Shower head, deposition apparatus and method of operation thereof

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a shower head, a deposition apparatus and a working method thereof. The shower head comprises a gas outlet panel and a position adjusting mechanism. The gas outlet panel comprises a plurality of gas outlet portions arranged in sequence and spaced apart from each other in a direction from the center to the periphery of the gas outlet panel. The position adjusting mechanism is at least one and is connected to at least one gas outlet portion. The position adjusting mechanism is used to drive the gas outlet portion to move and adjust the position in a first direction and a second direction. The first direction and the second direction are arranged at an angle and are parallel to the gas outlet surface of the gas outlet panel. When the surface of the substrate is subjected to deposition work, the reaction gas is discharged outwardly through the plurality of gas outlet portions of the gas outlet panel and is blown to the substrate to deposit and form a thin film on the surface of the substrate. In addition, the position adjusting mechanism can timely drive the gas outlet portion to move and adjust the position in the first direction and the second direction according to the deposition state of the thin film on the surface of the substrate. Thus, the uniformity of the thin film obtained by deposition on the surface of the substrate is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of chemical vapor deposition technology, and in particular to a spray head, deposition equipment, and a method for operating the same. Background Technology

[0002] In the fabrication of integrated circuits (ICs), chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is the primary process used to form thin layers or films on a substrate (such as a wafer). In CVD, the substrate is exposed to a precursor gas, which reacts at the substrate surface and deposits reaction products thereon.

[0003] In actual deposition processes, thin films deposited on flat substrates often exhibit poor uniformity. Uneven film deposition on the substrate can affect subsequent processes, such as causing uneven etching or uneven chemical polishing, ultimately impacting product quality. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a spray head, deposition equipment and its working method, which can effectively improve the deposition uniformity of thin films on substrates.

[0005] The technical solution is as follows: A spray head, the spray head comprising:

[0006] An air outlet panel, the air outlet panel comprising a plurality of air outlet portions spaced sequentially from the center to the periphery of the air outlet panel; and

[0007] A position adjustment mechanism, wherein there is at least one position adjustment mechanism and it is correspondingly connected to at least one of the air outlets. The position adjustment mechanism is used to drive the air outlets to move and adjust their positions in a first direction and a second direction. The first direction and the second direction are set at an angle and are parallel to the air outlet surface of the air outlet panel.

[0008] In one embodiment, there are multiple position adjustment mechanisms, and each of the multiple position adjustment mechanisms is connected to a corresponding air outlet.

[0009] In one embodiment, the position adjustment mechanism includes a first drive mechanism and a second drive mechanism, the first drive mechanism being connected to the second drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism being connected to the air outlet; the first drive mechanism is used to drive the second drive mechanism to move in the first direction, and the second drive mechanism is used to drive the air outlet to move in the second direction.

[0010] In one embodiment, the distance between two adjacent air outlets is defined as S, where S is 1mm-30mm.

[0011] In one embodiment, the position adjustment mechanism further includes a third drive mechanism for driving the air outlet to move upward in a third direction to adjust its position. The third direction is perpendicular to the air outlet surface, and the third drive mechanism is connected to the first drive mechanism or the second drive mechanism.

[0012] In one embodiment, the position adjustment mechanism further includes a first rotating mechanism for driving the air outlet to rotate about its central axis; the first rotating mechanism is connected to the air outlet.

[0013] In one embodiment, the plurality of air outlets include a first air outlet, a second air outlet, and a third air outlet; the first air outlet is arranged at the center of the air outlet panel, the second air outlet is spaced around the periphery of the first air outlet, and the third air outlet is spaced around the periphery of the second air outlet.

[0014] In one embodiment, each of the air outlets is independently provided with a plurality of air outlet holes, and the diameter of the air outlet holes of the air outlet panel increases in the direction from the center of the air outlet panel to the periphery.

[0015] In one embodiment, each of the air outlets is independently provided with a group of holes or a plurality of groups of holes arranged sequentially along a direction away from the central axis of the air outlet panel; the group of holes includes a plurality of air outlet holes arranged at intervals around the central axis of the air outlet panel.

[0016] In one embodiment, the vent holes of the hole group are arranged at equal intervals on the vent portion; and / or, the vent holes are circular holes, elliptical holes, or polygonal holes.

[0017] In one embodiment, the spray head further includes a main housing connected to the air outlet panel, the main housing and the air outlet panel forming a main chamber, the main housing having an air inlet communicating with the main chamber, the main housing being connected to the outer edge of the outermost air outlet through a first air-blocking elastic membrane, and two adjacent air outlets being connected through a second air-blocking elastic membrane; the position adjustment mechanism is connected to the main housing and located inside the main housing.

[0018] In one embodiment, the spray head further includes multiple sub-shells that are connected to multiple air outlets in a one-to-one correspondence, and the air outlets and the corresponding sub-shells enclose each other to form a separate chamber; each sub-shell is provided with an air inlet that communicates with the separate chamber.

[0019] A deposition apparatus includes the aforementioned spray head, a reaction chamber, and a support portion disposed inside the reaction chamber for supporting a substrate. The spray head is disposed inside the reaction chamber, and the venting panel faces the support portion.

[0020] In one embodiment, the deposition apparatus further includes a detector and a controller; the detector is used to detect whether there are thickness defects in the deposited film on the substrate; the controller is electrically connected to the detector and the position adjustment mechanism respectively, and is used to control the operation of the position adjustment mechanism according to the thickness defect information.

[0021] In one embodiment, the deposition apparatus further includes a warning device electrically connected to the controller.

[0022] In one embodiment, the deposition apparatus further includes a lifting mechanism and / or a second rotating mechanism connected to the support.

[0023] A method for operating the deposition apparatus, the method comprising the following steps:

[0024] The thickness of the thin film deposited at various locations on the substrate surface is detected.

[0025] Identify the abnormal locations on the substrate surface where the film thickness is abnormal;

[0026] Based on the location of the abnormal part, the gas outlet is driven to move and adjust its position in the first direction and / or the second direction to adjust the gas flow rate at the abnormal part.

[0027] In one embodiment, the method of operating the deposition device further includes the following steps: driving the gas outlet to move upward in a third direction to adjust its position according to the location of the abnormal part, and / or driving the gas outlet to rotate to adjust its position, so as to adjust the gas flow rate at the abnormal part.

[0028] In the aforementioned spray head, deposition equipment, and operating method, during deposition on the surface of a substrate, reactive gases are emitted outward through multiple gas outlets on the gas outlet panel and blown onto the substrate to deposit a thin film on its surface. Due to the spaced arrangement of the gas outlets and the presence of a position adjustment mechanism in at least one gas outlet, the positions of the gas outlets can be finely adjusted in a first and second direction. This allows the position adjustment mechanism to promptly move and adjust the positions of the gas outlets in the first and second directions according to the film deposition status on the substrate surface, thereby improving the uniformity of the film deposited on the substrate surface. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of this disclosure. The illustrative embodiments of this disclosure and their descriptions are used to explain this disclosure and do not constitute an undue limitation of this disclosure.

[0030] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one of the air outlets and one of the position adjustment mechanisms according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of one working state of the air outlet panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the working state of the first air outlet in the air outlet panel of an embodiment of the present disclosure when it is deflected.

[0035] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates the working state of the second air outlet in the air outlet panel of an embodiment of the present disclosure when it is deflected. Figure 1 ;

[0036] Figure 6 This diagram illustrates the working state of the second air outlet in the air outlet panel of an embodiment of the present disclosure when it is deflected. Figure 2 ;

[0037] Figure 7 This diagram illustrates the working state of the third air outlet in the air outlet panel of an embodiment of the present disclosure when it is deflected. Figure 1 ;

[0038] Figure 8 This diagram illustrates the working state of the third air outlet in the air outlet panel of an embodiment of the present disclosure when it is deflected. Figure 2 ;

[0039] Figure 9 This diagram illustrates the working state of the third air outlet in the air outlet panel of an embodiment of the present disclosure when it is deflected. Figure 3 ;

[0040] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of one of the working states of the air outlet panel according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] 10. Air outlet panel; 11. Air outlet section; 111. First air outlet section; 112. Second air outlet section; 113. Third air outlet section; 114. Air outlet hole; 20. Position adjustment mechanism; 21. First drive mechanism; 22. Second drive mechanism; 23. Third drive mechanism; 24. First rotation mechanism; 30. Main housing; 31. Air inlet; 40. Second air-blocking elastic membrane; 50. Reaction chamber; 60. Substrate; 70. Support section. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To make the above-described objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this disclosure. However, this disclosure can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0043] It should be noted that the substrate in this embodiment can be a semiconductor wafer at any stage of the process of forming semiconductor elements, such as integrated circuits or discrete devices, on a substrate. In one embodiment, the substrate comprises a dielectric layer with an extremely low dielectric constant and a metal layer on the semiconductor substrate. The substrate can be a photomask, a semiconductor wafer, or other workpiece known to those skilled in the art of electronic component manufacturing. In at least some embodiments, the substrate comprises any material used to manufacture any integrated circuit, passive (e.g., capacitor, inductor), and active (e.g., transistor, photodetector, laser, diode) microelectronic components. The substrate may comprise an insulating material (e.g., a dielectric material) separating such active and passive microelectronic components from one or more conductive layers formed on top of them. In one embodiment, the substrate is a semiconductor substrate comprising one or more dielectric layers, such as silicon, gallium nitride, gallium arsenide, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, sapphire, and other dielectric materials. In one embodiment, the substrate comprises a stack of one or more wafers. A wafer with one or more layers may contain a conductive layer, a semiconductor layer, an insulating layer, or any combination of the foregoing.

[0044] As mentioned in the background section, existing technologies for depositing thin films on flat substrates generally suffer from poor uniformity. Research has revealed that this is because different types or manufacturers of deposition equipment often produce films with varying thicknesses. This embodiment specifically uses a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system, but atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) or metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) systems can also be used. For PECVD systems, at least two substrates are typically deposited simultaneously. A mixed gas enters the chamber through a multi-pore structured showerhead, diffuses to the substrate surface, and undergoes a chemical reaction, thereby depositing the desired thin film. Particularly when the substrate surface area is relatively large, differences in film thickness can easily occur across different regions of the substrate.

[0045] Furthermore, the study also found that the jet phenomenon causes the nozzle axis velocity to be the highest, and the velocity gradually decreases to zero from the center towards the boundary layer (the higher the velocity, the more gas is deposited and the thicker the film). Thus, the spatial position of the flowing gas entering the spray head is different, and the gas density and gas velocity are different. The closer to the center of the spray head, the easier it is to cause the gas velocity to be too high and the film deposition rate to be faster. The closer to the edge of the spray head, the easier it is to cause the gas velocity to be low and the deposition rate to be slow, resulting in the difference between the thickness of the film in the middle and the thickness of the edge on the substrate.

[0046] For the reasons mentioned above, the present invention provides a spray head, a deposition device and a method thereof for working, in order to improve the uniformity of the deposited thin film on the substrate.

[0047] See Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of one of the air outlets 11 and one of the position adjustment mechanisms 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3A schematic diagram of one working state of the air outlet panel 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a spray head, which includes an air outlet panel 10 and a position adjustment mechanism 20. The air outlet panel 10 includes a plurality of air outlet portions 11 arranged at intervals from the center to the periphery of the air outlet panel 10. At least one position adjustment mechanism 20 is provided and is correspondingly connected to at least one air outlet portion 11. The position adjustment mechanism 20 is used to drive the air outlet portion 11 to move and adjust its position in a first direction and a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are arranged at an angle and parallel to the air outlet surface of the air outlet panel 10.

[0048] When the aforementioned spray head performs deposition on the surface of the substrate 60, the reactive gas is discharged outward through multiple gas outlets 11 of the gas outlet panel 10 and blown onto the substrate 60 to deposit a thin film on the surface of the substrate 60. Due to the spaced arrangement of the gas outlets 11 and the fact that at least one gas outlet 11 is equipped with a position adjustment mechanism 20, the position of the gas outlet 11 can be finely adjusted in a first direction and a second direction. This allows the position adjustment mechanism 20 to promptly drive the gas outlet 11 to move and adjust its position in the first and second directions according to the film deposition status on the surface of the substrate 60, thereby improving the uniformity of the film deposited on the surface of the substrate 60.

[0049] It should be noted that the "parallelism" of the first direction to the air outlet surface of the air outlet panel 10 is not a strictly mathematical "absolute parallelism," but rather a parallelism as perceived by the naked eye. That is, a deviation of ±10° from actual "absolute parallelism" is permissible. The "parallelism" of the second direction is explained similarly and will not be elaborated upon here. Furthermore, the first and second directions can be perpendicular to each other, or they can be set at, for example, acute or obtuse angles. This is not limited here and can be flexibly adjusted and set according to actual needs.

[0050] In one embodiment, see Figure 3 When the uniformity of the thin film deposited on the surface of the substrate 60 is not abnormal, each vent 11 of the vent panel 10 remains in its original position, without the need for position adjustment in the first and second directions; otherwise, please refer to Figures 4 to 9 , Figure 4 This diagram shows the working state when the first air outlet 111 moves. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The diagrams show the working state when the second air outlet 112 moves. Figures 7 to 9The diagrams show the working state when the third vent 113 moves. For example, when the film deposited on the surface of the substrate 60 has a relatively thin thickness in a certain part, at least one vent 11 in the vent panel 10 moves toward the relatively thin film on the surface of the substrate 60 under the action of its corresponding position adjustment mechanism 20. In this way, the uniformity of the film deposited on the surface of the substrate 60 is improved.

[0051] In one embodiment, the plurality of air outlets 11 includes, but is not limited to, two, three, four, five, six, or other numbers of air outlets 11. The specific number can be flexibly adjusted and set according to actual needs and is not limited here. Correspondingly, the plurality of position adjustment mechanisms 20 includes, but is not limited to, two, three, four, five, six, or other numbers of position adjustment mechanisms 20. The specific number can be set according to the number of air outlets 11.

[0052] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 3 In one embodiment, the plurality of air outlets 11 include a first air outlet 111, a second air outlet 112, and a third air outlet 113. The first air outlet 111 is disposed at the center of the air outlet panel 10. The second air outlet 112 is disposed around the periphery of the first air outlet 111 and spaced apart from it. The third air outlet 113 is disposed around the periphery of the second air outlet 112 and spaced apart from it. The first air outlet 111 is also... Figure 1 The area shown in the middle circle C, the second air outlet 112, is as follows Figure 1 The area indicated by the middle circle M, the third air outlet 113, is as follows Figure 1 The area indicated by circle E in the middle.

[0053] In one embodiment, the angle between the first direction and the second direction is not limited to 90°, but can also be, for example, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75° or any other angle. The specific angle can be flexibly adjusted and set according to actual needs, and is not limited here.

[0054] In one embodiment, there are multiple position adjustment mechanisms 20, each connected to a corresponding gas outlet 11. Since each gas outlet 11 is independently equipped with a position adjustment mechanism 20, each gas outlet 11 can independently fine-tune its position in the first and second directions. This makes the position adjustment of each gas outlet 11 more flexible and meets various needs. Therefore, based on the thin film deposition status on the surface of the substrate 60, the position adjustment mechanism 20 can promptly drive the gas outlet 11 to move and adjust its position in the first and second directions, thereby improving the uniformity of the thin film deposited on the surface of the substrate 60.

[0055] As some alternative solutions, unlike the above embodiments where each air outlet 11 has a corresponding position adjustment mechanism 20, some air outlets 11 on the air outlet panel 10 are fixed and cannot be adjusted, that is, they are not equipped with position adjustment mechanisms 20; while the positions of other air outlets 11 can be flexibly adjusted according to actual needs, that is, each is equipped with a corresponding position adjustment mechanism 20.

[0056] Please see Figures 1 to 3 In one embodiment, the position adjustment mechanism 20 includes a first drive mechanism 21 and a second drive mechanism 22. The first drive mechanism 21 is connected to the second drive mechanism 22, and the second drive mechanism 22 is connected to the air outlet 11. The first drive mechanism 21 drives the second drive mechanism 22 to move in a first direction, and the second drive mechanism 22 drives the air outlet 11 to move in a second direction. Thus, through the coordinated action of the first drive mechanism 21 and the second drive mechanism 22, the position of the air outlet 11 can be adjusted in both the first and second directions.

[0057] It should be noted that the adjustment range of the venting section 11 in the first direction and the second direction is determined according to the distance between two adjacent venting sections 11. When the distance between two adjacent venting sections 11 is large, the adjustment range of the venting section 11 in the first direction and the second direction increases, thereby making the adjustment more flexible. Conversely, when the distance between two adjacent venting sections 11 is small, the adjustment range of the venting section 11 in the first direction and the second direction decreases. This is conducive to the uniform arrangement of each venting hole 114 on the venting surface, so as to avoid the uniformity of the thin film deposited on the surface of the substrate 60 being affected by the excessively large distance between them.

[0058] Furthermore, when the surface size of the substrate 60 is large, the size of the air outlet surface of the spray head is relatively large, and the distance between two adjacent air outlet sections 11 is correspondingly large. Conversely, when the surface size of the substrate 60 is small, the size of the air outlet surface of the spray head is relatively small, and the distance between two adjacent air outlet sections 11 is correspondingly small.

[0059] Please refer to the following: Figure 3 In one embodiment, the distance between two adjacent air outlets 11 is defined as S, where S is 1mm-30mm. Thus, when S is set to 1mm-30mm, the value of S is not too large, which would affect the uniformity of the film deposited on the surface of the substrate 60, nor is it too small, which would reduce the ability of the air outlet 11 to adjust and improve the uniformity of the film deposition on the surface of the substrate 60. That is, the distance adjustment range of the air outlet 11 along the first direction and the second direction is reasonable, which can improve the uniformity of the film deposited on the surface of the substrate 60.

[0060] In one specific embodiment, S is, for example, 1mm, 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, 8mm, 9mm, 10mm, 20mm, or 30mm. Of course, S can also be set to any other value outside of 1mm-30mm. It can be flexibly adjusted and set according to actual needs, and no specific limitation is made here.

[0061] Please see Figures 1 to 3 Considering that gas flow variations within the cavity due to jetting phenomena, temperature differences, and pressure differences can lead to uneven film thickness, in one embodiment, the position adjustment mechanism 20 is also used to drive the gas outlet section 11 to move upwards in a third direction, perpendicular to the gas outlet surface. Thus, the gas outlet panel 10 is divided into multiple gas outlet sections 11 from the inside out. By adjusting the distance between different gas outlet sections 11 and the substrate 60 through the position adjustment mechanism 20—that is, shortening or lengthening the distance between the gas outlet section 11 and the substrate 60—the gas flow rate can be increased or decreased, thereby altering the deposition rate. This makes the average deposition rate of the thin film at the edge and center positions of the substrate 60 approximately the same during film deposition, effectively reducing the difference in film thickness in different areas and further improving the uniformity of the deposited thin film on the surface of the substrate 60.

[0062] Please see Figures 1 to 3 In one embodiment, the position adjustment mechanism 20 further includes a third drive mechanism 23. The second drive mechanism 22 is connected to the air outlet 11 via the third drive mechanism 23, and the third drive mechanism 23 drives the air outlet 11 to move along a third direction; alternatively, the third drive mechanism 23 is connected to the first drive mechanism 21, and the third drive mechanism 23 drives the first drive mechanism 21 to move along a third direction; or, the third drive mechanism 23 is disposed between the first drive mechanism 21 and the second drive mechanism 22, the first drive mechanism 21 drives the third drive mechanism 23 to move along a first direction, the third drive mechanism 23 drives the second drive mechanism 22 to move along a third direction, and the second drive mechanism 22 drives the air outlet 11 to move along a second direction. The third direction is perpendicular to the air outlet surface.

[0063] Please see Figures 1 to 3In one embodiment, the first drive mechanism 21, the second drive mechanism 22, and the third drive mechanism 23 may include, but are not limited to, piezoelectric ceramic actuators, micro motor drives, cylinder drives, hydraulic cylinder drives, and other power mechanisms, as long as they can drive extension or movement in the corresponding direction and drive the air outlet 11 to move.

[0064] Please see Figures 1 to 3 In one embodiment, the position adjustment mechanism 20 further includes a first rotating mechanism 24 for driving the air outlet 11 to rotate about its central axis. The first rotating mechanism 24 is connected to the air outlet 11. Specifically, the position adjustment mechanism 20 can drive the air outlet 11 to rotate in a single direction about its central axis, and can also drive the air outlet 11 to rotate in both the forward and reverse directions about its central axis.

[0065] Furthermore, since each air outlet 11 is equipped with a corresponding position adjustment mechanism 20, each air outlet 11 can rotate independently counterclockwise or clockwise, or rotate synchronously, according to actual needs. This ensures that the gas is evenly distributed inside the spray head and flows evenly out of the air outlet panel 10, thereby achieving even distribution on the surface of the substrate 60. Additionally, the rotation speed of each air outlet 11 can be flexibly adjusted according to actual needs and is not limited here.

[0066] Specifically, the first rotating mechanism 24 includes a rotating motor (not shown) and a transmission element (not shown). The rotating shaft of the rotating motor is connected to the transmission element, which is wound around the wall of the air outlet 11. The specific position of the transmission element on the air outlet 11 includes, but is not limited to, the outer wall and the inner wall, as long as it can drive the air outlet 11 to rotate. Thus, when the rotating motor rotates, it drives the air outlet 11 to rotate accordingly through the transmission element. The rotating motor is, for example, a micro motor. In addition, the transmission element includes, but is not limited to, a transmission belt and a transmission chain.

[0067] Of course, in another embodiment, the first rotating mechanism 24 includes a rotating motor (not shown) and a transmission element (not shown). A first tooth (not shown) is provided on the outer wall of the air outlet 11, and a second tooth (not shown) is coaxially provided on the rotating shaft of the rotating motor; the first tooth and the second tooth mesh with each other. Thus, when the rotating motor rotates, the second tooth acts on the first tooth, driving the air outlet 11 to rotate. To prevent the air outlet 11 from falling due to its own weight, the first rotating mechanism 24 also includes a connecting sleeve (not shown) rotatably fitted and connected to the outside of the air outlet 11. When the air outlet 11 is subjected to the force of the rotating motor, it can rotate flexibly within the connecting sleeve. Under the action of the position adjustment mechanism 20, the connecting sleeve can drive the air outlet 11 to adjust its position in the first, second, and third directions.

[0068] Please see Figure 3In one embodiment, each vent 11 is independently provided with multiple vent holes 114, and the diameter of the vent holes 114 on the vent panel 10 increases from the center to the periphery. Thus, the flow velocity at the nozzle axis is the highest due to the jetting phenomenon, gradually decreasing to zero from the center towards the boundary layer. This results in the vent hole diameter 114 of the vent panel 10 increasing from the center to the periphery, thereby improving the gas flow rate at different locations on the vent panel 10. This makes the average film deposition rate at the edge and center of the substrate 60 nearly the same during film deposition, effectively reducing the difference in film thickness in different areas and improving film uniformity.

[0069] Specifically, for each air outlet 11, the diameter of the multiple air outlet holes 114 provided on each air outlet 11 can either remain the same or increase in size. When the diameter of the various air outlet holes 114 on the same air outlet 11 remains the same, the diameter of the air outlet holes 114 on different air outlets 11 is set to be different, and the diameter of the air outlet holes 114 of the air outlet 11 that is farther away from the center of the air outlet panel 10 is relatively larger.

[0070] In one specific embodiment, each of the first air outlet 111, the second air outlet 112, and the third air outlet 113 is independently provided with a plurality of air outlet holes 114 of the same diameter. The diameter of the air outlet holes 114 on the first air outlet 111 is defined as D1, the diameter of the air outlet holes 114 on the second air outlet 112 is defined as D2, and the diameter of the air outlet holes 114 on the third air outlet 113 is defined as D3. <D2<D3。

[0071] The specific sizes of D1, D2, and D3 are determined according to the area of ​​the air outlet panel 10 and the range of the number of air outlet holes 114.

[0072] In one embodiment, the diameter of each air outlet 114 of the spray head is configured to increase sequentially in a direction away from the center, and there are at least two different diameter specifications.

[0073] Please see Figure 3 In one embodiment, each air outlet 11 is independently provided with a hole group or multiple hole groups arranged sequentially along a direction away from the central axis of the air outlet panel 10. In other words, a hole group corresponds to a ring of air outlet holes 114 arranged on the air outlet panel 10, and multiple hole groups correspond to multiple rings of air outlet holes 114 arranged on the air outlet panel 10. The hole group includes multiple air outlet holes 114 arranged at intervals around the central axis of the air outlet panel 10.

[0074] Please see Figure 3In one embodiment, the vent holes 114 of the hole group are arranged at equal intervals on the vent portion 11, or they may be arranged at unequal intervals on the vent portion 11. When the vent holes 114 of the hole group are arranged at equal intervals on the vent portion 11, the uniformity of thin film deposition on the surface of the substrate 60 can be improved.

[0075] In one embodiment, the vent 114 is, but is not limited to, a circular hole, an elliptical hole, or a polygonal hole. The polygonal hole includes, but is not limited to, triangular, quadrilateral, pentagonal, hexagonal, etc. Of course, the vent 114 can also be a hole of other regular shapes, or an irregular shape.

[0076] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 10 , Figure 10 This diagram illustrates one of the operating states of the air outlet panel 10 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the spray head further includes a main housing 30 connected to the air outlet panel 10. The main housing 30 and the air outlet panel 10 enclose a main chamber, and the main housing 30 is provided with an air inlet 31 communicating with the main chamber, through which reactive gas is introduced into the main chamber. Specifically, the main housing 30 is provided with an opening and is connected to the outer edge of the outermost air outlet 11 through a first air-blocking elastic membrane (not shown in the figure), and two adjacent air outlets 11 are connected through a second air-blocking elastic membrane 40. The position adjustment mechanism 20 is connected to the main housing 30 and is located inside the main housing 30. Thus, the reactive gas enters the interior of the main housing 30 through the air inlet 31 and enters each air outlet 11, and is discharged outward through each air outlet 11. Under the action of the first air-blocking elastic membrane and the second air-blocking elastic membrane 40, the uniformity of the film can be avoided by the main housing 30 directly discharging outward through the interval. In addition, both the first air-blocking elastic membrane and the second air-blocking elastic membrane 40 are elastic, which can satisfy the position adjustment mechanism 20 to adjust the position of each air outlet 11 along the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction.

[0077] The first air-blocking elastic membrane is connected to the main housing 30 via a rotary joint (not shown). In addition, the outermost air outlet 11 is also connected to the first air-blocking elastic membrane (not shown) via a rotary joint. Furthermore, the air outlet 11 is also connected to the second air-blocking elastic membrane 40 via a rotary joint, thereby enabling the position adjustment mechanism 20 to drive each air outlet 11 to rotate around its central axis for adjustment.

[0078] In another embodiment, the spray head may not require the main housing 30 described in the above embodiment, but may instead include, for example, multiple sub-housings connected to a plurality of gas outlets 11 in a one-to-one correspondence. The gas outlets 11 and their corresponding sub-housings (not shown) enclose a separate chamber. Each sub-housing has an air inlet communicating with the separate chamber, through which the reaction gas enters the interior of the separate chamber. Specifically, the spray head also includes a mounting plate for mounting on the reaction chamber 50 of the deposition equipment. When all sub-housings are each connected to a corresponding position adjustment mechanism 20, each sub-housing is connected to the mounting plate via the position adjustment mechanism 20; when only a portion of the sub-housings are each connected to a corresponding position adjustment mechanism 20, one portion of the sub-housings is connected to the mounting plate via the position adjustment mechanism 20, while the other portion of the sub-housings is fixedly connected to the mounting plate. Thus, the reaction gas simultaneously enters the interior of each sub-housing through each air inlet and is discharged outwards through each gas outlet 11. Each air outlet 11 combined with its corresponding housing forms a structure equivalent to an independent spray head unit, thus the spray head of this disclosure is equivalent to having multiple spray head units. Furthermore, since the housings are not integrated together but are independent of each other, the position adjustment mechanism 20 can flexibly adjust the position of the air outlet 11 without interference from the housings.

[0079] In one embodiment, the materials of the various components of the spray nozzle include, but are not limited to, aluminum alloy, alumina, aluminum nitride, and other various metal materials that are resistant to high temperatures and corrosion.

[0080] It should be noted that this disclosure is particularly applicable to CVD with a large-area substrate size 60, and can more significantly and effectively improve the uniformity of the coating on the substrate 60 surface.

[0081] In addition, this disclosure is also applicable to the problem of poor film uniformity caused by temperature, pressure, airflow and other factors in other process equipment.

[0082] In addition, this disclosure can not only effectively improve the difference between the thickness of the thin film in the middle and the thinness at the edges on the surface of the substrate 60, but also simultaneously improve the difference in film thickness in different regions.

[0083] Please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 3 In one embodiment, a deposition apparatus includes a spray head according to any of the above embodiments, a reaction chamber 50 and a support portion 70 disposed inside the reaction chamber 50 for supporting a substrate 60, the spray head being disposed inside the reaction chamber 50 and the air outlet panel 10 facing the support portion 70.

[0084] In the aforementioned deposition apparatus, during deposition on the surface of substrate 60, reactive gases are emitted outward through multiple gas outlets 11 of the gas outlet panel 10 and blown onto substrate 60 to deposit a thin film on the surface of substrate 60. Due to the spaced arrangement of the gas outlets 11 and the presence of a position adjustment mechanism 20 on at least one gas outlet 11, the positions of the gas outlets 11 can be finely adjusted in a first direction and a second direction. This allows the position adjustment mechanism 20 to promptly move and adjust the positions of the gas outlets 11 in the first and second directions according to the film deposition status on the surface of substrate 60, thereby improving the uniformity of the film deposited on the surface of substrate 60.

[0085] In one embodiment, the size of the vent panel 10 is designed to be adapted to the size of the substrate 60. Specifically, the substrate 60 is, for example, circular, elliptical, polygonal, etc., and correspondingly, the vent panel 10 is circular, elliptical, polygonal, etc. In this embodiment, the substrate 60 is typically a circular plate, and the vent panel 10 is correspondingly circular. Furthermore, the diameter of the vent panel 10 is 90%-110% of the diameter of the substrate 60, specifically, for example, the same as the size of the substrate 60.

[0086] In one embodiment, the deposition apparatus further includes a detector (not shown) and a controller (not shown). The detector is used to detect whether there are thickness defects in the deposited film on the substrate 60. The controller is electrically connected to the detector and the position adjustment mechanism 20, respectively, and is used to control the operation of the position adjustment mechanism 20 based on the thickness defect information.

[0087] In one embodiment, the deposition apparatus further includes a warning device (not shown). The warning device is electrically connected to the controller. Thus, when a thickness defect in the deposited film is detected, the warning device activates an alert to promptly notify the operator. The warning device may include, but is not limited to, audible, vibration, and visual warnings.

[0088] Please refer to the following: Figure 1 In one embodiment, the deposition apparatus further includes a lifting mechanism (not shown) and / or a second rotating mechanism (not shown) connected to the support 70. Thus, the lifting mechanism drives the support 70 to rise and fall, thereby raising and lowering the substrate 60, adjusting the distance between the substrate 60 and the venting panel 10 to improve the uniformity of the film deposited on the surface of the substrate 60. Furthermore, the second rotating mechanism drives the support 70 to rotate, thereby rotating the substrate 60 and further improving the uniformity of the film deposited on the substrate 60.

[0089] Please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 3 In one embodiment, a method for operating a deposition apparatus according to any of the above embodiments includes the following steps:

[0090] Step S10: Detect the thickness of the thin film deposited at various locations on the surface of the substrate 60.

[0091] Step S20: Determine the location of the abnormal area with abnormal film thickness on the surface of substrate 60;

[0092] Step S30: Based on the location of the abnormal part, drive the gas outlet 11 to move and adjust its position in the first direction and / or the second direction to adjust the gas flow rate at the abnormal part.

[0093] Specifically, when driving the air outlet 11 to move, one of the air outlets 11 can be driven to move and adjust its position in the first direction and / or the second direction, or all the air outlets 11 can be driven to move and adjust their positions in the first direction and / or the second direction simultaneously. The adjustment of the positions of each air outlet 11 can be flexibly adjusted according to actual needs and is not limited here.

[0094] The above-described deposition equipment operates by adjusting the position of the gas outlet 11 in a timely manner in the first and second directions by the position adjustment mechanism 20 according to the thin film deposition condition on the surface of the substrate 60. This improves the uniformity of the thin film deposited on the surface of the substrate 60.

[0095] Please see Figures 1 to 3 In one embodiment, the method of operating the deposition apparatus further includes the following steps: Step S40, according to the abnormal location, driving the gas outlet 11 to move upward to adjust the position, and / or driving the gas outlet 11 to rotate to adjust the position, so as to adjust the gas flow rate at the abnormal location.

[0096] Please see Figures 1 to 3 Specifically, when driving the air outlet 11 to move upward and adjust its position, it can be either driving one of the air outlets 11 to move upward and adjust its position, or driving all the air outlets 11 to move upward and adjust their positions simultaneously. The adjustment of the positions of each air outlet 11 can be flexibly adjusted according to actual needs and is not limited here.

[0097] Please see Figures 1 to 3 Furthermore, when driving the air outlet 11 to rotate and adjust its position, one of the air outlets 11 can be driven to rotate counterclockwise or clockwise to adjust its position, or all the air outlets 11 can be driven to rotate and adjust their positions simultaneously. The rotation directions of the air outlets 11 can be the same or different, and this is not limited here.

[0098] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0099] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of this disclosure, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosed patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this disclosure, and these all fall within the protection scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent should be determined by the appended claims.

[0100] In the description of this disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this disclosure 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this disclosure.

[0101] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0102] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," etc., 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, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0103] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0104] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

Claims

1. A spray head, characterized in that, The spray head includes: An air outlet panel, comprising a plurality of air outlet portions spaced sequentially from the center to the periphery of the air outlet panel, with adjacent air outlet portions connected by a second air-blocking elastic membrane; and The position adjustment mechanism comprises multiple position adjustment mechanisms, each of which is connected to a corresponding air outlet. Each position adjustment mechanism is used to independently drive the corresponding air outlet to move and adjust its position in a first direction and a second direction. The first direction and the second direction are set at an angle and are parallel to the air outlet surface of the air outlet panel.

2. The spray head according to claim 1, characterized in that, The position adjustment mechanism includes a first drive mechanism and a second drive mechanism, the first drive mechanism being connected to the second drive mechanism, and the second drive mechanism being connected to the air outlet; the first drive mechanism is used to drive the second drive mechanism to move in the first direction, and the second drive mechanism is used to drive the air outlet to move in the second direction.

3. The spray head according to claim 2, characterized in that, The distance between two adjacent air outlets is defined as S, where S is 1mm-30mm.

4. The spray head according to claim 2, characterized in that, The position adjustment mechanism further includes a third drive mechanism for driving the air outlet to move upward in a third direction to adjust its position. The third direction is perpendicular to the air outlet surface, and the third drive mechanism is connected to the first drive mechanism or the second drive mechanism.

5. The spray head according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The position adjustment mechanism further includes a first rotating mechanism for driving the air outlet to rotate around its central axis; the first rotating mechanism is connected to the air outlet.

6. The spray head according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The plurality of air outlets include a first air outlet, a second air outlet, and a third air outlet; the first air outlet is arranged at the center of the air outlet panel, the second air outlet is spaced around the periphery of the first air outlet, and the third air outlet is spaced around the periphery of the second air outlet.

7. The spray head according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Each of the air outlets is independently provided with multiple air outlets, and the diameter of the air outlets on the air outlet panel increases from the center to the periphery of the air outlet panel.

8. The spray head according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Each of the air outlets is independently provided with a group of holes or multiple groups of holes arranged sequentially along a direction away from the central axis of the air outlet panel; the group of holes includes multiple air outlet holes arranged at intervals around the central axis of the air outlet panel.

9. The spray head according to claim 8, characterized in that, The air outlets of the hole group are arranged at equal intervals on the air outlet; and / or, the air outlets are circular holes, elliptical holes or polygonal holes.

10. The spray head according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The spray head also includes a main housing connected to the air outlet panel. The main housing and the air outlet panel enclose a main chamber. The main housing is provided with an air inlet that communicates with the main chamber. The main housing is connected to the outer edge of the outermost air outlet part through a first air-blocking elastic membrane. The position adjustment mechanism is connected to the main housing and is located inside the main housing.

11. The spray head according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The spray head also includes multiple sub-shells that are connected to multiple air outlets in a one-to-one correspondence. The air outlets and the corresponding sub-shells enclose each other to form a separate chamber. Each sub-shell is provided with an air inlet that communicates with the separate chamber.

12. A deposition apparatus, characterized in that, The deposition apparatus includes a spray head as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, and further includes a reaction chamber and a support portion disposed inside the reaction chamber for supporting a substrate, wherein the spray head is disposed inside the reaction chamber and the air outlet panel faces the support portion.

13. The deposition apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that, The deposition apparatus further includes a detector and a controller; the detector is used to detect whether there are thickness defects in the deposited film on the substrate; the controller is electrically connected to the detector and the position adjustment mechanism respectively, and is used to control the operation of the position adjustment mechanism according to the thickness defect information.

14. The deposition apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that, The deposition equipment also includes a warning device, which is electrically connected to the controller.

15. The deposition apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that, The deposition equipment also includes a lifting mechanism and / or a second rotating mechanism connected to the support.

16. A method of operating the deposition apparatus as described in any one of claims 12-15, characterized in that, The operation method of the deposition equipment includes the following steps: The thickness of the thin film deposited at various locations on the substrate surface is detected. Identify the abnormal locations on the substrate surface where the film thickness is abnormal; Based on the location of the abnormal part, the gas outlet is driven to move and adjust its position in the first direction and / or the second direction to adjust the gas flow rate at the abnormal part.

17. The method of operating the deposition apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that, The method of operating the deposition equipment further includes the following steps: according to the location of the abnormal part, driving the gas outlet to move upward in a third direction to adjust its position, and / or driving the gas outlet to rotate to adjust its position, so as to adjust the gas flow rate at the abnormal part.

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