An airlock chamber

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of airlock chamber, comprising: cavity, inflation port, air outlet and first baffle. Support structure for supporting wafer is equipped in cavity;Inflation port and air outlet are set on the cavity wall of cavity, and the air pressure in cavity is adjusted by inflation port and air outlet;First baffle is set between support structure and inflation port. Wherein, after wafer is placed on support structure, the perpendicular projection of wafer towards first baffle falls into the boundary range of first baffle. The airlock chamber described in the utility model uses first baffle to buffer the gas into cavity, and particulate in airflow will be attached to first baffle or fall to cavity bottom wall. In addition, second baffle is set between air outlet of airlock chamber and wafer, so that gas in cavity is around to second baffle, and particulate attached to second baffle or cavity wall is extracted. Avoid the gas flow rate of cavity near inflation port or air outlet to be too large to cause wafer position to move, improve the yield of wafer and cavity cleanliness.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor processing equipment, and in particular to an airlock chamber. Background Technology

[0002] As a core transition hub in semiconductor manufacturing processes, the load lock chamber plays a crucial role in the transfer of wafers between vacuum and atmospheric environments. Through a pressure conversion mechanism—that is, introducing gas into the chamber to pressurize it or expelling gas to create a vacuum—it ensures that the reaction chamber connected to the load lock chamber maintains a stable vacuum state, while simultaneously preventing wafer damage due to sudden pressure changes.

[0003] During the pressure conversion process inside the gaslock chamber, excessively rapid gas introduction or extraction rates can cause turbulent airflow within the chamber, leading to wafer displacement. However, reducing the gas introduction and extraction rates to avoid these problems results in a decrease in the production throughput of the gaslock chamber and cannot prevent particulate matter adhering to the wafer surface, causing wafer damage.

[0004] The statements herein provide only background information relating to this invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an airlock chamber that prevents wafer displacement, particle adhesion to the wafer surface, and damage to the wafer transistor structure during the filling process, and improves the production throughput of the airlock chamber.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides an airlock chamber, comprising:

[0007] A cavity, wherein a support structure for supporting the wafer is provided inside the cavity;

[0008] An air inlet and an air outlet are provided on the cavity wall of the cavity, and the air pressure inside the cavity is adjusted through the air inlet and the air outlet;

[0009] A first baffle is disposed between the support structure and the air inlet;

[0010] When the wafer is placed on the support structure, the vertical projection of the wafer toward the first baffle falls within the boundary range of the first baffle.

[0011] Optionally, the air extraction port and the air inflation port are located on the same cavity wall of the cavity, and the vertical projection of the first baffle toward the cavity wall covers the air inflation port and the air extraction port.

[0012] Optionally, the air extraction port and the air inflation port are both located on the same side wall of the cavity, and the first baffle is vertically installed in the cavity. The vertical projection of the first baffle toward the side wall covers the air inflation port and the air extraction port.

[0013] Optionally, the air extraction port and the air filling port are both located on the same top wall or the same bottom wall of the cavity.

[0014] Optionally, the air extraction port and the air filling port are disposed on different cavity walls of the cavity, and the airlock chamber further includes: a second baffle;

[0015] The second baffle is disposed between the support structure and the air extraction port;

[0016] After the wafer is placed on the support structure, the vertical projection of the wafer toward the second baffle falls within the boundary range of the second baffle.

[0017] Optionally, the vertical projection of the first baffle toward the cavity wall where the inflation port is located covers the inflation port; the vertical projection of the second baffle toward the cavity wall where the extraction port is located covers the extraction port.

[0018] Optionally, the inflation port is located on the top wall of the cavity, and the suction port is located on the bottom wall of the cavity.

[0019] Optionally, the first baffle has a rectangular or trapezoidal cross-section in its thickness direction.

[0020] Optionally, the first baffle includes a first surface facing the support structure and a second surface facing away from the support structure, wherein the area of ​​the first surface is larger than the area of ​​the second surface.

[0021] Optionally, the first baffle is a circular baffle or a polygonal baffle.

[0022] Optionally, the inflation port is connected to an inflation device; the extraction port is connected to a vacuuming device.

[0023] Optionally, the number of air extraction ports is greater than or equal to two, and each air extraction port is located on the same cavity wall and is evenly distributed about the central axis of the cavity.

[0024] Optionally, the number of air inlets is greater than or equal to two, and each air inlet is located on the same cavity wall and is evenly distributed about the central axis of the cavity.

[0025] Optionally, each of the inflation ports is provided with a diffuser, which is connected to the inflation device via an inflation pipeline.

[0026] Optionally, each of the extraction ports is connected to the vacuuming device via an extraction pipeline, and each of the extraction pipelines is equipped with a vacuum valve.

[0027] Compared to existing technologies, this invention provides a first baffle between the gas inlet of the airlock chamber and the wafer. The vertical projection of the wafer onto the first baffle falls within its boundary, causing the gas entering the chamber to first be blown onto the first baffle and then flow downwards around it to fill the chamber. Particulate matter in the airflow adheres to the second surface or falls onto the bottom wall of the chamber. This avoids wafer displacement caused by excessive airflow at the gas inlet and prevents particulate matter from falling onto the wafer surface. It reduces wafer scratches or particulate matter defects within the airlock chamber, improves wafer yield, and saves process time by increasing the gas flow rate at the gas inlet.

[0028] Furthermore, this invention provides a second baffle between the air extraction port of the airlock chamber and the wafer, allowing the gas in the chamber to bypass the second surface of the second baffle and exit through the air extraction port, while also removing particles adhering to the second surface or the bottom wall of the chamber. This prevents excessive gas velocity near the air extraction port from causing wafer displacement, improves the cleanliness of the chamber, and further reduces wafer defects generated during transport through the airlock chamber. Moreover, by increasing the extraction rate of the air extraction port, the production throughput of the airlock chamber described in this invention can be increased. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the airlock chamber described in a first scenario of one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the airlock chamber described in the second scenario of one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the airlock chamber described in the third scenario of one embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the airlock chamber in one embodiment of the present invention, which uses a first baffle with a trapezoidal cross-section in the thickness direction.

[0033] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the airlock chamber in another embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the second surface of the first baffle, which has a rectangular cross-section in the thickness direction, in this utility model.

[0035] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Cross-sectional view at point AA.

[0036] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the second surface of the first baffle, which has a trapezoidal cross-section in the thickness direction, in this utility model.

[0037] Figure 9 for Figure 8 Cross-sectional view at BB.

[0038] Figure label:

[0039] 100-Cavity, 101-Fixed component, 200A-First baffle, 200B-Second baffle, 201-First surface, 202-Second surface, 300-Inflation port, 301-Diffuser, 302-Filter, 303-Inflation equipment, 400-Ejection port, 401-Vacuum equipment, 402-Vacuum valve, 500-Wafer, 501-Support structure. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, provides a further detailed explanation of the airlock chamber proposed in this utility model. The advantages and features of this utility model will become clearer from the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, intended only to facilitate and clearly illustrate the embodiments of this utility model. Please refer to the drawings to make the objectives, features, and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable. It should be understood that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., depicted in the accompanying drawings are only for illustrative purposes to aid those skilled in the art and are not intended to limit the implementation conditions of this utility model. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and objectives achieved by this utility model, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in this utility model.

[0041] The gaslock chamber is sequentially connected to a transfer chamber and a process chamber, both with higher vacuum levels. When the wafer needs to be transferred from an atmospheric pressure device to the process chamber, a vacuum is created in the gaslock chamber; when the wafer needs to be transferred from the process chamber to an atmospheric pressure device, the gaslock chamber is pressurized to change the wafer's environment. In the prior art, to prevent wafer displacement due to turbulent gas flow within the gaslock chamber, the gas inlet of the gaslock chamber is connected to a gas filling pipeline, and this pipeline is equipped with an adjustable-opening switch valve; the gas outlet of the gaslock chamber is connected to a gas extraction pipeline, and this pipeline is equipped with an adjustable-opening vacuum valve. During the pressurization or vacuuming process of the gaslock chamber, the gas inlet rate and the gas extraction rate are controlled by varying the opening of the switch valve or vacuum valve over time. However, in the current production process, in order to prevent excessive gas flow rate in the cavity from causing wafer displacement or even scratches on the wafer surface, the upper limit of the opening of the switching valve and vacuum valve is relatively small. That is, the small gas inlet rate and gas extraction rate lead to a reduction in the production throughput of the gas lock chamber, and it is impossible to avoid the problem of particulate matter caused by gas adhering to the wafer surface and the damage to the wafer transistor structure caused by particulate matter.

[0042] refer to Figures 1 to 5 To address the aforementioned problems, this utility model provides an airlock chamber, comprising: a cavity 100, an inflation port 300, an exhaust port 400, and a first baffle 200A. The cavity 100 contains a support structure 501 for supporting a wafer 500. The inflation port 300 and the exhaust port 400 are both located on the cavity wall of the cavity 100. Pressure is injected into the cavity 100 through the inflation port 300, and a vacuum is created in the cavity through the exhaust port 400, thereby regulating the air pressure within the cavity 100. The first baffle 200A is positioned between the support structure 501 and the inflation port 300, and is respectively positioned between the support structure 501 (and the wafer placed on it). The gas inlet 300 and the gas outlet 500 maintain a certain distance; wherein, when the wafer 500 is placed on the support structure 501, the wafer 500 is vertically projected toward the first baffle 200A and falls into the boundary range of the first baffle 200A. Under the condition of ensuring the gas inlet rate, the gas introduced into the gas outlet 300 is prevented from directly blowing onto the surface of the wafer 500, causing the wafer 500 to shift, or particles falling on the surface of the wafer 500 to contaminate the wafer, so as to ensure the production throughput of the gas lock chamber.

[0043] In this embodiment, the support structure 501 may be a plurality of positioning pins evenly distributed on the bottom cavity wall of the cavity 100 (see reference). Figure 3 This reduces the contact area between the bottom surface of wafer 500 and support structure 501, thus lowering the risk of scratches on the surface of wafer 500. The support structure 501 can also be a bracket mounted on the sidewall of the cavity (see reference). Figure 1-2 , Figure 4-5Furthermore, the support structure 501 only contacts the edge of the wafer 500. Therefore, this invention does not limit the structure or position of the support structure 501.

[0044] like Figure 1-9 As shown, the first baffle 200A includes a first surface 201 facing the support structure 501 and a second surface 202 facing away from the support structure 501. See also Figure 1-5 After the wafer 500 is placed on the support structure 501, when gas is introduced through the gas inlet 300, the gas will be directly blown onto the second surface 202 of the first baffle 200A and flow outwards along the second surface 202, and then flow downwards along the edge of the first baffle 200A, so that the gas fills the entire cavity 100, completing the pressing of the cavity 100 and preventing the gas from directly blowing onto the wafer 500 and causing it to move. If there are particles in the introduced gas, the particles will adhere to the second surface 202 or fall down along the edge of the first baffle 200A to the bottom of the cavity 100, preventing the particles from being directly blown onto the surface of the wafer 500 and damaging the wafer 500. Furthermore, since the first baffle 200A separates the gas inlet 300 from the wafer 500, the flow rate of gas introduced through the gas inlet 300 can be increased, allowing the pressure in the cavity 100 to recover as quickly as possible, thereby saving process operation time and increasing the production throughput of the airlock chamber.

[0045] Specifically, the air extraction port 400 and the air filling port 300 can be located on the same side wall of the cavity 100 (see...). Figure 1-4 ) or on the cavity walls on different sides (see Figure 5 The inflation port 300 is connected to an inflation device 303, through which gas is introduced; the vacuum port 400 is connected to a vacuum pump 401, which expels gas from the cavity 100. The gas is typically an inert gas, such as nitrogen.

[0046] In one embodiment, the air extraction port 400 and the air filling port 300 are disposed on the same cavity wall of the cavity 100. The vertical projection of the first baffle 200A toward the cavity wall covers the air filling port 300 and the air extraction port 400. The first baffle 200A completely isolates the support structure 501 (and the wafer 500 placed thereon) from the air filling port 300 and the air extraction port 400. After the wafer 500 is placed on the support structure 501, during the vacuuming process of the cavity 100, the gas in the cavity 100 flows towards the location of the extraction port 400, and flows from the gap between the first baffle 200A and the cavity wall to the extraction port 400 when passing the first baffle 200A, and is discharged from the extraction port 400. Since the vertical projection of the wafer 500 toward the first baffle 200A falls within the boundary range of the first baffle 200A, the gas flow rate across the surface of the wafer 500 is slowed down. While ensuring the gas inlet rate, it prevents the extraction rate in the cavity 100 from being too fast, which could cause the wafer 500 to shift, thus ensuring the production throughput of the gaslock chamber.

[0047] In this embodiment, only one baffle (i.e., the first baffle 200A) is provided in the cavity 100, which reduces the structural complexity of the airlock chamber and reduces the difficulty of manufacturing the airlock chamber equipment. At the same time, since the first baffle 200A isolates the wafer 500 from the gas filling port 300 and the gas extraction port 400, it can improve the gas extraction rate at the gas extraction port 400 and the gas introduction rate at the gas filling port 300, saving process operation time.

[0048] In the first scenario, such as Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the air extraction port 400 and the air inflation port 300 are both located on the top wall of the cavity 100, and the first baffle 200A is located between the top wall of the cavity 100 and the support structure 501, completely isolating the support structure 501 from the air inflation port 300 and the air extraction port 400.

[0049] Specifically, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the first baffle 200A has a rectangular cross-section in its thickness direction; that is, the area of ​​the first surface 201 is equal to the area of ​​the second surface 202. (See reference...) Figure 1When the wafer 500 is placed on the support structure 501, during the pressurization process of the cavity 100, gas is blown from the gas inlet 300 to the second surface 202 of the first baffle 200A. After the airflow is buffered by the first baffle 200A, the cavity 100 is pressurized. If the gas blown out of the gas inlet 300 contains particulate matter, the particulate matter will adhere to the second surface 202. During the vacuuming process of the cavity 100, the gas in the cavity 100 flows upward and bypasses the first baffle 200A, flowing along the second surface 202 to the exhaust port 400. If there is particulate matter adhering to the second surface 202, the particulate matter will be discharged from the exhaust port 400 along with the gas passing through the second surface 202, maintaining the cleanliness of the cavity 100 and preventing particulate matter from falling onto the surface of the wafer 500.

[0050] Specifically, such as Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the first baffle 200A has a trapezoidal cross-section in its thickness direction, and the area of ​​the first surface 201 facing the support structure 501 is larger than the area of ​​the second surface 202 facing away from the support structure 501. (See reference...) Figure 4 After the wafer 500 is placed on the support structure 501, during the inflation process of the cavity 100, gas is blown onto the second surface 202. At this time, the gas will flow outwards along the second surface 202 and flow obliquely along the slope formed between the first surface 201 and the second surface 202 until it flows downwards at the bottom of the slope. Since the distance the gas flows along the second surface 202 is shorter, the gas can flow faster along the surface of the first baffle 200A, thereby quickly balancing the pressure inside the cavity 100. This effectively prevents the problem of displacement of the wafer 500 caused by turbulent airflow inside the cavity 100 due to internal pressure. At the same time, the vertical projection of the wafer 500 toward the first baffle 200A falls within the boundary range of the first surface 201, and the airflow over the surface of the wafer 500 is smoother, preventing the wafer 500 from shifting.

[0051] In the second scenario, such as Figure 2 As shown, both the air extraction port 400 and the air filling port 300 are located on the bottom wall of the cavity 100, and the first baffle 200A is located between the bottom wall of the cavity 100 and the support structure 501, completely isolating the support structure 501 from the air filling port 300 and the air extraction port 400. When the wafer 500 is placed on the support structure 501, the wafer 500 is located above the first baffle 200A, and the vertical projection of the wafer 500 toward the first baffle 200A falls within the boundary range of the first baffle 200A.

[0052] Meanwhile, since the first baffle 200A is horizontally positioned below the wafer 500, a support structure 501 can be provided on the surface of the first baffle 200A to hold the wafer 500, eliminating the need for a separate support structure 501 inside the cavity 100 and saving internal space. (See reference...) Figure 2 During the pressurization process of the cavity 100, gas is blown from the inflation port 300 to the second surface 202 of the first baffle 200A. After the airflow is buffered by the first baffle 200A, the cavity 100 is pressurized. If the gas blown out of the inflation port 300 contains particulate matter, the particulate matter adheres to the second surface 202 or falls onto the bottom wall of the cavity 100. During the vacuuming process of the cavity 100, the gas in the cavity 100 flows downward and bypasses the first baffle 200A, flowing along the second surface 202 to the extraction port 400. If particulate matter is attached to the second surface 202 or the bottom wall of the cavity 100, the particulate matter is not easily lifted by the downward flow of the airflow, and the particulate matter flows with the gas passing through the second surface 202 through the channel between the first baffle 200A and the bottom wall to the extraction port 400, thereby discharging the particulate matter, maintaining the cleanliness of the cavity 100 and preventing particulate matter from falling onto the surface of the wafer 500.

[0053] In the third scenario, such as Figure 3 As shown, the air extraction port 400 and the air filling port 300 are both located on the same side wall of the cavity 100, and the first baffle 200A is located between the wall surface with the air extraction port 400 and the air filling port 300 and the support assembly 501, isolating the support structure 501 from the air extraction port 400 and the air filling port 300. At this time, the first baffle 200A is vertically positioned in the cavity 100, and its vertical projection towards the side wall covers the air filling port 300 and the air extraction port 400, completely isolating the support structure 501 from the air filling port 300 and the air extraction port 400. When the wafer 500 is placed on the support structure 501, the wafer 500 is placed perpendicular to the first baffle 200A. (See reference...) Figure 3 During the pressurization process of cavity 100, gas is blown from the inflation port 300 to the second surface 202 of the first baffle 200A. After the airflow is buffered by the first baffle 200A, the cavity 100 is pressurized. During the vacuuming process of cavity 100, the gas in cavity 100 flows towards the extraction port (i.e., flows horizontally), bypasses the first baffle 200A, and flows along the second surface 202 to the extraction port 400.

[0054] In both the second and third scenarios described above, the first baffle can be a baffle with a trapezoidal cross-section in its thickness direction (see...). Figure 8-9 ) or a baffle with a rectangular cross-section in its thickness direction (see Figure 6-7 Therefore, there are no restrictions on the selection of baffles in the second and third scenarios, and the relevant embodiments will not be described again in this article.

[0055] In another embodiment, see Figure 5 The air extraction port 400 and the air filling port 300 are located on different walls of the cavity 100. Two baffles (i.e., a first baffle 200A and a second baffle 200B) are provided in the cavity 100. The first baffle 200A is located between the air filling port 300 and the support structure 501 (and the wafer 500 placed thereon) to prevent gas introduced through the air filling port 300 from directly blowing onto the wafer 500. To further save process operation time, the second baffle 200B is located between the support structure 501 and the air extraction port 400. When the wafer 500 is placed on the support structure 501, the vertical projection of the wafer 500 toward the second baffle 200B falls within the boundary range of the second baffle 200B, preventing excessively fast air extraction at the air extraction port 400 from causing the wafer 500 to shift. At this time, the gas inlet rate at the air inlet 300 and the gas extraction rate at the air outlet 400 can be increased simultaneously, thereby saving process operation time and ensuring the production throughput of the airlock chamber.

[0056] Specifically, the vertical projection of the first baffle 200A toward the cavity wall where the inflation port 300 is located covers the inflation port 300; the vertical projection of the second baffle 200B toward the cavity wall where the exhaust port 400 is located covers the exhaust port 400; the two baffles in the cavity 100 isolate the inflation port 300 and the exhaust port 400 from the support structure 501 (and the wafer 500 placed on it). When the wafer 500 is placed on the support structure 501, and the cavity 100 is in an inflated state, gas is blown directly from the inflation port 300 toward the first baffle 200A at that location, and the airflow is buffered by the first baffle 200A at the inflation port 300 before pressurizing the cavity 100. When the cavity 100 is in a vacuum state, the gas flows towards the extraction port 400. When it passes the second baffle 200B at the extraction port 400, the gas bypasses the second baffle 200B and flows from the second baffle 200B and the cavity wall of the cavity 100 to the extraction port 400, and is discharged from the extraction port 400. Since the vertical projection of the wafer 500 toward the second baffle 200B falls within the boundary range of the second baffle 200B, the gas flow rate passing through the surface of the wafer 500 is slowed down, preventing the extraction rate from being too high and causing turbulent airflow inside the cavity 100, which could cause the wafer 500 to shift.

[0057] In a specific scenario, such as Figure 5As shown, both baffles (i.e., the first baffle 200A and the second baffle 200B) have trapezoidal cross-sections in their thickness direction; the inflation port 300 is located on the top wall of the cavity 100, and the exhaust port 400 is located on the bottom wall of the cavity 100. At this time, the first baffle 200A is located between the inflation port 300 and the support structure 501; the second baffle 200B is located between the exhaust port 400 and the support structure 501. When the wafer is placed on the support structure 501, during the inflation process of the cavity 100, the gas is blown from the inflation port 300 to the second surface 202 of the first baffle 200A and flows horizontally along its second surface 202 until it flows downward at the edge of the second surface 202 of the first baffle 200A; if the gas contains particulate matter, the particulate matter will adhere to the second surface 202 of the first baffle 200A or move downward with the gas to the bottom of the cavity 100, preventing the particulate matter from falling onto the surface of the wafer 500. During the evacuation process of the cavity 100, the gas flows downward and bypasses the second baffle 200B before being discharged from the evacuation port 400. When particulate matter is deposited at the bottom of the cavity 100, the particulate matter is not easily lifted by the downward flow of the airflow. At the same time, it moves with the gas through the channel between the bottom wall of the cavity 100 and the second baffle 200B to the evacuation port 400 and is discharged, ensuring the cleanliness of the cavity.

[0058] In other scenarios of this embodiment, the inflation port 300 and the suction port 400 can also be respectively located on the top wall and a side wall. In this case, the first baffle 200A is horizontally arranged and located between the top wall of the cavity 100 and the support structure 501, and the second baffle 200B is vertically placed between the side wall where the suction port 400 is located and the support structure 501, and the second baffle 200B is perpendicular to the wafer 500. The inflation port 300 and the suction port 400 can also be respectively located on other different cavity walls, and each baffle (the first baffle 200A or the second baffle 200B) can be a baffle with a rectangular cross-section in the thickness direction or a baffle with a trapezoidal cross-section in the thickness direction. Related embodiments will not be described in detail here.

[0059] In the airlock chamber provided by this utility model, specifically, the first baffle 200A is a circular baffle or a polygonal baffle; and the first baffle 200A is fixed inside the cavity 100 by a plurality of fixing members 101 (e.g., pins). Further, the fixing members 101 are evenly arranged on the first baffle 200A to ensure that the first baffle 200A is subjected to balanced force; and one end of each fixing member 101 is fixed to the cavity wall of the cavity 100, and the other end is connected to the first baffle 200A, so that the first baffle 200A is suspended between the cavity wall and the support assembly 501. See details... Figure 1In the first scenario, one end of the fixing member 101 is fixed to the top wall of the cavity 100, and the other end is connected to the first baffle 200A, so that the first baffle 200A is located between the top wall of the cavity 100 and the support structure 501. It should be noted that the above-described method of suspending the first baffle 200A in the cavity 100 using the fixing member 101 is applicable to all scenarios that those skilled in the art can conceive of based on this utility model.

[0060] Furthermore, the structure of the first baffle 200A is not limited by its specific shape. For example, for a baffle with a trapezoidal cross-section in the thickness direction, regardless of whether the first baffle 200A is circular or polygonal, the area of ​​the first surface 201 of the first baffle 200A is larger than the area of ​​the second surface 202. In this case, the extracted gas or the injected gas can flow along the inclined plane between the first surface 201 and the second surface 202, so that the pressure inside the cavity 100 can quickly reach equilibrium.

[0061] Furthermore, the material of the first baffle 200A is a metallic material suitable for a vacuum environment or a non-metallic material suitable for a vacuum environment.

[0062] It should be noted that the shape and fixing method of the second baffle 200B can be the same as those of the first baffle 200A, and will not be described again in the text.

[0063] Specifically, there are two or more gas inlets 300, and these inlets 300 are located on the same cavity wall and evenly distributed about the central axis of the cavity 100, ensuring that gas is uniformly injected into the cavity 100 during the pressurization process. Similarly, there are two or more gas extraction ports 400, and these ports 400 are located on the same cavity wall and evenly distributed about the central axis of the cavity 100, ensuring that gas is uniformly extracted from the cavity 100 during the vacuuming process; and preventing uneven gas flow within the cavity 100 from causing displacement of the wafer 500 position.

[0064] Further, see Figure 1-5 Each of the air inlets 300 is provided with a diffuser 301. The diffuser 301 is connected to the air filling device 303 through an air filling pipeline, so that the gas enters the air filling pipeline from the air filling device 303, reaches the diffuser 301 through the air filling pipeline, and is evenly distributed in the diffuser 301, so that the gas is evenly blown into the cavity 100 from the diffuser 301.

[0065] In this embodiment, the inflation pipeline is also provided with a filter 302, which is located between the inflation device 303 and the diffuser 301. The filter 302 is used to filter the gas introduced at the inflation port 300, thereby further reducing the particulate matter content of the gas introduced into the cavity 100.

[0066] Furthermore, each of the air extraction ports 400 is connected to a vacuum pumping device 401 via an air extraction pipeline, and each air extraction pipeline is equipped with a vacuum valve 402 to control whether the cavity 100 is in a vacuum state.

[0067] The airlock chamber described in this invention can effectively prevent problems such as wafer 500 displacement, particles adhering to the wafer 500 surface, and damage to the wafer transistor structure during the cavity inflation process. At the same time, it can improve the gas inlet rate and the gas extraction rate at the outlet of the airlock chamber, thereby increasing the production throughput of the airlock chamber.

[0068] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0069] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center," "height," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0070] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0071] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0072] Although the present invention has been described in detail through the above embodiments, it should be understood that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention. Various modifications and substitutions to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the above content. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An airlock chamber, characterized in that, include: A cavity, wherein a support structure for supporting the wafer is provided inside the cavity; An air inlet and an air outlet are provided on the cavity wall of the cavity, and the air pressure inside the cavity is adjusted through the air inlet and the air outlet; A first baffle is disposed between the support structure and the air inlet; When the wafer is placed on the support structure, the vertical projection of the wafer toward the first baffle falls within the boundary range of the first baffle.

2. The airlock chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air extraction port and the air filling port are located on the same cavity wall of the cavity, and the vertical projection of the first baffle toward the cavity wall covers the air filling port and the air extraction port.

3. The airlock chamber according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The air extraction port and the air inflation port are both located on the same side wall of the cavity. The first baffle is vertically installed in the cavity, and the vertical projection of the first baffle toward the side wall covers the air inflation port and the air extraction port.

4. The airlock chamber according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The air extraction port and the air filling port are both located on the same top wall or the same bottom wall of the cavity.

5. The airlock chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air extraction port and the air filling port are located on different cavity walls of the cavity, and the airlock chamber further includes: a second baffle; The second baffle is disposed between the support structure and the air extraction port; After the wafer is placed on the support structure, the vertical projection of the wafer toward the second baffle falls within the boundary range of the second baffle.

6. The airlock chamber according to claim 5, characterized in that, The vertical projection of the first baffle toward the cavity wall where the air inlet is located covers the air inlet; the vertical projection of the second baffle toward the cavity wall where the air outlet is located covers the air outlet.

7. The airlock chamber according to claim 5, characterized in that, The inflation port is located on the top wall of the cavity, and the extraction port is located on the bottom wall of the cavity.

8. The airlock chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first baffle has a rectangular or trapezoidal cross-section in its thickness direction.

9. The airlock chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first baffle includes a first surface facing the support structure and a second surface facing away from the support structure, wherein the area of ​​the first surface is larger than the area of ​​the second surface.

10. The airlock chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first baffle includes a circular baffle or a polygonal baffle.

11. The airlock chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inflation port is connected to an inflation device; The extraction port is connected to a vacuum pumping device.

12. The airlock chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of air extraction ports is greater than or equal to two, and each air extraction port is located on the same cavity wall and is evenly distributed circumferentially about the central axis of the cavity.

13. The airlock chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of air inlets is greater than or equal to two, and each air inlet is located on the same cavity wall and is evenly distributed circumferentially about the central axis of the cavity.

14. The airlock chamber according to claim 11, characterized in that, Each of the inflation ports is equipped with a diffuser, which is connected to the inflation device via an inflation pipe.

15. The airlock chamber according to claim 11, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned air extraction ports is connected to the vacuum pumping equipment via an air extraction pipeline, and each of the aforementioned air extraction pipelines is equipped with a vacuum valve.

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