Bellows assembly and semiconductor processing device

Abstract

The present application provides a bellows assembly and a semiconductor processing device. The bellows assembly is suitable for the semiconductor processing device comprising a chamber body and a lifting mechanism, and comprises a bellows body and a purge assembly. The bellows body comprises a first connecting end and a second connecting end, wherein the first connecting end is sealingly connected to the chamber body, and the second connecting end is sealingly connected to a lifting / lowering platform of the lifting mechanism, such that the bellows body can extend and retract under the driving of the lifting mechanism. The purge assembly is communicated with an inner cavity of the bellows body to supply purge gas into the inner cavity of the bellows body for preventing process particles in the reaction chamber from entering the inner cavity of the bellows body. In this way, no residue and accumulation of process by-products occurs on the bottom of a base and the inner wall of the bellows body, such that upon lifting / lowering of the base, the process chamber does not need to be cleaned, thereby effectively improving production efficiency of the semiconductor processing device.

Description

A bellows assembly and semiconductor process equipment Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor equipment technology, specifically to a bellows assembly and semiconductor process equipment. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of semiconductor technology, the requirements for thin film deposition are becoming increasingly stringent, especially the precise control of film thickness and the uniformity of the film. Compared with traditional physical vapor deposition (PVD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technologies, atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology has more prominent advantages, allowing for precise control of film thickness, uniformity, and consistency, and resulting in low impurity content.

[0003] In related ALD process equipment, a bellows assembly is installed between the lifting mechanism and the main body of the chamber so that the base in the main body of the chamber can be connected to the lifting mechanism for transmission, while ensuring the airtightness of the reaction site. However, during atomic layer deposition, particles that affect the quality of film formation are generated. Since there is a gap between the inner wall of the bellows assembly and the base, the particles will remain and accumulate in this gap, thus requiring the cleaning of the entire process chamber and affecting the overall capacity of the ALD process equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, this application provides a bellows assembly that can prevent process particles in the reaction chamber from entering the inner cavity of the bellows body, thereby saving cleaning time and improving production efficiency. In addition, this application also provides semiconductor process equipment including the above-described bellows assembly.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution:

[0006] A bellows assembly suitable for semiconductor process equipment including a chamber body and a lifting mechanism, the bellows assembly comprising:

[0007] The bellows body includes a first connecting end and a second connecting end. The first connecting end is sealed to the main body of the chamber, and the second connecting end is sealed to the lifting platform of the lifting mechanism, so that the bellows body can extend and retract under the drive of the lifting mechanism.

[0008] A purging assembly is connected to the inner cavity of the bellows body to blow air into the inner cavity of the bellows body to prevent process particles in the inner cavity of the chamber body from entering the inner cavity of the bellows body.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first connection end and the chamber body are connected by an upper flange, and the upper flange and the chamber body are sealed together by an upper sealing ring. The upper flange is provided with a gas guide channel for the purging assembly, and the purging gas can cool the upper sealing ring as it flows through the gas guide channel.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first connection end and the chamber body are connected by an upper flange, and the bellows body includes an axially distributed first pipe section and a second pipe section, which are connected by a middle flange.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes a guide structure connecting the upper flange and the middle flange, so that the middle flange can move axially along the bellows body.

[0012] In some embodiments, the guide structure includes a guide sleeve disposed on one of the upper flange and the middle flange, and a guide rod disposed on the other. The guide sleeve and the guide rod are both located outside the inner cavity of the upper flange and the middle flange, and are both arranged along the axial direction of the bellows body.

[0013] The guide rod extends into the guide sleeve and slides in cooperation with the guide sleeve.

[0014] In some embodiments, the guide rod is a telescopic rod whose length can be changed;

[0015] And / or,

[0016] The guide rod is mounted on the middle flange and can move axially relative to the middle flange.

[0017] In some embodiments, the second connecting end and the lifting platform are connected by a lower flange, and the guide structure includes a guide rod extending axially from between the upper flange and the middle flange to between the middle flange and the lower flange, the guide rod being able to abut against the lower flange and change length.

[0018] In some embodiments, the second connecting end and the lifting platform are connected via a lower flange, and at least one of the upper flange, the middle flange, and the lower flange is provided with an air guide channel, the air guide channel comprising:

[0019] The main air passage extends at one end to the outside of the bellows body to connect to the air source of the purging assembly.

[0020] An annular air passage is arranged around the axis of the bellows body and is connected to the other end of the main air passage;

[0021] The bronchus is connected at one end to the annular airway and at the other end to the inner cavity of the bellows body, and there are multiple bronchus distributed around the annular airway.

[0022] In some embodiments, the air guide channels provided in the upper flange and / or the middle flange are radial air guide channels;

[0023] In a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the bellows body, the inner wall of the bellows body forms a circumference, and one end of the radial air guide channel that communicates with the inner cavity of the bellows body extends along a straight line in the plane, the straight line being a tangent to the circumference.

[0024] In some embodiments, the air guide channel provided on the lower flange is an axial air guide channel;

[0025] One end of the branch of the axial air guide channel, which is connected to the inner cavity of the bellows body, extends in the axial direction of the bellows body, so that the flow direction of the purge airflow from the axial air guide channel is the axial direction of the bellows body.

[0026] In some embodiments, a liquid cooling channel is provided on the lower flange for cooling the lower sealing ring disposed on the lower flange.

[0027] In some embodiments, the purging assembly includes a flow control module for controlling the flow rate of the purging gas.

[0028] A semiconductor process apparatus, comprising:

[0029] The main body of the chamber;

[0030] The lifting mechanism includes a drive system and a lifting platform, wherein the drive system is driven to the lifting platform;

[0031] The bellows assembly is the bellows assembly described above;

[0032] The base includes a load-bearing portion and a support portion. The load-bearing portion is located in the inner cavity of the chamber body and has a load-bearing surface for bearing a substrate. In the axial direction of the bellows body, the load-bearing surface is the upper surface of the load-bearing portion. In the axial direction of the bellows body, one end of the support portion is connected to the load-bearing portion, and the other end passes through the chamber body and extends into the inner cavity of the bellows body.

[0033] The bellows assembly provided in this application includes a purging assembly. During the process, the purging assembly continuously introduces purging gas into the inner cavity of the bellows body, thereby forming an airflow from the inner cavity of the bellows body to the inner cavity of the chamber body between the inner cavity of the bellows body and the inner cavity of the chamber body. Thus, when process by-products enter the connecting area between the inner cavity of the bellows body and the inner cavity of the chamber body under the influence of gravity and other factors, the aforementioned airflow will carry the process by-products to other areas of the inner cavity of the chamber body, thereby preventing process particles in the inner cavity of the chamber body from entering the inner cavity of the bellows body. In this way, no process by-products will remain or accumulate at the bottom of the base and the inner wall of the bellows body. Therefore, during the lifting and lowering of the base, no process by-products or process particles will enter the inner cavity of the chamber body from the inner cavity of the bellows body, thus eliminating the need to clean the process chamber and effectively improving the production efficiency of semiconductor process equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0034] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0035] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of semiconductor process equipment in related technologies;

[0036] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a bellows assembly in the related technology;

[0037] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of the semiconductor process equipment provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of the bellows assembly provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 5 is a sectional view of the upper flange;

[0040] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the upper flange in Figure 4 along the AA direction;

[0041] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the middle flange in Figure 4 along the BB direction;

[0042] Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of a lower flange provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the lower flange in Figure 8 along the CC direction;

[0044] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a combined airflow field formed in the inner cavity of a bellows according to an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a guide rod provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the bellows assembly in the first state;

[0047] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the bellows assembly in the second state;

[0048] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the bellows assembly in the third state.

[0049] In Figures 1-2: 01-Cavity body, 02-Lifting mechanism, 03-Base, 04-Substrate, 05-Bellwall assembly, 06-Upper sealing ring, 07-Lower sealing ring, 08-Upper limit block, 09-Lower limit block.

[0050] In Figures 3-14: 1-Cavity body, 2-Lifting mechanism, 3-Base, 4-Substrate, 5-Bellwall assembly, 6-Lifting platform, 7-Upper flange, 8-Middle flange, 9-Lower flange, 10-Guide sleeve, 11-Guide rod, 12-Compression fitting, 13-Transfer pipe, 14-Throttle valve, 15-Upper main air passage, 16-Upper annular air passage, 17-Upper branch air passage, 18-Guide hole, 19-Middle main air passage, 20-Middle annular air passage, 21-Middle branch air passage, 22-Lower main air passage, 23-Lower branch air passage, 24-Liquid outlet pipe, 25-Liquid inlet pipe, 26-Liquid cooling channel, 27-Upper locking nut, 28-Lower locking nut, 29-Upper sealing ring, 30-Lower sealing ring, 31-Sealing groove, 32-Lower annular air passage; 301 - Support section, 302 - Bearing section, 501 - First pipe section, 502 - Second pipe section, 1101 - First rod, 1102 - Second rod. Detailed Implementation

[0051] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0052] Atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology is widely used in small-scale processes due to its advantages such as precise control over film thickness, high uniformity and consistency, and low impurity content. The smaller the process, the more attention is paid to the number and size of particles. The performance of the particles ultimately affects the power consumption, performance, reliability, and yield of semiconductor devices, and for end customers, it affects their cost. Based on this, in some related technologies, the requirements for particle size have reached the tens of nanometers or even a few nanometers level, and the particle number is controlled at the level of a dozen or even a few.

[0053] The particles mentioned above are mainly divided into two categories based on their source: mechanical particles and process particles. Mechanical particles are those generated during the entire process (both technological and non-technical processes) due to collisions, corrosion, or other factors that occur in valves (e.g., pneumatic valves, butterfly valves, angle valves, gate valves, etc.) and processed parts during their movement. Process particles are those generated during the process where insufficient gas purging time or flow rate prevents the complete removal of reaction precursors, leaving them in the reaction chamber or pipeline. These precursors then react abnormally with another reaction precursor, producing byproducts that form particles.

[0054] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the semiconductor process equipment in the related technology includes a chamber body 01, a base 03, a bellows assembly 05, a lifting mechanism 02, and a sealing ring. The chamber body 01 primarily provides the vacuum environment required for the reaction. The sealing rings include an upper sealing ring 06 and a lower sealing ring 07. One end of the bellows assembly 05 is connected to the chamber body 01 via the upper sealing ring 06, and the other end is connected to the lifting platform of the lifting mechanism 02. The base 03 includes a support portion and a bearing portion. The support portion is located within the cavity of the chamber body 01 and is used to support the substrate 04, providing the reaction temperature required for thin film deposition on the substrate 04. One end of the support portion is connected to the support portion, and the other end extends into the cavity of the bellows assembly 05 and connects to the lifting platform. The end of the bellows assembly 05 near the lifting platform seals the connection between the support portion and the lifting platform. Thus, a vacuum environment required for the reaction is formed within the cavities of the chamber body 01 and the bellows assembly 05. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the lifting mechanism 02 includes an upper limit block 08 and a lower limit block 09. In different ALD thin film processes, or in different film thickness processes of the same ALD thin film process, the driving structure of the lifting mechanism 02 drives the lifting platform to move between the upper limit block 08 and the lower limit block 09, thereby causing the bearing portion of the base 03 to move to the position required by the process.

[0055] In the semiconductor process equipment described above, a gap exists between the inner wall of the bellows assembly 05 and the base 03. During the ALD process, process byproducts enter this gap and adhere to the bottom of the base 03 and the inner surface of the bellows assembly 05. With the accumulation of process time and the raising and lowering of the base 03, the byproducts remaining on the bottom of the base 03 and the bellows assembly 05 will detach, resulting in a large number of process particles that affect the quality of thin film formation. Therefore, to control the number of particles, the entire process chamber needs to be cleaned, impacting the production efficiency of the semiconductor process equipment. Furthermore, because the positions of the upper limit block 08 and the lower limit block 09 are fixed, the semiconductor process equipment described above can only meet the process bit requirements of a single location.

[0056] To address the problem of low production efficiency caused by process byproducts entering the inner cavity of the bellows assembly 05 in the aforementioned related technologies, as shown in Figures 3-14, this application provides a novel bellows assembly 5, which is applied to semiconductor process equipment suitable for ALD processes. This bellows assembly 5 includes a bellows body and a purging assembly, wherein:

[0057] The bellows body is a tube formed by connecting foldable corrugated sheets along the folding and stretching direction. It includes a first connecting end and a second connecting end, which are the two ends of the bellows body in the axial direction (in this embodiment, the axial direction refers to the extension direction of the bellows' axis). The first connecting end is sealed to the chamber body 1. In practice, the first connecting end and the chamber body 1 can be sealed by welding or by a connector. Furthermore, the sealed connection is formed in the part of the chamber body 1 that encloses the bottom opening, that is, the first connecting end of the bellows body is connected to the edge of the bottom opening of the chamber body 1, so that the inner cavity of the bellows body can communicate with the inner cavity of the chamber body 1. The second connecting end is sealed to the lifting platform 6 of the lifting mechanism 2, so that the bellows body can extend and retract under the drive of the lifting mechanism 2. Similarly, the second connecting end and the lifting platform 6 can be sealed by welding or by a connector.

[0058] The purging assembly is an assembly capable of introducing purging gas into the inner cavity of the bellows body. It communicates with the inner cavity of the bellows body to blow air into the inner cavity of the bellows body, thereby preventing process particles in the inner cavity of the chamber body 1 from entering the inner cavity of the bellows body.

[0059] Because the aforementioned bellows assembly 5 is equipped with a purging component, during the process, the purging component continuously introduces purging gas into the inner cavity of the bellows body. This creates an airflow between the inner cavity of the bellows body and the inner cavity of the chamber body 1, flowing from the inner cavity of the bellows body to the inner cavity of the chamber body 1. Thus, when process by-products enter the connecting area between the inner cavity of the bellows body and the inner cavity of the chamber body 1 under the influence of gravity and other factors, the aforementioned airflow will carry the process by-products to other areas of the inner cavity of the chamber body 1, thereby preventing process particles in the inner cavity of the chamber body 1 from entering the inner cavity of the bellows body. As a result, no process by-product residues will be generated at the bottom of the base 3 and on the inner wall of the bellows body. Therefore, during the lifting and lowering of the base 3, no process by-products or process particles will enter the inner cavity of the chamber body 1 from the inner cavity of the bellows body, thus eliminating the need to clean the process chamber and effectively improving the production efficiency of semiconductor process equipment.

[0060] In some embodiments, the first connecting end and the chamber body 1 are connected by an upper flange 7. That is, the upper flange 7 serves as a transition connector, and the first connecting end of the bellows body and the chamber body 1 are respectively connected to different parts of the upper flange 7 to achieve a sealed connection between the first connecting end and the chamber body 1. During assembly, the first connecting end of the bellows body can be welded and fixed to the part of the upper flange 7 used for connecting the bellows body. This part used for connecting the bellows body can be the part surrounding the central through hole in the bottom end face of the upper flange 7. In this case, the first connecting end of the bellows is welded and fixed to the bottom edge of the central through hole of the upper flange 7; or the part used for connecting the bellows body can also be the part of the inner wall forming the central through hole in the upper flange 7. In this case, the first connecting end of the bellows is welded and fixed to the inner wall of the central through hole of the upper flange 7. Of course, in specific implementation, the position of the upper flange 7 used to connect the bellows body can be adjusted according to the different shapes of the upper flange 7. For example, when the end of the upper flange 7 near the bellows body has a protrusion surrounding the central through hole and facing the bellows body, the position of the upper flange 7 used to connect the bellows body can also be the outer circumference of the aforementioned protrusion. The upper flange 7 and the chamber body 1 are connected by threads, for example, and the sealing of the connection position is ensured by setting an upper sealing ring 29 (such as a rubber sealing ring or a polytetrafluoroethylene sealing ring). With this setting, during later maintenance of the equipment, the bellows assembly 5 and the chamber body 1 can be separated by loosening the threaded connection between the upper flange 7 and the chamber body 1, making the disassembly and assembly of the bellows assembly 5 and the chamber body 1 more convenient. The upper flange 7 and the chamber body 1 can be connected by bolts. In implementation, multiple axial through holes (e.g., 3, 6, or 8) are made on the upper flange 7, evenly arranged around the central through hole of the upper flange 7, and all holes are of the same size. The portion of the chamber body 1 that connects to the first connecting end (i.e., the portion of the chamber body 1 forming the bottom opening as described above) has multiple countersunk holes with internal threads. During assembly, bolts are passed through the axial through holes of the upper flange 7 and tightened into the countersunk holes of the chamber body 1. Alternatively, a threaded structure integrally formed on the upper flange 7 can be used to achieve a threaded connection between the upper flange 7 and the chamber body 1. Of course, if ease of disassembly is not a concern, the upper flange 7 and the chamber body 1 can also be fixed by welding.

[0061] Furthermore, based on the upper sealing ring 29 provided between the upper flange 7 and the chamber body 1, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the upper flange 7 is provided with a gas guide channel for the purging assembly (in some embodiments, the gas guide channel can be provided on the upper flange 7 and at least one of the middle flange 8 and the lower flange 9 described later, but the gas guide channel can be provided on the upper flange 7, the middle flange 8 and the lower flange 9. To facilitate the distinction from the gas guide channels provided on the middle flange 8 and the lower flange 9, the gas guide channel provided on the upper flange 7 will be referred to as the upper channel below). The purging gas can cool the upper sealing ring 29 during the process of flowing through the upper channel, which is beneficial to improving the service life of the upper sealing ring 29 and thus reducing the operation and maintenance costs. As shown in Figure 5, in a specific implementation, a sealing groove 31 surrounding the central through hole of the upper flange 7 can be provided at the end of the upper flange 7 connected to the chamber body 1. The upper sealing ring 29 is disposed inside the sealing groove 31. On the one hand, this can restrict the position of the upper sealing ring 29 to improve assembly accuracy and sealing effect; on the other hand, the bottom wall and side wall of the sealing groove 31 can both serve as surfaces in the upper flange 7 for dissipating heat from the upper sealing ring 29, thereby improving the cooling efficiency and cooling effect of the upper sealing ring 29. In addition, regarding the upper channel, it can be a through hole or groove opened on the upper flange 7, and the through hole or groove is arranged close to the upper channel. When the lower temperature purge gas flows through the through hole or groove, it will cool the part of the upper flange 7 that forms the through hole or groove, thereby creating a temperature difference between the upper sealing ring 29 and the cooled part, so that the heat in the upper sealing ring 29 is transferred to the cooled part, thereby achieving cooling of the upper sealing ring 29. Regarding the position of the upper channel relative to the upper sealing ring 29, it can be adapted to the specific implementation as needed. This application embodiment does not make a specific limitation on this. It can be understood that the closer the distance between the upper channel and the upper sealing ring 29, the more conducive it is for the purge gas flowing through the upper channel to carry away the heat of the upper sealing ring 29.

[0062] It should be understood that the above-described method of setting the upper channel on the upper flange 7 is only an exemplary implementation of the upper channel, but this application is not limited to this. For example, the upper channel may also be formed by a pipe fitting fixed to the surface of the upper flange 7.

[0063] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, in some embodiments, the upper channel includes an upper main airway 15, an upper annular airway 16, and an upper branch airway 17, wherein:

[0064] One end of the upper main air duct 15 extends to the outside of the bellows body for connecting to the air source of the purging assembly. That is, the upper main air duct 15 includes a connecting portion protruding from the outer circumference of the bellows body, and this connecting portion is used to connect to the air source of the purging assembly. In a specific implementation, the structure forming the connecting portion can be a protruding part of the upper flange 7, that is, the circumference of the upper flange 7 has a protruding part extending in a direction away from its axis, and the protruding part has an opening to form the connecting portion of the upper main air duct 15; in addition, the structure forming the connecting portion can also be a tubular structure fixed to the upper flange 7.

[0065] The upper annular air passage 16 is formed in the upper flange 7 and arranged around the axis of the bellows body. Specifically, it can be an annular hole formed in the upper flange 7, and the annular hole is arranged around the axis of the bellows body. The shape of the annular hole can be rectangular, irregular, or circular, for example, circular. In addition, the upper annular air passage 16 is connected to the other end of the upper main air passage 15. In this way, during the process, the purging gas flowing out from the gas source can flow into the upper annular air passage 16 after passing through the upper main air passage 15, and achieve uniform distribution in the circumference of the bellows body by flowing in the upper annular air passage 16.

[0066] One end of the upper branch air duct 17 is connected to the upper annular air duct 16, and the other end is connected to the inner cavity of the bellows body. Similarly, the upper branch air duct 17 can also be a hole-like structure on the upper flange 7, with one end connected to the upper annular air duct 16 and the other end formed on the inner wall of the bellows body. Furthermore, multiple upper branch air ducts 17 are distributed circumferentially around the upper annular air duct 16 (e.g., 6, 8, etc.; this application does not limit the flow area or the number of upper branch air ducts 17, as long as it can meet specific process requirements). In this way, during the process, the purging airflow in the annular air duct can flow into the inner cavity of the bellows body through the upper branch air duct 17. At the same time, since multiple upper branch air ducts 17 are provided and distributed circumferentially around the upper annular air duct 16, multiple circumferentially distributed air outlets can be formed on the inner wall of the bellows body, thereby making the distribution of the purging airflow more uniform in the radial section of the inner cavity of the bellows body, which is beneficial to improving the purging effect.

[0067] Based on the above-described structure of the upper channel, in some embodiments, the upper main air duct 15 is configured as a straight air duct. This reduces the resistance of the purge airflow through the upper main air duct 15, thereby reducing energy loss. Furthermore, the upper main air duct 15 extends in a direction close to or away from the axis of the bellows body. The upper annular air duct 16 is configured as a ring, with its arrangement plane perpendicular to the axis of the bellows body. The center of the ring formed by the upper annular air ducts 16 falls on the axis of the bellows body. Thus, the purge airflow in the upper main air duct 15... Upon entering the upper annular airway 16, the purge airflow can flow evenly to both sides of the upper main airway 15 connected to the upper annular airway 16. Furthermore, the upper branch airways 17 are also straight airways to reduce the resistance of the purge airflow flowing through the upper main airway 15. Simultaneously, multiple upper branch airways 17 are evenly distributed circumferentially around the upper annular airway 16, and the position where any upper branch airway 17 connects to the upper annular airway 16 is staggered from the position where the upper main airway 15 connects to the upper annular airway 16. This improves the uniformity of the purge airflow entering the multiple upper branch airways 17, thereby enhancing the purge effect. Furthermore, the uniformity of the purge airflow entering the multiple upper branch airways 17 can be further improved by setting the flow area of ​​the upper branch airway 17 to be smaller than that of the upper annular airway 16.

[0068] Furthermore, the air guide channel (i.e., the upper channel) provided on the upper flange 7 is a radial air guide channel. That is, the airflow direction from the upper channel into the bellows body is perpendicular to the axial direction of the bellows body. Specifically, in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the bellows body, the inner wall of the bellows body forms a circle. The end of the upper branch air channel 17 that connects to the inner cavity of the bellows body extends along a straight line in the plane, and the straight line is the tangent of the circle. In other words, in this embodiment, the upper branch air channels 17 all extend in a horizontal direction (here, the horizontal direction refers to the direction parallel to the radial section of the bellows body). Furthermore, the extension direction of the portion of the upper branch duct 17 near the outlet is tangential to the aforementioned circumference. This allows the purge gas to flow out of the upper branch duct 17 along the tangential direction of the circumference. Consequently, after the purge gas enters the inner cavity of the bellows body, it forms a circumferential airflow field, creating a gaseous "isolation wall" in a plane perpendicular to the circumference of the bellows body. This wall prevents process byproducts from entering the inner cavity of the chamber body 1, allowing them to be removed by the pumping system of the semiconductor process equipment, thus reducing the risk of particle generation. In addition, this arrangement ensures that the purge gas, after flowing out of the upper branch duct 17, impacts the inner wall of the upper flange 7, further reducing the temperature of the upper flange 7 and the upper sealing ring 29.

[0069] It should be understood that the above is only an exemplary arrangement of the upper channel, but this application is not limited to this. For example, the above-mentioned upper annular air duct 16 can also be replaced with an upper arc-shaped air duct arranged around the axis of the bellows body, and according to the number of upper arc-shaped air ducts, the corresponding number of upper main air ducts 15 are respectively connected to different upper arc-shaped air ducts. In addition, without considering the effect of blocking process back products, the flow direction of the purge gas flowing out of the upper branch air duct 17 can also be inclined upward, that is, the local extension direction of the upper branch air duct 17 near the outlet end can also be set to be inclined upward.

[0070] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG10, the bellows body includes an axially distributed first pipe section 501 and a second pipe section 502. The first pipe section 501 and the second pipe section 502 are connected by a middle flange 8. That is, the middle flange 8 serves as a transitional connector, and the first pipe section 501 and the second pipe section 502 of the bellows are respectively connected to different parts of the middle flange 8 to achieve the connection between the first pipe section 501 and the second pipe section 502. During assembly, the first pipe section 501 can be welded and fixed to the part of the middle flange 8 used for connecting the first pipe section 501. Similarly, the second pipe section 502 can also be welded and fixed to the part of the middle flange 8 used for connecting the second pipe section 502. Specifically, refer to the welding connection between the first connecting end of the bellows and the upper flange 7. The embodiments of this application will not be described in detail here.

[0071] Furthermore, it also includes a guide structure (such as a bushing guide structure or a structure composed of a slider and a slide rail) connecting the upper flange 7 and the middle flange 8, so that the middle flange 8 can move along the axial direction of the bellows body; that is, the bellows assembly 5 also includes a guide structure that can limit the movement direction of the middle flange 8 relative to the upper flange 7. During the expansion and contraction of the bellows body, the above-mentioned guide structure guides the movement of the middle flange 8 relative to the upper flange 7, which can effectively resist the influence of vacuum force on the bellows structure during movement, improve the strength of the entire bellows structure under vacuum, and thus help improve the stability of semiconductor process equipment.

[0072] It should be understood that the above description is only an example of the structure of the corrugated pipe body, which includes the first pipe section 501 and the second pipe section 502. However, this application is not limited to this. In specific implementation, the corrugated pipe body may also include a third pipe section and a fourth pipe section, etc., and adjacent pipe sections are connected by a middle flange 8.

[0073] In some embodiments, the second connecting end and the lifting platform 6 are connected via a lower flange 9, that is, the lower flange 9 serves as a transition connector, and the second connecting end of the bellows body and the lifting platform 6 are respectively connected to different parts of the lower flange 9 to achieve a sealed connection between the second connecting end and the lifting platform 6. During assembly, the second connecting end of the bellows body can be welded and fixed to the part of the lower flange 9 used for connecting the bellows body. Specifically, refer to the welding connection between the first connecting end of the bellows and the upper flange 7, which will not be repeated here in this embodiment. Similarly, the connection method between the lower flange 9 and the lifting platform 6 can refer to the connection method between the upper flange 7 and the chamber body 1, which will not be repeated here in this embodiment.

[0074] Furthermore, based on the guide structure, as shown in Figures 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14, the guide structure includes a guide rod 11 extending axially from between the upper flange 7 and the middle flange 8 to between the middle flange 8 and the lower flange 9. That is, the guide structure includes the guide rod 11, and one end of the guide rod 11 in the axial direction (hereinafter referred to as the first abutment end for ease of description) is located between the upper flange 7 and the middle flange 8, and the other end (hereinafter referred to as the second abutment end for ease of description) is located between the middle flange 8 and the lower flange 9. In addition, the guide rod 11 can abut against the lower flange 9 and its length can be changed, that is, the second abutment end of the guide rod 11 can abut against the lower flange 9, and the length of the guide rod 11 can be adjusted. Understandably, in semiconductor process equipment, the expansion and contraction of the bellows assembly 5 is equal to the displacement of the base 3 (here, the base 3 is the structure in the semiconductor process equipment that provides the reaction temperature required for the deposition of the substrate 4 and supports the substrate 4; the aforementioned substrate 4 refers to the base material used for depositing the thin film in the ALD process, whose surface directly participates in the chemical reaction with the precursor, thereby growing the required thin film layer by layer). In other words, by adjusting the expansion and contraction of the bellows assembly 5, the process position of the base 3 can be adjusted simultaneously. In this embodiment, the guide rod 11 of the guide structure is located between the upper flange 7 and the lower flange 9. When the bellows assembly 5 is in a state of extreme compression, the first abutting part of the guide rod 11 abuts against the upper flange 7, and the second abutting part of the guide rod 11 abuts against the lower flange 9. Thus, by adjusting the length of the guide rod 11, the expansion and contraction of the bellows assembly 5 in the state of extreme compression can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the process position of the base 3, so that the semiconductor process equipment using the bellows assembly 5 of this embodiment can meet the process requirements of different positions.

[0075] In some embodiments, the guide structure includes a guide sleeve 10 disposed on one of the upper flange 7 and the middle flange 8. The guide sleeve 10 is formed on the upper flange 7 or the middle flange 8 and has an axially extending guide hole. Alternatively, the guide sleeve 10 may also be fixedly connected to the upper flange 7 or the middle flange 8 and have an axially extending guide hole. In addition, the guide structure also includes a guide rod 11 disposed on the other of the upper flange 7 and the middle flange 8. This is more conducive to improving the assembly efficiency and assembly accuracy of the guide rod 11. Both the guide sleeve 10 and the guide rod 11 are located on the outer side of the inner cavity of the upper flange 7 and the middle flange 8, and are arranged along the axial direction of the bellows body. During the process, the guide rod 11 extends into the guide sleeve 10, specifically into the guide hole of the guide sleeve 10, and slides with the guide sleeve 10. In this way, during the expansion and contraction of the bellows body, the above-mentioned guide structure can guide the movement of the middle flange 8 relative to the upper flange 7, which can effectively resist the influence of vacuum force on the bellows structure during the movement, improve the strength of the entire bellows structure under vacuum, and thus help improve the stability of semiconductor process equipment.

[0076] It should be understood that the guide sleeve 10 and guide rod 11 mentioned above are only one exemplary implementation of the guide structure, but this application is not limited to this. For example, the guide structure can also be a slide rail and a slider respectively provided on the upper flange 7 and the middle flange 8, wherein the extension direction of the slide rail is the axial direction of the bellows body, and the slide rail and the slider slide in cooperation, so as to achieve the purpose of constraining the movement direction of the middle flange 8. That is to say, in some other embodiments, the guide sleeve 10 structure may not be provided, but a slide rail and a slider may be provided, and the cooperation between the slide rail and the slider may be used to replace the cooperation between the guide sleeve 10 and the guide rod 11 mentioned above.

[0077] Furthermore, based on the guide structure including the guide sleeve 10 and the guide rod 11, the guide rod 11 is configured as a telescopic rod with an adjustable length, specifically a pneumatic telescopic rod, an electric telescopic rod, or a threaded telescopic rod, such as a threaded telescopic rod. During the process, by changing the length of the guide rod 11, the distance between the upper flange 7 and the middle flange 8 under the ultimate compression state of the bellows assembly 5 can also be adjusted. Thus, when a channel for introducing purging airflow into the inner cavity of the bellows body is provided on the middle flange 8 or between the middle flange 8 and the upper flange 7 (for example, the middle channel provided on the middle flange 8 below), by adjusting the distance between the upper flange 7 and the middle flange 8 under the ultimate compression state of the bellows assembly 5, the flow field formed in the inner cavity of the bellows body can also be adjusted, thereby further improving the purging effect.

[0078] Furthermore, based on the adjustable length of the guide rod 11, the guide rod 11 is set on the middle flange 8, allowing it to move axially relative to the middle flange 8. In this way, the overall length of the guide rod 11 can be increased or decreased while keeping the length of the upper extension section (here, the upper extension section refers to the length of the guide rod 11 extending out of the middle flange 8 in the direction towards the upper flange 7 in the assembled state) unchanged. Alternatively, the length of the upper extension section can be increased or decreased while keeping the overall length of the guide rod 11 unchanged. This improves the adjustability of the axial length of each section in the bellows body under the ultimate compression state of the bellows assembly 5. During the process, the length of each section in the bellows body under the ultimate compression state can be adjusted according to the process requirements, which is beneficial to improving particle performance.

[0079] For example, in some embodiments, the guide rod 11 is a threaded telescopic rod. Specifically, as shown in Figures 10-14, the guide rod 11 includes a first rod 1101 and a second rod 1102. The end of the first rod 1101 connected to the second rod 1102 is provided with an axially extending threaded connection hole, and the end of the second rod 1102 connected to the first rod 1101 is provided with a threaded connector adapted to the aforementioned threaded hole. During the process, the length of the guide rod 11 can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the threaded connector of the second rod 1102 screwed into the threaded connection hole of the first rod 1101, thereby meeting the needs of different process positions. Furthermore, the guide rod 11 is fixed to the middle flange 8 by a threaded structure. This threaded structure includes an external thread formed on the circumferential outer side of the guide rod 11 (including the first rod 1101 and the second rod 1102), as well as an upper locking nut 27 and a lower locking nut 28. The internal threads of the upper locking nut 27 and the lower locking nut 28 are both adapted to the external thread on the circumferential outer side of the guide rod 11. The middle flange 8 is provided with an axially extending guide hole 18. During assembly, the guide rod 11 is controlled to pass through the guide hole 18, and the upper locking nut 27 and the lower locking nut 28 are screwed into the guide rod 11 from both ends, respectively, so as to clamp and fix the guide rod 11 to the middle flange 8 using the upper locking nut 27 and the lower locking nut 28. That is to say, in the assembled state, the upper locking nut 27 and the lower locking nut 28 are used to clamp and fix the guide rod 11 to the middle flange 8. The distance between the upper locking nut 27 and the lower locking nut 28 is always equal to the thickness of the middle flange 8. Based on this, by adjusting the distance between the upper locking nut 27 (or the lower locking nut 28) and the first abutment part (i.e. the end of the guide rod 11 that can abut against the upper flange 7), the relative positional relationship between the middle flange 8 and the base 3 when the bellows assembly 5 is compressed to its limit position can be adjusted. Thus, when a channel for introducing purging airflow into the inner cavity of the bellows body is provided on the middle flange 8 or between the middle flange 8 and the upper flange 7 (for example, the middle channel provided on the middle flange 8 below), by adjusting the distance between the upper flange 7 and the middle flange 8 in the limit compression state of the bellows assembly 5, the flow field formed in the inner cavity of the bellows body can also be adjusted, which is more conducive to improving the purging effect.

[0080] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the middle flange 8 is provided with a gas guiding channel for guiding the purge gas. To easily distinguish it from the gas guiding channel provided on the upper flange 7, the gas guiding channel provided on the middle flange 8 will be referred to as the middle channel below, as shown in Figure 7. The middle channel includes a central main gas channel 19, a central annular gas channel 20, and a central branch gas channel 21, wherein:

[0081] One end of the central main air duct 19 extends to the outside of the bellows body for connecting to the air source of the purging assembly. That is, the central main air duct 19 includes a connecting portion protruding from the outer circumference of the bellows body, and this connecting portion is used to connect to the air source of the purging assembly. In a specific implementation, the structure forming the connecting portion can be a protruding part of the central flange 8; that is, the circumference of the central flange 8 has a protruding part extending in a direction away from its axis, and the protruding part has an opening to form the connecting portion of the central main air duct 19. Alternatively, the structure forming the connecting portion can also be a tubular structure fixed to the central flange 8.

[0082] The middle annular air passage 20 is formed in the middle flange 8 and arranged around the axis of the bellows body. Specifically, it can be an annular hole formed in the middle flange 8, and the annular hole is arranged around the axis of the bellows body. The shape of the annular hole can be rectangular, irregular, or circular, preferably circular. In addition, the middle annular air passage 20 is connected to the other end of the middle main air passage 19. In this way, during the process, the purging gas flowing out from the gas source can flow into the middle annular air passage 20 after passing through the middle main air passage 19.

[0083] One end of the central branch air duct 21 is connected to the central annular air duct 20, and the other end is connected to the inner cavity of the bellows body. Similarly, the central branch air duct 21 can also be a perforated structure on the central flange 8, with one end connected to the central annular air duct 20 and the other end formed on the inner wall of the bellows body. Furthermore, multiple central branch air ducts 21 are distributed circumferentially in the central annular air duct 20 (e.g., 6, 8, etc.; this application does not limit the flow area or the number of central branch air ducts 21, as long as it can meet specific process requirements). In this way, during the process, the purging airflow in the annular air duct can flow into the inner cavity of the bellows body through the central branch air duct 21. At the same time, since multiple central branch air ducts 21 are provided and distributed circumferentially in the central annular air duct 20, multiple circumferentially distributed air outlets can be formed on the inner wall of the bellows body, thereby making the distribution of the purging airflow more uniform in the radial section of the inner cavity of the bellows body, which is beneficial to improving the purging effect.

[0084] Based on the aforementioned structure of the central channel, in some embodiments, the central main air duct 19 is configured as a straight air duct. This reduces the resistance of the purge airflow through the central main air duct 19, thereby reducing energy loss. Furthermore, the central main air duct 19 extends in a direction close to or away from the axis of the bellows body. The central annular air duct 20 is configured as a ring, with its arrangement plane perpendicular to the axis of the bellows body. The center of the ring formed by the central annular air ducts 20 falls on the axis of the bellows body. Thus, the purge airflow in the central main air duct 19... Upon entering the central annular airway 20, the purge airflow can flow evenly to both sides of the central main airway 19 connected to the central annular airway 20. Furthermore, the central branch airways 21 are also straight airways to reduce the resistance of the purge airflow flowing through the central main airway 19. Simultaneously, multiple central branch airways 21 are evenly distributed circumferentially in the central annular airway 20, and the position where any central branch airway 21 connects to the central annular airway 20 is staggered from the position where the central main airway 19 connects to the central annular airway 20. This improves the uniformity of the purge airflow entering the multiple central branch airways 21, thereby enhancing the purge effect. Furthermore, the uniformity of the purge airflow entering the multiple central branch airways 21 can be further improved by setting the flow area of ​​the central branch airway 21 to be smaller than that of the central annular airway 20.

[0085] Furthermore, the air guide channel (i.e., the central channel) provided on the middle flange 8 is a radial air guide channel. That is, the airflow direction from the central channel into the bellows body is perpendicular to the axial direction of the bellows body. Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the bellows body, the inner wall of the bellows body forms a circle. One end of the central branch air channel 21, which connects to the inner cavity of the bellows body, extends along a straight line in the plane. The straight line is a tangent to the circle. In other words, in this embodiment, the central branch air channels 21 all extend in a horizontal direction (here, the horizontal direction refers to the direction parallel to the radial section of the bellows body). Moreover, the local extension direction of the central branch air channel 21 near the outlet end is the aforementioned circumference. Tangential direction, so that the purge gas flows out from the middle branch air channel 21 along the tangential direction of the circumference, and then the purge airflow enters the inner cavity of the bellows body to form a circumferential airflow field (the airflow direction in this airflow field is clockwise or counterclockwise, but it needs to be ensured that: when an upper channel and a middle channel are provided at the same time, and both the upper channel and the middle channel form a circumferential airflow field, the airflow direction in the two airflow fields should be consistent), forming an air curtain in a direction perpendicular to the circumference of the bellows body, which is used to block the process by-products in the inner cavity of the chamber body 1 from entering the inner cavity of the bellows body for the second time, further reducing the risk of particle generation.

[0086] It should be understood that the above is only an exemplary arrangement of the central channel, but this application is not limited to this. For example, the aforementioned central annular air duct 20 can also be replaced with a central arc-shaped air duct arranged around the axial direction of the bellows body, and the corresponding number of central main air ducts 19 can be connected to different central arc-shaped air ducts according to the number of central arc-shaped air ducts. In addition, without considering the effect of blocking process back products, the flow direction of the purge gas flowing out of the central branch air duct 21 can also be inclined upward, that is, the local extension direction of the central branch air duct 21 near the outlet end can also be set to be inclined upward.

[0087] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the lower flange 9 is provided with a gas guiding channel for guiding the purge gas. To easily distinguish it from the gas guiding channels provided in the upper flange 7 and the middle flange 8, the gas guiding channel provided in the lower flange 9 will be referred to as the lower channel below, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. The lower channel includes a lower main gas channel 22, a lower annular gas channel 32, and a lower branch gas channel 23, wherein:

[0088] One end of the lower main air passage 22 extends to the outside of the bellows body for connecting to the air source of the purging assembly. That is, the lower main air passage 22 includes a connecting portion protruding from the outer circumference of the bellows body, and this connecting portion is used to connect to the air source of the purging assembly. In a specific implementation, the structure forming the connecting portion can be a protruding part of the lower flange 9, i.e., the circumference of the lower flange 9 has a protruding part extending in a direction away from its axis, and the protruding part has an opening to form the connecting portion of the lower main air passage 22; alternatively, the structure forming the connecting portion can also be a tubular structure fixed to the lower flange 9.

[0089] The lower annular air passage 32 is formed in the lower flange 9 and arranged around the axis of the bellows body. Specifically, it can be an annular hole formed in the lower flange 9, and the annular hole is arranged around the axis of the bellows body. The shape of the annular hole can be rectangular, irregular, or circular, preferably circular. In addition, the lower annular air passage 32 is connected to the other end of the lower main air passage 22. In this way, during the process, the purging gas flowing out from the gas source can flow into the lower annular air passage 32 after passing through the lower main air passage 22.

[0090] One end of the lower branch air duct 23 is connected to the lower annular air duct 32, and the other end is connected to the inner cavity of the bellows body. Similarly, the lower branch air duct 23 can also be a hole-like structure on the lower flange 9, with one end connected to the lower annular air duct 32 and the other end formed on the inner wall of the bellows body. Furthermore, multiple lower branch air ducts 23 are distributed circumferentially in the lower annular air duct 32 (e.g., 6, 8, etc. This application does not limit the flow area or the number of lower branch air ducts 23, as long as it can meet specific process requirements). In this way, during the process, the purging airflow in the annular air duct can flow into the inner cavity of the bellows body through the lower branch air duct 23. At the same time, since multiple lower branch air ducts 23 are provided and distributed circumferentially in the lower annular air duct 32, multiple circumferentially distributed air outlets can be formed on the inner wall of the bellows body, thereby making the distribution of the purging airflow more uniform in the radial section of the inner cavity of the bellows body, which is beneficial to improving the purging effect.

[0091] Based on the above-described structure of the lower channel, in some embodiments, the lower main air passage 22 is configured as a straight air passage. This reduces the resistance of the purge airflow through the lower main air passage 22, thereby reducing energy loss. Furthermore, the lower main air passage 22 extends towards or away from the axis of the bellows body. The lower annular air passage 32 is annular, with its arrangement plane perpendicular to the axis of the bellows body. The center of the annular circle formed by the lower annular air passages 32 lies on the axis of the bellows body. Thus, the purge airflow below the lower main air passage 22... Upon entering the lower annular air passage 32, the airflow can flow evenly to both sides of the lower main air passage 22 connected to the lower annular air passage 32. Furthermore, the lower branch air passages 23 are also straight passages to reduce the resistance of the purge airflow flowing through the lower main air passage 22. Simultaneously, multiple lower branch air passages 23 are evenly distributed circumferentially around the lower annular air passage 32, and the position where any lower branch air passage 23 connects to the lower annular air passage 32 is staggered from the position where the lower main air passage 22 connects to the lower annular air passage 32. This improves the uniformity of the purge airflow entering the multiple lower branch air passages 23, thereby enhancing the purge effect. Furthermore, the uniformity of the purge airflow entering the multiple lower branch air passages 23 can be further improved by setting the flow area of ​​the lower branch air passage 23 to be smaller than that of the lower annular air passage 32.

[0092] Furthermore, the air guide channel (i.e., the lower channel) provided on the lower flange is an axial air guide channel, that is, the airflow direction of the airflow flowing into the bellows body from the lower channel is parallel to the axial direction of the bellows body. Specifically, the lower branch air duct 23 extends axially in the bellows body at one end, connecting to the inner cavity of the bellows body, so that the flow direction of the purge gas flowing out of the axial guide air channel is the axial direction of the bellows body. The outlet end of the lower branch air duct 23 is located on the end face of the lower flange 9 facing the inner cavity of the bellows body. After the purge gas enters through the lower annular air duct 32, it enters the inner cavity of the bellows body vertically upward through multiple circumferentially evenly distributed lower branch air ducts 23, forming a vertically upward airflow field. This, combined with the horizontal airflow field formed in the inner cavity of the bellows body by the upper and middle channels, can form a combined airflow field in the inner cavity of the bellows body (see Figure 10 in the specification for this combined flow field), providing an upward thrust on the process by-products, thereby effectively reducing the risk of particle generation.

[0093] It should be understood that the above is only an exemplary arrangement of the lower channel, but this application is not limited to this. For example, the lower annular air channel 32 mentioned above can also be replaced with a lower arc-shaped air channel arranged around the axis of the bellows body, and according to the number of lower arc-shaped air channels, the corresponding number of lower main air channels 22 are respectively connected to different lower arc-shaped air channels.

[0094] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, a liquid cooling channel 26 is provided on the lower flange 9 to cool the lower sealing ring 30 installed on the lower flange 9. The inlet and outlet of the liquid cooling channel 26 are connected to the inlet pipe 25 and the outlet pipe 24, respectively. During the process, the coolant (such as cooling water, cooling oil, etc.) enters the liquid cooling channel 26 through the inlet pipe 25, thereby forming a local temperature gradient in the lower sealing ring 30 and the lower flange 9 to form the liquid cooling channel 26. This allows the heat in the lower sealing ring 30 to be transferred to the coolant through the lower flange 9, thereby effectively reducing the temperature of the lower sealing ring 30 and thus effectively improving the service life of the lower sealing ring 30.

[0095] The aforementioned lower sealing ring 30 is a sealing ring used to seal the second connection end of the bellows body. Specifically, it can be a sealing ring disposed between the lower flange 9 and the lifting platform 6, and / or a sealing ring disposed between the lower flange 9 and the base 3.

[0096] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the purging assembly includes a flow control module for controlling the flow rate of the purging gas. During the process, by adjusting the flow rate of the purging gas, the velocity of the purging gas after entering the inner cavity of the bellows body and the resulting flow field can be changed. Based on this, in the specific implementation process, the flow rate of the purging gas can be adjusted in real time through the flow control module according to the process requirements, which is beneficial to improving the purging effect and thus improving the particle performance during the process.

[0097] In some embodiments, the flow control module includes a throttle valve 14, which is connected to the upper and / or middle and / or lower channels of the purging assembly via a connector 13 and a ferrule 12. Specifically, as shown in FIG4, one end of the connector 13 is connected to the throttle valve 14, and the other end is connected to the ferrule 12. The other end of the ferrule 12 is connected to the upper branch air passage 17 of the upper channel of the purging assembly and / or the middle branch air passage 21 of the middle channel and / or the lower branch air passage 23 of the lower channel. During the process, the flow rate of the purging gas entering the bellows body is adjusted by adjusting the opening of the throttle valve 14. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the purging assembly includes an upper channel, a middle channel, and a lower channel. The inlet ends of the upper channel, the middle channel, and the lower channel are all connected to throttle valves 14 via compression fittings 12 and adapter pipes 13. This increases the flexibility in adjusting the flow rate of the purging gas entering the inner cavity of the bellows body (e.g., adjusting only the opening of the throttle valve 14 connected to the upper channel, adjusting only the opening of the throttle valve 14 connected to the middle channel, or adjusting the opening of all throttle valves 14 simultaneously), thereby improving the purging effect. In addition, in specific implementations, needle valves or mass flow controllers can be used to replace the aforementioned throttle valves 14.

[0098] Furthermore, for ease of understanding, the working principle of the bellows assembly 5 in this application embodiment will be illustrated below through a specific embodiment:

[0099] As shown in Figures 12-14, the bellows assembly 5 in this embodiment includes a bellows body, a purging assembly, and a guide structure. The bellows body includes a first connecting end and a second connecting end. The first connecting end is connected to the chamber body 1 via an upper flange 7, and the second connecting end is connected to the lifting platform 6 of the lifting mechanism 2 via a lower flange 9. The bellows body also includes a first pipe section 501 and a second pipe section 502, which are connected via a middle flange 8. The purging assembly includes an upper channel, a middle channel, and a lower channel. The guide structure includes a guide rod 11 disposed on the middle flange 8 and a guide sleeve 10 disposed on the upper flange 7.

[0100] As shown in Figure 12, when the lifting platform 6 of the lifting mechanism 2 begins to move upward, the first pipe section 501 and the second pipe section 502 are subjected to forces of different magnitudes, and the first pipe section 501 is compressed first. The guide rod 11 in the guide structure moves upward synchronously with the middle flange 8 until the end of the guide rod 11 abuts against the upper flange 7 (at this time, the position of the end of the guide rod 11 relative to the upper flange 7 can be referred to Figure 13 in the instruction manual). At this time, due to the restriction of the guide rod 11, when the lifting platform 6 continues to move upward, the relative position of the upper flange 7 and the middle flange 8 remains unchanged, and the lower flange 9 continues to move. As shown in Figure 14, when the other end of the guide rod 11 abuts against the end face of the lower flange 9, due to the restriction of the guide rod 11, the lifting platform 6 will be unable to continue moving in the original direction. At this time, the base 3 moves to the required process position. As shown above, during the entire movement process, as the middle flange 8 approaches the upper flange 7, the guide structure can guide the movement of the middle flange 8 relative to the upper flange 7, thereby improving the strength of the entire bellows structure under vacuum. Furthermore, when the base 3 is in the process position, both ends of the guide rod 11 are in complete contact with the upper flange 7 and the lower flange 9, respectively. This further improves the stress distribution on the bellows body, thereby increasing the strength and reliability of the entire bellows structure. During the process, purging gas is continuously introduced into the inner cavity of the bellows body through the upper, middle, and lower channels, forming a combined airflow field within the bellows body. This effectively prevents process byproducts from entering the inner cavity of the bellows body, thus improving particle performance.

[0101] It should be noted that this application does not impose restrictions on the type or temperature of the purge gas, as long as it meets the specific process requirements. Furthermore, in practical implementation, by controlling the temperature of the purge gas, the temperatures of the upper flange 7, middle flange 8, and lower flange 9 can be prevented from becoming too low, thus making it less likely for process byproducts to condense at these locations and reducing the risk of particulate matter to some extent.

[0102] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, this application embodiment also provides a semiconductor process apparatus suitable for performing ALD processes, including a chamber body 1, a lifting mechanism 2, a bellows assembly 5, and a base 3, wherein: the chamber body 1 is a solid structure in the semiconductor process apparatus used to form a reaction chamber, and has an internal cavity, which is the aforementioned reaction chamber; the lifting mechanism 2 includes a drive system and a lifting platform 6, and the drive system is drivenly connected to the lifting platform 6; the bellows assembly 5 is the aforementioned bellows assembly 5. It should be noted that: since the semiconductor process apparatus includes the aforementioned bellows assembly 5, the beneficial effects brought by the bellows assembly 5 to the semiconductor process apparatus are detailed above and will not be repeated here. The base 3 provides the reaction temperature required for the deposition of the substrate 4 (substrate 4 refers to the basic material used for thin film deposition in the ALD process, whose surface directly participates in the chemical reaction with the precursor, thereby growing the required thin film layer by layer) in the semiconductor process equipment and supports the structure of the substrate 4. It includes a support portion 302 and a support portion 301. The support portion 302 has a support surface for supporting the substrate 4. In the axial direction of the bellows body, the support surface is the upper surface of the support portion 302 in the height direction. In the axial direction of the bellows body, one end of the support portion 301 is connected to the support portion 302, and the other end passes through the chamber body 1 and extends into the inner cavity of the bellows body.

[0103] The basic principles of this application have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, and effects mentioned in this application are merely examples and not limitations, and should not be considered as essential features of each embodiment of this application. Furthermore, the specific details disclosed above are for illustrative and facilitative purposes only, and are not limitations. These details do not limit the application to the necessity of employing the aforementioned specific details for implementation.

[0104] The block diagrams of devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems involved in this application are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, or configured in the manner shown in the block diagrams. As those skilled in the art will recognize, these devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems can be connected, arranged, and configured in any manner. Words such as “comprising,” “including,” “having,” etc., are open-ended terms meaning “including but not limited to,” and are used interchangeably with them. The terms “or” and “and” as used herein refer to the terms “and / or,” and are used interchangeably with them unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “such as” as used herein refers to the phrase “such as but not limited to,” and is used interchangeably with it.

[0105] It should also be noted that in the apparatus, equipment, and methods of this application, the components or steps can be disassembled and / or recombined. These disassemblies and / or recombinations should be considered as equivalent solutions of this application.

[0106] The above description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use this application. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but rather to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0107] It should be understood that the qualifiers “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” “fifth,” and “sixth” used in the description of the embodiments of this application are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0108] The above description has been given for illustrative and descriptive purposes. Furthermore, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of this application to the forms disclosed herein. Although numerous exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, alterations, additions, and sub-combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A bellows assembly, characterized in that, Suitable for semiconductor process equipment including a chamber body and a lifting mechanism, the bellows assembly includes: The bellows body includes a first connecting end and a second connecting end. The first connecting end is sealed to the main body of the chamber, and the second connecting end is sealed to the lifting platform of the lifting mechanism, so that the bellows body can extend and retract under the drive of the lifting mechanism. A purging assembly is connected to the inner cavity of the bellows body to blow air into the inner cavity of the bellows body to prevent process particles in the inner cavity of the chamber body from entering the inner cavity of the bellows body.

2. The bellows assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first connecting end and the chamber body are connected by an upper flange, and the upper flange and the chamber body are sealed together by an upper sealing ring. The upper flange is provided with a gas guide channel for the purging assembly, and the purging gas can cool the upper sealing ring as it flows through the gas guide channel.

3. The bellows assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first connecting end and the chamber body are connected by an upper flange. The bellows body includes an axially distributed first pipe section and a second pipe section, which are connected by a middle flange. Furthermore, it also includes a guide structure connecting the upper flange and the middle flange, so that the middle flange can move axially along the bellows body.

4. The bellows assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The guide structure includes a guide sleeve disposed on one of the upper flange and the middle flange, and a guide rod disposed on the other. The guide sleeve and the guide rod are both located outside the inner cavity of the upper flange and the middle flange, and are both arranged along the axial direction of the bellows body. The guide rod extends into the guide sleeve and slides in cooperation with the guide sleeve.

5. The bellows assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, The guide rod is a telescopic rod whose length can be changed; And / or, The guide rod is mounted on the middle flange and can move axially relative to the middle flange.

6. The bellows assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second connecting end and the lifting platform are connected by a lower flange. The guide structure includes a guide rod extending axially from between the upper flange and the middle flange to between the middle flange and the lower flange. The guide rod can abut against the lower flange.

7. The bellows assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second connecting end and the lifting platform are connected via a lower flange, and at least one of the upper flange, the middle flange, and the lower flange is provided with an air guide channel, the air guide channel comprising: The main air passage extends at one end to the outside of the bellows body to connect to the air source of the purging assembly. An annular air passage is arranged around the axis of the bellows body and is connected to the other end of the main air passage; The bronchus is connected at one end to the annular airway and at the other end to the inner cavity of the bellows body, and there are multiple bronchus distributed around the annular airway.

8. The bellows assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that, The air guide channel provided in the upper flange and / or the middle flange is a radial air guide channel; In a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the bellows body, the inner wall of the bellows body forms a circumference, and one end of the radial air guide channel that communicates with the inner cavity of the bellows body extends along a straight line in the plane, the straight line being a tangent to the circumference.

9. The bellows assembly according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The air guide channel provided on the lower flange is an axial air guide channel; One end of the branch of the axial air guide channel, which is connected to the inner cavity of the bellows body, extends in the axial direction of the bellows body, so that the flow direction of the purge airflow from the axial air guide channel is the axial direction of the bellows body.

10. The bellows assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that, The lower flange is provided with a liquid cooling channel for cooling the lower sealing ring installed on the lower flange.

11. The bellows assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The purging assembly includes a flow control module for controlling the flow rate of the purging gas.

12. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized in that, include: The main body of the chamber; The lifting mechanism includes a drive system and a lifting platform, wherein the drive system is driven to the lifting platform; The bellows assembly is the bellows assembly according to any one of claims 1-11; The base includes a load-bearing portion and a support portion. The load-bearing portion is located in the inner cavity of the chamber body and has a load-bearing surface for bearing a substrate. In the axial direction of the bellows body, the load-bearing surface is the upper surface of the load-bearing portion. In the axial direction of the bellows body, one end of the support portion is connected to the load-bearing portion, and the other end passes through the chamber body and extends into the inner cavity of the bellows body.

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