Semiconductor process chamber and lifting mechanism therefor

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing, and discloses a semiconductor process chamber and a lifting mechanism therefor. The disclosed lifting mechanism comprises an ejector pin assembly, a first driving source, and a second driving source. The first driving source is connected to the ejector pin assembly. The second driving source is used to be connected to a chamber body of the semiconductor process chamber, and a telescopic end of the second driving source is connected to the first driving source. The second driving source drives the first driving source to lift and lower between positions having different heights, and the first driving source is used for driving the ejector pin assembly at the positions having different heights, so that the ejector pin assembly is lifted and lowered between a plurality of process positions. The above solution can solve the problem of the process position of a wafer being difficult to adjust by means of the lifting mechanism.

Description

Semiconductor process chamber and lifting mechanism thereof Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of semiconductor processing technology, and specifically relates to a semiconductor process chamber and a lifting mechanism thereof. Background Art

[0002] At present, the application scope of semiconductor devices is becoming wider and wider, and improving the production yield of semiconductor devices has become one of the important production goals of semiconductor devices. This puts higher requirements on the processing technology of semiconductor devices and the semiconductor process equipment used to process semiconductor devices.

[0003] Semiconductor processing equipment primarily consists of a process chamber, a wafer carrier, and a lifting mechanism. The wafer carrier is located within the process chamber, upon which wafers used to manufacture semiconductor devices are placed. The lifting mechanism is connected to the wafer carrier. During operation, one end of the lifting mechanism passes through the wafer carrier and applies force to the wafer, raising or lowering it, thereby changing its position within the process chamber to match process requirements.

[0004] During the wafer processing process, some processing techniques (such as the debonding process) include multiple steps. At different steps, the process temperature required for the wafer is different. Therefore, the lifting mechanism needs to drive the wafer to different process positions. At different process positions, the distance between the wafer and the heating device is different, so that the process temperature that the wafer can reach is also different.

[0005] The aforementioned lifting mechanism mainly includes a cylinder, which is usually provided with three air vents, each of which is spaced apart in the vertical direction. By supplying air to different air vents, the telescopic end of the cylinder can be switched between the highest position, the middle position, and the lowest position. The telescopic end can drive the wafer to move up and down, thereby moving the wafer to different process positions. However, when the process chamber is in an atmospheric state, when the wafer is lowered from the highest position to the lowest position, air must be supplied to the top and middle air vents of the cylinder at the same time. At this time, the air pressure inside the cylinder is balanced, and the telescopic end cannot be extended or retracted, and thus cannot drive the wafer to move up and down. Therefore, it can be seen that this type of lifting mechanism is difficult to adjust the wafer process position. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application discloses a semiconductor process chamber and a lifting mechanism thereof, so as to solve the problem that it is difficult for the lifting mechanism to adjust the process position of a wafer.

[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems, this application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application discloses a lifting mechanism for a semiconductor process chamber, the lifting mechanism including a pin assembly; a first driving source, drivingly connected to the pin assembly; a second driving source, used to be connected to a chamber body of the semiconductor process chamber, and the telescopic end of the second driving source is connected to the first driving source, the second driving source drives the first driving source to lift and lower between positions at different heights, and the first driving source is used to drive the pin assembly at positions at different heights so that the pin assembly can be lifted and lowered between multiple process positions.

[0009] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application discloses a semiconductor process chamber, comprising a chamber body and the above-mentioned lifting mechanism, wherein the lifting mechanism is connected to the chamber body.

[0010] The technical solution adopted in this application can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0011] In the present application, the second driving source can drive the first driving source to rise and fall between positions at different heights. Therefore, through the combination of the first driving source and the second driving source, the ejector pin assembly can be raised and lowered between multiple process positions, thereby adjusting the process position of the wafer. It can be seen that the present application decomposes the multiple process positions of the wafer into the first driving source and the second driving source, that is, the wafer is raised and lowered between multiple process positions through the combination between the first driving source and the second driving source, so that the positions that the first driving source and the second driving source need to reach are reduced, and it is not easy to cause the wafer to be unable to rise and fall due to air pressure balance. Therefore, the technical solution disclosed in the present application can solve the problem that it is difficult for the lifting mechanism to adjust the wafer process position. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments or descriptions of the prior art in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0013] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a lifting mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0014] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a lifting mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0015] FIG3 is an exploded view of the lifting mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0016] 4 and 5 are schematic structural diagrams of the lifting mechanism disclosed in the embodiment of the present application when it is in the first process position;

[0017] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of the lifting mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of the present application when it is in a second process position;

[0018] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of the lifting mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of the present application when it is in the third process position;

[0019] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of an ejector pin of a lifting mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of the needle disk of the lifting mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of the present application.

[0021] Explanation of Reference Numerals: 100 - ejector pin assembly, 110 - needle plate, 111 - second positioning portion, 112 - mounting groove, 113 - threaded hole, 120 - ejector pin, 121 - first positioning portion, 122 - mounting platform, 122a - mounting hole; 200 - bellows assembly, 210 - bellows shaft, 220 - bellows flange; 300 - first pneumatic drive source, 310 - first body, 311 - first vent hole, 312 - second vent hole, 320 - first slider, 330 - first hydraulic limiting column, 340 - second hydraulic limiting column; 400 - second pneumatic drive source, 410 - second body, 411 - third vent hole, 412 - fourth vent hole, 420 - second slider, 430 - third hydraulic limiting column, 440 - fourth hydraulic limiting column; 500 - buffer pad; 600 - first connecting plate, 610 - first plate segment, 620 - second plate segment; 700 - second connecting plate, 710 - third plate segment, 720 - fourth plate segment; 810 - first fastener, 820 - second fastener, 830 - third fastener, 840 - fourth fastener, 850 - fifth fastener, 860 - sixth fastener, 870 - seventh fastener, 880 - eighth fastener; 900 - wafer carrier, 901 - chamber body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of this application more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0023] The semiconductor process chamber and its lifting mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and their application scenarios in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0024] Referring to Figures 1-9, an embodiment of the present application discloses a lifting mechanism for a semiconductor process chamber, wherein the semiconductor process chamber includes: a chamber body 901 and a wafer carrier 900 disposed within the chamber body 901, the lifting mechanism includes a pin assembly 100, a first drive source, and a second drive source, wherein: one end of the pin assembly 100 can pass through the wafer carrier 900 and apply a force to the wafer carried on the wafer carrier 900, thereby driving the wafer to be lifted and lowered, wherein the wafer carrier 900 here can specifically be a component capable of carrying a wafer, such as an electrostatic chuck or a mechanical chuck; the first drive source is connected to the pin assembly 100 for driving; the second drive source is used to be connected to the chamber body 901, and the telescopic end of the second drive source is connected to the first drive source. When in use, the second drive source drives the first drive source to lift and lower between positions at different heights, and the first drive source is used to drive the pin assembly 100 at positions at different heights, so that the pin assembly 100 can be lifted and lowered between multiple process positions.

[0025] The second drive source is mounted on the chamber body 901, and its output driving force can be transmitted to the first drive source. With this arrangement, the second drive source can drive the first drive source as a whole to rise and fall between positions at different heights. This overall rise and fall of the first drive source can also drive the ejector assembly 100 to rise and fall. Simultaneously, when the first drive source is located at different heights, it can also drive the ejector assembly 100 to rise and fall. Thus, by combining the various motion modes of the first and second drive sources, the ejector assembly 100 can be raised and lowered between multiple process positions. In this case, the first and second drive sources can achieve segmented drive of the ejector assembly 100, thereby enabling the ejector assembly 100 to rise and fall between multiple process positions.

[0026] In an embodiment of the present application, the second driving source can drive the first driving source to rise and fall between positions at different heights. Therefore, through the combination of the first driving source and the second driving source, the ejector assembly 100 can be raised and lowered between multiple process positions, thereby adjusting the process position of the wafer. It can be seen that the embodiment of the present application decomposes the multiple process positions of the wafer into the first driving source and the second driving source, that is, the wafer is raised and lowered between multiple process positions through the combination between the first driving source and the second driving source, so that the positions that the first driving source and the second driving source need to reach are reduced, and it is not easy for the wafer to be unable to rise and fall due to air pressure balance. Therefore, the technical solution disclosed in the embodiment of the present application can solve the problem that it is difficult for the lifting mechanism to adjust the process position of the wafer.

[0027] In some embodiments, the first drive source and the second drive source are used to convert fluid pressure into mechanical energy to drive the ejector assembly 100 to rise and fall. In other words, the first drive source and the second drive source are devices driven by fluid pressure, illustratively, a pneumatic drive source or a hydraulic drive source, wherein the pneumatic drive source can be a cylinder, a pneumatic slide, etc.; the hydraulic drive source can be a hydraulic cylinder or a hydraulic slide, etc. In this way, the wafer can be lifted and lowered between multiple process positions through the combination of the first drive source and the second drive source, so that the positions that the first drive source and the second drive source need to reach are reduced, and the air or liquid supply method of the first drive source and the second drive source will be simplified, so it is not easy to cause the wafer to be unable to rise and fall due to air pressure or hydraulic balance. Therefore, the technical solution disclosed in the embodiment of the present application can solve the problem that it is difficult for the lifting mechanism to adjust the wafer process position.

[0028] It should be noted that in the above embodiment, the first driving source and the second driving source can both be driven by air pressure, or both be driven by hydraulic pressure, or one of them can be driven by air pressure and the other by hydraulic pressure, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0029] It should also be noted that, in the above embodiment, the first driving source and the second driving source are used to convert fluid pressure into mechanical energy to drive the ejector assembly 100 to move up and down, but this is also not restrictive. In some other embodiments not shown in the figures, one of the first driving source and the second driving source can be driven by fluid pressure, or both can be driven by other methods, which is not limited here.

[0030] The following uses the example of the first driving source and the second driving source both being driven by air pressure to further illustrate the structure and working principle of the present application:

[0031] In this embodiment, the first driving source is a first pneumatic driving source 300, and the second driving source is a second pneumatic driving source 400. Both are connected to the bellows assembly 200, thereby applying driving force to the bellows assembly 200. The bellows assembly 200 is connected to the ejector assembly 100 and is used to transmit the force to the ejector assembly 100, so that the first pneumatic driving source 300 and the second pneumatic driving source 400 drive the ejector assembly 100 to move up and down through the bellows assembly 200. At the same time, the bellows assembly 200 is sealedly connected to the chamber body 901 of the semiconductor process chamber, thereby transmitting the force while also ensuring the sealing of the chamber body 901.

[0032] The bellows assembly 200 includes a liftable bellows shaft 210, through which the ejector assembly 100 is connected to the first pneumatic drive source 300. In other words, the bellows shaft 210 is connected to the ejector assembly 100 and the first pneumatic drive source 300, respectively, thereby transmitting the driving force to the ejector assembly 100 via the bellows shaft 210. The second pneumatic drive source 400 is used to connect to the chamber body 901 of the semiconductor process chamber, and the telescopic end of the second pneumatic drive source 400 is connected to the first pneumatic drive source 300. In other words, the second pneumatic drive source 400 is installed on the chamber body 901, and the driving force it outputs can be transmitted to the first pneumatic drive source 300. With this arrangement, the second pneumatic drive source 400 can drive the first pneumatic drive source 300 to rise and fall as a whole. This overall rise and fall of the first pneumatic drive source 300 can drive the bellows shaft 210 to rise and fall. Simultaneously, when the telescopic end of the first pneumatic drive source 300 is extended or retracted, it can also drive the bellows shaft 210 to rise and fall. Thus, by combining the various motions of the first and second pneumatic drive sources 300 and 400, the ejector assembly 100 can be raised and lowered between multiple process positions. In this manner, the first and second pneumatic drive sources 300 and 400 can achieve segmented drive of the ejector assembly 100, thereby enabling the ejector assembly 100 to rise and fall between multiple process positions.

[0033] In the embodiment of the present application, the second pneumatic drive source 400 can drive the first pneumatic drive source 300 to rise and fall, and the first pneumatic drive source 300 can drive the bellows shaft 210 to rise and fall. Therefore, by the combination of the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400, the ejector assembly 100 can be made to rise and fall between multiple process positions, thereby adjusting the process position of the wafer. It can be seen from this that the embodiment of the present application decomposes the multiple process positions of the wafer into the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400, that is, by the combination between the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400, the wafer is lifted and lowered between multiple process positions, so that the positions required to be reached by the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400 are reduced. In this way, the air supply mode of the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400 will be simplified, and it is not easy to cause the wafer to be unable to rise and fall due to air pressure balance. Therefore, the technical solution disclosed in the embodiment of the present application can solve the problem of the difficulty of the lifting mechanism in adjusting the wafer process position.

[0034] As can be seen from the above, after the ejector assembly 100 is driven by the combination of the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400, the lifting and lowering movement of the ejector assembly 100 is not easily affected by the pressure environment within the chamber body 901. Therefore, regardless of whether the chamber body 901 is in an atmospheric state or a vacuum state, the process position of the ejector assembly 100 can be flexibly and accurately switched. In addition, the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400 are relatively independent, so the parameters of the two can also be adjusted independently. For example, if it is desired to adjust the speed at which the ejector assembly 100 switches between different process positions, the relevant valves of the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400 (such as the throttle valve mentioned later) can be controlled separately. The parameter adjustment processes of the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400 will not interfere with each other, thereby reducing the difficulty of parameter adjustment and improving the accuracy of parameter adjustment.

[0035] For example, both the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400 can be pneumatic cylinders. In this case, a guide structure can be additionally provided to guide the lifting and lowering of the ejector assembly 100. In other embodiments, at least one of the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400 is a pneumatic slide. Since the pneumatic slide itself has both driving and guiding functions, the use of a pneumatic slide eliminates the need for an additional guide structure, reduces the number of parts in the lifting mechanism, simplifies the structure and assembly and disassembly process of the lifting mechanism, and alleviates the error accumulation caused by an excessively long transmission path, thereby improving the transmission accuracy of the lifting mechanism.

[0036] In some embodiments, the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400 are both pneumatic slides. The first pneumatic drive source 300 includes a first body 310 and a first slider 320. The first slider 320 is slidably connected to the first body 310 along the lifting direction of the ejector assembly 100 and is connected to the bellows shaft 210. The second pneumatic drive source 400 includes a second body 410 and a second slider 420. The second slider 420 is slidably connected to the second body 410 along the lifting direction of the ejector assembly 100 and is connected to the first body 310. The second slider 420 is used to connect to the chamber body 901. For example, the first body 310 can be provided with a first guide rail extending along the lifting direction of the ejector assembly 100, and the first slider 320 slidably cooperates with the first guide rail; the second body 410 can be provided with a second guide rail extending along the lifting direction of the ejector assembly 100, and the second slider 420 slidably cooperates with the second guide rail. Since the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400 are both pneumatic slides, the number of components included in the lifting mechanism will be further reduced.

[0037] The first body 310 may be provided with a first vent hole 311 and a second vent hole 312. The first vent hole 311 and the second vent hole 312 are spaced apart along the lifting direction of the ejector assembly 100. When air is inflated into one of the first vent hole 311 and the second vent hole 312, air is exhausted from the other, thereby enabling the first slider 320 to slide relative to the first body 310. Similarly, the second body 410 may be provided with a third vent hole 411 and a fourth vent hole 412. The third vent hole 411 and the fourth vent hole 412 are spaced apart along the lifting direction of the ejector assembly 100. When air is inflated into one of the third vent hole 411 and the fourth vent hole 412, air is exhausted from the other, thereby enabling the second body 410 to slide relative to the second slider 420. The first vent hole 311, the second vent hole 312, the third vent hole 411 and the fourth vent hole 412 can be arranged on the same side to facilitate the arrangement of the pipeline. Of course, the four can also be arranged on different sides of the first body 310 and the second body 410. This embodiment of the application does not limit this.

[0038] In order to adjust the lifting speed of the ejector assembly 100, a throttle valve can be provided at at least one of the first vent hole 311, the second vent hole 312, the third vent hole 411 and the fourth vent hole 412. By adjusting the opening of the throttle valve, the lifting speed of the ejector assembly 100 can be adjusted.

[0039] In a further embodiment, since the second slider 420 is fixed relative to the chamber body 901, the second body 410 can slide relative to the second slider 420 and the chamber body 901. The sliding of the second body 410 drives the first body 310 and the first slider 320 of the first pneumatic drive source 300 to rise and fall. Simultaneously, the first slider 320 can slide relative to the first body 310. Therefore, as long as at least one of the first body 310, the second body 410, and the first slider 320 moves, the ejector assembly 100 can be driven to rise and fall. Because the second body 410 is connected to the first body 310, and the first and second bodies 310 and 410 are relatively large, the connection area between them is large. Therefore, the stability of the first body 310, the second body 410, and the first slider 320 during movement is high. Of course, this is not restrictive. In other embodiments not shown in the figures, a configuration in which the second slider 420 is connected to the first body 310 and the second body 410 is connected to the chamber body 901 can also be adopted. This is not a limitation of the present application.

[0040] The working positions of the first body 310, second body 410, and first slider 320 can be flexibly selected, thereby allowing for three, four, or even more process positions to be combined. In one embodiment, the first slider 320 has a first upper limit position and a first lower limit position relative to the first body 310, and the second body 410 has a second upper limit position and a second lower limit position relative to the second slider 420. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, when the first slider 320 is in the first lower limit position relative to the first body 310 and the second body 410 is in the second lower limit position relative to the second slider 420, the ejector assembly 100 is in the first process position. As shown in Figure 6, when the first slider 320 is in the first upper limit position relative to the first body 310 and the second body 410 is in the second lower limit position relative to the second slider 420, the ejector assembly 100 is in the second process position. As shown in Figure 7, when the first slider 320 is in the first upper limit position relative to the first body 310 and the second body 410 is in the second upper limit position relative to the second slider 420, the ejector assembly 100 is in the third process position. The heights of the first process position, the second process position, and the third process position increase in sequence. For example, the first process position may be a wafer transfer position, while the second process position and the third process position may be positions for performing processing. For example, the processing here may be a degumming process corresponding to different process temperatures.

[0041] The above embodiment can combine at least three process positions through the upper and lower limit positions of the first slider 320 and the upper and lower limit positions of the second body 410. This setting scheme is sufficient to meet the process requirements of the wafer. At the same time, the first slider 320 and the second body 410 can both switch between two working positions, and the control of the two is simpler, which makes the adjustment of the wafer process position easier and the adjustment accuracy of the wafer process position higher.

[0042] In order to achieve the limiting of the above-mentioned pneumatic slide during the extension and retraction process, as shown in Figure 2, the first pneumatic drive source 300 also includes a first hydraulic limiting column 330 and a second hydraulic limiting column 340. The first hydraulic limiting column 330 and the second hydraulic limiting column 340 are arranged at intervals on the first body 310 along the lifting direction of the ejector assembly 100. In other words, the first hydraulic limiting column 330 and the second hydraulic limiting column 340 are both arranged on the first body 310 along the lifting direction of the ejector assembly 100, and the first hydraulic limiting column 330 and the second hydraulic limiting column 340 are distributed at intervals along the lifting direction of the ejector assembly 100. At least a portion of the first slider 320 is located between the first hydraulic limiting column 330 and the second hydraulic limiting column 340. The first slider 320 can be limited and cooperated with the first hydraulic limiting column 330 and the second hydraulic limiting column 340 respectively along the lifting direction of the ejector assembly 100, thereby limiting the relative position of the first slider 320 and the first body 310. Similarly, the second pneumatic drive source 400 also includes a third hydraulic limit column 430 and a fourth hydraulic limit column 440, and the third hydraulic limit column 430 and the fourth hydraulic limit column 440 are arranged at intervals on the second body 410 along the lifting direction of the ejector assembly 100. In other words, the third hydraulic limit column 430 and the fourth hydraulic limit column 440 are both arranged on the second body 410 along the lifting direction of the ejector assembly 100, and the third hydraulic limit column 430 and the fourth hydraulic limit column 440 are distributed at intervals along the lifting direction of the ejector assembly 100, and at least a portion of the second slider 420 is located between the third hydraulic limit column 430 and the fourth hydraulic limit column 440, and the second slider 420 can be respectively limited and cooperated with the third hydraulic limit column 430 and the fourth hydraulic limit column 440 along the lifting direction of the ejector assembly 100, thereby limiting the relative position of the second slider 420 and the second body 410.

[0043] Of course, the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400 can also use structures such as photoelectric sensors and blocks to achieve positioning, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this. Relatively speaking, after the first hydraulic limiting column 330 and the second hydraulic limiting column 340 come into contact with the first slider 320, the first hydraulic limiting column 330 and the second hydraulic limiting column 340 can buffer the force generated during the collision, thereby preventing the first body 310 and the first slider 320 from being damaged due to the collision. Similarly, after the third hydraulic limiting column 430 and the fourth hydraulic limiting column 440 come into contact with the second slider 420, the third hydraulic limiting column 430 and the fourth hydraulic limiting column 440 can buffer the force generated during the collision, thereby preventing the second body 410 and the second slider 420 from being damaged due to the collision.

[0044] Furthermore, the lifting mechanism further includes a buffer pad 500 , which is disposed between the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400 , and the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400 are attached to each other via the buffer pad 500 .

[0045] In some embodiments, the first body 310 and the second body 410 are stacked, that is, fixedly connected. In other words, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first body 310 and the second body 410 are positioned adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction, and the cushion 500 is positioned between the first body 310 and the second body 410. For example, the two opposing surfaces of the cushion 500 may be respectively in contact with the first body 310 and the second body 410, or other components may be positioned between the cushion 500 and the first body 310 and between the cushion 500 and the second body 410. The cushion 500 may be made of an elastic material such as rubber. The cushion 500 provides a cushioning effect, absorbing the forces acting between the first body 310 and the second body 410, thereby ensuring greater stability and reducing noise during the lifting and lowering of the ejector assembly 100. It should be noted that the cushion 500 may completely cover the first body 310 and the second body 410, or only partially cover the first body 310 and the second body 410.

[0046] In some embodiments, the first pneumatic drive source 300 can be directly connected to the bellows shaft 210. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lifting mechanism further includes a first connecting plate 600, which includes a first plate segment 610 and a second plate segment 620 that are connected and relatively bent. The first plate segment 610 is connected to the first end of the bellows shaft 210, and the second plate segment 620 is connected to the first pneumatic drive source 300. Specifically, the second plate segment 620 is connected to the first slider 320 described above. In this case, the first pneumatic drive source 300 is connected to the bellows shaft 210 via the first connecting plate 600. The first connecting plate 600 is a bent plate that can serve as a transfer, thereby facilitating the connection between the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the bellows shaft 210.

[0047] Similarly, in other embodiments, the second pneumatic drive source 400 can be directly connected to the chamber body 901. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lifting mechanism further includes a second connecting plate 700, which includes a third plate segment 710 and a fourth plate segment 720 that are connected and relatively bent. The third plate segment 710 is connected to the chamber body 901, and the fourth plate segment 720 is connected to the second pneumatic drive source 400. Specifically, the fourth plate segment 720 is connected to the second slider 420 described above. In this case, the second pneumatic drive source 400 is connected to the chamber body 901 via the second connecting plate 700. The second connecting plate 700 is a bent plate that can serve as a transfer, thereby facilitating the connection between the second pneumatic drive source 400 and the chamber body 901.

[0048] For example, the first plate segment 610, the second plate segment 620, the third plate segment 710, and the fourth plate segment 720 may all be flat plate structures. The first plate segment 610 may be vertically connected to the second plate segment 620, and the third plate segment 710 may be vertically connected to the fourth plate segment 720. The first plate segment 610 and the third plate segment 710 both extend horizontally, and the second plate segment 620 and the fourth plate segment 720 both extend vertically. Of course, this is not restrictive. In some other embodiments not shown in the figures, the first plate segment 610 may also be connected to the second plate segment 620 at an acute angle or an obtuse angle, and the third plate segment 710 may also be connected to the fourth plate segment 720 at an acute angle or an obtuse angle. This application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0049] As shown in FIG6 , to facilitate the connection between the bellows shaft 210 and the chamber body 901, in the embodiment shown in FIG1 , the bellows assembly 200 further includes a bellows flange 220. The bellows flange 220 is sleeved on the outside of the bellows shaft 210. The bellows shaft 210 can move up and down relative to the bellows flange 220, and the bellows flange 220 is used to connect to the chamber body 901. When the lifting mechanism includes both the first connecting plate 600 and the second connecting plate 700, the relative positions of the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400 and the first connecting plate 600 and the second connecting plate 700 can be flexibly selected. For example, the first connecting plate 600 and the second connecting plate 700 can be located on the same side of the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400 are both located between the second plate segment 620 and the fourth plate segment 720. At this time, the second plate segment 620 and the fourth plate segment 720 can protect the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400 to prevent both from being damaged by external forces. In addition, the first connecting plate 600 and the second connecting plate 700 are respectively located on both sides of the bellows shaft 210, and at least one of the first pneumatic drive source 300 and the second pneumatic drive source 400 is located below the bellows shaft 210, so that the four are basically distributed on both sides of the bellows shaft 210, and the force on the entire lifting mechanism is more balanced, and it can be lifted and lowered more stably.

[0050] To facilitate assembly and disassembly of the lifting mechanism, in the embodiment shown in FIG3 , the first plate segment 610 can be connected to the bellows shaft 210 via a plurality of first locating members and a plurality of second fasteners 820; the second plate segment 620 can be connected to the first slider 320 via a plurality of third fasteners 830; the third plate segment 710 can be connected to the bellows flange 220 via a plurality of second locating members and a plurality of fourth fasteners 840; the fourth plate segment 720 can be connected to the second slider 420 via a plurality of third locating members and a plurality of fifth fasteners 850; the first body 310 and the second body 410 can be connected via a plurality of sixth fasteners 860; and the bellows flange 220 can be connected to the chamber body 901 via a plurality of seventh fasteners 870. For example, the second fasteners 820, the third fasteners 830, the fourth fasteners 840, the fifth fasteners 850, the sixth fasteners 860, and the seventh fasteners 870 can all be threaded fasteners, and the first locating member, the second locating member, and the third locating member can all be locating pins.

[0051] In some embodiments, the ejector assembly 100 may include a needle disk 110 and three ejector pins 120, each of which is arranged at intervals along the circumference of the needle disk 110. Each ejector pin 120 can simultaneously apply a force to the wafer, thereby more reliably supporting the wafer. The bottom end of the ejector pin 120 can be provided with a thread, and the bottom end can directly engage with the thread of the needle disk 110, thereby achieving the connection between the ejector pin 120 and the needle disk 110. In the embodiment shown in Figures 8 and 9, the bottom end of the ejector pin 120 is provided with a first positioning portion 121 and a mounting platform 122, and the needle disk 110 is provided with a second positioning portion 111. The first positioning portion 121 is positioned and engaged with the second positioning portion 111. The mounting platform 122 protrudes relative to the outer peripheral surface of the ejector pin 120 and is connected to the needle disk 110. To install ejector pin 120, first, first, the first positioning portion 121 and the second positioning portion 111 cooperate to position ejector pin 120 on needle plate 110. Then, mounting base 122 is connected to needle plate 110 to complete installation of ejector pin 120. This embodiment eliminates the need for threads on ejector pin 120, making it easier to manufacture. This is especially true for thinner ejector pins 120. Eliminating threads not only facilitates machining of ejector pin 120 but also prevents damage to ejector pin 120 after repeated assembly and disassembly. This arrangement also extends the service life of ejector pin 120.

[0052] One of the first positioning portion 121 and the second positioning portion 111 can be a positioning post, and the other can be a positioning hole. The positioning post and the positioning hole can be plugged into each other to achieve positioning and matching between the two. When the first positioning portion 121 is a positioning post, the first positioning portion 121 can protrude toward the side of the needle disk 110 relative to the mounting base 122. In addition, the mounting base 122 can be connected to the needle disk 110 via an eighth fastener 880. The eighth fastener 880 can be a threaded fastener. The mounting base 122 can be provided with a mounting hole 122a. One end of the eighth fastener 880 can pass through the mounting hole 122a and threadably engage with the threaded hole 113 provided on the needle disk 110, thereby achieving connection between the mounting base 122 and the needle disk 110.

[0053] In some embodiments, the upper surface of needle disk 110 can be flat. In the embodiment shown in FIG9 , needle disk 110 further comprises a mounting groove 112, the bottom wall of which is provided with a second positioning portion 111. At least a portion of mounting platform 122 is positioned within mounting groove 112. During installation of ejector pin 120, mounting groove 112 serves as a pre-positioning mechanism. Therefore, during assembly, at least a portion of mounting platform 122 can be placed within mounting groove 112, allowing ejector pin 120 to be more quickly positioned in the desired position and thus installed more quickly. Furthermore, after ejector pin 120 is installed, mounting groove 112 provides additional positioning for mounting platform 122, further preventing ejector pin 120 from moving relative to needle disk 110 and ensuring greater positioning accuracy for ejector pin 120. Furthermore, the mounting groove 112 may be provided with a notch so that it extends to the edge of the needle plate 110 . With this arrangement, the mounting platform 122 of the ejector pin 120 may slide horizontally into the mounting groove 112 through the notch, thereby facilitating the installation of the ejector pin 120 .

[0054] It should be noted that the number of the ejector pins 120 is at least two. Only a part of the ejector pins 120 may adopt the above structure, or all of the ejector pins 120 may adopt the above structure. In this case, the second positioning portion 111 and the mounting groove 112 on the needle plate 110 may correspond one-to-one to each ejector pin 120.

[0055] As previously described, the ejector assembly 100 may include a needle disk 110 and three ejector pins 120, each of which is arranged at intervals along the circumference of the needle disk 110. The needle disk 110 and the bellows shaft 210 may be connected via an additional component, or the end surface of the second end of the bellows shaft 210 may be in contact with the lower surface of the needle disk 110, and the second end of the bellows shaft 210 may be connected to the needle disk 110 via a first fastener 810. In this embodiment, the needle disk 110 is directly connected to the bellows shaft 210, thereby reducing the number of parts included in the lifting mechanism, thereby further simplifying the structure and assembly and disassembly procedures of the lifting mechanism, and further alleviating the error accumulation caused by an excessively long transmission path, thereby improving the transmission accuracy of the lifting mechanism. Optionally, the number of first fasteners 810 may be one or more, and the first fasteners 810 may specifically be threaded fasteners.

[0056] It should be noted that in the above embodiment, there are three ejector pins 120, but this is not restrictive. In other embodiments not shown, there may be two ejector pins 120, with the two ejector pins 120 positioned opposite each other. A support portion may be provided at the top of each ejector pin 120 to expand the support surface of the ejector pin 120 and ensure the stability of the wafer. In other embodiments not shown, the number of ejector pins 120 may also be four, five, etc., and this application does not impose any limitation thereto.

[0057] An embodiment of the present application further discloses a semiconductor process chamber, which includes a chamber body 901 and the lifting mechanism described in any of the above embodiments, wherein the lifting mechanism is connected to the chamber body 901 .

[0058] The above embodiments of this application focus on the differences between the various embodiments. As long as the different optimization features between the various embodiments are not contradictory, they can be combined to form a better embodiment. Considering the simplicity of the text, they will not be repeated here.

[0059] The foregoing is merely an embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various changes and variations. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application should all be included within the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A lifting mechanism for a semiconductor process chamber, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism comprises: Ejector assembly; A first driving source, drivingly connected to the ejector assembly; a second driving source, used to be connected to the chamber body of the semiconductor process chamber, and a telescopic end of the second driving source is connected to the first driving source, The second driving source drives the first driving source to move up and down between positions at different heights, and the first driving source is used to drive the ejector pin assembly at positions at different heights so that the ejector pin assembly can move up and down between multiple process positions.

2. The lifting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism further comprises: a bellows assembly, wherein the bellows comprises: The bellows shaft is connected between the first driving source and the ejector assembly. The first driving source drives the bellows shaft to move the ejector assembly upward and downward.

3. The lifting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first driving source and / or the second driving source is a slide table.

4. The lifting mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first driving source comprises: A first body connected to the telescopic end of the second driving source; The first sliding block is slidably connected to the first body along the lifting direction of the ejector assembly, and the first sliding block is connected to the bellows shaft.

5. The lifting mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first driving source further comprises: A first hydraulic limiting column, arranged on the first body; The second hydraulic limit column is arranged on the first body and is spaced apart from the first hydraulic limit column in the lifting direction. At least part of the first slider is located between the first hydraulic limit column and the second hydraulic limit column, and the first slider is used to cooperate with the first hydraulic limit column and the second hydraulic limit column respectively.

6. The lifting mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism also includes: A first connecting plate comprises a first plate segment and a second plate segment which are connected and bent relative to each other, wherein the first plate segment is connected to one end of the bellows shaft, and the second plate segment is connected to the first driving source, so that the first driving source drives the bellows shaft through the first connecting plate; or The second connecting plate includes a third plate segment and a fourth plate segment which are connected and relatively bent, wherein the third plate segment is connected to the chamber body, and the fourth plate segment is connected to the second driving source.

7. The lifting mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bellows assembly further comprises: a bellows flange, which is sleeved outside the bellows shaft, and the bellows flange is used to be connected to the chamber body; The lifting mechanism also includes: A first connecting plate, comprising a first plate segment and a second plate segment connected and relatively bent, wherein the first plate segment is connected to one end of the bellows shaft, and the second plate segment is connected to the first driving source, so that the first driving source drives the bellows shaft through the first connecting plate; The second connecting plate includes a third plate segment and a fourth plate segment that are connected and relatively bent, the third plate segment is connected to the bellows flange, the fourth plate segment is connected to the second driving source, and the first driving source and the second driving source are both located between the second plate segment and the fourth plate segment.

8. The lifting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second driving source comprises: A second body connected to the first driving source; The second slider is slidably connected to the second body along the lifting direction of the ejector assembly, and the second slider is used to be connected to the chamber body.

9. The lifting mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that: The second driving source further includes: A third hydraulic limiting column is disposed on the second body; The fourth hydraulic limit column is disposed on the second body and is spaced apart from the third hydraulic limit column in the lifting direction, at least a portion of the second slider is located between the third hydraulic limit column and the fourth hydraulic limit column, and the second slider is used to cooperate with the third hydraulic limit column and the fourth hydraulic limit column respectively.

10. The lifting mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism also includes: A buffer pad is disposed between the first driving source and the second driving source, and the first driving source and the second driving source are attached to each other through the buffer pad.

11. The lifting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ejector pin assembly comprises: The needle plate is provided with a second positioning portion; At least two ejector pins, all of which are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the needle disk, the bottom end of each ejector pin is provided with a first positioning portion and a mounting platform, the first positioning portion is positioned and matched with the second positioning portion, and the mounting platform is connected to the needle disk.

12. The lifting mechanism according to claim 11, characterized in that: The needle disk is further provided with a mounting groove, the bottom wall of the mounting groove is provided with the second positioning portion, and at least a portion of the mounting platform is located in the mounting groove.

13. The lifting mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The ejector pin assembly comprises: A needle disk connected to the bellows shaft, wherein the lower surface of the needle disk is in contact with the end surface of the bellows shaft away from the first driving source; At least two ejector pins, all of which are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the needle disk.

14. The lifting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first driving source and / or the second driving source are used to convert fluid pressure into mechanical energy to drive the ejector assembly to move up and down.

15. A semiconductor process chamber, characterized in that: It comprises a chamber body and the lifting mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the lifting mechanism is connected to the chamber body.

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