A heater and plasma etching apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a heater and a plasma etching device, the heater comprising: a plurality of connecting portions and a plurality of finger-shaped protruding portions with different lengths, the plurality of connecting portions and the plurality of finger-shaped protruding portions being uniformly distributed on the heater; the connecting portions being arranged at edges of the heater and alternately arranged with the finger-shaped protruding portions and being integrally connected; the plurality of finger-shaped protruding portions with different lengths being staggered and respectively pointing to the center of the heater from connecting ends of the connecting portions. The application provides a heater and a plasma etching device, the structure of the heater is improved, and the heating efficiency and the temperature uniformity of the heater can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and more particularly to a heater and plasma etching equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) etching is a crucial process in semiconductor chip manufacturing. The plasma etching process is performed using specialized equipment. The steps of the plasma etching process include the introduction of etching gas, plasma generation, plasma diffusion to the sample surface, plasma diffusion on the surface, the reaction of plasma with surface materials, and the desorption and removal of reaction products. In this process, the state of the plasma is critical to ensuring the efficiency and stability of the etching process. The stable heat generated by the heater and transferred to the etching gas plays a key role in plasma generation.

[0003] However, current plasma etching equipment suffers from problems such as low heating efficiency and poor temperature uniformity in its heaters. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a more efficient and reliable technical solution to improve the heating efficiency and temperature uniformity of the heaters. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a heater and a plasma etching apparatus, which can improve the heating efficiency and temperature uniformity of the heater.

[0005] One aspect of this application provides a heater for a plasma etching apparatus, comprising: a plurality of connecting portions and a plurality of finger-shaped protrusions of different lengths, the plurality of connecting portions and the plurality of finger-shaped protrusions being uniformly distributed throughout the heater; the connecting portions being disposed at the edge of the heater and alternately disposed with the finger-shaped protrusions, and integrally connected; the plurality of finger-shaped protrusions of different lengths being staggered and pointing from the connection end with the connecting portion to the center of the heater.

[0006] In some embodiments of this application, the plurality of connecting portions and the plurality of finger-shaped protrusions of different lengths are arranged in a regular manner to form at least two heating units with the same arrangement.

[0007] In some embodiments of this application, the finger-shaped protrusion includes a first protrusion, a second protrusion, and a third protrusion. Each heating unit includes a second protrusion, two third protrusions located on both sides of the second protrusion, and two first protrusions located on both sides of the two third protrusions. The heating unit is a symmetrical structure with the second protrusion as the axis of symmetry. The first protrusion divides the heater into different heating units, and adjacent heating units share a first protrusion.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, the length of the first protrusion is greater than the length of the second protrusion, which is greater than the length of the third protrusion.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, the heater has a circular outline.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, the length of the first protrusion is 40% to 50% of the diameter of the heater; the length of the second protrusion is 20% to 33% of the diameter of the heater; and the length of the third protrusion is 15% to 19% of the diameter of the heater.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, the heater is formed by bending at least one metal wire, and the heater is connected to a power source through the metal wire.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, the finger-shaped protrusion is a double-layered "U" shape formed by bending metal wire, and the connecting part is a single-layered "I" shape formed by bending metal wire.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, in the outline pattern of the heater, the area of ​​the outline of the metal wire is 85% to 95% of the outline area of ​​the heater.

[0014] Another aspect of this application provides a plasma etching apparatus, comprising: a reaction chamber; a support stage disposed at the bottom of the reaction chamber for supporting a wafer; and a heater as described above disposed at the upper part of the reaction chamber, located directly above the support stage, wherein the size of the heater matches the size of the reaction chamber.

[0015] This application provides a heater and a plasma etching apparatus. By improving the structure of the heater, the heating efficiency and temperature uniformity of the heater can be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The following accompanying drawings describe in detail the exemplary embodiments disclosed in this application. The same reference numerals denote similar structures in several views of the drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments are non-limiting and exemplary, and the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Other embodiments may similarly fulfill the inventive intent of this application. It should be understood that the drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0017] in:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the heater described in an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the plasma etching equipment described in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The following description provides specific application scenarios and requirements for this application, intended to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the content of this application. Various partial modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the embodiments shown, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the claims.

[0021] The technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0022] In the field of semiconductor etching, ICP etching is a relatively new etching technology within dry etching. This technology uses the reaction between plasma and the material to be etched in a vacuum environment as the etching apparatus. Inside the plasma etching equipment using ICP etching technology, the introduced mixed etching gas undergoes a high-frequency glow discharge reaction within a coupling coil in a vacuum environment to generate plasma; furthermore, these plasmas, under the influence of an electric field, impact the surface of the material to be etched and react with the material; subsequently, a specific solution is used for surface cleaning or the etching process is directly completed.

[0023] In existing etching processes, there are problems such as the need to improve the heating efficiency of the etching gas and poor temperature uniformity during the etching process. Therefore, this application provides a heater and a plasma etching apparatus using the heater to improve the stability of the temperature field during the etching process, increase the heating efficiency of the heater, reduce the power consumption of the etching equipment, and lower the operating cost of the etching equipment.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the heater described in an embodiment of this application. The structure of the heater described in the embodiment of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Embodiments of this application provide a heater 100 for a plasma etching apparatus, see reference. Figure 1 As shown, the heater 100 includes: a plurality of connecting portions 110 and a plurality of finger-shaped protrusions 120 of different lengths, the plurality of connecting portions 110 and the plurality of finger-shaped protrusions 120 being evenly distributed throughout the heater 100; the connecting portions 110 are disposed at the edge of the heater 100 and are alternately disposed with the finger-shaped protrusions 120, and are integrally connected; the plurality of finger-shaped protrusions 120 of different lengths are staggered and each points from the connection end with the connecting portion 110 toward the center of the heater 100.

[0026] In the technical solution of this application, by applying this specially structured heater, heating efficiency and uniformity can be improved. The specially structured heating tube uses less material than the conventional structure and has lower power, but achieves the same heating efficiency, thus exhibiting higher material utilization efficiency. The improvement in uniformity is mainly reflected in the improved uniformity of the etching gas space after applying the heater with this structure. When using a conventional heater, the central part at the top of the heater often has a higher temperature than the surrounding area, with the temperature center located at the center of the heater plane. This specially structured heater has a more sparse heating element in the middle and a denser element at the periphery, allowing the temperature center to be located at the top of the heater, achieving a more uniform temperature distribution in the upper region of the heater. Applying the improved structure can improve the temperature unevenness that occurs in conventional heaters, where the temperature is high in the middle and low around the edges.

[0027] Continue to refer to Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments of this application, the plurality of connecting portions 110 and the plurality of finger-shaped protrusions 120 of different lengths are regularly arranged to form at least two heating units 130 with the same arrangement.

[0028] Specifically, in some embodiments of this application, the finger-shaped protrusion 120 includes a first protrusion 121, a second protrusion 122, and a third protrusion 123. Each heating unit 130 includes a second protrusion 122, two third protrusions 123 located on both sides of the second protrusion 122, and two first protrusions 121 located on both sides of the two third protrusions 123. The heating unit 130 is a symmetrical structure with the second protrusion 122 as the axis of symmetry. The first protrusion 121 divides the heater 100 into different heating units 130, and adjacent heating units 130 share a first protrusion 121.

[0029] That is, each heating unit 130 includes five finger-shaped protrusions 120 and a connecting portion 110 connecting them. The five finger-shaped protrusions 120 are connected in the following order: first protrusion 121, third protrusion 123, second protrusion 122, third protrusion 123, and first protrusion 121.

[0030] Continue to refer to Figure 1 As shown, adjacent heating units 130 are separated by the first protrusion 121. However, adjacent heating units 130 share a first protrusion 121, meaning that a first protrusion 121 belongs to both the preceding and following heating units.

[0031] Continue to refer to Figure 1As shown, in some embodiments of this application, the heater 100 has a circular outline. Specifically, the edge outline of the heater 100 (that is, the outline formed by connecting the outer rings of the plurality of connecting portions 110) is circular; the outline formed by connecting the tops of the plurality of third protrusions 123 (pointing to the center of the heater 100) is also circular; the outline formed by connecting the tops of the plurality of second protrusions 122 (pointing to the center of the heater 100) is also circular; and the outline formed by connecting the tops of the plurality of first protrusions 121 (pointing to the center of the heater 100) is also circular.

[0032] In some embodiments of this application, the length of the first protrusion 121 is greater than the length of the second protrusion 122, which is greater than the length of the third protrusion 123.

[0033] In some embodiments of this application, the length of the first protrusion is 40% to 50% of the diameter of the heater; the length of the second protrusion is 20% to 33% of the diameter of the heater; and the length of the third protrusion is 15% to 19% of the diameter of the heater. Using this dimensional configuration maximizes the distribution density and uniformity of the heater.

[0034] In some embodiments of this application, as a preferred option, in a heater with a diameter of 6 inches, the lengths of the first protrusion, the second protrusion, and the third protrusion can be set to 3 inches, 2 inches, and 1 inch, respectively.

[0035] In some embodiments of this application, the heater 100 is formed by bending at least one metal wire, and the heater 100 is connected to a power source through the metal wire.

[0036] In some embodiments of this application, the finger-shaped protrusion 120 is a double-layered "U" shape formed by bending metal wire, and the connecting portion 110 is a single-layered "I" shape formed by bending metal wire. The upper opening of the "U" shape of the finger-shaped protrusion 120 is connected to the short horizontal line at the upper end of the "I" shape of the connecting portion 110.

[0037] In some embodiments of this application, in the outline pattern of the heater 100, the area of ​​the metal wire outline is 85% to 95% of the outline area of ​​the heater 100, for example, 88%, 90%, or 92%. The area occupied by the metal wire cannot be too large, otherwise the gaps will be too small, and the passage of plasma will be affected; the area occupied by the metal wire cannot be too small either, otherwise the heater 100 actually achieves its heating function by generating heat through the energized metal wire, and too few metal wires will reduce the heating efficiency.

[0038] In some embodiments of this application, the interface pattern of the metal wire includes a circle or a regular polygon, such as an equilateral triangle or a square.

[0039] In other embodiments of this application, the heater 100 may also be formed by bending a single-layer metal tube. The metal tube is hollow inside, increasing the surface area of ​​the metal material and improving the heat generation capacity.

[0040] In one specific embodiment, reference Figure 1 As shown, the heater 100 has six heating units 130, and each heating unit 130 includes five finger-shaped protrusions 120 as described above. However, it should be understood that the number of heating units 130, the number of finger-shaped protrusions 120 included in the heating unit 130, and the type and arrangement of the finger-shaped protrusions 120 are not limited, and can be any other structure that can evenly cover the heater 100.

[0041] This application provides a heater and a plasma etching apparatus. By improving the structure of the heater, the heating efficiency and temperature uniformity of the heater can be improved.

[0042] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the plasma etching equipment described in the embodiments of this application.

[0043] Embodiments of this application also provide a plasma etching apparatus 200, see reference. Figure 2 As shown, it includes: a reaction chamber 210; a support stage 220, disposed at the bottom of the reaction chamber 210, for supporting the wafer 230; and a heater 100 as described above, disposed at the upper part of the reaction chamber 210, located directly above the support stage 220, the size of the heater 100 matching the size of the reaction chamber 210.

[0044] The structure of the heater 100 has been described in detail above and will not be repeated here.

[0045] It should be noted that the appendix Figure 2 The image shown does not depict the complete structure of the plasma etching apparatus 200. At least above the reaction chamber 210 and heater 100, there is also a cavity for generating plasma. The heater 100 is used to heat the generated plasma, which then passes through the heater 100 and falls onto the surface of the wafer 230.

[0046] This application provides a heater and a plasma etching apparatus. By improving the structure of the heater, the heating efficiency and temperature uniformity of the heater can be improved.

[0047] In summary, after reading this application, those skilled in the art will understand that the foregoing application content is presented by way of example only and is not restrictive. Although not explicitly stated herein, those skilled in the art will understand that this application is intended to encompass various reasonable changes, improvements, and modifications to the embodiments. These changes, improvements, and modifications are all within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this application.

[0048] It should be understood that the term "and / or" as used in this embodiment includes any or all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It should be understood that when an element is referred to as "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it may be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there may be an intermediate element.

[0049] It should also be understood that the terms “comprising,” “containing,” “including,” or “comprise”, when used in this application, indicate the presence of the described features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0050] It should also be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of this application, a first element in some embodiments may be referred to as a second element in other embodiments. The same reference numerals or the same reference signs denote the same elements throughout the specification.

[0051] Furthermore, this application specification describes exemplary embodiments by referring to idealized exemplary cross-sectional views and / or plan views and / or perspective views. Therefore, differences from the illustrated shapes are foreseeable due to factors such as manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Therefore, exemplary embodiments should not be construed as limited to the shapes of the regions shown herein, but should include deviations in shape caused, for example, by manufacturing processes. Thus, the regions shown in the figures are substantially schematic, and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the actual shapes of the regions of the device, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments.

Claims

1. A heater for use in a plasma etching apparatus, characterized in that, include: The heater has several connecting parts and several finger-shaped protrusions of different lengths. The connecting parts and finger-shaped protrusions are evenly distributed throughout the heater. The finger-shaped protrusions are double-layered "U" shapes formed by bending metal wires, and the connecting parts are single-layered "I" shapes formed by bending metal wires. The connecting part is disposed at the edge of the heater and is alternately arranged with the finger-shaped protrusion, and is integrally connected; Several finger-shaped protrusions of different lengths are arranged alternately, and each points from the connection end with the connecting part to the center of the heater.

2. The heater as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of connecting parts and the plurality of finger-shaped protrusions of different lengths are arranged in a regular manner to form at least two heating units with the same arrangement.

3. The heater as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The finger-shaped protrusions include a first protrusion, a second protrusion, and a third protrusion. Each heating unit includes a second protrusion, two third protrusions located on both sides of the second protrusion, and two first protrusions located on both sides of the two third protrusions. The heating unit is a symmetrical structure with the second protrusion as the axis of symmetry. The first protrusion divides the heater into different heating units, and adjacent heating units share a first protrusion.

4. The heater as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The length of the first protrusion is greater than the length of the second protrusion, which is greater than the length of the third protrusion.

5. The heater as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that, The heater has a circular outline.

6. The heater as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that, The length of the first protrusion is 40% to 50% of the diameter of the heater; the length of the second protrusion is 20% to 33% of the diameter of the heater; and the length of the third protrusion is 15% to 19% of the diameter of the heater.

7. The heater as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The heater is formed by bending at least one metal wire, and the heater is connected to a power source through the metal wire.

8. The heater as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, In the outline pattern of the heater, the area of ​​the outline of the metal wire is 85% to 95% of the outline area of ​​the heater.

9. A plasma etching apparatus, characterized in that, include: reaction chamber; A support stage, located at the bottom of the reaction chamber, is used to support the wafer; The heater as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 is disposed on the upper part of the reaction chamber, located directly above the support platform, and the size of the heater matches the size of the reaction chamber.

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