A semiconductor processing device and a solid precursor delivery system and delivery method thereof

Abstract

A semiconductor processing device and a solid precursor delivery system and delivery method thereof. The solid precursor delivery system includes a solid precursor source, an inert gas source and a temperature control module. The temperature control module includes a gas storage tank arranged in a heating box. The gas storage tank is first pre-filled with an inert gas, and then a gaseous precursor is filled into the gas storage tank. Then, the inert gas is continuously filled into the gas storage tank, so that the mixing ratio of the gaseous precursor and the inert gas in the gas storage tank reaches a predetermined ratio, and finally the mixed gas is delivered to a processing chamber of the semiconductor processing device. The gaseous precursor and the inert gas are mixed by three-stage pressurization, so that the delivery amount of the gaseous precursor can be accurately controlled. The gaseous precursor is diluted with an inert gas, which can effectively prevent the gaseous precursor from condensing, and can also significantly reduce the temperature of the heating box, preventing valves and pressure gauges located in the heating box from being damaged by high temperature, and preventing the gaseous precursor from corroding the inner wall of the pipeline at high temperature to cause particle pollution.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, and in particular to a semiconductor processing device and a solid precursor delivery system and a delivery method thereof. Background Art

[0002] When using atomic layer deposition technology for thin film deposition, especially when filling three-dimensional structures, in order to obtain a higher step coverage, high-dose precursor delivery is required. When using solid source precursors, the current common practice is to increase the temperature of the precursor to increase its saturated vapor pressure, thereby achieving high-dose precursor delivery. In existing solid source delivery systems, most use the onboard method, that is, the source bottle is directly installed on the machine, and each source bottle supplies a reaction chamber separately. In a centralized supply system, a source bottle needs to supply multiple reaction chambers at the same time, so a higher temperature is required to meet the precursor needs of multiple reaction chambers. However, in order to transport precursors at high temperatures, the entire precursor delivery pipeline needs to be maintained at a higher temperature to prevent the sublimated precursor from condensing in the precursor delivery pipeline. The usual practice is that the temperature of the precursor delivery pipeline rises in a step-by-step manner in the direction of the pipeline from the precursor source bottle to the reaction chamber. On the one hand, maintaining a high temperature puts a test on the precursor delivery pipeline and the components installed on the precursor delivery pipeline. The commonly used valves and gas flowmeters have low temperature resistance (below 150°C), while the temperature of the precursor delivery pipeline may need to reach about 200°C, which exceeds the temperature resistance limit of the components. On the other hand, some precursors are corrosive and will quickly erode the inner wall of the pipeline at high temperatures, causing particulate matter and metal pollution. Therefore, it is necessary to select special materials to make the pipeline, or spray special coatings on the inner wall of the pipeline for protection, which undoubtedly greatly increases the manufacturing cost. In addition, due to the lack of a suitable flow meter, the precise control of the solid source delivery volume and the guarantee of delivery stability are also a major difficulty.

[0003] The statements herein merely provide background art related to the present invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor processing device and a solid precursor delivery system and delivery method thereof, which can effectively prevent the condensation of the gaseous precursor and prevent components such as valves and pressure gauges from being damaged by high temperatures.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a solid precursor delivery system for sublimating a solid precursor into a gaseous precursor and delivering it to a processing chamber of a semiconductor processing device, wherein the solid precursor delivery system comprises: a solid precursor source, an inert gas source and a temperature control module;

[0006] The solid precursor source is used to store a solid precursor and sublimate the solid precursor into a gaseous precursor; the solid precursor source maintains a first temperature, which is greater than the sublimation temperature of the solid precursor;

[0007] The inert gas source is used to store inert gas;

[0008] The temperature control module comprises a heating box and a gas storage tank arranged in the heating box;

[0009] The upstream of the gas storage tank is connected to the solid precursor source through a first pipeline, and a first valve is provided on the first pipeline;

[0010] The upstream of the gas storage tank is connected to the inert gas source through a second pipeline, and a second valve is provided on the second pipeline;

[0011] The downstream of the gas storage tank is connected to the processing chamber through a third pipeline, and a third valve is arranged on the third pipeline;

[0012] The first valve, the second valve and the third valve are all located in the heating box;

[0013] The heating box maintains a second temperature, the second temperature being lower than a temperature of the first pipeline upstream of the heating box, and the second temperature being lower than a temperature of the third pipeline downstream of the heating box.

[0014] The solid precursor delivery system further comprises: a first heating device;

[0015] The first heating device is used to heat the first pipeline, and the first heating device is located outside the heating box;

[0016] The first heating device maintains the first pipeline at a third temperature, where the third temperature is greater than or equal to the first temperature and greater than the second temperature.

[0017] The solid precursor delivery system further comprises: a second heating device;

[0018] The second heating device is used to heat the second pipeline, and the second heating device is located outside the heating box;

[0019] The second heating device maintains the second pipeline at a fourth temperature, and the fourth temperature is less than or equal to the second temperature.

[0020] The solid precursor delivery system further comprises: a third heating device;

[0021] The third heating device is used to heat the third pipeline, and the third heating device is located outside the heating box;

[0022] The third heating device maintains the third pipeline at a fifth temperature, and the fifth temperature is greater than the second temperature.

[0023] The length of the second heating device is greater than 20 cm.

[0024] The solid precursor delivery system also includes a pressure gauge, which is located in the heating box, the pressure gauge is arranged on the gas storage tank, or the pressure gauge is arranged in the upstream pipeline of the gas storage tank, or the pressure gauge is arranged in the downstream pipeline of the gas storage tank.

[0025] A gas flow meter is arranged on the second pipeline, and the gas flow meter is arranged upstream of the second heating device.

[0026] The first valve, the second valve and the third valve are all high-speed switching valves.

[0027] A flow limiting ring is arranged on the first pipeline.

[0028] The first pipeline, the second pipeline and the third pipeline are made of stainless steel or Hastelloy.

[0029] The first temperature is 120°C to 175°C, and the second temperature is 120°C to 150°C.

[0030] The third temperature is 120°C to 185°C.

[0031] The fourth temperature is 100°C to 150°C.

[0032] The fifth temperature is 120°C to 160°C.

[0033] The present invention also provides a solid precursor delivery method implemented by using the solid precursor delivery system, comprising:

[0034] Keep the first valve and the third valve closed, open the second valve, and allow the inert gas source to deliver inert gas to the gas storage tank until the pressure in the gas storage tank rises to a first pressure value, and then close the second valve;

[0035] The first valve is opened, and the solid precursor source delivers the gaseous precursor to the gas storage tank until the pressure in the gas storage tank rises to a second pressure value, and the first valve is closed;

[0036] The second valve is opened, and the inert gas source delivers inert gas to the gas storage tank until the pressure in the gas storage tank rises to a third pressure value, and the second valve is closed;

[0037] The third valve is opened, and the gas storage tank delivers a mixed gas of a gaseous precursor and an inert gas into the processing chamber until the pressure in the gas storage tank drops to a fourth pressure value, and the third valve is closed; the fourth pressure value is less than the first pressure value;

[0038] The above valve switching steps are repeated periodically to achieve periodic delivery of gaseous precursors into the processing chamber of the semiconductor processing equipment.

[0039] Using a pressure gauge to monitor the pressure value of the gas storage tank;

[0040] The first pressure value is less than 150 Torr;

[0041] The second pressure value is less than or equal to the saturated vapor pressure value of the solid precursor source at the first temperature;

[0042] The third pressure value is less than 700 Torr.

[0043] When the pressure in the gas storage tank reaches a third pressure value, the amount of the gaseous precursor is 0.5% to 35% of the amount of the mixed gas in the gas storage tank.

[0044] The flow rate of the inert gas source is controlled by a gas flow meter.

[0045] The cycle time for delivering the gaseous precursor into the processing chamber is less than 20 seconds.

[0046] The present invention also provides a semiconductor processing device, comprising:

[0047] a processing chamber in which a substrate to be processed is placed;

[0048] The solid precursor delivery system is used to sublime the solid precursor into a gaseous state and then deliver it to the processing chamber to process the substrate.

[0049] The semiconductor processing equipment is an atomic layer deposition equipment.

[0050] The present invention mixes the gaseous precursor and the inert gas in a gas storage tank located in a heating box, first pre-fills a portion of the inert gas into the gas storage tank to prevent the condensation of the gaseous precursor subsequently filled, then fills a predetermined amount of the gaseous precursor into the gas storage tank, and finally continues to fill the gas storage tank with inert gas, so that the pressure in the gas storage tank reaches the pressure value required by the process, and at the same time, the mixing ratio of the gaseous precursor and the inert gas in the gas storage tank reaches a predetermined ratio. The delivery amount of the gaseous precursor can be accurately controlled by the three-stage pressurization method, and the gas precursor can be pressurized by the three-stage pressurization method. The precursor is mixed with an inert gas and the gaseous precursor is diluted with the inert gas, which can effectively prevent the condensation of the gaseous precursor and greatly reduce the temperature of the heating box. The temperature of the heating box is lower than the temperature of the upstream pipeline and the downstream pipeline of the heating box. The temperature maintained by the heating box can prevent the condensation of the gaseous precursor therein and prevent the valves and pressure gauges in the heating box from being damaged by high temperature. At the same time, it can prevent the gaseous precursor from corroding the inner wall of the pipeline at high temperature to cause particle pollution, and reduce the requirements for temperature control accuracy, thereby reducing production costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a semiconductor processing device with a solid precursor delivery system provided by the present invention.

[0052] Figure 2 It is a flow chart of a solid precursor delivery method provided by the present invention.

[0053] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the pressure change in the gas tank. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] The following is based on Figure 1 to Figure 3 , specifically describe the preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0055] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a semiconductor processing device, comprising a processing chamber 1 and a solid precursor delivery system 2, wherein a substrate W to be processed is placed in the processing chamber 1, and the solid precursor delivery system 2 sublimates a solid precursor into a gaseous state and then delivers it to the processing chamber 1 to process the substrate W.

[0056] In the field of semiconductor manufacturing, the equipment using solid precursors mainly includes physical vapor deposition (PVD) equipment, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) equipment and atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment. These equipment convert solid precursors into gaseous state and then deposit them on substrates to form thin films to construct various functional layers in semiconductor devices.

[0057] Atomic layer deposition equipment plays a vital role in the semiconductor field, especially in structural filling. The use of atomic layer deposition technology can ensure uniform deposition of thin films in complex three-dimensional structures, whether in porous materials or nanostructures, to achieve uniform coverage of thin films. In memory devices such as DRAM and flash memory, atomic layer deposition technology is used to deposit high-k dielectric materials and tunneling oxides, which helps to improve storage density and data accuracy. Since atomic layer deposition technology can accurately control the composition and thickness of the film, it is crucial to improving the overall performance and reliability of the device.

[0058] Precursor delivery plays a central role in atomic layer deposition technology, affecting not only the quality and performance of the film, but also the accuracy and uniformity of film deposition. Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a solid precursor delivery system 2, comprising a solid precursor source 21, an inert gas source 22 and a temperature control module 23.

[0059] The solid precursor source 21 stores a solid precursor, and a first temperature is maintained in the solid precursor source 21. The first temperature needs to be greater than the sublimation temperature of the solid precursor so that the solid precursor is sublimated into a gaseous precursor. The first temperature is usually maintained at 120°C to 175°C.

[0060] The inert gas source 22 is used to store inert gas. The inert gas is a colorless and odorless monatomic gas at normal temperature and pressure, and is difficult to undergo chemical reactions. In the present invention, the inert gas is used as a diluent gas.

[0061] The temperature control module 23 includes a heating box 231 and a gas storage tank 232 disposed in the heating box 231. The gas storage tank 232 is connected to the solid precursor source 21 and the inert gas source 22 through pipelines, respectively. After the gaseous precursor from the solid precursor source 21 and the inert gas from the inert gas source 22 are mixed in the gas storage tank 232 to form a mixed gas, the gas storage tank 232 then transports the mixed gas to the processing chamber 1. By mixing the inert gas and the gaseous precursor, the partial pressure of the gaseous precursor in the mixed gas is lower than the saturated vapor pressure at the first temperature, which can prevent the gaseous precursor in the mixed gas from condensing.

[0062] According to the path of gas delivery from the solid precursor source 21 (the inert gas source 22) to the processing chamber 1, the solid precursor source 21 (the inert gas source 22) serves as the upstream end of gas delivery, and the processing chamber 1 serves as the downstream end of gas delivery. The upstream of the gas storage tank 232 is connected to the solid precursor source 21 through a first pipeline 233, and a first valve 234 is provided on the first pipeline 233, and the first valve 234 is used to control the on-off of the first pipeline 233. The upstream of the gas storage tank 232 is connected to the inert gas source 22 through a second pipeline 235, and a second valve 236 is provided on the second pipeline 235, and the second valve 236 is used to control the on-off of the second pipeline 235. The downstream of the gas storage tank 232 is connected to the processing chamber 1 through a third pipeline 237, and a third valve 238 is provided on the third pipeline 237, and the third valve 238 is used to control the on-off of the third pipeline 237. The first pipeline 233 , the second pipeline 235 , and the third pipeline 237 are made of stainless steel or Hastelloy, which has good corrosion resistance. A pressure gauge 239 is also provided in the heating box 231. The pressure gauge 239 is used to monitor and display the current pressure in the gas tank 232 in real time. The pressure gauge 239 can be directly provided on the gas tank 232, or the pressure gauge 239 can be provided in the upstream pipeline of the gas tank 232 so that the pressure gauge 239 is located upstream of the air inlet of the gas tank 232, that is, the pressure gauge 239 is simultaneously located downstream of the first valve 234 and downstream of the second valve 236. The pressure gauge 239 can also be provided in the downstream pipeline of the gas tank 232 so that the pressure gauge 239 is located downstream of the air outlet of the gas tank 232 and upstream of the third valve 238. The above-mentioned settings can realize the accurate measurement and display of the internal pressure of the gas tank 232 by the pressure gauge 239. The pressure of the gas tank can be conveniently measured using a pressure gauge. In other embodiments, the pressure of the gas tank can also be obtained by calculation based on the flow rate of the pipeline, the gas supply time, and the volume of the gas tank, which will not be described in detail here.

[0063] The first valve 234, the second valve 236, the third valve 238 and the pressure gauge 239 are all located in the heating box 231. Since the above-mentioned valves and pressure gauges are all common devices, the temperature resistance of these common devices is not high and cannot exceed 150°C. In order to avoid damage to the devices, the upper temperature limit of the heating box 231 cannot be higher than 150°C.

[0064] During the transmission of the gaseous precursor generated by the solid precursor source 21 through the first pipeline 233, the temperature of the first pipeline 233 located outside the heating box 231 needs to be maintained higher than the sublimation temperature of the solid precursor to prevent the gaseous precursor from condensing. A first heating device 2310 is provided on the first pipeline 233 located outside the heating box 231. The first heating device 2310 can be a heating bag, which is a portable heating device, usually composed of a heating element (such as a heating wire) and a heat preservation material (such as heat preservation cotton). The first heating device 2310 keeps the first pipeline 233 at a third temperature. The first heating device 2310 can keep the temperature of the first pipeline 233 consistent with the temperature of the solid precursor source 21 or slightly increase it by 5°C to 10°C. In this embodiment, the third temperature is set to 120°C to 185°C.

[0065] Similarly, when the mixed gas in the gas storage tank 232 is transported to the reaction chamber 1 through the third pipeline 237, the temperature of the third pipeline 237 located outside the heating box 231 also needs to be maintained higher than the sublimation temperature of the solid precursor in the mixed gas to prevent the gaseous precursor from condensing. A third heating device 2311 is provided on the third pipeline 237 located outside the heating box 231. The third heating device 2311 keeps the third pipeline 237 at the fifth temperature. The third heating device 2311 can keep the temperature of the third pipeline 237 consistent with the temperature of the heating box 231 or slightly increase it by 5°C to 10°C.

[0066] The temperature that the first pipeline 233 needs to maintain is higher than the temperature in the heating box 231, and the temperature that the third pipeline 237 needs to maintain is also higher than the temperature in the heating box 231. Therefore, it is not advisable to set the lower limit of the temperature of the heating box 231 too low, otherwise it will not only cause the risk of condensation of the mixed gas in the gas tank 232, but also cause the temperature difference between the heating box 231 and the third pipeline 237 outside to be too large, and it is necessary to set a high-power heating device to quickly heat up the third pipeline 237 located outside the heating box 231 in a short time, which consumes a lot of energy and reduces economic benefits. In actual operation, the temperature of the heating box 231 is usually maintained at the second temperature, which is 120℃~150℃. Accordingly, the fifth temperature maintained by the third pipeline 237 is set to 120℃~160℃.

[0067] The present invention mixes a gaseous precursor and an inert gas in a gas storage tank located in a heating box, and uses the inert gas to dilute the concentration of the gaseous precursor to reduce the partial pressure of the gaseous precursor, thereby reducing the temperature of the heating box, and making the temperature of the heating box lower than the temperature of the upstream pipeline of the heating box and the downstream pipeline of the heating box, so that the temperature maintained by the heating box can prevent the gaseous precursor therein from condensing, and can also prevent the valves and pressure gauges located in the heating box from being damaged by high temperature, and at the same time prevent the gaseous precursor from corroding the inner wall of the pipeline at high temperature to cause particle pollution.

[0068] like Figure 1 As shown, a second heating device 2312 is provided on the second pipeline 235 located outside the heating box 231. The second heating device 2312 is used to preheat the inert gas flowing through the second pipeline 235 to prevent the low-temperature inert gas from causing the temperature of the mixed gas in the gas tank 232 to decrease, thereby preventing the gaseous precursor in the gas tank 232 from condensing. The second heating device 2312 makes the temperature of the second pipeline 235 less than or equal to the temperature of the heating box 231. The second heating device 2312 keeps the second pipeline 235 at a fourth temperature. In this embodiment, the fourth temperature is set to 100°C to 150°C. Further, the length of the second heating device 2312 should be greater than 20 cm to ensure that the temperature of the inert gas can reach or approach the temperature inside the heating box 231 during the transportation of the inert gas in the second pipeline 235, thereby ensuring the heating effect of the inert gas.

[0069] like Figure 2 As shown, the present invention also provides a solid precursor delivery method, comprising the following steps:

[0070] Step S1, keep the first valve 234 and the third valve 238 closed, open the second valve 236, and the inert gas source 22 starts to transport the inert gas into the gas storage tank 232 until the pressure in the gas storage tank 232 rises to a first pressure value, and then close the second valve 236;

[0071] Step S2, opening the first valve 234, the solid precursor source 21 starts to deliver the gaseous precursor into the gas storage tank 232, until the pressure in the gas storage tank 232 rises to a second pressure value, and then closing the first valve 234;

[0072] Step S3, opening the second valve 236, the inert gas source 22 starts to deliver the inert gas into the gas storage tank 232, until the pressure in the gas storage tank 232 rises to a third pressure value, and then closing the second valve 236;

[0073] Step S4, opening the third valve 238, the gas storage tank 232 starts to transport the mixed gas of the gaseous precursor and the inert gas into the processing chamber 1, until the pressure in the gas storage tank 232 drops to a fourth pressure value, and then closing the third valve 238;

[0074] The above steps S1 to S4 are repeated periodically to achieve periodic delivery of the gaseous precursor into the processing chamber 1 .

[0075] The pressure in the gas storage tank 232 is displayed in real time by the pressure gauge 239. Figure 3 As shown, the first pressure value P1 in step S1 is less than 150 Torr. The gas storage tank 232 is pre-filled with inert gas through step S1, so that when the gaseous precursor is subsequently filled into the gas storage tank 232 in step S2, the gas storage tank 232 is an inert gas environment to prevent the gaseous precursor from condensing.

[0076] In step S2, a gaseous precursor is delivered into the gas storage tank 232, so that the pressure in the gas storage tank 232 rises to a second pressure value P2, and the second pressure value P2 is less than or equal to the saturated vapor pressure value of the solid precursor source 21 at the first temperature. The delivery amount of the gaseous precursor can be precisely controlled by controlling the pressure difference between the second pressure value P2 and the first pressure value P1. For example: Assuming that the saturated vapor pressure of the solid precursor source 21 at the first temperature is 130 Torr, in the first case, the first pressure value P1 is set to 100 Torr, and the second pressure value P2 is set to 130 Torr. In the second case, the first pressure value P1 is set to 90 Torr, and the second pressure value P2 is set to 120 Torr. In the first case and the second case, the difference between the first pressure value P1 and the second pressure value P2 is 30 Torr. Therefore, according to the ideal gas state equation n=(P2-P1)×V / R×T, V is the volume of the gas tank, R is a thermodynamic constant, and T is the temperature of the gas tank, it can be seen that the amount of precursor material delivered in a single time in the two cases is the same. After the step S2 is completed, the proportion of the gaseous precursor in the gas tank 232 to the mixed gas is less than 90%. Reasonable control of the ratio of the gaseous precursor to the inert gas in the gas tank 232 is very critical to prevent the gaseous precursor from condensing. By adjusting the ratio of the mixed gas, it is possible to keep the temperature of the gas mixture within a safe range and avoid condensation due to low temperature. By adjusting the ratio of the mixed gas to keep the vapor pressure of the gas mixture above a certain level, the gas can be prevented from reaching a supersaturated state, thereby reducing the risk of condensation. By adjusting the ratio of the mixed gas, the overall phase change temperature of the gas mixture can be increased to be higher than the ambient temperature to avoid condensation. By adjusting the ratio of the mixed gas, the gas flow can be promoted and stagnation can be reduced, thereby reducing the risk of condensation.

[0077] In step S3, the inert gas source 22 continues to deliver inert gas to the gas tank 232, so that the pressure in the gas tank 232 rises to a third pressure value P3, and the third pressure value P3 is generally less than 700 Torr. When the pressure in the gas tank 232 reaches the third pressure value P3, the amount of the gaseous precursor in the gas tank 232 is 0.5% to 35% of the amount of the mixed gas in the gas tank 232. Further inputting inert gas into the gas tank 232 through step S3 can greatly increase the pressure in the gas tank 232, which is beneficial for the gaseous precursor gas to reach the interior of the structure to be filled in a short time during the process, and meet the high step coverage. At the same time, controlling the amount of the gaseous precursor can avoid the waste of the gaseous precursor under the premise of meeting the high step coverage.

[0078] In step S4, the gas storage tank 232 delivers the mixed gas of the gaseous precursor and the inert gas into the processing chamber 1, and finally the pressure in the gas storage tank 232 drops to a fourth pressure value P4, which is less than the first pressure value P1, to ensure that all the mixed gas in the gas storage tank 232 has been basically emptied to prevent the gaseous precursor from being retained and condensed. The emptied gas storage tank 232 can repeat steps S1 to S4 to periodically deliver the gaseous precursor into the processing chamber 1.

[0079] The present invention first pre-fills a portion of inert gas into a gas tank to prevent the condensation of a subsequently filled gaseous precursor, then fills a predetermined amount of gaseous precursor into the gas tank, and finally continues to fill the gas tank with inert gas, so that the pressure in the gas tank reaches the pressure value required by the process, and at the same time, the mixing ratio of the gaseous precursor and the inert gas in the gas tank reaches a predetermined ratio. The delivery amount of the gaseous precursor can be accurately controlled by a three-stage pressurization method. The gaseous precursor and the inert gas are mixed by three-stage pressurization, and the gaseous precursor is diluted with the inert gas, which can effectively prevent the condensation of the gaseous precursor and can also greatly reduce the temperature of the heating box, so that the temperature of the heating box is lower than the temperature of the upstream pipeline of the heating box and the downstream pipeline of the heating box, so that the temperature maintained by the heating box can prevent the condensation of the gaseous precursor therein, and can also prevent the valve and pressure gauge and other devices located in the heating box from being damaged by high temperature, and at the same time prevent the gaseous precursor from corroding the inner wall of the pipeline at high temperature to cause particle pollution, and reduce the requirements for temperature control accuracy and reduce production costs.

[0080] In one embodiment, a gas flow meter 2313 is provided on the second pipeline 235, and pneumatic valves 2314 are provided upstream and downstream of the gas flow meter 2313. The gas flow meter 2313 is used to control the flow rate of the inert gas delivered from the inert gas source 22 to the gas storage tank 232. By using the gas flow meter and the pneumatic valve in combination, the flow rate of the inert gas can be accurately measured and controlled to ensure that the ratio of the mixed gas in the gas storage tank 232 is correct. Since the gas flow meter 2313 cannot withstand high temperatures, the gas flow meter 2313 is provided upstream of the second heating device 2312 to prevent the gas flow meter 2313 from being damaged.

[0081] In another embodiment, the first valve 234, the second valve 236, and the third valve 238 are all high-speed switching valves. In the process of charging the inert gas and the gaseous precursor into the gas storage tank 232 in stages using a three-stage charging method, it is necessary to continuously switch the opening and closing of the first valve 234, the second valve 236, and the third valve 238. The use of high-speed switching valves can greatly increase the switching speed, shortening the period of conveying the mixed gas containing the gaseous precursor from the gas storage tank 232 to the processing chamber 1 to within 20 seconds, thereby improving the conveying capacity and ensuring the process efficiency.

[0082] In other embodiments, a flow limiting ring (not shown) is provided on the first pipeline 233 to limit the charging speed of the gaseous precursor transported by the solid precursor source 21 into the gas storage tank 232, so as to avoid dust in the solid precursor source 21 being brought into the gas storage tank 232 and causing pollution due to excessive saturated vapor pressure in the solid precursor source 21.

[0083] The present invention mixes the gaseous precursor and the inert gas in a gas storage tank located in a heating box, first pre-fills a portion of the inert gas into the gas storage tank to prevent the condensation of the gaseous precursor subsequently filled, then fills a predetermined amount of the gaseous precursor into the gas storage tank, and finally continues to fill the gas storage tank with inert gas, so that the pressure in the gas storage tank reaches the pressure value required by the process, and at the same time, the mixing ratio of the gaseous precursor and the inert gas in the gas storage tank reaches a predetermined ratio. The delivery amount of the gaseous precursor can be accurately controlled by the three-stage pressurization method, and the gas precursor can be pressurized by the three-stage pressurization method. The precursor is mixed with an inert gas and the gaseous precursor is diluted with the inert gas, which can effectively prevent the condensation of the gaseous precursor and greatly reduce the temperature of the heating box. The temperature of the heating box is lower than the temperature of the upstream pipeline and the downstream pipeline of the heating box. The temperature maintained by the heating box can prevent the condensation of the gaseous precursor therein and prevent the valves and pressure gauges in the heating box from being damaged by high temperature. At the same time, it can prevent the gaseous precursor from corroding the inner wall of the pipeline at high temperature to cause particle pollution, and reduce the requirements for temperature control accuracy, thereby reducing production costs.

[0084] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of the present invention, the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0085] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0086] It should be understood that when used in this specification and the appended claims, the term "comprising" indicates the presence of described features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0087] It should also be understood that the terms used in this application specification are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the application. As used in this application specification and the appended claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include plural forms.

[0088] It should be further understood that the term “and / or” used in the specification and appended claims refers to any combination and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes these combinations.

[0089] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the term "if" may be interpreted as "when" or "upon" or "in response to determining" or "in response to detecting," depending on the context. Similarly, the phrases "if it is determined" or "if [described condition or event] is detected" may be interpreted as meaning "upon determination" or "in response to determining" or "upon detection of [described condition or event]" or "in response to detecting [described condition or event]," depending on the context.

[0090] Although the content of the present invention has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, it should be appreciated that the above description should not be considered as limiting the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention. After reading the above content, it will be obvious for those skilled in the art to make various modifications and substitutions to the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the attached claims.

Claims

1. A solid precursor delivery system for sublimating a solid precursor into a gaseous precursor and delivering it to a processing chamber of a semiconductor processing device, characterized in that: The solid precursor delivery system comprises: a solid precursor source, an inert gas source and a temperature control module; The solid precursor source is used to store a solid precursor and sublimate the solid precursor into a gaseous precursor; the solid precursor source maintains a first temperature, which is greater than the sublimation temperature of the solid precursor; The inert gas source is used to store inert gas; The temperature control module comprises a heating box and a gas storage tank arranged in the heating box; The upstream of the gas storage tank is connected to the solid precursor source through a first pipeline, and a first valve is provided on the first pipeline; The upstream of the gas storage tank is connected to the inert gas source through a second pipeline, and a second valve is provided on the second pipeline; The downstream of the gas storage tank is connected to the processing chamber through a third pipeline, and a third valve is arranged on the third pipeline; The first valve, the second valve and the third valve are all located in the heating box; The heating box maintains a second temperature, the second temperature being lower than a temperature of the first pipeline upstream of the heating box, and the second temperature being lower than a temperature of the third pipeline downstream of the heating box.

2. The solid precursor delivery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The solid precursor delivery system further comprises: a first heating device; The first heating device is used to heat the first pipeline, and the first heating device is located outside the heating box; The first heating device maintains the first pipeline at a third temperature, where the third temperature is greater than or equal to the first temperature and greater than the second temperature.

3. The solid precursor delivery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The solid precursor delivery system further comprises: a second heating device; The second heating device is used to heat the second pipeline, and the second heating device is located outside the heating box; The second heating device maintains the second pipeline at a fourth temperature, and the fourth temperature is less than or equal to the second temperature.

4. The solid precursor delivery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The solid precursor delivery system further comprises: a third heating device; The third heating device is used to heat the third pipeline, and the third heating device is located outside the heating box; The third heating device maintains the third pipeline at a fifth temperature, and the fifth temperature is greater than the second temperature.

5. The solid precursor delivery system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The length of the second heating device is greater than 20 cm.

6. The solid precursor delivery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The solid precursor delivery system also includes a pressure gauge, which is located in the heating box, the pressure gauge is arranged on the gas storage tank, or the pressure gauge is arranged in the upstream pipeline of the gas storage tank, or the pressure gauge is arranged in the downstream pipeline of the gas storage tank.

7. The solid precursor delivery system according to claim 3, characterized in that: A gas flow meter is arranged on the second pipeline, and the gas flow meter is arranged upstream of the second heating device.

8. The solid precursor delivery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first valve, the second valve and the third valve are all high-speed switching valves.

9. The solid precursor delivery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A flow limiting ring is arranged on the first pipeline.

10. The solid precursor delivery system according to claim 1, wherein: The first pipeline, the second pipeline and the third pipeline are made of stainless steel or Hastelloy.

11. The solid precursor delivery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first temperature is 120°C to 175°C, and the second temperature is 120°C to 150°C.

12. The solid precursor delivery system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The third temperature is 120°C to 185°C.

13. The solid precursor delivery system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The fourth temperature is 100°C to 150°C.

14. The solid precursor delivery system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The fifth temperature is 120°C to 160°C.

15. A solid precursor delivery method implemented by using the solid precursor delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that: Include: Keep the first valve and the third valve closed, open the second valve, and allow the inert gas source to deliver inert gas to the gas storage tank until the pressure in the gas storage tank rises to a first pressure value, and then close the second valve; The first valve is opened, and the solid precursor source delivers the gaseous precursor to the gas storage tank until the pressure in the gas storage tank rises to a second pressure value, and the first valve is closed; The second valve is opened, and the inert gas source delivers inert gas to the gas storage tank until the pressure in the gas storage tank rises to a third pressure value, and the second valve is closed; The third valve is opened, and the gas storage tank delivers a mixed gas of a gaseous precursor and an inert gas into the processing chamber until the pressure in the gas storage tank drops to a fourth pressure value, and the third valve is closed; the fourth pressure value is less than the first pressure value; The above valve switching steps are repeated periodically to achieve periodic delivery of gaseous precursors into the processing chamber of the semiconductor processing equipment.

16. The solid precursor delivery method according to claim 15, characterized in that: Using a pressure gauge to monitor the pressure value of the gas storage tank; The first pressure value is less than 150 Torr; The second pressure value is less than or equal to the saturated vapor pressure value of the solid precursor source at the first temperature; The third pressure value is less than 700 Torr.

17. The solid precursor delivery method according to claim 15, characterized in that: When the pressure in the gas storage tank reaches a third pressure value, the amount of the gaseous precursor is 0.5% to 35% of the amount of the mixed gas in the gas storage tank.

18. The solid precursor delivery method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The flow rate of the inert gas source is controlled by a gas flow meter.

19. The solid precursor delivery method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The cycle time for delivering the gaseous precursor into the processing chamber is less than 20 seconds.

20. A semiconductor processing device, characterized in that: Include: a processing chamber in which a substrate to be processed is placed; The solid precursor delivery system as described in any one of claims 1 to 14 is used to sublimate the solid precursor into a gaseous state and then deliver it to the processing chamber to process the substrate.

21. The semiconductor processing equipment according to claim 20, characterized in that The semiconductor processing equipment is an atomic layer deposition equipment.

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