A liner ring for a preclean chamber, a preclean chamber

Abstract

A liner ring for a pre-cleaning chamber, the liner ring is disposed around a susceptor, the susceptor is provided with at least one purge hole for supplying a first purge gas; the liner ring comprises a horizontal extension, a vertical extension and at least one support, the horizontal extension is connected with the vertical extension; the support is disposed on the lower surface of the horizontal extension, the horizontal extension is spaced apart from the susceptor by the at least one support, so that a gap is formed between the horizontal extension and the susceptor, the gap forms a gas passage for the first purge gas; wherein the vertical extension extends downward, and the lower end of the vertical extension is lower than the lower surface of the susceptor. The liner ring of the present application can prevent particle contamination and prevent air flow overflow.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to semiconductor devices, and more particularly to the field of pretreatment chambers and their liners. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor equipment, the pretreatment chamber is mainly used to treat the oxide layer on the wafer surface. In advanced chip manufacturing processes, the oxide layer on the wafer surface is pretreated and removed before thin film deposition.

[0003] Currently, deposits easily form at the edges of the pre-cleaning chamber's substrate, leading to a significant amount of particulate contaminants during the process, thus increasing the probability of particulate contamination settling on the wafer surface. Furthermore, uneven heat conduction at the substrate edges affects the heating uniformity of the wafer on the substrate's upper surface during processing, consequently impacting the process temperature at the wafer edges. Additionally, the purge gas on the lower surface of the substrate influences the distribution of process gases on the upper surface, resulting in uneven process gas distribution and ultimately, uneven wafer surface treatment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues and reduce the impact of particulate contaminants on wafers, as well as the impact of uneven process gas distribution on wafers, this invention proposes a liner for a pre-cleaning chamber. The liner surrounds a base, which has at least one purge port for supplying a first purge gas. The liner comprises:

[0005] Lateral extension;

[0006] A vertical extension portion, wherein the horizontal extension portion is connected to the vertical extension portion;

[0007] At least one support member is disposed on the lower surface of the lateral extension, and the lateral extension is spaced from the base by the at least one support member, such that a gap is formed between the lateral extension and the base, and the gap forms a gas channel through which the first purging gas passes.

[0008] The vertical extension extends downward, and the lower end of the vertical extension is lower than the lower surface of the base.

[0009] Furthermore, the bushing also includes a shielding ring, which is connected to the vertical extension to prevent airflow from overflowing.

[0010] Furthermore, the shielding ring is disposed at the lower end of the vertical extension.

[0011] Furthermore, the lower surface of the lateral extension is provided with at least one step, which makes the gas channel a bent gas channel.

[0012] Furthermore, the support member is a column or sphere embedded in the lower surface of the lateral extension.

[0013] Furthermore, the material of the support is alumina, quartz, or silicon nitride.

[0014] Furthermore, the number of the support members is not less than three and not more than nine.

[0015] Furthermore, the support members are evenly distributed circumferentially along the lateral extension.

[0016] Furthermore, the vertical extension extends downward beyond the lower surface of the base by a length of 3-10 cm.

[0017] Furthermore, the upper surface of the lateral extension is provided with a plurality of protrusions, which are higher than the upper surface of the base.

[0018] Furthermore, the number of the bumps is not less than three and not more than twelve.

[0019] Furthermore, the protrusions are evenly distributed circumferentially along the upper surface of the lateral extension.

[0020] Furthermore, the bump extends radially.

[0021] The present invention also proposes a pre-cleaning chamber, comprising:

[0022] cavity;

[0023] The base is disposed within the cavity;

[0024] A bushing is provided around the base.

[0025] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0026] 1. The present invention provides a channel for the introduction of a first purging gas between the bushing and the base, the first purging gas being able to reduce particulate pollutants;

[0027] 2. The downward extension of the vertical extension portion of the bushing provided by the present invention can prevent the gas flow from overflowing and ensure the uniformity of the gas flow distribution of the reaction gas;

[0028] 3. The shielding ring provided by the present invention can further prevent airflow from overflowing. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the pre-cleaning chamber of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the bushing of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the bushing of the present invention placed on the base;

[0032] Figure 4 and Figure 5 These are enlarged views of the bushings placed on the base in two embodiments of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 6 This is a top view of the base of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, provides a further detailed explanation of the liner ring and pre-cleaning chamber proposed by the present invention. The advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer from the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, used only to facilitate and clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention. Please refer to the drawings to make the objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable. It should be understood that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., depicted in the accompanying drawings are only for illustrative purposes to aid those skilled in the art and are not intended to limit the implementation conditions of the present invention. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and objectives achieved by the present invention, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present invention.

[0035] Please see Figure 1The pre-cleaning chamber of the present invention includes a chamber 107, a base 101, a bushing 103, a plasma source 105, and a retaining ring 200. The base 101 is disposed within the chamber 107 and a heating assembly is disposed within the base 101 for heating the wafer and providing the required process temperature. The chamber 107 includes sidewalls, and the bushing 103 is connected to the inner surface of the sidewalls. The plasma source 105 and a process gas inlet nozzle 106 are disposed above the top of the chamber 107, and the process gas inlet nozzle 106 is disposed below and communicates with the plasma source 105. A lifting device 109 is disposed at the bottom of the chamber 107, and the base 101 is disposed on top of the lifting device 109. The base 101 is used to place the wafer 102, and the lifting device 109 is used to control the lifting and lowering of the base 101. The retaining ring 200 is disposed around the base 101 and connected to the upper surface of the base 101. A tail gas channel 108 connected to the pump is provided on one side of the sidewall for discharging waste gas. The plasma source 105 converts the input process gas into a plasma state. Then, the plasma-state process gas is annihilated by at least one gas distribution plate provided at the process gas inlet nozzle 106. Neutral particles enter the cavity 107 to form reactive gas 104. After entering the cavity, the reactive gas 104 cleans the surface of the wafer 102. After cleaning, the reactive gas 104 passes through the bushing 103 provided on the sidewall of the cavity 107. Then, under the negative pressure of the pump, the waste gas is discharged to the outside of the cavity through the tail gas channel 108.

[0036] The bushing 103 includes an annular sidewall, comprising an upper ring portion and a lower ring portion. The annular sidewall has an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface faces the wafer 102, and the outer surface faces the exhaust gas channel 108. The upper ring portion has multiple vent holes distributed around the bushing at least once. A first channel is provided on the outer surface of the upper ring portion of the annular sidewall, and a second channel is provided on the outer surface of the lower ring portion. The first channel communicates with the second channel, which in turn communicates with the exhaust gas channel 108, ultimately discharging exhaust gas into the cavity 107. Specifically, a first annular flange is provided circumferentially on the top outer surface of the upper ring portion, a second annular flange is provided circumferentially on the bottom outer surface of the lower ring portion, and a third annular flange is provided circumferentially on the outer surface between the upper and lower ring portions. The lower ring portion is provided with a wafer transfer port, through which the wafer 102 is placed from outside the cavity 107 into the bushing or removed from inside the bushing to outside the cavity 107. The bushing 103 is used to uniformly distribute the reaction gas 104 on the wafer surface.

[0037] The bushing 103 is made of ceramic; the base 101 is made of aluminum.

[0038] Please see Figure 2and Figure 3 This invention provides a liner 200 for a pre-cleaning chamber to prevent particulate contaminants from forming around the wafer. Since particulate contaminants are generated during the manufacturing process, they tend to accumulate more easily at the contact points between the liner 200 and the base 101. To prevent particulate contaminants from contaminating the surface of the wafer 102, the base 101 has at least one purge hole for supplying a first purge gas. The purge hole communicates with a purge gas channel 100, which is radially arranged along the base 101 (see [reference]). Figures 4 to 6 The first purge gas enters from the lifting device 109 at the bottom of the base 101 and exits from the at least one purge hole.

[0039] Specifically, such as Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the bushing 200 includes a lateral extension 201 and a vertical extension 202, with the lateral extension 201 connected to the vertical extension 202. Optionally, the bushing 200 may be made of aluminum, ceramic, or quartz, and may be integrally formed. The bushing 200 also includes at least one support member 203, which is disposed on the lower surface of the lateral extension 201, thereby spacing the lateral extension 201 from the base 101, forming a gap between the lateral extension 201 and the base 101. This gap forms a gas channel 205 through which the first purge gas passes. The gas channel 205 includes a first gas channel and a second gas channel. The first gas channel is formed through the gap between the lateral extension 201 and the base 101, and the second gas channel is formed through the gap between the vertical extension 202 and the base 101. Figure 3As shown, the first purge gas, guided by the bushing 200, forms purge gas G1 and purge gas G2. Purge gas G1 mainly flows in the first gas channel, and purge gas G2 mainly flows in the second gas channel. The first purge gas can clean particulate contaminants in the gaps and near the wafer edge through the gas channel 205, preventing contaminants from forming in the gaps and at the wafer edge. During the cleaning process, the pre-cleaning chamber is divided into an upper and lower half by the base 101. The upper half is the process area, and the lower half is the non-process area. The process area contains a large amount of reactive gas 104. The lower half is introduced with a second purge gas G near the lifting device 109. To prevent gas convection between the upper and lower parts, which would affect the gas distribution on the wafer surface. The vertical extension 202 extends downwards, and its lower end is below the lower surface of the base 101. Optionally, the vertical extension 202 extends downwards beyond the lower surface of the base 101 by a length of 3-10 cm. This design prevents the second purge gas G in the lower non-process area from flowing into the upper process area, thereby affecting the airflow distribution on the wafer surface. Furthermore, when the purge gas G2 encounters the second purge gas G, it can better suppress the upward movement of the second purge gas G.

[0040] To further prevent the airflow in the lower non-process area from affecting the process area, such as Figure 5 As shown, the bushing 200 further includes a shielding ring 204, which is connected to the vertical extension 202. The shielding ring 204 can reduce the gap between the bushing 200 and the bushing 103, thereby better preventing airflow overflow. More preferably, the shielding ring 204 is disposed at the lower end of the vertical extension 202. Positioning the shielding ring 204 at the lowest point provides a certain guiding effect, preventing the second purge gas G from entering the gap between the bushing 200 and the bushing 103. Optionally, the shielding ring 204 can be disposed at any position on the outer surface of the vertical extension 202. Optionally, the shielding ring 204 extends laterally.

[0041] Furthermore, the lower surface of the lateral extension 201 is provided with at least one stepped portion 2011, which makes the gas channel 205 a bent gas channel, thereby inhibiting the entry of the reactive gas 104 into the gas channel. Additionally, the base 101 is provided with at least one step corresponding to the stepped portion 2011; optionally, there are three steps, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the purge hole is located on the lowest first step, the end of the lateral extension 201 is located on the middle second step, and the wafer 102 is located on the highest third step. The multiple steps ensure thermal uniformity around the wafer.

[0042] Preferably, the support member 203 is a column or sphere embedded in the lower surface of the lateral extension 201. Correspondingly, a circumferential groove or positioning hole is provided on the base 101 for positioning the column or sphere. The support member 203 can be connected to the base 101 through the circumferential groove or positioning hole, thereby ensuring the stability of the bushing 200 on the base 101 during the process.

[0043] Since the process requires heating, to prevent heat from the base 101 from being conducted to the bushing 200 or vice versa, thus affecting the temperature at the edge of the wafer 102, the contact between the base 101 and the bushing 200 should be minimized to reduce heat conduction between them. Further considering the stability of the bushing 200, optionally, the number of supports 203 is not less than three and not more than nine. Optionally, the supports 203 are evenly distributed circumferentially along the lower surface of the lateral extension 201. Furthermore, the material of the supports 203 can be alumina, quartz, or silicon nitride, which have high thermal resistance and high hardness.

[0044] like Figure 2 As shown, during the cleaning process, the airflow within the cavity 107 can easily cause the wafer 102 to shift radially on the base 101. To ensure the stability of the wafer 102's placement, a plurality of bumps 206 are provided on the upper surface of the lateral extension 201, the bumps 206 being higher than the upper surface of the base 101. When the wafer 102 moves radially, the bumps 206 contact the side of the wafer 102, preventing the wafer 102 from radially detaching from the base 101. Preferably, the number of bumps 206 is not less than three and not more than twelve. Preferably, the bumps 206 are evenly distributed circumferentially along the upper surface of the lateral extension 201, blocking the wafer 102 from shifting radially in each direction. Furthermore, the bumps 206 extending radially can act as guides, thereby reducing turbulence.

[0045] In summary, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0046] 1. A channel for the first purging gas is formed between the liner ring and the base, which can reduce particulate contaminants;

[0047] 2. The downward extension of the vertical extension of the bushing can prevent the gas flow from overflowing and ensure the uniformity of the gas flow distribution of the reactant gas;

[0048] 3. The shielding ring can further prevent airflow from overflowing.

[0049] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "height," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0050] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; 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; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0051] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0052] Although the present invention has been described in detail through the preferred embodiments above, it should be understood that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention. Various modifications and substitutions to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the above description. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A pre-cleaning chamber, characterized in that, include: Cavity (107); A base (101) is disposed within a cavity (107); The base (101) is provided with at least one purge hole (100) for supplying a first purge gas; A bushing (200) is disposed around the base (101); The bushing (200) includes: Lateral extension (201); A vertical extension (202) is provided, wherein the horizontal extension (201) is connected to the vertical extension (202); At least one support member (203) is disposed on the lower surface of the lateral extension (201), and the lateral extension (201) is spaced from the base (101) by the at least one support member (203), such that a gap is formed between the lateral extension (201) and the base (101), and the gap forms a gas channel (205) through which the first purge gas passes; The lower part of the cavity (107) is supplied with a second purge gas; the vertical extension (202) extends downward, and the lower end of the vertical extension (202) is lower than the lower surface of the base (101) to prevent the second purge gas from flowing to the upper part of the cavity (107). The gas passage (205) includes a first gas passage and a second gas passage. The first gas passage is formed through a gap between the lateral extension (201) and the base (101), and the second gas passage is formed through a gap between the vertical extension (202) and the base (101). The first purge gas is split into purge gas G1 entering the first gas channel and purge gas G2 entering the second gas channel; the purge gas G1 in the first gas channel is used to clean the edge of the base, and the purge gas G2 in the second gas channel is used to suppress the upward movement of the second purge gas.

2. The pre-cleaning chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a shielding ring (204), which is connected to the vertical extension (202) to prevent airflow from overflowing.

3. The pre-cleaning chamber as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The shielding ring (204) is disposed at the lower end of the vertical extension (202).

4. The pre-cleaning chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The lower surface of the lateral extension (201) is provided with at least one step (2011), which makes the gas channel (205) a bent gas channel.

5. The pre-cleaning chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The support member (203) is a column or sphere embedded in the lower surface of the lateral extension (201).

6. The pre-cleaning chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The material of the support (203) is alumina, quartz or silicon nitride.

7. The pre-cleaning chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the support members (203) is not less than three and not more than nine.

8. The pre-cleaning chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The support member (203) is evenly distributed circumferentially along the transverse extension (201).

9. The pre-cleaning chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The vertical extension (202) extends downward beyond the lower surface of the base (101) by a length of 3-10 cm.

10. The pre-cleaning chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The upper surface of the lateral extension (201) is provided with a plurality of protrusions (206), which are higher than the upper surface of the base (101).

11. The pre-cleaning chamber as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The number of the bumps (206) is not less than three and not more than twelve.

12. The pre-cleaning chamber as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The bumps (206) are evenly distributed circumferentially along the upper surface of the lateral extension (201).

13. The pre-cleaning chamber as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The bump (206) extends radially.

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