ALD precursor coating device and control method thereof
By adding valves and flow limiting plates in the pipelines of the ALD precursor coating device to regulate local pressure, the problems of precursor waste and low utilization rate are solved, and more efficient ALD film deposition is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202411439923.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-15
- Publication Date
- 2025-02-25
AI Technical Summary
The existing ALD precursor coating device causes waste of precursors due to the low pressure point of the bypass pipeline, and the reverse airflow blocks the precursors from entering the reaction chamber, resulting in low utilization.
By adding a fourth branch pipe with a first valve between the second branch pipe and the third branch pipe, and adding a flow limiter on the third branch pipe, the local pressure of the pipeline is controlled, the precursor flow direction is optimized, and waste is reduced.
The utilization rate of precursors is improved, the ALD cycle time is shortened, and more efficient ALD thin film deposition is achieved.
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Figure CN119506836A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present application relates to the field of control technology, and in particular to a coating device for an ALD precursor and a control method thereof. Background Art
[0002] Atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology has obvious advantages in controlling the thickness of the deposited layer, the surface uniformity of special-shaped materials, and the absence of pinholes on the surface. Therefore, it can be used in difficult coating application fields such as those with high requirements for coating thickness and uniformity or irregular substrate shapes.
[0003] Currently, in order to achieve ALD coating, a mass flow controller (MFC) is connected to the ALD reaction chamber (RC), and a valve-type regulation of an inert gas (e.g., nitrogen N2) is used to supply process gases (e.g., precursors) to the RC. For example, see Figure 1 As shown, MFC1 introduces a certain flow of N2 to assist the precursor to enter RC, wherein the need to open the dosing valve can be determined based on the characteristics of the precursor itself. MFC2 introduces a certain flow of N2 as a cut-off gas, and purges the pipeline through a flow-limiting micropore of a certain size (e.g., 0.4 mm). Optionally, a bypass pipeline is designed in the precursor forward pipeline, and a vacuum pump (PUMP) is connected through a flow-limiting micropore of a certain size (e.g., 1 mm) to accelerate the gas flow rate in the pipeline, thereby increasing the speed of ALD coating.
[0004] However, in the coating device using the above-mentioned ALD precursor, a low pressure point will be formed at point A of the bypass pipeline under the action of PUMP, so that part of the precursor will be drawn out from the bypass pipeline, resulting in a waste of precursor; and the reverse airflow from point B to point A will hinder the precursor from entering the RC, and even promote the precursor to enter the bypass pipeline. It can be seen that the existing ALD precursor coating device has a low utilization rate of the precursor. Summary of the invention
[0005] The embodiment of the present application provides a coating device of an ALD precursor and a control method thereof, so as to improve the utilization rate of the precursor.
[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a coating device for an ALD precursor, the device comprising: a first MFC, a second MFC, a precursor supply device, an exhaust pump and an RC; wherein:
[0007] One end of the RC is connected to the first MFC through a first main pipeline; wherein a first branch pipeline, a second branch pipeline and a third branch pipeline are sequentially arranged on the first main pipeline along the direction from the first MFC to the RC, the precursor supply device is connected to the first main pipeline through the first branch pipeline, the vacuum pump is connected to the first main pipeline through the second branch pipeline, the second MFC is connected to the first main pipeline through the third branch pipeline, the second branch pipeline and the third branch pipeline are connected through a fourth branch pipeline, and the first valve on the fourth branch pipeline is used to open the fourth branch pipeline when the precursor supply device starts to supply the precursor to the RC, and to close the fourth branch pipeline when the precursor supply device stops supplying the precursor to the RC;
[0008] The other end of the RC is connected to the second branch pipeline through a second main pipeline.
[0009] In an optional embodiment, a first flow limiting plate and a second flow limiting plate are sequentially arranged in the third branch pipeline along the direction from the second MFC to the first main pipeline, and the first flow limiting plate and the second flow limiting plate are respectively located at two ends of the connection point between the third branch pipeline and the fourth branch pipeline;
[0010] Wherein, the diameter of the micropores on the first current limiting plate is greater than the diameter of the micropores on the second current limiting plate.
[0011] In an optional embodiment, a third flow limiting plate is provided in the second branch pipe, and the third flow limiting plate is located between the connection point between the second branch pipe and the fourth branch pipe and the vacuum pump, and the micropore diameter of the third flow limiting plate is larger than the difference between the micropore diameters of the first flow limiting plate and the second flow limiting plate.
[0012] In an optional embodiment, a second valve is provided on the first branch pipeline, and the second valve is used to open the first branch pipeline when the precursor supply device starts to supply the precursor to the RC, and to close the first branch pipeline when the precursor supply device stops supplying the precursor to the RC.
[0013] In an optional embodiment, the first valve closes the fourth branch pipeline when the second valve goes from opening to closing the first branch pipeline and the closing time reaches a set time threshold.
[0014] In an optional embodiment, the second MFC is used to introduce a purge gas with a second preset gas flow rate into the third branch pipeline when the second valve closes the first branch pipeline, and the purge gas is used to purge the precursor remaining on the first main pipeline.
[0015] In an optional embodiment, the first MFC is used to introduce a first preset gas flow rate of an inert gas into the first main pipeline when the precursor supply device starts to provide the precursor to the RC, and the inert gas is used to drive the precursor into the RC; and / or,
[0016] The first MFC is used to stop introducing the inert gas when the precursor supply device stops providing the precursor to the RC.
[0017] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a method for controlling a film coating device of an ALD precursor as described in the first aspect, the method comprising:
[0018] In response to a precursor supply request from a precursor supply device, the first valve and the second valve are opened; the first valve is used to open the fourth branch pipeline when the precursor supply device starts to supply the precursor to the RC, so that the purge gas introduced from the second MFC to the third branch pipeline enters the second branch pipeline, and the second valve is used to open the first branch pipeline when the precursor supply device starts to supply the precursor to the RC, so that the precursor enters the first main pipeline;
[0019] The inert gas of a first preset gas flow rate is introduced into the first main pipeline through the first MFC, so that the precursor provided by the precursor supply device is brought into the RC.
[0020] In an optional embodiment, the method further includes:
[0021] When the first valve is closed and / or the second valve is closed, the purge gas introduced into the three-branch pipeline through the second MFC is used to purge the precursor remaining in the first main pipeline.
[0022] In an optional embodiment, after the inert gas of the first preset gas flow rate introduced into the first main pipeline through the first MFC brings the precursor provided by the precursor supply device into the RC, the method further includes:
[0023] When the precursor supply device stops providing the precursor, the second valve is closed, and when the closing time of the second valve reaches a set time threshold, the first valve is closed.
[0024] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows:
[0025] In the ALD precursor coating device provided in the embodiment of the present application, one end of the RC is connected to the first MFC through the first main pipeline; wherein, the first branch pipeline, the second branch pipeline and the third branch pipeline are sequentially arranged on the first main pipeline along the direction from the first MFC to the RC, the precursor supply device is connected to the first main pipeline through the first branch pipeline, the vacuum pump is connected to the first main pipeline through the second branch pipeline, the second MFC is connected to the first main pipeline through the third branch pipeline, the second branch pipeline and the third branch pipeline are connected through the fourth branch pipeline, and the first valve on the fourth branch pipeline is used to open the fourth branch pipeline when the precursor supply device starts to supply the precursor to the RC, and to close the fourth branch pipeline when the precursor supply device stops supplying the precursor to the RC; the other end of the RC is connected to the second branch pipeline through the second main pipeline.
[0026] The design of the coating device using this ALD precursor realizes the regulation of local pressure in the tube of the coating device by adding a fourth branch pipe with a first valve between the second branch pipe and the third branch pipe, and adding a first flow limiting plate (or flow limiting micropore) on the third branch pipe, thereby optimizing the flow direction of the precursor, reducing the waste of the precursor, improving the utilization rate of the precursor, and shortening the ALD cycle time to achieve more efficient ALD thin film deposition.
[0027] In addition, other features and advantages of the present application will be described in the subsequent description, and partly become apparent from the description, or be understood by practicing the present application. The purpose and other advantages of the present application can be realized and obtained by the structures particularly pointed out in the written description, claims, and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for describing the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described here are used to provide a further understanding of the present application, constitute a part of the present application, and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present application. In the drawings:
[0029] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an existing ALD precursor coating device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0030] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of an improved ALD precursor coating device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0031] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of another ALD precursor coating device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0032] Figure 4 A method based on the embodiment of the present application is provided Figure 2 or Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the implementation flow of the control method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0033] The embodiments of the present application will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although certain embodiments of the present application are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present application can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein. Instead, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the present application. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of the present application are only for exemplary purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application.
[0034] It should be understood that the various steps recorded in the method implementation of the present application can be performed in different orders and / or in parallel. In addition, the method implementation may include additional steps and / or omit the steps shown. The scope of the present application is not limited in this respect. The term "including" and its variations used herein are open inclusions, that is, "including but not limited to". The term "based on" is "based at least in part on". The term "one embodiment" means "at least one embodiment"; the term "another embodiment" means "at least one other embodiment"; the term "some embodiments" means "at least some embodiments". The relevant definitions of other terms will be given in the following description. It should be noted that the concepts of "first", "second", etc. mentioned in this application are only used to distinguish different devices, modules or units, and are not used to limit the order or interdependence of the functions performed by these devices, modules or units.
[0035] It should be noted that the modifications of "one" and "plurality" mentioned in the present application are illustrative rather than restrictive, and those skilled in the art should understand that unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context, it should be understood as "one or more".
[0036] The names of the messages or information exchanged between multiple devices in the embodiments of the present application are only used for illustrative purposes and are not used to limit the scope of these messages or information.
[0037] First, the design concept of the embodiment of the present application is briefly introduced below:
[0038] like Figure 1 As shown, in the existing ALD precursor coating device, after the quantitative valve is opened, the precursor (steam) provided by the precursor supply device (precursor) can enter the pipeline. The precursor will enter the RC driven by a certain flow of N2 introduced by the first MFC, thereby realizing ALD coating based on the precursor.
[0039] However, in Figure 1In the coating device shown, when the precursor passes through point A of the bypass pipe, a low pressure point will be formed at point A under the action of the vacuum pump, causing part of the precursor to be pumped away from the bypass pipe. Although a flow-limiting micropore of a certain size (e.g., 1 mm) is usually set in the bypass pipe, the waste of precursor is still inevitable.
[0040] In addition, since a certain flow of N2 is introduced from the second MFC as a cut-off gas, and continuously introduced into the pipeline where the precursor is located from point B, the reverse airflow from point B to point A will prevent the precursor from entering the RC. In particular, this blocking effect will be more significant for low-pressure precursors. Moreover, the reverse airflow from point B to point A will promote the precursor to enter the bypass pipeline.
[0041] It can be seen that in the existing ALD precursor coating device, the precursor waste is large or the precursor utilization rate is low. Therefore, in order to reduce the waste of precursors and improve the utilization rate of precursors, refer to Figure 2 As shown, it is a schematic structural diagram of an improved ALD precursor coating device provided in an embodiment of the present application, and the coating device may include: a first MFC 21, a second MFC 22, a precursor supply device 23, an exhaust pump 24 and a RC 25; wherein,
[0042] One end of the RC 25 may be connected to the first MFC 21 through the first main pipeline 261. A first branch pipeline 271, a second branch pipeline 272 and a third branch pipeline 273 are sequentially arranged on the first main pipeline 261 along the direction from the first MFC 21 to the RC 25. The precursor supply device 23 may be connected to the first main pipeline 261 through the first branch pipeline 271. The vacuum pump 24 may be connected to the first main pipeline 261 through the second branch pipeline 272. The second MFC 22 may be connected to the first main pipeline 261 through the third branch pipeline 273. The second branch pipeline 272 and the third branch pipeline 273 may be connected through the fourth branch pipeline 274. The first valve 281 on the fourth branch pipeline 274 may be used to open the fourth branch pipeline 274 when the precursor supply device 23 starts to supply the precursor to the RC 25, and to close the fourth branch pipeline 274 when the precursor supply device 23 stops supplying the precursor to the RC 25.
[0043] The other end of the RC 25 may be connected to the second branch pipe 272 through the second main pipe 262 .
[0044] The following is a brief introduction to each module in the above-mentioned improved ALD precursor coating device:
[0045] The first MFC 21 can be used to assist the precursor provided by the precursor supply device 23 to enter the RC 25. For example, the gas introduced by the first MFC 21 can be an inert gas. The second MFC 22 can be used to purge (or clean) the residual precursor on each pipeline in the coating device when the precursor supply device 23 stops providing the precursor, so the gas introduced by the second MFC 22 is also the purge gas. The vacuum pump 24 can be used to increase the gas flow rate in the pipeline, thereby increasing the speed of ALD coating, and can save the purge time of the residual precursor in the pipeline.
[0046] The first valve 281 is used to open the fourth branch pipe 274 when the precursor supply device 23 starts to supply the precursor to the RC 25, that is, the first valve 281 is in an open state. Similarly, the first valve 281 is also used to close the fourth branch pipe 274 when the precursor supply device 23 stops supplying the precursor to the RC 25, that is, the first valve 281 is in a closed state.
[0047] Optionally, the first valve 281 may be a backspace valve (BS), or may also be called a reflux valve. Of course, the first valve 281 may also be other types of valves (eg, a pneumatic diaphragm valve, etc.), and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the type of the first valve 281.
[0048] It should be noted that the above-mentioned precursor can be a kind of substance that carries the target element, is in a gaseous state, a volatile liquid state or a solid state, has chemical thermal stability, and has corresponding reactivity or physical properties. The embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit the type and form of the precursor. In addition, the above-mentioned branch pipelines and main pipelines can also be called branch pipelines (or branch channels) and main pipelines (or main channels), and can also have other names.
[0049] In this implementation, the second branch pipeline 272 and the third branch pipeline 273 can be connected or isolated by the first valve 281 on the fourth branch pipeline 274. In this way, when the precursor supply device 23 starts to provide the precursor to the RC 25, the second branch pipeline 272 and the third branch pipeline 273 can be connected by opening the first valve 281. At this time, the reverse airflow from point C to point D can prevent the precursor from being drawn away at point A where the second branch pipeline 272 is connected to the first main pipeline 261, that is, the waste of the precursor is reduced, thereby improving the utilization rate of the precursor.
[0050] Optionally, when the precursor supply device 23 stops supplying the precursor to the RC 25, the second branch pipeline 272 and the third branch pipeline 273 can be isolated by closing the first valve 281. At this time, the gas introduced into the second MFC 22 enters the first main pipeline 261 only through the third branch pipeline 273. This will cause the connection point between the third branch pipeline 273 and the first main pipeline 261 (i.e. Figure 2 The pressure at point B in the first main pipeline 261 is increased, thereby preventing the residual precursor in the first main pipeline 261 from continuing to enter the RC 25. Therefore, the pipeline required for purging the second MFC 22 can be shortened to the section from point B to RC 25, thereby further effectively reducing the purging time in the process.
[0051] In an alternative implementation, see Figure 3 As shown, the first flow limiting plate 291 and the second flow limiting plate 292 are sequentially arranged in the third branch pipeline 273 along the direction from the second MFC 22 to the first main pipeline 261. The first flow limiting plate 291 and the second flow limiting plate 292 are respectively located at the connection point between the third branch pipeline 273 and the fourth branch pipeline 274 (i.e. Figure 3 That is, the first current limiting plate 291 is closer to the second MFC 22 than the second current limiting plate 292. A current limiting micropore is provided on each of the first current limiting plate 291 and the second current limiting plate 292.
[0052] In the direction from the second MFC 22 to point B, the diameters of the different flow-limiting micropores gradually decrease, for example, Figure 3 The diameter of the micropores on the first limiting plate 291 is greater than the diameter of the micropores on the second limiting plate 292. For example, the diameter of the micropores on the first limiting plate 291 may be 1.2 mm, while the diameter of the micropores on the second limiting plate 292 may be 0.4 mm.
[0053] Based on the above implementation, it can be ensured that when the first valve 281 is in the open state, part of the gas flowing through point C in the third branch pipe 273 will enter the second branch pipe 272 via the fourth branch pipe 274. In other words, when the gas introduced into the second MFC 22 reaches point C via the first flow limiting plate 291, it will be divided into two gas paths, namely, gas flowing in the CD direction and gas flowing in the CB direction, wherein point D is the connection point between the fourth branch pipe 274 and the second branch pipe 272.
[0054] Since point D becomes the connection point between the second branch pipe 272 and the first main pipe 261 (i.e. Figure 3The high pressure point (point A in the figure) can prevent the precursor in the first main pipeline 261 from being drawn out from the second branch pipeline 272, thereby reducing the waste of the precursor and improving the utilization rate of the precursor. In addition, the gas flowing in the DA direction can also help the precursor to enter the RC 25 more quickly and efficiently, thereby improving the efficiency of ALD coating on the precursor.
[0055] It should be noted that if the diameter of the micropores on the first limiting plate 291 is larger than the diameter of the micropores on the second limiting plate 292, and the greater the difference between the micropore diameters, more gas will flow from the fourth branch pipe 274 into the second branch pipe 272 when the gas introduced into the second MFC 22 flows through point C and the first valve 281 is in an open state.
[0056] Optionally, the difference in micropore diameters between the two may be greater than a set first difference threshold value, so as to ensure that more gas flows from the fourth branch pipe 274 into the second branch pipe 272 .
[0057] Still Figure 3 As shown, a third flow limiting plate 293 is disposed in the second branch pipe 272, and the third flow limiting plate 293 is located at the connection point between the second branch pipe 272 and the fourth branch pipe 274 (ie Figure 3 The third flow limiting plate 293 is provided with a flow limiting micro-hole. For example, the micro-hole diameter of the third flow limiting plate 293 can be 1.0 mm.
[0058] In this implementation, when the vacuum pump 24 accelerates the gas flow rate in the first main pipeline 261 through the second branch pipeline 272, the gas flow rate in the second branch pipeline 272 can be limited by the third flow limiting plate 293, thereby preventing a large amount of precursor in the first main pipeline 261 from being extracted from the second branch pipeline 272.
[0059] Optionally, in order to ensure that the vacuum pump 24 can smoothly extract the gas in the first main pipeline 261 through the second branch pipeline 272 to speed up the gas flow rate in the first main pipeline 261, the micropore diameter of the third flow limiting plate 293 can be greater than the micropore diameter difference between the first flow limiting plate 291 and the second flow limiting plate 292. Exemplarily, the above relationship can be expressed as: d3>Δd=d1-d2; wherein d3 is the micropore diameter of the third flow limiting plate 293, Δd is the micropore diameter difference between the first flow limiting plate 291 and the second flow limiting plate 292, d1 is the micropore diameter of the first flow limiting plate 291, and d2 is the micropore diameter of the second flow limiting plate 292.
[0060] Optionally, the number of micropores provided on the first current limiting plate 291 , the second current limiting plate 292 and the third current limiting plate 293 may be the same or different, and this embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.
[0061] In an optional implementation, Figure 3 As shown, the first branch pipeline 271 is provided with a second valve 282, and the second valve 282 can be used to open the first branch pipeline 27 when the precursor supply device 23 starts to supply the precursor to the RC 25, that is, the second valve 282 is in an open state. Similarly, the second valve 282 can also be used to close the first branch pipeline 271 when the precursor supply device 23 stops supplying the precursor to the RC 25, that is, the second valve 282 is in a closed state.
[0062] It should be noted that the second valve 282 can be a quantitative valve or a metering valve. Once the precursor provided by the precursor supply device 23 reaches the set dose, the first branch pipeline 271 can be automatically closed, thereby preventing too much precursor from entering the first main pipeline 261, causing precursor waste and affecting the quality of the ALD coating. Optionally, the second valve 282 can also be a valve carrying a precursor measurement sensor device. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the type of the second valve 282.
[0063] In order to ensure that the precursor in the first main pipeline 261 can enter the RC 25 for utilization, that is, to further improve the utilization rate of the precursor, the first valve 281 closes the fourth branch pipeline 274 when the second valve 282 opens and closes the first branch pipeline 271 and the closing time reaches the set time threshold. The aforementioned set time threshold can also be called a time delay, for example, the time delay can be 100ms, and the size of the time delay can be set or adjusted according to actual conditions.
[0064] In an optional implementation, in order to reduce the time for which the second MFC 22 is supplied with gas, when the second valve 282 closes the first branch pipeline 271, a purge gas with a second preset gas flow rate is supplied to the third branch pipeline 273; wherein the purge gas is used to purge the residual precursor on the first main pipeline 261.
[0065] For example, the purge gas introduced into the second MFC 22 may be the same as the gas introduced into the first MFC 21, for example, both are N2. Of course, the purge gas introduced into the second MFC 22 may also be different from the gas introduced into the first MFC 21, which is not specifically limited in the present embodiment.
[0066] In this implementation, the second MFC 22 does not need to continuously introduce the cutoff gas during the entire ALD coating process, but only when needed, that is, it only needs to be introduced during the process of purging the branch pipes and the main pipe in the coating device. In addition, since a high pressure point is formed at point B, the residual precursor in the front pipe of point B can be prevented from entering the RC 25 during the purging process to continue to react, thereby affecting the safety of the coating device.
[0067] In order to ensure that the precursor provided by the precursor supply device 23 can smoothly enter the RC 25, the first MFC 21 can be used to pass the inert gas of the first preset gas flow rate into the first main pipeline 261 when the precursor supply device 23 starts to provide the precursor to the RC 25; and / or, when the precursor supply device 23 stops providing the precursor to the RC 25, stop passing the inert gas. The inert gas can be used to drive the precursor into the RC 25.
[0068] Based on the above method, it is ensured that the precursor can quickly enter the RC 25 for ALD coating, and the inert gas introduced by the first MFC 21 will not react with the precursor, so it will not affect the quality of the ALD coating.
[0069] To summarize, in the ALD precursor coating device provided in the embodiment of the present application, by adding a fourth branch pipe with a first valve between the second branch pipe and the third branch pipe, and adding a first flow limiting plate to the third branch pipe, the local pressure in the pipe of the coating device is regulated, thereby optimizing the precursor flow direction, reducing the waste of precursor, improving the utilization rate of precursor, and shortening the ALD cycle time, thereby achieving more efficient ALD thin film deposition.
[0070] Further, based on the same technical concept, the embodiment of the present application provides a control method for an ALD precursor coating device, so as to ensure that the utilization rate of the precursor can be improved when ALD coating is performed based on the precursor. Figure 4 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of the implementation process of a control method of an ALD precursor coating device provided in an embodiment of the present application, and the execution subject is as follows Figure 3 Taking the ALD precursor coating device shown in the figure as an example, the specific implementation process of the method is as follows:
[0071] S401: In response to a precursor supply request from a precursor supply device, open a first valve and a second valve.
[0072] Exemplarily, when executing step S401, the ALD precursor coating device can open the first valve and the second valve, that is, open the fourth branch pipeline and the first branch pipeline, when receiving the precursor supply request from the target user for the precursor supply device, so as to improve the utilization rate of the precursor in the subsequent ALD coating process of the precursor.
[0073] It should be noted that the first valve and the second valve can be opened at the same time, that is, when the precursor supply device passes the precursor into the first main pipeline through the first branch pipeline, the fourth branch pipeline is opened to ensure that the connection point between the second branch pipeline and the first main pipeline (such as Figure 3A high pressure point is formed at point A in the figure to reduce the waste of precursor.
[0074] Optionally, the first valve may also be opened after the second valve is opened, for example, the first valve is opened after the second valve is opened for a set time (eg, 5 seconds).
[0075] Among them, as mentioned above Figure 3 As shown, the first valve is arranged on the fourth branch pipeline, and the fourth branch pipeline can be used to connect the second branch pipeline and the third branch pipeline arranged on the first main pipeline. The fourth branch pipeline is in a connected state when the first valve is opened, the first main pipeline connects the first MFC and RC, the second branch pipeline connects the first main pipeline and the vacuum pump, the third branch pipeline connects the first main pipeline and the second MFC, and the purge gas of the second preset gas flow rate passed from the second MFC into the third branch pipeline enters the second branch pipeline from the fourth branch pipeline portion.
[0076] S402: The inert gas of the first preset gas flow rate is introduced into the first main pipeline through the first MFC to bring the precursor provided by the precursor supply device into the RC.
[0077] Among them, as mentioned above Figure 3 As shown, the precursor supply device is connected to the first main pipeline via a first branch pipeline arranged on the first main pipeline, and the second valve on the first branch pipeline can be used to open the first branch pipeline when the precursor supply device starts to provide the precursor to the RC.
[0078] It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit the magnitude relationship between the first preset gas flow rate and the second preset gas flow rate. For example, the first preset gas flow rate may be greater than, less than or equal to the second preset gas flow rate. Optionally, in order to ensure the stability of the coating device, the difference between the first preset gas flow rate and the second preset gas flow rate may be controlled within a certain range, for example, the absolute value of the difference between the two gas flow rates is less than or equal to the set flow threshold.
[0079] In an optional implementation, the ALD precursor coating device can also use the purge gas introduced into the three-branch pipeline by the second MFC to purge the residual precursor in the first main pipeline when the first valve is closed and / or the second valve is closed, so as to clean the pipeline in the coating device and improve the utilization rate of the precursor to a certain extent.
[0080] In an optional implementation, after executing step S402, the ALD precursor coating device may further close the second valve when the precursor supply device stops supplying the precursor, and close the first valve when the closing time of the second valve reaches a set time threshold (e.g., 100 ms). In other words, the ALD precursor coating device may further close the fourth branch pipeline when the precursor supply device stops supplying the precursor, and close the first branch pipeline when the closing time of the second valve reaches a set time threshold (e.g., 100 ms).
[0081] Based on the control method described in the above steps S401 to S402, the gas flow direction of the pipeline in the ALD precursor coating device is flexibly adjusted through the first valve and the second valve in the ALD precursor coating device, so that the pipeline purge (purge step) and the precursor supply (pulse step) are circulated or repeated, which can ensure a higher precursor utilization rate when ALD coating is performed based on the precursor, thereby reducing the cost of ALD coating.
[0082] It should be understood that what is disclosed above is only a preferred embodiment of the present application, and certainly cannot be used to limit the scope of rights of the present invention. Therefore, equivalent changes made according to the claims of the present invention are still within the scope covered by the present application.
Claims
1. A coating device for an atomic layer deposition (ALD) precursor, characterized in that: include: A first mass flow controller MFC, a second MFC, a precursor supply device, a vacuum pump and a reaction chamber RC; wherein, One end of the RC is connected to the first MFC through a first main pipeline; wherein a first branch pipeline, a second branch pipeline and a third branch pipeline are sequentially arranged on the first main pipeline along the direction from the first MFC to the RC, the precursor supply device is connected to the first main pipeline through the first branch pipeline, the vacuum pump is connected to the first main pipeline through the second branch pipeline, the second MFC is connected to the first main pipeline through the third branch pipeline, the second branch pipeline and the third branch pipeline are connected through a fourth branch pipeline, and the first valve on the fourth branch pipeline is used to open the fourth branch pipeline when the precursor supply device starts to supply the precursor to the RC, and to close the fourth branch pipeline when the precursor supply device stops supplying the precursor to the RC; The other end of the RC is connected to the second branch pipeline through a second main pipeline.
2. The coating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first flow limiting plate and a second flow limiting plate are sequentially arranged in the third branch pipeline along the direction from the second MFC to the first main pipeline, and the first flow limiting plate and the second flow limiting plate are respectively located at two ends of the connection point between the third branch pipeline and the fourth branch pipeline; Wherein, the diameter of the micropores on the first current limiting plate is greater than the diameter of the micropores on the second current limiting plate.
3. The coating device according to claim 2, characterized in that: A third flow limiting plate is arranged in the second branch pipe, and the third flow limiting plate is located between the connection point between the second branch pipe and the fourth branch pipe and the vacuum pump, and the micropore diameter of the third flow limiting plate is larger than the difference between the micropore diameters of the first flow limiting plate and the second flow limiting plate.
4. The coating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first branch pipeline is provided with a second valve, and the second valve is used to open the first branch pipeline when the precursor supply device starts to supply the precursor to the RC, and to close the first branch pipeline when the precursor supply device stops supplying the precursor to the RC.
5. The coating device according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the second valve opens and closes the first branch pipeline and the closing time reaches a set time threshold, the first valve closes the fourth branch pipeline.
6. The coating device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second MFC is used to introduce a purge gas with a second preset gas flow rate into the third branch pipeline when the second valve closes the first branch pipeline, and the purge gas is used to purge the precursor remaining on the first main pipeline.
7. The coating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first MFC is used to introduce an inert gas with a first preset gas flow rate into the first main pipeline when the precursor supply device starts to provide the precursor to the RC, and the inert gas is used to drive the precursor into the RC; and / or, The first MFC is used to stop introducing the inert gas when the precursor supply device stops providing the precursor to the RC.
8. A method for controlling a film coating device of an atomic layer deposition (ALD) precursor according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: include: In response to a precursor supply request from a precursor supply device, the first valve and the second valve are opened; the first valve is used to open the fourth branch pipeline when the precursor supply device starts to supply the precursor to the RC, so that the purge gas introduced from the second MFC to the third branch pipeline enters the second branch pipeline, and the second valve is used to open the first branch pipeline when the precursor supply device starts to supply the precursor to the RC, so that the precursor enters the first main pipeline; The inert gas of a first preset gas flow rate is introduced into the first main pipeline through the first MFC, so that the precursor provided by the precursor supply device is brought into the RC.
9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the first valve is closed and / or the second valve is closed, the purge gas introduced into the three-branch pipeline through the second MFC is used to purge the precursor remaining in the first main pipeline.
10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that After the inert gas of the first preset gas flow rate introduced into the first main pipeline through the first MFC brings the precursor provided by the precursor supply device into the RC, the method further includes: When the precursor supply device stops providing the precursor, the second valve is closed, and when the closing time of the second valve reaches a set time threshold, the first valve is closed.