] Optionally, the drive unit further includes a linear driver; the linear driver is connected to the bottom end of the lifting shaft, and the linear driver is used to drive the lifting shaft, the top cover and the lifting unit to rise or fall together.
[0011] Optionally, the corrugated pipe assembly includes at least one corrugated pipe section; when the corrugated pipe is configured to have at least two sections, a guide ring is provided between adjacent corrugated pipe sections; the guide ring is coaxially arranged with the corrugated pipe.
[0012] Optionally, the lifting member has mounting holes on its periphery; the distal end of the support member is connected to the lifting member through the mounting holes; the lifting unit also includes a locking member; the locking member passes through the lifting member and abuts against the distal end of the support member.
[0013] Optionally, the support member is provided with a first guide surface, a second guide surface, and a bearing surface in sequence from the distal end to the proximal end; the bearing surface is horizontally arranged and is used to support the bottom edge of the substrate; the first guide surface is parallel to the vertical direction and is used to prevent the substrate from moving away from the bearing surface; the second guide surface of each of the plurality of support members is located on the same inverted conical surface, so as to allow the substrate to slide towards the bearing surface due to its own weight.
[0014] Optionally, the support is made of quartz.
[0015] Optionally, the linear actuator is configured as an electric cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder to provide thrust or pull force for movement along the lifting shaft.
[0016] Secondly, the present invention provides a cooling module, including the lifting mechanism and cooling unit as described in any one of the first aspects; the cooling unit is disposed on the bottom side of the lifting unit.
[0017] Thirdly, the present invention provides a substrate transfer chamber, including a top wall, a bottom wall opposite to the top wall, and a side wall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall; the bottom wall includes a bottom wall body and a lifting wall portion, the upper surface of the lifting wall portion being closer to the top wall than the upper surface of the bottom wall body; the substrate transfer chamber further includes a substrate lifting mechanism and at least one cooling unit; the substrate lifting mechanism is mounted on the lifting wall portion, and the at least one cooling unit is mounted on the upper surface of the lifting wall portion; the substrate lifting mechanism is configured to lift the substrate from the cooling unit or place the substrate in the cooling unit; the cooling unit is configured to cool the substrate.
[0018] Optionally, the substrate lifting mechanism is the substrate lifting mechanism described in any one of the first aspects; the sidewall is configured as a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a connecting sidewall; the connecting sidewall is disposed between the first sidewall and the second sidewall; the first sidewall is used to dock with the loading chamber; the wall hole extends longitudinally through the lifting wall.
[0019] Optionally, the lifting wall portion further includes a vertical surface perpendicular to the bottom wall body; the top of the vertical surface is connected to the upper surface of the lifting wall portion; the bottom of the vertical surface is connected to the upper surface of the bottom wall body; the vertical surface, the upper surface of the bottom wall body, and the second side wall form a clearance space; when the robot arm loads the substrate, the robot arm and the substrate are the moving ends, and the lifting wall and the second side wall are the fixed ends; there is always a gap between the moving ends and the fixed ends.
[0020] Optionally, the connecting sidewall may be detachably connected to an observation window.
[0021] Optionally, the cooling unit is configured as a cooling platform, and the cooling platform has a cooling channel on its inner side; the cooling channel contains a cooling medium; the cooling platform also has a relief groove on its periphery, and the relief groove is configured to correspond one-to-one with the support member; the relief groove is used to accommodate the support member when the bottom end face of the substrate contacts the top end face of the cooling platform. Attached Figure Description
[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a substrate lifting mechanism provided by the present invention;
[0023] Figure 2A schematic diagram of a substrate lifting mechanism installed in a substrate transfer chamber provided by this utility model;
[0024] Figure 3 Provided by this utility model Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure at point A;
[0025] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the cooling unit and lifting component provided by this utility model;
[0026] Figure 5 Provided by this utility model Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure at point B;
[0027] Figure 6 This is a top view schematic diagram of a partial structure of a substrate transfer system including a substrate transfer chamber provided by this utility model.
[0028] Numbering on the map:
[0029] 1. Lifting unit; 2. Transmission assembly; 4. Substrate; 6. Cooling unit; 7. Robotic arm; 9. Process chamber;
[0030] 110. Lifting component; 111. Mounting hole; 112. Locking component; 120. Support component; 121. First guide surface; 122. Second guide surface; 123. Bearing surface;
[0031] 201. Mounting plate; 202. Lifting shaft; 203. Linear actuator; 204. Top cover; 211. First bellows; 212. Second bellows; 213. Third bellows; 221. First guide ring; 222. Second guide ring; 23. First sealing ring;
[0032] 301. First protective shell; 302. Second protective shell;
[0033] 501. First sidewall; 502. Second sidewall; 503. Connecting sidewall; 504. Top wall; 505. Main body of bottom wall; 506. Lifting wall section; 507. Clearance space; 508. Observation window; 509. In-situ rotating area with plate; 515. Elevation; 516. Installation steps; 52. Wall hole; 53. Opening; 54. Through hole;
[0034] 601 Cooling channel; 602 Contact part; 603 Second sealing ring; 604 Clearance groove; 701 Base rotating shaft; 801 First loading chamber; 802 Second loading chamber. Detailed Implementation
[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model. Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein should have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this utility model pertains. The terms "comprising" and similar expressions used herein mean that the element or object preceding the word covers the element or object listed following the word and its equivalents, but does not exclude other elements or objects.
[0036] In response to the problems existing in the current technology, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the first embodiment provides a substrate lifting mechanism, including a lifting unit 1 and a transmission assembly 2. The lifting unit 1 is disposed on the top side of the transmission assembly 2 and is used to pick up a substrate 4 from a robot arm 7 or to lift the substrate 4 for unloading onto the robot arm 7. The transmission assembly 2 includes a top cover 204, a mounting plate 201, a lifting shaft 202, and a bellows assembly. The mounting plate 201 is detachably connected to the chamber wall. The mounting plate 201 has a through hole 54 that extends longitudinally through the mounting plate 201. The lifting shaft 202 passes through the through hole 54. The top end of the lifting shaft 202 is fixedly connected to the top cover 204. The top cover 204 is fixedly connected to the lifting unit 1. More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the upper surface of the top cover 204 is fixedly connected to the lifting unit 1. At least a portion of the bellows assembly is disposed within a wall hole 52 that penetrates the chamber wall. The bellows assembly is fixedly connected between the top cover 204 and the mounting plate 201 to isolate the lifting shaft 202 located inside the bellows assembly from the space located outside the bellows assembly.
[0037] In addition, a seal is provided between the mounting plate 201 and the chamber wall. This seal is used to seal the mounting plate 201 and the chamber wall. The aforementioned bellows assembly and seal achieve a seal on the wall hole 52.
[0038] It is worth noting that in this embodiment, at least a portion of the bellows assembly is housed within the wall hole 52, which is located in the chamber wall and connects the inside and outside of the chamber. This arrangement fully utilizes part of the chamber wall space, which helps reduce the overall space occupation of the process equipment, improves space utilization, and facilitates the compact layout and optimized integration of semiconductor manufacturing production lines. One end of the bellows assembly is fixedly connected to the top cover 204, and the other end is fixedly connected to the mounting plate 201, which allows the lifting unit 1 to move up and down while ensuring isolation between the inside and outside of the chamber.
[0039] In some embodiments, the transmission assembly 2 further includes a linear actuator 203. The linear actuator 203 is connected to the bottom end of the lifting shaft 202. The linear actuator 203 is used to drive the lifting shaft 202, the top cover 204, and the lifting unit 1 to rise or fall together, while the bellows assembly moves synchronously in a telescopic motion. For example, the linear actuator 203 is configured as an electric cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder to provide a thrust or pull force to move along the axial direction of the lifting shaft 202.
[0040] In some embodiments, the "chamber wall" described above refers to the floor wall of the chamber. Related details can be found in the third embodiment described below, namely... Figure 2 and Figure 6 The corresponding implementation examples.
[0041] In other specific embodiments, the wall hole 52, top cover 204, mounting plate 201, lifting shaft 202, and bellows assembly are coaxially arranged. When the lifting shaft 202 moves relative to the mounting plate 201, it drives the top cover 204 and the lifting unit 1 to rise or fall together. During the rising process, the bellows assembly extends vertically, and during the falling process, the bellows assembly shortens vertically. It is worth noting that regardless of whether the bellows assembly is in the extended or shortened state, it maintains a fixed connection with the top cover 204 and the mounting plate 201, thus sealing the wall hole 52.
[0042] In some embodiments, the top cover 204, the bellows assembly, the mounting plate 201, and the lifting shaft 202 are integrally formed. The advantage of this is that the integrated design of the top cover 204, the bellows assembly, the mounting plate 201, and the lifting shaft 202 not only simplifies the overall structure of the substrate lifting mechanism but also optimizes the efficiency of the equipment during actual assembly. This results in tighter and more stable connections between components, reducing the errors and loosening risks that may arise from assembling independent components, thereby enhancing the reliability and durability of the entire lifting system.
[0043] Specifically, a precision casting process can be used to cast the top cover 204, bellows assembly, mounting plate 201, and lifting shaft 202 as a single unit. This method ensures a tight, seamless connection between the parts while improving the overall strength of the structure.
[0044] In other specific embodiments, the top cover 204, the corrugated pipe assembly, the mounting plate 201, and the lifting shaft 202 are first fabricated separately, and then these four components are firmly welded together by high-precision laser welding or argon arc welding to form an integrated structure.
[0045] In other embodiments, the top cover 204, the corrugated pipe assembly, the mounting plate 201, and the lifting shaft 202 are first processed separately, and then high-strength bolts are used to fix them together, and special industrial-grade adhesives are used to enhance the connection strength and sealing, ensuring integration while taking into account maintenance and disassembly needs.
[0046] In some embodiments, the top cover 204, the corrugated pipe assembly, the mounting plate 201, and the lifting shaft 202 can be integrated into a single part by injection molding.
[0047] In some embodiments, grooves or holes are pre-set on the mounting plate 201 and / or the top cover 204 to embed the corrugated pipe assembly and lock it with a special process such as riveting and buckling, making it an inseparable whole.
[0048] In some embodiments, the bellows assembly includes at least one bellows segment. When the bellows are configured with at least two segments, a guide ring is provided between adjacent bellows segments; the guide ring is coaxially arranged with the bellows. The upper end of the guide ring is fixedly connected to the lower end of the bellows located above it, and the lower end of the guide ring is fixedly connected to the upper end of the bellows located below it.
[0049] In some specific embodiments, the bellows assembly is set as a single bellows section. This configuration is compact and suitable for situations where the lifting distance of the lifting shaft 202 is small or the bellows itself has sufficient expansion and contraction performance.
[0050] In other specific embodiments, the bellows is configured as three segments from bottom to top. The bottom end of the first bellows 211 is fixedly connected to the mounting plate 201. A first guide ring 221 is provided between the first bellows 211 and the second bellows 212. The upper end of the first guide ring 221 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the second bellows 212, and the lower end of the first guide ring 221 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the first bellows 211. A second guide ring 222 is provided between the second bellows 212 and the third bellows 213. The lower end of the second guide ring 222 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the second bellows 212, and the upper end of the second guide ring 222 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the third bellows. The top end of the third bellows 213 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the top cover 204. When the lifting shaft 202 drives the top cover 204 to descend, the bellows assembly folds. This embodiment uses a guide ring to ensure that the bellows descends and folds in segments along its entire length, preventing irregular folds from causing excessive local pressure, fatigue, or wear that could lead to seal failure. In some embodiments, the guide ring can be slidably connected to the lifting shaft 202 to provide horizontal support for the bellows and prevent it from contacting the wall hole 52 or the lifting shaft 202. In still other specific embodiments, the mounting plate 201 and / or the top cover 204 has an annular protrusion on the side facing the bellows, with the side of the annular protrusion closest to the bellows fixedly connected to it. This arrangement facilitates welding of the bellows to the mounting plate 201 / top cover 204.
[0051] In some embodiments, the system further includes a first protective shell 301 and a second protective shell 302; the first protective shell 301 is fixed relative to the top cover 204. More specifically, the upper end of the first protective shell 301 is fixedly connected to the periphery of the top cover 204; the second protective shell 302 is fixed relative to the mounting plate 201. More specifically, the lower end of the second protective shell 302 is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the mounting plate 201; the first protective shell 301 and the second protective shell 302 are coaxially sleeved on the outside of the bellows assembly. The beneficial effect is that the coaxial sleeved arrangement of the first protective shell 301 and the second protective shell 302 on the outside of the bellows assembly effectively prevents impurities in the chamber from contacting the bellows, avoids impurities adhering to the bellows, helps extend the service life of the bellows, and improves the reliability of the chamber seal.
[0052] Specifically, there is always a gap between the first protective shell 301, the second protective shell 302, the lifting shaft 202, and the bellows assembly. This embodiment helps reduce wear on the bellows assembly and extends its service life. It is worth noting that the first protective shell 301 can be fitted over the second protective shell 302, or the second protective shell 302 can be fitted over the first protective shell 301. Preferably, the first protective shell 301 is fitted over the second protective shell 302.
[0053] Please refer to Figure 1In some embodiments, the lifting unit 1 includes a lifting member 110 and a plurality of supporting members 120; the lifting member 110 is C-shaped; the plurality of supporting members 120 are distributed along the inner periphery of the lifting member 110 for supporting the substrate 4. Specifically, the lifting member 110 is C-shaped with a central angle greater than 180°.
[0054] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in some specific embodiments, the lifting member 110 is provided with a mounting hole 111. The distal end of the support member 120 is connected to the lifting member 110 through the mounting hole 111; the lifting unit 1 also includes a locking member 112. The locking member 112 passes through the lifting member 110 and abuts against the distal end of the support member 120. The distal end of the support member 120 is configured such that when the substrate is placed on the support member 120, the end of the support member 120 is radially away from the center of the substrate, and the proximal end of the support member 120 is radially close to the center of the substrate.
[0055] In other specific embodiments, the locking member 112 is set as a countersunk bolt, and each support member 120 is provided with two countersunk bolts. When the two countersunk bolts are tightened, the lifting member 110 and the support member 120 are relatively fixed, and the top of the countersunk bolt is lower than the top of the lifting member 110, so as to avoid the countersunk bolt protruding out of the lifting member 110 and causing interference.
[0056] In some specific embodiments, the three supports 120 are evenly distributed circumferentially along the lifting member 110, and the distance from each support 120 to the center point is equal, so as to achieve stable and reliable support for the substrate 4. In still some specific embodiments, the support 120 can be configured as a support claw or a support pin.
[0057] In some embodiments, see Figure 5 The support member 120 is provided with a first guide surface 121, a second guide surface 122, and a bearing surface 123 sequentially from the distal end to the proximal end. The bearing surface 123 is horizontally arranged and is used to support the bottom end face of the substrate 4. The first guide surface 121 extends longitudinally and is used to initially guide the substrate 4. The second guide surfaces of multiple supports are all located on the same inverted conical surface, which is used to allow the substrate 4 to slide towards the bearing surface 123 due to its own weight, that is, to accurately guide and position the substrate 4. Specifically, the acute angle between the generatrix of the inverted conical surface and the horizontal plane is α, and α is set to 0°-90°. For example, α can be set to 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, or 75°.
[0058] Specifically, both the first guide surface 121 and the second guide surface 122 are arc-shaped surfaces, and the first guide surface 121 and the second guide surface 122 are adapted to the outer periphery of the substrate. The minimum inner diameter of the second guide surface 122 is larger than the outer diameter of the substrate 4. In some other specific embodiments, the support 120 is made of quartz to improve the high-temperature resistance of the support 120.
[0059] It is worth noting that the temperatures inside the processing chamber and on the substrate are relatively high during substrate processing. For example, in the epitaxial reaction, the surface temperature of the substrate approaches 700°C. When the epitaxial wafer (i.e., the substrate after thin film deposition) is transferred from the processing chamber to the transfer chamber and loading chamber, the surface temperature of the epitaxial wafer remains very high. Moisture in the air surrounding the epitaxial wafer can easily react on the surface of the epitaxial wafer, leading to a decrease in the quality of the epitaxial wafer.
[0060] To address the issue of excessively high surface temperature on the epitaxial wafer, such as... Figure 2 and Figure 6 As shown, the second embodiment provides a cooling module, including the lifting mechanism and cooling unit 6 described in the foregoing embodiments; the cooling unit 6 is disposed on the bottom side of the lifting unit 1. Specifically, the cooling unit 6 is configured as a cooling platform. The cooling platform is provided with a cooling channel 601. The cooling channel 601 contains a cooling medium.
[0061] A third embodiment provides a substrate transfer chamber including a top wall 504, a bottom wall opposite to the top wall 504, and a side wall extending between the top wall 504 and the bottom wall. The bottom wall includes a bottom wall body 505 and a lifting wall portion 506, the upper surface of which is closer to the top wall 504 than the upper surface of the bottom wall body 505. The bottom space of the lifting wall portion 506 is used to accommodate at least a portion of the linear actuator 203. The substrate transfer chamber also includes a cooling module, which includes a substrate lifting mechanism and at least one cooling unit 6. The substrate lifting mechanism is mounted on the lifting wall portion 506, and at least one cooling unit is mounted on the upper surface of the lifting wall portion 506. The substrate lifting mechanism is configured to lift the substrate 4 from the cooling unit 6 or place the substrate on the cooling unit 6. The cooling unit 6 is configured to cool the substrate 4.
[0062] Specifically, the top wall 504, bottom wall and side wall form a cavity, and the substrate lifting mechanism, robot arm 7 and cooling unit 6 are all located in the cavity; the cooling unit 6 is located on the bottom side of the lifting unit 1; when the substrate lifting mechanism is in the raised state, it is used to pick up the substrate 4 from the robot arm 7, or to load the substrate 4 onto the unloaded robot arm 7; when the substrate lifting mechanism is in the lowered state, it is used to place the substrate 4 onto the cooling unit 6.
[0063] In some embodiments, the substrate lifting mechanism is any of the substrate lifting mechanisms described in the foregoing embodiments.
[0064] In addition, a first sealing ring 23 (corresponding to the seal mentioned above) is provided between the mounting plate 201 and the lifting wall portion 506. See also Figure 3The upper surface of the mounting plate 201 abuts against the lower surface of the lifting wall portion 506. A groove is provided on the upper surface of the mounting plate 201, and a first sealing ring 23 is located within this groove. When the mounting plate 201 presses against the lifting wall portion 506, the first sealing ring 23 provides a seal between the mounting plate 201 and the lifting wall portion 506. In some specific embodiments, the mounting plate 201 can be mounted to the lifting wall portion 506 by tightening bolts around the bottom end of the wall hole 52.
[0065] In some embodiments, the sidewalls are configured as a first sidewall 501, a second sidewall 502, and a connecting sidewall 503; the connecting sidewall 503 is disposed between the first sidewall 501 and the second sidewall 502; the first sidewall 501 is used to dock with the loading chamber; the cooling unit 6 is disposed on the lifting wall portion 506 between the first sidewall 501 and the rotating shaft of the robot arm 7; the wall hole 52 extends longitudinally through the lifting wall portion 506.
[0066] Specifically, the cooling unit 6 is arranged in a disc shape, and the first guide surface 121, the second guide surface 122, and the cooling unit 6 are arranged along the same longitudinal axis, which is parallel to the extension direction of the lifting shaft 202. This embodiment ensures that the substrate 4 is placed in the center of the cooling stage, which is beneficial for efficient and uniform cooling of the substrate 4.
[0067] In other specific embodiments, the cooling platform is also provided with a clearance groove 604 on its periphery, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1 The clearance groove 604 is provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the support member 120; the clearance groove 604 is used to accommodate the support member 120 when the bottom end surface of the substrate 4 contacts the top end surface of the cooling platform.
[0068] In some specific embodiments, see Figure 4 The cooling unit 6 has a raised contact portion 602 at its top. Preferably, the contact portion 602 has an arc-shaped contact surface for direct contact with the bottom surface of the substrate 4. It is worth noting that the contact portion 602 can be configured as a ceramic bead embedded in the top of the cooling unit 6.
[0069] In some specific embodiments, the raised wall portion 506 located on the bottom side of the cooling unit 6 is provided with an installation step 516, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 2 A mounting step 516 surrounds an opening 53, which connects the interior and exterior of the chamber. A second sealing ring 603 is provided on the bottom outer edge of the cooling unit 6. The second sealing ring 603 surrounds the opening 53 and is used to fit the mounting step 516 to seal the opening 53. The opening 53 is used to accommodate a pipe connecting to the cooling channel 601. The aforementioned pipe connecting to the cooling channel 601 can dissipate heat outside the chamber through heat sinks or by contact with a cooling medium, thereby improving cooling efficiency.
[0070] In some specific embodiments, the substrate lifting mechanism is located between the first sidewall 501, the connecting sidewall 503, and the cooling unit 6.
[0071] In some specific embodiments, refer to Figure 6 At least one second sidewall 502 is used to dock with a process chamber 9, which is used to process the substrate 4, including but not limited to epitaxy, photolithography, ion implantation, etching, and cleaning processes. For example, two adjacent first sidewalls 501 are provided, two connecting sidewalls 503 are provided, and six second sidewalls 502 are provided. One first sidewall 501 is connected to a first loading chamber 801 for loading the substrate to be processed, and the other first sidewall 501 is connected to a second loading chamber 802 for loading the processed substrate. The two connecting sidewalls 503 are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the two adjacent first sidewalls 501. The second sidewalls 502 are docked with the process chambers 9. The number of process chambers 9 is less than or equal to the number of second sidewalls 502. It is worth noting that the above sidewalls can be symmetrically arranged.
[0072] In some embodiments, the connecting sidewall 503 is detachably connected to an observation window 508. It is worth noting that the transparent observation window 508 allows observation of the internal operating status of the chamber, and removing the observation window 508 facilitates maintenance of the internal structure. For example, when the substrate lifting mechanism is located near the connecting sidewall 503, the operator can maintain the substrate lifting mechanism after removing the observation window 508.
[0073] In some embodiments, the lifting wall portion 506 further includes a vertical surface 515 perpendicular to the bottom wall body 505; the top end of the vertical surface 515 is connected to the upper surface of the lifting wall portion 506. The bottom end of the vertical surface 515 is connected to the upper surface of the bottom wall body 505. The clearance space 507 is formed by at least the vertical surface 515, the bottom wall body 505, and the second side wall 502. It should be understood that the cavity includes the clearance space 507. The robot arm 7 is located within the clearance space 507. When the robot arm 7 is in place (i.e., in the Home position) with the substrate 4 loaded, the robot arm 7 and the substrate 4 are moving parts, and the vertical surface 515, the upper surface of the bottom wall body 505, and the second side wall 502 are fixed parts. There is always a gap between the moving parts and the fixed parts.
[0074] In this application, the in-situ strip rotation area 509 is the space required for the robot arm 7 to carry the substrate 4 and rotate around the base rotation axis 701 of the robot arm 7 once in the retracted state (i.e., when the robot arm is in the Home position).
[0075] In some embodiments, the clearance space 507 includes an in-situ strip rotation area 509, and the shortest distance from the outline of the in-situ strip rotation area 509 to the inner wall of the clearance space 507 is D, where D is 8-12 mm. Specifically, D is 8 mm, 10 mm, or 12 mm.
[0076] The shortest distance D is located at least between the base rotation axis 701 and the cooling unit 6. In some embodiments, the substrate transfer chamber has two cooling units 6. The shortest distance D is located within the angle region formed by the lines connecting the base rotation center (i.e., the location of the base rotation axis 701) and the centers of the two cooling units, respectively, towards the first sidewall 501 (i.e., towards the substrate 4 loading / unloading direction). This arrangement makes the overall structure of the substrate transfer chamber more compact. In other embodiments, the shortest distance D is located on the line connecting the base rotation center and the center of the cooling unit 6. In still other embodiments, the shortest distance D is located in the region between two tangent lines passing through the base rotation center and tangent to the cooling stage in the cooling unit 6.
[0077] Preferably, each cooling unit 6 is externally tangent to the clearance space 507. In this embodiment, by having the cooling units 6 externally tangent to the clearance space 507, the overall structure of the substrate transfer cavity is made more compact while avoiding interference between the cooling units 6 and the clearance space 507. At the same time, the stroke required for the robot to carry the substrate to the lifting mechanism is shortened, which helps to reduce the time required for the corresponding stroke and thus improves the throughput of the substrate transfer chamber.
[0078] Although the embodiments of this utility model have been described in detail above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to these embodiments. However, it should be understood that such modifications and variations fall within the scope and spirit of this utility model as described in the claims. Moreover, the utility model described herein may have other embodiments and can be implemented or realized in various ways.
Claims
1. A substrate lifting mechanism, capable of being installed in a chamber, the chamber including a wall having a wall hole penetrating the wall, characterized in that, include: Lifting unit and transmission components; The transmission assembly includes a top cover, a mounting plate, a lifting shaft, and a bellows assembly; the mounting plate is connected to the wall, the mounting plate has a through hole, the through hole penetrates the mounting plate, and the lifting shaft passes through the through hole; the top end of the lifting shaft is connected to the top cover; one end of the bellows assembly is fixedly connected to the top cover, and the other end of the bellows assembly is fixedly connected to the mounting plate; The lifting unit is connected to the top cover; After the substrate lifting mechanism is installed on the wall, at least a portion of the bellows assembly is located within the wall hole.
2. The mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top cover, the corrugated pipe assembly, the mounting plate, and the lifting shaft are integrated into one unit.
3. The mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a first protective shell and a second protective shell; The first protective shell is fixed relative to the top cover; the second protective shell is fixed relative to the mounting plate; the first protective shell and the second protective shell are coaxially sleeved on the outside of the bellows assembly.
4. The mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting unit includes a lifting component and several supporting components; The lifting member is C-shaped; the plurality of supporting members are distributed along the inner periphery of the lifting member to support the substrate.
5. The mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The corrugated pipe assembly includes at least one corrugated pipe section; when the corrugated pipe is configured to have at least two sections, a guide ring is provided between adjacent corrugated pipe sections; the guide ring is coaxially arranged with the corrugated pipe.
6. The mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The lifting member has mounting holes on its periphery; the distal end of the support member is connected to the lifting member through the mounting holes. The lifting unit also includes a locking member; the locking member passes through the lifting member and abuts against the distal end of the support member.
7. The mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The support member is provided with a first guide surface, a second guide surface, and a bearing surface in sequence from the distal end to the proximal end; The bearing surface is horizontally arranged and is used to support the bottom edge of the substrate; The first guide surface is parallel to the vertical direction; The second guide surface of each of the plurality of support members is located on the same inverted conical surface.
8. The mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The support is made of quartz.
9. A cooling module, characterized in that, Includes the lifting mechanism and cooling unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 8; The cooling unit is located on the bottom side of the lifting unit.
10. A substrate transport chamber, characterized in that, It includes a top wall, a bottom wall opposite to the top wall, and a side wall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall; The bottom wall includes a bottom wall body and a raised wall portion, wherein the upper surface of the raised wall portion is closer to the top wall than the upper surface of the bottom wall body; The substrate transfer chamber also includes a substrate lifting mechanism and at least one cooling unit; The substrate lifting mechanism is mounted on the lifting wall portion, and the at least one cooling unit is mounted on the upper surface of the lifting wall portion; The substrate lifting mechanism is configured to lift the substrate from the cooling unit or place the substrate in the cooling unit; The cooling unit is configured to cool the substrate.
11. The transmission chamber according to claim 10, characterized in that, The substrate lifting mechanism is the substrate lifting mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 8.