Support device and furnace tube

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and provides a support device and furnace tube. The support device includes: a support body, a connecting assembly, and a support member; the support body has a support cavity, and the connecting assembly is disposed within the support cavity; the support member is disposed on the connecting assembly, and the support member has a thin sheet structure with a support surface for supporting a wafer, the area of ​​which is at least greater than half the area of ​​the wafer to be supported. By improving the support device, the phenomenon of local thermal stress concentration on the wafer is mitigated, which helps to eliminate local stress damage to the wafer caused by thermal stress and improves the wafer yield.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a carrier device and furnace tube. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, furnace tubes are commonly used process equipment, such as in doping, oxidation, or vapor deposition processes.

[0003] Existing furnace tubes typically consist of a boat, a cap, and a tube body. The boat is mounted on the cap, and the lower end of the tube body is open. The boat carries the wafer through the open end of the tube body and enters the tube body. The cap then seals the open end of the tube body to form a sealed process cavity. The wafer undergoes furnace tube processing within the process cavity of the furnace tube.

[0004] During the furnace tube process, heating is usually required, and for some furnace tube processes, the heating temperature is above 1000℃.

[0005] With the continuous development of semiconductor technology, the size of wafers has increased from six inches to eight inches, and then to twelve inches. Current wafer boats typically have several support arms supporting the wafer from below. The contact area between these support arms and the bottom of the wafer is relatively small (approximately point contact). When large wafers are supported on these wafer boats, the pressure at the wafer support location is high. Combined with the high temperature of the furnace (above 1000℃), the temperature of the support arms is also high. The rapid heat conduction at the point where the support arms support the wafer leads to localized high temperatures at the contact point, resulting in localized thermal stress concentration. The Si-Si bonds at this location are more prone to breakage due to heat, leading to localized stress damage and ultimately affecting the wafer's product yield.

[0006] Therefore, this utility model provides a support device and a furnace tube, and by improving the support device, the phenomenon of local thermal stress concentration in wafers can be improved. Utility Model Content

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a support device and a furnace tube. By improving the support device, the phenomenon of local thermal stress concentration in wafers can be mitigated, which helps to eliminate local stress damage to wafers caused by thermal stress and improve wafer yield.

[0008] This utility model provides a bearing device, including: a bearing body, a connecting component, and a bearing element;

[0009] The supporting body has a supporting cavity, and the connecting component is disposed within the supporting cavity;

[0010] The carrier is disposed on the connecting assembly. The carrier has a thin sheet structure and a carrier surface for carrying a wafer. The area of ​​the carrier surface is at least half the area of ​​the wafer to be carried.

[0011] Optionally, the area of ​​the bearing surface is larger than the area of ​​the wafer to be supported.

[0012] Optionally, the support member is disc-shaped, with one end of the support member along its axial direction disposed on the connecting assembly, and the other end of the support member along its axial direction serving as the bearing surface.

[0013] Optionally, the thickness of the bearing member is 0.5mm to 5mm;

[0014] And / or, the material of the carrier is silicon carbide.

[0015] Optionally, the edge of the support member is provided with a clearance notch.

[0016] Optionally, multiple sets of the connecting components are arranged vertically within the bearing cavity, and each connecting component is provided with a bearing member. The bearing members are arranged vertically, and the bearing surface is perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0017] Optionally, the supporting body includes a first body, a second body, and a skeleton. The first body and the second body are arranged vertically. Multiple skeletons are provided and connected between the first body and the second body. Each skeleton is arranged circumferentially and surrounds the first body and the second body to form the supporting cavity. The connecting component is connected to the skeleton.

[0018] Optionally, the connecting assembly includes a plurality of connecting arms corresponding one-to-one with each of the skeletons. The connecting arms are connected to the skeletons and have a support position. The support positions of each connecting arm are coplanarly arranged and supported on one side of the carrier.

[0019] Optionally, when an avoidance notch is provided at the edge of the support member, the avoidance notch is located between two adjacent skeletons.

[0020] This utility model also provides a furnace tube, including the aforementioned support device.

[0021] With this configuration, the aforementioned carrier device supports the wafer through a carrier member. The upper surface of the carrier member serves as the carrier surface, and the wafer rests on the carrier surface. The larger carrier surface increases the contact area with the wafer, eliminating local overheating caused by excessively rapid local heat conduction. This improves the local thermal stress concentration phenomenon on the wafer, avoids local stress damage to the wafer caused by thermal stress, and improves the wafer yield. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a support device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 A partial top view of the supporting device according to an embodiment of this utility model. Figure 1 ;

[0024] Figure 3 A partial top view of the supporting device according to an embodiment of this utility model. Figure 2 ;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a partial side view of the supporting device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a carrier component according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] In the attached diagram:

[0028] 10-Bearing main body; 101-Bearing cavity; 11-First main body; 12-Second main body; 13-Skeleton;

[0029] 20 - Connecting component; 21 - Connecting arm; 211 - Support position;

[0030] 30 - Bearing component; 31 - Bearing surface; 32 - Clearance notch; 321 - First notch; 322 - Second notch; 323 - Third notch;

[0031] 40-chip;

[0032] 50 - Conveyor arm;

[0033] 60 - Open. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The supporting device and furnace tube proposed in this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The advantages and features of this utility model will become clearer from the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of this utility model.

[0035] As used in this invention, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural objects; the term “or” is generally used to mean “and / or”; the term “a number” is generally used to mean “at least one”; and the terms “at least two” or “more than” are generally used to mean “two or more”. Furthermore, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with “first,” “second,” or “third” may explicitly or implicitly include one or at least two of that feature. Furthermore, the terms "installed," "connected," and "attached," as used in this utility model, and the term "set" on one element from another, should be interpreted broadly. They generally only indicate a connection, coupling, cooperation, or transmission relationship between the two elements, which can be direct or indirect through an intermediate element. They should not be construed as indicating or implying a spatial positional relationship between the two elements, meaning one element can be located inside, outside, above, below, or to one side of the other element, unless otherwise explicitly stated. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances. Additionally, directional terms such as above, below, up, down, upward, downward, left, and right are used relative to exemplary embodiments as shown in the figures, with upward or up direction pointing towards the top of the corresponding figure, and downward or down direction pointing towards the bottom of the corresponding figure.

[0036] This embodiment provides a support device, including: a support body 10, a connecting component 20, and a support member 30;

[0037] The supporting body 10 has a supporting cavity 101, and the connecting component 20 is disposed in the supporting cavity 101;

[0038] The carrier 30 is disposed on the connecting assembly 20. The carrier 30 has a thin sheet structure and a carrier surface 31. The carrier surface 31 is used to carry the wafer 40. The area of ​​the carrier surface 31 is at least greater than half the area of ​​the wafer 40 to be carried.

[0039] Combination Figure 1 As shown, the upper surface of the carrier 30 is the carrier surface 31, and the wafer 40 is supported on the carrier surface 31. The larger carrier surface 31 increases the contact area with the wafer 40, eliminates the local overheating phenomenon caused by excessive local heat conduction, thereby improving the local thermal stress concentration phenomenon of the wafer, avoiding local stress damage to the wafer caused by thermal stress, and improving the wafer yield.

[0040] Combination Figures 1 to 3As shown, in this embodiment, the wafer 40 has a disk-shaped structure, so the carrier 30 is adapted to be a disk-shaped thin sheet structure, and one end of the carrier 30 along its axial direction ( Figure 1 The lower end of the middle) is disposed on the connecting assembly 20, and the other end of the bearing member 30 along its axial direction ( Figure 1 The upper end of the middle) serves as the bearing surface 31.

[0041] In this embodiment, the diameter of the carrier 30 is larger than the diameter of the wafer 40, making the area of ​​the carrier surface 31 larger than the area of ​​the wafer 40 to be carried. This ensures that when the wafer 40 is carried on the carrier surface 31, its lower surface adheres to the carrier surface 31. During the furnace tube process, when the furnace tube is heated, the heat from the carrier 30 is evenly conducted to the wafer 40, resulting in a more uniform thermal field distribution on the wafer 40 and preventing thermal stress damage caused by excessive local temperature differences.

[0042] In other alternative embodiments, the carrier 30 may be rectangular, hexagonal, or other shapes. The specific shape of the carrier 30 may be adjusted based on the actual shape of the wafer and the wafer's carrying requirements.

[0043] The existing support device has point contact with the wafer 40, with a contact area of ​​approximately 2 square centimeters. The force exerted on the wafer at the contact point is 1.2 N, resulting in a pressure of 6000 Pa on the wafer at its support position. With the support device of this invention, the contact area between the wafer and the support 30 is approximately 565 square centimeters, thus reducing the pressure on the wafer to 21 Pa. This significantly reduces the localized pressure on the wafer and mitigates deformation and damage caused by excessive localized pressure.

[0044] Combination Figure 1 As shown, the supporting body 10 includes a first body 11, a second body 12, and a frame 13.

[0045] The outer contour of the supporting body 10 is a vertical cylindrical structure. Therefore, the first body 11 and the second body 12 are both disc-shaped, and the diameters of the first body 11 and the second body 12 are larger than the diameter of the supporting member 30.

[0046] The first body 11 and the second body 12 are arranged vertically, with the central axis of the first body 11 and the second body 12 extending vertically, and the first body 11 and the second body 12 are coaxially arranged.

[0047] Four skeletons 13 are provided and connected between the first body 11 and the second body 12. Each skeleton 13 is arranged circumferentially and surrounds the first body 11 and the second body 12 to form a cylindrical bearing cavity 101. The diameter of the bearing cavity 101 formed by each skeleton 13 is larger than the diameter of the bearing member 30. The connecting assembly 20 is connected to the skeleton 13.

[0048] In this embodiment, the skeleton 13 is a cylindrical rod-shaped structure. In other alternative embodiments, the skeleton 13 can be a square rod-shaped structure or a rod-shaped structure with other cross-sections.

[0049] In this embodiment, the support body 10, composed of the first body 11, the second body 12, and the skeleton 13, has an overall cylindrical structure. In other alternative embodiments, the support body 10 can be configured as a cuboid structure, in which case the first body 11 and the second body 12 can be adaptively configured as rectangular plate structures. The specific shape of the support body 10 can be adaptively adjusted based on the shape of the wafer and the furnace tube process requirements.

[0050] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 1 As shown, multiple sets of the connecting components 20 are arranged vertically within the bearing cavity 101. Figure 1 Only three sets of connecting components 20 are shown (the rest of the connecting components 20 are not shown). Adjacent connecting components 20 are spaced a predetermined distance in the vertical direction, which is greater than the sum of the thicknesses of the carrier 30 and the supported wafer 40. Each connecting component 20 is supported by a carrier 30, and the carriers 30 are arranged in the vertical direction, with the carrier surface 31 perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0051] Furthermore, the connecting assembly 20 includes four connecting arms 21 corresponding one-to-one with each of the skeletons 13. The connecting arms 21 are connected to the skeletons 13. Each connecting arm 21 has a support position 211. The support positions 211 of each connecting arm 21 are coplanar and supported on one side of the carrier 30.

[0052] Combination Figure 4 As shown, the connecting arm 21 extends horizontally, with one end of the connecting arm 21 horizontally connected to the inner side of the corresponding frame 13, and the other end of the connecting arm 21 protruding upward. The upper surface of this protrusion serves as a support position 211 for supporting the bottom of the carrier 30. Each support position 211 preferably supports the bottom of the carrier 30 evenly along the circumference.

[0053] In this embodiment, the support position 211 is rectangular. In other alternative embodiments, the support position 211 may be circular, hexagonal, or other shapes. The specific shape of the support position 211 can be adjusted based on the actual support requirements of the bearing member 30.

[0054] In this embodiment, the connecting arm 21 is configured as a horizontally extending rod-shaped structure. One end of the connecting arm 21 is connected to the skeleton 13, and the other end extends toward the center of the bearing cavity 101, so that the support position 211 is supported on the bearing member 30 at a position slightly away from the edge of the bearing member 30 (slightly closer to its center position), so as to improve the warping deformation phenomenon of the bearing member 30 caused by gravity.

[0055] In other alternative embodiments, the connecting arm 21 may be configured as a block structure or other shapes. The specific shape of the connecting arm 21 may be adjusted based on the support requirements of the bearing member 30 and the space requirements of the bearing cavity 101.

[0056] In this embodiment, the carrier 30 is supported by the support position 211 of the connecting arm 21, meaning that the carrier 30 and the connecting arm 21 do not require any additional connection. A positioning block can be provided on the connecting arm 21, which contacts the outer peripheral surface of the carrier 30 to achieve circumferential positioning of the carrier 30. This arrangement facilitates the assembly and disassembly of the carrier 30 and makes subsequent maintenance easier. In other alternative embodiments, the carrier 30 can be directly connected to the support position 211, for example, by bonding or other means to fix the carrier 30.

[0057] In this embodiment, four skeletons 13 are provided, and the corresponding connecting components 20 include four connecting arms 21. In other alternative embodiments, the supporting body 10 may include two, three, five, or more skeletons 13, and the number of connecting arms 21 included in the corresponding connecting components 20 can be adjusted based on the number of skeletons 13. The number of skeletons 13 included in the supporting body 10 and the number of connecting arms 21 included in the connecting components 20 can be adjusted based on usage requirements.

[0058] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, each connecting arm 21 forms an angle with the radial direction of the bearing cavity 101. Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the middle, the four connecting arms 21 are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides, and in the four connecting arms 21, Figure 2 and Figure 3 The structure is divided into two groups, front and back, with two connecting arms 21 in each group arranged in an approximately inverted V-shape. This arrangement of the connecting arms 21... Figure 2 and Figure 3An opening 60 is formed at the front position, and the structure of the opening 60 serves as a channel for the wafer 40 carried by the conveying arm 50 to enter and exit, facilitating the picking and placing of the wafer 40.

[0059] In this embodiment, the thickness of the carrier 30 is 0.5mm to 5mm, for example, 1mm. The thinner carrier 30 allows for a larger space between it and the connecting arm 21 located above it. This facilitates the transfer of the wafer 40 through the transfer arm 50, preventing scratches on the carrier 30 and the wafer 40. Furthermore, it provides ample working space for the wafer 40, ensuring convection in the thermal field and thus guaranteeing uniform heat conduction. Moreover, the thinner carrier 30 design reduces the overall mass of the furnace tube, lowering the mass load.

[0060] In this embodiment, the carrier 30 is made of silicon carbide (SiC). Compared to silicon monolith (Si) or silicon dioxide (SiO2), SiC has stronger thermal stability and is more suitable for high-temperature environments.

[0061] Furthermore, the edge of the support member 30 is provided with an avoidance notch 32.

[0062] Please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the clearance notch 32 includes a first notch 321, a second notch 322, and a third notch 323. The first notch 321 and the third notch 323 are strip-shaped, arranged parallel to each other, and the first notch 321 is deeper than the third notch 323. The third notch 323 is located between the first notch 321 and the third notch 323. The area of ​​the bearing surface 31 of the carrier 30, after deducting the influence of the clearance notch, is slightly larger than the area of ​​the wafer it supports.

[0063] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the first notch 321, the second notch 322, and the third notch 323 are provided to avoid the transfer arm 50, so that a portion of the structure of the transfer arm 50 can pass through the notches to transport the carried wafer 40 into the carrier surface 31. During the transport process, the wafer 40 carried by the transfer arm 50 is first transported above the carrier 30, and the transfer arm 50 is aligned downwards with the aforementioned notches. Then, the transfer arm 50 moves downwards through the aforementioned notches to transport the carried wafer 40 onto the carrier surface 31.

[0064] In other alternative embodiments, the number and shape of the clearance notches 32 can be set based on the specific shape of the transmission arm 50 to be clearanced.

[0065] Combination Figure 1As shown, in this embodiment, the clearance notch 32 is located between two adjacent skeletons 13 and within the opening 60 to facilitate the transfer of the wafer 40 by the transfer arm 50.

[0066] This embodiment also provides a furnace tube, including the aforementioned support device.

[0067] In addition, the furnace tube also includes a tube body, a heating device, a gas supply device, and a gas extraction device. The bottom of the aforementioned support device (the second main body 12) is mounted on a base. The lower end of the tube body is open. The support device carries the wafer through the open end of the tube body and then seals the open end of the tube body through the base to form a sealed process chamber. The wafer undergoes furnace tube processing within the process chamber. During the process, it is heated by the heating device, process gas is supplied by the gas supply device, and waste gas is extracted by the gas extraction device. The overall structure of the furnace tube remains consistent with existing structures; the difference lies in the aforementioned support device, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0068] Please refer to Table 1 for the bending (BOW) data of wafers of the same specifications after furnace tube processing using existing carrier devices and the carrier device of this invention.

[0069] Table 1. Changes in wafer deformation values ​​before and after improvement.

[0070]

[0071]

[0072] As shown in Table 1, the furnace tube process conditions are: heating temperature 1200℃, process duration 6h, process gas N2, and process gas flow rate 15L.

[0073] As shown in Table 1, before the improvement, the existing carrier device was used to perform the furnace tube process, and the existing carrier device had approximately point contact with the wafer. The BOW values ​​of the wafer located at the top, middle, and bottom of the furnace tube were collected before and after the process.

[0074] As shown in Table 1, taking the wafer located at the top of the furnace tube as an example, data is collected along the X and Y directions, where the X and Y directions are orthogonal directions parallel to the wafer.

[0075] In Table 1, Xpre represents the BOW value obtained linearly along the X direction of the wafer at the process leading edge, and Xpost represents the BOW value obtained linearly along the X direction of the wafer after the process. Similarly, Ypre represents the BOW value obtained linearly along the Y direction of the wafer at the process leading edge, and Ypost represents the BOW value obtained linearly along the Y direction of the wafer after the process.

[0076] Before the process was performed, a set of data was linearly collected along the X direction, and the BOW value was 26.18. After the process was performed, a set of data was linearly collected along the X direction along the original path, and the BOW value was -46.63. Therefore, the bending direction of the wafer changed after the process, and the difference in BOW before and after the process was -72.81.

[0077] Similarly, when data was collected along the X direction, the BOW difference of the wafer located in the middle of the furnace tube was -68.49, and the BOW difference of the wafer located at the bottom of the furnace tube was -74.32.

[0078] Similarly, when data was collected along the Y direction, the BOW difference of the wafers located at the top, middle and bottom of the furnace tube were all around -70.

[0079] Continuing to refer to Table 1, the improved support device of this utility model is used to perform the furnace tube process.

[0080] As shown in Table 1, taking the wafer located at the top of the furnace tube as an example, data is collected along the X and Y directions.

[0081] Before the process was executed, a set of data was linearly collected along the X direction, and the BOW value was 25.78. After the process was executed, a set of data was linearly collected along the X direction along the original path, and the BOW value was 1.89. The difference in BOW before and after the process was -23.89.

[0082] Similarly, when data is collected along the X direction, the BOW difference of the wafer located in the middle of the furnace tube is -17.87, and the BOW difference of the wafer located at the bottom of the furnace tube is -28.19.

[0083] Similarly, data acquisition along the Y direction showed that the BOW difference of the wafers located at the top, middle and bottom of the furnace tube was around -20.

[0084] The above data analysis shows that the improved wafer deformation value changes less and the overall deformation is smaller. The use of the carrier device of this utility model significantly reduces the deformation of the wafer after the process, and the wafer has a normal appearance without damage, which significantly improves the thermal stress damage phenomenon.

[0085] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0086] The above description is only a description of the preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the scope of the present utility model in any way. Any changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the above disclosure shall fall within the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A supporting device, characterized in that, include: The main body, connecting components, and load-bearing parts; The supporting body has a supporting cavity, and the connecting component is disposed within the supporting cavity; The carrier is disposed on the connecting assembly. The carrier has a thin sheet structure and a carrier surface for carrying a wafer. The area of ​​the carrier surface is at least half the area of ​​the wafer to be carried.

2. The load bearing device of claim 1, wherein, The area of ​​the bearing surface is larger than the area of ​​the wafer to be supported.

3. The load bearing device of claim 1, wherein, The support member is disc-shaped, with one end of the support member along its axial direction disposed on the connecting assembly, and the other end of the support member along its axial direction serving as the bearing surface.

4. The load bearing device of claim 1, wherein, The thickness of the bearing member is 0.5mm to 5mm; And / or, the material of the carrier is silicon carbide.

5. The load bearing device of claim 1, wherein, The edge of the support member is provided with a clearance notch.

6. The load bearing device of claim 1, wherein, Multiple sets of connecting components are arranged vertically within the bearing cavity. Each connecting component is provided with a bearing member. The bearing members are arranged vertically, and the bearing surface is perpendicular to the vertical direction.

7. The load bearing device of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The supporting body includes a first body, a second body, and a skeleton. The first body and the second body are arranged vertically. Multiple skeletons are provided and connected between the first body and the second body. Each skeleton is arranged circumferentially and surrounds the first body and the second body to form the supporting cavity. The connecting component is connected to the skeleton.

8. The load bearing device of claim 7, wherein, The connecting assembly includes a plurality of connecting arms that correspond one-to-one with each of the skeletons. The connecting arms are connected to the skeletons and each connecting arm has a support position. The support positions of each connecting arm are coplanar and support one side of the carrier.

9. The load bearing device of claim 7, wherein, When a clearance notch is provided at the edge of the bearing member, the clearance notch is located between two adjacent frames.

10. A furnace tube characterized by, Includes the support device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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