Vacuum pump: The core component of the vacuum environment

Vacuum pump is a device used to generate, improve and maintain vacuum, as the core parts of semiconductor vacuum process system, can provide the necessary ultra-clean vacuum environment for the core process equipment of wafer manufacturing, and is widely used in PVD, CVD, etching, ion implantation and other dry processes with high vacuum environment requirements.

According to the semiconductor process classification, the semiconductor vacuum pump is usually divided into clean process, medium process and harsh process process, the process classification is determined by the installation position of the vacuum pump and the process characteristics of the process reaction, different process requirements for vacuum pumps are different, so the need for different technical characteristics of dry vacuum pumps to meet the application of different process processes.

Cleaning process: including measurement, lithography process, but also including medium process, harsh process equipment loading chamber and transmission chamber, the requirements for vacuum pumps are usually high reliability, low cost, can achieve rapid pumping, small size and other characteristics;

Medium process: including PVD, dry degluing, dielectric etching, silicon etching, ion injection, etc., its requirements for vacuum pumps are usually rapid vacuum, low power consumption, high performance and other characteristics.

Harsh process: including all kinds of CVD process, dry conductor etching, annealing, ALD process, for the vacuum pump requirements are usually corrosion resistance, dust resistance, avoid condensation and other characteristics.

Vacuum chamber: The core container that provides the process reaction scene

The cavity is a key component involved in the wafer preparation reaction process in semiconductor equipment, providing corrosion resistance, clean and high vacuum environment for wafer production. The cavity is usually made of a high purity, corrosion resistant material, such as stainless steel or aluminum alloy, to ensure the purity of the process and the durability of the cavity.

Transition cavity: The transition cavity is the entrance of the vacuum environment of the wafer in the device. The wafer is transported from the outside to the entrance of the device, and enters the transition cavity after passing through the front end module (EFEM). Then the wafer is converted from the atmospheric environment to the vacuum environment, and then enters the transmission cavity and reaction cavity of the vacuum environment from the transition cavity for process reaction. The transition cavity needs to ensure the degree of vacuum, tightness, and the wafer can not be contaminated, and requires the company's core technology such as high-precision multi-station complex surface manufacturing technology and corrosion-resistant anodizing technology, commonly known as vacuum lock (Load lock).

Transmission cavity: The transmission cavity is the intermediate platform for the wafer to transfer between the transition cavity and the reaction cavity. If the sealing area of the transmission cavity is poorly processed, the cavity cannot guarantee the vacuum, which will affect the wafer production. The company ensures the sealing and vacuum degree of the transmission cavity through high-precision multi-station complex surface manufacturing technology. At the same time, because the transmission cavity needs to be connected with the reaction cavity of different processes, the company adopts different surface treatment special processes to ensure the cleanliness and corrosion resistance of the transmission cavity, so as to extend its service life and ensure that the wafer circulation environment is not polluted.

Reaction chamber: The reaction chamber is the working space for wafer processing and production. In the wafer processing process, a variety of process gases flow into the reaction chamber and chemical reactions occur, which requires high cleanliness and corrosion resistance. In particular, the advanced process has higher requirements for the cleanliness of the reaction chamber, and the company needs to ensure the cleanliness of the reaction chamber through high cleanliness precision cleaning technology to avoid the production of chemical particles and create a clean environment for wafer production. In addition, in order to ensure the service life of the equipment and improve production efficiency, the company needs to enhance its corrosion resistance and breakdown voltage resistance through special surface treatment technology such as corrosion resistant anodizing technology.

Because the cavity size and cleanliness requirements of different types of equipment from different companies are different, the cavity production usually has the characteristics of small batch, multi-variety and customization. The global enterprises involved in the cavity processing are usually responsible for the processing of process parts (lining, heater, homogenizing disc) and structural parts (substrate, cooling plate, cover plate, etc.). Its core barriers lie in anodizing, electrolytic polishing, chemical cleaning and other surface treatment special processes to maintain high cleanliness, ultra-corrosion, breakdown voltage resistance and other properties of precision parts, as well as precision machinery manufacturing and welding technology.