A plasma processing device and a method for adjusting the same

Abstract

The present invention discloses a plasma processing device and an adjustment method thereof, the device comprising: a vacuum reaction chamber, which is surrounded by a reaction chamber body and a chamber end cover; a movable upper electrode assembly, which is arranged in the vacuum reaction chamber; a lower electrode assembly, which is arranged opposite to the movable upper electrode assembly, and the lower electrode assembly is detachably connected to the bottom of the reaction chamber body; a plurality of self-alignment devices, the self-alignment devices comprising a self-alignment upper structure and a self-alignment lower structure, which are respectively connected to the movable upper electrode assembly and the lower electrode assembly, and the centers of the movable upper electrode assembly and the lower electrode assembly are aligned when the self-alignment upper structure and the self-alignment lower structure are aligned and spliced. The advantages are: the device realizes the concentricity adjustment of the movable upper electrode assembly and the lower electrode assembly through the coordinated cooperation of the self-alignment upper structure and the self-alignment lower structure, the self-alignment device has a simple structure, is easy to operate, and reduces the debugging pressure of the staff.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor equipment, and in particular to a plasma processing device and an adjustment method thereof. Background Art

[0002] At present, plasma etching, physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition and other processes are usually used to micro-process semiconductor process parts or substrates, such as manufacturing flexible display screens, flat panel displays, light-emitting diodes, solar cells, etc. Different steps of micro-machining can include plasma-assisted processes, such as wafer edge etching processes, which are generally carried out in a vacuum reaction chamber.

[0003] In order to ensure the uniformity and etching effect of the wafer, the wafer must be placed horizontally to ensure the uniformity of the process etching. In addition, the concentricity of the upper electrode assembly and the lower electrode assembly must be ensured so that the etching areas between the two overlap to ensure the wafer etching effect.

[0004] When transferring the wafer in and out of the vacuum reaction chamber, the upper electrode assembly is lifted; when processing the wafer, the upper electrode assembly is lowered and leaves a small gap between it and the wafer. Therefore, when the upper electrode assembly is lowered near the wafer, it needs to maintain a very high concentricity with the wafer and the lower electrode assembly, so that the part of the wafer edge exposed to the plasma is symmetrical in the circumferential direction, so that uniform etching can be obtained to ensure the effect of bevel etching.

[0005] In a plasma processing device, the upper electrode assembly is usually connected to the chamber end cover of the vacuum reaction chamber. During daily operation and maintenance, the chamber end cover needs to be opened frequently to adjust the structure inside the chamber. Each time the chamber end cover is flipped, it needs to be re-centered and linked with the upper electrode assembly to keep the upper electrode assembly and the wafer at a high concentricity. However, this process takes a long time and may affect the working time of the plasma processing device. In addition, after the chamber end cover is flipped multiple times, the upper electrode assembly connected to it may be offset. Even after the chamber end cover is centered, the etching area at the edge of the wafer will deviate, affecting the etching effect. Summary of the invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a plasma processing device and an adjustment method thereof, wherein the plasma processing device realizes the concentricity adjustment of a movable upper electrode assembly and a lower electrode assembly through the coordinated cooperation of a self-aligning upper structure and a self-aligning lower structure of a self-aligning device, and the self-aligning device has a simple structure and is easy to operate, thereby reducing the debugging pressure of the staff.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is implemented by the following technical solutions:

[0008] A plasma processing device, comprising:

[0009] A vacuum reaction chamber, which is surrounded by a reaction chamber body and a chamber end cover;

[0010] A movable upper electrode assembly is disposed in the vacuum reaction chamber;

[0011] A lower electrode assembly, arranged opposite to the movable upper electrode assembly, and the lower electrode assembly is detachably connected to the bottom of the reaction chamber;

[0012] A plurality of self-alignment devices, each of which comprises a self-alignment upper structure and a self-alignment lower structure, which are respectively connected to the movable upper electrode assembly and the lower electrode assembly. When the self-alignment upper structure and the self-alignment lower structure are aligned and spliced, the centers of the movable upper electrode assembly and the lower electrode assembly are aligned.

[0013] Optionally, the self-aligning upper structure is an alignment hole, which is a groove structure, and the alignment hole is connected to the movable upper electrode assembly;

[0014] The self-aligning lower structure is a guiding mechanism, which is connected to the lower electrode assembly. The guiding mechanism includes a guiding pin, which pushes the lower electrode assembly and the movable upper electrode assembly to align their centers when entering the alignment hole.

[0015] Optionally, the self-aligned lower structure is an alignment hole, which is a groove structure, and the alignment hole is connected to the lower electrode assembly;

[0016] The self-aligning upper structure is a guiding mechanism, which is connected to the movable upper electrode assembly. The guiding mechanism includes a guiding pin, which pushes the lower electrode assembly and the movable upper electrode assembly to align their centers when entering the alignment hole.

[0017] Optionally, the guiding mechanism comprises a receiving space having a through hole, the through hole is arranged opposite to the alignment hole, and the guide pin is at least partially located in the receiving space.

[0018] Optionally, the top of the guide pin is a sloped structure.

[0019] Optionally, the self-alignment device further comprises:

[0020] An elastic body is arranged in the accommodating space, and the elastic body is connected to the bottom of the guide pin.

[0021] Optionally, also include:

[0022] A plurality of lifting devices are respectively connected to the movable upper electrode assembly to enable the movable upper electrode assembly to be lifted and lowered. The lifting devices include a supporting structure and a driving device. One end of the supporting structure is connected to the movable upper electrode assembly, and the other end thereof is connected to the driving device. The driving device is used to drive the supporting structure to enable the movable upper electrode assembly to be lifted and lowered.

[0023] Optionally, also include:

[0024] A plurality of gas channels extend from the outside of the vacuum reaction chamber through the bottom of the vacuum reaction chamber, the inside of the support structure, and the movable upper electrode assembly, respectively. The gas channels are used to inject process gas into the vacuum reaction chamber.

[0025] Optionally, also include:

[0026] A plurality of gas channels extend from the outside of the vacuum reaction chamber, pass through the top of the vacuum reaction chamber, and the movable upper electrode assembly, respectively. The gas channels are used to inject process gas into the vacuum reaction chamber.

[0027] Optionally, the support structure comprises:

[0028] a guide rod connected to the movable upper electrode assembly, the gas passage passing through the interior of the guide rod to convey the process gas;

[0029] A screw rod, one end of which is connected to the driving device, and the other end of which is connected to the guide rod.

[0030] Optionally, the screw rod is connected to the guide rod via a horizontal adjustment assembly, and the horizontal adjustment assembly includes:

[0031] A cross structure, the upper end of which is threadedly connected to the bottom of the guide rod, and the lower end of which is threadedly connected to the top of the screw rod;

[0032] The clamping mechanism comprises an upper clamping device and a lower clamping device, wherein the upper clamping device is threadedly connected to the bottom of the guide rod, and the lower clamping device is threadedly connected to the top of the screw rod, and the upper clamping device and the lower clamping device clamp and fix the left and right ends of the cross structure.

[0033] Optionally, also include:

[0034] A first transmission device, which surrounds each of the support structures and is threadedly connected thereto;

[0035] A plurality of groove structures are provided at the contact position between the bottom of the reaction chamber and the support structure, and a plurality of extension pieces are provided in the circumferential direction of the support structure. The extension pieces can move up and down in the grooves but cannot rotate circumferentially.

[0036] The driving device is threadedly connected to a supporting structure through a second transmission device. The driving device rotates to drive the supporting structure to move up and down with the help of the reaction force of the supporting structure, and then drives the remaining supporting structures to move synchronously with the help of the first transmission device.

[0037] Optionally, the first transmission device is a belt structure;

[0038] And / or, the second transmission device is a belt structure.

[0039] Optionally, also include:

[0040] A plurality of guide bearings are respectively arranged at the contact positions between the bottom of the reaction chamber and each of the support structures to ensure the verticality of the lifting and lowering of the support structure.

[0041] Optionally, also include:

[0042] A plurality of sealing devices are respectively sleeved on the portion of the support structure located outside the vacuum reaction chamber, one end of the sealing device is connected to the bottom of the reaction chamber, and the other end is connected to the support structure.

[0043] Optionally, the gas channel is an edge gas inlet channel or a central gas inlet channel, and the edge gas inlet channel injects the process gas into the upper part of the edge area of ​​the wafer in the vacuum reaction chamber through a plurality of edge spray ports, and the central gas inlet channel injects the process gas into the upper part of the central area of ​​the wafer in the vacuum reaction chamber through a plurality of central spray ports.

[0044] Optionally, the lower electrode assembly is connected to the bottom of the reaction chamber body via a screw assembly;

[0045] And / or, a plurality of sealing structures are further included between the bottom of the lower electrode assembly and the reaction chamber body to ensure the airtightness of the vacuum reaction chamber;

[0046] And / or, the self-alignment device is made of metal material;

[0047] and / or, the self-aligning upper structure is connected to the movable upper electrode assembly or the lower electrode assembly via a screw assembly;

[0048] And / or, the self-aligned lower structure is connected to the lower electrode assembly or the movable upper electrode assembly via a screw assembly.

[0049] Optionally, a method for adjusting a plasma processing device,

[0050] Providing the plasma processing device;

[0051] Adjust the lower electrode assembly to be loosely connected to the reaction chamber body;

[0052] Adjusting the movable upper electrode assembly to move downward so that the self-aligning upper structure and the self-aligning lower structure are aligned and spliced, and the lower electrode assembly is displaced by force;

[0053] The self-aligned upper structure and the self-aligned lower structure are aligned and spliced, and the movable upper electrode assembly and the lower electrode assembly are concentric.

[0054] Optionally, also include:

[0055] The self-aligned upper structure and the self-aligned lower structure are disassembled.

[0056] Optionally, before the concentric adjustment, the movable upper electrode assembly is leveled, which specifically includes:

[0057] Adjust the upper clamping device and the lower clamping device of the clamping mechanism to make the cross structure movable;

[0058] Rotating the cross structure at the lower or upper position of the movable upper electrode assembly until the movable upper electrode assembly remains horizontal;

[0059] The upper clamping device and the lower clamping device of the clamping mechanism are adjusted to clamp and fix the left and right ends of the cross structure.

[0060] Optionally, also include:

[0061] The driving device is driven to rotate, and the supporting structure in contact with the driving device is driven to move up and down through the second transmission device;

[0062] The remaining supporting structures are driven to rotate synchronously through the first transmission device.

[0063] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0064] In the plasma processing device and the adjustment method thereof of the present invention, the plasma processing device realizes the concentricity adjustment of the movable upper electrode assembly and the lower electrode assembly through the coordinated cooperation of the self-aligning upper structure and the self-aligning lower structure of the self-aligning device. The self-aligning device has a simple structure and is easy to operate, which greatly shortens the time for adjusting the concentricity of the movable upper electrode assembly and the lower electrode assembly, reduces the machine occupancy time, simplifies the adjustment process, thereby improving the use efficiency of the machine, and also reduces the debugging pressure of the staff.

[0065] Furthermore, the self-alignment device is detachable and can be removed after the centering adjustment is completed, which is beneficial to saving space in the vacuum reaction chamber so that more other components can be installed in the vacuum reaction chamber to ensure the etching effect of the etching reaction.

[0066] Furthermore, in the plasma processing device, the process gas is injected into the vacuum reaction chamber with the help of the interior of the support structure and the movable upper electrode assembly. There is no connection between the movable upper electrode assembly and the chamber end cover. Even if the chamber end cover is frequently opened, the concentricity of the movable upper electrode assembly and the lower electrode assembly will not be affected, thereby avoiding the need to frequently adjust their concentricity.

[0067] Furthermore, the device drives the second transmission device to rotate through the driving device, thereby driving a supporting structure in contact with the second transmission device to move up and down, and then drives the remaining supporting structures to move vertically synchronously through the first transmission device. Multiple components cooperate with each other to realize the lifting and lowering of the movable upper electrode assembly. The structure is simple and the operation is convenient. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0068] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for the description. Obviously, the drawings described below are an embodiment of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work:

[0069] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a plasma processing device of the present invention;

[0070] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the plasma processing device of the present invention before centering adjustment;

[0071] Figure 3 for Figure 2 The enlarged schematic diagram of the A area during adjustment;

[0072] Figure 4 for Figure 2 The enlarged schematic diagram of the A area after adjustment;

[0073] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the plasma treatment device after centering adjustment;

[0074] Figure 6 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a plasma processing device in another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0075] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0076] It should be noted that, in this article, the terms "include", "comprise", "have" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or terminal device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or terminal device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "include..." or "comprising..." do not exclude the existence of other elements in the process, method, article or terminal device including the elements.

[0077] It should be noted that the drawings are all in very simplified form and use inaccurate ratios, and are only used to conveniently and clearly assist in explaining an embodiment of the present invention.

[0078] Embodiment 1

[0079] like Figure 1 As shown, a plasma processing device of the present invention comprises: a vacuum reaction chamber 100, which is surrounded by a reaction chamber body 101 made of metal material and a chamber end cover 102, and a wafer transfer port 103 is provided on the reaction chamber body 101, and the wafer transfer port 103 is used to realize the transfer of wafer W between the inside and outside of the vacuum reaction chamber 100. The vacuum reaction chamber 100 comprises a lower electrode assembly 110, which is arranged at the bottom of the vacuum reaction chamber 100, and the lower electrode assembly 110 is provided with a bearing surface, and the wafer W to be processed introduced into the vacuum reaction chamber 100 is placed on the bearing surface. Further, the lower electrode assembly 110 is detachably connected to the bottom of the reaction chamber body 101, so as to adjust the lower electrode assembly 110. The vacuum reaction chamber 100 further includes a movable upper electrode assembly 120 disposed opposite to the lower electrode assembly 110. The movable upper electrode assembly 120 is located at the top of the vacuum reaction chamber 100. At least one radio frequency power source (not shown in the figure) is applied to at least one of the lower electrode assembly 110 and the movable upper electrode assembly 120 through a matching network to dissociate the process gas into plasma, so that plasma is generated between the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the edge region of the lower electrode assembly 110. The plasma is used to etch the edge of the wafer W. Specifically, the plasma contains a large number of active particles such as electrons, ions, excited atoms, molecules and free radicals. The above active particles can undergo a variety of physical and / or chemical reactions with the surface of the wafer W to be processed, so that the morphology of the edge of the wafer W to be processed changes, thereby completing the processing of the edge of the wafer W to be processed.

[0080] In this embodiment, the plasma processing device is suitable for the field of edge etching of wafer W. In the process of plasma etching the wafer W to produce the designed pattern, some redundant film layers, such as polysilicon layer, nitride layer, metal layer, etc., will accumulate in the outer edge area of ​​wafer W and the outer edge area of ​​the back side, and these redundant film layers may cause pollution to subsequent processes and equipment, so they need to be removed by bevel etching, i.e., edge etching process. In the edge etching process, the process gas usually includes etching gas containing F, Cl, etc. and cleaning gas such as O2 and other auxiliary etching gases to perform edge etching process.

[0081] like Figure 1 As shown, the plasma processing device also includes a plurality of self-alignment devices 130, and the self-alignment devices 130 include a self-alignment upper structure 131 and a self-alignment lower structure 132, which are respectively connected to the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the lower electrode assembly 110, and when the self-alignment upper structure 131 and the self-alignment lower structure 132 are aligned and spliced, the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the lower electrode assembly 110 are centrally aligned.

[0082] In this embodiment, the lower electrode assembly 110 is detachably connected to the bottom of the reaction chamber body 101 by a screw assembly 111. When the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the lower electrode assembly 110 need to be adjusted for centering, the lower electrode assembly 110 is adjusted to be not fixedly connected to the reaction chamber body 101, and the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the lower electrode assembly 110 are adjusted to align and splice the self-aligning upper structure 131 and the self-aligning lower structure 132, and the lower electrode assembly 110 is displaced by force. After the self-aligning upper structure 131 and the self-aligning lower structure 132 are aligned and spliced, the central axes of the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the lower electrode assembly 110 coincide.

[0083] The self-aligning upper structure 131 is an alignment hole, which is a groove structure, and the self-aligning upper structure 131 is connected to the movable upper electrode assembly 120 through a screw assembly. The self-aligning lower structure 132 is a guide mechanism, which is connected to the lower electrode assembly 110 through a screw assembly, and the guide mechanism includes a guide pin 133, and when the guide pin 133 enters the alignment hole, it pushes the lower electrode assembly 110 to align with the center of the movable upper electrode assembly 120.

[0084] Optionally, the self-aligning upper structure 131 may be disposed at the bottom or the side periphery of the movable upper electrode assembly 120, and the self-aligning lower structure 132 may be disposed at the upper surface or the side periphery of the lower electrode assembly 110, and the present invention does not limit the specific positions thereof. In this embodiment, the self-aligning upper structure 131 is connected to the bottom edge of the movable upper electrode assembly 120, and the self-aligning lower structure 132 is connected to the side periphery of the lower electrode assembly 110. Of course, the structural type of the self-aligning device 130 is not limited to the above-mentioned structure, and it is any device that can realize the centering adjustment function.

[0085] Furthermore, the self-aligning lower structure 132 includes a receiving space 134 with a through hole on the top, the through hole is arranged opposite to the alignment hole, the guide pin 133 is at least partially located in the receiving space 134, and the guide pin 133 extends out of the receiving space 134 from the through hole.

[0086] The self-aligning device 130 further includes an elastic body 135, which is disposed in the accommodation space 134 and connected to the bottom of the guide pin 133. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in the combination, when the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the lower electrode assembly 110 are offset too much, the guide pin 133 extends into the alignment hole of the self-aligning upper structure 131, and the movable upper electrode assembly 120 continues to move downward. The guide pin 133 will be subjected to radial F1 and vertical F2 forces. The self-aligning upper structure 131 may cause the guide pin 133 to be subjected to excessive force, causing damage to the lower electrode assembly 110. The setting of the elastic body 135 provides a buffer space for the guide pin 133 to protect the lower electrode assembly 110 from damage. In this embodiment, the elastic body 135 is a spring, which is connected to the bottom of the guide pin 133.

[0087] Preferably, the top of the guide pin 133 is a sloped structure. When the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the lower electrode assembly 110 need to be adjusted for centering, the guide pin 133 extends into the groove structure of the self-aligning upper structure 131, and the sloped structure at the top of the guide pin 133 makes it easier to extend into the groove structure. When the movable upper electrode assembly 120 is far from the central axis of the lower electrode assembly 110, the guide pin 133 can also extend into the groove structure, increasing the adjustment range. Optionally, the self-aligning device 130 is made of metal material so as to have sufficient rigidity and strength to ensure that there is sufficient force to push the lower electrode assembly 110 to move.

[0088] In this embodiment, the plasma processing device includes two self-alignment devices 130, which are symmetrically arranged around the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and work together to achieve the centering adjustment of the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the lower electrode assembly 110. Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the central axes of the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the lower electrode assembly 110 do not coincide. During adjustment, the guide pin 133 is inserted into the alignment hole, and the movable upper electrode assembly 120 continues to move downward. The guide pin 133 is subjected to radial force F1 and vertical force F2 (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 3 ), driving the lower electrode assembly 110 connected thereto to move in the horizontal direction until the central axes of the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the lower electrode assembly 110 coincide with each other (see Figure 4 ).

[0089] In this embodiment, the self-aligning device 130 is easy to use and disassemble. Figure 5 As shown, during the assembly process of the plasma processing device, after the centering adjustment of the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the lower electrode assembly 110 is completed, each self-alignment device 130 can be removed, which is beneficial to saving space in the vacuum reaction chamber 100 so that more other components can be installed in the vacuum reaction chamber 100 to ensure the etching effect of the etching reaction.

[0090] The plasma processing apparatus further includes a plurality of lifting devices, which are respectively connected to the movable upper electrode assembly 120 to lift the movable upper electrode assembly 120. The lifting device includes a support structure 140 and a driving device 150, one end of the support structure 140 is connected to the movable upper electrode assembly 120, and the other end thereof is connected to the driving device 150, and the driving device 150 is used to drive the support structure 140 to lift the movable upper electrode assembly 120.

[0091] Optionally, the driving device 150 is a stepper motor or a linear motor. Of course, the type and structure of the driving device 150 are not limited to the above two types. It can also be other types or structures as long as it can drive the support structure 140 to complete the lifting of the support structure 140.

[0092] Further, the support structure 140 includes a guide rod 141 and a screw rod 142. The guide rod 141 is connected to the movable upper electrode assembly 120, one end of the screw rod 142 is connected to the driving device 150, and the other end is connected to the guide rod 141. In this embodiment, the bottom of the guide rod 141 is located outside the vacuum reaction chamber 100, and the top of the guide rod 141 is located inside the vacuum reaction chamber 100. The screw rod 142 is connected to the bottom of the guide rod 141 through a horizontal adjustment component, and the horizontal adjustment component can adjust the length of the support structure 140 where it is located to achieve horizontal adjustment of the movable upper electrode assembly 120. Optionally, the guide rod 141 and the screw rod 142 are made of the same material.

[0093] When installing the plasma processing device, the lower electrode assembly 110 can be ensured to be level relative to the ground according to the processing technology of the vacuum reaction chamber 100, but the movable upper electrode assembly 120 may be tilted, so that the center of the movable upper electrode assembly 120 is cut obliquely and does not overlap with the center of the lower electrode assembly 110. In the edge etching of the wafer W, the overlap of the etching area of ​​the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the lower electrode assembly 110 is very important. The horizontal adjustment component is used to adjust the length of the support structure 140 at a high position or a low position, so that the plane of the movable upper electrode assembly 120 at this position is lowered or raised until the movable upper electrode assembly 120 remains horizontal, further promoting the overlap of the etching area between the two, which is conducive to ensuring the etching effect of the wafer W. In addition, since the horizontal adjustment component is outside the vacuum reaction chamber 100, during the use of the plasma processing device, if the movable upper electrode assembly 120 needs to be leveled, it can be achieved by externally controlling the horizontal adjustment component without the need for additional cumbersome processes such as opening a cavity.

[0094] Specifically, the horizontal adjustment assembly includes: a cross structure 143 and a clamping mechanism. The upper end of the cross structure 143 is threadedly connected to the inner surface of the bottom of the guide rod 141, and the lower end thereof is threadedly connected to the inner surface of the top of the screw rod 142. The clamping mechanism includes an upper clamping device 144 and a lower clamping device 145, wherein the upper clamping device 144 is threadedly connected to the outer surface of the bottom of the guide rod 141, and the lower clamping device 145 is threadedly connected to the outer surface of the top of the screw rod 142, and the upper clamping device 144 and the lower clamping device 145 clamp and fix the left and right ends of the cross structure 143 from top to bottom.

[0095] When the movable upper electrode assembly 120 needs to be leveled, the upper clamping device 144 and the lower clamping device 145 of the clamping mechanism are first adjusted to make the cross structure 143 movable. The cross structure 143 at the lower or higher position of the movable upper electrode assembly 120 is rotated until the movable upper electrode assembly 120 remains horizontal. Finally, the upper clamping device 144 and the lower clamping device 145 of the clamping mechanism are adjusted to clamp and fix the left and right ends of the cross structure 143 to complete the leveling of the movable upper electrode assembly 120. The horizontal adjustment assembly has a simple structure and is easy to use. It does not require the installation of additional large machinery for leveling, which greatly saves installation space. For a plasma processing device, it greatly improves the flexibility of the installation and arrangement of various components around and inside the vacuum reaction chamber 100, and will not affect the placement and use of other components.

[0096] The plasma processing device further includes a first transmission device 160, which surrounds each of the support structures 140 and is threadedly connected thereto. A plurality of groove structures are provided at the bottom of the reaction chamber body 101 where the guide rod 141 of the support structure 140 contacts. A plurality of extension pieces 146 are provided circumferentially corresponding to the guide rod 141. The extension pieces 146 can move up and down in the groove structure but cannot rotate circumferentially.

[0097] Further, the driving device 150 is threadedly connected to a support structure 140 through a second transmission device 170, and the driving device 150 rotates to drive the support structure 140 to move up and down with the help of the reaction force of the support structure 140, and then drives the remaining support structures 140 to move synchronously with the help of the first transmission device 160. The driving device 150 drives all support structures 140 up and down by driving one support structure 140, thereby realizing the up and down displacement of the movable upper electrode assembly 120. The overall device structure is simple and easy to use. Optionally, the first transmission device 160 is a belt structure, and the second transmission device 170 is also a belt structure, and the length range of the second transmission device 170 is smaller than the length range of the second transmission device 170.

[0098] The plasma processing device further includes a plurality of guide bearings 104. The guide bearings 104 are respectively disposed at the contact position between the bottom of the reaction chamber body 101 and each of the support structures 140 to ensure the verticality of the lifting and lowering of the support structure 140.

[0099] The plasma processing device further includes a plurality of sealing devices 105, which are respectively mounted on the portion of the support structure 140 located outside the vacuum reaction chamber 100. One end of the sealing device 105 is connected to the bottom of the reaction chamber body 101, and the other end is connected to the support structure 140. Even if the support structure 140 is raised and lowered multiple times, the gas environment in the vacuum reaction chamber 100 will not be affected.

[0100] Furthermore, a plurality of sealing structures 112 are provided between the bottom of the lower electrode assembly 110 and the reaction chamber body 101 to ensure the airtightness of the vacuum reaction chamber 100. In this embodiment, the sealing structure 112 is an O-ring, which is provided between the bottom of the lower electrode assembly 110 and the reaction chamber body 101 to prevent a gap between the two from damaging the gas environment in the vacuum reaction chamber 100.

[0101] In addition, the plasma processing device further includes a plurality of gas channels 180. Each of the gas channels 180 extends from the outside of the vacuum reaction chamber 100 through the bottom of the vacuum reaction chamber 100, the inside of the support structure 140, and the movable upper electrode assembly 120, and the gas channels 180 are used to inject process gas into the vacuum reaction chamber 100. In this embodiment, the movable upper electrode assembly 120 is not connected to the chamber end cover 102, and the multiple openings and closings of the chamber end cover 102 will not affect the position of the movable upper electrode assembly 120. During the use of the device, it is easier to maintain the concentricity between the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the wafer W and the lower electrode assembly 110, thereby ensuring the process effect of bevel etching, reducing the loss of energy and time of the staff, and facilitating the development of the wafer W etching process.

[0102] Furthermore, the inner surface of the gas channel 180 is provided with a plasma corrosion resistant coating to protect the inner surface of the gas channel 180 and prevent particles from falling off and thereby polluting the cavity environment of the vacuum reaction chamber 100. Optionally, the plasma corrosion resistant coating material is a Teflon coating, an yttrium oxide film, or an anodized aluminum layer.

[0103] In this embodiment, the plasma processing apparatus comprises three support structures 140 and three gas channels 180, and each of the support structures 140 is evenly distributed along the circumference of the movable upper electrode assembly 120. Each of the gas channels 180 enters the interior of the guide rod 141 of each of the support structures 140 from the outside of the vacuum reaction chamber 100 to inject a plurality of process gases into the vacuum reaction chamber 100.

[0104] Further, in the present embodiment, the gas channel 180 in the movable upper electrode assembly 120 is an edge air inlet channel 181 or a central air inlet channel 182. The edge air inlet channel 181 adopts a multi-path distribution structure in the movable upper electrode assembly 120, which includes a plurality of edge spray ports arranged at the bottom of the movable upper electrode assembly 120, each of which is evenly distributed along the edge region of the wafer W (similar to a shower head structure), so as to evenly inject the first gas above the edge region of the wafer W, which is conducive to ensuring the effect of edge etching of the wafer W. The central air inlet channel 182 includes a plurality of central spray ports, and the central spray ports are located above the central region of the wafer W, so as to inject the second gas above the central region of the wafer W. Generally, in the edge etching process, the first gas introduced into the edge air inlet channel 181 includes an etching gas containing F, Cl, etc., a cleaning gas such as O2, and other auxiliary etching gases, so as to perform an edge etching process. The second gas introduced into the central air inlet channel 182 includes a buffer gas or a cleaning gas. The buffer gas is used to maintain a high gas pressure above the wafer W when processing the edge of the wafer W so as to protect the central area of ​​the wafer W from being etched by the plasma environment. The cleaning gas is used to clean the vacuum reaction chamber 100 when there is no wafer W in the vacuum reaction chamber 100.

[0105] In the bevel etching process, the first gas (such as Ar, CF4, O2, etc.) enters the upper edge area of ​​the wafer W in the vacuum reaction chamber 100 through the edge inlet channel 181, and forms plasma under the excitation of radio frequency. These plasmas react chemically with the excess film layer gathered at the edge of the wafer W after passing through the electric field (capacitive coupling) between the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the lower electrode assembly 110, thereby removing the excess film layer generated in other process steps. At the same time, the second gas enters the upper central area of ​​the wafer W in the vacuum reaction chamber 100 through the central inlet channel 182, and the flow rate or pressure of the second gas can be adjusted to protect the central area of ​​the wafer W from the influence of the plasma environment.

[0106] Of course, the structural type and positional relationship of the gas channel 180 are not limited to the above description, and it is any device structure that can realize the injection of process gas. In other embodiments, each gas channel 180 extends from the outside of the vacuum reaction chamber 100 through the top of the vacuum reaction chamber 100, that is, the chamber end cover 102, and the movable upper electrode assembly 120. The gas channel 180 is used to inject the process gas into the vacuum reaction chamber 100, and the process gas injection process does not need to pass through the support structure 140, and can be performed independently.

[0107] In addition, when the plasma processing device in this embodiment is installed and debugged, the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the lower electrode assembly 110 may be aligned by the following method:

[0108] The lower electrode assembly 110 is adjusted to be loosely connected to the reaction chamber body 101; the movable upper electrode assembly 120 is adjusted to move downward so that the self-aligning upper structure 131 and the self-aligning lower structure 132 are aligned and spliced, and the lower electrode assembly 110 is displaced by force; the self-aligning upper structure 131 and the self-aligning lower structure 132 are aligned and spliced, and the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the lower electrode assembly 110 are concentric.

[0109] The method further includes: after completing the centering, that is, adjusting the concentricity, disassembling the self-aligning upper structure 131 and the self-aligning lower structure 132 to avoid occupying the space in the vacuum reaction chamber 100 .

[0110] In addition, if the movable upper electrode assembly 120 is tilted, the movable upper electrode assembly 120 may be leveled before the concentric adjustment, which specifically includes: adjusting the upper clamping device 144 and the lower clamping device 145 of the clamping mechanism to make the cross structure 143 movable; rotating the cross structure 143 at the low or high position of the movable upper electrode assembly 120 until the movable upper electrode assembly 120 remains horizontal; adjusting the upper clamping device 144 and the lower clamping device 145 of the clamping mechanism to clamp and fix the left and right ends of the cross structure 143.

[0111] During use, the driving device 150, the first transmission device 160 and the second transmission device 170 can be used to realize the up and down movement of the support structure 140, specifically: drive the driving device 150 to rotate, and drive the support structure 140 in contact with it to move up and down through the second transmission device 170; drive the remaining support structures 140 to rotate synchronously through the first transmission device 160.

[0112] Embodiment 2

[0113] Please refer to Figure 6 Based on the structural characteristics of the plasma processing device in the first embodiment, this embodiment makes some changes to the structure of the self-alignment device 230, mainly to the self-alignment upper structure 231 and the self-alignment lower structure 232.

[0114] In this embodiment, the self-aligning lower structure 232 is an alignment hole, which is a groove structure, and the alignment hole is connected to the lower electrode assembly 210 by a screw assembly. The self-aligning upper structure 231 is a guide mechanism, which is connected to the movable upper electrode assembly 220 by a screw assembly, and the guide mechanism includes a guide pin 233, an elastic body 235, and a receiving space 234 with a through hole at the bottom, the through hole is arranged opposite to the alignment hole, the elastic body 235 is arranged in the receiving space 234 and connected to the top of the guide pin 233, the guide pin 233 is at least partially located in the receiving space 234, and extends out of the receiving space 234 from the through hole, and when the guide pin 233 enters the alignment hole, it pushes the lower electrode assembly 210 and the movable upper electrode assembly 220 to align their centers.

[0115] In this embodiment, the guide pin 233 is located above the alignment hole, and can be more easily inserted into the alignment hole of the self-aligning lower structure 232 to adjust the centering of the movable upper electrode assembly 220 and the lower electrode assembly 210. The other structural parts and the function modes of each component of this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, and will not be described in detail here.

[0116] In summary, in a plasma processing device and an adjustment method thereof of the present invention, the concentricity adjustment of the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the lower electrode assembly 110 is achieved through the self-alignment upper structure 131 and the self-alignment lower structure 132 of the self-alignment device 130 in the plasma processing device. The self-alignment device 130 has a simple structure and is easy to operate. It can be disassembled after the centering adjustment is completed, saving space in the vacuum reaction chamber 100, so that other components can be flexibly placed and discharged in the vacuum reaction chamber 100, thereby improving its space utilization efficiency.

[0117] Furthermore, in the plasma processing device, the process gas is injected into the vacuum reaction chamber 100 with the help of the interior of the support structure 140 and the movable upper electrode assembly 120. There is no connection between the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the chamber end cover 102. Even if the chamber end cover 102 is frequently opened, it will not affect the concentricity of the movable upper electrode assembly 120 and the lower electrode assembly 110, thereby avoiding the need to frequently adjust their concentricity.

[0118] Furthermore, the device drives the second transmission device 170 to rotate through the driving device 150, thereby driving a supporting structure 140 in contact with the second transmission device 170 to move up and down, and then drives the remaining supporting structures 140 to move vertically synchronously through the first transmission device 160. Multiple components cooperate with each other to realize the lifting and lowering of the movable upper electrode assembly 120. The structure is simple and the operation is convenient.

[0119] Although the content of the present invention has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, it should be appreciated that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention. After reading the above content, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and substitutions of the present invention will occur. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be limited by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A plasma processing device, characterized in that: The device contains: A vacuum reaction chamber, which is surrounded by a reaction chamber body and a chamber end cover; A movable upper electrode assembly is disposed in the vacuum reaction chamber; A lower electrode assembly, arranged opposite to the movable upper electrode assembly, and the lower electrode assembly is detachably connected to the bottom of the reaction chamber; A plurality of self-alignment devices, wherein the self-alignment devices include a self-alignment upper structure and a self-alignment lower structure, which are respectively connected to the movable upper electrode assembly and the lower electrode assembly, and when the self-alignment upper structure and the self-alignment lower structure are aligned and spliced, the centers of the movable upper electrode assembly and the lower electrode assembly are aligned; When it is necessary to adjust the centering of the movable upper electrode assembly and the lower electrode assembly, the lower electrode assembly is adjusted to be not fixedly connected to the reaction chamber body, and the movable upper electrode assembly moves downward to make the self-alignment upper structure contact the self-alignment lower structure, and the force on the self-alignment lower structure can drive the lower electrode assembly to move until the centers of the movable upper electrode assembly and the lower electrode assembly are aligned.

2. The plasma processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The self-aligning upper structure is an alignment hole, which is a groove structure, and the alignment hole is connected to the movable upper electrode assembly; The self-aligning lower structure is a guiding mechanism, which is connected to the lower electrode assembly. The guiding mechanism includes a guiding pin, which pushes the lower electrode assembly and the movable upper electrode assembly to align their centers when entering the alignment hole.

3. The plasma processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The self-aligned lower structure is an alignment hole, which is a groove structure, and the alignment hole is connected to the lower electrode assembly; The self-aligning upper structure is a guiding mechanism, which is connected to the movable upper electrode assembly. The guiding mechanism includes a guiding pin, which pushes the lower electrode assembly and the movable upper electrode assembly to align their centers when entering the alignment hole.

4. The plasma processing device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The guide mechanism comprises a receiving space with a through hole, the through hole is arranged opposite to the alignment hole, and the guide pin is at least partially located in the receiving space.

5. The plasma processing device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The top of the guide pin is a slope structure.

6. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: The self-aligning device further comprises: An elastic body is arranged in the accommodating space, and the elastic body is connected to the bottom of the guide pin.

7. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: A plurality of lifting devices are respectively connected to the movable upper electrode assembly to enable the movable upper electrode assembly to be lifted and lowered. The lifting devices include a supporting structure and a driving device. One end of the supporting structure is connected to the movable upper electrode assembly, and the other end thereof is connected to the driving device. The driving device is used to drive the supporting structure to enable the movable upper electrode assembly to be lifted and lowered.

8. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: Also includes: A plurality of gas channels extend from the outside of the vacuum reaction chamber through the bottom of the vacuum reaction chamber, the inside of the support structure, and the movable upper electrode assembly, respectively. The gas channels are used to inject process gas into the vacuum reaction chamber.

9. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: A plurality of gas channels extend from the outside of the vacuum reaction chamber, pass through the top of the vacuum reaction chamber, and the movable upper electrode assembly, respectively. The gas channels are used to inject process gas into the vacuum reaction chamber.

10. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: The support structure comprises: a guide rod connected to the movable upper electrode assembly, the gas passage passing through the interior of the guide rod to convey the process gas; A screw rod, one end of which is connected to the driving device, and the other end of which is connected to the guide rod.

11. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The screw rod is connected to the guide rod through a horizontal adjustment assembly, and the horizontal adjustment assembly includes: A cross structure, the upper end of which is threadedly connected to the bottom of the guide rod, and the lower end of which is threadedly connected to the top of the screw rod; The clamping mechanism comprises an upper clamping device and a lower clamping device, wherein the upper clamping device is threadedly connected to the bottom of the guide rod, and the lower clamping device is threadedly connected to the top of the screw rod, and the upper clamping device and the lower clamping device clamp and fix the left and right ends of the cross structure.

12. The plasma processing device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: Also includes: A first transmission device, which surrounds each of the support structures and is threadedly connected thereto; A plurality of groove structures are provided at the contact position between the bottom of the reaction chamber and the support structure, and a plurality of extension pieces are provided in the circumferential direction of the support structure. The extension pieces can move up and down in the grooves but cannot rotate circumferentially. The driving device is threadedly connected to a supporting structure through a second transmission device. The driving device rotates to drive the supporting structure to move up and down with the help of the reaction force of the supporting structure, and then drives the remaining supporting structures to move synchronously with the help of the first transmission device.

13. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein: The first transmission device is a belt structure; And / or, the second transmission device is a belt structure.

14. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: Also includes: A plurality of guide bearings are respectively arranged at the contact positions between the bottom of the reaction chamber and each of the support structures to ensure the verticality of the lifting and lowering of the support structure.

15. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: Also includes: A plurality of sealing devices are respectively sleeved on the portion of the support structure located outside the vacuum reaction chamber, one end of the sealing device is connected to the bottom of the reaction chamber, and the other end is connected to the support structure.

16. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: The gas channel is an edge gas inlet channel or a central gas inlet channel. The edge gas inlet channel injects process gas above the edge area of ​​the wafer in the vacuum reaction chamber through a plurality of edge spray ports, and the central gas inlet channel injects process gas above the central area of ​​the wafer in the vacuum reaction chamber through a plurality of central spray ports.

17. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The lower electrode assembly is connected to the bottom of the reaction chamber through a screw assembly; And / or, a plurality of sealing structures are further included between the bottom of the lower electrode assembly and the reaction chamber body to ensure the airtightness of the vacuum reaction chamber; And / or, the self-alignment device is made of metal material; and / or, the self-aligning upper structure is connected to the movable upper electrode assembly or the lower electrode assembly via a screw assembly; And / or, the self-aligned lower structure is connected to the lower electrode assembly or the movable upper electrode assembly via a screw assembly.

18. A method for adjusting a plasma processing device, characterized in that: Providing a plasma processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 17; Adjust the lower electrode assembly to be loosely connected to the reaction chamber body; The movable upper electrode assembly is adjusted to move downward so that the self-aligning upper structure and the self-aligning lower structure are aligned and spliced, and the lower electrode assembly is displaced by force; The self-aligned upper structure and the self-aligned lower structure are aligned and spliced, and the movable upper electrode assembly and the lower electrode assembly are concentric.

19. The method for adjusting a plasma processing device according to claim 18, wherein: Also includes: The self-aligned upper structure and the self-aligned lower structure are disassembled.

20. The method for adjusting a plasma processing device according to claim 18, wherein: Before the concentric adjustment, the movable upper electrode assembly is leveled, which specifically includes: Adjust the upper clamping device and the lower clamping device of the clamping mechanism to make the cross structure movable; Rotating the cross structure at the lower or upper position of the movable upper electrode assembly until the movable upper electrode assembly remains horizontal; The upper clamping device and the lower clamping device of the clamping mechanism are adjusted to clamp and fix the left and right ends of the cross structure.

21. The method for adjusting a plasma processing device according to claim 18, wherein: Also includes: The driving device is driven to rotate, and the supporting structure in contact with the driving device is driven to move up and down through the second transmission device; The remaining supporting structures are driven to rotate synchronously through the first transmission device.

Images