A method for adjusting the uniformity of Emax process cavities by changing component dimensions

Abstract

The present application provides a method for adjusting the uniformity of the Emax process chamber by changing the size of a component, which is applied to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, wherein a method for adjusting the uniformity of the Emax process chamber by changing the size of a component includes: obtaining a mapping curve between the size parameters of the cavity cover ring and the uniformity of the cavity etching rate; determining the size data of the cavity cover ring according to the mapping curve; after determining the size data, obtaining the process chamber. Since changing the size data of the cavity cover ring will directly affect the volume of the process chamber, the change in volume will change the plasma distribution at the edge of the cavity and change the mean free path of the plasma, thereby affecting the uniformity of the cavity etching rate. Therefore, the technical solution provided by the embodiment of this specification can effectively improve the uniformity of the cavity etching rate and improve the performance of the process chamber, and the adjustment range of the cavity etching rate uniformity can be increased by changing the size of the cavity cover ring.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a method for adjusting the uniformity of an Emax process chamber by changing component dimensions. Background Art

[0002] There are three very important parameters for the etching chamber to characterize the performance of the process chamber: chamber etch rate, chamber etch rate uniformity and chamber particles.

[0003] At present, the industry generally improves the uniformity of chamber etching rate by adjusting process parameters, such as adjusting the temperature distribution of the electrostatic chuck (ESC), changing the process gas distribution, adjusting the internal height of the chamber, and changing the plasma distribution.

[0004] However, the adjustment range through process means such as adjusting the ESC temperature distribution, changing the process gas distribution, adjusting the cavity volume and changing the plasma distribution is limited.

[0005] Therefore, a new technical solution for adjusting the uniformity of cavity etching rate is needed. Summary of the invention

[0006] In view of this, the embodiments of this specification provide a method for adjusting the uniformity of the Emax process chamber by changing the component size, so as to solve the technical problem in the prior art of improving the uniformity of the chamber etching rate by adjusting process parameters, such as adjusting the ESC temperature distribution, changing the process gas distribution, adjusting the chamber volume, and changing the plasma distribution.

[0007] The embodiments of this specification provide the following technical solutions:

[0008] The embodiment of this specification provides a method for adjusting the uniformity of an Emax process chamber by changing the size of a component, including:

[0009] Obtaining a mapping curve between the size parameters of the cavity cover ring and the uniformity of the cavity etching rate;

[0010] Determining the size data of the cavity covering ring according to the mapping curve;

[0011] After the dimension data is determined, the process chamber is obtained.

[0012] Through the above technical scheme, the dimension data of the cavity cover ring is determined according to the mapping curve, and then the process cavity is obtained. Since changing the dimension data of the cavity cover ring will directly affect the volume of the process cavity, the change in volume will change the plasma distribution at the edge of the cavity and change the mean free path of the plasma, thereby affecting the uniformity of the cavity etching rate. Therefore, the technical scheme provided in the embodiment of this specification can effectively improve the uniformity of the cavity etching rate and improve the performance of the process cavity. In addition, by changing the size of the cavity cover ring, the adjustment range of the cavity etching rate uniformity can be increased.

[0013] In an optional embodiment, the dimension parameters of the cavity covering ring include: width and thickness.

[0014] Through the above technical solution, after obtaining the mapping curve between the width and thickness of the cavity cover ring and the uniformity of the cavity etching rate, the width and thickness of the cavity cover ring can be determined according to the mapping curve to improve the uniformity of the cavity etching rate.

[0015] In an optional embodiment, the cavity covering ring is disposed on the outer edge of the electrostatic chuck and is connected to the electrostatic chuck.

[0016] Through the above technical solution, the cavity cover ring is set at the outer edge of the ESC and connected to the ESC. The size of the cavity cover ring can be adjusted to affect the ESC, thereby improving the cavity etching rate and improving the performance of the process cavity.

[0017] In an optional embodiment, the cavity covering ring includes a first covering ring and a second covering ring;

[0018] The second cover ring is disposed on the outer edge of the electrostatic chuck, and the inner edge of the second cover ring is connected to the outer edge of the electrostatic chuck;

[0019] The first cover ring is disposed at an outer edge of the second cover ring, and an inner edge of the first cover ring is connected to an outer edge of the electrostatic chuck.

[0020] Through the above technical solution, the second cover ring is arranged between the first cover ring and the electrostatic chuck. By changing the size of the second cover ring, the ESC can be affected, thereby improving the cavity etching rate and improving the performance of the process cavity.

[0021] In an optional implementation, the process chamber includes: an etching chamber.

[0022] Through the above technical solution, the process chamber can be an etching chamber, and the performance of the etching chamber is changed.

[0023] In an optional implementation, after determining the size data of the cavity cover ring according to the mapping curve, the method further includes:

[0024] After acquiring the process chamber, the process parameters of the process chamber are adjusted.

[0025] Through the above technical solution, the size change of the cavity cover ring can be combined with the adjustment of the process parameters of the process cavity, so as to improve the uniformity of the cavity etching rate and further increase the adjustment range of the cavity etching rate uniformity.

[0026] In an optional embodiment, the process parameters include at least one of the following: electrostatic chuck temperature distribution, process gas distribution, internal height of the process chamber, and plasma distribution.

[0027] Through the above technical scheme, by adjusting any one or more process parameters including the temperature distribution of the electrostatic chuck, the process gas distribution, the internal height of the process chamber and the plasma distribution, the uniformity of the chamber etching rate can be adjusted. In combination with changing the size of the chamber cover ring, the uniformity of the chamber etching rate can be adjusted more accurately, the adjustment range can be expanded, and the performance of the process chamber can be improved.

[0028] In an optional embodiment, there is a linear relationship between the size parameter of the cavity cover ring and the uniformity of the cavity etching rate.

[0029] Through the above technical scheme, since there is a linear relationship between the size parameters of the cavity cover ring and the uniformity of the cavity etching rate, the required size parameters of the cavity cover ring can be determined through the mapping curve corresponding to the linear relationship, thereby improving the uniformity of the cavity etching rate and improving the performance of the process cavity.

[0030] In an optional implementation, the volume of the process chamber is determined by the dimension data of the chamber cover ring.

[0031] Through the above technical solution, the volume of the process chamber is determined by the size data of the chamber cover ring. The change in volume will change the plasma distribution at the edge of the chamber and the mean free path of the plasma, thereby affecting the uniformity of the chamber etching rate.

[0032] The embodiments of this specification also provide a process chamber, which is manufactured using the above-mentioned method of adjusting the uniformity of the Emax process chamber by changing the size of components.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, at least one of the above-mentioned technical solutions adopted in the embodiments of the present specification can achieve beneficial effects that include at least: by determining the size data of the cavity cover ring according to the mapping curve, and then obtaining the process cavity, since changing the size data of the cavity cover ring will directly affect the volume of the process cavity, the change in volume will change the plasma distribution at the edge of the cavity and change the mean free path of the plasma, thereby affecting the uniformity of the cavity etching rate. Therefore, the technical solution provided in the embodiments of the present specification can effectively improve the uniformity of the cavity etching rate and improve the performance of the process cavity, and the adjustment range of the cavity etching rate uniformity can be increased by changing the size of the cavity cover ring. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0035] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a process chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 2 It is a flow chart of a method for adjusting the uniformity of an Emax process chamber by changing the size of a component provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of experimental data and a fitting curve between the width of a cavity cover ring and the uniformity of cavity etching rate provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a cavity covering ring provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a process chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application before the component size is adjusted;

[0040] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a process chamber after the component sizes are adjusted according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0041] Reference numerals

[0042] 1-process chamber; 2-chamber cover ring; 21-first cover ring; 22-second cover ring; 23-electrostatic chuck; 3-volume. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0044] The following describes the implementation methods of the present application through specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present application from the contents disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. The present application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific implementation methods, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present application. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without making creative work belong to the scope of protection of the present application.

[0045] It should be noted that various aspects of the embodiments within the scope of the appended claims are described below. It should be apparent that the aspects described herein can be embodied in a wide variety of forms, and any specific structure and / or function described herein is merely illustrative. Based on the present application, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that an aspect described herein can be implemented independently of any other aspect, and two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, any number and aspect described herein can be used to implement the device and / or practice the method. In addition, other structures and / or functionalities other than one or more of the aspects described herein can be used to implement this device and / or practice this method.

[0046] It should also be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic illustrations of the basic concept of the present application. The drawings only show components related to the present application rather than being drawn according to the number, shape and size of components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the type, quantity and proportion of each component may be changed arbitrarily, and the component layout may also be more complicated.

[0047] Additionally, in the following description, specific details are provided to facilitate a thorough understanding of the examples. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the examples can be practiced without these specific details.

[0048] There are three very important parameters for the etching chamber to characterize the performance of the process chamber: chamber etch rate, chamber etch rate uniformity and chamber particles.

[0049] At present, the industry generally improves the uniformity of chamber etching rate by adjusting process parameters, such as adjusting the temperature distribution of the electrostatic chuck (ESC), changing the process gas distribution, adjusting the internal height of the chamber, and changing the plasma distribution.

[0050] However, the adjustment range through process means such as adjusting the ESC temperature distribution, changing the process gas distribution, adjusting the cavity volume and changing the plasma distribution is limited.

[0051] Based on this, the embodiment of this specification proposes a processing solution: by changing the size parameters of the cavity cover ring in the process cavity, the cavity etching rate uniformity of the process cavity is adjusted, the adjustment range of the cavity etching rate uniformity is expanded, and the performance of the process cavity is improved.

[0052] The technical solutions provided by various embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0053] like Figure 1 As shown, an embodiment of the present specification provides a method for adjusting the uniformity of the Emax process chamber by changing the size of a component, which may include: a process chamber 1, wherein the position of the chamber cover ring 2 is marked in the dotted box. The embodiment of the present specification adjusts the size of the chamber cover ring 2 to achieve the effect of improving the uniformity of the chamber etching rate, and compared with process means, such as adjusting the ESC temperature distribution, changing the process gas distribution, adjusting the chamber volume, and changing the plasma distribution, the adjustment range is larger, thereby improving the performance of the process chamber.

[0054] Among them, the Emax process chamber is a model manufactured by Applied Materials, specifically an eight-inch dielectric layer etching machine.

[0055] Specifically, Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a method for adjusting the uniformity of an Emax process chamber by changing the size of a component provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As shown, including:

[0056] Step 1: Obtain a mapping curve between the size parameters of the cavity cover ring and the cavity etching rate uniformity.

[0057] Among them, the size parameters of the cavity covering ring include: width and thickness.

[0058] Specifically, through a large amount of experimental data, it is found that the size of the protective cavity cover ring will affect the cavity etching rate uniformity, and the experimental data show that the linearity is very strong. At the same time, it is found that there are many factors of the cavity cover ring that will also affect the cavity etching rate uniformity, such as the cavity cover ring width, thickness, and material factors.

[0059] In an optional embodiment, there is a linear relationship between the dimension parameter of the cavity cover ring and the cavity etching rate uniformity.

[0060] For example, Figure 3is a schematic diagram of experimental data and a fitting curve between the width of a cavity cover ring and the uniformity of cavity etching rate provided in an embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 3 As shown, the horizontal axis represents the width of the cavity cover ring, the unit of the horizontal axis is millimeter (mm), and the vertical axis represents the uniformity of the cavity etching rate. Figure 3 The solid circles in the figure represent the experimental data, and the dotted line represents the linear curve obtained by fitting the experimental data. The linear curve can be expressed as: y = -0.0006x + 0.0523, R 2 =0.8572, the R-squared value is an indicator of the degree of fit of the trend line, and its numerical value can reflect the degree of fit between the estimated value of the trend line and the corresponding actual data. The higher the degree of fit, the higher the reliability of the trend line. It can be seen that there is a relationship between the cavity etching rate uniformity and the width of the cavity cover ring, and it can be expressed by a linear equation, that is, there is a linear relationship between the cavity etching rate uniformity and the cavity cover ring.

[0061] In actual situations, experimental data on the relationship between the size parameters of the cavity cover ring and the uniformity of the cavity etching rate can be obtained, and then the experimental data can be fitted to obtain a fitting curve between the size parameters of the cavity cover ring and the uniformity of the cavity etching rate, wherein the fitting curve is the mapping curve in the embodiment of this specification. The mapping curve can reflect the relationship between the size parameters of the cavity cover ring and the uniformity of the cavity etching rate, and thus the cavity etching rate can be optimized and improved.

[0062] It can be known that the embodiment of this specification does not limit the method for obtaining the mapping curve. In the embodiment of this specification, the curve is used to represent the relationship between the size parameters of the cavity cover ring and the cavity etching uniformity. In practical applications, the mapping curve can be obtained through a mapping table or mapping data. Therefore, the method of obtaining the relationship between the size parameters of the cavity cover ring and the cavity etching uniformity through experimental data is within the protection scope of the embodiment of this specification and will not be repeated here.

[0063] Step 2: Determine the size data of the cavity covering ring according to the mapping curve.

[0064] Specifically, the dimension data of the cavity cover ring in the specific process cavity can be determined by the obtained mapping curve and the required cavity etching rate uniformity.

[0065] Among them, the process chamber in the embodiments of this specification includes: an etching chamber.

[0066] Step 3: After determining the size data, obtain the process chamber.

[0067] In the embodiments of this specification, the volume of the process chamber is determined by the size data of the chamber cover ring. The change in volume will change the plasma distribution at the edge of the chamber and the mean free path of the plasma, thereby affecting the uniformity of the chamber etching rate.

[0068] The process cavity obtained by the above method can have good cavity etching rate uniformity by using the dimension data of the cavity cover ring, thereby improving the performance of the process cavity.

[0069] In the embodiments of the present specification, the dimension data of the cavity cover ring is determined according to the mapping curve, and then the process cavity is obtained. Since changing the dimension data of the cavity cover ring will directly affect the volume of the process cavity, the change in volume will change the plasma distribution at the edge of the cavity and change the mean free path of the plasma, thereby affecting the uniformity of the cavity etching rate. Therefore, the technical solution provided in the embodiments of the present specification can effectively improve the uniformity of the cavity etching rate and improve the performance of the process cavity. In addition, the adjustment range of the cavity etching rate uniformity can be increased by changing the size of the cavity cover ring.

[0070] On the basis of the above embodiment, after determining the size data of the cavity cover ring according to the mapping curve, the method may further include: after acquiring the process cavity, adjusting the process parameters of the process cavity.

[0071] Wherein, the process parameters include at least one of the following: electrostatic chuck temperature distribution, process gas distribution, internal height of the process chamber and plasma distribution.

[0072] Specifically, after adjusting the uniformity of the chamber etching efficiency by adjusting the component size of the process chamber, the uniformity of the chamber etching efficiency can be further adjusted by adjusting the process parameters of the process chamber, which can further expand the adjustment range of the chamber etching efficiency uniformity.

[0073] In the prior art, the adjustment range is generally limited by process means such as adjusting the ESC temperature distribution, changing the process gas distribution, adjusting the internal height of the cavity, and changing the plasma distribution. The method for adjusting the uniformity of the Emax process cavity by changing the component size provided in the embodiments of this specification combines the process means with the adjustment of the component size to expand the adjustment range and increase the process window.

[0074] In an optional embodiment, the cavity cover ring is disposed on the outer edge of the electrostatic chuck and is connected to the electrostatic chuck.

[0075] Specifically, the width and thickness of the cavity cover ring will directly affect the volume of the cavity and the plasma distribution. It is known that the change in volume will change the plasma distribution at the edge of the cavity and change the mean free path of the plasma, thereby affecting the uniformity of the cavity etching rate. In addition, compared with the adjustment of the process parameters, the adjustment range of the cavity etching rate uniformity can be expanded by adjusting the component size of the process cavity, thereby improving the performance of the process cavity.

[0076] The following is a description of the cavity covering ring provided in the embodiments of this specification.

[0077] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cavity covering ring provided in an embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 4 As shown, it includes: a first covering ring 21, a second covering ring 22 and an electrostatic chuck 23.

[0078] Specifically, the cavity covering ring includes a first covering ring 21 and a second covering ring 22; the second covering ring 22 is arranged on the outer edge of the electrostatic suction cup 23, and the inner edge of the second covering ring 22 is connected to the outer edge of the electrostatic suction cup 23; the first covering ring 21 is arranged on the outer edge of the second covering ring 22, and the inner edge of the first covering ring 21 is connected to the outer edge of the electrostatic suction cup 23.

[0079] In the embodiment of the present specification, the uniformity of the cavity etching rate of the process cavity is adjusted by adjusting the size parameters of the second cover ring 22. The second cover ring 22 is adjacent to the electrostatic chuck 23. By changing the size of the second cover ring 22, the plasma distribution at the edge of the process cavity and the mean free path of the plasma can be affected, thereby affecting the uniformity of the cavity etching rate.

[0080] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a process chamber before the size of components is adjusted according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a process chamber after the size of components is adjusted according to an embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the volume 3 of the process chamber before the size parameters of the cover ring of the process chamber are adjusted is greatly changed compared with the volume 3 of the process chamber after the size parameters of the cover ring of the process chamber are adjusted. The change in volume will change the plasma distribution at the edge of the chamber and the mean free path of the plasma, thereby affecting the uniformity of the chamber etching rate, and can expand the adjustment range of the chamber etching rate uniformity, thereby improving the performance of the process chamber.

[0081] By using the method for adjusting the uniformity of the Emax process chamber by changing the component size provided in the embodiments of this specification, the uniformity of the chamber etching rate is improved, the etching data converges, and the uniformity of the wafer is improved.

[0082] The embodiments of this specification also provide a process chamber, which is manufactured using the above-mentioned method of adjusting the uniformity of the Emax process chamber by changing the size of components.

[0083] Each embodiment in this specification is described in a progressive manner, and the same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. In particular, for the product embodiment described later, since it corresponds to the method, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the partial description of the system embodiment.

[0084] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting the uniformity of an Emax process chamber by changing the size of a component, characterized in that: include: Obtaining a mapping curve between the size parameters of the cavity cover ring and the uniformity of the cavity etching rate; Determining the size data of the cavity covering ring according to the mapping curve; After determining the size data, the process cavity is obtained; The size of the cavity cover ring changed by the mapping curve can affect the cavity etching rate uniformity, and the adjustment range of the cavity etching rate uniformity can be correspondingly increased by the mapping curve; Wherein, the cavity cover ring is arranged at the outer edge of the electrostatic chuck and connected to the electrostatic chuck; the process cavity includes: an etching cavity; and the volume of the process cavity is determined by the size data of the cavity cover ring.

2. The method for adjusting the uniformity of the Emax process chamber by changing the component size according to claim 1, characterized in that: The size parameters of the cavity covering ring include width and thickness.

3. The method for adjusting the uniformity of the Emax process chamber by changing the component size according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cavity covering ring comprises a first covering ring and a second covering ring; The second cover ring is disposed on the outer edge of the electrostatic chuck, and the inner edge of the second cover ring is connected to the outer edge of the electrostatic chuck; The first cover ring is disposed at an outer edge of the second cover ring, and an inner edge of the first cover ring is connected to an outer edge of the electrostatic chuck.

4. The method for adjusting the uniformity of the Emax process chamber by changing the component size according to claim 1, characterized in that: After determining the size data of the cavity cover ring according to the mapping curve, the method further includes: After acquiring the process chamber, the process parameters of the process chamber are adjusted.

5. The method for adjusting the uniformity of the Emax process chamber by changing the component size according to claim 4, characterized in that: The process parameters include at least one of the following: electrostatic chuck temperature distribution, process gas distribution, internal height of the process chamber, and plasma distribution.

6. The method for adjusting the uniformity of the Emax process chamber by changing the component size according to claim 1, characterized in that: There is a linear relationship between the size parameter of the cavity cover ring and the uniformity of the cavity etching rate.

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