Wafer annealing furnace internal structure

CN224653931UActive Publication Date: 2026-08-18XIAMEN EAST MICROELECTRONICS EQUIPMENT CO LTD
View PDF 0 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
CN202521789595.3
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Utility models(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-08-22
Publication Date
2026-08-18
Estimated Expiration
2035-08-22

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

其核心价值在于通过精确的瞬时热作用消除晶圆缺陷,提升生产良率,然而,实际晶圆退火过程中常常由于晶圆边缘直接暴露在反应腔体环境中、晶圆中心区域热量可向四周传导,而边缘只能单向(向内)传导等问题使得晶圆在退火过程中存在温度梯度

Benefits of technology

[0020] This solution utilizes an internal structure design with independently adjustable concentric heating light sources in the annealing furnace. This allows for the immediate relocation of the concentric heating light source away from the wafer's vicinity when a specific area, such as the center or edge, requires cooling to adjust temperature uniformity during annealing. Compared to traditional methods that rely on zoned temperature control and wait for the heat source to cool naturally to the target temperature, this solution uses a lifting mechanism to drive the concentric heating light source directly away from the wafer surface. This reduces the impact of delayed heat dissipation from the heat source, prevents the high-temperature light source from continuously affecting the wafer, significantly improves the real-time performance of temperature control, and thus solves the technical problem of poor wafer annealing results.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure CN224653931U_ABST
    Figure CN224653931U_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of wafer annealing furnace internal structure, belong to the field of semiconductor equipment, including annealing cavity, its lateral wall is equipped with symmetrical limiting slot for disassembling fixed wafer rack, heating module, heating module includes upper heating module and lower heating module, symmetrically set in the upper and lower of wafer rack;Heat source controller group, contain multiple heat source controllers, fixed in furnace cavity inner wall;Lifting module, contain multiple lifting components, fixed in furnace cavity inner wall;Wherein, heating module contains multiple concentric heating light sources, each concentric heating light source is mechanically connected with lifting component by connecting device, and each concentric heating light source is connected to corresponding heat source controller by independent cable.This scheme is designed by independent liftable concentric heating light source, so that when certain area in wafer needs to be cooled down, the concentric heating light source close to the area can be immediately moved away from wafer, reduce the influence caused by heat dissipation delay, solve the technical problem of poor wafer annealing effect.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor equipment technology, specifically to the internal structure of a wafer annealing furnace. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, wafer annealing has become an indispensable key process. Its core value lies in eliminating wafer defects and improving production yield through precise instantaneous thermal action. However, in actual wafer annealing, temperature gradients often exist on the wafer during the annealing process due to issues such as the wafer edges being directly exposed to the reaction chamber environment, the heat in the wafer center being able to conduct to the surroundings while the edges can only conduct heat in one direction (inwards).

[0003] To address the temperature gradient issue during wafer annealing, existing technologies typically employ zoned temperature control. However, since wafer annealing uses extremely high temperatures, if the heating source in a certain area needs to be lowered, a certain amount of heat dissipation time is required. During this process, the light source in that area will continue to affect the corresponding wafer area with excessively high temperatures, resulting in poor wafer annealing performance. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an internal structure for a wafer annealing furnace to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:

[0006] An internal structure of a wafer annealing furnace, characterized in that it includes:

[0007] The annealing chamber has symmetrical limiting grooves on its side walls for disassembling and fixing the wafer holder;

[0008] The heating module includes an upper heating module and a lower heating module, which are symmetrically arranged above and below the wafer caddy.

[0009] A heat source controller assembly, comprising multiple heat source controllers, is fixed to the inner wall of the furnace cavity;

[0010] The lifting module, comprising multiple lifting components, is fixed to the inner wall of the furnace cavity;

[0011] The heating module includes multiple concentric heating light sources. Each concentric heating light source is mechanically connected to the lifting assembly via a connecting device, and each concentric heating light source is connected to the corresponding heat source controller via an independent cable.

[0012] Preferably, the concentric heating light source includes two symmetrically distributed halogen lamps; the light source electrode has one end connected to a first wire and a second wire, and the other end connected to the halogen lamp; the first wire and the second wire are wrapped with an insulating layer to form a cable, and the cable is connected to the heat source controller through the cable outlet of the connecting device.

[0013] Preferably, the concentric heating light source further includes two symmetrically distributed quartz lamp tubes, which seal and enclose the halogen lamp.

[0014] Preferably, the heat source controller corresponds one-to-one with the concentric circular heating light source to achieve independent temperature control of each ring light source.

[0015] Preferably, when the lifting assembly is used to drive the lifting, the lifting assembly includes: a stator, fixed on a base, the base being connected to the inner wall of the furnace cavity; and a mover, fixedly connected to a connecting device via a sliding plate; wherein the sliding plate is a rectangular structure with a central hollow core, including four side plates and a top plate, wherein one side plate is fastened to the mover via a threaded hole.

[0016] Preferably, the lifting assembly drives the concentric heating light source to move in a direction perpendicular to the wafer plane.

[0017] Preferably, the connecting device includes: a first upper fixing member and a second fixing member, which are connected through a second threaded hole to form a light source fixing opening; the first upper fixing member and / or the second fixing member are provided with cable outlets for cables to pass through, and the first upper fixing member and the second fixing member are fixedly connected to the top plate of the sliding outer plate of the sliding assembly.

[0018] Preferably, the upper and lower chamber plates of the annealing chamber are provided with an array of openings, allowing connecting devices to pass through while maintaining airtightness.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the above-mentioned technical solution of this utility model are as follows:

[0020] This solution utilizes an internal structure design with independently adjustable concentric heating light sources in the annealing furnace. This allows for the immediate relocation of the concentric heating light source away from the wafer's vicinity when a specific area, such as the center or edge, requires cooling to adjust temperature uniformity during annealing. Compared to traditional methods that rely on zoned temperature control and wait for the heat source to cool naturally to the target temperature, this solution uses a lifting mechanism to drive the concentric heating light source directly away from the wafer surface. This reduces the impact of delayed heat dissipation from the heat source, prevents the high-temperature light source from continuously affecting the wafer, significantly improves the real-time performance of temperature control, and thus solves the technical problem of poor wafer annealing results. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become readily understood by reading the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, several embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of example and not limitation, and like or corresponding reference numerals denote like or corresponding parts, wherein:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another partial structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 7 This is a partial structural diagram of another utility model.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0030] 100. Furnace cavity inner wall; 102. Annealing cavity; 106. Limiting groove; 112. Upper heating module; 114. Lower heating module; 116. Wafer rack; 122. Lifting assembly; 124. Heat source controller; 126. Cable; 204. Concentric heating light source; 212. Connecting device; 302. First fixing component; 304. Second fixing component; 306. Light source fixing opening; 402. Mover; 404. Stator; 406. Base; 512. Second threaded hole; 602. Sliding outer plate; 612. First threaded hole; 702. Light source electrode; 704. Quartz lamp tube; 706. Halogen lamp; 708. First wire; 710. Second wire. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments described below are only some, not all, of the embodiments disclosed. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present utility model without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0032] To address the uneven heating of a wafer caused by relying solely on zoned temperature control and waiting for the heat source to cool naturally to the target temperature when a certain area of ​​the wafer needs to be cooled, this solution provides an internal structure for a wafer annealing furnace.

[0033] In this solution, when a certain area of ​​the wafer needs to be heated, the lifting assembly 122 can drive the concentric heating light source 204 in the annealing chamber 102, which is close to the area of ​​the wafer that needs to be cooled, to move away from the wafer surface through the connecting device 212 that penetrates the annealing chamber 102. This increases the thermal capacity distance between the concentric heating light source 204 and the wafer surface, and reduces the impact caused by the heat dissipation delay of the heat source.

[0034] After introducing the basic principles of this utility model, various non-limiting embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Any quantity of elements in the accompanying drawings is for illustrative purposes only and not for limitation, and any naming is for distinction only and has no limiting meaning.

[0035] The principles and spirit of this utility model will be explained in detail below with reference to several representative embodiments.

[0036] Example

[0037] An internal structure of a wafer annealing furnace, such as Figure 1-7 As shown, the assembly includes an annealing chamber 102, a heating module, a heat source controller assembly, and a lifting module. The annealing chamber 102 has symmetrical limiting grooves 106 on its left and right side walls for fixing a wafer holder 116. The wafer holder 116 can be slidably placed or removed in the limiting grooves 106. The heating module includes an upper heating module 112 and a lower heating module 114, which are symmetrically arranged above and below the wafer holder 116.

[0038] The aforementioned heat source controller group includes multiple heat source controllers 124, which are fixed to the inner wall 100 of the furnace cavity; the aforementioned lifting module includes multiple lifting components 122, which are also fixed to the inner wall 100 of the furnace cavity.

[0039] It should be noted that the heating module includes multiple concentric heating light sources 204. Each concentric heating light source 204 is mechanically connected to the lifting assembly 122 through a connecting device 212, and each concentric heating light source 204 is connected to the corresponding heat source controller 124 through its own independent cable 126.

[0040] It is worth noting that the upper and lower cavity plates of the annealing cavity 102 are provided with multiple array-type openings for the connecting device 212 to pass through and to maintain airtightness.

[0041] It should be noted that the upper heating module 112 is a heating module with the same structure as the lower heating module 114, but installed in the opposite direction. The upper heating module 112 and the lower heating module 114 are installed symmetrically along the wafer rack 116. The heating module consists of multiple concentric heating light sources 204, and each concentric heating light source 204 is controlled by a heat source controller 124 via two cables 126.

[0042] like Figure 2 As shown, a heating module includes multiple concentric circular heating light sources 204 with the same center and different radii. For the reader's understanding, only three concentric circular heating light sources are used as an example here, without making specific limitations. Each concentric circular heating light source 204 is equipped with two connecting devices 212.

[0043] like Figure 3 As shown, each concentric heating light source 204 includes two symmetrically placed halogen lamps 706, each halogen lamp 706 being enclosed by a quartz lamp tube 704. One end of each halogen lamp 706 is connected to a light source electrode 702, which is placed in... Figure 2 In the connecting device 212, the light source motor 702 has two pins that are connected to the first wire 708 and the second wire 710 respectively. The first wire 708 and the second wire 710 are each wrapped by an insulating layer and then wrapped by another insulating layer to form a cable 126. The cable 126 passes through the cable outlet at the lower end of the connecting device 212 and is connected to the corresponding heat source controller 124. The above-mentioned insulating layer is made of a high-temperature resistant material, such as a fiber glass insulating tube. The above-mentioned connecting device 212 is made of a high-temperature resistant material, such as alumina ceramic.

[0044] like Figure 4 As shown, the connecting device 212 is a rectangular structure with a central hollow core, and the bottom is connected to the lifting assembly 122. The connecting device 212 has a light source fixing opening 306 for fixing the concentric heating light source 204. It should be noted that the connecting device 212 covers the light source electrode 702 of the concentric heating light source 204, and the internal components of the connecting device 212 are in a connected state. The cable 126 of the light source electrode extends from the cable outlet of the connecting device 212 (not shown in the figure) and connects to the corresponding heat source controller 124.

[0045] It should be noted that the aforementioned connecting device 212 consists of two parts, such as... Figure 5As shown, the connecting device 212 includes a first fixing member 302 and a second fixing member 304. The first fixing member 302 and the second fixing member 304 are symmetrical hollow structures. After the first fixing member 302 and the second fixing member 304 are connected, a light source fixing opening 306 is formed for fixing the concentric circular light source 204. The hollow space formed after the first fixing member 302 and the second fixing member 304 are connected is used for the cable 126 to pass through and extend out from the cable opening in the connecting device 212 (not shown in the figure). Optionally, the cable opening can be set in the first fixing member 302 or the second fixing member 304, which is not specifically limited here.

[0046] Optionally, the first fastener 302 and the second fastener 304 are made of high-temperature resistant materials, such as alumina ceramic.

[0047] Optionally, the first fixing member 302 and the second fixing member 304 are fixedly connected by high-temperature resistant screws (such as alumina ceramic screws) passing through their respective second threaded holes 512.

[0048] like Figure 6 As shown, when the lifting assembly 122 is used to drive lifting, the lifting assembly 122 includes a mover 402, a stator 404, and a sliding outer plate 602. One end of the stator 404 has a base 406, which is used to connect with... Figure 1 The inner wall 100 of the annealing furnace is fixedly connected, and the mover 402 is fixedly connected to a side plate of the sliding outer plate 602. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the mover 402 and the stator 404 are the mover and stator of the magnetic levitation linear motor, and the mover 402 is driven to make linear motion by electromagnetic force.

[0049] It is understood that the aforementioned sliding outer plate 602 is a rectangular structure with a central hollowed-out shape, including four side plates and a top plate, wherein one side plate is connected to the mover 402 through at least a threaded hole.

[0050] Specifically, the method of fixing the sliding outer plate 602 and the mover 402 is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, a side plate of the sliding outer plate 602 (front view is shown) Figure 7 (as shown in Figure a) and mover 402 (front view is shown) Figure 7 As shown in Figure b), there is a set of first threaded holes 612 with equal spacing between each pair. Figure 7 (Taking four first threaded holes 612 as an example), the side plate and the mover 402 are connected through the corresponding first threaded holes 612.

[0051] Optionally, when the lifting assembly 122 is not used to drive lifting, the lifting assembly may include Figure 6The mover 402, stator 404, sliding outer plate 602, and base 406 are connected as before, but in this case, the mover 402 and stator 404 are not the mover and stator of a magnetic levitation linear motor, but rather the mover and stator of a slide rail platform without driving capability. Furthermore, when the lifting assembly 122 is not used to drive lifting, the interior of the lifting assembly 122 can consist only of the sliding outer plate and a cuboid fixedly connected to the inner wall 100 of the furnace cavity; the two are not fixedly connected.

[0052] It should be noted that when the above-mentioned lifting component 122 is not used to drive the lifting, the lifting component 122 is only used to provide auxiliary support and stabilize the lifting trajectory of the concentric heating light source 204. Therefore, among the multiple lifting components 122 corresponding to each concentric heating light source 204, there is at least one lifting component 122 used to drive the lifting.

[0053] This solution utilizes an internal structure design of an annealing furnace with independently adjustable concentric heating light sources. This allows for the immediate relocation of the concentric heating light source away from the wafer's vicinity when a specific area, such as the center or edge, requires cooling to adjust temperature uniformity during annealing. Compared to traditional methods that rely on zoned temperature control and wait for the heat source to cool naturally to the target temperature, this solution uses a lifting mechanism to move the concentric heating light source directly away from the wafer surface. This reduces the impact of delayed heat dissipation from the heat source, prevents the high-temperature light source from continuously affecting the wafer, significantly improves the real-time performance of temperature control, and thus solves the technical problem of poor wafer annealing results.

Claims

1. An internal structure of a wafer annealing furnace, characterized in that, include: The annealing chamber (102) has symmetrical limiting grooves (106) on its side walls for fixing the wafer holder (116). The heating module includes an upper heating module (112) and a lower heating module (114), which are symmetrically arranged above and below the wafer frame (116); A heat source controller group, comprising multiple heat source controllers (124), is fixed to the inner wall (100) of the furnace cavity. The lifting module includes multiple lifting components (122) and is fixed to the inner wall of the furnace cavity (100). The heating module includes multiple concentric heating light sources (204), each of which is mechanically connected to the lifting assembly (122) via a connecting device (212), and each of the concentric heating light sources (204) is connected to the corresponding heat source controller (124) via an independent cable (126).

2. The internal structure of the wafer annealing furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The concentric heating light source (204) includes two symmetrically distributed halogen lamps (706). The concentric heating light source (204) also includes a light source electrode (702), one end of which is connected to a first wire (708) and a second wire (710), and the other end is connected to the halogen lamp (706). The first conductor (708) and the second conductor (710) are wrapped with an insulation layer to form a cable (126), and the cable (126) is connected to the heat source controller (124) through the cable outlet of the connecting device (212).

3. The internal structure of the wafer annealing furnace according to claim 2, characterized in that, The concentric heating light source (204) also includes two symmetrically distributed quartz lamp tubes (704), which seal and enclose the halogen lamp (706).

4. The internal structure of the wafer annealing furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat source controller (124) corresponds one-to-one with the concentric ring heating light source, realizing independent temperature control of each ring light source.

5. The internal structure of the wafer annealing furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the lifting assembly (122) is used to drive lifting, the lifting assembly (122) includes: The stator (404) is fixed on the base (406), and the base (406) is connected to the inner wall (100) of the furnace cavity. The mover (402) is fixedly connected to the connecting device (212) via the sliding outer plate (602); The sliding outer plate (602) is a rectangular structure with a central hollowed-out section, including four side plates and a top plate. One side plate is fastened to the mover (402) through at least one first threaded hole (612).

6. The internal structure of the wafer annealing furnace according to claim 5, characterized in that, The lifting assembly (122) drives the concentric heating light source (204) to move in a direction perpendicular to the wafer plane.

7. The internal structure of the wafer annealing furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The connecting device includes: The first fixing member (302) and the second fixing member (304) are connected through the second threaded hole (512) to form a light source fixing opening (306). The first fixing member (302) or the second fixing member (304) is provided with a cable outlet for the cable (126) to pass through. The first fixing member (302) and the second fixing member (304) are fixedly connected to the top plate of the sliding outer plate (602) of the lifting assembly (122).

8. The internal structure of the wafer annealing furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The annealing chamber (102) has an array of openings on its upper and lower chamber plates, allowing the connecting device (212) to pass through while maintaining airtightness.