Ion beam etcher and its lower electrode structure

Abstract

The present invention discloses an ion beam etcher and a lower electrode structure thereof, wherein the lower electrode structure comprises an electrode plate, a pressure ring mechanism and a lifting mechanism, wherein the pressure ring mechanism is used to support a workpiece to be etched, and the lifting mechanism is used to drive the pressure ring mechanism to rise and fall relative to the electrode plate; and further comprises a position detection mechanism, wherein the position detection mechanism is used to detect the position of the pressure ring mechanism relative to the electrode plate when it descends, and the lifting mechanism is used to stop driving the pressure ring mechanism to descend according to the detection information fed back by the position detection mechanism. The arrangement of the lower electrode structure can avoid the fragmentation of the workpiece to be etched and improve the product yield.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of etching machines, in particular to an ion beam etcher and a lower electrode structure thereof. Background Art

[0002] Ion beam etching uses the principle of glow discharge to decompose argon gas into argon ions. The argon ions are accelerated by the anode electric field to physically bombard the sample surface to achieve the etching effect.

[0003] The lower electrode structure of the ion beam etcher includes an electrode plate and a support component. The support component can be raised and lowered relative to the electrode plate under the drive of the lifting mechanism to place and press the components to be etched, such as wafers, on the electrode plate. When in use, the lifting mechanism first drives the support component to rise relative to the electrode plate to facilitate receiving the transmitted components to be etched, and then the lifting mechanism drives the support component on which the components to be etched are placed to descend to place and press the components to be etched on the electrode plate.

[0004] In the existing ion beam etcher, when the lower electrode structure places and presses the part to be etched on the electrode plate during operation, there is a problem that the part to be etched is easily broken. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an ion beam etcher and a lower electrode structure thereof, wherein the arrangement of the lower electrode structure can avoid fragmentation of a workpiece to be etched and improve the product yield.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a lower electrode structure of an ion beam etcher, comprising an electrode plate, a pressure ring mechanism and a lifting mechanism, wherein the pressure ring mechanism is used to support the workpiece to be etched, and the lifting mechanism is used to drive the pressure ring mechanism to rise and fall relative to the electrode plate; it also includes a position detection mechanism, wherein the position detection mechanism is used to detect the descending position of the pressure ring mechanism relative to the electrode plate, and the lifting mechanism is used to stop driving the pressure ring mechanism to descend according to the detection information fed back by the position detection mechanism.

[0007] The lower electrode structure of the ion beam etcher is provided with a position detection mechanism for detecting the descending position of the pressure ring mechanism relative to the electrode plate. The lifting mechanism can stop driving the pressure ring mechanism to descend according to the detection information fed back by the position detection mechanism. In actual application, the relative position of the pressure ring mechanism and the electrode plate can be set to determine that the workpiece to be etched is placed on the electrode plate and the pressure ring mechanism is in contact with the electrode plate to press the set position of the workpiece to be etched. The position detection mechanism can detect whether the pressure ring mechanism reaches the set position during the descent process. If the pressure ring mechanism reaches the set position, the position detection mechanism can feedback corresponding information, and the lifting mechanism stops driving according to the feedback information to prevent the pressure ring mechanism from continuing to descend and crushing the workpiece to be etched. In this way, the descending position of the pressure ring mechanism driven by the lifting mechanism can be accurately detected to avoid fragments of the workpiece to be etched, thereby improving the product yield and saving costs.

[0008] As described above, the lower electrode structure of the ion beam etcher, the position detection mechanism includes an elastic member and a sensor, the elastic member can be compressed and deformed along the lifting direction of the pressure ring mechanism, the elastic member is located below the pressure ring mechanism, the pressure ring mechanism can press the elastic member during the descent process relative to the electrode plate, and the sensor is used to detect the deformation amount of the elastic member.

[0009] In the lower electrode structure of the ion beam etcher as described above, the position detection mechanism includes a driving unit, and the driving unit is used to drive the elastic member to rise and fall relative to the electrode plate to adjust the initial relative position of the elastic member and the pressure ring mechanism.

[0010] In the lower electrode structure of the ion beam etcher as described above, the driving part comprises a cylinder, the telescopic end of the cylinder is connected to a mounting seat, and the elastic member and the sensor are both mounted on the mounting seat.

[0011] In the lower electrode structure of the ion beam etcher as described above, the elastic member is a bellows, and / or the sensor is an optical fiber sensor.

[0012] The lower electrode structure of the ion beam etcher as described above, the pressure ring mechanism includes a pressure ring, a counterweight plate and a push rod, the pressure ring and the counterweight plate are connected by the push rod, the push rod passes through the electrode plate, the pressure ring is located above the electrode plate, the counterweight plate is located below the electrode plate, and the pressure ring is provided with a supporting structure for supporting the workpiece to be etched.

[0013] As described above, the lower electrode structure of the ion beam etcher, the support structure includes a support ring, the support ring is fixed to a side of the pressure ring facing the electrode plate, the support ring has a support surface facing the pressure ring, and the support surface is used to support the workpiece to be etched.

[0014] In the lower electrode structure of the ion beam etcher as described above, the electrode plate has a groove portion corresponding to the position of the support ring, and the support ring can be embedded in the groove portion.

[0015] The lower electrode structure of the ion beam etcher as described above comprises a guiding mechanism, and the guiding mechanism is used to guide the lifting and lowering of the pressure ring mechanism.

[0016] As described above, the lower electrode structure of the ion beam etcher, the guide mechanism includes a fixed seat and a guide shaft, the guide shaft passes through the counterweight plate and is fixedly connected to the fixed seat, the fixed seat is fixedly connected to the electrode plate, and the axial direction of the guide shaft is parallel to the lifting direction of the pressure ring mechanism.

[0017] As described above, the lower electrode structure of the ion beam etcher, the guide mechanism also includes a plunger seat and a plunger, the guide shaft also passes through the plunger seat, and the plunger seat is located below the counterweight plate; the plunger can move relative to the plunger seat so as to apply force to the guide shaft along the radial direction of the guide shaft.

[0018] The present invention also provides an ion beam etcher, comprising a vacuum chamber and a lower electrode structure located in the vacuum chamber, wherein the lower electrode structure is any of the lower electrode structures described above. Since the lower electrode structure has the above technical effects, the ion etcher including the lower electrode structure also has the same technical effects, which will not be discussed again here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a lower electrode structure of an ion beam etcher provided by the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 An exploded view of the lower electrode structure shown;

[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A front view of the lower electrode structure shown;

[0022] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a position detection mechanism for a lower electrode structure in a specific embodiment;

[0023] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the pressure ring mechanism of the lower electrode structure in a specific embodiment;

[0024] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the guide mechanism in a specific embodiment;

[0025] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Schematic cross-sectional view of the middle guide mechanism at the position of the plunger seat.

[0026] Description of reference numerals:

[0027] Pressing ring mechanism 10, pressing plate 11, counterweight plate 12, push rod 13, supporting ring 14;

[0028] A lifting mechanism 20, a lifting driving source 21, and a first bellows 22;

[0029] Electrode plate 30;

[0030] Position detection mechanism 40, driving unit 41, mounting seat 42, second bellows 43, sensor

[0031] Device 44;

[0032] Guide mechanism 50, fixed seat 51, guide shaft 52, plunger seat 53, plunger 54;

[0033] Support frame 60, partition 70, rotating mechanism 80;

[0034] Wafer 90. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solution of the present invention, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0036] For ease of understanding and concise description, the following text will explain the ion beam etcher and its lower electrode structure together, and the beneficial effects will not be repeated.

[0037] The directional words such as up, down, top or bottom mentioned below are defined relative to the orientation or position of the components schematically placed in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing and understanding the scheme and should not be understood as limiting the scope of protection.

[0038] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a lower electrode structure of an ion beam etcher provided by the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 An exploded view of the lower electrode structure shown; Figure 3 for Figure 1 A front view of the lower electrode structure shown.

[0039] The ion beam etcher includes a vacuum chamber for etching and a lower electrode structure placed in the vacuum chamber. This article mainly improves the lower electrode structure. The relevant parts of the lower electrode structure are described in detail below.

[0040] In this embodiment, the lower electrode structure of the ion beam etcher includes a pressure ring mechanism 10, a lifting mechanism 20 and an electrode plate 30. The pressure ring mechanism 10 is used to support the wafer 90 waiting to be etched, and the lifting mechanism 20 is used to drive the pressure ring mechanism 10 to rise and fall relative to the electrode plate 30, so as to place the wafer 90 waiting to be etched on the electrode plate 30, which is convenient for subsequent etching operations. In the following text, the wafer 90 is uniformly used to represent the part to be etched. In actual applications, the part to be etched can also be other parts as needed.

[0041] During operation, the lifting mechanism 20 first drives the pressure ring mechanism 10 to rise relative to the electrode plate 30, that is, the pressure ring mechanism 10 moves upward in a direction away from the electrode plate 30, and equipment such as a robot can place the conveyed wafer 90 on the supporting structure of the pressure ring mechanism 10. After that, the lifting mechanism 20 drives the pressure ring mechanism 10 to descend relative to the electrode plate 30 to place the wafer 90 on the electrode plate 30 and press it tightly.

[0042] In this embodiment, the lower electrode structure includes a separator 70, and the electrode plate 30 and the pressure ring mechanism 10 are located above the separator 70. The separator 70 is used to separate the vacuum area and the atmosphere area in the body of the lower electrode structure.

[0043] The electrode plate 30 is a platform for placing the wafer 90 during the etching process. During the etching process, the electrode plate 30 can rotate around its axis, driving the wafer 90 to rotate together to improve the uniformity of etching. The lower electrode structure is also provided with a rotating mechanism 80 for driving the electrode plate 30 to rotate.

[0044] The lifting mechanism 20 includes a lifting drive source 21 and a first bellows 22. The lifting drive source 21 can specifically be a cylinder or a linear motor, etc. The lifting drive source 21 is located below the partition 70, and its movable end is connected to the first bellows 22, which can drive the first bellows 22 to lift and lower relative to the electrode plate 30. The first bellows 22 is arranged above the partition 70, and the upper end of the first bellows 22 is connected to the pressure ring mechanism 10, which can be specifically connected by fasteners such as screws. In this way, the lifting drive source 21 drives the pressure ring mechanism 10 to achieve lifting through the first bellows 22.

[0045] In actual setting, two or more first bellows 22 can be provided as needed for easy arrangement. Each first bellows 22 can be provided with a corresponding driving source such as a cylinder, and these first bellows 22 need to move synchronously.

[0046] In other embodiments, the first bellows 22 may also be replaced by other components with elastic expansion and contraction functions.

[0047] In this embodiment, the lower electrode structure is provided with a position detection mechanism 40, which is used to detect the position of the pressing ring mechanism 10 relative to the electrode plate 30. The lifting mechanism 20 can also stop driving the pressing ring mechanism 10 to descend according to the detection information fed back by the position detection mechanism 40. In actual application, according to the relative position setting of the pressing ring mechanism 10 and the electrode plate 30, it can be determined that the wafer 90 is placed on the electrode plate 30 and the setting position of the pressing ring mechanism 10 in contact with the electrode plate 30 can press the wafer 90. The position detection mechanism 40 can detect whether the pressing ring mechanism 10 reaches the setting position during the descent process. If the pressing ring mechanism 10 reaches the setting position, the position detection mechanism 40 can feedback the corresponding information, and the lifting mechanism 20 stops driving according to the feedback information to prevent the pressing ring mechanism 10 from continuing to descend and crushing the wafer 90. In this way, the descending position of the pressing ring mechanism 10 driven by the lifting mechanism 20 can be accurately detected to avoid the fragmentation of the wafer 90, which can improve the product yield and save costs.

[0048] Please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the position detection mechanism of the lower electrode structure in a specific embodiment.

[0049] The position detection mechanism 40 includes an elastic member and a sensor 44. The elastic member can be compressed and deformed along the lifting direction of the pressing ring mechanism 10. The elastic member is located below the pressing ring mechanism 10. The pressing ring mechanism 10 can press the elastic member during the descent process relative to the electrode plate 30. The sensor 44 is used to detect the deformation of the elastic member.

[0050] In this embodiment, for ease of installation, the elastic member is in the form of a bellows, which is referred to as the second bellows 43 to distinguish it from the first bellows 22 of the aforementioned lifting mechanism 20 . The second bellows 43 of the position detection mechanism 40 is also located above the partition 70 .

[0051] When the pressing ring mechanism 10 descends under the drive of the lifting mechanism 20 , the pressing ring mechanism 10 can press the second bellows 43 , and the second bellows 43 is pressed downward. The sensor 44 can detect the position of the second bellows 43 to determine the descending position of the pressing ring mechanism 10 .

[0052] Specifically, the position state of the pressing ring mechanism 10 when it just contacts the second bellows 43 when it descends can be determined in advance, and based on this, it can be determined how much the pressing ring mechanism 10 needs to continue to descend to meet the requirements of placing the wafer 90 and pressing the wafer 90. The sensor 44 can therefore feedback detection information to determine whether the pressing ring mechanism 10 has descended into place.

[0053] Specifically, the position detection mechanism 40 may further include a driving unit 41, and the driving unit 41 is used to drive the second bellows 43 to rise and fall relative to the electrode plate 30, so as to adjust the initial relative position of the second bellows 43 and the pressure ring mechanism 10 to improve adaptability.

[0054] The driving part 41 may specifically be a cylinder or other driving structures. The telescopic end of the cylinder may be connected to a mounting seat 42 , and the second bellows 43 and the sensor 44 may be mounted on the mounting seat 42 .

[0055] The sensor 44 may be a photoelectric sensor or other sensor element capable of detecting the position of the second bellows 43 .

[0056] The driving unit 41 of the position detection mechanism 40 and the lifting driving source 21 of the aforementioned lifting mechanism 20 may be installed on the support frame 60 below the partition 70 .

[0057] Please also refer to 5. Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the pressure ring mechanism of the lower electrode structure in a specific embodiment.

[0058] In this embodiment, the pressing ring mechanism 10 includes a pressing ring 11, a counterweight plate 12 and a push rod 13. The pressing ring 11 and the counterweight plate 12 are connected by the push rod 13. Specifically, to ensure the stability of the pressing ring mechanism 10, the pressing ring 11 and the counterweight plate 12 can be connected by three push rods 13. The three push rods 13 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the pressing ring 11 to ensure the balance of force during the lifting process. Of course, in other embodiments, the number and arrangement of the push rods 13 can be set according to actual needs.

[0059] During assembly, the push rod 13 of the pressing ring mechanism 10 passes through the electrode plate 30 , the pressing ring 11 of the pressing ring mechanism 10 is located above the electrode plate 30 , the counterweight plate 12 is located below the electrode plate 30 , and a supporting structure for supporting the wafer 90 is provided on the pressing ring 11 .

[0060] In this embodiment, the support structure for supporting the wafer 90 includes a support ring 14, which is fixed to the bottom surface of the pressure ring 11 facing the electrode plate 30, and has a certain spacing distance from the bottom surface of the electrode plate 30. The support ring 14 has a support surface facing the pressure ring 11, that is, facing upward, and the wafer 90 is supported by the support surface of the support ring 14. Figure 3 understand.

[0061] When the pressing ring mechanism 10 descends to the position where the electrode plate 30 is located, the wafer 90 can be placed on the electrode plate 30 .

[0062] Specifically, to avoid interference between the support ring 14 and the electrode plate 30 , a groove is provided at a position of the electrode plate 30 corresponding to the support ring 14 , into which the support ring 14 can be embedded after being lowered, thereby ensuring that the wafer 90 is placed on the electrode plate.

[0063] In actual configuration, in order to ensure the stability of the support for the wafer 90 and the reliability of driving the wafer 90 to rise and fall, three support rings 14 can be evenly arranged along the circumference of the pressure ring 11. Of course, other numbers and arrangements are also possible.

[0064] The support ring 14 can be fixedly connected to the pressure ring 11 by fasteners such as screws.

[0065] It should be understood that the pressing ring mechanism 10 can be raised and lowered relative to the electrode plate 30 , that is, the push rod 13 of the pressing ring mechanism 10 is in sliding cooperation with the electrode plate 30 .

[0066] In this embodiment, in order to ensure the accuracy of the lifting and lowering of the pressure ring mechanism 10, the lower electrode structure is also provided with a guiding mechanism 50, which is used to guide the lifting and lowering of the pressure ring mechanism 10 to prevent the pressure ring mechanism 10 from shifting during the lifting process, thereby improving product reliability.

[0067] Please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 , Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the guide mechanism in a specific embodiment; Figure 7 for Figure 6 Schematic cross-sectional view of the middle guide mechanism at the position of the plunger seat.

[0068] In this embodiment, the guide mechanism 50 includes a fixed seat 51 and a guide shaft 52. The fixed seat 51 is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the electrode plate 30. The guide shaft 52 is fixedly connected to the fixed seat 51 and passes through the counterweight plate 13. The axial direction of the guide shaft 52 is parallel to the lifting direction of the pressure ring mechanism 10. In this way, during the lifting process of the pressure ring mechanism 10, its counterweight plate 13 slides up and down along the guide shaft 52 to ensure the lifting direction relative to the electrode plate 30.

[0069] Specifically, in order to further improve the reliability of guidance, the guide mechanism 50 also includes a plunger seat 53 and a plunger 54. The guide shaft 52 also passes through the plunger seat 53. The plunger seat 53 is located below the counterweight plate 13. The plunger 54 can move relative to the plunger seat 53 so as to apply force to the guide shaft 52 along the radial direction of the guide shaft 52 to ensure that the position of the guide shaft 52 does not change.

[0070] like Figure 7 As shown, four plungers 54 are specifically provided, and the four plungers 54 are connected to the plunger seat 53 along the radial direction of the guide shaft 52 by threads. In this way, the plunger 54 can be moved along the radial direction of the guide shaft 52 by rotating the plunger 54. In actual application, the plunger 54 is a spherical plunger. By rotating the four plungers 54, the guide shaft 52 can be clamped to ensure its guiding position.

[0071] The above is a detailed introduction to an ion beam etcher and its lower electrode structure provided by the present invention. Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present invention and its core idea. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, without departing from the principles of the present invention, several improvements and modifications can be made to the present invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lower electrode structure of an ion beam etcher, comprising an electrode plate, a pressure ring mechanism and a lifting mechanism, wherein the pressure ring mechanism is used to support a workpiece to be etched, and the lifting mechanism is used to drive the pressure ring mechanism to rise and fall relative to the electrode plate; characterized in that: It also includes a position detection mechanism, the position detection mechanism is used to detect the position of the pressing ring mechanism relative to the electrode plate, and the lifting mechanism is used to stop driving the pressing ring mechanism to descend according to the detection information fed back by the position detection mechanism; The position detection mechanism includes an elastic member and a sensor, wherein the elastic member can be compressed and deformed along the lifting direction of the pressing ring mechanism, the elastic member is located below the pressing ring mechanism, and the pressing ring mechanism can press the elastic member during the descending process relative to the electrode plate, and the sensor is used to detect the deformation amount of the elastic member; The pressure ring mechanism comprises a pressure ring, and the pressure ring is provided with a supporting structure for supporting the workpiece to be etched; The support structure comprises a support ring, the support ring is fixedly connected to a side of the pressure ring facing the electrode plate, the support ring has a support surface facing the pressure ring, and the support surface is used to support the workpiece to be etched.

2. The lower electrode structure of the ion beam etcher according to claim 1, characterized in that: The position detection mechanism includes a driving unit, and the driving unit is used to drive the elastic member to rise and fall relative to the electrode plate to adjust the initial relative position of the elastic member and the pressure ring mechanism.

3. The lower electrode structure of the ion beam etcher according to claim 2, characterized in that: The driving part comprises a cylinder, a telescopic end of the cylinder is connected to a mounting seat, and the elastic member and the sensor are both mounted on the mounting seat.

4. The lower electrode structure of the ion beam etcher according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic member is a bellows, and / or the sensor is an optical fiber sensor.

5. The lower electrode structure of an ion beam etcher according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The pressing ring mechanism includes a pressing ring, a counterweight plate and a push rod. The pressing ring and the counterweight plate are connected by the push rod. The push rod passes through the electrode plate. The pressing ring is located above the electrode plate, and the counterweight plate is located below the electrode plate.

6. The lower electrode structure of an ion beam etcher according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The electrode plate has a groove portion corresponding to the position of the support ring, and the support ring can be embedded in the groove portion.

7. The lower electrode structure of the ion beam etcher according to claim 5, characterized in that: The lower electrode structure comprises a guiding mechanism, and the guiding mechanism is used to guide the lifting and lowering of the pressing ring mechanism.

8. The lower electrode structure of the ion beam etcher according to claim 7, characterized in that: The guide mechanism includes a fixed seat and a guide shaft. The guide shaft passes through the counterweight plate and is fixedly connected to the fixed seat. The fixed seat is fixedly connected to the electrode plate. The axial direction of the guide shaft is parallel to the lifting direction of the pressure ring mechanism.

9. The lower electrode structure of the ion beam etcher according to claim 8, characterized in that: The guide mechanism also includes a plunger seat and a plunger, the guide shaft also passes through the plunger seat, and the plunger seat is located below the counterweight plate; the plunger can move relative to the plunger seat so as to apply force to the guide shaft along the radial direction of the guide shaft.

10. An ion beam etcher, comprising a vacuum chamber and a lower electrode structure located in the vacuum chamber, characterized in that: The lower electrode structure is the lower electrode structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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