Heating plate and heating plate temperature control method

Abstract

The invention provides a heating plate and a heating plate temperature control method. The heating disc comprises a heating disc body which heats according to preset heating power distribution; the heat dissipation control panel is arranged below the heating plate body and has the heat dissipation temperature lower than that of the heating plate body, and a plurality of convex points making contact with the lower surface of the heating plate body are arranged on the upper surface of the heat dissipation control panel; and the plurality of lifting mechanisms are connected with a plurality of positions in the circumferential direction of the heat dissipation control plate and are used for adjusting the heights of the plurality of positions according to the actually measured temperature distribution of the heating plate body so as to adjust the contact thermal resistance between each salient point and the heating plate body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and in particular to a heating plate and a method for controlling the temperature of the heating plate. Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, the heating plate plays a vital role. It is used to heat the wafer to achieve a specific process temperature. And the temperature uniformity of the heating plate directly affects the quality and yield of wafer processing. In practical applications, due to the limitations of materials, structural design and manufacturing process, the temperature uniformity of the heating plate itself is often difficult to reach the ideal level. This affects the process effect of each point on the wafer.

[0003] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects in the prior art, there is an urgent need in the art for a heating plate technology for adjusting the heat dissipation environment of the heating plate, thereby optimizing the uniformity of the wafer surface temperature. Summary of the invention

[0004] A brief summary of one or more aspects is given below to provide a basic understanding of these aspects. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of all conceived aspects, and is neither intended to identify the key or decisive elements of all aspects nor to define the scope of any or all aspects. Its only purpose is to give some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description that will be given later.

[0005] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects in the prior art, the present invention provides a heating plate and a method for controlling the temperature of the heating plate, which are used to adjust the heat dissipation environment of the heating plate, thereby optimizing the uniformity of the surface temperature of the wafer.

[0006] Specifically, the heating plate provided according to the first aspect of the present invention includes: a heating plate body, which generates heat according to a preset heating power distribution; a heat dissipation control plate, which is arranged below the heating plate body and has a heat dissipation temperature lower than that of the heating plate body, wherein the upper surface of the heat dissipation control plate is provided with a plurality of protrusions contacting the lower surface of the heating plate body; and a plurality of lifting mechanisms, which connect a plurality of circumferential positions of the heat dissipation control plate and are used to adjust the heights of the plurality of positions according to the measured temperature distribution of the heating plate body so as to adjust the contact thermal resistance between each of the protrusions and the heating plate body.

[0007] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the lifting mechanism is located under the heat dissipation control plate, and is used to lift the lower surface of the heat dissipation control plate upward to reduce the contact thermal resistance between the corresponding at least one of the protrusions and the heating plate body, or to fall back downward to increase the contact thermal resistance between the corresponding at least one of the protrusions and the heating plate body.

[0008] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the heating plate also includes: a support plate, which is arranged under the heat dissipation control plate and has a plurality of slide grooves, wherein the plurality of slide grooves are distributed at a plurality of positions around the support plate and respectively have a first slope extending radially along the support plate, and the lifting mechanism radially displaces in the slide groove to lift the lower surface of the heat dissipation control plate upward or drop it back under the guidance of the first slope.

[0009] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the lifting mechanism includes: a slider disposed inside the slide groove, and a first reverse slope is provided on the side facing the first slope, so that the lower surface of the heat dissipation control plate is supported by the first slope via the top surface of the slider; and a top block is disposed inside the slide groove and contacts the side of the slider facing away from the slope, and is used to push the slider radially so that the slider can lift the lower surface of the heat dissipation control plate upward or fall back under the guidance of the slope.

[0010] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, a second slope is provided on the side of the top block facing the slider, and its slope is equal to that of the first slope. A matching second reverse slope is provided on the side of the slider facing away from the first slope, so as to support the lower surface of the heat dissipation control plate stably in cooperation with the first slope with the support of the second slope.

[0011] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the lifting mechanism also includes: an advancement bolt, a screw rod having a thread at one end close to its nut and being used for rotating in a first threaded portion provided on the support plate to displace radially along the support plate, and pushing the top block to approach and lift the slider via an end of the screw rod away from its nut; and a pull-out bolt, a screw rod having a thread at one end away from its nut and being used for rotating in a second threaded portion provided on the top block and driving the top block to displace radially along the support plate in a direction away from the slider.

[0012] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, at least one protrusion is provided on the top surface of the sliding block to support the lower surface of the heat dissipation control plate via the at least one protrusion.

[0013] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the heating plate also includes: a temperature sensor for collecting measured temperatures at multiple positions on the upper surface of the heating plate body to characterize the measured temperature distribution of the heating plate body; and a controller for driving at least one corresponding lifting mechanism to adjust the height of the heat dissipation control plate at the corresponding position according to the measured temperature distribution of the heating plate body to adjust the contact thermal resistance between each of the protrusions and the heating plate body.

[0014] Further, in some embodiments of the present invention, the controller is configured to: in response to the temperature of any of the positions on the upper surface of the heating plate body being higher than the corresponding target temperature, drive at least one of the corresponding lifting mechanisms to increase the height of the heat dissipation control plate at the corresponding position to reduce the contact thermal resistance between the corresponding at least one of the protrusions and the heating plate body; and in response to the temperature of any of the positions on the upper surface of the heating plate body being lower than the corresponding target temperature, drive at least one of the corresponding lifting mechanisms to reduce the height of the heat dissipation control plate at the corresponding position to increase the contact thermal resistance between the corresponding at least one of the protrusions and the heating plate body.

[0015] In addition, the method for controlling the temperature of the heating plate provided in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention comprises the following steps: obtaining the measured temperatures at multiple positions on the upper surface of the heating plate body of the heating plate as described in any one of the first aspect of the present invention to determine the measured temperature distribution of the heating plate body; and according to the measured temperature distribution of the heating plate body, driving at least one lifting mechanism corresponding to the heating plate to adjust the height of the heat dissipation control plate at the corresponding position to adjust the contact thermal resistance between each protrusion thereof and the heating plate body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The above features and advantages of the present invention can be better understood after reading the detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the following drawings. In the drawings, the components are not necessarily drawn to scale, and components with similar related properties or features may have the same or similar reference numerals.

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a heating plate provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a support plate provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0019] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of a lifting mechanism provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0020] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of a protrusion provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0021] Figure 5A A temperature distribution graph before adjustment of the lifting mechanism provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0022] Figure 5B The temperature distribution spectrum after the lifting mechanism B side is adjusted by 0.2 mm according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0023] Fig. 6A A temperature distribution graph before adjustment of the lifting mechanism provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0024] Figure 6B The temperature distribution spectrum after the lifting mechanism A side is adjusted by 0.3 mm according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0025] Reference numerals:

[0026] 10 Heating plate body

[0027] 20 Heat dissipation control board

[0028] 30 Support plate

[0029] 31 Lifting mechanism

[0030] 32 Chute

[0031] 33 Sliders

[0032] 331 Raised part

[0033] 34 Top Block

[0034] 35 First Slope

[0035] 36 Second Slope

[0036] 40 Push bolt

[0037] 50 Pull out the bolt DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention will be introduced in conjunction with the preferred embodiment, this does not mean that the features of this invention are limited to this implementation. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the invention in conjunction with the implementation is to cover other options or modifications that may be extended based on the claims of the present invention. In order to provide a deep understanding of the present invention, the following description will include many specific details. The present invention can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion or blurring the focus of the present invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description.

[0039] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" 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 it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0040] In addition, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "horizontal" and "vertical" used in the following description should be understood as the directions shown in the paragraph and the related drawings. Such relative terms are only used for the convenience of description and do not mean that the device described therein must be manufactured or operated in a specific direction, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0041] It is understood that although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. may be used herein to describe various components, regions, layers and / or parts, these components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms, and these terms are only used to distinguish different components, regions, layers and / or parts. Therefore, the first component, region, layer and / or part discussed below may be referred to as a second component, region, layer and / or part without departing from some embodiments of the present invention.

[0042] As mentioned above, in the semiconductor manufacturing process, the role of the heating plate is crucial. It is used to heat the wafer to achieve a specific process temperature. And the temperature uniformity of the heating plate directly affects the quality and yield of wafer processing. In practical applications, due to the limitations of materials, structural design and manufacturing process, the temperature uniformity of the heating plate itself is often difficult to reach an ideal level. This affects the process effect of each point on the wafer.

[0043] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, the present invention provides a heating plate and a method for controlling the temperature of the heating plate, which are used to adjust the heat dissipation environment of the heating plate, thereby optimizing the uniformity of the surface temperature of the wafer.

[0044] In some non-limiting embodiments, the method for controlling the temperature of the heating plate provided in the second aspect of the present invention may be implemented based on the heating plate provided in the first aspect of the present invention.

[0045] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a heating plate provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0046] like Figure 1As shown, the heating plate provided by the first aspect of the present invention comprises: a heating plate body 10 , a heat dissipation control plate 20 and a plurality of lifting mechanisms 31 .

[0047] The heating plate body 10 generates heat according to a preset heating power distribution. Here, the heating power may be unevenly distributed due to processing accuracy, or may have a uniform heating power distribution, but have an uneven measured temperature distribution due to uneven process gas spraying and uneven exhaust.

[0048] The heat dissipation control board 20 is disposed below the heating plate body 10 to control the heat dissipation of the heating plate. The heat dissipation control board 20 has a lower heat dissipation temperature than the heating plate body 10 , wherein the upper surface of the heat dissipation control board 20 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 21 contacting the lower surface of the heating plate body 10 .

[0049] The plurality of lifting mechanisms 31 are connected to a plurality of positions around the heat dissipation control plate 20 and are used to adjust the heights of the plurality of positions according to the measured temperature distribution of the heating plate body 10 so as to adjust the contact thermal resistance between each protrusion 21 and the heating plate body 10 .

[0050] Furthermore, the lifting mechanism 31 is located under the heat dissipation control plate 20, and is used to lift the lower surface of the heat dissipation control plate 20 upward to reduce the contact thermal resistance between the corresponding at least one protrusion 21 and the heating plate body 10, or to fall back downward to increase the contact thermal resistance between the corresponding at least one protrusion 21 and the heating plate body 10.

[0051] Please refer to Figure 2-3 , Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a support plate provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of a lifting mechanism provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0052] like Figure 2-3 As shown, the heating plate also includes a support plate 30, which is arranged under the heat dissipation control plate 20 and has a plurality of slide grooves 32, wherein the plurality of slide grooves 32 are distributed at a plurality of positions around the support plate 30 and respectively have a first slope 35 extending radially along the support plate 30. The lifting mechanism 31 radially displaces in the slide groove 32 to lift the lower surface of the heat dissipation control plate 20 upward or fall back under the guidance of the first slope 35.

[0053] Furthermore, the lifting mechanism 31 includes a slider 33 and a top block 34. The slider 33 is arranged inside the slide groove 32, and a first reverse slope is provided on the side of the slider 33 facing the first slope 35, so that the lower surface of the heat dissipation control board 20 is supported by the top surface of the slider 33 under the support of the first slope 35. The top block 34 is arranged inside the slide groove 32 and contacts the side of the slider 33 facing away from the slope, and is used to push the slider 33 in the radial direction, so that the slider 33 can lift the lower surface of the heat dissipation control board 20 upward or fall back under the guidance of the slope.

[0054] Furthermore, a second slope 36 is provided on the side of the top block 34 facing the slider 33, and its slope is equal to the first slope 35. A second reverse slope is provided on the side of the slider 33 facing away from the first slope 35, so that the lower surface of the heat dissipation control board 20 can be stably supported by the second slope 36 and the first slope 35.

[0055] Those skilled in the art can understand that only one of the first slope 35 and the second slope 36 can be configured to guide the slider 33 to lift the lower surface of the heat dissipation control plate 20 upward or fall back.

[0056] Please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of a protrusion provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0057] like Figure 4 As shown, the top surface of the slider 33 may also be provided with at least one protrusion 331 to support the lower surface of the heat dissipation control plate 20 via the at least one protrusion 331. Thus, the height Δh of the heat dissipation control plate 20 at the corresponding position is adjusted to adjust the contact thermal resistance between each protrusion 21 and the heating plate body 10.

[0058] Optionally, the lifting mechanism 31 can also be a top screw. A person skilled in the art can set top screws at multiple positions below the heat dissipation control plate 20, so as to adjust the contact thermal resistance at the corresponding position by rotating each top screw to adjust the temperature uniformity of the wafer surface.

[0059] In some embodiments, the lifting mechanism 31 may further include a push bolt 40 and a pull bolt 50. The push bolt 40 has a threaded end near its nut and is used to rotate in a first threaded portion provided on the support plate 30 to move radially along the support plate 30, and push the top block 34 to approach and lift the slider 33 through the end of the screw away from its nut. The pull bolt 50 has a threaded end away from its nut and is used to rotate in a second threaded portion provided on the top block 34 to drive the top block 34 to move radially away from the slider 33 along the support plate 30.

[0060] The following will describe the working principle of the above-mentioned heating plate in conjunction with some embodiments of the heating plate temperature control method. Those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments of the heating plate temperature control method are only some non-limiting implementation methods provided by the present invention, which are intended to clearly demonstrate the main concept of the present invention and provide some specific solutions that are convenient for the public to implement, rather than to limit all functions or all working modes of the heating plate. Similarly, the heating plate is also only some non-limiting implementation methods of the present invention, and does not constitute a limitation on the execution subject or execution order of each step in these heating plate temperature control methods.

[0061] Specifically, firstly, the heating plate can collect measured temperatures at multiple locations on the upper surface of the heating plate body 10 via a temperature sensor to characterize the measured temperature distribution of the heating plate body 10 .

[0062] Afterwards, the controller drives at least one corresponding lifting mechanism 31 to adjust the height of the heat dissipation control plate 20 at the corresponding position according to the measured temperature distribution of the heating plate body 10 , so as to adjust the contact thermal resistance between each protrusion 21 and the heating plate body 10 .

[0063] Specifically, in response to the temperature at any position on the upper surface of the heating plate body 10 being higher than the corresponding target temperature, the controller drives the corresponding at least one lifting mechanism 31 to increase the height of the heat dissipation control plate 20 at the corresponding position to reduce the contact thermal resistance between the corresponding at least one convex point 21 and the heating plate body 10. Accordingly, in response to the temperature at any position on the upper surface of the heating plate body 10 being lower than the corresponding target temperature, the controller drives the corresponding at least one lifting mechanism 31 to reduce the height of the heat dissipation control plate 20 at the corresponding position to increase the contact thermal resistance between the corresponding at least one convex point 21 and the heating plate body 10.

[0064] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the target temperature may be a preset control temperature in a zone temperature control scheme, or may be an average temperature determined according to the temperature of at least one adjacent position in a temperature uniformity optimization scheme.

[0065] Please refer to Figure 5A to Figure 5B and Figure 6A to Figure 6B , Figure 5A A temperature distribution graph before adjustment of the lifting mechanism provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 5B The temperature distribution spectrum after the lifting mechanism B side is adjusted by 0.2 mm according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Fig. 6A A temperature distribution graph before adjustment of the lifting mechanism provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 6B A temperature distribution diagram is shown after the lifting mechanism A side is adjusted by 0.3 mm according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0066] like Figure 5A to Figure 5B As shown in the graph, red represents the highest temperature area, purple represents the lowest temperature area, and the temperatures in the remaining red to blue areas change continuously from high to low. Before the lifting mechanism 31 is adjusted, the difference between the highest temperature and the lowest temperature is 25.2°C. After the lifting mechanism 31B side is raised by 0.2mm, the difference between the highest temperature and the lowest temperature is reduced to 18.8°C.

[0067] like Figure 6A to Figure 6B As shown, before the lifting mechanism 31 is adjusted, the difference between the highest temperature and the lowest temperature is 26.3°C. After the lifting mechanism 31B side is raised by 0.3mm, the difference between the highest temperature and the lowest temperature is reduced to 18.7°C.

[0068] The test results show that changing the distance between the heating plate heat dissipation control plate 20 and the back of the heating plate, changing the contact thermal resistance and heat radiation environment of the heating plate can improve the uniformity of the temperature between the front of the heating plate and the surface of the wafer.

[0069] In summary, the heating plate and the method for controlling the temperature of the heating plate provided by the present invention can change the contact thermal resistance between the upper surface of the heat dissipation control plate 20 and the lower surface of the heating plate through the lifting mechanism 31, thereby adjusting the heat dissipation environment of the heating plate and optimizing the uniformity of the wafer surface temperature.

[0070] Although the above methods are illustrated and described as a series of actions for simplicity of explanation, it should be understood and appreciated that these methods are not limited by the order of the actions, because according to one or more embodiments, some actions may occur in a different order and / or concurrently with other actions from those illustrated and described herein or not illustrated and described herein but understandable to those skilled in the art.

[0071] The previous description of the disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modifications to the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be granted the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A heating plate, characterized in that: include: The heating plate body generates heat according to the preset heating power distribution; A heat dissipation control plate is disposed below the heating plate body and has a heat dissipation temperature lower than that of the heating plate body, wherein the upper surface of the heat dissipation control plate is provided with a plurality of protrusions contacting the lower surface of the heating plate body; as well as A plurality of lifting mechanisms are connected to a plurality of positions around the heat dissipation control plate, and are used to adjust the heights of the plurality of positions according to the measured temperature distribution of the heating plate body, so as to adjust the contact thermal resistance between each of the protrusions and the heating plate body.

2. The heating plate according to claim 1, characterized in that The lifting mechanism is located under the heat dissipation control plate, and is used to lift the lower surface of the heat dissipation control plate upward to reduce the contact thermal resistance between the corresponding at least one protrusion and the heating plate body, or to fall back downward to increase the contact thermal resistance between the corresponding at least one protrusion and the heating plate body.

3. The heating plate according to claim 2, characterized in that Also includes: A support plate is arranged under the heat dissipation control plate and has a plurality of slide grooves, wherein the plurality of slide grooves are distributed at a plurality of positions around the support plate and respectively have a first slope extending radially along the support plate, and the lifting mechanism radially displaces in the slide grooves to lift the lower surface of the heat dissipation control plate upward or fall back under the guidance of the first slope.

4. The heating plate according to claim 3, characterized in that The lifting mechanism comprises: A slider is disposed inside the slide groove, and a first reverse slope is provided on a side thereof facing the first slope, so as to support the lower surface of the heat dissipation control plate via the top surface of the slider under the support of the first slope; and The top block is arranged inside the slide groove and contacts the side of the slider facing away from the slope, and is used to push the slider in the radial direction so that the slider can lift the lower surface of the heat dissipation control plate upward or fall back under the guidance of the slope.

5. The heating plate according to claim 4, characterized in that A second slope is provided on the side of the top block facing the slider, and its slope is equal to that of the first slope. A second reverse slope is provided on the side of the sliding block facing away from the first slope, so as to stably support the lower surface of the heat dissipation control plate in cooperation with the first slope under the support of the second slope.

6. The heating plate according to claim 5, characterized in that The lifting mechanism also includes: A push bolt, wherein one end of the screw rod near the nut is provided with a thread, and is used to rotate in a first threaded portion provided on the support plate to displace radially along the support plate, and push the push block to approach and lift the slider via one end of the screw rod away from the nut; and The pull-out bolt has a threaded end at one end of the screw rod away from the nut, which is used to rotate in a second threaded portion provided on the top block to drive the top block to move in a radial direction of the support plate in a direction away from the slider.

7. The heating plate according to claim 4, characterized in that The top surface of the sliding block is provided with at least one protrusion to support the lower surface of the heat dissipation control plate via the at least one protrusion.

8. The heating plate according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: A temperature sensor, used to collect measured temperatures at multiple locations on the upper surface of the heating plate body to characterize the measured temperature distribution of the heating plate body; as well as The controller is used to drive at least one corresponding lifting mechanism to adjust the height of the heat dissipation control plate at a corresponding position according to the measured temperature distribution of the heating plate body, so as to adjust the contact thermal resistance between each of the protrusions and the heating plate body.

9. The heating plate according to claim 8, characterized in that The controller is configured to: In response to the temperature of any of the positions on the upper surface of the heating plate body being higher than the corresponding target temperature, driving the corresponding at least one lifting mechanism to increase the height of the heat dissipation control plate at the corresponding position to reduce the contact thermal resistance between the corresponding at least one protrusion and the heating plate body; and In response to the temperature of any position on the upper surface of the heating plate body being lower than the corresponding target temperature, at least one corresponding lifting mechanism is driven to reduce the height of the heat dissipation control plate at the corresponding position to increase the contact thermal resistance between the corresponding at least one protrusion and the heating plate body.

10. A method for controlling the temperature of a heating plate, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Obtaining measured temperatures at a plurality of locations on the upper surface of a heating plate body of the heating plate according to any one of claims 1 to 9 to determine a measured temperature distribution of the heating plate body; and According to the measured temperature distribution of the heating plate body, at least one lifting mechanism corresponding to the heating plate is driven to adjust the height of the heat dissipation control plate at the corresponding position, so as to adjust the contact thermal resistance between each convex point thereof and the heating plate body.

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