# US 12,112,928 B1 · PECVD apparatus

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- Number: US 12,112,928 B1
- Document ID: US12112928B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 18/435,545
- Filed: 2024-02-07
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2023-09-15
- Assignees: Guangzhou Aifo Light Communication Technology Company Ltd.
- Applicants: Guangzhou Aifo Light Communication Technology Company Ltd.
- Inventors: Guoqiang Li; Xinyan Yi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12112928B1

## CPC

- H01J 37/32715: {Workpiece holder}
- C23C 16/0227: {by cleaning or etching}
- C23C 16/4583: {the substrate being supported substantially horizontally}
- C23C 16/50: using electric discharges {(generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34)}
- C23C 16/54: Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating
- H01J 37/32743: {for introducing the material into processing chamber}
- H01J 37/32899: {Multiple chambers, e.g. cluster tools}
- H10P 72/0406: {for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like}
- H10P 72/0408: {for drying}
- H10P 72/0411: {for wet cleaning or washing}
- H10P 72/0464: {characterised by the construction of the transfer chamber}
- H10P 72/3202: {Mechanical details, e.g. rollers or belts}
- H10P 72/3314: {Continuous loading and unloading into and out of a processing chamber, e.g. transporting belts within processing chambers}
- H01J 2237/2007: Holding mechanisms
- H01J 2237/20214: Rotation
- H01J 2237/3321: CVD [Chemical Vapor Deposition]
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A PECVD apparatus includes a transfer chamber, a load lock, a cleaning chamber, a spin-drying chamber, a deposition chamber, and an unload lock; wherein the load lock, the cleaning chamber, the spin-drying chamber, the deposition chamber, and the unload lock are successively spirally arranged on a side wall of the transfer chamber; and a spiral conveyor device is arranged in the transfer chamber, wherein the spiral conveyor device includes a conveyor rod, a spiral drive mechanism, and a plurality of conveyor assemblies; wherein the conveyor rod is vertically arranged in the transfer chamber, and the plurality of conveyor assemblies are spirally arranged on the conveyor rod, and wherein the spiral drive mechanism is configured to drive the conveyor rod to undergo a spiral ascending or descending movement.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) apparatus, comprising: a substrate tray, a transfer chamber, a load lock, a cleaning chamber, a spin-drying chamber, a deposition chamber, and an unload lock;
wherein the load lock, the cleaning chamber, the spin-drying chamber, the deposition chamber, and the unload lock are successively spirally arranged on a side wall of the transfer chamber;
a spiral conveyor device is arranged in the transfer chamber, wherein the spiral conveyor device comprises a conveyor rod, a spiral drive mechanism, and a plurality of conveyor assemblies;
wherein the conveyor rod is vertically arranged in the transfer chamber, and the plurality of conveyor assemblies are spirally arranged on the conveyor rod, and
wherein the spiral drive mechanism is configured to drive the conveyor rod to undergo a spiral ascending or descending movement; and
a spin-drying device is arranged in the spin-drying chamber, wherein the drying device comprises a drying support, and a support base, a lift mechanism, a plurality of clamp fingers, a connection rod, a rotation mechanism, and a jack mechanism;
wherein the support base is in lift connection to the spin-drying support, and is driven to ascend or descend by the lift mechanism to receive the substrate tray fed by the conveyor assemblies,
wherein the plurality of clamp fingers are circumferentially arrayed on an outer side of the support base, and are hinged to the spin-drying support, wherein a bottom of the support base is hinged to one end of the each of the clamp fingers via the connection rod,
wherein the rotation mechanism is arranged at a bottom of the spin-drying support, and is configured to drive the drying support to reciprocally rotate,
wherein the jack mechanism is arranged on the spin-drying support, and is configured to jack to separate a substrate on the substrate tray, and
wherein the jack mechanism comprises a plurality of jack assemblies, each of the jack assemblies comprising a jack rod, a jack elastic member, and a press plate, wherein the press plate is secured to a bottom of the jack rod, two ends of the jack elastic member are respectively securely connected to the spin-drying support and the press plate, and the support plate and the spin-drying support are both provided with a jack groove slidably engageable with the jack rod.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The PECVD apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a clamp groove is defined in the other end of the clamp finger, wherein an elastic member is arranged on the clamp groove.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The PECVD apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of rollers are rotatably connected to the support base, wherein a heating assembly is arranged in each of the rollers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The PECVD apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a push mechanism is further arranged in the spin-drying chamber, wherein the push mechanism comprises a stop plate arranged on a side of the support base to define a feed position of the substrate tray and a push rod configured to drive the stop plate to undergo a horizontal displacement.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The PECVD apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a spray assembly and a holder mechanism configured to hold the substrate tray are arranged in the cleaning chamber.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The PECVD apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor assembly comprises a conveyor support and a horizontal conveyor mechanism; wherein
the conveyor support is secured to the conveyor rod, and a conveyor channel facing the transfer chamber is defined in the conveyor support; and
the horizontal conveyor mechanism is mounted on the conveyor channel, and is configured to push and receive the substrate tray.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The PECVD apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a gate valve is arranged on a side of each of the load lock, the cleaning chamber, the spin-drying chamber, the deposition chamber, and the unload lock.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The PECVD apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a wafer cassette configured to store the substrate tray and a lift assembly configured to adjust a height of the wafer cassette are arranged in both the load lock and the unload lock.