Sealing door assembly, transfer chamber, and semiconductor processing equipment

TWI942494BActive Publication Date: 2026-10-11BEIJING NAURA MICROELECTRONICS EQUIP CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
TW114136135
Authority / Receiving Office
TW · TW
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2024-10-18
Filing Date
2025-09-19
Publication Date
2026-10-11
Estimated Expiration
2045-09-18

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The existing semiconductor manufacturing equipment suffers from high friction between the bushing and guide rail in the transfer chamber, leading to the generation of impurity particles that contaminate wafers during transfer.

Method used

A sealing door assembly with a connecting component structure comprising a first bushing, a second bushing, and a slider, where the second bushing is spherically engaged with the first bushing, allowing it to rotate relative to compensate for angular misalignments, thereby reducing friction and impurity particle generation.

Benefits of technology

The solution effectively reduces friction between the bushing and guide rail, minimizing impurity particles on wafers and improving wafer quality by compensating for angular misalignments through spherical engagement.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

This invention discloses a sealing door assembly, a transfer chamber, and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. The sealing door assembly includes a door panel, a guide rail, and a connecting assembly. The connecting assembly includes a first bushing, a second bushing, and a slider. The second bushing is sleeved outside the first bushing, and its inner surface spherically engages with the outer surface of the first bushing. The second bushing is disposed on the slider, and the door panel is connected to the slider. The first bushing is slidably sleeved on the guide rail. During the movement of the door panel along the guide rail by the sliding engagement of the first bushing and the guide rail, the first bushing and the second bushing provide angular compensation for the first bushing through the spherical engagement. This solution can address the problem in related technologies where the large friction between the bushing and the guide rail in the transfer chamber leads to a large number of impurity particles.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor equipment technology, and more particularly to a sealing door assembly, a transfer chamber, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Prior Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing equipment, a transfer chamber provides a transition space between different process chambers to maintain the environmental conditions within each chamber and prevent cross-contamination or contamination from external air. The transfer chamber has a transfer channel with wafer transfer ports at both ends. Each end of the transfer channel is equipped with a sealing gate assembly. These sealing gate assemblies are used to seal or open the wafer transfer ports of the transfer channel. The sealing gate assemblies at both ends of the transfer channel cannot be opened simultaneously; doing so would create a connection between the process chambers on either side of the transfer chamber, disrupting the environment of the process chamber.

[0003] In related technologies, the door panel of a sealing door assembly is slidably mounted on a guide rail via a bushing. The door panel can slide along the guide rail via the bushing, allowing it to move to a position covering or avoiding the wafer transfer port. However, during installation, the door panel may experience adjustment errors or deformation after prolonged use. When this occurs, the angle between the central axis of the bushing and the extension direction of the guide rail becomes excessive, increasing friction between the bushing and the guide rail during door panel movement. This increased friction generates more impurity particles, which can easily fall onto the wafer during transfer, thus affecting wafer quality. Therefore, the transfer chamber in related technologies suffers from the problem of high friction between the bushing and the guide rail, resulting in a large number of impurity particles. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention discloses a sealing door assembly, a transmission chamber, and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus to solve the problem in related technologies where the transmission chamber has high friction between the bushing and the guide rail, resulting in a large number of impurity particles.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention is implemented as follows: In a first aspect, the present invention discloses a sealing door assembly, which includes a door panel, a guide rail, and a connecting assembly. The connecting assembly includes a first bushing, a second bushing, and a slider. The second bushing is sleeved outside the first bushing, and the inner surface of the second bushing is spherically engaged with the outer surface of the first bushing. The second bushing is disposed on the slider, and the door panel is connected to the slider. The first bushing is slidably sleeved on the guide rail. During the process of the door panel moving along the guide rail by the sliding engagement of the first bushing and the guide rail, the first bushing and the second bushing compensate for the angle of the first bushing by the spherical engagement.

[0006] Secondly, the present invention also discloses a transmission chamber, the disclosed transmission chamber comprising a chamber body and the sealing door assembly described in the first aspect, the chamber body having a wafer transmission port, the guide rail being disposed on the chamber body, the door panel being movable to a position opposite or misaligned with the wafer transmission port by means of a sliding fit between the first bushing and the guide rail, during the process of the door panel moving relative to the guide rail, the first bushing and the second bushing compensating for the angle of the first bushing by means of a spherical fit.

[0007] Thirdly, the present invention also discloses a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, the disclosed semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including a reaction chamber, a microenvironment chamber, an atmospheric chamber, and the transfer chamber described in the second aspect, wherein the transfer chamber is connected between the atmospheric chamber and the microenvironment chamber, and the reaction chamber is connected to the microenvironment chamber.

[0008] The technical solution adopted in this invention can achieve the following technical effects: The sealing door assembly disclosed in this invention uses a connecting component structure comprising a first bushing, a second bushing, and a slider. The second bushing is fitted onto the first bushing, with the inner surface of the second bushing spherically engaging with the outer surface of the first bushing. This allows the first bushing to rotate relative to the second bushing in any direction. By placing the second bushing on the slider, connecting the door panel to the slider, and slidably fitting the first bushing onto the guide rail, if, during the movement of the door panel relative to the guide rail, there are adjustment errors during installation or deformation of the door panel after prolonged use, resulting in a large angle between the extension direction of the central axis of the first bushing and the extension direction of the guide rail, the first bushing can rotate relative to the second bushing to compensate for the angle. This reduces the angle between the extension direction of the central axis of the first bushing and the extension direction of the guide rail, thereby reducing the frictional force when the first bushing slides along the guide rail. This, in turn, reduces the impurity particles generated by friction between the first bushing and the guide rail. Reduced impurity particles decrease the number of impurity particles falling onto the wafer during transmission, thus improving wafer quality. [ ] Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the transmission chamber disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention from a first-view perspective; Figure 2 is a partial schematic diagram of the sealing door assembly disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the sealing door assembly disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the first bushing cooperating with the guide rail in the sealing door assembly disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the transmission chamber disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention from a second perspective; Figure 6 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the transmission chamber disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 is a partial schematic diagram of the wafer cassette positioning mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a represents the first direction and b represents the second direction; Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the base disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 is a partial schematic diagram of the wafer cassette positioning mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 is an overall schematic diagram of the wafer cassette positioning mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the wafer cassette positioning mechanism and the base disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the clamping assembly without clamping the base according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the clamping base of the clamping assembly disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 14 shows a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the exhaust branch pipe, pressure controller, and one-way valve disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention. Implementation

[0010] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0011] The technical solutions disclosed in the various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] Please refer to Figures 1 to 15. This embodiment of the invention discloses a sealing door assembly applied to a transmission chamber A for sealing the wafer transmission port of the chamber body 100 of the transmission chamber A.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the disclosed sealing door assembly includes a door panel 210, a guide rail 220, and a connecting assembly 300. The sealing door assembly seals the wafer transfer port of the chamber body 100 via the door panel 210. Specifically, the side of the door panel 210 facing the chamber body 100 may have a sealing strip. When the door panel 210 is close to the wafer transfer port, the sealing strip can be sealingly connected between the door panel 210 and the chamber body 100, thereby sealing the wafer transfer port of the chamber body 100.

[0014] The guide rail 220 can be a cylindrical structure, a prism structure, or other structures. The present invention does not impose specific limitations on the structure of the guide rail 220.

[0015] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the connecting assembly 300 includes a first bushing 310, a second bushing 320, and a slider 330. The second bushing 320 is sleeved outside the first bushing 310, and the inner surface of the second bushing 320 spherically mates with the outer surface of the first bushing 310. Both the inner surface of the second bushing 320 and the outer surface of the first bushing 310 are part of a sphere, and the center of the sphere on the inner surface of the second bushing 320 coincides with the center of the sphere on the outer surface of the first bushing 310. The second bushing 320 and the first bushing 310 can rotate relative to each other at any angle around the center of the sphere.

[0016] The second bushing 320 is disposed on the slider 330. The second bushing 320 can be connected to the slider 330 by means of bonding, welding or other methods. The embodiments of the present invention do not limit the connection method between the second bushing 320 and the slider 330.

[0017] The door panel 210 is connected to the slider 330. For example, the door panel 210 and the slider 330 can be connected by bolts, welding, or other methods. This embodiment of the invention does not limit the connection method between the door panel 210 and the slider 330. The first bushing 310 is slidably fitted onto the guide rail 220. The first bushing 310 can slide along the guide rail 220, allowing the door panel 210 to move along the guide rail 220 through the sliding engagement between the first bushing 310 and the guide rail 220. The movement of the door panel 210 along the guide rail 220 can be driven by a second driving member 280. The second driving member 280 can be a motor, cylinder, etc. This embodiment of the invention does not specifically limit the type of the second driving member 280.

[0018] During the movement of the door panel 210 along the guide rail 220 by the sliding fit between the first bushing 310 and the guide rail 220, the first bushing 310 and the second bushing 320 compensate for the angle of the first bushing 310 by the spherical fit, so as to reduce the angle between the extension direction of the central axis of the first bushing 310 and the extension direction of the guide rail 220.

[0019] The sealing door assembly disclosed in this embodiment of the invention configures the connecting component 300 to include a first bushing 310, a second bushing 320, and a slider 330. The second bushing 320 is fitted onto the first bushing 310, and the inner surface of the second bushing 320 spherically mates with the outer surface of the first bushing 310, allowing the first bushing 310 to rotate relative to the second bushing 320 in any direction. By placing the second bushing 320 on the slider 330, connecting the door panel 210 to the slider 330, and slidably fitting the first bushing 310 onto the guide rail 220, during the movement of the door panel 210 relative to the guide rail 220, if there are adjustment errors during installation of the door panel 210 or after prolonged use, the door... If the plate 210 is deformed, resulting in a large angle between the extension direction of the central axis of the first bushing 310 and the extension direction of the guide rail 220, the first bushing 310 can rotate relative to the second bushing 320 to compensate for the angle of the first bushing 310. This reduces the angle between the extension direction of the central axis of the first bushing 310 and the extension direction of the guide rail 220, thereby reducing the friction when the first bushing 310 slides along the guide rail 220. This, in turn, reduces the impurity particles generated by friction between the first bushing 310 and the guide rail 220. After the impurity particles are reduced, the number of impurity particles falling onto the wafer during the transmission process is reduced, which helps to improve the quality of the wafer.

[0020] Specifically, the first bushing 310 and the second bushing 320 compensate for the angle of the first bushing 310 by means of a spherical fit, which reduces the angle between the extension direction of the central axis of the first bushing 310 and the extension direction of the guide rail 220 to a preset angle or less. For example, by means of a spherical fit, the extension direction of the central axis of the first bushing 310 is made parallel to the extension direction of the guide rail 220, thereby minimizing the friction between the first bushing 310 and the guide rail 220, and further reducing the impurity particles generated by friction.

[0021] Due to the assembly relationship of the various components of the sealing door assembly, if the rotation angle between the second bushing 320 and the first bushing 310 is too large, the tilt angle between the slider 330 and the guide rail 220 will increase, which will cause interference between the slider 330 and the guide rail 220. If the rotation angle between the second bushing 320 and the first bushing 310 is too large, it may also cause interference between the door panel 210 and the guide rail 220 or other components of the transmission chamber A.

[0022] In order to avoid the above-mentioned problems caused by excessive rotation angle between the second bushing 320 and the first bushing 310, in some embodiments, the second bushing 320 and the first bushing 310 may have a boss 321 and a recess 311 at the spherical mating part.

[0023] For example, in the embodiments shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first bushing 310 has a recess 311 at the spherical mating area, and the second bushing 320 has a boss 321 at the spherical mating area.

[0024] For example, the boss portion 321 can be a cylindrical boss, and the opening profile of the recess portion 311 can be circular. Of course, the structure of the boss portion 321 and the recess portion 311 can also be other structures. For example, the boss portion 321 can be a prism-shaped boss, and the opening profile of the recess portion 311 can be elliptical. The embodiments of the present invention do not limit the structure of the boss portion 321 and the recess portion 311. Specifically, it can be designed according to the matching relationship of each component of the sealing door assembly and the installation position of the sealing door assembly.

[0025] The top surface of the boss portion 321 can mate with the bottom spherical surface of the recessed portion 311. The side of the boss portion 321 can be used to limit the engagement with the side of the recessed portion 311 so that the angle between the central axis of the first bushing 310 and the central axis of the second bushing 320 is less than or equal to a preset angle.

[0026] It should be noted that the top surface of the boss portion 321 or the bottom surface of the recessed portion 311 of the second bushing 320 is concave, while the bottom surface of the recessed portion 311 or the top surface of the boss portion 321 of the first bushing 310 is convex. The side of the boss portion 321 is an annular side that connects to the top surface of the boss portion 321, and the side of the recessed portion 311 is an annular side that connects to the bottom surface of the recessed portion 311.

[0027] The sealing door assembly disclosed in this embodiment of the invention has a protrusion 321 on one of the second bushing 320 and the first bushing 310 and a recess 311 on the other at the spherical mating point of the second bushing 320 and the first bushing 310. The top surface of the protrusion 321 and the bottom surface of the recess 311 are spherically mated, and the side of the protrusion 321 and the side of the recess 311 are mutually limitingly mated. This ensures that the angle between the central axis of the first bushing 310 and the central axis of the second bushing 320 is less than or equal to a preset angle. This avoids excessive rotation angle between the second bushing 320 and the first bushing 310, thereby preventing interference between the slider 330 and the guide rail 220 due to excessive tilt angle, and also preventing interference between the door panel 210 and the guide rail 220 or other components of the transmission chamber A. Furthermore, the spherical fit between the top surface of the boss portion 321 and the bottom surface of the recess portion 311 helps to reduce the contact area between the second bushing 320 and the first bushing 310 at the spherical fit, thereby reducing the friction between the second bushing 320 and the first bushing 310.

[0028] In order to stably limit the angle between the central axis of the first bushing 310 and the central axis of the second bushing 320 to less than or equal to a preset angle, in some embodiments, the second bushing 320 and the first bushing 310 may have a first spherical mating area and a second spherical mating area. The second bushing 320 and the first bushing 310 may each have a boss 321 or a recess 311 at the first spherical mating area and the second spherical mating area. The first spherical mating area and the second spherical mating area are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the central axis of the first bushing 310.

[0029] The sealing door assembly disclosed in this invention provides bosses 321 or recesses 311 at both the first and second spherical mating points. This, combined with the limiting fit between the sides of the two sets of bosses 321 and recesses 311, ensures that the angle between the central axis of the first bushing 310 and the central axis of the second bushing 320 is stably limited to a preset angle. To further stabilize the connection between the second bushing 320 and the slider 330, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG2, the slider 330 may have a mounting hole 331, and the second bushing 320 may be disposed within the mounting hole 331. The mounting hole 331 can be a through hole. The connecting component 300 may also include a limiting baffle 340, which may have an arc-shaped relief recess 341. The limiting baffle 340 may be disposed on the slider 330 and may be connected to the slider 330 by means of bonding, welding, bolting, etc. This embodiment of the invention does not limit the connection method between the limiting baffle 340 and the slider 330. The edge of the arc-shaped relief recess 341 is located at the opening of the mounting hole 331. The edge of the arc-shaped relief recess 341 may cover the area of ​​the mounting hole 331 opposite to the second bushing 320. The edge of the arc-shaped relief recess 341 may engage with the second bushing 320 in the direction of the opening of the mounting hole 331 to limit the second bushing 320 from moving out of the opening of the mounting hole 331, thereby making the installation of the second bushing 320 more stable. The arc-shaped relief recess 341 avoids the guide rail 220. It should be noted that the second bushing 320 can be installed in the mounting hole 331 by interference fit, thereby fixing the second bushing 320 in the mounting hole 331. Of course, the second bushing 320 can also be rotatably disposed in the mounting hole 331. The mounting hole 331 can be a stepped hole, and the side of the second bushing 320 facing away from the limiting baffle 340 can contact the stepped surface of the stepped hole.

[0030] In related technologies, the door panel and the slider are connected only by a bolt. Therefore, the door panel and the slider are prone to rotation, and frequent rotation can lead to poor connection stability between the door panel and the slider. In order to improve the connection stability between the door panel 210 and the slider 330, in some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in FIG2, the door panel 210 may have a first limiting recess 211, and the slider 330 may have a limiting overlap portion 332. The limiting overlap portion 332 may overlap the first limiting recess 211, and the shape of the limiting overlap portion 332 is adapted to the shape of the first limiting recess 211.

[0031] The sealing door assembly disclosed in this embodiment of the invention provides a first limiting recess 211 on the door panel 210 and a limiting overlap portion 332 on the slider 330. The shape of the limiting overlap portion 332 is adapted to the shape of the first limiting recess 211, so that the door panel 210 is connected to the slider 330 by the connector 230. The limiting overlap portion 332 overlaps with the first limiting recess 211, and the outer edge of the limiting overlap portion 332 is limited and engaged with the inner edge of the first limiting recess 211 to restrict the rotation of the door panel 210 and the slider 330, thereby improving the connection stability between the door panel 210 and the slider 330.

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the sealing door assembly may also include a connector 230, through which the door panel 210 can be connected to the slider 330, thereby making the connection between the door panel 210 and the slider 330 more stable. The connector 230 may be a connecting bolt, a connecting pin, etc.

[0033] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6, the sealing door assembly may further include a door frame 240, a reset elastic member 250, and a first drive member 260. A guide rail 220 may be disposed on the door frame 240, and a door panel 210 may be disposed on the door frame 240 via a connecting assembly 300 and the guide rail 220. The first end of the door frame 240 may be used to connect to the chamber body 100 of the transmission chamber A via the reset elastic member 250. The first drive member 260 may be used to connect between the second end of the door frame 240 and the chamber body 100. The first end and the second end of the door frame 240 may be distributed opposite to each other. The first drive member 260 may be used to drive the second end of the door frame 240 to move closer to or further away from the chamber body 100, so that the door panel 210 is in sealed contact with or separated from the wafer transmission port when facing the wafer transmission port of the chamber body 100.

[0034] Specifically, when the first driving member 260 drives the second end of the door frame 240 to approach the chamber body 100, the door frame 240 drives the door plate 210 to move towards the wafer transfer port, so that the door plate 210 makes sealed contact with the wafer transfer port. When the first driving member 260 drives the second end of the door frame 240 away from the chamber body 100, the door frame 240 drives the door plate 210 to move away from the wafer transfer port, so that the door plate 210 separates from the wafer transfer port.

[0035] The sealing door assembly disclosed in this embodiment of the invention comprises a door frame 240, a reset elastic member 250, and a first driving member 260. The first end of the door frame 240 is connected to the chamber body 100 of the transmission chamber A via the reset elastic member 250. The first driving member 260 is connected between the second end of the door frame 240 and the chamber body 100. A guide rail 220 can be disposed on the door frame 240. Thus, when the door panel 210 is opposite to the wafer transmission port of the chamber body 100, the first driving member 260 drives the second end of the door frame 240 to move closer to the chamber body 100, so that the door frame 240 drives the door panel 210 to make a sealing contact with the wafer transmission port, or the first driving member 260 drives the second end of the door frame 240 away from the chamber body 100, so that the door frame 240 drives the door panel 210 to separate from the wafer transmission port. This enables the sealing contact and separation of the door panel 210 from the wafer transmission port. Furthermore, the first end of the door frame 240 is connected to the chamber body 100 of the transmission chamber A by the reset elastic member 250, thereby avoiding friction compared to the door frame 240 and the chamber body 100 being connected by a pin, and thus reducing the generation of impurity particles.

[0036] For example, the reset elastic element 250 may be a reset spring, but this is not limiting. In some other embodiments not shown in the figures, the reset elastic element 250 may also be other components for elastic reset, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0037] The present invention also discloses a transmission chamber A, which includes a chamber body 100 and a sealing door assembly disclosed in the above embodiments. The chamber body 100 has a wafer transmission port, and a guide rail 220 is disposed on the chamber body 100. The door panel 210 can be moved to a position opposite to or offset from the wafer transmission port by means of the sliding engagement between the first bushing 310 and the guide rail 220. In other words, the door panel 210 can be moved to a position covering the wafer transmission port or to a position avoiding the wafer transmission port by means of the sliding engagement between the first bushing 310 and the guide rail 220. During the movement of the door panel 210 relative to the guide rail 220, the first bushing 310 and the second bushing 320 compensate for the angle of the first bushing 310 by means of the spherical engagement.

[0038] The transmission chamber A disclosed in this embodiment of the invention can reduce impurity particles generated between the first bushing 310 and the guide rail 220 due to friction by setting the sealing door assembly disclosed in the above embodiment. After the impurity particles are reduced, the impurity particles falling onto the wafer during the transmission process can be reduced, thereby improving the quality of the wafer.

[0039] As shown in Figure 15, in the specific application process, the first robotic arm 731 needs to transfer the wafer cassette carrying the wafer from the atmospheric chamber 730 to the transfer channel 110 of the transfer chamber A. Then, the wafer transfer port of the transfer channel 110 connected to the atmospheric chamber 730 is closed by the sealing door assembly. Then, the sealing door assembly on the side of the wafer transfer port of the transfer channel 110 connected to the microenvironment chamber 720 is opened. The second robotic arm 721 in the microenvironment chamber 720 picks up the wafer from the wafer cassette and transports it to the reaction chamber 710. After the wafers are processed in the reaction chamber 710, they are transported to the wafer cassette by the second robot arm 721. Once all the wafers on the wafer cassette have been processed in the reaction chamber 710, the sealing door assembly on the wafer transfer port side of the transfer channel 110, which connects to the microenvironment chamber 720, is closed, and the sealing door assembly on the wafer transfer port side of the transfer channel 110, which connects to the atmospheric chamber 730, is opened, so that the wafer cassette can be removed from the transfer channel 110 by the first robot arm 731.

[0040] As shown in Figure 15, when the wafer cassette is transferred into the transmission channel 110, it needs to be placed on the wafer cassette positioning mechanism 400. To improve the stability of the wafer cassette placed on the wafer cassette positioning mechanism 400, in some embodiments, the transmission chamber A may also include the wafer cassette positioning mechanism 400, as shown in Figures 7 and 10. The wafer cassette positioning mechanism 400 may include a stage 410, a first support assembly, and a second support assembly. The first support assembly and the second support assembly may be spaced apart along a first direction. The first support assembly may include two first support members 421, and the second support assembly may include two second support members 431. The two first support members 421 may be spaced apart along a second direction on the stage 410, and the two second support members 431 may be spaced apart along a second direction on the stage 410. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0041] The first support member 421 may have a first limiting part, and the second support member 431 may have a second limiting part. When the two first support members 421 and the two second support members 431 jointly support the wafer cell, both the first limiting part and the second limiting part can limit the wafer cell in the second direction.

[0042] Specifically, both the first limiting part and the second limiting part can be limiting posts or limiting grooves. The wafer cassette can be provided with corresponding limiting grooves or limiting posts. The first support member 421 and the second support member 431 can limit the wafer cassette by the insertion and engagement of the limiting posts and limiting grooves, thereby restricting the movement of the wafer cassette relative to the first support member 421 and the second support member 431 in the second direction. Of course, the first limiting part and the second limiting part can also be other structures, which will be described in detail later and will not be elaborated here.

[0043] The transmission chamber A disclosed in this embodiment of the invention utilizes a wafer cassette positioning mechanism 400. The wafer cassette positioning mechanism 400 is configured to include a stage 410, a first support component, and a second support component. The first support component and the second support component are spaced apart along a first direction. Two first support members 421 of the first support component are spaced apart on the stage 410 along a second direction. Two second support members 431 of the second support component are spaced apart on the stage 410 along a second direction. The first support member 421 has a first limiting portion, and the second support member 431 has a second limiting portion. When the two first support members 421 and the two second support members 431 jointly support the wafer cassette, both the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion limit the wafer cassette in the second direction, thereby improving the stability of the wafer cassette placed on the wafer cassette positioning mechanism 400.

[0044] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG7, the first limiting portion may include a second limiting recess 421a formed on the first support member 421 facing the inner side of the two first support members 421, and the second limiting portion may include a first protrusion 431a, which may extend along a first direction. As shown in FIG8, the base 510 of the wafer cassette may include a crossbeam 511 and two side beams 512 connected to both ends of the crossbeam 511. The crossbeam 511 has a slot 511a.

[0045] When the wafer cassette is supported by the two first support members 421 and the two second support members 431, the side beam 512 can be supported on the bottom surface of the second limiting recess 421a, the crossbeam 511 can be supported on the first boss 431a by the bottom wall of the slot 511a, the side wall of the second limiting recess 421a located on the two first support members 421 can be engaged with the side beam 512 in the second direction, and the first boss 431a located on the two second support members 431 can be engaged with the side wall of the slot 511a in the second direction.

[0046] It should be noted that the side wall of the second limiting recess 421a is a side wall connected to the bottom surface of the second limiting recess 421a, and the side wall of the slot 511a is a side wall connected to the bottom wall of the slot 511a.

[0047] The transmission chamber A disclosed in this embodiment of the invention improves the stability of the wafer cassette placed on the wafer cassette positioning mechanism 400 by configuring the first limiting part as including a second limiting recess 421a opened on the first support member 421 facing the inner side of the two first support members 421, and the second limiting part as including a first protrusion 431a. This is achieved when the two first support members 421 and the two second support members 431 jointly support the wafer cassette, the side beam 512 is supported on the bottom surface of the second limiting recess 421a, the cross beam 511 is supported on the first protrusion 431a by the bottom wall of the slot 511a, the side wall of the second limiting recess 421a located on the two first support members 421 is in upper limit engagement with the side beam 512 in the second direction, and the first protrusion 431a located on the two second support members 431 is in upper limit engagement with the side wall of the slot 511a in the second direction.

[0048] To further improve the stability of the wafer cassette placed on the wafer cassette positioning mechanism 400, in some embodiments, as shown in Figures 7 and 10, the second support member 431 may further include a second boss 431b, which may extend along a second direction. The wafer cassette positioning mechanism 400 may also include a clamping assembly and a clamping drive mechanism. The clamping drive mechanism may be disposed on the stage 410, and the clamping assembly may be connected to the clamping drive mechanism. When the wafer cassette is supported by two first support members 421 and two second support members 431, the clamping drive mechanism may drive the clamping assembly to clamp the crossbeam 511 between the second boss 431b and the clamping assembly, thereby limiting the wafer cassette in the first direction.

[0049] The transmission chamber A disclosed in this embodiment of the invention is provided with a clamping assembly and a clamping drive mechanism. The second support member 431 is configured to include a second boss 431b. When the wafer cassette is supported by the two first support members 421 and the two second support members 431, the clamping drive mechanism drives the clamping assembly to clamp the crossbeam 511 between the second boss 431b and the clamping assembly, thereby limiting the wafer cassette in the first direction. This limits the wafer cassette in both the first and second directions, thereby further improving the stability of the wafer cassette placed on the wafer cassette positioning mechanism 400.

[0050] Since wafer cassettes are typically made of quartz, they are relatively brittle. To prevent damage to the wafer cassette due to the large rigid contact force when the clamping assembly contacts the crossbeam 511, in some embodiments, as shown in Figures 9 and 11, the clamping assembly may include a clamping body 441 and an elastic buffer 442. As shown in Figures 12 and 13, a clamping drive mechanism may be connected to the clamping body 441, and the elastic buffer 442 may be disposed on the clamping body 441. The clamping drive mechanism can use the clamping body 441 to drive the elastic buffer 442 to clamp the crossbeam 511 between the second boss 431b and the elastic buffer 442.

[0051] The transmission chamber A disclosed in this embodiment of the invention uses a clamping assembly that includes a clamping body 441 and an elastic buffer 442. This allows the clamping drive mechanism to drive the elastic buffer 442 via the clamping body 441 to clamp the crossbeam 511 between the second boss 431b and the elastic buffer 442. This prevents rigid contact of the wafer cassette under the buffering effect of the elastic buffer 442, thereby avoiding damage to the wafer cassette.

[0052] Specifically, the elastic buffer 442 can be elastic rubber, spring, etc. The embodiments of the present invention do not impose specific restrictions on the type of elastic buffer 442.

[0053] In cases where the wafer cassette positioning mechanism 400 includes at least two clamping assemblies, to enable synchronous movement of the at least two clamping assemblies, in some embodiments, the clamping drive mechanism may include a third drive member 451, a rotating shaft 452, and a mounting base 453. Both the third drive member 451 and the mounting base 453 may be disposed on the stage 410, the rotating shaft 452 may be rotatably disposed on the mounting base 453, and the third drive member 451 may be connected to the rotating shaft 452. The wafer cassette positioning mechanism 400 may include at least two clamping assemblies, which may be spaced apart along a second direction and are both connected to the rotating shaft 452. The third drive member 451 may be used to drive the rotating shaft 452 to rotate, so that the rotating shaft 452 drives the clamping assemblies to switch between a first position and a second position.

[0054] When the clamping assembly is in the first position, it clamps the crossbeam 511 between the second boss 431b and the clamping assembly. When the clamping assembly is in the second position, it separates from the crossbeam 511.

[0055] The transmission chamber A disclosed in this embodiment of the invention uses a clamping drive mechanism that includes a third drive member 451, a rotating shaft 452 and a mounting base 453. This allows the third drive member 451 to drive the rotating shaft 452 to rotate, so that the rotating shaft 452 can drive at least two clamping components to switch between a first position and a second position, thereby enabling at least two clamping components to move synchronously.

[0056] Specifically, when the clamping assembly includes a clamping body 441 and an elastic buffer 442, the clamping assembly may also include a back plate 443, through which the clamping body 441 can be connected to the rotating shaft 452. The rotating shaft 452 and the mounting base 453 can be rotatably connected by a bearing. The bearing may be an oil-free bushing, and the bearing may be made of a smooth resin material, which can reduce friction during mechanism rotation and reduce the generation of impurities.

[0057] In some embodiments, the clamping drive mechanism may further include a transmission assembly 454, which may include a first rod 454a and a second rod 454b. The first end of the first rod 454a may be hinged to the third drive member 451, and the second end of the first rod 454a may be hinged to the first end of the second rod 454b. The second end of the second rod 454b may be fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 452. The third drive member 451 may drive the rotating shaft 452 to rotate via the first rod 454a and the second rod 454b.

[0058] The transmission chamber A disclosed in this embodiment of the invention utilizes a transmission assembly 454 comprising a first rod 454a and a second rod 454b. The first end of the first rod 454a is hinged to a third driving member 451, the second end of the first rod 454a is hinged to the first end of the second rod 454b, and the second end of the second rod 454b is fixedly connected to a rotating shaft 452. By configuring the first rod 454a and the second rod 454b, the third driving member 451 drives the rotating shaft 452 to rotate via the first rod 454a and the second rod 454b, thereby facilitating the arrangement of components such as the third driving member 451 and the rotating shaft 452.

[0059] To improve transmission efficiency, as shown in Figure 1, the chamber body 100 typically has multiple transmission channels 110, and the openings on both sides of the transmission channels 110 can be wafer transfer ports. When the chamber body 100 has multiple transmission channels 110, as shown in Figure 5, the multiple transmission channels 110 share a single exhaust manifold 620. To prevent gas in the transmission channels 110 under atmospheric conditions from flowing back into the transmission channels 110 under vacuum conditions through the exhaust manifold 620, in some embodiments, the transmission chamber A may further include an exhaust branch pipe 610, an exhaust manifold 620, and a pressure controller 630. Each transmission channel 110 may be connected to an exhaust branch pipe 610, and the exhaust branch pipe 610 may connect the transmission channel 110 to the exhaust manifold 620.

[0060] The exhaust branch pipe 610 may be equipped with a pressure controller 630, which can be used to control the gas pressure in the exhaust branch pipe 610 so that the internal pressure of the part of the exhaust branch pipe 610 located between the chamber body 100 and the pressure controller 630 is greater than the internal pressure of the part of the exhaust branch pipe 610 located between the pressure controller 630 and the exhaust main pipe 620.

[0061] The transmission chamber A disclosed in this embodiment of the invention uses a pressure controller 630 installed on the exhaust branch pipe 610 to control the gas pressure inside the exhaust branch pipe 610. This ensures that the internal pressure of the portion of the exhaust branch pipe 610 located between the chamber body 100 and the pressure controller 630 is greater than the internal pressure of the portion of the exhaust branch pipe 610 located between the pressure controller 630 and the exhaust main pipe 620. This prevents gas in the transmission channel 110 under atmospheric conditions from flowing back into the transmission channel 110 under vacuum conditions through the exhaust main pipe 620, thereby protecting the environmental conditions within each transmission channel 110.

[0062] It should be noted that the transmission chamber A may also include an air inlet pipe 650. The transmission chamber A can adjust the environmental characteristics of the transmission channel 110 (e.g., switching between vacuum environment and atmospheric environment) by the coordinated action of the air inlet pipe 650 and the exhaust branch pipe 610.

[0063] To further protect the environmental conditions within each transmission channel 110, in some embodiments, transmission chamber A may further include a one-way valve 640. The one-way valve 640 may be located in the exhaust branch pipe 610, between the transmission channel 110 and the pressure controller 630. When the gas pressure in the portion of the exhaust branch pipe 610 located between the transmission channel 110 and the one-way valve 640 is greater than the gas pressure in the portion between the one-way valve 640 and the pressure controller 630, the one-way valve 640 may be in an open state. When the gas pressure in the portion of the exhaust branch pipe 610 located between the transmission channel 110 and the one-way valve 640 is less than the gas pressure in the portion between the one-way valve 640 and the pressure controller 630, the one-way valve 640 may be in a closed state.

[0064] The transmission chamber A disclosed in this embodiment of the invention utilizes a one-way valve 640 installed in the exhaust branch pipe 610, with the one-way valve 640 located between the transmission channel 110 and the pressure controller 630. This ensures that when the gas pressure in the portion of the exhaust branch pipe 610 located between the transmission channel 110 and the one-way valve 640 is lower than the gas pressure in the portion located between the one-way valve 640 and the pressure controller 630, the one-way valve 640 is in a closed state. This further prevents gas in the transmission channel 110 under atmospheric conditions from flowing back into the transmission channel 110 under vacuum conditions through the exhaust main pipe 620, thereby better protecting the environmental conditions within each transmission channel 110.

[0065] Specifically, the one-way valve 640 can be an electronic valve. The one-way valve 640 can automatically control the opening and closing of the one-way valve 640 by detecting the pressure on both sides of the exhaust manifold 610.

[0066] In another embodiment, as shown in FIG14, the one-way valve 640 may include a valve body 641 and a baffle 642. The valve body 641 may have a valve body inlet 641a and a valve body outlet 641b. The portion of the exhaust branch pipe 610 located between the transmission channel 110 and the one-way valve 640 may communicate with the valve body inlet 641a, and the portion of the exhaust branch pipe 610 located between the one-way valve 640 and the pressure controller 630 may communicate with the valve body outlet 641b. The baffle 642 is rotatably disposed within the valve body 641. When the gas pressure at the portion of the exhaust branch pipe 610 located between the transmission channel 110 and the one-way valve 640 is greater than the gas pressure at the portion located between the one-way valve 640 and the pressure controller 630, the baffle 642 may open the valve body inlet 641a under the action of the pressure difference to realize the exhaust of the transmission channel 110. When the gas pressure in the exhaust manifold 610 located between the transmission channel 110 and the check valve 640 is less than the gas pressure located between the check valve 640 and the pressure controller 630, the baffle 642 can block the valve body inlet under the action of gravity.

[0067] The transmission chamber A disclosed in this embodiment of the invention uses a one-way valve 640 with a structure including a valve body 641 and a baffle 642. When the gas pressure in the part of the exhaust branch pipe 610 located between the transmission channel 110 and the one-way valve 640 is greater than the gas pressure in the part between the one-way valve 640 and the pressure controller 630, the baffle 642 can open the valve body inlet under the action of the pressure difference. When the gas pressure in the part of the exhaust branch pipe 610 located between the transmission channel 110 and the one-way valve 640 is less than the gas pressure in the part between the one-way valve 640 and the pressure controller 630, the baffle 642 can block the valve body inlet under the action of gravity. Thus, the one-way valve 640 can open and close according to its own structural characteristics, and the structure of this one-way valve 640 is relatively simple.

[0068] To facilitate operators' observation of the situation within the transmission channel 110, in some embodiments, the door panel 210 may have a transparent window 212, through which operators can observe the situation within the transmission channel 110.

[0069] To avoid wafer fragmentation during wafer handling by the second robot 721 due to excessive wafer protrusion caused by unstable transmission from the first robot 731, in some embodiments, the transmission chamber A may further include a wafer cassette positioning mechanism 400 and a sensor assembly. When the wafer cassette positioning mechanism 400 carries a wafer cassette, the sensor assembly can detect whether the length of the wafer protruding from the wafer cassette exceeds a preset length. If the length of the wafer protruding from the wafer cassette exceeds the preset length, the second robot 721 can skip the wafer that exceeds the preset length and pick up the next wafer, and so on, thereby avoiding wafer fragmentation during wafer handling by the second robot 721.

[0070] Specifically, the sensor assembly may include a laser sensor and a reflector, which may be positioned opposite each other and spaced apart. The detection light emitted by the laser sensor reaches the reflector, and after the reflector reflects the detection light emitted by the laser sensor, it is received by the laser sensor. By setting the positions of the laser sensor and the reflector, the presence of bumps on the wafer can be determined based on whether the detection light emitted by the laser sensor is blocked.

[0071] Laser sensors and reflectors can also be used to detect different types of wafers. For example, when the wafer is made of transparent material, the detection light emitted by the laser sensor can pass through the wafer and reach the reflector. The reflector then reflects the detection light emitted by the laser sensor, which is then received by the laser sensor. If the detection light emitted by the laser sensor cannot pass through the wafer, it can be determined that the wafer is made of non-transparent material.

[0072] The sensor assembly can be movably disposed in the chamber body 100. By adjusting the position of the sensor assembly, it can be used to detect whether there are bumps on wafers of different sizes (e.g., six-inch wafers, eight-inch wafers). The sensor assembly can also be used to detect notched wafers and flat-edge wafers, depending on the placement of the sensor assembly. The specific settings will not be described in detail here.

[0073] The present invention also discloses a semiconductor process apparatus, which includes a reaction chamber 710, a microenvironment chamber 720, an atmospheric chamber 730, and a transfer chamber A disclosed in the above embodiments. The transfer chamber A is connected between the atmospheric chamber 730 and the microenvironment chamber 720, and the reaction chamber 710 is connected to the microenvironment chamber 720.

[0074] Specifically, a first robotic arm 731 can be installed in the atmospheric chamber 730, and a second robotic arm 721 can be installed in the microenvironment chamber 720. When it is necessary to transfer the wafer located in the atmospheric chamber 730 to the reaction chamber 710, the wafer transfer port of the transfer channel 110 of the transfer chamber A, which communicates with the microenvironment chamber 720, is first closed by a sealing door assembly. Then, the sealing door assembly on the side of the transfer channel 110 that communicates with the wafer transfer port of the atmospheric chamber 730 is opened. The first robotic arm 731 can then transfer the wafer cassette carrying the wafer from the atmospheric chamber 730 to the transfer channel 110 and place the wafer cassette on the wafer cassette positioning mechanism 400. Then, the sealing door assembly on the side of the transfer channel 110 that communicates with the atmospheric chamber 730 is closed, and the sealing door assembly on the side of the transfer channel 110 that communicates with the wafer transfer port of the microenvironment chamber 720 is opened. The second robotic arm 721 then picks up the wafer from the wafer cassette and transfers it into the reaction chamber 710.

[0075] After the wafers are processed in the reaction chamber 710, they are transported to the wafer cassette by the second robot arm 721. After all the wafers on the wafer cassette have been processed in the reaction chamber 710, the sealing door assembly on the wafer transfer port side of the transfer channel 110, which is connected to the microenvironment chamber 720, is closed, and the sealing door assembly on the wafer transfer port side of the transfer channel 110, which is connected to the atmospheric chamber 730, is opened. The first robot arm 731 then transports the wafer cassette from the transfer channel 110 to the atmospheric chamber 730.

[0076] The semiconductor process chamber disclosed in this embodiment of the invention can reduce impurity particles generated between the first bushing 310 and the guide rail 220 due to friction by setting the transmission chamber A disclosed in the above embodiment. After the impurity particles are reduced, the impurity particles falling onto the wafer during the transmission process can be reduced, thereby improving the quality of the wafer.

[0077] The above embodiments of the present invention focus on describing the differences between the various embodiments. As long as the different optimization features between the various embodiments are not contradictory, they can be combined to form a better embodiment. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail here.

[0078] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains may make many other forms under the guidance of this invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all such forms shall fall within the protection scope of this invention. [ ]

[0079] 100: Chamber body 110: Transmission Channel 210: Door panel 211: First limiting recess 212: Transparent View 220: Guide rail 230: Connector 240: Door frame 250: Reset elastic element 260: First driving component 280: Second drive unit 300: Connection Component 310: First bushing 311: Depression 320: Second bushing 321: Bossed section 330: Slider 331: Mounting hole 332: Limiting overlap 340: Limit baffle 341: Arc-shaped avoidance depression 400: Wafer Cell Positioning Mechanism 410: Platform 421: First support component 421a: Second limiting recess 431: Second support component 431a: First boss 431b: Second boss 441: Clamping the main body 442: Elastic buffer 443: Backplate 451: Third drive unit 452: Rotating shaft 453: Mounting bracket 454: Transmission assembly 454a: First member 454b: Second member 510: Base 511: Crossbeam 511a: Card slot 512: Side beam 610: Exhaust manifold 620: Exhaust manifold 630: Pressure Controller 640: Check valve 641: Valve body 641a: Valve body inlet 641b: Valve body outlet 642: Baffle 650: Intake pipe 710: Reaction Chamber 720: Microenvironment chamber 721: Second Robotic Arm 730: Atmospheric Chamber 731: The First Robotic Arm A: Transmission chamber

Claims

1. A sealing door assembly comprising a door panel, a guide rail, and a connecting assembly, the connecting assembly comprising a first bushing, a second bushing, and a slider, the second bushing being sleeved outside the first bushing, and the inner surface of the second bushing spherically engaging with the outer surface of the first bushing, the second bushing being disposed on the slider, the door panel being connected to the slider, the first bushing being slidably sleeved on the guide rail, and during the movement of the door panel along the guide rail by the sliding engagement of the first bushing and the guide rail, the first bushing and the second bushing providing angular compensation for the first bushing by the spherical engagement.

2. The sealing door assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein, At the spherical mating point, the second bushing and the first bushing each have a boss and a recess, respectively. The top surface of the boss and the bottom surface of the recess are spherically mated. The side of the boss is used to limit the mating with the side of the recess, so that the angle between the central axis of the first bushing and the central axis of the second bushing is less than or equal to a preset angle.

3. The sealing door assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein, The second bushing and the first bushing have a first spherical mating area and a second spherical mating area. Both the second bushing and the first bushing are provided with the boss or the recess at the first spherical mating area and the second spherical mating area. The first spherical mating area and the second spherical mating area are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the central axis of the first bushing.

4. The sealing door assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The slider has a mounting hole, the second bushing is disposed in the mounting hole, and the connecting assembly also includes a limiting baffle with an arc-shaped relief recess. The limiting baffle is disposed on the slider, and the edge of the arc-shaped relief recess is located at the opening of the mounting hole to limit the direction of the second bushing at the opening of the mounting hole. The arc-shaped relief recess avoids the guide rail.

5. The sealing door assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The door panel has a first limiting recess, and the slider has a limiting overlap portion that overlaps with the first limiting recess. The shape of the limiting overlap portion is adapted to the shape of the first limiting recess.

6. The sealing door assembly as claimed in claim 1, the sealing door assembly further comprising a door frame, a reset elastic member and a first driving member, the guide rail being disposed on the door frame, a first end of the door frame being connected to the chamber body of the transmission chamber via the reset elastic member, and the first driving member being connected between a second end of the door frame and the chamber body for driving the second end of the door frame to move closer to or away from the chamber body.

7. A transfer chamber comprising a chamber body and a sealing door assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, the chamber body having a wafer transfer port, a guide rail disposed on the chamber body, and a door panel movable to a position opposite or offset from the wafer transfer port by means of a sliding engagement between the first bushing and the guide rail, wherein during the movement of the door panel relative to the guide rail, the first bushing and the second bushing provide angular compensation for the first bushing by means of a spherical engagement.

8. The transmission chamber as described in claim 7, wherein, The transmission chamber also includes a wafer cassette positioning mechanism, which includes a stage, a first support assembly, and a second support assembly. The first support assembly and the second support assembly are spaced apart along a first direction. The first support assembly includes two first support members, and the second support assembly includes two second support members. The two first support members are spaced apart on the stage along a second direction, and the two second support members are spaced apart on the stage along the second direction. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. The first support member has a first limiting portion, and the second support member has a second limiting portion. When the two first support members and the two second support members jointly support the wafer cassette, the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion both limit the wafer cassette in the second direction.

9. The transmission chamber as described in claim 8, wherein, The first limiting portion includes a second limiting recess formed on the first support member facing the inner side of the two first support members. The second limiting portion includes a first protrusion extending along the first direction. The base of the wafer cassette includes a crossbeam and two side beams connected to both ends of the crossbeam. The crossbeam has a slot. When the wafer cassette is supported by the two first support members and the two second support members, the side beams are supported on the bottom surface of the second limiting recess. The crossbeam is supported on the first protrusion by the bottom wall of the slot. The side wall of the second limiting recess on the two first support members is engaged with the side beam in the second direction. The first protrusion on the two second support members is engaged with the side wall of the slot in the second direction.

10. The transmission chamber as claimed in claim 9, wherein, The second support member also includes a second boss that extends along the second direction. The wafer cassette positioning mechanism also includes a clamping assembly and a clamping drive mechanism. The clamping drive mechanism is located on the platform, and the clamping assembly is connected to the clamping drive mechanism. When the wafer cassette is supported by the two first support members and the two second support members, the clamping drive mechanism drives the clamping assembly to clamp the crossbeam between the second boss and the clamping assembly.

11. The transmission chamber as claimed in claim 10, wherein, The clamping assembly includes a clamping body and an elastic buffer. The clamping drive mechanism is connected to the clamping body. The elastic buffer is disposed on the clamping body. The clamping drive mechanism drives the elastic buffer through the clamping body to clamp the crossbeam between the second boss and the elastic buffer.

12. The transmission chamber as claimed in claim 10, wherein, The clamping drive mechanism includes a third drive member, a rotating shaft, and a mounting base. Both the third drive member and the mounting base are disposed on the stage. The rotating shaft is rotatably disposed on the mounting base, and the third drive member is connected to the rotating shaft. The wafer cassette positioning mechanism includes at least two clamping assemblies, which are spaced apart along the second direction and are all connected to the rotating shaft. The third drive member drives the rotating shaft to rotate, causing the rotating shaft to switch the clamping assemblies between a first position and a second position. When the clamping assembly is in the first position, it clamps the crossbeam between the second boss and the clamping assembly. When the clamping assembly is in the second position, it separates from the crossbeam.

13. The transmission chamber as claimed in claim 12, wherein, The clamping drive mechanism also includes a transmission assembly, which includes a first rod and a second rod. The first end of the first rod is hinged to the third drive member, and the second end of the first rod is hinged to the first end of the second rod. The second end of the second rod is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft. The third drive member drives the rotating shaft to rotate by means of the first rod and the second rod.

14. The transmission chamber as described in claim 7, wherein, The chamber body has multiple transmission channels, and the openings on both sides of the transmission channels are the wafer transmission ports. The transmission chamber also includes an exhaust branch pipe, an exhaust main pipe, and a pressure controller. Each transmission channel is connected to the exhaust branch pipe, and the exhaust branch pipe is connected between the transmission channel and the exhaust main pipe. The exhaust branch pipe is equipped with the pressure controller, which is used to control the gas pressure in the exhaust branch pipe so that the internal pressure of the part of the exhaust branch pipe located between the chamber body and the pressure controller is greater than the internal pressure of the part of the exhaust branch pipe located between the pressure controller and the exhaust main pipe.

15. The transmission chamber as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a one-way valve disposed on the exhaust branch pipe and located between the transmission channel and the pressure controller; the one-way valve is in an open state when the gas pressure at the portion of the exhaust branch pipe located between the transmission channel and the one-way valve is greater than the gas pressure at the portion located between the one-way valve and the pressure controller; and the one-way valve is in a closed state when the gas pressure at the portion of the exhaust branch pipe located between the transmission channel and the one-way valve is less than the gas pressure at the portion located between the one-way valve and the pressure controller.

16. The transmission chamber as claimed in claim 15, wherein, The one-way valve includes a valve body and a baffle. The valve body has a valve body inlet and a valve body outlet. The portion of the exhaust branch pipe located between the transmission channel and the one-way valve communicates with the valve body inlet, and the portion of the exhaust branch pipe located between the one-way valve and the pressure controller communicates with the valve body outlet. The baffle is rotatably disposed within the valve body. When the gas pressure at the portion of the exhaust branch pipe located between the transmission channel and the one-way valve is greater than the gas pressure at the portion located between the one-way valve and the pressure controller, the baffle opens the valve body inlet under the action of the pressure difference. When the gas pressure at the portion of the exhaust branch pipe located between the transmission channel and the one-way valve is less than the gas pressure at the portion located between the one-way valve and the pressure controller, the baffle blocks the valve body inlet under the action of gravity.

17. The transmission chamber as claimed in claim 7, wherein, The door panel has a transparent viewing window.

18. The transmission chamber as claimed in claim 7, wherein, The transmission chamber also includes a wafer cassette positioning mechanism and a sensor assembly. When the wafer cassette positioning mechanism carries a wafer cassette, the sensor assembly is used to detect whether the length of the wafer extending out of the wafer cassette exceeds a preset length.

19. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising a reaction chamber, a microenvironment chamber, an atmospheric chamber, and a transfer chamber as described in any one of claims 7 to 18, the transfer chamber being connected between the atmospheric chamber and the microenvironment chamber, and the reaction chamber being connected to the microenvironment chamber.

Citation Information

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