A thin film deposition apparatus, method and storage medium

Abstract

The present application provides a thin film deposition apparatus, a method and a storage medium. The thin film deposition apparatus includes a heating disc, a support ring, a plurality of positioning pins and a vacuum pump. The heating disc is used to heat a wafer to deposit a thin film on a front side thereof. The support ring is nested on an upper side of a periphery of the heating disc to carry the wafer to avoid direct contact between a back side of the wafer and the heating disc. The plurality of positioning pins is disposed between the heating disc and the support ring to lift the support ring to form a vacuum gap between the heating disc and the support ring. The vacuum pump extracts a reaction gas from the back side of the wafer via the vacuum gap during deposition of the thin film to inhibit formation of a back side thin film.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of thin film deposition, and more particularly to a thin film deposition apparatus, a thin film deposition method, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] In practical applications of thin film deposition, to meet some special process requirements, thin film deposition equipment needs to control the distance of the long film on the back side of the wafer edge (that is, the edge removal deposition distance) within a certain range, so as to avoid the back film affecting the performance of the functional area on the back side of the wafer.

[0003] Existing back-side film suppression technologies primarily reduce the formation of thin films by improving the sealing of the wafer's back side or reducing the back space between the wafer's back side and the heating pad surface, thereby reducing reactive gases in the wafer's back space. However, due to limitations in the flatness of the wafer's back side and the support ring surface, and the practical need for frequent wafer handling in automated processing, existing technologies often cannot completely isolate reactive gases from entering the wafer's back space, and therefore cannot completely prevent thin film deposition in the functional areas of the wafer's back side.

[0004] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects in the existing technology, there is an urgent need in the field for a thin film deposition technology to effectively suppress the deposition of thin films in the functional areas on the back side of the wafer and control the width of the back film deposition at the wafer edge. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The following provides a brief overview of one or more aspects to offer a basic understanding of them. This overview is not an exhaustive summary of all conceived aspects, nor is it intended to identify key or decisive elements of all aspects, nor to define the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed descriptions that follow.

[0006] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects in the prior art, the present invention provides a thin film deposition apparatus, a thin film deposition method, and a computer-readable storage medium, which can effectively suppress thin film deposition in the functional areas on the back side of the wafer and control the width of the back film deposition at the wafer edge.

[0007] Specifically, the thin film deposition apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes: a heating plate for heating a wafer to deposit a thin film on its front side; a support ring nested on the upper side of the edge of the heating plate for supporting the wafer to avoid direct contact between the back side of the wafer and the heating plate; a plurality of positioning pins disposed between the heating plate and the support ring for lifting the support ring to form a suction gap between the heating plate and the support ring; and a suction pump for extracting reactive gas from the back side of the wafer via the suction gap during the deposition of the thin film to suppress the formation of a back side film.

[0008] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, an annular support platform is provided on the upper side of the support ring. The inner radius of the support platform is smaller than the radius of the wafer, but larger than the preset radius of the functional area on the back side of the wafer.

[0009] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the inner wall of the support ring and the outer wall of the heating plate maintain a longitudinal gap of not less than a preset width, so that the vacuum pump can extract the reaction gas on the back side of the wafer through the transverse vacuum gap and the longitudinal gap.

[0010] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, a heating boss is provided in the central region of the heating plate. The heating boss is located on the base of the heating plate. The first radius of the heating boss is smaller than the second radius of the base. The inner sidewall of the support ring is adapted to the shape of the heating plate and includes at least a first sidewall surrounding the heating boss. The first sidewall has a first inner diameter larger than the first radius, and the difference between the first inner diameter and the first radius is greater than the preset width.

[0011] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the suction port of the vacuum pump is located below the heating boss. The inner sidewall of the support ring also adapts to the shape of the heating plate and includes a second sidewall surrounding the base, wherein the second sidewall has a second inner diameter greater than the second radius, and the difference between the second inner diameter and the second radius is also greater than the preset width, and the vacuum pump extracts the reaction gas on the back side of the wafer from below the base via the suction port.

[0012] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the plurality of positioning pins are disposed at multiple locations in the edge region of the base to lift the lower side of the support ring, thereby forming the air extraction gap between the base and the support ring.

[0013] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the height of the plurality of positioning pins is not less than φ2mm, so as to form an air extraction gap of not less than 0.1mm between the heating plate and the support ring. The thickness of the support platform is not less than the height of the heating boss, so as to form a back space of not less than 0.15mm between the back side of the wafer and the heating boss.

[0014] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the support ring is made of ceramic material.

[0015] Furthermore, the thin film deposition method provided according to a second aspect of the present invention includes the following steps: placing a wafer on a support ring of a thin film deposition apparatus as described in any one of the first aspects of the present invention; providing a reactive gas to the front side of the wafer and heating the wafer via a heating plate of the thin film deposition apparatus to deposit a thin film on its front side; and extracting a reactive gas from the back side of the wafer via a vacuum pump from a vacuum gap between the heating plate and the support ring to suppress the formation of a thin film on the back side.

[0016] Furthermore, according to a third aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions thereon. When the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the thin film deposition method as described in the second aspect of the present invention is implemented. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The above-described features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood after reading the following detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, components are not necessarily drawn to scale, and components having similar related characteristics or features may have the same or similar reference numerals.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a thin film deposition apparatus provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a wafer backsheet provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0020] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the reaction gas extraction provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0021] Figure 4 A schematic flowchart of a thin film deposition method according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0022] Figure Labels

[0023] 10 heating plates

[0024] 101 boss

[0025] 102 bases

[0026] 103 support columns

[0027] 11 wafers

[0028] 12 back membrane

[0029] 20 support rings

[0030] 21 contact surfaces

[0031] 22 First sidewall

[0032] 23 Second sidewall

[0033] 30 positioning pins

[0034] 40 air pump

[0035] 50 process chambers

[0036] Steps S401~S403 Detailed Implementation

[0037] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention is presented in conjunction with preferred embodiments, this does not mean that the features of the invention are limited to these embodiments. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the invention in conjunction with embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that may be derived based on the claims of the present invention. To provide a thorough understanding of the invention, many specific details will be included in the following description. The invention may also be implemented without using these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion or obscuring the focus of the invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description.

[0038] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0039] Furthermore, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "horizontal," and "vertical" used in the following description should be understood as the orientations shown in the relevant paragraphs and accompanying drawings. These relative terms are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply that the described apparatus must be manufactured or operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the invention.

[0040] It is understood that although terms such as "first," "second," and "third" may be used herein to describe various components, regions, layers, and / or parts, these components, regions, layers, and / or parts should not be limited by these terms, and these terms are only used to distinguish different components, regions, layers, and / or parts. Therefore, the first components, regions, layers, and / or parts discussed below may be referred to as second components, regions, layers, and / or parts without departing from some embodiments of the present invention.

[0041] As mentioned above, in practical applications of thin film deposition, to meet certain process requirements, thin film deposition equipment needs to control the distance of the long film on the back side of the wafer edge (i.e., the edge removal deposition distance) within a certain range to avoid the back-side film affecting the performance of the functional areas on the back side of the wafer. Existing back-side film suppression technologies mainly reduce the formation of thin films on the back side of the wafer by improving the sealing of the back side of the wafer or reducing the back space between the back side of the wafer and the heating pad surface. However, due to limitations in the flatness of the back side of the wafer and the support ring surface, and the practical need for frequent wafer handling in pipeline processing, existing technologies often cannot completely isolate reactive gases from entering the back space of the wafer, and therefore cannot completely prevent thin film deposition in the functional areas on the back side of the wafer.

[0042] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects in the prior art, the present invention provides a thin film deposition apparatus, a thin film deposition method, and a computer-readable storage medium, which can effectively suppress thin film deposition in the functional areas on the back side of the wafer and control the width of the back film deposition at the wafer edge.

[0043] In some non-limiting embodiments, the thin film deposition method provided in the second aspect of the present invention can be implemented via the thin film deposition apparatus provided in the first aspect of the present invention. Specifically, the thin film deposition apparatus is equipped with a memory and a processor. The memory includes, but is not limited to, the computationally readable storage medium provided in the third aspect of the present invention, which stores computer instructions that, when executed by the processor, implement the thin film deposition method provided in the second aspect of the present invention.

[0044] Please refer to the following first. Figures 1-3 . Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a thin film deposition apparatus provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a wafer backsheet provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the reaction gas extraction provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0045] like Figures 1-3 As shown, the thin film deposition apparatus provided by the first aspect of the present invention includes a heating plate 10, a support ring 20, a plurality of positioning pins 30 and a vacuum pump 40.

[0046] Specifically, the heating plate 10 has a heating boss 101 in its central region for heating the wafer 11 to deposit a thin film on its front side. The circular heating boss 101 is located on the base 102 of the heating plate 10. The first radius r of the heating boss 101 is smaller than the second radius R of the base 102, so that the base 102 can stably support the heating boss 101, thereby ensuring the stability of the heating plate 10 used for heating.

[0047] In some embodiments of the present invention, the heating plate 10 further includes a support column 103 located at the center below the base 102 for supporting the heating plate base 102 and the boss 101. The structure of the heating plate 10 is only a non-limiting structure provided by the present invention, intended to clearly demonstrate the main concept of the present invention and provide some specific solutions that are easy for the public to implement, rather than to limit all the structure and functions of the heating plate 10.

[0048] In addition, the support ring 20 of the thin film deposition equipment can be made of ceramic material and is nested on the outside of the base 102 and the boss 101 of the heating plate 10 to support the wafer and avoid direct contact between the back of the wafer and the heating plate 10.

[0049] Furthermore, the inner sidewall of the support ring 20 is adapted to the shape of the heating plate 10, including a first sidewall 22 surrounding the heating boss 101 and a second sidewall 23 surrounding the base 102. The first sidewall 22 has a first inner diameter R1 that is larger than the first radius r, and the difference between the first inner diameter R1 and the first radius r is greater than a preset width of 1.25 mm.

[0050] Here, an annular support platform is provided on the upper side of the support ring 20, wherein the first inner diameter R1 of the support platform is smaller than the radius of the wafer and larger than the preset radius R2 of the functional area on the back side of the wafer.

[0051] Here, the functional area includes, but is not limited to, areas where circuit elements are set, such as areas where a film cannot grow on the back.

[0052] Furthermore, the inner wall of the support ring 20 and the outer wall of the heating plate 10 maintain a longitudinal gap of not less than a preset width, so that the vacuum pump 40 can extract the reaction gas on the back side of the wafer through the transverse vacuum gap and the longitudinal gap.

[0053] Furthermore, multiple positioning pins 30 of the thin film deposition apparatus are disposed between the heating plate 10 and the support ring 20 to lift the support ring 20, thereby forming a suction gap between the heating plate 10 and the support ring 20. Multiple positioning pins 30 are located at multiple positions on the edge region of the base 102 to lift the lower side of the support ring 20, thereby forming a suction gap between the base 102 and the support ring 20. The height of the multiple positioning pins 30 is not less than φ2mm to form a suction gap of not less than 0.1mm between the heating plate 10 and the support ring 20. In addition, the thickness of the support platform is not less than the height of the heating boss 101, thereby forming a back space of not less than 0.15mm between the back side of the wafer and the heating boss 101.

[0054] In addition, the thin film deposition equipment also includes a vacuum pump 40, located outside the process chamber 50. Its suction port is situated on the side wall of the process chamber 50, at a height below the heating boss 101, to minimize the suction path of the vacuum pump 40 and reduce its power requirements. The inner wall of the support ring 20 also adapts to the shape of the heating plate 10 by including a second side wall 23 surrounding the base 102, thereby buffering the suction process of the vacuum pump 40 and facilitating stable adjustment of the operating power of the vacuum pump 40 according to the flow rate of the reaction gas.

[0055] Here, the second sidewall 23 has a second inner diameter greater than the second radius R, and the difference between the second inner diameter and the second radius R is also greater than the preset width. In this way, the vacuum pump 40 can extract the reactive gas on the back side of the wafer from below the base 102 through the vacuum port, so as to effectively suppress the formation of the back film 12 on the functional area on the back side of the wafer and prevent it from affecting the deposition of the front film.

[0056] The working principle of the above-described thin film deposition equipment will be described below with reference to some embodiments of thin film deposition methods. Those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments of thin film deposition equipment are merely non-limiting implementations provided by the present invention, intended to clearly demonstrate the main concepts of the invention and provide specific solutions convenient for public implementation, rather than limiting all functions or all operating methods of the thin film deposition equipment. Similarly, the thin film deposition methods are also merely non-limiting implementations provided by the present invention, and do not constitute a limitation on the subject or order of execution of the steps in these thin film deposition methods.

[0057] Please refer to the reference. Figures 1-4 , Figure 4 A schematic flowchart of a thin film deposition method according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0058] like Figures 1-4As shown, during the thin film deposition process, the thin film deposition equipment can first place the wafer 11 on the support ring 20 and supply reactive gas to the front side of the wafer 11. Then, the thin film deposition equipment can heat the wafer 11 via the heating plate 10 to deposit a thin film on its front side. Simultaneously, the vacuum pump 40 will extract reactive gas from below the heating plate 10, through the vacuum port, the gap between the outer edge of the boss 101 and the first sidewall 22, the vacuum gap between the heating plate 10 and the support ring 20, and the gap between the outer edge of the base 102 and the second sidewall 23, to prevent reactive gas from depositing on the back side of the wafer 11. Figure 2 As shown, even if the flatness of the back side of the wafer 11 and the contact surface 21 of the support ring is limited, the reactive gas can only deposit a thin film on the contact surface 21 of the support platform of the wafer 11 and the support ring 20, so that a back film 12 with a width not exceeding the allowable long film width d can be grown on the contact surface 21 without affecting the performance and parameters of the functional area on the back side of the wafer 11.

[0059] In summary, the thin film deposition apparatus, the thin film deposition method, and the computer-readable storage medium provided by this invention can effectively suppress thin film deposition in functional regions on the back side of a wafer and control the width of the back film deposition at the wafer edge.

[0060] Although the methods described above are illustrated and depicted as a series of actions for the sake of simplicity, it should be understood and appreciated that these methods are not limited by the order of the actions, as some actions may occur in a different order and / or concurrently with other actions from the illustrations and descriptions herein or not illustrated and described herein but which may be understood by those skilled in the art, according to one or more embodiments.

[0061] The prior description of this disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use this disclosure. Various modifications to this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A thin film deposition apparatus, characterized in that, include: A heating plate is used to heat the wafer to deposit a thin film on its front side; A support ring, nested on the upper side of the edge of the heating plate, is used to support the wafer to avoid direct contact between the back side of the wafer and the heating plate. The inner wall of the support ring and the outer wall of the heating plate maintain a longitudinal gap of not less than a preset width, so that the vacuum pump can extract the reaction gas on the back side of the wafer through the transverse vacuum gap and the longitudinal gap. Multiple positioning pins are disposed between the heating plate and the support ring to lift the support ring, thereby creating an air extraction gap between the heating plate and the support ring; and A vacuum pump extracts reactive gases from the back side of the wafer through the vacuum gap during the deposition of the thin film, thereby inhibiting the formation of the back side film.

2. The thin film deposition apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The upper side of the support ring is provided with an annular support platform, wherein the inner radius of the support platform is smaller than the radius of the wafer, but larger than the preset radius of the functional area on the back side of the wafer.

3. The thin film deposition apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The heating plate has a heating boss in its central area, which is located on the base of the heating plate. The first radius of the heating boss is smaller than the second radius of the base. The inner wall of the support ring is adapted to the shape of the heating plate and includes at least a first sidewall surrounding the heating boss, wherein the first sidewall has a first inner diameter greater than the first radius, and the difference between the first inner diameter and the first radius is greater than the preset width.

4. The thin film deposition apparatus as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The suction port of the vacuum pump is located below the heating boss. The inner sidewall of the support ring is adapted to the shape of the heating plate and includes a second sidewall surrounding the base. The second sidewall has a second inner diameter that is larger than the second radius, and the difference between the second inner diameter and the second radius is also greater than the preset width. The vacuum pump extracts the reaction gas on the back side of the wafer from below the base through the suction port.

5. The thin film deposition apparatus as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The plurality of locating pins are located at multiple positions on the edge region of the base, raising the lower side of the support ring to form the air extraction gap between the base and the support ring.

6. The thin film deposition apparatus as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The height of the plurality of positioning pins is not less than φ2mm, so as to form an air extraction gap of not less than 0.1mm between the heating plate and the support ring. The thickness of the support platform is not less than the height of the heating boss, so as to form a back space of not less than 0.15 mm between the back side of the wafer and the heating boss.

7. The thin film deposition apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The support ring is made of ceramic.

8. A thin film deposition method, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The wafer is placed on the support ring of the thin film deposition apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 7; A reactive gas is supplied to the front side of the wafer, and the wafer is heated via a heating plate of the thin film deposition apparatus to deposit a thin film on its front side; as well as The reactive gas on the back side of the wafer is extracted from the evacuation gap between the heating plate and the support ring via an air pump to suppress the formation of a thin film on the back side.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions thereon, characterized in that, When the computer instructions are executed by the processor, the thin film deposition method as described in claim 8 is implemented.

Images