Protective ring assembly and plasma injection device having the same

Abstract

This disclosure discloses a protective ring assembly and a plasma injection device having the assembly. The protective ring assembly includes a body and a plurality of mounting screws. The body has a ring-shaped structure and has a mounting surface and an outer surface facing and away from the processing chamber, respectively. The body has a plurality of slits penetrating the mounting surface and the outer surface, the slits being configured to allow plasma to pass through. The mounting surface has a plurality of mounting slots. The plurality of mounting screws are detachably disposed in the processing chamber. The mounting screws have nuts protruding from the processing chamber, and the nuts have retaining rings on their outer periphery. The outer diameter of the retaining rings is larger than the diameter of the mounting slots. The nuts of the mounting screws are configured to engage with the mounting slots, and the retaining rings are interference-fitted with the slot walls.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor memory fabrication technology, and in particular to a guard ring assembly and a plasma injection device having the assembly. Background Technology

[0002] The shield ring, a key component of the plasma doping (PLAD) system, is typically installed in the process chamber. It is usually positioned on top of the Faraday cup, allowing plasma to pass through its perforations and be read by the Faraday cup.

[0003] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, Figure 1 The image shows a top view of a typical existing guard ring. Figure 2 China representatively shows Figure 1 Partial cross-sectional view of section A. The protective ring 110 of the existing plasma injection device is fixed to the processing chamber by metal screws 120. After the metal screws 120 secure the protective ring 110, a protective cover 130 (shieldring cap) is used to cover the metal screws 120. Because the protective cover 130 undergoes BF3 process (an ion doping and implantation process using boron trifluoride ions as the dopant source), its surface will be etched. Therefore, it needs to be replaced during each maintenance to prevent the protective cover 130 from being punctured, which could lead to increased particle count and the metal screws 120 being exposed, causing discharge problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] A primary objective of this disclosure is to overcome at least one of the deficiencies of the prior art described above, and to provide a protective ring assembly that does not require additional maintenance or replacement of the protective cover.

[0005] Another primary objective of this disclosure is to overcome at least one of the deficiencies of the prior art described above and to provide a plasma injection apparatus having the aforementioned protective ring assembly.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present disclosure adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a protective ring assembly is provided, mounted in a plasma injection apparatus having a processing chamber. The protective ring assembly includes a body and a plurality of mounting screws. The body has an annular structure and has a mounting surface and an outer surface facing and away from the processing chamber, respectively. The body has a plurality of slits penetrating the mounting surface and the outer surface, the slits being configured to allow plasma to pass through. The mounting surface has a plurality of mounting slots. The plurality of mounting screws are detachably disposed in the processing chamber. Each mounting screw has a nut protruding from the processing chamber, and a retaining ring is provided on the outer periphery of the nut. The outer diameter of the retaining ring is larger than the diameter of the mounting slot. The nut of the mounting screw is configured to engage with the mounting slot, and the retaining ring is interference-fitted with the wall of the mounting slot.

[0008] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the thickness of the portion of the body between its outer surface and the bottom of the mounting hole groove is greater than 1 mm.

[0009] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the thickness of the portion of the body between its outer surface and the bottom of the mounting hole groove is 3 mm to 5 mm.

[0010] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the outer periphery of the nut of the mounting screw is provided with an annular groove, the retaining ring is disposed in the annular groove, and the outer periphery of the retaining ring protrudes from the outer periphery of the nut.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the mounting screws has a plurality of retaining rings on the outer periphery of the nut, and the plurality of retaining rings are spaced apart along the axial direction of the mounting screw.

[0012] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the retaining ring is made of rubber.

[0013] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the plurality of slits and the plurality of mounting holes are evenly and alternately distributed on the annular path corresponding to the body.

[0014] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the body has four slits, which are evenly distributed at intervals along the annular path corresponding to the body.

[0015] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the mounting surface of the body is provided with four mounting holes, which are evenly distributed at intervals along the annular path corresponding to the body.

[0016] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a plasma injection apparatus is provided, having a processing chamber provided with a protective ring. The protective ring is the protective ring assembly proposed in this disclosure and described in the above embodiments.

[0017] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the advantages and positive effects of the protective ring assembly and the plasma injection device with the assembly proposed in this disclosure are as follows:

[0018] The protective ring assembly disclosed herein has a mounting hole groove on the mounting surface of the main body facing the processing chamber. A mounting screw is located in the processing chamber and has a nut. A retaining ring is provided on the outer periphery of the nut, and the outer diameter of the retaining ring is larger than the diameter of the mounting hole groove. The nut is interference-fitted into the mounting hole groove, thereby fixing the main body in place. Accordingly, the protective ring assembly disclosed herein eliminates the need for the additional protective cover found in existing solutions, thus saving the cost of replacing the protective cover and preventing the protective cover from being punctured, reducing the risk of abnormal product yield. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The various objectives, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are merely illustrative illustrations of the disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings, the same reference numerals always denote the same or similar parts. Wherein:

[0020] Figure 1 A top view of an existing protective ring is shown representatively;

[0021] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial sectional view of part A in the middle;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a top view of the body of a protective ring assembly according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0023] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A partial sectional view of section B.

[0024] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows:

[0025] 110. Protective ring;

[0026] 120. Metal screws;

[0027] 130. Protective cover;

[0028] 210. Ontology;

[0029] 211. Slit;

[0030] 212. Install mounting holes and slots;

[0031] 220. Install screws;

[0032] 221. Nut;

[0033] 222. Screw;

[0034] 230. Snap ring;

[0035] S1. Mounting surface;

[0036] S2. Outer surface;

[0037] d1. Thickness;

[0038] d2. Thickness. Detailed Implementation

[0039] Typical embodiments embodying the features and advantages of this disclosure will be described in detail in the following description. It should be understood that this disclosure can have various variations in different embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure, and the descriptions and drawings therein are illustrative in nature and not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0040] In the following description of various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this disclosure, and which illustrate by way of example different exemplary structures, systems, and steps that can implement various aspects of this disclosure. It should be understood that other specific embodiments of the components, structures, exemplary devices, systems, and steps may be used, and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, while the terms “above,” “between,” “within,” etc., may be used in this specification to describe different exemplary features and elements of this disclosure, these terms are used herein only for convenience, such as the orientation according to the examples described in the accompanying drawings. Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a specific three-dimensional orientation of the structure to fall within the scope of this disclosure.

[0041] Implementation of the protection ring assembly

[0042] See Figure 3 The illustration shows a top view of the body 210 of the protective ring assembly proposed in this disclosure. In this exemplary embodiment, the protective ring assembly proposed in this disclosure is described as an example of a protective ring used in a plasma injection device. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, additions, substitutions, deletions, or other changes may be made to the specific embodiments described below in order to apply the relevant designs of this disclosure to other types of equipment or other processes, and these changes shall still be within the scope of the principles of the protective ring assembly proposed in this disclosure.

[0043] like Figure 1As shown, in this embodiment, the protective ring assembly proposed in this disclosure can be installed in a plasma injection device. The plasma injection device has a processing chamber, and the protective ring assembly is installed in the processing chamber (not shown in the figure), for example, at the rim of a Faraday cup. The protective ring assembly mainly includes a body and four mounting screws. See also... Figure 2 , Figure 2 A partial cross-sectional view of a guard ring assembly that embodies the principles of this disclosure is shown in the figure. Figure 1 The partial sectional view in section B shows the engagement of the protective ring assembly body with a mounting screw. The following, in conjunction with the aforementioned figures, provides a detailed description of the structure, connection method, and functional relationship of the main components of the protective ring assembly proposed in this disclosure.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the body 210 is generally annular in shape and has a mounting surface S1 facing and an outer surface S2 facing away from the processing chamber, respectively. The body 210 has four slits 211 penetrating the mounting surface S1 and the outer surface S2 to allow plasma to pass through. The mounting surface S1 has four mounting slots 212 for engaging with four mounting screws 220. In other embodiments, depending on the shape of the processing chamber, the body 210 may also have other annular shapes, such as a rectangular annular structure, and is not limited to this embodiment. Furthermore, depending on the different requirements for plasma passage, the number of slits 211 may be two, three, or four or more, and is not limited to this embodiment.

[0045] like Figure 2As shown, in this embodiment, four mounting screws 220 are detachably mounted on the processing chamber. For example, four screw holes are provided on the surface of the processing chamber that mates with the body 210. These screw holes correspond to the positions of the four mounting screws 220, respectively, for screwing into the four mounting screws 220. Specifically, each mounting screw 220 has a nut 221 and a screw 222. The screw 222 is screwed into the processing chamber, and the nut 221 protrudes from the surface of the processing chamber that mates with the body 210. A retaining ring 230 is provided on the outer periphery of the nut 221, and the outer diameter of the retaining ring 230 is slightly larger than the diameter of the mounting hole groove 212. Accordingly, the nut 221 of the mounting screw 220 is inserted into the mounting hole groove 212, and the retaining ring 230 on the nut 221 is interference-fitted with the groove wall of the mounting hole groove 212. The nuts 221 of the four mounting screws 220 are respectively engaged in the four mounting slots 212, thereby fixing the body 210 to the processing chamber. It should be noted that since the mounting screws 220 correspond to the positions of the mounting slots 212, and since the mounting screws 220 correspond to the positions of the screw holes in the connecting structure, the positions of the mounting slots 212 correspond to the positions of the screw holes. In other embodiments, depending on the number of mounting slots 212, the number of mounting screws 220 may be two, three, or four or more, the same as the number of mounting slots 212, and is not limited to this embodiment.

[0046] Through the design described in this disclosure, the protective ring assembly eliminates the need for the protective cover found in existing solutions, thereby saving the cost of replacing the protective cover and preventing its puncture, thus reducing the risk of abnormal product yield. Furthermore, by eliminating the protective cover, the flatness of the protective ring assembly itself can be further optimized, and its thickness can be increased, reducing the possibility of dust being stirred up in the processing chamber due to the protective ring assembly breaking, and avoiding discharge phenomena caused by exposed mounting screws 220. In addition, this disclosure is applicable to all gas types used in plasma injection devices.

[0047] Furthermore, such as Figure 4 As shown, due to the design limitations of its structure and connection method, the thickness d1 of the portion of the protective cover 130 that covers the metal screw 120 is only no more than 1 mm (see...). Figure 2 In contrast, the thickness d2 of the portion of the protective ring assembly 210 between the outer surface S2 and the bottom of the mounting hole groove 212 is preferably greater than 1 mm. Accordingly, this disclosure further reduces the possibility of dust being stirred up in the processing chamber due to breakage of the protective ring assembly, and further avoids discharge phenomena caused by exposed mounting screws 220.

[0048] Furthermore, such as Figure 4As shown, based on the design that the thickness d2 of the portion of the body 210 between its outer surface S2 and the bottom of the mounting hole groove 212 is greater than 1 mm, in this embodiment, the thickness d2 of the portion of the body 210 between its outer surface S2 and the bottom of the mounting hole groove 212 can preferably be 3 mm to 5 mm.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outer periphery of the nut 221 of the mounting screw 220 is preferably provided with an annular groove, which is used for the retaining ring 230 to be engaged therein, and the outer periphery of the retaining ring 230 is exposed on the outer periphery of the nut 221, so as to be interference fit with the groove wall of the mounting hole 212.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the material of the retaining ring 230 is preferably rubber. In other embodiments, the retaining ring 230 may also be made of other materials with elasticity and insulation, and is not limited to this embodiment.

[0051] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the four slits 211 and four mounting slots 212 are preferably alternately distributed at uniform intervals along the annular path of the body 210 of the protective ring assembly. In other embodiments, based on different installation requirements of the protective ring assembly and the processing chamber, the slits 211 and mounting slots can also adopt other distribution forms. For example, two or more mounting slots 212 can be provided between two adjacent slits 211, or mounting slots 212 can be omitted (partially between two adjacent slits 211).

[0052] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 As shown, based on the design where the four slits 211 and the four mounting holes 212 are alternately distributed at uniform intervals, in this embodiment, the four slits 211 are preferably evenly distributed at intervals along the annular path corresponding to the body 210. In other embodiments, when there are multiple slits 211, the multiple slits 211 are also preferably evenly distributed at intervals along the annular path corresponding to the body 210.

[0053] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 As shown, based on the design where the four slits 211 and four mounting slots 212 are alternately distributed at uniform intervals, in this embodiment, the four mounting slots 212 can preferably be evenly distributed at intervals along the annular path corresponding to the body 210. In other embodiments, when there are multiple mounting slots 212, the multiple mounting slots 212 can also preferably be evenly distributed at intervals along the annular path corresponding to the body 210.

[0054] It should be noted that the guard ring assemblies shown in the accompanying drawings and described in this specification are merely a few examples among many guard ring assemblies capable of employing the principles of this disclosure. It should be clearly understood that the principles of this disclosure are by no means limited to any detail of the guard ring assembly shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification, or to any component of the guard ring assembly.

[0055] For example, in other embodiments, each mounting screw may preferably have a plurality of retaining rings on the outer periphery of the nut, and these retaining rings are distributed at intervals along the axial direction of the mounting screw on the outer periphery of the nut.

[0056] Plasma injection device implementation method

[0057] Based on the foregoing exemplary description of the guard ring assembly proposed in this disclosure, an exemplary embodiment of the plasma injection apparatus proposed in this disclosure will be described below. In this embodiment, the plasma injection apparatus proposed in this disclosure is described as an example of a plasma injection process applied in semiconductor device manufacturing. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, additions, substitutions, deletions, or other changes may be made to the specific embodiments described below in order to apply the relevant designs of this disclosure to other types of devices or other processes, and these changes are still within the scope of the principles of the plasma injection apparatus proposed in this disclosure.

[0058] In this embodiment, the plasma injection apparatus of the present disclosure has a processing chamber, on which a protective ring assembly of the present disclosure and described in detail in the above embodiments is disposed.

[0059] It should be noted that the plasma injection apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings and described in this specification are merely a few examples among many plasma injection apparatuses capable of employing the principles of this disclosure. It should be clearly understood that the principles of this disclosure are by no means limited to any detail of the plasma injection apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification, or to any component of the plasma injection apparatus.

[0060] In summary, the protective ring assembly proposed in this disclosure has a mounting hole groove on the mounting surface of the body facing the processing chamber. A mounting screw is located in the processing chamber and has a nut. A retaining ring is provided on the outer periphery of the nut, and the outer diameter of the retaining ring is larger than the diameter of the mounting hole groove. The nut is interference-fitted into the mounting hole groove, thereby fixing the body in place. Therefore, the protective ring assembly proposed in this disclosure eliminates the need for the protective cover found in existing solutions, thus saving the cost of replacing the protective cover and preventing the protective cover from being punctured, reducing the risk of abnormal product yield.

[0061] The foregoing has described and / or illustrated exemplary embodiments of the protective ring assembly and plasma injection apparatus having the assembly as proposed in this disclosure. However, the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein; rather, components and / or steps of each embodiment may be used independently and separately from other components and / or steps described herein. Each component and / or step of one embodiment may also be used in combination with other components and / or steps of other embodiments. In describing the elements / components / etc. described and / or illustrated herein, the terms “a,” “an,” and “the above” are used to indicate the presence of one or more elements / components / etc. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion and mean that additional elements / components / etc. may exist in addition to those listed.

[0062] Although the protective ring assembly and plasma injection apparatus having the assembly have been described according to different specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that modifications may be made to the implementation of the disclosure within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A protective ring assembly, installed in a plasma injection device having a processing chamber, characterized in that, The protection ring assembly includes: The body has a ring-shaped structure and has a mounting surface and an outer surface facing away from the processing chamber, respectively. The body has multiple slits penetrating the mounting surface and the outer surface, the slits being configured to allow plasma to pass through. The mounting surface has multiple mounting slots. Multiple mounting screws are detachably disposed in the processing chamber. Each mounting screw has a nut protruding from the processing chamber. The outer periphery of the nut is provided with an annular groove. A retaining ring is provided in the annular groove. The retaining ring is made of rubber. The outer diameter of the retaining ring is larger than the diameter of the mounting hole groove. The outer periphery of the retaining ring protrudes from the outer periphery of the nut and is used for interference fit with the groove wall of the mounting hole groove. The thickness of the portion of the body between its outer surface and the bottom of the mounting hole groove is greater than 1 mm. The nut of the mounting screw is configured to snap into the mounting hole groove, and the retaining ring is interference-fitted with the groove wall of the mounting hole groove.

2. The protective ring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the portion of the body between its outer surface and the bottom of the mounting hole is 3 mm to 5 mm.

3. The protective ring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the mounting screws has a plurality of retaining rings on the outer periphery of the nut, and the plurality of retaining rings are distributed at intervals along the axial direction of the mounting screw.

4. The protective ring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multiple slits and the multiple mounting holes are evenly and alternately distributed along the annular path corresponding to the body.

5. The protective ring assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, The main body has four slits, which are evenly distributed at intervals along the annular path corresponding to the main body.

6. The protective ring assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The mounting surface of the body has four mounting holes, which are evenly distributed at intervals along the annular path corresponding to the body.

7. A plasma injection device comprising a processing chamber, wherein the processing chamber is provided with a protective ring, characterized in that, The protective ring is the protective ring assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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