Process gate moving apparatus and semiconductor process device

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor fabrication, and discloses a process gate moving apparatus and a semiconductor process device. The disclosed process gate moving apparatus comprises a housing and a moving mechanism. The moving mechanism comprises a supporting portion and a moving portion. The supporting portion is arranged in the housing, and the moving portion is slidably connected to the supporting portion. A side wall of the housing is provided with a notch, and the moving portion can move along a lengthwise extension direction of the notch, so as to drive a component to be transferred outside the housing to perform a corresponding action. By providing the housing, contaminants such as friction debris and lubricant volatilization particles generated during operation of the moving mechanism can be confined within the housing to a certain extent, thereby reducing the probability that the contaminants diffuse to the outside of the housing and contaminate a region where a wafer is located.

Description

Process gate moving device and semiconductor process equipment Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor fabrication technology, and in particular to a process gate moving device and semiconductor process equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Vertical tube furnaces, as semiconductor equipment capable of processing large numbers of wafers in batches, play an important role in the wafer manufacturing process, where wafers undergo process reactions within the furnace body of the vertical tube furnace.

[0003] In related technologies, vertical furnace tube equipment includes a space for loading and unloading wafers. This space also houses a drive mechanism for controlling the opening and closing of the furnace door, and a support boat can be placed on top of the door. To prevent wafer contamination, this space needs to maintain a high cleanliness level. However, contaminants such as friction debris and volatile grease particles generated during the operation of the aforementioned drive mechanism can diffuse into this space, posing a risk of wafer contamination. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application discloses a process gate moving device and semiconductor process equipment to solve the problem that contaminants generated by the driving device during operation can contaminate the wafer in related technologies.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application is implemented as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application disclose a process gate moving device, applied to semiconductor process equipment, the process gate moving device including a housing and a moving mechanism;

[0007] The side wall of the box is provided with a notch. The moving mechanism includes a support part and a moving part. The support part is located in the box. The moving part is slidably connected to the support part and can move along the length extension direction of the notch.

[0008] Secondly, embodiments of this application disclose a semiconductor process apparatus, which includes a housing, a process cavity, a process gate, and the aforementioned process gate moving device.

[0009] The housing has a first installation space and a second installation space arranged adjacent to each other. The process cavity is located in the first installation space. The outer wall of the process cavity and the inner wall of the housing form the exhaust channel.

[0010] The process door moving device is located in the second installation space, and one end of the moving part is connected to the process door to drive the process door to switch between a first position and a second position.

[0011] When the process door is in the first position, the process door covers the opening of the process cavity; when the process door is in the second position, the process door is separated from the process cavity.

[0012] The technical solution adopted in this application can achieve the following technical effects:

[0013] The process gate moving device disclosed in this application improves upon related technologies. The disclosed process gate moving device includes a housing and a moving mechanism. The moving mechanism includes a support portion and a moving portion. The support portion is disposed within the housing, and the moving portion is slidably connected to the support portion. A notch is provided on the side wall of the housing, allowing the moving portion to move along the length of the notch to drive the component to be transferred outside the housing to perform corresponding actions. By providing a housing, contaminants such as friction debris and volatile grease particles generated during the operation of the moving mechanism can be constrained within the housing to a certain extent, thereby reducing the probability of contaminants diffusing outside the housing and causing contamination to the wafer area. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0015] Figure 2 is a view along direction A in Figure 1;

[0016] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along the BB direction in Figure 1;

[0017] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the airflow direction inside the box disclosed in the embodiment of this application;

[0018] Figure 5 is one of the front structural schematic diagrams of the process gate moving device disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0019] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along the CC direction in Figure 5;

[0020] Figure 7 is an enlarged view of point a in Figure 6;

[0021] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view along the DD direction in Figure 5;

[0022] Figure 9 is an enlarged view of point b in Figure 8;

[0023] Figure 10 is a side view of the process gate moving device disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 11 is an enlarged view of point c in Figure 10;

[0025] Figure 12 is a partial cross-sectional view of the process gate moving device disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view along the EE direction in Figure 12;

[0027] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the moving part and the blocking part disclosed in the embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view along the FF direction in Figure 14;

[0029] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the guide component and the load-bearing component disclosed in the embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view along the GG direction in Figure 16;

[0031] Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view along the HH direction in Figure 16;

[0032] Figure 19 is a second front structural schematic diagram of the process gate moving device disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0033] Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view along direction II in Figure 19;

[0034] Figure 21 is a third front structural schematic diagram of the process gate moving device disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0035] Figure 22 is a cross-sectional view along the JJ direction in Figure 21;

[0036] Figure 23 is an enlarged view of point d in Figure 21;

[0037] Figure 24 is an enlarged view of point e in Figure 21;

[0038] Figure 25 is an enlarged view of point f in Figure 21;

[0039] Figure 26 is a fourth front structural schematic diagram of the process gate moving device disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0040] Figure 27 is a fifth front structural schematic diagram of the process gate moving device disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0041] Figure 28 is a cross-sectional view along the KK direction in Figure 27.

[0042] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 100-Process door moving device, 110-Box body, 111-Notch, 112-Air inlet, 113-Air outlet, 120-Support part, 130-Moving part, 131-Bearing component, 1311-Transmission component, 1312-Mounting plate, 1313-Connector, 132-Guide component, 1321-First support pulley, 1321a-Pulley body, 1321b-Pulley bracket, 1321c-Support rod, 1321d-Elastic component, 1322-Second support pulley, 1323-First steering pulley, 1324-Second steering pulley, 140-Fan, 150-Shielding part, 160-Drive part, 161-Motor, 162-Lead screw, 163-Nut, 164-Nut connecting block, 165-Lead screw bearing seat; 200-Semiconductor process equipment, 210-Housing, 211-First mounting space, 212-Second mounting space, 213-Exhaust channel, 220-Process cavity, 230-Process door, 240-Supporting boat, 250-Air cooling mechanism, 260-Pipeline assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0043] 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.

[0044] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and are not limited in number; for example, a first object can be one or more.

[0045] The technical solutions disclosed in the various embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0046] In semiconductor fabrication processes, especially in semiconductor heat treatment, vertical furnace tube equipment is widely used due to its small footprint and high processing efficiency. Vertical furnace tube equipment typically includes a process chamber mounting area and a wafer loading / unloading area. The wafer loading / unloading area is located below the process chamber mounting area. A carrier boat loads and unloads wafers in the wafer loading / unloading area. Then, a process gate moving device within the wafer loading / unloading area drives the process gate and the carrier boat to move up and down, transferring wafers to be reacted into the process chamber or transferring reacted wafers to the wafer loading / unloading area for cooling.

[0047] To avoid contaminating the wafers, the wafer loading and unloading area needs to maintain a high level of cleanliness. However, contaminants such as friction debris and volatile grease particles generated during the operation of the aforementioned process gate moving device can diffuse into the wafer loading and unloading area, posing a risk of wafer contamination.

[0048] Based on the above, please refer to Figures 1 to 28. This application discloses a process gate moving device 100, applied to a semiconductor process equipment 200. The disclosed process gate moving device 100 may include a housing 110 and a moving mechanism. The housing 110 serves as the mounting base for the moving mechanism, and at least a portion of the moving mechanism may be disposed within the housing 110.

[0049] The moving mechanism may include a support portion 120 and a moving portion 130. The support portion 120 is disposed within the housing 110 and primarily serves to provide a reliable mounting base for the moving portion 130. The support portion 120 can be connected to the inner wall of the housing 110 by welding, bolting, or other methods. The moving portion 130 is slidably connected to the support portion 120. A slide rail, pulley, or other device can be installed between the moving portion 130 and the support portion 120 to reduce sliding friction. Furthermore, the extension direction of the support portion 120 is consistent with the moving direction of the moving portion 130, which also improves the operational stability of the moving portion 130.

[0050] One end of the moving part 130 needs to be connected to the component to be transferred, such as the process door 230 or the carrier boat 240. To facilitate the assembly of the moving part 130 and the component to be transferred, a notch 111 can be provided on the side wall of the housing 110. The length extension direction of the notch 111 is consistent with the movement direction of the moving part 130, allowing the moving part 130 to move along the length extension direction of the notch 111, thereby moving the component to be transferred outside the housing 110. The assembly method between the moving part 130 and the component to be transferred can include the following two methods: first, one end of the moving part 130 extends out of the housing 110 through the notch 111 and is then connected to the component to be transferred; second, the component to be transferred extends into the housing 110 through the notch 111 and is then connected to the moving part 130.

[0051] It should be noted that the length extension direction of the notch 111 can be horizontal or vertical. Correspondingly, the movement direction of the moving part 130 can also be horizontal or vertical, depending on the actual process type. For example, if a vertical furnace tube is used in the process, the length extension direction of the notch 111 and the movement direction of the moving part 130 can be vertical; if a horizontal furnace is used in the process, the length extension direction of the notch 111 and the movement direction of the moving part 130 can be horizontal.

[0052] In specific application scenarios, taking vertical furnace tube equipment as an example, the process door moving device 100 needs to be installed in the wafer loading and unloading area. The cleanliness requirements of the wafer loading and unloading area are high. During the relative sliding process of the support part 120 and the moving part 130, friction debris will inevitably be generated. In addition, the high temperature inside the process cavity 220 will also cause the lubricating grease in the moving mechanism to be heated and generate volatile organic compounds. If the above-mentioned contaminants diffuse into the wafer loading and unloading area, they will contaminate the wafer. This application sets the support part 120 and the moving part 130 in the housing. The friction debris, volatile grease particles and other contaminants generated by the support part 120 and the moving part 130 during operation can be constrained in the housing to a certain extent, thereby reducing the probability of contaminants diffusing to the outside of the housing and contaminating the area where the wafer is located.

[0053] As described above, when a large amount of contaminants accumulate inside the housing 110, these contaminants will inevitably escape from the opening 111 of the housing 110 to the outside. Therefore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the process door moving device 100 may further include a shielding part 150. The shielding part 150 is disposed within the housing 110 and can be assembled with the inner wall of the housing 110 by means of bolts, snap-fits, or other methods. The shielding part 150 is a thin strip structure, specifically a steel strip, or made of other high-temperature resistant and flexible materials. At least a portion of the shielding part 150 covers the opening 111, thereby sealing the opening 111 and reducing the probability of contaminants escaping from the opening 111 to the outside of the housing 110.

[0054] The notch 111 of the box 110 described above is used to provide space for the movement of the movable part 130. However, setting a blocking part 150 at the notch 111 will introduce a new problem. The blocking part 150 will interfere with the movable part 130, thereby hindering the movement of the movable part 130. To solve this problem, as shown in Figures 10 to 18, since the movable part 130 needs to pass between the blocking part 150 and the notch 111, the supporting cooperation between the movable part 130 and the blocking part 150 can be used to make a part of the blocking part 150 protrude in the direction away from the notch 111, forming a clearance space. This clearance space is used to accommodate the movable part 130. It should be noted that this clearance space only needs to accommodate a part of the movable part 130, which refers to the part of the movable part 130 located between the blocking part 150 and the notch 111.

[0055] The specific way in which the movable part 130 and the blocking part 150 are supported and cooperated may include: a bracket is provided on the side of the movable part 130 facing the blocking part 150, the bracket contacts and cooperates with the side of the blocking part 150 near the notch 111, and supports a part of the blocking part 150 to bulge in the direction away from the notch 111, thereby forming a clearance space; or, a magnetic element may be provided on the side of the movable part 130 facing the blocking part 150, and a corresponding magnetic element is also provided on the blocking part 150, the magnetic poles of the two magnetic elements repel each other, and the magnetic repulsion force drives a part of the blocking part 150 to bulge in the direction away from the notch 111, thereby forming a clearance space.

[0056] Since the moving part 130 needs to move along the length extension direction of the notch 111, the position of the clearance space also needs to change synchronously with the movement of the moving part 130. For example, taking the above-mentioned scheme of setting a bracket on the side of the moving part 130 facing the blocking part 150 as an example, the moving part 130 will drive the bracket to move synchronously during the movement, so the support position of the bracket on the blocking part 150 will also change accordingly. Correspondingly, the position of the clearance space formed will also change accordingly, so that the moving part 130 and the blocking part 150 can achieve good dynamic cooperation.

[0057] It should be noted that, taking the vertical furnace tube equipment as an example, the length extension direction of the notch 111 can be vertical. Correspondingly, the moving part 130 can move up and down in the vertical direction, and the blocking part 150 also extends in the vertical direction and at least partially covers the notch 111.

[0058] As shown in Figures 10 to 18, the aforementioned movable part 130 may include a supporting component 131 and a guiding component 132. The supporting component 131 is slidably connected to the supporting part 120. One end of the supporting component 131 may be located inside the housing 110 or may extend outside the housing 110 through the notch 111. The supporting component 131 can move along the length extension direction of the notch 111. The guiding component 132 may be disposed on the side of the supporting component 131 near the blocking part 150. The guiding component 132 is slidably connected to the blocking part 150 and supports a portion of the blocking part 150 so that the portion of the blocking part 150 protrudes in a direction away from the notch 111 to form the aforementioned clearance space. This clearance space is used to accommodate the supporting component 131, specifically to accommodate the portion of the supporting component 131 located between the blocking part 150 and the notch 111. The guide assembly 132 and the blocking part 150 are in contact with each other and are slidably connected. In order to reduce the sliding friction between the guide assembly 132 and the blocking part 150, pulleys, bearings and other structures can be provided on the guide assembly 132.

[0059] As shown in Figures 10 to 18, the guide assembly 132 may include a support pulley, which is connected to the load-bearing assembly. Assembly can be achieved through bolt connection, snap-fit, or other methods. The support pulley extends in the direction opposite to the notch 111, and the blocking portion 150 is wrapped around the support pulley. Under the support of the support pulley, a portion of the blocking portion 150 can protrude in the direction opposite to the notch 111, thereby creating clearance space. By providing the support pulley, the sliding friction between the guide assembly 132 and the blocking portion 150 can be reduced.

[0060] In a specific embodiment of this application, as shown in Figures 10 to 18, the aforementioned support pulleys may specifically include a first support pulley 1321 and a second support pulley 1322. The first support pulley 1321 and the second support pulley 1322 are respectively connected to the bearing assembly 131, and the assembly can be achieved by bolt connection, snap-fit, or other methods. The first support pulley 1321 and the second support pulley 1322 are both disposed inside the housing 110 and extend protrudingly in the direction away from the notch 111. The shielding part 150 is respectively wrapped around the first support pulley 1321 and the second support pulley 1322, and the side of the shielding part 150 near the notch 111 is supported by the first support pulley 1321 and the second support pulley 1322. The blocking portion 150 should originally be arranged in a straight line along the extension direction of the notch 111. However, when supported by the first support pulley 1321 and the second support pulley 1322, a portion of the blocking portion 150 will bend along the end faces of the first support pulley 1321 and the second support pulley 1322 to change the extension direction, thereby protruding in the direction away from the notch 111.

[0061] The first support pulley 1321 and the second support pulley 1322 are spaced apart along the moving direction of the bearing assembly 131, forming a clearance space in support of the shielding part 150. This clearance space refers to the space enclosed by the first support pulley 1321, the second support pulley 1322, and the protruding curved portion of the shielding part 150. When the first support pulley 1321 and the second support pulley 1322 are in support of the shielding part 150, the pulleys themselves can rotate, thereby reducing the sliding friction between the shielding part 150 and the guide assembly 132, and preventing the generation of more friction debris.

[0062] Supported by the first support pulley 1321 and the second support pulley 1322, a portion of the shielding part 150 protrudes in the direction away from the notch 111 to form a clearance space. However, on both sides of the clearance space along the moving direction of the bearing assembly 131, a large gap will be generated between the shielding part 150 and the notch 111, which makes it easy for pollutants to escape to the outside of the housing 110 through the gap. In order to reduce the gap between the shielding part 150 and the notch 111 and make the fit between the shielding part 150 and the notch 111 better, as shown in Figures 10 to 16, the guide assembly 132 may also include a first steering pulley 1323 and a second steering pulley 1324. The first steering pulley 1323 and the second steering pulley 1324 are respectively connected to the bearing assembly 131. The specific connection method may include bolt connection, snap-fit ​​connection, etc.

[0063] The first steering pulley 1323 and the second steering pulley 1324 are respectively located on both sides of the clearance space along the moving direction of the bearing assembly 131 and close to the notch 111. The shielding part 150 is located in the gap between the first steering pulley 1323 and the second steering pulley 1324 and the notch 111. Under the limiting action of the first steering pulley 1323 and the second steering pulley 1324, the other part of the shielding part 150 except for the clearance space can be pressed towards the notch 111 to improve the fit between the shielding part 150 and the notch 111, thereby reducing the gap between the shielding part 150 and the notch 111.

[0064] The first steering pulley 1323 and the second steering pulley 1324 can also provide a guiding function to the shielding part 150. The shielding part 150 can be bent along the end face of the first steering pulley 1323 and the end face of the second steering pulley 1324 respectively, and extend in the direction away from the notch 111, and then wrap around the first support pulley 1321 and the second support pulley 1322 respectively. It can be understood that the shielding part 150 can include two parts: one part is the part that fits with the notch 111, and the other part is the part that needs to protrude in the direction away from the notch 111 and form a clearance space. The extension directions of these two parts are different. The function of the first steering pulley 1323 and the second steering pulley 1324 is to provide a guiding function when the shielding part 150 needs to bend, so that the shielding part 150 can bend at an angle of approximately 90° under the guidance of the first steering pulley 1323 and the second steering pulley 1324, without pulling too much on the part of the shielding part 150 that needs to fit with the notch 111.

[0065] During actual installation, as shown in Figures 10 to 16, the shielding part 150 is originally fitted with the notch 111. It first enters from the side of the first steering pulley 1323 near the notch 111 and undergoes a first bending and turning through the first steering pulley 1323 so that the shielding part 150 extends in the direction away from the notch 111. Then, the shielding part 150 is wrapped around the end face of the first support pulley 1321 and undergoes a second bending and turning. The shielding part 150 continues to extend to the second support pulley 1322 and undergoes a third bending and turning. Finally, it undergoes a fourth bending and turning through the second steering pulley 1324 to restore it to the state of fitting with the notch 111.

[0066] As shown in Figures 15 to 18, the first support pulley 1321 and the second support pulley 1322 can have the same structure, and both include a pulley body 1321a, a pulley bracket 1321b, a support rod 1321c, and an elastic element 1321d. The assembly relationship of the above components is as follows:

[0067] The pulley body 1321a is mounted on the pulley bracket 1321b and rotatably connected to the pulley bracket 1321b via a rotating shaft. The pulley bracket 1321b is connected to the bearing assembly 131 via a support rod 1321c. A mounting hole can be provided on the bearing assembly 131, and one end of the support rod 1321c can be inserted into the mounting hole for installation. Furthermore, the support rod 1321c can slide relative to the bearing assembly 131 along its own axial direction, thereby adjusting the position of the pulley body 1321a and flexibly adjusting the clearance space. It can also adjust the tension of the blocking part 150. To prevent the support rod 1321c from detaching from the bearing assembly 131, a locking nut can be provided at the end of the support rod 1321c.

[0068] The telescopic sliding of the support rod 1321c allows for adjustment of the position of the pulley body 1321a. To ensure stable support of the shielding part 150 by the pulley body 1321a, an elastic element 1321d can be sleeved on the support rod 1321c. Both ends of the elastic element 1321d can abut against the pulley bracket 1321b and the load-bearing component 131 respectively, providing elastic support between them. This allows the pulley body 1321a to apply a certain tension force to the shielding part 150. Furthermore, the elastic element 1321d also provides a buffering effect, preventing rigid contact between the shielding part 150 and the pulley body 1321a.

[0069] As shown in Figures 6 to 9, the load-bearing assembly 131 may include a transmission component 1311, a mounting plate 1312, and a connecting component 1313. The transmission component 1311 is slidably connected to the support portion 120, and one end of the transmission component 1311 is connected to the mounting plate 1312, thereby driving the mounting plate 1312 to move synchronously. At least a portion of the mounting plate 1312 is disposed within the notch 111, and the mounting plate 1312 is clearance-fitted with the box walls on both sides of the notch 111. The connecting component 1313 is stacked on the mounting plate 1312, and is disposed on the surface of the mounting plate 1312 facing away from the box body 110, and at least a portion protrudes from the outer wall of the box body 110. The connecting component 1313 is used to connect the component to be transported. The assembly methods between the transmission component 1311 and the mounting plate 1312, and between the mounting plate 1312 and the connecting component 1313, may include bolt connection, welding, riveting, etc.

[0070] Mounting plate 1312 is mainly used to provide an installation position for guide assembly 132, which can be disposed on the side of mounting plate 1312 near shield 150. In actual assembly, shield 150 is located on the side of notch 111 near the inside of housing 110, connector 1313 is located on the side of notch 111 near the outside of housing 110, and mounting plate 1312 is also disposed inside notch 111. With this triple combination, the sealing performance at notch 111 can be further improved.

[0071] As shown in Figure 9, the width of the notch 111 in the housing 110 is W, and the width of the shielding part 150 is W1. To ensure that the shielding part 150 can stably cover the notch 111, both sides of the shielding part 150 can protrude from the edge of the notch 111 along its width direction. The width W of the notch 111 can be 40mm-60mm, such as 40mm, 45mm, 50mm, 60mm, etc., and the width W1 of the shielding part 150 can be 48mm-72mm, such as 48mm, 50mm, 60mm, 72mm, etc. In addition, to avoid frequent friction between the shielding part 150 and the housing walls on both sides of the notch 111, a fitting gap S1 can be reserved between the shielding part 150 and the housing wall. The size of the gap S1 can be 1mm-2mm, such as 1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm, etc.

[0072] As shown in Figure 7, a first direction is first defined. This first direction is parallel to the side wall of the housing 110 where the notch 111 is located and perpendicular to the moving direction of the moving part 130. To allow the mounting plate 1312 to smoothly extend into the notch 111, the dimension W2 of the mounting plate 1312 along the first direction can be 28mm-52mm. The connector 1313 needs to cover the outside of the notch 111. To ensure stable coverage, the dimension W3 of the connector 1313 can be 48mm-72mm, such as 48mm, 50mm, 60mm, 72mm, etc. In addition, to avoid friction between the connector 1313 and the outer wall of the housing 110, the gap S2 between the connector 1313 and the outer wall of the housing 110 can be 2mm-4mm, such as 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, etc.

[0073] As shown in Figures 19 to 25, the moving mechanism may further include a drive unit 160, which is at least partially disposed in the housing 110 and connected to the moving part 130 to drive the moving part 130 to slide relative to the support part 120. The drive unit 160 may be a combination of a motor and a lead screw, a combination of a cylinder and a connecting rod, or a combination of magnetic transmission.

[0074] In one embodiment of this application, as shown in Figures 22 to 25, the drive unit 160 may include a motor 161, a lead screw 162, and a nut 163. Further, it may also include a nut connecting block 164 and a lead screw bearing seat 165. The lead screw bearing seat 165 can be installed on the inner wall of the housing 110. Lead screw bearing seats 165 can be provided near both the top and bottom of the housing 110. The lead screw 162 can be installed via the lead screw bearing seat 165. The motor 161 is located in the housing 110, for example, it can be installed at the top of the housing 110. The lead screw 162 is connected to the output end of the motor 161. Specifically, the top of the lead screw 162 passes through the top plate of the housing 110 and is connected to the output end of the motor 161. The nut 163 is sleeved on the lead screw 162 and threadedly connected to the lead screw 162 to form a sliding pair. The moving part 130 is connected to the nut 163. Specifically, the nut 163 is connected to the moving part 130 via the nut connecting block 164. While the motor 161 drives the lead screw 162 to rotate, the rotational motion of the lead screw 162 is converted into lifting motion through the nut 163, which in turn drives the moving part 130 to lift.

[0075] As shown in Figures 26 to 28, the semiconductor process equipment 200 may further include a conduit assembly 260 (tank chain). The conduit assembly 260 includes a fixed end and a movable end. The fixed end is connected to the inner wall of the housing 110, and the movable end is connected to the movable part 130. In some embodiments, a cable air bundle is provided inside the conduit assembly 260. The cable air bundle extends out of the housing 110 through a notch 111 and engages with the process door 230. The fixed end of the conduit assembly 260 can be installed on the inner wall of the housing 110, and the movable end of the conduit assembly 260 can be connected to the movable part 130 via a pin. Driven by the movable part 130, the movable end of the conduit assembly 260 can reciprocate up and down. The curling position of the cable air bundle inside the conduit assembly 260 can change synchronously with the curling position of the conduit assembly 260, thereby realizing the reciprocating up and down movement of the cable air bundle with the movable part 130. The conduit assembly 260 can protect the internal cable air bundle.

[0076] To prevent contaminants from accumulating inside the enclosure 110, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, an air outlet 113 can be provided on the enclosure 110. The air outlet 113 is used to connect with the exhaust channel 213 of the semiconductor process equipment 200, such as a factory exhaust pipe. A fan 140 can be installed on the inner wall of the enclosure 110 via a bracket structure, or on the outer wall of the enclosure 110. The fan 140 is located near the air outlet 113, and it drives the airflow inside the enclosure 110, which is then discharged through the air outlet 113. When the fan 140 is in operation, it drives airflow into the enclosure 110 through the opening 111, and then discharges it through the air outlet 113 into the exhaust channel 213 outside the enclosure 110. This effectively discharges contaminants from inside the enclosure 110 into the exhaust channel 213, thereby reducing the probability of contaminants diffusing outside the enclosure 110 and contaminating the wafer area.

[0077] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the housing 110 is also provided with an air inlet 112, which is connected to the air outlet 113. The positions of the air inlet 112 and the air outlet 113 on the housing 110 can be selected according to the actual ventilation requirements. As shown in Figure 1, the air outlet 113 can be close to the top of the housing 110, and the air inlet 112 can be close to the bottom of the housing 110, thereby increasing the path and coverage area of ​​the air passage, so as to cover the internal space of the housing 110 as much as possible, so as to transfer as many pollutants as possible to the exhaust passage 213.

[0078] As shown by the arrows in Figures 1 and 4, the airflow in the housing 110 can be roughly divided into two paths. One path is the airflow transmitted from the air inlet 112 to the air outlet 113, and the other path is the airflow transmitted from the notch 111 to the air outlet 113. Regardless of which path the airflow is in, it can discharge the pollutants generated inside the housing 110 to the exhaust channel 213 outside the housing 110 through the air outlet 113. Furthermore, when the fan 140 is in operation, the negative pressure environment inside the housing 110 also prevents pollutants from escaping from the notch 111 of the housing 110 to the external wafer loading and unloading area. In addition, the airflow can also carry away some of the heat inside the housing 110, thereby reducing the thermal impact of heat radiation on the internal components of the housing 110.

[0079] In one embodiment of this application, taking a vertical furnace tube device as an example, the process door moving device 100 is used to drive the process door 230 to move up and down in the vertical direction. Correspondingly, the length extension direction of the notch 111 of the housing 110 is vertical, and the moving part 130 also moves up and down in the vertical direction. The process door 230 can be used to support the carrier boat 240, which is used to carry the wafer. During the lifting and lowering process, the process door 230 will drive the carrier boat 240 to enter and exit the process chamber.

[0080] Please refer to Figures 1 to 28. This application also discloses a semiconductor process apparatus 200. The disclosed semiconductor process apparatus 200 may include a housing 210, a process cavity 220, a process gate 230, a support boat 240, and the aforementioned process gate moving device 100, wherein:

[0081] The housing 210 has a partition inside, which divides the interior of the housing 210 into a first installation space 211 and a second installation space 212 that are arranged adjacently. The process cavity 220 is located in the first installation space 211 and provides a constant process temperature for the process. The partition has an opening so that the opening of the process cavity 220 can communicate with the second installation space 212.

[0082] The outer wall of the process chamber 220 and the inner wall of the housing 210 form an exhaust channel 213. The process door moving device 100 is located in the second mounting space 212, which provides a clean loading and unloading area for the wafer. The air outlet 113 of the enclosure 110 can be connected to the exhaust channel 213 through a flow-through hole in the partition. The fan 140 inside the enclosure 110 can drive the airflow from the air inlet 112 to the air outlet 113, and discharge it into the exhaust channel 213 through the flow-through hole.

[0083] The carrier boat 240 is positioned above the process gate 230 and is used to carry the wafer. One end of the moving part 130 is connected to the process gate 230 to drive the process gate 230 to switch between a first position and a second position. When the process gate 230 is in the first position, the carrier boat 240 enters the process cavity 220, and the process gate 230 covers the opening of the process cavity 220 for processing. When the process gate 230 is in the second position, both the carrier boat 240 and the process gate 230 are separated from the process cavity 220, and the carrier boat 240 can return to the second mounting space 212 for loading and unloading the wafer.

[0084] As described above, the semiconductor process equipment 200 disclosed in this application improves upon related technologies. By providing an air inlet 112, an air outlet 113, and a fan 140 on the housing 110 of the process gate moving device 100, an air passage can be formed in the housing 110. Pollutants generated inside the housing 110 can be transported to the exhaust passage 213 along with the airflow generated in the air passage, thereby reducing the accumulation of pollutants inside the housing 110 and reducing the probability of pollutants diffusing to the outside of the housing 110 and causing contamination to the area where the wafer is located.

[0085] As shown in Figure 1, the semiconductor process equipment 200 may further include an air-cooling mechanism 250, which is disposed in the second mounting space 212 and is positioned opposite to the air inlet 112 of the housing 110. On one hand, the air-cooling mechanism 250 is used to cool the wafer; on the other hand, it can also provide clean, low-temperature airflow to the air inlet 112, which is beneficial for the discharge of contaminants inside the housing 110 and for cooling the internal components of the housing 110. In an optional embodiment of this application, taking a vertical furnace tube equipment as an example, the process door moving device 100 can be used to drive the process door 230 to move vertically up and down. The process door 230 is used to support the carrier boat 240, and the first mounting space 211 can be located above the second mounting space 212. When the process gate 230 rises to the first position, the carrier boat 240 enters the process cavity 220, and the process gate 230 covers the opening of the process cavity 220 for processing; when the process gate 230 descends to the second position, both the carrier boat 240 and the process gate 230 separate from the process cavity 220, and the carrier boat 240 can return to the second installation space 212 for wafer loading and unloading.

[0086] The above embodiments of this application focus on describing the differences between the various embodiments. As long as the different technical features between 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.

[0087] 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 gate moving device, applied to semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that, The process door moving device (100) includes a housing (110) and a moving mechanism; The side wall of the box (110) is provided with a notch (111). The moving mechanism includes a support part (120) and a moving part (130). The support part (120) is located in the box (110). The moving part (130) is slidably connected to the support part (120) and can move along the length extension direction of the notch (111).

2. The process gate moving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process door moving device (100) further includes a shielding part (150), which is a thin strip structure. The shielding part (150) is disposed in the box (110) and at least partially covers the notch (111). The movable part (130) supports and cooperates with the blocking part (150) so that a portion of the blocking part (150) protrudes in the direction away from the notch (111) to form a clearance space. The clearance space is used to accommodate the movable part (130), and the position of the clearance space changes synchronously with the movement of the movable part (130).

3. The process gate moving device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The moving part (130) includes a bearing component (131) and a guide component (132). The bearing component (131) is slidably connected to the support part (120). The bearing component (131) can move along the length extension direction of the notch (111). The guide component (132) is disposed on the side of the support component (131) near the shielding part (150). The guide component (132) is slidably connected to the shielding part (150) and supports a portion of the shielding part (150), causing the portion of the shielding part (150) to protrude in the direction away from the notch (111) to form the clearance space, which is used to accommodate the support component (131).

4. The process gate moving device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The guide assembly (132) includes a support pulley connected to the bearing assembly (131) and extending in a direction away from the notch (111); The shielding part (150) is arranged around the support pulley, which supports a portion of the shielding part (150) so that the portion of the shielding part (150) protrudes in a direction away from the notch (111).

5. The process gate moving device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The support pulley includes a first support pulley (1321) and a second support pulley (1322), the first support pulley (1321) and the second support pulley (1322) are respectively connected to the bearing assembly (131) and extend in a direction away from the notch (111); The shielding portion (150) is respectively arranged around the first support pulley (1321) and the second support pulley (1322). The first support pulley (1321) and the second support pulley (1322) are spaced apart along the moving direction of the bearing assembly (131) and support a portion of the shielding portion (150), so that the portion of the shielding portion (150) protrudes in the direction away from the notch (111).

6. The process gate moving device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The guide assembly (132) further includes a first steering pulley (1323) and a second steering pulley (1324), the first steering pulley (1323) and the second steering pulley (1324) being connected to the bearing assembly (131) respectively; The first steering pulley (1323) and the second steering pulley (1324) are respectively located on both sides of the clearance space along the moving direction of the bearing assembly (131) and close to the notch (111) so as to press the other part of the shield (150) except the clearance space toward the notch (111); The shielding portion (150) is bent along the end face of the first steering pulley (1323) and the end face of the second steering pulley (1324), and extends in the direction away from the notch (111) to be respectively wrapped around the first support pulley (1321) and the second support pulley (1322).

7. The process gate moving device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first support pulley (1321) and the second support pulley (1322) have the same structure, and both include a pulley body (1321a), a pulley bracket (1321b), a support rod (1321c) and an elastic element (1321d); The pulley body (1321a) is mounted on the pulley bracket (1321b), the pulley bracket (1321b) is connected to the bearing assembly (131) through the support rod (1321c), and the support rod (1321c) can slide relative to the bearing assembly (131) along its own axis; The elastic element (1321d) is sleeved on the support rod (1321c), and both ends of the elastic element (1321d) abut against the pulley bracket (1321b) and the bearing assembly (131) respectively, so as to elastically support between the pulley bracket (1321b) and the bearing assembly (131).

8. The process gate moving device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The load-bearing component (131) includes a transmission component (1311), a mounting plate (1312), and a connector (1313); The transmission component (1311) is slidably connected to the support portion (120), one end of the transmission component (1311) is connected to the mounting plate (1312), at least a portion of the mounting plate (1312) is disposed in the notch (111), and the connecting component (1313) is disposed on the surface of the mounting plate (1312) facing away from the housing (110), and at least a portion protrudes from the outer wall of the housing (110); The guide component (132) is located on the side of the mounting plate (1312) near the shielding portion (150).

9. The process gate moving device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The shielding portion (150) protrudes from the edges of the notch (111) on both sides along its width direction.

10. The process gate moving device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The width of the notch (111) is 40mm-60mm, and the width of the shielding part (150) is 48mm-72mm.

11. The process gate moving device according to claim 8, characterized in that, Along the first direction, the mounting plate (1312) has a size of 28mm-52mm, and the connector (1313) has a size of 48mm-72mm; The first direction is parallel to the side wall of the box (110) where the notch (111) is located, and perpendicular to the moving direction of the moving part (130).

12. The process gate moving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The moving mechanism further includes a drive unit (160), at least a portion of which is disposed in the housing (110) and connected to the moving unit (130) to drive the moving unit (130) to slide relative to the support unit (120).

13. The process gate moving device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The drive unit (160) includes a motor (161), a lead screw (162), and a nut (163). The motor (161) is located in the housing (110). The lead screw (162) is connected to the output end of the motor (161). The nut (163) is sleeved on the lead screw (162) to form a sliding pair. The moving part (130) is connected to the nut (163).

14. The process gate moving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a piping assembly (260), which includes a fixed end and a movable end. The fixed end is connected to the inner wall of the housing (110), and the movable end is connected to the movable part (130).

15. The process gate moving device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that, The process gate moving device (100) further includes a fan (140), the housing (110) is provided with an air outlet (113), the air outlet (113) is used to communicate with the exhaust channel (213) of the semiconductor process equipment, and the fan (140) is located in the housing (110) and close to the air outlet (113).

16. The process gate moving device according to claim 15, characterized in that, The housing (110) is also provided with an air inlet (112), which is connected to the air outlet (113). The air outlet (113) is close to the top of the housing (110), and the air inlet (112) is close to the bottom of the housing (110).

17. The process gate moving device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that, The process door moving device (100) is used to drive the process door (230) to move up and down in the vertical direction, and the process door (230) is used to support the carrier boat (240).

18. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized in that, It includes a housing (210), a process cavity (220), a process door (230), and a process door moving device (100) as described in any one of claims 1-17; The housing (210) is provided with a first installation space (211) and a second installation space (212) arranged adjacent to each other. The process cavity (220) is located in the first installation space (211). The outer wall of the process cavity (220) and the inner wall of the housing (210) form an exhaust channel (213). The process door moving device (100) is disposed in the second installation space (212), and one end of the moving part (130) is connected to the process door (230) to drive the process door (230) to switch between a first position and a second position; When the process door (230) is in the first position, the process door (230) covers the opening of the process cavity (220). When the process door (230) is in the second position, the process door (230) is separated from the process cavity (220).

19. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 18, characterized in that, The semiconductor process equipment (200) also includes an air cooling mechanism (250), which is located in the second installation space (212) and is positioned opposite to the air inlet (112) of the housing (110).

20. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that, The process door moving device (100) is used to drive the process door (230) to move up and down in the vertical direction. The process door (230) is used to support the carrier boat (240). The first installation space (211) is located above the second installation space (212).

Images