A multifunctional preprocessing integrated chamber for fabricating semiconductor wafers

Abstract

This invention discloses a multifunctional preprocessing integrated chamber for semiconductor wafer fabrication, comprising a chamber cover, an upper chamber, and a lower chamber. The upper and lower chambers are connected and, together with the chamber cover, form a closed chamber. A crystal boat is disposed within the closed chamber. The crystal boat employs a multi-layer design to hold multiple wafers and is placed on a support rod. The support rod is connected to a transmission mechanism, allowing the crystal boat to move up and down or rotate with the transmission mechanism. An air inlet and an air outlet are provided on the side of the upper chamber. The air outlet is connected to a vacuum pump. The lower chamber is provided with a transmission interface. This multifunctional preprocessing integrated chamber for semiconductor wafer fabrication provides a compact structure, reducing the number of chambers and wafer transfers, thus lowering the risk of wafer damage during transfer. Furthermore, it can process multiple wafers simultaneously, improving efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a multifunctional preprocessing integrated chamber, and more particularly to a multifunctional preprocessing integrated chamber for preparing semiconductor wafers. Background Technology

[0002] Thin film deposition is a crucial step in semiconductor manufacturing. It requires a high-cleanliness and high-vacuum environment to prevent contamination and wafer damage, ensuring the quality and uniformity of the film. In thin film deposition equipment, the loadlock chamber, heating and degassing chamber, and cooling chamber are essential components. The loadlock chamber facilitates the transition from atmospheric pressure to vacuum, maintaining a high-cleanliness and high-vacuum environment throughout the process to ensure smooth operation. The heating and degassing chamber removes moisture and volatile impurities from the wafer surface, ensuring the quality of the deposited film. The cooling chamber cools the coated wafer, ensuring its temperature remains within a suitable range during transfer to the wafer carrier.

[0003] In existing technologies, the load-locking chamber, heating / degassing chamber, and cooling chamber are typically separated into independent units. During operation, the wafer is sequentially transferred to each chamber for processing. For example, after the wafer is placed in the load-locking chamber, a vacuum is created, changing the chamber pressure from atmospheric to vacuum. The wafer is then transferred to the heating / degassing chamber for heating and degassing. After degassing, a robotic arm transfers the wafer to the process chamber for the next thin-film deposition process. After processing, the wafer is transferred to the cooling chamber for cooling. After cooling, it is transferred to the load-locking chamber, where air is introduced to change the pressure from vacuum to atmospheric, and the wafer is then transferred to the Foup (feed tray). Each load-locking chamber, heating / degassing chamber, and cooling chamber can only support one wafer at a time.

[0004] The existing technology has the following problems: First, in the existing technology, the load locking chamber, heating degassing chamber, and cooling chamber can only process one wafer at a time. When multiple wafers need to be processed, this process needs to be repeated multiple times, which is inefficient. For example... Figure 1As shown, traditional PVD equipment uses a heating plate (heater) for wafer heating. The wafer is placed on the heater, which heats up to a predetermined temperature, such as 200-400℃, and holds the temperature for a certain period. This heating method can only heat one wafer at a time, and the temperature uniformity of a single wafer is generally <±5℃. Due to the complex design of the heater, it is relatively thick and heavy, typically 30-60mm thick and weighing around 40kg. Heating multiple wafers requires multiple heaters stacked together, which increases size, weight, and cost, making it unsuitable for multi-wafer heating. Therefore, the common heating method in current PVD equipment is single-wafer heater heating. Furthermore, in existing technologies, load locking, heating degassing, and cooling functions need to be performed in different chambers. Multiple chambers not only increase the overall footprint of the equipment but also increase manufacturing and maintenance costs. Finally, because the functional cavities are independent, the wafer needs to be transferred multiple times during transport, and the time spent moving on the robotic arm is relatively long, increasing the risk of wafer damage during transport. Figure 2 As shown. Utility Model Content

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a multifunctional preprocessing integrated chamber for preparing semiconductor wafers. It not only has a compact structure, reducing the number of chambers and wafer transfers, thus reducing the risk of wafer damage during transfer, but also can process multiple wafers simultaneously, thereby improving efficiency.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is to provide a multifunctional preprocessing integrated chamber for preparing semiconductor wafers, including a cavity cover, an upper cavity, and a lower cavity. The upper cavity and the lower cavity are connected and together with the cavity cover form a closed chamber. A crystal boat is arranged in the closed chamber. The crystal boat adopts a multi-layer design to place multiple wafers. The crystal boat is placed on a support rod, and the support rod is connected to a transmission mechanism. The crystal boat can move up and down or rotate with the transmission mechanism. An air inlet and an air outlet are provided on the side of the upper cavity. The air outlet is connected to a vacuum pump. The lower cavity is provided with a transmission interface.

[0007] Furthermore, the upper cavity and the lower cavity adopt a separate structure, and the upper cavity and the lower cavity are sealed with a metal sealing ring or an O-ring; the cavity cover and the upper cavity are sealed with a metal sealing ring or an O-ring.

[0008] Furthermore, the crystal boat includes an upper support plate and a lower support plate, which are connected by a side support strip. A wafer support block is provided on the side support strip, and a step is formed on the wafer support block.

[0009] Furthermore, the wafer support blocks are arranged in layers with a layer spacing of 5-50mm and a total of 1-50 layers, with one wafer placed in each layer.

[0010] Furthermore, the height of the step is 0.1-2 mm, and the gap between the step and the wafer is 0.5-5 mm.

[0011] Furthermore, the number of side support strips is 3.

[0012] Furthermore, the upper cavity includes an inner cavity and an outer cavity, which are mounted on a transition plate. An inner cavity cover is installed on the upper part of the inner cavity, and an outer cavity cover is installed on the upper part of the outer cavity. The transition plate, the inner cavity, the outer cavity, the outer cavity cover, and the inner cavity cover form a sealed interlayer space. The outer cavity is designed with an interlayer exhaust port and an interlayer air inlet. The interlayer exhaust port is connected to a vacuum pump, and the interlayer air inlet is connected to an inert gas inlet.

[0013] Furthermore, the transmission mechanism includes a crystal boat support plate, a transmission base, and a rotary motor. The crystal boat support plate is connected to a lifting shaft. Two guide rails are installed on the transmission base, and two sliders are set on each guide rail, with the four sliders remaining coplanar. A lifting mounting plate is installed on each slider for guiding the lifting motion. An end support mechanism and a front support mechanism are installed on the transmission base. Bearings are provided in the end support mechanism and the front support mechanism, and a lead screw is installed therein. A lifting driven pulley is installed at the lower end of the lead screw. A lifting adapter is installed on the back of the transmission base, and a lifting motor mounting seat is installed on the lifting adapter. The lifting motor mounting seat is L-shaped, with one side fixed to the lifting adapter and the other side connected to the lifting motor shaft. A lifting drive pulley is installed on the lifting motor shaft, and the lifting drive pulley and the lifting driven pulley are connected and driven by a lifting synchronous belt.

[0014] Furthermore, a rotating support seat is mounted on the lifting mounting plate. The rotating support seat is L-shaped, and a rotating mechanism support seat is fixedly mounted on the rotating support seat. A rotating mechanism is provided inside the rotating mechanism support seat. The rotating mechanism consists of a group of bearings and is used to withstand rotational torque and bending moment. A lifting shaft is installed inside the rotating mechanism, and a rotating driven pulley is installed at the lower end of the lifting shaft. The rotating motor is mounted on a rotating motor mounting seat, which is L-shaped and mounted on a rotating adapter seat. The rotating adapter seat is mounted on the lifting mounting plate. The rotating driven pulley and the rotating driving pulley are connected and driven by a rotating synchronous belt.

[0015] Furthermore, the transmission interface includes a TM interface and an EFEM interface, and the TM interface and EFEM interface are equipped with transmission valves for sealing.

[0016] Compared with existing technologies, this invention has the following advantages: 1) Higher efficiency: This invention can process multiple wafers simultaneously, improving efficiency. 2) Reduced cost: This invention integrates the load locking chamber, heating and degassing chamber, and cooling chamber into one chamber, reducing the number of chambers for the same function. This reduces the overall footprint, lowers manufacturing costs, and simplifies maintenance and disassembly, reducing operating and maintenance costs. 3) Reduced risk of wafer damage during transport: This invention integrates load locking, heating and degassing, and cooling functions into one chamber, reducing the number of wafer transports. By reducing the wafer's movement time on the robotic arm, the risks of eccentricity, breakage, and contamination caused by the high-speed movement of the robotic arm are reduced. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the heating disk structure for an existing monolithic wafer; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the scheduling of existing PVD equipment; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the multifunctional pretreatment integrated chamber structure according to the first embodiment of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wafer in the upper cavity in the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wafer in the lower cavity in the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the crystal boat structure in the multifunctional pretreatment integrated chamber of this utility model; Figure 7 This is an enlarged view of the wafer support block of this utility model supporting the wafer; Figure 8 This is a pressure-time variation graph of the vacuum chamber of this invention. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the scheduling of the PVD equipment of this utility model; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the multifunctional pretreatment integrated chamber structure of the second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the transmission mechanism in the second embodiment of this utility model; Figure 12 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wafer in the upper cavity in the second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 13 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wafer in the lower cavity in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] The diagram is marked as follows: 1. Cavity cover; 2. Upper cavity; 3. Lower cavity; 4. Wafer; 5. Crystal boat; 6. Support rod; 7. Transmission interface; 8. Heating plate; 11. Air inlet; 12. Air outlet; 13. Lamp tube; 14. Transmission mechanism; 201. Adapter plate; 202. Inner cavity exhaust port; 203. Inner cavity; 204. Outer cavity; 205. Interlayer exhaust port; 206. Outer cavity cover; 207. Inner cavity cover; 208. Inner cavity air inlet; 209. Interlayer air inlet; 1401. Crystal boat support plate; 1402. Lifting shaft; 1403. Transmission base; 1404. End support mechanism; 1405. Nut mounting seat; 1406. Lead screw nut; 1407. Lead screw; 1408. Front support mechanism; 1409. Lifting driven pulley; 1410. Bellows; 1411. Lifting mounting plate; 1412. Rotating mechanism; 1413. Rotating mechanism support seat; 1414. Rotating support seat; 1415. Rotating driven pulley; 1416. Rotating synchronous belt; 1417. Rotating drive pulley; 1418. Rotating motor mounting seat; 1419. Rotating motor; 1420. Rotating adapter seat; 1421. Lifting synchronous belt; 1422. Lifting drive pulley; 1423. Lifting motor mounting seat; 1424. Lifting adapter seat; 1425. Guide rail; 1426. Slider; 501. Upper support plate; 502. Lower support plate; 503. Side support strip; 504. Wafer support block; 505. Step; 71. TM interface; 72. EFEM interface. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the multifunctional pretreatment integrated chamber structure according to the first embodiment of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wafer in the upper cavity in the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the wafer in the lower cavity in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 The multifunctional pretreatment integrated chamber for preparing semiconductor wafers provided by this utility model mainly consists of a cavity cover 1, an upper cavity 2, a lower cavity 3, a wafer 4, a crystal boat 5, a support rod 6, a transmission interface 7, an air inlet 11, an air outlet 12, a lamp tube 13, and a transmission mechanism 14.

[0022] Chamber structure: such as Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the upper chamber 2 and lower chamber 3 are connected and, together with the chamber cover 1, form a closed chamber for wafer evacuation, heating, and cooling. The components are made of stainless steel or aluminum alloy. The chamber cover 1, upper chamber 2, and lower chamber 3 are sealed with metal sealing rings or O-rings. Metal sealing rings can be made of materials such as oxygen-free copper or silver-plated oxygen-free copper, and O-rings can be made of materials such as fluororubber. The lower chamber 3 provides overall load-bearing support and is mounted on the side of the device to ensure installation accuracy. It also has interfaces for wafer transfer with the EFEM (Equipment Front-End Module) and TM (Transfer Chamber). The EFEM is used to transfer wafers from the outside to the inside of the device, and the transfer chamber maintains a stable vacuum environment and interfaces with multiple different chambers. There are two reserved interfaces, one on each side, both rectangular, measuring 50×336mm. These interfaces are sealed using a transfer valve. When the transfer valve is open, EFEM and LL or TM and LL interact; when the transfer valve is closed, the cavity is sealed, enabling heating, cooling, and vacuuming functions. The transmission mechanism 14 consists of lifting and rotating motions, driving the crystal boat 5 and support rod 6 to lift and rotate. The rotating transmission mechanism uses a servo motor, reducer, and synchronous belt structure. During installation and debugging, the rotation angle position information is determined, and the parameters are pre-stored in the PLC and communicated with the motor, ensuring the motor always reaches the designated position. To ensure precise docking of each layer of the crystal boat, the principle is the same as described above. The lifting transmission mechanism uses a servo motor, synchronous belt, and ball screw structure. During installation and debugging, the position information of the reserved interfaces for each layer of wafers is determined, and the parameters are pre-stored in the PLC and communicated with the motor, ensuring the motor always reaches the designated position.

[0023] Existing PVD equipment typically has cavities that can only support the storage of a single wafer, with a relatively small cavity volume of approximately 15-30L. Therefore, ordinary vacuum pumps are sufficient to meet process requirements, and the vacuuming time for a single wafer is approximately 15-25 seconds. The cavity designed in this invention can store 0-50 wafers, with an adjustable interlayer spacing of 5-50mm, resulting in a larger cavity volume. Preferably, the cross-section of the crystal boat 5 is slightly larger than that of the wafer 4, the volume of the upper cavity 2 is slightly larger than that of the crystal boat 5, and the volume of the lower cavity 3 is slightly larger than that of the upper cavity 2. The overall cavity size is between 120L and 200L, thus requiring rapid vacuuming to improve the overall machine's WPH efficiency.

[0024] Ordinary vacuum pumps are no longer sufficient. Since high-speed vacuum pumps are generally large, after calculating the pumping speed through simulation, the vacuum pump needs to be custom-designed according to the cavity dimensions to meet the vacuuming requirements of multiple wafers. Simulation calculations of vacuum pumps with different pumping speeds show that a pumping speed of 1800 L / s-3200 L / s can meet the vacuuming efficiency requirements for large volumes. Figure 8To simulate the vacuuming of a cavity storing 20 wafers, using a vacuum pump with a pumping speed of 3200 L / s, it takes 1.8 minutes (108 seconds) to pump from atmospheric pressure to 5E-4 Pa. Averaging this to a single wafer, the vacuuming time is 108 seconds / 20 = 5.4 seconds. It can be seen that, compared to traditional PVD equipment, the innovative design not only meets the vacuuming requirements of multiple wafers but also significantly improves efficiency.

[0025] Crystal boat structure: The crystal boat 5 is placed on the support rod 6 and can move up and down or rotate with the transmission mechanism 14. Multiple wafers 4 can be placed in the crystal boat 5; the number is adjusted according to different processes, with a minimum of one wafer and a recommended maximum of 50 wafers. The crystal boat is made of materials such as quartz, silicon carbide, silicon, or stainless steel.

[0026] Heating Function: The upper cavity 2 can be equipped with different components to heat the wafers in various ways, including but not limited to gas heating, lamp heating, heating wire heating, microwave heating, induction heating, etc. If gas heating is used, other heating methods are not required, but the hot and cold gases need to be switched. If other heating methods are used, the gas can be used only for cooling without switching between hot and cold gases. Multiple wafers 4 are placed in the crystal boat 5. Under the action of the transmission mechanism 14, the wafers 4, the crystal boat 5, and the support rod 6 move upward together, allowing the multiple wafers to enter the upper cavity 2. For example, an air inlet 11 and an air outlet 12 can be provided on the side of the upper cavity 2. High-temperature gas is introduced through the air inlet 11 and circulated from the air outlet 12 by a vacuum pump to perform gas heating; or, for example, a lamp 13 can be installed on the inner side of the upper cavity 2 for lamp heating. Since the upper cavity 2 needs to be equipped with lamp tube 13 or air inlet 11, air outlet 12, high temperature air inlet and outlet pipelines, etc., the upper cavity 2 and the lower cavity 3 are made into a split structure for easy installation and maintenance, and are fastened with screws, which facilitates the disassembly and replacement of the upper cavity 2.

[0027] The main challenge of this invention's multifunctional cavity structure for holding multiple wafers lies in ensuring the temperature uniformity of the multiple wafers. Failure to do so will affect the quality and uniformity of the coating. Therefore, the heating device of this invention ensures the temperature uniformity of heating the multiple wafers in the following three ways.

[0028] i) A high-temperature gas heating structure is adopted, in which high-temperature gas of 100-500℃ is introduced through the air inlet to fill the entire cavity. The cavity is sealed, allowing multiple wafers to be kept in the high-temperature gas atmosphere for a certain period of time to reach the preset temperature of the wafers. This heating method can achieve heating of multiple wafers. At the same time, since the top and bottom surfaces of each wafer are in contact with the gas, the temperature uniformity of multiple wafers is good.

[0029] ii) The design uses a multi-layer wafer boat to ensure the storage of multi-layer wafers. The interlayer spacing is 5-50mm and can be adjusted as needed, preferably 10mm.

[0030] iii) Through simulation analysis of different airflow rates and holding times, good temperature uniformity can be achieved when the airflow rate is between 40-200 SLM and the holding time is between 10-60 s. Preferably, the temperature of a single wafer is 328℃ with uniformity <±1℃; the temperature of multiple wafers is 325-334℃ with uniformity <±5℃, meeting the process requirements.

[0031] Similarly, other heating methods, such as lamp heating, heating wire heating, microwave heating, and induction heating, can also achieve the same effect with proper design. The simulated temperature uniformity using high-temperature gas generally meets the design requirements, with the relatively low temperature point at the bottom of the upper cavity 2. Preferably, high-temperature gas heating and other heating methods can be used in combination, with the other heating devices also located at the bottom of the upper cavity 2 to improve temperature uniformity and reduce the control difficulty of a single method.

[0032] Cooling function: The high-temperature air intake of the air inlet 11 on the upper cavity 2 is changed to the introduction of room temperature or low temperature gas, and the gas is circulated by the vacuum pump through the air outlet 12, thereby cooling the multiple wafers 4 in the crystal boat 5.

[0033] Load locking function: Multiple wafers 4 are placed in the crystal boat 5. The wafers 4, crystal boat 5, and support rod 6 descend into the lower cavity 3 along with the transmission mechanism 14. Figure 5 As shown, air inlets and outlets are provided on the walls of the upper cavity 2 or lower cavity 3. Continuous air intake allows the cavity pressure to reach atmospheric pressure, enabling wafer transfer and interaction with the EFEM. The outlet 12 is connected to a vacuum pump, which can evacuate the cavity pressure to a high vacuum state, allowing wafer transfer and interaction with the TM cavity. Therefore, the integrated cavity of this invention has a multi-wafer load locking function.

[0034] For a preferred embodiment, please refer to [link to preferred embodiment]. Figure 6 The crystal boat 5 consists of an upper support plate 501, a lower support plate 502, three vertical side support bars 503, and support blocks 504 that support the contact between wafers. Each wafer 4 is supported by three support blocks 504. The support blocks 504 are fixed to the side support bars 503 by screws. By replacing the side support bars 503 with different heights and matching different numbers of support blocks 504, the storage requirements of different numbers of wafers 4 can be met, such as 1-50 wafers.

[0035] When multiple wafers 4 are placed in the crystal boat 5 of this invention, the interlayer spacing of the crystal boat is between 5-50mm, preferably 10mm; specifically, the interlayer spacing of the wafers can be adjusted by changing and adjusting the spacing of the fixing holes of the adjacent two layers of support blocks of the support strip. Figure 7This is an enlarged view of the wafer support block holding the wafer. The wafer support block 504 is designed with steps 505 to form a stepped surface. The height of the steps 505 is 0.1-2mm, and the gap between the steps 505 and the wafer 4 is 0.5-5mm. After the wafer 4 is placed onto the stepped surface of the wafer boat by the robotic arm, the presence of the stepped surface prevents the wafer 4 from slipping out and causing the risk of fragmentation during movement and rotation.

[0036] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the multifunctional pretreatment integrated chamber structure of the second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 12 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wafer in the upper cavity in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Please see Figure 10 and Figure 12 An adapter plate 201 is installed on the upper cavity 2. An inner cavity 203 and an outer cavity 204 are installed on the adapter plate 201. An inner cavity cover 207 is installed on the upper part of the inner cavity 203, and an outer cavity cover 206 is installed on the upper part of the outer cavity 204. O-rings are used to seal the upper cavity 2, adapter plate 201, inner cavity 203, outer cavity 204, outer cavity cover 206, and inner cavity cover 207 to maintain the vacuum state of the cavity. The adapter plate 201, inner cavity 203, outer cavity 204, outer cavity cover 206, and inner cavity cover 207 form a sealed interlayer space. The outer cavity 204 is designed with an interlayer exhaust port 205 and an interlayer inlet port 209. The exhaust port 205 is connected to a vacuum pump, and the inlet port 209 is connected to an inert gas inlet (such as N2). This interlayer is used to improve heating and cooling efficiency. When the inner cavity is heated, no gas enters the interlayer, and the exhaust port is evacuated to maintain a vacuum state, thus insulating the inner and outer cavities and reducing heat loss during heating, thereby improving heating efficiency. When the inner cavity is cooled, room temperature inert gas enters the interlayer while the exhaust port evacuates, creating a continuous gas flow to dissipate heat from the inner cavity wall, improving the cooling effect of the inner cavity.

[0038] An inner cavity exhaust port 202 and an inner cavity air inlet 208 are provided on the inner cavity body 203. The inner cavity exhaust port 202 is connected to a vacuum pump, and the inner cavity air inlet 208 is connected to a high-temperature inert gas and a normal-temperature inert gas (such as N2 or Ar) for heating and cooling.

[0039] The crystal boat 5 is placed on the crystal boat support plate 1401. The crystal boat support plate 1402 is connected to the lifting shaft 1402, which is connected to the lower transmission mechanism, and can perform lifting and rotation movements.

[0040] Please refer to the transmission mechanism in this embodiment. Figure 11The transmission base 1403 is mounted on the lower surface of the upper cavity 2. Two guide rails 1425 are mounted on the transmission base 1403, and two sliders 1426 are mounted on each guide rail 1425, for a total of four sliders. The four sliders are coplanar. A lifting mounting plate 1411 is mounted on each slider 1426 for guiding the lifting motion. Simultaneously, an end support mechanism 1404 and a front support mechanism 1408 are mounted on the transmission base 1403. Both support mechanisms contain bearings, and a lead screw 1407 is mounted within the bearings. A lead screw nut 1406 is mounted on the lead screw, and a nut mounting seat 1405 is fixed to the lead screw nut 1406 and also to the lifting mounting plate 1411 for torque transmission during lifting motion. A lifting driven pulley 1409 is mounted on the lower end of the lead screw 1407. The lifting adapter 1424 is installed on the back of the transmission base 1403. The lifting motor mounting base 1423 is installed on the lifting adapter 1424. The lifting motor mounting base 1423 is L-shaped, with one side fixed to the lifting adapter 1424 and the other side connected to the lifting motor shaft. The lifting motor shaft is equipped with a lifting drive pulley 1422. The lifting drive pulley 1422 and the lifting driven pulley 1409 are connected and driven by a lifting synchronous belt 1421.

[0041] The rotating support 1414 is L-shaped and is fixedly mounted on the lifting mounting plate 1411. The rotating mechanism support 1413 is mounted on the rotating support 1414. The rotating mechanism support 1413 houses a rotating mechanism 1412, which consists of a set of bearings to withstand rotational torque and bending moment. A lifting shaft 1402 is installed inside the rotating mechanism 1412, and a driven pulley 1415 is mounted at the lower end of the lifting shaft 1402. The rotating motor 1419 is mounted on a rotating motor mounting base 1418, which is L-shaped and has one side mounted on a rotating adapter 1420, which is mounted on the lifting mounting plate 1411. The driven pulley 1415 and the driving pulley 1417 are connected and driven by a rotating synchronous belt 1416. The bellows 1410 is connected to the lower end of the upper cavity 2 and the upper part of the rotating mechanism support 1413, and is used for the telescopic movement of lifting and lowering to keep the cavity isolated from the external atmosphere.

[0042] When multi-layer crystal boat lifting is required, the PLC sends a signal to the lifting motor, causing the lifting motor to rotate, which in turn drives the lifting drive pulley 1422 to rotate. The lifting drive pulley 1422 drives the lifting driven pulley 1409 to rotate via the lifting synchronous belt 1421. The lifting driven pulley 1409 drives the lead screw 1407 to rotate, which in turn drives the lead screw nut 1406 to lift. The lead screw nut 1406 drives the rotating support 1414 to lift via the nut mounting base 1405 and the lifting mounting plate 1411. The rotating support 1414 drives the entire motion mechanism mounted on it to lift.

[0043] When multiple layers of the crystal boat need to rotate, the PLC sends a signal to the rotary motor 1419 to make the motor rotate, which drives the drive pulley 1417 to rotate. The drive pulley 1417 drives the driven pulley 1415 to rotate through the rotary synchronous belt 1416. The driven pulley 1415 drives the lifting shaft 1402 and the crystal boat 5 to rotate.

[0044] The heating function of this embodiment is as follows. The inner cavity 203 can heat the wafers in various ways, including gas heating, lamp heating, and rotational heating. At least two of these methods can be used simultaneously to heat the wafers. When all three methods are used simultaneously, the multiple wafers will have better temperature uniformity. Taking the simultaneous use of three heating methods as an example, multiple wafers are placed in a crystal boat. Under the action of the lifting mechanism, the boat moves upward, allowing the wafers and the boat to enter the inner cavity 203. Simultaneously, the gap between the upper surface of the crystal boat support plate 1401 and the lower surface of the adapter plate 201 is controlled to ensure the gap is within 1mm, so that there is no interference when the crystal boat module rotates. This gap is designed to be as small as possible after the crystal boat 5 can rotate. High-temperature inert gas is introduced through the inner cavity air inlet 208, and the inner cavity exhaust port 202 is connected to a vacuum pump for exhaust. Gas can be introduced and exhausted simultaneously, or gas can be introduced and kept warm for a period of time to allow the high-temperature gas to fully contact the wafer for heat conduction before exhaust. This cycle of introduction-warming-exhaust can achieve the desired effect of heating the wafers. Simultaneously, lamps 13 are turned on for radiant heating. Lamp 13 are installed on the inner wall of the inner cavity 203, evenly distributed around the circumference. The number of lamps can be 4 / 8 / 12 / 16 per ring, depending on the required temperature uniformity. More lamps result in better temperature uniformity, but also increase the complexity of control, installation, and debugging. A tiny gap of less than 1mm exists between the upper surface of the crystal boat support plate 1401 and the lower surface of the adapter plate 201. When high-temperature gas enters, a small amount of gas will flow out through this gap into the lower cavity 3, but most of the gas remains within the inner cavity to heat the wafers, thus having almost no impact on wafer heating. Furthermore, as mentioned above, when heating occurs within the inner cavity 203, no gas enters the interlayer, and a vacuum is drawn at the exhaust port to maintain the interlayer in a vacuum state. This insulates the inner cavity from the outer cavity, reducing heat loss during heating and improving heating efficiency. Combining these various heating structures and methods, multiple wafers 4 can maintain good temperature uniformity.

[0045] The cooling function of this embodiment is as follows: The air intake 208 of the inner cavity is changed to use room temperature or low temperature inert gas. A cycle of intake and exhaust, or intake-holding-exhaust, is performed while the lamp 13 is not turned on for heating. Simultaneously, the crystal boat 5 rotates, thereby cooling the multiple wafers 4 inside the crystal boat 5. At the same time, as mentioned above, room temperature or low temperature inert gas is introduced into the interlayer, while air is extracted through the interlayer exhaust 205. This simultaneous intake and exhaust dissipates heat from the inner cavity wall, improving the cooling effect of the inner cavity 203.

[0046] The load locking function of this embodiment is as follows. Under normal conditions, the cavity and interlayer are continuously evacuated through the inner cavity exhaust port 202 and the interlayer exhaust port 205 to maintain a vacuum state. When multiple wafers need to be placed from the EFEM, the exhaust port is closed, the inner cavity air inlet 208 is opened, and the pressure inside the cavity is brought up to atmospheric pressure by the normally warm gas. The EFEM interface 72 is then opened, and multiple wafers are transferred from the EFEM into the multi-layer crystal boat inside the cavity. The EFEM interface 72 is then closed, and the inner cavity exhaust port 202 and the interlayer exhaust port 205 are opened to evacuate the cavity and bring it to a vacuum state. Heating can then be performed. After heating is completed, the TM interface 71 is opened to transfer the wafers into the TM for subsequent processing. After processing, the wafers are cooled in this chamber and returned to the EFEM. The process is basically the same and will not be described in detail here. By continuously switching between vacuum and atmospheric conditions in this chamber, the TM cavity is always kept in a high vacuum state to ensure the cleanliness and process quality of subsequent processing.

[0047] The multifunctional pretreatment integrated chamber for preparing semiconductor wafers provided by this invention has the following advantages: 1) Integrate heating and degassing functions, cooling functions, and load locking functions into one chamber. This invention integrates three functions into one cavity, reducing the number of cavities and thus reducing the footprint of the entire device, thereby lowering costs. Figure 9 As shown, while fulfilling the same functional requirements, the number of wafer transfers is reduced, the scheduling scheme is significantly simplified, and efficiency is improved. Furthermore, by reducing the number of wafer transfers, the time the wafer spends on the robotic arm is decreased, thus reducing the risk of wafer damage and contamination.

[0048] 2) Multiple wafers are simultaneously subjected to vacuuming, heating for degassing, and cooling. This invention improves efficiency by designing a multi-layered crystal boat within the cavity, enabling simultaneous vacuuming, heating for degassing, and cooling of multiple wafers.

[0049] 3) Easy to maintain This invention designs the upper and lower chambers as separate structures, making the upper heating and cooling chamber easy to disassemble and maintain, while the lower transmission chamber ensures transmission and interaction and the overall installation accuracy of the machine; thus achieving the purpose of convenient maintenance and disassembly, and reducing maintenance time.

[0050] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the claims.

Claims

1. A multifunctional pretreatment integrated chamber for fabricating semiconductor wafers, characterized in that, The device includes a cavity cover (1), an upper cavity (2), and a lower cavity (3). The upper cavity (2) and the lower cavity (3) are connected and form a closed chamber with the cavity cover (1). A crystal boat (5) is provided in the closed chamber. The crystal boat (5) adopts a multi-layer design to place multiple wafers (4). The crystal boat (5) is placed on a support rod (6). The support rod (6) is connected to a transmission mechanism (14). The crystal boat (5) can move up and down or rotate with the transmission mechanism (14). An air inlet (11) and an air outlet (12) are provided on the side of the upper cavity (2). The air outlet (12) is connected to a vacuum pump. A transmission interface (7) is provided in the lower cavity (3).

2. The multifunctional preprocessing integrated chamber for preparing semiconductor wafers as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The upper cavity (2) and the lower cavity (3) are separate structures. The upper cavity (2) and the lower cavity (3) are sealed with a metal sealing ring or an O-ring. The cavity cover (1) and the upper cavity (2) are sealed with a metal sealing ring or an O-ring.

3. The multifunctional preprocessing integrated chamber for preparing semiconductor wafers as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The crystal boat (5) includes an upper support plate (501) and a lower support plate (502). The upper support plate (501) and the lower support plate (502) are connected by a side support strip (503). A wafer support block (504) is provided on the side support strip (503), and a step (505) is formed on the wafer support block (504).

4. The multifunctional pretreatment integrated chamber for preparing semiconductor wafers as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The wafer support block (504) is arranged in layers with a layer spacing of 5-50mm and a total of 1-50 layers, with one wafer placed in each layer.

5. The multifunctional pretreatment integrated chamber for preparing semiconductor wafers as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The height of the step (505) is 0.1-2mm, and the gap between the step (505) and the wafer (4) is 0.5-5mm.

6. The multifunctional preprocessing integrated chamber for preparing semiconductor wafers as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The number of side support strips (503) is 3.

7. The multifunctional preprocessing integrated chamber for preparing semiconductor wafers as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The upper cavity (2) includes an inner cavity (203) and an outer cavity (204). The inner cavity (203) and the outer cavity (204) are mounted on a transition plate (201). An inner cavity cover (207) is installed on the upper part of the inner cavity (203), and an outer cavity cover (206) is installed on the upper part of the outer cavity (204). The transition plate (201), the inner cavity (203), the outer cavity (204), the outer cavity cover (206), and the inner cavity cover (207) form a sealed interlayer space. The outer cavity (204) is designed with an interlayer exhaust port (205) and an interlayer air inlet (209). The interlayer exhaust port (205) is connected to a vacuum pump, and the interlayer air inlet (209) is connected to an inert gas inlet.

8. The multifunctional preprocessing integrated chamber for preparing semiconductor wafers as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission mechanism (14) includes a crystal boat support plate (1401), a transmission base (1403), and a rotary motor (1419). The crystal boat support plate (1401) is connected to a lifting shaft (1402). Two guide rails (1425) are installed on the transmission base (1403). Two sliders (1426) are provided on each guide rail (1425), and the four sliders are kept coplanar. A lifting mounting plate (1411) is installed on the sliders (1426) for guiding the lifting motion. An end support mechanism (1404) and a front support mechanism (1408) are installed on the transmission base (1403). The end support mechanism (1404) and the front support mechanism (1419) are connected to a lifting shaft (1402). 408) is equipped with a bearing and a lead screw (1407); a lifting driven pulley (1409) is installed at the lower end of the lead screw (1407); a lifting adapter (1424) is installed on the back of the transmission base (1403), a lifting motor mounting seat (1423) is installed on the lifting adapter (1424), the lifting motor mounting seat (1423) is L-shaped, one side is fixed to the lifting adapter (1424), and the other side is connected to the lifting motor shaft. A lifting drive pulley (1422) is installed on the lifting motor shaft. The lifting drive pulley (1422) and the lifting driven pulley (1409) are connected and driven by a lifting synchronous belt (1421).

9. The multifunctional pretreatment integrated chamber for preparing semiconductor wafers as described in claim 8, characterized in that, A rotating support seat (1414) is installed on the lifting mounting plate (1411). The rotating support seat (1414) is L-shaped. A rotating mechanism support seat (1413) is fixedly installed on the rotating support seat (1414). A rotating mechanism (1412) is provided inside the rotating mechanism support seat (1413). The rotating mechanism (1412) is composed of a group of bearings and is used to withstand the rotational torque and bending moment. A lifting shaft (1402) is installed inside the rotating mechanism (1412). The lower end of the lifting shaft (1402) is equipped with a driven pulley (1415); the rotary motor (1419) is mounted on a rotary motor mounting base (1418), which is L-shaped and mounted on a rotary adapter (1420), which is mounted on a lifting mounting plate (1411); the driven pulley (1415) and the driving pulley (1417) are connected and driven by a rotary synchronous belt (1416).

10. The multifunctional preprocessing integrated chamber for preparing semiconductor wafers as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission interface (7) includes a TM interface (71) and an EFEM interface (72), and the TM interface (71) and EFEM interface (72) are equipped with transmission valves for sealing.

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