Upper electrode structure, semiconductor process chamber, and semiconductor process equipment
The multi-layer, multi-region magnetic component in the upper electrode structure addresses the limitations of traditional chambers by precisely controlling plasma distribution, enhancing etching uniformity and reducing costs in semiconductor process chambers.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- TW113147237
- Authority / Receiving Office
- TW · TW
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-12-20
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-05
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-11
- Estimated Expiration
- 2044-12-04
AI Technical Summary
Traditional semiconductor process chambers improve plasma uniformity through structural dimensions and installation precision, but the improvement effect is limited, leading to non-uniform etching and increased costs due to space and cost requirements for enhancing magnetic field capability.
An upper electrode structure with a multi-layer, multi-region magnetic component that includes independently powered coils, allowing precise control of plasma distribution, and a semiconductor process chamber with adjustable magnetic components for enhanced plasma uniformity and etching capability.
Improves plasma uniformity and etching uniformity across the wafer surface, reduces equipment costs by optimizing magnetic field capability without increasing space requirements, and enhances etching selectivity and efficiency.
Smart Images

Figure IMG-2_DRAW_113147237-A0101-14-0001-1 
Figure IMG-2_DRAW_113147237-A0101-14-0001-3 
Figure IMG-2_DRAW_113147237-A0101-14-0002-4
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor technology, specifically to an upper electrode structure, a semiconductor process chamber, and semiconductor process equipment. Prior Technology
[0002] In integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing processes, dry etching is becoming an increasingly important step. As IC feature sizes continue to decrease, dry etching accounts for a growing proportion of the production line. A traditional capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) process chamber consists of an upper electrode and a lower electrode positioned opposite each other. The radio frequency (RF) power supply is applied to the lower electrode, while the upper electrode serves only as one plate of a capacitor. Process gas enters the process chamber from the upper electrode and is ionized through the upper and lower electrodes to generate plasma. This plasma bombards the wafer surface to etch it.
[0003] Generally, the more uniform the plasma distribution, the better the etching uniformity. Traditional process chambers can only improve plasma uniformity through structural dimensions and installation precision, but the improvement effect is limited and has significant limitations in application. Summary of the Invention
[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides an upper electrode structure, a semiconductor process chamber, and a semiconductor process equipment, which can improve the limited improvement effect of existing semiconductor process chambers that can only improve plasma uniformity through structural dimensions and installation accuracy.
[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, in a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide an upper electrode structure applied in a semiconductor process chamber, the upper electrode structure comprising:
[0006] An upper electrode assembly is disposed at the top of the semiconductor process chamber;
[0007] A magnetic component is disposed above the upper electrode component, the magnetic component comprising at least two coil groups arranged vertically;
[0008] Each coil group includes a first coil and at least one second coil, which are nested sequentially, with the innermost second coil nested outside the first coil. Each second coil and the first coil are independently powered by DC.
[0009] In some embodiments, the magnetic component further includes:
[0010] A base is disposed above the upper electrode assembly. The base has at least two accommodating cavities arranged vertically, and the at least two coil groups are correspondingly disposed in the at least two accommodating cavities.
[0011] Each of the accommodating cavities includes a first annular cavity and at least one second annular cavity, the at least one second annular cavity being nested sequentially, with the innermost second annular cavity nested outside the first annular cavity;
[0012] In the accommodating cavity and the corresponding coil group, the first coil is disposed in the first annular cavity, and the at least one second coil is disposed in the at least one second annular cavity.
[0013] In some embodiments, two coil groups are provided, and each coil group includes the first coil and the second coil;
[0014] The base includes:
[0015] The supporting plate substrate has a first annular groove and a second annular groove surrounding the first annular groove on its top surface, and a third annular groove and a fourth annular groove surrounding the third annular groove on its bottom surface;
[0016] A top cover is provided to seal the top surface of the supporting plate substrate, and the top cover, together with the first annular groove and the second annular groove, respectively form the first annular cavity and the second annular cavity;
[0017] The bottom cover covers the bottom surface of the support plate substrate, and the bottom cover, together with the third annular groove and the fourth annular groove, respectively form the first annular cavity and the second annular cavity.
[0018] In some embodiments, the magnetic component further includes:
[0019] A cooling element is provided on the top surface of the base for introducing circulating cooling medium to cool the base.
[0020] In some embodiments, the upper electrode structure further includes:
[0021] A mounting frame is provided, on which the upper electrode assembly is disposed. The mounting frame is provided with a first partition spaced apart from the upper electrode assembly and the first partition is located above the upper electrode assembly. The base is movably disposed on the first partition.
[0022] A first drive source is disposed on the first partition and connected to the base, for driving the base to move horizontally relative to the first partition.
[0023] In some embodiments, the first driving source includes:
[0024] At least one pair of first motors are arranged around the base, and the two first motors of the same pair are symmetrically arranged with respect to the center of the upper electrode assembly, for cooperating to drive the base to move along the straight line where the two first motors of the same pair are located.
[0025] In some embodiments, the upper electrode structure further includes:
[0026] A second driving source is disposed on the first partition and connected to the base, and is used to adjust the tilt angle of the magnetic component or its height relative to the first partition.
[0027] In some embodiments, the second driving source includes:
[0028] At least three second motors are connected to the bottom surface of the base for adjusting the height or tilt angle of the base.
[0029] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a semiconductor process chamber, including a chamber body and an upper electrode structure as described in the above embodiments;
[0030] The top of the chamber body has an opening, and the upper electrode structure is disposed at the opening.
[0031] In some embodiments, the semiconductor process chamber further includes:
[0032] An RF feed module is connected to the upper electrode structure and is used to apply an RF voltage to the upper electrode structure.
[0033] Thirdly, embodiments of this application also provide a semiconductor processing apparatus, including the semiconductor process chamber described in the above embodiments.
[0034] As described above, the upper electrode structure provided in this application also includes a magnetic component, which is disposed above the upper electrode component. The magnetic component includes two or more coil groups arranged vertically. Each coil group includes a first coil and at least one second coil. In each coil group, all second coils and the first coil are independently loaded with DC voltage. That is, in this embodiment, the magnetic component is divided into multiple layers along the axial direction and multiple regions along the radial direction. It is possible to control whether the coils in each layer and each region are loaded with voltage, thereby precisely controlling the radial distribution of plasma and improving the uniformity of plasma. In addition, compared with a single-layer or single-region coil structure, when it is necessary to increase the magnetic field capability, it is necessary to increase the number of turns or change the coil wire diameter and other parameters. This requires more space and is more expensive. In this embodiment, the entire magnetic component is a multi-layer, multi-region coil. When it is necessary to increase the same magnetic field capability, it is only necessary to fine-tune the number of turns and wire diameter of the coils in each region. This can improve the space reuse rate of the upper electrode structure and reduce the cost of the equipment. Simple Explanation of the Diagram
[0035] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application. To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any creative effort. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a semiconductor process chamber in the related technology; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an upper electrode structure provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the effect of a magnetic component on plasma distribution according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic component provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 is an exploded structural diagram of a magnetic component provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a cooling component provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 is a top view of the connection between a magnetic component and a first driving source provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram (bottom view) of the horizontal position adjustment of a magnetic component provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 9 is a side view of a magnetic component in the vertical direction according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram (side view) of adjusting the tilt angle of a magnetic component according to an embodiment of this application.
[0036] The realization of the objectives, functional features, and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings have illustrated specific embodiments of this application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and textual descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept in any way, but rather to illustrate the concepts of this application to those skilled in the art through reference to specific embodiments. Implementation
[0037] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.
[0038] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Furthermore, components, features, and elements with the same names in different embodiments of this application may have the same meaning or different meanings, the specific meaning of which must be determined by its interpretation in that specific embodiment or further in conjunction with the context of that specific embodiment.
[0039] It should be further understood that the terms "comprising" or "including" indicate the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, elements, components, items, types, and / or groups, but do not exclude the presence, occurrence, or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, items, types, and / or groups. The terms "or," "and / or," and "comprising at least one of the following," as used in this application, can be interpreted as inclusive, or mean any one or any combination thereof. For example, "comprising at least one of the following: A, B, C" means "any one of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A and B and C," and similarly, "A, B, or C" or "A, B, and / or C" means "any one of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A and B and C." Exceptions to this definition only occur when the combination of elements, functions, steps, or operations is inherently mutually exclusive in some way.
[0040] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used in this document to describe various types of information, this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of this document, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” used in this document are intended to also include the plural forms, unless the context indicates otherwise.
[0041] It should be understood that the terms "top", "bottom", "upper", "lower", "vertical", "horizontal", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this application.
[0042] For ease of description, the following embodiments are all illustrated using an orthogonal space formed by a horizontal plane and a vertical direction as an example. This premise should not be construed as a limitation of this application.
[0043] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor process chamber in the related art. The semiconductor process chamber includes a chamber body 10a, an upper electrode assembly 20a and a lower electrode assembly 30a disposed opposite to each other within the chamber body 10a, and a cover plate 40a covering the top of the chamber body 10a. The lower electrode assembly 30a is loaded with radio frequency power provided by a radio frequency power supply. The upper electrode assembly 20a serves only as one electrode of a capacitor and may specifically include an upper electrode 21a and a gas distribution disk 22a disposed on the top surface of the upper electrode 21a. A cavity 50a is formed between the gas distribution disk 22a and the cover plate 40a. The process gas passes through the vent hole in the center of the cover plate 40a, enters the cavity 50a, and enters the chamber body 10a through the gas distribution structure in the upper electrode assembly 20a. Under the discharge excitation of the upper electrode assembly 20a and the lower electrode assembly 30a, plasma is formed to bombard and etch the wafer surface. The current semiconductor process chamber can only improve plasma uniformity through structural dimensions and installation precision, with limited improvement effect and significant limitations in application. Therefore, this application provides an upper electrode structure, a semiconductor process chamber, and a semiconductor process apparatus.
[0044] Please refer to Figures 2-4. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an upper electrode structure provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the influence of a magnetic component on plasma distribution provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a magnetic component provided in an embodiment of this application. The upper electrode structure may include an upper electrode component 10 and a magnetic component 20. In application, the upper electrode component 10 is used to be disposed on the top of a semiconductor process chamber, for example, it may be supported on the side wall of the chamber body 100.
[0045] The magnetic component 20 is disposed above the upper electrode assembly 10. For example, the magnetic component 20 can be mounted above the upper electrode assembly 10 using a structure such as a bracket. The specific mounting method is not particularly limited in this embodiment. The magnetic component 20 includes at least two coil groups 21. The at least two coil groups 21 (i.e., all coil groups 21) are arranged vertically. Each coil group 21 includes a first coil 211 and at least one second coil 212. At least one second coil 212 (i.e., all second coils 212) are nested sequentially, and the innermost second coil 212 is nested outside the first coil 211. Each second coil 212, i.e., each of all second coils 212, receives DC power independently from the first coil 211.
[0046] Figures 2 and 4 illustrate a 2×2 magnetic component 20 structure, which consists of two coil groups 21 arranged vertically. Each coil group 21 includes a first coil 211 and a second coil 212. In other embodiments, such as for larger process chambers or larger wafers, each magnetic component 20 may include more than two coil groups 21, and each coil group 21 may also include more than two second coils 212. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the first coil 211 can be disk-shaped or a ring structure with a hollow center, the hollow portion of which is used to set other structures. In this application, the first coil 211 is described using a ring structure as an example, which does not constitute a limitation of this application.
[0047] Please refer to Figure 3. Figure 3(3b) is a schematic diagram illustrating the effect of a magnetic component on plasma distribution according to an embodiment of this application. In Figure 3(3a), as a comparison diagram, the top surface of the upper electrode assembly 10 does not have the magnetic component 20, and the plasma moves almost in a straight line towards the surface of the wafer 101 on the support base 200. Typically, the plasma distribution density is higher in the center region of the wafer and lower in the edge region. This can easily lead to a faster etching rate in the center region than in the edge region, and increase the probability of eccentricity. In Figure 3(3b), the top surface of the upper electrode assembly 10 has the magnetic component 20. After a DC voltage is applied to the magnetic component 20, it generates a radial magnetic field in the vertical direction. As the plasma moves downward, it is deflected towards the circumferential edge of the wafer under the influence of the magnetic field, reducing the plasma density in the center region and increasing the plasma density in the edge region. By adjusting the voltage applied to the magnetic component 20, the plasma density distribution on the entire surface of the wafer 101 can be made more uniform.
[0048] In this embodiment, the magnetic component 20 includes two or more coil groups 21. Each coil group 21 includes a first coil 211 and at least one second coil 212. Since each of the second coils 212 in each coil group 21 is independently loaded with a DC voltage along with the first coil 211, this embodiment divides the magnetic component 20 into multiple layers along the axial direction and multiple regions along the radial direction. Furthermore, the voltage loading on each coil in each layer and region can be controlled individually, allowing for precise control of the radial distribution of plasma. In addition, compared to single-layer or single-region coil structures, increasing the number of turns or changing the coil wire diameter is necessary to improve the magnetic field capability, resulting in a larger space requirement and higher cost. In this embodiment, the entire magnetic component 20 is a multi-layer, multi-region coil. To improve the same magnetic field capability, only the number of turns and wire diameter of the coils in each region need to be fine-tuned. This improves the space reuse rate of the upper electrode structure and reduces equipment costs. This application does not limit the specific structure of the upper electrode assembly 10. As an example, please refer to Figure 2. The upper electrode assembly 10 may include a cooling inlet disk 11, a gas equalization disk 12, and a silicon electrode 13 stacked in sequence, as well as a focusing ring 14 sleeved on the outside of the upper electrode assembly 10 and an isolation ring 15 sleeved on the outside of the cooling inlet disk 11 and the gas equalization disk 12. The cooling inlet disk 11 can be used to allow gas to pass through, and at the same time, a cooling channel is provided inside to cool the outside of the upper electrode assembly 10. The gas equalization disk 12 can homogenize the gas, and after homogenization, the gas enters the process chamber through the small hole of the silicon electrode 13.
[0049] In one embodiment, referring to Figures 2 and 4, this application provides a specific embodiment of a coil assembly. The magnetic assembly 20 in this embodiment may further include a base 22, which is disposed above the upper electrode assembly 10. For example, the base 22 may be supported on the side wall of the chamber body 100, or supported by corresponding components on the side wall of the chamber body 100 and suspended above the upper electrode assembly 10 to provide potential isolation between the coil group 21 and the upper electrode assembly 10. The base 22 contains at least two accommodating cavities 221, arranged vertically, with each coil group 21 correspondingly disposed in each accommodating cavity 221. Furthermore, each accommodating cavity 221 includes a first annular cavity 2211 and at least one second annular cavity 2212. Multiple second annular cavities 2212 are nested sequentially, with the innermost second annular cavity 2212 nested outside the first annular cavity 2211. In the accommodating cavity 221 and the corresponding coil group 21, the first coil 211 is disposed in the first annular cavity 2211, and each second coil 212 is disposed in each second annular cavity 2212.
[0050] For example, as shown in Figure 4, the base 22 may include two accommodating cavities 221 arranged in a vertical direction, and each accommodating cavity 221 is provided with a coil group 21. Specifically, each accommodating cavity 221 is provided with a first annular cavity 2211 and a second annular cavity 2212, and each coil group 21 includes a first coil 211 disposed in the first annular cavity 2211 and a second coil 212 disposed in the second annular cavity 2212.
[0051] As an implementation of the base 22 including the above-mentioned double-zone double-layer coil, please refer to Figure 5. Figure 5 is an exploded structural schematic diagram of a magnetic component provided in the embodiment of this application. The base 22 may include: a support plate base 223, and a top cover 224 and a bottom cover 225 disposed on the upper and lower sides of the support plate base 223. The top surface of the support plate base 223 is provided with a first annular groove 2231 and a second annular groove 2232 surrounding the first annular groove 2231. The top cover 224 is sealed (e.g., welded) on the top surface of the support plate base 223. The top cover 224 and the first annular groove 2231 form a first annular cavity 2211, that is, the top cover 224 closes the opening of the first annular groove 2231 to form the first annular cavity 2211. The top cover 224 and the second annular groove 2232 form a second annular cavity 2212, that is, the top cover 224 closes the opening of the second annular groove 2232 to form the second annular cavity 2212. A first coil 211 is provided in the first annular cavity 2211 and a second coil 212 is provided in the second annular cavity 2212. Similarly, a third annular groove and a fourth annular groove (not shown in the figure due to the viewing angle) can also be provided on the bottom surface of the support plate base 223. The bottom cover 225 covers the bottom surface of the support plate base 223. The bottom cover 225 and the third annular groove form a first annular cavity, that is, the bottom cover 225 closes the opening of the third annular groove to form a first annular cavity; the bottom cover 225 and the fourth annular groove form a second annular cavity, that is, the bottom cover 225 closes the opening of the fourth annular groove to form a second annular cavity; the first annular cavity and the second annular cavity formed on the bottom surface of the support plate base 223 respectively accommodate the first coil 211 and the second coil 212.
[0052] It is understandable that when more coil layers 21 need to be set, the carrier plate substrate 223 and the corresponding top cover 224 and bottom cover 225 can be added, and they can be stacked and welded in sequence.
[0053] In one embodiment, referring to Figures 4 and 5, the magnetic component 20 may further include a cooling element 23 disposed on the top surface of the base 22 for introducing a circulating cooling medium to cool the base 22. For example, the cooling element 23 may be disposed on the top surface of the top cover 224 of the base 22. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of a cooling element provided in an embodiment of this application. The cooling element 23 may have a spiral channel 231 inside. The inlet 232 and outlet 233 of the channel 231 may both be disposed on the side of the cooling element 23 for connecting pipes so that the circulating cooling medium can flow through the cooling element 23 to achieve cooling and temperature control of the base 22.
[0054] In one embodiment, please refer to Figures 2 and 7. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram (top view) of the connection between a magnetic component and a first driving source provided in an embodiment of this application. The upper electrode structure may further include a fixing frame 30 and a first driving source 40. The upper electrode component 10 is disposed on the fixing frame 30. The fixing frame 30 is provided with a first partition 31 spaced apart from the upper electrode component 10, and the first partition 31 is located above the upper electrode component 10. The base 22 of the magnetic component 20 is movably disposed on the first partition 31. The first driving source 40 is disposed on the first partition 31 and connected to the base 22, and is used to drive the base 22 to move horizontally relative to the first partition 31.
[0055] Since the horizontal position of the induced magnetic field of the magnetic component 20 has a significant impact on the uniformity of the plasma, this embodiment can use the first driving source 40 to drive the base 22 to move horizontally relative to the first partition 31, thereby adjusting the horizontal position of the magnetic component 20. This increases the magnetic flux in areas with weak etching rates, improves the electron density in those areas, and consequently increases the etching rate in those areas, meeting specific process requirements. These specific process requirements necessitate large or small magnetic field strengths in certain directions, which cannot be satisfied by simply changing the voltage across multiple regions. This embodiment can directionally improve the etching capability in a specific direction according to process requirements, thus offering a wider selection ratio for etching. The first driving source 40 can be implemented using a motor combined with a conventional motion mechanism; its specific implementation is not particularly limited in this application.
[0056] To prevent the magnetic field generated by the magnetic component 20 from affecting the peripheral circuit, please refer to Figure 2. Preferably, the mounting bracket 30 is also provided with a shield 32. The shield 32 is provided on the first partition 31 to cover the magnetic component 20 inside, so that the magnetic field generated by the magnetic component 20 can only be emitted to one side of the upward electrode assembly 10.
[0057] As an example of a first driving source 40, please refer to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram (bottom view) of the horizontal position adjustment of a magnetic component provided in an embodiment of this application. The first driving source 40 may include at least one pair of first motors 41. All first motors 41 are arranged around the base 22, and the two first motors 41 of the same pair are symmetrically arranged with respect to the center of the upper electrode assembly 10, for cooperating to drive the base 22 to move along the straight line where the two first motors 41 of the same pair are located. It can be understood that, for Figure 7, when the magnetic component 20 is coaxially arranged with the upper electrode assembly 10 in the initial position, the two first motors 41 of the same pair are simultaneously symmetrically arranged with respect to the center of the magnetic component 20.
[0058] For example, when the horizontal position of the magnetic component 20 needs to be adjusted, as shown in Figure 8, the two first motors 41A and 41B of the same pair control the extension and retraction of their own screw rods via electrical signals to push the magnetic component 20, causing its position to change. Specifically, the screw rod of the first motor 41A at the 3 o'clock position extends, while the screw rod of the first motor 41B at the 9 o'clock position retracts, adjusting the position of the magnetic component 20 towards the 9 o'clock direction (from the solid line to the dashed line position). It can be understood that in this embodiment, the more pairs of first motors 41 there are, the more precise the position adjustment of the magnetic component 20.
[0059] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 2, the upper electrode structure may further include a second driving source 50, which is disposed on the first partition 31 and connected to the base 22, for adjusting the tilt angle of the base 22 or its height relative to the first partition 31.
[0060] Because the magnetic field strength of the magnetic component 20 decreases as the distance from the upper electrode component 10 increases, this embodiment can drive a portion or the entire base 22 to move vertically via the second driving source 50 to adjust the tilt angle or height of the base 22 to meet certain special process requirements. These special process requirements require a larger magnetic field strength, which cannot be met by simply changing the voltage of the multi-zone. This embodiment can directionally improve the etching capability in a certain direction according to process requirements, thus providing a wider etching selectivity. The second driving source 50 can be implemented by a motor plus a conventional motion mechanism, and its specific implementation is not particularly limited in this application.
[0061] As an example of a second driving source 50, please refer to Figures 9 and 10. Figure 9 is a side view of a schematic diagram (for adjusting the vertical position of a magnetic component) provided in an embodiment of this application, and Figure 10 is a side view (for adjusting the tilt angle of a magnetic component) provided in an embodiment of this application. The second driving source 50 may include at least three second motors 51. The second motors 51 are connected to the bottom surface of the base 22 of the magnetic component 20 and are used to adjust the height or tilt angle of the base 22 of the magnetic component 20. When it is necessary to adjust the vertical position (i.e., height) of the magnetic component 20, the screws of all the second motors 51 can be controlled to extend or retract simultaneously, as shown in Figure 9. At this time, the base 22 of the magnetic component 20 moves vertically as a whole. When it is necessary to adjust the tilt angle of the base 22 of the magnetic component 20, at least one of the second motors 51 can be selectively controlled to extend through the three-point leveling principle, so that a part of the base 22 of the magnetic component 20 moves vertically, thereby reaching the target tilt angle.
[0062] Please refer to Figure 2. This embodiment of the application also provides a semiconductor process chamber, including a chamber body 100 and an upper electrode structure as described in the above embodiments. The top of the chamber body 100 has an opening, and the upper electrode structure is disposed at the opening. This semiconductor process chamber can be a capacitively coupled plasma etching process chamber.
[0063] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 2, the semiconductor process chamber may further include an RF feed module 300, which is connected to the upper electrode structure and is used to apply an RF voltage to the upper electrode structure.
[0064] Traditional CCP equipment typically does not house radio frequency (RF) components on its upper electrode structure. Its ability to influence plasma uniformity is limited by structural dimensions and installation precision requirements. This invention, however, applies an RF voltage to the upper electrode structure, thereby increasing plasma density and expanding the usable RF window.
[0065] For example, the RF feed module 300 can be connected to a matching unit, and then connected to the upper electrode structure through the RF feed copper pillar 301. Applying RF voltage to the upper electrode structure can increase the plasma density and increase the usable RF window.
[0066] In one embodiment, the semiconductor process chamber further includes a multi-way air intake system, for example, multiple air intake holes can be provided on the cooling air intake plate 11 of the upper electrode structure, with each air intake hole connected to an air intake pipe 400.
[0067] Traditional upper electrode structures typically employ a single-point intake at the center, with gas diffusing layer by layer. Due to abrupt changes in space, eddies are generated, affecting gas uniformity. Furthermore, when a small flow rate of gas is introduced during the process, some gas is absorbed by this gap, impacting gas transfer efficiency. This gap is caused by the fit and installation and cannot be eliminated. In this embodiment, a multi-entry system allows for more uniform and stable entry into the process chamber.
[0068] This application also provides a semiconductor process apparatus, which includes the semiconductor process chamber described in the above embodiments. The semiconductor process apparatus may be a CCP etching apparatus.
[0069] For other working principles and processes of the semiconductor process chamber and semiconductor processing equipment in this embodiment, please refer to the description of the upper electrode structure in the foregoing embodiments of the present invention, which will not be repeated here.
[0070] The above provides a detailed description of the upper electrode structure, semiconductor process chamber, and semiconductor process equipment provided in this application. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. It should be noted that the descriptions of each embodiment in this application have different focuses; parts not described in detail in a particular embodiment can be referred to in the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.
[0071] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and do not limit the patent scope of this application. The technical features of the technical solution of this application can be combined arbitrarily. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of this application's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are also included within the patent protection scope of this application, as long as the combination of these technical features does not contradict each other.
[0072] 10: Upper electrode assembly 10a: Chamber body 11: Cooling intake plate 12: Gas Equalization Plate 13: Silicon electrode 14: Focusing Ring 15: Isolation ring 20: Magnetic components 20a: Upper electrode assembly 21: Coil Group 21a: Upper electrode 22a: Gas distribution plate 22: Base 23: Cooling components 30: Fixture 30a: Lower electrode assembly 31: First partition 32: Shielding cover 40: First driving source 40a: Cover plate 41: First motor 41A: First motor 41B: First motor 50: Second driving source 50a: Cavity 51: Second motor 100: Chamber body 101: Wafer 200: Support base 211: First coil 212: Second coil 221: Receptacle 223: Support plate substrate 224: Top Cover 225: Bottom Cover 231: Channel 232: Entrance 233: Exports 300: Radio Frequency Feed Module 301: RF feed copper pillar 400: Intake pipe 2211: First annular cavity 2212: Second annular cavity 2231: First annular groove 2232: Second annular groove
Claims
1. An upper electrode structure applied in a semiconductor process chamber, wherein, The upper electrode structure includes: an upper electrode assembly for being disposed on the top of the semiconductor process chamber; a magnetic assembly disposed above the upper electrode assembly, the magnetic assembly including a base and at least two coil groups, the at least two coil groups being arranged vertically and correspondingly disposed in at least two accommodating cavities within the base; each coil group including a first coil and at least one second coil, the at least one second coil being nested sequentially, with the innermost second coil nested outside the first coil, each second coil and the first coil receiving DC power independently, wherein each accommodating cavity includes a first annular cavity and at least one second annular cavity, in which the first coil is disposed in the first annular cavity and the at least one second coil is correspondingly disposed in the at least one second annular cavity.
2. The upper electrode structure as described in claim 1, wherein, The at least one second annular cavity of each accommodating cavity is sequentially nested, and the innermost second annular cavity is nested outside the first annular cavity.
3. The upper electrode structure as described in claim 2, wherein, The coil assembly has two coils, and each coil assembly includes a first coil and a second coil; the base includes: a support plate base, the top surface of which has a first annular groove and a second annular groove surrounding the first annular groove, and the bottom surface of which has a third annular groove and a fourth annular groove surrounding the third annular groove; a top cover, which covers the top surface of the support plate base, and the top cover, together with the first annular groove and the second annular groove, respectively forms the first annular cavity and the second annular cavity; a bottom cover, which covers the bottom surface of the support plate base, and the bottom cover, together with the third annular groove and the fourth annular groove, respectively forms the first annular cavity and the second annular cavity.
4. The upper electrode structure as described in claim 2, wherein, The magnetic component also includes: a cooling element disposed on the top surface of the base for introducing a circulating cooling medium to cool the base.
5. The upper electrode structure as described in claim 2, wherein, Also includes: A fixed frame on which the upper electrode assembly is disposed, and a first partition plate spaced apart from the upper electrode assembly is provided on the fixed frame and the first partition plate is located above the upper electrode assembly. A base is movably disposed on the first partition plate. A first drive source is disposed on the first partition plate and connected to the base for driving the base to move horizontally relative to the first partition plate.
6. The upper electrode structure as described in claim 5, wherein, The first drive source includes: at least one pair of first motors, arranged around the base, and the two first motors of the same pair are symmetrically arranged relative to the center of the upper electrode assembly, for cooperating to drive the base to move along the straight line where the two first motors of the same pair are located.
7. The upper electrode structure as described in claim 5, wherein, It also includes: a second drive source, disposed on the first partition and connected to the base, for adjusting the tilt angle of the magnetic component or its height relative to the first partition.
8. The upper electrode structure as described in claim 7, wherein, The second drive source includes at least three second motors connected to the bottom surface of the base for adjusting the height or tilt angle of the base.
9. A semiconductor process chamber, comprising a chamber body and an upper electrode structure as described in any one of claims 1-8; the top of the chamber body is provided with an opening, and the upper electrode structure is disposed at the opening.
10. The semiconductor process chamber as claimed in claim 9, wherein, Also includes: An RF feed module is connected to the upper electrode structure and is used to apply an RF voltage to the upper electrode structure.
11. A semiconductor processing apparatus comprising the semiconductor process chamber as described in any one of claims 9 or 10.