WO2023207693A1 - Carrier and semiconductor process device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and provides a carrier and a semiconductor process device. The carrier is provided with a flow guide face, a first groove and a second groove, wherein the first groove is provided in the flow guide face, the second groove is provided in the bottom of the first groove, both the first groove and the second groove are circular, the diameter of the second groove is less than the diameter of the first groove, the bottom of the first groove forms a carrying face surrounding the second groove, and the carrying face is configured to carry a wafer. At least one of the flow guide face and the carrying face is provided with a plurality of protrusions and recesses, the plurality of protrusions are arranged in a circumferential direction of the first groove, and a recess is located between every two adjacent protrusions. By means of the carrier and the semiconductor process device, the problem of the growth rates of edges of the wafer being inconsistent can be solved.

Description

Carriers and semiconductor process equipment Technical field

The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and in particular to a carrier and semiconductor process equipment.

Background technique

CVD epitaxial equipment is a device that uses CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) technology to grow thin films on the surface of a substrate. For example: the CVD epitaxial process controls the flow of reactive gases through a heated substrate (usually a wafer), and the reactants chemically react on the surface of the substrate to form a thin film.

During the process, thin films will grow on the edge of the wafer, and the crystal orientation of the wafer edge will change along the circumferential direction of the wafer, and the growth rates of crystal planes in different directions are different. Therefore, there will be differences in the thickness of the film grown on the edge of the wafer, which will affect the consistency of the film thickness on the wafer surface.

Contents of the invention

The invention discloses a carrier and semiconductor process equipment to solve the problem of inconsistent edge growth rates of wafers in related technologies.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

The carrier provided by the invention is used for supporting wafers. The carrier provided by the invention has a flow guide surface, a first groove and a second groove. The first groove is provided on the flow guide surface, and the second groove is provided on the bottom of the first groove. The first groove and The shapes of the second grooves are all circular, the diameter of the second groove is smaller than the diameter of the first groove, and the bottom of the first groove forms a bearing surface surrounding the second groove, and the bearing surface is used to carry the wafer. ;

At least one of the flow guide surface and the bearing surface has a plurality of protrusions and recesses, the plurality of protrusions are arranged along the circumferential direction of the first groove, and the recess is located between two adjacent protrusions.

Based on the carrier provided by the invention, the invention also provides a semiconductor processing equipment. The semiconductor The process equipment includes the bearing provided by the invention. The semiconductor process equipment also includes a wafer alignment device, which is used to correspond the notch direction of the wafer to the top of the protrusion.

The technical solution adopted by the present invention can achieve the following beneficial effects:

In the embodiment of the present invention, when the wafer is placed in the first groove, the surface of the wafer facing the notch of the first groove is the first surface of the wafer, and the surface of the wafer facing away from the first groove is the first surface of the wafer. One side of the mouth is the second surface of the wafer. In the case where the flow guide surface has a protrusion and a recess, the distance between the top of the protrusion and the first surface of the wafer is greater than the distance between the bottom of the recess and the first surface of the wafer. During the semiconductor process, the process gas is introduced along the first surface of the wafer and reaches the surface of the wafer by diffusion of the process gas in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the wafer to achieve wafer growth. Therefore, when the flow guide surface has convex parts and recessed parts, the area in the wafer with a larger diffusion distance of the required process gas corresponds to the convex part; the required diffusion distance of the process gas in the wafer is smaller. The area corresponds to the depression. Further, the diffusion distance of the process gas corresponding to the portion of the wafer corresponding to the protruding portion is greater than the diffusion distance of the process gas corresponding to the portion of the wafer corresponding to the recessed portion. The greater the diffusion distance, the smaller the diffusion rate. The greater the diffusion rate of the process gas, the greater the wafer growth rate. Therefore, the convex portions and recessed portions of the flow guide surface can balance the growth rate everywhere on the wafer and improve the consistency of the growth rate everywhere on the wafer.

When the carrying surface has a protruding part and a recessed part, the protruding part is supported on the second surface of the wafer, thereby forming a gap between the recessed part and the second surface of the wafer. During the process, the carrier can be in contact with the wafer through the protrusions, thereby realizing direct heat transfer between the carrier and the wafer. In addition, a gap is formed between the recessed part of the carrier and the wafer. During the heat transfer process, the recessed part transfers heat to the gas in the gap between the recessed part and the wafer, and passes through the gap between the recessed part and the wafer. The gas in the gap transfers heat to the wafer. Because the heat transfer efficiency is related to the material of the heat transfer medium. Therefore, there is a difference in temperature between the area of the wafer corresponding to the protrusions and the temperature of the area of the wafer corresponding to the recesses. Therefore, the protrusions and recesses of the bearing surface can balance the growth rate everywhere on the wafer. , improve the consistency of growth rate everywhere on the wafer.

Description of the drawings

The drawings described here are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the present invention. The illustrative embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the attached picture:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the crystal plane direction of the wafer edge;

Figure 2 is a top view of a bearing member disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a bearing member disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the assembly of a carrier and a wafer disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 5 is an enlarged view of point A in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a schematic view of the bearing surface developed along the circumferential direction of the first groove according to an embodiment of the present invention;

7 is a schematic view of the flow guide surface developed along the circumferential direction of the first groove according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the convex and concave parts of the flow guide surface and the wafer surface disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the protrusions and recesses of the bearing surface and the wafer surface disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a single-layer medium thermal conduction model disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a two-layer thermal conduction model of different media disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of a carrier disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention being used in semiconductor process equipment;

Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a bearing surface with convex portions and concave portions disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of a flow guide surface with convex portions and concave portions disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the flow guide surface of the bearing member having convex portions and concave portions disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the following will be specifically implemented in conjunction with the present invention. The examples and corresponding drawings clearly and completely describe the technical solution of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present invention, but not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

The technical solutions disclosed in various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 15 .

Referring to FIG. 12 , the carrier 200 provided by the present invention can be used in semiconductor processing equipment. Illustratively, the carrier 200 provided by the present invention is used to carry the wafer 100 in semiconductor processing equipment. Illustratively, carrier 200 may be disposed within semiconductor processing equipment. For example, during a semiconductor process, the wafer 100 to be processed may be carried by the carrier 200 .

In an optional embodiment, the carrier 200 provided by the present invention can be used in CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) epitaxial equipment. Exemplarily, the CVD epitaxial equipment includes a process chamber, and the carrier 200 is disposed in the process chamber. During semiconductor processing, process chambers are used to confine reactive gases. In the semiconductor process, the heat required for the CVD process is mainly provided by lamp irradiation and electromagnetic heating. Referring to FIG. 12 , in the semiconductor processing equipment using the heating method of lamp irradiation, the heating lamp is located outside the process chamber. The infrared light emitted by the heating lamp irradiates the wafer and the carrier 200 carrying the wafer through the transparent chamber wall to directly and indirectly heat the wafer. In the related art, monolithic silicon epitaxy equipment usually uses lamp irradiation to heat the wafer. Optionally, the carrier 200 provided by the present invention can be used in monolithic silicon epitaxial equipment.

Referring to FIGS. 4 to 15 , in an optional embodiment of the present invention, the carrier 200 has a flow guide surface 210 , a first groove 220 and a second groove 230 . The first groove 220 is provided on the flow guide surface 210 . The second groove 230 is provided at the bottom of the first groove 220 . The shapes of the first groove 220 and the second groove 230 are both circular. For example, the cross-sections of the first groove 220 and the second groove 230 in their corresponding groove directions are circular. The diameter of the second groove 230 is smaller than the diameter of the first groove 220 , and the bottom of the first groove 220 forms a bearing surface 240 surrounding the second groove 230 . The bearing surface 240 is used for bearing the wafer 100 . Illustratively, the carrier 200 is a pallet. During the semiconductor process, the wafer 100 is placed in the first groove 220 so that the wafer 100 is supported on the carrying surface 240 . For example, during semiconductor processing, wafers The center of 100 coincides with the center of first groove 220.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 , in an optional embodiment, the notch of the first groove 220 is oriented in the second direction. When the wafer 100 is placed in the first groove 220 , the depth of the first groove 220 in the second direction is greater than the thickness of the wafer 100 in the second direction, so that the wafer 100 can be sunk into the guide surface. 210. Further, the surface of the wafer 100 facing the notch of the first groove 220 is defined as the first surface of the wafer 100 , and the side of the wafer 100 facing away from the notch of the first groove 220 is defined as the third surface of the wafer 100 . Two surfaces. For example, in the case where the carrier 200 is applied to semiconductor process equipment, the carrier 200 is disposed within the semiconductor process equipment. During the semiconductor process, the process gas flows along the flow guide surface 210 of the carrier 200 , that is, the direction of the moving speed of the process gas is parallel to the first surface of the wafer 100 . When the process gas moves to an area opposite to the wafer 100 , since the wafer 100 is recessed in the flow guide surface 210 , the process gas needs to diffuse in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the wafer 100 in order to reach the third surface of the wafer 100 . A surface to grow a silicon film on the surface of the wafer 100 .

In an optional embodiment, when the wafer 100 is placed on the carrier, the first surface of the wafer 100 is parallel to the horizontal plane, and the second direction is the vertical direction to avoid the influence of gravity on the process gas flowing parallel to the horizontal plane. The speed in the direction of the first surface improves the consistency of the growth rate throughout the wafer 100 .

Referring to Figures 14 and 15, in an optional embodiment, the flow guide surface 210 has a plurality of convex portions 241 and a recessed portion 242, and the plurality of convex portions 241 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the first groove 220, The recessed portion 242 is located between two adjacent protruding portions 241 . For example, during a semiconductor process, the process gas flows along the flow guide surface 210 and reaches an area corresponding to the wafer 100 . The protruding parts 241 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the first groove 220 , and the recessed part 242 is located between two adjacent protruding parts 241 , so that the flow guide surface 210 can form undulations along the circumferential direction of the first groove 220 Voltage wavy surface. For example, the top of the convex portion 241 is the crest of the wavy curved surface; the bottom of the recessed portion 242 is the trough of the wavy curved surface. The protruding portion 241 and the recessed portion 242 make the spacing between different positions of the flow guide surface 210 and the first surface of the wafer 100 in the second direction different. That is, in the above embodiment, the convex portion 241 and the recessed portion 242 can change the diffusion distance of the process gas to the first surface of the wafer 100 .

Exemplarily, the process gas diffusion equation is: J=-D×(ΔC/ΔX), where J is the diffusion speed, D is the diffusion coefficient, ΔC is the concentration difference, and ΔX is the diffusion distance. That is, the diffusion speed J of the process gas is inversely proportional to the diffusion distance ΔX of the process gas. For example, in the process of diffusion of the process gas from the first position to the second position, ΔC refers to the difference between the concentration of the process gas corresponding to the second position and the concentration of the process gas corresponding to the first position. ΔX is the distance between the first position and the second position. Referring to FIG. 5 , during the semiconductor process, the diffusion distance ΔX of the process gas is the distance between the flow guide surface 210 and the first surface of the wafer 100 . The flow guide surface 210 has a recessed part 242 and a convex part 241, so that the distance between different positions in the flow guide surface 210 and the first surface of the wafer 100 is different, and the recessed part 242 and the convex part 241 can be provided as needed. positions to adjust the diffusion distance of the process gas corresponding to different areas of the wafer 100 .

During the semiconductor process, the process gas reaches the first surface of the wafer 100 by diffusing to the first surface of the wafer 100 , thereby realizing the transmission of the process gas to the first surface of the wafer 100 . During the growth process of the wafer 100, the process gas needs to be continuously transmitted to the surface of the wafer 100. Therefore, the diffusion rate of the process gas to the first surface of the wafer 100 directly affects the growth rate of the wafer 100 surface. Illustratively, the greater the diffusion rate of the process gas to the first surface of the wafer 100, the greater the growth rate of the wafer 100.

The diffusion distance of the process gas is defined as the first diffusion distance in the portion of the wafer 100 opposite to the protruding portion 241 . The diffusion distance of the process gas is defined as the second diffusion distance in the portion of the wafer 100 opposite to the recessed portion 242 . In the above embodiment, the first diffusion distance is greater than the second diffusion distance. Therefore, during the semiconductor process, the part with a faster growth rate in the wafer 100 may be corresponding to the convex part 241, and the part with a slower growth rate in the wafer 100 may be corresponding to the recessed part 242, so as to pass through the convex part. 241 and the recessed portion 242 balance the growth rate throughout the wafer 100 to improve the consistency of the growth rate along the edge of the wafer 100 .

In an optional embodiment, the carrier 200 is rotatably disposed in the semiconductor process equipment, so that the wafer 100 on the carrier 200 is rotated at different positions in the circumferential direction during the semiconductor process. The physical environment and chemical environment are consistent, which improves the consistency of the growth rate of the wafer 100 in all directions.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the edge of the wafer 100 has multiple crystal faces, and the growth rates of different crystal faces exist. difference. For example, in the edge of the wafer 100, the growth rate of the crystal face <111> is less than the growth rate of the crystal face <110>; the growth rate of the crystal face <110> is less than the growth rate of the crystal face <100>. Therefore, there are differences in the growth rate in each direction along the edge of the wafer 100 , which in turn leads to different growth amounts in different directions along the edge of the wafer 100 , causing the thickness of the silicon film generated on the surface of the wafer 100 to be distributed in the circumferential direction of the wafer 100 Uneven.

Therefore, even if the physical and chemical environments of the wafer 100 in different positions in the circumferential direction on the carrier 200 are consistent by rotating the carrier 200 during the semiconductor process, the growth rate of the wafer 100 in all directions will still be the same. has a difference.

During the semiconductor process, the wafer 100 and the carrier 200 are relatively stationary, that is, there is no relative movement between the wafer 100 and the carrier 200 . Therefore, the protruding portion 241 and the recessed portion 242 of the flow guide surface 210 can solve the problem of different growth rates of different crystal planes of the wafer 100 , thereby helping to eliminate the influence of the properties of the wafer 100 on the surface growth rate of the wafer 100 .

Referring to FIGS. 2 , 3 , 6 and 13 , in another optional embodiment, the bearing surface 240 has a plurality of protrusions 241 and recesses 242 , and the plurality of protrusions 241 are along the first groove 220 are arranged in the circumferential direction, and the recessed portion 242 is located between two adjacent protruding portions 241 . For example, during the CVD epitaxial process, the wafer 100 can be heated through heat transfer between the carrier 200 and the wafer 100 .

When the wafer 100 is placed in the first groove 220 , the wafer 100 is supported on the top of the protruding portion 241 so that the carrier 200 can directly contact the wafer 100 through the protruding portion 241 of the bearing surface 240 and generate heat exchange. In addition, a gap may be formed between the wafer 100 and the recessed portion 242 . Generally, the gap between the wafer 100 and the recessed portion 242 is filled with gas molecules. The gas molecules filled in the gap between the wafer 100 and the recessed portion 242 form a gas heat transfer layer. During the semiconductor process, the carrier 200 may first transfer heat to the gas heat transfer layer, and then transfer the heat to the wafer 100 through the gas heat transfer layer.

For example, the heat conduction equation is: P=λA(T2-T1)/D. Among them, P is the heat transfer power, λ is the thermal conductivity of the medium, A is the heat transfer area, T2 and T1 are the temperatures at both ends of the heat transfer medium, and D is the length of the heat transfer medium in the heat transfer direction. Therefore, it can be obtained: ΔT=T2-T1=PD/λA. Among them, ΔT is The temperature difference between the two ends of the heat-conducting medium.

It should be noted that the higher the temperature of the first surface of the wafer 100 is, the greater the growth rate of the wafer 100 is. The lower the temperature of the first surface of the wafer 100 is, the smaller the growth rate of the wafer 100 is. Because the gas heat transfer layer and the carrier 200 are made of different materials, that is, the thermal conductivity of the gas heat transfer layer is different from the thermal conductivity of the carrier 200 . Therefore, when the temperature is equal everywhere in the carrier 200 or the heating power of the semiconductor process equipment is constant, the temperature of the portion of the first surface of the wafer 100 corresponding to the protruding portion 241 is the same as the temperature of the first surface of the wafer 100 . The temperature of the portion corresponding to the recessed portion 242 is different.

For example, the gas molecules filled in the gap between the wafer 100 and the recess 242 are hydrogen gas. Therefore, the thermal conductivity of the gas heat transfer layer is smaller than the thermal conductivity of the carrier 200 . Therefore, in the above embodiment, the temperature of the portion of the first surface of the wafer 100 corresponding to the recessed portion 242 is lower than the temperature of the portion of the first surface of the wafer 100 corresponding to the protruding portion 241 .

Therefore, in the above embodiment, the recessed portion 242 and the protruding portion 241 of the carrying surface 240 can balance the growth rate everywhere on the wafer 100 , thereby improving the consistency of the growth rate everywhere on the wafer 100 . Moreover, during the semiconductor process, the wafer 100 and the carrier 200 are relatively stationary, that is, there is no relative movement between the wafer 100 and the carrier 200. Furthermore, the recessed portion 242 and the protruding portion 241 of the carrier surface 240 can be used to This solves the problem of different growth rates of different crystal planes of the wafer 100, which is beneficial to eliminating the influence of the properties of the wafer 100 on the surface growth rate of the wafer 100.

Of course, as an optional embodiment, the flow guide surface 210 and the bearing surface 240 may each have a protruding part 241 and a recessed part 242. Specifically, the convex portion 241 and the recessed portion 242 on the flow guide surface 210 adjust the diffusion distance of the process gas to different locations on the first surface of the wafer 100; the convex portion 241 and the recessed portion 242 on the carrying surface 240 adjust The heat transfer efficiency between different positions of the carrier 200 and the wafer 100 is such that the growth rate of different positions of the wafer 100 is consistent.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, in an optional embodiment, each protruding portion 241 has a first inclined sub-portion and a second inclined sub-portion. The surface of the first inclined sub-portion and the surface of the second inclined sub-portion intersect to form a surface (continuous surface) of the protruding portion 241 . Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14 , the intersection line of the surface of the first inclined sub-portion and the surface of the second inclined sub-portion is disposed along the radial direction of the first groove 220 . Exemplarily, the first inclined sub-portion The surface of and the surface of the second inclined sub-portion are inclined convex surfaces arranged with respect to the circumferential direction of the first groove 220 . Specifically, the surface of the first inclined sub-portion is inclined toward the groove bottom direction of the first groove 220 relative to the first clockwise direction of the first groove 220; the surface of the second inclined sub-portion is inclined relative to the second clockwise direction of the first groove 220. The clockwise direction is inclined toward the direction close to the bottom of the first groove 220 , and the first clockwise direction and the second clockwise direction are opposite, for example, when the first clockwise direction and the second clockwise direction are respectively facing the bottom of the first groove 220 Clockwise and counterclockwise.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 , the recessed portion 242 each has a third inclined sub-portion and a fourth inclined sub-portion. The surface of the third inclined sub-portion and the surface of the fourth inclined sub-portion intersect to form a surface (continuous surface) of the recessed portion 242 . Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14 , the intersection line of the surface of the third inclined sub-portion and the surface of the fourth inclined sub-portion is disposed along the radial direction of the first groove 220 . Exemplarily, the surface of the third inclined sub-portion and the surface of the fourth inclined sub-portion are inclined concave surfaces arranged with respect to the circumferential direction of the first groove 220 . Specifically, the surface of the third inclined sub-portion is inclined toward the groove bottom direction of the first groove 220 relative to the first clockwise direction of the first groove 220; the surface of the fourth inclined sub-portion is inclined relative to the second clockwise direction of the first groove 220. The clockwise direction is inclined toward the groove bottom direction of the first groove 220 , and the first clockwise direction and the second clockwise direction are opposite.

The size of each protruding portion 241 and each recessed portion 242 in the circumferential direction of the first groove 220 gradually increases from the side close to the center of the first groove 220 to the side away from the center of the first groove 220 .

When the wafer 100 is placed in the first groove 220 , the first groove 220 is arranged concentrically with the wafer 100 , that is, the center of the circle of the wafer 100 coincides with the corresponding center of the circle of the first groove 220 . For example, when the wafer 100 is placed in the first groove 220 , the groove wall of the first groove 220 collides with the side wall of the wafer 100 to limit the position.

The growth rate of the edge of the wafer 100 gradually changes along the circumferential direction of the wafer 100 . Therefore, in the above embodiment, the intersection of the two inclined surfaces forming the surface of the protruding part 241 is arranged along the radial direction of the first groove 220; the intersection of the two inclined surfaces forming the surface of the recessed part 242 is arranged along the first groove 220. Radial arrangement of grooves 220 .

Referring to FIGS. 6 to 9 and 15 , the surfaces of the plurality of protruding portions 241 and the surfaces of the plurality of recessed portions 242 are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the first groove 220 and form a wavy surface. concrete, wavy The wave peaks are arranged along the radial direction of the first groove 220 , and the wave troughs of the wave surface are arranged along the radial direction of the first groove 220 . It should be noted that the intersection of the two inclined surfaces forming the surface of the protruding part 241 is the top of the protruding part 241, that is, the crest of the wave surface; the intersection of the two inclined surfaces forming the surface of the recessed part 242 is the recessed part 242. The bottom of the wave is the trough of the wave surface.

This solution is beneficial in that the impact of the protruding portion 241 and the recessed portion 242 on the growth rate of the wafer 100 in the circumferential direction of the first groove 220 can be adapted to fit the impact of different crystal plane directions on the growth rate of the wafer 100 . That is, the impact of the protruding portion 241 and the recessed portion 242 on the growth rate of the wafer 100 in the circumferential direction of the first groove 220 can compensate for the difference in the growth rate of the wafer 100 in the circumferential direction, thereby improving the growth of the edge of the wafer 100 Rate consistency.

In an optional embodiment, the surface of the protruding portion 241 is an arc-shaped convex surface, and the surface of the recessed portion 242 is an arc-shaped concave surface, so as to avoid a relatively large difference in the growth rate of the wafer 100 in the circumferential direction of the first groove 220 . The two larger points are beneficial to improving the morphology parameters of the wafer 100 .

It should be noted that the phase parameters of the wafer 100 have an impact on photolithography focus. Therefore, the geometric parameters of the wafer 100 need to be strictly controlled during the CVD epitaxial process. For example, during the CVD epitaxial process, it is necessary to ensure that the SFQR (Site flatness front least-squares range, silicon wafer flatness) requirement of the wafer 100 is less than 25 nm. This parameter is an important indicator of silicon wafer polishing quality.

In the above embodiment, the influence of the protruding portion 241 and the recessed portion 242 on the growth rate of the wafer 100 in the circumferential direction of the first groove 220 changes linearly to avoid the impact of the protruding portion 241 and the recessed portion 242 on the wafer 100 The growth rate of the edge along the circumferential direction affects the amount of sudden changes. It is further beneficial to make the influence of the protruding portion 241 and the recessed portion 242 on the growth rate of the wafer 100 in the circumferential direction of the first groove 220 better fit the influence of different crystal plane directions on the growth rate of the wafer 100, This is beneficial to improving the consistency of the growth rate of the wafer 100 in the circumferential direction of the first groove 220 .

It should be noted that the impact of the protruding portion 241 and the recessed portion 242 on the growth rate of the edge of the wafer 100 in the circumferential direction, that is, the impact of the protruding portion 241 and the recessed portion 242 on the wafer 100 along the circumferential direction of the edge of the wafer 100 The influence of the growth rate of the edge shows discontinuous changes.

In an optional embodiment, the connection between the protruding part 241 and the recessed part 242 is a connecting part. 243. The curvature of the protruding portion 241 along the circumferential direction of the first groove 220 is a first curvature. The first curvature gradually decreases from the top of the protruding portion 241 to the connecting portion 243. The recessed portion 242 is along the circumference of the first groove 220. The curvature of the direction is a second curvature, and the second curvature gradually decreases from the bottom of the recessed portion 242 to the connecting portion 243 .

For example, along the circumferential direction of the wafer 100 in FIG. 1 , from the crystal plane direction <110> to the crystal plane direction <100>, the growth rate of the edge of the wafer 100 gradually increases. Moreover, from the crystal plane direction of <110> to the crystal plane direction of <100>, the change rate of the growth rate of the edge of the wafer 100 first increases and then decreases. Therefore, in the above embodiment, the first curvature gradually decreases from the top of the convex portion 241 to the connecting portion 243 , and the second curvature gradually decreases from the bottom of the recessed portion 242 to the connecting portion 243 , which is beneficial to the convex portion 241 and the recessed portion. 242 can better adapt to fitting the influence of different crystal plane directions on the growth rate of the wafer 100 .

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 7, in an optional embodiment, when the crystal plane of the wafer 100 is <100> and the crystal plane corresponding to the notch direction of the wafer is <110>, The crystal plane direction of the wafer 100 is a direction that has an angle of 90° with the notch direction of the wafer 100 or a direction that has an angle of 180° with the notch direction of the wafer 100 is <110>. The crystal plane direction of the wafer 100 is a direction that has an angle of 45° with the notch direction of the wafer 100 or a direction that has an angle of 135° with the notch direction of the wafer 100 is <100>. For example, during the CVD epitaxial process, the portion of the wafer 100 in the notch direction is opposite to the bottom of the recessed portion 242 in the flow guide surface 210 , and/or the portion of the wafer 100 in the notch direction is opposite to the bottom of the recess 242 in the carrying surface 240 . The tops of the raised portions 241 face each other.

In the above embodiment, the convex portion 241 and the recessed portion 242 in the flow guide surface 210 and/or the carrying surface 240 can be used to compensate for the difference in the growth rate at various edges of the wafer 100, so as to improve the growth rate at various locations along the edge of the wafer 100. Growth rate consistency.

In an optional embodiment, the heights of the protrusions 241 in the second direction are all equal. Further, the depths of the recessed portions 242 in the second direction are all equal. The second direction is the direction of the notch of the first groove 220 . Exemplarily, the second direction is a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the wafer 100 .

The above embodiment makes the compensation amount of the growth rate corresponding to the crystal plane direction <100> and the crystal plane direction <110> of the wafer 100 by the carrier 200 equal, thereby increasing the growth rate of the edge of the wafer 100 rate consistency.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the distance in the second direction between the flow guide surface 210 and the first surface of the wafer 100 is ΔX, that is, the diffusion length of the process gas is ΔX. According to the diffusion equation, it can be directly obtained: the diffusion speed J is inversely proportional to the diffusion length ΔX. That is, the growth speed of the edge of the wafer 100 is inversely proportional to the diffusion length ΔX of the process gas in the corresponding area. In the related art, taking the deposition of a silicon film on the wafer 100 as an example, the diffusion length of the process gas ΔX=25um. The difference in Si growth rate between different crystal plane directions is 0.01um/min. For example, the corresponding growth rate of the edge of the wafer 100 in the crystal plane direction is <100> is 2 um/min; the growth rate of the edge of the wafer 100 in the crystal plane direction of <110> is 1.99 um/min.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8 , in the case where only the flow guide surface 210 among the flow guide surface 210 and the carrying surface 240 has a convex portion 241 and a recessed portion 242 , the convex portion 241 and the first surface of the wafer 100 are in the second position. The distance in the direction is the diffusion length of the process gas corresponding to the protruding part 241; the distance in the second direction between the recessed part 242 and the first surface of the wafer 100 is the diffusion length of the process gas corresponding to the recessed part 242.

For example, the diffusion length of the process gas corresponding to the top of the protrusion 241 is ΔX1. The diffusion length of the process gas corresponding to the bottom of the recessed portion 242 is ΔX2. When the diffusion length of the process gas corresponding to the bottom of the recessed portion 242 is 25um, that is, ΔX2=25um. According to the growth rate of the wafer edge, which is inversely proportional to the diffusion length ΔX of the process gas in the corresponding area, it can be obtained: ΔX1 = 25.125um.

Referring to FIG. 9 , in an optional embodiment, the distance in the second direction between the top of the protrusion 241 and the first surface of the wafer 100 is h1, that is, ΔX1 = h1. The distance in the second direction between the bottom of the recessed portion 242 and the first surface of the wafer 100 is h2, that is, ΔX2=h2. In order to compensate for the difference in the growth rate of Si between different crystal plane directions, it is necessary to have differences in the diffusion distances of process gases corresponding to regions with different crystal plane directions. The distance between the bottom of the recessed portion 242 and the top of the protruding portion 241 in the second direction is the maximum value of the difference in diffusion distance of the process gas corresponding to the regions with different crystal plane directions.

In an optional embodiment, in the case where only the flow guide surface 210 among the flow guide surface 210 and the load-bearing surface 240 has a protruding part 241 and a recessed part 242, the top of the protruding part 241 and the bottom of the recessed part 242 are at The distance in the second direction is 0.10um to 0.15um, that is, the range of h1-h2 is 0.10um to 0.15um.

For example, the distance in the second direction between the top of the protruding part 241 and the bottom of the recessed part 242 is 0.125um, that is, h1-h2=0.125um.

Referring to Figures 5, 6 and 9, in the case where only the carrying surface 240 of the flow guide surface 210 and the carrying surface 240 has a protruding portion 241 and a recessed portion 242, the top of the protruding portion 241 is in contact with the first edge of the wafer 100. The wafer 100 itself is spaced between the surfaces; not only the wafer itself but also a gas heat transfer layer is spaced between the recessed portion 242 and the first surface of the wafer 100 . Illustratively, the gas heat transfer layer is a hydrogen gas layer. Optionally, the material of the bearing member 200 is silicon.

Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the thermal conduction model of a single-layer medium. According to the heat conduction equation mentioned above, it can be obtained that P=λ1A(T2-T1)/D1; ΔT=T2-T1=PD1/λ1A. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the thermal conduction model of two layers of different media. According to the heat conduction equation mentioned above, we can get: T2-T1=PD1/λ1A; T3-T2=PD2/λ2A, then ΔT=T3-T1=PD1/λ1A+PD2/λ2A=P/A×(D1/λ1 +D2/λ2).

In the related technology, the difference in Si growth rate between different crystal plane directions is 0.01um/min; the variation range of Si growth rate with temperature at high temperature is 0.0033um/min×℃; the thickness of wafer 100 is D1=780um; Correspondingly, the temperature difference between the first surface and the second surface of the wafer 100 is ΔT0 = 5°C;

The thermal conductivity of Si (silicon) λ1 = 150W/m*K; the thermal conductivity of H2 (hydrogen) λ2 = 6W/m×K). Therefore, the temperature difference between the edge of the wafer 100 in the crystal plane direction <100> and the edge of the wafer 100 in the crystal plane direction <110> is about 3°C.

It should be noted that in the related art, heat is transferred between the carrier 200 and the wafer 100 through contact. Therefore, the temperature difference between the protrusion 241 and the first surface of the wafer 100 is ΔT0 = 5°C. In the area corresponding to the recessed portion 242, a gas heat transfer layer is added between the carrier 200 and the wafer 100. Therefore, the temperature difference between the recessed portion 242 and the first surface of the wafer 100 is ΔT1 = 8°C.

The size of the gas heat transfer layer formed between the recessed portion 242 and the wafer 100 in the second direction is D2, and the heat transfer area A remains unchanged after the gas heat transfer layer is added between the recessed portion 242 and the wafer 100. The power P remains unchanged. Then there are:
ΔT1/ΔT0=(P/A×(D1/λ1+D2/λ2))/(PD1/λ1A),

That is: ΔT1/ΔT0=(D1/λ1+D2/λ2)/(D1/λ1)

Bringing in ΔT1=8℃, ΔT0=5℃, D1=775um, λ1=150W/m*K, H2: λ2=6W/m×K, we get D2=18.72um.

Referring to FIG. 9 , in an optional embodiment, the distance d1 between the top of the protruding part 241 and the bottom of the recessed part 242 in the second direction. When the wafer 100 is placed on the carrying surface 240 , the distance in the second direction between the bottom of the recess 242 and the second surface of the wafer 100 is the distance between the gas heat transfer layer formed between the recess 242 and the wafer 100 . The maximum size in the second direction. Optionally, in the case where only the load-bearing surface 240 of the flow guide surface 210 and the load-bearing surface 240 has a protruding part 241 and a recessed part 242, the distance between the top of the protruding part 241 and the bottom of the recessed part 242 in the second direction is 18um to 21um, that is, the range of d1 is 18um to 21um. Further, the distance in the second direction between the top of the protruding part 241 and the bottom of the recessed part 242 is 18.72um, that is, d1=18.72um.

In an optional embodiment, the protrusions 241 are evenly arranged along the circumferential direction of the first groove 220, and the corresponding central angles of the protrusions 241 are all equal. In an optional embodiment, the recessed portions 242 are evenly arranged along the circumferential direction of the first groove 220 , and the corresponding central angle of the recessed portion 242 is equal to the corresponding central angle of the protruding portion 241 . This embodiment may be beneficial in improving the consistency of the edge growth rate of the wafer 100 . In addition, in this embodiment, the structures and sizes of the plurality of protrusions 241 are the same, so that the notch direction of the wafer 100 is opposite to any one of the plurality of protrusions 241 , thereby reducing the difficulty of mounting the wafer 100 .

Further, the number of the protruding portions 241 and the recessed portions 242 is both four.

Referring to FIG. 1 , FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 , for example, the protruding portion 241 of the flow guide surface 210 corresponds to the crystal plane direction <100> one-to-one. The recessed portion 242 of the flow guide surface 210 corresponds to the crystal plane direction <110> one-to-one.

Referring to Figures 1, 6 and 9, in another optional embodiment, the recessed portion 242 of the bearing surface 240 corresponds to the crystal plane direction <100> one-to-one. The protruding portion 241 of the carrying surface 240 corresponds to the crystal plane direction <110> one-to-one.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 5 , the bearing surface 240 is inclined toward the bottom of the second groove 230 relative to a first direction, which is a direction close to the center of the first groove 220 along the radial direction of the first groove 220 . In this embodiment, the second groove 230 can be used to cause the deformation of the wafer 100 after being heated to convex toward the second groove 230 to prevent the wafer from convexly bending in different directions. It should be noted that if the convex curvature of 100 different parts of the wafer Inconsistent directions may easily lead to large differences in the growth rate of the wafer 100 in its circumferential direction, thereby reducing the surface flatness of the wafer 100 . The bearing surface 240 is tilted toward the bottom of the second groove 230 relative to the first direction, which not only ensures that the edge of the wafer 100 is stressed, but also enables the bearing 200 to provide support for the side of the wafer 100 protruding toward the bottom of the first groove 220 . The avoidance space is beneficial to improving the deformation amount and growth rate of the wafer 100 during the CVD silicon epitaxial process and the consistency of the thickness of the wafer 100 in its circumferential direction.

In an optional embodiment, the bearing surface 240 is a slightly inclined surface, and the angle of the bearing surface 240 tilting toward the bottom of the second groove 230 relative to the first direction is less than 1°.

In another optional embodiment, the bottom of the second groove 230 is a spherical concave surface to further improve the consistency of the growth rate of the wafer 100 in its circumferential direction.

Referring to Figures 1, 2, 8 and 9, in an optional embodiment, when both the flow guide surface 210 and the bearing surface 240 have convex portions 241 and recessed portions 242, the flow guide surface 210 has The protruding portion 241 is opposite to the recessed portion 242 of the bearing surface 240 in the radial direction of the first groove 220 .

In the above embodiment, the convex portion 241 and the recessed portion 242 in the flow guide surface 210 and the carrying surface 240 can respectively be used to compensate for the difference in the growth rate of the wafer 100 in its circumferential direction.

Based on the carrier 200 provided by the present invention, the present invention also discloses a semiconductor processing equipment. The semiconductor processing equipment includes the carrier 200 provided by the present invention. Further, the semiconductor process equipment provided by the present invention also includes a process chamber. For example, the carrier 200 is disposed in the process chamber, and the wafer 100 being processed is supported by the carrier 200 .

In an optional embodiment, the semiconductor process equipment provided by the present invention further includes a position calibration device. Illustratively, the position calibration device is used to correspond the notch direction of the wafer 100 to the top of the protrusion 241 .

Optionally, the position calibration device may be a wafer position calibration device, such as an Aligner (angle calibration) device and an AWC (Active Wafer Centering, wafer center position calibration) device.

The above embodiments of the present invention focus on the differences between the various embodiments. As long as the different optimization features between the various embodiments are not inconsistent, they can be combined to form a better embodiment. Taking into account the simplicity of the writing, here are the No longer.

The above descriptions are only examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Various modifications and variations will occur to the present invention to those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims (11)

A carrier used to carry wafers in semiconductor processing equipment, characterized in that the carrier has a flow guide surface, a first groove and a second groove, and the first groove is arranged on the flow guide surface. surface, the second groove is provided at the bottom of the first groove, the shapes of the first groove and the second groove are circular, and the diameter of the second groove is smaller than the The diameter of the first groove, and the groove bottom of the first groove forms a bearing surface surrounding the second groove, and the bearing surface is used to bear the wafer; At least one of the flow guide surface and the load-bearing surface has a plurality of protrusions and recesses, the plurality of protrusions are arranged along the circumferential direction of the first groove, and the recesses are located on both sides. between adjacent protrusions. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein each of the protruding portions has a first inclined sub-portion and a second inclined sub-portion, and the surface of the first inclined sub-portion and the second inclined sub-portion are The surfaces of the portions intersect to form the surface of the protruding portion, and the intersection line of the surface of the first inclined sub-portion and the surface of the second inclined sub-portion is arranged along the radial direction of the first groove; Each of the recessed portions has a third inclined sub-portion and a fourth inclined sub-portion. The surface of the third inclined sub-portion and the surface of the fourth inclined sub-portion intersect to form a surface of the recessed portion. The intersection line of the surface of the three inclined sub-parts and the surface of the fourth inclined sub-part is arranged along the radial direction of the first groove; The dimensions of each protruding portion and each recessed portion in the circumferential direction of the first groove are from a side close to the center of the first groove to a side far away from the center of the first groove. gradually increase. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the protruding portion is an arc-shaped convex surface, and the surface of the recessed portion is an arc-shaped concave surface. The carrier according to claim 3, wherein the protruding portion and the concave portion The connection between the recessed parts is a connecting part, and the curvature of the protruding part along the circumferential direction of the first groove is a first curvature, and the first curvature extends from the top of the protruding part to the connecting part. Gradually decreasing, the curvature of the recessed portion along the circumferential direction of the first groove is a second curvature, and the second curvature gradually decreases from the bottom of the recessed portion toward the connecting portion. The carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the heights of the protruding parts in the second direction are all equal; and/or the recessed parts have equal heights in the second direction. The depths are all equal; The second direction is the direction of the notch of the first groove. The bearing member according to claim 5, wherein when only the bearing surface among the flow guide surface and the bearing surface has the protruding portion and the recessed portion, the protrusion The distance between the top of the portion and the bottom of the recessed portion in the second direction is 18um to 21um; or, In the case where only the flow guide surface among the flow guide surface and the load-bearing surface has the convex part and the recessed part, the top of the convex part and the bottom of the recessed part are in the The distance in the second direction is 0.10um to 0.15um. The carrier according to claim 5, wherein the protrusions are evenly arranged along the circumferential direction of the first groove, and the corresponding central angles of the protrusions are all equal; and/or, The recessed portions are evenly arranged along the circumferential direction of the first groove, and the central angle corresponding to the recessed portion is equal to the central angle corresponding to the protruding portion. The carrier according to claim 7, wherein the number of the protruding parts and the recessed parts is four. The bearing member according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The bearing surface is inclined toward the groove bottom of the second groove relative to a first direction, which is a direction close to the center of the first groove along the radial direction of the first groove. The carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when both the flow guide surface and the load-bearing surface have the protruding portion and the recessed portion, the guide surface The convex portion of the flow surface and the recessed portion of the bearing surface are opposite to each other in the radial direction of the first groove. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized by comprising the carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and a wafer calibration device, the wafer calibration device being used to align the notch direction of the wafer with the protrusion corresponding to the top of the part.