Intake assembly, process chamber and semiconductor process device

Abstract

The present invention provides an air intake assembly, a process chamber and a semiconductor processing device, the air intake assembly includes an air intake sheet and an airflow adjustment assembly, the air intake sheet has an exhaust port and is used for transporting process gas into the process chamber, the airflow adjustment assembly is disposed on the side of the air intake sheet adjacent to the exhaust port, the airflow adjustment assembly includes a plurality of partition plates and a support member, the plurality of partition plates are spaced apart in the length direction of the air intake sheet, an adjustment passage is formed between two adjacent partition plates, each of the partition plates can rotate around its respective rotation axis, the rotation axis extends in the height direction of the air intake sheet to adjust the exhaust direction of the adjustment passage, the length direction of the air intake sheet is mutually perpendicular to the exhaust direction of the exhaust port and mutually perpendicular to the height direction of the air intake sheet.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, and more particularly to an intake assembly, a process chamber, and a semiconductor processing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] FIG. 1 is a side view of a process chamber of a conventional multi-wafer epitaxial growth apparatus. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a process chamber of a conventional multi-wafer epitaxial growth apparatus. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of exhaust ports of an intake assembly 12 of the process chamber in FIG. 2. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, an intake assembly 12 having a plurality of exhaust ports 121 for transporting a process gas into the process chamber 11 in a horizontal direction is provided on one side of the process chamber 11, and as shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of exhaust ports 121 are arranged in a row in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the intake direction. A rotatable graphite base 13 having a plurality of slots 131 for placing a wafer (e.g., a silicon wafer) is further provided in the process chamber 11, and the plurality of slots 131 are evenly arranged around the circumference of the graphite base 13. A heating coil 14 is provided below the process chamber 11, and the heating coil 14 heats the graphite base 13 by an induction heating method to indirectly heat the wafer, thereby performing an epitaxial growth process at a constant temperature.

[0003] However, during the process, when the process gas flowing out from the multiple exhaust ports 121 flows horizontally through the graphite base 13, the airflow first reaches the outer ring region close to the exhaust ports 121 of the graphite base 13, and then reaches the inner ring region, so that there is a difference between the airflow concentration in the corresponding outer ring region of the graphite base 13 and the airflow concentration in the corresponding inner ring region, resulting in poor consistency in the thickness of the epitaxial layer between the inner ring region and the outer ring region. Therefore, in order to ensure the consistency of the thickness of the epitaxial layer, in the prior art, wafers can only be arranged in the outer ring region of the graphite base 13 for one revolution, and cannot be arranged in the inner ring region and the outer ring region for two revolutions, resulting in low productivity. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, the present invention proposes an intake assembly, a process chamber and a semiconductor process apparatus that can solve the problem of poor consistency in epitaxial layer thickness between different regions of a base caused by differences in airflow concentration between different regions, thereby enabling wafers to be placed on the base multiple times while ensuring the consistency of the epitaxial layer thickness, and further improving productivity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the object of the present invention, an intake assembly for use in a process chamber of a semiconductor process device includes an intake sheet and an airflow control assembly, the intake sheet has an exhaust port and is used to transport process gas into the process chamber; The airflow adjustment assembly is provided on the side of the intake sheet adjacent to the exhaust port, and includes a plurality of partition plates and a support member connected to the plurality of partition plates for supporting the plurality of partition plates, the plurality of partition plates are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the intake sheet, an adjustment passage is formed between two adjacent partition plates, each of the partition plates is rotatable around its respective rotation axis, the rotation axis extends in the height direction of the intake sheet and adjusts the exhaust direction of the adjustment passage, and the longitudinal direction of the intake sheet is mutually perpendicular to the exhaust direction of the exhaust port and mutually perpendicular to the height direction of the intake sheet.

[0006] Optionally, the airflow control assembly further includes at least one interlocking member, each of which is connected to a plurality of the partition plates and is used to interlock the plurality of partition plates connected to the same interlocking member and to make the rotation angles of the plurality of partition plates the same.

[0007] Optionally, the interlocking member is provided with a plurality of limiting portions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, and each limiting portion on the interlocking member is used to limit the position on the interlocking member of each partition plate connected to the interlocking member in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0008] Optionally, the interlocking member includes a horizontal rod, the partition plate has a through hole penetrating the partition plate in the longitudinal direction, the horizontal rod passes through the through hole in each of the partition plates corresponding thereto, and the limiting portion is a limiting groove formed in the horizontal rod, and the limiting groove is engaged with the edge of the through hole.

[0009] Optionally, the airflow adjustment assembly further includes a flow uniformization plate, the flow uniformization plate being fixedly connected to the support member and positioned between the exhaust port and the partition plate, the flow uniformization plate being provided with a plurality of gas uniformization hole groups, the plurality of gas uniformization hole groups being provided in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of adjustment passages, each of the gas uniformization hole groups including a plurality of gas uniformization holes, and the plurality of gas uniformization holes being arranged in the height direction and / or the length direction.

[0010] Optionally, the support member includes an upper beam and a lower beam, the upper beam and the lower beam being arranged opposite each other in the height direction, the partition plate being located between the upper beam and the lower beam, the upper beam and the lower beam being rotatably connected to the multiple partition plates in one-to-one correspondence via multiple pivot shafts, and the axis of the pivot shafts being the rotation axis.

[0011] Optionally, the pivot shaft includes two coaxially arranged pivot pins, which pivotally connect the partition plate to the upper beam and the lower beam, respectively.

[0012] Optionally, the plurality of partition plates are divided into four partition plate groups, each of which is a first partition plate group, a second partition plate group, a third partition plate group, and a fourth partition plate group; the first partition plate group and the second partition plate group are provided symmetrically with respect to a central axis in the longitudinal direction of the intake sheet, the third partition plate group and the fourth partition plate group are provided symmetrically on both sides of the first partition plate group and the second partition plate group with respect to a central axis in the longitudinal direction of the intake sheet, an exhaust direction of the adjustment passage of the first partition plate group and the second partition plate group faces a central axis of the intake sheet in the length direction; The exhaust direction of the adjustment passages of the third partition plate group and the fourth partition plate group is away from the central axis of the intake sheet in the length direction.

[0013] Optionally, three independent intake passages are provided in the intake sheet, each of the intake passages having a plurality of the exhaust ports, one of the intake passages communicating with the adjustment passages in the first partition assembly and the second partition assembly, and the other two of the intake passages communicating with the adjustment passages in the third partition assembly and the fourth partition assembly, respectively.

[0014] As another technical solution, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a process chamber including a chamber body, a base, and the above-mentioned intake assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the intake assembly is disposed on one side of the chamber body, and the base is disposed within the chamber body, and is used to place multiple wafers.

[0015] an inner ring mounting portion and an outer ring mounting portion for mounting a plurality of the wafers on the base are selectively provided, the outer ring mounting portion surrounding the outer side of the inner ring mounting portion; The plurality of partition plates are divided into four partition plate groups, which are a first partition plate group, a second partition plate group, a third partition plate group, and a fourth partition plate group, the first partition plate group and the second partition plate group are provided symmetrically with respect to a central axis in the longitudinal direction of the intake sheet, the third partition plate group and the fourth partition plate group are provided symmetrically on both sides of the first partition plate group and the second partition plate group with respect to a central axis in the longitudinal direction of the intake sheet, an exhaust direction of the adjustment passage of the first partition plate group and the second partition plate group faces a central axis of the intake sheet in the length direction; an exhaust direction of the adjustment passage of the third partition plate group and the fourth partition plate group is away from a central axis of the intake sheet in the length direction, The combined length in the longitudinal direction of the first partition plate group, the second partition plate group, the third partition plate group and the fourth partition plate group is greater than or equal to the length in the longitudinal direction of the outer wheel mounting portion, and the combined length in the longitudinal direction of the first partition plate group and the second partition plate group corresponds to the length in the longitudinal direction of the inner wheel mounting portion.

[0016] As another technical solution, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a semiconductor processing apparatus, including the above-mentioned process chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0017] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] According to the intake assembly of the present invention, an airflow adjustment assembly is provided at the exhaust port of the intake sheet, and an adjustment passage is formed between two adjacent partition plates in the airflow adjustment assembly, and each partition plate is rotatable around its respective rotation axis to adjust the exhaust direction of the adjustment passage; in this way, when the process gas flowing out from the exhaust port passes through the adjustment passage, the exhaust direction of the adjustment passage can be adjusted by rotating the partition plate, thereby exerting the effect of guiding the process gas, and further adjusting the gas concentration distribution in different regions inside the chamber body, reducing the gas concentration difference between different regions of the corresponding base, and improving the consistency of the epitaxial layer thickness between different regions of the base; thereby, under the premise of ensuring the consistency of the epitaxial layer thickness, wafers can be arranged around the base multiple times, and further improving productivity.

[0019] According to the process chamber of the present invention, by using the above-mentioned intake assembly of the present invention, the consistency of the epitaxial layer thickness between different regions of the base can be improved, thereby allowing multiple rotations of wafers on the base, provided that the consistency of the epitaxial layer thickness is ensured, further improving productivity.

[0020] According to the semiconductor processing apparatus of the present invention, by using the above-mentioned process chamber of the present invention, the consistency of the epitaxial layer thickness between different regions of the base can be improved, thereby allowing multiple rotations of wafers on the base, provided that the consistency of the epitaxial layer thickness is ensured, further improving productivity. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a process chamber of a conventional multi-wafer epitaxial growth apparatus. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a process chamber of a conventional multi-wafer epitaxial growth apparatus. [Diagram 3] 3 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of exhaust ports of an intake assembly of the process chamber in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a process chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1 is a cross-sectional view of an air intake assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of an airflow assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a structural diagram of another airflow adjustment assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a structural diagram of the airflow adjustment assembly in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 8 is a cross-sectional view of the airflow adjustment assembly in FIG. 7 along the XZ section. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a structural diagram of yet another airflow assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 11 is a cross-sectional view of the airflow adjustment assembly in FIG. 10 along the XZ section. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a wafer layout according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of another wafer arrangement according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] In order to make those skilled in the art better understand the technical solutions of the present invention, the intake assembly, process chamber and semiconductor process device of the present invention will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings.

[0023] 4 and 5, an embodiment of the present invention provides a process chamber 3, which includes a chamber body 31, a base 32, and an intake assembly 2, the intake assembly 2 is provided on one side of the chamber body 31, and the base 32 is provided in the chamber body 31 for mounting a plurality of wafers. Optionally, the base 32 is provided with a plurality of slots 321, for example, each of which accommodates one wafer. Of course, in practical applications, the slots 321 may not be provided. For example, when the process chamber 3 is applied to an epitaxial growth device, the base 32 can rotate, which is helpful in forming a uniform airflow field and temperature field in the region where the wafer is located in the circumferential direction of the base 32 during processing, thereby improving the consistency of the thickness of the epitaxial layer. In addition, an exhaust assembly 4 is further provided on the side of the chamber body 31 opposite to the intake assembly 2 to exhaust gas inside the chamber body 31.

[0024] In some selectable embodiments, the base 32 is provided with an inner ring placement portion and an outer ring placement portion for placing a plurality of wafers, and the outer ring placement portion surrounds the outside of the inner ring placement portion. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the plurality of slots 321 are arranged around the base 32 in the circumferential direction twice, the slots 321 located on the outer ring of the base 32 constitute the outer ring placement portion C1, and the slots 321 located on the inner ring constitute the inner ring placement portion C2. In this way, the number of wafers per process can be significantly increased, thereby improving productivity. Note that in actual applications, the plurality of slots 321 may be arranged around the base 32 in the circumferential direction three or more times, and this is not particularly limited in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0025] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the intake assembly 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an intake sheet 21 and an airflow control assembly 5, and the intake sheet 21 has an exhaust port 23 for transporting process gas into the process chamber 3. The exhaust port 23 may be one or more, and optionally, the multiple exhaust ports 23 are arranged in a row in the length direction (i.e., Y direction) of the intake sheet 21, and the length direction of the intake sheet 21 is perpendicular to the exhaust direction of the exhaust port 23 (i.e., X direction) and perpendicular to the height direction (i.e., Z direction) of the intake sheet 21. For example, if the exhaust direction of the exhaust port 23 is horizontal, the length direction of the intake sheet 21 is a horizontal direction perpendicular to the exhaust direction, and the height direction of the intake sheet 21 is a vertical direction. By configuring the multiple exhaust ports 23 to be arranged in a row in the length direction (i.e., Y direction) of the intake sheet 21, the process gas can be uniformly transported into the chamber body 31 in the Y direction. In practical applications, the shape, size and arrangement of each exhaust port 23 can be designed according to specific needs, and the embodiment of the present invention does not particularly limit the same.

[0026] The airflow adjustment assembly 5 is provided on the side of the intake sheet 21 adjacent to the exhaust port 23 (i.e., located downstream of the exhaust port 23 in the X direction), and specifically, the airflow adjustment assembly 5 may be attached to the intake sheet 21 by a fastener 6, which may be, for example, a fixing pin.

[0027] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the airflow control assembly 5 includes a support member 51 and a plurality of partition plates 52, the partition plates 52 are connected to the support member 51, and the support member 51 is used to support the partition plates 52. Alternatively, the support member 51 may be fixedly connected to the air intake assembly 2, and specifically, the support member 51 may adopt a frame structure, for example, and the frame structure may include an upper beam and a lower beam that are arranged opposite to each other in the Z direction, and a fixing plate is connected between the upper beam and the lower beam, and the fixing plate is used to perform a supporting and fixing function between the upper beam and the lower beam. The distance between the upper beam and the lower beam in the Z direction needs to be equal to or larger than the size of the exhaust port 23 so as not to affect the airflow. Of course, in practical applications, the support member 51 may adopt any other structure, and the embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited thereto.

[0028] As shown in Figures 6 and 8, multiple partition plates 52 are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction (i.e., Y direction) of the intake sheet 21, and an adjustment passage 53 is formed between two adjacent partition plates 52. Each partition plate 52 is rotatable around its respective rotation axis 52a, which extends in the height direction (i.e., Z direction) of the intake sheet 21 and adjusts the exhaust direction of the adjustment passage 53. The longitudinal direction (i.e., Y direction) of the intake sheet 21 is mutually perpendicular to the exhaust direction (i.e., X direction) of the exhaust port 23, and mutually perpendicular to the height direction (i.e., Z direction) of the intake sheet 21. In this way, all of the process gas flowing out from each exhaust port 23 flows into the interior of the chamber body 31 through the adjustment passage 53 between each two adjacent partition plates 52, and as shown in Figure 8, each partition plate 52 is connected to a support member 51 (e.g., an upper beam, a lower beam) and each partition plate 52 is rotatable around its respective rotation axis 52a, making it possible to adjust the included angle between the partition plate 52 and the exhaust direction of the exhaust port 23 (i.e., the X direction), and thereby adjusting the exhaust direction of the adjustment passage 53.

[0029] When the process gas flowing out from the exhaust port 23 passes through the adjustment passage 53 between each two adjacent partition plates 52, the exhaust direction of the adjustment passage 53 can be adjusted by rotating the partition plates 52, thereby exerting a flow guide effect for the process gas, and further adjusting the gas concentration distribution in different regions inside the chamber body 31, and reducing the gas concentration difference between different regions of the corresponding base 32.

[0030] Taking as an example the adjustment of the gas concentration difference between the inner wheel mounting portion C2 and the outer wheel mounting portion C1 of the base 32, as shown in Figure 4, the interior of the chamber main body 31 is divided in the longitudinal direction (i.e., Y direction) of the intake sheet 21 into a central region A and two edge regions (B1, B2) located on either side of the central region A, and the central region A is further divided into two central sub-regions (A1, A2) in the longitudinal direction (i.e., Y direction). In some optional embodiments, the length of the central region A in the longitudinal direction is equal to the length of the inner wheel mounting portion C2 of the base 32 in the longitudinal direction. In this way, the airflow passing through the central region A is correspondingly made to pass through the inner wheel mounting portion C2, and the airflow passing through the two edge regions (B1, B2) is correspondingly made to pass through the outer wheel mounting portion C1, thereby adjusting the airflow directions of the central region A and the two edge regions (B1, B2) respectively, thereby realizing regional adjustment of the airflow directions of the inner wheel mounting portion C2 and the outer wheel mounting portion C1, and reducing the gas concentration difference between the corresponding inner wheel mounting portion C2 and outer wheel mounting portion C1.

[0031] After adopting the above-mentioned partitioning method inside the chamber, in order to realize regional adjustment of the gas direction, as shown in FIG. 6, the multiple partition plates 52 are divided into four partition plate groups, namely a first partition plate group, a second partition plate group, a third partition plate group and a fourth partition plate group, and the first partition plate group and the second partition plate group are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis O in the longitudinal direction (i.e., Y direction) of the intake sheet 21, that is, they correspond to two central sub-regions (A1, A2), respectively, and the exhaust direction of the adjustment passages 53 of the above-mentioned first partition plate group and second partition plate group faces the central axis O in the longitudinal direction (i.e., Y direction) of the intake sheet 21, and the exhaust direction forms an included angle a with the central symmetry axis O. As shown by the arrows in Figure 6, the exhaust direction of the adjustment passage 53 corresponding to the first partition plate group and the exhaust direction of the adjustment passage 53 corresponding to the second partition plate group both converge toward the central axis O, thereby increasing the airflow flowing toward the inner wheel mounting portion C2 and increasing the gas concentration at the inner wheel mounting portion C2.

[0032] The third partition plate group and the fourth partition plate group are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis O in the longitudinal direction (i.e., the Y direction) of the intake sheet 21, and are located on both sides of the first partition plate group and the second partition plate group, respectively; that is, they correspond to two edge regions (B1, B2), respectively; the exhaust direction of the adjustment passages 53 of the third partition plate group and the fourth partition plate group is away from the central axis O in the longitudinal direction (i.e., the Y direction) of the intake sheet 21, the exhaust direction of the adjustment passages 53 of the third partition plate group forms an included angle b1 with the central axis O, and the exhaust direction of the adjustment passages 53 of the fourth partition plate group forms an included angle b2 with the central axis. 6, the exhaust direction of the adjustment passage 53 corresponding to the third partition plate group and the exhaust direction of the adjustment passage 53 corresponding to the fourth partition plate group both diverge in a direction away from the central axis O, thereby reducing the airflow flowing toward the outer ring mounting portion C1 and lowering the gas concentration at the outer ring mounting portion C1. This makes it possible to reduce the gas concentration difference between the corresponding inner ring mounting portion C2 and outer ring mounting portion C1 by increasing the gas concentration at the inner ring mounting portion C2 and / or decreasing the gas concentration at the outer ring mounting portion C1.

[0033] Based on this, in one alternative embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, three independent intake passages (not shown) are provided in the intake sheet 21, each of which has a plurality of exhaust ports 23, one of which communicates with the adjustment passages 53 in the first and second partition plate assemblies, and the other two of which communicate with the adjustment passages 53 in the third and fourth partition plate assemblies, respectively. In this way, the three intake passages can be used to transport the process gases independently, thereby realizing independent adjustment of the gas flow rates flowing out of the exhaust ports 23 corresponding to the central region A and the two edge regions (B1, B2), which can not only reduce the mutual influence of the airflow between the central region A and the two edge regions (B1, B2) of the chamber body 31, and further improve the consistency of the epitaxial layer thickness between the inner and outer ring regions of the base, but also increase the adjustment means for adjusting the gas concentration distribution in different regions inside the chamber body 31, and improve the adjustment flexibility. Of course, in practical applications, the number and layout form of the intake passage, the intake passage and the exhaust port 23 can be adaptively adjusted according to different internal partitioning methods of the chamber body 31. Optionally, as shown in Fig. 5, the intake assembly further includes three intake pipes 24, each of which is connected to the intake port of each intake through-hole, and delivers the process gas into the three intake passages, respectively.

[0034] As can be seen from the above, different partition plate groups can adjust the exhaust directions of the adjustment passages 53 corresponding to different regions inside the chamber body 31, thereby adjusting the gas concentration in different regions inside the chamber body 31. For example, by increasing the airflow flowing to the inner wheel mounting portion C2 and reducing the airflow flowing to the outer wheel mounting portion C1, the gas concentration difference between the inner wheel mounting portion C2 and the outer wheel mounting portion C1 of the base 32 can be reduced, thereby improving the consistency of the epitaxial layer thickness between different regions of the base. Furthermore, provided that the consistency of the epitaxial layer thickness is ensured, wafers can be arranged around the base multiple times, further improving productivity.

[0035] In actual applications, the number of regions and partitioning method inside the chamber body 31 can be adaptively adjusted according to different arrangements of wafers on the base 32, and the exhaust direction of the adjustment passages 53 of the partition plate group corresponding to each region can be adjusted accordingly.

[0036] There are various methods for realizing that the partition plate 52 can rotate around the rotation axis 52a, and for example, as shown in Fig. 8, the support member 51 includes an upper beam 51a and a lower beam 51a, and the upper beam 51a and the lower beam 51a are provided opposite each other in the height direction (i.e., in a direction parallel to the rotation axis 52a), and each partition plate 52 is located between the upper beam 51a and the lower beam 51a, and the upper beam 51a and the lower beam 51a are connected to the multiple partition plates 52 in one-to-one correspondence via multiple rotation shafts so as to be rotatable, and the axis of the rotation shaft is the above-mentioned rotation axis 52a. In some selectable embodiments, the above-mentioned rotation shaft includes two rotation pins 55 provided coaxially, and the two rotation pins 55 rotatably connect the partition plate 52 to the upper beam 51a and the lower beam 51a, respectively.

[0037] In some alternative embodiments, in order to interlock at least two partition plates in the same corresponding region, the at least two partition plates are synchronously rotatable around their respective rotation axes 52a, and as shown in Fig. 7, the airflow adjustment assembly 5 further includes at least one interlocking member 56, each of which is connected to a plurality of partition plates 52, and is used to interlock the plurality of partition plates 52 connected to the same interlocking member 56, and to make the rotation angles of the plurality of partition plates 52 the same, and the partition plates 52 connected to different interlocking members 56 are different. For example, as shown in Fig. 7, there are four interlocking members 56, and the four interlocking members 56 correspond to four partition plate groups, respectively, thereby interlocking all the partition plates 52 in the same partition plate group.

[0038] In some selectable embodiments, as shown in Fig. 8, the interlocking member 56 is provided with a plurality of limiting portions at intervals in the length direction (i.e., Y direction) of the air intake sheet 21, and each limiting portion of the interlocking member 56 is used to limit the position of each partition plate 52 connected to the interlocking member 56 on the interlocking member 56 in a one-to-one correspondence. The limiting portions may have various structures, and for example, as shown in Fig. 9, the interlocking member 56 includes a horizontal rod, and the partition plate 52 is provided with a through hole 521 penetrating the partition plate 52 in the length direction (i.e., Y direction) of the air intake sheet 21, and the horizontal rod penetrates the corresponding through hole 521 in each partition plate 52, and as shown in Fig. 8, the limiting portion is a limiting groove 561 formed in the horizontal rod, and the limiting groove 561 is engaged with an edge of the through hole 521 to limit the partition plate 52 to a position on the horizontal rod, thereby driving the partition plate 52 to rotate. In practical applications, the through hole 521 may be located near the upstream edge of the partition plate 52 in the X direction, and the Z-direction height position of the horizontal rod is offset from the intake port to reduce the effect of the horizontal rod on the airflow as much as possible.

[0039] In some optional embodiments, as shown in Fig. 7, the support member 51 is further provided with at least one fixed plate 511, each fixed plate 511 is detachably connected to one end of each horizontal rod, and is used to limit the position of the horizontal rod in the length direction (i.e., Y direction) of the intake sheet 21 and fix the position of each partition plate 52 corresponding to the horizontal rod. In this way, after the horizontal rod is moved in the Y direction to adjust the angle of each partition plate 52 connected to the horizontal rod, one end of the horizontal rod can be fixed to the fixed plate 511 to fix the angular position of the partition plate at the current angular position. One end of the horizontal rod may be connected to the fixed plate 511 by any other detachable method, such as a screw connection by a fastener, or engagement.

[0040] Before performing the process, first, the horizontal rod is moved in the Y direction to adjust the angle of each partition plate 52 connected to the horizontal rod, and after the adjustment is completed, the angular position of the partition plate is fixed at the current angular position, and then the process is performed.

[0041] In addition, the method of fixing the angular position of the partition plate at the current angular position is not limited to the above-mentioned method adopted in the embodiment of the present invention, and for example, a damper may be provided between at least one partition plate 52 and the support member 51, and this is not particularly limited in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Furthermore, in practical applications, according to specific needs, the interlocking member may be connected to a driving source, and the driving source may be used to drive the interlocking member to drive and interlock at least two partition plates 52 connected thereto, thereby realizing automatic adjustment of the angle of the partition plates 52. The driving source may be, for example, an electric cylinder, an air cylinder, or a hydraulic cylinder.

[0043] In some alternative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the airflow adjustment assembly 5 further includes a flow uniformization plate 54, which is fixedly connected to the support member 51 and located between the exhaust port 23 and the partition plate 52; alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11, the flow uniformization plate 54 may be integrally molded with the support member 51, i.e., the flow uniformization plate 54 is integrally connected to each fixed plate 511, the upper beam and the lower beam, and the flow uniformization plate 54 is located upstream of all the partition plates 52 in the X direction.

[0044] In order to more clearly show the structure of the flow uniformity plate 54, the interlocking member 56 is not shown in FIG. 10. However, in actual applications, it is possible to choose whether or not to provide the interlocking member 56 according to specific needs.

[0045] The flow uniformization plate 54 is provided with a plurality of gas uniformization hole groups, the number of which is the same as the number of the adjustment passages between two adjacent partition plates 52, and the gas uniformization hole groups are provided in one-to-one correspondence, and each gas uniformization hole group includes a plurality of gas uniformization holes 541, and the plurality of gas uniformization holes 541 are arranged in the height direction (i.e., Z direction) and / or length direction (i.e., Y direction), for example, FIG. 10 shows that each of the same gas uniformization hole groups has three gas uniformization holes 541, and is spaced apart in the Z direction. The plurality of gas uniformization holes 541 in the flow uniformization plate 54 can play a role in uniforming the process gas flowing out from the exhaust port 23, and can make the process gas flow more uniformly into the adjustment passages between each of the two adjacent partition plates 52.

[0046] In some optional embodiments, on the premise of ensuring the consistency of the thickness of the epitaxial layer, the base 32 is provided with an outer ring mounting part C1 and an inner ring mounting part C2, for example, there are two slots 321 around the circumference, and two wafers can be accommodated, thereby improving productivity. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the two slots 321 on the base 32 can accommodate a total of 18 5-inch wafers, the slot 321 located on the outer ring can accommodate 12 5-inch wafers, and the slot 321 located on the inner ring can accommodate 6 5-inch wafers. Also, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, the two slots 321 on the base 32 can accommodate a total of 27 4-inch wafers, the slot 321 located on the outer ring can accommodate 17 4-inch wafers, and the slot 321 located on the inner ring can accommodate 10 4-inch wafers. Of course, in practical applications, the base 32 may be provided with three or more mounting parts according to specific needs, and the embodiments of the present invention are not particularly limited thereto.

[0047] As described above, according to the intake assembly of an embodiment of the present invention, an airflow adjustment assembly is provided at the exhaust port of the intake sheet, and an adjustment passage is formed between two adjacent partition plates in the airflow adjustment assembly, and each partition plate is rotatable around its respective rotation axis to adjust the exhaust direction of the adjustment passage. In this way, when the process gas flowing out from the exhaust port passes through the adjustment passage, the exhaust direction of the adjustment passage can be adjusted by rotating the partition plate, thereby exerting the effect of guiding the process gas, and further adjusting the gas concentration distribution in different regions inside the chamber body, reducing the gas concentration difference between different regions of the corresponding base, and improving the consistency of the epitaxial layer thickness between different regions of the base. Therefore, under the premise of ensuring the consistency of the epitaxial layer thickness, wafers can be arranged around the base multiple times, and further improving productivity.

[0048] As another technical solution, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a process chamber, for example the process chamber 3 shown in FIG. 4, which includes a chamber body 31, a base 32 and an intake assembly 2, the intake assembly 2 is disposed on one side of the chamber body 31, and the base 32 is disposed within the chamber body 31 and is used to mount multiple wafers.

[0049] In some selectable embodiments, the base 32 is provided with an inner ring mounting portion and an outer ring mounting portion for mounting a plurality of wafers, and the outer ring mounting portion surrounds the outside of the inner ring mounting portion. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, a plurality of slots 321 are arranged twice around the circumference of the base 32, and the slots 321 located on the outer ring of the base 32 constitute the outer ring mounting portion C1, and the slots 321 located on the inner ring constitute the inner ring mounting portion C2. As shown in Figure 6, the multiple partition plates 52 are divided into four partition plate groups, namely, a first partition plate group, a second partition plate group, a third partition plate group, and a fourth partition plate group, and the combined length in the longitudinal direction (i.e., the Y direction) of the first partition plate group, the second partition plate group, the third partition plate group, and the fourth partition plate group is greater than or equal to the length in the longitudinal direction (i.e., the Y direction) of the outer wheel mounting portion C1, thereby ensuring that the airflow entering the process chamber 3 covers the entire surface of the base, and the combined length in the longitudinal direction (i.e., the Y direction) of the first partition plate group and the second partition plate group corresponds to the length in the longitudinal direction (i.e., the Y direction) of the inner wheel mounting portion C2, thereby adjusting the direction of the airflow flowing to the inner wheel mounting portion C2.

[0050] According to the process chamber of the embodiment of the present invention, by using the above-mentioned intake assembly of the embodiment of the present invention, the consistency of the epitaxial layer thickness between different regions of the base can be improved, thereby allowing multiple rotations of wafers on the base, provided that the consistency of the epitaxial layer thickness is ensured, further improving productivity.

[0051] As another technical solution, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a semiconductor processing apparatus, including the above-mentioned process chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] According to the semiconductor processing apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention, by using the above-mentioned process chamber of the present invention, the consistency of the epitaxial layer thickness between different regions of the base can be improved, so that wafers can be placed multiple times on the base, provided that the consistency of the epitaxial layer thickness is ensured, thereby further improving productivity.

[0053] It is to be understood that the above embodiment is merely an exemplary embodiment for explaining the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements also fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An intake assembly for use in a process chamber of a semiconductor process device, comprising: an intake sheet; and an airflow control assembly, the intake sheet has an exhaust port and is used to transport process gas into the process chamber; The airflow adjustment assembly is provided on the side of the intake sheet adjacent to the exhaust port, and includes a plurality of partition plates and a support member connected to the plurality of partition plates for supporting the plurality of partition plates, the plurality of partition plates are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the intake sheet, an adjustment passage is formed between two adjacent partition plates, each of the partition plates is rotatable around its respective rotation axis, the rotation axis extends in the height direction of the intake sheet and adjusts the exhaust direction of the adjustment passage, and the longitudinal direction of the intake sheet is perpendicular to the exhaust direction of the exhaust port and perpendicular to the height direction of the intake sheet.

2. The intake assembly of claim 1, characterized in that the airflow control assembly further includes at least one interlocking member, each of which is connected to a plurality of the partition plates and is used to enable the plurality of partition plates connected to the same interlocking member to be interlocked and to make the rotation angles of the plurality of partition plates the same.

3. The intake assembly of claim 2, characterized in that the interlocking member has a plurality of limiting portions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, and each limiting portion on the interlocking member is used to limit the position of each partition plate connected to the interlocking member in a one-to-one correspondence on the interlocking member.

4. 4. The air intake assembly according to claim 3, wherein the interlocking member includes a horizontal rod, the partition plate has a through hole penetrating the partition plate in the longitudinal direction, the horizontal rod passes through the through hole in each of the partition plates corresponding to the horizontal rod, and the limiting portion is a limiting groove formed in the horizontal rod, the limiting groove being engaged with an edge of the through hole.

5. The intake assembly of any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the airflow adjustment assembly further includes a flow uniformization plate, the flow uniformization plate being fixedly connected to the support member and positioned between the exhaust port and the partition plate, the flow uniformization plate being provided with a plurality of gas uniformization hole groups, the plurality of gas uniformization hole groups being provided in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of adjustment passages, each of the gas uniformization hole groups including a plurality of gas uniformization holes, and the plurality of gas uniformization holes being arranged in the height direction and / or the length direction.

6. The intake assembly described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the support member includes an upper beam and a lower beam, the upper beam and the lower beam being arranged opposite each other in the height direction, the partition plate being located between the upper beam and the lower beam, the upper beam and the lower beam being rotatably connected to the multiple partition plates in a one-to-one correspondence via multiple pivot shafts, and the axis of the pivot shaft is the rotation axis.

7. 7. The air intake assembly according to claim 6, wherein the pivot shaft includes two pivot pins arranged coaxially, the two pivot pins pivotally connecting the partition plate to the upper beam and the lower beam, respectively.

8. The plurality of partition plates are divided into four partition plate groups, which are a first partition plate group, a second partition plate group, a third partition plate group, and a fourth partition plate group, the first partition plate group and the second partition plate group are provided symmetrically with respect to a central axis in the longitudinal direction of the intake sheet, the third partition plate group and the fourth partition plate group are provided symmetrically on both sides of the first partition plate group and the second partition plate group with respect to a central axis in the longitudinal direction of the intake sheet, an exhaust direction of the adjustment passage of the first partition plate group and the second partition plate group faces a central axis of the intake sheet in the length direction; A process chamber as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the exhaust direction of the adjustment passages of the third partition group and the fourth partition group is away from the central axis of the intake sheet in the longitudinal direction.

9. The intake assembly of claim 8, characterized in that three independent intake passages are provided within the intake sheet, each of the intake passages has a plurality of exhaust ports, one of the intake passages is connected to the adjustment passages within the first partition plate assembly and the second partition plate assembly, and the other two intake passages are connected to the adjustment passages within the third partition plate assembly and the fourth partition plate assembly, respectively.

10. A process chamber comprising: A process chamber comprising a chamber body, a base, and an intake assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the intake assembly is provided on one side of the chamber body, and the base is provided within the chamber body and is used to place a plurality of wafers thereon.

11. the base is provided with an inner ring mounting portion and an outer ring mounting portion for mounting a plurality of the wafers thereon, the outer ring mounting portion surrounding the outer side of the inner ring mounting portion; The plurality of partition plates are divided into four partition plate groups, which are a first partition plate group, a second partition plate group, a third partition plate group, and a fourth partition plate group, the first partition plate group and the second partition plate group are provided symmetrically with respect to a central axis in the longitudinal direction of the intake sheet, the third partition plate group and the fourth partition plate group are provided symmetrically on both sides of the first partition plate group and the second partition plate group with respect to a central axis in the longitudinal direction of the intake sheet, an exhaust direction of the adjustment passage of the first partition plate group and the second partition plate group faces a central axis of the intake sheet in the length direction; an exhaust direction of the adjustment passage of the third partition plate group and the fourth partition plate group is away from a central axis of the intake sheet in the length direction, The process chamber described in claim 10, characterized in that the combined length of the first partition plate group, the second partition plate group, the third partition plate group and the fourth partition plate group in the longitudinal direction is greater than or equal to the length of the outer ring mounting portion in the longitudinal direction, and the combined length of the first partition plate group and the second partition plate group in the longitudinal direction corresponds to the length of the inner ring mounting portion in the longitudinal direction.

12. A semiconductor processing device comprising the process chamber according to claim 10 or 11.

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