Showerhead heater and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to a shower head heater and a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly to a shower head heater and a substrate processing apparatus that can perform etching and post-processing steps of a substrate in a single chamber when performing a dry etching process of a large area substrate. The shower head heater has a shower head plate formed with a plurality of through holes, and a printed heater provided on at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the shower head plate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a nozzle heater and a substrate processing apparatus, and more specifically to a nozzle heater and a substrate processing apparatus that can perform all etching and post-processing steps of a substrate in a single cavity when performing a dry etching process on a large area substrate. Background Technology

[0002] When performing various processing techniques on a substrate, it is often necessary to change the substrate's processing temperature.

[0003] For example, when performing a dry etching process on a substrate, the substrate is heated to 80 degrees Celsius while process gas is supplied toward the substrate, thereby etching the silicon oxide film on the substrate and generating process byproducts on the substrate.

[0004] Next, the substrate is heated to above 100 degrees Celsius to remove process byproducts from the substrate.

[0005] That is, when dry etching of the substrate is performed, there are processes for generating process byproducts and processes for removing process byproducts, and the temperatures of the processes for generating process byproducts and removing process byproducts are different from each other.

[0006] Therefore, in the apparatus according to the prior art, a chamber for generating process byproducts and a chamber for removing process byproducts are respectively provided.

[0007] Furthermore, other existing devices employ nozzle heater technology that embeds heaters such as hot wires in the nozzle. In this prior art, the high heat during the welding process after embedding the hot wires softens the nozzle material, making it very difficult to form micro-sized through-holes. Additionally, the embedding of the hot wires increases the nozzle thickness to at least 30mm, increasing the nozzle weight and exacerbating nozzle sagging. Moreover, when applied to large-area substrates, it is difficult to embed the hot wires very densely, and the increased spacing of the through-holes due to the hot wire embedding can potentially reduce the process uniformity of the substrate.

[0008] On the other hand, with the recent trend of substrates becoming larger, when processing large-area substrates, such as etching processes, the area of ​​the nozzle heater for heating large-area substrates also needs to be increased. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a nozzle heater and a substrate processing apparatus that can heat a substrate using a nozzle heater, and further, without increasing the nozzle thickness or weight, densely fill the hot wire spacing, thereby improving the process uniformity of the substrate.

[0010] In addition, the present invention aims to provide a nozzle heater and substrate processing apparatus that can perform etching and post-processing steps on a large-area substrate in a single cavity.

[0011] The objective of the present invention can be achieved by a nozzle heater, characterized by comprising: a nozzle plate having a plurality of through holes; and a printing heater disposed on at least one side of the nozzle plate, above and below.

[0012] Here, the printed heater may form and configure the pattern in a manner that does not overlap with the through hole.

[0013] Alternatively, the printing heater may include: an insulating layer printed on at least one side of the top and bottom of the printhead plate; an electrode formed on the insulating layer; and a protective layer coated on the electrode.

[0014] Furthermore, the nozzle heater can be constructed by detachably connecting multiple module heaters.

[0015] Alternatively, the printing heater may also include a connector for being connected to a power source, the connector being connected to the electrodes of the printing heater via a sealing portion.

[0016] Here, the sealing part may be composed of a printed circuit board (PCB).

[0017] On the other hand, the objective of the present invention can be achieved by a substrate processing apparatus, characterized by comprising: a cavity providing a processing space for the substrate; a substrate support disposed inside the cavity and on which the substrate is placed; and a nozzle heater disposed inside the cavity and supplying process gas toward the substrate, and having a printing heater on at least one side above and below, and heating the substrate to a first temperature at which process byproducts are generated on the substrate or a second temperature at which the process byproducts are sublimated.

[0018] Here, the printing heater may include: an insulating layer printed on at least one side of the top and bottom of the printhead heater; an electrode formed on the insulating layer; and a protective layer coated on the electrode.

[0019] Alternatively, the nozzle heater can be constructed by detachably connecting multiple module heaters.

[0020] Alternatively, the printing heater may also include a connector for being connected to a power source, the connector being connected to the electrodes of the printing heater via a sealing portion.

[0021] Furthermore, the sealing portion may be composed of a printed circuit board (PCB).

[0022] According to the present invention having the aforementioned structure, a printed heater is used in the nozzle heater, thereby enabling a narrower spacing between the through holes of the nozzle compared to the prior art structure using hot wire, and also compensating for problems that may occur during welding in the prior art device.

[0023] In addition, if a printing heater is used, the thickness of the printhead heater can be reduced to approximately 10mm, thereby reducing the weight of the printhead heater and alleviating the sagging phenomenon.

[0024] Furthermore, according to the present invention, when using a printhead heater with a printing heater, a uniform heating level can be achieved at a temperature below 200 degrees Celsius with a range of ±1°C, and the heat density per unit area of ​​the printhead heater can be maintained at 40 W / cm². 2 That's all. Additionally, the width of the electrodes in the nozzle heater can be made relatively narrow, thereby improving the process uniformity of the substrate.

[0025] Furthermore, according to the present invention, multiple modular heaters can be detachably connected to each other to form an integral nozzle heater, thereby increasing the area of ​​the nozzle heater. Additionally, when modular heaters are used in this way, nozzle heaters with various patterns of horizontal or vertical shapes can be manufactured depending on the connection configuration of the modular heaters. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a side cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a plan view of the nozzle heater from above. Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the structure of the first module heater. Figure 4 This is a side view showing a nozzle heater according to various embodiments. Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the connector connected to the electrode via a sealing part. Figure 6 This is a partial side cross-sectional view showing a structure in which multiple modular heaters can be detachably connected to each other. Figure 7 This is a partial side cross-sectional view according to another embodiment of a structure in which multiple modular heaters can be detachably connected to each other.

[0027] (Explanation of reference numerals in the attached image) 100: Cavity 102: Processing Space 200: Nozzle heater 202: Through hole 210, 230, 250, 270: Module heaters 211, 231, 251, 271: Spray nozzle plate 212: Printing Heater 213A: Insulation layer 214A: Electrode 215A: Protective layer 220: Connector 232: Sealing part 400: Substrate support portion 1000: Substrate processing apparatus Detailed Implementation Hereinafter, the structure of the nozzle heater and the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be observed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a side cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Reference Figure 1 The substrate processing apparatus 1000 may include a cavity 100 that provides a processing space 102 for a substrate W, a substrate support 400 disposed inside the cavity 100 and on which the substrate W is placed, and a nozzle heater 200 disposed inside the cavity 100 that supplies process gas toward the substrate W and has a printing heater 212 on at least one of its upper and lower sides.

[0030] The cavity 100 may provide a processing space 102 on its inner side, which can perform various processes on the substrate W.

[0031] An opening 106 for loading and unloading the substrate W can be formed on one side of the cavity 100, and a door 104 for opening and closing the opening 106 can be provided.

[0032] On the other hand, a substrate support portion 400 for placing the substrate W can be provided inside the cavity 100. The substrate support portion 400 can also be configured to be able to move up and down.

[0033] Additionally, a nozzle heater 200 that supplies process gas toward the substrate W and heats the substrate W can be provided on the upper inner side of the cavity 100.

[0034] At this time, a supply path 108 for supplying process gases, etc., can be provided above the cavity 100. The process gases, etc. supplied through the supply path 108 can be supplied toward the substrate W through the nozzle heater 200.

[0035] Figure 2 This is a plan view of the nozzle heater 200 viewed from above.

[0036] Reference Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 The nozzle heater 200 can supply process gas toward the substrate W to heat the substrate W to a first temperature at which process byproducts are generated on the substrate W or a second temperature at which the process byproducts are sublimated.

[0037] For example, the substrate processing apparatus 1000 according to the present invention can correspond to a dry etching apparatus for removing the silicon oxide film of the substrate W.

[0038] That is, according to the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus 1000 can heat the substrate W to a predetermined first temperature using the nozzle heater 200, and supply a first etching gas composed of HF gas or the like and a second etching gas composed of NH3 gas or the like to the substrate W via the nozzle heater 200 to etch the silicon oxide film on the substrate W and generate process byproducts in the form of (NH4)2SiF6. Further, the substrate processing apparatus 1000 can heat the substrate W to a predetermined second temperature using the nozzle heater 200, thereby sublimating and removing the process byproducts in the form of (NH4)2SiF6 on the substrate W.

[0039] Here, the "first temperature" can be defined as 60 to 80 degrees Celsius, or the temperature at which the silicon oxide film on the substrate W is etched to generate process byproducts on the substrate W.

[0040] Additionally, the "second temperature" can be defined as 100 to 140 degrees Celsius, or the temperature at which process byproducts on the substrate W sublimate.

[0041] On the other hand, in existing etching apparatuses, the processes for generating and removing process byproducts on the substrate W are performed in separate chambers. This increases the apparatus's footprint and further reduces productivity due to movement between chambers.

[0042] The present invention aims to provide a simple and compact dry etching apparatus that can improve productivity by performing a dry etching process on a substrate in a single cavity.

[0043] That is, in this invention, the first etching gas or the second etching gas can be supplied to the substrate W through the nozzle heater 200, and the substrate W can be further heated to a predetermined first temperature or second temperature through the nozzle heater 200, so that the dry etching process on the substrate can be performed entirely in a single cavity.

[0044] On the other hand, with the recent trend of substrates becoming larger, when etching large-area substrates, the area of ​​the nozzle heater 200 that heats the large-area substrate W also needs to be larger.

[0045] For this purpose, multiple module heaters 210, 230, 250, and 270 can be detachably connected to construct the nozzle heater 200 of the present invention. That is, multiple module heaters 210, 230, 250, and 270 can be detachably connected to each other to form an integral nozzle heater 200, thereby increasing the area of ​​the nozzle heater 200. In addition, when the module heaters 210, 230, 250, and 270 are used in this way, nozzle heaters 200 with various patterns of horizontal or vertical shapes can be manufactured according to the connection configuration of the module heaters 210, 230, 250, and 270.

[0046] On the other hand, although not shown in the accompanying drawings, when multiple module heaters 210, 230, 250, and 270 are connected to each other to form the nozzle heater 200, anti-sagging components (not shown) such as bolts can be provided to prevent the nozzle heater 200 from sagging. For example, the upper part of the anti-sagging component may be connected to the lead wire of the cavity 100, and the lower part of the anti-sagging component may be connected to the nozzle heater 200.

[0047] The module heaters 210, 230, 250, and 270 may each have a nozzle plate 211, 231, 251, and 271 with a plurality of through holes 202, and a printing heater 212A, 212B, 212C, and 212D disposed on at least one side of the nozzle plate 211, 231, 251, and 271, above or below.

[0048] In existing technologies, when a heater is installed in the nozzle, a technique is used that embeds a heater, such as a hot wire, within the nozzle. In this prior art, the high heat during the soldering process after embedding the hot wire softens the nozzle material, making it very difficult to form fine-sized through-holes 202. Furthermore, the embedding of the hot wire increases the nozzle thickness to at least 30mm, increasing the nozzle's weight and exacerbating nozzle sagging. Moreover, when applied to large-area substrates, it is difficult to densely embed the hot wires, and the increased spacing of the through-holes due to the hot wire embedding can potentially reduce the processing uniformity of the substrate.

[0049] To solve the aforementioned problems, the nozzle heater 200 according to the present invention may include a printing heater 212 disposed on at least one side, either above or below.

[0050] Figure 4 This is a side view showing nozzle heaters 200, 200', 200'' according to various embodiments.

[0051] Figure 4 (A) shows the nozzle heater 200' with the printing heater 212' positioned below. Figure 4 (B) shows the nozzle heater 200 on which the printing heater 212 is mounted. Figure 4 (C) shows the nozzle heater 200'' with printing heaters 212, 212' set on top and bottom.

[0052] The following will be agreed upon as Figure 4 (B) Observation is conducted on the case where the printing heater 212 is installed above the nozzle heater 200.

[0053] Reference Figure 2 The nozzle heater 200 can be configured by connecting four module heaters 210, 230, 250, and 270 to each other. The number of module heaters 210, 230, 250, and 270 is given as an example and is not limited thereto.

[0054] Observing the nozzle heater 200, the through holes 202 can be formed on the nozzle plates 211, 231, 251, and 271. At this time, the printing heaters 212A, 212B, 212C, and 212D can form and arrange patterns in a manner that does not overlap with the through holes 202.

[0055] On the other hand, as with the present invention, when printing heaters 212A, 212B, 212C, and 212D are used, the spacing between the through holes 202 can be narrower compared to the structure using hot wires in the prior art, which can also compensate for problems that may occur during welding in the prior art. In addition, if printing heaters 212A, 212B, 212C, and 212D are used, the thickness of the nozzle heater 200 can be reduced to approximately 10 mm, thereby reducing the weight of the nozzle heater 200 and alleviating the sagging phenomenon of the nozzle heater 200.

[0056] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 2 A diagram showing the structure of a module heater, such as the first module heater 210. Figure 3 (A) is a plan view of the first module heater 210. Figure 3(B) is a cross-sectional view of the first module heater 210.

[0057] Reference Figure 3 The printing heater 212A of the first module heater 210 may have an insulating layer 213A printed on at least one side of the top and bottom of the first printhead plate 211, an electrode 214A formed on the insulating layer 213A, and a protective layer 215A coated on the electrode 214A.

[0058] When the first nozzle plate 211 is made of a conductive material such as aluminum, an insulating layer 213A can be formed on at least one side, either the top or the bottom, of the first nozzle plate 211. For example, the insulating layer 213A can be formed on the top of the first nozzle plate 211.

[0059] The insulating layer 213A can be formed using, for example, a ceramic slurry with excellent thermal conductivity, but is not limited thereto.

[0060] On the other hand, an electrode 214A can be printed on top of the insulating layer 213A using a conductive paste to form a heating layer, and a protective layer 215A made of ceramic or the like can be formed on top of the electrode 214A.

[0061] Thus, when using the printhead heater 200 of the printing heater 212A, a uniform heating level can be achieved at a temperature below 200 degrees Celsius with a range of ±1°C, and the heat density per unit area of ​​the printhead heater 200 can be maintained at 40 W / cm². 2 That's all. Additionally, the width of the electrode 214A can be relatively narrow to improve the process uniformity of the substrate W.

[0062] The structure of the first module heater 210 is similar to that of the other module heaters 230, 250, and 270, so specific descriptions of the other module heaters 230, 250, and 270 will be omitted.

[0063] On the other hand, refer to Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 The nozzle heater 200 may also include connectors 220 (222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227) for supplying power to the printing heater 212.

[0064] Power can be supplied to the printing heater 212 of the nozzle heater 200 through the connector 220.

[0065] For example, the connector 220 can be electrically connected to the electrode 214A of the printed heater 212.

[0066] However, when the electrode 214A is connected to the connector 220, the electrode 214A may be exposed to the environment inside the cavity 100, and corrosion of the electrode 214A may occur, especially due to process gases such as etching gases.

[0067] In the present invention, in order to solve such a problem, the connector 220 can be connected to the electrode 214A of the printed heater 212 via the sealing part 232 (232A, 232B, 232C, 232D, 232E, 232F).

[0068] Figure 5 As a cross-sectional view showing the structure in which the connector 223 and the electrode 214A are connected through the sealing portion 232B, corresponding to Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of region "A" in the diagram.

[0069] Reference Figure 5 The first electrode 214A and the second electrode 214B can be exposed on the top of the first nozzle plate 211 and the second nozzle plate 231, which are adjacent to each other. For ease of illustration, in Figure 5 The insulation layer and protective layer are omitted.

[0070] At this time, a sealing part 232B may be provided, which seals the first electrode 214A and the second electrode 214B from being exposed to the process gas, and electrically connects the first electrode 214A and the second electrode 214B to the connector 223.

[0071] For example, the sealing portion 232B can be made of a printed circuit board (PCB). The sealing portion 232B can be made of a multilayer printed circuit board to prevent damage due to process gases, etc., and insulation failure.

[0072] At this time, a conductive wire 2330 can be disposed inside the sealing portion 232B. Therefore, the upper part of the wire 2330 can be connected to the connector 223. In addition, the lower part of the wire 2330 can be exposed to form a first terminal 2332 and a second terminal 2334, which are respectively connected to the first electrode 214A and the second electrode 214B.

[0073] The sealing part 232B can be connected to the first nozzle plate 211 and the second nozzle plate 231 by fastening components 360A and 360B such as bolts. At this time, first O-rings 380A and 380B can be arranged at the head of the fastening components 360A and 360B.

[0074] That is, in this embodiment, a connector 223 is shown that connects to all the first electrodes 214A and second electrodes 214B of the first nozzle plate 211 and the second nozzle plate 231 that are adjacent to each other. However, the sealing part 232 is not limited to this, and a structure that seals the electrodes of a single nozzle plate is of course also possible.

[0075] On the other hand, if a separation space 2340, 2342 is formed between the sealing portion 232B and the top surfaces of the first nozzle plate 211 and the second nozzle plate 231, process gas may flow into the first electrode 214A and the second electrode 214B through the separation space 2340, 2342, or an electric arc may be generated in subsequent processes. Therefore, in order to prevent the inflow of process gas and further prevent the generation of electric arc, second O-rings 382A, 382B can be configured.

[0076] For example, the second O-rings 382A and 382B can be configured to surround the first electrode 214A and the second electrode 214B, thereby sealing the spaced spaces 2340 and 2342.

[0077] on the other hand, Figure 6 This is a partial side cross-sectional view showing the structure in which multiple module heaters 210, 230, 250, 270 can be detachably connected to each other as described above.

[0078] Reference Figure 6 (A) and Figure 6 Option (B) can be that recesses 310 and 320 are formed on either side of the first nozzle plate 211 and the second nozzle plate 231 that are adjacent to each other, and protrusions 312 and 322 are formed on the other side that are inserted into the recesses 310 and 320. In addition, fastening components 330 such as countersunk bolts can be used to secure the recesses 310 and 320 and the protrusions 312 and 322.

[0079] On the other hand, Figure 6 In case (B), in order to improve the fastening force of the protrusion 312 and the recess 310, the protrusion 312 may be formed into a wedge shape that extends toward the recess, and the recess 310 may also have a corresponding shape.

[0080] in addition, Figure 7 This is a partial side cross-sectional view of a structure according to another embodiment, which allows multiple modular heaters 210, 230, 250, 270 to be detachably connected to each other as described above.

[0081] Reference Figure 7(A) can be that the first nozzle plate 211 and the second nozzle plate 231, which are adjacent to each other, are connected by a fastening block 350, which is fixed by fastening components 330A and 330B such as countersunk bolts.

[0082] That is, the two ends of the fastening block 350 can be inserted into the first nozzle plate 211 and the second nozzle plate 231 respectively, and fastening components such as countersunk bolts 330A and 330B can pass through the first nozzle plate 211 and the second nozzle plate 231 to fix the fastening block 350.

[0083] on the other hand, Figure 7 (B) can be a pair of fastening blocks 350A and 350B, with the first fastening block 350A configured to connect the upper parts of the first nozzle plate 211 and the second nozzle plate 231, and the second fastening block 350B configured to connect the lower parts of the first nozzle plate 211 and the second nozzle plate 231.

[0084] At this time, fastening components such as bolts 330A, 330B, 330C, and 330D can pass through the first fastening block 350A and the second fastening block 350B and be fastened to the first nozzle plate 211 and the second nozzle plate 231.

[0085] exist Figure 6 as well as Figure 7 The detachable connection structure of the module heaters 210, 230, 250, and 270 observed in the diagram is given as an example, but it is not limited to this and can be implemented in many other forms.

[0086] The present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments. However, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations to the invention without departing from the concept and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. Therefore, any modifications that substantially include the constituent elements of the claims should be considered to be entirely included within the technical scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A nozzle heater, characterized in that, have: The nozzle plate has multiple through holes; and A printing heater is disposed on at least one side, above and below the printhead plate.

2. The nozzle heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The printed heater is patterned and configured in a manner that does not overlap with the through hole.

3. The nozzle heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The printing heater comprises: An insulating layer is printed on at least one side of the top and bottom surfaces of the printhead plate; Electrodes are formed above the insulating layer; and A protective layer is coated on top of the electrode.

4. The nozzle heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The nozzle heater can be constructed by detachably connecting multiple module heaters.

5. The nozzle heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The printing heater also has a connector for being connected to a power source. The connector is connected to the electrode of the printed heater via a sealing part.

6. The nozzle heater according to claim 5, characterized in that, The sealing part is made of a printed circuit board.

7. A substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that, have: The cavity provides space for processing the substrate; A substrate support portion is disposed inside the cavity and the substrate is placed thereon; and A nozzle heater is disposed inside the cavity to supply process gas toward the substrate, and has a printing heater on at least one side above and below, and heats the substrate to a first temperature at which process byproducts are generated on the substrate or a second temperature at which the process byproducts are sublimated.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The printing heater comprises: An insulating layer is printed on at least one side of the top and bottom surfaces of the nozzle heater; Electrodes are formed above the insulating layer; and A protective layer is coated on top of the electrode.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The nozzle heater can be constructed by detachably connecting multiple module heaters.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The printing heater also has a connector for being connected to a power source. The connector is connected to the electrode of the printed heater via a sealing part.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that, The sealing part is made of a printed circuit board.

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