Substrate support structure

Abstract

The present invention discloses a substrate support structure comprising: a base on which a support region for supporting a substrate is provided on its surface; a plurality of support members provided on the first circumference of the support region, the top end of which of the support members has a support surface for supporting the substrate; a plurality of guide members provided on the second circumference of the outer periphery of the support region, the first and second circumferences being concentric circles with the center of the support region as the center, and being higher than the support members in order to restrict the horizontal position of the substrate; and a plurality of guide slider members installed in the support region, all or part of which are located between the first and second circumferences, not higher than the support members, having a guide slider surface at its top end, and having a coefficient of friction smaller than the coefficient of friction of the support surface. According to the above configuration, the present invention has the effect of improving the guiding ability of the substrate support structure to the substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor plating apparatuses, and more particularly to a substrate support structure.

Background Art

[0002] Semiconductor plating refers to a process in the chip manufacturing process of plating metal ions in a plating solution onto the surface of a substrate to form metal interconnects.

[0003] Currently, in the semiconductor plating process, generally first, a manipulator moves the plated substrate from a transfer box into a pre-wet chamber. In the pre-wet chamber, the silicon vias are wetted by immersion in a filling liquid or spraying of pre-wet vapor. Further, the manipulator moves the plated substrate into the plating chamber, immerses the substrate in the plating solution, connects an electric current to perform plating, and further, the manipulator moves the substrate into the cleaning chamber. In the cleaning chamber, deionized water is sprayed onto the substrate surface to clean the substrate and remove the chemical solution remaining on the substrate surface. After the cleaning process is completed, the manipulator moves the substrate out of the cleaning chamber.

[0004] In the above process, the substrate needs to be sequentially transported to a pre-wet chamber, a plating chamber, and a cleaning chamber. The substrate needs to maintain its own horizontal state in each chamber. The flatness of the substrate placement not only affects the process result of plating but also relates to the safety during the rotation of the substrate.

[0005] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a schematic diagram of an existing pre-wet chamber substrate support device is shown, which comprises a base 101 and a plurality of rubber pads 102 and a plurality of guide posts 103 fixed to the surface of the base 101. The rubber pads 102 are positioned below the substrate 10 and are for supporting the substrate 10, and the guide posts 103 are positioned on the edge of the substrate 10 and are for limiting the horizontal position of the substrate 10. The position of the substrate 10 when it is positioned in the substrate support device is corrected and restricted by the guide posts 103.

[0006] Normally, when the substrate 10 is properly placed on the substrate support device, as shown in Figure 2, the substrate 10 will be in a horizontal position, and the corrective action of the guide post 103 will align the center of the substrate 10 with the center of the base 101, and the large frictional force of the rubber pad 102 will ensure that the substrate 10 does not slip when it rotates.

[0007] However, with the above-mentioned substrate support device, there are occasional instances where the substrate 10 rides up on the guide post 103 and does not slide down smoothly. As shown in Figure 3, when the substrate 10 is placed on the substrate support device by the manipulator, the substrate 10 is not stably supported by the rubber pad 102, and one end may lift up, causing it to tilt and straddle the space between the guide post 103 and the rubber pad 102. When such a situation occurs, the device detects it and issues an alarm, stopping the operation in the chamber, which affects the production capacity of the substrate manufacturer, and also wastes human resources in handling the alarm.

[0008] Therefore, this application aims to solve the technical problem of how to improve the guiding capability of a substrate support device. [Overview of the project]

[0009] This invention has been made in view of the above technical problems, and aims to improve the guiding capability of a substrate support device so that a substrate can be stably placed on the substrate support device. To achieve the above objective, this invention provides a substrate support structure.

[0010] In some embodiments, the substrate support structure comprises: a base on which a support region for supporting a substrate is provided on its surface; a plurality of support members provided on a first circumference of the support region, the top end of which has a support surface for supporting the substrate; a plurality of guide members provided on a second circumference on the outer periphery of the support region, wherein the first and second circumferences are concentric circles with the center of the support region as the center, and are higher than the support members to restrict the horizontal position of the substrate; and a plurality of guide slider members installed in the support region, all or part of which is located between the first and second circumferences, and is not higher than the support members, and which have a guide slider surface at their top end and a coefficient of friction smaller than the coefficient of friction of the support surface.

[0011] The present invention has the following beneficial effects compared to the prior art.

[0012] In this invention, a guide slider member is added between the first circumference and the second circumference, the coefficient of friction at the top of the guide slider member is made smaller than the coefficient of friction at the top of the support member, and the support member is made slightly higher than the guide slider member. As a result, even if the substrate is not stably supported by the support member during the process of placing the substrate, and one end lifts up and straddles the guide post and the guide slider member at an angle, relative sliding movement occurs between the edge of the substrate and the top of the guide slider member due to the gravity of the substrate itself, allowing the substrate to slide into a horizontal position. Furthermore, even after the substrate has been corrected to a horizontal position, the support member can provide a large frictional force to the bottom surface of the substrate, playing a role in preventing sliding during the rotation process of the substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] The following describes preferred embodiments of the above-mentioned characteristics, technical features, advantages, and embodiments of the present invention in a clear and easy-to-understand manner, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a top view of a conventional substrate support device. [Figure 2]This is a cross-sectional view along the aa direction when the substrate in Figure 1 is in a horizontal position. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view along the aa direction when the substrate in Figure 1 is in an inclined state. [Figure 4] This is a top view of one embodiment of the substrate support structure of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along the bb direction when the substrate is in a horizontal position. [Figure 6] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along the bb direction when the substrate is in an inclined state. [Figure 7] This is a top view of another embodiment of the substrate support structure of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a top view of another embodiment of the substrate support structure of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a top view of another embodiment of the substrate support structure of the present invention. [Figure 10] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view along the cc direction when the substrate is in a horizontal position. [Figure 11] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view along the cc direction when the substrate is in an inclined state. [Figure 12] This is a top view of another embodiment of the substrate support structure of the present invention. [Figure 13] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view along the dd direction when the substrate is in a horizontal position. [Figure 14] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view along the dd direction when the substrate is in a tilted state. [Figure 15] This is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the substrate support structure of the present invention. [Figure 16] This is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the substrate support structure of the present invention. [Figure 17] This is a top view of another embodiment of the substrate support structure of the present invention. [Figure 18] Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view along the ee direction when the substrate is in a horizontal position. [Figure 19] This is a top view of another embodiment of the substrate support structure of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] In the following, in order to more clearly explain the technical solutions in the embodiments of the application or the prior art, specific embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings and other implementation manners can be obtained without paying inventive labor.

[0016] For the sake of simplicity of the drawings, each drawing only schematically shows the parts related to the present application, and they do not represent the actual structure as a product. Also, for the sake of simplicity and easy understanding of the drawings, in some drawings, among the parts having the same structure or function, only one is schematically illustrated or only one is shown. In this specification, "one" not only means "only one", but may also mean the case of "one or more".

[0017] In this specification, unless specifically defined and limited, the terms "attach", "connect to each other", "connect" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be interpreted as fixedly connecting, detachably connecting, or integrally connecting, or mechanically connecting, electrically connecting, directly connecting, indirectly connecting through an intermediate medium, or communicating the interiors of two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific situations.

[0018] Also, in the description of the present application, terms such as "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive distinction and cannot be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0019] This application discloses a substrate support structure applicable to a pre-wet chamber or other chamber of a plating apparatus in order to improve the guiding ability of the substrate support structure to the substrate 10 during the period when a manipulator places the substrate 10 in the chamber.

[0020] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the substrate support structure comprises a base 20, a plurality of support members 30, a plurality of guide slider members 40, and a plurality of guide members 50 provided on the surface of the base 20. The surface of the base 20 has a support region for supporting the substrate 10, the support member 30 is installed on the first circumference 31 of the support region and has a support surface 32 at its top for supporting the substrate 10, the guide member 50 is provided on the second circumference 51 of the outer circumference of the support region and the first circumference 31 and the second circumference 51 are concentric circles with the center of the support region as the center, the guide member 50 is higher than the support member 30 and is used to restrict the horizontal position of the substrate 10, the guide slider member 40 is installed on the support region and all or part of the guide slider member 40 is located between the first circumference 31 and the second circumference 51 and the guide slider member 40 is not higher than the support portion 30 and has a guide slider surface 42 at its top, the friction coefficient of the guide slider surface 42 is smaller than the friction coefficient of the support surface 32. In actual applications, the support member 30 may be made of rubber, and the guide slide member 40 may be made of plastic.

[0021] It should be explained that the support region mentioned above coincides with the orthographic projection region on the surface of the base 20 of the substrate 10, and the support region, the first circumference 31, the second circumference 51, and the third circumference 41 (described later) are all hypothetical concepts and are intended solely to define the positional relationships of related components.

[0022] As shown in Figure 6, if the substrate 10 is not in a horizontal position when it is placed on the substrate, all or part of the guide slider member 40 is installed between the first circumference 31 and the second circumference 51. As a result, one side of the edge of the substrate 10 rests on the side wall of the guide member 50, while the other side preferentially contacts the guide slider surface 42 at the top of the guide slider member 40. In this case, because the coefficient of friction of the guide slider surface 42 is small, the static friction force between the guide slider surface 42 and the edge of the substrate 10 is not sufficient to keep the substrate 10 in an inclined position. The substrate 10 slides and rubs against the guide slider surface 42 until it slides down to a horizontal position due to gravity.

[0023] Furthermore, the fact that the guide slide 40 is not higher than the support member 30 is advantageous for the support member 30 to effectively support the substrate 10 after the substrate 10 has been stably placed on it. In a preferred example, the support member 30 is positioned slightly higher than the guide slider member 40, for example, 0.1 mm to 2 mm higher than the guide slider member 40. In this way, because the guide slider member 40 is lower than the support member 30, the guide slider member 40 does not hinder sufficient contact between the support member 30 and the substrate 10, and when the substrate support structure rotates the substrate 10, the support member 30 provides sufficient frictional force to the substrate 10, ensuring that the substrate 10 does not slide.

[0024] Specifically, the support member 30, guide member 50, and guide slider member 40 may be provided independently, or at least both may be integrated together. For example, the guide slider member 40 may be integrated with the support member 30, the guide slider member 40 may be integrated with the guide member 50, or the three of them—the support member 30, guide member 50, and guide slider member 40—may be integrated together.

[0025] Figure 4 is a top view of a substrate support structure according to one embodiment of this application. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along the bb direction when the substrate in Figure 4 is in a horizontal position. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along the bb direction when the substrate in Figure 4 is in an inclined position.

[0026] As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, the guide slider member 40 is installed on the third circumference 41 of the support region, the third circumference 41 having the center of the support region as its center and located between the first circumference 31 and the second circumference 51. The substrate support structure comprises three independently installed guide members 50, three guide slide members 40, and three support members 30, and the guide members 50, guide slide members 40, and support members 30 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the circumference in which they are located. In a preferred example, the support members 30, guide slide members 40, and guide members 50 correspond one-to-one and are arranged sequentially along the same straight line, and this straight line coincides with the radial direction of the first circumference 31.

[0027] Figure 7 is a top view of a substrate support structure according to another embodiment of this application. In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the guide slider member 40 is changed based on the substrate support structure shown in Figure 4. In actual applications, the cross-section of the guide slider member 40 may be circular or polygonal. When the cross-section of the guide slider member 40 is polygonal, the sides of the polygon face the support member 30. For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 7, the cross-sectional shape of the guide slider member 40 is changed from a circle in Figure 4 to an isosceles triangle, with the base of the isosceles triangle close to the support member 30 and the apex angle facing the guide member 50. When the substrate 10 is in an inclined state, the frictional force of the guide slider member 40 against the edge of the substrate 10 can be further reduced, and the inclined substrate 10 can slide down more easily and be corrected to a horizontal state.

[0028] Figure 8 is a top view of a substrate support structure according to another embodiment of this application. In this embodiment, the number and position of the guide slider members 40 are changed based on the substrate support structure shown in Figure 4. The number of guide slider members 40 is increased from three in Figure 4 to six, and in the example shown in Figure 8, the guide slider members 40 are arranged on both sides of the straight line in which the support member 30 and the guide member 50 are located, and this straight line coincides with the radial direction of the first circumference 31.

[0029] In the embodiment in which the support member 30, guide member 50, and guide slide member 40 are installed independently, the guide member 50, guide slide member 40, and support member 30 fit together to perform the roles of limiting the horizontal position of the substrate 10, correcting the tilt, and supporting it. On the other hand, in the embodiment in which at least two of the support member 30, guide member 50, and guide slide member 40 are integrated and installed as a single unit, a similar design concept to the former is adopted, and not only does it achieve the same technical effects as the former, but it also has the effect of making manufacturing and assembly easier.

[0030] Figure 9 is a top view of a substrate support structure according to another embodiment of this application. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view along the cc direction when the substrate in Figure 9 is in a horizontal position. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view along the cc direction when the substrate in Figure 9 is in an inclined position.

[0031] As shown in Figures 9, 10, and 11, in this embodiment, the method of integrating the support member 30, guide slider member 40, and guide member 50 is changed from the substrate support structure shown in Figure 4. The support member 30 and the guide slider member 40 are changed from being installed independently in Figure 4 to being integrated as a single unit. Specifically, the guide slider member 40 has a cylindrical structure with an open top, the guide slider member 40 is enclosed around the periphery of the support member 30, and the guide slider member 40 is not higher than the support member 30. As shown in Figures 9 and 11, if the substrate 10 is not in a horizontal position during the placement process, the guide slider member 40 is partially positioned between the first circumference 31 and the second circumference 51. As a result, one side of the edge of the substrate 10 rests on the side wall of the guide member 50, while the other side preferentially contacts the guide slider surface 42 of the guide slider member 40 located between the first circumference 31 and the second circumference 51, thereby exerting the guide slider action of the guide slider member 40.

[0032] Figure 12 is a top view of a substrate support structure according to another embodiment of this application. Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view along the dd direction when the substrate in Figure 12 is in a horizontal position. Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view along the dd direction when the substrate in Figure 12 is in an inclined position.

[0033] As shown in Figures 12, 13, and 14, in this embodiment, the method of integrating the support member 30 and the guide slider member 40 is changed based on the substrate support structure shown in Figure 9. Specifically, the guide slider member 40 has a columnar structure and is located between the first circumference 31 and the second circumference 51, and the guide slider member 40 is fixed to the side of the support member 30 that is away from the center of the support area. As shown in Figure 14, if the substrate 10 is not in a horizontal state during the process of placing the substrate 10, since the entire guide slider member 40 is located between the first circumference 31 and the second circumference 51, one side of the edge of the substrate 10 rests on the side wall of the guide member 50, and the other side preferentially contacts the guide slider surface 42, thereby exerting the guide slider action of the guide slider member 40.

[0034] Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate support structure according to another embodiment of this application. The viewing angle of Figure 15 is similar to that of Figure 13. In this embodiment, the method of integrating the support member 30, the guide slider member 40, and the guide member 50 has been changed based on the substrate support structure shown in Figure 13. The guide slider member 40 has been changed from being integrated with the support member 30 in Figure 12 to being integrated with the guide member 50.

[0035] Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate support structure according to another embodiment of this application. The viewing angle of Figure 16 is similar to that of Figure 13. In this embodiment, the method of integrating the support member 30, the guide slider member 40, and the guide member 50 is changed based on the substrate support structure shown in Figure 13. The guide slider member 40 has been changed from being integrally assembled with the support member 30 in Figure 12 to being integrally assembled with the support member 30, the guide slider member 40, and the guide member 50. The guide slider member 40 is at least partially sandwiched between the support member 30 and the guide member 50.

[0036] Figure 17 is a top view of a substrate support structure according to another embodiment of this application. Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view along the ee direction when the substrate of Figure 17 is in a horizontal position.

[0037] As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the substrate support structure of this embodiment is based on the substrate support structure shown in Figure 4 and further includes a plurality of fixed seats 60. Each fixed seat 60 is provided with at least one support member 30, at least one guide slide member 40, and at least one guide member 50. In Figure 18, the substrate support structure includes three fixed seats 60, each fixed seat 60 being provided with one guide member 50, one guide slide member 40, and one support member 30. The fixed seats 60 are provided on the base 20, and the fixed seats 60 are located on a circumference with the center of the support area as the center. By integrally providing the support member 30, guide slide member 40, and guide member 50 on the fixed seat 60, the attachment and replacement of parts are facilitated.

[0038] Figure 19 is a top view of a substrate support structure according to another embodiment of this application. The substrate support structure of this embodiment is based on the substrate support structure shown in Figure 4 and further comprises a plurality of clamping members 70, the clamping members 70 being provided on a base 20 and positioned on a circumference with the center of the support area as the center, and used to clamp the edge portion of the substrate 10. It should be explained that when the plurality of clamping members 70 are installed on the base 20, they may be installed directly on the base 20 or indirectly, for example, the plurality of clamping members 70 may be installed on the base 20 via a fixed seat 60.

[0039] Furthermore, in the various embodiments of the above-described substrate support structure, those skilled in the art will understand that any combination of the technical features in the embodiments is possible. For the sake of brevity, not all combinations of the technical features in the embodiments are described, but as long as these combinations of technical features are inconsistent, they should be considered to fall within the scope described herein. For example, clamping members 70 may also be provided in the substrate support structures shown in Figures 7, 8, 9, 12, and 17.

[0040] It should be noted that the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention, and a person of ordinary skill in the art can make several further improvements and modifications without departing from the principles of the present invention. For example, the size, dimensions, number, position, and specific material of each column can be modified, and these improvements and modifications should also be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A base having a support area on its surface for supporting the substrate, A plurality of support members are provided on the first circumference of the support region, each having a support surface at its apex for supporting the substrate, Multiple guide members are provided on the second circumference of the outer periphery of the support region, and the first and second circumferences are concentric circles with the center of the support region as their center, and are higher than the support member in order to restrict the horizontal position of the substrate, A substrate support structure characterized by comprising a plurality of guide slider members installed in the support area, all or part of which are located between the first circumference and the second circumference, and which are not higher than the support member, and which have a guide slider surface at their top end and a coefficient of friction smaller than that of the support surface.

2. The substrate support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the support member is made of rubber and the guide slide member is made of plastic.

3. The substrate support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the support member is 0.1 mm to 2 mm higher than the guide slide member.

4. The substrate support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the support member, the guide member, and the guide slide member are each installed independently, the guide slide member is installed on the third circumference of the support region, and the third circumference has the center of the support region as its center and is located between the first circumference and the second circumference.

5. The substrate support structure according to claim 4, characterized in that the guide member, the guide slide member, and the support member are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the circumference in which they are located.

6. The substrate support structure according to claim 4, characterized in that the cross-section of the guide slider member is circular or polygonal, and if the cross-section of the guide slider member is polygonal, one of the sides of the polygon faces the support member.

7. The substrate support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two of the support member, the guide slide member, and the guide member are integrally assembled and provided together.

8. The substrate support structure according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of fixed seats, each fixed seat provided with at least one support member, at least one guide slide member, and at least one guide member, wherein the fixed seats are mounted on the base and are located on a circumference with the center of the support area as the center.

9. The substrate support structure according to claim 8, characterized in that the support member, the guide slide member, and the guide member are each provided independently.

10. The substrate support structure according to claim 8, characterized in that at least two of the support member, the guide slide member, and the guide member are integrally assembled and provided together.

11. The substrate support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it is provided on the base and is located on a circumference with the center of the support region as its center, and comprises a plurality of clamping members for clamping the edge of the substrate.

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