Semiconductor process apparatus

Abstract

A semiconductor process apparatus, comprising: a furnace body structure, a furnace door structure and a pressure regulation assembly, wherein the pressure regulation assembly is arranged outside the furnace body structure, and comprises a container and a movable component; the movable component is at least partially located in the container and divides the container into a first regulation chamber and a second regulation chamber; the first regulation chamber is in communication with the interior of the furnace body structure by means of a gas path; the second regulation chamber is in communication with an external space; and when the pressures in the first regulation chamber and the second regulation chamber are unbalanced, the movable component can move relative to the container until the pressures of the first regulation chamber and the second regulation chamber reach equilibrium. The present application can prevent the furnace door structure from deforming due to a pressure difference between two sides thereof, thereby extending the effective period of the furnace door structure for sealing an opening, and improving the reliability of the seal.

Description

Semiconductor process equipment Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and more specifically, to a semiconductor process apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] The furnace door structure is a crucial component of semiconductor process equipment, used to seal the furnace openings to create a closed, high-temperature environment (around 1000°C). After the wafers on the wafer boat complete their heat treatment process within the furnace's process tubes and are removed from the furnace, the furnace door must remain sealed before the next heat treatment process to prevent heat transfer from the furnace interior to the exterior and potential damage to other electrical components. However, the sealing performance of existing furnace door structures deteriorates over time. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application aims to at least solve the technical problem that the sealing performance of the furnace door structure decreases after long-term use in the prior art, and proposes a semiconductor process equipment.

[0004] To achieve the purpose of this application, a semiconductor process apparatus is provided, comprising:

[0005] Furnace body structure;

[0006] The furnace door structure is movable relative to the furnace body structure to open or seal the openings in the furnace body structure; and

[0007] A pressure regulating assembly is disposed outside the furnace body structure. The pressure regulating assembly includes a container and a movable part. The movable part is at least partially located in the container and isolates the container to form a first regulating chamber and a second regulating chamber. The first regulating chamber is connected to the interior of the furnace body structure through an air passage. The second regulating chamber is connected to the external space. The movable part is capable of moving relative to the container when the pressures of the first regulating chamber and the second regulating chamber are unbalanced until the pressures of the first regulating chamber and the second regulating chamber reach equilibrium.

[0008] In some embodiments, a linkage component is also included; a portion of the movable part is located outside the container and is connected to the furnace door structure via the linkage component; the linkage component is used to convert the movement of the movable part into rotational motion of the furnace door structure about a first axis, the first axis being parallel to the axis of the furnace body structure;

[0009] A sealing fit structure is provided between the furnace door structure and the furnace body structure. The sealing fit structure is used to seal the opening and is configured to cause the furnace door structure to move in a direction parallel to the first axis when the furnace door structure rotates relative to the furnace body structure.

[0010] Specifically, when the movable component moves in a direction that reduces the volume of the first regulating chamber, the furnace door structure rotates in a first direction and moves in a direction closer to the furnace body structure; when the movable component moves in a direction that increases the volume of the first regulating chamber, the furnace door structure rotates in a second direction and moves in a direction away from the furnace body structure; the first direction is opposite to the second direction.

[0011] In some embodiments, the sealing structure includes an elastic sealing ring, a first mating portion, and a second mating portion; wherein...

[0012] The elastic sealing ring is disposed between the furnace door structure and the furnace body structure, and surrounds the opening;

[0013] The first mating part and the second mating part are respectively disposed on the furnace body structure and the furnace door structure. The first mating part has a first inclined surface, and the second mating part has a second inclined surface. Both the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface extend in a spiral direction around the first axis. When the furnace door structure rotates relative to the furnace body structure, the second inclined surface moves along the first inclined surface to drive the furnace door structure to move in a direction parallel to the first axis while rotating.

[0014] In some embodiments, the furnace body structure forms an annular groove, the bottom surface of the annular groove is opposite to the furnace door structure, the first mating part is a first boss formed on the inner circumferential surface of the annular groove, the first boss and the bottom surface of the groove are spaced apart in a direction parallel to the first axis, and the first inclined surface is disposed on the side of the first boss opposite to the bottom surface of the groove.

[0015] The second mating part is a second boss formed on the furnace door structure, and the second inclined surface is provided on the side of the second boss away from the bottom surface of the groove;

[0016] During the rotation of the furnace door structure along the first direction, the second inclined surface moves along the first inclined surface to drive the furnace door structure to move in a direction closer to the furnace body structure, and the second protrusion can move into the annular groove; during the rotation of the furnace door structure along the second direction, the second inclined surface moves along the first inclined surface to drive the furnace door structure to move in a direction away from the furnace body structure, and the second protrusion can move out of the annular groove.

[0017] In some embodiments, there are multiple first bosses, and the multiple first bosses are spaced apart around the first axis; there are multiple second bosses, and the multiple second bosses are spaced apart around the first axis.

[0018] The second inclined surface on each of the second protrusions corresponds to the first inclined surface on each of the first protrusions.

[0019] In some embodiments, the linkage component includes a connecting rod, one end of which is hinged to a portion of the movable member outside the container, and the other end of which is hinged to the furnace door structure, wherein the position where the connecting rod is hinged to the furnace door structure is located other than the position where the first axis is located.

[0020] In some embodiments, the linkage assembly further includes a connecting shaft fixedly connected to the movable component, the connecting shaft extending in a direction parallel to the first axis, and two stop portions spaced apart along the first axis on the connecting shaft;

[0021] One end of the connecting rod is rotatably mounted on the connecting shaft, and the connecting rod can move between the two stops relative to the connecting shaft in a direction parallel to the first axis.

[0022] In some embodiments, the end of the connecting shaft away from the movable member is connected to a screw, and a washer is provided between the screw head and the connecting shaft, the washer serving as one of the stop portions.

[0023] In some embodiments, the furnace door structure includes a furnace door panel, a support column, a sleeve, and a drive mechanism for driving the furnace door panel to move, wherein the sleeve is connected to the drive mechanism, and the end of the sleeve facing the opening is the open end, and the end of the sleeve away from the opening is the closed end.

[0024] One end of the support column is fixedly connected to the furnace door panel, and the other end extends into the sleeve from the open end of the sleeve, and can rotate relative to the sleeve and move in a direction parallel to the first axis.

[0025] In some embodiments, the furnace body structure includes a furnace body and a mounting plate, the furnace body and the mounting plate together constitute an installation space, and the mounting plate is provided with an opening that connects the installation space with the external space;

[0026] The mounting plate is also provided with a communication port that communicates with the mounting space, and the first regulating chamber is connected to the communication port through the air passage.

[0027] In some embodiments, the system further includes a first gas pipeline, a second gas pipeline, and an extraction device, wherein one end of both the first gas pipeline and the second gas pipeline is connected to the second regulating chamber; the other end of the first gas pipeline is connected to the extraction device; the other end of the second gas pipeline is connected to the external space; and a first on / off valve and a second on / off valve are respectively provided on the first gas pipeline and the second gas pipeline.

[0028] This application has the following beneficial effects:

[0029] The semiconductor process equipment provided in this application, during the process of moving a wafer boat carrying a completed heat-processed wafer out of the furnace structure until the next heat-processing step, utilizes a sealed opening in the furnace door structure to prevent heat transfer outside the furnace structure from affecting external electronic components. Simultaneously, a movable component in the pressure regulating assembly isolates the container to form a first regulating chamber and a second regulating chamber. The first regulating chamber is connected to the interior of the furnace structure via a gas path; the second regulating chamber is connected to the external space. When temperature and pressure changes inside and outside the furnace structure, causing an pressure imbalance between the first and second regulating chambers, the movable component automatically moves relative to the container until the pressure in the first and second regulating chambers is restored to equilibrium. This achieves pressure balance between the interior of the furnace structure and the external space. This prevents deformation of the furnace door structure due to pressure differences on both sides, thereby extending the effective period of the furnace door structure's seal and improving the reliability of the seal. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor process equipment in the related art when the opening is open;

[0031] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor process equipment shown in Figure 1 when the opening is closed;

[0032] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a semiconductor process equipment provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the semiconductor process equipment shown in Figure 3;

[0034] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the state changes of the pressure regulation component of the semiconductor process equipment shown in Figure 3.

[0035] Figure 6 is an exploded view of the furnace door structure in the semiconductor process equipment shown in Figure 3;

[0036] Figure 7 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the mounting plate in the semiconductor process equipment shown in Figure 3;

[0037] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing the state changes of the furnace door structure and mounting plate of the semiconductor process equipment shown in Figure 3.

[0038] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the changes in the state of the furnace door plate and the mounting plate of the semiconductor process equipment shown in Figure 3.

[0039] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of another mounting plate in the semiconductor process equipment provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0040] Figure 11 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the linkage component and pressure regulation component in the semiconductor process equipment shown in Figure 3;

[0041] Figure 12 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the linkage components in the semiconductor process equipment shown in Figure 3;

[0042] Figure 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of the furnace door structure in the semiconductor process equipment shown in Figure 3 when the furnace door plate is at the first height position.

[0043] Figure 14 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of another semiconductor process equipment provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0044] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a furnace structure 10' of a semiconductor process equipment 100' in the related art includes a furnace body with an open bottom. The furnace body provides installation space for a process tube (not shown in the figures), which provides process space for a wafer boat (used to carry wafers) to perform processes such as heat treatment. The bottom port of the furnace body is the opening, and the bottom end of the process tube also has an opening. The wafer boat can be moved into the process space sequentially through the openings of the furnace body and the process tube. A furnace door structure 20' is used to open or seal the opening of the furnace body structure 10'. During the heat treatment process of the wafer in the process tube, the furnace door structure 20' abuts against the sealing surface (i.e., the bottom end face of the furnace body) arranged around the opening on the furnace body structure 10' to seal the opening. At this time, the furnace door structure 20' and the furnace body structure 10' constitute a closed space that can seal the process tube within it. After the heat treatment process is completed, the furnace door structure 20' is first moved away from the bottom of the furnace body, opening the furnace body structure 10'. The crystal boat is then moved out of the furnace body structure 10' through the process tube opening and the furnace body structure 10' opening. Next, the furnace door structure 20' is moved to a position where it abuts against the bottom end face of the furnace body to close the opening, preventing heat from the inside of the furnace body structure 10' from being transferred to the outside and damaging other electrical components. Understandably, to ensure the airtightness of the furnace body structure 10', the parallelism between the side of the furnace door structure 20' used to close the opening and the sealing surface on the furnace body structure 10' surrounding the opening (i.e., the bottom end face of the furnace body) is crucial.

[0045] Using the semiconductor process equipment 100', after the crystal boat is removed from the furnace structure 10', when the furnace door structure 20' closes the opening, the pressure inside the furnace structure 10' is equal to the pressure outside. Furthermore, because a high-temperature environment needs to be created during the heat treatment process, the temperature inside the furnace structure 10' is much higher than the temperature outside. Therefore, before reopening the opening for the next heat treatment process, as the furnace structure 10' cools down, the pressure inside and outside the furnace structure 10' changes accordingly. Specifically, due to the activation of the rapid cooling system built into the furnace structure 10', the cooling rate of the internal space of the furnace structure 10' is greater than the cooling rate of its external space. Therefore, the pressure decrease rate of the internal space of the furnace structure 10' is greater than the pressure decrease rate of its external space, resulting in a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the furnace structure 10'. The pressure P_internal of the internal space of the furnace structure 10' is less than the pressure P_external of its external space. Therefore, the furnace door structure 20' shown in Figure 2 experiences upward pressure. As the machine performs multiple process cycles, the furnace door structure 20' is subjected to continuous upward pressure and is prone to warping and deformation. This causes the flatness of the side of the furnace door structure 20' used to cover the opening to decrease. In other words, the side of the furnace door structure 20' used to cover the opening is difficult to keep parallel with the sealing surface (i.e., the bottom end face of the furnace body) on the furnace body structure 10' surrounding the opening, and thus loses its sealing function. Heat inside the furnace body structure 10' leaks into its external space, affecting the electronic components in the external space of the furnace body structure 10', thereby reducing the process reliability of the machine.

[0046] In view of the above, embodiments of this application provide a semiconductor process apparatus. To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of this application, the semiconductor process apparatus provided in this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a semiconductor process apparatus 100 provided in Embodiment 1 of this application. The semiconductor process apparatus 100 includes a furnace body structure 10 and a furnace door structure 20. The furnace body structure 10 includes, for example, a furnace body 11 with an opening, for providing mounting space for a process tube (not shown). The process tube provides process space for a crystal boat to perform processes such as heat treatment. The opening is, for example, located at the bottom end of the furnace body 11. The bottom end of the process tube also has an opening, allowing the crystal boat to be moved into the process space sequentially through the openings of the furnace body 11 and the process tube. The furnace door structure 20 is movable relative to the furnace body structure 10 to open or seal the opening.

[0048] The semiconductor process equipment 100 provided in this application embodiment can be a vertical heat treatment equipment as shown in FIG3, or it can be a horizontal heat treatment equipment. The following description uses a vertical heat treatment equipment as an example. Specifically, in the vertical heat treatment equipment, the extension direction of the axis of the furnace body structure 10 is shown as the Z-axis. Correspondingly, the furnace door structure 20 can move along the Z-axis direction to open and close the opening. Furthermore, it can be moved away from or to the position of the relative opening by rotation. When the furnace door structure 20 closes the opening, the furnace door structure 20 and the furnace body structure 10 together form a closed space.

[0049] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the semiconductor process equipment 100 also includes a pressure regulating assembly 30, which is disposed outside the furnace structure 10. Specifically, the pressure regulating assembly 30 includes a container 31 and a movable part 32. The movable part 32 is at least partially located within the container 31, isolating the container 31 to form a first regulating chamber 311 and a second regulating chamber 312. The first regulating chamber 311 is connected to the interior of the furnace structure 10 via a gas passage 60; the second regulating chamber 312 is connected to the external space. The movable part 32 can move relative to the container 31 when the pressures of the first regulating chamber 311 and the second regulating chamber 312 are unbalanced, until the pressures of the first regulating chamber 311 and the second regulating chamber 312 reach equilibrium. In this case, the pressure in the first regulating chamber 311 is equal to the pressure inside the furnace structure 10, and the pressure in the second regulating chamber 312 is equal to the ambient pressure of the external space.

[0050] It should be noted that in vertical heat treatment equipment, the aforementioned external space is the space outside the furnace body structure 10, which is different from the external atmospheric environment. For example, it is a space used to house the furnace body, which is, for example, composed of a closed shell.

[0051] It should also be noted that the movable part 32 may be partially located in the container 31, isolating the container 31 to form the first adjustment chamber 311 and the second adjustment chamber 312, while the other part extends out of the container 31. Alternatively, the movable part 32 may be entirely located in the container 31, isolating the container 31 to form the first adjustment chamber 311 and the second adjustment chamber 312.

[0052] The working principle of the semiconductor process equipment 100 in this embodiment is roughly as follows:

[0053] After the furnace door structure 20 is opened to allow the wafer boat carrying the heat-treated wafer to be moved out of the furnace body structure 10 through the opening in the process tube, the furnace door structure 20 is then closed again to prevent heat from being transferred to the outside of the furnace body 11 and affecting external electronic components. During this process, before the furnace door structure 20 is opened, allowing communication between the inside and outside of the furnace body 11, and before the furnace door structure 20 is closed again, there is no pressure difference between the inside and outside of the furnace body 11; that is, the pressure outside the furnace body 11 is equal to the pressure inside the furnace body 11. For a period of time after the furnace door structure 20 is closed again (i.e., in the initial stage of the furnace door structure 20 being closed again), the furnace body structure 10 gradually cools down, and the temperature inside and outside the furnace body 11 decreases, correspondingly reducing the pressure inside and outside the furnace body 11. Specifically, because the rapid cooling system of the furnace body 11 is activated, the cooling rate inside the furnace body 11 is greater than the cooling rate outside the furnace body 11. As a result, the pressure drop rate inside the furnace body 11 is greater than the pressure drop rate outside the furnace body 11, creating a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the furnace body 11, with the pressure outside the furnace body 11 being greater than the pressure inside the furnace body 11. At this time, the pressures of the first regulating chamber 311 and the second regulating chamber 312 are unbalanced. The movable part 32 moves under the action of the pressure difference and moves in the direction that reduces the volume of the first regulating chamber 311, causing the pressure of the first regulating chamber 311 to increase until the pressures of the first regulating chamber 311 and the second regulating chamber 312 are balanced. At this time, the movable part 32 moves to the right from the position near the left end of the container 31 (not shown in the figure) and stops at the position shown in Figure 5 (A). The pressures inside and outside the furnace body 11 are balanced, that is, the pressure of the first regulating chamber 311 is equal to the pressure inside the furnace body 11 and the pressure outside the furnace body 11 is equal. It is understandable that in the initial stage after the furnace door structure 20 recloses the opening, after the pressure inside and outside the furnace body 11 is balanced, as shown in Figure 5(A), the volume of the furnace body 11 is V_inner, the volume of the first regulating chamber 311 is V_1, and the temperature of the gas inside the first regulating chamber 311 is equal to the temperature inside the furnace body 11, T_inner, which is much greater than the temperature outside the furnace body 11, T_outer. According to the relationship between gas pressure, volume, and temperature, the pressure of the first regulating chamber 311 is P_1, P_1 = C × T_1 内 / (V 内 +V1), where C is a constant.

[0054] Following the initial stage described above, until the opening is reopened for the next heat treatment process, the furnace body structure 10 continues to cool down. During this time, the pressure imbalance between the first regulating chamber 311 and the second regulating chamber 312 continues. The movable part 32 moves under the pressure difference and continues to move in the direction that reduces the volume of the first regulating chamber 311 (moving to the right from the position shown in Figure 5(A) to the position shown in Figure 5(B)). This causes the pressure in the first regulating chamber 311 to increase until the pressures of the first regulating chamber 311 and the second regulating chamber 312 are balanced, that is, the pressure inside and outside the furnace body 11 is the same. The pressure inside and outside the furnace body 11 is re-balanced, at which point the movable part 32 stops moving. When the pressure inside and outside the furnace body 11 is re-balanced, as shown in Figure 5(B), the temperature inside the furnace body 11 drops from Tinside to Toutside. 内 The volume of the first regulating chamber 311 decreases from V1 to V2. At this time, the pressure in the first regulating chamber 311 is P2, where P2 = C × T. 内 ' / (V 内 +V2), and P2 <P1。

[0055] It is readily understood that the embodiments of this application only exemplarily describe the process of balancing the pressure inside and outside the furnace body 11 by moving the movable component 32 from the time the furnace door structure 20 closes the opening until it reopens for the next heat treatment process. In practical applications, the pressure inside and outside the furnace body 11 switches between imbalance and balance multiple times during the entire process of the furnace body structure 10 gradually cooling down. In other words, the process of the movable component 32 adjusting the pressure inside and outside the furnace body 11 to achieve balance is a continuous dynamic process.

[0056] Therefore, by designing the pressure regulating component 30, during the process of moving the wafer carrying the completed heat treatment process from the furnace body structure 100 to the next heat treatment process, the furnace door structure 20 can prevent heat from being transferred to the outside of the furnace body 11 and affecting external electronic components through a sealed opening. At the same time, the movable component 32 in the pressure regulating component 30 isolates the container 31 to form a first regulating chamber 311 and a second regulating chamber 312. The first regulating chamber 311 is connected to the interior of the furnace body structure 10 through the air passage 60; the second regulating chamber 312 is connected to the external space. When the temperature and pressure inside and outside the furnace body structure 10 change, causing an imbalance in the pressure of the first regulating chamber 311 and the second regulating chamber 312, the movable component 32 can automatically move relative to the container 31 until the pressure of the first regulating chamber 311 and the second regulating chamber 312 is restored to balance, thereby achieving pressure balance between the inside of the furnace body structure 10 and the external space. This prevents the furnace door structure 10 from deforming due to the pressure difference on both sides, thereby extending the effective period of the furnace door structure 20 for sealing the opening and improving the reliability of the seal.

[0057] It should be noted that those skilled in the art would readily conceive of maintaining the flatness of the side of the furnace door structure 20 used to cover the opening by periodically leveling and maintaining the furnace door structure 20, thereby ensuring that the furnace door structure 20 maintains an effective seal.

[0058] In contrast, the semiconductor process equipment 100 of this embodiment adaptively adjusts the pressure balance of the first regulating chamber 311 and the second regulating chamber 312 according to the changes in temperature and pressure inside and outside the furnace body 11, so as to achieve pressure balance inside and outside the furnace body 11. This can prevent the furnace door structure 20 from deforming under the action of pressure difference and affecting the flatness of the side of the furnace door structure 20 used to cover the opening, thereby saving the workload and labor cost of maintaining the furnace door structure 20.

[0059] In related technologies, after the wafer carrying the completed heat treatment process is removed from the furnace structure, the temperature drop of the furnace structure during the period until the next heat treatment process not only affects the pressure inside and outside the furnace, but also easily causes the sealing ring used to seal the opening to shrink due to cold. The shrunken sealing ring is difficult to completely seal the gap between the furnace door structure and the furnace structure, resulting in a decrease in the sealing performance of the furnace door structure to the furnace structure. In this regard, in one embodiment of this application, as shown in Figures 3 and 11, the semiconductor process equipment 100 also includes a linkage assembly 40. In this case, a part of the movable part 32 is located outside the container 31 and is connected to the furnace door structure 20 through the linkage assembly 40. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the movable part 32 includes, for example, a telescopic rod and a plunger part 321. The plunger part 321 is located in the container 31 and isolates the container 31 to form a first adjustment chamber 311 and a second adjustment chamber 312, and can move relative to the container 31 to change the volume of the two adjustment chambers. The telescopic rod consists of an inner portion 322 located inside the container 31 and an outer portion 41 located outside the container 31. It is readily understood that the lengths of both the inner portion 322 and the outer portion 41 change as the telescopic rod extends or retracts. The telescopic rod is, for example, arranged radially along a circumference surrounding a first axis. This first axis is parallel to the axis of the furnace structure 10, i.e., parallel to the Z-axis.

[0060] The linkage component 40 is used to convert the movement of the movable part 32 into the rotational movement of the furnace door structure 20 around the first axis. A sealing fit structure is provided between the furnace door structure 20 and the furnace body structure 10. This sealing fit structure is used to seal the opening of the furnace body structure 10 and is configured to cause the furnace door structure 20 to move in a direction parallel to the first axis (i.e., along the Z-axis) when it rotates relative to the furnace body structure 10. In other words, under the linkage action of the linkage component 40, while the movable part 32 moves automatically relative to the container 31, it can drive the furnace door structure 20 to rotate around the first axis and move along the first axis relative to the furnace body structure 10. In this way, during the entire process of the furnace body structure 10 gradually cooling down, by causing the furnace door structure 20 to move in a direction closer to the furnace body structure 10, the gap between the furnace door structure 20 and the furnace body structure 10 is reduced, thereby ensuring that the sealing fit structure is always in a sealed state and preventing the sealing performance of the furnace door structure 20 to the furnace body structure 10 from decreasing.

[0061] When the movable part 32 moves in a direction that reduces the volume of the first adjustment chamber 311, the furnace door structure 20 rotates in a first direction and moves in a direction closer to the furnace body structure 10; when the movable part 32 moves in a direction that increases the volume of the first adjustment chamber 311, the furnace door structure 20 rotates in a second direction and moves in a direction away from the furnace body structure 10; the first direction is opposite to the second direction.

[0062] The combination of the aforementioned linkage component 40 and sealing structure enables the linkage between the movable part 32 and the furnace door structure 20. This ensures that the sealing structure remains sealed even when the pressure inside and outside the furnace body 11 is rebalanced, thereby guaranteeing the airtightness of the furnace body structure 10. Specifically, if the aforementioned linkage component 40 and sealing structure are not provided, and the furnace door structure 20 and the furnace body structure 10 are only sealed by a sealing ring, then during the period from when the wafer boat carrying the completed heat treatment process is moved out of the furnace body structure 10 until the next heat treatment process, the temperature drop of the furnace body structure 10 will not only affect the pressure inside and outside the furnace body 11, but also easily cause the sealing ring to shrink due to cold. The shrunken sealing ring is difficult to completely seal the gap between the furnace door structure 20 and the furnace body structure 10, resulting in a decrease in the airtightness of the furnace door structure 20 to the furnace body structure 10. In this embodiment, the movable part 32 moves in a direction that reduces the volume of the first regulating chamber 311 to balance the pressure inside and outside the furnace body 11. At the same time, the movable part 32 moves in a direction that reduces the volume of the first regulating chamber 311 to balance the pressure inside and outside the furnace body 11. Simultaneously, the movable part 32 drives the furnace door structure 20 to rotate around the first axis in the first direction through the linkage component 40. At the same time, the furnace door structure 20 moves in a direction parallel to the first axis (i.e., along the Z-axis) and toward the bottom sealing surface of the furnace body structure 10 under the action of the sealing structure. This ensures that the sealing structure is always in a good sealing state, so that the sealing effect does not decrease as the temperature inside the furnace body 11 decreases.

[0063] It should be noted that in the above scenario, the movable part 32 moves in the direction of reducing the volume of the first regulating chamber 311. However, in other scenarios where the pressure of the second regulating chamber 312 is less than the pressure of the first regulating chamber 311, the movable part 32 can also move in the direction of increasing the volume of the first regulating chamber 311, and drive the furnace door structure 20 to rotate in the opposite direction around the first axis through the linkage component 40. At the same time, the furnace door structure 20 will move in the direction parallel to the first axis (i.e., along the Z-axis) under the action of the sealing fit structure, that is, move in the direction away from the bottom sealing surface of the furnace body structure 10.

[0064] Various sealing structures can achieve the above-mentioned functions. In one embodiment of this application, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, the sealing structure includes, for example, an elastic sealing ring 50, a first mating part 121, and a second mating part 212. The elastic sealing ring 50 is disposed between the furnace door structure 20 and the furnace body structure 10, and surrounds the opening. The elastic sealing ring 50 is, for example, coaxially arranged with the opening. In another embodiment of this application, as shown in Figure 6, the furnace door structure 20 may specifically include a furnace door plate 21, which can open or close the opening. An elastic sealing ring 50 is disposed between the side of the furnace door plate 21 used to close the opening and the sealing surface at the bottom of the furnace body structure 10. For example, the elastic sealing ring 50 can be fixedly connected to the side of the furnace door plate 21 used to close the opening by means of adhesive bonding, etc. When the furnace door plate 21 opens the opening, the elastic sealing ring 50 moves away from the sealing surface at the bottom of the furnace body structure 10. Alternatively, the elastic sealing ring 50 can be fixedly connected to the sealing surface at the bottom of the furnace body structure 10 by means of bonding or other methods, and the elastic sealing ring 50 separates from the furnace door plate 21 when the furnace door plate 21 is opened. By setting the elastic sealing ring 50, the gap between the side of the furnace door plate 21 used to cover the opening and the sealing surface at the bottom of the furnace body structure 10 can be sealed.

[0065] By employing the combination of the aforementioned linkage component 40 and sealing structure, when the pressure inside and outside the furnace body 11 is rebalanced, the elastic sealing ring 50 can still remain tightly attached to both the furnace door structure 20 and the furnace body structure 10. This avoids the shrinkage of the elastic sealing ring 50 as the furnace body structure 10 cools down, preventing a decrease in its sealing effect and ensuring that the elastic sealing ring 50 reliably seals the gap between the furnace door structure 20 and the furnace body structure 10 even after the furnace body structure 10 cools down. Furthermore, compared to operators periodically rotating the furnace door structure 20 to further compress the elastic sealing ring 50, in this embodiment, the furnace door structure 20 can automatically rotate with the movement of the movable component 32 to compress the elastic sealing ring 50. That is, the semiconductor process equipment 100 of this embodiment can adaptively adjust the compression ratio of the elastic sealing ring 50 to ensure a good sealing effect. This helps avoid increasing maintenance costs.

[0066] Based on this, the first mating part 121 and the second mating part 212 are respectively disposed on the furnace body structure 10 and the furnace door structure 20, and are located around the furnace door structure 20 (i.e., the furnace door panel 21); the first mating part 121 has a first inclined surface, and the second mating part 212 has a second inclined surface; both the first and second inclined surfaces extend in a spiral direction around the first axis, that is, the first and second inclined surfaces are equivalent to a segment cut from the spiral surface. Both the first and second inclined surfaces extend in a curved manner around the first axis, and the distance between the first inclined surface and the sealing surface at the bottom of the furnace body structure 10 gradually decreases from the first end farthest from the sealing surface to the second end closest to the sealing surface. When the furnace door structure 20 rotates relative to the furnace body structure 10, the second inclined surface moves along the first inclined surface, that is, moves in the spiral direction, so as to drive the furnace door structure 20 to move in a direction parallel to the first axis while rotating. It is easy to understand that when the furnace door structure 20 rotates in the first direction and moves in the direction close to the furnace body structure 10, the second inclined surface first passes the first end of the first inclined surface that is furthest from the sealing surface, and then gradually rises along the first inclined surface, thereby driving the furnace door structure 20 to move towards the bottom sealing surface of the furnace body structure 10 while rotating, so as to reduce the distance between the side of the furnace door plate 21 used to cover the opening and the sealing surface at the bottom of the furnace body structure 10, thereby increasing the compression ratio of the elastic sealing ring 50 and ensuring that the elastic sealing ring 50 is always in a good sealing state.

[0067] The first mating part 121 and the second mating part 212 that achieve the above functions can have various structures. For example, as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 7, the furnace body structure 10 forms an annular groove 122. In some embodiments, the furnace body structure 10 may specifically include a furnace body 11 and a mounting plate 12 for providing support for the furnace body 11. The furnace body 11 and the mounting plate 12 together constitute an installation space for accommodating and installing process tubes. The furnace body 11 has a furnace opening, and the end face of the furnace opening of the furnace body 11 is fixedly connected to the mounting plate 12. As shown in Figure 7, the opening 13 of the furnace body structure 10 is opened on the mounting plate 12 to connect the interior of the furnace body 11 with the external space when the furnace door structure 20 is opened. An annular groove 122 is provided on the surface of the mounting plate 12 opposite to the furnace body 11 and around the opening 13. Furthermore, the bottom surface 14 of the annular groove 122 serves as the aforementioned sealing surface, opposite to the furnace door structure 20. At this time, the elastic sealing ring 50 is disposed between the bottom surface 14 of the groove and the furnace door structure 20 (i.e., the side of the furnace door plate 21 used to cover the opening).

[0068] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the first mating portion 121 is a first boss formed on the inner peripheral surface of the annular groove 122. The first boss is spaced from the bottom surface 14 of the groove in a direction parallel to the first axis (i.e., along the Z-axis). And the first inclined surface 121a is provided on one side of the first boss relative to the bottom surface 14. That is, if the bottom surface 14 faces downward, the upward surface of the first boss is the first inclined surface 121a. As shown in FIG. 6, the second mating portion 212 is a second boss formed on the outer periphery of the furnace door structure 20 (i.e., the furnace door panel 21). The second inclined surface 212a is provided on one side of the second boss away from the bottom surface 14. That is, if the bottom surface 14 faces downward, the downward surface of the second boss is the second inclined surface 212a.

[0069] Among them, during the rotation of the furnace door structure 20 in the first direction, the second inclined surface 212a moves along the first inclined surface 121a, and the second boss can move into the annular groove 122 to drive the furnace door structure 20 to move in the direction close to the furnace body structure 10. For example, after the susceptor is moved out of the furnace body structure 10, at the initial stage when the furnace door structure 20 covers the opening 13, after the pressures inside and outside the furnace body 10 reach equilibrium, as shown in (A) of FIG. 8, at this time, the vertical distance between the furnace door panel 21 and the sealing surface is d1. Correspondingly, the compressed thickness of the elastic sealing ring 50 is d1, and the compression rate of the elastic sealing ring 50 is S1. After the initial stage, until the opening 13 is reopened for the next heat treatment process, the movable member 32 moves in the direction that reduces the volume of the first adjustment chamber 311 under the action of the pressure difference. At this time, the movable member 32 drives the furnace door panel 21 to rotate in the first direction through the linkage assembly 40. At the same time, under the cooperation of the second inclined surface 212a and the first inclined surface 121a, the furnace door panel 21 moves in the direction close to the bottom sealing surface of the furnace body structure 10 to reduce the distance between the surface of the furnace door panel 21 for covering the opening and the bottom surface 14 to d2, d2 < d1, as shown in (B) of FIG. 8. Correspondingly, the compressed thickness of the elastic sealing ring 50 is d2, and the compression rate of the elastic sealing ring 50 increases from S1 to S2. In addition, during the above process in which the second inclined surface 212a moves along the first inclined surface 121a, the second boss can move into the annular groove 122. On the contrary, during the rotation of the furnace door structure 20 in the second direction, the second inclined surface 212a moves along the first inclined surface 121a to drive the furnace door structure 20 to move in the direction away from the furnace body structure 10, and the second boss can move out of the annular groove 122 to ensure that the furnace door structure 20 can normally open the opening 13. It should be noted that when the first inclined surface 121a and the second inclined surface 212a cooperate, the second boss and the first boss overlap, and at this time, the furnace door panel 21 is supported by the first boss.

[0070] By providing an annular groove 122, the first boss can be located within the annular groove 122, so that the first boss does not additionally occupy the space of the semiconductor processing equipment 100 in the height direction.

[0071] In an embodiment of the present application, in order to ensure the parallelism between the surface of the furnace door structure 20 (i.e., the furnace door plate 21) for covering the opening and the sealing surface, there are multiple first bosses, and the multiple first bosses are arranged at intervals around the first axis; there are multiple second bosses, and the multiple second bosses are arranged at intervals around the first axis; and the second inclined surfaces 212a on each second boss cooperate with the first inclined surfaces 121a on each first boss in a one-to-one correspondence. In some examples, as shown in FIG. 6, the extension length of the second boss in the circumferential direction around the first axis is L.

[0072] After the susceptor is removed out of the furnace body structure 10, in the initial stage when the furnace door structure 20 covers the opening 13, after the pressure inside and outside the furnace body 11 reaches equilibrium, the movable member 32 is located at the position shown in (A) of FIG. 5, and the volume of the first regulating chamber 311 is V1. At the same time, as shown in (A) of FIG. 9, each second boss partially overlaps with the corresponding first boss, and the remaining non-overlapping part has an extension length of l1 (l1 < L) in the circumferential direction around the first axis; at this time, as shown in (A) of FIG. 8, the furnace door plate 21 is located at the middle height position between the first height position and the second height position, the furnace door plate 21 is supported by the first boss, and the thickness of the elastic sealing ring 50 is d1. The above-mentioned first height position and second height position are respectively the preset extreme positions where the furnace door plate 21 is farthest from the furnace body structure 10 and the extreme position closest to the furnace body structure 10, that is, the furnace door plate 21 is closer to the furnace body structure 10 at the second height position than at the first height position.

[0073] After the initial stage, until the opening 13 is reopened for the next heat treatment process, as the furnace body structure 10 continues to cool down, the temperature and pressure inside and outside the furnace body 11 both decrease, the pressures on both sides of the movable member 32 are unequal and the pressure outside the furnace body 11 is greater than the pressure inside the furnace body 11. The movable member 32 moves to the right under the pressure difference to reduce the volume of the first regulating chamber 311, that is, it moves from the position shown in (A) of FIG. 5 to the position shown in (B) of FIG. 5. During this process, the linkage assembly 40 drives the furnace door plate 21 to rotate in the first direction (the R direction shown in (A) of FIG. 9), so that the second boss moves in the direction where the overlapping part with the corresponding first boss is longer, that is, when the second inclined surface moves along the first inclined surface, the second boss gradually moves upward, thereby causing the furnace door plate 21 to press the elastic sealing ring 50, and the thickness of the compressed elastic sealing ring 50 gradually decreases.

[0074] It is not until the movable member 32 moves to the position shown in (B) of FIG. 5 and the volume of the first adjustment chamber 311 drops from V1 to V2 that the pressure inside and outside the furnace body 11 reaches equilibrium again, and the movable member 32 stops moving. At this time, as shown in (B) of FIG. 9, the extension length in the circumferential direction around the first axis of the part of each second boss that does not overlap with the corresponding first boss is reduced from l1 to l2 (l2 < l1 < L); as shown in (B) of FIG. 8, the furnace door panel 21 is located at the second height position, and at this second height position, the thickness of the elastic sealing ring 50 is reduced from d1 to d2. Correspondingly, the compression ratio of the elastic sealing ring 50 increases.

[0075] It should be noted that, as shown in (A) and (B) of FIG. 9, a notch 123 is formed between each adjacent two first bosses. This notch 123 is used for the second boss to move out of the annular groove 122, so as to facilitate the subsequent smooth opening of the opening 13. It is easy to understand that at the moment when the furnace door structure 20 covers the opening again, each second boss is located at the corresponding notch 123, and at this time, the second boss and the first boss do not overlap. The height position where the furnace door panel 21 is currently located is the above-mentioned first height position. During a period of time starting from when the furnace door structure 20 covers the opening again (that is, in the initial stage when the furnace door structure 20 covers the opening again), the movable member 32 moves under the action of the pressure difference and moves in the direction that reduces the volume of the first adjustment chamber 311. After the pressure inside and outside the furnace body 11 reaches equilibrium, each second boss partially overlaps with the corresponding first boss, and the extension length of the remaining non-overlapping part in the circumferential direction around the first axis is l1 (l1 < L); at this time, as shown in (A) of FIG. 9, the furnace door panel 21 is located at the intermediate height position between the first height position and the second height position. After the initial stage, until the opening 13 is reopened for the next heat treatment process, the movable member 32 moves horizontally to the right under the action of the pressure difference to reduce the volume of the first adjustment chamber 311, that is, it moves from the position shown in (A) of FIG. 5 to the position shown in (B) of FIG. 5 to the right, so that the second boss moves in the direction where the overlapping part with the corresponding first boss is longer. At this time, as shown in (B) of FIG. 8, the furnace door panel 21 is located at the second height position.

[0076] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4, the semiconductor process equipment further includes a first gas pipeline 71, a second gas pipeline 72, and a vacuum device 70. One end of both the first gas pipeline 71 and the second gas pipeline 72 is connected to the second regulating chamber 312; the other end of the first gas pipeline 71 is connected to the vacuum device 70; and the other end of the second gas pipeline 72 is connected to the external space. A first on-off valve 73 and a second on-off valve 74 are respectively provided on the first gas pipeline 71 and the second gas pipeline 72. After the crystal boat is moved outside the furnace structure 10, during the period from when the furnace door structure 20 closes the opening 13 until it reopens for the next heat treatment process, the first on-off valve 73 is in a closed state. At this time, the first gas pipeline 71 is disconnected, and the vacuum device 70 is not working. Simultaneously, the second on-off valve 74 is in an open state, at which time the second gas pipeline 72 is connected, and the second regulating chamber 312 is connected to the external space through the second gas pipeline 72. When the next heat treatment process is required, opening 13 opens the first on / off valve 73, connecting the first gas pipeline 71 and allowing the extraction device 70 to begin operation. Simultaneously, the second on / off valve 74 closes, disconnecting the second gas pipeline 72 and preventing the second regulating chamber 312 from communicating with the external space.

[0077] As can be seen from the above, in this embodiment, the gas is extracted from the second regulating chamber 312 by the vacuum device 70 to drive the movable part 32 to move in the direction that increases the volume of the first regulating chamber 311. However, this embodiment is not limited to this. In practical applications, other methods that can apply force to the movable part 32 can also be used to drive the movable part 32 to move in the direction that increases the volume of the first regulating chamber 311, such as manual drive.

[0078] When the next heat treatment process is required, the process of opening 13 may specifically include the following steps a) to c).

[0079] Step a) causes the movable part 32 to move in a direction that increases the volume of the first adjustment chamber 311.

[0080] In step a) above, the movable member 32 can be moved in a direction that increases the volume of the first regulating chamber 311 by applying a force to the movable member 32. This force can be achieved, for example, by the air extraction device 70 extracting gas from the second regulating chamber 312.

[0081] During step a) above, the furnace door panel 21 rotates along the second direction and moves downwards until each of the second protrusions rotates to the corresponding notch 123, at which point the second protrusion and the first protrusion do not overlap. The current height position of the furnace door panel 21 is the aforementioned first height position.

[0082] Step b) moves the furnace door plate 21 downward along the Z-axis.

[0083] In step b) above, each second protrusion passes through the corresponding notch 123 to remove itself from the annular groove 122.

[0084] Step c) Rotate the furnace door panel 21 so that the furnace door panel 21 is no longer directly facing the opening 13, and the opening 13 opens.

[0085] In other words, the furnace door panel 21 rotates to open the opening 13.

[0086] In steps b) and c) above, the downward movement and rotation of the furnace door plate 21 can both be achieved by a drive mechanism.

[0087] It should be noted that in the above embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7, the furnace body structure 10 (i.e., the mounting plate 12) has an annular groove 122, and the bottom surface 14 of the annular groove 122 is used as the sealing surface. However, the embodiments of this application are not limited to this. In some other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 10, the annular groove can be omitted. In this case, a plurality of first protrusions (i.e., first mating parts 121) are spaced apart below the surface of the mounting plate 12 facing away from the furnace body 11 and are distributed around the opening 13. The first protrusions are fixedly connected to the mounting plate 12 through, for example, the connecting part 124 and are spaced apart. Based on this, the surface 125 of the mounting plate 12 facing away from the furnace body 11 can be used as the sealing surface. At this time, the elastic sealing ring 50 is disposed between the surface 125 and the furnace door structure 20 (i.e., the side of the furnace door plate 21 used to cover the opening). It is easy to understand that the interval between each pair of adjacent first protrusions in Figure 10 serves the same purpose as the notch 123 in Figure 9, allowing the corresponding second protrusion to move up to a position higher than the first protrusion or down to a position lower than the first protrusion.

[0088] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG14, the surface of the mounting plate 12 facing away from the furnace body 11 can be used as a sealing surface. In this case, the elastic sealing ring 50 is disposed between the surface of the mounting plate 12 facing away from the furnace body 11 and the furnace door structure (i.e., the side of the furnace door plate 21 used to cover the opening). Based on this, an annular flange 15 can be formed inside the furnace body 11. Multiple notches are spaced around the first axis on the annular flange 15. The solid portion of the annular flange 15 located between two adjacent notches serves as a first boss, and the surface of this first boss facing away from the opening is a first inclined surface. The notch penetrates the annular flange 15 in a direction parallel to the first axis. The function of the notch is the same as that of the notch 123 in FIG9, allowing the corresponding second boss to move upwards to a position higher than the first boss, or downwards to a position lower than the first boss.

[0089] The linkage component 40 that achieves the above functions can have various structures. For example, as shown in Figure 11, the linkage component 40 includes a connecting rod 42. One end of the connecting rod 42 is hinged to the portion of the movable part 32 located outside the container 31 (i.e., the external portion 41 of the telescopic rod outside the container 31), and the other end of the connecting rod 42 is hinged to the furnace door structure 20. The hinge position between the connecting rod 42 and the furnace door structure 20 is located at a position other than the position of the first axis, that is, there is a certain distance between the hinge position and the first axis, so that the connecting rod 42 can drive the furnace door plate 21 to rotate around the first axis. It is easy to understand that the larger this distance is, the easier it is to rotate the furnace door plate 21.

[0090] Specifically, the connecting rod 42 is hinged to the furnace door structure 20 in such a way that the connecting column 43 is fixed to the surface of the furnace door plate 21 away from the furnace body 11, for example, parallel to the first axis, i.e. parallel to the Z-axis. The connecting rod 42 and the connecting column 43 are rotatably connected.

[0091] In some embodiments, one end of the connecting rod 42 is hinged to the portion of the movable member 32 located outside the container 31 (i.e., the external portion 41 of the telescopic rod located outside the container 31), and can also move relative to the movable member 32 in a direction parallel to the first axis, i.e., along the Z-axis, so that it can move with the furnace door plate 21 along the Z-axis, avoiding the transmission of the moving power of the furnace door plate 21 along the Z-axis to the movable member 32.

[0092] There are several ways to achieve the movement of one end of the connecting rod 42 relative to the movable part 32 along the Z-axis. For example, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, the linkage assembly 40 also includes a connecting shaft 44 fixedly connected to the movable part 32. The connecting shaft 44 extends in a direction parallel to the first axis, that is, along the Z-axis. Two stop portions 45 are spaced apart along the first axis on the connecting shaft 44, namely the first stop portion 45A and the second stop portion 45B. One end of the connecting rod 42 is rotatably fitted onto the connecting shaft 44, and the connecting rod 42 can move between the two stop portions 45 relative to the connecting shaft 44 in a direction parallel to the first axis. With this design, the two stop portions 45 can limit the range of movement of the connecting rod 42 along the first axis. Under the premise that the movable distance of the connecting rod 42 is not less than the movable distance of the furnace door plate 21, it is beneficial to prevent the connecting rod 42 from moving upward or downward out of the connecting shaft 44. Specifically, as shown in Figure 12, the connecting rod 42 is provided with a through hole 62, and the connecting shaft 44 passes through the through hole 62 with a clearance fit, so that the connecting rod 42 can both rotate relative to the connecting shaft 44 and move relative to the connecting shaft 44 along the Z-axis. When the connecting shaft 44 passes through the through hole 62, each stop part 45 protrudes radially along the connecting shaft 44 and cannot pass through the through hole 62.

[0093] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, the first stop portion 45A is integrally formed with the connecting shaft 44. Furthermore, the first stop portion 45A can be fixedly connected to the portion of the movable member 32 located outside the container 31 (i.e., the outer portion 41 of the telescopic rod outside the container 31) via a transition rod 48. The transition rod 48 and the outer portion 41 of the telescopic rod outside the container 31 are perpendicular to each other, thus allowing the connecting rod 42 to be located on one side of the container 31, thereby preventing interference between them.

[0094] Furthermore, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG12, the end of the connecting shaft 44 away from the movable part 32 (i.e., the end away from the first stop 45A) is connected to the screw 46, and a washer is provided between the screw head of the screw 46 and the connecting shaft 44, which serves as the second stop 45B. The outer diameter of the washer is larger than the diameter of the through hole 62. In addition, in some embodiments, a shim 47 may also be sandwiched between the washer and the screw head. In other embodiments, the second stop 45B may also be the screw head of the screw 46, and the outer diameter of the screw head is larger than the diameter of the through hole 62. It should be noted that at least one of the two stops 45 is detachably connected to the connecting shaft 44, for example, the second stop 45B shown in FIG12 is detachable. When assembling the linkage assembly 40, the connecting rod 42 can be first fitted onto the connecting shaft 44, and then the second stop 45B can be connected to the connecting shaft 44.

[0095] Link 42 can move along the Z-axis to either a first position or a second position. Specifically, when the furnace door plate 21 is at the intermediate height position shown in Figure 8(A), one end of link 42 is correspondingly located at the first position shown in Figure 5(A). When the furnace door plate 21 moves upward to the second height position shown in Figure 8(B), one end of link 42 correspondingly moves upward to the second position shown in Figure 5(B), which is above the first position. In this way, one end of link 42 can move along the Z-axis with the furnace door plate 21, avoiding the transmission of movement power to the movable part 32.

[0096] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3, 4, 6 and 13, the furnace door structure 20 includes a furnace door panel 21, a support column 22, a sleeve 23 and a drive mechanism for driving the furnace door panel 21 to move. The sleeve 23 is connected to the drive mechanism, and the end of the sleeve 23 facing the opening of the furnace body structure 10 is the open end, while the end of the sleeve 23 away from the opening of the furnace body structure 10 is the closed end. One end of the support column 22 is fixedly connected to the furnace door panel 21, and the other end extends into the sleeve 23 from the open end of the sleeve 23. The support column 22 can rotate relative to the sleeve 23 and move in a direction parallel to the first axis, i.e., move along the Z-axis.

[0097] Specifically, the above driving mechanism is used to drive the furnace door plate 21 to move along the Z-axis direction to open and close the opening, and to drive the furnace door plate 21 to rotate around the second axis, so that the furnace door plate 21 can move away from the position relative to the opening or move to the position relative to the opening. The second axis is parallel to the first axis. The driving mechanism for realizing this function includes, for example, a support arm 24, a lifting rod 25 and a driving source (not shown in the figure). Among them, the lifting rod 25 is arranged to extend along the Z-axis direction and is coaxial with the second axis; the driving source is connected to the lower end of the lifting rod 25 and is used to drive the lifting rod 25 to lift and rotate around the second axis. The upper end of the lifting rod 25 is fixedly connected to one end of the support arm 24 through a plurality of fastening screws 26, and the other end of the support arm 24 is fixedly connected to the sleeve 23 through a plurality of fastening screws 28. One end of the support column 22 is fixedly connected to the furnace door plate 21 through a plurality of fastening screws 27. In this way, the furnace door plate 21 is movably connected to one end of the support arm 24. The furnace door plate 21 can rotate around the first axis relative to the sleeve 23 and the support arm 24, and can also move in a direction parallel to the first axis relative to the sleeve 23 and the support arm 24, that is, move along the Z-axis.

[0098] When the furnace door plate 21 is at the first height position, at this time the second boss and the first boss do not overlap, as shown in FIG. 13. At this time, the bottom end of the support column 22 abuts against the bottom wall of the sleeve 23, and the furnace door plate 21 is supported by the sleeve 23. In this case, the driving mechanism can drive the furnace door plate 21 to move along the Z-axis and rotate around the second axis through the support arm 24.

[0099] When the furnace door plate 21 is at the second height position, as shown in FIG. 9(B), the extension length of the part of each second boss that does not overlap the corresponding first boss in the circumferential direction around the first axis is reduced from l1 to l2 (l2 < l1 < L). At this time, there is a gap between the bottom end of the support column 22 and the bottom wall of the sleeve 23, that is, the second height position is above the first height position, and the furnace door plate 21 is supported by each first boss.

[0100] It should be noted that the movable distance of the connecting rod 42 is not less than the movable distance of the furnace door plate 沿Z轴沿Z轴移动along the Z-axis, so that the connecting rod 42 can not only absorb the displacement generated by the furnace door plate 21 during the translation of the movable part 32 during the pressure change inside and outside the furnace body 11, but also absorb the displacement generated during the process of the furnace door plate 21 moving with the support arm 24 to open the opening 13.

[0101] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the gas path 60 may include a trachea 61 and a communication port 64 provided on the mounting plate 12. The communication port 64 is communicated with the mounting space formed by the furnace body 11 and the mounting plate 21. The first adjustment chamber 311 is communicated with the communication port 64 through the trachea 61, so as to realize the communication between the first adjustment chamber 311 and the inside of the furnace body 11.

[0102] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG14, the communication port 64 can also be provided on the furnace body 11. This also enables communication between the first regulating chamber 311 and the interior of the furnace body 11.

[0103] In addition, referring to Figures 9 and 11, a sealing gasket 63 may be provided at the connection between the trachea 61 and the container 31 to achieve a sealed connection between the first regulating chamber 311 and the trachea 61.

[0104] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of this application, and this application is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and substance of this application, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized by, The application relates to a furnace door structure, comprising: a furnace body structure; a furnace door structure capable of moving relative to the furnace body structure to open or seal an opening of the furnace body structure; and a pressure regulating assembly arranged outside the furnace body structure, the pressure regulating assembly comprising a container and a movable component, the movable component being at least partially located in the container and separating the container into a first regulating chamber and a second regulating chamber, the first regulating chamber being in communication with the interior of the furnace body structure through a gas path, the second regulating chamber being in communication with an external space, the movable component being capable of moving relative to the container when the pressures of the first regulating chamber and the second regulating chamber are unbalanced until the pressures of the first regulating chamber and the second regulating chamber are balanced. The application further comprises a linkage assembly, a part of the movable component being located outside the container and being connected with the furnace door structure through the linkage assembly, the linkage assembly being used for converting the movement of the movable component into rotational movement of the furnace door structure rotating around a first axis, the first axis being parallel to the axis of the furnace body structure; 2. The semiconductor process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a sealing cooperation structure being arranged between the furnace door structure and the furnace body structure, the sealing cooperation structure being used for sealing the opening and being arranged to move the furnace door structure in a direction parallel to the first axis when the furnace door structure rotates relative to the furnace body structure; wherein when the movable component moves in a direction to reduce the volume of the first regulating chamber, the furnace door structure rotates in a first direction and moves in a direction close to the furnace body structure, and when the movable component moves in a direction to increase the volume of the first regulating chamber, the furnace door structure rotates in a second direction and moves in a direction away from the furnace body structure, the first direction being opposite to the second direction. The sealing cooperation structure comprises an elastic sealing ring, a first cooperation part and a second cooperation part, wherein 3. The semiconductor process apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the elastic sealing ring is arranged between the furnace door structure and the furnace body structure and surrounds the opening; the first cooperation part and the second cooperation part are arranged on the furnace body structure and the furnace door structure respectively, the first cooperation part has a first inclined surface, and the second cooperation part has a second inclined surface; the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are arranged in a helical direction around the first axis; when the furnace door structure rotates relative to the furnace body structure, the second inclined surface moves along the first inclined surface to drive the furnace door structure to move in a direction parallel to the first axis while rotating. The furnace body structure is formed with an annular groove, the groove bottom surface of the annular groove being opposite to the furnace door structure, the first cooperation part being a first boss formed on the inner circumferential surface of the annular groove, the first boss being arranged in a direction parallel to the first axis and away from the groove bottom surface, and the first inclined surface being arranged on one side of the first boss relative to the groove bottom surface; 4. The semiconductor process apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second cooperation part being a second boss formed on the furnace door structure, and the second inclined surface being arranged on one side of the second boss away from the groove bottom surface. ​ During rotation of the door structure along the first direction, the second inclined surface moves along the first inclined surface to drive the door structure to move in a direction close to the furnace body structure, and the second boss is capable of moving into the annular groove; during rotation of the door structure along the second direction, the second inclined surface moves along the first inclined surface to drive the door structure to move in a direction away from the furnace body structure, and the second boss is capable of moving out of the annular groove.

5. The semiconductor process apparatus according to claim 4, wherein The first boss is a plurality of first bosses, and the plurality of first bosses are arranged at intervals around the first axis; the second boss is a plurality of second bosses, and the plurality of second bosses are arranged at intervals around the first axis; The second inclined surface on each second boss corresponds to the first inclined surface on each first boss.

6. The semiconductor process apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The linkage assembly comprises a connecting rod, one end of the connecting rod is hinged to a part of the movable component outside the container, the other end of the connecting rod is hinged to the door structure, and the position where the connecting rod is hinged to the door structure is located at a position other than the position where the first axis is located.

7. The semiconductor process apparatus according to claim 6, wherein The linkage assembly further comprises a connecting shaft fixedly connected to the movable component, the connecting shaft extends in a direction parallel to the first axis, and two stop portions are arranged on the connecting shaft at intervals along the first axis; One end of the connecting rod is rotatably sleeved on the connecting shaft, and the connecting rod can move relative to the connecting shaft in a direction parallel to the first axis between the two stop portions.

8. The semiconductor process apparatus according to claim 7, wherein One end of the connecting shaft away from the movable component is connected to a screw, and a gasket is arranged between the screw head of the screw and the connecting shaft, and the gasket serves as one of the stop portions.

9. The semiconductor process apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein The door structure comprises a door plate, a support column, a sleeve and a driving mechanism for driving the door plate to move, wherein the sleeve is connected to the driving mechanism, and one end of the sleeve towards the opening is an open end, and the other end of the sleeve away from the opening is a closed end; One end of the support column is fixedly connected to the door plate, and the other end of the support column extends into the sleeve from the open end of the sleeve, and the other end of the support column can rotate relative to the sleeve and move in a direction parallel to the first axis.

10. The semiconductor process apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein The furnace body structure comprises a furnace body and a mounting plate, and the furnace body and the mounting plate jointly form a mounting space, and the mounting plate is provided with the opening for communicating the mounting space with an external space; The mounting plate is further provided with a communication port in communication with the mounting space, and the first adjusting chamber is in communication with the communication port through the gas path.

11. The semiconductor process apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein Further comprising a first gas pipeline, a second gas pipeline and a gas extraction device, wherein one end of the first gas pipeline and one end of the second gas pipeline are in communication with the second adjusting chamber; the other end of the first gas pipeline is in communication with the gas extraction device; the other end of the second gas pipeline is in communication with an external space; and a first on-off valve and a second on-off valve are respectively arranged on the first gas pipeline and the second gas pipeline.

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