TWI524451B - Semiconductor processing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Semiconductor process equipment

This invention relates to a semiconductor process apparatus, and more particularly to a semiconductor process apparatus suitable for vacuum processing.

In the process of flat panel displays and semiconductor devices, processes such as deposition, etching, and testing are conventionally performed in a vacuum chamber, and currently most of the substrates are transferred or transmitted through a load lock chamber. The vacuum reaction chamber is exited. The load lock chamber provides a staged vacuum between atmospheric pressure and vacuum reaction chamber pressure, so in some systems, the load lock chamber can act as a queuing system and vacuum reaction at ambient ambient pressure A transfer interface between the chambers for exchanging substrates between the atmosphere and the vacuum. Likewise, the treated substrate may also be transported out of the vacuum reaction chamber via the load lock chamber in an atmospheric environment.

In order to save the substrate handling time during the process, the carrying arm first holds the substrate before the slit valve of the load lock chamber and waits for it to open, and places the substrate into the load lock chamber after the slit valve is opened. Thereafter, the substrate is transferred from the load lock chamber to the vacuum reaction chamber by another transfer arm located in the vacuum chamber to perform semiconductor processing on the substrate.

However, since there is a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the load lock chamber, when the slit valve is opened, the oil remaining on these mechanical components tends to be easily ejected due to the change of the gas flow field, thereby causing contamination of the substrate, resulting in a decrease in process yield. .

In view of this, the present invention provides a semiconductor process equipment to improve process yield.

The present invention provides a semiconductor processing apparatus for semiconductor processing of a substrate, the semiconductor processing apparatus including a first chamber, a door panel, a pneumatic piston, and a baffle. The first chamber has a slit valve, wherein the substrate is adapted to move through the slit valve from a preliminary placement area outside the first chamber to the first chamber. Moreover, the preliminary placement zone corresponds to the slit valve. The door panel is movable relative to the first chamber to close or open the slit valve of the first chamber. Wherein, when the door panel closes the slit valve, the first chamber is in a sealed state; when the door panel opens the slit valve, the first chamber is communicated to the outside through the slit valve. The pneumatic piston is disposed on the door panel, and the baffle is connected to the door panel and located between the pneumatic piston and the preliminary placement area.

In an embodiment of the invention, the baffle plate is disposed on the door panel, and the baffle includes a cover sheet, a top wall, a bottom wall, and two side walls. Wherein the top wall and the bottom wall are opposite to each other, the side walls are opposite to each other, and the top wall, the bottom wall and the side walls are connected to the cover sheet, and the cover sheet is opposite to the pneumatic piston described above.

In an embodiment of the invention, the bottom wall has at least one venting opening, and the venting opening corresponds to a lower portion of the pneumatic piston.

In an embodiment of the invention, the semiconductor processing apparatus further includes a gas filtering device adapted to provide an air flow flowing from above the top wall toward the bottom wall.

In an embodiment of the invention, the semiconductor processing apparatus further includes at least one fastener fixed to the baffle for fastening the baffle to the door panel.

In an embodiment of the invention, the bottom wall has a groove on a surface of the opposite top wall, and both ends of the groove are adjacent to the two side walls.

In an embodiment of the invention, the door panel includes at least one air hole, and the pneumatic piston is engaged in the air hole.

In an embodiment of the invention, the material of the baffle comprises aluminum metal.

In an embodiment of the invention, the air pressure in the first chamber is smaller than the air pressure outside the first chamber.

In an embodiment of the invention, the semiconductor processing apparatus further includes at least one reaction chamber and a first carrying arm, wherein the first carrying arm is configured to transport the substrate from the first chamber to the reaction chamber via the valve.

In an embodiment of the invention, the air pressure in the reaction chamber is smaller than the air pressure in the first chamber.

In an embodiment of the invention, the semiconductor processing apparatus further includes a transfer chamber disposed between the reaction chamber and the first chamber, and the first transfer arm is located in the transfer chamber.

In an embodiment of the invention, the semiconductor processing apparatus further includes a second carrying arm adapted to move the substrate to the preliminary placement area and transfer the substrate to the first chamber after the door panel opens the slit valve.

The semiconductor process equipment of the present invention is configured to arrange a baffle between the door panel of the first chamber and the substrate pre-placed in the first chamber to block the residual oil sprayed by the gas flow field when the door panel is opened, and avoid the residual The oil is sprayed onto the substrate to contaminate the substrate. It can be seen that the semiconductor process equipment of the present invention can effectively maintain the cleanliness of the substrate in the process, thereby improving the process yield.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more <RTIgt;

To further illustrate the technical means and effects of the present invention in order to achieve the intended purpose of the invention, the specific embodiments, structures, features and functions of the semiconductor process equipment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments. The detailed description is as follows.

1 is a schematic view of a semiconductor process device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the semiconductor process device of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 simultaneously, the semiconductor processing apparatus 100 is configured to perform semiconductor processing on the substrate 101. For example, the semiconductor processing device 100 can be used, for example, to deposit or etch the substrate 101. The substrate 101 can be a glass substrate used in a display device, or a wafer used to fabricate a semiconductor device.

The semiconductor process apparatus 100 includes a first chamber 110, a door panel 120, a pneumatic piston 130, and a baffle 140. The first chamber 110 has a slit valve 112 that is moved through the slit valve 112 from the preliminary placement region 104 outside the first chamber 110 into the first chamber 110. In detail, the preliminary placement area 104 is located outside of the first chamber 110 and corresponds to the slit valve 112. Before the substrate 101 is placed in the first chamber 110, the substrate 101 is first placed in the preliminary placement area 104, and the substrate 101 is placed in the first chamber 110 after the slit valve 112 is opened. In the present embodiment, the semiconductor processing apparatus 100, for example, uses the carrying arm 150 to hold the substrate 101 in the preliminary placement area 104 to wait for the slit valve 112 to open.

Further, the first chamber 110 of the embodiment can be used as a load lock chamber in the vacuum processing machine, and the semiconductor processing apparatus 100 can further include at least one reaction chamber 160 and the carrying arm 170. Wherein the gas pressure within the reaction chamber 160 is, for example, less than the gas pressure within the first chamber 110. For example, the reaction chamber 160 is, for example, in a vacuum state. The number of reaction chambers 160 depends on the type of process that substrate 101 is required to perform, and the present invention does not limit the number of reaction chambers 160 herein. The number depicted in Figure 1 is for illustrative purposes only.

In the above, after the substrate 101 is placed in the first chamber 110 via the slit valve 112, it is taken out from the first chamber 110 by, for example, the carrying arm 170, and then placed in the reaction chamber 160. A semiconductor process is performed in the reaction chamber 160. In the present embodiment, the carrying arm 170 is disposed, for example, in the transfer chamber 180, and the transfer chamber 180 is located between the first chamber 110 and the reaction chamber 160, and is coupled to the first chamber 110 and the reaction chamber. The valve 190 and the valve 195 are separated by 160 respectively.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the door panel 120 is movable relative to the first chamber 110 to close or open the slit valve 112. In the present embodiment, when the slit valve 112 is in the closed state, the door panel 120 is disposed, for example, in the recess 114 of the first cavity 110 and closely fits the slit valve 112 to make the first chamber 110 Sealed. When the slit valve 112 is to be opened, the door panel 120 can be actuated to move outwardly along the X-axis to the outside of the recess 114, and then the door panel 120 is actuated to move down the Z-axis to open the slit valve 112. At this time, the first chamber 110 can communicate with the outside through the slit valve 112, so that the carrying arm 150 feeds the substrate 101 into the first chamber 110 via the slit valve 112.

In a portion of the semiconductor process, the gas within the first chamber 110 must be evacuated after the slit valve 112 is closed, such that the first chamber 110 is near a vacuum. To this end, the door panel 120 of the present embodiment is provided with, for example, at least one pneumatic piston 130 to push the pneumatic piston 130 by the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the first chamber 110 during the pumping process, thereby sealing the first cavity more effectively. Room 110. Specifically, the material of the pneumatic piston 130 is, for example, rubber or other soft material, and is, for example, engaged in the air hole 122 of the door panel 120. Although the number of the pneumatic pistons 130 illustrated in this embodiment is three, the present invention is not limited thereto.

3 is an exploded perspective view of the door panel 120 and the baffle 140 of FIG. 1. Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3 , the baffle 140 may be made of aluminum and connected to the door panel 120 between the pneumatic piston 130 and the preliminary placement area 104 . In the present embodiment, the baffle 140 is fixed to the door panel 120 by, for example, the fastener 310. In detail, one end of the fastener 310 is locked to the baffle 140, and the other end is fastened to the door panel 120. Therefore, when the door panel 120 moves along the X axis to the outside of the recess 114, the residual oil sprayed from the air hole 122 due to the gas flow field fluctuation on the door panel 120 can be blocked by the baffle 140 to avoid contamination of the substrate 101.

The structure of the baffle 140 will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

4 is a perspective view of a baffle according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the baffle of FIG. 4 taken along line I-I'. Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the baffle 140 of the present embodiment includes, for example, a cover sheet 142, a top wall 144, a bottom wall 146, a side wall 148, and a side wall 149, wherein the top wall 144 and the bottom wall 146 are opposite to each other, and the side wall 148 is The side walls 149 are opposed to each other, and the top wall 144, the bottom wall 146, the side walls 148, and the side walls 149 are both connected to the cover sheet 142 to constitute a cover-like baffle 140. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the baffle 140 of the present embodiment is disposed on the door panel 120, wherein the cover sheet 142 and the pneumatic piston 130 are opposite to each other and spaced apart from the door panel 120 by a distance D, and the top wall 144, The bottom wall 146, the side walls 148, and the side walls 149 are connected to the door panel 120. In particular, the bottom wall 146 of the baffle 140 is selectively disposed with a groove 147 on the surface 146a facing the top wall 144, wherein the two ends of the groove 147 are adjacent to the side wall 148 and the side wall 149, respectively, for housing FIG. The residual oil ejected from the air holes 122 by the door panel 120.

In addition, the bottom wall 146 of the baffle 140 may also have at least one venting opening 145 corresponding to the underside of the pneumatic piston 130 for discharging oil and gas between the baffle 140 and the door panel 120. It should be noted that, in another embodiment, the semiconductor process device 100 may further include a gas filtering device 210, as shown in FIG. 6, for providing the airflow G, and the airflow G is by the baffle 140. The upper portion of the top wall 144 flows toward the bottom wall 146 to carry away the oil and gas discharged from the exhaust hole 145.

In summary, the semiconductor process equipment of the present invention configures a baffle between the door panel of the first chamber and the substrate pre-placed in the first chamber to block the door panel from being ejected due to changes in the gas flow field when the door panel is opened. Residual oil, avoiding residual oil sprayed onto the substrate to contaminate the substrate. In addition, the baffle can also prevent the pneumatic piston from damaging the substrate when it is accidentally detached from the door panel. It can be seen that the semiconductor process equipment of the present invention can effectively maintain the cleanliness of the substrate in the process, thereby improving the process yield.

While the present invention has been described in its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not intended to limit the invention, and the present invention may be modified and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of protection is subject to the definition of the scope of the patent application.

100. . . Semiconductor process equipment

101. . . Substrate

104. . . Prepared placement area

110. . . First chamber

112. . . Slit valve

114. . . Groove

120. . . Door panel

122. . . Stomata

130. . . Pneumatic piston

140. . . Baffle

142. . . Cover piece

144. . . Top wall

145. . . Vent

146. . . Bottom wall

146a. . . surface

147. . . Trench

148, 149. . . Side wall

150, 170. . . Carrying arm

160. . . Reaction chamber

180. . . Transfer chamber

190, 195. . . valve

210. . . Gas filter unit

310. . . Fastener

D. . . spacing

G. . . airflow

1 is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor process apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a partial perspective view of the semiconductor process equipment of FIG. 1.

3 is an exploded perspective view of the door panel and the baffle of FIG. 1.

4 is a perspective view of a baffle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the baffle of Figure 4 taken along line I-I'.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of a semiconductor process device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

101. . . Substrate

104. . . Prepared placement area

110. . . First chamber

112. . . Slit valve

114. . . Groove

120. . . Door panel

130. . . Pneumatic piston

140. . . Baffle

310. . . Fastener

D. . . spacing

Claims (13)

A semiconductor processing apparatus adapted to perform semiconductor processing on a substrate, the semiconductor processing apparatus comprising: a first chamber having a slit valve, wherein the substrate is adapted to be moved from a preliminary placement region through the slit valve In the first chamber, the preliminary placement area is located outside the first chamber and corresponds to the slit valve; a door panel adapted to move relative to the first chamber to close or open the slit valve, wherein When the door panel closes the slit valve, the first chamber is in a sealed state, and when the door panel opens the slit valve, the first chamber communicates with the outside through the slit valve; at least one pneumatic piston is disposed at a door panel; and a baffle attached to the door panel between the at least one pneumatic piston and the preliminary placement zone. The semiconductor process device of claim 1, wherein the baffle is disposed on the door panel, and the baffle comprises a cover sheet, a top wall, a bottom wall and two side walls, the top wall and the The bottom walls are opposite each other, the side walls are opposite each other, and the top wall, the bottom wall and the side walls are connected to the cover sheet, and the cover sheet is opposite to the at least one pneumatic piston. The semiconductor process apparatus of claim 2, wherein the bottom wall has at least one venting opening, and the at least one venting opening corresponds to a lower side of the at least one pneumatic piston. The semiconductor process apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a gas filtering device adapted to provide a gas flow flowing from above the top wall toward the bottom wall. The semiconductor process device of claim 2, wherein the bottom wall has a groove on a surface of the top wall, and the two ends of the groove are adjacent to the side walls. The semiconductor process device of claim 1, further comprising at least one fastener fixed to the baffle and adapted to fasten the baffle to the door panel. The semiconductor process device of claim 1, wherein the door panel has at least one air hole, and the at least one pneumatic piston is engaged in the at least one air hole. The semiconductor process equipment of claim 1, wherein the material of the baffle comprises aluminum metal. The semiconductor process equipment of claim 1, wherein the air pressure in the first chamber is smaller than the air pressure outside the first chamber. The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 9, further comprising: at least one reaction chamber; and a first carrying arm for transporting the substrate from the first chamber into the at least one reaction chamber. The semiconductor process apparatus of claim 10, wherein the air pressure in the at least one reaction chamber is less than the air pressure in the first chamber. The semiconductor process device of claim 10, further comprising a transfer chamber disposed between the at least one reaction chamber and the first chamber, wherein the first transfer arm is located in the transfer chamber. The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second carrying arm, wherein the second carrying arm is adapted to move the substrate to the preliminary placement area, and the slit valve is opened on the door panel The substrate is then transferred into the first chamber.