Furnace body structure and semiconductor process device

Abstract

A furnace body structure and a semiconductor process device. The furnace body structure comprises at least one furnace body unit (100), each furnace body unit (100) comprising a heat-insulating support main body (1) and an insulating support structure (2), the heat-insulating support main body (1) being annular, and limiting and fixing in place the insulating support structure (2) at an inner circumferential side of the heat-insulating support main body (1); the insulating support structure (2) is used to limit and affix a heating wire (200) in a space enclosed by the heat-insulating support main body (1), the heating wire (200) comprising multiple arc-shaped segments (200a) connected in series head to tail, the multiple arc-shaped segments (200a) being connected in series head to tail to form a cylindrical annular structure surrounding the circumference of the heat-insulating support main body (1), the insulating support structure (2) being configured to insulate and isolate adjacent arc-shaped segments (200a). The present furnace body structure can not only cause the heating wire (200) to have low deformation and not easily collapse, and reduce the short-circuit risk of the heating wire (200), but also can improve the heating efficiency and service life of the heating wire (200).

Description

Furnace structure and semiconductor process equipment Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of furnace body manufacturing, and in particular, to a furnace body structure and semiconductor process equipment. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of the photovoltaic industry, the market demand for the production capacity of photovoltaic equipment is increasing. The diameter and length of the diffusion furnace, the core heating component of photovoltaic equipment, are gradually increasing. The existing furnace body has a maximum outer diameter of 0.66m and a length of 3.3m. The process temperature can reach up to 1050°C. In this case, if the traditional mechanical structure for installing the heating wire is used, that is, the heating wire is supported by its own weight, there are huge risks such as the heating wire being dislodged, collapsed, short-circuited and ignited. It may even crush the quartz tube during the process, causing huge losses to the equipment. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the mechanical structure of the furnace body to install the heating wire to meet the needs of high-capacity and high-temperature equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present application aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and proposes a furnace structure and semiconductor process equipment, which can solve the problem in the prior art that the heating wire is supported by its own weight, and there are huge hidden dangers such as the heating wire falling out, collapsing, short circuiting and ignition, and meet the needs of large-capacity and high-temperature equipment.

[0004] To achieve the objectives of the present application, a furnace structure is provided for use in semiconductor process equipment, comprising at least one furnace unit, each of which comprises a heat-insulating support body and an insulating support structure, wherein the heat-insulating support body is annular, and the insulating support structure is positionally fixed to the inner circumference of the heat-insulating support body;

[0005] The insulating support structure is used to limit and fix the heating wire in the space enclosed by the thermal insulation support body. The heating wire includes a plurality of arc segments connected end to end. The plurality of arc segments are connected end to end to form a columnar annular structure surrounding the circumference of the thermal insulation support body. The insulating support structure is configured to insulate and isolate each adjacent arc segment.

[0006] In some embodiments, the columnar ring structure formed by connecting a plurality of arc-shaped segments end to end is a columnar spiral structure.

[0007] In some embodiments, the thermal insulation support body comprises an annular ceramic fiber board.

[0008] In some embodiments, the inner circumference of the thermal insulation support body is provided with a first limiting structure, and the insulating support structure is provided with a second limiting structure;

[0009] The first limiting structure cooperates with the second limiting structure to limit and fix the insulating support structure on the inner circumference of the thermal insulation support body.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first limiting structure includes a limiting groove formed on the inner circumference of the thermal insulation support body, and the second limiting structure includes a limiting portion formed on the insulating support structure, and the limiting portion cooperates with the limiting groove to limit and fix the insulating support structure to the inner circumference of the thermal insulation support body.

[0011] In some embodiments, the limiting groove includes a first groove section and a second groove section sequentially arranged in a direction from the groove bottom to the groove opening, and the width of the first groove section is greater than the width of the second groove section;

[0012] The limiting portion includes a first sub-limiting portion and a second sub-limiting portion, the width of the first sub-limiting portion is greater than the width of the second sub-limiting portion, and the first sub-limiting portion cooperates with the first slot segment, and the second sub-limiting portion cooperates with the second slot segment.

[0013] In some embodiments, the limiting groove further includes a transition groove section connected between the first groove section and the second groove section, and the width of the transition groove section decreases from the first groove section to the second groove section;

[0014] The limiting portion also includes a transition sub-limiting portion connected between the first sub-limiting portion and the second sub-limiting portion, the width of the transition sub-limiting portion decreases from the first sub-limiting portion to the second sub-limiting portion, and the transition sub-limiting portion cooperates with the transition groove section.

[0015] In some embodiments, the insulating support structure is multiple and spaced apart along the circumference of the thermal insulation support body;

[0016] There are multiple limiting grooves, and they match the limiting parts of the multiple insulating support structures in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0017] In some embodiments, the limiting groove is strip-shaped, and the length direction of the limiting groove is parallel to the axial direction of the thermal insulation support body, and both ends of the limiting groove in the length direction pass through the thermal insulation support body.

[0018] In some embodiments, the insulating support structure is formed with a plurality of accommodating holes, and the plurality of accommodating holes are arranged at intervals along a direction parallel to the axial direction of the thermal insulation support body;

[0019] The plurality of arc segments are correspondingly disposed through the plurality of accommodating holes.

[0020] In some embodiments, the radial dimension of the accommodating hole of the heat-insulating support body is larger than the radial dimension of the arc-shaped segment of the heat-insulating support body; and / or,

[0021] The size of the accommodating hole in the axial direction of the heat-insulating support body is larger than the size of the arc-shaped segment in the axial direction of the heat-insulating support body.

[0022] In some embodiments, the insulating support structure includes a plurality of support blocks, the plurality of support blocks are stacked in sequence along a direction parallel to the axial direction of the thermal insulation support body, and among the plurality of support blocks, the two support blocks located at both ends are first support blocks, and all support blocks except the two support blocks located at both ends are second support blocks;

[0023] The first support block is provided with the accommodating hole; and recesses are formed on two overlapping surfaces of each of two adjacent second support blocks, which together constitute the accommodating hole.

[0024] In some embodiments, the insulating support structure further comprises a through rod, wherein the through rod passes through the plurality of support blocks in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the thermal insulation support body;

[0025] Limiting recesses are also provided on the end surfaces of the two first support blocks facing away from each other, and bending portions are provided at both ends of the through rod. The two bending portions are respectively matched with the two limiting recesses to limit and fix the multiple support blocks.

[0026] In some embodiments, the furnace unit is multiple and is sequentially arranged along the axial direction of the heat-insulating support body;

[0027] Each of the furnace body units also includes an annular insulating baffle, which is arranged at one end of the thermal insulation support body in its axial direction, and the inner peripheral edge of the insulating baffle protrudes relative to the inner peripheral surface of the thermal insulation support body, and is used to insulate and isolate the heating wire in the thermal insulation support body from the heating wire in another adjacent thermal insulation support body.

[0028] In some embodiments, the furnace unit is multiple and is sequentially arranged along the axial direction of the heat-insulating support body;

[0029] The thermal insulation support body is also provided with an insulating lead-out piece that passes through its thickness, and the insulating lead-out piece is provided with a lead-out hole, through which the lead-out wire of the heating wire extends to the outside of the thermal insulation support body; the lead-out hole on the insulating lead-out piece and the lead-out hole on the insulating lead-out piece of another adjacent thermal insulation support body are staggered with each other in the circumferential direction of the thermal insulation support body.

[0030] In some embodiments, the furnace body structure also includes two insulation end covers and a furnace shell, wherein the two insulation end covers are annular and are respectively arranged at both ends of the at least one furnace body unit; the furnace shell is arranged around the at least one furnace body unit and the outer periphery of the two insulation end covers.

[0031] As another technical solution, the present application also provides a semiconductor process equipment, including:

[0032] The above-mentioned furnace structure provided by this application;

[0033] A heating wire disposed in the space enclosed by the heat-insulating support body of the furnace unit; and

[0034] The process cavity is arranged in the space surrounded by the heat-insulating support body and located inside the heating wire, and is used for accommodating the wafer boat.

[0035] This application has the following beneficial effects:

[0036] The furnace structure provided by the present application has an insulating support structure that is fixed to the inner circumference of the insulating support body by a thermal insulation support body, which can support and limit the insulating support structure, prevent it from deformation and position shifting, thereby ensuring the reliability of the insulating support structure and preventing its insulation and support functions from failing. On this basis, the insulating support structure is used in combination to limit and fix the heating wire in the space enclosed by the thermal insulation support body, that is, the heating wire is fixed to the thermal insulation support body by the insulating support structure and no longer supported by its own weight, which makes the heating wire less deformable and less likely to collapse. The insulating support structure is used to insulate and isolate each adjacent arc segment, which can reduce the risk of short circuit of the heating wire. Moreover, by fixing the heating wire to the thermal insulation support body by the insulating support structure, the heating wire can be supported and limited by the insulating support structure while being separated from the thermal insulation support body. Compared with the related art in which the heating wire is half-buried in the thermal insulation cotton or the thermal insulation block, the heating wire can be almost completely exposed to the space enclosed by the thermal insulation support body, thereby improving the heating efficiency and service life of the heating wire.

[0037] The semiconductor process equipment provided in the present application adopts the above-mentioned furnace body structure provided in the present application, which not only can make the heating wire less deformed and not easy to collapse, and can reduce the risk of short circuit of the heating wire, but also can improve the heating efficiency and service life of the heating wire. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] FIG1 is a structural diagram of a furnace unit of a furnace structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] FIG2 is a structural diagram of the heat-insulating support body used in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG3 is a structural diagram of an insulating support structure used in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG4 is a cross-sectional view of a limiting groove used in an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG5 is a structural diagram of a first insulating block used in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG6 is an end side view of a furnace unit of the furnace structure used in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG7 is a structural diagram of a second insulating block used in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG8 is a partial cross-sectional view of two adjacent furnace body units of the furnace body structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG9 is an assembly diagram of multiple furnace body units of the furnace body structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG10 is a cross-sectional view of multiple furnace body units of a furnace body structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG11 is an overall structural diagram of a furnace structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG12 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor process equipment provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present application, the furnace structure provided by the present application is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0051] In the related art, the heating wire is wound into a cylindrical spiral structure from a single metal wire, and an insulating block is provided between each adjacent two turns of coils to insulate and isolate the two adjacent turns of coils. On this basis, a flexible thermal insulation cotton is wrapped around the heating wire, and a shell is provided on the periphery of the thermal insulation cotton. This inevitably leads to the following problems in practical applications: since the heating wire relies on its own weight for support (i.e., it is placed independently without relying on other supporting structures), when a high-temperature process is carried out, as the process temperature rises or falls, the thermal expansion and contraction generated by the heating wire and the creep after heating will be particularly obvious, especially after heating, a large amount of thermal stress will be generated with nowhere to be released, resulting in serious deformation of the heating wire, and there are huge hidden dangers such as the heating wire falling out, collapsing, short circuiting and sparking. In addition, the insulating block provided between each adjacent two turns of coils is easily deformed and displaced as the heating wire deforms, and it is difficult to continue to remain in a straight line in the axial direction of the furnace body, which can easily cause contact short circuits between the coils and sparking.

[0052] In addition, the inventors found that the above-mentioned flexible thermal insulation cotton not only did not play any supporting role, but also inevitably had a certain degree of contact with the heating wire. There were even some related technologies in which the heating wire was half-buried in the thermal insulation cotton or the thermal insulation block. This made the heating area in the process space smaller after the heating wire heated up, and the heating efficiency was low, which could not meet the high-temperature process requirements.

[0053] The present application provides a furnace structure that can be used in semiconductor process equipment requiring heating, such as diffusion furnaces and oxidation furnaces, to insulate and secure the heating filaments of the semiconductor process equipment. Specifically, the furnace structure includes at least one furnace unit 100, each of which includes a thermal insulation support body 1 and an insulating support structure 2. The thermal insulation support body 1 is annular, and the insulating support structure 2 is fixedly positioned on the inner circumference of the thermal insulation support body 1. The insulating support structure 2 is used to securely position the heating filament 200 within the space enclosed by the thermal insulation support body 1.

[0054] The insulating support structure 2 is limited and fixed to the inner circumference of the insulating support body 1 by the insulating support body 1, which can support and limit the insulating support structure 2 to prevent it from deformation and position movement, thereby ensuring the reliability of the insulating support structure 2 and preventing its insulation and support functions from failing. On this basis, the insulating support structure 2 is combined with the use of the insulating support structure 2 to limit and fix the heating wire 200 in the space surrounded by the insulating support body 1, that is, the heating wire 200 is fixed to the insulating support body 1 by the insulating support structure 2, and is no longer supported by its own weight, which makes the heating wire 200 less deformed and not easy to collapse, and can reduce the risk of short circuit of the heating wire 200. Moreover, by fixing the heating wire on the thermal insulation support body 1 using the insulating support structure 2, the heating wire 200 can be supported and limited by the insulating support structure 2 while being separated from the thermal insulation support body 1. That is, due to the presence of the insulating support structure 2, there is a gap between the heating wire 200 and the thermal insulation support body 1. Compared with the related art in which the flexible thermal insulation cotton contacts the heating wire 200, or the heating wire 200 is half buried in the thermal insulation cotton or the thermal insulation block, the heating wire 200 can be almost completely exposed to the space surrounded by the thermal insulation support body 1, effectively increasing the heating area, thereby improving the heating efficiency of the heating wire 200, and also having better maintainability, thereby improving the service life of the heating wire.

[0055] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG8 , the heating wire 200 includes a plurality of arc segments 200a connected end to end in series, and the plurality of arc segments 200a are connected end to end in series to form a cylindrical ring structure surrounding the circumference of the thermal insulation support body 1. For ease of processing, the cylindrical ring structure is a cylindrical spiral structure, which can be wound by a single metal wire. The coils constituting the cylindrical spiral structure are the arc segments 200a extending along the spiral direction. On this basis, the insulating support structure 2 is configured to insulate and isolate each adjacent arc segment 200a to avoid short circuiting between the two and the occurrence of sparking. However, the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this. In actual applications, the plurality of arc segments 200a can also be connected end to end in series to form other cylindrical ring structures in addition to the cylindrical spiral structure. The structures of the arc segments 200a may also be different depending on the cylindrical ring structure. For example, each arc segment 200a can also be a non-closed arc segment extending along the circumference of the thermal insulation support body 1, and each adjacent arc segment can be connected end to end through a transition section to form a columnar ring structure. The transition section is, for example, a straight line segment extending along the axis of the columnar ring structure.

[0056] The above-mentioned thermal insulation support body 1 that realizes the functions of heat insulation, limiting and supporting is made of hard thermal insulation material. Since the hard thermal insulation material is hard, it has the characteristics of hardness, not easy to deform, and strong pressure resistance. This enables the thermal insulation support body 1 to reliably support and limit the insulating support structure 2 and the heating wire 200 on the basis of heat insulation, thereby solving the problems of the heating wire falling out, collapsing, short circuiting and ignition due to the support of its own weight.

[0057] In some embodiments, the thermal insulation support body 1 includes, for example, an annular ceramic fiber board, which is one of the above-mentioned hard thermal insulation materials and has both good thermal insulation and pressure resistance. Preferably, the raw materials of the ceramic fiber board may include the following components: 80% to 84% alumina and 15% to 20% silicon dioxide. The minimum compressive strength of the ceramic fiber board can reach more than 0.5 MPa, and it is a hard thermal insulation material with good pressure resistance. Of course, in actual applications, the thermal insulation support body 1 can also be made of other hard thermal insulation materials, as long as it can reliably support the insulating support structure 2 and the heating wire 200. The embodiment of the present application has no restrictions on this.

[0058] In some embodiments, the insulating support structure 2 is made of ceramic. Of course, it can also be made of other high-temperature resistant insulating materials with a certain strength to insulate, support and limit the heating wire 200.

[0059] There are many ways to position and fix the insulating support structure 2 to the inner circumference of the thermal insulation support body 1. For example, the inner circumference of the thermal insulation support body 1 is provided with a first limiting structure, and the insulating support structure 2 is provided with a second limiting structure; the first limiting structure cooperates with the second limiting structure to position and fix the insulating support structure 2 to the inner circumference of the thermal insulation support body 1. Further, as shown in Figure 2, the above-mentioned first limiting structure, for example, includes a limiting groove 11 formed on the inner circumference of the thermal insulation support body 1, and as shown in Figure 3, the above-mentioned second limiting structure, for example, includes a limiting portion 22 formed on the insulating support structure 2, and the limiting portion 22 cooperates with the limiting groove 11 to position and fix the insulating support structure 2 to the inner circumference of the thermal insulation support body 1. Specifically, the shape and size of the limiting portion 22 are adapted to the shape and size of the limiting groove 11, so that the limiting portion 22 is fixed in the limiting groove 11. The first limiting structure and the second limiting structure that realize the above-mentioned limiting and fixing functions may also adopt other limiting structures, as long as they can limit and fix the insulating support structure 2 to the inner circumference of the thermal insulation support body 1.

[0060] In some embodiments, the furnace body structure provided in the embodiments of the present application is applied to a horizontal diffusion furnace. In this case, the axial direction of the thermal insulation support body 1 is parallel to the horizontal plane. At this time, under the action of the limiting portion 22 cooperating with the limiting groove 11, the insulating support structure 2 is equivalent to being suspended on the thermal insulation support body 1. In other words, the limiting portion 22 cooperates with the limiting groove 11 in such a way that the limiting portion 22 will not be separated from the limiting groove 11 due to the gravity of the insulating support structure 2. Of course, in actual applications, the furnace body structure provided in the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to a vertical diffusion furnace. In this case, the axial direction of the thermal insulation support body 1 is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. At this time, on the basis of the cooperation between the limiting portion 22 and the limiting groove 11, a limiting member needs to be additionally provided to lock the limiting portion 22 at a corresponding height in the limiting groove 11. Alternatively, a limiting groove 11 with a blind end at the lower end can also be used to lock the limiting portion 22 at a corresponding height.

[0061] In some embodiments, in order to facilitate the installation of the heating wire 200 and reduce the difficulty of processing the insulating support structure 2, as shown in Figure 3, the insulating support structure 2 includes a plurality of support blocks 21, and the plurality of support blocks 21 are stacked in sequence along a direction parallel to the axial direction of the thermal insulation support body 1. In this case, the above-mentioned limiting portion 22 is composed of a sub-limiting portion 221 provided at one end of the plurality of support blocks 21. The sub-limiting portions 221 on the plurality of support blocks 21 are stacked in sequence parallel to the axial direction of the thermal insulation support body 1, and the cross-sectional profile shape on the radial section of the thermal insulation support body 1 is the same. In actual application, the sub-limiting portion 221 provided at one end of the support block 21 can be connected as a whole.

[0062] Furthermore, in some embodiments, in order to ensure that the limiting portion 22 will not detach from the limiting groove 11 due to the gravity of the insulating support structure 2, as shown in Figure 4, the limiting groove 11 includes a first groove section 11a and a second groove section 11c arranged in sequence from the bottom of the groove to the groove mouth, and the width B1 of the first groove section 11a is greater than the width B2 of the second groove section 11c. The widths B1 and B2 are respectively the dimensions of the first groove section 11a and the second groove section 11c on the radial cross-section of the thermal insulation support body 1, perpendicular to the groove depth direction. Furthermore, as can be seen from Figures 3 and 5 , the limiting portion 22 includes a first sub-limiting portion and a second sub-limiting portion. The first sub-limiting portion is composed of a plurality of first sub-limiting blocks 221a on the support blocks 21, which are stacked in sequence along a direction parallel to the axial direction of the thermal insulation support body 1. The second sub-limiting portion is composed of a plurality of second sub-limiting blocks 221c on the support blocks 21, which are stacked in sequence along the axial direction parallel to the thermal insulation support body 1. Furthermore, the width of the first sub-limiting portion (i.e., the width of the first sub-limiting block 221a) is greater than the width of the second sub-limiting portion 22 (i.e., the width of the second sub-limiting block 221c), and the first sub-limiting portion (composed of the plurality of first sub-limiting blocks 221a) cooperates with the first slot segment 11a, while the second sub-limiting portion (composed of the plurality of second sub-limiting blocks 221c) cooperates with the second slot segment 11c. As shown in FIG6 , by making the width of the first slot segment 11a greater than the width of the second slot segment 11c, and the width of the first sub-limiting portion greater than the width of the second sub-limiting portion, the first sub-limiting portion cannot be directly removed through the second slot segment 11c, thereby confining the limiting portion 22 within the limiting groove 11 and preventing the limiting portion 22 from escaping from the limiting groove 11 due to the gravity of the insulating support structure 2. On this basis, the insulating support structure 2, composed of a plurality of support blocks 21, is located outside the limiting groove 11, that is, within the space enclosed by the thermal insulation support body 1, so as to limit and fix the heating wire 200. On this basis, since the heating wire 200 is indirectly fixed to the thermal insulation support body 1 through the insulating support structure 2, the heating wire 200 is almost entirely exposed within the space enclosed by the thermal insulation support body 1, effectively increasing the heating area, thereby improving the heating efficiency of the heating wire 200, and also providing better maintainability, thereby increasing the service life of the heating wire.

[0063] In some embodiments, in order to avoid stress concentration at the connection between the first sub-limiting portion (composed of multiple first sub-limiting blocks 221a) and the second sub-limiting portion (composed of multiple second sub-limiting blocks 221c), the limiting groove 11 also includes a transition groove section 11b connected between the first groove section 11a and the second groove section 11c, and the width of the transition groove section 11b decreases from the first groove section 11a to the second groove section 11c; the limiting portion 22 also includes a transition sub-limiting portion connected between the first sub-limiting portion and the second sub-limiting portion (composed of multiple third sub-limiting blocks 221b stacked in sequence along the axial direction parallel to the thermal insulation support body 1), the width of the transition sub-limiting portion decreases from the first sub-limiting portion to the second sub-limiting portion, and the transition sub-limiting portion cooperates with the transition groove section 11b. It should be noted that the shape of the above-mentioned transition groove segment 11b on the radial cross-section of the thermal insulation support body 1 is, for example, an isosceles trapezoid, that is, the side surface of the transition groove segment 11b is a plane, but the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this. In actual applications, the side surface of the above-mentioned transition groove segment 11b can also be an arc-shaped surface, which can also solve the above-mentioned stress concentration problem.

[0064] In some embodiments, in order to evenly fix the heating wire 200 in the circumferential direction of the heating wire 200 and ensure that the heating wire 200 does not produce large deformation at various positions in the circumferential direction, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 6, there are multiple insulating support structures 2, and they are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the thermal insulation support body 1; and there are multiple limiting grooves 11, and they correspond one-to-one with the limiting parts 22 of multiple insulating support structures 2.

[0065] In some embodiments, in order to facilitate the installation of the limiting portion 22 in the limiting groove 11, as shown in Figure 2, the limiting groove 11 is strip-shaped, and the length direction of the limiting groove 11 is parallel to the axial direction of the thermal insulation support body 1, and the two ends of the limiting groove 11 in the length direction pass through the thermal insulation support body 1, that is, the limiting groove 11 has openings at both ends in the length direction, and the limiting portion 22 can be moved into the limiting groove 11 from the opening.

[0066] In some embodiments, the insulating support structure 2 can be used to positionally secure the heating wire 200 within the space enclosed by the insulation support body 1 in a variety of ways. For example, as shown in Figures 3, 5, and 7, the insulating support structure 2 is formed with a plurality of accommodating holes 23, which are spaced apart and arranged parallel to the axial direction of the insulation support body 1. As shown in Figure 8, a plurality of arcuate segments 200a are disposed one-to-one through the plurality of accommodating holes 23. The positioning and securing effects of the accommodating holes 23 ensure that the heating wire 200 does not deform significantly, preventing it from falling out or collapsing. Furthermore, the insulation between adjacent arcuate segments 200a is maintained, preventing contact and short circuits that could cause sparks. Furthermore, the heating wire 200 is almost entirely exposed within the space enclosed by the insulation support body 1. This improves the heating efficiency and service life of the heating wire 200, compared to related art methods in which the heating wire 200 is partially buried in insulation cotton or insulation blocks.

[0067] In some embodiments, to allow for thermal expansion of the arcuate segment 200a after heating and to reduce thermal stress caused by the insulating support structure 2 restraining the heating wire 200, the radial dimension of the accommodating hole 23 is larger than the radial dimension of the arcuate segment 200a; and / or the axial dimension of the accommodating hole 23 is larger than the axial dimension of the arcuate segment 200a. Depending on the amount of thermal expansion of the arcuate segment 200a in different directions after heating, the accommodating hole 23 may be an oblong hole or an elliptical hole, with the length of the accommodating hole 23 being, for example, parallel to the radial direction of the thermal insulation support body 1.

[0068] In some embodiments, in order to facilitate the installation of the heating wire 200 and reduce the difficulty of processing the insulating support structure 2, the insulating support structure 2 includes a plurality of support blocks 21, which are stacked in sequence along a direction parallel to the axial direction of the thermal insulation support body 1. Moreover, as shown in FIG3 , among the plurality of support blocks 21, the two support blocks 21 located at the two ends are first support blocks 21a, and all support blocks 21 other than the two support blocks 21 located at the two ends (i.e., the first support blocks 21a) are second support blocks 21b; as shown in FIG5 , the first support block 21a is provided with a receiving hole 23; as shown in FIG3 and FIG7 , a recess 231 is formed on both surfaces of the two adjacent second support blocks 21b stacked on each other, and the two adjacent recesses 231 together constitute the receiving hole 23. Because the process temperature of the heating wire 200 at the location of the outermost arc segment 200a in its axial direction varies significantly, the outermost arc segment 200a is prone to significant deformation and collapse. To address this issue, by providing complete accommodating holes 23 on the two support blocks 21 at both ends (i.e., the first support block 21a), that is, providing a complete accommodating hole 23 on one support block 21, the outermost arc segment 200a can be more reliably positioned and fixed. In addition, the recess 231 of the support block 21 other than the two support blocks 21 at both ends (i.e., the second support block 21b) is connected to the recess 231 of the adjacent second support block 21b to form the accommodating hole 23, which not only simplifies the installation of the heating wire 200 but also reduces the processing difficulty of the insulating support structure 2. Preferably, in order to further simplify the installation of the heating wire 200 , as shown in FIG3 , the receiving hole 23 formed by the butting of the recesses 231 between adjacent second support blocks 21 b has a gap at the butting location.

[0069] In some embodiments, in order to fix the multiple support blocks 21 together and keep them in a straight line in the axial direction of the insulation support body 1, the insulation support structure 2 also includes a through rod, which penetrates the multiple support blocks 21 in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the insulation support body 1. Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, a through hole 25 for the through rod to pass through is correspondingly provided in each of the multiple support blocks 21 (including the first support block 21a and the second support block 21b), and the through rod connects all the support blocks 21 together via these through holes 25. In addition, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, the end faces of the two first support blocks 21a facing away from each other are also provided with a limiting recess 24, and both ends of the through rod are provided with a bending portion 26, and the two bending portions 26 are respectively matched with the two limiting recesses 24 to limit and fix the multiple support blocks 21. The provision of the two bending portions 26 can prevent the support block 21 from falling out from one end of the through rod and limit the multiple support blocks 21 between the two bending portions 26. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the limiting recess 24 is formed with an opening on the sub-limiting portion 221, and the bent portion 26 extends from the opening. It should be noted that by limiting and fixing the insulating support structure 2 to the inner circumference of the thermal insulation support body 1, the thermal insulation support body 1 can effectively prevent deformation of the through-rod caused by thermal expansion and contraction, and reduce the probability of the through-rod becoming thinner and longer due to friction, thereby reducing the probability of sparks between the through-rod and the heating wire 200.

[0070] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2, 8, and 9, a plurality of furnace units 100 are arranged sequentially along the axial direction of the insulation support body 1. Furthermore, each furnace unit 100 further includes an annular insulating baffle 4 disposed at one axial end of the insulation support body 1, with the inner peripheral edge of the insulating baffle 4 protruding relative to the inner peripheral surface of the insulation support body 1. This insulating baffle 4 is used to insulate the heating wire 200 in one insulation support body 1 from the heating wire 200 in another adjacent insulation support body 1. The insulating baffle 4 prevents the heating wires 200 between two adjacent furnace units 100 from short-circuiting due to thermal expansion. In some embodiments, the insulating baffle 4 is made of a hard ceramic plate, primarily composed of, for example, alumina with a density greater than 820 kg / m³. This hard ceramic plate has a high strength, which allows for more reliable separation of adjacent heating wires 200 during thermal expansion, preventing contact and sparking.

[0071] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 9, the thermal insulation support body 1 is further provided with an insulating lead-out member 3 extending through its thickness. The insulating lead-out member 3 is provided with a lead-out hole 32. The lead-out wire of the heating wire 200 extends to the outside of the thermal insulation support body 1 through the lead-out hole 32 so as to be connected to the power supply. Specifically, a connection terminal 31 is provided in the lead-out hole 32. The connection terminal 31 is used to electrically connect the power supply to the lead-out wire of the heating wire 200. In addition, each insulating lead-out member 3 can be provided with two lead-out holes 32 for respectively leading out the positive lead-out wire and the negative lead-out wire of the heating wire 200, while limiting the lead-out position to reduce welding errors. In this case, as shown in FIG2 , the insulating lead-out member 3 is strip-shaped, and the thermal insulation support body 1 is provided with a mounting hole 12 extending through the thickness thereof. The mounting hole 12 is strip-shaped and extends in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the thermal insulation support body 1. The insulating lead-out member 3 is embedded in the mounting hole 12, and the shape of the insulating lead-out member 3 and the mounting hole 12 are adapted. In addition, the two lead-out holes 32 on each insulating lead-out member 3 are respectively provided at both ends of the insulating lead-out member 3 in the axial direction of the thermal insulation support body 1, so as to correspond to the positions of the positive lead-out wire and the negative lead-out wire of the heating wire 200, respectively. In some embodiments, the material of the connecting terminal 31 is the same as that of the heating wire 200, for example, an electric heating alloy.

[0072] Furthermore, when there are multiple furnace units 100, as shown in FIG9 , the lead-out holes 32 on the insulating lead-out piece 3 and the lead-out holes 32 on the insulating lead-out piece 3 of another adjacent thermal insulation support body 1 are staggered relative to each other in the circumferential direction of the thermal insulation support body 1. That is, adjacent insulating lead-out pieces 3 are staggered relative to each other in the circumferential direction of the thermal insulation support body 1. This can prevent voltage breakdown between two adjacent connecting terminals 31 due to the connection terminals 31 on adjacent insulating lead-out pieces 3 being too close to each other, thereby preventing sparks from occurring. Preferably, the angle at which adjacent insulating lead-out pieces 3 are staggered relative to each other in the circumferential direction of the thermal insulation support body 1 is greater than or equal to 20°.

[0073] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 10 and 11 , the furnace structure further includes two insulating end covers 5 and a furnace shell 6 . The two insulating end covers 5 are annular and are disposed at both ends of at least one furnace unit 100 . The furnace shell 6 surrounds the at least one furnace unit 100 and the two insulating end covers 5 . The two insulating end covers 5 are used to insulate the ends of the at least one furnace unit 100 , while the furnace shell 6 is used to house multiple furnace units 100 to form a monolithic structure. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11 , each connection terminal 31 extends through the furnace shell 6 to the exterior of the furnace shell 6 for electrical connection to an external power source.

[0074] To sum up, the furnace body structure provided in the embodiment of the present application limits and fixes the insulating support structure 2 on the inner circumference of the insulating support body 1 through the insulating support body 1, which can support and limit the insulating support structure 2 to prevent it from deformation and position movement, thereby ensuring the reliability of the insulating support structure 2 and avoiding the failure of its insulation and support functions. On this basis, the insulating support structure 2 is used in combination to limit and fix the heating wire 200 in the space enclosed by the insulating support body 1, that is, the heating wire 200 is fixed on the insulating support body 1 by using the insulating support structure 2, and no longer relies on its own weight for support, which makes the heating wire 200 less deformed and not easy to collapse, and can reduce the risk of short circuit of the heating wire 200. Moreover, by fixing the heating wire 200 on the thermal insulation support body 1 using the insulating support structure 2, the heating wire 200 can be supported and limited by the insulating support structure 2 while being separated from the thermal insulation support body 1. Compared with the related art in which the heating wire 200 is half-buried in the thermal insulation cotton or the thermal insulation block, the heating wire 200 can be almost completely exposed to the space surrounded by the thermal insulation support body 1, thereby improving the heating efficiency and service life of the heating wire 200.

[0075] As another technical solution, as shown in FIG12 , an embodiment of the present application further provides a semiconductor process apparatus, such as a diffusion furnace, an oxidation furnace, etc., and includes a furnace structure, a heating filament 200 disposed in the space enclosed by the thermal insulation support body 1 in each furnace unit 100 of the furnace structure, and a process chamber 300. The process chamber 300 is disposed in the space enclosed by the thermal insulation support body 1 in the multiple furnace units 100 and is located inside the heating filament 200, forming a process space and accommodating a wafer boat 400. The process chamber 300 is, for example, a quartz tube. The above-mentioned furnace structure adopts the above-mentioned furnace structure provided in the present application.

[0076] In some embodiments, the heating wire 200 is made of, for example, an electrothermal alloy, and is configured to convert electrical energy into thermal energy when supplied with power by a power supply, so as to heat the wafer boat 400 in the process chamber 300 .

[0077] In addition, by setting up multiple furnace body units 100, the heating power of the heating wire 200 corresponding to each furnace body unit 100 can be individually controlled to achieve zoned control of the process space temperature, thereby improving the temperature uniformity in the process space and further improving the process uniformity.

[0078] The semiconductor process equipment provided in the present application adopts the above-mentioned furnace body structure provided in the present application, which not only can make the heating wire 200 less deformed and not easy to collapse, and can reduce the short circuit risk of the heating wire 200, but also can improve the heating efficiency and service life of the heating wire 200.

[0079] 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 furnace body structure, characterized in that, Applied to semiconductor process equipment, including at least one furnace body unit, each of the furnace body units includes a heat-insulating support body and an insulating support structure, wherein the heat-insulating support body is annular and limits and fixes the insulating support structure on the inner circumferential side of the heat-insulating support body; The insulating support structure is used to limit and fix a heating wire in the space surrounded by the heat-insulating support body. The heating wire includes a plurality of arc-shaped segments connected end to end in series. The plurality of arc-shaped segments are connected end to end in series to form a columnar annular structure surrounding the circumferential direction of the heat-insulating support body. The insulating support structure is arranged to insulate and isolate adjacent arc-shaped segments.

2. The furnace body structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The columnar annular structure formed by connecting the plurality of arc-shaped segments end to end in series is a columnar spiral structure.

3. The furnace body structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat-insulating support body includes an annular ceramic fiber board.

4. The furnace body structure according to claim 1, wherein A first limiting structure is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the heat-insulating support body, and a second limiting structure is provided on the insulating support structure; The first limiting structure cooperates with the second limiting structure to limit and fix the insulating support structure on the inner circumferential side of the heat-insulating support body.

5. The furnace body structure according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first limiting structure includes a limiting groove, and the second limiting structure includes a limiting portion formed on the insulating support structure. The limiting portion cooperates with the limiting groove to limit and fix the insulating support structure on the inner circumferential side of the heat-insulating support body.

6. The furnace body structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, The limiting groove includes a first groove section and a second groove section arranged in sequence along the direction from the groove bottom to the groove opening. The width of the first groove section is greater than the width of the second groove section; The limiting portion includes a first sub-limiting portion and a second sub-limiting portion. The width of the first sub-limiting portion is greater than the width of the second sub-limiting portion. The first sub-limiting portion cooperates with the first groove section, and the second sub-limiting portion cooperates with the second groove section.

7. The furnace body structure according to claim 6, characterized in that, The limiting groove further includes a transition groove section connected between the first groove section and the second groove section. The width of the transition groove section decreases from the first groove section to the second groove section; The limiting portion further includes a transition sub-limiting portion connected between the first sub-limiting portion and the second sub-limiting portion. The width of the transition sub-limiting portion decreases from the first sub-limiting portion to the second sub-limiting portion, and the transition sub-limiting portion cooperates with the transition groove section.

8. The furnace body structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, There are a plurality of the insulating support structures, and they are distributed at intervals along the circumferential direction of the heat-insulating support body; There are a plurality of the limiting grooves, and they cooperate with the limiting portions of the plurality of insulating support structures in a one-to-one correspondence.

9. The furnace body structure according to claim 8, wherein, The limiting groove is strip-shaped, and the length direction of the limiting groove is parallel to the axial direction of the heat-insulating support body, and both ends of the limiting groove in the length direction penetrate the heat-insulating support body.

10. The furnace body structure according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The insulating support structure is formed with a plurality of accommodating holes, and the plurality of accommodating holes are arranged at intervals along the direction parallel to the axial direction of the heat-insulating support body; The plurality of arc-shaped segments pass through the plurality of accommodating holes in a one-to-one correspondence.

11. The furnace body structure according to claim 10, wherein, The size of the accommodating hole in the radial direction of the heat-insulating support body is greater than the size of the arc-shaped segment in the radial direction of the heat-insulating support body; and / or The size of the accommodating hole in the axial direction of the heat insulation support main body is larger than the size of the arc-shaped segment in the axial direction of the heat insulation support main body.

12. The furnace body structure according to claim 10, characterized in that, The insulating support structure includes a plurality of support blocks, and the plurality of support blocks are sequentially stacked in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the heat insulation support main body. Among the plurality of support blocks, the two support blocks located at both ends are the first support blocks, and each of the support blocks except the two support blocks located at both ends is a second support block; The first support block is provided with the accommodating hole; concave portions are formed on both surfaces of each adjacent two second support blocks that are stacked with each other, and together they form the accommodating hole.

13. The furnace body structure according to claim 12, characterized in that, The insulating support structure further includes a through rod, and the through rod penetrates through the plurality of support blocks in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the heat insulation support main body; Limiting concave portions are further provided on the end faces of the two first support blocks facing away from each other, and bending portions are provided at both ends of the through rod. The two bending portions are respectively in limiting cooperation with the two limiting concave portions for limiting and fixing the plurality of support blocks.

14. The furnace body structure according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, There are a plurality of furnace body units, and they are sequentially arranged along the axial direction of the heat insulation support main body; Each furnace body unit further includes an annular insulating baffle, and the insulating baffle is arranged at one end of the heat insulation support main body in its axial direction, and the inner peripheral edge of the insulating baffle protrudes relative to the inner peripheral surface of the heat insulation support main body for insulating and isolating the heating wire in the heat insulation support main body from the heating wire in another adjacent heat insulation support main body.

15. The furnace body structure according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, There are a plurality of furnace body units, and they are sequentially arranged along the axial direction of the heat insulation support main body; The heat insulation support main body is further provided with an insulating lead-out member that penetrates through its thickness. An lead-out hole is provided on the insulating lead-out member, and the lead-out wire of the heating wire extends to the outside of the heat insulation support main body through the lead-out hole; the lead-out holes on the insulating lead-out member and the lead-out holes on the insulating lead-out member of another adjacent heat insulation support main body are staggered from each other in the circumferential direction of the heat insulation support main body.

16. The furnace body structure according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The furnace body structure further includes two heat insulation end covers and a furnace shell. Among them, the two heat insulation end covers are both annular and are respectively arranged at both ends of the at least one furnace body unit; the furnace shell is arranged around the at least one furnace body unit and the two heat insulation end covers on the outer periphery.

17. A semiconductor processing apparatus, characterized in that, Comprising: The furnace body structure according to any one of claims 1-16; A heating wire arranged in the space surrounded by the heat insulation support main body of the furnace body unit; And A process cavity, arranged in the space surrounded by the heat insulation support main body and located inside the heating wire for accommodating a susceptor.

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