Air heating type round crystal filling sheet temperature control box
By using a hot-air-heated wafer filling temperature control box, which utilizes hot air heating and deflection baffles to adjust the direction of hot air, combined with temperature measuring components and wind speed monitoring, the problems of uneven temperature control and space constraints in semiconductor manufacturing are solved, achieving efficient and precise temperature control and improving chip performance and yield.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- QINGDAO BESLAN SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-09-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-31
AI Technical Summary
Existing temperature control technologies in semiconductor manufacturing suffer from problems such as poor temperature uniformity, slow response speed, high energy consumption, and the potential introduction of mechanical stress or particulate contamination. It is difficult to achieve efficient and uniform temperature control of multiple dummy wafers in a limited space. In particular, temperature fluctuations affect chip performance and yield in advanced processes.
The air-heated wafer-filled temperature control box includes a temperature control box body, a wafer support mechanism, and a temperature control system. It uses hot air for heating and adjusts the direction of the hot air by deflecting baffles. Combined with temperature measuring components and wind speed monitoring, it achieves precise temperature control and automated loading and unloading, reducing space occupation and improving temperature control efficiency.
It achieves high-precision and high-efficiency temperature control, reduces space occupation, avoids mechanical stress and particulate contamination, improves temperature uniformity and production efficiency, and reduces energy consumption.
Smart Images
Figure CN224583663U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of wafer testing equipment, specifically to a wind-heated wafer filling sheet temperature control box. Background Technology
[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing processes, the precision and stability of temperature control directly determine chip performance and production yield. The dummy wafer, as a key carrier for preheating process chambers, stabilizing the thermal environment, and protecting the product wafer, is crucial for its temperature uniformity and stability. Especially in advanced processes, temperature fluctuations in the reaction chamber and wafer surface must be controlled within ±0.5℃ or even more stringent limits. Any minute deviation can lead to defects such as uneven thin film deposition thickness and inconsistent etching line widths, severely impacting chip performance uniformity and yield.
[0003] Traditional temperature control technologies, such as resistance baking, contact heat conduction, and boat-based batch processing, have significant limitations. They generally suffer from poor temperature uniformity, slow response speed, high energy consumption, and the potential introduction of mechanical stress or particulate contamination. For scenarios requiring the simultaneous processing of multiple dummy wafers, existing technologies struggle to ensure temperature uniformity between and within wafers, and thermal stress during heating and cooling can easily lead to wafer warping or crystal defects. Furthermore, the limited space in semiconductor manufacturing equipment presents a significant challenge in achieving efficient and uniform temperature control for multiple dummy wafers within a confined space.
[0004] This shows that existing technologies still have certain shortcomings. Utility Model Content
[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a wind-heated wafer-filled temperature control box that achieves a high-precision, high-efficiency, low-pollution, and space-saving temperature control solution.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides a wind-heated wafer-filled temperature control box, which includes:
[0007] Temperature control chamber, which is located below the wafer pre-alignment station;
[0008] The wafer carrier mechanism includes a support rail disposed inside the temperature control chamber and a wafer holder that slides with the support rail. The wafer holder is used to carry wafer filler sheets and can move in and out of the temperature control chamber along the support rail. The wafer holder is provided with multiple layers, and along the arrangement direction of the multiple wafer holders, there are gap layers between adjacent wafer holders and between the wafer holders and the side wall of the temperature control chamber for hot air to pass through.
[0009] A temperature control system, comprising an integrated fan connected to the temperature control chamber, and a hot air guiding component and a temperature measuring component disposed inside the temperature control chamber;
[0010] The hot air guiding assembly includes a plurality of hot air nozzles corresponding to the gap layer, and also includes deflection baffles disposed around the hot air nozzles.
[0011] In the above solution, placing the temperature control chamber below the wafer pre-alignment station makes full use of the installation space at the wafer pre-alignment station. Furthermore, the wafer support bracket, which can slide in and out of the temperature control chamber, shortens the travel distance of the wafer filler to the wafer pre-alignment station, facilitating the placement and removal of the wafer filler and improving processing efficiency. Simultaneously, the hot air heating control method used in this solution provides more uniform heating of the wafer filler compared to traditional resistance baking or contact heat conduction methods. Additionally, the deflector baffle allows for flexible adjustment of the hot air direction, enabling targeted adjustment of the airflow towards the wafer filler based on the temperature measurement results, further achieving precise temperature control.
[0012] In a preferred embodiment of this application, one side of the temperature control box is provided with an opening corresponding to the wafer tray and allowing the wafer tray to enter and exit. The temperature control box is also provided with a tray driving device, which is in transmission cooperation with the wafer tray.
[0013] In the above solution, the automatic extension and retraction of the wafer carrier can be achieved by setting the carrier drive device, which can be used in conjunction with the robot to realize the automatic picking and placing of wafer filler wafers. On the one hand, it can improve production efficiency, and on the other hand, it can avoid the impurities caused by manual intervention affecting the subsequent wafer processing.
[0014] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the hot air guiding assembly further includes an air intake disposed opposite to the hot air nozzle, wherein the hot air nozzle and the air intake are disposed opposite to each other on the side wall of the temperature control box on both sides of the opening.
[0015] With the above structure, the hot air blown out of the hot air nozzle heats the wafer filler through the gap layer and is then discharged through the air intake. The continuous blowing and discharge of hot air can create a relatively constant temperature environment inside the temperature control chamber, which is beneficial to improving the temperature control accuracy and effect. At the same time, the above structure makes it easy to control the wind speed when the hot air passes over the surface of the wafer filler, avoiding excessive energy consumption caused by low wind speed leading to reduced temperature control efficiency, and also avoiding local cooling effect caused by high wind speed, thus avoiding uneven temperature on the wafer surface and warping or defects.
[0016] As a preferred embodiment of this application, it also includes a wind speed monitoring component, which includes a plurality of wind speed sensors disposed at the hot air nozzle and the air intake.
[0017] In the above solution, by setting up the wind speed monitoring component, the operator can easily monitor the hot air speed inside the temperature control box in real time, and avoid the local cooling effect caused by excessive wind speed.
[0018] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the bracket driving device is a driving cylinder disposed on the other side of the temperature control chamber opposite to the opening, and at least a portion of the piston rod of the driving cylinder extends into the interior of the temperature control chamber and contacts and engages with the wafer bracket.
[0019] In the above scheme, the drive cylinder directly outputs linear motion to drive the wafer carrier to move, eliminating the need for a separate transmission mechanism and further simplifying the drive structure.
[0020] In a preferred embodiment of this application, a single drive cylinder is provided. The cylinder body of the drive cylinder is located outside the temperature control box and can move relative to the temperature control box along the arrangement direction of the multiple wafer supports. The temperature control box has through holes through which the piston rod of the drive cylinder can pass. Multiple through holes are provided, and each of the multiple through holes corresponds to one of the multiple wafer supports.
[0021] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the integrated fan includes a hot air fan and a filter device that cooperates with the hot air fan. The temperature control system also includes a hot air duct, one end of which is connected to the hot air fan via the filter device, and the other end of which is connected to a plurality of hot air nozzles. In the above solution, the filter device effectively prevents hot air carrying impurities from blowing onto the wafer and causing damage to the surface of the wafer filler.
[0022] In a preferred embodiment of this application, a negative pressure pipe is provided on the outer wall of the temperature control box and connected to the air intake, and the negative pressure pipe is connected to an external negative pressure device.
[0023] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the thickness of the gap layer is in the range of 8mm-15mm.
[0024] This setup, combined with the control of hot air velocity, ensures that the hot air flows smoothly through the gap layer to heat and control the temperature of the wafer filler, while also making the hot air passing over the surface of the wafer filler uniform and stable, avoiding turbulence / localized cooling effects.
[0025] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the wafer carrier has at least 15 layers, and the upper part of the temperature control box is provided with a heat insulation layer.
[0026] In the above solution, the heat insulation layer can reduce the impact of heat dissipation from the wafer pre-alignment station on the internal temperature of the temperature control box. Attached Figure Description
[0027] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description thereof, serve to explain the present invention and do not constitute an undue limitation thereof. In the drawings:
[0028] Figure 1 This is a front view schematic diagram of a wind-heated wafer-filled temperature control box as an example.
[0029] Figure 2 This is a partial structural cross-sectional view of a wind-heated wafer-filled temperature control box in an example.
[0030] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of the structure of section A in the middle;
[0031] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of the structure of section B;
[0032] Figure 5 This is a rear view schematic diagram of an example of a wind-heated wafer-filled temperature control box;
[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the installation location of a wind-heated wafer-filled temperature control box in an example.
[0034] List of components and reference numerals:
[0035] 1. Wafer pre-alignment station;
[0036] 2 Temperature control box, 21 Support rail, 22 Flip switch, 23 Air intake, 24 Insulation layer, 25 Through hole;
[0037] 31. Wafer holder; 32. Drive cylinder;
[0038] 4. Gap layer;
[0039] 51 Hot air nozzle, 52 Deflector baffle, 53 Hot air duct;
[0040] 6. Integrated fan, 61. Hot air fan, 62. Filter device, 63. Negative pressure pipeline. Detailed Implementation
[0041] To more clearly illustrate the overall concept of this utility model, a detailed description will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0042] It should be noted that many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0043] like Figures 1-6 As shown, this application provides a heat-cooled wafer filler temperature control box, which mainly includes a temperature control box body 2 disposed below the wafer pre-alignment station 1, a wafer support mechanism disposed inside the temperature control box body 2, a temperature control system cooperating with the temperature control box body 2, and a hot air guiding component. A heat insulation layer 24 is also disposed on the upper part of the temperature control box body 2. By providing the heat insulation layer 24, the influence of heat dissipation from the wafer pre-alignment station 1 on the internal temperature of the temperature control box body 2 can be reduced. For details, please refer to... Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the wafer carrier mechanism includes a support rail 21 disposed inside the temperature control box 2 and a wafer bracket 31 that slides with the support rail 21. The wafer bracket 31 is used to carry the wafer filler sheet and can move in and out of the temperature control box 2 along the support rail 21. The temperature control system includes an integrated fan 6 connected to the temperature control box 2 and a hot air guiding component and a temperature measuring component disposed inside the temperature control box 2. The hot air guiding component includes multiple hot air nozzles 51 disposed corresponding to the gap layer 4, and also includes deflection baffles 52 disposed around the hot air nozzles 51. Preferably, the wafer carrier 31 is provided with multiple layers. Along the arrangement direction of the multiple wafer carriers 31, there are gap layers 4 between adjacent wafer carriers 31 and between the wafer carriers 31 and the side wall of the temperature control box 2, allowing hot air to pass through. The aforementioned multiple hot air nozzles 51 are arranged corresponding to the gap layers. The aforementioned temperature measuring component includes multiple first temperature sensors disposed inside the temperature control box 2 for monitoring the surface temperature of the wafer filler sheet and the temperature of the gap layer 4, and at least one second temperature sensor disposed outside the temperature control box 2 for monitoring the temperature of the outer wall of the temperature control box 2. The hot air guiding component also includes an air intake 23 disposed opposite to the hot air nozzles 51. The hot air nozzles 51 and the air intake 23 are disposed opposite to each other on the side wall of the temperature control box 2 on both sides of the opening. A negative pressure pipe 63 is disposed on the outer wall of the temperature control box 2 and connected to the air intake 23. The negative pressure pipe 63 is connected to an external negative pressure device. As a preferred embodiment of this application, a wind speed monitoring component is also provided, which includes multiple wind speed sensors disposed at the hot air nozzle 51 and the air intake 23.
[0044] In the above solution, placing the temperature control chamber 2 below the wafer pre-alignment station 1 fully utilizes the installation space at the wafer pre-alignment station 1, eliminating the need for a separate installation position for the temperature control chamber 2 and reducing the space occupied by the equipment. Furthermore, the wafer support 31, which can slide in and out of the temperature control chamber 2, shortens the travel distance of the wafer filler to the wafer pre-alignment station 1, facilitating the robotic arm's handling of the wafer filler and improving processing efficiency. Simultaneously, the air-heated wafer filler temperature control chamber in this application uses hot air heating for temperature control. The hot air blown from the hot air nozzle 51 heats the wafer filler through the gap layer 4 and is then discharged through the air intake 23. The continuous inflow and outflow of hot air creates a constant, insulated, and dry temperature control environment inside the temperature control chamber 2. Compared to traditional resistance baking and contact heat conduction temperature control methods, this allows for more uniform heating of the wafer filler and makes it easier to expel the water vapor evaporated during heating from the temperature control chamber 2, preventing accumulated water vapor from re-adhering to the surface of the wafer filler. Furthermore, based on the arrangement of the hot air nozzle 51 corresponding to the gap layer 4, by setting a deflector baffle 52 around the hot air nozzle 51, the direction of the hot air blowing can be flexibly adjusted by the blocking / guiding effect of the deflector baffle 52. Combined with the monitoring results of each first temperature sensor in the aforementioned temperature measuring component and the monitoring results of the aforementioned wind speed sensor, the direction, volume, and speed of the hot air blowing towards the wafer filler can be flexibly adjusted under the control of the temperature control system. This is beneficial for achieving precise temperature control and ensuring a stable hot air flow. Moreover, the above structure facilitates the control of the wind speed when the hot air passes over the surface of the wafer filler, avoiding excessive energy consumption due to reduced temperature control efficiency caused by excessively low wind speed, while also avoiding localized cooling effects due to excessively high wind speed, thereby preventing uneven temperature on the wafer surface and warping or defects.
[0045] It should be noted that this application does not specifically limit the deflection driving method of the deflection baffle 52. In one example, the deflection baffle 52 is hinged to the hot air nozzle 51 or to the inner wall of the temperature control box 2 around the hot air nozzle 51. The deflection baffle 52 is driven by a micro motor set on the inner wall of the temperature control box 2, or by a micro electric cylinder. Of course, other different driving methods and structures can also be used.
[0046] As a preferred embodiment of this application, the aforementioned wafer support 31 is made of a high thermal conductivity composite rubber material composed of ethylene propylene copolymer / ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber blend, furan resin modified silicone rubber, etc., with added inorganic thermally conductive fillers such as hydrotalcite and expanded graphite, thereby ensuring that the portion of the wafer filler sheet blocked by the wafer support 31 can also be heated evenly.
[0047] Furthermore, referring to Figure 1As shown, one side of the temperature control chamber 2 has an opening corresponding to the wafer tray 31, allowing the wafer tray 31 to enter and exit. Multiple openings are provided for each wafer tray 31, and a flip switch 22 is provided at each opening to control its opening / closing. In a preferred embodiment of this application, the temperature control chamber 2 also includes a tray drive device. This device is in transmission cooperation with the wafer tray 31, driving the wafer tray 31 to enter and exit the temperature control chamber 2 along the aforementioned support track 21. The tray drive device enables automatic extension and retraction of the wafer tray 31, allowing for automated handling of wafer fillers in conjunction with a robotic arm. This improves production efficiency and avoids the impact of manual intervention on subsequent wafer processing due to impurities.
[0048] In one example, refer to Figure 5 As shown, the bracket driving device is a drive cylinder 32 with an opening on the other side of the temperature control box 2. At least a portion of the piston rod of the drive cylinder 32 extends into the interior of the temperature control box 2 and contacts and engages with the wafer bracket 31. Preferably, there is one drive cylinder 32. The cylinder body of the drive cylinder 32 is located outside the temperature control box 2 and can move relative to the temperature control box 2 along the arrangement direction of the multi-layer wafer brackets 31. The temperature control box 2 has through holes 25 through which the piston rod of the drive cylinder 32 can pass. There are multiple through holes 25, and each through hole 25 corresponds to a wafer bracket 31. A sealing plate is hinged to the inner wall of the temperature control box 2 on the inner side of the through hole 25. A torsion spring is provided on the hinge shaft of the sealing plate. When the piston rod extends into the through hole 25, it pushes open the sealing plate. After the piston rod is withdrawn, the sealing plate flips back to close the through hole 25 under the action of the torsion spring. The drive cylinder 32 is connected to the temperature control box 2 via a sliding frame. The cylinder 32 is driven to move relative to the temperature control box 2 along the sliding frame by a lifting motor. The drive cylinder 32 directly outputs linear motion to drive the wafer carrier 31 to move, eliminating the need for a separate transmission mechanism and further simplifying the drive structure.
[0049] It should be noted that the structure and arrangement of the bracket drive device in this application are not limited to the above examples. The above examples are only preferred examples of this application. The bracket drive device in this application can also adopt other different configuration schemes, and this application does not make specific limitations on them.
[0050] As a preferred embodiment of this application, refer to Figure 2As shown, the aforementioned integrated fan 6 includes a hot air fan 61 mounted on the top of the temperature control box 2 and a filter device 62 that works in conjunction with the hot air fan 61. The temperature control system also includes a hot air duct, one end of which is connected to the hot air fan 61 via the filter device 62, and the other end of which is connected to multiple hot air nozzles 51. In the above solution, the filter device 62 effectively prevents hot air carrying impurities from blowing onto the wafer and damaging the surface of the wafer filler. Meanwhile, referring to... Figure 2 As shown, the wafer carrier 31 has at least 15 layers, and the thickness of the aforementioned gap layer 4 is preferably in the range of 8mm-15mm. This arrangement, combined with control of the hot air velocity, ensures that the hot air flows smoothly through the gap layer 4 to heat and control the temperature of the wafer filler, while also ensuring that the hot air passing over the surface of the wafer filler is uniform and stable, avoiding turbulence / localized cooling effects.
[0051] The technical solutions protected by this utility model are not limited to the above embodiments. It should be noted that any combination of the technical solutions of any embodiment with one or more other embodiments is within the protection scope of this utility model. Although this utility model has been described in detail above with general descriptions and specific embodiments, some modifications or improvements can be made to it, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, all such modifications or improvements made without departing from the spirit of this utility model are within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model.
Claims
1. A wind heat type round crystal filling sheet temperature control box, characterized in that, include: Temperature control chamber, which is located below the wafer pre-alignment station; The wafer carrier mechanism includes a support rail disposed inside the temperature control chamber and a wafer holder that slides with the support rail. The wafer holder is used to carry wafer filler sheets and can move in and out of the temperature control chamber along the support rail. The wafer holder is provided with multiple layers, and along the arrangement direction of the multiple wafer holders, there are gap layers between adjacent wafer holders and between the wafer holders and the side wall of the temperature control chamber for hot air to pass through. A temperature control system, comprising an integrated fan connected to the temperature control chamber, and a hot air guiding component and a temperature measuring component disposed inside the temperature control chamber; The hot air guiding assembly includes a plurality of hot air nozzles corresponding to the gap layer, and also includes deflection baffles disposed around the hot air nozzles.
2. The air-heated wafer-filled temperature control box as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature control box has an opening on one side that corresponds to the wafer tray and allows the wafer tray to enter and exit. The temperature control box is also equipped with a tray drive device, which is in drive cooperation with the wafer tray.
3. The air heating type round crystal filling sheet temperature control box according to claim 2, wherein The hot air guiding assembly also includes an air intake that is disposed opposite to the hot air nozzle. The hot air nozzle and the air intake are disposed opposite to each other on the side walls of the temperature control box on both sides of the opening.
4. The air heating type round crystal filling sheet temperature control box according to claim 3, wherein It also includes a wind speed monitoring component, which includes multiple wind speed sensors disposed at the hot air nozzle and the air intake.
5. The air heating type round crystal filling sheet temperature control box according to claim 2, wherein The bracket driving device is a driving cylinder located on the other side of the temperature control chamber opposite to the opening. At least a portion of the piston rod of the driving cylinder extends into the interior of the temperature control chamber and contacts and engages with the wafer bracket.
6. The air heating type round crystal filling sheet temperature control box according to claim 5, wherein The drive cylinder is provided in one form. The cylinder body of the drive cylinder is located outside the temperature control box and can move relative to the temperature control box along the arrangement direction of the multi-layer wafer support. The temperature control box has through holes through which the piston rod of the drive cylinder can pass. There are multiple through holes, and each of the multiple through holes corresponds to one of the multiple wafer support.
7. The air heating type round crystal filling sheet temperature control box according to claim 3, wherein The integrated fan includes a hot air fan and a filter device that works with the hot air fan. The temperature control system also includes a hot air duct. One end of the hot air duct is connected to the hot air fan through the filter device, and the other end of the hot air duct is connected to a plurality of hot air nozzles.
8. The air heating type round crystal filling sheet temperature control box according to claim 7, wherein A negative pressure pipe is provided on the outer wall of the temperature control box and connected to the air intake. The negative pressure pipe is connected to an external negative pressure device.
9. The air heating type round crystal filling sheet temperature control box according to claim 1, wherein The thickness of the gap layer ranges from 8mm to 15mm.
10. The air heating type round crystal filling sheet temperature control box according to claim 1, wherein The wafer support has at least 15 layers, and the upper part of the temperature control box is provided with a heat insulation layer.