Process equipment and process method of semiconductor

Abstract

The invention discloses semiconductor processing equipment and a semiconductor processing method. The process equipment comprises: a reaction chamber in which a substrate is placed; the ultraviolet light source is positioned above the reaction cavity; the light barrier is arranged between the ultraviolet light source and the reaction cavity, and the duration of the ultraviolet light participating in the deposition reaction is controlled by opening or closing the light barrier; the controller is configured to respond to the situation that the metal source in the reaction cavity is adsorbed on the surface of the substrate, an oxygen source is introduced into the reaction cavity, and the light barrier is opened, so that the oxygen source reacts with the metal source under the irradiation of the ultraviolet light, and an oxide thin film is generated; and closing the light barrier before the metal source of the next deposition reaction is introduced into the reaction cavity. The reaction activity of the oxygen source in the low-temperature deposition reaction can be improved, so that the content of carbon impurities in the oxide thin film is reduced, the compactness of the thin film is improved, and the requirements of productivity and packaging performance are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and specifically relates to a semiconductor processing device, a semiconductor processing method, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Organic semiconductor optoelectronic devices are widely used, but their core functional materials are vulnerable to water and oxygen in the environment. Therefore, the environmental stability problem of the devices has always been one of the core problems to be solved. In addition to optimizing device materials and interfaces, encapsulation is a more effective way to isolate water and oxygen and improve stability. Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) has excellent conformality, precise thickness control and other characteristics, so it is an excellent thin film encapsulation technology. Compared with other materials, the aluminum oxide film formed by atomic layer deposition has a higher water and oxygen barrier ability because of its high density and no pinholes, and stands out among many encapsulation thin film materials and becomes the most common choice.

[0003] Currently, water (H 2 O) and ozone (O 3 ) are relatively common oxygen sources for ALD aluminum oxide. When water is used as the oxygen source, its viscosity is relatively large, especially in a low-temperature environment, and this characteristic is more obvious. This makes it often require an extremely long purge time in the ALD process. If the purge time is insufficient, the remaining moisture will introduce particle problems during the film deposition process, greatly affecting the film quality. However, an overly long purge time will seriously restrict production efficiency and increase production costs, which is an urgent problem to be solved for large-scale industrial production. In contrast, ozone as an oxygen source generally has a low viscosity, and even in low-temperature conditions, it does not require a long purge operation, which improves production efficiency to a certain extent. However, the reaction activity of ozone in a low-temperature environment is poor. During the formation of the ALD aluminum oxide film, due to insufficient reaction activity, a relatively high content of impurity carbon will be incorporated into the film. The presence of these impurity carbons seriously damages the internal structure of the aluminum oxide film, greatly reducing the denseness of the film. And the denseness of the film is directly related to its encapsulation effect. Poor denseness will cause the packaged product to perform poorly in terms of barrier performance, protection performance, etc., and cannot meet the requirements of high-quality packaging of products in actual application scenarios.

[0004] To solve the above problems existing in the prior art, there is an urgent need in the art for an improved semiconductor processing technology that can improve the reaction activity of the oxygen source in the low-temperature deposition reaction, thereby reducing the content of carbon impurities in the oxide film, improving the denseness of the film, and meeting the requirements of production capacity and encapsulation performance. Summary of the Invention

[0005] A brief overview of one or more aspects is given below to provide a basic understanding of these aspects. This overview is not an exhaustive survey of all contemplated aspects and is neither intended to identify key or decisive elements of all aspects nor to define the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that follows.

[0006] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a semiconductor processing apparatus, a semiconductor processing method, and a computer-readable storage medium, which can improve the reaction activity of the oxygen source in the low-temperature deposition reaction, thereby reducing the carbon impurity content in the oxide film, improving the film density, and meeting the requirements of production capacity and packaging performance.

[0007] Specifically, the semiconductor processing apparatus provided according to the first aspect of the present invention includes: a reaction chamber, inside which a substrate is placed for performing a deposition reaction; an ultraviolet light source located above the reaction chamber; a light shield switchably provided between the ultraviolet light source and the reaction chamber, and by turning on or off the light shield, the duration of ultraviolet light participating in the deposition reaction is controlled; and a controller configured to: in response to the metal source in the reaction chamber being adsorbed on the surface of the substrate, introduce an oxygen source into the reaction chamber and turn on the light shield so that the oxygen source reacts with the metal source under the irradiation of the ultraviolet light to generate an oxide film; and turn off the light shield before the metal source for the next deposition reaction is introduced into the reaction chamber.

[0008] Further, in some embodiments of the present invention, the step of turning off the light shield before the metal source for the next time is introduced into the reaction chamber includes: in response to the end of the introduction of the oxygen source, turning off the light shield; and introducing a purge gas into the reaction chamber to remove the excess oxygen source and by-products, thereby completing one deposition reaction.

[0009] Further, in some embodiments of the present invention, the step of turning off the light shield before the metal source for the next time is introduced into the reaction chamber further includes: in response to the end of the introduction of the oxygen source, continuously turning on the light shield; introducing a purge gas into the reaction chamber to remove the excess oxygen source and by-products; and in response to the end of the introduction of the purge gas, turning off the light shield, thereby completing one deposition reaction.

[0010] Further, in some embodiments of the present invention, the light shield includes a translational structure or a rotational structure, wherein the translational structure turns off or turns on the light shield by adjusting the lateral position of the light shield, and the rotational structure turns off or turns on the light shield by adjusting the rotation angle of the light shield.

[0011] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the light-shielding plate is a plate-like structure made of a material resistant to ultraviolet rays.

[0012] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, a sealing strip is provided on the light-shielding plate for sealing the gap between the light-shielding plate and the reaction chamber when the light-shielding plate is in a closed state.

[0013] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the wavelength range of the ultraviolet light provided by the ultraviolet light source is 200-400 nm.

[0014] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the reaction chamber includes a transparent upper cover plate, and a transparent gas distribution plate and a transparent spray plate are provided inside the reaction chamber to uniformly disperse the metal source and the oxygen source on the surface of the substrate.

[0015] In addition, the semiconductor processing method provided in the second aspect of the present invention includes: introducing a metal source into the reaction chamber of the semiconductor processing equipment provided in the first aspect of the present invention so that the metal source adsorbs on the surface of the substrate; introducing a purge gas into the reaction chamber to remove the excess metal source and by-products; introducing an oxygen source into the reaction chamber and opening the light-shielding plate so that the oxygen source reacts with the metal source under the irradiation of ultraviolet light to form an oxide film; and closing the light-shielding plate before the metal source for the next deposition reaction is introduced into the reaction chamber.

[0016] In addition, according to a third aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is further provided, on which computer instructions are stored. When the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the semiconductor processing method provided in the second aspect of the present invention is implemented. Description of the Drawings

[0017] After reading the detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the following drawings, the above features and advantages of the present invention can be better understood. In the drawings, the components are not necessarily drawn to scale, and components with similar relevant characteristics or features may have the same or similar reference numerals.

[0018] Figure 1 Shows a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor processing equipment provided in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 Shows a flowchart of a semiconductor processing method provided in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 Shows a timing diagram of a single deposition reaction provided in some embodiments of the present invention; and

[0021] Figure 4 Shows the time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry of an alumina film prepared by the prior art.

[0022] Reference numerals:

[0023] 100 Process equipment for semiconductors;

[0024] 10 Substrate;

[0025] 110 Reaction chamber;

[0026] 111 Heating plate;

[0027] 120 Ultraviolet light source;

[0028] 121 Ultraviolet light;

[0029] 130 Light baffle;

[0030] 141 Upper cover plate;

[0031] 142 Gas distributor plate;

[0032] 143 Spray plate;

[0033] 150 First pipeline;

[0034] 151 First air inlet;

[0035] 152 Second air inlet;

[0036] 153 First valve;

[0037] 160 Second pipeline;

[0038] 161 Third air inlet;

[0039] 162 Fourth air inlet;

[0040] 163 Second valve; and

[0041] Steps S210 to S240. Detailed implementation mode

[0042] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation manners of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention will be introduced in combination with preferred embodiments, this does not mean that the features of this invention are limited to this implementation manner. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the invention in combination with the implementation manner is to cover other alternatives 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, many specific details will be included in the following description. The present invention can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusing or obscuring the key points of the present invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description.

[0043] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection", and "coupling" 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 directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific situations.

[0044] In addition, the "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "horizontal", and "vertical" used in the following description should be understood as the orientations shown in this section and the relevant drawings. This relative term is only for convenience of description and does not mean that the device described needs to be manufactured or operated in a specific orientation, so it should not be understood as a limitation to the present invention.

[0045] It can be understood that although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. can be used here 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 can be called the second component, region, layer, and / or part without departing from some embodiments of the present invention.

[0046] As described above, currently, water (H 2 O) and ozone (O 3) is a commonly used oxygen source for ALD aluminum oxide. When water is used as the oxygen source, its viscosity is relatively high, especially in a low-temperature environment, and this characteristic is more pronounced. This makes it often necessary to have an extremely long purge time in the ALD process. If the purge time is insufficient, the remaining moisture will introduce particle problems during the film deposition process, greatly affecting the quality of the film. However, an overly long purge time will severely restrict production efficiency and increase production costs, which is an urgent problem to be solved for large-scale industrial production. In contrast, when ozone is used as the oxygen source, its viscosity is generally low, and even under low-temperature conditions, long purge operations are not required, which improves production efficiency to a certain extent. However, the reaction activity of ozone is poor in a low-temperature environment. During the formation of the ALD aluminum oxide film, due to insufficient reaction activity, a relatively high content of impurity carbon will be incorporated into the film. The presence of these impurity carbons severely damages the internal structure of the aluminum oxide film, greatly reducing the density of the film. And the density of the film is directly related to its encapsulation effect. Poor density will cause the packaged product to perform poorly in terms of barrier performance, protective performance, etc., and cannot meet the requirements of high-quality packaging of the product in actual application scenarios.

[0047] To solve the above problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a semiconductor process equipment, a semiconductor process method, and a computer-readable storage medium, which can improve the reaction activity of the oxygen source in the low-temperature deposition reaction, thereby reducing the carbon impurity content in the oxide film, improving the film density, and meeting the requirements of production capacity and packaging performance.

[0048] In some non-limiting embodiments, the above-mentioned semiconductor process equipment provided by the first aspect of the present invention can be used to implement the above-mentioned semiconductor process method provided by the second aspect of the present invention.

[0049] Specifically, in some non-limiting embodiments, the above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium provided by the third aspect of the present invention stores computer instructions. When the computer instructions are executed by a processor, they can be used to implement the above-mentioned semiconductor process method provided by the second aspect of the present invention.

[0050] The working principle of the above-mentioned semiconductor process equipment will be described below in conjunction with some embodiments of the semiconductor process method. Those skilled in the art can understand that these embodiments of the semiconductor process method are only some non-limiting implementation manners provided by the present invention, aiming to clearly show the main concept of the present invention and provide some specific solutions convenient for the public to implement, rather than restricting all working modes or all functions of the semiconductor process equipment. Similarly, the semiconductor process equipment is also a non-limiting implementation manner provided by the present invention and does not limit the implementation subject of each step in these semiconductor process methods.

[0051] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 which shows a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor processing device provided according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0052] As Figure 1 shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the semiconductor processing device 100 may include a reaction chamber 110, an ultraviolet light source 120, a light shield 130, and a controller (not shown in the drawings). A heating plate 111 is provided in the reaction chamber 110, which can be used to support the substrate 10 and adjust its temperature to the temperature range required for the target deposition reaction to perform the target deposition reaction, for example, atomic layer deposition reaction.

[0053] An ultraviolet light source 120 may be provided above the reaction chamber 110, and a switchable light shield 130 may be provided between the ultraviolet light source 120 and the reaction chamber 110. By opening or closing the light shield 130, the irradiation time point and irradiation duration of the ultraviolet light 121 on the substrate 10 in the reaction chamber 110 can be controlled, so that the duration of the ultraviolet light 121 participating in the deposition reaction can be controlled.

[0054] Specifically, as Figure 1 shown, in some alternative embodiments, the light shield 130 may be selected as a translational structure, and the lateral position of the light shield 130 can be adjusted by a motor to close or open the light shield 130. When the lateral position of the translational light shield 130 is adjusted to be directly above the heating plate 111, the light shield 130 is in the closed state, and the ultraviolet light 121 cannot irradiate into the reaction chamber 110. When the lateral position of the translational light shield 130 moves out of the direct above of the heating plate 111, the light shield 130 is in the open state, and the ultraviolet light 121 can irradiate into the reaction chamber 110.

[0055] Alternatively, in some other alternative embodiments, the light shield 130 may also be selected as a rotary structure, and the rotation angle of the light shield 130 can be adjusted by a motor to close or open the light shield 130. As Figure 1 shown, the position of the rotary light shield 130 is fixed directly above the heating plate 111. When the rotation angle of the rotary light shield 130 is 0°, the light shield 130 is in a horizontal state, and at this time, the irradiation of the ultraviolet light 121 can be completely blocked, and the light shield 130 is in the closed state. When the rotary light shield 130 is tilted at a certain angle, it can be irradiated into the reaction chamber 110. When the rotation angle of the rotary light shield 130 is 90°, the light shield 130 is in a vertical state, and at this time, the ultraviolet light 121 can completely irradiate into the reaction chamber 110.

[0056] Optionally, the motor for adjusting the lateral position or rotation angle of the light baffle 130 may be a stepper motor or a servo motor, and the light baffle 130 can be quickly switched on and off by means of pneumatic or electromagnetic drive.

[0057] In some preferred embodiments, the light baffle 130 may be a plate-like structure made of ultraviolet-resistant material. Optionally, the ultraviolet-resistant material may include, but is not limited to, anodized aluminum alloy, stainless steel, and some ultraviolet-resistant plastics, ceramics, etc., which helps to extend the service life of the light baffle 130 and reduce the replacement frequency of the light baffle 130.

[0058] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention, a sealing strip made of silicone rubber or fluororubber may be provided on the light baffle 130 to seal the gap between the light baffle 130 and the reaction chamber 110 when the light baffle 130 is in the closed state, thereby preventing the leakage of ultraviolet light 121.

[0059] Continue as Figure 1 shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the wavelength of the ultraviolet light 121 provided by the ultraviolet light source 120 is also limited. Specifically, the wavelength range of the ultraviolet light 121 may preferably be 200-400 nm. The energy in the wavelength range of 200-400 nm is relatively high, and it has an obvious effect on improving the reaction activity of the oxygen source in the ALD reaction. If it exceeds this wavelength range, it may cause fluctuations in the temperature of the substrate 10, and the repeatability of the deposition reaction will be affected. If it is less than this wavelength range, it is feasible in terms of the execution of the reaction, but the improvement in the reaction activity of the oxygen source in the ALD reaction is relatively small, and the reaction efficiency will be relatively low.

[0060] In addition, continue as Figure 1 shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the reaction chamber 110 may include a transparent upper cover plate 141 to enable the ultraviolet light 121 above to irradiate the substrate 10 in the chamber. And, at the upper cover plate 141 of the reaction chamber 110, two pipelines, a first pipeline 150 and a second pipeline 160, may be provided for respectively introducing two different reaction sources required for the deposition reaction. Among them, the first reaction source may be a metal source, and the second reaction source may be an oxygen source to perform an atomic layer deposition reaction to generate an oxide film.

[0061] Specifically, the first gas inlet 151 of the first pipeline 150 can be used to introduce a metal source, and its second gas inlet 152 can be used to introduce an inert gas, for example, argon. And whether to transfer the gas in the first pipeline 150 to the reaction chamber 110 can be controlled by the first valve 153. Similarly, the third gas inlet 161 of the second pipeline 160 can be used to introduce an oxygen source, and its fourth gas inlet 162 can be used to introduce an inert gas. And whether to transfer the gas in the second pipeline 160 to the reaction chamber 110 can be controlled by the second valve 163. The inert gas introduced through the second gas inlet 152 and the fourth gas inlet 162 can be used as gases with different functions according to the time period of its introduction. When the inert gas is introduced together with the reaction source, it can be used as a carrier gas to carry the reaction source gas to the reaction chamber 110. At this time, the inert gas can also be used as a dilution gas for the reaction source. When the inert gas is introduced after the reaction source has finished being introduced, it can be used as a purge gas to remove excess reactants or by-products in the pipeline and the reaction chamber.

[0062] Further, as Figure 1 shown, a transparent gas distribution plate 142 and a transparent spray plate 143 can also be provided inside the reaction chamber 110, so that the ultraviolet light 121 can irradiate the substrate 10 in the chamber, and both the above-mentioned metal source and oxygen source can be evenly dispersed on the surface of the substrate 10. Further, the upper cover plate 141, the gas distribution plate 142, and the spray plate 143 can be made of quartz material with good light transmittance.

[0063] The controller in the semiconductor process equipment 100 can be configured to control the above-mentioned various devices to jointly execute the steps in a semiconductor process method. Next, please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 which shows a flowchart of a semiconductor process method provided according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0064] As Figure 2 shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the semiconductor process method may include the following steps. First, step S210 can be executed: introducing a metal source into the reaction chamber of the semiconductor process equipment so that the metal source adsorbs on the surface of the substrate.

[0065] Specifically, in combination with Figure 1 it can be understood that the first valve 153 can be opened first, so that the metal source is introduced into the reaction chamber 110 as the first reaction source through the first pipeline 150, and the metal source can be evenly dispersed and adsorbed on the surface of the substrate 10 through the gas distribution plate 142 and the spray plate 143.

[0066] Further, in the process of preparing an aluminum oxide thin film by atomic layer deposition reaction, the metal source can be selected as TMA (trimethylaluminum), Al(CH3 ) 3 , AlCl 3 , AlEt 3 , etc. The second reaction source as the oxygen source can be selected from O 3 , H 2 O, O 2 , H 2 O 2 , N 2 O, etc. By alternately introducing the two reaction sources (for example, TMA and O 3 ), the layer-by-layer growth of the aluminum oxide film can be achieved.

[0067] Taking TMA as the metal source as an example, when TMA molecules are introduced into the reaction chamber 110, they react with the surface of the substrate 10 or other active sites to form Al-O bonds and release by-products.

[0068] After that, as Figure 2 shown, step S220 can be executed: introducing a purge gas into the reaction chamber to remove the excess metal source.

[0069] Specifically, as Figure 1 shown, an inert gas, such as argon, can be introduced into the first pipeline 150 as the purge gas through the second air inlet 152 to remove the excess (unreacted) TMA and its by-products in the first pipeline 150 and in the reaction chamber 110.

[0070] Then, as Figure 2 shown, step S230 can be executed: introducing the oxygen source into the reaction chamber and opening the light-shielding plate so that the oxygen source reacts with the metal source under the irradiation of ultraviolet light to generate an oxide film.

[0071] Specifically, as Figure 1 shown, in some embodiments, O 3 can be introduced into the reaction chamber 110 to react with the TMA adsorbed on the surface of the substrate 10 to further generate an aluminum oxide film. At the same time, the light-shielding plate 130 can be opened so that the ultraviolet light 121 passes through the transparent upper cover plate 141, the transparent gas distributor 142, and the transparent spray plate 143 and irradiates the surface of the substrate 10, making the chemical reaction process of O 3 and TMA exposed to the ultraviolet light 121.

[0072] Due to the ultraviolet light 121, especially the ultraviolet light with a wavelength range of 200 - 400 nm, which can significantly improve the reaction activity of O 3 in ALD at low temperatures, thus accelerating and ensuring the reaction between TMA and O 3The sufficient reaction reduces the content of carbon impurities in the alumina film, improves the film densification, and thus enhances the water and oxygen barrier ability of the film. In addition, shortening the reaction time can effectively reduce the single-chip deposition time, thereby improving the equipment productivity and product competitiveness. Since the OLED encapsulation material needs to be deposited at a relatively low temperature, the ultraviolet-assisted TMA and O 3 The deposition reaction can occur completely at a very low temperature in the ALD reaction. Therefore, it can further reduce the thermal budget of the process, lower the reaction temperature, and thus reduce energy consumption.

[0073] After that, step S240 can be executed: close the light shield before introducing the metal source for the next deposition reaction into the reaction chamber.

[0074] Specifically, in combination with Figure 1 Understood together, in some preferred embodiments, it is possible to close the light shield 130 when the introduction of O 3 ends. Then, an inert gas can be continuously introduced into the reaction chamber 110 via the second pipeline 160 as a purge gas to remove excess (unreacted) O 3 and by-products to complete one deposition reaction. In this embodiment, by precisely controlling the opening duration of the light shield 130, the risk of the ultraviolet light 121 irradiating the inside of the reaction chamber 110 for a long time and affecting the service life of other components in the chamber can be avoided.

[0075] Then, since the ALD reaction is a high-precision thin film deposition technology that requires precise control of the thickness and uniformity of each thin film at the atomic level, the duration of each step in the ALD reaction is not only extremely short but also needs to be controlled very precisely. In some other alternative embodiments, if the light shield 130 cannot be closed in time when the introduction of O 3 ends, the opening time of the light shield 130 can also be extended.

[0076] Specifically, when the introduction of O 3 ends, the light shield 130 can be continuously opened. Then, an inert gas can be continuously introduced into the reaction chamber 110 via the second pipeline 160 as a purge gas to remove excess (unreacted) O 3 and by-products. When the introduction of the purge gas ends, the light shield 130 can be closed to complete one deposition reaction.

[0077] In some other alternative embodiments, to simplify the steps, it is also feasible to keep the light shield 130 open after it is opened in step S230. When the TMA for the next deposition reaction is introduced into the reaction chamber 110, it indicates that the previous cycle of deposition reaction is complete and the excess O 3 has been purged. Therefore, whether the light shield 130 is open or not does not affect the process at this time.

[0078] That is to say, from a process perspective, the closing times of the light-shielding plate 130 in the above three embodiments are all feasible. However, considering the influence of the duration of ultraviolet light irradiation on the aging of the component surface and its performance, therefore, preferably in the first embodiment above, when the oxygen source stops being introduced, the light-shielding plate 130 is closed. Secondly, in the second embodiment above, when the second purge gas stops being introduced, the light-shielding plate 130 is closed. Both are closed before the metal source for the next deposition reaction is introduced into the reaction chamber 110. However, if the service life of the internal components of the chamber is not considered, it is also feasible to keep the light-shielding plate 130 always open.

[0079] In the present invention, the opening and closing of the light-shielding plate 130 mainly depend on the ALD reaction, and the measurement standard is whether the refractive index of the generated aluminum oxide film and the content of carbon impurities meet the process requirements. If closing when the second reaction source, the oxygen source, stops being introduced can meet the requirements, it can be closed at this time (usually it can meet the requirements), otherwise, the light-shielding plate 130 needs to be kept open and extended to be closed before the purge ends. That is to say, the opening and closing of the light-shielding plate 130 mainly affect the length of time that the ultraviolet light 121 participates in the deposition reaction.

[0080] Further, in the present invention, by controlling the opening time of the light-shielding plate 130, it can be ensured that at a lower O 3 inlet volume and a shorter reaction time, TMA and O 3 can fully react. Specifically, the O 3 inlet volume can reduce the demand for a high-concentration ozone generator, thereby reducing costs. In the prior art, in order to ensure that the aluminum oxide film prepared at low temperature has a high refractive index, it is necessary to increase the concentration and flow rate of O 3 , extend the pulse time of O 3 , etc. However, the concentration of O 3 generated by the current ozone generator is limited, and the requirements for the corrosion resistance of related equipment, such as generators, coolers, and pipelines, are also very high. In traditional process equipment without an ultraviolet light source 120 and a light-shielding plate 130, and in reactions without ultraviolet light-assisted ALD, the inlet concentration of O 3 needs to be 350 - 430 g / m3, the flow rate is 2000 - 3000 sccm, the reaction time is 0.5 - 5 s, and the refractive index of the prepared aluminum oxide film is relatively low, and the carbon impurity content is relatively high.

[0081] In the present invention, by introducing ultraviolet light-assisted ALD reaction, it is not necessary to adopt the above traditional methods, thereby being able to reduce the requirements for the ozone generator. In the ultraviolet light-assisted ALD reaction of the present invention, O 3The concentration range entering the chamber is about 50 - 500 g / m3, the flow rate is about 100 - 5000 sccm, and the time entering the chamber is about 0.05 - 5 s.

[0082] Furthermore, O 3 Reducing the amount entering the chamber can also reduce the corrosion risk to the O-ring, thereby reducing the particle risk and shortening the preventive maintenance (PM) cycle. Lowering the reaction temperature reduces energy consumption; a shorter reaction time can effectively reduce the single-chip deposition time, improving production capacity and product competitiveness.

[0083] Next, taking the process of a cyclic deposition reaction in ALD as a specific example, the timing of each step in the semiconductor process method will be described. Please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 shows the timing diagram of a single deposition reaction provided according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0084] As Figure 3 shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, first, a metal source (such as TMA) can be introduced into the reaction chamber 110 for 0.05 - 5 s and adsorbed uniformly on the substrate 10. Then a purge gas is introduced for 0.1 - 10 s to remove the excess metal source and its by-products ( Figure 3 not shown in the figure). After that, while introducing an oxygen source (such as O 3 ), the light shield 130 can be opened to allow the ultraviolet light 121 to irradiate the substrate 10 in the chamber, so as to prompt the two reaction sources to react fully and quickly. The introduction time of the oxygen source can be 0.05 - 5 s. Finally, a purge gas is introduced for 0.1 - 10 s to remove the excess oxygen source and its by-products ( Figure 3 not shown in the figure). It should be noted that when the introduction of the oxygen source ends, the light shield 130 can be closed, or its opening time can be appropriately extended, but it is preferably closed before introducing the metal source in the next cyclic deposition reaction.

[0085] Next, please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 which shows the time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry of the alumina film prepared by the prior art.

[0086] In Figure 4 the shown embodiment, in the ALD deposition reaction of the prior art without introducing ultraviolet light to assist TMA and O 3 , the refractive index of the prepared alumina film is 1.588, there is only one layer of alumina film, and below is the Si substrate 10. As Figure 4As shown, the variation of the atomic concentration of each atom in the longitudinal direction of the alumina film with the film thickness can be obtained, including the H atom curve, the C atom curve, the Al atom curve, the O atom curve, and the Si atom curve. Figure 4 It can be proved that the alumina film prepared at low temperature contains more C atoms, indicating that the ALD reaction is incomplete. By introducing ultraviolet light assistance during the ALD reaction provided by the present invention, by enhancing the O 3 reaction activity at low temperature, it is possible to ensure the full reaction of TMA and O 3 , reduce the C impurity content in the alumina film, improve the film denseness, and enhance the water and oxygen isolation ability.

[0087] In addition, in some other embodiments, for example, in the embodiment using H 2 O as the oxygen source, introducing ultraviolet light can also solve the problem of insufficient reaction activity of H 2 O at low temperature, thereby reducing the intake amount and reaction time of H 2 O, and further reducing the purge time.

[0088] 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 not illustrated and described herein but understood by those skilled in the art.

[0089] Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that the steps of the methods or algorithms described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. The software module may reside in a RAM memory, a flash memory, a ROM memory, an EPROM memory, an EEPROM memory, a register, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such that the processor can read from and write to the storage medium. In an alternative, the storage medium may be integrated into the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In an alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside in the user terminal as discrete components.

[0090] In one or more exemplary embodiments, the described functionality may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software as a computer program product, the functions may be stored on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or code. The computer-readable medium includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. The storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. Any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a web site, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium. As used herein, disk and disc include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and Blu-ray disc, where disk generally reproduces data magnetically, while disc reproduces data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0091] In summary, the present invention provides a semiconductor processing apparatus, a semiconductor processing method, and a computer-readable storage medium, which can improve the reactivity of the oxygen source in the low-temperature deposition reaction, thereby reducing the carbon impurity content in the oxide film, improving the film density, and meeting the requirements of production capacity and packaging performance.

[0092] The foregoing description of the disclosure has been provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modifications to the disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic 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 is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: include: A reaction chamber, in which a substrate is placed for performing a deposition reaction; An ultraviolet light source is located above the reaction chamber; A light shielding plate is switchably disposed between the ultraviolet light source and the reaction chamber, and the duration of ultraviolet light participating in the deposition reaction is controlled by opening or closing the light shielding plate; as well as The controller is configured to: in response to the metal source in the reaction chamber being adsorbed on the surface of the substrate, introduce an oxygen source into the reaction chamber and open the light shielding plate so that the oxygen source reacts with the metal source under the irradiation of the ultraviolet light to generate an oxide film; and close the light shielding plate before the metal source of the next deposition reaction is introduced into the reaction chamber.

2. The process equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of closing the light shielding plate before the metal source is introduced into the reaction chamber next time comprises: In response to the oxygen source being terminated, closing the light barrier; and A purge gas is introduced into the reaction chamber to remove the excess oxygen source and by-products, thereby completing the deposition reaction.

3. The process equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of closing the light shielding plate before the metal source is introduced into the reaction chamber next time further includes: In response to the oxygen source being terminated, continuously opening the light shield; Introducing a purge gas into the reaction chamber to remove excess oxygen source and byproducts; and In response to the end of the introduction of the purge gas, the light shield is closed to complete the deposition reaction.

4. The process equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light barrier comprises a translational structure or a rotational structure, wherein the translational structure closes or opens the light barrier by adjusting the lateral position of the light barrier, and the rotational structure closes or opens the light barrier by adjusting the rotation angle of the light barrier.

5. The process equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light blocking plate is a plate-shaped structure made of ultraviolet resistant material.

6. The process equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light shielding plate is provided with a sealing strip, which is used to seal the gap between the light shielding plate and the reaction chamber when the light shielding plate is in a closed state.

7. The process equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wavelength range of the ultraviolet light provided by the ultraviolet light source is 200-400nm.

8. The process equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reaction chamber comprises a transparent upper cover plate, and a transparent gas-distributing plate and a transparent shower plate are arranged inside the reaction chamber so that the metal source and the oxygen source are evenly dispersed on the surface of the substrate.

9. A semiconductor process method, characterized in that: include: Introducing a metal source into a reaction chamber of a semiconductor process equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 8, so that the metal source is adsorbed on the surface of a substrate; Introducing a purge gas into the reaction chamber to remove excess metal sources and byproducts; Introducing an oxygen source into the reaction chamber and opening a light shielding plate, so that the oxygen source reacts with the metal source under the irradiation of ultraviolet light to generate an oxide film; and The light shielding plate is closed before the metal source of the next deposition reaction is introduced into the reaction chamber.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the semiconductor processing method as claimed in claim 9 is implemented.

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