Transfer chamber, semiconductor process device, and disassembly and assembly tool

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing devices, and in particular to a transfer chamber, a semiconductor process device, and a disassembly and assembly tool. The transfer chamber comprises: an upper chamber and a lower chamber which are detachably fixed. The upper chamber has an upper accommodating cavity, and the side wall of the upper chamber is provided with multiple wafer transfer openings communicated with the upper accommodating cavity. The lower chamber has a lower accommodating cavity, and a lower opening of the upper accommodating cavity is communicated with an upper opening of the lower accommodating cavity. The upper accommodating cavity is configured for movement of an upper arm of a manipulator, and the lower accommodating cavity is configured for movement of a lower arm of the manipulator. The transfer chamber and the semiconductor process device reduce the processing difficulty and cost, and reduce the maintenance cost.

Description

A transfer chamber, semiconductor process equipment and disassembly tooling Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing equipment, and in particular to a transfer chamber, semiconductor process equipment, and disassembly and assembly equipment. Background Art

[0002] The etching process plays a crucial role in the manufacturing of workpieces (e.g., wafers). Etching involves numerous steps and is complex. Etching efficiency directly impacts the production efficiency of the workpieces and indirectly affects their production costs. Several factors influence etching efficiency, including the production capacity and floor space of semiconductor process equipment. Given the same floor space, the more process chambers a semiconductor process equipment can accommodate, the greater its production capacity and the higher its output per unit area and time, ultimately increasing its workpiece production efficiency.

[0003] Normally, in order to ensure or even improve the production efficiency of the workpiece to be processed, semiconductor process equipment is usually made larger, that is, a single semiconductor process equipment is equipped with more process chambers to enable the atmospheric manipulator and the vacuum manipulator to work together uninterruptedly as much as possible, reducing the idle time of the atmospheric manipulator and the vacuum manipulator. At this time, since the semiconductor process equipment is equipped with more process chambers, although the transmission efficiency and floor space utilization of the entire semiconductor process equipment are improved, this makes the entire semiconductor process equipment larger. Taking the transfer chamber (transfer platform) as an example, a larger transfer chamber needs to be set up, which makes the processing of the transfer chamber more difficult, and the processing cost and maintenance cost are also high.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a transfer chamber, semiconductor process equipment and disassembly tooling to solve the technical problems of difficult processing, high processing cost or high maintenance cost of the transfer chamber in the semiconductor process.

[0006] An embodiment of the present application provides a transfer chamber, which is applied to semiconductor process equipment. The transfer chamber includes: an upper chamber and a lower chamber that are detachably fixed, the upper chamber having an upper accommodating chamber, and the side wall of the upper chamber having multiple film transfer openings connected to the upper accommodating chamber; the lower chamber having a lower accommodating chamber, and the lower opening of the upper accommodating chamber is connected to the upper opening of the lower accommodating chamber; the upper accommodating chamber is configured to allow the upper arm of the robot to move, and the lower accommodating chamber is configured to allow the lower arm of the robot to move.

[0007] In some embodiments, the outer circumference of the upper chamber is greater than the outer circumference of the lower chamber, and / or the height of the upper chamber is greater than the height of the lower chamber;

[0008] The circumferential dimension of the upper accommodating cavity is greater than the circumferential dimension of the lower accommodating cavity, and / or the height dimension of the upper accommodating cavity is greater than the height dimension of the lower accommodating cavity.

[0009] In some embodiments, the transmission chamber is a stepped structure with a larger upper portion and a smaller lower portion, and the connection portion between the upper chamber and the lower chamber is a step connection portion; the upper accommodating chamber and the lower accommodating chamber form a stepped structure with a larger upper portion and a smaller lower portion.

[0010] In some embodiments, after the manipulator is installed in place, the circumferential contour of the lower accommodating cavity is adapted to the movable contour of the outer end of the lower arm, and there is a gap between the two.

[0011] In some embodiments, the lower opening of the upper chamber is adapted to the upper opening of the lower chamber in terms of outline size and position.

[0012] In some embodiments, the inner side wall of the lower open portion of the upper accommodating cavity has an upper buffer surface, and the upper buffer surface is a conical structure with a larger upper portion and a smaller lower portion;

[0013] And / or, the inner side wall of the upper open portion of the lower accommodating cavity has a lower buffer surface, and the lower buffer surface is a conical structure with a larger upper portion and a smaller lower portion.

[0014] In some embodiments, the inner sidewall of the lower open portion of the upper accommodating cavity has a cylindrical surface, and the cylindrical surface is located below the upper buffer surface;

[0015] And / or, the angle between the upper buffer surface and the horizontal plane is smaller than the angle between the lower buffer surface and the horizontal plane.

[0016] In some embodiments, the lower edge of the upper buffer surface is connected to the upper edge of the cylindrical surface, and the upper buffer surface has a plurality of countersunk holes arranged at intervals, and the countersunk holes are configured to match and install fasteners, and the fasteners are used to fix the lower chamber to the upper chamber;

[0017] Alternatively, the inner side wall of the lower open portion of the upper accommodating chamber has a fastening mounting surface, and the fastening mounting surface is a horizontal annular surface, the outer ring portion of the horizontal annular surface is connected to the lower edge portion of the upper buffer surface, and the inner ring portion of the horizontal annular surface is connected to the upper edge portion of the cylindrical surface; the fastening mounting surface has a plurality of countersunk holes arranged at intervals, and the countersunk holes are configured to match and install fasteners, and the fasteners are used to fix the lower chamber to the upper chamber.

[0018] In some embodiments, the bottom end of the lower chamber has a mounting hole, which is configured to allow the manipulator body of the manipulator to pass through and can be tightly matched and sealed and fixed with the manipulator body.

[0019] In some embodiments, the lower chamber can be fixed to the robot body by fasteners.

[0020] In some embodiments, after the manipulator is installed in place, the upper end surface of the manipulator body is flush with the bottom wall of the lower accommodating cavity.

[0021] In some embodiments, the upper end surface of the mounting hole has a recessed portion recessed into the bottom wall of the lower accommodating cavity;

[0022] The recessed portion is configured to be adapted to the flange of the manipulator body, and the bottom wall of the lower accommodating cavity can be flush with the upper end surface of the flange.

[0023] In some embodiments, the lower chamber is configured to have a first sealing structure at a connection portion with the robot body, so as to isolate the transfer chamber from the outside world at the connection portion, wherein the first sealing structure includes at least one of a sealing ring and a sealing surface;

[0024] And / or, a second sealing structure is provided at the connection portion between the upper chamber and the lower chamber to isolate the transmission chamber from the outside at the connection portion, and the second sealing structure includes at least one of a sealing ring and a sealing surface.

[0025] In some embodiments, a plurality of supporting legs are fixed to the lower end of the upper chamber.

[0026] The transmission chamber provided in the embodiment of the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0027] In the transfer chamber provided in the embodiment of the present application, the lower accommodating chamber can provide movement space for the lower arm of the manipulator, and the upper accommodating chamber can provide movement space for the upper arm of the manipulator, thereby ensuring the process movement space of the manipulator. Since the transfer chamber is a split and detachable structure, when the transfer chamber and its internal space need to be maintained, it is only necessary to disassemble the upper and lower chambers to perform maintenance on the corresponding parts, thereby improving the convenience of maintenance and reducing maintenance costs.

[0028] Furthermore, when manufacturing the transfer chamber, the upper and lower chambers are processed separately. Compared with the transfer chamber and its receiving chamber that are assembled front and back (or integrated), the depth of the separate upper and lower chambers and the upper and lower receiving chambers extending into the chamber interior during processing or maintenance is significantly reduced, the structure is simple, the processing difficulty is significantly reduced, and processing materials are significantly saved, which significantly reduces costs.

[0029] In addition, when manufacturing the transmission chamber, it is only necessary to adapt the upper accommodating chamber to the movable space of the upper arm, and the lower accommodating chamber to the movable space of the lower arm. Accordingly, the upper chamber is set to a structural size that is adapted to the upper accommodating chamber, and the lower chamber is set to a structural size that is adapted to the lower accommodating chamber. There is no need to set the upper and lower chambers to the same structural size, nor is there any need to set the upper and lower accommodating chambers to the same structural size. Usually, the movable space of the lower arm is small, so the material used in the lower chamber is significantly less, which further saves processing raw materials and reduces costs.

[0030] An embodiment of the present application also provides a semiconductor process equipment, including a robot and the above-mentioned transfer chamber.

[0031] Since the semiconductor process equipment includes the above-mentioned transfer chamber, it has all the effects of the above-mentioned transfer chamber, which will not be described in detail here.

[0032] The embodiment of the present application further provides a disassembly tool for disassembling and assembling between the upper chamber and the lower chamber of the above-mentioned transfer chamber, and the disassembly tool comprises:

[0033] an upper fixing block, used for being detachably fixed to the bottom wall of the upper chamber, wherein the upper fixing block is fixed with a lead screw;

[0034] a lower fixing block, used for being detachably fixed to the outer side wall of the lower chamber, the lower fixing block having a through hole that is clearance-matched with the lead screw; and

[0035] The sleeve is located below the lower fixing block and has an internal threaded hole adapted to the external thread of the lead screw.

[0036] In some embodiments, the sleeve is provided with a handle protruding outward from its outer side wall; and / or the outer side wall of the sleeve has at least one pair of parallel flat surfaces.

[0037] In some embodiments, the thread angle of the internal thread of the sleeve is a self-locking angle.

[0038] The disassembly and assembly tool provided in the embodiment of the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0039] When using the disassembly and assembly tool, the upper fixed block is fixed to the outer wall of the upper chamber, and the lower fixed block is fixed to the outer wall of the lower chamber, and the relative position adjustment and relative fixation between the upper and lower fixed blocks are achieved through the screw and sleeve, thereby achieving the adjustment of the relative position of the upper and lower chambers and the fixed connection, firmly supporting the upper and lower chambers, facilitating the subsequent assembly and disassembly of the detachable connection structure between the upper and lower chambers, facilitating daily maintenance, and reducing maintenance costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without any creative work.

[0041] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the layout structure of semiconductor process equipment according to a related art;

[0042] FIG2a is a schematic diagram of the layout structure of semiconductor process equipment according to the second related art;

[0043] FIG2 b is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a transfer chamber of a semiconductor process equipment according to related art 2;

[0044] FIG2c is a schematic diagram of the longitudinal cross-sectional structure of the transfer chamber of the semiconductor process equipment according to the second related art;

[0045] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the layout of semiconductor process equipment in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the transmission chamber in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a longitudinal cross-sectional structure of a transfer chamber in an embodiment of the present application, wherein the flow direction of the process gas is not shown;

[0048] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a manipulator in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG7 is a schematic front view of the transfer chamber in an embodiment of the present application, wherein the assembly and disassembly tooling is not shown;

[0050] FIG8 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG7 ;

[0051] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a longitudinal cross-sectional structure of a transfer chamber in an embodiment of the present application, showing the flow direction of process gases;

[0052] FIG10 is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of point M in FIG9;

[0053] FIG11 is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of point N in FIG9 ;

[0054] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the upper chamber of the transmission chamber in an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the lower chamber of the transmission chamber in an embodiment of the present application;

[0056] FIG14 is a schematic front view of a transfer chamber in an embodiment of the present application, showing the assembly and disassembly tooling;

[0057] FIG15 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the disassembly and assembly tool in an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] FIG16 is a schematic front view of the disassembly and assembly tool in FIG15;

[0059] FIG17 is a schematic diagram of the AA cross section in FIG16 .

[0060] Explanation of Reference Numerals: 011 - TC front end; 012 - TC rear end; 013 - docking position; 014 - column; 015 - manipulator; 016 - PM film transfer port; 017 - LL film transfer port; 018 - LL docking position; 100 - upper chamber; 110 - upper accommodating chamber; 120 - upper buffer surface; 130 - air extraction port; 140 - inflation port; 150 - first film transfer port; 160 - second film transfer port; 170 - cylindrical surface; 180 - fastening mounting surface; 200 - lower chamber; 201 - mounting hole; 202 - first screw; 210 - lower accommodating chamber; 220 - lower buffer surface; 300 - manipulator; 301 - flange; 310 - manipulator body; 320 - lower arm; 330 - upper arm; 340 - finger; 400 - support leg; 500-disassembly and assembly tool; 510-upper fixing block; 520-screw; 530-lower fixing block; 540-sleeve; 550-handle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solution of this application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0062] The etching process plays a vital role in the manufacturing process of workpieces to be processed (for example, wafers / chips, etc.). The floor space and production capacity of semiconductor process equipment are important factors affecting production costs. Under the same floor space, the more chambers a single process equipment can carry, the greater the production capacity, and the higher the production capacity per unit area and per unit time.

[0063] Related technology 1, taking a transfer chamber (TC) equipped with four process chambers as an example, as shown in Figure 1, the EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) at the atmospheric end realizes the conversion between atmosphere and vacuum through Load Lock A (pre-evacuation chamber, hereinafter referred to as LLA), and the robot takes the workpiece out of the LLA, places it into the process chamber (hereinafter referred to as PM) through the transfer chamber (hereinafter referred to as TC) for etching process. After the process is completed, the robot takes out the workpiece, places it into Load Lock B (pre-evacuation chamber, hereinafter referred to as LLB) through TC, returns to EFEM, and is taken away by the overhead crane for the next process.

[0064] During the entire workpiece transfer process, the EFEM is used to transfer workpieces from the atmospheric side; the load lock is used to charge and pump nitrogen, achieving conversion between atmosphere and vacuum, and vice versa; and the robot is used to place and retrieve workpieces between the load lock and the PM. However, for long processes, the process efficiency of four PMs is lower than the transfer efficiency. When all four PMs are working, the transfer system is idle, resulting in low efficiency and wasted resources for the entire machine, which in turn affects the process cost of the workpiece. To improve process efficiency, the transfer platform can be equipped with more PMs, such as six, eight, or even more, to maximize transfer efficiency and floor space utilization. However, this will increase the footprint of individual process equipment, as described in the following related technology.

[0065] Related technology 2, as shown in Figure 2a, the overall structure of the transmission chamber is rectangular and symmetrical, and is composed of EFEM, LLA, LLB, TC and 10 PMs. Among them, TC is equipped with two robots and two buffers (buffer positions). The unprocessed workpiece needs to pass through LLA, robot A, buffer A, and robot B to reach PM10; the processed workpiece needs to pass through robot B, buffer B, robot A, and LLB to return to EFEM; as shown in Figure 2b-Figure 2c, the transmission chamber is spliced ​​by the TC front end 011 (close to the LL side) and the TC rear end 012 (away from the LL side) at the docking position 013, and is sealed by a sealing ring at the docking position 013 and fixed with screws. The TC front end 011 is supported by six columns 014, and the TC rear end 012 is supported by six columns 014; the longitudinal section of the TC is rectangular.

[0066] In the second related art, the thickness of the TC (i.e., the height dimension) is affected by the raw materials and processing factors. If the thickness exceeds a certain level, processing becomes more difficult, while if the weight exceeds a certain level, transportation becomes more difficult. Since the entire transfer chamber requires hollowing out the inner cavity, this makes the integrated transfer chamber more difficult to process. When the transfer chamber is assembled using the front and rear end docking method, the docking positions of the front and rear ends of the TC are shown in Figures 2b-2c. When the two need to be separated at docking position 013, not only the TC needs to be separated, but also the PM needs to be separated (the relative lateral position of the PM has changed). Obviously, on-site separation of the TC and PM is difficult and will seriously affect the production of the workpiece to be processed. The TC is equipped with two manipulators 015 (the manipulators in the related art of the manipulator finger labeled 015), which are relatively expensive. The range of movement of the manipulators 015 and the workpiece to be processed cannot reach the bottom space of the overall rectangular chamber, resulting in low chamber space utilization, resulting in waste of raw materials that constitute the chamber space, and the possibility of dead corners inside, causing the accumulation of particulate matter.

[0067] In addition, in the second related technology, it is only suitable for the front and rear ends of TC to be combined by docking, mainly due to the following reasons: 1) If TC adopts the upper and lower splicing method, since the lower arm of the robot is thinner than the upper arm (the film is taken and placed through a larger Z-axis stroke), this makes the lower part of the chamber very thin, while the upper part of the chamber is still very thick, which cannot solve the problems of difficult processing and low cost, and may also increase the processing difficulty and increase the cost; 2) If TC is spliced ​​together from top to bottom, the splicing part is located on the lower side of the LL film transfer port, and the lower part of the chamber needs to be set to be very thin, which will affect the installation and sealing of LL; From the above, it can be seen that in this related technology, TC is only suitable for the front and rear end docking, and is not suitable for upper and lower split splicing.

[0068] As can be seen from the above-mentioned related technologies 1 and 2, semiconductor process equipment with large production capacity is difficult to maintain, and because its chamber is a large overall rectangular structure, it has the disadvantages of low raw material utilization and high cost.

[0069] An embodiment of the present application provides a transfer chamber, semiconductor process equipment and disassembly and assembly tooling. Specifically, the semiconductor process equipment includes a manipulator and a transfer chamber. The transfer chamber includes upper and lower chambers that are detachably connected. The upper accommodating chamber of the upper chamber provides a movable space for the upper arm of the manipulator, and the lower accommodating chamber of the lower chamber provides a movable space for the lower arm of the manipulator. The entire transfer chamber is arranged into separate upper and lower chambers for easy maintenance. The upper and lower chambers can also be thinned to save raw materials, make full use of raw materials, and reduce costs, as described below.

[0070] The present application is further described in detail below through specific embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0071] The present invention provides a transfer chamber for use in semiconductor process equipment, as shown in Figures 3 to 14. The transfer chamber comprises: an upper chamber 100 and a lower chamber 200 that are detachably fixed. The upper chamber 100 has an upper accommodating chamber 110, and the sidewall of the upper chamber 100 has multiple film transfer ports connected to the upper accommodating chamber. The lower chamber 200 has a lower accommodating chamber 210, and the lower opening of the upper accommodating chamber 110 is connected to the upper opening of the lower accommodating chamber 210. The upper accommodating chamber 110 is configured to accommodate the movement of the upper arm 330 of the robot 300, and the lower accommodating chamber 210 is configured to accommodate the movement of the lower arm 320 of the robot 300. To distinguish it from the related art, the robot finger numbered 300 is the robot in the present invention.

[0072] In the transfer chamber provided in the embodiment of the present application, the lower accommodating chamber 210 can provide activity space for the lower arm 320 of the manipulator 300, and the upper accommodating chamber 110 can provide activity space for the upper arm 330 of the manipulator, thereby ensuring the process activity space of the manipulator 300. Since the transfer chamber is a split and detachable structure, when the transfer chamber and its internal space need to be maintained, it is only necessary to disassemble the upper and lower chambers to perform maintenance on the corresponding parts, which improves the convenience of maintenance and reduces maintenance costs.

[0073] Furthermore, when manufacturing the transfer chamber, the upper and lower chambers are processed separately. Since the separate upper and lower chambers are compared with the transfer chamber after front and rear assembly (or integrated), and the separate upper and lower accommodating chambers are compared with the accommodating chambers of the transfer chamber after front and rear assembly (or integrated), both in terms of size and processing complexity, the depth of the separate upper and lower chambers and the upper and lower accommodating chambers extending into the interior of the chamber during processing or maintenance is significantly reduced, the structure is simple, the processing difficulty is significantly reduced, and processing materials are significantly saved, which significantly reduces costs.

[0074] In addition, when manufacturing the transmission chamber, it is only necessary to adapt the upper accommodating chamber to the movable space of the upper arm, and the lower accommodating chamber to the movable space of the lower arm. Accordingly, the upper chamber is set to a structural size that is adapted to the upper accommodating chamber, and the lower chamber is set to a structural size that is adapted to the lower accommodating chamber. There is no need to set the upper and lower chambers to the same structural size, nor is there any need to set the upper and lower accommodating chambers to the same structural size. Under normal circumstances, the movable space of the lower arm is significantly smaller than the movable space of the upper arm. Therefore, the material used in the lower chamber is significantly less, which further saves processing raw materials and reduces costs.

[0075] Compared with the above-mentioned related technology 2, when manufacturing the transmission chamber provided by the present application, it is only necessary to adapt the upper accommodating chamber to the movable space of the upper arm, and the lower accommodating chamber to the movable space of the lower arm. Accordingly, the upper chamber is set to a structural size that is adapted to the upper accommodating chamber, and the lower chamber is set to a structural size that is adapted to the lower accommodating chamber. Therefore, it is possible to achieve as much as possible a reasonable setting of the spatial size and structural characteristics of the upper and lower chambers, to achieve as much as possible a thinning selection of raw materials, to achieve the thinning structural characteristics of the upper and lower chambers, to further save raw materials, and to reduce processing difficulty and processing costs. It should be noted that the upper chamber and the lower chamber are the cavity structures that constitute the upper accommodating chamber and the lower accommodating chamber respectively, the above-mentioned movable space refers to the space enclosed by the inner surface of the cavity structure, and the above-mentioned structural size includes the shape and size of the cavity.

[0076] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present application, the detachable connection portion between the upper chamber 100 and the lower chamber 200 is equivalent to a certain middle portion of the integrated or front-to-back assembled transmission chamber in the related art, and the communication portion (detachable connection portion) between the upper accommodating chamber 110 and the lower accommodating chamber 210 is equivalent to a certain middle portion of the integrated or front-to-back assembled transmission chamber in the related art; in the process of processing the accommodating chamber of the transmission chamber in the related art, since the dimension of the accommodating chamber in the front-to-back direction is longer than the dimension in the height direction, it is more difficult for the staff to extend the processing tools into the interior of the transmission chamber for processing. However, in the embodiment of the present application, since the communication portion of the upper and lower accommodating chambers is located at the detachable connection portion of the two, that is, the end face portion of the upper and lower chambers, when processing the communication portion of the upper and lower accommodating chambers, the staff or processing tools are only outside the corresponding accommodating chamber or only extend into The corresponding accommodating cavity can be processed at a relatively shallow depth, and the processing difficulty is relatively low. That is, the processing difficulty of the connecting part of a deeper internal middle part in the related art is significantly higher than the processing difficulty of the end part or the relatively shallow internal part in the embodiment of the present application. Therefore, it can be seen that the transmission chamber provided in the embodiment of the present application is significantly less difficult to process than the integrated or front-to-back assembled transmission chamber in the related art. Furthermore, in the daily maintenance process, the maintenance of the internal accommodating cavity in the related art requires the staff to reach into the interior of the accommodating cavity, and the insertion depth is relatively deep, and the maintenance difficulty is relatively high. In the embodiment of the present application, the connecting parts of the upper and lower accommodating cavities are both located at the ends of the upper and lower chambers. During the maintenance process, the staff only needs to maintain them on the outside. As for the maintenance of the interior of the upper and lower accommodating cavities, compared with the integrated accommodating cavity in the related art, the insertion depth is also smaller, so the maintenance difficulty is significantly reduced.

[0077] In the second related art, after the TC front end and TC back end are assembled and docked, if the sealing ring between the TC front end and TC back end deteriorates and needs to be replaced, it is difficult to disassemble the TC front end and TC back end on site. This makes it extremely difficult to replace the sealing ring on site, and sometimes even impossible to replace. Work must be stopped for a long time while waiting for professionals or the equipment must be sent to a professional facility for disassembly and replacement, which seriously affects work efficiency and causes a lot of complaints from customers. The transfer chamber provided in the embodiment of the present application is divided into detachable and fixed upper and lower chambers, and at least the lower chamber can be miniaturized and simplified in structure. When the sealing rings of the upper and lower chambers need to be replaced or the interior of the chamber needs to be maintained, the lower chamber can be easily disassembled from the upper chamber on site, the sealing ring between the upper and lower chambers can be replaced or the interior of the chamber can be maintained, and then it can be conveniently assembled to the upper chamber. This further demonstrates the ease of maintenance and low maintenance cost of the transfer chamber provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0078] In the embodiment of the present application, the manipulator 300 includes a manipulator body 310, a lower arm 320 and an upper arm 330 connected in sequence from bottom to top, the lower arm 320 is pivoted to the manipulator body 310, the upper arm 330 is movably connected to the lower arm 320, and the upper arm 330 has fingers 340 for picking up and placing workpieces. Specifically, the manipulator body 310 is installed in the lower chamber 200, and one end (inner end) of the lower arm 320 is pivoted to the center of the upper end surface of the manipulator body 310; the upper arm 330 is movably connected to the lower arm 320, and the specific connection method is at least one of a sliding connection and a rotating connection, that is, the upper arm 330 can move relative to the lower arm 320 slides or rotates, or can both slide and rotate relative to the lower arm 320, so as to expand the range of activity of the upper arm 330, without the need to set up an additional motion track of the manipulator 300 (that is, there is no need for the manipulator body 310 to move), and can also enable the upper arm 330 to transport the workpiece to be processed over a longer distance, which not only simplifies the structure of the transmission chamber and semiconductor process equipment and reduces manufacturing costs, but also allows for the deployment of more process chamber PMs and increases the production capacity of the process equipment; the finger 340 is installed on the upper arm 330, and can be driven by the upper arm 330 to move to the corresponding position to clamp the workpiece to be processed, thereby picking up and placing the workpiece to be processed at the corresponding position.

[0079] In the embodiment of the present application, the outer circumference of the upper chamber 100 is greater than the outer circumference of the lower chamber 200, and / or the height of the upper chamber 100 is greater than the height of the lower chamber 200; the circumferential dimension of the upper accommodating chamber 110 is greater than the circumferential dimension of the lower accommodating chamber 210, and / or the height of the upper accommodating chamber 110 is greater than the height of the lower accommodating chamber 210. Taking the example of both the upper chamber 100 and the lower chamber 200 being rectangular chambers, the outer circumferential dimensions of both include length and width, and the height includes thickness. Taking the example of both the upper accommodating chamber 110 and the lower accommodating chamber 210 being rectangular chambers, the outer circumferential dimensions of both include length and width, and the height includes thickness. With this arrangement, when selecting the size of the processing material, the processing material selection for the lower chamber 200 is compared with the processing material size selection for the integrated or front-to-back assembled transfer chambers in the related art. Not only can the thickness of the processing material be reduced, but the lateral dimensions are also miniaturized, further reducing processing costs. Since the lower accommodating chamber 210 of the lower chamber 200 can be miniaturized, the accommodating chamber space size of the entire transmission chamber can be reduced, that is, the TC volume can be reduced, so that the pressure of the TC volume can be more easily controlled. With such an arrangement, for example, the TC volume that can be saved is: lower arm thickness × (TC length - lower arm length × 2) × TC width, where the TC length and width can be based on the length and width of the upper accommodating chamber 110 of the upper chamber 100; the number and width of the process chambers PM are adapted to the length of the transfer chamber TC; the film taking path, turning radius and safety distance of the manipulator 300 are adapted to the width of the transfer chamber TC; the inner wall of the lower accommodating chamber 210 of the lower chamber 200 meets the safety margin of the turning radius of the lower arm 320 of the manipulator 300 (the lower arm 320 always rotates on the manipulator body 310), and the safety margin can be understood as the above-mentioned safety distance; the requirements for the thickness of the lower chamber 200 (the overall height in the vertical direction) are relatively low, and it is only necessary that the vertical depth of the lower accommodating chamber 210 of the lower chamber 200 is adapted to the thickness of the lower arm 320 and meets the strength requirements, without the need to use thicker raw materials.

[0080] On this basis, in some embodiments, the transmission chamber is configured as a stepped structure with a larger upper portion and a smaller lower portion. The connection between the upper chamber 100 and the lower chamber 200 is a stepped connection portion; the upper accommodating chamber 110 and the lower accommodating chamber 210 form a stepped structure with a larger upper portion and a smaller lower portion. That is, the transmission accommodating chamber is a stepped structure with a larger upper portion and a smaller lower portion. The transmission accommodating chamber refers to the accommodating chamber formed after the upper accommodating chamber 110 and the lower accommodating chamber 210 are connected. Furthermore, the upper chamber 100 and the lower chamber 200 are coaxially arranged; the upper accommodating chamber 110 and the lower accommodating chamber 210 are coaxially arranged.

[0081] In the embodiment of the present application, the transmission chamber TC is a split structure of upper and lower chambers that are detachably fixedly connected. Compared with the related technology 2, the lower arm 320 of the manipulator 300 adapted to the transmission chamber provided in the embodiment of the present application is significantly thicker than the arm thickness in the related technology 2, so the lower chamber 200 is made to be adapted to the thickness of the lower arm 320 to adapt to the activity space of the lower arm 320. Compared with the integrated or front-to-back assembled transmission chamber in the related technology, the thickness of the separate upper and lower chambers is significantly thinner than the thickness of the integrated chamber in the vertical direction, and the thickness of the upper and lower chambers will not be too thin, that is, the thickness of the upper and lower chambers is more appropriate, which can effectively reduce the difficulty of processing / maintenance, and reduce the cost of raw materials and processing / maintenance costs, and will not affect the installation and sealing of LL.

[0082] In the embodiment of the present application, after the manipulator is installed in place, the circumferential contour of the lower accommodating chamber 210 is adapted to the movable contour of the outer end of the lower arm 320, and there is a gap between the two, which is the above-mentioned safety margin. In this way, the movable space of the lower arm 320 can be adapted to the lower accommodating chamber 210, without setting the lower accommodating chamber 210 to a larger space, effectively utilizing the space of the lower accommodating chamber 210, and further miniaturizing the lateral dimensions of the lower chamber 200, thereby improving the utilization rate of raw materials. It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, the gap refers to the gap between the inner wall of the lower accommodating chamber 210 and the outer end contour of the lower arm 320, and the gap is small. For example, the gap can be selected to ensure that the lower arm 320 does not interfere with the inner wall of the lower accommodating chamber 210 during movement (rotation). In the embodiment of the present application, the gap or clearance is not specifically limited. As long as the function of "no interference" can be achieved, it is within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0083] In the embodiment of the present application, the outline size and position of the lower opening of the upper chamber 100 and the upper opening of the lower chamber 200 are adapted to each other. In this way, the connection between the upper accommodating chamber 110 and the lower accommodating chamber 210 can be more adapted.

[0084] In an embodiment of the present application, the bottom wall of the upper chamber 100 is provided with an exhaust port 130 and an inflation port 140 arranged at intervals. As shown in Figures 9-11, the exhaust port 130 and the inflation port 140 are respectively arranged at both ends of the bottom wall of the upper chamber 100 to exhaust and inflate the transmission chamber TC, thereby achieving pressure control of TC. In addition, compared with setting the exhaust port 130 and the inflation port 140 respectively in the lower chamber 200, when the exhaust port 130 and the inflation port 140 are respectively set at both ends of the bottom wall of the upper chamber 100, the flow field in the transmission chamber is conducive to excluding particles from the transmission chamber, thereby reducing or even avoiding the occurrence of excessive particles in the transmission chamber.

[0085] In the embodiment of the present application, the inner sidewall of the lower open portion of the upper accommodating cavity 110 has a buffer surface. For ease of understanding, the name is distinguished from other buffer surfaces and is hereby named upper buffer surface 120. The upper buffer surface 120 is a conical structure with a larger upper portion and a smaller lower portion, that is, the upper buffer surface 120 is an inclined surface structure with a radial dimension gradually decreasing from top to bottom. The space enclosed by the upper buffer surface 120 is part of the lower opening. The inner sidewall of the upper open portion of the lower accommodating cavity 210 has a buffer surface. For ease of understanding, the name is distinguished from other buffer surfaces and is hereby named lower buffer surface 220. The lower buffer surface 220 is a conical structure with a larger upper portion and a smaller lower portion, that is, the lower buffer surface 220 is an inclined surface structure with a radial dimension gradually decreasing from top to bottom. The space enclosed by the lower buffer surface 220 is the upper opening. Specifically, the inclined surface can be set as an inclined plane, an inclined arc surface, etc. For example, in this embodiment, the upper and lower buffer surfaces are mainly inclined planes, and the adjacent inner end faces and inner wall surfaces of the inclined planes are connected by a smooth transition of an inclined arc surface, such as a rounded transition. With such a setting, the airflow flows through the inclined surface in a laminar state to reduce or even avoid the generation of vortices, reduce or even avoid the existence of some positions that cannot be blown, and thereby reduce or even avoid the accumulation of particulate matter in the transmission chamber under the action of the airflow to cause adverse effects on the workpiece.

[0086] In an embodiment of the present application, the inner wall of the lower open portion of the upper accommodating cavity 110 has a cylindrical surface 170, and the cylindrical surface 170 is located below the upper buffer surface 120, that is, as shown in Figures 10-11, the lower contour of the upper buffer surface 120 and the upper contour of the cylindrical surface 170 are both located in the middle part of the inner wall of the lower open portion of the upper accommodating cavity 110, the upper buffer surface 120 forms a conical channel that is larger at the top and smaller at the bottom, and the cylindrical surface 170 forms a vertical columnar channel. The upper buffer surface 120 and the cylindrical surface 170 together form a funnel-shaped channel (that is, the lower opening); such a setting can ensure the thickness of the inner wall of the lower open portion, and further ensure the connection strength of this portion.

[0087] In the embodiment of the present application, the angle between the upper buffer surface 120 and the horizontal plane is smaller than the angle between the lower buffer surface 220 and the horizontal plane; with such a setting, the upper buffer surface 120 can be set as an inclined surface with a larger area to adapt to the structure of the upper accommodating cavity 110, that is, it can ensure that the design space of the upper buffer surface 120 is larger and more flexible; in addition, with such a setting, the transition between the larger upper accommodating cavity 110 and the smaller lower accommodating cavity 210 can be smoother, thereby enabling the airflow of the upper and lower buffer surfaces to flow more smoothly, further realizing a smooth airflow state between the upper and lower accommodating cavities, reducing or even avoiding turbulence in the airflow in the upper and lower accommodating cavities and the transition area between the two.

[0088] In an embodiment of the present application, when the manipulator is installed, the manipulator body 310 can be fixed to the lower chamber 200 by a first fastener, and when the upper and lower chambers are installed, the upper chamber 100 and the lower chamber 200 are fixed by a second fastener; one end of the lower arm 320 is pivotally connected to the manipulator body 310, and the upper arm 330 is movably connected to the lower arm 320, for example, a combination of a sliding connection and a rotating connection. Such an arrangement can expand the activity space of the upper arm 330 in the upper accommodating chamber 110, thereby expanding the activity range of the manipulator 300. On the premise that the space of the upper accommodating chamber 110 meets the activity range of the manipulator 300, the lower accommodating chamber 210 can be miniaturized relatively, that is, the lower chamber 200 can be further miniaturized.

[0089] In the embodiment of the present application, the first fastener includes a bolt, a screw or a stud, and a through hole is provided on the upper end surface of the manipulator body 310 (i.e., the upper end surface of the flange described below). For the sake of ease of understanding, the name is distinguished from other through holes and is named as the first through hole here. A countersunk hole is provided at the upper end of the first through hole. For the sake of ease of understanding, the name is distinguished from other countersunk holes and is named as the first countersunk hole here. A screw hole is provided on the bottom wall of the lower chamber 200. For the sake of ease of understanding, the name is distinguished from other screw holes and is named as the first screw hole here. The first fastener takes a screw as an example. For the sake of ease of understanding, the name is distinguished from other screws and is named as the first screw here. The first screw passes through the first countersunk hole, the first through hole and the first screw hole from top to bottom in sequence. The first screw is threadedly connected to the first screw hole to achieve a relatively fixed connection between the manipulator body 310 and the lower chamber 200. It should be noted that the nut of the first screw is located in the first countersunk hole, and the upper end surface of the nut of the first screw is flush with or lower than the upper end surface of the manipulator body 310.

[0090] The second fastener includes a bolt, a screw or a stud. The bottom wall of the upper chamber 100 is provided with a through hole. For the sake of ease of understanding, the name is different from other through holes and is named as the second through hole here. A countersunk hole is provided at the upper end of the second through hole. For the sake of ease of understanding, the name is different from other countersunk holes and is named as the second countersunk hole here. A screw hole is provided on the top wall of the lower chamber 200 (that is, the end surface of the upper open part). For the sake of ease of understanding, the name is different from other screw holes and is named as the second screw hole here. The second fastener takes a screw as an example. For the sake of ease of understanding, the name is different from other screws and is named as the second screw here. The second screw passes through the second countersunk hole, the second through hole and the second screw hole from top to bottom in sequence. The second screw is threadedly connected with the second screw hole to achieve a relatively fixed connection between the upper chamber 100 and the lower chamber 200. It should be noted that the nut of the second screw is located in the second countersunk hole, and the upper end surface of the nut of the second screw is flush with or lower than the bottom wall of the upper chamber 100.

[0091] In an embodiment of the present application, the lower edge of the upper buffer surface 120 is connected to the upper edge of the cylindrical surface 170, and the upper buffer surface 120 has a plurality of countersunk holes (second countersunk holes) arranged at intervals. The countersunk holes are configured to match the installation fasteners, and the fasteners are used to fix the lower chamber 200 to the upper chamber 100; the fasteners can be bolts, screws, nuts, etc. Taking bolts as an example, the countersunk holes are used to accommodate the nut part of the bolt to reduce or even avoid its protrusion from the inner wall of the upper chamber 100, hindering the circulation of process gas, and reducing or even avoiding adverse effects on the process.

[0092] In the embodiment of the present application, as shown in Figures 5, 10 and 11, the positional connection relationship between the upper buffer surface 120 and the cylindrical surface 170 can be arranged in other ways in addition to the aforementioned arrangement. For example, the inner side wall of the lower open portion of the upper accommodating cavity 110 has a fastening mounting surface 180, and the fastening mounting surface 180 is a horizontal annular surface, the outer ring portion of which is connected to the lower edge portion of the upper buffer surface 120, and the inner ring portion is connected to the upper edge portion of the cylindrical surface 170; the fastening mounting surface 180 has a plurality of countersunk holes (second countersunk holes) arranged at intervals, and the countersunk holes are configured to match the installation fasteners, and the fasteners are used to fix the lower chamber 200 to the upper chamber 100; that is, for the lower portion of the upper accommodating cavity 110, The open portion can be set as follows: the inner side wall of the lower open portion of the upper accommodating cavity 110 has an upper buffer surface 120, a fastening mounting surface 180 and a cylindrical surface 170 connected in sequence from top to bottom; the upper buffer surface 120 is an inclined surface structure with a radial dimension gradually decreasing from top to bottom; the fastening mounting surface 180 is a horizontal annular surface and has a plurality of countersunk holes arranged at intervals, namely second countersunk holes, the second countersunk holes are used to install a second fastener, and the upper end surface of the second fastener is flush with the fastening mounting surface 180, and the second fastener is used to fix the lower chamber 200 to the upper chamber 100; the cylindrical surface 170 is a vertical straight through surface, and the area enclosed by the straight through surface is used to connect the upper accommodating cavity 100 and the lower accommodating cavity 200. Such a configuration not only has an upper buffer surface 120 with an inclined surface structure, but also has a connecting portion for connecting the upper and lower chambers 200. The straight-through surface can also ensure the strength of the thinnest part of the lower open portion. In addition, it is convenient for the positioning processing of fastener mounting holes (screw holes, through holes, etc.), and tries to ensure the uniform continuity of the circumferential direction of the inner wall of the upper chamber 100.

[0093] The countersunk hole in the above embodiment is arranged on the first buffer surface or the fastening installation surface. With this arrangement, the disassembly and assembly position of the fastener and the upper and lower chambers is located inside the transmission chamber. For example, when installing the upper and lower chambers, the bolts are installed from top to bottom and from inside to outside until the upper and lower chambers are fixed together. In addition to this arrangement, other methods (not shown in the figure) can also be used. For example, still taking the fastener as a bolt as an example, a through hole for the bolt to pass through is provided in the upper open part of the lower chamber, and a threaded hole opening downward is provided in the lower open part of the upper chamber. With this arrangement, the disassembly and assembly position of the fastener and the upper and lower chambers is located outside the transmission chamber. For example, when installing the upper and lower chambers, the bolts are installed from bottom to top and from outside to inside until the upper and lower chambers are fixed together. At this time, the screw hole can be set as a blind hole.

[0094] In the embodiment of the present application, as shown in FIG13 , the bottom end portion of the lower chamber 200 has a mounting hole 201. The mounting hole 201 is configured to allow the manipulator body 310 to pass through, and the mounting hole 201 can closely mate with and seal the manipulator body 310. Specifically, after the manipulator is installed in place, the upper end surface of the manipulator body 310 is flush with the bottom wall of the lower accommodating chamber 210.

[0095] In the embodiment of the present application, as shown in Figures 5 and 9, the upper end surface of the mounting hole 201 has a recessed portion that is recessed into the bottom wall of the lower accommodating chamber 210 to form a step; the recessed portion is configured to be adapted to the flange 301 of the manipulator body 310, and the bottom wall of the lower accommodating chamber 210 can be flush with the upper end surface of the flange 301. Specifically, the manipulator body 310 has a flange 301 that protrudes from its outer peripheral wall, and the recessed portion is adapted to be adapted to the flange 301 of the manipulator body 310. Specifically, the lower end surface of the flange 301 is tightly fitted with the bottom surface of the recessed portion, and the upper end surface of the flange 301 is flush with the bottom wall of the lower accommodating chamber 210. With this configuration, the recessed portion can position the flange 301 and can achieve that the upper end surface of the flange 301 is flush with the bottom wall of the lower accommodating chamber 210. As shown in FIG5 , the first screw 202 passes through the first through-hole provided in the flange 301 and is threadedly connected to the first screw hole in the bottom wall of the lower accommodating chamber 210. Furthermore, in the embodiment where the first countersunk hole and the first through-hole are provided in the flange 301, the nut of the first screw 202 is flush with the upper end surface of the flange 301. With this arrangement, the screw and the manipulator are installed and disassembled inside the transfer chamber. For example, when installing the manipulator, the screw is installed from top to bottom and from inside to outside until the manipulator is fixed to the mounting hole of the lower chamber. In addition to this arrangement, other arrangements (not shown) may also be adopted. For example, a through-hole for the screw to pass through is provided in the mounting hole of the lower chamber, and a threaded hole with a downward opening is provided in the flange. With this arrangement, the screw and the manipulator are installed and disassembled outside the transfer chamber. For example, when installing the manipulator, the screw is installed from bottom to top and from outside to inside until the manipulator is fixed to the mounting hole of the lower chamber. In this case, the screw hole may be provided as a blind hole.

[0096] In an embodiment of the present application, the lower chamber 200 is configured to have a first sealing structure at the connection portion with the robot body 310 to isolate the transfer chamber from the outside world at the connection portion. The first sealing structure includes at least one of a sealing ring and a sealing surface.

[0097] Specifically, the connection between the lower chamber 200 and the manipulator body 310 has a first sealing ring, that is, the bottom surface of the recessed portion has a first sealing ring, the first sealing ring surrounds the outer peripheral side of the manipulator body 310, and along the radial direction, the first sealing ring is closer to the center line of the manipulator body 310 than the first fastener; the first sealing ring is provided to seal the connection between the lower chamber 200 and the manipulator body 310 to prevent gas from entering and exiting the portion. Specifically, the first sealing ring can be provided between the lower end face of the flange 301 and the upper end face of the mounting hole 201 (the bottom surface of the recessed portion), for example, at least one of the two end faces has an annular first sealing ring. A sealing groove (not shown in the figure), a first sealing ring is located in the first sealing groove, and the first fasteners, such as bolts, screws or studs, are provided in plurality and are circumferentially spaced around the periphery of the first sealing ring, that is, the circumferential size (diameter) of the first fasteners is larger than the circumferential size (diameter) of the first sealing ring. With this type of sealing ring arrangement, when installing, it is only necessary to press the flange 301 against the upper end surface (bottom surface of the recessed portion) of the mounting hole 201, which is convenient for assembly and disassembly. The first sealing ring can also be fixed between the inner side wall of the mounting hole 201 and the outer side wall of the manipulator body 310, or the first sealing ring can be fixed between the inner side wall of the recessed portion and the outer side wall of the flange 301.

[0098] In the embodiment of the present application, the lower chamber 200 has a first sealing surface, and the manipulator body 310 has a second sealing surface that is tightly matched with and sealed to the first sealing surface, and both the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface surround the outer peripheral side of the manipulator body 310. Specifically, the first sealing surface can be set on the upper end surface of the mounting hole 201 (the bottom surface of the recessed portion), and the second sealing surface can be set on the lower end surface of the flange 301. With this arrangement, it is only necessary to tightly press the flange 301 against the upper end surface of the mounting hole 201 (the bottom surface of the recessed portion 301) to complete the tight fit between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface. The first sealing surface and the second sealing surface can be set independently of the above-mentioned first sealing ring, and can also cooperate with the first sealing ring to further ensure the sealing effect between the mounting hole 201 and the manipulator body 310.

[0099] In the embodiment of the present application, a second sealing structure is provided at the connection portion between the upper chamber 100 and the lower chamber 200 to isolate the transmission chamber from the outside world at the connection portion. The second sealing structure includes at least one of a sealing ring and a sealing surface.

[0100] Specifically, a second sealing ring is provided between the lower end surface of the upper chamber 100 and the upper end surface of the lower chamber 200, and the second sealing ring surrounds the periphery of the detachable fixed structure of the lower accommodating chamber 210 and the upper accommodating chamber 110; specifically, an annular second sealing groove can be provided on at least one of the lower end surface of the upper chamber 100 and the lower end surface of the lower chamber 200, and the second sealing ring is located in the second sealing groove; the second fastener can be a fastener such as a bolt, a screw or a stud, and there are multiple second fasteners, which are arranged at circumferential intervals, and the circumferential size (diameter) of the second fastener is smaller than the circumferential size (diameter) of the second sealing ring, thereby achieving the second sealing ring to seal the connection part of the upper chamber 100 and the lower chamber 200 to prevent gas from flowing between the part and the outside world; in addition, with this sealing method, during installation, it is only necessary to press the lower end surface of the upper chamber 100 tightly against the upper end surface of the lower chamber 200 to achieve the sealing of the connection part of the upper and lower chambers 200, which is convenient for disassembly and assembly.

[0101] In the embodiment of the present application, the lower end surface of the upper chamber 100 has an upper sealing surface, and the upper end surface of the lower chamber 200 has a lower sealing surface; the lower sealing surface and the upper sealing surface are tightly matched and sealed, and both surround the periphery of the connection between the lower accommodating chamber 210 and the upper accommodating chamber 110. With this arrangement, during installation, the connection between the upper and lower chambers can be sealed by simply pressing the lower end surface of the upper chamber 100 against and against the upper end surface of the lower chamber 200, making assembly and disassembly convenient. In addition, the upper and lower sealing surfaces can be set independently of the second sealing ring described above, and can also cooperate with the second sealing ring to further ensure the tightness of the connection between the upper and lower chambers.

[0102] In an embodiment of the present application, the side wall of the upper chamber 100 has multiple film transfer ports, as shown in Figures 12 and 14, and the film transfer ports include a first film transfer port 150 and a second film transfer port 160. The first film transfer port 150 is used to transfer the workpiece to be processed between LLA / LLB and TC, and the second film transfer port 160 is used to transfer the workpiece to be processed between TC and PM. The setting position and number of the film transfer ports are related to the number of PMs. For example, if 4, 6, 8, 10... PMs are set, a corresponding number of second film transfer ports 160 are set; specifically, the film transfer ports are connected to the upper accommodating chamber 110 and the process chamber PM. During the process, the workpiece clamping part (such as the finger 340) of the upper arm 330 clamps the workpiece to be processed, and under the joint driving action of the upper and lower arms, the workpiece to be processed is driven through the corresponding film transfer port to be transferred between the upper accommodating chamber 110 and the process chamber PM, thereby realizing the taking and placing of the workpiece to be processed.

[0103] In the embodiment of the present application, the lower chamber 200 is provided with an equipment box (not shown in the figure). Specifically, the process gas pipelines, solenoid valves, cables and other related components in the process equipment can be installed in the equipment box. The setting of the equipment box can not only effectively protect the corresponding components, but also wrap the cables and pipelines to achieve neat arrangement of cables and pipelines. Even if the bottom of the transmission chamber is non-planar, the cables can still be neatly and safely routed. Therefore, the setting of the equipment box reduces the shape requirements of the bottom of the transmission chamber; in addition, the transmission chamber structure and the setting of the equipment box provided in the embodiment of the present application reduce the position setting requirements of the equipment box, that is, the equipment box can be set not only in the transmission chamber, but also in other components or spaces outside the transmission chamber, which improves the convenience and universality of the equipment box and routing.

[0104] In the embodiment of the present application, as shown in Figures 4 and 5 , a plurality of support legs 400 are fixed to the lower end of the upper chamber 100 to support the entire transfer chamber. By fixing the support legs 400 to the upper chamber 100, the spacing between adjacent support legs 400 is ensured, making it easier to achieve stable installation of the entire transfer chamber. Furthermore, when the upper and lower chambers are removed, the support legs 400 can firmly support the upper chamber 100, allowing only the lower chamber 200 to be removed, enhancing the convenience of installation and removal.

[0105] An embodiment of the present application also provides a semiconductor process chamber, comprising a robot and the above-mentioned transfer chamber.

[0106] It also includes EFEM, LLA, LLB, and PM. Taking 6 PMs as an example, the robot 300 is installed in the lower chamber 200. The robot 300 can take and place sheets (workpieces to be processed) in LLA, LLB, and PM. The support legs 400 are installed in the upper chamber 100 to support the upper chamber 100 and the entire transfer chamber.

[0107] Since the semiconductor process equipment includes the above-mentioned transfer chamber, it has all the effects of the above-mentioned transfer chamber, which will not be described in detail here.

[0108] The embodiment of the present application also provides a disassembly and assembly tool for disassembly and assembly between the upper chamber 100 and the lower chamber 200 of the above-mentioned transmission chamber, as shown in Figures 14 to 17, the disassembly and assembly tool 500 includes: an upper fixed block 510, a lower fixed block 530 and a sleeve 540; wherein, the upper fixed block 510 is used to be detachably fixed to the bottom wall of the upper chamber 100, and the upper fixed block 510 is fixed with a screw 520; the lower fixed block 530 is used to be detachably fixed to the outer wall of the lower chamber 200, and the lower fixed block 530 has a through hole that is clearance-matched with the screw 520; the sleeve 540 is located below the lower fixed block 530, and has an internal threaded hole that is compatible with the external thread of the screw 520.

[0109] In the disassembly and assembly tool 500, since the upper fixing block 510 can be fixedly connected to the upper chamber 100, the screw 520 is fixedly arranged on the upper fixing block 510, that is, the screw 520, the upper fixing block 510 and the upper chamber 100 are relatively fixed and can be used as an integral structure, and the lower fixing block 530 can be fixedly connected to the lower chamber 200, that is, the lower fixing block 530 and the lower chamber 200 are relatively fixed and can be used as an integral structure. After the screw 520 passes through the through hole of the lower fixing block 530, the sleeve 540 can be used as a nut to thread with the screw 520, and the threaded matching between the screw 520 and the sleeve 540 is When the upper and lower chambers are disassembled, it is only necessary to rotate the sleeve 540 to move it away from the upper fixed block 510. Under external force (such as the gravity of the lower chamber 200), the lower fixed block 530 will move downward to move away from the upper fixed block 510, and the lower chamber 200 will move downward to move away from the upper chamber 100, thereby realizing the separation of the upper and lower chambers. After the lower chamber 200 moves downward to separate from the upper chamber 100, the connection between the upper and lower chambers can be maintained, such as replacing the second sealing ring. In short, when using the disassembly and assembly tool, the upper fixed block 510 is fixed to the bottom wall of the upper chamber 100, and the lower fixed block 530 is fixed to the outer wall of the lower chamber 200, and the relative position adjustment and relative fixation between the upper and lower fixed blocks are achieved through the screw 520 and the sleeve 540, thereby achieving the adjustment of the relative position of the upper and lower chambers and the fixed connection, firmly supporting the upper and lower chambers, facilitating the subsequent assembly and disassembly of the detachable connection structure between the upper and lower chambers, facilitating daily maintenance, and reducing maintenance costs.

[0110] The assembly and disassembly tool 500 can serve as a connecting structure for connecting the upper and lower chambers. For example, by replacing the second fastener connecting the upper and lower chambers, the second fastener can be used together to connect the upper and lower chambers. In addition, the second fastener can be used to securely connect the upper and lower chambers, and the assembly and disassembly tool 500 can be used as a tool for disassembling and assembling the lower chamber 200 to facilitate maintenance of the upper and lower chambers and corresponding components. Alternatively, the assembly and disassembly tool 500 can be used as a tool for replacing the first sealing ring between the upper and lower chambers. Specifically, the fixed connection between the upper and lower chambers by the second fastener is released, and then the sleeve 540 is rotated to move the sleeve 540 downward away from the upper fixing block 510. At this time, the upper fixing block 530 moves downward under the drive of the lower chamber 200 (under the gravity of the lower chamber 200), so as to realize the separation of the upper and lower chambers. Then, the second sealing ring can be replaced, or other maintenance work can be carried out. It should be noted that the sleeve 540 does not need to be completely separated from the screw 520. When it is lowered to an appropriate position, the lower chamber can also be separated. 200 is positioned to the corresponding position, that is, when removing the lower chamber 200, there is no need to completely disassemble the lower chamber 200, and the upper and lower chambers can be kept in corresponding positions, which is convenient for later installation; when installing the lower chamber 200, there is no need to reposition the lower chamber 200, and the sleeve 540 only needs to be rotated to move the sleeve 540 upward and gradually approach the upper fixed block 510 until the lower chamber 200 is tightly connected to the upper chamber 100, and then the upper and lower chambers are tightly fixed by the second fastener. The disassembly and assembly is very convenient and accurate.

[0111] In the embodiment of the present application, the sleeve 540 is provided with a handle protruding outward from its outer wall. This arrangement makes it easy for the operator to hold the sleeve 540 and apply force when operating it. According to the principle of leverage, it can also extend the length of the lever arm, saving more effort. Specifically, the handle can be a long strip or columnar structure, extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the sleeve 540. In addition, the outer wall of the sleeve 540 can be configured to have at least a pair of parallel flat surfaces, which serve as mounting surfaces, making it easier for a clamping tool (such as a wrench or pliers) to clamp the sleeve 540 without causing the clamping tool to rotate relative to the sleeve 540.

[0112] In the embodiment of the present application, the thread angle of the internal thread of the sleeve 540 is a self-locking angle, which can realize the self-locking function between the internal thread of the sleeve 540 and the external thread of the screw 520 without the need to set a separate limiting structure, and the structure is simple.

[0113] As shown in FIG14 , the disassembly and assembly tool is provided in multiple pieces, for example, four pieces, which can be fixedly installed at four locations on the outer side wall of the lower chamber of the transfer chamber, such as the four corners near the bottom wall of the upper chamber of the transfer chamber. The upper fixing block 510 is fixed to the upper chamber 100, and the lower fixing block 530 is fixed to the lower chamber 200. The screw 520 is fixed to the upper fixing block 510 and passes through the through hole of the lower fixing block 530. The end of the screw 530 is threadedly engaged with the sleeve 540. The thread angle in the sleeve 540 is self-locking. When the fixing screws between the upper and lower chambers are removed, the sleeve 540 will not fall due to the gravity of the lower chamber 200. In the process of operating the sleeve 540, for example, the handle 550 of the sleeve 540 is turned counterclockwise to lower the lower chamber 200. After the second sealing ring is replaced, the handle of the sleeve 540 is turned clockwise to raise the lower chamber 200.

[0114] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "horizontal", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on this application.

[0115] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified or limited, the term "mounting" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can mean fixed connection, detachable connection, or integral connection; it can mean mechanical connection or electrical connection; it can mean direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean internal communication between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood by those skilled in the art in specific circumstances.

[0116] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A transmission chamber, characterized in that: Applicable to semiconductor process equipment, the transfer chamber includes: a detachably fixed upper chamber and a lower chamber, the upper chamber has an upper accommodating chamber, and the side wall of the upper chamber has multiple film transfer ports connected to the upper accommodating chamber; the lower chamber has a lower accommodating chamber, and the lower opening of the upper accommodating chamber is connected to the upper opening of the lower accommodating chamber; the upper accommodating chamber is configured to allow the upper arm of the robot to move, and the lower accommodating chamber is configured to allow the lower arm of the robot to move.

2. The transmission chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that The outer circumference of the upper chamber is greater than the outer circumference of the lower chamber, and / or the height of the upper chamber is greater than the height of the lower chamber; The circumferential dimension of the upper accommodating cavity is greater than the circumferential dimension of the lower accommodating cavity, and / or the height dimension of the upper accommodating cavity is greater than the height dimension of the lower accommodating cavity.

3. The transmission chamber according to claim 2, characterized in that The transmission chamber is a stepped structure with a larger upper portion and a smaller lower portion, and the connection portion between the upper chamber and the lower chamber is a step connection portion; the upper accommodating chamber and the lower accommodating chamber form a stepped structure with a larger upper portion and a smaller lower portion.

4. The transmission chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that After the manipulator is installed in place, the circumferential contour of the lower accommodating cavity is adapted to the movable contour of the outer end of the lower arm, and there is a gap between the two.

5. The transmission chamber according to claim 1, wherein: The lower opening of the upper chamber is adapted to the upper opening of the lower chamber in terms of outline size and position.

6. The transmission chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The inner side wall of the lower open portion of the upper accommodating cavity has an upper buffer surface, and the upper buffer surface is a conical structure with a larger upper portion and a smaller lower portion; And / or, the inner side wall of the upper open portion of the lower accommodating cavity has a lower buffer surface, and the lower buffer surface is a conical structure with a larger upper portion and a smaller lower portion.

7. The transmission chamber according to claim 6, characterized in that The inner side wall of the lower open portion of the upper accommodating cavity has a cylindrical surface, and the cylindrical surface is located below the upper buffer surface; And / or, the angle between the upper buffer surface and the horizontal plane is smaller than the angle between the lower buffer surface and the horizontal plane.

8. The transmission chamber according to claim 7, characterized in that: The lower edge of the upper buffer surface is connected to the upper edge of the cylindrical surface, and the upper buffer surface has a plurality of countersunk holes arranged at intervals, and the countersunk holes are configured to match and install fasteners, and the fasteners are used to fix the lower chamber to the upper chamber; Alternatively, the inner side wall of the lower open portion of the upper accommodating chamber has a fastening mounting surface, and the fastening mounting surface is a horizontal annular surface, the outer ring portion of the horizontal annular surface is connected to the lower edge portion of the upper buffer surface, and the inner ring portion of the horizontal annular surface is connected to the upper edge portion of the cylindrical surface; the fastening mounting surface has a plurality of countersunk holes arranged at intervals, and the countersunk holes are configured to match and install fasteners, and the fasteners are used to fix the lower chamber to the upper chamber.

9. The transmission chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The bottom end portion of the lower chamber is provided with a mounting hole, which is configured to allow the manipulator body of the manipulator to pass through and can be tightly matched with and sealed and fixed to the manipulator body.

10. The transfer chamber according to claim 9, wherein: The lower chamber can be fixed to the robot body by fasteners.

11. The transfer chamber according to claim 9, wherein: After the manipulator is installed in place, the upper end surface of the manipulator body is flush with the bottom wall of the lower accommodating cavity.

12. The transfer chamber according to claim 11, wherein: The upper end surface of the mounting hole has a recessed portion recessed into the bottom wall of the lower accommodating cavity; The recessed portion is configured to be adapted to the flange of the manipulator body, and the bottom wall of the lower accommodating cavity can be flush with the upper end surface of the flange.

13. The transmission chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The lower chamber is configured to have a first sealing structure at a connection portion with the manipulator body, so as to isolate the transfer chamber from the outside at the connection portion, wherein the first sealing structure includes at least one of a sealing ring and a sealing surface; And / or, a second sealing structure is provided at the connection portion between the upper chamber and the lower chamber to isolate the transmission chamber from the outside at the connection portion, and the second sealing structure includes at least one of a sealing ring and a sealing surface.

14. The transmission chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: A plurality of supporting legs are fixedly provided at the lower end portion of the upper chamber.

15. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: The invention comprises a robot and a transfer chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. A disassembly and assembly tool, characterized in that: The disassembly and assembly tool is used to realize the disassembly and assembly between the upper chamber and the lower chamber of the transfer chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 14, and the disassembly and assembly tool comprises: an upper fixing block, used for being detachably fixed to the bottom wall of the upper chamber, wherein the upper fixing block is fixed with a lead screw; The lower fixing block is used for detachably fixing to the outer side wall of the lower chamber, and the lower fixing block has A through hole having a clearance fit with the lead screw; and The sleeve is located below the lower fixing block and has an internal threaded hole adapted to the external thread of the lead screw.

17. The disassembly and assembly tool according to claim 16, characterized in that: The sleeve is fixed with a handle protruding outward from its outer side wall; and / or the outer side wall of the sleeve has at least a pair of parallel flat surfaces.

18. The disassembly and assembly tool according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that: The thread angle of the internal thread of the sleeve is a self-locking angle.

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