CN117352430B

CN117352430B - Semiconductor processing equipment

Info

Publication number: CN117352430B
Application number: CN202311310856.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 郭�东
Original assignee: Piotech Inc
Current assignee: Piotech Inc
Priority date: 2023-10-10
Filing date: 2023-10-10
Publication date: 2024-09-06
Anticipated expiration: 2043-10-10
Also published as: CN117352430A

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and more particularly, to a semiconductor processing apparatus including a radio frequency system. The invention provides semiconductor processing equipment, which at least comprises a reaction chamber, a radio frequency receiving electrode and a radio frequency emitting electrode: the radio frequency receiving electrode is arranged above the reaction chamber; the radio frequency emitter is arranged below the reaction chamber and is used for emitting radio frequency power signals to the upper part of the reaction chamber. According to the invention, the radio frequency power is led in from the bottom of the reaction chamber, and the connector is directly connected with the matcher, so that the deposition rate of the substrate to be processed is obviously improved, and the process uniformity and stability are improved.

Description

Semiconductor processing equipment

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and more particularly, to a semiconductor processing apparatus including a radio frequency system.

Background

Thin film deposition techniques are used to fabricate thin films for microelectronic devices, forming deposits on a substrate, and common thin film deposition techniques include physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, and the like. With the continued development of semiconductor technology nodes,

In the semiconductor field, thin film deposition is a critical process that directly affects the performance and reliability of semiconductor devices. The process parameters of film deposition include substrate temperature, gas flow, pressure, power, etc., and the selection and control of these parameters directly affects the quality and performance of the film. However, there is a relationship between the process parameters of thin film deposition that is interactive and restrictive, so that fine control and adjustment thereof is required.

Semiconductor processing equipment that performs plasma processing on a semiconductor wafer, such as a PECVD (plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition) process, is often referred to as a Radio Frequency (RF) system. Such systems include RF control circuitry whose core function is to provide radio frequency signals to the electrodes of the semiconductor processing equipment. These signals create an electric field at a specific processing region in the processing chamber. When ionized under an electric field, the reactant gas reacts with the wafer to be processed, which may involve etching or deposition.

Prior art semiconductor processing equipment, such as a 4.6GHZ PECVD rf system, directs rf from the shower plate. Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a prior art semiconductor processing apparatus, wherein the semiconductor processing apparatus 100 shown in fig. 1 is an apparatus for performing semiconductor processing, and comprises at least a reaction chamber 101, a shower plate 102, a heating plate 104, a rf power source 105, a heating plate rf electrode 106, and other main components.

The reaction chamber 101 is a sealed chamber capable of providing a stable process environment for the substrates 103 to be processed.

A shower plate 102 is positioned inside the reaction chamber 101 for supplying a reaction gas to the substrate 103 to be processed. In the running process of the equipment, the reaction gas is sprayed on the substrate to be treated through the spray plate 102 to cause chemical reaction with substances on the surface of the substrate to be treated 103, so that the purpose of process treatment is realized.

The shower plate 102 is also designed to take into account the flow and distribution of the gas to ensure that the gas covers the entire surface of the substrate 103 to be treated uniformly.

The heating plate 104 is another important component, and is located below the shower plate 102, and can provide a proper heating environment for the substrate 103 to be processed, so that the substrate 103 to be processed reaches the temperature required by the process. This heating mode can achieve efficient, uniform heat distribution and ensure thermal stability and reliability of the substrate 103 to be processed.

The semiconductor processing apparatus 100 also employs a design of a rf power supply 105 and a hotplate rf electrode 106 in order to enhance the efficiency and stability of the process. The rf power source 105 supplies rf power to the shower plate 102 through the rf matcher and forms an electric field between the shower plate 102 and the heating plate 104. This electric field can promote chemical reaction of the reactant gases at the surface of the substrate to be processed and control the reaction rate and effect.

As shown in the rf loop of fig. 1, the rf signal from the rf power source 105 is returned to the rf power source 105 through the shower plate 102, the substrate 103 to be processed, the hotplate rf electrode 106, and the side walls of the reaction chamber. The components of this circuit together form a radio frequency circuit that enables radio frequency power to flow and function between the shower plate 102 and the heater plate 104.

The rf power is introduced from the shower plate 102, and since the first impedance Z1 exists between the hotplate rf electrode 106 and the ground and the second impedance Z2 exists between the side wall of the reaction chamber 101 and the ground, the current flowing through the substrate 103 to be processed is not uniform due to the influence of the first impedance Z1 and the second impedance Z2, and thus the film formation quality of the substrate 103 to be processed is affected.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a semiconductor processing device, which solves the problem of film forming quality of a substrate to be processed by a radio frequency system of the semiconductor processing device in the prior art.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a semiconductor processing apparatus, at least comprising a reaction chamber, a radio frequency receiving electrode, a radio frequency emitting electrode:

The radio frequency receiving electrode is arranged above the reaction chamber;

the radio frequency emitter is arranged below the reaction chamber and is used for emitting radio frequency power signals to the upper part of the reaction chamber.

In one embodiment, the semiconductor processing apparatus further comprises a shower plate, the radio frequency receiver electrode being disposed within the shower plate.

In an embodiment, the semiconductor processing apparatus further comprises a substrate carrier, and the rf emitter is disposed within the substrate carrier.

In one embodiment, the semiconductor processing apparatus further comprises a pod structure and a matcher structure:

The switching structure is arranged below the substrate bearing device, is connected with the substrate bearing device, is internally provided with a plurality of filters, processes an input radio frequency power signal and sends the processed signal to the heating disc;

the matcher structure is connected with the switching structure and comprises a matcher and a radio frequency power supply, and radio frequency power signals are input to the switching structure.

In one embodiment, the semiconductor processing apparatus further includes a radio frequency connection structure disposed at the bottom of the substrate carrier, and a radio frequency circuit is disposed inside the radio frequency connection structure;

and one end of the radio frequency circuit is connected with the transmitting emitter, and the other end of the radio frequency circuit is connected with the switching structure.

In an embodiment, the switching structure is directly connected with the radio frequency connection structure through a connector.

In one embodiment, a heating unit is installed inside the substrate carrying device and is used for heating the heating disc;

The radio frequency connection structure is internally provided with a heating circuit, one end of the radio frequency connection structure is connected with the heating unit, and the other end of the radio frequency connection structure is connected with the switching structure.

In one embodiment, an electrostatic chuck electrode is installed inside the substrate carrying device, and the substrate to be processed is fixed in an electrostatic adsorption manner;

the radio frequency connection structure is internally provided with an electrostatic chuck circuit, one end of the radio frequency connection structure is connected with the electrostatic chuck electrode, and the other end of the radio frequency connection structure is connected with the switching structure.

In one embodiment, the switching structure is directly connected with the matcher structure through a connector.

In one embodiment, the switching structure is internally provided with an alternating current filter, one end of the alternating current filter is connected with the heating circuit, and the other end of the alternating current filter is connected with the matcher structure;

The matcher structure provides alternating current for the alternating current filter, and the alternating current is transmitted to the heating unit in the substrate bearing device after being filtered by the alternating current filter and is used for heating the substrate bearing device.

In one embodiment, the switching structure is internally provided with an electrostatic chuck filter, one end of the switching structure is connected with the electrostatic chuck circuit, and the other end of the switching structure is connected with the matcher structure;

The matcher structure provides direct current for the electrostatic chuck filter, and the direct current is transmitted to the electrostatic chuck electrode in the substrate bearing device after being processed by the electrostatic chuck filter and is used for adsorbing the substrate to be processed.

In one embodiment, the switching structure is internally provided with a temperature control filter, one end of the switching structure is connected with the temperature control circuit, and the other end of the switching structure is connected with the matcher structure;

The temperature control circuit is arranged in the radio frequency connection structure, one end of the temperature control circuit is arranged in the substrate bearing device, temperature information of the substrate bearing device is collected, and the temperature information is transmitted to the matcher structure after passing through the temperature control filter;

The matcher structure changes the alternating current output power according to the acquired temperature information to adjust the heating power, so that the feedback control of the temperature of the substrate bearing device is realized.

In an embodiment, the matcher structure further includes a power divider for dividing power for the multipath radio frequency signals.

In an embodiment, the switching structure further includes a radio frequency switch, for switching the multiple radio frequency signals.

According to the semiconductor processing equipment provided by the invention, the radio frequency power is introduced from the bottom of the heating disc of the reaction chamber, and the connector is directly connected with the matcher, so that the deposition rate of the substrate to be processed is obviously improved, the consistency of the current flowing through the substrate to be processed is effectively controlled, and the process uniformity and stability are improved.

Drawings

The above and other features, properties and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate like features throughout the drawings, and in which:

FIG. 1 discloses a schematic diagram of a prior art semiconductor processing apparatus;

FIG. 2 discloses a schematic partial structure of a semiconductor processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 discloses a schematic view of a partial principle of a semiconductor processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 discloses a thickness profile of a prior art semiconductor processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The meaning of the reference numerals in the figures is as follows:

100 semiconductor processing equipment;

A reaction chamber 101;

102, spraying a plate;

103 a substrate to be treated;

104 heating the disc;

105 radio frequency power supply;

106 heating the disk radio frequency electrode;

200 heating the disc;

A 201 radio frequency emitter;

202 a heating unit;

203 an electrostatic chuck electrode;

210 a radio frequency connection structure;

211 a radio frequency circuit;

212 a heating circuit;

213 electrostatic chuck circuitry;

214 a temperature control circuit;

300 switching structure;

301 an ac filter;

302 a temperature control filter;

303 electrostatic chuck filters;

400 matcher configuration.

Detailed Description

The present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the drawings and examples, in order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more apparent. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

In the description of the present specification, a description referring to terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples," etc., means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or examples. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

The invention provides semiconductor processing equipment, which at least comprises a reaction chamber, a radio frequency receiving electrode and a radio frequency emitting electrode:

the reaction chamber provides a process environment for the substrate to be processed;

The radio frequency receiving electrode is arranged above the reaction chamber;

Still further, still include the shower plate, set up in the reaction chamber the top for to wait to handle the base plate and provide reaction gas, the radio frequency receiving pole sets up in the shower plate.

Still further, the apparatus further comprises a substrate carrying device for carrying the substrate to be processed, and the radio frequency emitter is arranged in the substrate carrying device.

Still further, still include switching structure and matcher structure:

The switching structure is connected with the matcher structure, a plurality of filters are arranged in the switching structure, and radio frequency signals input by the matcher structure are processed and then sent to the substrate bearing device;

the matcher structure comprises a matcher and a radio frequency power supply, and provides radio frequency power signals for the substrate bearing device through the switching structure.

The design of the reaction chamber and the shower plate can refer to the prior art as shown in fig. 1, and is not repeated here.

FIG. 2 is a partial block diagram of a semiconductor processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the substrate carrying device is a heating plate 200, and the heating plate 200 is internally provided with a radio frequency emitter 201 and is connected to an underlying switching structure 300;

The switching structure 300 is connected with the matcher structure 400, and is internally provided with a plurality of filters, processes the radio frequency signals input by the matcher structure 400 and sends the processed radio frequency signals to the heating plate 200;

The matcher structure 400 comprises a matcher and a radio frequency power supply, and provides a radio frequency power signal for the heating plate 200 through the switching structure 300, and introduces radio frequency power from the bottom of the heating plate 200, so that on one hand, the deposition rate of a substrate to be processed can be remarkably improved, and on the other hand, the consistency of current flowing through the substrate to be processed can be more effectively controlled, and the process uniformity and stability are improved.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a semiconductor processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and as shown in fig. 3, a rf emitter 201 is installed inside the heating plate 200 and may be used as an rf electrode plate.

The heating plate 200 is internally provided with a heating unit 202, which can heat the heating plate 200.

In some cases, a plurality of heating units 202 may be disposed under the heating plate in order to avoid the problem of resistance variation from causing the heating units 202 to fail to function properly. So that even if one heating unit 202 is problematic, the operation of the entire system is not affected.

Inside the heating plate 200, an electrostatic chuck electrode 203 is installed to fix the substrate to be processed by electrostatic attraction.

ESC electrostatic chucks, also known as electrostatic chucks, are now widely used in semiconductor processing in plasma and vacuum environments, such as etching, chemical vapor deposition, ion implantation, etc., to provide support for the backside of a wafer during wafer processing and to secure the wafer in an electrostatic chuck manner.

The semiconductor processing device provided by the invention further comprises a radio frequency connection structure 210 arranged at the bottom of the heating plate 200;

in this embodiment, the rf connection structure 210 is internally provided with an rf circuit 211;

one end of the radio frequency circuit 211 is connected with the radio frequency emitter 201, and the other end is connected with the switching structure 300;

in this embodiment, the rf connection structure 210 is internally provided with a heating circuit 212;

One end of the heating circuit 212 is connected with the heating unit 202, and the other end is connected with the switching structure 300;

in this embodiment, the rf connection structure 210 is internally provided with an electrostatic chuck circuit 213;

the electrostatic chuck circuit 213 has one end connected to the electrostatic chuck electrode 203 and the other end connected to the switching structure 300.

In this embodiment, the switching structure 300 is internally provided with an ac filter 301;

One end of the alternating current filter 301 is connected with the heating circuit 212, and the other end is connected with the matcher structure 400;

the matching unit structure 400 supplies ac power to the ac filter 301, filters the ac power by the ac filter 301, and transmits the filtered ac power to the heating unit 202 inside the heating plate 200, so as to heat the heating plate 200.

In this embodiment, the switching structure 300 is internally provided with a Temperature Control (TC) filter 302;

one end of the temperature control filter 302 is connected with the temperature control circuit 214, and the other end is connected with the matcher structure 400;

the temperature control circuit 214 is disposed inside the radio frequency connection structure 210, one end of the temperature control circuit is connected inside the heating plate 200, collects temperature information of the heating plate 200, and transmits the temperature information to the matcher structure 400 after passing through the temperature control filter 302;

the matcher structure 400 changes the ac output power according to the collected temperature information to adjust the heating power, thereby realizing the feedback control of the temperature of the heating plate.

In this embodiment, the adapting structure 300 is internally provided with an electrostatic chuck filter 303;

one end of the electrostatic chuck (ESC) filter 303 is connected to the electrostatic chuck circuit 213, and the other end is connected to the matcher structure 400;

The matching unit 400 provides direct current to the electrostatic chuck filter 303, and transmits the direct current to the electrostatic chuck electrode 203 inside the heating plate 200 after being processed by the electrostatic chuck filter 303, so as to adsorb the substrate to be processed.

In some embodiments, the ac filter 301, the Temperature Control (TC) filter 302, and the electrostatic chuck filter 303 are combined together, and this design may facilitate maintenance and replacement of the filter bank by a user. In other embodiments, the ac filter 301, temperature Control (TC) filter 302, and electrostatic chuck filter 303 are discrete components that may be used or replaced by a user as desired. The design is more flexible and convenient.

When the radio frequency circuit 211 is multipath, the matcher structure 400 further includes a power divider for dividing power of multipath radio frequency signals;

when the rf circuit 211 is multiple paths, the switching structure 300 further includes an rf switch for switching the multiple paths of rf signals.

In this embodiment, the matcher structure 400 includes a matcher and a radio frequency power supply:

The matcher is used for matching the impedance of the radio frequency loop;

The rf power supply is configured to provide an rf power signal, and provide rf power to the heating plate 200 through the matcher and the adapting structure 300.

As shown in fig. 3, the heating plate 200 is structurally connected with the matcher structure 400 through the switching structure 300, so that the connection through cables is avoided, and the stability of the radio frequency loop can be improved.

More specifically, the rf connection structure 210 at the bottom of the heating plate 200 is directly connected with the adaptor structure 300 through a connector;

The adapter structure 300 is directly connected with the matcher structure 400 through a connector.

The switching fabric 300 includes ac and rf connections and may be used in a variety of different applications. The corresponding connector may be a rigid connector. The rigid connector may comprise copper material or other similar conductive material, and is generally cylindrical, so that signal transmission quality and stability can be effectively ensured.

The radio frequency connection structure 210 at the bottom of the heating plate 200 is connected with the switching structure 300, and an alternating current filter and the like in the switching structure 300 can move up and down along with the heating plate 200, so that impedance change caused by relative movement is avoided.

For simplicity of illustration, fig. 2 and 3 only show some of the structures in the semiconductor processing apparatus, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that the semiconductor processing apparatus may also contain other components not shown. The specific size, shape, position, etc. of each structure shown in fig. 2 and 3 are for illustration purposes only and are not meant to be limiting.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a thickness curve of a semiconductor processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a left curve of fig. 4 is a film thickness curve of a substrate to be processed of the semiconductor processing apparatus according to the prior art, a radio frequency signal is input from a shower plate, a first side (side 1) substrate film thickness is 1041±17 (a, a), a second side (side 2) substrate film thickness is 1180±3 (a, a), a right curve of fig. 4 is a film thickness curve of a substrate to be processed of the semiconductor processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, a radio frequency signal is input from a heating plate, a first side (side 1) substrate film thickness is 1455±3 (a, a), and a second side (side 2) substrate film thickness is 1563±1 (a, a) and a film thickness is more uniform and a quality stability is higher than that of the semiconductor processing apparatus according to the present invention.

According to the semiconductor processing equipment provided by the invention, the radio frequency power is introduced from the bottom of the heating disc of the reaction chamber, and the connector is directly connected with the matcher, so that the deposition rate of the substrate to be processed is obviously improved, the consistency of the current flowing through the substrate to be processed is effectively controlled, and the process uniformity and stability are improved. The device can be widely applied to a 3D semiconductor processing process, an atomic layer deposition process, a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process or other similar processes. For example, the apparatus of the present invention can be applied to plasma vapor deposition apparatuses of radio frequency systems of various application frequencies, exhibiting excellent performance and reliability.

As used in the specification and in the claims, the terms "a," "an," "the," and/or "the" are not specific to a singular, but may include a plurality, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In general, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" merely indicate that the steps and elements are explicitly identified, and they do not constitute an exclusive list, as other steps or elements may be included in a method or apparatus.

In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the directions or positional relationships indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "inner", "outer", etc. are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, are merely for convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be configured and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

In the present invention, unless expressly stated or limited otherwise, a first feature "above" or "below" a second feature may include both the first and second features being in direct contact, as well as the first and second features not being in direct contact but being in contact with each other through additional features therebetween. Moreover, a first feature being "above," "over" and "on" a second feature includes the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicating that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature being "under", "below" and "beneath" the second feature includes the first feature being directly under and obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is less level than the second feature.

In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, and may be either fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally connected, for example; can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and can be internal to two elements. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention will be understood in specific cases by those of ordinary skill in the art.

The embodiments described above are intended to provide those skilled in the art with a full range of modifications and variations to the embodiments described above without departing from the inventive concept thereof, and therefore the scope of the invention is not limited by the embodiments described above, but is to be accorded the broadest scope consistent with the innovative features recited in the claims.

Claims

1. The semiconductor processing equipment is characterized by at least comprising a reaction chamber, a radio frequency receiving electrode, a radio frequency emitting electrode, a substrate bearing device, a radio frequency connecting structure, a switching structure and a matcher structure:

The radio frequency receiving electrode is arranged above the reaction chamber;

the radio frequency emitter is arranged below the reaction chamber and in the substrate bearing device and is used for emitting radio frequency power signals to the upper part of the reaction chamber;

the matcher structure is connected with the switching structure and comprises a matcher and a radio frequency power supply, and radio frequency power signals are input to the switching structure;

the radio frequency connection structure is arranged at the bottom of the substrate bearing device, and a radio frequency circuit is arranged in the radio frequency connection structure;

And one end of the radio frequency circuit is connected with the radio frequency emitter, and the other end of the radio frequency circuit is connected with the switching structure.

2. The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a shower plate, the radio frequency receiver pole disposed within the shower plate.

3. The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transfer structure is directly coupled to the rf connection structure via a connector.

4. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a heating unit for heating the heating tray is installed inside the substrate carrying device;

5. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an electrostatic chuck electrode is installed inside the substrate carrying device to fix the substrate to be processed by electrostatic attraction;

6. The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pod structure is directly connected to the adapter structure by a connector.

7. The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the switching structure is internally provided with an ac filter, one end of which is connected to the heating circuit and the other end of which is connected to the matcher structure;

8. The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the transfer structure is internally provided with an electrostatic chuck filter, one end of which is connected to the electrostatic chuck circuit, and the other end of which is connected to the matcher structure;

9. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the switching structure is internally provided with a temperature control filter, one end of which is connected to the temperature control circuit, and the other end of which is connected to the matcher structure;

10. The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the matcher structure further comprises a power divider that divides power for the multiple radio frequency signals.

11. The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switching structure further comprises a radio frequency switch for switching the plurality of radio frequency signals.