A wafer heat retaining device and a wafer heat retaining method

Abstract

The application discloses a wafer heat preservation device and a wafer heat preservation method. The wafer heat preservation device is arranged in a reaction cavity of a semiconductor processing equipment, and is characterized in that the wafer heat preservation device comprises a one-piece blocking ring and a lifting mechanism arranged below the one-piece blocking ring. When the wafer heat preservation device is in a wafer process mode, the one-piece blocking ring is lifted to abut against the reaction cavity through the lifting mechanism, so as to block the wafer in the reaction cavity from the wafer conveying channel outside. The application not only can better isolate the reaction cavity and the wafer conveying channel and make the temperature in the reaction cavity uniform, but also can avoid the particles generated by the contact friction between the blocking parts falling on the film on the wafer, and improve the uniformity of the film.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor thin film deposition application and preparation technology, specifically to a wafer heat preservation device, a wafer heat preservation method, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] During semiconductor thin film deposition, gaps, steps, and conductivity of different materials inside the reaction chamber of semiconductor processing equipment can significantly affect the distribution of radio frequency fields and plasma.

[0003] However, currently, the opening between the existing reaction chamber and the transfer channel is too large, and there is no barrier that can effectively separate the reaction chamber and the transfer channel. Therefore, it is impossible to provide heat preservation for the transfer channel direction of the reaction chamber, which easily leads to uneven temperature in the reaction chamber, thus making it impossible to guarantee the uniformity of the generated film.

[0004] Furthermore, the existing reaction chamber has an internal structure consisting of multiple modular barrier components. This can cause the barrier components to come into contact and rub against each other during assembly, resulting in particles falling onto the wafer's thin film and affecting the uniformity of the generated film.

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems in the existing technology, there is an urgent need in the field for a wafer insulation technology that can not only effectively isolate the reaction chamber from the wafer transfer channel and uniformly measure the temperature in the reaction chamber, but also prevent particles generated by contact friction between the segmented barrier components from falling onto the thin film on the wafer, thereby improving the uniformity of the thin film. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The following provides a brief overview of one or more aspects to offer a basic understanding of them. This overview is not an exhaustive summary of all conceived aspects, nor is it intended to identify key or decisive elements of all aspects, nor to define the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed descriptions that follow.

[0007] To overcome the aforementioned deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a wafer insulation device and a wafer insulation method, as well as a computer-readable storage medium, which can not only effectively isolate the reaction chamber from the wafer transfer channel and uniformly measure the temperature within the reaction chamber, but also prevent particles generated by contact friction between segmented barrier components from falling onto the thin film on the wafer, thereby improving the uniformity of the thin film.

[0008] Specifically, the wafer insulation device provided according to the first aspect of the present invention is disposed in the reaction chamber of a semiconductor processing equipment. The wafer insulation device includes: a one-piece barrier ring and a lifting mechanism disposed below it. When the wafer insulation device is in wafer process mode, the one-piece barrier ring is raised via the lifting mechanism to abut against the reaction chamber, thereby isolating the wafer in the reaction chamber from the external wafer transfer channel.

[0009] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the one-piece barrier ring is in a raised state, and the wafer tray carrying the wafer is located at the center of the one-piece barrier ring, blocking the opening between the reaction chamber and the wafer transfer channel via the raised ring wall of the one-piece barrier ring.

[0010] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the wafer tray includes a heating device, wherein after the one-piece barrier ring is raised, the wafer tray is raised, and the heating device preheats the wafer tray so that the wafer insulation device enters the wafer process mode.

[0011] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, after the wafer process mode is completed, the heating device remains in a heated state to keep the wafer on the wafer tray warm.

[0012] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the one-piece barrier ring falls after the wafer tray is lowered to allow the wafer to be removed, and rises again before the wafer tray is raised to block the reaction chamber from the external wafer transfer channel, so as to allow the interior of the reaction chamber to be cleaned.

[0013] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the one-piece barrier ring and / or the wafer tray are made of ceramic material.

[0014] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the lifting mechanism includes a servo motor that provides driving force, and a transmission link connecting the servo motor and the one-piece barrier ring.

[0015] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the wafer insulation device further includes a torque meter disposed between the servo motor and the one-piece barrier ring. During the process of the servo motor driving the one-piece barrier ring to rise, the torque meter measures the driving force of the servo motor to control the rising distance provided by the driving force to be lower than the safe rising distance.

[0016] Furthermore, the wafer insulation method provided by the second aspect of the present invention includes the following steps: when the wafer insulation device is in wafer process mode, a one-piece barrier ring is raised to abut against the reaction chamber via a lifting mechanism to isolate the wafer in the reaction chamber from the external wafer transfer channel, wherein the one-piece barrier ring is in a raised state, the wafer tray carrying the wafer is located at the center of the one-piece barrier ring, and the opening between the reaction chamber and the wafer transfer channel is blocked by the ring wall of the raised one-piece barrier ring.

[0017] Furthermore, according to a third aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided having computer instructions stored thereon, characterized in that, when the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the wafer insulation method described in the second aspect is implemented. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The above-described features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood after reading the following detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, components are not necessarily drawn to scale, and components having similar related characteristics or features may have the same or similar reference numerals.

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a wafer insulation device provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0020] Figure 2A for Figure 1 The diagram shows the wafer insulation device in a falling state.

[0021] Figure 2B for Figure 1 The diagram shows the wafer insulation device in an ascending state.

[0022] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the wafer insulation device in the rising state within the reaction chamber.

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic flowchart of a wafer insulation method according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0024] Figure 5A A partial flowchart of a wafer insulation method provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0025] Figure 5B A schematic diagram of another part of the wafer insulation method provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0026] Figure label:

[0027] 100 wafer insulation device;

[0028] 110 One-piece barrier ring;

[0029] 120 Lifting Mechanism;

[0030] 121. Transmission connecting rod;

[0031] 122 slide;

[0032] 123 Torque meter;

[0033] 124 servo motors;

[0034] 200 reaction chamber;

[0035] 210 Wafer Tray;

[0036] Steps S410 to S490;

[0037] Steps S4901, S491 to S493. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention is presented in conjunction with preferred embodiments, this does not mean that the features of the invention are limited to these embodiments. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the invention in conjunction with embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that may be derived based on the claims of the present invention. To provide a thorough understanding of the invention, many specific details will be included in the following description. The invention may also be implemented without using these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion or obscuring the focus of the invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description.

[0039] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0040] Furthermore, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "horizontal," and "vertical" used in the following description should be understood as the orientations shown in the relevant paragraphs and accompanying drawings. These relative terms are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply that the described apparatus must be manufactured or operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the invention.

[0041] It is understood that although terms such as "first," "second," and "third" may be used herein to describe various components, regions, layers, and / or parts, these components, regions, layers, and / or parts should not be limited by these terms, and these terms are only used to distinguish different components, regions, layers, and / or parts. Therefore, the first components, regions, layers, and / or parts discussed below may be referred to as second components, regions, layers, and / or parts without departing from some embodiments of the present invention.

[0042] As mentioned above, the opening between the existing reaction chamber and the wafer transfer channel is too large, and there is no barrier component that can effectively separate the reaction chamber and the wafer transfer channel. Therefore, it cannot provide insulation for the wafer transfer channel direction of the reaction chamber, which easily leads to uneven temperature within the reaction chamber, resulting in a failure to guarantee the uniformity of the generated thin film. Furthermore, the existing reaction chamber structure consists of multiple modular barrier components assembled together. This causes contact friction between the barrier components during assembly, resulting in particles falling onto the wafer's thin film and affecting the uniformity of the generated film.

[0043] To address the aforementioned problems in the prior art, this invention provides a wafer insulation device, a wafer insulation method, and a computer-readable storage medium, which not only effectively isolates the reaction chamber from the wafer transfer channel and uniformly controls the temperature within the reaction chamber, but also prevents particles generated by contact friction between segmented barrier components from falling onto the thin film on the wafer, thereby improving the uniformity of the thin film.

[0044] In some non-limiting embodiments, the wafer insulation method provided in the second aspect of the present invention can be implemented by the wafer insulation device provided in the first aspect of the present invention. Furthermore, the wafer insulation device may also include a memory and a processor. The memory includes, but is not limited to, the computer-readable storage medium provided in the third aspect of the present invention, on which computer instructions are stored. The processor is connected to the memory and can be configured to execute the computer instructions stored in the memory to implement the wafer insulation method provided in the second aspect of the present invention.

[0045] The working principle of the above-mentioned wafer insulation device will be described below with reference to some embodiments of wafer insulation methods. Those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments of wafer insulation methods are merely non-limiting implementations provided by the present invention, intended to clearly demonstrate the main concept of the invention and provide specific solutions convenient for public implementation, rather than limiting all operating methods or functions of the wafer insulation device. Similarly, the wafer insulation device is also only one non-limiting implementation provided by the present invention and does not limit the entities implementing the steps in these wafer insulation methods.

[0046] Specifically, please see Figure 1 . Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a wafer insulation device provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the wafer insulation device 100 mainly includes a one-piece barrier ring 110 and a lifting mechanism 120. Further, the lifting mechanism 120 may include a servo motor 124 for providing driving force, and a transmission link 121 connecting the servo motor and the one-piece barrier ring 110 above it.

[0048] You can refer to further. Figure 2A and Figure 2B , Figure 2A for Figure 1 The diagram shows the wafer insulation device in its falling state. Figure 2B for Figure 1 The diagram shows the wafer insulation device in an ascending state.

[0049] like Figure 2A As shown, in its initial state, the wafer insulation device 100 is in a falling state, i.e., a certain distance away from the reaction chamber 200. When the wafer insulation device 100 is in wafer process mode, combined with... Figure 1 and Figure 2B In the wafer insulation device 100, the servo motor 124 of the lifting mechanism 120 provides driving force, which is transmitted to the one-piece barrier ring 110 above it via the transmission link 121. This causes the one-piece barrier ring 110 to rise and press against the reaction chamber 200, thereby isolating the wafer inside the reaction chamber 200 from the external wafer transfer channel. In this embodiment, the servo motor 124 is used for precise control of the lifting process of the one-piece barrier ring 110.

[0050] Alternatively, please continue reading Figure 1 A slide table 122 can be used to raise or lower the one-piece barrier ring 110 between the servo motor 124 and the one-piece barrier ring 110. Specifically, the slide table 122 is positioned between the servo motor 124 and the transmission linkage 121, and is driven by the servo motor 124 to control the movement of the control surface in the up-down direction (or Z-axis direction). The slide table 122 can be of various types, such as a vertically sliding translation table or a lifting table with a ball screw reducer.

[0051] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above-described scheme of raising or lowering the one-piece barrier ring 110 by means of the slide table 122 is only a non-limiting embodiment provided by the present invention, intended to clearly demonstrate the main concept of the present invention and provide a specific solution that is easy for the public to implement, rather than intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0052] In some preferred embodiments, the lifting mechanism 120 may further include a torque meter 123. The torque meter 123 may be disposed between the servo motor 124 and the slide 122. During the process of the servo motor 124 driving the one-piece barrier ring 110 above it to rise, the torque meter 123 measures the driving force of the servo motor 124 to control the rising distance corresponding to the driving force to be lower than the safe rising distance.

[0053] In this embodiment, the safe ascent distance can be determined based on the distance between the one-piece barrier ring 110, which is currently in a falling state, and the reaction chamber 200. Preferably, a first safe distance is set based on the distance between the one-piece barrier ring 110 and the reaction chamber 200.

[0054] For example, the first safe distance can be a position close to the reaction chamber 200, such as a position 50 mm away from the reaction chamber 200. When the one-piece barrier ring 110 is below the first safe distance, the rising speed corresponding to the driving force provided by the servo motor 124 is the first rising speed. When the one-piece barrier ring 110 reaches the first safe distance, the driving force provided by the servo motor 124 is reduced so that its corresponding rising speed is reduced to a second rising speed, wherein the second rising speed is less than the first rising speed.

[0055] The torque meter 123 measures the driving force provided by the servo motor 124 to drive the one-piece barrier ring 110 upward, thereby providing distance protection during the upward movement of the one-piece barrier ring 110 to prevent collision between the one-piece barrier ring 110 and the surface of the reaction chamber 200. The same distance protection method can be used for the downward movement of the one-piece barrier ring 110.

[0056] Preferably, the transmission link 121 can be selected as a bellows to transmit the driving force. Since the bellows is a tubular elastic sensitive element that can be connected along the folding and stretching direction, it can be combined with the torque meter 123 to better measure the driving force provided by the servo motor 124. Furthermore, due to the elasticity of the bellows itself, it can provide better distance protection for the one-piece barrier ring 110.

[0057] To better illustrate the wafer insulation device 100 provided in the first aspect of the present invention, the following will describe it in detail with reference to some embodiments of the wafer insulation method.

[0058] First, you can refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the wafer insulation device in the rising state within the reaction chamber.

[0059] like Figure 3As shown, the wafer tray 210 in the reaction chamber 200 is positioned at the center of the one-piece barrier ring 110 of the wafer insulation device 100. Furthermore, the wafer tray 210 may include a heating device to provide stable adsorption force and temperature control for the wafers on the wafer tray 210.

[0060] Preferably, the one-piece barrier ring 110 and / or wafer tray 210 in the wafer insulation device 100 can both be made of ceramic material. That is, a one-piece barrier ring 110 of ceramic material is also provided at the connection position between the reaction chamber 200 and the wafer transfer channel to ensure that the material environment inside the reaction chamber 200 is uniform, and to avoid uneven plasma field, which would affect the process performance of the thin film.

[0061] Specifically, please see Figure 4 , Figure 4 A schematic flowchart of a wafer insulation method according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0062] In some non-limiting embodiments of the present invention, firstly, step S410 is performed: as follows Figure 2A As shown, the one-piece barrier ring 110 is in the lowered state. Executing step S420, the wafer can be fed into the wafer tray 210 in the reaction chamber 200 via the robotic arm in the wafer transfer channel. Executing step S430, as... Figure 2B As shown, the one-piece barrier ring 110 is raised.

[0063] Subsequently, step S440 is executed, and wafer tray 210 is raised. For example... Figure 3 As shown, when the one-piece barrier ring 110 is in the raised state, it rises to surround the wafer tray 210, meaning the wafer tray 210 carrying the wafer is located at the center of the barrier ring 110, and the opening between the reaction chamber 200 and the wafer transfer channel is blocked by the raised ring wall of the barrier ring 110. After the wafer tray 210 is raised, it is preheated by the heating equipment on it to allow the wafer insulation device 100 to enter the wafer process mode. During this preheating stage, the wafer insulation device 100 does not perform wafer transfer operations.

[0064] In this embodiment, by first raising a one-piece barrier ring 110 to block the reaction chamber 200 and the wafer transfer channel, the reaction chamber 200 forms a sealed space. Then, the wafer tray 210 is raised and preheated. This effectively avoids the low temperature at the entrance of the reaction chamber 200 and the wafer transfer channel, and the uneven temperature inside the reaction chamber 200. This results in a more uniform temperature on the wafer tray 210, thereby improving the overall plasma field and the uniformity of the generated thin film.

[0065] Alternatively, in order to improve the efficiency of the wafer fabrication process and save process time, the lifting action of the one-piece barrier ring 110 in step S430 can be performed almost simultaneously with the lifting action of the wafer tray 210 in step S430, that is, the one-piece barrier ring 110 and the wafer tray 210 can be lifted at the same time.

[0066] Subsequently, step S450 is executed to perform wafer process mode on the wafer on wafer tray 210 until completion. Then, step S460 is executed, the wafer tray 210 is lowered, and step S470 is executed, the one-piece barrier ring 110 is lowered. During this process, i.e., after the wafer process mode is completed, the heating equipment on wafer tray 210 can remain heated to keep the processed wafer on wafer tray 210 warm.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the order of first lowering the wafer tray 210 and then lowering the one-piece barrier ring 110 effectively solves the defects in the prior art, where the wafer transfer device in the reaction chamber 200 cannot completely wrap the wafer tray 210 with heating equipment, resulting in uneven wafer temperature on the wafer tray 210 and affecting the uniformity of the thin film on the wafer.

[0068] Subsequently, in step S480, the robotic arm in the wafer transfer channel removes the wafer from the reaction chamber 200 and sends it out through the wafer transfer channel. In the embodiment provided by the present invention, by using an integral, one-piece barrier ring for lifting and lowering, particles generated by contact friction between segmented barrier components can be prevented from falling onto the thin film on the wafer, thereby reducing the particle size of the generated thin film and improving the uniformity of the thin film.

[0069] Preferably, after the wafer is removed, step S490 can be performed, in which the wafer insulation device 100 enters the cleaning mode of the reaction chamber 200.

[0070] Specifically, you can refer to Figure 5A , Figure 5A A partial flowchart of a wafer insulation method provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0071] like Figure 5AAs shown, step S490 mainly includes steps S491 to S493. After the wafer is removed, step S491 is executed first, and the one-piece barrier ring 110 rises again to block the reaction chamber 200 and the wafer transfer channel. This prevents particles in the reaction chamber 200 from falling into the wafer transfer channel during the cleaning process, thus avoiding the problem of the overall particle size of the thin film on the wafer after processing in the wafer transfer channel. In addition, if thin film deposition occurs in the wafer transfer channel, resulting in a long film in the wafer transfer channel, the thin film generated in the wafer transfer channel cannot be cleaned by the Remote Plasma System (RPS).

[0072] Then, step S492 is performed to clean the interior of reaction chamber 200. Step S494 completes the cleaning process inside reaction chamber 200.

[0073] Preferably, to further improve the cleaning efficiency of the reaction chamber 200, cleaning of multiple deposits can also be performed. Please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 5B , Figure 5B A schematic diagram of another part of the wafer insulation method provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0074] like Figure 5B In the illustrated embodiment, step S490 is in Figure 5A In steps S491 to S493 shown, before step S491, step S4901 is also included: multi-wafer end wafer process mode.

[0075] Specifically, after the wafer insulation device 100 completes multiple wafer processing cycles and generates multiple wafer deposits, and after all the wafers are removed, the reaction chamber 200, after processing, undergoes a cleaning process. Subsequent cleaning steps S491 to S493 are as described above. Figure 5A This has been described in the embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0076] Although the methods described above are illustrated and depicted as a series of actions for the sake of simplicity, it should be understood and appreciated that these methods are not limited by the order of the actions, as some actions may occur in a different order and / or concurrently with other actions from the illustrations and descriptions herein or not illustrated and described herein but which may be understood by those skilled in the art, according to one or more embodiments.

[0077] In summary, the present invention provides a wafer insulation device, a wafer insulation method, and a computer-readable storage medium, which can not only effectively isolate the reaction chamber from the wafer transfer channel and uniformly measure the temperature within the reaction chamber, but also prevent particles generated by contact friction between segmented barrier components from falling onto the thin film on the wafer, thereby improving the uniformity of the thin film.

[0078] The prior description of this disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use this disclosure. Various modifications to this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for heat preservation of a wafer, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: In response to the wafer tray being fed into the reaction chamber, a one-piece barrier ring is raised at a first rising speed via a lifting mechanism, and when it reaches a first safe distance, its rising speed is reduced to a second rising speed until it touches the reaction chamber, thereby blocking the wafer in the reaction chamber from the external wafer transfer channel. After the wafer tray is raised, the wafer tray is preheated to put the wafer insulation device into wafer process mode. In response to the completion of the wafer process mode, the wafer tray is first lowered, and then the one-piece barrier ring is lowered to open the wafer transfer channel. as well as In response to the removal of the wafer, the one-piece barrier ring is raised again to block the wafer transfer channel from the outside during the cleaning process inside the reaction chamber.

2. The wafer insulation method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The step of blocking the wafer inside the reaction chamber from the external wafer transfer channel includes: The wafer tray carrying the wafer is positioned at the center of the one-piece barrier ring, and the opening between the reaction chamber and the wafer transfer channel is blocked by the raised ring wall of the one-piece barrier ring.

3. The wafer heat preservation method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The step of preheating the wafer tray after it is raised to put the wafer insulation device into wafer process mode includes: After the one-piece barrier ring is raised, the wafer tray is raised and preheated by the heating equipment on the wafer tray so that the wafer insulation device can enter the wafer process mode.

4. The wafer heat preservation method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The step of dropping the wafer tray after completing the wafer process mode further includes: After the wafer process mode is completed, the heating equipment remains in a heated state to keep the wafers on the wafer tray warm.

5. The wafer insulation method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The step of raising the one-piece barrier ring again after removing the wafer to block the wafer transfer channel from the outside during the cleaning process inside the reaction chamber includes: The one-piece barrier ring falls after the wafer tray is lowered to allow the wafer to be removed, and rises again before the wafer tray is raised to block the reaction chamber from the external wafer transfer channel, so as to allow the interior of the reaction chamber to be cleaned.

6. The wafer insulation method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The one-piece barrier ring and / or the wafer tray are made of ceramic material.

7. The wafer insulation method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting mechanism includes a servo motor that provides driving force, and a transmission link connecting the servo motor and the one-piece barrier ring.

8. The wafer insulation method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The step of raising the one-piece barrier ring via the lifting mechanism at a first upward speed includes: During the process of the servo motor driving the one-piece barrier ring to rise, the driving force of the servo motor is measured by a torque meter to control the rising distance provided by the driving force to be lower than the first safety distance. The torque meter is located between the servo motor and the one-piece barrier ring.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions thereon, characterized in that, When the computer instructions are executed by the processor, the wafer insulation method described in any one of claims 1 to 8 is implemented.

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