Semiconductor process device and calibration apparatus therefor

Abstract

The present application provides a semiconductor process device and a calibration apparatus therefor, the calibration apparatus being used for calibrating the position of a wafer. The calibration apparatus comprises pushing mechanisms and a driving mechanism. There are two or more pushing mechanisms, and each pushing mechanism comprises an abutting push part. The abutting push part can move from an initial position thereof to a calibration position thereof, and, while moving, pushes the wafer to move, so as to calibrate the position of the wafer. The driving mechanism is connected to the abutting push parts of at least two pushing mechanisms and is used for driving the abutting push parts of the at least two pushing mechanisms to synchronously move between the respective initial positions and the respective calibration positions. In a calibration process, the driving mechanism acts and simultaneously drives the two or more pushing mechanisms to act, such that the wafer is pushed to move to a calibration position by means of the abutting push parts. The two or more abutting push parts are driven to act by the same driving mechanism, such that the synchronization rate of action is higher, avoiding wafer position deviation caused by asynchronous actions of the pushing mechanisms and improving the accuracy of wafer position calibration, thereby increasing the process yield.

Description

Semiconductor process equipment and calibration device thereof Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, and in particular, to a semiconductor process equipment and a calibration device thereof. Background Art

[0002] Semiconductor processing equipment typically consists of a transfer module (TM) and a process module (PM). The PM includes a process chamber, which houses a chuck that supports and heats the wafer. The accuracy of the wafer's position on the chuck impacts the final process results, making it crucial to ensure that the robotic arm accurately transfers the wafer to the designated location on the chuck. The TM technology for atmospheric environments requires wafer calibration before the robotic arm retrieves the wafer. Considering both process efficiency and cost, a clamping aligner is currently the most commonly used method for wafer calibration. However, existing clamping aligners suffer from issues such as asynchronous wafer clamping, which can lead to abnormal or even unsatisfactory process results.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and proposes a semiconductor process equipment and a calibration device thereof, which improves the clamping synchronization rate and reduces the risk of abnormal process results.

[0005] To achieve the purpose of the present application, a calibration device is provided for semiconductor process equipment to calibrate the position of a wafer, including a pushing mechanism and a driving mechanism, wherein:

[0006] The number of the pushing mechanisms is more than two, and the pushing mechanisms include a pushing portion, which can move from its initial position to its calibration position and push the wafer to move during the movement to calibrate the position of the wafer;

[0007] The driving mechanism is connected to the pushing parts of at least two of the pushing mechanisms, and is used to drive the pushing parts of at least two of the pushing mechanisms to move synchronously between their respective initial positions and their respective calibration positions.

[0008] In some embodiments, there is an angle between the moving directions of each two adjacent pushing parts of at least two of the pushing mechanisms, so that each two adjacent parts gradually approach or move away from each other during the movement process; the moving direction is the direction from one to the other of the initial position and the calibration position of the pushing part.

[0009] In some embodiments, the driving mechanism includes a driving portion and a transmission assembly, wherein the driving portion is configured to provide linear power to the transmission assembly;

[0010] The transmission assembly is used to convert the linear power provided by the driving part into power for the pushing parts of each pushing mechanism to move synchronously between the initial position and the calibration position.

[0011] In some embodiments, the transmission assembly includes a push rod, and the driving portion is connected to the push rod to drive the push rod to move along the driving direction of the driving portion;

[0012] The push rod is provided with a first strip hole, the number of the first strip holes is equal to the number of the pushing mechanism, the pushing mechanism also includes a connecting portion fixedly connected to the pushing portion, the connecting portion is partially arranged in the corresponding first strip hole, the extension direction of the first strip hole and the driving direction have a first preset angle, and the extension direction of the first strip hole and the moving direction of the corresponding pushing portion have a second preset angle, so that in the process of the push rod moving along the driving direction, the connecting portion and the corresponding first strip hole can move relative to each other along the extension direction of the first strip hole, and at the same time, the hole wall of the first strip hole can drive the pushing portion to move between the initial position and the calibration position through the corresponding connecting portion.

[0013] In some embodiments, the device further comprises a plurality of first support seats, each of the first support seats being movably connected to each of the push portions in a one-to-one correspondence, and each of the first support seats being configured to limit the moving direction of the push portion when the push portion moves relative to the corresponding first support seat;

[0014] The first supporting seat has a supporting surface for supporting the wafer; the pushing portion partially protrudes from the corresponding supporting surface of the first supporting seat.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first support seat has a second strip-shaped hole, the second strip-shaped hole extends along the moving direction of the corresponding pushing portion, the pushing portion is partially disposed in the second strip-shaped hole, and can move along the second strip-shaped hole.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first support base includes a base and a support portion, the base is used to be fixedly connected to the mounting plate, the support portion is fixed above the base, and the top surface of the support portion is the support surface;

[0017] The pushing mechanism further includes a slide assembly, the slide assembly being mounted on the first support seat, and the two ends of the slide assembly being connected to the push portion and the connecting portion, respectively; the slide assembly is used to drive the push portion and the connecting portion to move relative to the first support seat along the moving direction of the push portion;

[0018] A mounting groove is provided between the base and the support portion, and the slide assembly is at least partially disposed in the mounting groove; the support portion is further used to confine the slide assembly in the mounting groove.

[0019] In some embodiments, a limit pin is provided in the mounting groove, and the limit pin is used to limit the travel of the slide assembly to drive the push portion and the connecting portion to move.

[0020] In some embodiments, at least one second support seat is further included, and the second support seat is provided with a limiting column. The limiting column is used to limit the wafer together with the pushing parts of at least two pushing mechanisms when the pushing parts of at least two pushing mechanisms move to their respective calibration positions.

[0021] In some embodiments, a limiting portion is further included on the driving direction of the driving mechanism, and the limiting portion is used to limit the stroke of the driving mechanism so as to prevent the driving mechanism from driving the pushing portions to continue moving when there is a preset gap between the limiting column and the wafer.

[0022] In some embodiments, the width of the preset gap is greater than or equal to 0.1 mm and less than or equal to 1 mm.

[0023] In some embodiments, the diameter of the limiting column gradually decreases from bottom to top.

[0024] In some embodiments, a detection mechanism is further included for detecting whether a wafer exists, and the driving mechanism is used to drive the pushing parts of at least two of the pushing mechanisms to synchronously move from their respective initial positions to their respective calibration positions after the detection mechanism detects the presence of the wafer.

[0025] The present application also provides a semiconductor process equipment, including a front-end chamber, a process chamber, a transfer chamber and any one of the calibration devices described above, wherein the calibration device is arranged in the transfer chamber and is used to calibrate the position of the wafer.

[0026] This application has the following beneficial effects:

[0027] In the technical solution of the semiconductor process equipment and its calibration device provided by the present application, the calibration device is used to calibrate the position of the wafer, including a pushing mechanism and a driving mechanism, wherein the number of the pushing mechanisms is more than two, the pushing mechanism includes a pushing portion, the pushing portion can be moved from its initial position to its calibration position, and pushes the wafer to move during the movement to calibrate the position of the wafer; the driving mechanism is connected to the pushing portions of at least two pushing mechanisms, and is used to drive the pushing portions of at least two pushing mechanisms to move synchronously between their respective initial positions and their respective calibration positions. During the calibration process, the driving mechanism moves and simultaneously pushes the two or more pushing mechanisms to move, and then pushes the wafer to the calibration position through the pushing portions of the pushing mechanisms. The two or more pushing mechanisms move under the drive of the same driving mechanism, and the synchronization rate of the movement is higher, which avoids the wafer position deviation caused by the synchronization of the pushing mechanism action part, improves the accuracy of the wafer position calibration, and thus improves the yield of the process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a calibration device provided in a specific embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the calibration device in FIG1 pushing the wafer;

[0030] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the calibration process;

[0031] FIG4 is a cross-sectional view of the connection between the pushing mechanism and the first support seat;

[0032] FIG5 is a top view of the first support seat in FIG2;

[0033] FIG6 is a side view of the first support base in FIG2 ;

[0034] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of the slide assembly in FIG4 ;

[0035] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of the slide body in FIG7 ;

[0036] FIG9 is a top view of the second support base in FIG2 ;

[0037] FIG10 is a side view of the second support base in FIG2 ;

[0038] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of the semiconductor process equipment provided in this application.

[0039] Wherein, the reference numerals in Figures 1 to 11 are:

[0040] Mounting plate 100, limiting portion 101, driving mechanism 200, push rod 220, first strip hole 221, pushing mechanism 300, connecting rod 310, sleeve 311, slide assembly 320, slide rail 321, connecting piece 322, slide body 323, connecting rod fixing hole 324, column fixing hole 325, mounting hole 326, column 330, first support seat 400, base 410, base fixing hole 411, slide fixing hole 412, limiting pin 413, mounting groove 414, supporting portion 420, connecting hole 421, second strip hole 422, second support seat 500, limiting column 510, countersunk hole 520, detection mechanism 600, wafer 700, transfer chamber 1, process chamber 2, calibration device 3, front-end chamber 4, loading and unloading chamber 5, robotic arm 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present application, the calibration device provided by the present application is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] In the prior art, the wafer is placed on a calibration station equipped with two movable ends and two fixed ends. Two cylinders drive the two movable ends, respectively, and during this process, the two movable ends push the wafer toward the fixed ends until the wafer and the fixed ends align, thus achieving wafer calibration. However, during the calibration process, the two movable ends may move out of sync due to the differences between the two cylinders, resulting in inconsistent end-point positions of the two movable ends, and thus a deviation between the final arrival position of the wafer and the target position.

[0043] In related technologies, wafer alignment is achieved by limiting the wafer's position using fixed ends. However, during this process, the wafer can collide with the fixed ends. Over time, these impacts can create grooves in the fixed ends. During wafer removal, the wafer can become stuck in these grooves and tilt, leading to unsuccessful retrieval or even wafer damage. Furthermore, the impacts can generate particles that contaminate the wafer and reduce wafer yield.

[0044] The fixing end needs to be replaced when a groove is formed to prevent it from affecting the normal process. Therefore, in the related art, the service life of the fixing end is usually relatively short.

[0045] Furthermore, after wafer position calibration, the distance between the wafer edge and the fixed end is too small or even close. When the robot picks up the wafer, the upward movement of the robot causes friction between the wafer and the fixed end, which in turn causes the wafer to tilt and rise at an angle. If the wafer tilt angle is too large, the wafer cannot be retrieved and the wafer transfer is unstable.

[0046] Please refer to Figures 1 and 2 together. The calibration device provided in this application is used to calibrate the position of wafer 700. During the process, the transmission device in the semiconductor process equipment can place the wafer 700 in the calibration device. The placement position of the wafer 700 is affected by the previous process and there is a large position deviation. The calibration device can move the wafer 700 from the placement position to the target position to calibrate the position of the wafer 700. After calibration, the transmission device in the semiconductor process equipment takes the wafer 700 away for subsequent process processing to ensure the accurate position of the wafer 700 in the subsequent process and avoid the accumulated position deviation from affecting the processing accuracy and yield of the wafer 700.

[0047] Figure 1 shows two calibration devices. Each calibration device includes a pushing mechanism 300 and a driving mechanism 200. There are at least two pushing mechanisms 300, each connected to the driving mechanism 200. The pushing mechanisms 300 include a push portion configured to contact the edge of the wafer 700. The driving mechanism 200 is capable of driving each pushing mechanism 300, thereby causing at least two push portions of the pushing mechanism 300 to move synchronously between their respective initial positions and their respective calibration positions. Before calibration, the wafer 700 is positioned, with each pushing mechanism 300 positioned on the periphery of the wafer 700. The spacing between the push portions of two adjacent pushing mechanisms 300 is less than the diameter of the wafer 700. During movement, each push portion engages the outer edge of the wafer 700 and applies a thrust to the wafer 700. The thrusts of the push portions form a combined force, pushing the wafer 700 toward the target position. When each push portion reaches its respective calibration position, the wafer 700 is pushed to the target position, completing the calibration of the wafer 700.

[0048] The calibration device drives each pushing mechanism 300 to move through a driving mechanism 200. The movement of the pushing mechanism 300 is not affected by factors such as signal delay, thereby improving the synchronization rate of the movement of each pushing mechanism 300, thereby avoiding calibration deviations caused by asynchrony and improving the calibration accuracy of the wafer 700.

[0049] The push parts of each pushing mechanism 300 have their own initial position and calibration position, and the moving direction of the push parts is the direction from their initial position to their calibration position, or the direction from their calibration position to their initial position. The moving directions of the push parts may be parallel to each other or non-parallel. However, if the wafer 700 is tilted and the thrust applied by a push part to the wafer 700 passes through the center of gravity of the wafer 700, the wafer 700 may be translated under the push of the pushing mechanism 300, and eventually the wafer 700 may collide with other components in the calibration device, causing damage to the wafer 700.

[0050] In order to solve the above problem, in some embodiments, there is an angle between the moving directions of each adjacent two of the pushing parts of at least two pushing mechanisms 300, so that each adjacent two (i.e., each adjacent two pushing parts) gradually approach or move away from each other during the movement, which can reduce the probability of the wafer 700 colliding with other components in the calibration device. The moving direction is the direction from one to the other of the initial position and the calibration position of the pushing part. Specifically, the distance between the pushing parts of the two adjacent pushing mechanisms 300 that form an angle in the moving directions at the initial position is greater than the distance between the pushing parts at the calibration position, so that each adjacent two pushing parts can push the wafer 700 while approaching each other, and the wafer 700 is finally moved to the target position under the joint push of at least two pushing parts. Furthermore, in some embodiments, at least two pushing portions are distributed on a circle with the intersection of their moving directions as the center, and the diameter of the circle where at least two pushing portions are located is the largest at the initial position, and the diameter of the circle where at least two pushing portions are located is the smallest at the calibration position, and is adapted to the diameter of the wafer. The diameter of the circle where at least two pushing portions are located decreases in the process of moving from the initial position to the calibration position, and increases in the process of moving from the calibration position to the initial position. Moreover, the intersection of the moving directions of at least two pushing portions coincides with the center of the wafer 700 when it is at the target position. In this case, at least two pushing portions approach the intersection along their respective moving directions. During this process, the distance between the two adjacent pushing portions gradually decreases, thereby pushing the wafer 700 and making its center gradually approach the intersection until it coincides.

[0051] The drive mechanism 200 includes a drive unit and a transmission assembly. The drive unit is used to provide linear power to the transmission assembly. The transmission assembly is used to convert the linear power provided by the drive unit into power to synchronize the push portions of each push mechanism between the initial position and the calibration position. In other words, the transmission assembly is used to transmit power between the drive unit and each push mechanism 300, and convert the linear power into power to synchronize the movement of each push mechanism 300 along its respective movement direction. A single drive unit drives the movement of each push mechanism 300, ensuring a high degree of synchronization between the movements of each push mechanism 300.

[0052] In some embodiments, referring to FIG3 , the transmission assembly includes a push rod 220 . The aforementioned driving portion is connected to the push rod 220 and is configured to drive the push rod 220 to move along the driving direction of the driving portion (e.g., parallel to the Y direction shown in FIG3 ). The push rod 220 is provided with first strip holes 221 . The number of first strip holes 221 is equal to the number of the pushing mechanisms 300 , and each pushing mechanism 300 corresponds to each first strip hole 221 . The pushing mechanism 300 also includes a connecting portion fixedly connected to the resisting portion, and the connecting portion is partially disposed in the corresponding first strip hole 221 . There is a first preset angle a between the extension direction of the first strip hole 221 (for example, the X1 direction shown in Figure 3) and the above-mentioned driving direction, and there is a second preset angle (a+b) between the extension direction of the first strip hole 221 and the moving direction of the corresponding push portion (for example, the X2 direction shown in Figure 3), so that when the push rod 220 moves along the above-mentioned driving direction, the connecting portion and the corresponding first strip hole 221 can move relative to each other along the extension direction of the first strip hole 221, and at the same time, the hole wall of the first strip hole 221 can drive the push portion to move between the initial position and the calibration position through the corresponding connecting portion. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, taking the driving direction of the driving part as vertically upward as an example, the push rod 220 moves from the position of the dotted line from bottom to top to the position of the solid line. Similarly, the first bar hole 221 on the push rod 220 moves from the position of the dotted line from bottom to top to the position of the solid line. During this process, a relative movement along the X1 direction occurs between the connection part of the pushing mechanism 300 corresponding to the first bar hole 221 and the first bar hole 221. For example, the connection part at the position of the dotted line is located at the upper end of the first bar hole 221 at the position of the dotted line. After the first bar hole 221 moves from the position of the dotted line to the position of the solid line from bottom to top, the connection part at the position of the solid line is located near the lower end of the first bar hole 221 at the position of the solid line, and the connection part moves from the position of the dotted line along the X2 direction to the position of the solid line, thereby driving the pushing part to move along the X2 direction.

[0053] In some embodiments, the driving portion may be a driving cylinder that can push the push rod 220 to move along a predetermined direction, which is the driving direction of the driving portion (e.g., parallel to the Y direction shown in FIG3 ). When the push rod 220 moves along the Y direction, the hole wall of the first strip hole 221 contacts the corresponding connecting portion and applies a thrust to the connecting portion, causing the connecting portion to move, thereby driving the push portion to move. At the position where the hole wall of the first strip hole 221 contacts the corresponding connecting portion, since the normal of the hole wall of the first strip hole 221 at this position (e.g., the normal parallel to the X2 direction in FIG3 ) is perpendicular to the extension direction of the first strip hole 221 (e.g., the X1 direction shown in FIG3 ) is perpendicular to each other, the extension direction of the first strip hole 221 (e.g., the X1 direction shown in FIG3 ) and the movement direction of the corresponding push portion (e.g., the X2 direction shown in FIG3 ) are perpendicular to each other, i.e., the second predetermined angle (a+b) is 90°. Furthermore, the direction in which the first strip-shaped hole 221 extends relative to the driving direction of the driving portion is tilted in the opposite direction to the direction in which the corresponding push portion moves relative to the driving direction of the driving portion. For example, as shown on the right side of FIG3 , the direction in which the first strip-shaped hole 221 extends relative to the driving direction of the driving portion is tilted to the right, while the direction in which the corresponding push portion moves relative to the driving direction of the driving portion is tilted to the left, and the tilt angles are the same, i.e., a = b. This allows each adjacent push portion to gradually approach or move away from each other during movement.

[0054] As shown in Figure 2 , the stroke L2 of the pushing mechanism 300 is the distance the push portion directly contacts and pushes the wafer 700. The stroke S0 of the push rod 200 is the distance the push rod 220 moves during the calibration process. The length L1 of the first strip hole 221 in its extension direction is ≥ the stroke L2 of the pushing mechanism 300. The stroke S0 of the push rod 200 is ≥ 2×sina×L2. The thrust of the driving unit (e.g., the driving cylinder) is ≥ 2×sina×f, where f is the friction force on the moving wafer 700.

[0055] In the embodiment shown in FIG2 , the angle between the moving direction of the pushing mechanism 300 (e.g., the X2 direction shown in FIG3 ) and the extension direction of the push rod 220 (e.g., the first preset angle a) is 45°, and the angle between the extension direction of the first strip hole 221 (e.g., the X1 direction shown in FIG3 ) and the corresponding moving direction of the pushing mechanism 300 is a second preset angle (a+b), which is equal to 90°. The length L1 of the first strip hole 221 in its extension direction is ≥ the stroke L2 of the pushing mechanism 300, the stroke S0 of the push rod 200 is ≥ 2×sin45°×L2, and the thrust of the driving part (e.g., the driving cylinder) is ≥ 2×sin45°×f, where f is the friction force exerted on the movement of the wafer 700. Of course, the user can set the size of the first preset angle a and the size of the second preset angle (a+b) as needed, and this is not limited here.

[0056] For example, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the number of the pushing mechanism 300 and the first strip holes 221 are both two, and the two first strip holes 221 are respectively located at both ends of the push rod 220. When the driving cylinder is located below the push rod 220 in Figure 3 (the driving cylinder is not shown in Figure 3), the distance between the two first strip holes 221 gradually increases from the side of the push rod 220 close to the driving cylinder to the side away from the driving cylinder, that is, the distance between the two first strip holes 221 gradually increases from bottom to top. Specifically, the piston of the driving cylinder extends from bottom to top, pushing the push rod 220 to move from bottom to top, at which time the push rod 220 moves from the dotted line position in Figure 3 to the solid line position. The connecting parts of the two pushing mechanisms 300 respectively move along their respective moving directions under the thrust of the hole walls of the two first strip holes 221, thereby driving the push portion to move from the dotted line position (initial position) to the solid line position (calibration position). When the wafer 700 is placed, the center of the wafer 700 is located between the two pushing mechanisms 300. The center of the wafer 700 is usually its center of gravity. The pushing parts of the two pushing mechanisms 300 contact the wafer 700 during the movement. The combined force of the thrust applied to the wafer 700 acts on the center of gravity of the wafer 700, causing the wafer 700 to move along a preset path and eventually reach the target position, completing the position calibration of the wafer 700. Of course, the pushing mechanisms 300 can also be of other numbers, such as 4, 6, etc. The push rod 220 can adopt other shapes according to the number of pushing mechanisms 300. For example, when there are 4 pushing mechanisms 300, the push rod 220 can be in an arc shape, with 4 first bar holes 221 distributed on the push rod 220.

[0057] In some embodiments, the calibration device further includes a limiting mechanism that limits the movement direction of the pushing mechanism 300. That is, the limiting mechanism guides the pushing mechanism 300, enabling the pushing mechanism 300 to move from one of the initial position and the calibration position to the other. Specifically, the limiting mechanism can guide the movement of the resisting portion by limiting the movement direction of the connecting portion of the pushing mechanism 300.

[0058] It should be noted that the driving part and the transmission assembly in the embodiment of the present application are not limited to the above-mentioned structure. In actual applications, the driving part and the transmission assembly may adopt other structures, such as a motor and a cam, etc., which are not limited here.

[0059] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, the calibration device further includes a first support seat 400, each first support seat 400 being movably connected to each push portion in a one-to-one correspondence, and each first support seat 400 is configured to limit the moving direction of the push portion when the push portion moves relative to the corresponding first support seat 400. The first support seat 400 has a support surface for supporting the wafer, and the support surfaces of the plurality of first support seats 400 are located in the same plane. The wafer 700 is placed on the support surface, and the plurality of first support seats 400 jointly support the wafer 700. The push portion of the pushing mechanism 300 partially protrudes from the support surface of the corresponding first support seat 400, so that the portion of the push portion protruding from the support surface can push the wafer 700 to move on the support surface of the first support seat 400. The first support seat 400 can be used as the above-mentioned limiting mechanism to limit the moving direction of the pushing mechanism 300.

[0060] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, the calibration device further includes a mounting plate 100. As shown in Figure 2, the first support seat 400 is mounted on the upper surface of the mounting plate 100, and the driving mechanism 200 is mounted on the lower surface of the mounting plate 100. The driving mechanism 200 (for example, the push rod 220) in Figure 1 is located on the front side of the mounting plate 100, indicated by a solid line; the first support seat 400 in Figure 1 is located on the rear side of the mounting plate 100, indicated by a dotted line. The mounting plate 100 has a through hole extending through the thickness direction, and the pushing mechanism 300 is mounted in the first support seat 400 and passes through the through hole to cooperate with the first bar hole 221.

[0061] It should be noted that the mounting plates 100 of multiple calibration devices can be an integrated structure. In the specific embodiment shown in Figure 1, the mounting plates 100 of two calibration devices are an integrated structure. Users can also make the mounting plates 100 of three or more calibration devices into an integrated structure as needed, which is not limited here.

[0062] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5, the first support seat 400 has a second strip hole 422, and the second strip hole 422 extends along the moving direction of the corresponding pushing portion. The pushing portion is partially arranged in the second strip hole 422 and can move along the second strip hole 422, thereby pushing the wafer 700 on the supporting surface to move.

[0063] Furthermore, in some embodiments, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the first support seat 400 includes a base 410 and a support portion 420, the base 410 is used to be fixedly connected to the mounting plate 100, the support portion 420 is fixed above the base 410, and the top surface of the support portion 420 is the above-mentioned support surface for supporting the wafer 700. On this basis, the pushing mechanism 300 also includes a slide assembly 320, which is mounted on the first support seat 400 (e.g., base 410), and the two ends of the slide assembly 320 are respectively connected to the push portion and the connecting portion; the slide assembly 320 is used to drive the push portion and the connecting portion to move relative to the first support seat 400 (e.g., base 410) along the moving direction of the push portion, that is, the push portion and the connecting portion are movably connected to the first support seat 400 (e.g., base 410) through the slide assembly 320. As shown in FIG. 6 , a mounting groove 414 is provided between the base 410 and the support portion 420 , and the slide assembly 320 is at least partially disposed in the mounting groove 414 ; the support portion 420 is also used to confine the slide assembly 320 in the mounting groove 414 .

[0064] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4 , the connecting portion is a connecting rod 310, and the pushing portion is a column 330. In an embodiment in which the first support seat 400 has a second strip hole 422, the column 330 penetrates the second strip hole 422 and partially protrudes from the support surface. When the pushing mechanism 300 moves, the column 330 moves in the second strip hole 422, thereby pushing the wafer 700 on the support surface to move. One end of the connecting rod 310 is connected to the slide assembly 320, and the other end passes through the through hole of the mounting plate 100 and is penetrated into the first strip hole 221. When the push rod 220 moves, a thrust is applied through the connecting rod 310 to move the pushing mechanism 300, that is, the column 330 is driven by the slide assembly 320 to move relative to the base 410 along the extension direction of the second strip hole 422.

[0065] In some embodiments, a sleeve 311 is provided on the outer periphery of the connecting rod 310 , and the sleeve 311 penetrates into the first strip hole 221 to reduce friction between the side wall of the first strip hole 221 and the connecting rod 310 , thereby reducing wear of the connecting rod 310 .

[0066] Exemplarily, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the base 410 is provided with a base fixing hole 411, and fasteners such as screws and bolts are used to pass through the base fixing hole 411 and the fixing holes on the mounting plate 100 to achieve a fixed connection between the base 410 and the mounting plate 100. The support portion 420 includes a connecting plate and a support platform. The connecting plate is provided with a connecting hole 421 for connecting to the base 410. Fasteners such as screws and bolts are used to pass through the connecting hole 421 and the connecting hole on the base 410 below it to achieve a fixed connection between the connecting plate of the support portion 420 and the base 410. The support platform of the support portion 420 is located on the upper surface of the connecting plate, and the supporting surface is the upper surface of the support platform. The second strip hole 422 runs through the support portion 420, and the column 330 of the pushing mechanism 300 passes through the second strip hole 422 and partially protrudes from the supporting surface.

[0067] As shown in Figure 6, a mounting groove 414 is provided between the base 410 and the support portion 420, and the slide assembly 320 is at least partially disposed in the mounting groove 414. The mounting groove 414 is provided on the upper surface of the base 410, and the slide assembly 320 can be at least partially disposed within the mounting groove 414. The support portion 420 closes the upward opening of the mounting groove 414 to prevent the slide assembly 320 from slipping out of the opening. The sidewalls of the mounting groove 414 and the support portion 420 can limit the movement direction of the slide assembly 320, ensuring that it always moves in a horizontal direction.

[0068] The slide assembly 320 for realizing the above functions can have a variety of structures. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG7 , the slide assembly 320 includes a slide body 323, a connector 322, and a slide rail 321. Among them, a fixing pin is provided on the lower surface of the slide rail 321, and a slide fixing hole 412 is provided on the upper surface of the base 410. The fixing pin is fixedly connected to the base 410 through the slide fixing hole 412. The slide body 323 is arranged above the slide rail 321. As shown in FIG8 , a mounting hole 326 is provided on the lower surface of the slide body 323. There are two connectors 322. The two connectors 322 are fixedly connected to the lower surface of the slide body 323 through two mounting holes 326 respectively. A slide groove is formed between the two connectors 322 and the slide body 323, and the slide rail 321 is located in the slide groove. As shown in FIG8 , the two ends of the slide body 323 are respectively provided with a connecting rod fixing hole 324 and a column fixing hole 325. One end of the connecting rod 310 is disposed in the connecting rod fixing hole 324 to transmit thrust to the slide body 323, thereby enabling the slide body 323 to move along the slide rail 321. One end of the column 330 is disposed in the column fixing hole 325 to be driven by the slide body 323 to move.

[0069] Furthermore, in some embodiments, a limit pin 413 is provided in the mounting groove 414. The limit pin 413 is used to limit the travel of the push portion and the connecting portion driven by the slide assembly 320. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the limit pin 413 is disposed on the bottom surface of the mounting groove 414. There can be two limit pins 413, and the two limit pins 413 are located on the same side of the slide rail 321. The connecting member 322 is located between the two limit pins 413. The two limit pins 413 can limit the connecting member 322, thereby limiting the travel of the slide body 323, thereby limiting the travel of the push portion and the connecting portion.

[0070] In some embodiments, the support surface of the first support base 400 has a relatively low roughness to prevent the support surface from scratching the back of the wafer 700 and reduce particles generated during the movement of the wafer 700. In addition, the edge of the support surface is provided with a transition fillet to prevent the edge of the support surface from damaging the back of the wafer 700.

[0071] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the calibration device further includes a second support base 500, the upper surface of which is a support surface for supporting the wafer 700, that is, the bearing surface of the second support base 500 and the support surface of the first support base 400 are used to jointly support the wafer 700. As shown in Figures 2 and 10, the second support base 500 is provided with a limiting post 510, which is used to limit the wafer 700 together with the pushing portion of the at least two pushing mechanisms 300 when the pushing portion of the at least two pushing mechanisms 300 moves to their respective calibration positions. Specifically, the limiting post 510 protrudes from the supporting surface of the second support base 500 and is used to limit the wafer 700. As shown in Figure 1, the second support base 500 is fixed to the upper surface of the mounting plate 100 (i.e., the rear side of the mounting plate 100 in Figure 1), and the second support base 500 cooperates with the first support base 400 to support the wafer 700. For example, there are two first support bases 400 and two second support bases 500. The two first support bases 400 and the two second support bases 500 can be arranged in a rectangular or isosceles trapezoidal shape. The center of the wafer 700 can be located inside the quadrilateral formed by the two first support bases 400 and the two second support bases 500. The columns 330 in the two first support bases 400 move to push the wafer 700 to the target position, completing the calibration of the position of the wafer 700.

[0072] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG9 , the second support base 500 is provided with a countersunk hole 520. Fasteners such as screws or bolts are passed through the countersunk hole 520 and the mounting holes on the mounting plate 100 to achieve a fixed connection between the second support base 500 and the mounting plate 100. The nuts of the screws or bolts can be accommodated in the countersunk hole 520 to prevent the nuts from contacting the wafer 700. Of course, the number and fixing method of the second support base 500 are not limited to this.

[0073] When the wafer 700 moves to the target position, it is necessary to avoid collision between the wafer 700 and the limiting post 510. In one specific embodiment of the present application, the calibration device is used to calibrate a wafer with a diameter of 300 mm. The distance between the center of the second support 500 and the center of the wafer 700 at the target position is 150.5 mm. When the wafer 700 reaches the target position, there is a preset gap of 0.5 mm between the edge of the wafer 700 and the limiting post 510.

[0074] In other embodiments, the user can set the distance between the center of the second support seat 500 and the center of the wafer 700 at the target position according to the size of the wafer 700. As shown in Figure 3, the size of the stroke of the wafer 700 during the calibration process is equal to S0cosasina, where a is the first preset angle between the extension direction of the first strip hole 221 (for example, the X1 direction shown in Figure 3) and the above-mentioned driving direction, S0 is the stroke of the push rod 220, and the distance between the center of the second support seat 500 and the center of the wafer 700 at the initial position is not less than the sum of the wafer stroke and the wafer diameter. Of course, the above-mentioned preset gap can adopt other sizes, such as 0.1mm to 1mm, which is not limited here.

[0075] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 1, the calibration device also includes a limit portion 101 located in the driving direction of the drive mechanism 200, the limit portion 101 is, for example, provided on the lower surface of the mounting plate 100, and the limit portion 101 is located in the moving direction of the push rod 220, for limiting the stroke of the drive mechanism 200 (e.g., push rod 220), so that when there is a preset gap between the limit column 510 and the wafer 700, the limit drive mechanism 200 (e.g., push rod 220) cannot drive the push portions to continue moving. Specifically, the piston of the driving cylinder pushes the push rod 220 to move until it contacts the limit portion 101. At this time, the wafer 700 reaches the target position, and the wafer 700 does not collide with the limit column 510 of the second support seat 500. Usually, when the wafer 700 reaches the target position, its edge is 0.5±0.1mm away from the two limit columns 510. Of course, the user may also use other methods to limit the stroke of the push rod 220, and the distance between the center of the second support seat 500 and the center of the wafer 700 at the target position may also be set according to user needs, which is not limited here.

[0076] This embodiment prevents the wafer 700 from coming into contact with the limiting post 510 during the calibration process. This prevents damage to the wafer 700 caused by collision between the two, and also prevents damage to the limiting post 510 caused by collision. This prevents the limiting post 510 from developing grooves due to long-term use, thereby extending the service life of the second support 500 and preventing wafer removal failures caused by grooves. Furthermore, this solution prevents the generation of particles during the calibration process, thereby preventing the impact of particles on subsequent processes and improving the yield rate of wafer 700 processing.

[0077] In some embodiments, the uprights 330 of the push mechanism 300 partially protrude from the support surface of the first support base 400, forming a boss. The diameters of the boss and the retaining post 510 can gradually decrease from bottom to top. After the wafer 700 is calibrated, it is necessary to remove the wafer 700. Because the diameters of the boss and the retaining post 510 gradually decrease from bottom to top, the wafer 700 can be prevented from rubbing against the boss and the retaining post 510 during the removal process, thereby preventing damage to the wafer 700.

[0078] In some embodiments, the diameter of the limiting pillars 510 gradually decreases from bottom to top, which can also prevent the wafer 700 from rubbing against the limiting pillars 510 during the wafer removal process, thereby preventing the wafer 700 from being damaged.

[0079] In some embodiments, the material of the first support base 400 and the second support base 500 can be selected from a material with low hardness, low friction, and good wear resistance, such as polytetrafluoroethylene, polyetheretherketone, etc., to prevent the supporting surfaces of the first support base 400 and the second support base 500 from damaging the wafer 700 during the pushing process of the wafer 700, and to prevent friction-generated particles from contaminating the wafer 700. Of course, the user can also select the material of the first support base 400 and the second support base 500 as needed, and there is no limitation here.

[0080] In some embodiments, the calibration device further includes a detection mechanism 600 for detecting the presence of a wafer 700. The drive mechanism (i.e., the drive portion) is configured to drive the push portions of at least two push mechanisms 300 to synchronously move from their respective initial positions to their respective calibration positions after the detection mechanism 600 detects the presence of the wafer 700, thereby calibrating the position of the wafer 700. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the detection mechanism 600 is located on the upper surface of the mounting plate 100. The detection mechanism 600 may include an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver, each of which is located on either side of the placement position of the wafer 700. The infrared light emitted by the infrared transmitter is received by the infrared receiver, indicating that the wafer 700 is not placed in the calibration device. After the wafer 700 is placed, it blocks the infrared light. At this time, the detection mechanism 600 can determine that the wafer 700 is in place, thereby controlling the movement of the drive cylinder to automatically calibrate the position of the wafer 700. The detection mechanism 600 can improve the automation level of the calibration device, reduce the manpower consumption of the calibration process, and improve the calibration efficiency.

[0081] An embodiment of the present application also provides a semiconductor process equipment, as shown in Figure 11, including a front-end chamber (Equipment Front End Module, EFEM) 4, a process chamber (Process Module, PM) 2, a transfer chamber (Transfer Module, TM) 1 and a calibration device 3 in any of the above embodiments. The calibration device 3 is arranged in the transfer chamber 1 and is used to calibrate the position of the wafer.

[0082] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG11 , the semiconductor processing equipment further includes a load port (LP) 5, and a robotic arm 6 is provided in both the front-end chamber 4 and the transfer chamber 1. A wafer is first placed in the load port 5, which then transfers the wafer to the front-end chamber 4. The robotic arm 6 in the front-end chamber 4 moves the wafer to the calibration device 3, which calibrates the wafer's position. The robotic arm 6 in the transfer chamber 1 then moves the wafer to the process chamber 2. After the wafer completes the process in each process chamber 2, the robotic arm 6 moves the processed wafer to the calibration device 3, which again calibrates the wafer's position. The robotic arm 6 in the front-end chamber 4 then removes the wafer from the calibration device 3 and places it in the load port 5. The calibration device 3 calibrates the wafer's position both before and after processing, improving wafer position accuracy and preventing accumulation of position errors, thereby reducing the risk of wafer collisions due to positional deviations.

[0083] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments for illustrating the principles of the present application, and the present application is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit and substance of the present application, and such modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A calibration device for semiconductor process equipment to calibrate the position of a wafer, characterized in that: It includes a propulsion mechanism and a driving mechanism, wherein: The number of the pushing mechanisms is more than two, and the pushing mechanisms include a pushing portion, which can move from its initial position to its calibration position and push the wafer to move during the movement to calibrate the position of the wafer; The driving mechanism is connected to the push parts of at least two of the pushing mechanisms, and is used to drive the push parts of at least two of the pushing mechanisms to move synchronously between their respective initial positions and their respective calibration positions.

2. The calibration device according to claim 1, characterized in that: There is an angle between the moving directions of each adjacent two of the pushing parts of at least two of the pushing mechanisms, so that each adjacent two gradually approach or move away from each other during the movement; the moving direction is the direction from one to the other of the initial position and the calibration position of the pushing part.

3. The calibration device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The driving mechanism comprises a driving part and a transmission assembly, wherein the driving part is used to provide linear power to the transmission assembly; The transmission assembly is used to convert the linear power provided by the driving part into power for the pushing parts of each pushing mechanism to move synchronously between the initial position and the calibration position.

4. The calibration device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The transmission assembly includes a push rod, and the driving part is connected to the push rod, and is used to drive the push rod to move along the driving direction of the driving part; The push rod is provided with first strip holes, the number of the first strip holes is equal to the number of the pushing mechanism, the pushing mechanism also includes a connecting portion fixedly connected to the push portion, the connecting portion is partially arranged in the corresponding first strip hole, the extension direction of the first strip hole is the same as the extension direction of the driving mechanism. There is a first preset angle in the direction, and there is a second preset angle between the extension direction of the first strip hole and the moving direction of the corresponding pushing portion, so that during the movement of the push rod along the driving direction, the connecting portion and the corresponding first strip hole can move relative to each other along the extension direction of the first strip hole, and at the same time, the hole wall of the first strip hole can drive the pushing portion to move between the initial position and the calibration position through the corresponding connecting portion.

5. The calibration device according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a plurality of first support seats, each of which is movably connected to each of the push portions in a one-to-one correspondence, and each of the first support seats is configured to limit the moving direction of the push portion when the push portion moves relative to the corresponding first support seat; The first support seat has a support surface for supporting the wafer; the push portion partially protrudes from the corresponding support surface of the first support seat.

6. The calibration device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first support seat has a second strip-shaped hole, the second strip-shaped hole extends along the moving direction of the corresponding pushing portion, the pushing portion is partially disposed in the second strip-shaped hole, and can move along the second strip-shaped hole.

7. The calibration device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first support seat includes a base and a support portion, the base is used to be fixedly connected to the mounting plate, the support portion is fixed above the base, and the top surface of the support portion is the support surface; The pushing mechanism further includes a slide assembly, which is mounted on the first support seat, and the two ends of the slide assembly are respectively connected to the push portion and the connecting portion; the slide assembly is used to drive the push portion and the connecting portion to move relative to the first support seat along the moving direction of the push portion; A mounting groove is provided between the base and the support portion, and the slide assembly is at least partially disposed in the mounting groove; the support portion is also used to restrict the slide assembly in the mounting groove.

8. The calibration device according to claim 7, characterized in that: A limit pin is provided in the installation groove, and the limit pin is used to limit the travel of the slide assembly to drive the push part and the connecting part to move.

9. The calibration device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: It also includes at least one second support seat, which is provided with a limiting column. The limiting column is used to limit the wafer together with the pushing parts of at least two pushing mechanisms when the pushing parts of at least two pushing mechanisms move to their respective calibration positions.

10. The calibration device according to claim 9, characterized in that: It also includes a limiting portion located in the driving direction of the driving mechanism, and the limiting portion is used to limit the stroke of the driving mechanism, so as to limit the driving mechanism from being able to drive the pushing portions to continue moving when there is a preset gap between the limiting column and the wafer.

11. The calibration device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The width of the preset gap is greater than or equal to 0.1 mm and less than or equal to 1 mm.

12. The calibration device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The diameter of the limiting column gradually decreases from bottom to top.

13. The calibration device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: It also includes a detection mechanism for detecting whether a wafer exists, and the driving mechanism is used to drive the pushing parts of at least two pushing mechanisms to synchronously move from their respective initial positions to their respective calibration positions after the detection mechanism detects the existence of the wafer.

14. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: It comprises a front-end chamber, a process chamber, a transfer chamber and a calibration device as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the calibration device is arranged in the transfer chamber and is used to calibrate the position of the wafer.

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