Carrying device, process chamber and semiconductor process apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a carrying device, a process chamber and a semiconductor process apparatus. The carrying device comprises: a support assembly, the top thereof being provided with a carrying surface, and the support assembly being further provided with an introduction channel, the introduction channel extending from the bottom of the support assembly to the carrying surface; a conductive assembly which passes through the inside of the introduction channel, the conductive assembly being configured to electrically connect to an electrostatic tray, thus feeding an external voltage into a suction electrode in the electrostatic tray; and a sealing assembly which is sleeved outside of the conductive assembly and is sealingly connected to the conductive assembly, the sealing assembly being connected to the bottom of the support assembly and being in sealing fit with the support assembly, thus sealing off the end of the introduction channel that is located at the bottom of the support assembly. The solution of the present application solves the problem in the sealing of a process chamber when an electrostatic tray separates from a carrying device or a sealing ring ages, improving wafer quality.

Description

Carrier, process chamber and semiconductor process equipment Technical Field

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

[0002] In semiconductor process equipment, a carrier device and an electrostatic chuck are usually provided, wherein the carrier device is provided in a process chamber for supporting the electrostatic chuck, and the electrostatic chuck is used for placing a wafer.

[0003] The electrostatic chuck is fixedly connected to the carrier, which is equipped with a voltage feed structure. This feed structure is used to feed an external voltage to the electrostatic chuck's adsorption electrode, generating suction, thereby maintaining the wafer's position during processing. Typically, since the electrostatic chuck is fixedly connected to the carrier, the voltage feed structure is not exposed within the process chamber, so sealing the voltage feed structure and the carrier is not a concern.

[0004] In some related technologies, an electrostatic tray is provided on the carrier device instead of an electrostatic chuck, and the electrostatic tray and the carrier device are detachably connected. This results in a portion of the voltage feed structure being exposed inside the process chamber when the electrostatic tray is separated from the carrier device. Therefore, the sealing condition of the related structure also needs to be considered to avoid sealing problems in the process chamber. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and proposes a carrier device, a process chamber and a semiconductor process equipment, which can solve the sealing problem of the process chamber when the electrostatic tray is separated from the carrier device or the sealing ring is aged in the related technology.

[0006] To achieve the purpose of the present application, a carrying device is disclosed, including: a supporting component, having a carrying surface for supporting an electrostatic tray on the top, the supporting component also having an introduction channel, the introduction channel extending from the bottom of the supporting component to the carrying surface; a conductive component, inserted into the introduction channel, the conductive component being used to be electrically connected to the electrostatic tray to feed external voltage to the adsorption electrode in the electrostatic tray; a sealing component, sleeved on the outside of the conductive component and sealed with the conductive component, the sealing component being connected to the bottom of the supporting component and sealingly cooperating with the supporting component to close one end of the introduction channel located at the bottom of the supporting component.

[0007] In some embodiments, the sealing assembly includes: an insulating sleeve having a first end and a second end relatively arranged, the first end of the insulating sleeve being located inside the introduction channel, and the second end of the insulating sleeve being located outside the introduction channel; the insulating sleeve is sealed and matched with the support assembly; a sealing end cap, which is sealed and fixedly connected to the second end of the insulating sleeve, the conductive assembly is arranged through the sealing end cap, and the conductive assembly and the sealing end cap are sealed and fixedly connected.

[0008] In some embodiments, the sealing assembly further includes: a connecting flange, which is arranged around the insulating sleeve, and the connecting flange is sealed and fixedly connected to the outer wall of the insulating sleeve, and the connecting flange is connected and sealed to the support assembly to close one end of the introduction channel located at the bottom of the support assembly.

[0009] In some embodiments, the supporting device further includes: an annular seal, which is arranged on the supporting surface of the supporting assembly, and the supporting assembly is configured to form a separation space between the supporting surface and the electrostatic tray when supporting the electrostatic tray, and the annular seal is configured to be sealed and connected between the supporting surface and the electrostatic tray to separate the separation space into mutually independent connecting channels and back-gas channels, the connecting channels are located on the inner side of the annular seal and are connected to the introduction channel, and the back-gas channels are located on the outer side of the annular seal for introducing gas.

[0010] In some embodiments, the conductive component includes: a conductive column having a first end and a second end, the first end of the conductive column being located in the introduction channel, and the second end of the conductive column extending to the outside of the introduction channel in a direction away from the bearing surface; the insulating sleeve being sleeved on the conductive column, the conductive column being passed through the sealing end cap and being sealed and connected to the sealing end cap; an electrode probe being connected to the first end of the conductive column, and the electrode probe being used to be electrically connected to the electrostatic tray.

[0011] In some embodiments, the sealing assembly further includes: a protective sleeve, which is sleeved between the conductive assembly and the insulating sleeve, wherein the inner wall of the protective sleeve is in contact with the outer wall of the conductive assembly, and the outer wall of the protective sleeve is in contact with the inner wall of the insulating sleeve.

[0012] In some embodiments, the carrying device further includes: an insulating component, which is sleeved between the conductive component and the inner wall of the introduction channel and is detachably connected to the sealing component.

[0013] In some embodiments, the insulating component includes: a protective cap, which is sleeved on the conductive component, a first assembly channel is provided inside the protective cap, and the electrode probe is located in the first assembly channel; an insulating cap, which is sleeved on the outside of the protective cap, the first end of the insulating cap extends to an end of the introduction channel close to the bearing surface, the second end of the insulating cap faces the insulating component, and the outer wall of the insulating cap abuts against the inner wall of the introduction channel.

[0014] In some embodiments, the protective cap includes: a protective cap body, having a first end and a second end, the first end of the protective cap body is provided with a connecting hole, the protective cap body is sleeved on the conductive component through the connecting hole, a first assembly sub-channel is provided inside the protective cap body, one end of the first assembly sub-channel is connected to the connecting hole, and the other end of the first assembly sub-channel extends to the second end of the protective cap body; an extension sleeve, detachably connected to the second end of the protective cap body, the interior of the extension sleeve is connected to the first assembly sub-channel to form the first assembly channel.

[0015] In some embodiments, a first limiting portion is provided at the first end of the insulating cap, and a second limiting portion is provided on the inner circumferential wall of the introduction channel. The first limiting portion and the second limiting portion are limitedly cooperated so that the support assembly limits the insulating cap inside the introduction channel.

[0016] In some embodiments, the insulating assembly further includes: a buffer sleeve, which is sleeved on the conductive assembly, wherein a first end of the buffer sleeve is plug-fitted with the insulating cap, and a second end of the buffer sleeve is in contact with the sealing assembly.

[0017] In some embodiments, the support assembly further includes: a carrying plate having the carrying surface on the top, a first channel being provided inside the carrying plate, the first channel extending from the bottom of the carrying plate to the top of the carrying plate; an insulating tube having a first end and a second end, the first end of the insulating tube abutting against the bottom of the carrying plate and sealingly fitting with the carrying plate, the second end of the insulating tube being connected to and sealingly fitting with the connecting flange, the interior of the insulating tube having a second channel extending from its first end to its second end, the second channel being connected to the first channel to form the introduction channel.

[0018] In some embodiments, the support assembly further includes: a support plate, arranged at the second end of the insulating tube, a through hole being provided on the support plate, the connecting flange being provided in the through hole and connected to the inner circumferential wall of the through hole, and the insulating sleeve being provided through the through hole; a support ring, arranged between the support plate and the supporting disk, the support ring being provided around the insulating tube, the support ring being sealedly connected to the supporting disk, and the support ring being sealedly connected to the support plate.

[0019] In some embodiments, the insulating sleeve is made of ceramic material, and / or the connecting flange is made of alloy material.

[0020] In some embodiments, the protective sleeve is made of resin.

[0021] In some embodiments, the protective cap is made of resin, and / or the insulating cap is made of ceramic.

[0022] In some embodiments, the buffer sleeve is made of resin.

[0023] According to a second aspect of the present application, a process chamber is further disclosed, comprising: a chamber body and the above-mentioned carrying device, wherein the carrying device is arranged in the chamber body and is sealed with the chamber body.

[0024] According to the third aspect of the present application, a semiconductor process equipment is also disclosed, including: an electrostatic tray, detachably connected to the support assembly; a film box module, used to store the electrostatic tray; a vacuum transfer module, connected to the film box module; and the above-mentioned process chamber, the chamber body is connected to the vacuum transfer module, and the electrostatic tray moves between the film box module and the chamber body through the vacuum transfer module.

[0025] This application has the following beneficial effects:

[0026] In the technical solutions of the carrier device, process chamber and semiconductor process equipment provided in the present application, when the carrier device is set in the process chamber, by arranging the sealing component on the outside of the conductive component and sealingly connecting it to the conductive component, and at the same time connecting the sealing component to the bottom of the support component and sealingly cooperating with the support component, the introduction channel can be extended to one end of the bottom of the support component (the end of the introduction channel connected to the outside of the process chamber) and closed, that is, the gap between the conductive component and the inner wall of the introduction channel is closed, thereby effectively preventing external gas from entering the introduction channel from the gap between the inner wall of the introduction channel and the conductive component. Even if one end of the introduction channel located on the carrier surface is directly exposed to the process chamber, under the sealing action of the sealing component, external gas cannot enter the process chamber. Moreover, the above-mentioned sealing component is sealed with the support component and the conductive component respectively at the bottom of the support component. Compared with the related art of sealing between the electrostatic tray and the carrier device by a sealing ring, the above-mentioned sealing component is farther away from the interior of the process chamber, is less affected by the high temperature environment inside the chamber, and is not easy to age, thereby ensuring a long-term sealing effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a carrying device in the related art;

[0028] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a carrying device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG3 is a partial enlarged view of portion A in FIG2 ;

[0030] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a sealing assembly of a carrier device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] FIG5 is a partial enlarged view of portion B in FIG3 ;

[0032] FIG6 is an exploded view of an insulating assembly of a load-bearing device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] FIG7 is a perspective view of an insulating cap of an insulating assembly of a carrying device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of a support assembly of a load-bearing device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of a process chamber according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor process equipment according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of an electrostatic tray for semiconductor process equipment according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of a back gas pipeline of a semiconductor process equipment according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Reference Signs List: 10. Support assembly; 11. Introduction channel; 111. Second limiting portion; 12. Carrying plate; 121. First channel; 121a. First sub-channel; 121b. Second sub-channel; 122. Carrying plate body; 123. Base; 13. Insulating cylinder; 131. Second channel; 14. Support plate; 141. Through hole; 142. Inner flange; 15. Support ring; 20. Conductive assembly; 21. Conductive post; 22. Electrode probe; 221. Probe body; 222. Probe post; 30. Sealing assembly; 31. Insulating sleeve; 32. Sealing end cap; 33. Connecting flange; 34. Protective sleeve; 40. Annular seal; 50. Spacing space; 51. Connecting channel; 52. Back gas channel; 60. Insulation assembly; 61. Protective cap; 611. First assembly channel; 6111. First assembly sub-channel; 6112. Second assembly sub-channel; 612. Protective cap body; 6121. Connecting hole; 6122. Annular slot; 613. Extension sleeve; 62. Insulation cap; 621. First limiting portion; 622. Accommodating chamber; 623. Mounting channel; 63. Buffer sleeve; 631. Insertion protrusion; 6311. First insertion section; 6312. Second insertion section; 71. First sealing ring; 72. Second sealing ring; 73. Third sealing ring; 74. Fourth sealing ring; 75. Fifth sealing ring; 76. Sixth sealing ring; 77. Seventh sealing ring; 100. Chamber body; 110. Mounting port; 200. Cassette module; 210. Lifting mechanism; 300, vacuum transfer module; 310, vacuum manipulator; 320, first gate valve; 330, second gate valve; 400, electrostatic tray; 411, tray body; 4111, receiving tank; 412, adsorption electrode; 413, electrode feed column; 510, back gas pipeline; 520, pressure controller; 530, back gas source; 540, first control valve; 550, second control valve; 560, third control valve; 570, pump; 580, bypass; 590, exhaust pipeline. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present application, the carrier device, process chamber and semiconductor process equipment provided by the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] In semiconductor process equipment, a carrier device and an electrostatic chuck are usually provided, wherein the carrier device is provided in a process chamber (PM, Process Module) for supporting the electrostatic chuck, and the electrostatic chuck is used to place the wafer. The electrostatic chuck is fixedly connected to the carrier device, and a voltage feeding structure is installed on the carrier device. The voltage feeding structure is used to feed an external voltage to the adsorption electrode of the electrostatic chuck, so that the adsorption electrode generates suction, thereby keeping the position of the wafer fixed during the process. Normally, since the electrostatic chuck is fixedly connected to the carrier device, the voltage feeding structure will not be exposed in the process chamber. Therefore, there is no need to consider the sealing problem between the voltage feeding structure and the carrier device.

[0042] In some related technologies, an electrostatic tray, rather than an electrostatic chuck, is mounted on the carrier. The tray and carrier are detachably connected, exposing a portion of the voltage feed structure to the interior of the process chamber when the tray is separated. Therefore, the sealing of the relevant structure must be considered to avoid sealing issues within the process chamber. Such sealing issues could affect the vacuum environment within the process chamber, thereby impacting wafer quality.

[0043] Specifically, in the related art shown in FIG1 , the semiconductor process equipment includes: a carrier device 1 and an electrostatic tray 2. The electrostatic tray 2 is used to carry the wafer 4, and an adsorption component 5 is provided inside the electrostatic tray 2 for adsorbing the wafer 4. The carrier device 1 is provided with an introduction channel 8 for installing a voltage feeding structure 3. The voltage feeding structure 3 is arranged in the introduction channel 8, one end of which is connected to an external power source, and the other end extends to be electrically connected to the adsorption component 5 inside the electrostatic tray 2 so as to be electrically conductive with the adsorption component 5. When in use, the probe of the voltage feeding structure 3 can feed a DC voltage to the adsorption component 5, and the wafer 4 is adsorbed by the static electricity generated by the adsorption component 5 on the surface of the carrier device 1.

[0044] As shown in Figure 1, the electrostatic tray 2 and the carrier device 1 are sealed by a sealing ring 6. Therefore, when the carrier device 1 supports the electrostatic tray 2, the voltage feeding structure 3 and the introduction channel 8 will not be exposed to the interior of the process chamber. Even if the introduction channel 8 is connected to the outside of the process chamber, there is no need to worry about external gas entering the interior of the process chamber through the gap between the voltage feeding structure 3 and the introduction channel 8.

[0045] However, if the electrostatic tray 2 is separated from the carrier device 1, the voltage feeding structure 3 and the introduction channel 8 are directly exposed in the process chamber. Since the introduction channel 8 needs to be connected to the outside, and the process chamber is in a vacuum state when performing semiconductor processing, this will cause external air to directly enter the process chamber through the gap between the voltage feeding structure 3 and the introduction channel 8, thereby affecting the vacuum environment inside the process chamber and further affecting the quality of the wafer 4.

[0046] Moreover, the inventors have discovered through research that: when the electrostatic tray 2 is set on the carrier device 1, since the sealing ring 6 used to seal between the electrostatic tray 2 and the carrier device 1 is in a high-temperature environment inside the process chamber, this causes the sealing ring 6 to age easily after a period of use, and the sealing effect is reduced. Therefore, this sealing method still has the risk of external air entering the interior of the process chamber through the introduction channel 8, thereby affecting the quality of the wafer 4.

[0047] To solve the above problems, the embodiments of the present application, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, disclose a supporting device, comprising: a supporting assembly 10, a conductive assembly 20, and a sealing assembly 30. The top of the supporting assembly 10 has a supporting surface for supporting the electrostatic tray 400. The supporting assembly 10 also has an introduction channel 11, which extends from the bottom of the supporting assembly 10 to the supporting surface; the conductive assembly 20 is arranged in the introduction channel 11, and the conductive assembly 20 is used to electrically connect to the electrostatic tray 400 to feed an external voltage to the adsorption electrode in the electrostatic tray 400; the sealing assembly 30 is sleeved on the outside of the conductive assembly 20 and is sealed with the conductive assembly 20. The sealing assembly 30 is connected to the bottom of the supporting assembly 10 and is sealed with the supporting assembly 10 to close the end of the introduction channel 11 located at the bottom of the supporting assembly 10.

[0048] The carrying device provided in the embodiment of the present application is configured such that the sealing component 30 is sleeved on the outside of the conductive component 20 and sealedly connected to the conductive component 20, and the sealing component 30 is connected to the bottom of the support component 10 and sealed with the support component 10. The introduction channel 11 can be extended to one end of the bottom of the support component 10 (the end of the introduction channel 11 connected to the outside of the process chamber) and closed, that is, the gap between the conductive component 20 and the inner wall of the introduction channel 11 is closed, thereby effectively preventing external gas from entering the introduction channel 11 from the gap between the inner wall of the introduction channel 11 and the conductive component 20. Even if the end of the introduction channel 11 located on the carrying surface is directly exposed to the process chamber, under the sealing action of the sealing component 30, external gas cannot enter the process chamber, thereby solving the sealing problem of the process chamber when the electrostatic tray is separated from the carrying device in the related art, thereby improving the quality of the wafer.

[0049] When the carrier device provided in the embodiments of the present application is placed in a process chamber, its bottom is located outside the process chamber to facilitate the introduction of an external voltage. In this case, by assembling the sealing assembly 30 at the bottom of the support assembly 10, compared to the sealing ring 6 disposed between the electrostatic tray 2 and the carrier device 1 in the related art, the sealing assembly 30 is further away from the interior of the process chamber, is less affected by the high temperature environment inside the chamber, and is less susceptible to aging, thereby ensuring a long-term sealing effect, thereby resolving the sealing problem of the process chamber caused by aging of the sealing ring in the related art.

[0050] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in this embodiment, the sealing assembly 30 includes: an insulating sleeve 31 and a sealing end cap 32. The insulating sleeve 31 has a first end and a second end that are relatively arranged. The first end of the insulating sleeve 31 is located in the introduction channel 11, and the second end of the insulating sleeve 31 is located outside the introduction channel 11. That is, as shown in Figure 3, one end of the insulating sleeve 31 is inserted into the introduction channel 11 from the bottom of the supporting assembly 10, and the second end of the insulating sleeve 31 remains outside the supporting assembly 10. The conductive assembly 20 passes through the insulating sleeve 31. It is easy to understand that a gap is formed between the conductive assembly 20 and the inner wall of the introduction channel 11 to reserve space for the sealing assembly 30. The sealing end cap 32 is sealed and fixedly connected to the second end of the insulating sleeve 31. The conductive assembly 20 is arranged through the sealing end cap 32, and the conductive assembly 20 and the sealing end cap 32 are sealed and fixedly connected. By setting a sealing end cap 32, a fixed connection between the conductive component 20 and the insulating sleeve 31 can be achieved through the sealing end cap 32. At the same time, a sealed connection between the conductive component 20 and the insulating sleeve 31 can also be achieved to prevent external gas from entering the process chamber through the gap between the conductive component 20 and the insulating sleeve 31. In this embodiment, the insulating sleeve 31 is made of ceramic material.

[0051] The insulating sleeve 31 is sealed with the support assembly 10. It should be noted that the insulating sleeve 31 and the support assembly 10 can be directly sealed by a sealing ring or indirectly sealed by other components. In this embodiment, the insulating sleeve 31 and the support assembly 10 are sealed indirectly.

[0052] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG4 , the sealing assembly 30 further includes: a connecting flange 33, which is arranged around the insulating sleeve 31, and the connecting flange 33 is sealed and fixedly connected to the outer wall of the insulating sleeve 31. As shown in FIG3 , the connecting flange 33 is connected to the support assembly 10 and sealed to close one end of the introduction channel 11 at the bottom of the support assembly 10. In this embodiment, the connecting flange 33 is, for example, provided at the position of the introduction channel 11 at the bottom of the support assembly 10, and the connecting flange 33 is fixedly connected to the support assembly 10 by fasteners such as bolts, and the insulating sleeve 31 is fixedly connected to the support assembly 10 through the connecting flange 33. A first sealing ring is provided between the connecting flange 33 and the support assembly 10 to achieve a sealed fit.

[0053] By providing the connecting flange 33, the connecting flange 33 is fixedly and sealedly connected to the outer wall of the insulating sleeve 31, which can effectively prevent external air from entering the introduction channel 11 through the gap between the connecting flange 33 and the insulating sleeve 31. Moreover, by providing a first sealing ring, the connecting flange 33 and the support assembly 10 can be sealed, thereby preventing external air from entering the introduction channel 11 through the gap between the connecting flange 33 and the support assembly 10. As a result, the end of the introduction channel 11 located at the bottom of the support assembly 10 is completely sealed, effectively preventing external air from entering the interior of the introduction channel 11, thereby achieving sealing of the introduction channel 11.

[0054] In this embodiment, the sealing end cap 32 and the connecting flange 33 can be made of aluminum alloy or other materials. The conductive component 20 and the sealing end cap 32, the sealing end cap 32 and the insulating sleeve 31, and the insulating sleeve 31 and the connecting flange 33 are all sealed and fixed by welding. However, this is not restrictive. In other embodiments not shown in the figures, other connection methods such as gluing, threaded connection, and sealing structure can also be used. As long as the method can achieve a sealed and fixed connection, it is within the scope of protection of this application.

[0055] In the related art shown in FIG1 , when the electrostatic tray 2 is set on the carrier device 1, a back gas channel 7 for introducing back gas is formed between the electrostatic tray 2, the sealing ring 6 and the carrier device 1, and the introduction channel 8 is connected to the back gas channel 7. The back gas refers to an inert gas, such as helium, introduced into the back gas channel 7 when performing a semiconductor process. When the machine is working, a large amount of heat is generated due to ignition. In order to reduce the temperature of the electrostatic tray 2, helium is introduced into the back gas channel 7 through the carrier device 1 to exchange heat with the electrostatic tray 2 to reduce the temperature of the electrostatic tray 2. However, in the related art, since the voltage feeding structure 3 needs to extend into the back gas channel 7, the back gas channel 7 is connected to the introduction channel 8, causing the back gas to enter the introduction channel 8. When the voltage is fed, the back gas in the introduction channel 8 will discharge, resulting in the occurrence of sparking.

[0056] In order to solve the above problems, as shown in Figures 2 and 5, the supporting device provided in the embodiment of the present application further includes: an annular seal 40. The annular seal 40 is provided on the supporting surface of the supporting assembly 10. The supporting assembly 10 is configured to form a separation space 50 between the supporting surface and the electrostatic tray 400 when supporting the electrostatic tray 400. The annular seal 40 is configured to be sealed and connected between the supporting surface and the electrostatic tray 400 to separate the separation space 50 into a mutually independent connection channel 51 and a back gas channel 52. The connection channel 51 is located on the inner side of the annular seal 40 and is connected to the introduction channel 11. The back gas channel 52 is located on the outer side of the annular seal 40 for introducing gas, such as the above-mentioned back gas.

[0057] As shown in FIG5 , after the electrostatic tray 400 is assembled, an annular seal 40 is provided in the space 50 formed between the electrostatic tray 400 and the bearing surface, and the electrostatic tray 400 is sealed with the bearing surface by the annular seal 40. The annular seal 40 divides the space 50 into two independent and non-connected parts, namely, a connecting channel 51 located on the inner side of the annular seal 40 and a back gas channel 52 located on the outer side of the annular seal 40. By connecting the connecting channel 51 with the introduction channel 11 and isolating the introduction channel 11 from the back gas channel 52 by the annular seal 40, after gas is introduced into the back gas channel 52, the presence of the annular seal 40 can greatly reduce the back gas in the back gas channel 52 from entering the introduction channel 11, thereby reducing the risk of ignition in the introduction channel 11. In this embodiment, the annular seal 40 is a sealing ring.

[0058] The supporting device provided in the embodiment of the present application is provided with an annular seal 40 on the supporting surface for supporting the electrostatic tray 400, so that after the electrostatic tray 400 is assembled, the introduction channel 11 is isolated from the back gas channel 52 by the annular seal 40. After gas is introduced into the back gas channel 52, the presence of the annular seal 40 can minimize the back gas from entering the introduction channel 11, thereby reducing the risk of ignition in the introduction channel 11.

[0059] It can be understood that, in this embodiment, the gas introduced into the back gas channel 52 is back gas, such as helium.

[0060] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, a second sealing ring 72 is further provided on the bearing surface. As shown in FIG2 , the second sealing ring 72 is provided at the edge of the bearing surface. After the electrostatic tray 400 is assembled on the bearing surface, the bearing surface, the bottom surface of the electrostatic tray 400 and the second sealing ring 72 together form an interval space 50. The annular seal 40 is located on the inner side of the second sealing ring 72 and forms a back air channel 52 between the annular seal 40 and the second sealing ring 72.

[0061] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG3 , the conductive assembly 20 includes a conductive post 21 and an electrode probe 22. The conductive post 21 has a first end and a second end. The first end of the conductive post 21 is located within the introduction channel 11 and is connected to the electrode probe 22. Thus, when the support assembly 10 supports the electrostatic tray 400, the conductive post 21 can be electrically connected to the electrostatic tray 400 via the electrode probe 22. The second end of the conductive post 21 extends away from the support surface to the outside of the introduction channel 11 for electrical connection to an external power source. An insulating sleeve 31 is sleeved over the conductive post 21. The conductive post 21 is passed through a sealing end cap 32 and is sealed and connected to the sealing end cap 32. For example, the conductive post 21 and the sealing end cap 32 are sealed and fixedly connected by welding.

[0062] In this embodiment, the conductive posts 21 and the electrode probes 22 are elastically connected, for example. This provides a buffering effect when the electrostatic tray 400 is placed on the support assembly 10, while also ensuring good electrical contact between the electrostatic tray 400 and the electrode probes 22. It will be appreciated that the electrode probes 22 include a probe body 221 and a probe post 222. The probe body 221 is elastically connected to the probe post 222, and the probe post 222 is fixedly connected to the conductive posts 21 by welding or interference fit.

[0063] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the conductive pillars 21 and the electrode probes 22 are both made of a conductive material, preferably copper. However, this is not restrictive, and in other embodiments not shown, the conductive pillars 21 and the probes may also be made of other conductive materials, such as gold, silver, etc.

[0064] In the related art shown in FIG1 , since the channel walls constituting the introduction channel 8 are made of metal, these metal materials will decompose the voltage fed into the electrostatic tray 2 by the DC power supply, and it cannot be guaranteed that all the voltage is introduced into the electrostatic tray 2, thereby affecting the electrostatic adsorption performance.

[0065] To address the above-mentioned issues, as shown in FIG3 , the sealing assembly 30 further includes a protective sleeve 34. The protective sleeve 34 is disposed between the conductive assembly 20 (e.g., the conductive post 21) and the insulating sleeve 31. The inner wall of the protective sleeve 34 is in contact with the outer wall of the conductive assembly 20 (e.g., the conductive post 21), and the outer wall of the protective sleeve 34 is in contact with the inner wall of the insulating sleeve 31. In this embodiment, the material of the protective sleeve 34 is, for example, a resin (e.g., polyetherimide, a super engineering plastic with high temperature resistance, high dimensional stability, chemical resistance, flame retardancy, electrical properties, high strength, high rigidity, etc.). By providing the protective sleeve 34, the insulating sleeve 31 can be prevented from colliding with the conductive post 21 and being damaged, thereby acting as a buffer. In addition, since the insulating sleeve 31 and the protective sleeve 34 have insulating properties, while playing the role of insulation and protection, they can also effectively fill the gap between the conductive column 21 and the inner wall of the introduction channel 11, thereby reducing the content of back gas and avoiding the occurrence of sparks. At the same time, it can also effectively avoid the consumption of current, and all the voltage fed by the DC power supply is fed into the electrostatic tray 400, thereby increasing the induced static electricity on the upper surface of the electrostatic tray 400, thereby improving the effect of adsorbing the wafer.

[0066] As shown in FIG3 , the support device includes an insulating assembly 60. The insulating assembly 60 is disposed between the conductive assembly 20 and the inner wall of the introduction channel 11 and is removably connected to the sealing assembly 30. Thus, the sealing assembly 30 and the insulating assembly 60 together occupy the majority of the space in the gap between the conductive assembly 20 and the introduction channel 11. This, in turn, increases the resistance between the conductive assembly 20 and the inner wall of the channel, thereby making it more difficult to ignite. Furthermore, by occupying the majority of the space in the gap, the sealing assembly 30 and the insulating assembly 60 can displace gas (e.g., helium) that has escaped through the annular seal 40 and entered the introduction channel 11, thereby reducing the gas content in the gap between the conductive assembly 20 and the introduction channel 11 and further reducing the risk of ignition. Furthermore, by encapsulating the conductive assembly 20 with the sealing assembly 30 and the insulating assembly 60, current from the conductive assembly 20 can be prevented from flowing to the support assembly 10, further reducing current consumption and ensuring that the entire voltage fed by the DC power supply is fed to the electrostatic tray 400.

[0067] In addition, by making the insulating component 60 and the sealing component 30 detachably connected, the insulating component 60 and the sealing component 30 can be installed separately from both ends of the conductive component 20 during installation, and can be removed separately during disassembly, making the installation and disassembly process more flexible and convenient.

[0068] Specifically, in an embodiment where the conductive component 20 includes a conductive column 21 and an electrode probe 22, and the sealing component 30 includes an insulating sleeve 31, the insulating component 60 is sleeved on the portion of the conductive column 21 near its first end, the electrode probe 22 is passed through the insulating component 60, and the insulating component 60 is detachably connected to the insulating sleeve 31.

[0069] The carrying device provided in the embodiment of the present application is equipped with an annular seal 40, a conductive component 20, a sealing component 30 and an insulating component 60. The annular seal 40 is first used to reduce the amount of back gas entering the introduction channel 11, and then the sealing component 30 and the insulating component 60 are used to fill the gap in the introduction channel 11. This not only improves the insulation effect between the conductive component 20 and the inner wall of the channel, but also can squeeze out the back gas in the introduction channel 11. Through the dual combination of reducing the back gas and squeezing out the back gas, the conditions for gas discharge ignition are isolated, thereby not only avoiding the occurrence of ignition, but also increasing the voltage effectively fed into the DC power supply, thereby ensuring the stability of the electrostatic tray 400 in adsorbing the wafer.

[0070] Furthermore, in some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, the insulating component 60 includes: a protective cap 61 and an insulating cap 62. The protective cap 61 is sleeved on the conductive component 20, for example, on the portion of the conductive column 21 near its first end. A first assembly channel 611 is provided inside the protective cap 61, and the electrode probe 22 is located in the first assembly channel 611; the insulating cap 62 is sleeved on the outside of the protective cap 61, and the first end of the insulating cap 62 extends to the end of the introduction channel 11 near the bearing surface, and the second end of the insulating cap 62 faces the insulating sleeve 31, and the outer wall of the insulating cap 62 abuts the inner wall of the introduction channel 11. In this embodiment, the insulating cap 62 is made of ceramic material, which is relatively hard, while the conductive component 20 (for example, including the conductive column 21 and the electrode probe 22) is made of metal. If the conductive component 20 directly contacts the insulating cap 62 made of ceramic material, it is easy to collide and cause damage to the insulating cap 62. Based on this, the embodiment of the present application sets a protective cap 61, and sets the protective cap 61 between the conductive component 20 (for example, including the conductive column 21 and the electrode probe 22) and the insulating cap 62, which can prevent the conductive component 20 from colliding with the insulating cap 62. Specifically, it can prevent the conductive column 21 from colliding with the insulating cap 62, and the electrode probe 22 from colliding with the insulating cap 62, thereby protecting the insulating cap 62. At the same time, the protective cap 61 can also have an insulating effect by adopting an insulating material. The protective cap 61 is made of, for example, a resin material (for example, polytetrafluoroethylene, which is a high molecular polymer obtained by polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene as a monomer, and has excellent heat resistance and cold resistance. At the same time, polytetrafluoroethylene has the characteristics of high temperature resistance, and its friction coefficient is extremely low, which is convenient for assembly). This material is softer than ceramics and can play a buffering role. In addition, the resin material is also an insulating material, so it can also have an insulating effect. Through the cooperation of the protective cap 61 and the insulating cap 62, the gap between the conductive component 20 and the inner wall of the introduction channel 11 can be filled while achieving insulation and protection effects, thereby reducing the back gas content and avoiding the occurrence of sparks. It can also prevent current from flowing to the support component 10, thereby increasing the voltage effectively fed into the DC power supply.

[0071] In one embodiment shown in FIG6 , the protective cap 61 includes: a protective cap body 612 and an extension sleeve 613 . The protective cap body 612 has a first end and a second end. The first end of the protective cap body 612 is provided with a connection hole 6121 . The protective cap body 612 is sleeved on the conductive component 20 through the connection hole 6121 , for example, sleeved on the portion of the conductive column 21 near its first end. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the inner wall of the connection hole 6121 is provided with an internal thread, and the outer peripheral surface of the portion of the conductive column 21 near its first end is provided with an external thread, so as to threadably connect and fix the connection hole 6121 to the conductive column 21 . By adopting the threaded connection between the connection hole 6121 and the conductive column 21, during assembly, the protective cap body 612 can be connected and fixed to the conductive column 21 by a threaded connection, which facilitates subsequent installation and positioning, and improves assembly efficiency and assembly accuracy.

[0072] As shown in Figure 6, a first assembly sub-channel 6111 is provided inside the protective cap body 612, one end of the first assembly sub-channel 6111 is connected to the connecting hole 6121, and the other end of the first assembly sub-channel 6111 extends to the second end of the protective cap body 612; the extension sleeve 613 is detachably connected to the second end of the protective cap body 612, and a second assembly sub-channel 6112 is provided inside the extension sleeve 613, and the second assembly sub-channel 6112 is connected to the first assembly sub-channel 6111 to form the first assembly channel 611. During assembly, the protective cap body 612 can be first threadedly connected and fixed to the conductive column 21, and then the electrode probe 22 can be inserted into the first assembly sub-channel 6111 and connected to the conductive column 21 inside, and then the extension sleeve 613 can be put on the electrode probe 22 to complete the installation. The detachable protective cap body 612 and the extension sleeve 613 can facilitate the installation of the probe and improve the installation efficiency.

[0073] It can be understood that in this embodiment, the outer wall thickness corresponding to the protective cap body 612 and the connecting hole 6121 is greater than the thickness of the first end of the protective cap body 612. By thickening the outer wall thickness corresponding to the protective cap body 612 and the connecting hole 6121, the reliability and insulation of the protective cap body 612 on the conductive component 20 can be improved.

[0074] As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the insulating cap 62 has a first end and a second end. The first end of the insulating cap 62 extends to the position of the bearing surface, and the second end of the insulating cap 62 extends in a direction away from the bearing surface. The first end of the insulating cap 62 is located at the channel opening of the introduction channel 11 on the bearing surface. A first limiting portion 621 is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the first end of the insulating cap 62. At the end of the introduction channel 11 close to the bearing surface, as shown in Figure 8, a second limiting portion 111 is provided on the inner peripheral wall of the introduction channel 11. The first limiting portion 621 cooperates with the second limiting portion 111 to limit the insulating cap 62 inside the introduction channel 11 so that the support assembly 10 limits the insulating cap 62.

[0075] In this embodiment, the first limiting portion 621 is an annular groove and the second limiting portion 111 is an annular protrusion. However, this is not restrictive. In some other embodiments not shown in the figure, the first limiting portion 621 and the second limiting portion 111 can also be other limiting structures, such as: limiting columns and limiting grooves, etc. As long as the axial limitation can be achieved and the insulating cap 62 can be limited to the introduction channel 11, the structure is within the protection scope of this application.

[0076] As shown in FIG6 , the interior of the insulating cap 62 includes a cavity 622 for accommodating the protective cap body 612 and a mounting channel 623 for inserting the extension sleeve 613. The contour of the cavity 622 matches the contour of the protective cap body 612, so that the inner wall of the cavity 622 fits tightly against the outer wall of the protective cap body 612, thereby reducing gaps for back-gassing. Similarly, the inner wall of the mounting channel 623 fits tightly against the outer wall of the extension sleeve 613, thereby reducing gaps for back-gassing. However, it should be noted that although the outer wall of the protective cap body 612 fits tightly against the inner wall of the accommodating cavity 622, and the inner wall of the mounting channel 623 fits tightly against the outer wall of the extension sleeve 613, in order to facilitate installation and disassembly, the protective cap body 612 and the inner wall of the accommodating cavity 622 can still move axially relative to each other, so that the protective cap body 612 can be inserted into the accommodating cavity 622. Correspondingly, the extension sleeve 613 and the inner wall of the mounting channel 623 can also move axially relative to each other, so as to facilitate the installation of the extension sleeve 613.

[0077] As shown in FIG6 , the insulating assembly 60 further includes a buffer sleeve 63, which is sleeved over the conductive assembly 20, for example, over the conductive post 21. The first end of the buffer sleeve 63 engages with the insulating cap 62, and the second end of the buffer sleeve 63 abuts against the sealing assembly 30, for example, the insulating sleeve 31. The buffer sleeve 63 not only ensures insulation but also acts as a buffer between the insulating cap 62 and the sealing assembly 30, preventing damage caused by collision. Specifically, taking the example of the insulating cap 62 and the insulating sleeve 31 both being made of ceramic material, the buffer sleeve 63 can be made of a softer insulating material. For example, the buffer sleeve 63 is made of a resin material (for example: polytetrafluoroethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene is a high molecular polymer made by polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene as a monomer, with excellent heat resistance and cold resistance. At the same time, polytetrafluoroethylene has the characteristics of high temperature resistance, its friction coefficient is extremely low, and it is easy to assemble). Its main function is to ensure insulation while also being used to buffer the insulating cap 62 and the insulating sleeve 31 to avoid damage caused by collision between the two.

[0078] In an embodiment where the conductive assembly 20 includes a conductive post 21 and an electrode probe 22, and the sealing assembly 30 includes an insulating sleeve 31, as shown in FIG6 , a first end of the buffer sleeve 63 is provided with an insertion protrusion 631. This insertion protrusion 631 engages with the protective cap 61 and the insulating cap 62, while the second end of the buffer sleeve 63 abuts against the insulating sleeve 31. The insertion protrusion 631 includes an axially distributed first insertion segment 6311 and a second insertion segment 6312. The outer circumference of the first insertion segment 6311 is smaller than the outer circumference of the second insertion segment 6312. Referring to FIG6 , an annular slot 6122 is provided on the inner wall of the connecting hole 6121, near the first end of the protective cap body 612. After the insertion protrusion 631 is inserted into the second end of the insulating cap 62, the second insertion segment 6312 engages with the inner wall of the accommodating cavity 622, and the first insertion segment 6311 engages with the annular slot 6122. By setting the plug-in protrusion 631, the buffer sleeve 63 can be plugged and fixed with the protective cap 61 and the insulating cap 62 through the plug-in protrusion 631, thereby improving the reliability of the connection. At the same time, the plug-in protrusion 631 can also cooperate with the protective cap 61 and the insulating cap 62 respectively through two plug-in sections (i.e., the first plug-in section 6311 and the second plug-in section 6312), which can play a role in positioning the protective cap 61 and the insulating cap 62, thereby improving the accuracy of assembly.

[0079] It is understandable that, as shown in FIG. 7 , at a position on the insulating cap 62 corresponding to the conductive pillar 21 , ie, the insulating cap 62 constitutes the portion of the accommodating cavity 622 , the inner wall of the insulating cap 62 is thicker to improve the insulation effect.

[0080] It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, the electrostatic tray 400 is detachably connected to the support assembly 10. The detachable connection means that the electrostatic tray 400 is removable. In other words, the electrostatic tray 400 is placed on the support assembly 10. During the wafer transfer process, the electrostatic tray 400 can be directly removed, and by moving the electrostatic tray 400, the wafer on the electrostatic tray 400 is moved together. This method can avoid direct contact between the wafer transfer equipment and the wafer, effectively avoiding damage to the wafer. Moreover, it is more convenient to remove the electrostatic tray 400, and it is convenient to clean the electrostatic tray 400 after removal.

[0081] When a movable electrostatic tray 400 is used, after the electrostatic tray 400 is placed on the support assembly 10, the cooperation of the annular seal 40, the sealing assembly 30 and the insulating assembly 60 can effectively reduce the back gas content in the introduction channel 11 and avoid the occurrence of ignition.

[0082] As shown in Figure 8, in this embodiment, the support assembly 10 includes: a carrier plate 12 and an insulating tube 13, the carrier plate 12 is provided with a first channel 121, the first channel 121 runs from the bottom of the carrier plate 12 to the top of the carrier plate 12, the top of the carrier plate 12 has a bearing surface, when the electrostatic tray 400 is assembled, the electrostatic tray 400 is assembled on the bearing surface of the top of the carrier plate 12; the first end of the insulating tube 13 abuts against the bottom of the carrier plate 12 and seals with the carrier plate 12, the second end of the insulating tube 13 is connected to the connecting flange 33 and seals with it, for example, it can be fixedly connected by fasteners such as bolts, and the sealing cooperation between the two is achieved by setting a first sealing ring 71 between the connecting flange 33 and the insulating tube 13, a second channel 131 is provided in the insulating tube 13, the second channel 131 runs from the first end of the insulating tube 13 to the second end of the insulating tube 13, the second channel 131 inside the insulating tube 13 is connected with the first channel 121 to form the introduction channel 11.

[0083] The supporting device provided in the embodiment of the present application utilizes an insulating cylinder 13 to securely connect the connecting flange 33 to the supporting plate 12, thereby securing the support assembly 10 to the sealing assembly 30. Furthermore, a first sealing ring 71 seals the connecting flange 33 with the insulating cylinder 13, preventing external air from entering the inlet channel 11 and improving the sealing effect. Furthermore, the insulating cylinder 13 also serves to isolate the supporting plate 12 from the connecting flange 33, preventing electrical conduction between the two, thereby preventing radio frequency leakage.

[0084] In this embodiment, the carrier plate 12 includes a carrier plate body 122 and a base 123. The top of the carrier plate body 122 has a bearing surface. The carrier plate body 122 is vertically provided with a first sub-channel 121a, and the insulating cap 62 is installed in the first sub-channel 121a. The first end of the first sub-channel 121a extends to the bearing surface at the top of the carrier plate body 122, and the second end of the first sub-channel 121a extends to the bottom of the carrier plate body 122. A second sealing ring 72 is provided at the edge of the bearing surface at the top of the carrier plate body 122. When the electrostatic tray 400 is placed on the carrier plate body 122, a back gas channel 52 is formed between the inner side of the second sealing ring 72, the outer side of the annular seal 40, and the top surface of the carrier plate body 122 and the bottom surface of the electrostatic tray 400.

[0085] The base 123 is disposed at the bottom of the carrier plate body 122, with a third sealing ring 73 disposed between the base 123 and the carrier plate body 122. A second sub-channel 121b is vertically defined on the base 123, which communicates with the first sub-channel 121a to form the first channel 121. The insulating tube 13 abuts against the base 123, with a fourth sealing ring 74 disposed between the insulating tube 13 and the base 123, providing a sealed fit between the insulating tube 13 and the base 123.

[0086] As shown in Figure 8, the support assembly 10 also includes a support plate 14 and a support ring 15. The support plate 14 is disposed at the second end of the insulating tube 13. A through hole 141 is provided on the support plate 14. The connecting flange 33 is disposed within the through hole 141 and connected to the inner circumferential wall of the through hole 141. The insulating sleeve 31 is disposed through the through hole 141. The support ring 15 is disposed between the support plate 14 and the carrier plate 12. The support ring 15 surrounds the insulating tube 13 and is sealed to the carrier plate 12 and the support ring 15. The support plate 14 and the support ring 15 can be connected to the carrier plate 12 and the process chamber via the support plate 14 and the support ring 15, thereby assembling the carrier device. To facilitate installation, an inner flange 142 is provided on the inner circumferential wall of the through hole 141 to support and limit the connecting flange 33 during assembly.

[0087] The following describes the assembly relationship between the carrier and the process chamber in detail based on specific application scenarios:

[0088] As shown in FIG9 , an embodiment of the present application further discloses a process chamber, comprising: a chamber body 100 and the above-mentioned carrying device, wherein the carrying device is disposed in the chamber body 100 and is sealed with the chamber body 100 .

[0089] A mounting port 110 is provided at the bottom of the chamber body 100, the support plate 14 is provided inside the chamber body 100, the support plate 14 cover is provided at the position of the mounting port 110, and a fifth sealing ring 75 is provided between the support plate 14 and the chamber body 100 to ensure a sealing fit between the support plate 14 and the bottom wall of the chamber body 100, thereby sealing the mounting port 110.

[0090] A support ring 15 is also provided above the support plate 14. A sixth sealing ring 76 is provided between the support ring 15 and the support plate 14 to seal the gap between the support ring 15 and the support plate 14, thereby achieving a sealed fit between the two. The base 123 of the carrier disc 12 is provided on the support ring 15. A seventh sealing ring 77 is provided between the base 123 and the support ring 15 to achieve a sealed fit between the base 123 and the support ring 15. The support ring 15 is made of an insulating material to prevent electrical conduction between the carrier disc 12 and the support plate 14. The connecting flange 33 is located within the through hole 141 and is sealed with the inner wall of the through hole 141. The insulating tube 13 is provided on the connecting flange 33 and is fixedly connected to the connecting flange 33. The insulating sleeve 31 extends through the through hole 141 to the outside of the chamber body 100.

[0091] 3 and 9 , it can be seen that after assembly, the sealing end cap 32 and the second end of the conductive column 21 are located outside the chamber body 100. However, since the sealing end cap 32 and the conductive column 21, and the sealing end cap 32 and the insulating sleeve 31 are sealed, and the connecting flange 33 and the insulating sleeve 31 are sealed, external air can be effectively prevented from entering the introduction channel 11 through the gap between the conductive column 21 and the sealing end cap 32, the gap between the sealing end cap 32 and the insulating sleeve 31, or the gap between the connecting flange 33 and the insulating sleeve 31. This can effectively prevent external air from entering the introduction channel 11 through the gap, thereby preventing external air from entering the interior of the chamber body 100 from the introduction channel 11.

[0092] 3 , 8 , and 9 , it can be seen that since sealing rings are provided between the base 123 and the support ring 15 , between the support plate 14 and the support ring 15 , and between the support plate 14 and the chamber body 100 , external air can be effectively prevented from directly entering the interior of the chamber body 100 , thereby improving the overall sealing performance. Furthermore, since the connection flange 33 and the insulating cylinder 13 are sealed, as well as the insulating cylinder 13 and the base 123 , external air can also be prevented from entering the introduction channel 11 , thereby improving the reliability of the overall sealing. Even in the absence of the electrostatic tray 400 , that is, when the interior of the introduction channel 11 is directly exposed to the interior of the chamber body 100 , external air will not enter the interior of the chamber body 100 through the introduction channel 11 , thereby achieving effective sealing.

[0093] The process chamber provided in the embodiment of the present application is provided with an annular seal 40 inside the carrier device, and the annular seal 40 is used to isolate the introduction channel 11 from the back gas channel 52. After the back gas is introduced into the back gas channel 52, the presence of the annular seal 40 can minimize the back gas from entering the introduction channel 11, thereby reducing the risk of ignition in the introduction channel 11. Moreover, the voltage feed structure formed by the conductive component 20, the sealing component 30 and the insulating component 60 can effectively prevent external gas from entering the introduction channel 11, thereby isolating the introduction channel 11 from the external environment. Even in the case where the electrostatic tray 400 is not provided, the sealing inside the process chamber can be guaranteed, thereby improving the reliability of the process chamber sealing.

[0094] As shown in FIG10 , an embodiment of the present application further discloses a semiconductor process equipment, comprising: a cassette module (CM) 200, a vacuum transfer module (TM) 300, an electrostatic tray 400, and the aforementioned process chamber (including the chamber body 100). The cassette module 200 is used to store wafers or electrostatic trays 400. The cassette module 200 is a chamber that can switch between vacuum and atmosphere, and is internally provided with a lifting mechanism 210 for moving wafers or electrostatic trays 400.

[0095] A vacuum robot 310 is provided inside the vacuum transfer module 300 , and wafers or electrostatic trays 400 are transferred between the process chamber (including the chamber body 100 ) and the cassette module 200 via the vacuum robot 310 .

[0096] The cassette module 200 is connected to the vacuum transfer module 300 via a first gate valve 320, and the vacuum transfer module 300 is connected to the process chamber (including the chamber body 100) via a second gate valve 330. When the gate valve is open, the two adjacent chambers are connected, and when the gate valve is closed, the two adjacent chambers are not connected to each other.

[0097] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG11 , the electrostatic tray 400 includes: a tray body 411, an adsorption electrode 412, and an electrode feed column 413. The tray body 411 is circular and made of ceramic. The front surface of the tray body 411 (i.e., the top surface of the tray body 411) is provided with a receiving groove 4111 for placing wafers, which is used to prevent the wafers from sliding on the electrostatic tray 400. In order to achieve automatic alignment between the wafer and the electrostatic tray 400 during wafer placement, the groove wall of the receiving groove 4111 is inclined so that the edge of the wafer can fall along the inclined groove wall into the groove bottom of the receiving groove 4111, thus completing the automatic alignment process. The groove bottom of the receiving groove 4111 is also provided with a back air hole (not shown in the figure) that extends through the bottom surface of the tray body 411. Please refer to FIG2 and FIG3 . When the electrostatic tray 400 is placed on the carrier plate 12, the back air hole is connected to the back air channel 52 so that the back air in the back air channel 52 enters the receiving groove 4111 through the back air hole to cool the wafer. An adsorption electrode 412 is provided in the tray body 411 and below the receiving groove 4111. The adsorption electrode 412 is made of copper. An electrode feed column 413 is embedded in the tray body 411, one end of which is electrically connected to the adsorption electrode 412, and the other end extends to the back side of the tray body 411 (that is, the bottom side of the tray body 411). The electrode feed column 413 is made of copper and is used to introduce DC voltage.

[0098] It should be noted that in this embodiment, there is one receiving slot 4111 on the electrostatic tray 400, but this is not restrictive. In some other embodiments not shown in the figure, the number of receiving slots 4111 can also be multiple, for example: 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. The size of the tray body 411 and the size and number of the receiving slots 4111 can be adjusted according to actual conditions and the size of the wafer.

[0099] The conductive component 20 is arranged in the introduction channel 11 to abut against the bottom of the electrostatic tray 400 so as to contact and electrically connect with the electrode feeding column 413 at the bottom of the electrostatic tray 400, and feed the external DC voltage into the adsorption electrode 412 through the electrode feeding column 413, so that the adsorption electrode 412 generates an electrostatic adsorption force to adsorb the wafer.

[0100] Please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 11. When the electrostatic tray 400 is placed on the carrier plate 12, the probe body 221 in the conductive component 20 abuts against the electrode feeding column 413 of the electrostatic tray 400, thereby realizing electrical connection between the conductive column 21 and the electrode feeding column 413, so that the external voltage can be fed into the adsorption electrode 412 of the electrostatic tray 400 to achieve adsorption of the wafer.

[0101] In this embodiment, the electrostatic tray 400 is detachably connected to the support assembly 10. Detachable connection means that the electrostatic tray 400 is removable. In other words, the electrostatic tray 400 is placed on the support assembly 10. During wafer transfer, the electrostatic tray 400 can be directly removed, and by moving the electrostatic tray 400, the wafers on the electrostatic tray 400 can be moved together. This method can prevent direct contact between the wafer transfer equipment and the wafers, effectively preventing damage to the wafers. Moreover, the electrostatic tray 400 is more convenient to remove and clean after removal.

[0102] In the semiconductor process equipment of this embodiment, when it is necessary to transport the electrostatic tray 400 with the wafer from the cassette module 200 to the process chamber (including the chamber body 100), the overall process is as follows:

[0103] Transport process: The interior of the cassette module 200 is evacuated. Once the preset vacuum level is reached, the lifting mechanism 210 raises the electrostatic tray 400 to the preset position for wafer transfer. The first gate valve 320 on the cassette module 200 is then opened. The vacuum robot 310 passes through the first gate valve 320 and removes the electrostatic tray 400 from the cassette module 200. The first gate valve 320 is then closed. At this point, the second gate valve 330 on the process chamber (including the chamber body 100) is opened. The vacuum robot 310 transports the electrostatic tray 400 into the process chamber (including the chamber body 100), which also has a vacuum environment, and places the electrostatic tray 400 on the support assembly 10. The vacuum robot 310 then retracts and the second gate valve 330 is closed.

[0104] The process involves applying voltage to the electrostatic tray 400 via the conductive component 20. Backgas (helium) is then introduced into the backgas channel 52 on the back (bottom) surface of the electrostatic tray 400. The electrostatic tray 400's adsorption status is monitored, and once the wafer is confirmed to be adsorbed, the next etching process step is performed. After the process is complete, the RF power is turned off (first, the power applied by the lower RF power supply, then the power applied by the upper RF power supply), the process gas is turned off, the process chamber (including the chamber body 100) is evacuated, the backgas is turned off, and the voltage applied to the electrostatic tray 400 is turned off.

[0105] The electrostatic tray 400 is transferred out of the process as follows: the second gate valve 330 is opened, the electrostatic tray 400 is taken out of the process chamber (including the chamber body 100 ) by the vacuum robot 310 , the second gate valve 330 is closed, the first gate valve 320 is opened, and the robot transfers the electrostatic tray 400 to the cassette module 200 .

[0106] It should be noted that when a movable electrostatic tray 400 is used, after the electrostatic tray 400 is placed on the carrier plate 12, the introduction channel 11 is isolated from the back gas channel 52 by the annular seal 40. After the back gas is introduced into the back gas channel 52, the presence of the annular seal 40 can minimize the back gas from entering the introduction channel 11, thereby reducing the risk of ignition in the introduction channel 11. Moreover, by setting up the sealing component 30 and the insulating component 60, the sealing component 30 and the insulating component 60 can be filled in the introduction channel 11 to increase the resistance between the conductive component 20 and the inner wall of the introduction channel 11. Through the cooperation of the annular seal 40, the sealing component 30 and the insulating component 60, the back gas content in the introduction channel 11 can be effectively reduced to avoid the occurrence of ignition.

[0107] When the electrostatic tray 400 is separated from the carrier plate 12, the sealing assembly 30 seals the end of the inlet channel 11 that communicates with the outside (i.e., the end of the inlet channel 11 located at the bottom of the support assembly 10). This prevents external air from entering the process chamber (including the chamber body 100) through the inlet channel 11, thereby isolating the inlet channel 11 from the external environment. Therefore, even without the electrostatic tray 400, the interior of the process chamber (including the chamber body 100) can be sealed, improving the reliability of the process chamber seal.

[0108] It should be noted that, as shown in FIG12 , in some embodiments, the semiconductor process equipment has a backgas line 510 for introducing backgas and a pressure controller 520 disposed in the backgas line 510. The backgas channel 52 is connected to a backgas source 530 through the backgas line 510. The pressure controller 520 is disposed on the backgas line 510 to control the backgas pressure in the backgas line 510 and to detect the backgas flow rate in the backgas line 510.

[0109] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12 , the semiconductor process equipment further includes a first control valve 540 , a second control valve 550 , a third control valve 560 , and a pump 570 .

[0110] The first control valve 540 is provided on the back-gas line 510 and is responsible for controlling the on-off of the back-gas line 510. The third control valve 560 is provided on the bypass line 580. One end of the bypass line 580 is connected to the back-gas line 510 and the other end is connected to the pump 570. The third control valve 560 is responsible for controlling the on-off of the bypass line 580. The second control valve 550 is responsible for controlling the on-off of the exhaust line 590 that transports the gas exhausted from the chamber body 100 to the pump 570.

[0111] When backgas is introduced, the first and second control valves 540 and 550 are closed, and the third control valve 560 is opened. Backgas now flows through bypass 580 and is delivered to pump 570. During this process, the pressure controller 520 can be used to set the backgas pressure. The backgas flow rate in bypass 580 at the current pressure can be obtained by the pressure controller 520 and used as the preset flow rate corresponding to the set pressure. During normal processing, the first and third control valves 540 and 560 are opened; the second control valve 550 remains closed. If the electrostatic tray 400 has secured the wafer, the difference between the flow rate obtained by the pressure controller 520 at the current pressure and the preset flow rate corresponding to the current pressure (i.e., the backgas flow rate in bypass 580) is less than 1 sccm. If the difference between the flow rate obtained by the pressure controller 520 at the current pressure and the preset flow rate corresponding to the current pressure (i.e., the backgas flow rate in bypass 580) is greater than 1 sccm, it indicates that the electrostatic tray 400 has not secured the wafer.

[0112] The backgas pressure is typically set at 8 Torr. With the first and second control valves 540 and 550 closed and the third control valve 560 open, the pressure controller 520 displays the backgas flow rate of the bypass 580 at that pressure. For example, if the preset flow rate (i.e., the backgas flow rate of the bypass 580) is 2 sccm, and the first and third control valves 540 and 560 are open, and the backgas flow rate corresponding to 8 Torr is approximately 2.5 sccm, then the difference between this and the preset flow rate (i.e., the backgas flow rate of the bypass 580) at the current pressure is less than 1 sccm, indicating that the electrostatic tray 400 has secured the wafer. If the backgas flow rate exceeds 3 sccm, the difference between this and the preset flow rate (i.e., the backgas flow rate of the bypass 580) at the current pressure is greater than 1 sccm, indicating that the electrostatic tray 400 has not secured the wafer.

[0113] 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 carrying device, characterized in that: include: A support assembly having a bearing surface on its top for supporting an electrostatic tray, the support assembly further comprising an introduction channel extending from the bottom of the support assembly to the bearing surface; a conductive component, disposed in the introduction channel, and configured to be electrically connected to the electrostatic tray so as to feed an external voltage into the adsorption electrode in the electrostatic tray; A sealing component is sleeved on the outside of the conductive component and is sealed with the conductive component. The sealing component is connected to the bottom of the support component and seals with the support component to close one end of the introduction channel located at the bottom of the support component.

2. The carrying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sealing assembly comprises: an insulating sleeve having a first end and a second end opposite to each other, wherein the first end of the insulating sleeve is located inside the introduction channel and the second end of the insulating sleeve is located outside the introduction channel; the insulating sleeve is in sealing engagement with the support assembly; The sealing end cap is sealed and fixedly connected to the second end of the insulating sleeve. The conductive component is arranged through the sealing end cap. The conductive component and the sealing end cap are sealed and fixedly connected.

3. The carrying device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sealing assembly further comprises: A connecting flange is arranged around the insulating sleeve, and the connecting flange is sealed and fixedly connected to the outer wall of the insulating sleeve. The connecting flange is connected to the support assembly and sealed to close one end of the introduction channel located at the bottom of the support assembly.

4. The carrying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The carrying device further includes: An annular seal is provided on the bearing surface of the support assembly. The support assembly is configured to form a spacing space between the bearing surface and the electrostatic tray when supporting the electrostatic tray. The annular seal is configured to be sealed and connected between the bearing surface and the electrostatic tray to separate the spacing space into mutually independent connecting channels and back-gas channels. The connecting channel is located on the inner side of the annular seal and is connected to the introduction channel. The back-gas channel is located on the outer side of the annular seal for introducing gas.

5. The carrying device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The conductive component includes: a conductive post having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the conductive post is located in the introduction channel, and the second end of the conductive post extends to the outside of the introduction channel in a direction away from the bearing surface; the insulating sleeve is sleeved on the conductive post, and the conductive post is passed through the sealing end cap and is sealed to the sealing end cap; An electrode probe is connected to the first end of the conductive column, and the electrode probe is used to be electrically connected to the electrostatic tray.

6. The carrying device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: The sealing assembly further comprises: The protective sleeve is sleeved between the conductive component and the insulating sleeve, the inner wall of the protective sleeve is in contact with the outer wall of the conductive component, and the outer wall of the protective sleeve is in contact with the inner wall of the insulating sleeve.

7. The carrying device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The carrying device further includes: The insulating component is sleeved between the conductive component and the inner wall of the introduction channel and is detachably connected to the sealing component.

8. The carrying device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The insulation assembly comprises: a protective cap, sleeved on the conductive component, wherein a first assembly channel is provided inside the protective cap, and the electrode probe is located in the first assembly channel; An insulating cap is sleeved on the outside of the protective cap, wherein the first end of the insulating cap extends to an end of the introduction channel close to the bearing surface, the second end of the insulating cap faces the insulating assembly, and the outer wall of the insulating cap abuts against the inner wall of the introduction channel.

9. The carrying device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The protective cap comprises: A protective cap body having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the protective cap body is provided with a connecting hole, and the protective cap body is sleeved on the conductive component through the connecting hole, and a first assembly sub-channel is provided inside the protective cap body, wherein one end of the first assembly sub-channel is communicated with the connecting hole, and the other end of the first assembly sub-channel extends to the second end of the protective cap body; An extension sleeve is detachably connected to the second end of the protective cap body, and the interior of the extension sleeve is communicated with the first assembly sub-channel to form the first assembly channel.

10. The carrying device according to claim 8, characterized in that: A first limiting portion is provided at the first end of the insulating cap, and a second limiting portion is provided on the inner peripheral wall of the introduction channel. The first limiting portion and the second limiting portion cooperate to limit the insulating cap inside the introduction channel by the support assembly.

11. The carrying device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The insulation assembly further comprises: A buffer sleeve is sleeved on the conductive component, a first end of the buffer sleeve is plug-fitted with the insulating cap, and a second end of the buffer sleeve is in contact with the sealing component.

12. The carrying device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The support assembly further comprises: A carrier plate having the carrying surface on its top, and a first channel provided in the carrier plate, the first channel running from the bottom of the carrier plate to the top of the carrier plate; An insulating tube having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the insulating tube abuts against the bottom of the carrier plate and is sealed with the carrier plate, and the second end of the insulating tube is connected to the connecting flange and is sealed with the connecting flange. The insulating tube has a second channel extending from the first end to the second end, and the second channel is connected to the first channel to form the introduction channel.

13. The carrying device according to claim 12, characterized in that: The support assembly further comprises: a support plate, disposed at the second end of the insulating cylinder, wherein a through hole is provided on the support plate, wherein the connecting flange is disposed in the through hole and connected to the inner peripheral wall of the through hole, and wherein the insulating sleeve is disposed through the through hole; A support ring is provided between the support plate and the carrier disc. The support ring is provided around the insulating tube. The support ring is sealed to the carrier disc and to the support plate.

14. The carrying device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The insulating sleeve is made of ceramic material, and / or The connecting flange is made of alloy material.

15. The carrying device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The material of the protective sleeve is resin.

16. The carrying device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The material of the protective cap is resin material, and / or The insulating cap is made of ceramic material.

17. The carrying device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The buffer sleeve is made of resin.

18. A process chamber, characterized in that: include: A chamber body and a carrying device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the carrying device is arranged in the chamber body and is sealed with the chamber body.

19. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: include: an electrostatic tray detachably connected to the support assembly; a cassette module, used for storing the electrostatic tray; A vacuum transmission module connected to the cassette module; And in the process chamber according to claim 18, the chamber body is connected to the vacuum transmission module, and the electrostatic tray moves between the cassette module and the chamber body through the vacuum transmission module.

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