Mounting adjustment device and semiconductor process apparatus

By designing and installing an adjustment device in a plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) system, the relative horizontal and vertical spacing between the upper electrode and the substrate can be adjusted. This solves the problem of adjusting the horizontality of the upper electrode in a vacuum environment, improves film quality and process uniformity, and expands the application range.

CN117954299BActive Publication Date: 2026-05-12BEIJING NAURA MICROELECTRONICS EQUIP CO LTD
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
BEIJING NAURA MICROELECTRONICS EQUIP CO LTD
Filing Date
2022-10-31
Publication Date
2026-05-12

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition equipment cannot adjust the level of the upper electrode in a vacuum environment, resulting in the plasma not being evenly spread on the wafer surface, affecting film quality and process uniformity.

Method used

An installation and adjustment device was designed, including an insulating fixing ring, a mounting component, and an adjustment assembly. The adjustment assembly is connected to the insulating fixing ring to achieve the relative horizontality between the upper electrode and the base, and the vertical distance between the lower surface of the upper electrode and the upper surface of the base can be adjusted to ensure that the plasma is evenly spread.

Benefits of technology

It improves process uniformity, enhances thin film deposition quality, expands the application range, and adapts to various working conditions.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The application provides a mounting and adjusting device and a semiconductor process equipment, which comprises an insulating fixing ring, a mounting part for fixing an upper electrode and an adjusting assembly, wherein the insulating fixing ring is arranged on the top of a process chamber of the semiconductor process equipment and is used for electrically insulating the mounting part and the upper electrode from the cavity of the process chamber; the mounting part is located in the space surrounded by the insulating fixing ring and is connected to the insulating fixing ring in a liftable manner through the adjusting assembly; the upper electrode is arranged on the bottom of the mounting part; the adjusting assembly is connected to the insulating fixing ring and is used for driving the mounting part to lift or lower, so as to adjust the vertical distance between the lower surface of the upper electrode and the upper surface of a susceptor in the process chamber and to adjust the levelness of the lower surface of the upper electrode. The mounting and adjusting device and the semiconductor process equipment provided by the application can realize the relative levelness of the upper electrode and the susceptor and can adjust the vertical distance between the upper electrode and the upper surface of the susceptor according to the process requirement.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor equipment manufacturing, and more specifically, to an installation and adjustment device and semiconductor process equipment. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the semiconductor industry, atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology has been widely used due to its advantages such as low-temperature deposition, high film purity, and good coverage. However, as device structures become increasingly miniaturized and complex, traditional ALD technology is struggling to meet current film deposition requirements. Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) introduces radio frequency (RF) technology into traditional ALD. It uses an RF power supply to apply an energy field to generate plasma, which in turn produces high-energy atoms, ions, and molecules to participate in the reaction. In addition to retaining the advantages of traditional ALD technology, PEALD technology also offers further advantages such as reducing the process temperature required for film deposition and improving film quality.

[0003] For PEALD technology, in order to improve the uniformity of plasma distribution and ensure that the plasma is evenly spread on the wafer surface to improve process uniformity, the wafer supported by the upper electrode and the lower electrode mechanism (i.e., the base) needs to be kept relatively horizontal. However, current PEALD equipment can only adjust the level and center of the lower electrode mechanism in an atmospheric environment, while the level of the upper electrode mechanism cannot be adjusted. The upper electrode mechanism is also easily affected by the vacuum environment and thermal expansion and contraction, making it impossible to ensure that it is kept relatively horizontal with the wafer supported by the lower electrode mechanism in a vacuum environment. As a result, the quality of the deposited film in the PEALD process will also be affected, and it is impossible to further improve the quality of the deposited film. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and proposes an installation adjustment device and semiconductor process equipment, which can not only achieve the relative horizontality of the upper electrode and the base, but also adjust the vertical distance between the lower surface of the upper electrode and the upper surface of the base according to the process requirements, thereby improving the process uniformity and improving the quality of thin film deposition.

[0005] To achieve the objectives of this invention, a mounting and adjustment device is provided, applicable to semiconductor process equipment, comprising an insulating retaining ring, a mounting component for fixing the upper electrode, and an adjustment assembly, wherein...

[0006] The insulating retaining ring is disposed at the top of the process chamber of the semiconductor process equipment, and is used to electrically insulate the mounting component and the upper electrode from the cavity of the process chamber;

[0007] The mounting component is located within the space enclosed by the insulating fixing ring and is vertically and vertically connected to the insulating fixing ring via the adjusting assembly; the upper electrode is located at the bottom of the mounting component.

[0008] The adjustment component is connected to the insulating fixing ring and is used to drive the mounting component to rise and fall, so as to adjust the vertical distance between the lower surface of the upper electrode and the upper surface of the base in the process chamber, and also to adjust the levelness of the lower surface of the upper electrode.

[0009] Optionally, the adjustment assembly includes a plurality of adjustment structures evenly distributed along the circumference of the insulating fixing ring;

[0010] Each of the adjustment structures includes a first adjustment member and a second adjustment member, wherein the first adjustment member is threadedly connected to the insulating retaining ring, the second adjustment member is rotatably connected to the first adjustment member, and the second adjustment member is threadedly connected to the mounting member.

[0011] The first adjusting member is used to move up and down relative to the insulating retaining ring that is threaded to it during rotation, and to drive the second adjusting member and the mounting member to move up and down synchronously.

[0012] The second adjusting member is used to raise or lower the mounting member that is threaded to it during rotation.

[0013] Optionally, the first adjusting member includes a first ring body having a first external thread;

[0014] The insulating fixing ring is provided with a support portion extending into the space it encloses, and a first threaded hole is vertically provided in the support portion; the first ring body passes through the first threaded hole, and the first external thread engages with the first threaded hole;

[0015] The second adjusting member includes a second ring body and an adjusting screw with a second external thread, wherein the second ring body is nested in the first ring body and fixedly connected to the first ring body; the mounting member has a vertically provided second threaded hole, the adjusting screw passes through the second ring body, and the lower end of the adjusting screw is inserted into the second threaded hole, and the second external thread cooperates with the second threaded hole.

[0016] Optionally, the second adjusting member further includes a third ring body, which is nested in the second ring body and fixedly connected to the second ring body;

[0017] The adjusting screw passes through the third ring body, and the screw head of the adjusting screw is stacked on the upper end face of the third ring body.

[0018] Optionally, the insulating retaining ring includes an annular body and an annular boss disposed on the top of the annular body, the annular boss protruding toward the axis of the annular body relative to the inner circumferential surface of the annular body.

[0019] The installation adjustment device further includes a retractable annular sealing assembly located in the space enclosed by the insulating fixing ring, between the lower surface of the annular boss and the upper surface of the mounting member, and surrounding the periphery of the adjustment assembly. The annular sealing assembly is used to seal the space between the lower surface of the annular boss and the upper surface of the mounting member.

[0020] Optionally, the annular sealing assembly includes a bellows and an upper flange and a lower flange respectively disposed at the upper and lower ends of the bellows, wherein the upper flange is sealed to the lower surface of the annular boss; and the lower flange is sealed to the upper surface of the mounting component.

[0021] Optionally, the upper surface of the mounting component is provided with a receiving groove;

[0022] The installation adjustment device further includes a heating assembly disposed in the receiving groove, and the heating assembly includes a heating element and an insulating heat-conducting component surrounding the heating element.

[0023] Optionally, the insulating and heat-conducting component includes two insulating plates stacked on top of each other, the two insulating plates being bent to form a covering space between them that encloses the heating element.

[0024] Optionally, the receiving groove is an annular groove;

[0025] The heating assembly further includes an annular support plate and an annular cover plate stacked on the upper end face of the annular support plate. At least one of the upper end face of the annular support plate and the lower end face of the annular cover plate is provided with a receiving groove for accommodating the insulating heat-conducting component and the heating element inside it.

[0026] Optionally, the heating element includes multiple heating rods, which are symmetrically distributed along the circumference of the annular groove; the number of insulating and heat-conducting components is the same as the number of heating rods, and they are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0027] The number of receiving slots is the same as the number of heating rods, and they are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence; at least one of the upper end face of the annular support plate and the lower end face of the annular cover plate is provided with a wiring groove for accommodating the wires of the heating rods.

[0028] Optionally, an air inlet is provided on the side wall of the insulating fixing ring. The air inlet end of the air inlet is used to connect to an inert gas source, and the air outlet end of the air inlet is connected to the space enclosed by the insulating fixing ring.

[0029] As another technical solution, the present invention also provides a semiconductor process apparatus, including a process chamber, a mounting adjustment device and an upper electrode, wherein the process chamber is provided with a base for supporting a wafer; the upper electrode is disposed at the top of the process chamber; the mounting adjustment device is disposed above the upper electrode, and the mounting adjustment device adopts the mounting adjustment device provided by the present invention.

[0030] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0031] The installation and adjustment device provided by this invention allows for the vertical adjustment of the vertical distance between the lower surface of the upper electrode and the upper surface of the base in the process chamber by means of a height-adjustable connection between the mounting component and the insulating fixing ring via an adjustment assembly, and by means of the adjustment assembly driving the mounting component to rise and fall. It also adjusts the levelness of the lower surface of the upper electrode. By adjusting the levelness of the lower surface of the upper electrode, the relative level of the upper electrode and the base can be achieved, ensuring that the plasma is uniformly spread on the wafer surface, thereby improving process uniformity and the quality of thin film deposition. Moreover, by adjusting the vertical distance between the lower surface of the upper electrode and the upper surface of the base in the process chamber, it can adapt to various different operating conditions, thus expanding the application range.

[0032] The semiconductor process equipment provided by this invention, by employing the above-mentioned mounting and adjustment device, can not only achieve the relative horizontality between the upper electrode and the substrate, thereby improving process uniformity and thin film deposition quality; but also adjust the vertical distance between the lower surface of the upper electrode and the upper surface of the substrate, thereby adapting to various different working conditions and expanding the application range. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 An external structural diagram of a semiconductor process equipment provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a semiconductor process equipment provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the insulating fixing ring used in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the insulating fixing ring used in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the adjustment structure used in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the adjustment structure used in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 7 This is a structural diagram of the annular sealing assembly used in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of the mounting component used in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the heating assembly used in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 10 This is a top view of the heating assembly used in an embodiment of the present invention, excluding the annular cover plate. Detailed Implementation

[0043] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present invention, the installation and adjustment device and semiconductor process equipment provided by the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0044] Please refer to the following: Figure 1 and Figure 2 This invention provides a semiconductor process apparatus and a mounting and adjustment device 400 for use in the semiconductor process apparatus. The semiconductor process apparatus is, for example, a plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) apparatus, and can be applied to PEALD apparatuses with multiple chambers such as dual-chamber or four-chamber configurations. The mounting and adjustment device 400 includes an insulating retaining ring 401, a mounting member 402 for fixing an upper electrode 406, and an adjustment assembly 403. The insulating retaining ring 401 is disposed on the top of the process chamber 300 of the semiconductor process apparatus, and is used to electrically insulate the mounting member 402 and the upper electrode 406 from the cavity of the process chamber 300 (including the main body 303 and the annular support member 302 disposed on the top of the main body 303). Optionally, the insulating retaining ring 401 can be made of a material with good insulation and thermal conductivity, such as AlN. Alternatively, as... Figure 4 As shown, an air inlet 401f is provided on the side wall of the insulating retaining ring 401. The inlet end of the air inlet 401f is used to connect to an inert gas source, and the outlet end of the air inlet 401f is connected to the space enclosed by the insulating retaining ring 401. The air inlet 401f is used to deliver inert gas into the space enclosed by the insulating retaining ring 401, which can provide an inert environment for the space enclosed by the insulating retaining ring 401, preventing reactants from entering the space enclosed by the insulating retaining ring 401, forming particles, and affecting subsequent processes.

[0045] Mounting member 402 is located within the space enclosed by insulating retaining ring 401 and is vertically and vertically connected to insulating retaining ring 401 via adjusting component 403. Optionally, mounting member 402 can serve as an RF feeder for electrical connection to a power supply. The power supply is, for example, an RF power supply, which applies RF power to mounting member 402 through a matching adapter, and the power is conducted from mounting member 402 to lower electrode 406 to excite process gas to form plasma. Upper electrode 406 is located at the bottom of mounting member 402. In this case, the insulating retaining ring 401 electrically insulates mounting member 402 and upper electrode 406 from the cavity of process chamber 300, preventing RF energy fed into mounting member 402 from directly passing to ground through the cavity of process chamber 300. Of course, in practical applications, upper electrode 406 can also be electrically connected to the power supply in any other manner, and the embodiments of the present invention do not impose any particular limitations on this.

[0046] Specifically, such as Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the process chamber 300 includes a main body 303 and an annular support member 302 disposed on the top of the main body 303. The lower end of the insulating fixing ring 401 is provided with a flange portion 401a, which is fixedly connected to the annular support member 302 by multiple screws, thereby fixing the insulating fixing ring 401 to the top of the process chamber 300. Optionally, an annular insulating extension portion 401b is provided at the bottom of the inner circumferential surface of the insulating fixing ring 401. This insulating extension portion 401b overlaps the inner circumferential surface of the annular support member 302 to electrically insulate the annular support member 302 from the mounting member 402 and the upper electrode 406.

[0047] The adjusting component 403 is connected to the insulating fixing ring 401 and is used to move the mounting component 402 up and down to adjust the vertical distance between the lower surface of the upper electrode 406 and the upper surface of the base 301 in the process chamber 300. It also adjusts the levelness of the lower surface of the upper electrode 406. By making the mounting component 402 vertically and flexibly connected to the insulating fixing ring 401 via the adjusting component 403, and by moving the mounting component 402 up and down with the help of the adjusting component 403, the vertical distance between the lower surface of the upper electrode 406 and the upper surface of the base 301 is adjusted, and the levelness of the lower surface of the upper electrode 406 is also adjusted. By adjusting the levelness of the lower surface of the upper electrode 406, it can be adjusted in conjunction with the levelness of the base 301, achieving relative horizontality between the upper electrode 406 and the base. This ensures that the plasma is uniformly spread on the wafer surface, thereby improving process uniformity and the quality of thin film deposition. Moreover, by adjusting the vertical distance between the lower surface of the upper electrode 406 and the upper surface of the base 301, it can adapt to various different working conditions, thus expanding the application range.

[0048] In some alternative embodiments, such as Figure 8As shown, the upper surface of the mounting component 402 is provided with a receiving groove 402b; the mounting adjustment device also includes a heating component 405, which is disposed in the receiving groove 402b. Taking the PEALD deposition process as an example, the reaction between the precursor reaction source and O2 (which becomes oxygen atoms under radio frequency action) used in the dielectric thin film needs to be carried out at a certain temperature. Therefore, the process gas needs to be heated by the heating component 405 to ensure that the process reaction proceeds normally.

[0049] In some alternative embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, the adjustment assembly 403 includes a plurality of adjustment structures 403a evenly distributed circumferentially along the insulating fixing ring 401. By providing a plurality of adjustment structures 403a circumferentially, preferably three or more, the height of the lower surface of the upper electrode 406 at different positions in the circumferential direction can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the levelness of the lower surface of the upper electrode 406 and ensuring the relative levelness between the upper electrode 406 and the base 301. Moreover, by simultaneously adjusting the plurality of adjustment structures 403a, the overall height of the upper electrode 406 can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the vertical distance between the lower surface of the upper electrode 406 and the upper surface of the base 301.

[0050] The adjustment structure 403a that achieves the above function can be of various types, for example, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, each adjustment structure 403a includes a first adjustment member and a second adjustment member. The first adjustment member is threadedly connected to the insulating fixing ring 401, and the second adjustment member is rotatably connected to the first adjustment member and threadedly connected to the mounting member 402. The first adjustment member is used to move up and down relative to the threaded insulating fixing ring 401 during rotation, and to drive the second adjustment member and the mounting member 402 to move up and down synchronously. The second adjustment member is used to move up and down the threaded mounting member 402 during rotation. With the help of the first and second adjustment members, the overall height and level of the lower surface of the upper electrode 406 can be adjusted separately. Of course, in practical applications, the above-mentioned adjustment components can also adopt other structures, as long as they can adjust the level of the lower surface of the upper electrode 406 and the vertical distance between the lower surface of the upper electrode 406 and the upper surface of the base. This embodiment of the invention does not have any particular limitations in this regard.

[0051] When it is necessary to adjust the levelness of the lower surface of the upper electrode 406, the base 301 is first concentrically and aligned under atmospheric conditions. Then, a vacuum environment is created in the process chamber 300, and the upper electrode 406 is heated using the heating component 405 until it is maintained at the required temperature (e.g., 120°C). Then, a monitoring wafer S for monitoring the levelness is placed on the upper surface of the base 301 in the process chamber 300 using a robotic arm. This monitoring wafer S is used to detect the vertical distance between different positions of its upper surface and the lower surface of the upper electrode 406 and to provide feedback. Based on the feedback result of the monitoring wafer S, the levelness of the lower surface of the upper electrode 406 can be adjusted by sequentially rotating the second adjusting member in each adjusting structure 403a to raise and lower the threaded mounting member 402.

[0052] When it is necessary to adjust the vertical distance between the lower surface of the upper electrode 406 and the upper surface of the base 301 in the process chamber 300, the first adjusting member in the multiple adjusting structures 403a can be rotated synchronously to raise and lower it relative to the insulating fixing ring 401 threaded to it, and drive the second adjusting member and the mounting member 402 to rise and fall synchronously. This allows the upper electrode 406 to rise and fall as a whole, thereby achieving the adjustment of the vertical distance between the lower surface of the upper electrode 406 and the upper surface of the base 301.

[0053] After the adjustment is completed, the robotic arm removes the monitoring wafer S from the process chamber, replaces it with the wafer required for the actual process, and turns on the power supply. At the same time, inert gas is supplied to the space enclosed by the insulating fixing ring 401 through the air inlet 401f to maintain a relatively high pressure environment in the space enclosed by the insulating fixing ring 401, so as to prevent reactants from entering the space enclosed by the insulating fixing ring 401. Then the process reaction begins.

[0054] In some alternative embodiments, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the aforementioned first adjusting member includes a first ring body 4031 having a first external thread 4032, as... Figure 3As shown, the insulating retaining ring 401 is provided with a support portion 401d extending into the space it encloses, for fixing and supporting the aforementioned adjusting structure 403a. A first threaded hole 401e is vertically provided in the support portion 401d; a first ring body 4031 passes through the first threaded hole 401e, and a first external thread 4032 engages with the first threaded hole 401e; the aforementioned second adjusting member includes a second ring body 4037 and an adjusting screw 4033 having a second external thread 4036, wherein the second ring body 4037 is nested within the first ring body 4031 and is fixedly connected to the first ring body 4031. The fixed connection is, for example, a threaded connection. Specifically, the first ring body 4031 has an internal thread 4034, and the second ring body has a third external thread 4035, which is threadedly connected to the internal thread 4034. In addition, the helical direction of the internal thread 4034 on the first ring body 4031 should be opposite to the helical direction of the first external thread 4032, so as to ensure that the second ring body 4037 and the first ring body 4031 remain fixed when the first ring body 4031 is rotated.

[0055] The mounting component 402 has a vertically arranged second threaded hole (not shown in the figure). An adjusting screw 4033 passes through the second ring 4037, with its lower end inserted into the second threaded hole. The second external thread 4036 engages with the second threaded hole on the mounting component 402. Optionally, the pitch of the second external thread 4036 is smaller than the pitch of the first external thread 4032. Thus, rotation of the adjusting screw 4033 allows for fine-tuning of the height at which the upper electrode 406 is connected to the adjusting screw 4033.

[0056] When it is necessary to adjust the level of the lower surface of the upper electrode 406, based on the feedback from the monitoring wafer S, the adjusting screws 4033 in multiple adjusting structures 403a can be rotated sequentially. These adjusting screws 4033, through threaded engagement with the mounting member 402, allow the mounting member 402 to rise or fall relative to the adjusting screw 4033, thereby causing the upper electrode 406 to rise or fall synchronously. The pitch of the second external thread 4036 on the adjusting screw 4033 can be smaller than that of the first external thread 4032. Because the pitch of the second external thread 4036 on the adjusting screw 4033 is relatively small, the rotation of the adjusting screw 4033 can achieve fine-tuning of the height of the position where the upper electrode 406 is connected to the adjusting screw 4033, thereby adjusting the level of the lower surface of the upper electrode 406. It should be noted that the adjusting screw 4033 only rotates and does not rise or fall.

[0057] When it is necessary to adjust the vertical distance between the lower surface of the upper electrode 406 and the upper surface of the base 301, the first ring 4031 of the three adjustment structures 403a can be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise simultaneously. Since the first external thread 4032 of the first ring 4031 engages with the first threaded hole 401e, the first ring 4031 can rise and fall relative to the support 401d during rotation. Simultaneously, since the first ring 4031 is fixedly connected to the second ring 4037, the rise and fall of the first ring 4031 can drive the second ring 4037 and the adjusting screw 4033 to rise and fall synchronously, thereby achieving the overall rise and fall of the upper electrode 406. By adopting the above structure, the first and second adjustment components not only simplify the structure of the adjustment assembly but also facilitate adjustment, eliminating the need for cumbersome tooling for adjustment, and are suitable for various vacuum conditions. Furthermore, the fixed connection between the first ring 4031 and the second ring 4037 can also be any other method, as long as it allows for relative fixation; this embodiment of the invention does not impose any particular limitations on this.

[0058] In some optional embodiments, the second adjusting member further includes a third ring 4038, which is nested within and fixedly connected to the second ring 4037; an adjusting screw 4033 passes through the third ring 4038, with the screw head of the adjusting screw 4033 overlapping the upper end face of the third ring 4038. The third ring 4038 serves to support the adjusting screw 4037, allowing it to rotate without rising or falling.

[0059] In some alternative embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the insulating retaining ring 401 includes an annular body 401f and an annular boss 401c disposed on the top of the annular body 401f. The annular boss 401c protrudes from the inner circumferential surface of the annular body 401f toward the axis of the annular body 401f. In this case, the aforementioned support portion 401d can, for example, be disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the annular boss 401c. Specifically, the support portion 401d can be a lug protruding from the inner circumferential surface of the annular boss 401c toward the axis of the annular body 401f.

[0060] like Figure 2 As shown, the installation adjustment device also includes a retractable annular sealing assembly 404. The annular sealing assembly 404 is located within the space enclosed by the insulating fixing ring 401, between the lower surface of the annular boss 401c and the upper surface of the mounting member 402, and surrounds the periphery of the adjustment assembly 403. That is, the multiple support portions 401d on the insulating fixing ring 401 are all located inside the annular sealing assembly 404. The annular sealing assembly 404 seals the space between the lower surface of the annular boss 401c and the upper surface of the mounting member 402, thereby ensuring that the process chamber 300 is in a vacuum environment. The annular sealing assembly 404 can have various structures, for example, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the annular sealing assembly 404 includes a bellows 404a and an upper flange 404b and a lower flange 404c respectively disposed at the upper and lower ends of the bellows 404a. The upper flange 404b is sealingly connected to the lower surface of the annular boss 401c, for example, by welding; the lower flange 404c is sealingly connected to the upper surface of the mounting component 402, for example, by welding. The bellows 404a is telescopic to ensure the normal lifting and lowering of the mounting component 402.

[0061] The inventors discovered through research that in existing technologies, the heating module is typically located on top of the lower electrode mounting component and includes components such as an insulation strip, heating wire, and aluminum plate arranged sequentially from top to bottom. Because the aluminum plate lacks insulation, the RF power applied by the RF power supply is simultaneously applied to the aluminum plate, causing some RF energy to be consumed by heating the aluminum plate. This results in a decrease in the actual voltage applied to the lower electrode mounting component, thus affecting the film quality. To address this problem, in some optional embodiments, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the heating assembly 405 includes a heating element 405a and an insulating thermally conductive component surrounding the heating element 405a. By using an insulating thermally conductive component surrounding the heating element 405a, interference from radio frequency electromagnetic fields during the process on the heating element can be reduced, as well as radio frequency energy loss caused by capacitive coupling, thereby improving the quality of the deposited thin film. Simultaneously, it ensures the consistency of the upper electrode power feed and voltage distribution, and the matching degree of process results (such as thin film deposition uniformity, thickness, and etching rate). Optionally, the heating element 405a can be a heating wire, heating rod, or other similar component.

[0062] In some optional embodiments, the aforementioned insulating and heat-conducting component includes two stacked insulating plates 405b, which are bent to form a covering space between them that encloses the heating element 405a. Optionally, the insulating plates 405b may be made of a material with good insulation, thermal conductivity, and high-temperature resistance, such as AlN ceramic plates.

[0063] In some alternative embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 8 As shown, the mounting component 402 is provided with a central air inlet 402a, the air inlet end of which is used to connect to a gas source for the process gas; based on this, the upper electrode 406 is, for example, a spray component, which is provided with a plurality of spray holes 406a communicating with the process chamber 300; a uniform gas space 406b is formed between the upper surface of the spray component and the lower surface of the mounting component 402, and the uniform gas space 406b is connected to the central air inlet 402a and each spray hole 406a respectively.

[0064] In some alternative embodiments, such as Figure 8As shown, the aforementioned accommodating groove 402b is an annular groove to facilitate the design of the aforementioned central air inlet 402a. Of course, in practical applications, if other air intake structures are used, the aforementioned accommodating groove 402b can also be an annular groove. For example... Figure 9 As shown, the heating assembly 405 also includes an annular support plate 405d and an annular cover plate 405c stacked on the upper end face of the annular support plate 405d. At least one of the upper end face of the annular support plate 405d and the lower end face of the annular cover plate 405c is provided with a receiving groove for accommodating the insulating heat-conducting components (i.e., the two insulating plates 405b) and the heating element 405a inside them. By embedding the heating element 405a and the insulating heat-conducting components (i.e., the two insulating plates 405b) between the annular support plate 405d and the annular cover plate 405c, the heat conduction area can be increased, the heat conduction efficiency can be improved, and installation and fixation can be facilitated. In addition, in order to avoid interference from radio frequency electromagnetic fields to the heating element, the wires of the heating element 405a are all insulated and extend from the end holes on both sides of the annular cover plate 405c to be connected to the external power supply, thereby realizing the normal heating of the heating element 405a.

[0065] Taking heating element 405a, which includes multiple heating rods, as an example, Figure 10 As shown, multiple heating rods are symmetrically distributed circumferentially along the annular groove; the number of insulating and heat-conducting components (i.e., two insulating plates 405b) is the same as the number of heating rods, and they are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence; the number of receiving grooves is the same as the number of heating rods, and they are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence; at least one of the upper end face of the annular support plate 405d and the lower end face of the annular cover plate 405c is provided with a wiring groove 405e for accommodating the wires of the heating rods.

[0066] In summary, the installation adjustment device provided in this embodiment of the invention allows the mounting component 402 to be raised and lowered via an adjustment assembly and an insulating fixing ring 401. The adjustment assembly then drives the mounting component 402 to rise and fall, thereby adjusting the vertical distance between the lower surface of the upper electrode 406 and the upper surface of the base in the process chamber. It also adjusts the levelness of the lower surface of the upper electrode 406. By adjusting the levelness of the lower surface of the upper electrode 406, the relative level of the upper electrode 406 and the base can be achieved, ensuring that the plasma is uniformly spread on the wafer surface, thus improving process uniformity and the quality of thin film deposition. Furthermore, by adjusting the vertical distance between the lower surface of the upper electrode 406 and the upper surface of the base in the process chamber, it can adapt to various different operating conditions, thereby expanding its application range.

[0067] As another technical solution, embodiments of the present invention also provide a semiconductor process apparatus, which please refer to in conjunction with the present invention. Figure 1 and Figure 2The semiconductor process equipment includes a process chamber 300, a mounting adjustment device 400, and an upper electrode 406. The process chamber 300 is provided with a base 301 for supporting the wafer, which can be used as a lower electrode. Optionally, the base 301 is liftable. The upper electrode 406 is disposed on the top of the process chamber 300 and is used for electrical connection with a power supply, which can be an radio frequency power supply. The mounting adjustment device 400 is disposed above the upper electrode (i.e., the base 301) and adopts the mounting adjustment device provided in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] The semiconductor process equipment provided in this embodiment of the invention, by employing the above-mentioned mounting and adjustment device, can not only achieve the relative horizontality between the upper electrode and the substrate, thereby improving process uniformity and thin film deposition quality; but also adjust the vertical distance between the lower surface of the upper electrode and the upper surface of the substrate, thereby adapting to various different working conditions and expanding the application range.

[0069] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An installation and adjustment device, applied to semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that, It includes an insulating retaining ring, a mounting component for fixing the upper electrode, and an adjustment assembly, wherein, The insulating retaining ring is disposed at the top of the process chamber of the semiconductor process equipment, and is used to electrically insulate the mounting component and the upper electrode from the cavity of the process chamber; The mounting component is located within the space enclosed by the insulating fixing ring and is vertically and vertically connected to the insulating fixing ring via the adjusting assembly; the upper electrode is located at the bottom of the mounting component. The adjustment component is connected to the insulating fixing ring and is used to drive the mounting component to rise and fall, thereby adjusting the vertical distance between the lower surface of the upper electrode and the upper surface of the base in the process chamber, and also to adjust the levelness of the lower surface of the upper electrode. The adjustment assembly includes a plurality of adjustment structures evenly distributed along the circumference of the insulating fixing ring; Each of the adjustment structures includes a first adjustment member and a second adjustment member, wherein the first adjustment member is threadedly connected to the insulating retaining ring, the second adjustment member is rotatably connected to the first adjustment member, and the second adjustment member is threadedly connected to the mounting member. The first adjusting member is used to move up and down relative to the insulating retaining ring that is threaded to it during rotation, and to drive the second adjusting member and the mounting member to move up and down synchronously. The second adjusting member is used to raise or lower the mounting member that is threaded to it during rotation.

2. The installation and adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first adjusting member includes a first ring body having a first external thread; The insulating fixing ring is provided with a support portion extending into the space it encloses, and a first threaded hole is vertically provided in the support portion; the first ring body passes through the first threaded hole, and the first external thread engages with the first threaded hole; The second adjusting member includes a second ring body and an adjusting screw with a second external thread, wherein the second ring body is nested in the first ring body and fixedly connected to the first ring body; the mounting member has a vertically provided second threaded hole, the adjusting screw passes through the second ring body, and the lower end of the adjusting screw is inserted into the second threaded hole, and the second external thread cooperates with the second threaded hole.

3. The installation and adjustment device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second adjusting member further includes a third ring body, which is nested in the second ring body and fixedly connected to the second ring body; The adjusting screw passes through the third ring body, and the screw head of the adjusting screw is stacked on the upper end face of the third ring body.

4. The installation and adjustment device according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The insulating fixing ring includes an annular body and an annular boss disposed on the top of the annular body, the annular boss protruding toward the axis of the annular body relative to the inner circumferential surface of the annular body. The installation adjustment device further includes a retractable annular sealing assembly located in the space enclosed by the insulating fixing ring, between the lower surface of the annular boss and the upper surface of the mounting member, and surrounding the periphery of the adjustment assembly. The annular sealing assembly is used to seal the space between the lower surface of the annular boss and the upper surface of the mounting member.

5. The installation and adjustment device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The annular sealing assembly includes a bellows and an upper flange and a lower flange respectively disposed at the upper and lower ends of the bellows, wherein the upper flange is sealed to the lower surface of the annular boss; and the lower flange is sealed to the upper surface of the mounting component.

6. The installation and adjustment device according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The upper surface of the mounting component is provided with a receiving groove; The installation adjustment device further includes a heating assembly disposed in the receiving groove, and the heating assembly includes a heating element and an insulating heat-conducting component surrounding the heating element.

7. The installation and adjustment device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The insulating and heat-conducting component includes two insulating plates stacked on top of each other, and the two insulating plates are bent to form a covering space between them to cover the heating element.

8. The installation and adjustment device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The accommodating groove is an annular groove; The heating assembly further includes an annular support plate and an annular cover plate stacked on the upper end face of the annular support plate. At least one of the upper end face of the annular support plate and the lower end face of the annular cover plate is provided with a receiving groove for accommodating the insulating heat-conducting component and the heating element inside it.

9. The installation and adjustment device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The heating element includes multiple heating rods, which are symmetrically distributed along the circumference of the annular groove; the number of insulating and heat-conducting components is the same as the number of heating rods, and they are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. The number of receiving slots is the same as the number of heating rods, and they are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence; at least one of the upper end face of the annular support plate and the lower end face of the annular cover plate is provided with a wiring groove for accommodating the wires of the heating rods.

10. The installation and adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, An air inlet is provided on the side wall of the insulating fixing ring. The air inlet end of the air inlet is used to connect to an inert gas source, and the air outlet end of the air inlet is connected to the space enclosed by the insulating fixing ring.

11. A semiconductor process apparatus, comprising a process chamber, a mounting and adjustment device, and an upper electrode, wherein, The process chamber is provided with a base for supporting the wafer; the upper electrode is disposed at the top of the process chamber; the mounting adjustment device is disposed above the upper electrode, characterized in that the mounting adjustment device is the mounting adjustment device according to any one of claims 1-10.