Spray assembly and thin film deposition device

Abstract

The spray assembly and thin film deposition device disclosed herein include an upper cover plate, a drainage portion, a spray portion, and a heater; the upper cover plate has a first air inlet channel in the center; the drainage portion and the upper cover plate together define a preheating airflow path, a second air inlet channel is provided in the center of the bottom of the drainage portion, the heater is located within the drainage portion and is disposed around the second air inlet channel; the preheating airflow path is located between the heater and the upper cover plate and connects the first and second air inlet channels, and is suitable for preheating the reaction gas from the first air inlet channel to the second air inlet channel. Providing the preheating airflow path above the second air inlet channel allows the reaction gas to be preheated before it is discharged from the second air inlet channel, thereby reducing the uneven temperature of the reaction gas when the reaction gas is subsequently sprayed into the reaction chamber of the thin film deposition device, thereby improving the uniformity of thin film deposition.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of thin film deposition, and in particular to a spray assembly and a thin film deposition device. Background Art

[0002] Thin film deposition is an essential step in the integrated circuit manufacturing process. Chemical vapor deposition equipment is used to perform thin film deposition on wafers. The shower plate is a component in chemical vapor deposition equipment, primarily used to spray external reactive gases onto the wafer to deposit thin films on the wafer surface.

[0003] Currently, heating elements within the shower plate heat the reactant gases to a specific temperature. However, external reactant gases are fed directly downward through the shower plate, preventing some of the reactant gases from being effectively heated. This results in uneven temperatures for the reactant gases sprayed from the shower plate. When these temperatures are applied to the wafer, they affect the deposition thickness, leading to uneven thickness and other defects. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, in order to solve the problem of uneven temperature of the reaction gas sprayed from the shower plate in the prior art, a shower assembly and a thin film deposition device are provided.

[0005] A spray assembly comprises: an upper cover plate, a drainage portion, a spray portion and a heater;

[0006] The center of the upper cover plate is provided with a first air inlet channel;

[0007] The guide portion is located between the upper cover plate and the spray portion, and together with the upper cover plate defines a preheating airflow path. A second air inlet channel is provided in the center of the guide portion, which is suitable for allowing the reaction gas to pass to the spray portion. The heater is located in the guide portion and is arranged around the second air inlet channel.

[0008] The preheating air flow path is located between the heater and the upper cover plate, and is connected to the first air inlet channel and the second air inlet channel, and is suitable for preheating the reaction gas from the first air inlet channel to the second air inlet channel.

[0009] In one embodiment, the preheating gas flow path includes a first chamber formed by splicing a guide portion and an upper cover plate, and the reaction gas is dispersed into the first chamber from the first air inlet channel.

[0010] In one embodiment, the preheating air flow path further includes a diverter groove, and two ends of the diverter groove are respectively connected to the first air inlet channel and the first chamber.

[0011] In one embodiment, the upper surface of the drainage portion and the lower surface of the upper cover plate abut against each other, and the diversion groove is provided on the upper surface of the drainage portion.

[0012] In one embodiment, the first chamber is an annular chamber, a center position of which corresponds to a position of the first air inlet channel.

[0013] In one embodiment, the drainage portion is plate-shaped, an edge of an upper surface of the drainage portion is connected to an edge of a lower surface of the upper cover plate, and an edge of a lower surface of the drainage portion is connected to an edge of an upper surface of the spray portion.

[0014] In one embodiment, there are multiple diverter grooves, and the multiple diverter grooves extend radially outward from the center of the drainage portion.

[0015] In one embodiment, the preheating air flow path includes a confluence hole arranged inside the guide portion, and two ends of the confluence hole are respectively connected to the first chamber and the second air inlet channel.

[0016] In one embodiment, at least one drainage hole is provided at the bottom of the first chamber, and the drainage hole is communicated with the confluence hole.

[0017] In one embodiment, there are a plurality of confluence holes, one end of each of the confluence holes converges at the second air inlet channel, and the other end of each of the confluence holes communicates with the first chamber through the drainage hole.

[0018] In one embodiment, an end portion of the confluence hole is exposed from a side wall of the drainage portion, and a sealing pin for sealing the exposed end portion is further provided on the drainage portion.

[0019] In one embodiment, a spray chamber is formed between the drainage portion and the spray portion, the second air inlet channel is communicated with the spray chamber, and a plurality of spray holes are provided at the bottom of the spray chamber.

[0020] In one embodiment, a diverter is further provided at the bottom of the drainage portion. The diverter is located directly below the second air inlet channel and is located in the spray chamber.

[0021] The present disclosure also provides a thin film deposition device, comprising the above-mentioned spray assembly.

[0022] The technical solution disclosed in this disclosure has the following advantages:

[0023] The spray assembly and thin film deposition apparatus disclosed herein include: an upper cover plate, a flow guide portion, a spray portion, and a heater; the upper cover plate has a first air inlet channel in the center; the flow guide portion is located between the upper cover plate and the spray portion, and together with the upper cover plate, defines a preheating airflow path; the flow guide portion is provided with a second air inlet channel in the center, suitable for allowing reactant gas to pass to the spray portion; the heater is located within the flow guide portion and is disposed around the second air inlet channel; the preheating airflow path is located between the heater and the upper cover plate, connecting the first air inlet channel and the second air inlet channel, and is suitable for preheating reactant gas from the first air inlet channel to the second air inlet channel. Providing the preheating airflow path above the second air inlet channel allows the reactant gas to be preheated before it is discharged from the second air inlet channel, thereby reducing the uneven temperature of the reactant gas when the reactant gas is subsequently sprayed into the reaction chamber of the thin film deposition apparatus, thereby improving the uniformity of thin film deposition. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present disclosure or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the specific embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a spray assembly of the related art;

[0026] Figure 2 is an overall schematic diagram of a spray assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a spray assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 4 This is an exploded schematic diagram of a spray assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 5 An exploded schematic diagram of a spray assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure from another perspective;

[0030] Figure 6 It is a partial cross-sectional view of the drainage portion of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Explanation of the accompanying drawings: 1. Upper cover; 2. Spray part; 3. Heater; 4. Drainage part; 5. Preheating air flow path; 6. Hollow shaft; 61. Diverter; 11. Air inlet channel; 12. First air inlet channel; 21. Spray hole; 22. Spray chamber; 41. Second air inlet channel; 42. Annular groove; 43. First chamber; 44. Diverter groove; 45. Confluence hole; 46. Sealing pin; 47. Drainage hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The following describes embodiments of the present disclosure in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although certain embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of the present disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0033] It should be understood that the various steps described in the method embodiments of the present disclosure may be performed in different orders and / or in parallel. In addition, the method embodiments may include additional steps and / or omit the steps shown. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0034] The term "including" and its variations used in this document are open inclusions, that is, "including but not limited to". The term "based on" means "based at least in part on". The term "one embodiment" means "at least one embodiment"; the term "another embodiment" means "at least one other embodiment"; the term "some embodiments" means "at least some embodiments". The relevant definitions of other terms will be given in the description below. It should be noted that the concepts of "first", "second", etc. mentioned in this disclosure are only used to distinguish different devices, modules or units, and are not used to limit the order or interdependence of the functions performed by these devices, modules or units.

[0035] It should be noted that the modifications of "one" and "multiple" mentioned in the present disclosure are illustrative rather than restrictive, and those skilled in the art should understand that unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context, they should be understood as "one or more".

[0036] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0037] The thin film deposition device is used to deposit a thin film on a wafer or a substrate, and comprises a reaction chamber and a spray component for spraying reaction gas into the reaction chamber.

[0038] In related technologies, such as Figure 1As shown, the spray assembly includes an upper cover plate 1 and a spray part 2. The upper cover plate 1 has an air inlet channel 11 in the center, and a heater 3 is arranged around the air inlet channel 11. The reaction gas enters the chamber of the spray part 2 from the air inlet channel 11. The spray part 2 has multiple spray holes 21, and the reaction gas is sprayed out from the spray holes 21.

[0039] However, in the above-mentioned related technologies, the temperature of the reaction gas entering the spray assembly is relatively low. It is heated by the heater 3 to reach the required temperature before being ejected from the spray hole 21. After the reaction gas enters the chamber, a portion is ejected from the spray hole 21 in the middle, and the other portion escapes to the surroundings and is ejected from the spray hole 21 at the edge. It can be seen that the reaction gas ejected from the spray hole 21 at the edge is further heated to the required temperature by the heater 3 above, while the reaction gas in the middle is continuously pushed by the reaction gas above and ejected from the spray hole 21 in the middle, resulting in the reaction gas ejected from the middle being not fully heated and ejected, that is, the temperature of the reaction gas ejected from different areas of the spray hole 21 is not the same. Generally speaking, the temperature of the reaction gas ejected from the diversion area of the central area of the spray part 2 is lower than the temperature of the reaction gas ejected from the edge area. Since the temperature of the reaction gas ejected from different areas of the spray part 2 is different, the quality of the thin film deposited on the substrate cannot be uniform, resulting in film deposition failure.

[0040] Based on this, the following technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure are proposed.

[0041] The present disclosure provides a spray assembly, referring to Figures 2 to 6 The device comprises an upper cover plate 1, a flow guide portion 4, a spray portion 2, and a heater 3. The upper cover plate 1 has a first air inlet channel 12 at its center. The flow guide portion 4 is located between the upper cover plate 1 and the spray portion 2, and together with the upper cover plate 1, defines a preheating airflow path 5. A second air inlet channel 41 is located at its center for allowing the reactant gas to pass to the spray portion 2. The heater 3 is located within the flow guide portion 4 and is disposed around the second air inlet channel 41. The preheating airflow path 5 is located between the heater 3 and the upper cover plate 1, and connects the first air inlet channel 12 and the second air inlet channel 41, and is suitable for preheating the reactant gas from the first air inlet channel 12 to the second air inlet channel 41. The provision of the preheating airflow path 5 above the second air inlet channel 41 allows the reactant gas to be preheated before it is discharged from the second air inlet channel 41. This reduces the uneven temperature of the reactant gas when the reactant gas is subsequently sprayed into the reaction chamber of the thin film deposition apparatus, thereby improving the uniformity of thin film deposition.

[0042] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the spray assembly is published. Figure 4 and Figure 5An exploded schematic diagram of the spray assembly was published, which includes, from top to bottom, an upper cover plate 1, a drainage portion 4, and a spray portion 2. The upper cover plate 1, the drainage portion 4, and the spray portion 2 can all be made of aluminum and welded to each other to form a whole. A hollow shaft 6 is also provided on the upper cover plate 1, which is welded to the upper cover plate 1. The middle channel of the hollow shaft 6 is connected to the first air inlet channel 12 of the upper cover plate 1. The upper cover plate 1 is disc-shaped, and the upper surface of the drainage portion 4 has an annular groove 42. When the upper cover plate 1 and the drainage portion 4 are spliced together, a first chamber 43 is formed. The first chamber 43 is an annular chamber, and its center position corresponds to the position of the first air inlet channel 12. The first chamber 43 is arranged near the edge of the drainage portion 4. The drainage portion 4 is plate-shaped, and the edge of the upper surface of the drainage portion 4 is connected to the edge of the lower surface of the upper cover plate 1, and the edge of the lower surface of the drainage portion 4 is connected to the edge of the upper surface of the spray portion 2. When the upper cover plate 1 is placed over the drainage portion 4, the upper surface of the drainage portion 4 and the lower surface of the upper cover plate 1 abut and fit together. The upper surface of the drainage portion 4 is also provided with a diverter groove 44. The diverter groove 44 has a square cross-section and extends radially outward from the center of the drainage portion. Specifically, the diverter groove 44 extends radially from the middle of the drainage portion 4 toward the first chamber 43. The ends of the diverter groove 44 communicate with the first air inlet channel 12 and the first chamber 43, respectively. In this embodiment, the number of diverter grooves 44 is preferably six, and the six diverter grooves 44 are evenly spaced and arranged at equal angles about the middle of the drainage portion 4. In this way, the reactant gas introduced from the first inlet channel is evenly diverted by the six diverter grooves 44 and enters the first chamber 43, ensuring uniform flow within the first chamber 43 and uniform heating of the reactant gas within the first chamber 43. The first chamber 43 is used to stabilize the pressure of the reactant gas within the reaction chamber and maintain the desired temperature.

[0043] Figure 6 Published a partial cross-sectional view of the drainage part, combined with Figure 3 , a confluence hole 45 is also provided inside the drainage part 4, and the number of the confluence holes 45 is preferably consistent with the number of the diversion grooves 44, which is 6. The cross-section of the confluence hole 45 is circular, that is, the confluence hole 45 is a cylindrical hole, and the 6 confluence holes 45 are arranged along the radial direction of the drainage part 4, and are arranged at equal angles with respect to the center of the drainage part 4. One end of the 6 confluence holes 45 are interconnected in the middle of the drainage part 4, and are connected to the second air inlet channel 41. It should be noted that the second air inlet channel 41 is only provided at the central position of the bottom of the drainage part 4, and does not pass through the middle of the drainage part 4. The other end of the confluence hole 45 is led out from the side wall of the drainage part 4, and a sealing pin 46 is also provided on the drainage part 4. The sealing pin 46 blocks the end of the confluence hole 45 from the side wall of the drainage part 4, thereby preventing the gas in the drainage part 4 from flowing out.

[0044] The bottom of the first chamber 43 is also provided with drainage holes 47. The number of drainage holes 47 is preferably six, corresponding one-to-one with the confluence holes 45. Each drainage hole 47 communicates with the corresponding confluence hole 45, allowing the reaction gas in the first chamber 43 to flow from the drainage holes 47 into the confluence holes 45, then converge into the second air inlet channel 41 in the middle, and flow out through the second air inlet channel 41. The heater 3 of this embodiment is preferably a heating wire, which is coiled into a specific shape to form a heating surface within the drainage portion 4, and the heater 3 is located below the confluence holes 45.

[0045] The present disclosure does not limit the number, position, or arrangement of the drainage holes 47, diversion slots 44, and confluence holes 45. For example, the number of drainage holes 47 may range from 3 to 20; the drainage holes 47 may be arranged along a straight line or along a curve; and the drainage holes 47 may be arranged evenly or unevenly. In a specific embodiment, the at least one drainage hole 47 is multiple, and the multiple drainage holes 47 are evenly distributed in an annular shape in an area away from the center of the drainage portion 4.

[0046] It can be understood that adding a preheating air flow path 5 above the spray part 2 can preheat the reaction gas, so that the temperature of the sprayed reaction gas tends to be uniform, so that when the reaction gas is subsequently sprayed into the reaction chamber of the thin film deposition device, there will be no uneven temperature of the reaction gas, thereby improving the deposition uniformity of the thin film.

[0047] It should be noted that Figure 2 This is only an example, and the guide portion 4 may have other shapes and structures, as long as it can define a preheating airflow path 5 with the upper cover plate 1, it falls within the protection scope of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] The reaction gas entering through the first air inlet channel 12 first enters the first chamber 43 for the first step of preheating. Since heaters 3 can be installed below the first chamber 43, heat transfer is uniform. The reaction gas enters the confluence hole 45 through the drainage hole 47 and flows to the central second air inlet channel 41. At this time, the reaction gas is closer to the heater 3 for the second step of preheating. After reaching the spray chamber 22, the reaction gas is evenly ejected downward. On the one hand, the curved flow of the reaction gas reduces the push of the reaction gas from the rear compared to the traditional straight-up and straight-down gas ejection. The reaction gas flows slowly and orderly, allowing sufficient time for preheating to reach the required temperature. On the other hand, the reaction gas undergoes multiple preheating processes, making its temperature more uniform, reducing the adverse effects of uneven heating and cooling.

[0049] A spray chamber 22 is formed between the spray section 2 and the drainage section 4. The bottom of the second air inlet channel 41 communicates with the spray chamber 22. The bottom of the spray chamber 22 is provided with a plurality of spray holes 21. After the reaction gas drawn from the second air inlet channel 41 enters the spray chamber 22, it is sprayed downward through the spray holes 21.

[0050] To improve the uniformity of the reaction gases within the spray chamber 22, a flow divider 61 is further provided at the bottom of the flow guide 4, directly below the second air inlet channel 41. The flow divider 61 can be a regular or irregular plate-shaped member connected to the bottom of the flow guide 4 via a short axis. The gas drawn from the second air inlet channel 41 vertically impacts the flow divider 61 and then diffuses horizontally in all directions, thereby improving the uniformity of the reaction gases within the spray chamber 22.

[0051] The present disclosure also discloses a thin film deposition device including the above-mentioned spray assembly.

[0052] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely examples for clarity of explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation methods. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that other variations or modifications based on the above descriptions are possible. It is not necessary and impossible to enumerate all implementation methods here. Obvious variations or modifications arising therefrom remain within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A spray assembly, characterized in that: include: An upper cover plate (1), a drainage portion (4), a spray portion (2), and a heater (3); A first air inlet channel (12) is provided in the center of the upper cover plate (1); The guide portion (4) is located between the upper cover plate (1) and the spray portion (2), and defines a preheating airflow path (5) together with the upper cover plate (1). A second air inlet channel (41) suitable for allowing the reaction gas to pass to the spray portion (2) is provided in the center of the guide portion (4). The heater (3) is located in the guide portion (4) and is arranged around the second air inlet channel (41). The preheating air flow path (5) is located between the heater (3) and the upper cover plate (1), and is connected to the first air inlet channel (12) and the second air inlet channel (41), and is suitable for preheating the reaction gas from the first air inlet channel (12) to the second air inlet channel (41).

2. The spray assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The preheating air flow path (5) includes a first chamber (43) formed by splicing the guide portion (4) and the upper cover plate (1), and the reaction gas is dispersed from the first air inlet channel (12) to the first chamber (43).

3. The spray assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The preheating air flow path (5) further includes a diverter groove (44), and two ends of the diverter groove (44) are respectively connected to the first air inlet channel (12) and the first chamber (43).

4. The spray assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The upper surface of the drainage portion (4) and the lower surface of the upper cover plate (1) abut against each other, and the diversion groove (44) is provided on the upper surface of the drainage portion (4).

5. The spray assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first chamber (43) is an annular chamber, the center position of which corresponds to the position of the first air inlet channel (12).

6. The spray assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The drainage portion (4) is plate-shaped, the edge of the upper surface of the drainage portion (4) is connected to the edge of the lower surface of the upper cover plate (1), and the edge of the lower surface of the drainage portion (4) is connected to the edge of the upper surface of the spray portion (2).

7. The spray assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: There are a plurality of diverter grooves (44), and the plurality of diverter grooves (44) extend outward in a radial shape from the center of the drainage portion (4).

8. The spray assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The preheating air flow path (5) includes a confluence hole (45) arranged inside the guide portion (4), and both ends of the confluence hole (45) are respectively connected to the first chamber (43) and the second air inlet channel (41).

9. The spray assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: At least one drainage hole (47) is provided at the bottom of the first chamber (43), and the drainage hole (47) is communicated with the confluence hole (45).

10. The spray assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that: The number of the confluence holes (45) is several, one end of the several confluence holes (45) converges at the second air inlet channel (41), and the other end of the several confluence holes (45) is communicated with the first chamber (43) through the drainage hole (47).

11. The spray assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that: The end of the confluence hole (45) is exposed from the side wall of the drainage portion (4), and a sealing pin (46) for sealing the exposed end is further provided on the drainage portion (4).

12. The spray assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: A spray chamber (22) is formed between the drainage portion (4) and the spray portion (2), the second air inlet channel (41) is connected to the spray chamber (22), and a plurality of spray holes (21) are provided at the bottom of the spray chamber (22).

13. The spray assembly according to claim 12, characterized in that: A diverter (61) is further provided at the bottom of the drainage portion (4), and the diverter (61) is located directly below the second air inlet channel (41), and the diverter (61) is located in the spray chamber (22).

14. A thin film deposition device, characterized in that: The invention comprises the spray assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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