Lower electrode chamber for ion beam etching machine and method of assembling same

Abstract

The application discloses a lower electrode cavity of an ion beam etching machine and an assembling method thereof. The lower electrode cavity comprises a shell and a shell cover. The shell is provided with a first sealing surface in sealing cooperation with the shell cover, a insertion hole for inserting a rotary sealing shaft of the ion beam etching machine, a second sealing surface surrounding the insertion hole and used for sealing cooperation with the rotary sealing shaft, a through hole for a conductive circuit, a gas delivery pipeline or a liquid delivery pipeline to extend into the inside of the lower electrode cavity, and a third sealing surface surrounding the through hole and used for sealing connection with a rotating shaft outside a vacuum cavity. The lower electrode cavity is isolated from the vacuum cavity through three sealing joint parts, so that the leakage rate is low. In addition, the overall structure of the lower electrode cavity is simple, the shell and the shell cover can be turned and machined, and the machining process is simple and easy to assemble.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ion beam etching technology, and in particular to a lower electrode cavity of an ion beam etching machine and a method for assembling the lower electrode cavity. Background Technology

[0002] Ion beam etching, also known as ion milling, utilizes the glow discharge principle to decompose argon gas into argon ions. These argon ions are accelerated by an anodic electric field and physically bombard the sample surface to achieve etching. The etching process involves filling the ion source discharge chamber with Ar gas and ionizing it to form plasma. Then, a grid draws out and accelerates the ions into a beam. The ion beam, possessing sufficient energy, enters the vacuum chamber and bombards the surface atoms of the material, causing sputtering and achieving the etching purpose. This is a purely physical etching process.

[0003] The ion beam etching machine includes a wafer stage, a rotary sealing shaft connected to the wafer stage, a lower electrode cavity, and other structures. The liquid, gas, or electricity required for the operation of the wafer stage is introduced from the outside into the lower electrode cavity. The lower electrode cavity must be isolated from the vacuum cavity of the ion beam etching machine to prevent the liquid or gas inside the lower electrode cavity from entering the vacuum cavity and affecting the cleanliness and vacuum level of the vacuum cavity.

[0004] Generally, the more sealing joints there are, the higher the leakage rate. Existing ion beam etching machines have a large number of sealing joints in the lower electrode cavity (usually more than 4), resulting in a high leakage rate. Moreover, the structure of the lower electrode cavity is relatively complex, making it difficult to process and assemble.

[0005] Therefore, how to alleviate or avoid the aforementioned drawbacks of the lower electrode cavity of existing ion beam etching machines is a technical problem that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a lower electrode cavity for an ion beam etching machine, comprising a housing and a housing cover, wherein the housing is provided with:

[0007] The first sealing surface that seals with the shell cover;

[0008] A socket for inserting a rotary sealing shaft into an ion beam etching machine;

[0009] A second sealing surface surrounding the periphery of the insertion hole for sealing engagement with the rotary sealing shaft;

[0010] A via for conductive lines, gas delivery lines or liquid delivery lines to extend into the lower electrode cavity;

[0011] A third sealing surface surrounds the periphery of the through hole and is used to seal with the rotating shaft outside the vacuum chamber.

[0012] In one embodiment, the housing includes a first disc, a cover is attached below the first disc, a first sealing surface is disposed on the lower end surface of the first disc, an insertion hole is disposed on the first disc, and a second sealing surface is disposed on the upper end surface of the first disc.

[0013] In one embodiment, the housing includes a second disc located on one side of the outer periphery of the first disc, the through hole being disposed on the second disc, one end face of the second disc being further away from the first disc than the other end face, and the third sealing surface being disposed on the end face of the second disc further away from the first disc.

[0014] In one embodiment, the housing includes a connecting portion that connects the first disc body and the second disc body, and the connecting portion smoothly transitions from the outer peripheral surface of the first disc body to the outer peripheral surface of the second disc body.

[0015] In one embodiment, the housing is a one-piece molded structure.

[0016] In one embodiment, the shell cover has an annular peripheral wall portion and a horizontal bottom wall portion, the horizontal bottom wall portion sealing the bottom end of the annular peripheral wall portion, and the shell cover is an integrally formed structure.

[0017] In one embodiment, both the shell cover and the rotary sealing shaft are provided with sealing grooves and sealing rings are installed in the sealing grooves. The sealing rings are in close contact with the first sealing surface or the second sealing surface.

[0018] In one embodiment, an upper protective ring is also included, which is connected above the first disk body and surrounds the wafer stage of the ion beam etching machine to protect the wafer stage.

[0019] In one embodiment, a stepped portion is provided at the position where the first disc body connects the upper protective ring, the rotary sealing shaft, and the shell cover.

[0020] In addition, the present invention also provides a method for assembling the lower electrode cavity of the above-mentioned ion beam etching machine, comprising the following steps:

[0021] First, insert the rotary sealing shaft with the slide stage assembled into the insertion hole of the housing, and fix the bushing of the rotary sealing shaft and the housing.

[0022] Then, the motor, conductive connector, and pipe connector are assembled on the rotary sealing shaft. The motor, conductive connector, and pipe connector are located inside the lower electrode cavity. The conductive line, liquid delivery pipeline, and gas delivery pipeline are inserted into the lower electrode cavity through the through hole of the housing, and the conductive connector and conductive line, the pipe connector and liquid delivery pipeline, and the pipe connector and gas delivery pipeline are connected.

[0023] Then, perform power-on, air-on, and water-on tests. If there are no problems, rotate the stage and check for any abnormalities in the rotation. If there are any abnormalities, make adjustments until the rotation is normal.

[0024] Then, check the conductive joints and pipe joints for any abnormalities. If any abnormalities are found, adjust them until there are no abnormalities.

[0025] Then, install the cover.

[0026] The lower electrode cavity provided by this invention achieves isolation from the vacuum cavity through three sealing joints (one between the first sealing surface and the housing, one between the second sealing surface and the rotating sealing shaft, and one between the third sealing surface and the rotating shaft). With fewer sealing joints, the leakage rate is low. Furthermore, the overall structure of the lower electrode cavity is simple; the housing and cover can be machined, making the manufacturing process simple and assembly easy. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 A perspective view of one embodiment of the lower electrode cavity structure provided by the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the lower electrode cavity structure in an exploded state.

[0029] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of the area shown in the center circle;

[0030] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the lower electrode cavity structure in its assembled state;

[0031] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Enlarged view of the part shown in the middle circle;

[0032] Figure 6 for Figure 1 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the lower electrode cavity structure assembled with components such as the rotary seal shaft, electrode, and connector.

[0033] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Enlarged view of the part shown in the middle circle.

[0034] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows:

[0035] 1. Lower electrode cavity structure;

[0036] 11 Shell, 111 First disc, 111a First annular step, 111b Second annular step, 111c Third annular step, 112 Second disc, 113 Connecting part; 12 Shell cover, 121 Annular peripheral wall, 122 Horizontal bottom wall; 13 Upper protective ring;

[0037] A1 First sealing surface, A2 Second sealing surface, A3 Third sealing surface; B1 Insertion hole, B2 Through hole; C Sealing groove; D Sealing ring; E Fastener;

[0038] 2. Rotary sealing shaft; 21. Shaft body; 22. Shaft sleeve;

[0039] 3-piece loading platform;

[0040] 4 motors;

[0041] 5. Conductive connectors;

[0042] 6. Pipe joints;

[0043] 7. Conductive circuitry;

[0044] 8 Gas delivery pipelines

[0045] 9. Liquid delivery pipelines. Detailed Implementation

[0046] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0047] Traditionally, the lower electrode cavity of an ion beam etching machine is isolated from the vacuum chamber through four or more sealed joints. The large number of sealed joints leads to a high leakage rate, and the lower electrode cavity has a complex structure, making it difficult to manufacture and assemble. Therefore, this invention proposes a lower electrode cavity for an ion beam etching machine.

[0048] like Figure 1 The lower electrode cavity includes a housing 11 and a cover 12. The housing 11 includes a first disc 111, a second disc 112, and a connecting portion 113 connecting the first disc 111 and the second disc 112. The cover 12 is connected below the first disc 111 of the housing 11.

[0049] Alternatively, an upper protective ring 13 may be optionally provided. The upper protective ring 13 is connected above the first disc body 111 and is cylindrical in shape, such as... Figure 3 The upper end surface of the first disc 111 is provided with a second annular stepped portion 111b, such as... Figure 5In the assembled state, the lower end of the upper retaining ring 13 extends into the recessed portion of the second annular step portion 111b, and the protruding portion of the second annular step portion 111b extends into the upper retaining ring 13 and abuts against the inner circumferential wall surface of the upper retaining ring 13. The fastener E passes radially through the upper retaining ring 13 and is tightened into the threaded hole of the protruding portion of the second annular step portion 111b, thereby achieving the connection between the upper retaining ring 13 and the first disc body 111. Of course, the upper retaining ring 13 and the first disc body 111 can also be connected by internal and external threads or by clamping with claws and bayonets, etc. Figure 6 The assembled ion beam etching machine's stage 3 is located within the enclosed space of the upper protective ring 13, or in other words, the upper protective ring 13 surrounds the stage 3, thus protecting the stage 3.

[0050] like Figure 2 The housing 11 is provided with a first sealing surface A1, a second sealing surface A2, and a third sealing surface A3. The first sealing surface A1 is used for sealing engagement with the housing cover 12. The second sealing surface A2 is used for engaging with the rotary sealing shaft 2 (see [reference]) inserted in the housing 11. Figure 6 The lower electrode cavity is formed by the sealing fit of the rotating sealing shaft 2, the housing 11, and the cover 12. The third sealing surface A3 is used to seal with the rotating shaft (not shown in the figure) outside the vacuum cavity, and the entire ion beam etching machine can rotate around the axis L of this rotating shaft. Under the sealing action of the first sealing surface A1, the second sealing surface A2, and the third sealing surface A3, the lower electrode cavity and the vacuum cavity are isolated.

[0051] like Figure 3 The first sealing surface A1 is located on the first disc body 111. Specifically, the lower end face of the first disc body 111 is provided with a third annular stepped portion 111c, and the first sealing surface A1 is located in the recessed portion of the third annular stepped portion 111c. Figure 5 The cover 12 is connected to the first disc 111 via fastener E. Alternatively, the cover 12 and the first disc 111 can be connected via internal or external threads, or via clamps or bayonets. The upper end of the wall of the cover 12 has a sealing groove C, and a sealing ring D is installed within the sealing groove C. In the assembled state, the upper end of the wall of the cover 12 extends into the recessed portion of the third annular step 111c, and is in close contact with the first sealing surface A1 via the sealing ring D, thereby achieving a sealing fit between the first sealing surface A1 and the cover 12. The protruding portion of the third annular step 111c extends into the interior of the cover 12, abutting against the inner circumferential wall surface of the cover 12, serving as a limiting and assembly guide.

[0052] like Figure 3The second sealing surface A2 is also provided on the first disc body 111, and the first disc body 111 has an insertion hole B1 for inserting the rotary sealing shaft 2, with the second sealing surface A2 surrounding the insertion hole B1. Specifically, the upper end face of the first disc body 111 has a first annular stepped portion 111a, and the second sealing surface A2 is provided in the recessed portion of the first annular stepped portion 111a. Figure 6 and Figure 7 The rotary sealing shaft 2 includes a bushing 22. The main body of the bushing 22 has an annular flange on its outer periphery. The lower end of the annular flange has a sealing groove C, and a sealing ring D is installed in the sealing groove C. In the assembled state, the main body of the bushing 22 is fitted into the insertion hole B1. The annular flange of the bushing 22 extends into the recessed portion of the first annular step 111a and is connected to the first disc 111 by fasteners, snap-fits, or threads. It also makes tight contact with the second sealing surface A2 through the sealing ring D, thereby achieving a sealing fit between the second sealing surface A2 and the rotary sealing shaft 2. In the assembled state, the protruding portion of the first annular step 111a is located outside the annular flange of the bushing 22 and abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the annular flange of the bushing 22, serving as a limiting and assembly guide.

[0053] In addition, such as Figure 6 The rotary sealing shaft 2 also includes a shaft body 21, which is inserted into the inner hole of the bushing 22. The upper end of the shaft body 21 is connected to the substrate stage 3. The shaft body 21 is also connected to a motor 4, a conductive connector 5, and a pipe connector 6 installed in the lower electrode cavity. The pipe connector 6 is provided with a gas interface and a liquid interface. The conductive connector 5 is connected to a conductive line 7 to provide power to the motor 4, which drives the shaft body 21 to rotate, thereby driving the substrate stage 3 to rotate. The gas interface of the pipe connector 6 is connected to a gas delivery line 8 to provide lifting force to the shaft body 21, thereby driving the substrate stage 3 to rise and fall. The liquid interface of the pipe connector 6 is connected to a liquid delivery line 9 to supply coolant to the substrate stage 3, ensuring that the substrate stage 3 is at a suitable operating temperature and avoiding overheating. The housing 11 is provided with a through hole B2 through which the gas delivery line 8, the liquid delivery line 9, and the conductive line 7 pass into the lower electrode cavity.

[0054] like Figure 2 The third sealing surface A3 and the through hole B2 are located on the second disc body 112. Specifically, the second disc body 112 is located on the upper side of the outer circumference of the first disc body 111. The end face of the second disc body 112 is approximately perpendicular to the end face of the first disc body 111. One end face of the second disc body 112 (called the distal end face) is farther away from the first disc body 111 than the other end face (called the proximal end face). The third sealing surface A3 is located on the distal end face of the second disc body 112 and surrounds the periphery of the through hole B2.

[0055] like Figure 1 and Figure 2The connecting portion 113 of the shell 11 smoothly transitions from the outer peripheral surface of the first disc 111 to the outer peripheral surface of the second disc 112, and the connecting portion 113 is tangent to the outer peripheral surfaces of the first disc 111 and the second disc 112. The shell 11 has a simple structure and can be integrally formed; specifically, it can be machined from a single blank, and the manufacturing process is simple. The shell cover 12 has an annular peripheral wall portion 121 and a horizontal bottom wall portion 122. The shell cover 12 is bowl-shaped and can also be integrally formed; specifically, it can be machined from a single blank, and the manufacturing process is simple.

[0056] The lower electrode cavity provided by the present invention is isolated from the vacuum cavity through three sealing joints. With fewer sealing joints, the leakage rate is low. Moreover, the overall structure is simple and has fewer parts, which makes it easy to process and assemble.

[0057] In addition, the present invention also provides a method for assembling the lower electrode cavity described above, specifically including the following steps:

[0058] First, insert the rotary sealing shaft 2, which is equipped with the plate stage 3, into the insertion hole B1 of the housing 11, and fix the bushing 22 of the rotary sealing shaft 2 and the housing 11.

[0059] Then, the motor 4, conductive connector 5 and pipe connector 6 are assembled on the rotary sealing shaft 2. The motor 4, conductive connector 5 and pipe connector 6 are located inside the lower electrode cavity. The conductive line 7, liquid delivery pipeline 9 and gas delivery pipeline 8 are inserted into the lower electrode cavity through the through hole B2 of the housing 11, and the conductive connector 5 is connected to the conductive line 7, the pipe connector 6 is connected to the liquid delivery pipeline 9 and the pipe connector 6 is connected to the gas delivery pipeline 8.

[0060] Then, perform power-on, air-on, and water-on tests. If there are no problems, rotate the slide stage 3 and check for any abnormalities in the rotation. If there are any abnormalities, make adjustments until the rotation is normal. If the upper guard ring 13 is set, the upper guard ring 13 must be installed before rotating the slide stage 3.

[0061] Then, check whether there are any abnormalities in conductive connector 5 and pipe connector 6. If there are any abnormalities, adjust them until there are no abnormalities.

[0062] Then, install the cover 12.

[0063] The lower electrode cavity structure and assembly method of the ion beam etching machine provided by this invention have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications to this invention without departing from the principles of this invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this invention.

Claims

1. The lower electrode cavity of an ion beam etching machine, characterized in that, Includes a housing (11) and a cover (12), the housing (11) being provided with: The first sealing surface (A1) is sealed to fit with the shell cover (12); Insertion hole (B1) for inserting a rotary sealing shaft (2) of an ion beam etching machine; A second sealing surface (A2) surrounds the periphery of the insertion hole (B1) and is used for sealing engagement with the rotary sealing shaft (2); A via (B2) for the conductive line (7), gas delivery line (8) or liquid delivery line (9) to extend into the lower electrode cavity. A third sealing surface (A3) surrounds the periphery of the through hole (B2) and is used to seal with the rotating shaft outside the vacuum chamber. The housing (11) includes a first disc (111), a cover (12) connected to the bottom of the first disc (111), a first sealing surface (A1) disposed on the lower end surface of the first disc (111), a socket (B1) disposed on the first disc (111), and a second sealing surface (A2) disposed on the upper end surface of the first disc (111). The housing (11) includes a second disc (112), which is located on one side of the outer periphery of the first disc (111). The through hole (B2) is provided on the second disc (112). One end face of the second disc (112) is further away from the first disc (111) than the other end face. The third sealing surface (A3) is provided on the end face of the second disc (112) that is further away from the first disc (111).

2. The lower electrode cavity of the ion beam etching machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing (11) includes a connecting part (113) that connects the first disk (111) and the second disk (112). The connecting part (113) smoothly transitions from the outer peripheral surface of the first disk (111) to the outer peripheral surface of the second disk (112).

3. The lower electrode cavity of the ion beam etching machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The shell (11) is a one-piece molded structure.

4. The lower electrode cavity of the ion beam etching machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The shell cover (12) has an annular peripheral wall portion (121) and a horizontal bottom wall portion (122). The horizontal bottom wall portion (122) seals the bottom end of the annular peripheral wall portion (121). The shell cover (12) is an integrally formed structure.

5. The lower electrode cavity of the ion beam etching machine according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Both the shell cover (12) and the rotary sealing shaft (2) are provided with sealing grooves (C) and sealing rings (D) are installed in the sealing grooves (C). The sealing rings (D) are in close contact with the first sealing surface (A1) or the second sealing surface (A2).

6. The lower electrode cavity of the ion beam etching machine according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, It also includes an upper protective ring (13), which is connected above the first disk body (111) and surrounds the wafer stage (3) of the ion beam etching machine to protect the wafer stage (3).

7. The lower electrode cavity according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first disc body (111) has a stepped portion at the position where it connects the upper protective ring (13), the rotary sealing shaft (2) and the shell cover (12).

8. The method for assembling the lower electrode cavity of the ion beam etching machine according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: First, the rotary sealing shaft (2) assembled with the plate stage (3) is inserted into the insertion hole (B1) of the housing (11), and the bushing (22) of the rotary sealing shaft (2) and the housing (11) are fixed. Then, the motor (4), conductive connector (5) and pipe connector (6) are assembled on the rotary sealing shaft (2). The motor (4), conductive connector (5) and pipe connector (6) are located inside the lower electrode cavity. The conductive line (7), liquid delivery pipeline (9) and gas delivery pipeline (8) are inserted into the lower electrode cavity through the through hole (B2) of the housing (11), and the conductive connector (5) and conductive line (7), the pipe connector (6) and liquid delivery pipeline (9) and the pipe connector (6) and gas delivery pipeline (8) are connected. Then, perform power-on, air-on, and water-on tests. If there are no problems, rotate the stage (3) and check for any abnormalities in the rotation. If there are any abnormalities, make adjustments until there are no abnormalities in the rotation. Then, check whether there are any abnormalities in the conductive connector (5) and pipe connector (6). If there are any abnormalities, adjust them until there are no abnormalities. Then, install the cover (12).

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