Semiconductor processing apparatus and method

Abstract

The present application relates to a semiconductor processing apparatus and method. In one embodiment of the present application, the semiconductor processing apparatus includes: a process chamber; a gas source; and a gas pipeline, which is coupled between the gas source and the process chamber; wherein a flow-limiting component with adjustable flow capacity is provided on the gas pipeline, and the flow-limiting component is used to control the gas flow rate in the gas pipeline.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application generally relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, and more particularly, to semiconductor processing apparatuses and methods. Background Art

[0002] In the field of semiconductor manufacturing, the atomic layer deposition (ALD) process is widely used because the films formed have a high bottom coverage. In the ALD process, reactive source materials (such as precursors or reactants) are delivered to the process chamber in the form of pulses. However, in the case of a long front-end gas pipeline, it is difficult to deliver a sufficient chemical dose to the process chamber within a very short pulse time. Therefore, a longer pulse time is required to provide a dose that meets the film growth rate requirements, which results in a long deposition time, high deposition cost, and low productivity.

[0003] In addition, the reactive source materials are expensive, and reducing the loss of reactive source materials in the process is one of the important goals pursued in the field of semiconductor manufacturing.

[0004] Therefore, improved semiconductor processing apparatuses and methods are needed to meet the requirements for film quality, productivity, and economy. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a semiconductor processing apparatus having a flow-limiting component with adjustable flow capacity, so that the gas flow rate can be adjusted during the process, improving the effective utilization rate of the reactive source materials and enabling film deposition in a more economical form, thereby reducing the loss of reactive source materials, further reducing the deposition cost, and enhancing the economic benefits.

[0006] This application also provides a method of operating a semiconductor processing apparatus, the method including a pre-filling step, which can effectively shorten the pulse time and greatly improve the productivity.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present application, a semiconductor processing apparatus is provided, the semiconductor processing apparatus including: a process chamber; a gas source; and a gas pipeline coupled between the gas source and the process chamber; wherein a flow-limiting component with adjustable flow capacity is provided on the gas pipeline, and the flow-limiting component is used to control the gas flow rate in the gas pipeline.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present application, a first intake valve is further provided on the gas pipeline and coupled between the gas source and the flow-limiting component.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present application, the semiconductor processing apparatus further includes a reaction source material tank, the reaction source material tank is coupled to the gas pipeline at one end of the first intake valve through a first pipeline, and is coupled to the gas pipeline at the other end of the first intake valve through a second pipeline. A second intake valve is provided on the first pipeline, and a third intake valve is provided on the second pipeline.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present application, a fourth intake valve coupled between the process chamber and the flow rate limiting component is further provided on the gas pipeline.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present application, the gas pipeline further includes: a branch, one end of which is coupled to the gas pipeline between the fourth intake valve and the flow rate limiting component, and the other end is coupled to a vacuum pump. An exhaust valve is provided on the branch. According to some embodiments of the present application, the flow rate adjustable flow rate limiting component includes at least one of a valve or a flow restrictor.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present application, the flow rate adjustable flow rate limiting component includes at least one flow rate adjustable flow rate limiting component.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present application, the flow rate adjustable flow rate limiting component includes a plurality of flow rate limiting components arranged in parallel with different flow rates.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present application, the plurality of flow rate limiting components with different flow rates include a first flow rate limiting component and a second flow rate limiting component, and the flow rate of the first flow rate limiting component is greater than that of the second flow rate limiting component.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present application, the first flow rate limiting component includes a first valve, the second flow rate limiting component includes a second valve, and the flow rate when the first valve is opened is greater than the flow rate when the second valve is opened.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present application, the first flow rate limiting component includes a first flow restrictor, the second flow rate limiting component includes a second flow restrictor, and the aperture of the second flow restrictor is smaller than the aperture of the first flow rate limiting component.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the present application, the aperture of the first flow restrictor ranges from 1 mm to 3 mm, and the aperture of the second flow rate limiting component ranges from 0.1 mm to 1 mm.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present application, the semiconductor processing apparatus further includes a controller, and the controller is configured to: during a first process stage, control the flow rate limiting component to operate at a first flow rate; and during a second process stage, control the flow rate limiting component to operate at a second flow rate different from the first flow rate.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present application, the first process stage is a reaction source material injection stage, the second process stage is a pre-filling stage or a purification stage, and the first flow rate is greater than the second flow rate.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present application, the present application further provides a method of operating a semiconductor processing apparatus, the semiconductor processing apparatus including a process chamber and a gas pipeline coupled to the process chamber, the method including: during the pre-filling stage, providing a gas carrying a reaction source material into the gas pipeline but not into the process chamber; and during the reaction source material injection stage, providing the gas carrying the reaction source material into the process chamber through the gas pipeline.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the present application, a flow rate limiting component with adjustable flow capacity is provided on the gas pipeline, the flow rate limiting component being used to control the gas flow rate in the gas pipeline, the method further including: during the reaction source material injection stage, controlling the flow rate limiting component to operate at a first flow rate; and during the pre-filling stage, controlling the flow rate limiting component to operate at a second flow rate, the first flow rate being greater than the second flow rate.

[0022] According to some embodiments of the present application, the flow rate limiting component with adjustable flow capacity includes at least one flow rate limiting component with adjustable flow capacity.

[0023] According to some embodiments of the present application, the flow rate limiting component with adjustable flow capacity includes a first flow rate limiting component and a second flow rate limiting component arranged in parallel, the first flow rate limiting component having the first flow rate when enabled, and the second flow rate limiting component having the second flow rate when enabled.

[0024] According to some embodiments of the present application, the first flow rate limiting component includes a first valve, the second flow rate limiting component includes a second valve, controlling the flow rate limiting component to operate at the first flow rate includes opening the first valve and closing the second valve, and controlling the flow rate limiting component to operate at the second flow rate includes opening the second valve and closing the first valve.

[0025] According to some embodiments of the present application, the first flow rate limiting component further includes a first flow restrictor connected in series with the first valve, the second flow rate limiting component further includes a second flow restrictor connected in series with the second valve, and the aperture of the second flow restrictor is smaller than the aperture of the first flow rate limiting component.

[0026] According to some embodiments of the present application, the aperture of the first flow restrictor ranges from 1 mm to 3 mm, and the aperture of the second flow restrictor ranges from 0.1 mm to 1 mm.

[0027] According to some embodiments of the present application, the gas pipeline further includes a branch. One end of the branch is coupled to the gas pipeline between the process chamber and the flow-limiting component, and the other end is coupled to a vacuum pump. The method further includes: during the purification stage, controlling the flow-limiting component to operate at the second flow rate, providing a gas that does not carry the reaction source material into the gas pipeline and releasing it to the vacuum pump through the branch.

[0028] According to some embodiments of the present application, the semiconductor processing apparatus further includes: a gas source coupled to the gas pipeline; a first intake valve provided on the gas pipeline between the gas source and the process chamber; and a reaction source material tank, which is coupled to the gas pipeline at one end of the first intake valve through a first pipeline and to the gas pipeline at the other end of the first intake valve through a second pipeline. A second intake valve is provided on the first pipeline, and a third intake valve is provided on the second pipeline; and the method includes: during the pre-filling stage and the reaction source material injection stage, closing the first intake valve and opening the second intake valve and the third intake valve, so that the gas from the gas source carries the reaction source material in the reaction source material tank into the gas pipeline.

[0029] According to some embodiments of the present application, the method further includes: during the purification stage, opening the first intake valve and closing the second intake valve and the third intake valve, so that the gas from the gas source enters the gas pipeline without carrying the reaction source material in the reaction source material tank.

[0030] According to some embodiments of the present application, the gas pipeline is coupled to the process chamber through a fourth intake valve and further includes a branch. One end of the branch is coupled to the gas pipeline upstream of the fourth intake valve, and the other end is coupled to a vacuum pump. An exhaust valve is provided on the branch. The method includes: during the pre-filling stage, closing the fourth intake valve and opening the exhaust valve to release the gas carrying the reaction source material into the vacuum pump; and during the reaction source material injection stage, opening the fourth intake valve and closing the exhaust valve to provide the gas carrying the reaction source material to the process chamber.

[0031] According to some embodiments of the present application, the method further includes: during the purification stage, closing the fourth intake valve and opening the exhaust valve to release the gas that does not carry the reaction source material into the vacuum pump.

[0032] According to some embodiments of the present application, the reaction source material injection stage is carried out immediately after the pre-filling stage.

[0033] According to some embodiments of the present application, the method further includes adjusting the time of the pre-filling stage.

[0034] Details of one or more examples of the present application are set forth in the following drawings and description. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The disclosure in this specification refers to and includes the following figures:

[0036] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 4A Shows the time of each process stage of Comparative Example 1, as well as the growth rate and thickness non-uniformity of the thin film;

[0040] Figure 4B Shows the time of each process stage of Example 1, as well as the growth rate and thickness non-uniformity of the thin film;

[0041] Figure 5 Shows the growth rate and thickness non-uniformity of the thin films of Comparative Example 2, Comparative Example 3, and Example 2;

[0042] Figure 6A Shows experimental data of the thin film growth rate obtained with different precursor injection times;

[0043] Figure 6B Shows experimental data of the thin film thickness non-uniformity obtained with different precursor injection times;

[0044] Figure 6C Shows experimental data of the thin film growth rate obtained with different reactant injection times;

[0045] Figure 6D Shows experimental data of the thin film thickness non-uniformity obtained with different reactant injection times;

[0046] Figure 7A Shows experimental data of the thin film growth rate obtained with different precursor pre-filling times;

[0047] Figure 7BExperimental data of film thickness non-uniformity obtained with different precursor pre-filling times are shown;

[0048] Figure 7C Experimental data of film growth rate obtained with different reactant pre-filling times are shown; and

[0049] Figure 7D Experimental data of film thickness non-uniformity obtained with different reactant pre-filling times are shown.

[0050] According to convention, the various features illustrated in the figures may not be drawn to scale. Therefore, for clarity, the sizes of the various features may be arbitrarily enlarged or reduced. The shapes of the components illustrated in the figures are only exemplary shapes and do not define the actual shapes of the components. Additionally, for clarity, the embodiments illustrated in the figures may be simplified. Therefore, the figures may not illustrate all components of a given device or apparatus. Finally, the same reference numerals may be used throughout the specification and the figures to represent the same features. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0051] To better understand the spirit of the present invention, the following further describes it in conjunction with some embodiments of the present invention.

[0052] The terms "in one embodiment" or "according to one embodiment" used in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same specific embodiment, and the terms "in other (some / certain) embodiments" or "according to other (some / certain) embodiments" used in this specification do not necessarily refer to different specific embodiments. The purpose is, for example, that the claimed subject matter includes combinations of all or part of the exemplary specific embodiments. The meanings of "up" and "down" referred to herein are not limited to the relationships directly presented in the figures, and should include descriptions with clear corresponding relationships, such as "left" and "right", or the opposites of "up" and "down". The term "connection" referred to herein should be understood to cover "direct connection" as well as "connection via one or more intermediate components". The term "wafer" in this document should be understood to be interchangeable with terms such as "chip", "substrate", "base material", "substrate", etc., and can refer to any element on which a deposition process is performed, rather than an element with a specific structure and composition. The names of the various components used in this specification are only for the purpose of illustration and do not have a limiting effect. Different manufacturers may use different names to refer to components with the same function.

[0053] The various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below. Although specific embodiments are discussed, it should be understood that these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only. Those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components and configurations may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The embodiments of the present invention may not necessarily include all the components or steps of the embodiments described in the specification, and the execution order of each step may also be adjusted according to actual applications.

[0054] As described above, the current semiconductor processing apparatuses used for the ALD process have disadvantages such as high loss of reactive source materials, long deposition time, high deposition cost, and low productivity. The present application provides an improved semiconductor processing apparatus and method to solve at least one of the above problems.

[0055] The semiconductor processing apparatus and method of the present application can be used to form thin films such as Al2O3, SnO2, InO2, TiN, AlN, TiSiN, TiAlC, etc., but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0056] Figure 1 FIG. 100 is a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. The semiconductor processing apparatus 100 can be used for processes such as, but not limited to, thermal atomic layer deposition (Thermal ALD). As Figure 1 shown, the semiconductor processing apparatus 100 includes a process chamber 10, a gas source 20, and a gas pipeline 30. The process chamber 10 is used to accommodate wafers, and a deposition process can be performed on the wafers inside it. The gas source 20 can provide the gases required for the deposition process. In some embodiments, the gas source 20 can directly provide the reactive source materials (such as precursors or reactants) required for the deposition process. In other embodiments, the gas source 20 can provide a carrier gas for carrying the reactive source materials. In some embodiments, the carrier gas includes an inert gas, such as argon (Ar), or nitrogen (N2), or helium (He), etc. The gas pipeline 30 is coupled between the process chamber 10 and the gas source 20 to supply the gases from the gas source 20 to the process chamber 10.

[0057] According to an embodiment of the present application, a flow-limiting component 40 with adjustable flow capacity is provided on the gas pipeline 30, which can be used to control the gas flow rate in the gas pipeline 30. In some embodiments, the flow-limiting component 40 can include at least one flow-limiting component with adjustable flow rate. In other embodiments, the flow-limiting component 40 can include a plurality of flow-limiting components with fixed flow rates arranged in parallel, and the flow rates of these flow-limiting components are different. The flow-limiting component with adjustable flow rate and the flow-limiting component with fixed flow rate can also be used in combination. The flow-limiting component 40 includes at least one of a valve or a flow restrictor. In Figure 1In the example, the flow-limiting component 40 provided on the gas pipeline 30 includes a valve 41 and a flow limiter 42. The flow rate of at least one of the valve 41 and the flow limiter 42 is adjustable. For example, when the valve 41 and / or the flow limiter 42 is set to the first state, the flow-limiting component 40 has a first flow rate; when the valve 41 and / or the flow limiter 42 is set to the second state, the flow-limiting component 40 has a second flow rate different from the first flow rate. Those skilled in the art are familiar with the design and use of various valves or flow limiters with adjustable flow rates, and will not be elaborated herein. In addition, those skilled in the art can understand that the flow-limiting component 40 may also include only one of the valve 41 or the flow limiter 42. In some embodiments, the flow limiter 42 includes a flow-limiting orifice plate. The aperture size of the flow-limiting orifice plate with adjustable flow rate is adjustable. The provision of the flow-limiting component 40 with adjustable flow capacity enables the semiconductor processing apparatus 100 to adjust the gas flow rate according to specific process requirements during the process.

[0058] The gas pipeline 30 between the gas source 20 and the flow-limiting component 40 can have any length and shape. In some embodiments, the gas pipeline 30 between the gas source 20 and the flow-limiting component 40 has a length of 0.1 m to 10 m. In some embodiments, other devices (not shown) may also be provided on the gas pipeline 30. Figure 1 Other devices not shown in the figure.

[0059] As Figure 1 shown, a first intake valve 51 is further provided on the gas pipeline 30. The first intake valve 51 is coupled between the gas source 20 and the flow-limiting component 40. When the first intake valve 51 is opened, the gas from the gas source 20 can directly enter the gas pipeline 30. A fourth intake valve 54 is further provided on the gas pipeline 30. The fourth intake valve 54 is coupled between the process chamber 10 and the flow-limiting component 40. When the fourth intake valve 54 is opened, the gas in the gas pipeline 30 can enter the process chamber 10.

[0060] In some embodiments, the gas pipeline 30 may further include a branch 33. One end of the branch 33 is coupled to the gas pipeline 30 between the fourth intake valve 54 and the flow-limiting component 40, and the other end is coupled to the vacuum pump 70. An exhaust valve 55 is provided on the branch 33. When the exhaust valve 55 is opened, the gas in the gas pipeline 30 can be released to the vacuum pump 70 via the branch 33 (for example, by the suction of the vacuum pump 70). During the operation of the semiconductor processing apparatus 100, the vacuum pump 70 can be always turned on or only turned on when it is necessary to suck the gas in the gas pipeline 30.

[0061] In some embodiments, the gas source 20 provides a carrier gas carrying a reaction source material, and the semiconductor processing apparatus 100 may further include a reaction source material tank 60, which contains the reaction source material. Referring to Figure 1, the reaction source material tank 60 is coupled to the gas pipeline 30 at one end of the first intake valve 51 through the first pipeline 31 and is coupled to the gas pipeline 30 at the other end of the first intake valve 51 through the second pipeline 32. A second intake valve 52 is provided on the first pipeline 31, and a third intake valve 53 is provided on the second pipeline. When the first intake valve 51 is closed and the second intake valve 52 and the third intake valve 53 are open, the carrier gas from the gas source 20 can enter the reaction source material tank 60 via the first pipeline 31, carry the reaction source material, and then enter the gas pipeline 30 via the second pipeline 32. When it is necessary to provide carrier gas without carrying the reaction source material to the gas pipeline 30 (for example, during the purification stage), the first intake valve 51 can be opened, and the second intake valve 52 and the third intake valve 53 can be closed.

[0062] According to some embodiments of the present application, during the reaction source material injection stage, the first intake valve 51 and the exhaust valve 55 can be closed, the second intake valve 52, the third intake valve 53, and the fourth intake valve 54 can be opened, and the flow limiting component 40 can be adjusted to operate at a first flow rate. In this configuration, the gas carrying the reaction source material will be provided to the process chamber 10 at the first flow rate. During the purification stage, the second intake valve 52, the third intake valve 53, and the fourth intake valve 54 can be closed, the first intake valve 51 and the exhaust valve 55 can be opened, and the flow limiting component 40 can be adjusted to operate at a second flow rate. In this configuration, the gas without carrying the reaction source material will flow through the gas pipeline 30 at the second flow rate and be sucked into the vacuum pump 70. At the same time, the residual reaction source material in the gas pipeline 30 will be discharged together with the gas. The second flow rate can be different from the first flow rate in the reaction source material injection stage. In some embodiments, the second flow rate is less than the first flow rate.

[0063] According to some embodiments of the present application, the process may further include a pre-filling stage. During the pre-filling stage, the first intake valve 51 and the fourth intake valve 54 can be closed, the second intake valve 52, the third intake valve 53, and the exhaust valve 55 can be opened, and the flow limiting component 40 can be adjusted to operate at a third flow rate. In this configuration, the gas carrying the reaction source material will flow through the gas pipeline 30 at the third flow rate and be released into the vacuum pump 70, so that the reaction source material can be filled to one end of the gas pipeline 30 close to the process chamber 10 before the start of its injection stage, so that it can enter the process chamber 10 faster after the start of its injection stage. In the embodiments of the present application, the third flow rate can be less than the first flow rate in the reaction source material injection stage. In some embodiments, the third flow rate is equal to the second flow rate in the purification stage. Therefore, the semiconductor processing device 100 can complete the pre-filling of the gas pipeline 30 at a smaller flow rate, reduce the pulse time in the reaction source material injection stage, and reduce the deposition cost.

[0064] According to some embodiments of the present application, the process may further include a process chamber purging stage. While the above-mentioned purging stage and / or pre-filling stage are carried out in the gas pipeline 30, the purging gas can be released into the process chamber 10 via another gas pipeline (not shown in the figure) different from the gas pipeline 30 and be sucked by the vacuum pump connected to the process chamber 10. Meanwhile, the residual reaction source materials, reaction by-products, etc. in the process chamber 10 will be discharged together with the purging gas. In some embodiments, the purging gas includes an inert gas, such as argon (Ar), or nitrogen (N2), or helium (He), etc. The semiconductor processing apparatus 100 shortens the pulse time of the injection of the reaction source material by adding a pre-filling stage to the gas pipeline 30, so that the amount of the reaction source material flowing into the process chamber 10 can be effectively controlled, and thus the purging time of the process chamber 10 can be shortened. Therefore, the present application can shorten the deposition cycle, increase the number of process wafers that can be processed per hour, and greatly improve the production capacity.

[0065] The semiconductor processing apparatus 100 may further include a controller (not shown in the figure), which is used to control and complete the operations and cooperation of each component. For example, data (also referred to as "recipe") regarding the states (e.g., open or closed) that each valve needs to be set in each process stage can be stored in the controller (or a memory coupled to the controller). The controller can generate corresponding control signals according to the stored data and the process stage to be carried out to control the states of each valve, thereby executing the process.

[0066] In some embodiments, the controller can be configured to: during a first process stage, control the flow-limiting component 40 to operate at a first flow rate; and during a second process stage, control the flow-limiting component 40 to operate at a second flow rate different from the first flow rate. For example, the first process stage can be the reaction source material injection stage, the second process stage can be the pre-filling stage or the purging stage, and the first flow rate is greater than the second flow rate.

[0067] Figure 2 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor processing apparatus 200 according to another embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 The semiconductor processing apparatus 200 in Figure 1 differs from the semiconductor processing apparatus 100 in Figure 2 only in that the flow-limiting component 40a with adjustable flow capacity on the gas pipeline 30 in Figure 2 includes two flow-limiting components with different flow rates arranged in parallel. Although

[0068] shows that the flow-limiting component 40a only includes two flow-limiting components with different flow rates arranged in parallel, those skilled in the art can understand that the flow-limiting component 40a can include three or more flow-limiting components with different flow rates arranged in parallel.

[0068] As Figure 2As shown, the flow-limiting component 40a includes a first valve 41a and a second valve 41a' arranged in parallel. When the first valve 41a is open, it has a first flow rate, and when the second valve 41a' is open, it has a second flow rate, where the first flow rate is greater than the second flow rate. The flow capacity of the flow-limiting component 40a can be adjusted by selectively opening the first valve 41a or the second valve 41a', thereby adjusting the gas flow rate in the gas pipeline 30.

[0069] For example, during the reaction source material injection stage, the first intake valve 51, the exhaust valve 55, and the second valve 41a' can be closed, and the second intake valve 52, the third intake valve 53, the first valve 41a, and the fourth intake valve 54 can be opened. In this configuration, the gas carrying the reaction source material will be provided to the process chamber 10 at the first flow rate. During the pre-filling stage, the first intake valve 51, the first valve 41a, and the fourth intake valve 54 can be closed, and the second intake valve 52, the third intake valve 53, the second valve 41a', and the exhaust valve 55 can be opened. In this configuration, the gas carrying the reaction source material will flow through the gas pipeline 30 at the second flow rate and be released into the vacuum pump 70. During the purification stage, the second intake valve 52, the third intake valve 53, the first valve 41a, and the fourth intake valve 54 can be closed, and the first intake valve 51, the second valve 41a', and the exhaust valve 55 can be opened. In this configuration, the gas not carrying the reaction source material will flow through the gas pipeline 30 at the second flow rate and be sucked into the vacuum pump 70. At the same time, the residual reaction source material in the gas pipeline 30 will be discharged together with the gas. In addition, while the above purification stage and / or pre-filling stage of the gas pipeline 30 is in progress, the process chamber 10 can carry out a process chamber purification stage to discharge the residual reaction source material and reaction by-products in the process chamber 10 together with the purification gas. The existence of the pre-filling stage of the gas pipeline 30 shortens the pulse time of the reaction source material injection and effectively controls the amount of reaction source material flowing into the process chamber 10. Therefore, the purification time of the process chamber 10 can be shortened, thereby shortening the deposition cycle and increasing the production capacity.

[0070] Similar to the semiconductor processing apparatus 100, the semiconductor processing apparatus 200 can further include a controller (not shown in the figure), which is used to control and complete the operations and cooperation of each component.

[0071] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor processing apparatus 300 according to another embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 The semiconductor processing apparatus 300 in Figure 2 differs from the semiconductor processing apparatus 200 in Figure 3The flow rate adjustable flow limiting component 40b on the gas pipeline 30 therein includes a first flow limiting component and a second flow limiting component arranged in parallel. The first flow limiting component includes a first valve 41b and a first flow limiter 42b arranged in series, and the second flow limiting component includes a second valve 41b' and a second flow limiter 42b' arranged in series. The first valve 41b and the second valve 41b' can be the same valve. The aperture of the second flow limiter 42b' is smaller than the aperture of the first flow limiter 42b. Therefore, when the first valve 41b is opened, the flow rate of the first flow limiting component is greater than the flow rate of the second flow limiting component when the second valve 41b' is opened. The flow rate of the flow limiting component 40b can be adjusted by selectively opening the first valve 41b or the second valve 41b', and further the gas flow rate in the gas pipeline 30 can be adjusted. In some embodiments, the aperture range of the first flow limiter 42b is 1 mm - 3 mm, and the aperture range of the second flow limiting component 42b' is 0.1 mm - 1 mm. In each different process stage, the state settings of the valves in the semiconductor processing apparatus 300 can be similar to those of the semiconductor processing apparatus 200, which will not be elaborated here. Similar to the semiconductor processing apparatus 200, the semiconductor processing apparatus 300 can further include a controller (not shown in the figure), which is used to control and complete the operations and cooperation of each component.

[0072] According to some embodiments of the present application, a method of operating a semiconductor processing apparatus (such as semiconductor processing apparatuses 100, 200, or 300) may include: during a pre-filling stage, providing a gas carrying a reactive source material into a gas pipeline (such as gas pipeline 30) coupled between a gas source (such as gas source 20) and a process chamber (such as process chamber 10), but not into the process chamber (for example, by closing the first intake valve 51 and the fourth intake valve 54, and opening the second intake valve 52, the third intake valve 53, and the exhaust valve 55); and during a reactive source material injection stage, providing the gas carrying the reactive source material into the process chamber through the gas pipeline (for example, by closing the first intake valve 51 and the exhaust valve 55, and opening the second intake valve 52, the third intake valve 53, and the fourth intake valve 54). The reactive source material injection stage may be carried out immediately after the pre-filling stage. The gas pipeline may be filled with a certain amount of reactive source material during the pre-filling stage, so that in the subsequent reactive source material injection stage, a sufficient chemical dose can be delivered to the process chamber within a very short pulse time, thereby effectively reducing the pulse time (for example, the pulse time can be shortened to within 100 ms). At the same time, the purging time of the process chamber can also be reduced (for example, the purging time of the process chamber can be shortened to within 1 s). It can be seen that by adding the pre-filling stage, the production capacity of the method of the present application can be greatly improved. Further, the method of the present application may further include adjusting the time of the pre-filling stage, thereby indirectly controlling the growth rate and thickness non-uniformity of the deposited thin film.

[0073] In some embodiments, a method of operating a semiconductor processing apparatus may further include: during a reaction source material injection phase, controlling a flow-limiting component (such as flow-limiting components 40, 40a, or 40b) on a gas pipeline to operate at a first flow rate (for example, by opening first valves 41a or 41b and closing second valves 41a' or 41b'), that is, supplying a gas carrying a reaction source material to a process chamber at the first flow rate; during a pre-filling phase, controlling the flow-limiting component to operate at a second flow rate (for example, by closing first valves 41a or 41b and opening second valves 41a' or 41b'), that is, supplying a gas carrying a reaction source material to the gas pipeline at the second flow rate, but not to the process chamber. Wherein, the first flow rate is greater than the second flow rate. Since during the pre-filling phase, a gas carrying a reaction source material is filled into the gas pipeline at a smaller second flow rate, the loss of the reaction source material during this phase can be reduced, and the cost of the deposition process can be lowered.

[0074] In some embodiments, a method of operating a semiconductor processing apparatus may further include: during a purging phase, controlling the flow-limiting component to operate at a second flow rate, supplying a gas not carrying a reaction source material to the gas pipeline at the second flow rate (for example, by closing second inlet valve 52, third inlet valve 53, and fourth inlet valve 54, and opening first inlet valve 51) and releasing it (for example, by opening exhaust valve 55 and via branch 33) to a vacuum pump (such as vacuum pump 70). The purging phase may be carried out immediately after the reaction source material injection phase.

[0075] Figures 1 to 3 Only the relevant gas pipelines and components for supplying a reaction source material (such as a precursor or a reactant) to a process chamber in a semiconductor processing apparatus are shown. It should be understood that the semiconductor processing apparatus may further include relevant gas pipelines and components for supplying other reaction source materials (such as reactants or precursors) to the process chamber, which may adopt the same as Figures 1 to 3Similar structures. In some embodiments, a method of operating a semiconductor processing apparatus may include multiple process cycles, each process cycle including: a precursor pre-fill stage, a precursor injection stage, a precursor purge stage, a reactant pre-fill stage, a reactant injection stage, and a reactant purge stage. It should be understood that the method may also include other stages or steps (such as process chamber purge, etc.). The precursor pre-fill stage, the precursor injection stage, and the precursor purge stage are carried out by providing the relevant gas pipelines and components for the precursor (for example, in accordance with the relevant settings of the pre-fill stage, the reactant injection stage, and the purge stage described herein). The reactant pre-fill stage, the reactant injection stage, and the reactant purge stage are carried out by providing the relevant gas pipelines and components for the reactant (for example, in accordance with the relevant settings of the pre-fill stage, the reactant injection stage, and the purge stage described herein). Therefore, the precursor pre-fill stage, the precursor injection stage, the precursor purge stage, the reactant pre-fill stage, the reactant injection stage, and the reactant purge stage do not have to be carried out sequentially, and certain precursor and reactant related operations in some stages can be carried out simultaneously in parallel. For example, the precursor pre-fill stage can be carried out simultaneously with the reactant purge stage on two different gas pipelines.

[0076] The following will refer to Figure 4A and Figure 4B to describe in detail the differences between forming a thin film using the method of the present application and forming a thin film using the prior art method. Figure 4A Shows the time of each process stage of Comparative Example 1, as well as the growth rate and thickness non-uniformity of the thin film. Figure 4B Shows the time of each process stage of Example 1, as well as the growth rate and thickness non-uniformity of the thin film.

[0077] Comparative Example 1 uses a prior art method (excluding the pre-fill stage) to form an alumina thin film. The prior art method includes multiple process cycles, and each process cycle includes a precursor injection stage, a precursor purge stage, a reactant injection stage, and a reactant purge stage. Example 1 uses a method with an added pre-fill stage to form an alumina thin film. The method includes multiple process cycles, and each process cycle includes a precursor pre-fill stage, a precursor injection stage, a precursor purge stage, a reactant pre-fill stage, a reactant injection stage, and a reactant purge stage. The other process parameters of Comparative Example 1 and Example 1 are the same.

[0078] Both Comparative Example 1 and Example 1 use TMA (trimethylaluminum) as the precursor and H2O as the reactant, and form an alumina thin film on two wafers (referred to as "side A" and "side B" respectively) in the process chamber through the corresponding process steps. In Figure 4A and Figure 4BAmong them, GPC represents the growth rate of the thin film (growth per cycle), that is, the thickness of the thin film grown in each process cycle on average. STD ND% represents the thickness non-uniformity of the thin film. The smaller the value of STD ND%, the more uniform the thickness of the thin film.

[0079] As Figure 4A and Figure 4B shown, when the precursor injection time and the reactant injection time are the same, the growth rate of the alumina thin film prepared in Example 1 is higher than that of the alumina thin film prepared in Comparative Example 1, and the thickness non-uniformity of the alumina thin film prepared in Example 1 is smaller than that of the alumina thin film prepared in Comparative Example 1. Therefore, the deposition method including a pre-filling stage according to the embodiments of the present application can improve the growth rate of the thin film and improve the thickness non-uniformity of the thin film.

[0080] Figure 5 shows the growth rate and thickness non-uniformity of the thin films of Comparative Example 2, Comparative Example 3 and Example 2. Comparative Example 2, Comparative Example 3 and Example 2 all deposit alumina thin films by a method including a pre-filling stage, and this method includes a plurality of process cycles, and each process cycle includes: a precursor pre-filling time of 0.5 s, a precursor injection time of 0.08 s, a precursor purification time of 0.1 s, a reactant pre-filling time of 0.9 s, a reactant injection time of 0.1 s, and a reactant purification time of 0.5 s. Comparative Example 2 uses a semiconductor processing device similar to Figure 1 but there is no flow-limiting component 40 installed on the gas pipeline 30. Comparative Example 3 uses a semiconductor processing device similar to Figure 1 where the flow-limiting component 40 is replaced with a flow limiter with an aperture of 0.5 mm. Example 2 uses a semiconductor processing device similar to Figure 1 where the flow-limiting component 40 is replaced with a flow limiter with an aperture of 1.5 mm.

[0081] As Figure 5As shown, Example 2 can achieve a growth rate similar to that of Comparative Example 2, but with smaller thickness non-uniformity. Since Example 2 uses a restrictor with an aperture of 1.5 mm, while ensuring the growth rate of the thin film, Example 2 improves the thickness non-uniformity of the thin film and reduces the usage amount of the reactant source material. However, when the flow rate of the flow-limiting component is too small (for example, Comparative Example 3), the flowing gas flow rate is too small, and even if the deposition process includes a pre-filling stage, sufficient doses of the reactant source material cannot be delivered to the process chamber within the pulse time, resulting in the inability to form a thin film. Therefore, a restrictor with an aperture of 1.5 mm is suitable for installation on the gas pipeline for the reactant source material injection stage, while a restrictor with an aperture of 0.5 mm is suitable for installation on the gas pipeline for the pre-filling stage and / or the purification stage (for example, the pipeline branch where 41a' or 42b' is located), to reduce the loss of the reactant source material during the pre-filling stage by reducing the gas flow rate behind the restrictor, thereby reducing the loss of the reactant source material and lowering the cost of the deposition process.

[0082] Figures 6A to 6D show the influence of the precursor injection time and the reactant injection time on the growth rate and thickness non-uniformity of the thin film. Specifically, Figure 6A show the experimental data of the thin film growth rate obtained with different precursor injection times, Figure 6B show the experimental data of the thin film thickness non-uniformity obtained with different precursor injection times, Figure 6C show the experimental data of the thin film growth rate obtained with different reactant injection times, Figure 6D show the experimental data of the thin film thickness non-uniformity obtained with different reactant injection times. Figures 6A to 6D The examples in Figure 5 all use the same semiconductor processing apparatus as in Example 2 shown in

[0083] Figure 6A and Figure 6B to form aluminum oxide thin films on two wafers (referred to as "side A" and "side B" respectively) in the process chamber, with TMA as the precursor and H2O as the reactant, and restrictors with an aperture of 1.5 mm are installed on both the gas pipeline for supplying TMA and the gas pipeline for supplying H2O.

[0084] As Figure 6AAs shown, when the precursor injection time is 0.01 s, an alumina thin film has already been formed; when the precursor injection time is 0.09 s, the growth rate of the alumina thin film can reach / cycle. At this time, the precursor is saturated, and even if the precursor injection time is continuously extended, the growth rate of the thin film will not increase significantly. As Figure 6B shown, when the precursor injection time is 0.01 s, the thickness non-uniformity of the thin film is greater than 9%; when the precursor injection time is 0.02 s, the thickness non-uniformity of the thin film is reduced to less than 2%; when the precursor injection time is 0.09 s, the thickness non-uniformity of the thin film can even be reduced to less than 1%.

[0085] Figure 6C and Figure 6D The processes performed in the embodiments of include multiple process cycles, and each process cycle includes: a precursor pre-filling stage (0.35 s), a precursor injection stage (0.08 s), a precursor purification stage (0.65 s), a reaction body pre-filling stage (0.35 s), a reaction body injection stage, and a reaction body purification stage (0.65 s).

[0086] As Figure 6C and Figure 6D shown, when the reaction body injection time is 0.01 s, an alumina thin film has already been formed; when the reaction body injection time is 0.09 s, the growth rate of the alumina thin film can reach / cycle, and at this time, the thickness non-uniformity of the thin film can be less than 1%.

[0087] It can be seen that both the precursor injection time and the reaction body injection time will affect the growth rate and thickness non-uniformity of the thin film. Due to the addition of the pre-filling stage, even if the precursor injection time and the reaction body injection time are shortened to 0.01 s, a thin film can still be grown.

[0088] Figures 7A to 7D shows the influence of the precursor pre-filling time and the reaction body pre-filling time on the growth rate and thickness non-uniformity of the thin film. Specifically, Figure 7A shows the experimental data of the thin film growth rate obtained with different precursor pre-filling times, Figure 7B shows the experimental data of the thin film thickness non-uniformity obtained with different precursor pre-filling times, Figure 7C shows the experimental data of the thin film growth rate obtained with different reaction body pre-filling times, Figure 7D shows the experimental data of the thin film thickness non-uniformity obtained with different reaction body pre-filling times. Figures 7A to 7D The embodiments in all use the same as Figure 5On the wafers in the process chamber of the same semiconductor processing apparatus as that in Embodiment 2 shown, an aluminum oxide thin film is formed using TMA as a precursor and H2O as a reactant. Restrictors with an aperture of 1.5 mm are installed on both the gas pipeline for supplying TMA and the gas pipeline for supplying H2O.

[0089] Figure 7A and Figure 7B The processes performed in the embodiments of include multiple process cycles. Each process cycle includes: a precursor pre-filling stage (T1), a precursor injection stage (0.08 s), a precursor purification stage (0.1 s), a reactant pre-filling stage (0.9 s), a reactant injection stage (0.1 s), and a reactant purification stage (T2), where the sum of the precursor pre-filling time T1 and the reactant purification time T2 is 1 s.

[0090] As Figure 7A and Figure 7B shown, when the precursor pre-filling time is 0.35 s, the growth rate of the aluminum oxide thin film can reach / cycle, and the thickness non-uniformity of the thin film is less than 1%.

[0091] Figure 7C and Figure 7D The processes performed in the embodiments of include multiple process cycles. Each process cycle includes: a precursor pre-filling stage (0.5 s), a precursor injection stage (0.08 s), a precursor purification stage (T3), a reactant pre-filling stage (T4), a reactant injection stage (0.1 s), and a reactant purification stage (0.5 s), where the sum of the precursor purification time T3 and the reactant pre-filling time T4 is 1 s.

[0092] As Figure 7C and Figure 7D shown, when the reactant pre-filling time is 0.35 s, the growth rate of the aluminum oxide thin film can reach / cycle, and the thickness non-uniformity of the thin film is less than 1%.

[0093] Thus, it can be seen that the growth rate and thickness non-uniformity of the deposited thin film can be indirectly controlled by adjusting the time of the pre-filling stage.

[0094] The description in this specification is provided to enable those skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined in this specification can be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the examples and designs described in this specification, but is accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed in this specification.

Claims

1. A semiconductor processing apparatus, comprising a process chamber, a gas source, a reaction source material tank, a gas pipeline, a first pipeline, a second pipeline, a branch, a flow-limiting component with adjustable flow capacity, and a controller, wherein, the gas pipeline is coupled between the gas source and the process chamber, and is provided with the flow-limiting component, a first intake valve, and a fourth intake valve thereon. The flow-limiting component is used to control the gas flow rate in the gas pipeline. The first intake valve is coupled between the gas source and the flow-limiting component, and the fourth intake valve is coupled between the process chamber and the flow-limiting component. The reaction source material tank is coupled to the gas pipeline at one end of the first intake valve through the first pipeline, and is coupled to the gas pipeline at the other end of the first intake valve through the second pipeline. A second intake valve is provided on the first pipeline, and a third intake valve is provided on the second pipeline. One end of the branch is coupled to the gas pipeline between the fourth intake valve and the flow-limiting component, and the other end is coupled to a vacuum pump. An exhaust valve is provided on the branch. The controller is configured to: During the pre-filling stage, close the first intake valve and the fourth intake valve, open the second intake valve, the third intake valve, and the exhaust valve, and control the flow-limiting component to operate at a second flow rate. During the reaction source material injection stage, close the first intake valve and the exhaust valve, open the second intake valve, the third intake valve, and the fourth intake valve, and control the flow-limiting component to operate at a first flow rate, wherein the first flow rate is greater than the second flow rate; and during the purification stage, close the second intake valve, the third intake valve, and the fourth intake valve, open the first intake valve and the exhaust valve, and control the flow-limiting component to operate at the second flow rate.

2. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flow-limiting component with adjustable flow capacity comprises at least one of a valve or a flow limiter.

3. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flow-limiting component with adjustable flow capacity comprises at least one flow-limiting component with adjustable flow rate.

4. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flow-limiting component with adjustable flow capacity comprises a plurality of flow-limiting components with different flow rates arranged in parallel.

5. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of flow-limiting components with different flow rates comprises a first flow-limiting component and a second flow-limiting component, and the flow rate of the first flow-limiting component is greater than that of the second flow-limiting component.

6. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first flow-limiting component comprises a first valve, and the second flow-limiting component comprises a second valve, and the flow rate when the first valve is open is greater than the flow rate when the second valve is open.

7. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first flow-limiting component comprises a first flow limiter, and the second flow-limiting component comprises a second flow limiter, and the aperture of the second flow limiter is smaller than that of the first flow-limiting component.

8. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the aperture of the first flow limiter ranges from 1 mm to 3 mm, and the aperture of the second flow limiting member ranges from 0.1 mm to 1 mm.

9. A method of operating a semiconductor processing apparatus, comprising: During a pre-filling stage, closing the first intake valve and the fourth intake valve, opening the second intake valve, the third intake valve, and the exhaust valve, and supplying a gas carrying a reactive source material to a gas pipeline of the semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1 at a second flow rate, but not supplying it to the process chamber; During a reactive source material injection stage, closing the first intake valve and the exhaust valve, opening the second intake valve, the third intake valve, and the fourth intake valve, and supplying the gas carrying the reactive source material to the process chamber through the gas pipeline at a first flow rate, wherein the first flow rate is greater than the second flow rate; and during a purification stage, closing the second intake valve, the third intake valve, and the fourth intake valve, opening the first intake valve and the exhaust valve, and controlling the flow limiting member to operate at the second flow rate.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The flow limiting member with adjustable flow capacity provided on the gas pipeline includes at least one flow limiting member with adjustable flow capacity.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The flow limiting member with adjustable flow capacity includes a first flow limiting member and a second flow limiting member arranged in parallel. When the first flow limiting member is enabled, it has the first flow rate, and when the second flow limiting member is enabled, it has the second flow rate.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The first flow limiting member includes a first valve, and the second flow limiting member includes a second valve. Controlling the flow limiting member to operate at the first flow rate includes opening the first valve and closing the second valve, and controlling the flow limiting member to operate at the second flow rate includes opening the second valve and closing the first valve.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The first flow limiting member further includes a first flow limiter connected in series with the first valve, and the second flow limiting member further includes a second flow limiter connected in series with the second valve. The aperture of the second flow limiter is smaller than the aperture of the first flow limiting member.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The aperture of the first flow limiter ranges from 1 mm to 3 mm, and the aperture of the second flow limiter ranges from 0.1 mm to 1 mm.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The gas pipeline further includes a branch. One end of the branch is coupled to the gas pipeline between the process chamber and the flow limiting member, and the other end is coupled to a vacuum pump. The method further includes: During the purification stage, controlling the flow limiting member to operate at the second flow rate, supplying a gas not carrying the reactive source material to the gas pipeline, and releasing it to the vacuum pump through the branch.

16. The method according to claim 9, which further includes: During the pre-filling stage and the reactive source material injection stage, a first intake valve provided in the gas pipeline is closed, and a second intake valve provided in a first pipeline of the semiconductor processing apparatus and a third intake valve provided in a second pipeline of the semiconductor processing apparatus are opened, so that gas from a gas source of the semiconductor processing apparatus carries the reactive source material in a reactive source material tank of the semiconductor processing apparatus into the gas pipeline.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: During the purification stage, the first intake valve is opened, and the second intake valve and the third intake valve are closed, so that gas from the gas source enters the gas pipeline without carrying the reactive source material in the reactive source material tank.

18. The method according to claim 9, wherein The gas pipeline is coupled to the process chamber through a fourth intake valve and further includes a branch. One end of the branch is coupled to the gas pipeline upstream of the fourth intake valve, and the other end is coupled to a vacuum pump. An exhaust valve is provided on the branch. The method includes: During the pre-filling stage, the fourth intake valve is closed, and the exhaust valve is opened to release the gas carrying the reactive source material into the vacuum pump; and During the reactive source material injection stage, the fourth intake valve is opened, and the exhaust valve is closed to supply the gas carrying the reactive source material to the process chamber.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising: During the purification stage, the fourth intake valve is closed, and the exhaust valve is opened to release the gas not carrying the reactive source material into the vacuum pump.

20. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: Adjust the time of the pre-filling stage.

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