Lifting apparatus and semiconductor process device

Abstract

A lifting apparatus and a semiconductor process device. The lifting apparatus comprises a telescopic support part (100) and a lifting arm (200), wherein the telescopic support part comprises a lifting / lowering driving part (110), a central column (120) and a jacking sleeve (130), the central column is of a hollow structure and is fitted outside the lifting / lowering driving part, and the top end of the lifting / lowering driving part is connected to the jacking sleeve; the jacking sleeve is fitted outside the central column, and slides relative to the central column under the drive of the lifting / lowering driving part so as to enable the telescopic support part to extend and retract, and the jacking sleeve is connected to the lifting arm and drives the lifting arm to move up and down in a telescoping direction of the telescopic support part. The lifting apparatus can solve the problem that the lifting apparatus in the semiconductor process device has low strength and is prone to deformation in the lifting process.

Description

Lifting device and semiconductor process equipment Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of semiconductor process equipment, and specifically relates to a lifting device and semiconductor process equipment. Background Art

[0002] Silicon carbide, a representative of third-generation semiconductor materials, has experienced rapid development in recent years. Physical vapor transport (PVT) is the mainstream and widely used method for producing silicon carbide. Crystal growth furnaces, a type of semiconductor process equipment used to produce silicon carbide, are characterized by their heavy furnace body and lid. To maintain and replace the graphite heaters and insulation materials within the growth furnace, a problem requiring research and resolution is the optimal opening of the heavy lid.

[0003] In related technologies, a lifting shaft is mounted on the furnace body, allowing it to rise and fall. This shaft is fixed to the furnace cover, and its own lifting and lowering drive the furnace cover to open and close. However, the furnace cover is heavy, while the overall strength of the lifting shaft is relatively low. This makes the lifting shaft prone to deformation when driving the furnace cover, which can easily affect the normal lifting of the furnace cover. Of course, this problem is not limited to crystal growth furnaces; other types of semiconductor process equipment also face the same or similar problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application discloses a lifting device and semiconductor process equipment to solve the problem that the lifting device in the semiconductor process equipment involved in the related art has low strength and is easily deformed during the lifting process.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, this application provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present application disclose a lifting device, comprising a telescopic support portion and a boom, wherein the telescopic support portion comprises a lifting drive portion, a center column, and a lifting sleeve, wherein the center column is a hollow structure and is sleeved outside the lifting drive portion, and the top end of the lifting drive portion is connected to the lifting sleeve;

[0007] The lifting sleeve is arranged outside the central column and slides relative to the central column under the drive of the lifting drive part to realize the extension and retraction of the telescopic support part. The lifting sleeve is connected to the boom and drives the boom to rise and fall in the extension and retraction direction of the telescopic support part.

[0008] In the second aspect, an embodiment of the present application discloses a semiconductor process equipment, which includes a process furnace and the lifting device described above. The process furnace includes a furnace body and a furnace cover. The lifting arm is connected to the furnace cover and is at least used to drive the furnace cover to rise and fall relative to the furnace body.

[0009] The technical solution adopted in this application can achieve the following technical effects:

[0010] The lifting device disclosed in the embodiment of the present application improves the structure of the lifting device involved in the related art by adding a center column and a jacking sleeve, setting the center column outside the lifting drive part, and setting the jacking sleeve outside the center column, and connecting the top end of the lifting drive part with the jacking sleeve, and connecting the jacking sleeve with the boom, so that the lifting drive part drives the jacking sleeve to slide relative to the center column, thereby realizing the extension and retraction of the telescopic support part, and then realizing the lifting and lowering of the boom in the extension and retraction direction of the telescopic support part. This structure can enhance the strength of the telescopic support part by the center column and the jacking sleeve, thereby enhancing the strength of the lifting device, so as to alleviate the problem that the weight of the furnace cover is large and the lifting device is easily deformed during lifting, thereby easily affecting the normal lifting of the lifting device, and thus helping to improve the reliability and stability of the lifting device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a process furnace disclosed in an embodiment of the present application with the furnace cover in a closed state;

[0012] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of the process furnace disclosed in an embodiment of the present application with the furnace cover in an open state;

[0013] FIG3 is a top view of FIG2;

[0014] FIG4 is a schematic top view of the process furnace disclosed in an embodiment of the present application, with the furnace cover in an open state and rotated to a position offset from the furnace body;

[0015] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a lifting device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0016] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a bearing, a rotary drive motor, and a second worm gear mechanism of a lifting device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] FIG7 is a partial structural diagram of a lifting sleeve, a boom, and a frame of a lifting device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of a lifting drive unit, a connector, a rotating platform, and a rotating drive mechanism of a lifting device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of the central column, connector, rotating platform and rotating drive mechanism of the lifting device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] FIG10 is a structural schematic diagram of the lifting sleeve, center column, connector, rotating platform and rotating drive mechanism of the lifting device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application from one perspective;

[0021] FIG11 is a structural schematic diagram of the lifting sleeve, center column, connector, rotating platform and rotating drive mechanism of the lifting device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application from another perspective;

[0022] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the partial structure of the lifting device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application from a top view.

[0023] Explanation of the accompanying drawings: 100-telescopic support part, 110-lifting drive part, 111-screw, 112-threaded sleeve, 113-lifting drive motor, 114-first worm gear mechanism, 120-center column, 121-avoidance groove, 130-lifting sleeve, 131-groove-shaped structural member, 132-plate-shaped member, 141-guide rail, 142-slider, 150-connecting member, 200-arm, 300-frame, 410-rotating table, 420-rotational drive mechanism, 421-rotational drive motor, 422-second worm gear mechanism, 430-bearing, 431-bearing inner ring, 432-bearing outer ring, 500-process furnace, 510-furnace body, 520-furnace cover, 600-lifting rope, 700-mounting seat. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of this application more clear, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the specific embodiments of this application and the corresponding drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0025] The terms "first" and "second" in the description and claims of this application may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0026] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; and direct or indirect connections through an intermediary. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0027] Please refer to Figures 1 to 12. An embodiment of the present application discloses a lifting device, which includes a telescopic support portion 100 and a lifting arm 200.

[0028] The telescopic support part 100 is the core component for realizing lifting in the lifting device. The telescopic support part 100 includes a lifting drive part 110, a center column 120 and a lifting sleeve 130, wherein the center column 120 is a hollow structure and is sleeved outside the lifting drive part 110, so that the structure of the telescopic support part 100 is more compact and can make full use of the internal space of the center column 120, thereby saving space, and further helping to reduce the space occupied by the lifting device. The center column 120 can be a square hollow column or a circular hollow column. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific shape of the center column 120. Of course, the lifting sleeve 130 is preferably adapted to the shape of the center column 120.

[0029] The top end of the lifting drive unit 110 is connected to the lifting sleeve 130, so that the lifting sleeve 130 is driven by the lifting drive unit 110 to achieve lifting. The lifting sleeve 130 is mounted outside the center column 120 and, driven by the lifting drive unit 110, slides relative to the center column 120 to achieve the extension and retraction of the telescopic support unit 100. At the same time, the sliding fit between the lifting sleeve 130 and the center column 120 can guide the lifting and retraction of the lifting sleeve 130, thereby guiding the lifting sleeve 130 to improve the lifting stability of the lifting sleeve 130, and further improve the extension and retraction stability of the telescopic support unit 100. It should be noted that the extension and retraction direction of the telescopic support unit 100 is parallel to the sliding direction of the lifting sleeve 130 (i.e., the lifting direction of the lifting sleeve 130).

[0030] The boom 200 is the core component of the lifting device, used to lift the furnace roof 520 described later. It can also lift other objects. The lifting sleeve 130 is connected to the boom 200 and drives the boom 200 up and down in the direction of the telescopic support 100, thereby driving the furnace roof 520 up and down through the boom 200.

[0031] The lifting device disclosed in the embodiment of the present application improves the structure of the lifting device involved in the related art by adding a center column 120 and a lifting sleeve 130, and sleeves the center column 120 outside the lifting drive unit 110, and sleeves the lifting sleeve 130 outside the center column 120. The top end of the lifting drive unit 110 is connected to the lifting sleeve 130, and the lifting sleeve 130 is connected to the boom 200, so that the lifting drive unit 110 drives the lifting sleeve 130 to slide relative to the center column 120, thereby realizing the extension and retraction of the telescopic support unit 100, and further realizing the lifting and retraction of the boom 200 in the extension and retraction direction of the telescopic support unit 100. This structure strengthens the strength of the telescopic support unit 100 through the center column 120 and the lifting sleeve 130, thereby strengthening the strength of the lifting device, thereby alleviating the problem that the weight of the furnace cover 520 is large and easily causes the lifting device to deform when driving the furnace cover 520 to rise and fall, thereby easily affecting the normal lifting and retraction of the furnace cover 520 by the lifting device.

[0032] In addition, this structure can disperse most of the bending force that the telescopic support portion 100 is subjected to when lifting the furnace cover 520 through the lifting arm 200 to the center column 120 and the lifting sleeve 130, thereby minimizing the bending force on the lifting drive portion 110. At the same time, the lifting drive portion 110 can withstand most of the force along the extension and retraction direction, thereby minimizing the force that the center column 120 and the lifting sleeve 130 are subjected to along the extension and retraction direction. In other words, this structure can basically disperse the bending force that the telescopic support portion 100 is subjected to when lifting the furnace cover 520 to the center column 120 and the lifting sleeve 130, and disperse the force along the extension and retraction direction to the lifting drive portion 110, thereby achieving stress dispersion, thereby making the telescopic support portion 100 less likely to bend, thereby facilitating enhancing the bending resistance of the lifting device, thereby reducing the risk of deformation of the lifting device when driving the furnace cover 520 to be raised and lowered, and making the lifting device more reliable and stable.

[0033] In order to improve the stability of the telescopic support part 100 in the telescopic extension, the telescopic support part 100 can also include a guide rail 141 and a slider 142, wherein one of the guide rail 141 and the slider 142 can be fixed to the outer wall of the center column 120, and the other can be fixed to the inner wall of the jacking sleeve 130, the guide rail 141 can extend along the telescopic direction, the slider 142 and the guide rail 141 are fixed in areas opposite to each other, and the slider 142 and the guide rail 141 can be guided and matched, so that the jacking sleeve 130 is guided to slide relative to the center column 120 in the telescopic direction through the guiding cooperation between the slider 142 and the guide rail 141, which can better prevent the jacking sleeve 130 from deviating from the telescopic direction during the sliding process, causing the moving direction of the boom 200 to be offset and making it difficult for the furnace cover 520 to stably cover the top opening of the furnace body 510 described later, thereby making the sliding of the jacking sleeve 130 more stable, and then making the movement of the boom 200 more stable, which is beneficial to improving the reliability and stability of the lifting device.

[0034] Based on this, in one embodiment, a guide rail 141 can be fixed to the outer wall of the center column 120, and correspondingly, a slider 142 can be fixed to the area on the inner wall of the lifting sleeve 130 opposite to the guide rail 141. The lifting sleeve 130 can slide with the center column 120 through the guidance of the slider 142 and the guide rail 141 to guide the lifting sleeve 130 to slide relative to the center column 120 in the telescopic direction.

[0035] In another embodiment, a slider 142 may be fixed to the outer wall of the center column 120, and correspondingly, a guide rail 141 may be fixed to the inner wall of the lifting sleeve 130 in an area opposite the slider 142. The lifting sleeve 130 can slide with the center column 120 through the guided cooperation between the slider 142 and the guide rail 141, thereby guiding the lifting sleeve 130 to slide relative to the center column 120 in the extension and contraction direction. Of course, in this case, the slider 142 and the guide rail 141 are similar to reinforcement structures, thereby playing a reinforcing role, thereby increasing the structural strength of the center column 120 and the lifting sleeve 130.

[0036] In a feasible technical solution, the telescopic support part 100 may also include a connecting member 150, which can connect the lifting sleeve 130 and the lifting drive part 110, so that the lifting drive part 110 can drive the connecting member 150 to move, thereby driving the lifting sleeve 130 to slide relative to the center column 120.

[0037] At the same time, the connector 150 can be movably connected to at least one of the lifting sleeve 130 and the lifting drive unit 110. Specifically, the connector 150 can be movably connected to the lifting drive unit 110 and can be fixedly connected to the lifting sleeve 130; the connector 150 can also be movably connected to the lifting sleeve 130 and can be fixedly connected to the lifting drive unit 110; of course, the connector 150 can also be movably connected to both the lifting sleeve 130 and the lifting drive unit 110. In this structure, when the driving direction of the lifting drive unit 110 is slightly non-parallel to the telescopic direction, the connector 150 can adapt to the above-mentioned slight non-parallelism through the movably connection between the connector 150 and at least one of the lifting sleeve 130 and the lifting drive unit 110, thereby avoiding the connector 150 from getting stuck and being unable to normally drive the lifting sleeve 130 to slide relative to the center column 120 in the telescopic direction.

[0038] In a further technical solution, the bottom end of the connecting member 150 can be rotatably connected to the lifting drive unit 110, and the extension direction of the rotation axis of the two can be perpendicular to the telescopic direction, so that the driving direction of the lifting drive unit 110 and the telescopic direction are slightly non-parallel, and the above-mentioned slight non-parallelism can be more flexibly adapted to through the rotational connection between the bottom end of the connecting member 150 and the lifting drive unit 110.

[0039] The top end of the connecting member 150 can be fixedly connected to the lifting sleeve 130, so that the connecting member 150 can be stably connected to the lifting sleeve 130 to ensure that the lifting sleeve 130 connected to the connecting member 150 can stably slide relative to the center column 120 in the telescopic direction. At the same time, the rotational connection between the connecting member 150 and the lifting drive part 110 can avoid the connecting member 150 from getting stuck and making it difficult to normally drive the lifting sleeve 130 to slide in the telescopic direction relative to the center column 120, thereby avoiding the telescopic support part 100 from getting stuck and being difficult to normally extend and retract.

[0040] Of course, the bottom end of the lifting drive unit 110 can be rotatably connected to the rotating table 410 described later, and the extension direction of the rotation axis of the two can be perpendicular to the telescopic direction, so that when the driving direction of the lifting drive unit 110 is slightly non-parallel to the telescopic direction, the rotation connection between the bottom end of the lifting drive unit 110 and the rotating table 410 can more flexibly adapt to the above-mentioned slight non-parallelism, and thus can more effectively avoid the telescopic support unit 100 from getting stuck and being difficult to telescope normally, which is beneficial to further improve the stability and reliability of the lifting device.

[0041] In addition, the connecting member 150 can be rotatably connected to the lifting drive unit 110 through a hinge or a flexible connecting member, the connecting member 150 can be fixedly connected to the lifting sleeve 130 by a threaded connection or a clamping connection, and the bottom end of the lifting drive unit 110 can be rotatably connected to the rotating table 410 through a hinge or a flexible connecting member. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0042] To ensure more stable sliding of the lifting sleeve 130, the center column 120 may be provided with an escape groove 121. Specifically, when the telescopic support portion 100 is in the retracted state, the connector 150 may be inserted into the escape groove 121 and positioned in cooperation with the escape groove 121, thereby achieving the positioning of the connector 150 and preventing the connector 150 from shaking in the escape groove 121 and causing the lifting sleeve 130 to shake. At the same time, by inserting the connector 150 into the escape groove 121, the space occupied by the telescopic support portion 100 in the retracted direction can be reduced.

[0043] When the telescopic support portion 100 is in the extended state, at least a portion of the connecting member 150 can extend outside the avoidance groove 121, allowing the connecting member 150 to swing about its (i.e., the connecting member 150) bottom end connected to the lifting drive portion 110. When there is a slight misalignment between the driving direction of the lifting drive portion 110 and the telescopic direction, the swinging of the connecting member 150 can accommodate the slight misalignment, thereby preventing the connecting member 150 from getting stuck and making it difficult to normally drive the lifting sleeve 130 to slide in the telescopic direction relative to the center column 120. Of course, the notch of the avoidance groove 121 can be oriented perpendicular to the telescopic direction.

[0044] In the embodiment of the present application, the connecting member 150 may be a columnar member. Of course, to facilitate manufacturing and ensure more stable and reliable positioning between the connecting member 150 and the avoidance groove 121 when the telescopic support portion 100 is in the retracted state, the connecting member 150 may be a plate-shaped member. In addition, the shape of the avoidance groove 121 matches the shape of the connecting member 150.

[0045] The first and second edges of the connecting member 150, which are opposite to each other, can be fixedly connected to the two opposite inner walls of the lifting sleeve 130 respectively, and the third edge of the connecting member 150 can be rotatably connected to the lifting drive unit 110. The third edge can be located between the first edge and the second edge, that is, the third edge is adjacent to the first edge and the second edge, and the third edge is located at the bottom end of the connecting member 150, so that the lifting drive unit 110 drives the lifting sleeve 130 to slide relative to the center column 120 through the connecting member 150.

[0046] In order to further improve the stability of the lifting device during lifting, in the embodiment of the present application, guide rails 141 may be provided on the first and second opposite sides of the center column 120. Correspondingly, a slider 142 may be provided on the inner wall of the lifting sleeve 130 in the area corresponding to each guide rail 141. In this structure, the multiple guide rails 141 can make the sliding of the lifting sleeve 130 more stable. At the same time, since the center column 120 is fixedly mounted outside the lifting drive unit 110, the guide rails 141 provided on the center column 120 can fix the guide rails 141, so that the lifting sleeve 130 can stably slide along the guide rails 141 through the sliders 142 on the inner wall of the lifting sleeve 130 corresponding to each guide rail 141, which is conducive to improving the sliding stability of the lifting sleeve 130.

[0047] Of course, the first and second opposite sides of the center column 120 can also be provided with sliders 142. Correspondingly, the areas on the inner wall of the lifting sleeve 130 corresponding to the sliders 142 on the first and second sides of the center column 120 can be provided with guide rails 141.

[0048] The first end of the boom 200 can be fixed to the top of the jacking sleeve 130, and the second end of the boom 200 can be suspended in the air. The guide rails 141 provided on the first side and the second side can be distributed in the extension direction of the boom 200, thereby improving the bending resistance of the lifting device, and the cooperation between the guide rails 141 and the slider 142 can enable the connection between the jacking sleeve 130 and the center column 120 to withstand a greater overturning force, thereby avoiding the furnace cover 520 lifted by the boom 200 connected to the jacking sleeve 130 being too heavy, which may easily lead to an unstable connection between the jacking sleeve 130 and the center column 120, thereby making the connection between the jacking sleeve 130 and the center column 120 more reliable and stable, which is conducive to further improving the reliability and stability of the lifting device.

[0049] In some embodiments, there can be only one boom 200 in order to reduce the production cost of the lifting device, or there can be multiple booms 200 so that the pulling force of the furnace cover 520 can be dispersed on multiple booms 200, which is beneficial to reduce the risk of breakage of the boom 200, and multiple booms 200 can improve the overall strength of the lifting device, which is beneficial to improve the reliability of the lifting device.

[0050] In a further technical solution, a plurality of sliders 142 are provided corresponding to each guide rail 141. Taking the case where the sliders 142 are provided on the inner wall of the lifting sleeve 130 as an example, the area on the inner wall of the lifting sleeve 130 corresponding to each guide rail 141 can be provided with a plurality of sliders 142. The plurality of sliders 142 cooperating with each guide rail 141 can be spaced apart in the telescopic direction, so that the area on the inner wall of the lifting sleeve 130 corresponding to each guide rail 141 can be stably slidably engaged with each guide rail 141 through the plurality of spaced apart sliders 142, thereby enabling the lifting sleeve 130 to slide more stably. In addition, the plurality of spaced apart sliders 142 can disperse the bending force on the lifting sleeve 130 to avoid stress concentration, and can further improve the stability and reliability of the connection between the lifting sleeve 130 and the center column 120, thereby further improving the reliability and stability of the lifting device.

[0051] In a feasible technical solution, the lifting sleeve 130 may include two oppositely disposed groove-shaped structural members 131 and two oppositely disposed plate-shaped members 132. One of the plate-shaped members 132 may connect the groove walls of the two groove-shaped structural members 131 on the first side of the central column 120, and the other plate-shaped member 132 may connect the groove walls of the two groove-shaped structural members 131 on the second side of the central column 120, so that each plate-shaped member 132 can pass through the groove walls of each groove-shaped structural member 131 and be fully connected to each groove-shaped structural member 131, so that each plate-shaped member 132 can be stably connected to each groove-shaped structural member 131.

[0052] The two trough-shaped structural members 131 and the two plate-shaped members 132 can be arranged to form a square cylindrical member. The above connection method can stably form the square cylindrical member with the two trough-shaped structural members 131 and the two plate-shaped members 132, thereby improving the reliability of the lifting sleeve 130. Specifically, the two trough-shaped structural members 131 and the two plate-shaped members 132 can be connected by threaded connection or riveting, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0053] Furthermore, the sliders 142 that slidably engage with the guide rails 141 located on the first and second sides of the central column 120 can be fixed to the two plate-like members 132, respectively. Of course, the sliders 142 that slidably engage with the guide rails 141 located on the first and second sides of the central column 120 can also be fixed to the two slot-like structures 131, respectively. In this case, the bottom walls of the two slot-like structures 131 can be respectively opposite to the first and second sides of the central column 120, and the two plate-like members 132 can respectively connect the slot walls of the two slot-like structures 131 located on the same side of the central column 120.

[0054] Preferably, the groove-shaped structural member 131 can be a member with a C-shaped cross-section, and the notch of the groove-shaped structural member 131 can face the center column 120, so that the square cylinder formed by the two groove-shaped structural members 131 and the two plate-shaped members 132 can have a larger internal space to facilitate accommodating the center column 120. Of course, the groove-shaped structural member 131 can also have an H-shaped cross-section, and this embodiment of the application is not limited to this.

[0055] In the embodiment of the present application, the lifting drive unit 110 can be a hydraulic lifting unit, a pneumatic lifting unit, etc. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific structure and type of the lifting drive unit 110. In a feasible technical solution, the lifting drive unit 110 can include a lifting drive motor 113, a screw rod 111 and a threaded sleeve 112. The threaded sleeve 112 can be sleeved outside the screw rod 111 and can be threadedly matched with the screw rod 111 to form a screw mechanism through the screw rod 111 and the threaded sleeve 112, thereby achieving relatively fine transmission through the screw rod 111 and the threaded sleeve 112. One of the threaded sleeve 112 and the screw rod 111 can be connected to the lifting drive motor 113, and the other can be connected to the jacking sleeve 130. The lifting drive motor 113 can be used to drive one of the threaded sleeve 112 and the screw rod 111 to rotate relative to the other, so as to drive the jacking sleeve 130 to slide relative to the center column 120, thereby realizing the automatic lifting and lowering of the lifting drive part 110, and realizing the automatic extension and retraction of the telescopic support part 100, which is conducive to reducing the difficulty of lifting the furnace cover 520 by the lifting device, solving the problem of high operating difficulty caused by manual lifting of the furnace cover 520, and facilitating operation.

[0056] Of course, the telescopic support part 100 may also be provided with a manual lifting drive part, such as a lifting operating handle, to drive the lifting drive part 110 to move up and down. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific driving method of the telescopic support part 100.

[0057] Preferably, the screw mechanism formed by the screw rod 111 and the threaded sleeve 112 can be a T-shaped screw mechanism to facilitate self-locking, making the self-locking of the screw mechanism more reliable, thereby helping to further improve the safety of the lifting device.

[0058] In a further technical solution, the lifting drive motor 113 can be fixed to the central column 120 via a first worm gear mechanism 114. The first worm gear mechanism 114 can pass through the central column 120 and be connected to the screw rod 111 or the threaded sleeve 112. With this structure, in the event of an unexpected situation, such as a sudden power outage, the first worm gear mechanism 114 can self-lock, thereby preventing the screw rod 111 or the threaded sleeve 112 connected to the jacking sleeve 130 from descending, so that the screw rod 111 or the threaded sleeve 112 connected to the jacking sleeve 130 can maintain the position before the power outage, thereby allowing the furnace cover 520 to maintain the position before the power outage, avoiding the furnace cover 520 from accidentally falling and causing a safety accident, which is beneficial to improving the safety of the lifting device and further beneficial to improving the safety performance of the semiconductor process equipment described below.

[0059] In order to enable the furnace cover 520 and the top opening of the furnace body 510 to be relative or staggered, the lifting device can also include a frame 300, a rotating table 410 and a rotating drive mechanism 420. The rotating table 410 can be rotatably arranged on the frame 300. The rotating drive mechanism 420 can be arranged on the frame 300 and can be driven and connected to the rotating table 410 to drive the rotating table 410 to rotate. The center column 120 can be fixed on the rotating table 410, so that the rotating drive mechanism 420 can drive the center column 120 to rotate by driving the rotating table 410 to rotate, thereby driving the lifting sleeve 130 connected to the center column 120 to rotate, so that the lifting arm 200 fixed to the lifting sleeve 130 can drive the furnace cover 520 to rotate, so as to drive the furnace cover 520 to rotate through the rotation of the lifting device, so that the furnace cover 520 and the top opening of the furnace body 510 are relative (as shown in Figure 2 or 3) or staggered (as shown in Figure 4).

[0060] In a more preferred technical solution, the rotation drive mechanism 420 may include a rotation drive motor 421 and a second worm gear mechanism 422. The rotation drive motor 421 may be fixed to the frame 300, and the rotation drive motor 421 may be rotationally connected to the rotating platform 410 via the second worm gear mechanism 422. In this structure, the second worm gear mechanism 422 can self-lock in time in the event of an accident, maintaining the rotation angle of the center column 120, thereby maintaining the rotation angle of the lifting device, and maintaining the position of the furnace cover 520, preventing the furnace cover 520 from continuing to rotate with the lifting device and easily colliding with other objects or organisms, thereby easily causing safety accidents. This is conducive to improving the reliability of the lifting device and, in turn, the safety performance of the semiconductor process equipment.

[0061] At the same time, the rotary drive motor 421 can drive the center column 120 to rotate automatically through the rotating table 410, thereby realizing automatic rotation of the lifting device, which is beneficial to improving the degree of automation of the lifting device, thereby reducing the difficulty of lifting the furnace cover 520 by the lifting device, and solving the problem of high operating difficulty caused by manual rotation of the furnace cover 520, so as to facilitate operation.

[0062] Of course, the lifting device can also be provided with a manual rotation drive part, such as a rotating operating handle, to drive the center column 120 to rotate, thereby driving the jacking sleeve 130 connected to the center column 120 to rotate, so that the lifting arm 200 fixed to the jacking sleeve 130 can drive the furnace cover 520 to rotate, so as to drive the furnace cover 520 to rotate through the rotation of the lifting device. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific method of controlling the lifting device to achieve rotation.

[0063] In some embodiments, the lifting device may further include a bearing 430, which may include an inner bearing ring 431 and an outer bearing ring 432. The inner bearing ring 431 may be fixed to the frame 300, and the outer bearing ring 432 may be rotatably mounted on the outer bearing ring 431. The rotating platform 410 may be fixed to the outer bearing ring 432, and the rotary drive motor 421 may be coupled to the outer bearing ring 432 via a second worm gear mechanism 422.

[0064] During operation, the rotary drive motor 421 can drive the bearing outer ring 432 to rotate relative to the bearing inner ring 431 via the second worm gear mechanism 422, thereby driving the rotating platform 410 to rotate, thereby rotating the center column 120, and thus enabling the lifting device to drive the furnace cover 520 to rotate, so that the furnace cover 520 is aligned with or offset from the top opening of the furnace body 510. The bearing outer ring 432 can coincide with the central axis of the center column 120. Of course, the central axis of the center column 120 can be parallel to the extension direction of the telescopic support portion 100, so that the lifting device can drive the furnace cover 520 to rotate around the central axis of the center column 120.

[0065] As described above, in the embodiment of the present application, the bearing 430 may be a turntable bearing, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0066] Based on the lifting device disclosed in this application, this application further discloses a semiconductor process equipment, which includes a process furnace 500 and the lifting device described in the above embodiment. The process furnace 500 includes a furnace body 510 and a furnace cover 520. The lifting arm 200 is connected to the furnace cover 520 and is at least used to drive the furnace cover 520 to rise and fall relative to the furnace body 510. Specifically, the lifting device can drive the furnace cover 520 to rise and fall or rotate relative to the furnace body 510 via the lifting arm 200, so that the furnace cover 520 can be separated from the furnace body 510 by the lifting device, and the furnace cover 520 can be arranged opposite or offset with the top opening of the furnace body 510 to open the process furnace 500.

[0067] To prevent the furnace cover 520 from causing a severe rigid collision with the furnace body 510 if the furnace cover 520 travels too far during its descent, the semiconductor process equipment may further include a suspension rope 600. The first end of the suspension rope 600 may be connected to the boom 200, and the second end of the suspension rope 600 may be connected to the furnace cover 520. In this structure, the lifting device is flexibly connected to the furnace cover 520 via the suspension rope 600. This prevents the suspension rope 600 from causing the furnace cover 520 to collide with the furnace body 510 if the furnace cover 520 travels too far during its descent, thereby alleviating the problem of severe rigid collisions between the furnace cover 520 and the furnace body 510 and reducing the risk of hardware damage. Specifically, the suspension rope 320 may be a steel cable or an iron chain, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0068] The number of the suspension arms 200 may be one or more. Preferably, each suspension arm 200 may be connected to multiple suspension ropes 600 at intervals. This allows the pulling force of the furnace cover 520 on the suspension arms 200 to be more evenly applied to the corresponding suspension arms 200 through the multiple suspension ropes 600 arranged at intervals. This helps reduce the pulling force on each suspension rope 600, thereby reducing the risk of the suspension rope 600 breaking and further improving the reliability of the lifting device. Of course, each suspension arm 200 may be connected to one suspension rope 600, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific number of suspension ropes 600 connected to each suspension arm 200.

[0069] In an embodiment of the present application, the suspension rope 600 can be arranged on the suspension arm 200 through the mounting base 700. The mounting base 700 can adjust the suspension rope 600 to move in at least one of the first direction, the second direction and the third direction. The first direction can be the direction extending along the suspension arm 200, the second direction can be parallel to the telescopic direction, and the third direction can be perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction respectively.

[0070] During the specific operation process, the mounting position of the mounting base 700 can be adjusted so that the mounting base 700 can drive the movement of the suspension rope 600 in the first and third directions, and the relative position of the connection portion between the suspension rope 600 and the furnace cover 520 can be adjusted so that the suspension rope 600 can be directly opposite the connection portion between the suspension rope 600 and the furnace cover 520, thereby facilitating the connection between the suspension rope 600 and the furnace cover 520, so that the suspension rope 600 can be as parallel to the telescopic direction as possible, thereby allowing the furnace cover 520 to be stably suspended. At the same time, the movement of the suspension rope 600 in the second direction can be adjusted by the mounting base 700, so that the suspension rope 600 moves in the telescopic direction, thereby adjusting the tightness of the suspension rope 600, so that multiple suspension ropes 600 maintain the same tightness as much as possible, so that the furnace cover 520 can remain horizontal and can be kept stable during lifting. It should be noted that the horizontal direction is perpendicular to the telescopic direction.

[0071] In the embodiment of the present application, the process furnace may be a crystal growth furnace or other types of process furnaces, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific type of the process furnace.

[0072] The above embodiments of this application focus on the differences between the various embodiments. As long as the different optimization features of the various embodiments are not contradictory, they can be combined to form a better embodiment. Considering the simplicity of the text, they will not be repeated here.

[0073] The embodiments of the present application are described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned specific implementation methods. The above-mentioned specific implementation methods are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Under the guidance of this application, ordinary technicians in this field can also make many forms without departing from the purpose of this application and the scope of protection of the claims, all of which are within the protection of this application.

Claims

1. A lifting device, characterized in that: It includes a telescopic support part and a boom, wherein the telescopic support part includes a lifting drive part, a center column and a lifting sleeve, wherein the center column is a hollow structure and is sleeved outside the lifting drive part, and the top end of the lifting drive part is connected to the lifting sleeve; The lifting sleeve is arranged outside the central column and slides relative to the central column under the drive of the lifting drive part to realize the extension and retraction of the telescopic support part. The lifting sleeve is connected to the boom and drives the boom to rise and fall in the extension and retraction direction of the telescopic support part.

2. The lifting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The telescopic support part also includes a guide rail and a slider, one of the guide rail and the slider is fixed to the outer wall of the center column, and the other is fixed to the inner wall of the lifting sleeve. The guide rail extends along the telescopic direction, and the slider cooperates with the guide rail.

3. The lifting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The telescopic support portion further includes a connecting piece, which connects the lifting sleeve and the lifting drive portion, and the connecting piece is movably connected to at least one of the lifting sleeve and the lifting drive portion.

4. The lifting device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The bottom end of the connecting member is rotatably connected to the lifting drive unit, and the extension direction of the rotation axes of the two is perpendicular to the telescopic direction. The top end of the connecting member is fixedly connected to the lifting sleeve.

5. The lifting device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The central column is provided with an avoidance groove. When the telescopic support portion is in a retracted state, the connecting piece is inserted into the avoidance groove and positioned and matched with the avoidance groove. When the telescopic support portion is in an extended state, at least part of the connecting piece extends out of the avoidance groove.

6. The lifting device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The connecting member is a plate-shaped member, and the first edge and the second edge of the connecting member are fixedly connected to the two opposite inner walls of the lifting sleeve respectively. The third edge of the connecting member is rotatably connected to the lifting drive part, and the third edge is located between the first edge and the second edge.

7. The lifting device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The guide rails are provided on the first and second opposite sides of the center column, the first end of the boom is fixed to the top of the lifting sleeve, and the second end of the boom is suspended in the air. The guide rails provided on the first and second sides are distributed in the extension direction of the boom.

8. The lifting device according to claim 2 or 7, characterized in that: A plurality of sliders are provided corresponding to each guide rail, and the plurality of sliders matched with each guide rail are distributed at intervals in the telescopic direction.

9. The lifting device according to claim 2 or 7, characterized in that: The lifting sleeve includes two groove-shaped structural members and two plate-shaped members arranged opposite to each other. One of the plate-like members connects the groove walls of the two groove-like structures on the first side of the central column, and the other plate-like member connects the groove walls of the two groove-like structures on the second side of the central column. The two groove-like structures and the two plate-like members form a square cylinder. The guide rails are provided on the first and second opposite sides of the central column, and the sliders that slide with the guide rails on the first and second sides of the central column are respectively fixed on the two plate-like members.

10. The lifting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting drive unit includes a lifting drive motor, a screw rod and a threaded sleeve. The threaded sleeve is arranged outside the screw rod and cooperates with the screw rod thread. One of the threaded sleeve and the screw rod is connected to the lifting drive motor, and the other is connected to the jacking sleeve. The lifting drive motor is used to drive one of the threaded sleeve and the screw rod to rotate relative to the other, so as to drive the jacking sleeve to slide relative to the center column.

11. The lifting device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The lifting drive motor is fixed to the central column via a first worm gear mechanism, and the first worm gear mechanism passes through the central column and is transmission-connected to the lead screw or the threaded sleeve.

12. The lifting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting device also includes a frame, a rotating platform and a rotating drive mechanism. The rotating platform is rotatably arranged on the frame. The rotating drive mechanism is arranged on the frame and is driven and connected to the rotating platform. The center column is fixed on the rotating platform.

13. The lifting device according to claim 12, characterized in that: The rotary drive mechanism includes a rotary drive motor and a second worm gear mechanism; the rotary drive motor is fixed on the frame, and the rotary drive motor is rotationally connected to the rotary table through the second worm gear mechanism.

14. The lifting device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The lifting device further comprises a bearing, wherein the bearing comprises an inner bearing ring and an outer bearing ring. The inner ring of the bearing is fixed on the frame, the outer ring of the bearing is rotatably mounted outside the inner ring of the bearing, the rotating platform is fixed on the outer ring of the bearing, the outer ring of the bearing coincides with the central axis of the center column, and the rotary drive motor is driven and matched with the outer ring of the bearing through the second worm gear mechanism.

15. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: It comprises a process furnace and the lifting device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the process furnace comprises a furnace body and a furnace cover, the lifting arm is connected to the furnace cover and is at least used to drive the furnace cover to rise and fall relative to the furnace body.

16. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 15, wherein: The semiconductor process equipment further includes a hanging rope, a first end of which is connected to the hanging arm, and a second end of which is connected to the furnace cover.

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