Coating tray

Abstract

The application discloses a tray for coating, and relates to the technical field of semiconductors. The front surface of the tray is provided with a first layer of grooves for placing substrates, and the first layer of grooves is formed by the intersection of at least a first circular groove, a second circular groove and a third circular groove; the edges of the first layer of grooves comprise a first circular arc segment constituting the edge of the first circular groove, a second circular arc segment constituting the edge of the second circular groove and a third circular arc segment constituting the edge of the third circular groove; wherein the diameter of the first circular groove is greater than the diameters of the second circular groove and the third circular groove; the distance between the centers of the second circular groove and the third circular groove is greater than or equal to the sum of the radii of the second circular groove and the third circular groove. The tray has grooves that can accommodate at least two sizes of substrates, that is, different sizes of substrates can be placed when thin film deposition is performed, the versatility of the tray is improved, and the surfaces of various sizes of substrates are protected from being damaged during thin film deposition.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and more specifically to a coating tray. Background Technology

[0002] Micro-nano fabrication technology refers to a series of technologies for processing and manufacturing materials or devices at the micrometer to nanometer scale. It includes photolithography, etching, thin film deposition, ion implantation, thermal treatment, chemical mechanical polishing, bonding and encapsulation, and wet cleaning and etching techniques. It is the foundation and core of cutting-edge fields such as microelectronics, microelectromechanical systems, optoelectronics, nanodevices, and biochips. Thin film deposition refers to the deposition of functional thin film materials on a substrate, including insulating, conductive, and semiconductor materials. Thin film deposition techniques are generally divided into physical vapor deposition (PVD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). PVD techniques include evaporation and sputtering, while CVD techniques include plasma-enhanced CVD and inductively coupled plasma-enhanced CVD.

[0003] However, most commercially available thin-film deposition equipment is designed and adapted only for substrates of specific sizes, lacking compatibility with substrates of different sizes. This not only limits the use of diverse substrates in scientific research experiments but also, to some extent, restricts process exploration and technological expansion. Therefore, improving the versatility and flexibility of trays and deposition equipment to meet the processing needs of substrates of different sizes has become an urgent problem to be solved. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application aims to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing at least one improvement. To this end, this application proposes a coating tray with several substrate grooves of different sizes on its surface, accommodating the placement needs of substrates of various sizes, thereby significantly improving space utilization and effectively increasing the processing efficiency of thin film deposition. Furthermore, this application also prevents small-sized substrates from sliding during automatic tray transport due to their small size, and prevents scratches on the back of the substrate from affecting experimental results, further ensuring the reliability of the process and the accuracy of the experiments.

[0005] According to an embodiment of this application, a coating tray is provided on the front side of the tray for placing a substrate. The first layer of groove is formed by the intersection of at least a first circular groove, a second circular groove, and a third circular groove. The edge of the first layer of groove includes a first arc segment forming the edge of the first circular groove, a second arc segment forming the edge of the second circular groove, and a third arc segment forming the edge of the third circular groove. Wherein, the diameter of the first circular groove is larger than the diameter of the second circular groove and the third circular groove; The distance between the centers of the second circular groove and the third circular groove is greater than or equal to the sum of the radii of the second circular groove and the third circular groove.

[0006] According to an embodiment of this application, a coating tray has a first-layer groove consisting of at least a first arc segment, a second arc segment, and a third arc segment connected together to form three non-concentric circular grooves. This tray can hold at least two sizes of substrates for thin film deposition. Furthermore, the first circular groove can hold a larger substrate than the second and third circular grooves; the second and third circular grooves can each hold one substrate during the same processing time without interfering with each other.

[0007] Compared to existing thin film deposition equipment that only provides trays of a fixed size, the tray of this application can provide at least two sizes of circular grooves for placing substrates in the first layer, increasing space utilization and improving the efficiency of thin film deposition. At the same time, it can provide grooves of the size required by the user to ensure that the substrate will not slide in the grooves and avoid scratches and damage to the back of the substrate.

[0008] In some embodiments, the second circular groove and the third circular groove have the same diameter and are symmetrically arranged with respect to the center of the first circular groove.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first circular groove, the second circular groove, and the third circular groove have equal depths so that the bottom surfaces of the first layer of grooves are flush.

[0010] In some embodiments, an extension groove is further provided on the bottom surface of the first layer of groove.

[0011] In some embodiments, the expansion groove has 1 to 7 layers; When the number of expansion groove layers is greater than 1, in two adjacent layers, the expansion groove that is far away from the first layer groove is located on the bottom surface of the expansion groove that is adjacent to the first layer groove.

[0012] In some embodiments, the expansion groove is a circular groove, the diameter of the expansion groove is smaller than the diameter of the first circular groove, and it is coaxially arranged with the first circular groove.

[0013] In some embodiments, the extended groove is a square groove.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first layer of grooves further includes: at least one additional groove, the additional groove intersecting with at least one of the first circular groove, the second circular groove, and the third circular groove; The additional groove is circular, square, elliptical, or rhomboid, and the edge of the first layer of groove includes straight or arc segments that form the edge of the additional groove.

[0015] In some embodiments, the tray is round, square, rectangular, or polygonal, and the tray is made of metal, graphite, or ceramic.

[0016] In some embodiments, the thickness of the tray is between 0.5 mm and 10 mm.

[0017] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the front of the tray according to some embodiments of this application; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the tray in the illustrated embodiment; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing an extended groove on a tray in some embodiments; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an extended groove on a tray in some other embodiments; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a tray with additional slots in some other embodiments; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the tray shape for some other embodiments.

[0019] Figure label: Pallet 10, Thickness D, First groove 1, depth H, First circular groove 11, first circular arc segment 111 Second circular groove 12, second circular arc segment 121, radius r2 of the second circular groove Third circular groove 13, third circular arc segment 131, radius r3 of the third circular groove, center-to-center distance m1 Expanding groove 2 Additional slot 3. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0021] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "bottom," "inner," "axial," "radial," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Furthermore, features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0022] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0023] The following is for reference. Figures 1-6 A coating tray 10 according to an embodiment of this application is described.

[0024] like Figure 1 As shown, according to an embodiment of this application, the tray 10 has a first layer of groove 1 on its front side for placing a substrate. The first layer of groove 1 is formed by the intersection of at least a first circular groove 11, a second circular groove 12 and a third circular groove 13. The edge of the first layer of groove 1 includes a first arc segment 111 forming the edge of the first circular groove 11, a second arc segment 121 forming the edge of the second circular groove 12, and a third arc segment 131 forming the edge of the third circular groove 13.

[0025] The diameter of the first circular groove 11 is greater than the diameter of the second circular groove 12 and the third circular groove 13. The distance m1 between the centers of the second circular groove 12 and the third circular groove 13 is greater than or equal to the sum of the radii of the second circular groove 12 and the third circular groove 13. That is... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the center-to-center distance between the second circular groove 12 and the third circular groove 13 is m1, the radius of the second circular groove 12 is r2, and the radius of the third circular groove 13 is r3, where m1 ≥ (r2 + r3). ​​Specifically, the tray 10 is mainly used to support and fix the substrate to be deposited, such as a wafer or glass plate, to ensure the stability of the substrate position during the deposition process.

[0026] The front of the tray 10 is designed with a first layer of groove 1, which is formed by the overlapping combination of a first circular groove 11, a second circular groove 12 and a third circular groove 13. The edge of the first layer of groove 1 includes the arc segment of each circular groove, including at least the first arc segment 111 forming the edge of the first circular groove 11, the second arc segment 121 forming the edge of the second circular groove 12, and the third arc segment 131 forming the edge of the third circular groove 13.

[0027] In other designs, the first groove 1 has other grooves that intersect with the first circular groove 11, the second circular groove 12 and the third circular groove 13. In this case, the edge of the first groove 1 will also include the edge of the other grooves.

[0028] exist Figure 1 In the design, the edge of the first groove 1 is composed of a first arc segment 111, a second arc segment 121 and a third arc segment 131 connected end to end.

[0029] The first arc segment 111 is configured to allow the first circular groove 11 to constrain a substrate that matches its size. The second arc segment 121 is configured to allow the second arc segment 121 to constrain a substrate that matches its size. The third arc segment 131 is configured to allow the third arc segment 131 to constrain a substrate that matches its size. The shape of the first layer groove 1 is not circular or square, but is the shape obtained by the intersection of three circles, specifically the intersection method as follows... Figure 1 As shown by the dotted line. This makes the use of tray 10 more versatile and practical. Still using... Figure 1 For example, the tray 10 of this application can be used when producing a substrate that matches the first circular groove 11. The tray 10 of this application can also be used when producing a substrate that matches the second circular groove 12. The tray 10 of this application can also be used when producing a substrate that matches the third circular groove 13. In other words, the tray 10 of this application can be used when depositing thin films on substrates of different sizes. Only this one type of tray 10 is needed in the production apparatus, which can meet the needs of substrates of different sizes, thus possessing versatility. Different sized substrates do not need to be replaced with different trays 10 during the production process, making the tray 10 more practical.

[0030] In this application, by setting the center distance m1 between the second circular groove 12 and the third circular groove 13 to be greater than or equal to the sum of the radii of the second circular groove 12 and the third circular groove 13, the two substrates placed in the second circular groove 12 and the third circular groove 13 can completely avoid contact and interference. Thus, in the same processing cycle, one substrate can be placed in each of the second circular groove 12 and the third circular groove 13, and a thin film can be formed on each substrate without interference.

[0031] In some designs, the radius r2 of the second circular groove 121 is equal to the radius r3 of the third circular groove 13, allowing these two circular grooves to process substrates of the same size. This results in higher production efficiency when coating substrates of this size.

[0032] The first circular groove 11 intersects with the second circular groove 12 and the third circular groove 13, so that the area of ​​the tray 10 is fully utilized.

[0033] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the second circular groove 12 and the third circular groove 13 have the same diameter and are symmetrically arranged relative to the center of the first circular groove 11.

[0034] When depositing a substrate of this size, the second circular groove 12 and the third circular groove 13 on the tray 10 can simultaneously hold two substrates of the same size, greatly reducing process time and improving work efficiency during thin film deposition. Specifically, existing trays can only hold one substrate on their surface. In mass production of thin films, only one substrate can be deposited at a time, resulting in low efficiency and low equipment utilization. In this application, by setting the second circular groove 12 and the third circular groove 13 of the same diameter on the tray 10, the deposition process of two substrates of the same size can be completed in one go. In addition, when the two substrates are placed in the second circular groove 12 and the third circular groove 13 respectively, the two circular grooves are symmetrical to each other, ensuring the overall structural balance of the tray 10.

[0035] Alternatively, the first circular groove 11 can be a 6-inch groove, and the second circular groove 12 and the third circular groove 13 can be 4-inch grooves.

[0036] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the depth H of the first circular groove 11, the second circular groove 12 and the third circular groove 13 are equal, so that the bottom surface of the first layer of groove 1 is flush.

[0037] Specifically, the first circular groove 11, the second circular groove 12, and the third circular groove 13 are recessed to the same degree on the back of the tray 10. Therefore, during the processing of the tray 10, it is not necessary to process the three circular grooves in the first layer of groove 1 in separate steps, thereby reducing the difficulty of processing the tray 10, minimizing structural deviations caused by different depths, improving processing efficiency, and saving manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the fact that the first circular groove 11, the second circular groove 12, and the third circular groove 13 have the same depth H also avoids differences in substrate temperature caused by different groove depths, thus preventing any impact on process stability.

[0038] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 3 An extension groove 2 is also provided on the bottom surface of the first groove 1.

[0039] The extended groove 2 is another groove for placing a substrate, in addition to the first circular groove 11, the second circular groove 12, and the third circular groove 13. This allows the tray 10 to also hold substrates of other sizes. Furthermore, the optimized layout of extended grooves 1 and 2 maximizes space utilization without increasing the overall size of the tray 10.

[0040] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 4 The expansion groove 2 has 1 to 7 layers, providing flexible expansion capabilities. The number of layers in the expansion groove 2 can be processed according to user needs, accommodating substrates of more sizes. Even small substrates have suitable grooves for fixed placement, preventing the substrate from shifting during transport and affecting the process results.

[0041] When the number of layers of expansion groove 2 is greater than 1, in two adjacent layers, the expansion groove 2 that is far away from the first layer groove 1 is located on the bottom surface of the expansion groove 2 that is close to the first layer groove 1.

[0042] Specifically, the expansion grooves 2 are stacked layer by layer in the vertical direction, with each layer of expansion grooves 2 located below the bottom surface of the layer above, thus forming a nested layout from top to bottom. This enables the support of substrates of various sizes in the vertical direction, significantly improving the space utilization of the tray 10. This design structure of the tray 10 can not only accommodate substrates of various sizes in scientific research experiments, but also can be used for mass production.

[0043] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 3 The expansion groove 2 is a circular groove with a diameter smaller than that of the first circular groove 11, and is coaxially arranged with the first circular groove 11.

[0044] The two centers of the extended groove 2 and the first circular groove 11 overlap, and the extended groove 2 and the first circular groove 11 are completely aligned in space. The overall structure of the tray 10 surface is more regular and symmetrical, which is beneficial to improving the process uniformity and the alignment accuracy of the substrate placement when processing the extended groove 2.

[0045] In other embodiments, reference is made to Figure 4 The extended groove 2 is a square groove.

[0046] At this point, the extended groove 2 can accommodate not only square substrates smaller than the square groove, but also substrates of special shapes. This allows the extended groove 2 to hold substrates of different shapes, enhancing its practicality.

[0047] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 5The first layer of groove 1 further includes at least one additional groove 3, which intersects with at least one of the first circular groove 11, the second circular groove 12, and the third circular groove 13. Further, the additional groove 3 is circular, square, elliptical, or rhomboid, and the edge of the first layer of groove 1 includes straight or arc segments constituting the edge of the additional groove 3.

[0048] The additional groove 3 intersects with the first circular groove 11, the second circular groove 12 and the third circular groove 13 of the first layer groove 1. The shape of the additional groove 3 can be flexibly changed according to the combination of the intersecting circular grooves. Therefore, it can not only adapt to circular substrates, but also place square, elliptical or other irregularly shaped substrates to meet the user's needs for placing substrates of different shapes, thereby improving the versatility of the tray 10 in terms of substrate bearing.

[0049] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 6 The tray 10 can be round, square, rectangular, or polygonal. The material of the tray 10 can be metal, graphite, ceramic, silicon carbide, etc. The specific material to be selected can be determined according to the process requirements and experimental environment.

[0050] The shape of tray 10 can be customized according to user requirements. It should be noted that... Figure 1 and Figure 6 Only the cases where tray 10 is round and rectangular are shown.

[0051] When the tray 10 is made of metal, it has excellent mechanical strength and thermal conductivity, and can withstand high mechanical loads and rapid heat conduction. It is suitable for high-temperature or high-stress process environments that require structural stability and good thermal management.

[0052] When tray 10 is processed from graphite, it exhibits excellent high-temperature resistance and chemical inertness, making it particularly suitable for use in high-temperature deposition or plasma processes. Graphite's low coefficient of thermal expansion and good thermal shock resistance help reduce thermal deformation, while its self-lubricating properties also reduce wafer friction damage.

[0053] When tray 10 is processed from ceramic material, it has extremely high chemical stability, insulation and high temperature resistance. It is not easy to react with process gases or thin film materials, and can effectively avoid metal contamination. It is suitable for processes with strict requirements for cleanliness and chemical compatibility (such as semiconductor thin film deposition).

[0054] When tray 10 is processed using silicon carbide material, it has the characteristics of high temperature stability, corrosion resistance, high hardness, and low pollution, making it suitable for use in process cavities of high-end physical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, and chemical vapor deposition.

[0055] Optionally, the body material of the tray 10 can be stainless steel, graphite, ceramic, SiC, SiC-coated graphite, quartz, silicon, molybdenum, and tantalum, etc.

[0056] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 2 The thickness D of the tray 10 is between 0.5mm and 10mm.

[0057] In the description of this specification, the references to the terms "embodiment," "example," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0058] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of this application, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A tray for coating, characterized by, The front of the tray is provided with a first layer of grooves for placing wafers, and the first layer of grooves is formed by the intersection of at least a first circular groove, a second circular groove and a third circular groove; The edge of the first layer of groove includes a first arc segment forming the edge of the first circular groove, a second arc segment forming the edge of the second circular groove, and a third arc segment forming the edge of the third circular groove; Wherein, the diameter of the first circular groove is larger than the diameter of the second circular groove and the third circular groove; The distance between the centers of the second circular groove and the third circular groove is greater than or equal to the sum of the radii of the second circular groove and the third circular groove.

2. The tray for coating according to claim 1, wherein The second circular groove and the third circular groove have the same diameter and are symmetrically arranged relative to the center of the first circular groove.

3. The tray for coating according to claim 1, wherein The first circular groove, the second circular groove, and the third circular groove have the same depth so that the bottom surface of the first layer of grooves is flush.

4. The coating tray according to claim 1, characterized in that, An extension groove is also provided on the bottom surface of the first layer of grooves.

5. The coating tray according to claim 4, characterized in that, The expansion groove has 1 to 7 layers; When the number of expansion groove layers is greater than 1, in two adjacent layers, the expansion groove that is far away from the first layer groove is located on the bottom surface of the expansion groove that is adjacent to the first layer groove.

6. The coating tray according to claim 4, characterized in that, The expansion groove is a circular groove, the diameter of which is smaller than the diameter of the first circular groove, and it is coaxially arranged with the first circular groove.

7. The coating tray according to claim 4, characterized in that, The extended groove is a square groove.

8. The coating tray according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first layer of grooves further includes: at least one additional groove, the additional groove intersecting with at least one of the first circular groove, the second circular groove, and the third circular groove; The additional groove is circular, square, elliptical, or rhomboid, and the edge of the first layer of groove includes straight or arc segments that form the edge of the additional groove.

9. The coating tray according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The tray can be round, square, rectangular, or polygonal, and can be made of metal, graphite, ceramic, or silicon carbide.

10. The coating tray according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The thickness of the tray is between 0.5 mm and 10 mm.

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