Semiconductor process apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the present disclosure is a semiconductor process apparatus, comprising a first cavity, a second cavity, a gas intake pipe, an exhaust pipe and a gas delivery pipe, wherein the second cavity is removably and fixedly connected above the first cavity, the second cavity is in communication with the first cavity, the gas intake pipe and the exhaust pipe are both connected to the first cavity, the exhaust pipe is in communication with the first cavity, and the gas delivery pipe is in communication with the gas intake pipe so as to deliver a process gas into the second cavity. The semiconductor process apparatus can solve the problems in an existing vertical furnace of the cavities, the gas intake pipe and the exhaust pipe being of an integrated structure such that when the gas intake pipe and the exhaust pipe are damaged, the entirety of the cavities needs to be replaced, and then the process cost is significantly increased.

Description

Semiconductor processing equipment TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of semiconductor processing, and particularly relates to a semiconductor processing equipment. BACKGROUND

[0002] The vertical furnace is a commonly used equipment in the semiconductor processing process, and a wafer can usually be subjected to film quality processing and other processes in the vertical furnace. At present, the cavity of the common vertical furnace is usually formed of quartz material, and the gas inlet pipeline and the gas outlet pipeline of the vertical furnace are usually formed together with the cavity by sintering or the like, so that the gas inlet pipeline and the gas outlet pipeline form an integrated structure with the cavity, and the gas inlet pipeline and the gas outlet pipeline are both communicated with the cavity.

[0003] However, in the working process of this vertical furnace, if the gas inlet pipeline and the gas outlet pipeline are damaged, the cavity needs to be replaced together, which will cause a substantial increase in the process cost. SUMMARY

[0004] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a semiconductor processing equipment to solve the problem that in the current vertical furnace, the cavity and the gas inlet pipeline and the gas outlet pipeline form an integrated structure, so that when the gas inlet pipeline and the gas outlet pipeline are damaged, the entire cavity needs to be replaced, thereby causing a substantial increase in the process cost.

[0005] The embodiments of the present application disclose a semiconductor processing equipment, which comprises a first cavity, a second cavity, a gas inlet pipeline, a gas outlet pipeline and a gas conveying pipeline. The second cavity is fixedly connected to the upper side of the first cavity in a detachable manner, and the second cavity is communicated with the first cavity. The gas inlet pipeline and the gas outlet pipeline are both connected to the first cavity, and the gas outlet pipeline is communicated with the first cavity. The gas conveying pipeline is communicated with the gas inlet pipeline to convey process gas into the second cavity.

[0006] The embodiments of the present application disclose a semiconductor processing equipment, which comprises a first cavity and a second cavity fixedly connected to the upper side of the first cavity in a detachable manner. The two cavities are communicated with each other and are used to form a chamber required by a process. Meanwhile, the gas inlet pipeline and the gas outlet pipeline are both connected to the first cavity, and the gas conveying pipeline is communicated with the gas inlet pipeline to convey process gas into the second cavity, thereby ensuring that the process can be carried out normally. The gas outlet pipeline is communicated with the first cavity, so that by-products and residual process gas generated in the process can be discharged from the gas outlet pipeline to the outside of the first cavity. As described above, in the semiconductor processing equipment disclosed by the embodiments of the present application, the gas inlet pipeline and the gas outlet pipeline are both arranged in the first cavity, and the second cavity is fixedly connected to the first cavity in a detachable manner. Therefore, even if the gas inlet pipeline and the gas outlet pipeline are damaged during the use of the semiconductor processing equipment, at most the first cavity needs to be replaced together, and the second cavity does not need to be replaced, so that the overall cost of the semiconductor processing equipment can be reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0007] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the application and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiments of the application and together with the description serve to explain the application. In the drawings:

[0008] Fig. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a semiconductor process equipment according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0009] Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of part of the structure of the semiconductor process equipment according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0010] Fig. 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a support assembly of the semiconductor process equipment according to an embodiment of the present application in another direction;

[0011] Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of other part of the structure of the semiconductor process equipment according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0012] Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of part of the structure of the semiconductor process equipment according to an embodiment of the present application including a turntable;

[0013] Fig. 6 is a structural schematic diagram of a cylinder of the semiconductor process equipment according to an embodiment of the present application in another direction;

[0014] Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of part of the structure of the semiconductor process equipment according to an embodiment of the present application including a temperature measuring member;

[0015] Fig. 8 is an installation schematic diagram of the temperature measuring member of the semiconductor process equipment according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of the assembly relationship between a tray and a wafer of the semiconductor process equipment according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Fig. 10 is a structural schematic diagram of the semiconductor process equipment according to an embodiment of the present application in another direction.

[0018] 110-first cavity, 111-first cavity body, 112-sleeve, 113-first epitaxial part, 113a-liquid cooling tank, 120-second cavity, 121-second cavity body, 123-second epitaxial part, 130-sealing door, 140-pressing ring, 151-first gasket, 152-second gasket, 160-sealing ring, 170-screwed connection, 210-inlet pipe, 211-first pipe section, 212-second pipe section, 220-exhaust pipe, 230-gas conveying pipe, 310-bracket, 311-limiting groove, 320-adjustable supporting part, 330-locking part, 410-rotating disc, 421-cylinder, 422-heat preservation part, 430-process boat, 440-outer heat preservation sleeve, 451-screw, 452-pinhole, 460-tray, 461-plate conveying port, 510-shield, 520-temperature measuring part, 531-fixing sleeve, 532-mounting frame, 610-heater, 900-wafer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0020] The terms "first", "second", and the like in the specification and claims of the present application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first", "second", etc. are generally a category and do not limit the number of objects, for example, the first object can be one or more. In addition, "and / or" in the specification and claims indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / ", generally indicates that the front and rear associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1-10, the embodiments of the present application disclose a semiconductor process equipment which can process a wafer, and more specifically, the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in the embodiments of the present application belongs to a vertical furnace which can provide a relatively closed and high-temperature process environment for the wafer to perform film quality processing process; and in the embodiments of the present application, the first cavity and the second cavity and the like are formed by using materials such as silicon carbide which have relatively strong high-temperature resistance, so that the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in the embodiments of the present application has the ability to perform processes at a temperature higher than 1200℃.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 10, the semiconductor process equipment disclosed by the embodiments of the present application comprises a first cavity 110, a second cavity 120, a gas inlet pipe 210, a gas outlet pipe 220 and a gas delivery pipe 230. Of course, the semiconductor process equipment disclosed by the embodiments of the present application can further comprise a heater 610 and a temperature measuring member 520. The heater 610 can be sleeved outside the second cavity 120, and the heater 610 can play a heating role so that the temperature in the second cavity 120 reaches a process temperature. Correspondingly, the temperature measuring member 520 can be arranged inside the heater 610, and the temperature measuring member 520 is used to measure the temperature so as to ensure that the temperature in the second cavity 120 meets the process requirements.

[0023] In addition, in order to ensure the normal progress of the process, the second cavity 120 is further provided with a process boat 430 during the working process of the semiconductor process equipment disclosed by the embodiments of the present application, so as to use the process boat 430 to support the wafers to be processed. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 9, the process boat 430 can be provided with a plurality of trays 460, and the wafers 900 can be carried in the trays 460. The number of the trays 460 can be multiple, so that the semiconductor process equipment can process multiple wafers 900 at a time, thereby improving the processing efficiency. In addition, in order to ensure that the trays 460 can withstand the corresponding process temperature, the material of the trays 460 can be the same as that of the wafers 900. For example, when the wafers 900 comprise silicon carbide, the trays 460 can also comprise silicon carbide, which can ensure that the trays 460 can provide good support for the wafers 900 under the condition of more than 1200℃. At the same time, in order to ensure that the mechanical hand and the wafer fork and other mechanisms can normally take and place the wafers 900 from the trays 460, the trays 460 can be provided with wafer transfer ports 461. The wafer transfer ports 461 are arranged through the thickness direction of the trays 460 and extend from the edges of the trays 460 to the centers of the trays 460. The mechanical hand can ascend and descend from the wafer transfer ports 461 relative to the trays 460, thereby completing the placement and removal of the wafers 900. Of course, in order to improve the support effect of the wafers 900 as much as possible, the size of the wafer transfer ports 461 can be relatively small under the condition that the wafer transfer ports 461 can meet the structure and size of the mechanical hand.

[0024] The first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120 are structures used to form a process environment in the semiconductor process equipment, and both can be structures such as a cylinder. Of course, the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120 can also adopt other shapes under other requirements, which are not limited herein.

[0025] And, in the embodiment of the present application, the second cavity 120 is detachably fixedly connected above the first cavity 110, so that the two can be fixed as a whole, and together form a process cavity for providing a process environment, that is, the second cavity 120 is in communication with the first cavity 110. Of course, in order to facilitate the taking and placing of wafers, the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in the embodiment of the present application also includes a sealing door 130, which is sealingly connected to one end of the first cavity 110 away from the second cavity 120, and a sealable relationship is formed between the sealing door 130 and the first cavity 110, that is, during the process of taking and placing wafers, the internal space of the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120 can be in communication with the outside space by opening the sealing door 130, so that the process boat 430 and other mechanisms used to support the wafer can be placed in the internal space of the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120 from the bottom of the first cavity 110, or the process boat 430 can be taken out from the internal space of the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120. Of course, using a sealing gasket and other structures, a sealing connection can be formed between the sealing door 130 and the first cavity 110, and between the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120, so that the three can form a relatively sealed process cavity that is isolated from the outside.

[0026] Based on the above, the first cavity 110 can be a ring structure, that is, both of its opposite upper and lower ends are provided with openings, and on this basis, the second cavity 120 can be a cover-shaped structure, that is, the top of the second cavity 120 is a closed structure, and only the bottom of the second cavity 120 is provided with an opening for communication with the first cavity 110, and the end of the first cavity 110 away from the second cavity 120 can be sealed by connecting with the sealing door 130.

[0027] Among them, the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120 can be detachably fixedly connected by bolts and other connecting members. Specifically, a through hole can be provided on the outer extension of one end of the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120 opposite to each other, and the connecting member passes through the through hole to fixedly connect the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120 together, and the sealing gasket for providing sealing action can be clamped between the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120.

[0028] As described above, the semiconductor processing equipment needs to use corresponding process gas in the process, and therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the gas inlet pipe 210 and the gas outlet pipe 220 are connected with the first cavity 110. As described above, the process boat 430 used to carry the wafer to be processed is arranged in the second cavity 120, and based on this, in order to make the process gas be able to be delivered into the second cavity 120, so that the delivery efficiency of the process gas is relatively high, the gas delivery pipe 230 can be communicated with the gas inlet pipe 210, so as to deliver the process gas into the second cavity 120 by using the gas delivery pipe 230, so that the process gas from the outside can be delivered into the second cavity 120 through the gas inlet pipe 210 and the gas delivery pipe 230 in sequence. The gas outlet pipe 220 is communicated with the first cavity 110, so that the by-products and the remaining process gas generated in the process can be discharged from the gas outlet pipe 220 to the outside of the first cavity 110, so as to ensure that the cleanliness of the process environment in the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120 is always relatively high.

[0029] Among them, the gas inlet pipe 210 and the gas outlet pipe 220 can be formed in an integrated manner between the first cavity 110, of course, in other embodiments of the present application, the gas inlet pipe 210, the gas outlet pipe 220 and the first cavity 110 can be formed separately at first, and then the gas inlet pipe 210 and the gas outlet pipe 220 are connected to the first cavity 110 by welding or heat welding, or the gas inlet pipe 210 and the gas outlet pipe 220 can be connected to the first cavity 110 by a connecting piece. The gas delivery pipe 230 and the gas inlet pipe 210 can be connected by inserting or other ways, more specifically, the gas delivery pipe 230 can be directly connected with the first cavity 110 (and the second cavity 120), or the gas delivery pipe 230 can be indirectly connected with the first cavity 110 (and the second cavity 120) by being connected with the gas inlet pipe 210, which is not limited herein.

[0030] The semiconductor process equipment disclosed in the embodiments of the present application comprises a first cavity 110 and a second cavity 120 detachably fixedly connected above the first cavity 110, which are communicated with each other and used to form a process cavity required by a process. Meanwhile, a gas inlet pipe 210 and a gas outlet pipe 220 are connected with the first cavity 110, and a gas conveying pipe 230 is communicated with the gas inlet pipe 210 to convey process gas into the second cavity 120, thereby ensuring that the process can be normally performed. As described above, in the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in the embodiments of the present application, the gas inlet pipe 210 and the gas outlet pipe 220 are arranged on the first cavity 110, and the second cavity 120 is detachably fixedly connected with the first cavity 110, so that even if the gas inlet pipe 210 and the gas outlet pipe 220 are damaged during use of the semiconductor process equipment, at most the first cavity 110 needs to be replaced, and the second cavity 120 does not need to be replaced, thereby reducing the overall cost of the semiconductor process equipment.

[0031] As described above, the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120 belong to two independent devices, and on this basis, in an embodiment of the present application, the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120 can be formed of the same material, for example, the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120 of corresponding shapes and sizes can be formed of quartz material. In another embodiment of the present application, in order to improve the process temperature that the semiconductor process equipment can withstand, thereby enabling wafers and other workpieces of specific materials to be processed at a corresponding process environment temperature, in some embodiments, the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120 are both formed of silicon carbide material, so that both of them can withstand a process temperature of about 1400℃.

[0032] Considering that the gas inlet pipe 210 and the gas outlet pipe 220 are arranged on the first cavity 110, and based on the current technology, the processing difficulty of silicon carbide material is relatively large, and the yield of forming or connecting the gas inlet pipe 210 and the gas outlet pipe 220 on the first cavity 110 of silicon carbide material is relatively low, thereby in another embodiment of the present application, the second cavity 120 is formed of silicon carbide material, and the first cavity 110 is formed of metal material such as 316L stainless steel, which can greatly reduce the difficulty of forming or connecting the gas inlet pipe 210 and the gas outlet pipe 220 on the first cavity 110, and can ensure that the sealing reliability between the gas inlet pipe 210 and the gas outlet pipe 220 and the first cavity 110 is relatively high.

[0033] Based on the foregoing embodiments, in some embodiments, both the intake pipe 210 and the exhaust pipe 220 are made of metal and can be integrally formed together to form the first cavity 110, the intake pipe 210 and the exhaust pipe 220. On this basis, the gas delivery pipe 230 can be interconnected with the intake pipe 210, which is integrally formed with the first cavity 110, by means of connecting connectors and other devices, so that the process gas input from the intake pipe 210 can be transported to the second cavity 120 through the gas delivery pipe 230.

[0034] To further reduce the connection difficulty between the air supply pipe 230 and the air intake pipe 210, in another embodiment of this application, as shown in FIG2, the first cavity 110 may include a first cavity body 111 and a sleeve 112. The sleeve 112 is fixedly connected to the outside of the first cavity body 111 and communicates with the inside of the first cavity body 111. Based on this, the air intake pipe 210 can be installed inside the sleeve 112, and the sleeve 112 can provide protection and installation for the air intake pipe 210. Furthermore, since the sleeve 112 has a certain length, it can provide some support for the air intake pipe 210, improving the connection reliability between the air intake pipe 210 and the first cavity 110. Specifically, the sleeve 112 can extend along a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first cavity body 111, and the sleeve 112 and the first cavity body 111 can be formed integrally. When both are made of metal, the processing difficulty can be further reduced, and the structural reliability and sealing reliability between them can be improved. Of course, in order to ensure that the air intake pipe 210 can be connected to the air delivery pipe 230 located inside the first cavity body 111 through the sleeve 112, the sleeve 112 is specifically designed with openings at both ends.

[0035] Based on the above-described structure of the first cavity 110, during the assembly of the intake pipe 210, one end of the intake pipe 210 can be connected to the gas delivery pipe 230, and the other end of the intake pipe 210 can extend from the sleeve 112 to outside the first cavity body 111, thereby ensuring that the intake pipe 210 can communicate with external gas sources and other equipment, and can be used to deliver process gas to the gas delivery pipe 230. Specifically, the intake pipe 210 can be a straight pipe structure. In this case, it can also be connected to the intake pipe 210 by providing a connecting elbow or other structure, or by including a connecting elbow or other structure in the gas delivery pipe 230, and at least a portion of the gas delivery pipe 230 can extend into the second cavity 120 in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120.

[0036] As described above, the sleeve 112 can provide certain support for the gas inlet pipe 210, and the gas delivery pipe 230 can be directly connected with the first cavity 110 (and the second cavity 120) as needed, so that the gas inlet pipe 210 can be relatively reliably assembled with the first cavity 110. In order to further improve the reliability of the assembly relationship between the gas inlet pipe 210 and the first cavity 110, in another embodiment of the present application, the gas inlet pipe 210 can be assembled with the sleeve 112. As described above, one end of the gas inlet pipe 210 can pass through the sleeve 112 to the outside of the first cavity body 111, and more specifically, the one end of the gas inlet pipe 210 can extend out of the sleeve 112, so that the gas source or the like can directly deliver the process gas through the gas inlet pipe 210, which can improve the delivery efficiency of the process gas and prevent the process gas from leaking during delivery. On this basis, the gas inlet pipe 210 and the sleeve 112 can be detachably fixedly connected by a threaded connection.

[0037] Specifically, the threaded connection and the sleeve 112 can have a relative fixed relationship in the extension direction of the sleeve 112, and the threaded connection and the sleeve 112 can be relatively rotatable in the circumferential direction of the sleeve 112. Meanwhile, by forming external threads on the gas inlet pipe 210 and corresponding internal threads on the threaded connection, the threaded connection and the gas inlet pipe 210 can be threadedly connected after the gas inlet pipe 210 is inserted into the sleeve 112, and the gas inlet pipe 210 and the sleeve 112 can be detachably fixedly connected by the threaded connection. In addition, when the gas inlet pipe 210 and the sleeve 112 are fixedly connected, the gas delivery pipe 230 and the first cavity 110 (and the second cavity 120) can no longer have a direct assembly relationship, and the gas delivery pipe 230 can be indirectly fixedly connected with the first cavity 110 (and the second cavity 120) by the connection relationship with the gas inlet pipe 210, which can further reduce the assembly difficulty of the entire semiconductor process equipment.

[0038] As described above, the gas inlet pipe 210 and the gas delivery pipe 230 can be connected with each other by a connection elbow or the like. In order to reduce the connection difficulty between the two, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the gas inlet pipe 210 includes a first pipe segment 211 and a second pipe segment 212, and the first pipe segment 211 and the second pipe segment 212 are connected with each other. Of course, during processing of the gas inlet pipe 210, the first pipe segment 211 and the second pipe segment 212 can be formed in one piece, or when other structures need to be provided on the gas inlet pipe 210, the first pipe segment 211 and the second pipe segment 212 can also be formed separately in consideration of processing difficulty, and then the first pipe segment 211 and the second pipe segment 212 can be fixedly and sealingly connected by welding or the like.

[0039] The first pipe section 211 extends in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the first cavity 110, and the first pipe section 211 is connected to the gas delivery pipe 230. In this case, the part of the gas delivery pipe 230 that is used to connect to the gas inlet pipe 210 can have a straight pipe structure, so that the gas delivery pipe 230 can be inserted into the gas inlet pipe 210 in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the first cavity 110 during connection of the gas delivery pipe 230 and the gas inlet pipe 210. This can greatly reduce the difficulty of connection between the two, and can improve the connection reliability between the gas inlet pipe 210 and the gas delivery pipe 230. Correspondingly, the second pipe section 212 in the gas inlet pipe 210 can extend in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first cavity 110, so as to facilitate the gas inlet pipe 210 to extend out of the first cavity body 111 and communicate with the gas source outside. In the case where the first cavity 110 includes the sleeve 112, a part of the second pipe section 212 extends into the sleeve 112.

[0040] As described above, the gas inlet pipe 210 and the sleeve 112 can be detachably fixedly connected to ensure that the gas inlet pipe 210 and the first cavity 110 can form a relatively reliable assembly relationship. However, considering that a part of the gas inlet pipe 210 is connected to the sleeve 112, and another part of the gas inlet pipe 210 that is connected to the gas delivery pipe 230 is located inside the first cavity body 111 and lacks support, at the same time, the gas delivery pipe 230 can no longer form a direct connection relationship with the first cavity 110 (and the second cavity 120).

[0041] In this case, in order to further improve the assembly reliability between the gas inlet pipe 210 and the first cavity 110, and improve the positional stability of the gas delivery pipe 230, in another embodiment of the present application, the semiconductor process equipment can further include a support assembly, and the support assembly is installed in the first cavity body 111 and located inside the first cavity body 111. In a direction parallel to the axial direction of the first cavity 110, the part of the gas inlet pipe 210 located inside the first cavity body 111 is supported by the support assembly, so that the support assembly provides support for the gas inlet pipe 210, to ensure that the assembly relationship between the gas inlet pipe 210 and the first cavity 110 is more stable, and can prevent the gas inlet pipe 210 from being deformed by shear force, and improve the service life and assembly accuracy of the gas inlet pipe 210.

[0042] Specifically, the supporting assembly can be fixedly arranged on the inner wall of the first cavity body 111, and based on the position and size of the sleeve 112 and the gas inlet pipe 210, the setting position of the supporting assembly in the direction parallel to the axial direction of the first cavity 110 is determined correspondingly, so as to ensure that the supporting assembly can provide supporting effect to the gas inlet pipe 210 in the direction parallel to the axial direction of the first cavity 110. Of course, the side surface of the supporting assembly facing the gas inlet pipe 210 can be a plane in general, so as to ensure that the supporting effect provided by the supporting assembly is relatively better. However, in the case that the side surface of the gas inlet pipe 210 facing the supporting assembly is arc-shaped or has a special shape, the shape and size of the side surface of the supporting assembly facing the gas inlet pipe 210 can be designed correspondingly according to the specific structure of the gas inlet pipe 210, so as to ensure that the supporting assembly can provide good supporting effect to the gas inlet pipe 210.

[0043] As described above, the gas inlet pipe 210 can be inserted into the sleeve 112, and for this purpose, the diameter or other transverse dimension of the sleeve 112 needs to be greater than that of the part of the gas inlet pipe 210 inserted into the sleeve 112, so that the gas inlet pipe 210 has the ability to move relatively in the sleeve 112. In order to further improve the supporting precision of the supporting assembly to the gas inlet pipe 210, considering the machining error and the assembly error between the sleeve 112 and the gas inlet pipe 210, in some embodiments, the supporting assembly disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can include a bracket 310 and an adjustable supporting part 320.

[0044] The bracket 310 is mounted on the first cavity body 111, so that the bracket 310 can provide good supporting effect, and the part of the gas inlet pipe 210 located in the first cavity body 111 can be supported on the top surface of the adjustable supporting part 320. At the same time, by screwing the adjustable supporting part 320 with the bracket 310, the adjustable supporting part 320 can move relative to the bracket 310 in the direction parallel to the axial direction of the first cavity 110, so that during the installation of the gas inlet pipe 210, after the second pipe section 212 of the gas inlet pipe 210 is inserted into the sleeve 112, the actual position of the part of the gas inlet pipe 210 located in the first cavity body 111 (including the part connected with the gas conveying pipe 230) in the direction parallel to the axial direction of the first cavity 110 can be adjusted by changing the number of turns of the adjustable supporting part 320 screwed into the bracket 310, so as to prevent the gas inlet pipe 210 from being slightly inclined after installation, and ensure that the extension direction of the first pipe section 211 of the gas inlet pipe 210 can be parallel or substantially parallel to the axial direction of the first cavity 110. This can improve the conveying effect of the gas, thereby improving the uniformity of the film thickness, and on the other hand, it can also prevent the gas conveying pipe 230 from being more inclined due to the inclination of the gas inlet pipe 210, so as to prevent the gas conveying pipe 230 from being scratched or collided with the process boat 430.

[0045] More specifically, the bracket 310 can be fixedly connected to the inner wall of the first cavity body 111 through a connecting member such as a screw, and the bracket 310 is provided with a threaded hole, and the adjustable supporting part 320 is threadedly connected in the threaded hole, and the part of the air inlet pipe 210 located in the first cavity body 111 can be supported on the top surface of the adjustable supporting part 320, of course, in order to ensure the supporting effect, the top surface of the adjustable supporting part 320 can be a plane. In addition, in order to further improve the cooperation reliability between the air inlet pipe 210 and the adjustable supporting part 320, in the embodiment of the application, the side of the bracket 310 facing the air inlet pipe 210 can be provided with a limiting groove 311, and at least a part of the head of the adjustable supporting part 320 can extend into the limiting groove 311, and support the air inlet pipe 210.

[0046] In the case of adopting this technical solution, the limiting groove 311 can also provide a certain limiting effect for the adjustable supporting part 320, thereby preventing the adjustable supporting part 320 from being adsorbed when in a negative pressure state in the first cavity 110, resulting in a decrease in the connection reliability between the adjustable supporting part 320 and the bracket 310. In order to further improve the connection reliability between the adjustable supporting part 320 and the bracket 310, as shown in FIG. 3, the bracket 310 can also be provided with a locking member 330, and the locking member 330 is threadedly connected to the bracket 310. On this basis, when the adjustable supporting part 320 completes the supporting adjustment of the air inlet pipe 210, the bracket 310 can be moved in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first cavity 110 by screwing the locking member 330, so as to generate a certain extrusion effect on the adjustable supporting part 320, which can further improve the supporting stability of the adjustable supporting part 320.

[0047] As described above, the first cavity 110 can be formed of a metal material, in which case the air inlet pipe 210 can also be formed of a metal material, which on the one hand can greatly reduce the processing difficulty of the air inlet pipe 210 and ensure that the air inlet pipe 210 can withstand a processing temperature higher than 1200℃, and on the other hand, in the processing process of the semiconductor process equipment, the air inlet pipe 210 often needs to be frequently disassembled, and the air inlet pipe 210 formed of a metal material is not easy to be damaged and broken, and has high maintainability. In addition, in the direction parallel to the axial direction of the first cavity 110, the end of the end of the air inlet pipe 210 close to the second cavity 120 can be located below the top surface of the first cavity 110, so as to reduce the probability of damage to the air inlet pipe 210 during assembly.

[0048] For the gas delivery pipe 230, in order to ensure the reliability of the gas delivery pipe 230, the gas delivery pipe 230 can be formed of silicon carbide, which can prevent the gas delivery pipe 230 from reacting with the process gas. Of course, in the case that the first cavity 110 and the gas inlet pipe 210 are both formed of metal, in order to improve the corrosion resistance of the first cavity 110 and the gas inlet pipe 210, a material with relatively strong corrosion resistance, such as silicon dioxide, can be coated on the inner walls of the first cavity 110 and the gas inlet pipe 210 to prevent the first cavity 110 and the gas inlet pipe 210 from being corroded by the process gas, and to prevent the by-products generated in the corrosion process from adversely affecting the process. Alternatively, the corrosion resistance of the first cavity 110 and the gas inlet pipe 210 can be improved by surface oxidation and further pickling.

[0049] As described above, the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120 can be detachably connected by bolts or other connecting members. In order to improve the service life of the second cavity 120 and prevent the second cavity 120 from being damaged due to local stress concentration during assembly, the semiconductor process equipment can further include a compression ring 140, which is detachably connected to the first cavity 110, and a portion of the second cavity 120 is clamped between the first cavity 110 and the compression ring 140 to achieve the purpose of connecting the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120.

[0050] In more detail, the first cavity 110 can include a first cavity body 111 and a first extension 113 connected to the outer edge of the first cavity body 111, and the second cavity 120 can include a second cavity body 121 and a second extension 123 connected to the outer edge of the second cavity body 121. The interior of the first cavity body 111 and the interior of the second cavity body 121 are in communication with each other, and the first extension 113 and the second extension 123 can be used as a part connecting the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120. Of course, in actual processing, the first cavity body 111 and the first extension 113 can be formed in one piece to improve the connection reliability between them, and similarly, the second cavity body 121 and the second extension 123 can also be formed in one piece. The specific shape and size of the first cavity body 111, the first extension 113, the second cavity body 121, and the second extension 123 are not limited herein.

[0051] Based on the above, by laminating at least part of the first epitaxial part 113 and the second epitaxial part 123, and detachably connecting the compression ring 140 with the first epitaxial part 113 and clamping the second epitaxial part 123, the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120 can form a relatively reliable fixed connection relationship. In addition, since the second epitaxial part 123 of the second cavity 120 forms a surface fitting relationship with other devices, the probability of damage to the second cavity 120 can be greatly reduced. In the case of using the embodiment of the present application, if the second cavity 120 is formed of silicon carbide material, the probability of damage to the second cavity 120 can be further reduced, thereby greatly improving the service life of the second cavity 120. As for the first cavity 110, as described above, the first cavity 110 can be formed of metal material, so that even if a connecting member is provided between the first cavity 110 and the compression ring 140, it will not adversely affect the structural strength and service life of the first cavity 110. The compression ring 140 can be formed of metal material to ensure that the compression ring 140 has relatively high structural strength, and the compression ring 140 and the first epitaxial part 113 can be detachably connected by a plurality of bolts or other connecting members.

[0052] As described above, the first cavity 110 and the second cavity 120 also need to form a sealed connection relationship, based on which a sealing gasket or the like can be provided between the first epitaxial part 113 and the second epitaxial part 123 to ensure that a relatively reliable sealed connection relationship can be formed between them.

[0053] In order to improve the service life and sealing reliability of the sealing member as much as possible, in another embodiment of the present application, a groove is provided on the side of the first epitaxial part 113 facing the second epitaxial part 123, and / or on the side of the second epitaxial part 123 facing the first epitaxial part 113, and a sealing ring 160 is provided in the groove, and the sealing ring 160 is arranged between the first epitaxial part 113 and the second epitaxial part 123. In the case of using the technical solution of the present application, the contact area between the sealing ring 160 and the first epitaxial part 113 and the second epitaxial part 123 is relatively small, but it can still provide good sealing effect. In addition, in the case where the first cavity 110 is formed of metal material and the second cavity 120 is formed of silicon carbide material, the groove can be formed only on the first epitaxial part 113 to reduce the processing difficulty.

[0054] To further improve the service life of the sealing ring 160, in another embodiment of the present application, a liquid cooling groove 113a can also be arranged on the side of the first extension part 113 and the compression ring 140 away from the second extension part 123, and the liquid cooling groove 113a is arranged as close to the sealing ring 160 as possible, and then the cooling liquid in the liquid cooling groove 113a is used to further cool the sealing ring 160, so as to reduce the temperature of the sealing ring 160. In addition, considering that the process boat 430 is arranged in the second cavity 120, and then the temperature of the second cavity 120 is generally higher than that of the first cavity 110, therefore, the inner diameter of the second cavity 120 can be smaller than that of the first cavity 110, more specifically, the inner diameter of the second cavity 121 is smaller than that of the first cavity 111, so that the spacing between the second cavity 121 and the sealing ring 160 in the radial direction of the second cavity 121 is relatively larger, so as to further reduce the temperature of the sealing ring 160 and improve the service life thereof.

[0055] As described above, the compression ring 140 can be formed of a metal material, and the first cavity 110 can also be formed of a metal material, in order to further prevent the second cavity 120 from being damaged during assembly, in another embodiment of the present application, the semiconductor process equipment further comprises a first gasket 151 and a second gasket 152, wherein at least a part of the first gasket 151 is clamped between the first extension part 113 and the second extension part 123 in the direction parallel to the axial direction of the first cavity 110, and at least a part of the second gasket 152 is clamped between the second extension part 123 and the compression ring 140. That is, in the embodiment of the present application, the compression ring 140, the second gasket 152, the second extension part 123, the first gasket 151 and the first extension part 113 are sequentially arranged from top to bottom in the direction parallel to the axial direction of the first cavity 110, so as to further prevent the second cavity 120 from being damaged by pressure during assembly by using the first gasket 151 and the second gasket 152.

[0056] Specifically, the first gasket 151 and the second gasket 152 can each be a circular ring-shaped gasket, and in another embodiment of the present application, the outer edge of the first gasket 151 can extend upward with a vertical ring-shaped portion, and similarly, the outer edge of the second gasket 152 can extend downward with a vertical ring-shaped portion, thereby further protecting the second epitaxial portion 123 in the radial direction of the first cavity 110. More specifically, the first gasket 151 and the second gasket 152 can each be formed of polytetrafluoroethylene, and the thickness and other parameters of the first gasket 151 and the second gasket 152 can be flexibly determined according to actual needs. Of course, in the case of using the technical solution of the present application, the second epitaxial portion 123 is spaced apart from the first epitaxial portion 113 and the compression ring 140, thereby preventing the first epitaxial portion 113 and the compression ring 140 from directly contacting the second epitaxial portion 123, further improving the service life of the second cavity 120, especially in the technical solution in which the second cavity 120 is formed of silicon carbide material and the first cavity 110 and the compression ring 140 are each formed of metal material.

[0057] As described above, to ensure that the process can proceed normally, the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in the embodiments of the present application usually also has a heater 610, a sealing door 130, and a process boat 430. Considering that the heater 610 is usually sleeved outside the second cavity 120 and extends to the first cavity 110, the temperature at the sealing door 130 located at the end of the first cavity 110 away from the second cavity 120 can be relatively low, which is not conducive to improving the uniformity of the process. Based on this, the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can also include a turntable 410 and a heat preservation assembly.

[0058] The turntable 410 is rotatably installed in the first cavity 110, and the turntable 410 is located on the inner side of the sealing door 130. The heat preservation assembly is installed on the turntable 410, and the process boat 430 can be installed on the side of the heat preservation assembly away from the turntable 410. On the one hand, the heat preservation assembly can provide good heat preservation for the side of the process boat 430 close to the sealing door 130, ensuring that the process temperature at any position in the process environment of the process boat 430 can basically meet the demand. On the other hand, during the process, the turntable 410 can drive the process boat 430 installed thereon to rotate, so that the process uniformity of wafers located at different positions in the process boat 430 is relatively high. In addition, an outer heat preservation sleeve 440 can be provided outside the first cavity 110 to insulate the heat of the first cavity 110.

[0059] The heat preservation assembly can specifically include a cylinder 421 and a heat preservation member 422 arranged in the cylinder 421. The cylinder 421 is mainly used to provide protection for the heat preservation member 422 to prevent the process gas from reacting with the heat preservation member 422 and affecting the normal process. The cylinder 421 can be a cylindrical structure and can be supported and connected to the turntable 410. The heat preservation member 422 can provide heat preservation for the process boat 430 by dissipating heat. More specifically, the heat preservation member 422 is provided with a plurality of heat dissipation fins. The structure, size and other parameters of the plurality of heat dissipation fins can be determined flexibly according to actual needs, which are not limited herein. In addition, the cylinder 421 can be formed of silicon carbide material to have the ability to work at a process temperature higher than 1200°C. For the turntable 410, the distance between the turntable 410 and the area where the wafer is located is relatively large, so that the temperature at the turntable 410 is usually lower than the process environment temperature. In this case, in order to reduce the processing difficulty and cost of the turntable 410, the turntable 410 can be formed of quartz material. Of course, in order to ensure that the service life of the turntable 410 is relatively high at a temperature higher than 1200°C, the turntable 410 can also be formed of silicon carbide material.

[0060] In some embodiments, the heat preservation member 422 is fixedly connected with the cylinder 421 and is indirectly supported on the turntable 410 through the cylinder 421. In another embodiment of the present application, the cylinder 421 and the heat preservation member 422 are separately formed and are respectively supported and connected to the turntable 410, which can prevent the cylinder 421 from being damaged due to large stress and can simplify the structural complexity of the cylinder 421. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the cylinder 421 can be angularly positioned with the turntable 410 through two symmetrically distributed pins 452. Of course, the two can also be fixedly connected through other connecting members, which are not limited herein.

[0061] Correspondingly, the process boat 430 is arranged in the second cavity 120, and the process boat 430 is mounted on the barrel 421. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the process boat 430 can be fixedly connected to the top of the barrel 421 by screws 451, so that the process boat 430 can be stably mounted on the turntable 410 through the barrel 421. In the case where the heat preservation assembly is arranged in the first cavity 110, the gas inlet pipe 210 needs to be arranged between the first cavity 110 and the barrel 421, so as to ensure that the gas inlet pipe 210 can normally provide the gas inlet function. At the same time, the gas supply pipe 230 can be arranged between the process boat 430 and the inner wall of the second cavity 120. In order to further improve the uniformity of the process gas in the second cavity 120, the end of the gas supply pipe 230 away from the gas inlet pipe 210 can be extended to the top of the process boat 430, so that the process gas is transported from above the process boat 430, and the process gas is gradually diffused from the top to the middle and lower part of the second cavity 120. Further, in some embodiments, the gas discharge end of the gas supply pipe 230 is arranged away from the process boat 430, that is, the gas discharge end of the gas supply pipe 230 is arranged upward, so that the gas flow of the process gas can first be injected into the top of the second cavity 120, and then slowly diffused to the surrounding below the top of the second cavity 120, and cooperates with other structures such as the exhaust pipe 220 of the semiconductor process equipment, to further improve the uniformity of the film thickness.

[0062] As described above, the semiconductor process equipment can be provided with the temperature measuring member 520, so as to measure the temperature in the second cavity 120 by using the temperature measuring member 520. For this purpose, the temperature measuring member 520 needs to extend into the second cavity 120, and since the top of the second cavity 120 is usually a closed structure, the temperature measuring member 520 needs to be mounted from the first cavity 110 and extended upward into the second cavity 120. Based on this, in order to improve the protection effect of the temperature measuring member 520, as shown in FIG. 7, the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in the embodiments of the present application further comprises a protective cover 510, and the protective cover 510 is fixedly connected to the outer surface of the second cavity 120, and the temperature measuring member 520 is arranged between the protective cover 510 and the second cavity 120. In the case where this technical solution is adopted, by sealingly arranging the top of the protective cover 510, the protective cover 510 and the second cavity 120 form a closed end at the top of the temperature measuring member 520, so as to reduce the external environmental factors affecting the temperature measuring accuracy of the temperature measuring member 520. In addition, since the temperature measuring member 520 is located outside the second cavity 120, the flow factors of the process gas flow in the second cavity 120 can be prevented from affecting the temperature measuring accuracy of the temperature measuring member 520.

[0063] More specifically, in the process of installing the temperature measuring element 520, as shown in FIG. 8, a sleeve can be arranged outside the bottom of the temperature measuring element 520, and the sleeve can be sleeved with a fixing sleeve 531, the opposite ends of the fixing sleeve 531 can be fixedly installed on the mounting frame 532 of the first cavity 110 through screws or other connecting members, and the mounting frame 532 can be fixedly installed on the water-cooling ring of the first cavity 110, so as to achieve the installation purpose of the temperature measuring element 520.

[0064] It should be noted that in this document, the terms "comprise", "comprising", or any other variant thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, so that processes, methods, articles, or devices that include a series of elements not only include those elements, but also include other elements not explicitly listed, or include elements inherent to such processes, methods, articles, or devices. Without more limitations, the element defined by the statement "comprising a" does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or device that includes the element. In addition, it should be pointed out that the scope of the methods and devices in the embodiments of the present application is not limited to the order of performing the functions shown or discussed, but can also include performing the functions in a substantially simultaneous manner or in the opposite order, for example, the described method can be performed in an order different from that described, and various steps can also be added, omitted, or combined. In addition, the features described with reference to certain examples can be combined in other examples.

[0065] The embodiments of the present application are described above in combination with the drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above-described specific embodiments, and the above-described specific embodiments are only illustrative, not limiting, and those skilled in the art can make many forms under the inspiration of the present application without departing from the scope of the present application and the scope protected by the claims.

Claims

1. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized by, The semiconductor process equipment comprises a first cavity, a second cavity, an air inlet pipe, an air outlet pipe and an air conveying pipe, the second cavity is detachably fixedly connected to the upper portion of the first cavity, the second cavity is communicated with the first cavity, the air inlet pipe and the air outlet pipe are connected with the first cavity, the air outlet pipe is communicated with the first cavity, and the air conveying pipe is communicated with the air inlet pipe to convey process gas into the second cavity.

2. The semiconductor process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The first cavity comprises a first cavity body and a sleeve, the sleeve is fixedly connected to the outside of the first cavity body, and the inside of the sleeve is communicated with the inside of the first cavity body, One end of the air inlet pipe is connected with the air conveying pipe, and the other end of the air inlet pipe is arranged outside the first cavity body from the sleeve.

3. The semiconductor process apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The semiconductor process equipment further comprises a threaded connector, the threaded connector is fixed relative to the sleeve in the extending direction of the sleeve, and the threaded connector is rotatable relative to the sleeve in the circumferential direction of the sleeve, the air inlet pipe is formed with external threads, and the threaded connector is formed with internal threads, the internal threads are matched with the external threads to detachably fix the air inlet pipe and the sleeve through the threaded connector.

4. The semiconductor process apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The air inlet pipe comprises a first pipe segment and a second pipe segment which are connected with each other, the first pipe segment extends in the direction parallel to the axial direction of the first cavity, and the first pipe segment is connected with the air conveying pipe, the second pipe segment extends in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first cavity, and a portion of the second pipe segment extends into the sleeve; The semiconductor process equipment further comprises a supporting assembly, the supporting assembly is mounted to the first cavity body and located in the first cavity body, and in the direction parallel to the axial direction of the first cavity, the portion of the air inlet pipe located in the first cavity body is supported by the supporting assembly.

5. The semiconductor process apparatus according to claim 4, wherein The supporting assembly comprises a support and an adjustable supporting portion, the support is mounted to the first cavity body, the adjustable supporting portion is threadedly connected with the support to enable the adjustable supporting portion to move relative to the support in the direction parallel to the axial direction of the first cavity, and the portion of the air inlet pipe located in the first cavity body is supported by the top surface of the adjustable supporting portion.

6. The semiconductor process apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein The first cavity comprises a first cavity body and a first extension portion, the first extension portion is connected to the outer edge of the first cavity body, the second cavity comprises a second cavity body and a second extension portion, the second extension portion is connected to the outer edge of the second cavity body, and the inside of the first cavity body and the inside of the second cavity body are communicated with each other; The semiconductor process equipment further comprises a compression ring, at least a portion of the first extension portion and the second extension portion are arranged in a laminated manner, the compression ring is detachably fixedly connected with the first extension portion and clamps the second extension portion.

7. The semiconductor process apparatus according to claim 6, wherein The side of the first extension portion facing the second extension portion and / or the side of the second extension portion facing the first extension portion is provided with a groove, a sealing ring is arranged in the groove, and the sealing ring is arranged in a compressed manner between the first extension portion and the second extension portion.

8. The semiconductor process apparatus according to claim 6, wherein The semiconductor processing equipment further comprises a first gasket and a second gasket, at least a portion of the first gasket is clamped between the first epitaxial part and the second epitaxial part in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the first cavity, and at least a portion of the second gasket is clamped between the second epitaxial part and the compression ring.

9. The semiconductor process apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein The first cavity is a metal structural part, and the second cavity is a silicon carbide structural part.

10. The semiconductor process apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein The semiconductor processing equipment further comprises a turntable, a heat preservation assembly and a process boat, the turntable is rotatably installed in the first cavity. The heat preservation assembly comprises a barrel and a heat preservation part arranged in the barrel, the barrel is installed on the turntable, the heat preservation part is provided with a plurality of heat dissipation fins, and the gas inlet pipe is arranged between the first cavity and the barrel. The process boat is arranged in the second cavity, and the process boat is installed on the barrel, one end of the gas outlet pipe away from the gas inlet pipe extends to the top of the process boat, and the gas outlet end of the gas outlet pipe is arranged away from the process boat.

11. The semiconductor process apparatus according to claim 10, wherein The semiconductor processing equipment further comprises a tray, the tray is arranged on the boat teeth of the process boat, the tray is used to carry a wafer, and the tray is provided with a wafer transfer port, the wafer transfer port is arranged through the tray along the thickness direction of the tray.

12. The semiconductor process apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein The semiconductor processing equipment further comprises a shield, the shield is fixedly connected to the outer surface of the second cavity, and a temperature measuring part is arranged between the shield and the second cavity.

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