Wafer carrying device and semiconductor process apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a wafer carrying device and a semiconductor process apparatus. The wafer carrying device is configured to carry a wafer in a reaction chamber and control the temperature of the wafer, and comprises: a tray configured to carry a wafer; a liquid cooling plate which is arranged below the tray and configured to cool the tray and the wafer carried thereon by directing a cooling liquid; and a back plate which is arranged below the liquid cooling plate and configured to carry the tray and the liquid cooling plate, wherein the back plate comprises a body and a reinforcing structure, the reinforcing structure and the liquid cooling plate are respectively located on two sides of the body, and the reinforcing structure is located in at least part of the region of the body that carries the liquid cooling plate. In the above wafer carrying device, providing the back plate with a reinforcing structure increases the structural strength of the back plate and prevents the back plate from deforming in a high-temperature environment, such that a temperature rise of the wafer is avoided, and temperature differences among different regions of the wafer are also prevented, thereby preventing silicon precipitation and abnormal reflectivity on the wafer and improving the quality of wafer deposition.

Description

A wafer carrier device and semiconductor process equipment Technical Field

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

[0002] Physical vapor deposition (PVD) equipment is widely used in the manufacturing processes of semiconductors, solar cells, and flat panel displays. High-temperature PVD processes are required for aluminum interconnects in integrated circuits and for the front-side aluminum processes of power devices.

[0003] In aluminum processing, the wafer needs to be placed on a heater to keep its temperature below the sputtering temperature of the aluminum, allowing the aluminum to cool down after landing on the wafer and deposit. However, existing heaters cannot effectively control the wafer temperature at high temperatures (300°C), causing the wafer temperature to rise. This prevents the aluminum grains on the wafer from cooling down and instead grow larger, leading to silicon precipitation. Furthermore, the heater exhibits poor temperature uniformity at high temperatures, resulting in temperature differences between different areas of the wafer. This leads to variations in the size of the aluminum grains deposited in different areas, resulting in abnormal reflectivity on the wafer. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, this application provides a wafer carrier device that can prevent silicon deposition and abnormal reflectivity on the wafer, thereby improving the wafer deposition quality. Furthermore, this application also provides a semiconductor process apparatus having the aforementioned wafer carrier device.

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

[0006] A wafer carrier device for carrying a wafer in a reaction chamber and controlling the temperature of the wafer, comprising:

[0007] A tray for holding the wafer;

[0008] A liquid cooling tray is disposed below the tray and cools the tray and the wafer supported on the tray by guiding the flow of coolant.

[0009] A backplate is disposed below the liquid cooling tray and supports the tray and the liquid cooling tray;

[0010] The back plate includes a body and a reinforcing structure. The reinforcing structure and the liquid cooling plate are located on both sides of the body, and the reinforcing structure is located in at least a portion of the area of ​​the body that supports the liquid cooling plate.

[0011] In some embodiments, in the wafer carrier device described above, an elastic element is provided on the back plate, the liquid cooling tray is supported on the elastic element, and the elastic element applies an elastic force to the liquid cooling tray in a direction that approaches the tray.

[0012] In some embodiments, in the above-described wafer carrier device, the liquid cooling tray is provided with a protrusion protruding from the upper surface of the liquid cooling tray, and the protrusion abuts against the lower surface of the tray to create a gap between the upper surface of the liquid cooling tray and the lower surface of the tray.

[0013] The protrusion is detachably mounted on the liquid cooling plate.

[0014] In some embodiments, in the wafer carrier device described above, the edge of the tray is provided with an extension wall that axially protrudes from the lower surface of the tray, the extension wall extends to the location of the back plate and connects to the side of the back plate; the liquid cooling plate is accommodated in the cavity formed by the extension wall and the back plate.

[0015] In some embodiments, in the wafer carrier device described above, the backplate includes a central through hole, a first annular region surrounding the central through hole, and a second annular region surrounding the first annular region, wherein the first annular region and the second annular region are regions that support the liquid cooling disk.

[0016] The reinforcing structure is a thickened body that increases the thickness of the back plate. The thickened body includes a tubular thickened body that is coaxial with and has the same diameter as the central through hole, and an annular thickened body located in the first annular region. The thickness of the tubular thickened body is greater than the thickness of the annular thickened body.

[0017] In some embodiments, in the wafer carrier device described above, the back plate is provided with elastic elements that support the liquid cooling disk, and the elastic elements are all located in the first annular region.

[0018] In some embodiments, in the wafer carrier device described above, the liquid cooling disk is supported by a plurality of elastic elements, and the contact portions of all the elastic elements with the liquid cooling disk are evenly distributed on the liquid cooling disk.

[0019] In some embodiments, in the wafer carrier device described above, the contact portions are distributed on a plurality of concentric circles with the center of the liquid cooling disk as the center, and the contact portions on adjacent concentric circles are staggered in the circumferential direction.

[0020] In some embodiments, in the wafer carrier device described above, the elastic element is a spring, and the two ends of the spring that respectively abut against the back plate and the liquid cooling plate are both planar ends perpendicular to the spring axis.

[0021] In some embodiments, in the wafer carrier device described above, the protrusions are distributed on a plurality of concentric circles with the center of the liquid cooling disk as the center, and the protrusions located on the concentric circle with the largest diameter are disposed near the edge of the liquid cooling disk, while the protrusions located on the concentric circle with the smallest diameter are disposed near the central through hole of the liquid cooling disk.

[0022] In some embodiments, the protrusion in the wafer carrier device described above includes:

[0023] The pin has a bottom step and a top surface, the bottom step being for contacting the liquid cooling plate and being pressed by a screw, and the top surface being for abutting against the tray;

[0024] A groove is attached to the pin and is used to limit the screw.

[0025] In some embodiments, in the wafer carrier device described above, one of a step and a support bump is provided on the side of the back plate, and the other of the step and the support bump is provided on the inner surface of the extension wall, so that the step carries the support bump or the support bump supports the step;

[0026] The inner surface of the extended wall is welded to the side of the back plate, and the welded part is located below the step and the bearing protrusion.

[0027] A stress relief groove is formed on the lower surface of the back plate, and the stress relief groove is located near the side of the back plate.

[0028] In some embodiments, in the wafer carrier device described above, the surface of the tray for carrying the wafer is provided with a reflective coating.

[0029] In some embodiments, in the wafer carrier device described above, the tray, the liquid cooling plate, and the back plate are coaxially arranged, and a corrugated pipe is coaxially connected to the lower part of the back plate; an inlet pipe for introducing coolant into the liquid cooling plate and an outlet pipe for discharging coolant from the liquid cooling plate pass through the cavity of the corrugated pipe and the central through hole of the back plate to communicate with the liquid cooling plate.

[0030] A semiconductor process apparatus includes a reaction chamber and a wafer carrier disposed in the reaction chamber, wherein the wafer carrier is the wafer carrier described above.

[0031] The wafer carrier device provided in this application has a reinforced structure on the backplate of the carrier tray and the liquid cooling plate. By setting the reinforced structure on the backplate, the structural strength of the backplate can be increased, and the deformation of the backplate in high temperature environment can be reduced or even avoided. This allows the tray and liquid cooling plate set on the backplate to always control the wafer temperature on the tray well, avoid the wafer temperature from rising, and avoid temperature differences between different areas of the wafer. This, in turn, avoids silicon precipitation and abnormal reflectivity on the wafer, and improves the wafer deposition quality. Attached Figure Description

[0032] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or related technologies, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or related technologies 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.

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wafer carrier device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 2 is a magnified view of a portion of Figure 1;

[0035] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the distribution of elastic elements on the liquid cooling plate;

[0036] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the distribution of protrusions on the liquid cooling plate;

[0037] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure in which the protrusion is pressed together by screws.

[0038] In Figures 1-5: 1-Tray, 2-Liquid cooling plate, 3-Back plate, 4-Elastic element, 5-Protrusion, 6-Screw, 7-Extension wall, 8-Bellow pipe, 9-Gap; 101-Heating tube clamping plate; 201-Flow guide channel, 202-Liquid inlet pipe, 203-Liquid outlet pipe; 301-Body, 302-Reinforcing structure, 303-Central through hole, 304-First annular area, 305-Second annular area, 306-Step, 307-Stress relief groove; 3021-Tubular thickened body, 3022-Annular thickened body; 501-Pin, 502-Groove; 5011-Bottom step, 5012-Top plane; 701-Bearing protrusion. Detailed Implementation

[0039] 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.

[0040] In related technologies, the process of depositing aluminum onto a wafer using high-temperature PVD (i.e., aluminum process) generates a lot of heat during aluminum sputtering, resulting in a large amount of heat being received by the wafer that receives the aluminum. The wafer temperature rises significantly, and the high-temperature wafer transfers heat to the heater. The heater, equipped with a water-cooling plate, cools the tray (or heating plate) that holds the wafer. After the wafer transfers heat to the heater, its own temperature decreases, thus achieving wafer cooling. When the heater is used at 300℃, the backplate supporting the water-cooling tray deforms under thermal stress and vacuum force, specifically downwards, with a deformation of about 2mm. The water-cooling tray on the backplate also shifts downwards, causing it to move away from the tray. This increases the gap between the water-cooling tray and the tray, reducing the cooling capacity of the water-cooling tray on the tray, and consequently reducing the heater's heating power. The wafer's heat transfer to the heater also contributes to the reduced heating power. Therefore, the heating power is further reduced on top of the initial reduction caused by the backplate deformation, eventually reaching zero. With zero heating power, the heater's temperature rises, and the temperature difference between the wafer and the heater decreases. The wafer needs to be heated to a higher temperature to transfer heat to the heater, which leads to an increase in wafer temperature and ineffective cooling. The aluminum grains on the heated wafer become larger, and these larger aluminum grains squeeze out the silicon between the aluminum grains, resulting in silicon precipitation. Furthermore, deformation of the backplate increases the distance between the water cooling plate and the tray, and also causes uneven spacing in different areas. Areas with larger spacing have better thermal conductivity, while areas with smaller spacing have poor thermal conductivity, resulting in poor temperature uniformity of the tray. This leads to differences in heat transfer from the wafer to different parts of the heater, causing temperature differences in different parts of the wafer itself. The poor temperature uniformity of the wafer also results in different sizes of aluminum grains in different parts of the wafer, ultimately leading to abnormal reflectivity of the wafer.

[0041] In view of the above situation, as shown in Figures 1-5, this application provides a novel wafer carrier device that can be installed in the reaction chamber of a semiconductor process equipment and used to carry wafers and control the temperature of wafers, so as to be suitable for aluminum processes. This wafer carrier mainly includes a tray 1, a liquid cooling plate 2, and a back plate 3. The tray 1 is the component that carries the wafer. During aluminum processing, the wafer is placed on the tray 1, and the tray 1 facilitates heat conduction between the wafer and the liquid cooling plate 2, thereby controlling the wafer's temperature. The tray 1 may also include, for example, a heating tube clamping plate 101 facing the liquid cooling plate 2. The liquid cooling plate 2 is located below the tray 1 and has a flow channel 201 for guiding the coolant (the coolant can be cooling water, cooling oil, or refrigerant, etc.). When the coolant flows in the flow channel 201, it can conduct cooling energy to the liquid cooling plate 2, thereby maintaining the liquid cooling plate 2 at a lower temperature. The liquid cooling plate 2 can also conduct cooling energy to the tray 1, and the cooling energy is then conducted through the tray 1 to the wafer, thus achieving wafer cooling. The back plate 3 is located below the liquid cooling plate 2 and is the component that carries and supports the tray 1 and the liquid cooling plate 2. The tray 1 and the liquid cooling plate 2 are mounted on the back plate 3. The improvement of this back plate 3 is that it not only includes a plate-shaped body 301 (i.e., the plate-shaped structure of the back plate in the related art), but also includes a reinforcing structure 302. The reinforcing structure 302 and the liquid cooling plate 2 are located on both sides of the body 301, that is, the reinforcing structure 302 is connected to the lower side of the body 301, while the liquid cooling plate 2 is supported on the upper side of the body 301. Furthermore, when the reinforcing structure 302 is provided on the body 301, the reinforcing structure 302 is also located in the area of ​​the body 301 that supports the liquid cooling plate 2 (this area refers to the area occupied by the projection of the liquid cooling plate 2 on the back plate 3), and is located in part or all of this area. By adding this reinforcing structure 302, the structural strength of the back plate 3 can be increased, so that the area of ​​the back plate 3 that supports the liquid cooling plate 2 or the entire back plate 3 will no longer deform in a high temperature (e.g., 300°C) environment. In some embodiments, the tray 1, liquid cooling tray 2, back plate 3, and the bellows 8 described later are all components with a circular cross-section and are all coaxially arranged with their axis in the vertical direction, so that the tray 1, liquid cooling tray 2, and back plate 3 are all horizontally arranged and horizontally support the wafer.

[0042] The aforementioned wafer carrier device, by providing a reinforcing structure 302 on the backplate 3, can improve the structural strength of the backplate 3, preventing deformation under high-temperature environments. The tray 1 and liquid cooling plate 2 mounted on the backplate 3 will not shift, thus ensuring that the tray 1 and liquid cooling plate 2 maintain the required spacing and temperature uniformity. This design prevents the heating power of the wafer carrier device from dropping to zero. While the heating power decreases after the wafer transfers heat to the wafer carrier device, it does not drop to zero, keeping the temperature of the wafer carrier device stable and preventing it from rising. This also prevents the wafer temperature from rising, thus avoiding silicon precipitation. Furthermore, the liquid cooling plate 2 effectively cools the tray 1 and the wafer, preventing the wafer temperature from rising and avoiding temperature differences between different areas of the wafer. This ensures stable temperature uniformity for both the wafer carrier device and the wafer, resulting in uniform aluminum grain size across all parts of the wafer. This prevents abnormal reflectivity and improves the wafer deposition quality.

[0043] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the back plate 3 includes a central through hole 303, a first annular region 304 surrounding the central through hole 303, and a second annular region 305 surrounding the first annular region 304. The first annular region 304 and the second annular region 305 are regions that support the liquid cooling plate 2. The reinforcing structure 302 is a thickened body that increases the thickness of the back plate 3. This thickened body includes a tubular thickened body 3021 that is coaxial with the central through hole 303 and has the same diameter (the same diameter means that the diameter of the central through hole 303 and the inner diameter of the tubular thickened body 3021 are the same), and an annular thickened body 3022 located in the first annular region 304. The thickness of the tubular thickened body 3021 is greater than the thickness of the annular thickened body 3022. It should be noted that this "thickness" is the axial dimension of the back plate 3. When a reinforcing structure 302 is provided on the back plate 3, the specific structure of the reinforcing structure 302 can be selected in various ways, such as reinforcing ribs, reinforcing grooves, and reinforcing solids. In this application, for example, a reinforcing solid, i.e. a thickened body, is provided on the back plate 3, and the thickened body and the body 301 of the back plate 3 are integrally formed (the specific forming method is, for example, machining or casting from the same blank), thereby maximizing the structural strength of the back plate 3. In order to avoid affecting the setting of the liquid cooling plate 2 due to the addition of the thickened body, the thickened body is set below the body 301. Furthermore, while the thickened body enhances the structural strength of the backplate 3 itself, the placement of the thickened body on the main body 301 is optimized to make its function more prominent. Specifically, the thickened body is placed in the area near the central through hole 303. Specifically, the annular thickened body 3022 is placed in the first annular area 304 for bearing the weight of the liquid cooling plate 2, so that the backplate 3 can provide more stable support for the liquid cooling plate 2. The tubular thickened body 3021 is placed at the part of the backplate 3 for connecting with the bellows 8 (described later) to improve the connection strength between the backplate 3 and the bellows 8. Since the force at the connection part between the backplate 3 and the bellows 8 is greater and more concentrated, the thickness of the tubular thickened body 3021 is greater than the thickness of the annular thickened body 3022 to further improve the connection stability of the backplate 3.

[0044] In related technologies, a backplate is equipped with a clamping bolt. By tightening the clamping bolt, the liquid cooling disk is pushed onto the tray, thereby setting and fixing the liquid cooling disk between the tray and the backplate. This connection method is a rigid connection. When the backplate deforms, the clamping bolt will shift along with the deformation of the backplate. The clamping bolt can no longer clamp the liquid cooling disk, or may even detach from the liquid cooling disk. This results in an uneven distance between the liquid cooling disk and the tray, making it impossible to cool the tray and the wafer, which in turn leads to silicon precipitation and abnormal reflectivity. In this application, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, an elastic element 4 is provided on the backplate 3. The liquid cooling disk 2 is supported on the elastic element 4, and the elastic element 4 applies a spring force to the liquid cooling disk 2 in the direction of approaching the tray 1. In other words, this application achieves the placement of the liquid cooling disk 2 on the back plate 3 through the connection and support of the elastic element 4, and uses the elastic element 4 to press the liquid cooling disk 2 firmly against the tray 1 (the liquid cooling disk 2 is pressed against the tray 1 by the protrusion 5 described later). The elastic force of the elastic element 4 is greater than the weight of the liquid cooling disk 2. It not only enables the placement of the liquid cooling disk 2 on the back plate 3 and its cooperation with the tray 1, but also ensures that the compression of the elastic element 4 is not less than 6mm. This compression is large enough that even if the tray 1 or the back plate 3 deforms due to high temperature, the deformation is small, so this compression can compensate for the deformation, thus allowing the liquid cooling disk 2 to still be pressed firmly against the tray 1, ensuring that the gap 9 between the liquid cooling disk 2 and the tray 1 is stable and consistent. The way the liquid cooling disk 2 is pressed firmly by the elastic element 4 is a flexible connection, which is less affected or unaffected by the deformation of the back plate 3, thereby better avoiding silicon precipitation and abnormal reflectivity.

[0045] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the liquid cooling disk 2 is supported by multiple elastic elements 4, and the contact points of all elastic elements 4 with the liquid cooling disk 2 are evenly distributed on the liquid cooling disk 2. The multiple elastic elements 4 and their even distribution provide greater elasticity to the liquid cooling disk 2, allowing it to more fully press against the tray 1 and reducing the possibility of unexpected changes in the gap 9 between them. Furthermore, it ensures more balanced stress on the liquid cooling disk 2, maintaining a higher precision consistency in the gap 9 across different parts, thus improving the performance of the wafer carrier device. In addition, for better cooperation with the thickened body, all contact points between the elastic elements 4 and the backplate 3 are located in the first annular region 304, i.e., the elastic elements 4 are all located within the first annular region 304 where the annular thickened body 3022 is distributed. This allows the annular thickened body 3022 to bear the weight of the liquid cooling disk 2 and the elastic force of the elastic elements 4, thereby achieving good support for the liquid cooling disk 2 by strengthening the cooperation between the structure 302 and the elastic elements 4. The reinforcing structure 302 and the elastic element 4 complement and promote each other. Specifically, by adding the reinforcing structure 302, the first annular area 304 where the elastic element 4 is located has sufficient structural strength. This not only prevents high-temperature deformation but also better supports the elastic element 4, ensuring that it can withstand the elastic force applied to the back plate 3 by the elastic element 4 and maintain a parallel and uniformly stressed state without displacement. At the same time, elastic elements 4 with greater elasticity and compression can be designed or selected to provide elastic support for the liquid cooling plate 2. Even if the back plate 3 has slight deformation, it can fully compensate for the deformation, achieving more stable support for the liquid cooling plate 2 and making the liquid cooling plate 2 more tightly pressed against the tray 1.

[0046] In this application, the diameter of the liquid cooling disk 2 is larger than the diameter of the bearing area of ​​the tray 1 used to support the wafer, so that the liquid cooling disk 2 can cool the wafer more comprehensively and improve the cooling effect of the liquid cooling disk 2. At the same time, the gap 9 between the liquid cooling disk 2 and the tray 1 is made as small as possible, for example, less than 1 mm, so that the liquid cooling disk 2 can cool the tray 1 and the wafer more efficiently and ensure that the liquid cooling disk 2 has a high cooling capacity.

[0047] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the uniform distribution of the contact area between the elastic element 4 and the liquid cooling plate 2 can be achieved by distributing the contact area on multiple concentric circles centered on the center of the liquid cooling plate 2, with the contact areas on adjacent concentric circles staggered circumferentially. This distribution pattern of the contact area is the distribution pattern of the elastic element 4. In this arrangement, for example, there are two concentric circles (or one or more), and the radius difference between the two concentric circles is maximized. Since the elastic element 4 needs to be located on the annular thickened body 3022, the outer concentric circles can be positioned closer to the outer circumference of the first annular region 304, while the inner concentric circles can be positioned closer to the inner circumference of the first annular region 304. This allows for a larger distribution range of the elastic element 4, resulting in a more dispersed and balanced force distribution on the back plate 3 and the liquid cooling plate 2. Furthermore, the number of elastic elements 4 on the outer concentric circles can be set to, for example, 10, and the number of elastic elements 4 on the inner concentric circles can be set to, for example, 6. This allows the elastic elements 4 to be distributed more evenly on the same concentric circle, resulting in a more balanced force. At the same time, it also allows the elastic elements 4 on the outer concentric circles and the elastic elements 4 on the inner concentric circles to be staggered in the circumferential direction. That is, in the circumferential direction of the concentric circles, any elastic element 4 on the inner concentric circle is located between two adjacent elastic elements 4 on the outer concentric circle. This can further optimize the force distribution effect and ensure that the liquid cooling plate 2 is subjected to force along the direction of the bellows 8. The liquid cooling plate 2 is not subjected to force in the tilt direction, ensuring stable support, preventing the liquid cooling plate 2 from tilting, keeping the liquid cooling plate 2 and the tray 1 parallel, and ensuring the stability and consistency of the gap 9 between them.

[0048] Specifically, the elastic element 4 is a spring, and the two ends of the spring that abut against the back plate 3 and the liquid cooling tray 2 are both planar ends perpendicular to the spring axis. The spring is a relatively common elastic element 4, with a simple structure and small size, making it suitable for installation in wafer carrier devices. By making the two ends of the spring planar ends perpendicular to the axis, the spring can abut against the back plate 3 and the liquid cooling tray 2 perpendicularly (the specific abutment method is to open grooves on the back plate 3 and the liquid cooling tray 2 that match the spring, and let the two ends of the spring extend into the grooves and abut against the bottom wall of the grooves, and the side wall of the grooves acts as a limit for the spring), so as to ensure the horizontal setting and vertical force of the back plate 3 and the liquid cooling tray 2, reduce the probability of the liquid cooling tray 2 tilting, and make the gap 9 between the liquid cooling tray 2 and the tray 1 have good stability and consistency.

[0049] Specifically, in order to better adapt to the working environment of the wafer carrier device, the spring is made of materials that can withstand high temperatures.

[0050] In some embodiments, a protrusion 5 protruding from the upper surface of the liquid cooling plate 2 is provided on the liquid cooling plate 2. The protrusion 5 supports the tray 1 so that there is a gap between the upper surface of the liquid cooling plate 2 and the lower surface of the tray 1. The protrusion 5 is detachably provided on the liquid cooling plate 2. By setting this protrusion 5, while ensuring that the liquid cooling plate 2 can be pressed tightly against the tray 1, a gap 9 can also be created between the liquid cooling plate 2 and the tray 1. The heat conduction from the liquid cooling plate 2 to the tray 1 is conducted through the air in the gap 9. This can prevent the temperature of the tray 1 and the wafer from dropping too low. While the liquid cooling plate 2 and the tray 1 conduct heat through the air in the gap 9, the protrusion 5 can also be removed from the liquid cooling plate 2. Compared with the related technology where the protrusion and the liquid cooling plate are integrated into one structure, in the structure of this application, on the one hand, if the protrusion height of the protrusion 5 does not meet the tolerance requirements, the protrusion 5 can be replaced, which improves the convenience of processing and maintenance of the liquid cooling plate 2. On the other hand, the protrusion 5 and the liquid cooling plate 2 can be processed separately, and the flatness of the upper surface of the liquid cooling plate 2 can be processed and controlled with higher precision. The surface flatness after heat treatment is also easy to trim, thus optimizing the structure of the liquid cooling plate 2.

[0051] In the specific structure, as mentioned above, the tray 1 also includes a heating tube clamping plate 101 connected to its lower surface. The protrusion 5 supports the tray 1 by abutting against the heating tube clamping plate 101. Since the protrusion 5 protrudes upward relative to the upper surface of the liquid cooling plate 2, there is a gap between the tray 1 supported by the protrusion 5 and the upper surface of the liquid cooling plate 2, as shown in Figure 2. This gap is actually the gap 9 between the upper surface of the liquid cooling plate 2 and the lower surface of the heating tube clamping plate 101.

[0052] In addition, provided that the process requirements are met, the protrusion 5 can be omitted, and the liquid cooling plate 2 can be directly attached to the tray 1, with no gap 9 between them. This also allows the liquid cooling plate 2 to cool the tray 1 and the wafer.

[0053] As shown in Figure 4, the protrusions 5 are distributed on the liquid cooling plate 2 on multiple concentric circles with the center of the liquid cooling plate 2 as the center. The protrusions 5 on the concentric circle with the largest diameter are located near the edge of the liquid cooling plate 2, and the protrusions 5 on the concentric circle with the smallest diameter are located near the central through hole 303 of the liquid cooling plate 2. The distribution of the protrusions 5 is similar to that of the elastic members 4, also distributed on multiple concentric circles. This makes the distribution of the protrusions 5 on the liquid cooling plate 2 more uniform, thereby ensuring the stability and consistency of the gap 9 between the liquid cooling plate 2 and the tray 1 more reliably. In some embodiments, the protrusions 5 are distributed on three concentric circles (or they can be distributed on one, two or more concentric circles), and the radial distribution range of the protrusions 5 on the liquid cooling plate 2 is larger. This makes the contact points between the liquid cooling plate 2 and the tray 1 more dispersed, better ensuring the stability and consistency of the gap 9, and reducing the probability of relative tilting between the liquid cooling plate 2 and the tray 1.

[0054] Specifically, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the protrusion 5 is connected to the liquid cooling plate 2 by screws 6. The protrusion 5 includes a pin 501 and a groove 502. The pin 501 has a bottom step 5011 and a top surface 5012. The bottom step 5011 is used to contact the liquid cooling plate 2 and be pressed by the screws 6, and the top surface 5012 is used to abut against the tray 1. The groove 502 is connected to the pin 501 and is used to limit the screws 6. Using screws 6 to connect the protrusion 5 and the liquid cooling plate 2 facilitates the assembly and disassembly of the protrusion 5. In the specific structure, when the screw 6 is tightened on the liquid cooling plate 2, it presses against the bottom step 5011 of the pin 501 to prevent the pin 501 from separating from the liquid cooling plate 2. The top of the pin 501 protrudes relative to the upper surface of the liquid cooling plate 2 and has a top plane 5012 for contacting and fitting with the tray 1, so that the protrusion 5 can be smoothly pressed against the tray 1. After the screw 6 presses against the bottom step 5011, the nut of the screw 6 is located in the groove 502. The groove 502 limits the nut to prevent the screw 6 from accidentally loosening and causing the protrusion height of the protrusion 5 to change and affect the consistency of the gap 9.

[0055] In related technologies, the backplate has an axially protruding extension wall that surrounds the liquid cooling tray. This extension wall extends upwards to the location of the tray and is welded to the side of the tray, thus enabling the backplate to support and bear the load on the tray. In this configuration, the welding point is located on the side wall of the tray, close to the hot plate. Because the hot plate is affected by the wafer during the process, its temperature is higher than that of the liquid cooling tray and the backplate. Therefore, the welding point near the tray will experience significant radial deformation of the tray, and the welding point at this location will undergo repeated heating and cooling, which may lead to welding cracking and affect the normal operation of the wafer carrier device. In this application, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the edge of the tray 1 has an axially protruding extension wall 7 that extends to the lower surface of the tray 1. This extension wall 7 extends to the location of the backplate 3 and connects to the side of the backplate 3. This allows the welding point to be moved downwards, so that the welding point is located on the backplate 3, away from the hot plate. This reduces the temperature of the welding point, lowers the risk of welding cracking, and improves the performance of the wafer carrier device. Furthermore, it is preferable that the thickness of this extension wall 7 is less than the thickness of the tray 1 and the back plate 3, so as to reduce the heat conduction from the tray 1 to the back plate 3. In this structure, the liquid cooling plate 2 is housed in the cavity formed by the extension wall 7 and the back plate 3.

[0056] Furthermore, one of a step 306 and a supporting protrusion 701 is provided on the side of the back plate 3, and the other of a step 306 and a supporting protrusion 701 is provided on the inner surface of the extension wall 7, so that the step 306 supports the supporting protrusion 701 or the supporting protrusion 701 supports the step 306; the inner surface of the extension wall 7 is welded to the side of the back plate 3, and the welded part is located below the step 306 and the supporting protrusion 701. In this structure, as shown in FIG2, it is preferable that the step 306 is provided on the side of the back plate 3, and the supporting protrusion 701 is provided on the inner surface of the extension wall 7, so that the step 306 can support the supporting protrusion 701 to realize the support of the tray 1 by the back plate 3. By making the supporting protrusion 701 protrude on the inner surface of the extension wall 7, the extension wall 7 can maintain a small thickness, thereby reducing the heat conduction from the tray 1 to the back plate 3. Alternatively, the supporting protrusion 701 and the step 306 can be alternately provided on the side of the back plate 3 and the inner surface of the extension wall 7. By setting the step 306 and the bearing protrusion 701, the weight of the tray 1 can be shared and the heat can be dispersed and conducted, thereby reducing the stress and temperature of the welding part, reducing the probability of deformation of the welding part, extending the welding life, and improving the fitting accuracy of the tray 1 and the back plate 3, which is conducive to improving the stability and consistency of the gap 9.

[0057] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, a stress relief groove 307 is formed on the lower surface of the backplate 3, and this stress relief groove 307 is located close to the side of the backplate 3. The stress relief groove 307 can release the welding stress generated during welding, improve the welding strength, and reduce the deformation of the wafer carrier device caused by welding. Specifically, the distance between the stress relief groove 307 and the welding part is 2.5mm-5mm, the depth of the stress relief groove 307 is the same as the axial length of the welding part, and the width of the stress relief groove 307 is preferably 2mm.

[0058] In some embodiments, the surface of the tray 1 used to support the wafer is provided with a reflective coating. In related technologies, the surface of the wafer carrier is bare stainless steel, while this application adds a reflective coating to the surface to improve the heat transfer efficiency between the tray 1 and the wafer. Specifically, the material of the reflective coating is preferably chromium oxide. This reflective coating is typically dark in color, such as black, and has a relatively high roughness, which can improve heat radiation capacity, thereby improving the heat transfer efficiency between the tray 1 and the wafer.

[0059] As shown in Figure 1, in the entire wafer carrier device, tray 1, liquid cooling plate 2, and back plate 3 are coaxially arranged, and a bellows 8 is coaxially connected to the lower part of the back plate 3. An inlet pipe 202 for introducing coolant into the liquid cooling plate 2 and an outlet pipe 203 for discharging coolant from the liquid cooling plate 2 pass through the cavity of the bellows 8 and the central through-hole 303 of the back plate 3 to communicate with the liquid cooling plate 2. The bellows 8 supports the back plate 3, and the tubular thickened body 3021 of the back plate 3 is fixedly connected to the bellows 8 by welding, thus achieving a certain height arrangement of the back plate 3, liquid cooling plate, and tray 1 within the reaction chamber.

[0060] The wafer carrier device provided in this application has a heating power between 40% and 50% and is very stable, which meets the heat dissipation requirements of the aluminum process. Furthermore, the temperature uniformity of the wafer carrier device has been improved (the wafer carrier device is set at 300°C and the chamber pressure is 1 torr), and the temperature uniformity is maintained at 9.7°C, which meets the temperature uniformity requirements of the aluminum process.

[0061] Based on the aforementioned wafer carrier device, this application also provides a semiconductor process apparatus, which includes a reaction chamber and a wafer carrier device disposed within the reaction chamber, wherein the wafer carrier device is the aforementioned wafer carrier device. The beneficial effects of this semiconductor process apparatus brought by the aforementioned wafer carrier device are described above and will not be repeated here.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] The above description has been given for purposes of illustration and description. 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 wafer carrier device, characterized in that, For carrying a wafer in a reaction chamber and controlling the temperature of the wafer, including: A tray for holding the wafer; A liquid cooling tray is disposed below the tray and cools the tray and the wafer supported on the tray by guiding the flow of coolant. A backplate is disposed below the liquid cooling tray and supports the tray and the liquid cooling tray; The back plate includes a body and a reinforcing structure. The reinforcing structure and the liquid cooling plate are located on both sides of the body, and the reinforcing structure is located in at least a portion of the area of ​​the body that supports the liquid cooling plate.

2. The wafer carrier device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The back plate is provided with an elastic element, the liquid cooling plate is supported on the elastic element, and the elastic element applies an elastic force to the liquid cooling plate in the direction of approaching the tray.

3. The wafer carrier device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid cooling plate is provided with a protrusion protruding from the upper surface of the liquid cooling plate, and the protrusion abuts against the lower surface of the tray to create a gap between the upper surface of the liquid cooling plate and the lower surface of the tray. The protrusion is detachably mounted on the liquid cooling plate.

4. The wafer carrier device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The edge of the tray is provided with an extension wall that axially protrudes from the lower surface of the tray. The extension wall extends to the position of the back plate and connects with the side of the back plate. The liquid cooling plate is accommodated in the cavity formed by the extension wall and the back plate.

5. The wafer carrier device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The backplate includes a central through hole, a first annular region surrounding the central through hole, and a second annular region surrounding the first annular region, wherein the first annular region and the second annular region are areas that support the liquid cooling plate. The reinforcing structure is a thickened body that increases the thickness of the back plate. The thickened body includes a tubular thickened body that is coaxial with and has the same diameter as the central through hole, and an annular thickened body located in the first annular region. The thickness of the tubular thickened body is greater than the thickness of the annular thickened body.

6. The wafer carrier device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The back plate is provided with elastic elements that support the liquid cooling plate, and all elastic elements are located in the first annular region.

7. The wafer carrier device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The liquid cooling plate is supported by a plurality of elastic elements, and the contact portions of all the elastic elements with the liquid cooling plate are evenly distributed on the liquid cooling plate.

8. The wafer carrier device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The contact points are distributed on the liquid cooling plate in multiple concentric circles with the center of the liquid cooling plate as the center, and the contact points on adjacent concentric circles are staggered in the circumferential direction.

9. The wafer carrier device according to claim 2 or 7, characterized in that, The elastic element is a spring, and the two ends of the spring that respectively abut against the back plate and the liquid cooling plate are both planar ends perpendicular to the spring axis.

10. The wafer carrier device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The protrusions are distributed on the liquid cooling plate in multiple concentric circles with the center of the liquid cooling plate as the center. The protrusions on the concentric circle with the largest diameter are located near the edge of the liquid cooling plate, and the protrusions on the concentric circle with the smallest diameter are located near the central through hole of the liquid cooling plate.

11. The wafer carrier device according to claim 3 or 10, characterized in that, The protrusion includes: The pin has a bottom step and a top surface, the bottom step being for contacting the liquid cooling plate and being pressed by a screw, and the top surface being for abutting against the tray; A groove is attached to the pin and is used to limit the screw.

12. The wafer carrier device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The back plate has one of a step and a bearing protrusion on its side, and the extension wall has the other of the step and the bearing protrusion on its inner surface, so that the step carries the bearing protrusion or the bearing protrusion supports the step. The inner surface of the extended wall is welded to the side of the back plate, and the welded part is located below the step and the bearing protrusion. A stress relief groove is formed on the lower surface of the back plate, and the stress relief groove is located near the side of the back plate.

13. The wafer carrier device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 or 12, characterized in that, The surface of the tray used to support the wafer is provided with a reflective coating.

14. The wafer carrier device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 or 12, characterized in that, The tray, the liquid cooling plate, and the back plate are coaxially arranged, and a corrugated pipe is coaxially connected to the lower part of the back plate; an inlet pipe for introducing coolant into the liquid cooling plate and an outlet pipe for discharging coolant from the liquid cooling plate pass through the cavity of the corrugated pipe and the central through hole of the back plate to communicate with the liquid cooling plate.

15. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized in that, It includes a reaction chamber and a wafer carrier disposed in the reaction chamber, wherein the wafer carrier is the wafer carrier according to any one of claims 1-14.

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