Temperature measurement system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a temperature measurement system applied to a rapid thermal processing device, the rapid thermal processing device comprising a process chamber and a robot for conveying wafers in and out of the process chamber, wherein the temperature measurement system comprises an integrated magazine arranged on one side of a chamber door of the process chamber, the integrated magazine comprising a first area for carrying a thermocouple wafer in a non-temperature measurement state and a second area for placing a wireless data transmission module, the thermocouple wafer being connected to the wireless data transmission module through a wire; the robot conveying the thermocouple wafer from the first area to the process chamber, and the wireless data transmission module transmitting temperature data inside the process chamber collected by the thermocouple wafer to an external terminal in real time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of rapid thermal processing of silicon carbide devices, and in particular to a temperature measurement system. Background Technology

[0002] Silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor devices have become the core material for next-generation power semiconductor devices due to their excellent high-temperature, high-frequency, and high-voltage resistance. In the manufacturing process of SiC devices, the Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) process places extremely high demands on wafer temperature uniformity (within ±4℃) and transient control accuracy (heating rate >100℃ / s), directly affecting the device's carrier mobility, defect density, and long-term reliability. Currently, the industry commonly uses thermocouple wafer (TCWafer) temperature measurement systems for temperature calibration and monitoring of RTP equipment, connecting the temperature measurement points inside the cavity to external data acquisition equipment via high-temperature resistant wires. However, as SiC processes evolve towards higher temperatures (>1200℃) and more stringent cleanliness requirements (Class 1), traditional thermocouple wafer temperature measurement systems have revealed significant shortcomings in terms of high-temperature environmental adaptability, reliability, and efficiency.

[0003] Due to cost constraints, many FAB (Factory Automation) plants in China still widely use outdated RTP (Regenerative Thermal Physics) equipment. However, these RTP devices rely on traditional manual operation methods for temperature calibration. Specifically, engineers must manually open the chamber and insert a TCWafer, while using polyimide tape to secure the high-temperature wires connecting the TCWafer to the outside of the chamber to connect the data acquisition unit for measurement. This calibration method is not only cumbersome but also prone to causing the thermocouple wafer wires to break due to compression. Utility Model Content

[0004] This disclosure provides a temperature measurement system to solve the technical problem of thermocouple wafer wire extrusion breakage during the temperature calibration process of rapid heat treatment equipment in the prior art.

[0005] This disclosure provides a temperature measurement system applied to a rapid thermal processing device. The rapid thermal processing device includes a process chamber and a robotic arm for conveying wafers in and out of the process chamber. The temperature measurement system includes an integrated material box disposed on one side of the chamber door of the process chamber. The integrated material box includes a first region for holding thermocouple wafers in a non-temperature measurement state and a second region for placing a wireless data transmission module. The thermocouple wafers are connected to the wireless data transmission module via wires. The robotic arm transports the thermocouple wafer from the first region to the process cavity, and the wireless data transmission module transmits the temperature data collected by the thermocouple wafer inside the process cavity to an external terminal in real time.

[0006] The technical solutions provided in this disclosure have the following advantages compared with the prior art: The temperature measurement system provided in this embodiment involves transferring a thermocouple wafer into the process chamber of the machine when temperature measurement is required. The integrated material box for storing the thermocouple wafer serves only a storage function. At the start of temperature measurement, a robotic arm smoothly removes the thermocouple wafer from a single slot in the integrated material box along a preset path and pushes it into the process chamber. This completely eliminates the risk of contamination from traditional external data cables and manual cavity opening operations, saves tedious steps such as manual wiring and cavity opening debugging, avoids data fluctuations caused by radio frequency interference, and the integrated material box design eliminates the need to modify the RTP equipment host structure, allowing for compatibility with more older models, enabling plug-and-play functionality, and reducing equipment upgrade costs. Attached Figure Description

[0007] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.

[0008] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0009] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference numerals in the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the integrated material box and the wire protection mechanism, and the wire, in the temperature measurement system provided in this embodiment of the disclosure. Figure 2 A side view of the conductor protection mechanism provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 3 A top view of the process cavity provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart of a temperature measurement system provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Integrated material box; 11. First area; 11A. Thermocouple wafer; 12. Second area; 12A. Wireless data transmission module; 13. Third area; 13A. Paperless recorder; 2. Wire protection mechanism; 21. Slide rail; 22. Trolley; 23. Elastic element; 3. Cavity door; 4. Wire; 5. Process cavity; 6. Robotic arm. Detailed Implementation

[0012] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0013] The following disclosure provides numerous different embodiments or examples for implementing various structures of the present invention. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. These are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples. Such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed.

[0014] For ease of description, spatial relative terms may be used in this text to describe the relative position or movement of one element or feature relative to another element or feature, as shown in the figure. These relative terms include, for example, "inside," "outside," "middle," "outer," "below," "below," "above," "front," "back," etc. Such spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation, other than those depicted in the figure. For example, if the device in the figure undergoes a positional flip, orientation change, or change of motion, these directional indications will change accordingly. For instance, an element described as "below other elements or features" or "below other elements or features" will subsequently be oriented "above other elements or features" or "above other elements or features." Therefore, the example term "below" can include both upper and lower orientations. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or in other directions), and the spatial relative descriptions used in this text have been explained accordingly.

[0015] This disclosure provides a temperature measurement system to solve the technical problem of thermocouple wafer wire extrusion breakage during the temperature calibration process of rapid heat treatment equipment in the prior art.

[0016] refer to Figures 1-4 This disclosure provides a temperature measurement system applied to a rapid heat treatment device. The rapid heat treatment device includes a process chamber 5 and a robotic arm 6 for conveying thermocouple wafers 11A in and out of the process chamber 5. The temperature measurement system includes an integrated material box 1 disposed on one side of the chamber door 3 of the process chamber 5. The integrated material box 1 includes a first region 11 for carrying thermocouple wafers 11A in a non-temperature measurement state and a second region 12 for placing a wireless data transmission module 12A. The thermocouple wafers 11A are connected to the wireless data transmission module 12A through wires 4. The robotic arm 6 transports the thermocouple wafer 11A from the first region 11 to the process cavity 5, and the wireless data transmission module 12A transmits the temperature data collected by the thermocouple wafer 11A inside the process cavity 5 to an external terminal in real time.

[0017] In this way, when temperature measurement is required, the thermocouple wafer 11A is moved into the process chamber 5 of the machine. The thermocouple wafer 11A is placed in the integrated material box 1 for storage only. When temperature measurement begins, the robotic arm 6 smoothly removes the thermocouple wafer 11A from the single slot of the integrated material box 1 along a preset path and pushes it into the interior of the process chamber 5. This completely eliminates the risk of contamination caused by traditional external data cables and manual cavity opening operations, saves tedious steps such as manual wiring and cavity opening debugging, and avoids data fluctuations caused by radio frequency interference through wireless transmission. The integrated material box 1 does not require modification of the RTP equipment host structure, can be adapted to more older models, achieves plug-and-play, and reduces equipment upgrade costs.

[0018] Meanwhile, the wire 4 of the thermocouple wafer 11A is guided to the top of the cavity door 3 via the trolley 22, avoiding mechanical compression caused by the closure of the cavity door 3. See the structural scheme described later for a specific reference structure.

[0019] Specifically, by placing the integrated material box 1 on one side of the cavity door 3 of the process cavity 5, its first area 11 stably supports the thermocouple wafer 11A in a non-temperature measurement state, and the second area 12 houses the wireless data transmission module 12A. With the help of the robotic arm 6, the thermocouple wafer 11A is automatically transferred from the first area 11 to the process cavity 5. This effectively solves the cleanliness degradation problem caused by manually opening the cavity to place the thermocouple wafer 11A in traditional temperature measurement methods, avoiding frequent cavity openings that cause the process cavity cleanliness to drop sharply from Class 1 to Class 5, significantly reducing particulate contamination, and eliminating the risk of VOCs release from the thermal decomposition of polyimide tape used for manually fixing the wires at high temperatures. The thermocouple wafer 11A is connected to the wireless data transmission module 12A via wire 4, and the wireless module transmits temperature data in real time. Replacing traditional wired transmission with external terminals, this method avoids the signal delay and radio frequency interference issues associated with long-distance wired transmission, significantly reducing temperature data transmission delay and minimizing temperature measurement errors to meet the temperature control accuracy requirements of rapid heat treatment processes. Furthermore, the automated delivery by the robotic arm replaces manual operation, eliminating tedious steps such as traditional manual wiring and cavity debugging, shortening single temperature calibration time, greatly improving calibration efficiency, and reducing operational errors caused by human intervention. Simultaneously, the integrated material box 1 eliminates the need for significant modifications to the main structure of the rapid heat treatment equipment, making it compatible with most older models, reducing investment in equipment upgrades, indirectly improving equipment utilization, reducing downtime caused by manual operation and equipment compatibility issues, and eliminating the need for external data cables, thus reducing maintenance costs caused by wire damage.

[0020] A wire protection mechanism 2 is connected between the integrated material box 1 and the cavity door 3 of the process chamber 5. The wire protection mechanism 2 includes a slide rail 21, a trolley 22 and an elastic element 23. The slide rail 21 is used to constrain the movement trajectory of the wires of the thermocouple wafer 11A. The trolley 22 is coupled to the sheath of the wire 4 and is configured to move synchronously with the opening and closing action of the cavity door 3 of the rapid heat treatment equipment. The elastic element 23 is located at one end of the slide rail 21 near the integrated material box 1 and is used to provide a constant traction force for the wire 4 to obtain uniform tension of the wire 4.

[0021] For example, the elastic element 23 is constructed as a helical spring.

[0022] For example, the elastic element 23 is constructed as a constant force spring coil.

[0023] For example, the elastic element 23 can be a compression coil spring for bearing axial pressure, or the elastic element 23 can be a tension coil spring for bearing axial tension, or the elastic element 23 can be a torsion coil spring for bearing torsional load.

[0024] The type of elastic element 23 selected in this disclosure shall be subject to actual requirements.

[0025] For example, the thermocouple wafer 11A carrier area can be set as a single slot, which can avoid the problem of wafer alignment deviation in traditional multi-slot designs.

[0026] For example, the slide rail 21 is used to constrain the movement trajectory of the wire 4 of the thermocouple wafer 11A, that is, it can physically limit the range of movement of the wire 4 and avoid wear caused by friction between the wire 4 and the inner wall of the cavity 5.

[0027] For example, the coupling between the trolley 22 and the sheath of the conductor 4 can be understood as the trolley 22 and the composite insulating sheath covering the conductor 4 being tightly fitted together to form a stable connection.

[0028] For example, the trolley 22 is configured to move synchronously with the opening and closing of the cavity door 3 of the rapid heat treatment equipment; in practice, this is achieved through the movement linkage of the robotic arm 6 of the rapid heat treatment equipment. That is, when the cavity door 3 is opened, the robotic arm 6 drives the trolley 22 to move along the slide rail 21, and the traction wire 4 is pulled out synchronously; when the cavity door 3 is closed, the trolley 22 is reset with the robotic arm 6, and the wire 4 is retracted. In this way, the displacement error can be controlled within ±0.3mm, avoiding the wire 4 being squeezed by the cavity door 3.

[0029] For example, regarding the installation and tension control of the elastic element 23, the elastic element 23 is located at one end of the slide rail 21 near the integrated material box 1, that is, the spring coil is integrated into the upper end of the side wall of the material box. It is small in size and does not occupy extra space. It provides constant traction force. For example, the output tension of the elastic element 23 can be stabilized at 3-5N, which can ensure that the wire 4 does not loosen when unfolding and avoid bending, and can also prevent the wire 4 from being stretched and broken due to excessive tension when retracting. Together with the slide rail and the trolley, it can achieve uniform force on the wire 4.

[0030] In this way, the slide rail 21 of the wire protection mechanism 2 constrains the movement trajectory of the wire 4, the trolley 22 moves synchronously with the opening and closing of the cavity door 3, and the elastic element 23 provides constant traction force to ensure uniform tension of the wire 4. The three together constitute a dynamic wire 4 protection mechanism, achieving millimeter-level synchronization between the trajectory of the wire 4 and the movement of the cavity door 3, effectively extending the life of the wire 4, which is far greater than in the traditional case. It also reduces the risk of wire 4 damage and short circuit, and reduces the frequency of equipment downtime maintenance. Combined with the features of the wireless data transmission module 12A, it can transmit temperature data in real time, eliminating the tedious steps of traditional manual wiring and cavity debugging, shortening calibration time, and avoiding signal delay and interference problems of wired transmission, thus improving the accuracy of temperature data acquisition. In addition, the design of the integrated material box 1 and the wire protection mechanism 2 does not require major modifications to the main structure of the rapid heat treatment equipment, making it easy to adapt to existing equipment and reducing modification investment. At the same time, the extended life of the wire 4 and the reduced maintenance frequency can reduce the average annual maintenance cost of the equipment. The robotic arm considers the related solutions between the slide rail 21, the trolley 22 and the robotic arm 6 of the rapid heat treatment equipment. In the temperature measurement system provided in this embodiment, the slide rail 21 is closed above the cavity door 3 of the rapid heat treatment equipment, the trolley 22 is magnetically connected to the slide rail 21, and the trolley 22 is used to fit with the wire 4 of the thermocouple wafer 11A. When the cavity door 3 opens and closes, the robotic arm 6 of the rapid heat treatment equipment moves and drives the trolley to move synchronously, so that the wire 4 extends along the track of the slide rail 21. The robotic arm 6 is used to automatically execute the process of conveying, measuring and recycling thermocouple wafer 11A from the integrated material box 1 to the cavity 5 of the rapid heat treatment equipment. The robotic arm 6 has a preset full-process conveying path.

[0031] For example, the slide rail 21 closes above the cavity door 3. This closure does not mean that the slide rail forms a closed ring structure, but rather that the trajectory of the slide rail 21 terminates near the cavity door 3 of the rapid heat treatment equipment, forming an end shape adapted to the movement of the cavity door 3. The slide rail 21 is made of high-purity alumina ceramic with an arc radius R=120mm and a laser-polished surface. Its closed design ensures that when the cavity door 3 is closed, the wire 4 can be smoothly gathered along the end of the slide rail, preventing the wire 4 from being squeezed while hanging in the gap of the cavity door 3. At the same time, this structure precisely matches the opening and closing path of the cavity door 3, which can limit the range of movement of the wire 4 and prevent the wire 4 from rubbing against the inner wall of the cavity 5 and causing local wear.

[0032] For example, the magnetic connection between the trolley 22 and the slide rail 21 does not rely on the slide rail actively generating magnetic force. Instead, the trolley itself possesses strong magnetic properties, with a magnetic attraction force greater than 3N, enabling it to form a tight magnetic attraction with the slide rail 21. The slide rail 21 is made of alumina ceramic material, which is non-magnetic. In practical applications, the surface of the slide rail is adapted to the magnetic force of the trolley to ensure adsorption stability. This connection method between the trolley 22 and the slide rail 21 ensures that the trolley does not deviate when moving along the slide rail, and facilitates the trolley's flexible movement in accordance with the movements of the robotic arm 6. It also prevents the trolley from detaching from the slide rail, which could lead to the loss of control of the wire 4. The displacement error can be controlled within ±0.3mm.

[0033] For example, the trolley 22 is fitted with the wire 4. This fitting is not a simple binding, but rather the trolley has a groove in the middle that matches the composite insulating sheath covering the wire 4. The wire 4 can be embedded in the groove and fixed by the magnetic attraction of the trolley. This not only avoids damaging the insulation layer of the wire 4, but also ensures that the wire 4 moves synchronously with the trolley. This design avoids the problem of VOC pollution caused by the thermal decomposition of traditional wire 4 fixing methods (such as polyimide tape) at high temperatures, while also preventing the wire 4 from falling off the trolley during movement.

[0034] For example, the linkage between the robotic arm 6 and the trolley is not directly mechanically connected. Instead, the robotic arm 6 forms a coordinated action with the trolley through a preset motion path. That is, when the robotic arm 6 takes the thermocouple wafer 11A out of the integrated material box 1 and moves it into the cavity 5, its motion trajectory will indirectly push the trolley. Since one end of the wire 4 is connected to the thermocouple wafer 11A and the other end is constrained by the trolley, the movement of the wafer will drive the wire 4, which in turn pulls the trolley to move along the slide rail. When the cavity door 3 is closed and the robotic arm 6 is reset, the trolley will move in the opposite direction synchronously with the wire 4, realizing dynamic synchronization with the robotic arm 6. The linkage can be completed without an additional drive device.

[0035] For example, the robotic arm 6 has a pre-set end-to-end transport path, which refers to the mechanical motion trajectory preset in the equipment control system based on the single slot position of the integrated material box 1, the temperature measurement area position of the cavity 5, and the opening and closing angle of the cavity door 3. This path covers three key stages: smoothly removing the thermocouple wafer 11A from the single slot of the material box, sending the wafer into the temperature measurement area of ​​the cavity 5 along a fixed trajectory, and accurately returning the wafer to the slot of the material box after temperature measurement. The entire process requires no manual intervention, avoiding positional deviations caused by manual wafer transfer. Specifically, smoothly removing the thermocouple wafer 11A from the single slot of the material box avoids the wafer colliding with the material box frame; sending the wafer into the temperature measurement area of ​​the cavity 5 along a fixed trajectory ensures that the wafer is in a temperature-uniform area within the cavity 5.

[0036] In this way, the cooperation between the slide rail 21 and the trolley 22 provides precise dynamic protection for the wire 4. The slide rail 21 closes above the cavity door 3 of the rapid heat treatment equipment and is made of high-purity alumina ceramic and laser-polished to minimize frictional resistance. The trolley 22 is stably connected to the slide rail 21 by a magnetic attraction force greater than 3N, and is also fitted with the wire 4 of the thermocouple wafer 11A to form a reliable traction structure. When the cavity door 3 opens and closes, the robotic arm 6 of the rapid heat treatment equipment moves along a preset path, synchronously driving the trolley 22 to move along the slide rail 21, so that the wire 4 extends smoothly along the track with the trolley, preventing the wire 4 from deviating from the track and rubbing or being squeezed against the cavity door 3 or the inner wall of the cavity 5, ensuring that the wire 4 is always in a controlled state during the movement of the cavity door 3.

[0037] Specifically, the robotic arm 6 has a pre-set full-process transport path, which can automatically complete the transport, temperature measurement, and recycling of thermocouple wafer 11A from integrated material box 1 to cavity 5 without human intervention. This avoids particulate contamination caused by manual operation and eliminates tedious steps such as manual wiring and cavity opening and debugging, greatly improving operational efficiency. At the same time, the linkage between the slide rail 21, the trolley 22 and the robotic arm 6 ensures that the movement trajectory of the lead wire 4 is precisely synchronized with the movement of the cavity door 3 and the wafer, effectively controlling the bending radius and stress state of the lead wire 4, significantly reducing the risk of damage to the lead wire 4 caused by friction and compression. Combined with the protective function of the slide rail, this can greatly extend the service life of the lead wire 4, while ensuring the stability of the signal transmission of the lead wire 4 during temperature measurement, laying the foundation for accurate acquisition of subsequent temperature data.

[0038] Considering the role of the elastic element 23 in the wire protection mechanism 2, in the temperature measurement system provided in this embodiment, the wire 4 is connected to the elastic element 23. When the thermocouple wafer 11A is fed into the rapid heat treatment cavity 5 by the robotic arm 6, the elastic element 23 pulls the wire 4 with a constant tension to unfold it on the slide rail 21, avoiding bending caused by excessive tightness or looseness in certain areas. After the temperature measurement is completed, the robotic arm 6 retracts the thermocouple wafer 11A, and the elastic element 23 drives the wire 4 to retract in the reverse direction with a constant force to cooperate with the trolley to complete neat bundling, ensuring that the wire 4 has no residual drooping or folding.

[0039] For example, the constant tension of the elastic element 23 is not an arbitrary value, but a stable output range of 3–5N. This tension value is precisely calculated to ensure that the wire 4 does not slack when unfolded, avoiding friction with the inner wall of the cavity 5 due to slack and drooping, and to prevent the wire 4 from being stretched and deformed or the solder joint from breaking due to excessive tension during retraction; moreover, the tension output of the spring coil is not affected by the length of the wire 4 when unfolded and remains constant, ensuring that the wire 4 is subjected to uniform force throughout the entire movement.

[0040] For example, the wire 4 unfolds along the slide rail 21, not by random sliding, but as a result of the combined effect of the constant tension of the elastic element 23 and the trajectory constraint of the slide rail 21. The slide rail 21 is made of alumina ceramic with an arc radius R=120mm, a laser-polished surface, and a friction coefficient as low as 0.08. Under constant tension, the wire 4 can closely conform to the inner wall of the slide rail, and its unfolding trajectory is completely consistent with the slide rail, preventing the wire 4 from detaching from the slide rail and causing bending, while reducing the wear of the wire 4 sheath due to motion friction.

[0041] For example, in the reverse retrieval of the wire 4 driven by the elastic element 23, the power for reverse retrieval does not come from an external driving device, but from the elastic restoring characteristics of the elastic element 23 itself. The spring coil is in a stored state when the wire 4 is unfolded. When the robotic arm 6 retrieves the thermocouple wafer 11A and the outward pulling force on the wire 4 decreases, the spring coil releases its elastic potential energy to generate a constant retrieval force, driving the wire 4 to move in the reverse direction along the slide rail. The retrieval force is consistent with the traction force when unfolded (3–5N), ensuring a smooth and impact-free retrieval process.

[0042] For example, the elastic element 23 and the trolley do not work independently. During the recycling process, the constant recycling force provided by the elastic element 23 pulls the wire 4, while the trolley 22 moves synchronously in the opposite direction along the slide rail 21 in a state where it is engaged with the wire 4 and the magnetic attraction force is greater than 3N. The trolley plays a guiding and limiting role for the wire 4, preventing the wire 4 from deviating or tangling during recycling. The two work together to ensure that the wire 4 can be tightly bound to the slide rail and finally neatly stored in the slide rail area on the side wall of the integrated material box 1, achieving no residual hanging and folding, avoiding the problem of the wire 4 being messy and causing jamming during the next use when traditionally manually bound.

[0043] In this way, the elastic element 23, through its connection with the wire 4, establishes the core control mechanism for the dynamic retraction and extension of the wire 4. When the robotic arm 6 feeds the thermocouple wafer 11A from the integrated material box 1 into the cavity 5 of the rapid heat treatment equipment according to the preset path, the elastic element 23 outputs a constant tension of 3-5N to pull the wire 4. At this time, the wire 4 unfolds smoothly along the slide rail 21 under the action of tension, avoiding local over-tightening or bending of the wire 4 due to uneven tension. When the temperature measurement ends and the robotic arm 6 drives the thermocouple wafer 11A to retract, the elastic element 23 switches to driving the wire 4 to retract in the reverse direction with a constant force. In conjunction with the reset movement of the trolley 22 along the slide rail, the wire 4 can be neatly retracted between the slide rail and the material box, eliminating residual hanging or folding.

[0044] Specifically, constant tension effectively avoids mechanical damage to the lead wire 4 during deployment and retrieval, solving the problems of embrittlement and solder joint breakage caused by tension fluctuations in traditional lead wire 4. This significantly extends the service life of lead wire 4 and reduces short-circuit faults and equipment downtime caused by lead wire 4 breakage. At the same time, the orderly deployment and retrieval of lead wire 4 under constant tension eliminates the need for manual handling of lead wire 4. Combined with the automated operation of robotic arm 6, this further reduces manual intervention, avoiding particulate contamination from manual contact and saving time spent manually handling lead wire 4. This indirectly improves equipment calibration efficiency and ensures that lead wire 4 is always under control, laying the foundation for the stability of temperature data transmission.

[0045] Considering the specific connection scheme between the conductor 4 and the elastic element 23, in the temperature measurement system provided in this embodiment, the tail end of the conductor 4 is connected to the elastic element 23 via a rotary joint. Thus, the connection between the conductor 4 and the elastic element 23 is not a simple binding, but rather a flexible connection achieved through the rotary joint. The elastic element 23 is made of highly elastic stainless steel. The rotary joint allows the conductor 4 to rotate flexibly with the curvature of the slide rail during retraction and extension, avoiding torsional stress caused by a fixed connection, while ensuring that tension is evenly transmitted along the entire length of the conductor 4, preventing localized stress concentration that could damage the insulation layer of the conductor 4.

[0046] Considering the specific structural scheme of the slide rail 21, in the temperature measurement system provided in this embodiment, the slide rail 21 includes an arc-shaped track, which is composed of a pair of high-temperature resistant ceramic structures.

[0047] For example, the curvature design of the slide rail 21 can be combined with a radius of R = 120 mm.

[0048] For example, the slide rail 21 is made of high-purity or high-precision alumina ceramic material.

[0049] For example, a high-temperature resistant ceramic structure refers to a component or assembly made of high-temperature resistant ceramic material as the matrix, manufactured through specific molding and sintering processes, which can maintain structural integrity, mechanical properties, and functional performance in high-temperature environments (typically above 1200℃). Mechanical properties can include strength, hardness, etc.

[0050] In this way, the paired high-temperature resistant ceramic structures can form a symmetrical track space from both sides of the conductor 4, providing a stable movement channel for the conductor 4 and preventing the conductor 4 from deviating from the preset trajectory when it moves with the trolley 22 or is pulled by the elastic element 23. Combined with the exemplary high-purity alumina ceramic material, this material can not only withstand the high temperature of >1200℃ in the cavity 5 of the rapid heat treatment equipment, but also resist the risk of material embrittlement or deformation caused by the severe thermal cycling of 25℃-1200℃, ensuring that the integrity and stability of the track structure are maintained during long-term high-temperature operation, and providing reliable track support for the conductor 4.

[0051] Specifically, the paired structure, combined with high-purity alumina ceramic surface laser polishing treatment, achieves a friction coefficient as low as 0.08, which minimizes the frictional resistance between the conductor 4 and the slide rail, reduces local wear on the conductor 4 sheath caused by friction, and effectively avoids short circuit faults in the conductor 4 caused by wear. At the same time, the high-purity alumina ceramic material does not release volatile substances and will not pollute the Class 1 clean environment required by the rapid heat treatment equipment. In addition, its high-temperature resistance is suitable for the high-temperature process requirements of silicon carbide device manufacturing, ensuring that the slide rail can work reliably for a long time under harsh conditions, laying the foundation for stable transmission of conductor 4 movement and temperature data.

[0052] Considering the specific structural scheme of the trolley 22 and the robotic arm 6 following each other, in the temperature measurement system provided in this embodiment, the temperature measurement system includes a linkage mechanism. One end of the linkage mechanism is connected to the trolley 22, and the other end of the linkage mechanism is linked to the robotic arm 6. The linkage mechanism is configured to synchronize the displacement of the trolley 22 with the movement of the robotic arm 6 at the millimeter level, so as to avoid the wire 4 being squeezed by the cavity door 3 and the robotic arm 6 colliding.

[0053] For example, the linkage mechanism is not a complex mechanical transmission component, but a simple coupling structure based on the coordinated design of motion trajectories. Its core consists of a guide rod adapted to the motion path of the robotic arm 6, and a flexible connector, such as a traction belt made of high-temperature resistant polyimide, connecting the guide rod and the trolley 22. One end of the guide rod is indirectly connected to the moving parts of the robotic arm 6, not directly and rigidly connected, to avoid affecting the original accuracy of the arm. The other end of the guide rod is fixed to the trolley 22 through the flexible connector, which can both transmit the motion trend of the robotic arm 6 and buffer small displacement deviations to ensure the smoothness of synchronous movements.

[0054] For example, the linkage mechanism connects to the trolley 22, meaning that the flexible connecting part of the linkage mechanism is fixed to the side wall of the trolley 22 through a snap-fit ​​structure. The snap-fit ​​has an anti-slip rubber pad on the inside, which can prevent the connecting part from falling off when the trolley moves, and does not affect the magnetic adhesion between the trolley and the slide rail 21. The linkage mechanism is linked to the robotic arm 6 by setting a positioning protrusion next to the preset movement path of the robotic arm 6. When the guide rod moves with the arm, it can adjust its direction based on the positioning protrusion, which indirectly drives the linkage mechanism to move. There is no need to modify the robotic arm 6 body, thus avoiding damage to its original precision.

[0055] For example, millimeter-level synchronization specifically refers to controlling the displacement of the trolley 22 and the movement deviation of the robotic arm 6 within a small range. First, the guide rod of the linkage mechanism is made of high-precision aluminum alloy and is CNC machined to ensure that the straightness error is <0.1mm / m, providing precise guidance for synchronous movement. Second, combined with the arc design of the slide rail 21, such as radius R=120mm, the slide rail trajectory and the movement path of the robotic arm 6 are pre-calibrated and matched. The linkage mechanism only needs to transmit the action according to the preset trajectory to achieve millimeter-level coordination of the displacement of the two without the need for additional sensor calibration.

[0056] For example, when the robotic arm 6 moves the thermocouple wafer 11A into the cavity 5 of the rapid heat treatment equipment, the linkage mechanism synchronously guides the trolley 22 to move along the slide rail 21, so that the wire 4 extends along the slide rail with the trolley and is always in the safe area above the cavity door 3, avoiding contact and compression between the wire 4 and the cavity door 3 when it closes; at the same time, because the trolley 22 and the robotic arm 6 move synchronously, the wire 4 always maintains a stable tension state, and will not sag due to the trolley lagging behind or ahead, thereby preventing the wire 4 from getting tangled or colliding with the moving robotic arm 6, thus reducing or even eliminating the collision risk of the robotic arm 6.

[0057] In this way, the linkage mechanism can respond to the movement status of the robotic arm 6 in real time. When the robotic arm 6 performs the transfer, temperature measurement or recycling of the thermocouple wafer 11A according to the preset path, it will transmit the motion signal to the trolley 22 through the linkage mechanism, so that the trolley 22 moves synchronously along the slide rail 21 with the movement of the robotic arm 6, and the synchronization accuracy is controlled at the millimeter level. This synchronization design can ensure that the wire 4 always adjusts its position with the coordinated movement of the robotic arm 6 and the trolley 22, and avoid the wire 4 from getting stuck in the gap of the cavity 3 or coming into contact with the robotic arm 6 due to asynchronous displacement.

[0058] Specifically, the synchronous displacement of the trolley 22 and the robotic arm 6 can completely prevent the wire 4 from being squeezed by the cavity door 3, and at the same time eliminate the risk of collision between the robotic arm 6 and the wire 4, thus reducing the collision risk rate of the robotic arm 6. Meanwhile, the synchronous and smooth movement of the wire 4 with the trolley 22 can prevent it from bending or wearing due to uneven force or trajectory deviation, reduce short circuit faults caused by wire 4 damage, indirectly extend the service life of the wire 4, and ensure the stability of signal transmission of the wire 4, providing support for the accurate acquisition of temperature data by the thermocouple wafer 11A.

[0059] Consider one of the composition schemes of the integrated material box 1, where the first region 11 and the second region 12 are stacked together in the vertical direction.

[0060] The present invention does not limit the stacking arrangement of the first region 11 and the second region 12. The first region 11 may be located above the second region 12, or the second region 12 may be located above the first region 11. The specific arrangement shall be subject to the actual application.

[0061] For example, the first region 11 is configured as the carrier region of the thermocouple wafer 11A, and the second region 12 is used to place the wireless data transmission module 12A. The wireless data transmission module 12A is used to transmit the temperature data collected by the carrier region of the thermocouple wafer 11A to an external terminal in real time.

[0062] In this way, the integrated material box 1 adopts a vertical stacking structure of the first area 11 (thermocouple wafer carrier area) and the second area 12 (wireless data transmission module placement area), which allows the material box to be compactly adapted to most old RTP models without major equipment modifications. With the automatic transfer of thermocouple wafers by the robotic arm, the cleanliness deterioration caused by manual cavity opening is avoided, the Class 1 cleanliness of the process cavity is stably maintained, particulate contamination is reduced, and VOCs pollution from the pyrolysis of traditional tape is eliminated. The wireless module can transmit temperature data in real time, avoiding the delay and interference of wired transmission, reducing temperature error, eliminating manual steps, reducing the time for single calibration, reducing maintenance costs, and improving equipment utilization.

[0063] Considering the second composition scheme of the integrated material box 1, the integrated material box 1 also includes a third area 13 for carrying the paperless recorder 13A, the paperless recorder is connected to the host of the rapid heat treatment equipment and is used to record the operating condition parameter curves.

[0064] In this way, the integrated material box 1 adds a third area 13 to carry the paperless recorder 13A. The paperless recorder 13A is connected to the host of the rapid heat treatment equipment to record the operating condition parameter curves. This can not only cache the temperature data collected by the thermocouple wafer 11A locally to avoid the risk of data loss, but also record the operating condition curves simultaneously to facilitate subsequent process analysis and traceability. At the same time, there is no need to configure an additional independent recorder, which further improves the integration of the material box functions, saves equipment investment and installation space, and reduces external connections with the integrated design of the first area 11 and the second area 12, reduces maintenance costs, and ensures stable process operation.

[0065] Considering the third composition scheme of the integrated material box 1, the first region 11, the second region 12 and the third region 13 are stacked together in the vertical direction.

[0066] This disclosure does not limit the vertical stacking arrangement of the first region 11, the second region 12, and the third region 13. The three regions can be arbitrarily distributed from top to bottom. For example, they can be arranged as the third region 13, the second region 12, and the first region 11 from top to bottom, or vice versa. Further details are omitted here; the specific arrangement depends on the actual application.

[0067] For example, the paperless recorder 13A placed in the third region 13 is not an independent external device, but is fitted and fixed to the frame of the integrated material box 1 through a hard alloy slot. It can directly receive the raw temperature signal transmitted by the thermocouple wafer 11A and perform local caching to prevent data loss.

[0068] For example, the wireless data transmission module 12A of the second area 12 can transmit the temperature data cached by the paperless recorder 13A back to the external terminal in real time, enabling wireless transmission of solid data information.

[0069] For example, the connection between the integrated material box 1 and the rapid heat treatment equipment is not a complex mechanical assembly method. Instead, the integrated material box 1 is adapted through the preset interface of the cavity 5 of the rapid heat treatment equipment. There is no need to modify the structure of the main equipment, which can achieve plug-and-play. It can be adapted to more models of older rapid heat treatment equipment and avoid downtime costs caused by equipment modification.

[0070] The integrated material box 1 integrates the thermocouple wafer 11A carrier, the paperless recorder 13A data buffer and the wireless data transmission module 12A, eliminating the need for external data cables. This avoids the thermal decomposition of materials used to fix the high-temperature wires 4 in traditional wired connections, which releases pollutants. It also reduces manual cavity opening operations and helps maintain a clean environment for the equipment.

[0071] Considering the specific construction scheme of the integrated material box 1, in the temperature measurement system provided in this embodiment, a single integrated material box 1 includes a thermocouple wafer 11A carrier area, which is mounted on the rapid heat treatment equipment by a positioning pin.

[0072] For example, a single integrated material box 1 does not mean that the entire temperature measurement system contains only one integrated material box 1, but rather that a single integrated material box 1 is an independent functional unit.

[0073] For example, the thermocouple wafer 11A carrier area is not a simple groove structure, but a single-slot design that matches the size of a standard 6-inch process wafer. The bottom of the slot is provided with a positioning reference surface to ensure that the thermocouple wafer 11A will not be horizontally offset after placement. At the same time, the edge of the carrier area is rounded to avoid scratching the wafer surface or wire 4 when picking up and putting down the wafer, which meets the ISO 5 cleanliness requirements and has no risk of particle shedding.

[0074] In this way, the single integrated material box 1 provides a dedicated placement space for the thermocouple wafer 11A through the single-slot thermocouple wafer 11A carrier area at the bottom, avoiding wafer misalignment that may be caused by multi-slot design. At the same time, the hard alloy positioning pins in the carrier area are precisely matched with the positioning holes of the rapid heat treatment equipment, so that the integrated material box 1 is fixed in the preset position of the equipment. This ensures that the robotic arm 6 can smoothly take out the thermocouple wafer 11A from the carrier area according to the preset path and send it into the cavity 5 to complete the temperature measurement. Moreover, the position of the material box will not be shifted due to the vibration of the equipment operation, laying the foundation for subsequent automated operation.

[0075] Specifically, the integrated material box 1 connects to the rapid thermal processing equipment via positioning pins, eliminating the need to modify the main equipment structure. This makes it compatible with over 95% of older RTP models, reducing equipment upgrade costs. The combination of a single-slot bearing area and positioning pins ensures stable control of the thermocouple wafer 11A's placement and removal accuracy within ±0.5mm, completely eliminating the risk of collisions to the robotic arm 6 caused by wafer misalignment in traditional multi-slot material boxes. Furthermore, the single-slot design reduces redundant space inside the material box, lowering the probability of microparticle accumulation. Combined with tool-free disassembly and assembly using positioning pins, this reduces the frequency of manual contact with the material box, helping to maintain Class 1 cleanliness of the equipment. It also avoids the time-consuming process of manually adjusting the material box position, indirectly shortening the single calibration time and improving the effective utilization rate of the equipment.

[0076] Considering the connection scheme between the thermocouple wafer 11A carrier area and the rapid thermal processing equipment, the positioning pin in the temperature measurement system provided in this embodiment is made of high-precision hard alloy. This not only reduces the space occupied by the equipment but also improves the transmission reliability and alignment accuracy of the TCWafer, avoiding the redundancy and instability problems of traditional multi-slot Cassettes in temperature calibration scenarios.

[0077] For example, the positioning pin is made of high-precision cemented carbide with a hardness ≥ HRC60 and a diameter error controlled within ±0.01mm. The surface is polished with a roughness Ra≤0.8μm to avoid scratching the equipment or the material box. During installation, one end of the positioning pin is fixed to the side wall of the integrated material box 1 by interference fit, and the other end is inserted into the preset positioning hole on the outside of the cavity 5 of the rapid heat treatment equipment to form a pin-hole fit positioning. No additional fasteners are required, which realizes the quick disassembly and precise positioning of the integrated material box 1.

[0078] Considering the stacking structure of the integrated material box 1, in the temperature measurement system provided in this embodiment, the first region 11, the second region 12 and the third region 13 together constitute a three-layer vertical stacking structure.

[0079] For example, the three-layer structure is not simply stacked on top of each other, but is precisely layered based on the overall size of the integrated material box 1, adapting to the installation space of the material box in the rapid heat treatment equipment, with the total height controlled between 150-200mm. Among them, the bottom first area 11 (i.e., the thermocouple wafer 11A carrier area) accounts for about 30% of the height, and has a reserved circular slot inside to match the 6-inch standard wafer, ensuring that the wafer is placed stably; the top third area 13 (i.e., the paperless recorder 13A placement area) accounts for about 40% of the height, and the cavity size is precisely matched with the shape of the paperless recorder 13A adapted to the machine. The recorder is fixed by a hard alloy slot to prevent displacement caused by equipment vibration; the middle second area 12 (i.e., the wireless data transmission module 12A placement area) accounts for about 30% of the height, and has a power interface and signal interface slot inside. After the module is embedded, it can be directly connected internally to the data cable of the top paperless recorder 13A without the need for external cables.

[0080] For example, the internal dimensions of the circular slot are 150mm in diameter and 5mm in depth.

[0081] For example, the dimensions of the cavity are: length × width × height = 120mm × 80mm × 60mm.

[0082] For example, the three-layer area is rigidly connected by a zirconia ceramic frame. The side walls of the frame are spliced ​​using a mortise and tenon structure, and the splice is coated with high-temperature resistant sealant with a temperature resistance of >1200℃. This ensures the overall structural stability and vibration resistance performance is superior to traditional plastic boxes, while also preventing high-temperature gases or particles from entering the box and contaminating electronic components. At the same time, each layer is equipped with an independent dust cover with a silicone sealing ring on the edge. During module maintenance, the corresponding layer cover can be opened individually without disassembling the entire box, thus balancing sealing performance and maintenance convenience.

[0083] For example, after the thermocouple wafer 11A in the bottom first region 11 collects the temperature signal, it transmits it directly to the paperless recorder 13A in the top third region 13 through the internal wire 4. The recorder buffers the raw data to avoid data loss, and then transmits the processed data to the wireless data transmission module 12A in the middle second region 12 through a short internal data line. The module sends the data to the external terminal in real time, forming an internal closed loop of acquisition-buffering-transmission. No external data line is required, which fundamentally eliminates the signal interference and pollution risks of traditional wired connections.

[0084] In this way, the three-layer vertical stacking structure integrates the thermocouple wafer 11A carrier, data buffer, and wireless transmission functions into a single material box, eliminating the need for external data cables. This avoids the problem of VOCs being released by the thermal decomposition of polyimide tape used for fixing the traditional external wires 4 at high temperatures. The VOCs release can be reduced to undetectable levels. At the same time, it reduces the exposure of cables outside the material box, reducing the risk of particle adhesion and detachment. This ensures that the cleanliness of the cavity 5 of the rapid heat treatment equipment is stably maintained at Class 1, reducing particulate contamination by 90%. There is no need to use a DUMMYWAFER to confirm whether the particles in the cavity 5 exceed the standard after temperature calibration.

[0085] Meanwhile, the compact three-layer vertical stacking structure requires no additional equipment space, and the entire material box is connected to the rapid heat treatment equipment through a positioning structure, eliminating the need to modify the main equipment. It can be adapted to more than 95% of older RTP models, reducing equipment modification investment. At the same time, the internal functional integration eliminates the need for external cable transmission of temperature measurement data from the thermocouple wafer 11A, avoiding the tedious steps of traditional manual wiring and disconnection. Combined with the automated picking and placing of the robotic arm 6, it further shortens the time for a single calibration operation, indirectly improving the effective utilization rate of the equipment and reducing operational errors and time costs caused by manual intervention.

[0086] Considering the specific structural scheme of the wireless data transmission module 12A, in the temperature measurement system provided in this embodiment, the wireless data transmission module 12A includes at least one wireless communication protocol for transmitting the channel data of the thermocouple wafer 11A back to the engineering computer in real time.

[0087] For example, the wireless communication protocol can be a Wi-Fi 6 / Bluetooth 5.2 dual-mode communication module, which can be used to directly transmit data from at least one channel of the thermocouple wafer 11A back to the engineering computer in real time.

[0088] The embodiments disclosed herein do not limit the channel data of the thermocouple wafer 11A, which can be set according to the actual application scenario requirements.

[0089] For example, thermocouple wafer 11A has three data channels.

[0090] For example, thermocouple wafer 11A has five data channels.

[0091] Thus, for engineers' laptops, data latency is less than 30ms and signal attenuation is less than 0.5dB. Compared to the problems of interference and poor contact in traditional long-distance USB transmission, this disclosure significantly improves data real-time performance and measurement accuracy, reducing the temperature fluctuation range from ±9℃ to ±3℃.

[0092] For example, the dual-mode communication module is not a separate external device, but is integrated into the MiniLog unit in the middle layer of the integrated material box 1. The module size precisely matches the pre-reserved mounting slot in the middle layer of the material box, and it has a built-in micro heat sink made of alumina ceramic, which can withstand the ambient temperature of 60-80℃ generated by the rapid heat treatment equipment around the material box, avoiding communication interruption due to high temperature. At the same time, the module has an independent signal antenna, hidden in the side wall of the middle layer of the material box, which can ensure signal coverage without the need for an external antenna and will not interfere with other electronic components inside the device.

[0093] For example, the dimensions of the mounting groove reserved in the middle layer of the material box are approximately 50mm × 30mm × 15mm (length × width × height).

[0094] For example, the five-channel data originates from five miniature thermocouples welded to the surface of thermocouple wafer 11A using a thickened solder joint and mechanical pressing process. Each thermocouple corresponds to an independent data channel, which collects temperature signals from different areas within the cavity 5 of the rapid heat treatment equipment. During transmission, the five-channel data is first locally buffered and preliminarily noise-reduced by the paperless recorder 13A on the top layer of the integrated material box 1, and then synchronously transmitted to the dual-mode communication module in the middle layer via an internal data line. The module packages and sends the five-channel data according to time-division multiplexing logic to avoid data transmission conflicts and ensure that each channel data is independent and complete.

[0095] For example, direct data return can be understood as eliminating the need for an additional intermediate gateway. The engineering computer, i.e., the engineer's laptop, only needs to install the matching data receiving software and establish an encrypted connection with the module via Wi-Fi 6 or Bluetooth 5.2 protocol to prevent data leakage. The returned data is stored in CSV format, with each data entry including a timestamp and process formula number, which facilitates engineers to compare temperature data under different time periods and different formulas. The software also supports real-time curve display, allowing for intuitive observation of the five-channel temperature change trend without the need for manual data processing.

[0096] For example, the timestamp attached to each piece of data can be accurate to the millisecond level.

[0097] For example, a data latency of less than 30ms refers to the total time from when the temperature signal is acquired from the thermocouple wafer 11A to when the signal is displayed on the engineering computer, including data buffering, packaging, transmission, and decoding. This is far lower than the latency of more than 100ms in traditional long-distance USB transmission. Signal attenuation of less than 0.5dB means that during data transmission, the transmission distance is usually 5-10 meters, i.e., the distance from the engineer's operating area to the device. The signal strength loss is negligible, ensuring that the receiving end can accurately interpret the original temperature signal and avoid temperature data distortion caused by signal attenuation.

[0098] In this way, the Wi-Fi 6 / Bluetooth 5.2 dual-mode communication module directly transmits five channels of data back, with data latency controlled within 30ms and signal attenuation less than 0.5dB. This completely solves the signal delay and poor contact problems of traditional long-distance USB transmission, enabling engineers to monitor temperature changes within the cavity 5 of the rapid heat treatment equipment in real time, adjust process parameters promptly, and avoid data loss or distortion due to transmission problems, providing data support for process stability. It should be noted that the dual-mode communication module eliminates the radio frequency interference susceptible to traditional long-distance transmission and the interference from the radio frequency heating source of the rapid heat treatment equipment. Combined with the precise acquisition of five channels of data, it reduces the temperature fluctuation range and improves measurement accuracy. Furthermore, it eliminates the need for manual USB cable connection, reducing manual wiring and disconnection steps. Coupled with automatic data storage and curve display functions, it reduces the workload of engineers in data processing, indirectly improving the overall efficiency of temperature calibration and monitoring.

[0099] To better understand the temperature measurement system solution provided in the embodiments of this disclosure, the following is an exemplary description: This disclosure provides a temperature measurement system comprising three main parts: first, components of the temperature measurement system; second, the essential difference between the integrated material box 1 and the traditional material box; and third, the core structure and operating logic.

[0100] Regarding the first part, the components of the temperature measurement system, including the slide-rail integrated material box 1, are designed to solve problems in traditional RTP (Rapid Thermal Processing) processes such as the TCWafer wire 4 being easily crushed, complex manual operation, and unstable temperature measurement data transmission. The core of this system consists of the following components, which are organically coupled in structure and function, including the following structural parts: 1. TCWafer, thermocouple wafer 11A; The TCWafer is the core temperature sensing element of this system. Its surface is welded with five miniature thermocouples using a dual process of thickened solder joints and mechanical pressing, used for real-time monitoring of the temperature distribution within the cavity 5. Each thermocouple is connected to a flexible wire 4 with an outer composite insulation layer, capable of withstanding temperatures up to 1200℃. The TCWafer's geometry is consistent with standard process wafers, measuring 6 inches, ensuring that the ceramic robotic arm can directly handle the wafers without additional modifications, and guaranteeing fatigue resistance even under long-term high temperatures.

[0101] 2. Integrated Cassette body, integrated material box 1; The integrated Cassette resembles a traditional single-slot carrier in appearance, but internally employs a three-layer vertically stacked architecture: the bottom layer is a single-slot TCWafer storage area, the top layer houses the machine's built-in paperless recorder 13A, and the middle layer contains the MiniLog data recording and wireless transmission communication module, as well as the power interface module. The Cassette is constructed from a hybrid frame of zirconia ceramic and alumina, exhibiting high overall rigidity, corrosion resistance, and meeting ISO 5 cleanliness requirements. The left side wall of the Cassette integrates a sliding rail 21 and a wire protection mechanism 2, which is coupled with the mechanical movement of the RTP chamber door 3, enabling the dynamic release and retrieval of the TCWafer wire 4.

[0102] 3. The slide rail and trolley 22 mechanism, wherein the slide rail is slide rail 21; A slide rail 21 is pre-installed on the right side wall of the Cassette. The slide rail is composed of two hollow, high-purity alumina ceramic plates that close near the RTP chamber door 3. The surface is laser-polished, reducing the coefficient of friction to 0.08. Inside the slide rail is a trolley with a magnetic attraction force greater than 3N. The trolley is stably engaged with the TCWafer wire 4 at its center. When the chamber door 3 opens or closes, the RTP device's robotic arm 6 moves, causing the trolley to move synchronously, allowing the wire 4 to extend smoothly along the track.

[0103] The end of the lead wire 4 is connected to an elastic element 23 made of highly elastic stainless steel via a rotary joint, continuously outputting a constant tension of 3–5N. When the TCWafer is fed into the RTP cavity 5 by the robotic arm 6, the elastic element 23 pulls the lead wire 4 with constant tension, causing it to unfold evenly on the slide rail, avoiding bending caused by excessive tightness or looseness in certain areas. After the temperature measurement is completed, the robotic arm 6 retracts the TCWafer, and the elastic element 23 drives the lead wire 4 to retract in the reverse direction with a constant force, cooperating with the trolley 22 to complete the neat coiling, ensuring that the lead wire 4 has no residual drooping or folding.

[0104] The elastic element 23 structure not only effectively buffers the acceleration and deceleration impact of the conductor 4, but also significantly reduces metal fatigue and contact damage caused by repeated reciprocating motion. It is expected that the life of the conductor 4 can be extended from the traditional approximately 200 cycles to more than 600 cycles. At the same time, the elastic element 23 is small in size and can be compactly integrated into the upper part of the Cassette side wall without occupying additional installation space.

[0105] 4. MiniLog data recording and transmission module; The Cassette's upper layer incorporates a MiniLog module, capable of acquiring thermocouple voltage signals from the TCWafer and buffering them locally. The middle layer's wireless communication unit (Wi-Fi 6 or Bluetooth 5.2) is responsible for transmitting data to external terminals in real time. This design completely eliminates the need for traditional external data cables, avoiding signal attenuation and cleanliness degradation issues.

[0106] In summary, the temperature measurement components of this system not only possess the characteristics of high temperature resistance, anti-interference, and cleanliness, but also achieve a high degree of integration of mechanical motion, wire protection, and data transmission, providing a reliable hardware foundation for subsequent high-precision temperature calibration.

[0107] Regarding Part Two, the essential differences between integrated Cassette and traditional Cassette: Traditional RTP temperature measurement methods primarily rely on standard Cassette technology and manual operation. The basic process involves an engineer connecting the TCWafer lead 4 to an external data acquisition device, then manually placing the TCWafer onto the RTP robotic arm 6, which then feeds it into the cavity 5 to complete the temperature measurement. This process suffers from three core drawbacks: first, the lead 4 is exposed and easily squeezed, twisted, or even broken when the cavity door 3 opens and closes; second, manual intervention requires frequent operation by the engineer, posing risks of contamination and misoperation; and third, data transmission is unstable, with the long external lead 4 causing signal attenuation and electromagnetic interference, leading to reduced acquisition accuracy.

[0108] In contrast, the specially designed sliding Cassette disclosed herein represents a fundamental breakthrough in both structure and function, with the main differences being in the following three aspects: 1. Functional integration Traditional Cassettes serve only as passive wafer carriers, lacking data processing or wire protection capabilities. The integrated Cassette disclosed herein employs a three-layer stacked design, encapsulating the TCWafer storage, data buffer, and wireless transmission module within a compact structure. The TCWafer's wires connect directly to the Cassette's built-in MiniLog, eliminating external connections and fundamentally removing the issue of exposed external cables. This not only maintains the integrity of the cleanroom environment but also improves the stability and real-time performance of data acquisition.

[0109] 2. Motion coordination In traditional systems, the lack of a coordination mechanism between the cavity gate 3 and the guide wire 4 often leads to mechanical compression when the cavity gate 3 closes, resulting in damage to the guide wire 4. To address this issue, this disclosure integrates a slide rail 21 and a trolley 22 mechanism into the side wall of the Cassette, synchronizing the movement of the guide wire 4 with the action of the cavity gate 3. When the cavity gate 3 opens and closes, the trolley is driven to translate along the track, causing the guide wire 4 to naturally extend or retract, with deviations controlled within ±0.3mm. This achieves a high degree of coupling between the trajectory of the guide wire 4 and the mechanical action, completely avoiding the risk of damage from compression or friction in traditional systems.

[0110] 3. Unmanned operation Traditional temperature measurement procedures require engineers to manually plug and unplug data cables and place TCWafers, which is time-consuming and prone to introducing particulate contamination. This disclosure, relying on Cassette's internal automation design and the standard path control of the RTP robotic arm 6, enables fully automated temperature measurement. The entire process of the TCWafer moving from its storage slot to entering chamber 5 is completed autonomously by the machine. Engineers only need to issue a start command through the software interface, without needing to intervene in actual operation. This improvement significantly reduces the temperature measurement time from 180 minutes to 70 minutes, while also significantly reducing cleanliness risks.

[0111] 4. Improved lifespan and measurement accuracy of conductor 4 In traditional Cassette applications, the average lifespan of wire 4 due to repeated bending and friction is less than 200 tests. The slide rail protection system disclosed herein effectively extends the lifespan of wire 4 to over 600 tests by controlling the bending radius and friction. Simultaneously, because the wireless module replaces the long-distance external cable, signal attenuation is less than 0.5dB, and the temperature acquisition accuracy is reduced from ±9℃ to ±3℃, meeting the requirements for high-precision process temperature calibration.

[0112] In summary, the fundamental difference between integrated Cassette and traditional Cassette lies not only in functional integration and mechanical protection, but also in the comprehensive improvement of operating modes and process precision. This disclosure, through innovative structural design, solves key problems that have long existed in traditional systems, such as wire damage, manual intervention, and signal instability, providing a reliable and efficient solution for RTP process temperature measurement.

[0113] Regarding Part Three, the core structure and operational logic: The core structure of this embodiment lies in the integrated design of the specially designed Cassette and the guide rail wire protection mechanism 2, which enables the TCWafer to form a closed-loop automated system for transmission, temperature measurement, and retrieval in the RTP machine. Its operational logic mainly consists of the following aspects: 1. Cassette's core three-layer structure The custom-designed Cassette features a three-layer vertically stacked design. The bottom layer is a single-slot TCWafer support area, designed with only one high-precision positioning slot to ensure the robotic arm 6 can accurately pick up and place items with an error of ±0.5mm. The top layer houses the RTP machine's built-in paperless recorder 13A module, embedded and fixed via a hard alloy slot, saving space and ensuring stable data buffering. The middle layer integrates the MiniLog wireless transmission module, directly connecting to the TCWafer's cable 4 port, using Wi-Fi 6 or Bluetooth 5.2 transmission protocols to transmit real-time temperature data to the engineer's terminal. The three layers are rigidly fixed together by a zirconia ceramic frame, providing superior overall vibration resistance compared to traditional plastic Cassettes.

[0114] 2. Deployment of the slide rail and trolley mechanism A slide rail 21, made of high-purity alumina ceramic and laser-polished to reduce the coefficient of friction to 0.08, is pre-installed on the left side wall of the Cassette. Inside the slide rail is a trolley 22 with a magnetic attraction force greater than 3N, enabling stable engagement with the wire 4. When the cavity door 3 opens and closes, the trolley moves synchronously, thus pulling the wire 4 smoothly along the track to extend or retract, ensuring that the trajectory of the wire 4 remains millimeter-level synchronized with the displacement of the cavity door 3.

[0115] 3. The motion trajectory and coupling mechanism of TCWafer At the start of temperature measurement, the robotic arm 6 smoothly removes the TCWafer from the Cassette slot along a preset path and pushes it into the RTP cavity 5 at a constant speed. Simultaneously, the TCWafer wire 4 is guided by the trolley 22 to the area directly above the cavity door 3, avoiding mechanical compression caused by the door 3 closing. Throughout the process, the bending radius of the wire 4 remains ≥30mm, far exceeding the critical radius of traditional wiring methods, significantly improving the lifespan and signal stability of the wire 4. After temperature measurement, the robotic arm 6 reverses the operation, returning the TCWafer to the slot; the trolley, under the tension of the elastic element 23, smoothly retracts the wire 4 at a speed of 15mm / s, ensuring no bending or residual drooping occurs.

[0116] 4. Data Acquisition and Transmission Process After the TCWafer enters cavity 5 and executes the recipe, MiniLog instantly acquires the five-channel thermocouple signals and transmits them in real time to the engineer's laptop via a wireless module. Data transmission latency is controlled within 30ms, and signal attenuation is less than 0.5dB. All data is accompanied by a timestamp and recipe number (CSV file format) for easy comparison and process correction. This solution avoids the signal loss and poor contact problems associated with traditional long-distance USB connections.

[0117] 5. Recycling and Reset Mechanism After temperature measurement, the TCWafer is smoothly returned to its bottom slot in the Cassette by robotic arm 6. Simultaneously, the slide rail system automatically retracts the wire 4, with trolley 22 pulling it back to its initial position. The wire 4 is neatly bundled inside the Cassette, ensuring zero external exposure. The entire reset process takes less than 6 seconds, significantly faster than the 10-minute manual arrangement of the wire 4.

[0118] It should be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “described” as used herein may also include the plural forms. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” and “having” are inclusive and therefore indicate the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not construed as requiring them to be performed in a particular order described or illustrated unless the order of performance is explicitly indicated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0119] Although terms such as first, second, third, etc., may be used in this document to describe multiple elements, components, regions, layers, and / or segments, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or segments should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be used only to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or segment from another. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms used herein do not imply order or sequence. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer, or segment discussed below may be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer, or segment without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments.

[0120] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A temperature measurement system applied to a rapid thermal processing device, the rapid thermal processing device comprising a process chamber and a robotic arm for conveying wafers in and out of the process chamber, characterized in that, The temperature measurement system includes an integrated material box disposed on one side of the cavity door of the process cavity. The integrated material box includes a first area for holding thermocouple wafers in a non-temperature measurement state and a second area for placing a wireless data transmission module. The thermocouple wafers are connected to the wireless data transmission module through wires. The robotic arm transports the thermocouple wafer from the first region to the process cavity, and the wireless data transmission module transmits the temperature data collected by the thermocouple wafer inside the process cavity to an external terminal in real time.

2. The temperature measurement system according to claim 1, characterized in that, A wire protection mechanism is connected between the integrated material box and the process cavity door. The wire protection mechanism includes a slide rail, a trolley, and an elastic element. The slide rail is used to constrain the movement trajectory of the wires on the thermocouple wafer. The trolley is coupled to the sheath of the wires and is configured to move synchronously with the opening and closing of the process cavity door. The elastic element is located at the end of the slide rail near the integrated material box and is used to provide a constant traction force to the wires to obtain uniform wire tension.

3. The temperature measurement system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The slide rail closes above the cavity door of the process chamber, and the trolley is magnetically connected to the slide rail. The trolley is used to engage with the wires of the thermocouple wafer. When the cavity door of the process chamber opens and closes, the robotic arm starts synchronously and drives the trolley to move synchronously, so that the wire extends along the track of the slide rail. The robotic arm is used to automatically execute the process of transferring, measuring and recycling the thermocouple wafer from the integrated material box to the process chamber. The robotic arm has a preset full-process transfer path.

4. The temperature measurement system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The wire is connected to the elastic element. When the thermocouple wafer is fed into the process cavity by the robotic arm, the elastic element pulls the wire with constant tension to make it unfold on the slide rail. After the temperature measurement is completed, the robotic arm retracts the thermocouple wafer, and the elastic element drives the wire to retract in the opposite direction with constant force to cooperate with the trolley to complete the neat retraction.

5. The temperature measurement system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The end of the conductor is connected to the elastic element via a rotary joint.

6. The temperature measurement system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The slide rail includes an arc-shaped track, which is composed of pairs of high-temperature resistant ceramic structures.

7. The temperature measurement system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The temperature measurement system includes a linkage mechanism, one end of which is connected to the trolley and the other end of which is connected to the robotic arm. The linkage mechanism is configured to synchronize the displacement of the trolley with the movement of the robotic arm to avoid the wires being squeezed by the cavity door and the robotic arm colliding with it.

8. The temperature measurement system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second region and the first region are stacked together in the vertical direction.

9. The temperature measurement system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The integrated material box also includes a third area for carrying the paperless recorder, which is connected to the host of the rapid heat treatment equipment and is used to record operating parameter curves.

10. The temperature measurement system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first region, the second region, and the third region are stacked together in the vertical direction.

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