Process chamber, carrier plate manipulator, and carrier plate temporary storage apparatus

Abstract

The present application discloses a process chamber, a carrier plate manipulator, and a carrier plate temporary storage apparatus. The process chamber comprises a chamber body, a lifting mechanism, and a heater arranged in the chamber body. The heater comprises multiple layers of heating plates distributed at intervals. Each heating plate is configured to heat a wafer-carrying carrier plate carried by the heating plate. A clearance structure is provided on each heating plate. The lifting mechanism comprises a lifting frame disposed in the chamber body, and the lifting frame comprises multiple layers of first support blocks distributed at intervals. Each layer of first support blocks is opposite to the clearance structure of a corresponding heating plate. During ascension of the lifting frame, each layer of first support blocks upwardly passes through the opposite clearance structure and carries a corresponding carrier plate, so that the carrier plate is separated from the corresponding heating plate. During descension of the lifting frame, each layer of first support blocks downwardly passes through the opposite clearance structure and drops the carrier plate carried by the layer of first support blocks onto the corresponding heating plate, so as to be separated from the carrier plate carried by the layer of first support blocks.

Description

Process chamber, wafer slab robot and wafer slab temporary storage device Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of semiconductor process equipment technology, specifically relating to a process chamber, a wafer carrier robot, and a wafer carrier temporary storage device. Background Technology

[0002] Heterojunction solar cells have many advantages, including unique structure, excellent passivation performance, high theoretical efficiency, short production process, less thermal damage, high bifaciality, low temperature coefficient, low degradation rate, and high degree of thinning, thus having broad market prospects.

[0003] In related technologies, the key process for manufacturing heterojunction solar cells involves depositing intrinsic amorphous silicon thin films on both sides of the wafer, and then depositing N-type or amorphous silicon thin films and P-type crystalline or amorphous silicon thin films on the intrinsic amorphous silicon thin films on both sides, respectively. This is typically achieved using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Different layers are deposited in different process chambers. In related technologies, semiconductor process equipment for manufacturing heterojunction solar cells involves numerous process chambers connected in series, occupying a large area of ​​the factory floor, thus resulting in high configuration costs for the semiconductor process lines. Simultaneously, the semiconductor process equipment for manufacturing heterojunction solar cells in related technologies also suffers from low process efficiency, leading to low production capacity. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application discloses a process chamber, a wafer carrier robot, and a wafer carrier temporary storage device to at least solve one of the technical problems described in the background art.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application disclose a process chamber, which includes a chamber body, a lifting mechanism, and a heater disposed within the chamber body. The heater includes multiple layers of heating plates spaced apart, which are used to heat a wafer carrier plate carried thereon. The heating plate is provided with a clearance structure.

[0007] The lifting mechanism includes a lifting frame disposed within the chamber body, the lifting frame including multiple layers of first support blocks spaced apart, each layer of first support blocks being opposite to the avoidance structure of the corresponding heating plate;

[0008] During the ascent of the lifting frame, the first support block of each layer passes upward through the opposite clearance structure and carries the corresponding plate, so that the plate is separated from the corresponding heating plate; during the descent of the lifting frame, the first support block of each layer passes downward through the opposite clearance structure and causes the plate it carries to fall onto the corresponding heating plate, so that it is separated from the plate it carries.

[0009] Secondly, this application discloses a substrate carrier robot, which is used in conjunction with the process chamber described in the first aspect. The substrate carrier robot includes a finger base and a plurality of second mechanical fingers disposed on the finger base. When picking up or placing a substrate, the plurality of second mechanical fingers can extend through the opening of the chamber body to the interlayer between the corresponding heating plate and the first support block, and during the descent of the lifting frame, they contact the substrate carried on the first support block to carry the substrate. During the ascent of the lifting frame, the substrate carried on the plurality of second mechanical fingers contacts the first support block of the lifting frame to be carried onto the first support block.

[0010] Thirdly, this application discloses a plate storage device. The disclosed plate storage device is used in conjunction with the plate manipulator described in the second aspect. The plate storage device includes a second frame and a second support block disposed on the second frame. The second frame has multiple plate storage spaces. Each plate storage space is provided with multiple layers of the second support block distributed at intervals. The plate manipulator can transport multiple plates it receives to the plate storage space, so that the multiple plates are respectively supported on the multiple layers of the second support block in the plate storage space. Alternatively, the plate manipulator can remove the multiple plates received in the plate storage space.

[0011] The process chamber disclosed in this application is equipped with multiple heating plates and a lifting frame containing multiple first support blocks. The lifting frame raises and lowers the wafer-carrying substrates, allowing them to be transferred in groups between the heating plates and the first support blocks, thus preparing the substrates for entering and exiting the process chamber. In the specific transfer process, a wafer-carrying robotic arm grasps the wafer-carrying substrates in groups and enters the process chamber. The substrates are then placed in groups on the multiple first support blocks by either lowering the robotic arm or raising the lifting frame. The robotic arm can then exit the process chamber, and the lifting frame lowers the multiple first support blocks, allowing them to pass through appropriate clearance structures. Finally, the substrates in groups land on the multiple heating plates, achieving support from the heating plates and preparing for subsequent heating. After the process in the process chamber is completed, the lifting frame rises, allowing multiple layers of first support blocks to pass through the clearance structure of the corresponding heating plates, thereby supporting the wafer carrier and separating it from the corresponding heating plates. In this case, multiple second robotic arms of the wafer carrier robot extend into the gap between the corresponding heating plates and the wafer carrier. Then, the lifting frame falls and finally places the wafer carrier on the corresponding second robotic arms. Finally, the wafer carrier robot removes the wafer carriers carrying the processed wafers from the process chamber in groups. Therefore, the process chamber disclosed in this application can accommodate wafer carriers carrying wafers in groups, enabling the processing of groups of wafers, which is beneficial for improving process efficiency and ultimately increasing the production capacity of semiconductor process equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The protective chamber in Figure 1 shows a part of the structure.

[0013] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a chamber module disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0014] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of another chamber module disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0015] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of another chamber module disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0016] Figure 5 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0017] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip robot disclosed in the embodiment of this application;

[0018] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the wafer robot arm dispensing wafers on a wafer carrier temporary storage device disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0019] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a wafer robot arm picking up and placing wafers on a basket loading and unloading device disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the substrate temporary storage device disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0021] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the plate manipulator disclosed in the embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the cooperation of the first wafer carrier robot, the first wafer carrier temporary storage device and the first wafer robot disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0023] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the second wafer robot, the flipping temporary storage device, and the second wafer carrier temporary storage device disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0024] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the process chamber disclosed in the embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 14 is a sectional view along line AA in Figure 13;

[0026] Figure 15 is an enlarged schematic diagram of part B in Figure 14;

[0027] Figure 16 is an enlarged schematic diagram of part C in Figure 14;

[0028] Figure 17 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the process chamber disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of the process chamber disclosed in an embodiment of this application in one state;

[0030] Figure 19 is an enlarged schematic diagram of part D in Figure 18;

[0031] Figure 20 is a schematic diagram of a portion of the process chamber structure disclosed in an embodiment of this application in another state;

[0032] Figure 21 is an enlarged schematic diagram of part E in Figure 20;

[0033] Figure 22 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the heater disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 23 is an enlarged schematic diagram of part F in Figure 22;

[0035] Figure 24 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the carrier plate disclosed in the embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 25 is an enlarged schematic diagram of part G in Figure 24;

[0037] Figure 26 is a structural schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 27 is a schematic diagram of the drive mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 28 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first support block disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 29 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the heater disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 30 is an enlarged schematic diagram of part H in Figure 29;

[0042] Figure 31 is an enlarged schematic diagram of part I in Figure 29;

[0043] Figure 32 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the carrier plate disclosed in the embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 33 is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the heating plate and the carrier plate disclosed in the embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 34 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the limiting block disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 35 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the plate manipulator disclosed in the embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 36 is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the carrier plate and the second mechanical finger disclosed in the embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 37 is a structural schematic diagram of Figure 36 from other perspectives;

[0049] Figure 38 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second mechanical finger disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 39 is an enlarged schematic diagram of part J in Figure 38.

[0051] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 100-Cavity module, 101-First process chamber, 102-Second process chamber, 103-Third process chamber, 104-Fourth process chamber, 105-Stacked bracket, 1051-Cavity accommodating space, 110-Cavity body, 111-Perforation, 120-Heater, 121-Heating plate, 1211-Avoidance structure, 1212-Second avoidance hole, 122-Support component, 123-Foot support, 124-Limiting block, 1241-First calibration ramp, 1242-First vertical limiting surface, 125-Insulating plate. 130-Lifting mechanism, 131-Drive mechanism, 1311-Power source, 1312-Transmission mechanism, 13121-Screw, 13122-Lifting part, 13123-Annular pressure plate, 13124-Telescopic tube, 13125-Sealing ring, 13126-Connecting plate, 13127-Guide rod, 13128-Base, 13129-Threaded bushing, 13130-First gearbox, 13131-Connecting shaft, 13132-Second gearbox, 13133-Coupling, 132-Lifting frame, 1321-First support block, 13211-Second calibration slope, 13212-First horizontal support surface, 13213-Second vertical limiting surface, 1322-Vertical beam, 1323-Horizontal beam, 200-Transmission device, 201-First wafer robotic arm, 202-Second wafer robotic arm, 203-First wafer carrier temporary storage device, 204-Second wafer carrier temporary storage device, 205-First wafer carrier robotic arm, 206-Second wafer carrier robotic arm, 210-Wafer carrier robotic arm, 211-Finger base, 212-Second robotic finger, 2121-First positioning protrusion, 213-Support pad, 214-Rotation drive unit, 215-Guide rail, 216-Vertical drive unit, 217-Horizontal drive unit, 2171-First horizontal guide rail, 2172-Second horizontal guide rail, 2173-First sub-drive unit, 2174-Second sub-drive unit, 220-Wafer carrier temporary storage device, 221-Second frame, 222-Second support block, 223-First base, 224-First rotating shaft, 230-Wafer carrier, 231-Wafer slot, 232-Positioning hole, 240-Chip robotic arm, 241-First robotic finger, 242-Six-axis industrial robot, 243-Base, 250-Turning and temporary storage device, 260-Basket loading and unloading device, 300-Transport vehicle, 400-Protective compartment, 401-First wafer transfer port, 402-Second wafer transfer port, 403-Chip transfer port, 410-First sub-compartment, 420-Second sub-compartment, 430-First sealed door, 440-Second sealed door, 450-Third sub-compartment. Detailed Implementation

[0052] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0053] The technical solutions disclosed in the various embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0054] Please refer to Figures 1 to 39. This application discloses a semiconductor process apparatus, which can be used to produce heterojunction solar cells. The disclosed semiconductor process apparatus includes a chamber module 100 and a transport device 200.

[0055] The chamber module 100 includes multiple process chambers. Each process chamber is used for at least one semiconductor process on a wafer (e.g., a silicon wafer). In this embodiment, the multiple process chambers included in the chamber module 100 include a first process chamber 101, a second process chamber 102, a third process chamber 103, and a fourth process chamber 104. The first process chamber 101, the second process chamber 102, the third process chamber 103, and the fourth process chamber 104 cooperate with each other to perform different semiconductor processes on the wafer to achieve a coating process.

[0056] The transfer device 200 is used to transfer a wafer between a first process chamber 101, a second process chamber 102, a third process chamber 103, and a fourth process chamber 104. In one embodiment, the transfer device 200 transfers the wafer so that it sequentially passes through the first process chamber 101, the third process chamber 103, the second process chamber 102, and the fourth process chamber 104. In another embodiment, the transfer device 200 transfers the wafer so that it sequentially passes through the first process chamber 101, the second process chamber 102, the third process chamber 103, and the fourth process chamber 104. In other embodiments, the transfer device 200 may also transfer the wafer in a different order between the process chambers. It should be noted that the transfer order of the wafer between the multiple process chambers of each chamber module is determined according to the set semiconductor process sequence and the types of semiconductor processes that can be performed in the process chambers; this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0057] In the embodiments of this application, the type of transfer device 200 can be various, as long as it can realize the transfer of wafers between different process chambers. For example, the transfer device 200 may only include multiple robotic arms of the same type that grip the wafers and realize the transfer of wafers between different process chambers. Another example is that the transfer device 200 may include not only robotic arms for gripping wafers but also devices for temporarily storing wafers. Yet another example is that the transfer device 200 may include multiple robotic arms of different types that grip the wafers and realize the transfer of wafers between different process chambers. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific type of transfer device 200.

[0058] The chamber module 100 disclosed in this application embodiment may include at least one stacked chamber structure. The stacked chamber structure includes at least two process chambers stacked sequentially. It should be noted that the at least two process chambers in the stacked chamber structure are stacked sequentially in the height direction of the chamber module 100. Alternatively, it can be considered that in the at least two process chambers included in the stacked chamber structure, one of two adjacent process chambers is stacked on top of the other, thereby achieving sequential stacking in the vertical direction. This structure allows multiple process chambers in each stacked chamber structure to occupy only the floor space of one process chamber.

[0059] The semiconductor process equipment disclosed in this application adjusts the layout of the process chambers so that the chamber module 100 includes a stacked chamber structure, allowing at least two process chambers in the stacked chamber structure to be stacked sequentially. In this case, each stacked chamber structure allows the at least two stacked process chambers to occupy only the floor space of one process chamber. Compared to laying all the process chambers of the semiconductor process equipment flat on the ground, the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in this application undoubtedly reduces the floor space of the semiconductor process equipment, thereby reducing the cost of setting up a semiconductor process production line and ultimately achieving the goal of cost reduction and efficiency improvement.

[0060] In one embodiment, in the chamber module 100 disclosed in this application, the number of the first process chamber 101, the second process chamber 102, the third process chamber 103, and the fourth process chamber 104 can all be one. In this case, the chamber module 100 includes one first process chamber 101, one second process chamber 102, one third process chamber 103, and one fourth process chamber 104, thereby minimizing the number of process chambers configured in the chamber module 100, which is beneficial to reducing the hardware configuration cost of the chamber module 100.

[0061] In another embodiment, in the chamber module 100 disclosed in this application, at least one of the first process chamber 101, the second process chamber 102, the third process chamber 103, and the fourth process chamber 104 can be multiple. In a more specific embodiment, in the chamber module 100 disclosed in this application, there can be multiple first process chambers 101, second process chambers 102, third process chambers 103, and fourth process chambers 104. In this configuration, the chamber module 100 includes multiple first process chambers 101, multiple second process chambers 102, multiple third process chambers 103, and multiple fourth process chambers 104. Therefore, if one of the first process chambers 101, second process chambers 102, third process chambers 103, or fourth process chambers 104 in the chamber module 100 fails, the semiconductor process equipment can be replaced by other first process chambers 101, second process chambers 102, third process chambers 103, or fourth process chambers 104. This ensures that the semiconductor process equipment will not be shut down due to a failure of any one of the first process chambers 101, second process chambers 102, third process chambers 103, or fourth process chambers 104, thereby ensuring the stability of semiconductor process equipment production.

[0062] In a more specific embodiment, in the chamber module 100 disclosed in this application, a portion of the first process chamber 101, the second process chamber 102, the third process chamber 103, and the fourth process chamber 104 are one, while the other portion are multiple. This type of chamber module 100 allows for the configuration of multiple process chambers prone to failure and only one process chamber less prone to failure, thus preventing an excessive number of process chambers in the chamber module 100. Furthermore, it ensures that if a process chamber prone to failure fails, it can be replaced by another process chamber of the same type, ultimately maintaining the stability of semiconductor process equipment manufacturing.

[0063] It should be emphasized that the embodiments of this application do not limit the specific number of the first process chamber 101, the second process chamber 102, the third process chamber 103 and the fourth process chamber 104.

[0064] The semiconductor process equipment disclosed in this application may include one or more chamber modules 100. Similarly, this application does not limit the number of chamber modules 100. In the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in this application, since each chamber module 100 includes a stacked chamber structure, the floor space of the chamber module 100 is small. Given a fixed factory space, the number of chamber modules 100 can be adjusted to make full use of the factory space. At the same time, the chamber modules 100 make the layout of the process chambers in the factory resemble a modular layout, which helps to make the construction of the semiconductor process equipment process line clear and easy.

[0065] As described above, the chamber module 100 includes at least one stacked chamber structure. Each chamber module 100 may include one stacked chamber structure or multiple stacked chamber structures. In one embodiment, each chamber module 100 may include a first process chamber 101, a second process chamber 102, a third process chamber 103, and a fourth process chamber 104. Any two of the first process chamber 101, the second process chamber 102, the third process chamber 103, and the fourth process chamber 104 may be stacked to form a stacked chamber structure, and the other two process chambers may be stacked to form another stacked chamber structure, thereby enabling each chamber module 100 to form two stacked chamber structures. In another embodiment, when each chamber module 100 may include a first process chamber 101, a second process chamber 102, a third process chamber 103, and a fourth process chamber 104, any two process chambers can be stacked to form a stacked chamber structure, while the other two process chambers may not be stacked. This structure can also reduce the floor space occupied by the chamber module 100.

[0066] In the embodiments of this application, the stacked chamber structure may include at least two process chambers. For example, the stacked chamber structure may include two process chambers stacked sequentially, or it may include three process chambers stacked sequentially, or it may include four process chambers stacked sequentially. Taking the chamber module 100 as an example, which includes a first process chamber 101, a second process chamber 102, a third process chamber 103, and a fourth process chamber 104, in one embodiment, the chamber module 100 includes a stacked chamber structure, where any three of the first process chamber 101, the second process chamber 102, the third process chamber 103, and the fourth process chamber 104 are stacked to form a stacked chamber structure. In another embodiment, the chamber module 100 includes a stacked chamber structure, where the first process chamber 101, the second process chamber 102, the third process chamber 103, and the fourth process chamber 104 are stacked to form a stacked chamber structure.

[0067] Since the embodiments of this application do not limit the number of the first process chamber 101, the second process chamber 102, the third process chamber 103 and the fourth process chamber 104 included in the chamber module 100, nor do they limit the number of process chambers included in the stacked chamber structure, the embodiments of this application also do not limit the number of stacked chamber structures included in the chamber module 100.

[0068] In the stacked chamber structure disclosed in this application, there are various stacking methods for the process chambers included in the stacked chamber structure. In one embodiment, at least two process chambers included in the stacked chamber structure can be directly stacked, that is, in two adjacent process chambers in the stacked chamber structure, the upper process chamber supports the lower process chamber, and the upper process chamber contacts the lower process chamber. This method of stacking through direct contact support makes the stacked chamber structure more compact. In another embodiment, the chamber module disclosed in this application may further include a stacked support 105, and each stacked chamber structure may include a stacked support 105. The stacked support 105 includes multiple chamber receiving spaces 1051, and the process chambers included in the stacked chamber structure are respectively placed in the multiple chamber receiving spaces 1051. Specifically, at least two process chambers included in the stacked chamber structure can be placed one-to-one in the multiple chamber receiving spaces 1051 of the stacked support 105, thereby achieving separate arrangement. In this structure, two adjacent process chambers in each stacked chamber structure can be supported on the stacked bracket 105 without direct support contact, which reduces interference between adjacent process chambers. Furthermore, this structure facilitates the removal and replacement of the lower process chamber without being affected by the upper process chamber.

[0069] In this embodiment, the first process chamber 101 can be used to deposit a first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the front side of the wafer. The second process chamber 102 can be used to deposit a second intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the back side of the wafer. The third process chamber 103 can be used to deposit an N-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer on the second intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer. The fourth process chamber 104 can be used to deposit a P-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer on the first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer.

[0070] In one exemplary process of fabricating a wafer, the transfer device 200 can control the wafer to sequentially pass through a first process chamber 101, a second process chamber 102, a third process chamber 103, and a fourth process chamber 104, thereby depositing a first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer, a second intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer, an N-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer, and a P-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer, respectively. In another exemplary process of fabricating a wafer, the transfer device 200 can also control the wafer to sequentially pass through a first process chamber 101, a third process chamber 103, a second process chamber 102, and a fourth process chamber 104, thereby depositing a first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer, an N-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer, a second intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer, and a P-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer, respectively. In yet another exemplary process of processing a wafer, the transfer device 200 may also control the wafer to sequentially pass through a first process chamber 101, a second process chamber 102, a fourth process chamber 104 and a third process chamber 103, thereby depositing a first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer, a second intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer, a P-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer and an N-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer, respectively.

[0071] In the specific process design, the inventors of this application discovered that depositing an N-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer after the P-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer has been completed can easily cause adverse contamination to the N-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer. Therefore, the deposition of the P-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer can be placed last. That is, before the deposition of the P-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer, the deposition of the first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer, the second intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer, and the N-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer can be completed.

[0072] In one embodiment, the chamber module 100 disclosed in this application may include two stacked chamber structures, one of which includes a first process chamber 101 and a fourth process chamber 104 stacked on top of the first process chamber 101, and the other stacked chamber structure may include a third process chamber 103 and a second process chamber 102 stacked on top of the third process chamber 103.

[0073] In another embodiment, the chamber module 100 disclosed in this application may include two stacked chamber structures, one of which includes a first process chamber 101 and a fourth process chamber 104 stacked on top of the first process chamber 101, and the other stacked chamber structure may include a second process chamber 102 and a third process chamber 103 stacked on top of the second process chamber 102.

[0074] The semiconductor process equipment disclosed in this application may further include a controller, which may be a PLC control circuit or a host computer. This application does not limit the specific type of controller. The controller is connected to the transmission device 200. Specifically, the controller and the transmission device 200 can communicate via wired or wireless means to control the transmission device 200 and thus control the transmission device 200 to perform corresponding transmission operations.

[0075] In one embodiment, the controller can control the semiconductor process equipment to sequentially perform the following steps:

[0076] S110, the control and transmission device 200 transmits the unprocessed wafer to the first process chamber 101 and deposits a first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the front side of the wafer.

[0077] S120, the control and transmission device 200 flips the wafer after it has been processed in the first process chamber 101 and then transmits the wafer to the second process chamber 102 to deposit a second intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the back side of the wafer.

[0078] S130, the control and transmission device 200 transmits the wafer processed by the second process chamber 102 to the third process chamber 103 and deposits an N-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer on the second intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer.

[0079] S140, the control and transmission device 200 flips the wafer after it has been processed in the third process chamber 103 and then transmits the wafer to the fourth process chamber 104 to deposit a P-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer on the first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer.

[0080] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, the front side and the back side of the wafer are two opposite surfaces of the wafer. The surface on which the first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer is deposited is the front side of the wafer, and the surface on which the second intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer is deposited is the back side.

[0081] Considering that the first process chamber 101 and the second process chamber 102 are process chambers where wafers need to enter sequentially for corresponding processes during the above steps, in order to improve wafer transfer efficiency, within the same chamber module 100, the first process chamber 101 and the second process chamber 102 can be located at equal heights in two adjacent stacked chamber structures, for example, the first process chamber 101 and the second process chamber 102 can be located at the bottom of two adjacent stacked chamber structures. This structure allows the transfer device 200 to transfer wafers from the first process chamber 101 to the second process chamber 102 without having to consider their height differences, which is beneficial for the transfer device 200 to transfer wafers more quickly.

[0082] As described above, the transmission device 200 disclosed in this application can be of various types. In one embodiment, the transmission device 200 disclosed in this application may include a first wafer robot 201. The first wafer robot 201 is a robot for picking up and placing wafers. The first wafer robot 201 is used to pick up and place unprocessed wafers to prepare for pre-processing. The first wafer robot 201 is also used to pick up and place wafers that have been processed by the chamber module 100 to prepare for post-processing unloading. It should be noted that "pre-processing" in this document refers to wafers that have not been processed by any of the first process chamber 101, second process chamber 102, third process chamber 103, and fourth process chamber 104 in the chamber module 100. "Post-processing" in this document refers to wafers that have been processed by the first process chamber 101, second process chamber 102, third process chamber 103, and fourth process chamber 104 in the chamber module 100 to form processed wafers.

[0083] It should be noted that the wafers described in this article as having completed the process only at the cavity module 100 stage, and do not mean that the wafers used to fabricate heterojunction solar cells have completed all the processes.

[0084] In this embodiment, the first wafer robot 201 is used not only for loading wafers before processing but also for loading wafers after processing before unprocessing. Therefore, the first wafer robot 201 has multiple functions, enabling both pre-process loading and post-process unloading preparations to share the same robot. This eliminates the need for multiple dedicated robots, simplifying the structure of the transmission device 200 and reducing its configuration cost. In this embodiment, only one first wafer robot 201 is used, further reducing configuration costs. Of course, in other embodiments, multiple first wafer robots 201 can be used, such as two. In this case, one of the two robots is in use while the other is on standby. If one robot 201 malfunctions, the other can immediately take over, ensuring the stability of the transmission process.

[0085] In a further embodiment, the first chip robot 201 is used to pick up and place chips in groups. That is, the first chip robot 201 can pick up a group of chips at a time and put down a group of chips at a time. Each group of chips includes multiple chips. This picking method of the first chip robot 201 can improve the chip picking and placing efficiency, which is conducive to improving the transmission efficiency and ultimately improving the production capacity of semiconductor process equipment.

[0086] This application does not limit the type of the first wafer manipulator 201. In one embodiment, the first wafer manipulator 201 can be a gripping manipulator, that is, it grasps the wafer by mechanical gripping or releases the wafer by releasing the gripping. The gripping force of the gripping manipulator is difficult to control, which can easily damage the wafer during the gripping and release process. Moreover, when picking up and placing wafers in groups, it is difficult to unify the gripping force of the gripping manipulator on the group of wafers, resulting in poor wafer picking and placing stability. In another embodiment, the first wafer manipulator 201 can be a vacuum manipulator. The vacuum manipulator grasps the wafer by vacuum adsorption or releases the wafer by releasing the vacuum. The vacuum manipulator causes less damage to the wafer, thereby reducing the damage to the wafer by the transfer device 200 during the transfer process, which ultimately helps to improve the yield of the wafer after processing.

[0087] The transmission device 200 disclosed in this application embodiment may further include a first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 and a first wafer carrier robot 205. The first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 is essentially a wafer temporary storage device, on which both unprocessed wafers and processed wafers can be temporarily stored. The first wafer robot 201 is used to pick up and place wafers in groups on the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203. Specifically, the first wafer robot 201 is used to pick up unprocessed wafers in groups and place them on the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203. The first wafer robot 201 is also used to pick up processed wafers in groups from the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 and transport them away.

[0088] The first wafer carrier robot 205 is used at least to transfer wafers in groups between the first process chamber 101 and the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203. In this case, the step S110 above, which controls the transfer device 200 to transfer unprocessed wafers to the first process chamber 101 and deposit a first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the front side of the wafers, includes: the controller controls the first wafer carrier robot 201 to transfer unprocessed wafers in groups to the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 and then controls the first wafer carrier robot 205 to transfer unprocessed wafers in groups to the first process chamber 101, and deposits a first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the front side of the wafers in the first process chamber 101.

[0089] Specifically, the controller can communicate with the first wafer manipulator 201 and the first wafer carrier manipulator 205 respectively, thereby realizing the control of the first wafer manipulator 201 and the first wafer carrier manipulator 205.

[0090] The first wafer carrier robot 205 can directly transfer unprocessed wafers from the first wafer carrier storage device 203 to the first process chamber 101. To avoid damage to the wafers during entry and exit from the process chamber, in other embodiments, the transfer device 200 may further include groups of wafer carriers 230, each group comprising multiple wafer carriers 230 for carrying wafers. The multiple wafer carriers 230 in each group are spaced apart in the carrying direction of the wafer carriers 230; that is, there is a gap between adjacent wafer carriers 230 in each group. In this case, the first wafer carrier robot 205 is at least used for grouping wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers between the first wafer carrier storage device 203 and the first process chamber 101. Specifically, the first wafer carrier robot 205 is used to grasp wafer carriers 230 carrying unprocessed wafers on the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 in groups, and to transfer the wafer carriers 230 carrying unprocessed wafers in groups to the first process chamber 101. This method enables the wafer carriers 230 carrying unprocessed wafers to carry the unprocessed wafers into the first process chamber 101 in groups, and to deposit a first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the front side of the unprocessed wafers in the first process chamber 101.

[0091] In this case, the steps described above, in which the controller controls the first wafer robot 201 to transfer unprocessed wafers in groups to the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 and then controls the first wafer carrier robot 205 to transfer unprocessed wafers in groups to the first process chamber 101, may include the following steps:

[0092] S111, the controller controls the first wafer robot 201 to transfer unprocessed wafers in groups to the wafer carriers 230 distributed in groups in the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203, so that each group of wafers is placed on the corresponding set of wafer carriers 230.

[0093] S112, The controller controls the first wafer carrier robot 205 to transfer the wafer carrier 230 carrying the unprocessed wafers from the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 to the first process chamber 101 in groups.

[0094] As described in one embodiment above, in a stacked chamber structure, a fourth process chamber 104 is stacked on top of a first process chamber 101. Since the wafer becomes a completed wafer after being processed in the fourth process chamber 104, and the completed wafer can be temporarily stored on the first wafer carrier storage device 203, in a further embodiment, the first wafer carrier robot 205 is also used to transfer wafer carriers 230 carrying the completed wafers in groups between the fourth process chamber 104 and the first wafer carrier storage device 203. In this configuration, the first wafer carrier robot 205 is used not only to transfer wafer carriers 230 carrying unprocessed wafers from the first wafer carrier storage device 203 to the first process chamber 101 in groups, but also to transfer wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers processed in the fourth process chamber 104 (i.e., processed wafers) from the fourth process chamber 104 to the first wafer carrier storage device 203 in groups. This method enables communication between the first wafer carrier storage device 203 and the first process chamber 101, as well as between the fourth process chamber 104 and the first wafer carrier storage device 203. The transfer of the wafer-carrying substrate 230 between chamber 104 and the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 shares the first wafer carrier robot 205. This eliminates the need for a dedicated robot for the wafer carrier 230 carrying unprocessed wafers between the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 and the first process chamber 101, and also eliminates the need for a dedicated robot for the wafer carrier 230 carrying processed wafers between the fourth process chamber 104 and the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203. This simplifies the transfer device 200, thereby reducing the cost of semiconductor process equipment. Simultaneously, the shared first wafer carrier robot 205 reduces the number of components in the transfer device 200, thus reducing its footprint and ultimately contributing to a smaller footprint for the semiconductor process equipment.

[0095] As described above, the transmission device 200 includes a group of wafer carriers 230. This embodiment does not limit the number of groups of wafer carriers 230. As also mentioned above, considering that contamination is easily generated during the process in the fourth process chamber 104, in order to avoid adverse effects on the processes in other process chambers, in one embodiment, the fourth process chamber 104 can be configured with two groups of wafer carriers 230, which can be considered as a first group of wafer carriers 230 and a second group of wafer carriers 230. These two groups of wafer carriers 230 only enter and exit the fourth process chamber 104 and do not enter or exit other process chambers, thereby avoiding contamination. When in use, one of the two groups of wafer carriers 230 associated with the fourth process chamber 104 can be in the fourth process chamber 104 for processing, while the other can be located in the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 to prepare for unloading the processed wafers, or the other can be located in the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 to receive wafers that have been processed and flipped after being processed in the third process chamber 103.

[0096] As described above, since the first process chamber 101 needs to be flipped before entering the second process chamber 102, in one embodiment, the first process chamber 101 can be equipped with two sets of carrier plates 230, which can be considered as the third set of carrier plates 230 and the fourth set of carrier plates 230. These two sets of carrier plates 230 are only used to enter and exit the first process chamber 101.

[0097] Since no wafer flipping is required between the second process chamber 102 and the third process chamber 103, the second process chamber 102 and the third process chamber 103 can share the sets of wafer carriers 230, namely the fifth set of wafer carriers 230 and the sixth set of wafer carriers 230. This means that the fifth set of wafer carriers 230 and the sixth set of wafer carriers 230 can both enter and exit the second process chamber 102 and the third process chamber 103, and do not need to be exclusively used by the second process chamber 102 and the third process chamber 103.

[0098] In one specific embodiment, the transmission device disclosed in this application can be configured with six sets of carrier plates 230, namely the first set of carrier plates 230, the second set of carrier plates 230, the third set of carrier plates 230, the fourth set of carrier plates 230, the fifth set of carrier plates 230 and the sixth set of carrier plates 230 mentioned above, so as to enable the transport device 200 to operate well.

[0099] The transmission device 200 disclosed in this application embodiment may further include a second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204. The second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 has the same function as the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203, and is essentially a device for temporarily storing wafers. Wafers processed in the first process chamber 101 or the third process chamber 103 can be temporarily stored on the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204, thereby providing conditions for the flipping operation of the wafer before entering the second process chamber 102 or the fourth process chamber 104. In this case, there is wafer transfer between the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 and the first process chamber 101, and there is also wafer transfer between the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 and the fourth process chamber 104. Based on this, in a further embodiment, the first wafer carrier robot 205 is also used to transfer wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers in groups between the first process chamber 101 and the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 and between the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 and the fourth process chamber 104. Specifically, the first wafer carrier robot 205 is used to pick up wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers processed in the first process chamber 101 in groups from the first process chamber 101 and transfer them to the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204. The first wafer carrier robot 205 is also used to pick up wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers processed in the third process chamber 103 and flipped in groups from the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 and transfer them to the fourth process chamber 104.

[0100] This approach further expands the functionality of the first wafer carrier robot 205, allowing it to be better shared. This eliminates the need for a dedicated robot for the wafer carrier 230 (carrying wafers processed in the first process chamber 101) between the second wafer carrier storage device 204 and the first process chamber 101, and also eliminates the need for a dedicated robot for the wafer carrier 230 (carrying wafers processed in the third process chamber 103 and flipped) between the fourth process chamber 104 and the second wafer carrier storage device 204. This simplifies the structure of the transfer device 200, further reducing the cost of semiconductor process equipment. Simultaneously, the shared use of the first wafer carrier robot 205 reduces the number of components in the transfer device 200, further reducing its footprint and ultimately contributing to a smaller footprint for the semiconductor process equipment.

[0101] When the transfer device 200 includes a first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 and a first wafer carrier robot 205, the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 can temporarily store wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers processed in the fourth process chamber 104 (i.e., wafers with completed processing). The first wafer carrier robot 205 is also used to transfer wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers processed in the fourth process chamber 104 from the fourth process chamber 104 to the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 in groups. Based on this, the controller can control the semiconductor process equipment to further perform the following steps after S140:

[0102] S150, the first wafer carrier robot 205 is controlled to remove the wafer carrier 230 carrying the wafer processed in the fourth process chamber 104 from the fourth process chamber 104 and place it on the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203. This method indirectly realizes the transfer of the processed wafer from the fourth process chamber 104 to the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 by transferring the wafer carrier 230.

[0103] The transmission device 200 disclosed in this application embodiment may further include a basket loading / unloading device 260. The basket loading / unloading device 260 is used to unload unprocessed wafers carried in baskets on a transport vehicle (e.g., an AGV) 300, and also to transfer processed wafers to baskets on the transport vehicle 300 for loading. The basket loading / unloading device 260 is prior art, and the loading / unloading process, principle, and structure of the basket loading / unloading device 260 are all well-known technologies and will not be described in detail here.

[0104] When the conveying device 200 includes the basket loading / unloading device 260, S111 may specifically include:

[0105] S1111, The controller controls the first wafer robot 201 to transfer unprocessed wafers from the basket loading and unloading device 260 to the wafer carriers 230 distributed in groups in the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203.

[0106] Since the basket loading / unloading device 260 can also accept wafers that have completed the process, the controller can control the semiconductor process equipment to further perform the following steps after S150:

[0107] S160, the first wafer robot arm 201 is controlled to take out the completed wafers from the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 and transfer them to the basket loading and unloading device 260 in groups.

[0108] As can be seen from the above process steps, the first process chamber 101 deposits a first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the front side of the wafer, while the second process chamber 102 deposits a second intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the back side of the wafer. Therefore, during the process of transferring the wafer from the first process chamber 101 to the second process chamber 102, it is necessary to flip its front side to the back side, so as to prepare for the subsequent deposition of the second intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the back side of the wafer in the second process chamber 102. Similarly, in the third process chamber 103, an N-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer is deposited on the second intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer deposited on the back side of the wafer, while in the fourth process chamber 104, a P-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer is deposited on the first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer deposited on the front side of the wafer. Therefore, during the transfer of the wafer from the third process chamber 103 to the fourth process chamber 104, its back side needs to be flipped to the front side, in order to prepare for the subsequent deposition of a P-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer on the first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer deposited on the front side of the wafer in the fourth process chamber 104.

[0109] Based on this, the transmission device 200 disclosed in the embodiments of this application may further include a second wafer robot 202 and a second wafer carrier robot 206. The second wafer robot 202 is used to flip the wafers temporarily stored on the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 that have been processed by the first process chamber 101 or the third process chamber 103, thereby preparing the wafers to enter the second process chamber 102 or the fourth process chamber 104.

[0110] The second wafer carrier robot 206 can directly pick up and place wafers, thereby transporting the wafers processed and flipped in the first process chamber 101 from the second wafer carrier storage device 204 to the second process chamber 102. To avoid damaging the wafers during entry and exit from the process chamber, in other embodiments, the second wafer carrier robot 206 is at least used to transport wafer carriers 230 carrying the wafers processed and flipped in the first process chamber 101 in groups between the second wafer carrier storage device 204 and the second process chamber 102, thereby indirectly realizing the transfer of the wafers processed and flipped in the first process chamber 101 from the second wafer carrier storage device 204 to the second process chamber 102.

[0111] When the transfer device 200 includes a second wafer manipulator 202 and a second wafer carrier manipulator 206, the controller can communicate with the second wafer manipulator 202 and the second wafer carrier manipulator 206 respectively, thereby controlling the second wafer manipulator 202 and the second wafer carrier manipulator 206. The controller can control the semiconductor process equipment to execute S120 according to the following steps:

[0112] S121. Control the first wafer carrier robot 205 to move the wafer carrier 230 carrying the wafer processed by the first process chamber 101 out of the first process chamber 101 and transfer it to the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204.

[0113] S122, control the second wafer robot 202 to grab the wafers processed by the first process chamber 101 on the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 in groups, flip them over, and after flipping, place the wafers processed by the first process chamber 101 in groups on the wafer carriers 230 distributed in groups in the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204.

[0114] S123. Control the second wafer carrier robot 206 to transfer the wafer carrier 230, which carries the wafers processed and flipped in the first process chamber 101, from the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 to the second process chamber 102 in groups.

[0115] As described above, the second wafer manipulator 202 is used to pick up and place wafers on the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 and to flip the wafers. Similar to the first wafer manipulator 201, in one embodiment, the second wafer manipulator 202 can be a gripping manipulator, that is, to grasp the wafer by mechanical gripping or to release the wafer by releasing the gripping. The gripping manipulator can grip the edge of the wafer, thereby flipping the wafer by rotating the gripping manipulator itself. Specifically, the gripping manipulator grips the wafers in groups by gripping and then flips the wafers by rotating itself. After flipping, the wafers are then placed back in groups on the wafer carriers 230 distributed in groups in the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204. The gripping force of the gripping manipulator is difficult to control, which can easily damage the wafers during the gripping and picking process. Moreover, during the process of picking up and placing wafers in groups, it is difficult to uniformly apply the gripping force of the gripping manipulator to the wafers gripped in groups, resulting in poor stability of wafer picking and placing.

[0116] In another embodiment, the second wafer manipulator 202 can also be a vacuum manipulator. The vacuum manipulator grasps the wafer through vacuum adsorption or releases the wafer by de-vacuuming. Vacuum manipulators cause less damage to the wafer, thus minimizing damage to the wafer during transport by the transfer device 200, ultimately improving the yield of the wafer after processing. The vacuum manipulator transports the wafer by adsorbing its front or back side.

[0117] In this case, the transfer device 200 disclosed in the embodiments of this application may further include a flipping temporary storage device 250. In one embodiment, the second wafer robot 202 is a vacuum robot. The second wafer robot 202 is used to transfer wafers in groups between the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 and the flipping temporary storage device 250, thereby realizing the flipping operation required for performing the wafer process. Specifically, after depositing a first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the front side of the wafer in the first process chamber 101, a second intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer needs to be deposited on the back side of the wafer in the second process chamber 102. In this case, the second wafer robot 202 is used to pick up the wafers processed in the first process chamber 101 in groups by vacuum adsorption of the front side of the wafers, and transport them in groups from the wafer carriers 230 in the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 to the flipping temporary storage device 250. The wafers to be flipped after being processed in the first process chamber 101 are temporarily stored in the flipping temporary storage device 250. Then, the second wafer robot 202 picks up the wafers processed in the first process chamber 101 from the flipping temporary storage device 250 by vacuum adsorption of the back side of the wafers, and transfers them in groups from the flipping temporary storage device 250 to the wafer carriers 230 in the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204, thus realizing the wafer flipping operation.

[0118] In this embodiment, the flipping storage device 250 provides temporary storage for wafers. When a wafer is temporarily stored on the flipping storage device 250, both the front and back sides of the wafer are exposed for selective gripping by the second wafer robot 202. For example, the flipping storage device 250 may be provided with slots for inserting the edge of the wafer. The slots engage with the edge of the wafer to ensure proper placement of the wafer on the flipping storage device 250, while the slots do not cover the front and back sides of the wafer. This embodiment does not limit the specific structure of the flipping storage device 250, as long as it allows the front and back sides of the wafer to be exposed after placement for gripping by the second wafer robot 202 via vacuum adsorption.

[0119] After depositing an N-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer on the second intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the back side of the wafer in the third process chamber 103, a P-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer needs to be deposited on the first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the front side of the wafer in the fourth process chamber 104. In this scenario, the second wafer robot 202 is used to pick up the wafer processed by the third process chamber 103 by vacuum adsorption of the back side of the wafer (in this case, the vacuum adsorption is actually of the N-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer on the back side of the wafer), and transport it in groups from the wafer carriers 230 grouped in the second wafer carrier storage device 204 to the flipping storage device 250. The wafer to be flipped after being processed by the third process chamber 103 is temporarily stored in the flipping storage device 250. Then, the second wafer robot 202 picks up the wafer processed by the third process chamber 103 from the flipping storage device 250 by vacuum adsorption of the front side of the wafer (in this case, the vacuum adsorption is actually of the first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the front side of the wafer), and transports it in groups from the flipping storage device 250 to the wafer carriers 230 grouped in the second wafer carrier storage device 204, thus finally realizing the wafer flipping operation.

[0120] In an optional embodiment, the second wafer robot 202 can be positioned between the flipping temporary storage device 250 and the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204. This centrally located arrangement facilitates the cooperation of the second wafer robot 202 with both the flipping temporary storage device 250 and the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204, thereby making it easier to coordinate with them to achieve wafer transfer during the flipping process. Considering that the second wafer robot 202 generally has greater flexibility, in other embodiments, the second wafer robot 202 may not be positioned between the flipping temporary storage device 250 and the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific placement of the second wafer robot 202.

[0121] When the transfer device 200 includes a flipping storage device 250, the controller is used to control the semiconductor process equipment to perform the following steps in S122: controlling the second wafer robot 202 to pick up wafers in groups from the second wafer carrier storage device 204 after processing in the first process chamber 101 and flip them:

[0122] S1221. Control the second wafer robot 202 to grab the front side of the wafer after it has been processed by the first process chamber 101 on the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 in groups, and place it on the flipping temporary storage device 250.

[0123] S1222: Control the second wafer robot 202 to grab the back side of the wafer that has been processed in the first process chamber 101 and placed on the flipping temporary storage device 250, and place it on the wafer carriers 230 distributed in groups on the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 to complete the flipping.

[0124] As described in one embodiment above, in a stacked chamber structure, a third process chamber 103 is stacked on top of a second process chamber 102. Based on this, in a further embodiment, a second wafer carrier robot 206 can also be used to transfer wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers in groups between the second process chamber 102 and the third process chamber 103. Specifically, the second wafer carrier robot 206 grasps wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers processed in the second process chamber 102 in groups and transports them to the third process chamber 103.

[0125] As described above, the wafers processed in the third process chamber 103 are temporarily stored in the second wafer carrier storage device 204. Therefore, in a further embodiment, the second wafer carrier robot 206 is also used to transfer wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers in groups between the third process chamber 103 and the second wafer carrier storage device 204. Specifically, the second wafer carrier robot 206 is used to grasp wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers processed in the third process chamber 103 in groups and transport them to the second wafer carrier storage device 204.

[0126] This approach expands the functionality of the second wafer carrier robot 206, allowing it to be better shared. This eliminates the need for a dedicated robot for the wafer carrier 230 (carrying wafers processed in the second process chamber 102) between the second process chamber 102 and the third process chamber 103, and also eliminates the need for a dedicated robot for the wafer carrier 230 (carrying wafers processed in the third process chamber 103) between the third process chamber 103 and the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204. This further simplifies the structure of the transfer device 200, thereby reducing the cost of semiconductor process equipment. Simultaneously, by further sharing the first wafer carrier robot 205, the number of components in the transfer device 200 can be reduced, further reducing its footprint and ultimately further reducing the footprint of the semiconductor process equipment.

[0127] When the transfer device 200 includes a second wafer carrier robot 206, a second wafer robot 202, a second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204, and a first wafer carrier robot 205, the controller can control the semiconductor process equipment to perform S130 through the following steps:

[0128] S131, control the second wafer carrier robot 206 to take out the wafer carrier 230 carrying the wafer processed by the third process chamber 103 from the third process chamber 103 and transfer it to the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204.

[0129] S132, control the second wafer robot 202 to grab the wafers processed by the third process chamber 103 on the second wafer temporary storage device 204 in groups, flip them over, and after flipping, place the wafers processed by the third process chamber 103 in groups on the wafer temporary storage device 204 on the wafer carriers 230 distributed in groups.

[0130] S133, control the first wafer carrier robot 205 to transfer the wafer carrier 230, which carries the wafer processed in the third process chamber 103 and flipped, from the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 to the fourth process chamber 104 in groups.

[0131] In an embodiment where the transfer device 200 further includes a flipping storage device 250, the controller can be used to control the semiconductor process equipment to perform the following steps in S132: controlling the second wafer robot 202 to pick up wafers in groups from the second wafer carrier storage device 204 after processing in the third process chamber 103 and flip them:

[0132] S1321. Control the second wafer robot 202 to grab the back side of the wafer after it has been processed by the third process chamber 103 on the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 in groups, and place it on the flipping temporary storage device 250.

[0133] S1322, Control the second wafer robot 202 to grab the front side of the wafer that has been processed in the third process chamber 103 and placed on the flipping temporary storage device 250, and place it on the wafer carriers 230 distributed in groups on the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 to complete the flipping.

[0134] The first wafer carrier robot 205 can be of various types. Specifically, the first wafer carrier robot 205 can adopt a variety of existing robots that can move in multiple directions (such as moving or rotating) to achieve flexible transportation. In order to make it easier for the first wafer carrier robot 205 to better perform the multiple functions mentioned above, the first wafer carrier robot 205 can be opposite to the stacked chamber structure where the first process chamber 101 is located. This structure allows the first wafer carrier robot 205 to be opposite to the first process chamber 101 and the fourth process chamber 104 respectively by lifting and lowering, thereby making it easier for the wafer carrier 230 carrying the wafer to enter and exit the first process chamber 101 or the fourth process chamber 104.

[0135] Similarly, in order to make it easier for the second wafer carrier robot 206 to better perform the multiple functions mentioned above, the second wafer carrier robot 206 can be positioned opposite the stacked chamber structure where the second process chamber 102 is located. This structure allows the second wafer carrier robot 206 to be positioned opposite the second process chamber 102 and the third process chamber 103 respectively by lifting and lowering, thereby making it easier for the wafer carrier 230 carrying the wafer to enter and exit the second process chamber 102 or the third process chamber 103.

[0136] In a further embodiment, the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 can be located on the side of the first wafer carrier robot 205 facing away from the second wafer carrier robot 206, and the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 can be located between the first wafer carrier robot 205 and the second wafer carrier robot 206. This distribution of the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 and the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 allows for a more compact layout, making it easier for the first wafer carrier robot 205 and the second wafer carrier robot 206 to each perform multiple functions.

[0137] Based on the transmission device 200 including the basket loading / unloading device 260, in a further embodiment, the basket loading / unloading device 260 can be opposite to the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203, and the first wafer robot 201 can be located between the basket loading / unloading device 260 and the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203. This distribution allows the first wafer robot 201 to more conveniently cooperate with the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 and the basket loading / unloading device 260 respectively.

[0138] Based on the transmission device 200 including the flipping temporary storage device 250, in a further embodiment, the flipping temporary storage device 250 may be opposite to the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204, and the second wafer robot 202 may be located between the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 and the flipping temporary storage device 250. This distribution allows the second wafer robot 202 to more conveniently cooperate with the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 and the flipping temporary storage device 250 respectively.

[0139] The semiconductor process equipment disclosed in this application may further include a protective chamber 400, in which a second wafer robot 202, a second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204, a first wafer carrier robot 205, and a second wafer carrier robot 206 are disposed. The protective chamber 400 provides protection and reduces wafer contamination, while ensuring the safety of wafer transfer between the aforementioned devices and between the process chambers of the chamber module 100. In embodiments where the transfer device 200 includes a flipping temporary storage device 250, the flipping temporary storage device 250 may also be disposed within the protective chamber 400.

[0140] In one embodiment, the protective chamber 400 can provide a single space in which the second wafer robot 202, the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204, the first wafer carrier robot 205, and the second wafer carrier robot 206 are housed. This approach eliminates the need for a complex protective chamber 400, thus simplifying the structure of semiconductor process equipment.

[0141] In another embodiment, the protective compartment 400 may include a first sub-compartment 410, a second sub-compartment 420, a first sealing door 430, and a second sealing door 440.

[0142] The first wafer carrier robot 205, the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204, the second wafer robot 202, and the flipping temporary storage device 250 can be located in the first sub-compartment 410. The second wafer carrier robot 206 is located in the second sub-compartment 420.

[0143] The protective chamber 400 has a first wafer transfer port 401 connecting to the first sub-chamber 410 and a second wafer transfer port 402 connecting the first sub-chamber 410 and the second sub-chamber 420. The first wafer transfer port 401 is used for the first wafer robot 205 to pass through to pick up the wafer 230 carrying the unprocessed wafer from the first wafer temporary storage device 203 or to transfer the wafer 230 carrying the wafer processed by the fourth process chamber 104 to the first wafer temporary storage device 203.

[0144] The second wafer carrier transfer port 402 is used for the second wafer carrier robot 206 to pass through in order to pick up the wafer carrier 230 carrying the wafer processed by the first process chamber 101 and flipped from the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204, or to transfer the wafer carrier 230 carrying the wafer processed by the third process chamber 103 to the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204.

[0145] The first sealing door 430 cooperates with the first wafer transfer port 401 to control the opening and closing of the first wafer transfer port 401. When it is necessary to transfer wafers through the first wafer transfer port 401, the first sealing door 430 is opened; when it is not necessary to transfer wafers through the first wafer transfer port 401, the first sealing door 430 is closed to block the first wafer transfer port 401, thereby ensuring the environment inside the first sub-compartment 410.

[0146] The second sealing door 440 cooperates with the second wafer transfer port 402 to control the opening and closing of the second wafer transfer port 402. When it is necessary to transfer wafers through the second wafer transfer port 402, the second sealing door 440 is opened; when it is not necessary to transfer wafers through the second wafer transfer port 402, the second sealing door 440 is closed to block the second wafer transfer port 402, thereby ensuring the environment inside the second sub-compartment 420.

[0147] In the embodiments of this application, the first sub-compartment 410 and the second sub-compartment 420 can be nitrogen-filled chambers or vacuum chambers. In the embodiment where the first sub-compartment 410 and the second sub-compartment 420 are nitrogen-filled chambers, the nitrogen concentration in the second sub-compartment 420 is at least 99.9%, and the nitrogen concentration in the first sub-compartment 410 is at least 95%.

[0148] Since the wafer carrier 230 enters and exits the process chamber in the first sub-chamber 410 and the second sub-chamber 420, and the first sub-chamber 410 and the second sub-chamber 420 can be isolated from the external environment of the semiconductor process equipment, the first sub-chamber 410 and the second sub-chamber 420 can also keep the wafer warm, so that the temperature of the wafer will not drop too quickly after it is output from one process chamber, and it can still have a high temperature when it enters the next process chamber. Ultimately, it can reduce the preheating time of the wafer in the next process chamber, which is beneficial to improving process efficiency and can also achieve the goal of increasing the production capacity of semiconductor process equipment.

[0149] As described above, in one embodiment, the transfer device 200 may include a basket loading / unloading device 260, and the first wafer robot 201 may be used to transfer unprocessed wafers or processed wafers in groups between the basket loading / unloading device 260 and the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203. In a further embodiment, the protective compartment 400 disclosed in this application may further include a third sub-compartment 450, and the first sub-compartment 410 may be located between the third sub-compartment 450 and the second sub-compartment 420. The first wafer carrier transfer port 401 is used to connect the third sub-compartment 450 and the first sub-compartment 410. The third sub-compartment 450 may have a wafer transfer port 403, and the basket loading / unloading device 260, the first wafer robot 201, and the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 may be sequentially arranged in the third sub-compartment 450 in a direction away from the wafer transfer port 403. The wafer transfer port 403 is used to dock with the transport vehicle (e.g., AGV) 300 mentioned above. The transport vehicle 300 carries a first basket containing unprocessed wafers. When the transport vehicle 300 moves to the position where it docks with the wafer transfer port 403, the first basket containing the unprocessed wafers will be received by the basket loading / unloading device 260 and pass through the wafer transfer port 403 into the third sub-compartment 450. The basket loading / unloading device 260 can also unload the unprocessed wafers from the first basket for subsequent gripping by the first wafer robot arm 201. The transport vehicle 300 also carries a second basket, which carries finished wafers. When the transport vehicle 300 runs to the position where it docks with the wafer transfer port 403, the first wafer robot 201 grabs the finished wafers in groups from the groups of wafer carriers 230 in the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 and transports them to the basket loading and unloading device 260. The basket loading and unloading device 260 loads the finished wafers onto the second basket and transfers the second basket carrying the finished wafers to the transport vehicle 300 through the wafer transfer port 403.

[0150] The third sub-compartment 450 can protect the basket loading / unloading device 260, the first wafer robot 201, and the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 located inside it. Since the wafer will not enter the process chamber of the chamber module 100 from the third sub-compartment 450, the third sub-compartment 450 can be an atmospheric compartment.

[0151] The protective compartment 400 disclosed in this application embodiment may further include a third sealing door, which cooperates with the wafer transfer port 403 to control the opening and closing of the wafer transfer port 403. In this case, the third sealing door facilitates the formation of a sealed structure for the third sub-compartment 450, thereby ensuring the sealing of the third sub-compartment 450 when the wafer transfer port 403 is not docked with the transport vehicle 300. When the wafer transfer port 403 docks with the transport vehicle 300, the third sealing door opens. In this case, the transport vehicle 300 can be sealed and docked with the wafer transfer port 403, thereby ensuring that the sealing of the third sub-compartment 450 is still ensured when the wafer transfer port 403 is docked with the transport vehicle 300.

[0152] The semiconductor process equipment disclosed in this application may include multiple wafer manipulators 240, which may include the first wafer manipulator 201 and the second wafer manipulator 202 mentioned above. The first wafer manipulator 201 and the second wafer manipulator 202 may have the same structure. In one embodiment, a wafer manipulator 240 may include multiple first mechanical fingers 241, a six-axis industrial robot 242, and a base 243. In each wafer manipulator 240, the multiple first mechanical fingers 241 are spaced apart and fixed to the base 243. The base 243 is fixed to the free end of the six-axis industrial robot 242. Each wafer manipulator 240 includes multiple first mechanical fingers 241. During the wafer picking and placing process, each first mechanical finger 241 can pick up and place one wafer. Since each wafer manipulator 240 includes multiple first mechanical fingers 241, each wafer manipulator 240 can simultaneously pick up and place multiple wafers, thus achieving the purpose of picking up and placing wafers in groups as described above.

[0153] When the wafer robotic arm 240 is a gripping robotic arm, the first mechanical finger 241 can be a gripping structure. When the wafer robotic arm 240 is a vacuum robotic arm, the first mechanical finger 241 can be a vacuum suction cup. The vacuum suction cup grasps the wafer by vacuum adsorption of the front or back side of the wafer and releases the wafer by releasing the vacuum.

[0154] The semiconductor process equipment disclosed in this application embodiment may include multiple wafer carrier temporary storage devices 220, which may include the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 and the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 described above. The first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 and the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 may have the same structure. The wafer carrier temporary storage device 220 may include a second frame 221 and a second support block 222 disposed on the second frame 221. Specifically, the second support block 222 may be fixed to the second frame 221 by means of welding, bonding, snap-fitting, or connecting with connectors. The second frame 221 may have multiple temporary storage spaces for slide plates. Each temporary storage space for slide plates may be provided with multiple layers of second support blocks 222 spaced apart. Each layer of second support blocks 222 is used to support slide plates 230. The multiple layers of second support blocks 222 can support multiple layers of slide plates 230. As mentioned above, the slide plates 230 are distributed in groups. Each group of slide plates 230 includes multiple slide plates 230. Each group of slide plates 230 is distributed in layers, that is, each slide plate 230 in each group of slide plates 230 is located in a different layer.

[0155] In a further embodiment, the wafer carrier temporary storage device 220 may further include a first base 223 and a first rotating shaft 224, with a second frame 221 rotatably mounted on the first base 223 via the first rotating shaft 224. The second frame 221 has a wafer pick-and-place port facing a first direction and a wafer carrier pick-and-place port facing a second direction. The first direction may intersect with the second direction. Specifically, the first direction may be perpendicular to the second direction.

[0156] The wafer pick-and-place port is used to cooperate with the first wafer robot 201 or the second wafer robot 202, for the first wafer robot 201 to pick up and place wafers in groups on the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 or the second wafer robot 202 to pick up and place wafers in groups on the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204. The wafer carrier pick-and-place port is used to cooperate with the first wafer carrier robot 205 or the second wafer carrier robot 206, for the first wafer carrier robot 205 to pick up and place wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers in groups on the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 or the second wafer carrier robot 206 to pick up and place wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers in groups on the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204.

[0157] The first base 223 can be placed on the ground inside the factory. The second frame 221 can be rotatably mounted on the first base 223 via the first pivot 224, thereby allowing the second frame 221 to rotate to adjust the orientation of the wafer pick-and-place port and the wafer carrier pick-and-place port. This allows for flexible adjustment of the orientation of the wafer pick-and-place port and the wafer carrier pick-and-place port, ultimately facilitating their relative orientation with the wafer robot 240 or the wafer carrier robot 210 mentioned later.

[0158] The semiconductor process equipment disclosed in this application may include multiple wafer carrier robots 210, which may include a first wafer carrier robot 205 and a second wafer carrier robot 206. The first wafer carrier robot 205 and the second wafer carrier robot 206 have the same structure. In one embodiment, the wafer carrier robot 210 may include multiple second mechanical fingers 212. The wafer carrier robot 210 is located on the side facing the wafer carrier pick-and-place port, and the multiple second mechanical fingers 212 can pick up and place wafer carriers 230 loaded with wafers in the wafer carrier temporary storage device 220 in groups through the wafer carrier pick-and-place port.

[0159] In this embodiment, the second mechanical finger 212 can be a clamping structure, a vacuum adsorption structure, or a supporting structure. When the second mechanical finger 212 is a supporting structure, the wafer-loaded substrate 230 can fall onto the second mechanical finger 212 by its own weight and be supported by the second mechanical finger 212, and be transferred by following the movement of the second mechanical finger 212.

[0160] In a more specific structure, the plate carrier robot 210 may further include a rotation drive unit 214, a guide rail 215, a vertical drive unit 216, a horizontal drive unit 217, and a finger seat 211. Multiple second mechanical fingers 212 may be fixed to the finger seat 211. The finger seat 211 is connected to the horizontal drive unit 217, which drives the finger seat 211 to move horizontally. The vertical drive unit 216 is connected to the horizontal drive unit 217, and drives the horizontal drive unit 217, the finger seat 211, and the multiple second mechanical fingers 212 to move vertically along the guide rail 215. The guide rail 215 is connected to the rotation drive unit 214, which drives the guide rail 215 to rotate, causing the multiple second mechanical fingers 212 to rotate around a preset axis extending vertically. This structure enables the second mechanical finger 212 to move in the horizontal or vertical direction, and also enables the second mechanical finger 212 to rotate around the vertical direction, ultimately realizing the picking, placing and transporting of the wafer-carrying substrate 230.

[0161] It should be noted that, in this document, the horizontal movement of the second mechanical finger 212 refers to the movement of the second mechanical finger 212 towards or away from the process chamber of the opposite stacked chamber structure, thereby enabling the wafer-carrying substrate 230 to enter and exit the opposite process chamber. The process chamber can be a horizontal chamber, and the opening of the chamber body can be horizontal. The vertical movement of the second mechanical finger 212 refers to the vertical movement of the second mechanical finger 212, thereby enabling height adjustment in the stacking direction of the opposite stacked chamber structure, and thus enabling it to align with the process chamber at the corresponding height, preparing for the subsequent entry and exit of the wafer-carrying substrate 230 into and out of the process chamber. The second mechanical finger 212 can rotate in a vertical direction, which means that the second mechanical finger 212 can rotate in a vertical direction, thereby enabling the group transfer of wafer-carrying wafers 230 between the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 and the first process chamber 101, between the first process chamber 101 and the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204, between the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 and the second process chamber 102, between the third process chamber 103 and the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204, between the fourth process chamber 104 and the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204, or between the fourth process chamber 104 and the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203.

[0162] To reduce the space occupied by horizontal movement, in one embodiment, the horizontal drive unit 217 can be a telescopic drive mechanism, such as a hydraulic telescopic mechanism, a pneumatic telescopic mechanism, or other telescopic drive mechanisms. In one embodiment, the horizontal drive unit 217 may include a first horizontal guide rail 2171, a second horizontal guide rail 2172, a first sub-drive unit 2173, and a second sub-drive unit 2174. The first horizontal guide rail 2171 is fixedly connected to the vertical drive unit 216. The second horizontal guide rail 2172 is slidably disposed on the first horizontal guide rail 2171. The first sub-drive unit 2173 connects the first horizontal guide rail 2171 and the second horizontal guide rail 2172 and is used to drive the second horizontal guide rail 2172 to move horizontally along the first horizontal guide rail 2171. The finger seat 211 is slidably disposed on the second horizontal guide rail 2172. The second sub-drive unit 2174 connects the second horizontal guide rail 2172 and the finger seat 211 and is used to drive the finger seat 211 to move horizontally along the second horizontal guide rail 2172.

[0163] As described above, the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in this application includes a first wafer robot 201. In one embodiment, the first wafer robot 201 can not only pick up wafers processed in the fourth process chamber 104 from the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 for unloading, but also pick up unprocessed wafers and transfer them to the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203. The controller in this application embodiment can control the first wafer robot 201 to first pick up wafers processed in the fourth process chamber 104 for unloading, or it can first pick up unprocessed wafers for loading. In the specific design process, the inventors of this application discovered that unloading wafers with completed processes as quickly as possible is more conducive to improving wafer transfer efficiency. Based on this, in one embodiment, the controller can control the semiconductor process equipment to perform the following steps:

[0164] S311. Determine whether there is a wafer processed by the fourth process chamber 104 on the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203.

[0165] S312. If so, control the first wafer robot 201 to grab the wafers processed by the fourth process chamber 104 on the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 in groups and unload them;

[0166] S313. If not, control the first wafer robot 201 to grab unprocessed wafers in groups and transport them to the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203.

[0167] The controller schedules the first wafer robot 201 according to the sequence of S311-S313, so that the first wafer robot 201 prioritizes picking up the wafers processed by the fourth process chamber 104 on the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203, which helps to improve the transmission efficiency of the transmission device 200.

[0168] In a further embodiment where the transfer device 200 also includes a basket loading / unloading device 260, the first wafer robot 201 can be disposed between the basket loading / unloading device 260 and the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203, thereby advantageously cooperating with both the basket loading / unloading device 260 and the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203. In this case, wherein:

[0169] S312 may include: controlling the first wafer robot 201 to grab the wafers processed by the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 in groups and transport them to the basket loading and unloading device 260.

[0170] S313 may include: controlling the first wafer robot 201 to pick up unprocessed wafers in groups from the basket loading and unloading device 260 and transport them to the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203.

[0171] As described above, in one embodiment, the chamber module 100 includes a first process chamber 101, a second process chamber 102, a third process chamber 103, and a fourth process chamber 104 for sequentially processing the wafer. The first process chamber 101 is used to deposit a first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the front side of the wafer, and the fourth process chamber 104 is used to deposit a P-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer on the first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the front side of the wafer. The fourth process chamber 104 is stacked above the first process chamber 101. The transfer device 200 includes a first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203, a first wafer carrier robot 205, and a second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204. The first wafer carrier robot 205 can be shared to perform multiple functions. In the specific process, the inventors of this application discovered that the fourth process chamber 104 takes the longest time to deposit a P-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer on the first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer, which is the key to determining the overall capacity of the semiconductor process equipment. Reducing the waiting time of the fourth process chamber 104 and allowing the wafer carrier 230 to move quickly in and out of the fourth process chamber 104 is beneficial to improving process efficiency, thereby achieving the goal of increasing the capacity of the semiconductor process equipment. Based on this, in order to increase the capacity of the semiconductor process equipment, the controller can control the semiconductor process equipment to perform the following steps:

[0172] S321. Determine whether the fourth process chamber 104 contains a wafer processed by the fourth process chamber 104.

[0173] S322. If so, control the first wafer carrier robot 205 to transfer the wafers processed by the fourth process chamber 104 to the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 in groups.

[0174] S323. If not, determine whether the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 contains a wafer that has been processed by the third process chamber 103 and needs to enter the fourth process chamber 104.

[0175] S324 When a wafer that has been processed in the third process chamber 103 and needs to enter the fourth process chamber 104 is stored on the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204, the first wafer carrier robot 205 is controlled to transfer the wafers stored on the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 that have been processed in the third process chamber 103 and need to enter the fourth process chamber 104 to the fourth process chamber 104 in groups.

[0176] It should be noted that the wafer that has undergone the process in the third process chamber 103 and needs to enter the fourth process chamber 104 refers to the wafer that has undergone the process in the third process chamber 103 and has been flipped over in preparation for entering the fourth process chamber 104 for further processing.

[0177] In a further embodiment, when the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 does not contain a wafer that has been processed in the third process chamber 103 and needs to enter the fourth process chamber 104, the controller can further control the semiconductor process equipment to perform the following steps:

[0178] S325. Determine whether the first process chamber 101 contains a wafer processed by the first process chamber 101;

[0179] S326. If so, control the first wafer carrier robot 205 to transfer the wafers processed by the first process chamber 101 to the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 in groups.

[0180] S327. If not, control the first wafer carrier robot 205 to transfer unprocessed wafers stored on the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 to the first process chamber 101 in groups.

[0181] In this situation, if the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 does not hold a wafer that has been processed by the third process chamber 103 and needs to enter the fourth process chamber 104, it means that the fourth process chamber 104 does not need assistance for the time being. The controller controls the first wafer carrier robot 205 to take out the wafer carrier 230 carrying the wafer processed by the first process chamber 101 from the first process chamber 101, and then input the wafer carrier 230 carrying the unprocessed wafer into the first process chamber 101 so that the first process chamber 101 can start the process as soon as possible.

[0182] As described above, in one embodiment, the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in this application includes a chamber module 100, a transfer device 200, and a controller. The chamber module 100 includes a first process chamber 101, a second process chamber 102, a third process chamber 103, and a fourth process chamber 104, which sequentially perform processes on the wafer. The first process chamber 101 is used to deposit a first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the front side of the wafer. The second process chamber 102 is used to deposit a second intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the back side of the wafer. The third process chamber 103 is used to deposit an N-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer on the second intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer. The fourth process chamber 104 is used to deposit a P-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer on the first intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the front side of the wafer. The transfer device 200 includes a second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 and a second wafer robot 202. The controller controls the semiconductor process equipment to perform the following steps:

[0183] S327. Determine whether the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 contains a wafer that needs to be flipped after being processed by the third process chamber 103.

[0184] S328. If so, control the second wafer robot 202 to pick up wafers that need to be flipped after being processed in the third process chamber 103 from the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 in groups and perform flipping operations.

[0185] S329. If not, determine whether the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 contains a wafer that needs to be flipped after being processed by the first process chamber 101.

[0186] S330 When the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 contains wafers that need to be flipped after being processed in the first process chamber 101, the second wafer robot 202 is controlled to pick up the wafers that need to be flipped after being processed in the first process chamber 101 from the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 in groups and perform the flipping operation.

[0187] In the embodiments of this application, the fourth process chamber 104 has the longest processing time for the wafer, the third process chamber 103 has the second longest processing time for the wafer, and the first process chamber 101 and the second process chamber 102 have shorter processing times for the wafer.

[0188] Similarly, to reduce waiting time in process chambers with long processing times, it is beneficial to start these processes as quickly as possible, thereby improving process efficiency. Based on this, in this type of semiconductor process equipment, it is prioritized to determine whether the second wafer carrier storage device 204 contains wafers that need to be flipped after processing in the third process chamber 103. Subsequently, the second wafer robot 202 is prioritized to perform the flipping operation on the wafers that need to be flipped after processing in the third process chamber 103. Then, it is determined whether the second wafer carrier storage device 204 contains wafers that need to be flipped after processing in the first process chamber 101. Subsequently, the second wafer robot 202 is controlled to perform the flipping operation on the wafers that need to be flipped after processing in the first process chamber 101. This sequential determination and flipping process better prioritizes the full operation of the fourth process chamber 104 before considering the full operation of the third process chamber 103, thereby improving the throughput of the semiconductor process equipment and achieving the goal of better utilizing the second wafer robot 202.

[0189] In an embodiment where the transfer device 200 includes a flipping temporary storage device 250, the second wafer robot 202 may be disposed between the flipping temporary storage device 250 and the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204. In this case, wherein:

[0190] S328 may include: controlling the second wafer robot 202 to grab the back side of the wafer that needs to be flipped after being processed in the third process chamber 103 from the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 in groups and transferring it to the flipping temporary storage device 250; and then controlling the second wafer robot 202 to grab the front side of the wafer after being processed in the third process chamber 103 from the flipping temporary storage device 250 in groups and transferring it to the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204.

[0191] S330 may include: controlling the second wafer robot 202 to grab the front side of the wafer that needs to be flipped after being processed in the first process chamber 101 from the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 and transfer it to the flipping temporary storage device 250; and then controlling the second wafer robot 202 to grab the back side of the wafer after being processed in the first process chamber 101 from the flipping temporary storage device 250 and transfer it to the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204.

[0192] In one embodiment, the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in this application may include a chamber module 100, a transfer device 200, and a controller. The chamber module 100 includes a first process chamber 101, a second process chamber 102, a third process chamber 103, and a fourth process chamber 104 for sequentially processing a wafer. The second process chamber 102 is used to deposit a second intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer on the back side of the wafer, and the third process chamber 103 is used to deposit an N-type crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon thin film layer on the second intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film layer. The transfer device 200 includes a second wafer carrier robot 206 and a second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204. The controller controls the semiconductor process equipment to perform the following steps:

[0193] S331. Determine whether the third process chamber 103 contains a wafer processed by the third process chamber 103.

[0194] S332. If so, control the second wafer carrier robot 206 to grab the wafers processed by the third process chamber 103 in groups and transport them to the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204.

[0195] S333. If not, determine whether the second process chamber 102 contains a wafer processed by the second process chamber 102.

[0196] S334. When the wafers processed by the second process chamber 102 are stored in the second process chamber 102, the second wafer carrier robot 206 is controlled to grab the wafers processed by the second process chamber 102 in groups and transport them to the third process chamber 103.

[0197] As mentioned above, the processing time of the wafer in the third process chamber 103 is longer than that in the second process chamber 102. In this approach, the priority is still to determine whether there are wafers processed by the third process chamber 103 in the third process chamber 103. Subsequently, when there are wafers processed by the third process chamber 103 in the third process chamber 103, the second wafer carrier robot 206 is controlled to grab the wafers processed by the third process chamber 103 in groups and transfer them to the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204. This allows the third process chamber 103 to prepare for the processing of the next batch of wafers more promptly, which helps to reduce the waiting time of the third process chamber 103 and achieve the goal of making full use of the third process chamber 103 to improve the capacity of semiconductor process equipment.

[0198] In a further embodiment, the controller may also control the semiconductor process equipment to perform the following steps:

[0199] S335. When there is no wafer processed by the second process chamber 102 stored in the second process chamber 102, determine whether there is a wafer that needs to enter the second process chamber 102 after being processed by the first process chamber 101 stored on the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204.

[0200] S336 When the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 contains wafers that need to enter the second process chamber 102 after being processed in the first process chamber 101, the second wafer carrier robot 206 is controlled to grab the wafers that need to enter the second process chamber 102 in groups.

[0201] As mentioned above, the transmission device 200 disclosed in the embodiments of this application may further include a group of wafer carriers 230, which are used to carry wafers. The first wafer carrier robot 205 and the second wafer carrier robot 206 realize the transmission of wafers by grasping the wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers in a group.

[0202] As described above, the chamber module 100 disclosed in this application includes multiple process chambers, including a first process chamber 101, a second process chamber 102, a third process chamber 103, and a fourth process chamber 104 capable of performing different coating processes on wafers. Similarly, as described above, the first wafer carrier robot 205 and the second wafer carrier robot 206 can collectively grasp wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers and move them into and out of the corresponding process chambers. In other words, in one embodiment, the process chambers disclosed in this application can process wafers on groups of wafer carriers 230 that have entered them, i.e., they can process groups of wafers that have entered them. The process chambers can simultaneously process wafers distributed in groups along the carrying direction of the wafer carriers 230, which can improve the process efficiency of the process chambers and thus help increase the throughput of semiconductor process equipment.

[0203] In order to cooperate with the wafer carriers 230 that carry the wafers to perform the process on the wafers, the process chamber disclosed in this application embodiment may include a chamber body 110, a heater 120 and a lifting mechanism 130.

[0204] The chamber body 110 is an outer component of the process chamber. The chamber body 110 not only forms the process space of the process chamber, but also provides an installation foundation for at least some of the other components of the chamber body 110.

[0205] A heater 120 is disposed within the chamber body 110. The heater 120 includes multiple heating plates 121 spaced apart. The heating plates 121 are used to heat the wafer carrier 230 they support. In the specific process, the heating plates support the wafer carrier 230 and heat the wafer carrier 230. Since the wafer carrier 230 supports the wafer, the heating plates 121 can indirectly heat the wafer by heating the wafer carrier 230, so that the wafer reaches the required temperature during the thin film deposition process. The heating plates 121 are provided with a clearance structure 1211. The clearance structure 1211 can be a first clearance hole or a clearance notch. The specific shape of the clearance structure 1211 is not limited in this embodiment.

[0206] The lifting mechanism 130 includes a lifting frame 132, which is located inside the chamber body 110. The lifting frame 132 includes multiple layers of first support blocks 1321 spaced apart, each layer of first support blocks 1321 being opposite to the avoidance structure 1211 of the corresponding heating plate 121. The lifting frame 132 is capable of lifting and lowering.

[0207] During the ascent of the lifting frame 132, the first support block 1321 of each layer passes upward through the corresponding clearance structure 1211 and carries the corresponding wafer plate 230, so that the wafer plate 230 is separated from the corresponding heating plate 121, thereby preparing for the wafer plate robot 210 to subsequently grasp the wafer plates 230 carrying the wafers in groups.

[0208] During the descent of the lifting frame 132, the first support block 1321 of each layer passes downward through the corresponding clearance structure 1211 and causes the wafer carrier 230 it carries to fall onto the corresponding heating plate 121, so as to separate it from the wafer carrier 230 it carries. This allows the wafer carrier 230 carrying the wafer to be placed onto the heating plate 121, thus preparing it for the heating plate 121 to carry and heat the wafer carrier 230 in subsequent processes.

[0209] The process chamber disclosed in this application is equipped with a multi-layer heating plate 121 and a lifting frame 132 containing multiple layers of first support blocks 1321. The lifting frame 132 raises and lowers the wafer carriers 230 in groups between the heating plate 121 and the first support blocks 1321, thereby preparing the wafer carriers 230 in groups to enter and exit the process chamber. During the specific handover process, the wafer carrier robot 210 grabs the wafer carriers 230 carrying the wafers in groups and enters them into the process chamber. The wafer carriers 230 carrying the wafers are placed on the multi-layer first support blocks 1321 in groups by the wafer carrier robot 210 falling or the lifting frame 132 rising. The wafer carrier robot 210 can then exit the process chamber. The lifting frame 132 drives the multi-layer first support blocks 1321 to descend, so that the first support blocks 1321 pass through the corresponding avoidance structure 1211. Finally, the groups of wafer carriers 230 fall onto the multi-layer heating plates 121, thus realizing the support of the wafer carriers 230 by the heating plates 121 and preparing for subsequent heating. After the process in the process chamber is completed, the lifting frame 132 rises, allowing the multi-layered first support blocks 1321 to pass through the clearance structure 1211 of the corresponding heating plate 121, thereby supporting the wafer carrier 230 and separating it from the corresponding heating plate 121. In this case, the multiple second mechanical fingers 212 of the wafer carrier robot 210 extend into the interlayer between the corresponding heating plate 121 and the wafer carrier 230. Then, the lifting frame 132 falls down, finally placing the wafer carrier 230 onto the corresponding second mechanical fingers 212. Finally, the wafer carrier robot 210 removes the wafer carrier 230 carrying the wafers processed in the process chamber in groups from the process chamber. Therefore, the process chamber disclosed in this application embodiment can allow wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers in groups to enter and exit, thereby enabling the processing of groups of wafers, which is beneficial to improving process efficiency and ultimately increasing the production capacity of semiconductor process equipment.

[0210] In this embodiment, the heater 120 includes multiple heating plates 121 that can be independently disposed within the chamber body 110, or they can be disposed in cooperation with each other within the chamber body 110. In one embodiment, the heater 120 disclosed in this embodiment may further include multiple sets of support members 122, and adjacent heating plates 121 can be supported by a set of support members 122 to ensure that the adjacent heating plates 121 are spaced apart. This structure of the heater 120 allows adjacent heating plates 121 to be isolated by a set of support members 122, and at the same time allows the lower heating plate 121 of the two adjacent heating plates 121 to support the upper heating plate 121 by a set of support members 122. Compared with the independent arrangement of multiple heating plates 121, this structure has the advantage of simple structure.

[0211] Each set of support members 122 may include one support member 122 or multiple support members 122, as long as they can provide spaced support for two adjacent heating plates 121. In one embodiment, each set of support members 122 includes multiple support members 122, and the multiple support members 122 included in each set of support members 122 can be distributed spaced along the edge of the corresponding heating plate 121. This structure can achieve relatively stable and balanced support.

[0212] In one embodiment, the heater 120 can be fixed within the chamber body 110. In this embodiment, the heater 120 may further include a foot support 123, which supports the heating plate 121 adjacent to the bottom wall of the chamber body 110 via the multi-layer heating plate 121. This allows the foot support 123 to support the heater 120, ensuring that the heater 120 is spaced apart from the bottom wall of the chamber body 110, preventing contact with the bottom wall. Specifically, the bottom end of the foot support 123 can be fixedly connected to the bottom wall of the chamber body 110, and the top end of the foot support 123 is fixedly connected to the heating plate 121 adjacent to the bottom wall of the chamber body 110 via the multi-layer heating plate 121. It should be noted that the heating plate 121 adjacent to the bottom wall of the chamber body 110 via the multi-layer heating plate 121 refers to the bottommost heating plate 121 in the multi-layer heating plate 121.

[0213] To achieve better support, in a further embodiment, there can be multiple foot supports 123, which are spaced apart on the edge of the heater 120. In this case, the multiple spaced foot supports 123 can provide multi-point support and also facilitate balanced support, ultimately improving the support effect.

[0214] The heating plate 121 can support the wafer carrier 230. To prevent the wafer carrier 230 from deviating on the corresponding heating plate 121, in one embodiment, the heater 120 may also include limiting blocks 124. Multiple limiting blocks 124 can be spaced apart on the edge of each heating plate 121. The limiting blocks 124 are used to limit contact with the opposite edge of the wafer carrier 230. Under the limiting action of the limiting blocks 124, the wafer carrier 230 is less likely to break through the edge of the heating plate 121 and deviate or even slip off. Specifically, the limiting blocks 124 can be fixed to the edge of the heating plate 121 by welding, bonding, snap-fitting, or other methods.

[0215] In a further embodiment, the edge of the heating plate 121 may include a plurality of sub-edges connected end to end in sequence. Except for the sub-edge through which the carrier plate 230 enters and exits, the other sub-edges may be provided with limiting blocks 124. This structure makes it easier for the carrier plate 230 to enter and exit the gap between two adjacent heating plates 121.

[0216] In one embodiment, the limiting block 124 may include a first vertical limiting surface 1242, which may make limiting contact with the edge of the carrier plate 230. In another embodiment, the limiting block 124 includes not only the first vertical limiting surface 1242, but also a first calibration ramp 1241 that is interconnected with the first vertical limiting surface 1242. The first calibration ramp 1241 is inclined relative to the first vertical limiting surface 1242 and is used to guide the carrier plate 230 to descend to the position where it makes limiting contact with the first vertical limiting surface 1242. When the wafer carrier 230 falls onto the heating plate 121, if the wafer carrier 230 becomes tilted, the guidance of the first calibration slope 1241 will cause the wafer carrier 230 carrying the wafer to slide down to the position where it contacts the first vertical limiting surface 1242 under the action of gravity. Thus, the limiting block 124 not only plays a limiting role, but also plays a role in correcting the position of the wafer carrier 230.

[0217] In the multilayer heating plate 121, the distance between any two adjacent heating plates 121 can be equal. This structure helps to make the space between two adjacent heating plates 121 more consistent, which helps to make the process environment faced by the wafers on the carrier board 230 between the two adjacent heating plates 121 more consistent, thereby improving the process consistency of the wafers.

[0218] In other embodiments, an insulating plate 125 can be laid on the top surface of the heating plate 121 located at the top of the heater 120 and the bottom surface of the heating plate 121 located at the bottom of the heater 120. The insulating plate 125 can be a mica board, or it can be made of other insulating materials. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific material of the insulating plate 125. The installation of the insulating plate 125 can avoid the adverse effects of the top wall and bottom wall of the chamber body 110 on the heater 120.

[0219] In this embodiment, since the top surface of the heating plate 121 located at the top of the heater 120 is covered with an insulating plate 125, the carrier plate 230 does not need to be placed on the heating plate 121 at the top of the heater 120.

[0220] Compared to related technologies where low-capacity process chambers can only hold one wafer and the process environment is constructed by electrically connecting the top and bottom walls of the process chamber to an RF power supply and ground, respectively, the process chamber disclosed in this application can achieve simultaneous processing of multiple wafers. Furthermore, in the multi-layer heating plates 121, one of adjacent heating plates 121 can be connected to an RF power supply while the other is grounded. This ensures that wafers between any two adjacent heating plates 121 are in the same plasma process environment, which helps ensure process consistency.

[0221] The heating plate 121 is used to place the wafer carrier 230 carrying the wafer. Specifically, each heating plate 121 can hold one wafer carrier 230 or multiple wafer carriers 230. Placing multiple wafer carriers 230 on each heating plate 121 enables the processing of more wafers, which is beneficial for achieving higher throughput. Based on this, in one embodiment, the heating plate 121 can have multiple placement areas arranged side by side, each placement area is used to place one wafer carrier 230, and each placement area is provided with a clearance structure 1211.

[0222] This application embodiment does not limit the position or the number of avoidance structures 1211 provided on the placement area. In one embodiment, multiple avoidance structures can be provided at intervals on both side edges extending along the pick-and-place direction of the wafer carrier 230 (which can also be considered as the direction in which the wafer carrier 230 carrying the wafer enters and exits the process chamber). The multiple avoidance structures 1211 allow multiple first support blocks 1321 to pass through, thereby achieving multi-point support for the wafer carrier 230 and improving the stability of the support for the wafer carrier 230. The pick-and-place direction of the wafer carrier 230 is parallel to the opening orientation of the chamber body. This structure can more easily avoid possible interference between the second mechanical finger 212 and the first support block 1321 during the handover process.

[0223] As described above, the lifting frame 132 may include multiple layers of first support blocks 1321. Each layer of first support blocks 1321 can rise and fall independently. The lifting frame 132 rises synchronously when all layers of first support blocks 1321 rise, and falls synchronously when all layers of first support blocks 1321 fall. To facilitate the lifting and lowering of the multiple layers of first support blocks 1321, the lifting frame 132 disclosed in this embodiment may also include a first frame. All layers of first support blocks 1321 are fixed to the first frame and can rise and fall synchronously with the first frame. In this case, each layer of first support blocks 1321 cannot rise and fall independently. In actual operation, only the first frame needs to be driven to rise and fall to achieve the lifting and lowering of the multiple layers of first support blocks 1321, which also improves the synchronicity of the rising and lowering of the multiple layers of first support blocks 1321.

[0224] The first frame is the main frame of the lifting frame 132, which can realize the installation of multiple first support blocks 1321 on the same installation base, and can also drive the multiple first support blocks 1321 to rise and fall synchronously. The first support blocks 1321 can be fixed on the first frame by welding, bonding, snap-fitting and other methods, thereby realizing the installation on the first frame.

[0225] The structure of the first frame can be varied, and the embodiments of this application do not limit the specific structure of the first frame. In a specific embodiment, the first frame may include multiple rows of vertical beams 1322 spaced apart, each row of vertical beams 1322 may include multiple vertical beams 1322, and each vertical beam 1322 is provided with multiple first support blocks 1321 spaced apart along its height direction. Multiple first support blocks 1321 located at the same height of the multiple rows of vertical beams 1322 constitute a layer of first support blocks 1321; the area on the heating plate 121 located between two adjacent rows of vertical beams 1322 constitutes a plate placement area, and a second clearance hole 1212 may be opened on the heating plate 121 between two adjacent plate placement areas, the second clearance hole 1212 being used for the vertical beams 1322 distributed opposite to it to pass through. In this structure, the first frame includes multiple rows of vertical beams 1322, each row of vertical beams 1322 includes multiple vertical beams 1322, and each vertical beam 1322 has multiple first support blocks 1321 distributed along its height direction. Therefore, this structure can make the number of first support blocks 1321 in each layer more, which is beneficial to improving the stability of the support for the carrier plate 230.

[0226] Furthermore, the first frame may include a crossbeam 1323 for connecting multiple rows of vertical beams 1322. Specifically, the crossbeam 1323 may include horizontally extending crossbeams 1323 whose extension directions intersect, and these crossbeams 1323 can respectively connect the vertical beams 1322 in different rows and connect the crossbeams 1323 in the same row.

[0227] The process chamber disclosed in this application embodiment may include a manual control mechanism, which is connected to the lifting frame 132. The manual control mechanism is used to allow operators to manually operate the lifting frame 132 to raise and lower it. Specifically, the manual control mechanism can be connected to the lifting frame 132 through a connection with the first frame.

[0228] For ease of operation, the process chamber disclosed in this application embodiment may further include a drive mechanism 131. It should be noted that the drive mechanism 131 in this document refers to a power mechanism that does not require manual operation. The drive mechanism 131 is connected to the lifting frame 132 and is used to drive the lifting frame 132 to move up or down.

[0229] In one embodiment, the drive mechanism 131 may include a power source 1311 and a transmission mechanism 1312. The power source 1311 may be a drive motor, hydraulic motor, etc. The power source 1311 may be located outside the chamber body 110, thereby avoiding adverse effects of the process environment of the process chamber on the operation of the power source 1311. The chamber body 110 may have a through hole 111, through which the transmission mechanism 1312 passes and is sealed to the chamber body 110. The power input end of the transmission mechanism 1312 is connected to the power source 1311, and the power output end of the transmission mechanism 1312 is located inside the chamber body 110 and connected to the lifting frame 132. In this structure, the transmission mechanism 1312 realizes the transmission of power from outside the chamber body 110 to inside the chamber body 110, and at the same time, it is sealed to the chamber body 110 to ensure the isolation of the process environment inside the chamber body 110 from the external environment.

[0230] Furthermore, the transmission mechanism 1312 may include multiple lifting transmission mechanisms. These multiple lifting transmission mechanisms can be spaced apart, and each mechanism can pass through the chamber body 110 and connect to a corresponding part of the lifting frame 132. The power source 1311 drives the multiple lifting transmission mechanisms to synchronously drive the lifting frame 132 to move, and each mechanism is sealed to the chamber body 110. This type of transmission mechanism 1312 enables multi-point driving of the lifting frame 132, which improves the stability of driving the lifting frame 132 and also enhances the driving capability of the drive mechanism 131.

[0231] The lifting transmission mechanism can be a linkage mechanism or a lead screw transmission mechanism. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific type of lifting transmission mechanism.

[0232] In one embodiment, the lifting transmission mechanism can be a lead screw transmission mechanism, which has the advantages of high driving accuracy and relatively stable driving, and is conducive to providing precise and stable driving for the lifting frame 132.

[0233] The screw drive mechanism can have various structures. In one embodiment, the screw drive mechanism may include a screw 13121, a lifting part 13122, and an annular pressure plate 13123, a telescopic tube 13124, and a sealing ring 13125 located outside the chamber body 110. The top end of the lifting part 13122 passes through the through hole 111 and is located in the chamber body 110, and is fixedly connected to the lifting frame 132. Specifically, the top end of the lifting part 13122 can be fixed to the first frame, thereby achieving fixation to the lifting frame 132. The lifting of the lifting part 13122 can drive the lifting of the lifting frame 132. The bottom end of the lifting part 13122 passes through the annular pressure plate 13123 and is threaded into the lead screw 13121. The first end of the telescopic tube 13124 is sealed and connected to the surface of the annular pressure plate 13123 facing away from the chamber body 110. The telescopic tube 13124 is sleeved outside the lifting part 13122, and the second end of the telescopic tube 13124 is sealed to the bottom end of the lifting part 13122. The telescopic tube 13124 can achieve the sealing of the perforation 111 by cooperating with the corresponding components, thereby ensuring the airtightness of the process chamber. The sealing ring 13125 is clamped between the chamber body 110 and the annular pressure plate 13123, thereby achieving a seal between the chamber body 110 and the annular pressure plate 13123. The lead screw 13121 is driven by the power source 1311, which drives the lead screw 13121 to rotate. Since the lead screw 13121 is threadedly engaged with the lifting part 13122, the rotation of the lead screw 13121 drives the lifting part 13122 to move up and down. The raising and lowering of the lifting part 13122 then drives the raising and lowering of the lifting frame 132.

[0234] Specifically, the lifting part 13122 can be directly provided with a threaded hole to achieve threaded engagement with the lead screw 13121. In a specific embodiment, the lifting part 13122 can be a threaded sleeve. The telescopic tube 13124 is telescopic, thus accommodating the lifting part 13122 while ensuring the sealing of the process chamber. The telescopic tube 13124 can be a telescopic tube made of flexible or elastic materials (such as rubber), or it can be a telescopic tube 13124 formed by designing a telescopic structure; for example, the telescopic tube 13124 can be a corrugated pipe.

[0235] In a further embodiment, the lead screw transmission mechanism may further include a connecting plate 13126, a guide rod 13127, and a base 13128. The guide rod 13127 is supported between the base 13128 and the annular pressure plate 13123 to drive the annular pressure plate 13123 to press the sealing ring 13125. The connecting plate 13126 is slidably engaged with the guide rod 13127, and the connecting plate 13126 is fixedly connected to the lifting part 13122. During the lifting process of the lifting part 13122, the lifting part 13122 can drive the connecting plate 13126 to rise and fall, thereby causing the connecting plate 13126 to slide along the guide rod 13127. The guide rod 13127 enables the lifting of the lifting part 13122 to be more precise. Meanwhile, the guide rod 13127 applies pressure to the annular pressure plate 13123 based on the base 13128, thereby pressing the sealing ring 13125 between the annular pressure plate 13123 and the chamber body 110, ensuring a seal between them. In this case, the guide rod 13127 not only performs a guiding function but also functions to press the annular pressure plate 13123, achieving a multi-purpose purpose.

[0236] The lead screw transmission mechanism disclosed in this application embodiment may further include a threaded bushing 13129. The threaded bushing 13129 is at least partially nested within the lifting portion 13122 and is detachably connected to the lifting portion 13122. Specifically, the threaded bushing 13129 can be fixedly connected to the lifting portion 13122 by means of interference fit, connecting parts, etc. The threaded bushing 13129 is threadedly engaged with the lead screw 13121 to drive the lifting portion 13122 to rise and fall during the rotation of the lead screw 13121. Once the threaded bushing 13129 is damaged, it can be removed and replaced separately, thus eliminating the need to replace the lifting portion 13122, which helps to reduce the maintenance cost of the equipment.

[0237] The lead screw transmission mechanism disclosed in this application embodiment may further include a first reduction gearbox 13130. The lead screw 13121 is connected to the first reduction gearbox 13130. The first reduction gearboxes 13130 ​​of two adjacent lead screw transmission mechanisms can be connected by a connecting shaft 13131, thereby realizing the transmission of power to the lead screw 13121 and also to the downstream lead screw transmission mechanism. The connecting shaft 13131 and the two adjacent first reduction gearboxes 13130 ​​can be fixedly connected by a coupling 13133.

[0238] To better achieve the purpose of increasing driving force, the transmission mechanism 1312 disclosed in this application embodiment may further include a second reduction gearbox 13132. In multiple lead screw transmission mechanisms, the first reduction gearbox 13130 ​​of the lifting transmission mechanism near the power source 1311 is connected to the power source 1311 through the second reduction gearbox 13132.

[0239] In the structure described above, the annular pressure plate 13123 can only be in close contact with the chamber body 110, thereby pressing the sealing ring 13125 between them. To improve the stability of the structure, in this embodiment, the annular pressure plate 13123 can be fixedly connected to the chamber body 110. Specifically, the annular pressure plate 13123 can be detachably connected to the chamber body 110 through a threaded connection, thereby ensuring the stability of the engagement between the drive mechanism 131 and the chamber body 110.

[0240] In this embodiment, the first support block 1321 functions to support the wafer carrier 230. Specifically, the first support block 1321 may have a first horizontal support surface 13212, which supports the wafer carrier 230 carrying the wafer. In a further embodiment, the first support block 1321 may also have a second calibration slope 13211, which is inclined relative to the first horizontal support surface 13212. The first horizontal support surface 13212 is lower than the second calibration slope 13211, and the second calibration slope 13211 guides the wafer carrier 230 to slide onto the first horizontal support surface 13212. During the specific process of supporting the wafer carrier 230, the wafer carrier 230 should be supported on the first horizontal support surface 13212. Considering possible abnormal situations, if the slide plate 230 deviates from the first horizontal support surface 13212 and falls on the second calibration slope 13211, then under the action of gravity, the slide plate 230 will slide down along the second calibration slope 13211 and eventually be guided back to the first horizontal support surface 13212, thus achieving the correction of the position of the slide plate 230.

[0241] In a further embodiment, the first support block 1321 may further include a second vertical limiting surface 13213, which connects the second calibration slope 13211 and the first horizontal support surface 13212. The second vertical limiting surface 13213 is used to limit contact with the edge of the plate 230 supported on the first horizontal support surface 13212, thereby preventing the plate 230 from shifting after it is supported on the first horizontal support surface 13212.

[0242] Based on the process chamber disclosed in the embodiments of this application, this application discloses a wafer carrier robot 210. The disclosed wafer carrier robot 210 is used in conjunction with the process chamber described above. The wafer carrier robot 210 includes a finger base 211 and a plurality of second mechanical fingers 212 disposed on the finger base 211. Specifically, the second mechanical fingers 212 can be fixedly connected to the finger base 211. When picking up and placing the wafer carrier 230, the plurality of second mechanical fingers 212 can extend through the opening of the chamber body 110 into the interlayer between the corresponding heating plate 121 and the first support block 1321, and contact the wafer carrier 230 supported on the first support block 1321 during the descent of the lifting frame 132 to carry the wafer carrier 230 carrying the wafer; during the ascent of the lifting frame 132, the wafer carrier 230 supported on the plurality of second mechanical fingers 212 contacts the first support block 1321 of the lifting frame 132 to be carried onto the first support block 1321.

[0243] In this embodiment, the wafer carrier 230 may be provided with positioning holes 232 or positioning grooves, and the second mechanical finger 212 may be provided with a first positioning protrusion 2121. When the second mechanical finger 212 carries the wafer carrier 230 carrying the wafer, the first positioning protrusion 2121 can be positioned and engaged with the positioning holes 232 or positioning grooves, thereby ensuring the stability of the second mechanical finger 212's gripping of the wafer carrier 230. There may be one or more first positioning protrusions 2121. To achieve better positioning, there may be multiple first positioning protrusions 2121, which are used to position and engage one-to-one with multiple positioning holes 232 or multiple positioning grooves on the wafer carrier 230.

[0244] The second mechanical finger 212 can directly contact and support the wafer carrier 230. To alleviate wear between the wafer carrier 230 and the second mechanical finger 212, in another embodiment, the second mechanical finger 212 can be provided with a support pad 213. The support pad 213 supports the wafer carrier 230 to isolate it from the second mechanical finger 212. This method can alleviate wear between the wafer carrier 230 and the second mechanical finger 212, thus extending their service life. The support pad 213 can be an elastic pad or a wear-resistant pad.

[0245] As described above, the wafer carrier robot 210 grasps wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers in groups. Multiple second mechanical fingers 212 can be arranged in a row, with each row comprising multiple second mechanical fingers 212. In this case, the multiple wafer carriers 230 grasped at one time by one row of second mechanical fingers 212 constitute a group of wafer carriers 230. To further improve transmission capacity, in each wafer carrier robot 210, the multiple second mechanical fingers 212 can be arranged in multiple rows, with each row comprising multiple second mechanical fingers 212. In this case, the multiple wafer carriers 230 grasped at one time by the multiple rows of second mechanical fingers 212 of the wafer carrier robot 210 constitute a group of wafer carriers 230.

[0246] As described in one embodiment of this application above, the wafer carrier robot 210 can grasp wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers in groups, and realize the transfer of wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers in groups between the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 and the first process chamber 101, between the first process chamber 101 and the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204, between the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 and the second process chamber 102, between the second process chamber 102 and the third process chamber 103, between the third process chamber 103 and the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204, between the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204 and the fourth process chamber 104, or between the fourth process chamber 104 and the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203. Therefore, the wafer carrier robot 210 can have multi-dimensional transportation capabilities. The above embodiment also exemplarily illustrates the structure of the wafer carrier robot 210. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific structure of the wafer carrier robot 210.

[0247] Based on the wafer carrier robot 210 disclosed above, this application discloses a wafer carrier temporary storage device 220. As described above, the disclosed wafer carrier temporary storage device 220 is used in conjunction with the wafer carrier robot 210 described above. The wafer carrier temporary storage device 220 may include a second frame 221 and a second support block 222 disposed on the second frame 221. The wafer carrier robot 210 may support a group of wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers on the multilayer second support block 222, or the wafer carrier robot 210 may remove wafer carriers 230 carrying wafers from the wafer carrier temporary storage device 220 in groups.

[0248] In a further embodiment, the second frame 221 may have multiple temporary storage spaces for the plates, and each temporary storage space may be provided with multiple layers of second support blocks 222 spaced apart. The plate manipulator 210 may transfer the plates 230 it receives in groups to the temporary storage space, so that the plates 230 in groups are respectively supported on the multiple layers of second support blocks 222 in the temporary storage space. Alternatively, the plate manipulator 210 may remove the plates 230 carried in the temporary storage space in groups.

[0249] As described above, the substrate 230 may be provided with positioning holes 232 or positioning grooves. To ensure that the substrate 230 is stored more stably in the substrate storage device 220, the second support block 222 may be provided with second positioning protrusions. The second positioning protrusions are used to position and cooperate with the positioning holes 232 or positioning grooves, thereby ensuring that the substrate 230 is stored more stably in the substrate storage device 220. There may be one or more second positioning protrusions. To achieve better positioning, there may be multiple second positioning protrusions, which are used to position and cooperate one-to-one with multiple positioning holes 232 or multiple positioning grooves on the substrate 230.

[0250] To place the wafer more stably, the wafer carrier 230 may be provided with wafer slots 231. In one embodiment, each wafer carrier 230 may have one wafer slot 231 or multiple wafer slots 231. The embodiments of this application do not limit the number of wafer slots 231 opened on the wafer carrier 230.

[0251] As described above, the chip robot 240 can pick up and place chips in groups. For ease of description, the chip robot 240 includes N spaced-apart first mechanical fingers 241, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. Each first mechanical finger 241 can pick up and place one chip, and the chip robot 240 can pick up and place N chips at a time. N chips form a group of chips, thus realizing the picking and placing of chips in groups. This undoubtedly improves the picking and placing efficiency, and thus improves the transmission efficiency.

[0252] The wafer carrier storage device 220 is used to carry groups of wafer carriers 230. Each group of wafer carriers 230 may include M wafer carriers 230 spaced apart in the carrying direction of the wafer carrier storage device 220. In each group of wafer carriers 230, the wafer slots 231 on any two wafer carriers 230 correspond one-to-one, so that the opposite wafer slots 231 on N adjacent wafer carriers 230 form a slot group, where M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2, and M is greater than or equal to N, and the ratio of M to N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0253] This method ensures a precise correspondence between the groups of wafers picked up and placed by the wafer robot 240 and the slots of the groups of wafer carriers 230 on the wafer carrier temporary storage device 220. This allows the wafer robot 240 to accurately fill the slots of the wafer carrier temporary storage device 220 or accurately remove all wafers from the slots after multiple pick-ups and placements. This structure, capable of picking up and placing wafers in groups, improves the wafer transfer efficiency of the transfer device 200, ultimately increasing the production capacity of semiconductor process equipment.

[0254] Based on this, this application discloses a control method for a transmission device 200. The transmission device 200 involved in the disclosed control method includes a wafer manipulator 240, a wafer carrier temporary storage device 220, and a wafer carrier 230. The wafer manipulator 240 includes N spaced-apart first mechanical fingers 241; the wafer carrier temporary storage device 220 is used to carry a group of wafer carriers 230, each group of wafer carriers 230 including M wafer carriers 230 spaced-apart in the carrying direction of the wafer carrier temporary storage device 220, each wafer carrier 230 having a wafer slot 231; in each group of wafer carriers 230, the wafer slots 231 on any two wafer carriers 230 are opposite each other, so that the opposite wafer slots 231 on adjacent N wafer carriers 230 form a slot group; M and N are both greater than or equal to 2, and M is greater than or equal to N, the ratio of M to N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, and the control method includes:

[0255] S210, control the N first mechanical fingers 241 of the chip robotic arm 240 to grasp N chips;

[0256] S220, control the wafer robotic arm 240 after grasping the wafer to move toward the wafer carrier temporary storage device 220;

[0257] S230, the control robot 240 places the N wafers it has grasped into groups in the corresponding slots of the wafer carrier temporary storage device 220, so that the N wafers in each group are placed in the wafer slots 231 of the corresponding slot group.

[0258] In an embodiment where each set of wafer carriers 230 includes N wafer carriers 230 and each wafer carrier 230 includes a wafer slot 231, each set of wafer carriers 230 forms a slot group, and the wafer robot 240 can fill a set of wafer carriers 230 by grabbing once.

[0259] As described above, each wafer carrier 230 may have multiple wafer slots 231, and the wafer slots 231 on each wafer carrier 230 are arranged in the same direction, so that each set of wafer carriers 230 forms multiple slot groups distributed along the arrangement direction of the wafer slots 231. The wafer carrier temporary storage device 220 may have a wafer pick-and-place port, and the orientation of the wafer pick-and-place port may be perpendicular to the arrangement direction. In this embodiment, S220 may include: controlling the wafer robotic arm 240 after grasping the wafer to face the wafer pick-and-place port.

[0260] Furthermore, S230 includes: repeatedly controlling the chip robot 240 to place the chip grasped by its first mechanical finger 241 into multiple slots along the arrangement direction.

[0261] As described above, the transmission device 200 disclosed in this application embodiment may further include a basket loading / unloading device 260. The transmission device 200 includes multiple wafer robotic arms 240 and multiple wafer carrier temporary storage devices 220. The multiple wafer robotic arms 240 include a first wafer robotic arm 201, and the multiple wafer carrier temporary storage devices 220 include a first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203. The first wafer robotic arm 201 may be disposed between the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203 and the basket loading / unloading device 260. In this case, wherein:

[0262] S210 may include: controlling the first mechanical finger 241 of the first wafer robot arm 201 to pick up an unprocessed wafer from the basket loading and unloading device 260;

[0263] S220 may include: controlling the first wafer manipulator 201 after grasping the wafer to move toward the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203;

[0264] S230 may include: controlling the first wafer manipulator 201 to place the wafers grasped by its first mechanical fingers 241 into corresponding slots on the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203.

[0265] In a further embodiment, after the wafer process is completed, the control method of the transmission device disclosed in this application may further include the following steps:

[0266] S250, the first mechanical finger 241 of the first wafer robot 201 grasps the finished wafers in groups from the slots of the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203.

[0267] S270, the first wafer robot 201 is controlled to place the wafers that have been processed into groups in the basket loading and unloading device 260.

[0268] Prior to S270, the control method for the transmission device may also include:

[0269] S260, control the first chip robot arm 201 to move toward the flower basket loading and unloading device 260.

[0270] Prior to S250, the control method for the transmission device may also include:

[0271] S240, Control the first chip robotic arm 201 to move toward the first wafer carrier temporary storage device 203.

[0272] As described above, the transmission device disclosed in this application embodiment may further include a flipping temporary storage device 250. The transmission device 200 includes multiple wafer robotic arms 240 and multiple wafer carrier temporary storage devices 220. The multiple wafer robotic arms 240 include a second wafer robotic arm 202, and the multiple wafer carrier temporary storage devices 220 include a second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204. The second wafer robotic arm 202 is disposed between the flipping temporary storage device 250 and the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204. In this case, wherein:

[0273] S210 may include: controlling the first mechanical finger 241 of the second chip manipulator 202 to grasp the first surface of the chip from the flipping temporary storage device 250.

[0274] S220 may include: controlling a second wafer gripper 202 to move toward a second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204;

[0275] S230 may include: controlling the second wafer manipulator 202 to place the wafers grasped by its first mechanical finger 241 in groups into the corresponding slots of the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204.

[0276] In a further embodiment, before controlling the first mechanical finger 241 of the second wafer manipulator 202 to grasp the flipped wafer from the flipping temporary storage device 250, the control method of the transfer device may further include:

[0277] S280, control the second chip robot arm 202 to move toward the flipping temporary storage device 250.

[0278] In a further embodiment, prior to S280, the control method for the transmission device may further include:

[0279] S291. Control the second chip robotic arm 202 to move toward the second wafer carrier temporary storage device 204;

[0280] S291, the first mechanical finger 241 of the control second wafer robot 202 grasps the second surface of the wafer in groups from the slots of the second wafer temporary storage device 204.

[0281] It should be noted that one of the first and second surfaces of the wafer is the front side of the wafer, and the other is the back side of the wafer.

[0282] The semiconductor process equipment disclosed in this application can be plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) equipment, or other semiconductor equipment with similar functions. This application does not limit the specific types of semiconductor process equipment.

[0283] The above embodiments of this application focus on describing the differences between the various embodiments. As long as the different features of the various embodiments are not contradictory, they can be combined to form more specific embodiments. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail here.

[0284] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A process chamber, characterized in that, The device includes a chamber body (110), a lifting mechanism (130), and a heater (120) disposed within the chamber body (110). The heater (120) includes multiple layers of heating plates (121) spaced apart. The heating plates (121) are used to heat the wafer carrier (230) they support. The heating plates (121) are provided with a clearance structure (1211). The lifting mechanism (130) includes a lifting frame (132) disposed in the chamber body (110). The lifting frame (132) includes multiple layers of first support blocks (1321) spaced apart. Each layer of the first support block (1321) is opposite to the avoidance structure (1211) of the corresponding heating plate (121). During the ascent of the lifting frame (132), the first support block (1321) of each layer passes upward through the opposite clearance structure (1211) and carries the corresponding plate (230) so that the plate (230) is separated from the corresponding heating plate (121); during the descent of the lifting frame (132), the first support block (1321) of each layer passes downward through the opposite clearance structure (1211) and causes the plate (230) it carries to fall onto the corresponding heating plate (121) so that it is separated from the plate (230) it carries.

2. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heater (120) includes multiple sets of support members (122), and two adjacent heating plates (121) are supported by a set of support members (122) to make the two adjacent heating plates (121) spaced apart.

3. The process chamber according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each set of the support members (122) includes a plurality of the support members (122), and the plurality of the support members (122) in each set of the support members (122) are distributed at intervals along the edge of the corresponding heating plate (121).

4. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heater (120) also includes a foot support (123) which is supported between the heating plate (121) and the bottom wall of the chamber body (110) adjacent to the bottom wall of the multilayer heating plate (121).

5. The process chamber according to claim 4, characterized in that, There are multiple foot supports (123), which are distributed at intervals along the edge of the heater (120).

6. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heater (120) also includes a limiting block (124), and each heating plate (121) has a plurality of limiting blocks (124) spaced apart on its edge. The limiting blocks (124) are used to limit contact with the opposite edge on the carrier plate (230).

7. The process chamber according to claim 6, characterized in that, The edge of the heating plate (121) includes a plurality of sub-edges connected end to end in sequence. Except for the sub-edge through which the carrier plate (230) enters and exits, the other sub-edges are provided with the limiting block (124).

8. The process chamber according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The limiting block (124) includes a first calibration slope (1241) and a first vertical limiting surface (1242) that are connected to each other. The first calibration slope (1241) is inclined relative to the first vertical limiting surface (1242), and the first vertical limiting surface (1242) is lower than the first calibration slope (1241). The first calibration slope (1241) is used to guide the carrier plate (230) to descend to the position where it is limited and in contact with the first vertical limiting surface (1242).

9. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the multi-layer heating plate (121), the distance between two adjacent heating plates (121) is equal; and / or, in the multi-layer heating plate (121), the top surface of the heating plate (121) located at the top of the heater (120) and the bottom surface of the heating plate (121) located at the bottom of the heater (120) are both covered with an insulating plate (125).

10. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating plate (121) has multiple plate placement areas arranged side by side, each plate placement area is used to place one of the carrier plates (230), and each plate placement area is provided with the avoidance structure (1211).

11. The process chamber according to claim 10, characterized in that, Each of the placement areas has a plurality of clearance structures (1211) spaced apart on its two side edges extending along the pick-up and put-down direction of the carrier plate (230).

12. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The avoidance structure (1211) is a first avoidance hole or avoidance notch.

13. The process chamber according to claim 10, characterized in that, The lifting frame (132) also includes a first frame, which includes multiple rows of vertical beams (1322) spaced apart. Each row of vertical beams (1322) includes multiple vertical beams (1322), and each vertical beam (1322) is provided with multiple first support blocks (1321) spaced apart along its height direction. Multiple first support blocks (1321) located at the same height of the multiple rows of vertical beams (1322) constitute a layer of first support blocks (1321). The area on the heating plate (121) between two adjacent rows of vertical beams (1322) constitutes the plate placement area. A second clearance hole (1212) is provided on the heating plate (121) between two adjacent plate placement areas. The second clearance hole (1212) is used for the vertical beams (1322) distributed opposite to it to pass through.

14. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting mechanism (130) further includes a drive mechanism (131), which is connected to the lifting frame (132). The drive mechanism (131) is used to drive the lifting frame (132) to move to rise or fall.

15. The process chamber according to claim 14, characterized in that, The drive mechanism (131) includes a power source (1311) and a transmission mechanism (1312). The power source (1311) is located outside the chamber body (110). The chamber body (110) has a through hole (111). The transmission mechanism (1312) passes through the through hole (111) and is sealed to the chamber body (110). The power input end of the transmission mechanism (1312) is connected to the power source (1311), and the power output end of the transmission mechanism (1312) is located inside the chamber body (110) and is connected to the lifting frame (132).

16. The process chamber according to claim 15, characterized in that, The transmission mechanism (1312) includes multiple lifting transmission mechanisms, which are spaced apart. Each of the multiple lifting transmission mechanisms passes through the chamber body (110) and is connected to the opposite part of the lifting frame (132). The power source (1311) drives the multiple lifting transmission mechanisms to synchronously drive the lifting frame (132) to move. Each of the multiple lifting transmission mechanisms is sealed to the chamber body (110).

17. The process chamber according to claim 16, characterized in that, The lifting transmission mechanism is a lead screw transmission mechanism.

18. The process chamber according to claim 17, characterized in that, The lead screw drive mechanism includes a lead screw (13121), a lifting part (13122), and an annular pressure plate (13123), a telescopic tube (13124), and a sealing ring (13125) located outside the chamber body (110). The top end of the lifting part (13122) is located in the chamber body (110) and fixedly connected to the lifting frame (132). The bottom end of the lifting part (13122) passes through the annular pressure plate (13123) and is threadedly engaged with the lead screw (13121). The telescopic tube (13125) The first end of the telescopic tube (13124) is sealed and connected to the surface of the annular pressure plate (13123) facing away from the chamber body (110). The telescopic tube (13124) is sleeved outside the lifting part (13122), and the second end of the telescopic tube (13124) is sealed to the bottom end of the lifting part (13122). The sealing ring (13125) is clamped between the chamber body (110) and the annular pressure plate (13123). The lead screw (13121) is driven and engaged with the power source (1311).

19. The process chamber according to claim 18, characterized in that, The lead screw transmission mechanism further includes a connecting plate (13126), a guide rod (13127), a base (13128), and a threaded bushing (13129). The guide rod (13127) is supported between the base (13128) and the annular pressure plate (13123) to drive the annular pressure plate (13123) to press the sealing ring (13125). The connecting plate (13126) and the guide rod (13129) are connected to each other. 27) Sliding fit, the connecting plate (13126) is fixedly connected to the lifting part (13122), the threaded bushing (13129) is at least partially lined inside the lifting part (13122) and connected to the lifting part (13122), the threaded bushing (13129) is threadedly engaged with the lead screw (13121) to drive the lifting part (13122) to rise and fall during the rotation of the lead screw (13121).

20. The process chamber according to claim 19, characterized in that, The lead screw transmission mechanism further includes a first reduction gearbox (13130), and the lead screw (13121) is connected to the first reduction gearbox (13130). The first reduction gearboxes (13130) of two adjacent lead screw transmission mechanisms are connected to each other via a connecting shaft (13131). Among the plurality of lead screw transmission mechanisms, the first reduction gearbox (13130) of the lifting transmission mechanism closest to the power source (1311) is connected to the power source (1311) via a second reduction gearbox (13132).

21. The process chamber according to claim 20, characterized in that, The annular pressure plate (13123) is fixedly connected to the chamber body (110).

22. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first support block (1321) includes a second calibration ramp (13211) and a first horizontal support surface (13212) that are connected to each other. The second calibration ramp (13211) is inclined relative to the first horizontal support surface (13212). The first horizontal support surface (13212) is lower than the second calibration ramp (13211). The second calibration ramp (13211) is used to guide the carrier plate (230) to slide onto the first horizontal support surface (13212).

23. The process chamber according to claim 22, characterized in that, The first support block (1321) further includes a second vertical limiting surface (13213), which connects the second calibration slope (13211) and the first horizontal support surface (13212). The second vertical limiting surface (13213) is used to limit contact with the edge of the plate that slides onto the first horizontal support surface (13212).

24. A plate-carrying robot, characterized in that, For use in conjunction with the process chamber of any one of claims 1 to 23, the plate carrier robot (210) includes: a finger seat (211) and a plurality of second mechanical fingers (212) disposed on the finger seat (211). When picking up and placing the plate carrier (230), the plurality of second mechanical fingers (212) can extend through the opening of the chamber body (110) to the interlayer between the corresponding heating plate (121) and the first support block (1321), and during the descent of the lifting frame (132), they contact the plate carrier (230) carried on the first support block (1321) to carry the plate carrier (230); during the ascent of the lifting frame (132), the plate carrier (230) carried on the plurality of second mechanical fingers (212) contacts the first support block (1321) of the lifting frame (132) to be carried onto the first support block (1321).

25. The plate manipulator according to claim 24, characterized in that, The carrier plate (230) is provided with a positioning hole or a positioning groove, and the second mechanical finger (212) is provided with a first positioning protrusion (2121). When the second mechanical finger (212) carries the carrier plate (230), the first positioning protrusion (2121) is positioned and engaged with the positioning hole or the positioning groove.

26. The plate manipulator according to claim 25, characterized in that, The first positioning protrusion (2121) is multiple and is used to position and cooperate with the multiple positioning holes or multiple positioning grooves on the carrier plate (230) one by one.

27. The slide manipulator according to claim 24, characterized in that, The second mechanical finger (212) is provided with a support pad (213) for supporting the substrate (230) so that the substrate (230) is isolated from the second mechanical finger (212).

28. The plate manipulator according to claim 25, characterized in that, The plurality of second mechanical fingers (212) are arranged in multiple columns, and each column of second mechanical fingers (212) includes a plurality of second mechanical fingers (212).

29. The plate manipulator according to claim 24, characterized in that, The slide plate robot (210) is a liftable robot.

30. A plate storage device for use in conjunction with the plate manipulator according to any one of claims 25-29, characterized in that: The slide plate temporary storage device (220) includes a second frame (221) and a second support block (222) disposed on the second frame (221). The second frame (221) has multiple slide plate temporary storage spaces. Each slide plate temporary storage space is provided with multiple layers of the second support block (222) spaced apart. The slide plate robot (210) can transport multiple slide plates (230) it receives to the slide plate temporary storage space, so that the multiple slide plates (230) are respectively carried on the multiple layers of the second support block (222) in the slide plate temporary storage space. Alternatively, the slide plate robot (210) can take out the multiple slide plates received in the slide plate temporary storage space.

31. The substrate temporary storage device according to claim 30, characterized in that, The second support block (222) is provided with a second positioning protrusion, and the carrier plate (230) is provided with a positioning hole or a positioning groove. The second positioning protrusion is used to position and cooperate with the positioning hole or the positioning groove.

32. The substrate temporary storage device according to claim 31, characterized in that, The second positioning protrusion is multiple and is used to position and cooperate with the multiple positioning holes or multiple positioning grooves one by one.

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