Carrier device and semiconductor processing equipment

Abstract

The present invention provides a carrier device and semiconductor processing equipment. The carrier device includes a base body, wherein the plane on which the base body carries the wafer is a reference plane. The base body has an annular protrusion, the top surface of which is flush with the reference plane and is used to support and seal the edge area of ​​the wafer. The base body also has a first surface and a second surface below the reference plane, the first surface being close to the inner peripheral edge of the annular protrusion and the second surface being located in the center area of ​​the base body. The base body also has a third surface located between the first and second surfaces and recessed away from the reference plane. The first, second, and third surfaces are all distributed with interconnected airway structures. This solution can improve the uniformity of pressure distribution between the wafer and the base, thereby improving process uniformity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, and in particular to a carrier device and semiconductor processing equipment. Background Art

[0002] During wafer preparation, especially in key steps such as deposition, photolithography, and etching, the wafer must be stably fixed and heated (or cooled) to ensure that related process operations can be carried out smoothly on the wafer. Therefore, the performance requirements of the equipment for wafer fixing and heating (or cooling) are extremely high. Currently, a vacuum adsorption heater (Vacuum Chuck heater) is a commonly used wafer fixing and heating (or cooling) equipment. The base adsorbs and fixes the wafer by drawing a vacuum between the wafer and the base, utilizing the pressure difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer. In addition, the gas between the wafer and the base can play a role in heat conduction. By designing different gas path shapes on the top surface of the base, a uniform gas effect can be achieved.

[0003] The existing technology has the problem of uneven pressure distribution in the gas space between the wafer and the susceptor, which leads to uneven temperature distribution of the wafer, thereby causing poor process uniformity (such as uniformity of coating thickness). 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 a carrier device and semiconductor processing equipment, which can solve the problem of uneven pressure distribution in the gas space between the wafer and the base body in the prior art, thereby improving process uniformity.

[0005] To achieve the objectives of the present invention, a carrying device is provided, comprising a base body, wherein the plane on which the base body carries the wafer is a reference plane, the base body having an annular protrusion, the top surface of the annular protrusion being flush with the reference plane, for supporting and sealing the edge area of ​​the wafer; the base body further having a first surface and a second surface lower than the reference plane, the first surface being close to the inner peripheral edge of the annular protrusion, and the second surface being located in the center area of ​​the base body; the base body further having a third surface located between the first and second surfaces and recessed in a direction away from the reference plane;

[0006] The first surface, the second surface and the third surface are all distributed with interconnected airway structures.

[0007] In some embodiments, the third surface is a first annular surface surrounding the second surface; or, the third surface is multiple and surrounds the second surface;

[0008] The first surface is a second annular surface surrounding the first annular surface.

[0009] In some embodiments, the third surface is a curved surface or a stepped surface.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first annular surface and the second annular surface are both circular annular surfaces; the second surface is a circular surface;

[0011] The inner diameter of the second annular surface is equal to the outer diameter of the first annular surface; and the inner diameter of the first annular surface is equal to the outer diameter of the second surface.

[0012] In some embodiments, the air channel structures distributed on the second annular surface include annular air channels extending along the circumference of the second annular surface.

[0013] In some embodiments, a plurality of adsorption pores connected to the air channel structure are formed on the second surface, and the centers of the plurality of adsorption pores are distributed on a circumference with the center of the second surface as the center.

[0014] In some embodiments, a ratio of an outer diameter of the second surface to a diameter of a circle where the center of the adsorption pore is located is greater than or equal to 1.2 and less than or equal to 1.8.

[0015] In some embodiments, the ratio of the outer diameter of the second annular surface to the outer diameter of the second surface is greater than or equal to 2.35 and less than or equal to 3.73; the ratio of the inner diameter of the second annular surface to the outer diameter of the second surface is greater than or equal to 2.16 and less than or equal to 3.48.

[0016] In some embodiments, the outer diameter of the second annular surface is greater than or equal to 282 mm and less than or equal to 298 mm; the inner diameter of the second annular surface is greater than or equal to 259 mm and less than or equal to 279 mm.

[0017] In some embodiments, the outer diameter of the second surface is greater than or equal to 80 mm and less than or equal to 120 mm.

[0018] In some embodiments, the distance between the third surface and the reference plane is 4.5 to 15 times the distance between the second surface and the reference plane; and / or,

[0019] The distance between the third surface and the reference plane is 4.5 to 15 times the distance between the first surface and the reference plane.

[0020] In some embodiments, the distance between the second surface and the reference plane is less than or equal to the distance between the first surface and the reference plane.

[0021] In some embodiments, the distance between the second surface and the reference plane is greater than 0 μm and less than or equal to 50 μm; and / or,

[0022] The distance between the first surface and the reference plane is greater than 0 μm and less than or equal to 50 μm.

[0023] In some embodiments, a difference between a distance between the third surface and the reference plane and a distance between the second surface and the reference plane is greater than or equal to 60 μm and less than or equal to 140 μm; and / or,

[0024] A difference between a distance between the third surface and the reference plane and a distance between the first surface and the reference plane is greater than or equal to 60 μm and less than or equal to 140 μm.

[0025] In some embodiments, the airway structures distributed on the first surface, the second surface, and the third surface have the same depth.

[0026] In some embodiments, the depth of the air channel structures distributed on the first surface, the second surface, and the third surface is greater than or equal to 60 μm and less than or equal to 140 μm.

[0027] In some embodiments, a plurality of protrusions are distributed on both the second surface and the third surface, and a top surface of each protrusion is flush with the reference surface for supporting the wafer;

[0028] The percentage of the total horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the plurality of protrusions on the second surface to the area of ​​the second surface is greater than the percentage of the total horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the plurality of protrusions on the third surface to the area of ​​the second surface.

[0029] In some embodiments, the percentage of the total horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the plurality of protrusions on the third surface to the area of ​​the second surface is greater than or equal to 0.8% and less than or equal to 2%;

[0030] The percentage of the total horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the plurality of protrusions on the second surface to the area of ​​the second surface is greater than or equal to 1% and less than or equal to 2.2%.

[0031] In some embodiments, a plurality of protrusions are distributed on both the second surface and the third surface, and a top surface of each protrusion is flush with the reference surface for supporting the wafer;

[0032] The plurality of protrusions on the second surface and the third surface are distributed along the circumference of the base body for at least one circle;

[0033] The distance between adjacent protrusions in the same circle on the second surface is smaller than the distance between adjacent protrusions in the same circle on the third surface; and / or, the radial distance between the circumferences of two adjacent circles of protrusions on the second surface is smaller than the radial distance between the circumferences of two adjacent circles of protrusions on the third surface.

[0034] In some embodiments, a plurality of adsorption holes connected to the air channel structure are formed on the second surface, and the supporting device further includes a base shaft provided at the bottom of the base body, wherein a gas channel is provided in the base shaft, one end of the gas channel is connected to the adsorption holes, and the other end of the gas channel is used to communicate with the gas extraction device;

[0035] A diameter-reducing portion is provided in the gas channel, and the diameter-reducing portion is used to reduce the ventilation cross-sectional area of ​​the gas channel at the location of the diameter-reducing portion.

[0036] In some embodiments, the reduced diameter portion is located at an end of the gas channel away from the base body.

[0037] In some embodiments, the diameter of the reduced diameter portion is three-eighths to five-eighths of the diameter of the gas channel.

[0038] As another technical solution, the present invention further provides a semiconductor processing device, including a process chamber and a carrying device arranged in the process chamber, wherein the carrying device adopts the above-mentioned carrying device provided by the present invention.

[0039] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0040] The present invention provides a support device having a base body having a first surface and a second surface that are lower than a reference plane on which the wafer is supported. The first surface is located near the edge of the base body, and the second surface is located in the center of the base body. The base body also has a third surface located between the first and second surfaces and recessed away from the reference plane. The third surface is located in an area (referred to as an inner ring region) between the edge and center of the gas space formed between the base body and the wafer. By recessing the third surface away from the reference plane, the volume of the inner ring region of the gas space can be increased. This increased volume helps to achieve a more uniform radial pressure distribution in the inner ring region and increases the pressure in the center region. This not only improves the uniformity of the pressure distribution in the inner ring region, but also compensates for the pressure difference between the center and inner ring regions of the gas space, thereby further improving the uniformity of the pressure distribution. Furthermore, the distances between the first, second, and third surfaces and the reference plane can be adjusted according to the pressure distribution in different regions of the gas space to change the volume of the edge, center, and inner ring regions of the gas space, thereby further compensating for the pressure difference between the edge, center, and inner ring regions of the gas space. At the same time, by distributing interconnected air duct structures on the first surface, the second surface and the third surface, not only can the volume of the edge area, the central area and the inner circle area of ​​the gas space be further increased, but also a method of adjusting the volume of the gas space is added, so that the pressure distribution of different diameters of the gas space can be more flexibly adjusted, thereby further improving the uniformity of the pressure distribution, thereby improving the uniformity of the wafer temperature distribution, and improving the process uniformity (such as the uniformity of the coating thickness).

[0041] The semiconductor processing equipment provided by the present invention can improve the uniformity of pressure distribution by adopting the supporting device provided by the present invention, thereby improving the uniformity of wafer temperature distribution, thereby improving process uniformity (such as uniformity of coating thickness). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a carrying device in the prior art;

[0043] Figure 2 A comparison diagram of curves of different base body diameters and pressures in the prior art and the embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 3 This is a simulation diagram of the pressure of the base body with different diameters in the prior art;

[0045] Figure 4 A top view of the base body used in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 5 The base body used in the embodiment of the present invention is along Figure 4 A partial enlarged view of the middle AA line;

[0047] Figure 6 A three-dimensional diagram of a base body used in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Enlarged view of the middle I region;

[0049] Figure 8 for Figure 6 Enlarged view of the middle II region;

[0050] Figure 9 for Figure 6 A simulation diagram of the pressure distribution of the gas space of the base body;

[0051] Figure 10 A top view of the structure of the airway structure distributed on the first surface and the second surface of the base body above the height of the airway bottom surface;

[0052] Figure 11 A top view of the structure of the base body below the height of the third surface;

[0053] Figure 12 A simulation diagram of the pressure distribution in the gas space when air channel structures are distributed on the first and second surfaces, and the third surface is concave in a direction away from the reference plane but has no air channel structures;

[0054] Figure 13 A simulation diagram of the pressure distribution in the gas space when the distance between the third surface and the reference plane is reduced to the same as the distance between the first and second surfaces and the reference plane, and the first, second, and third surfaces are all provided with air channel structures, and the depth of the air channel structures distributed on the third surface is greater than the depth of the air channel structures distributed on the first and second surfaces;

[0055] Figure 14 for Figure 12 、 Figure 13 and Figure 9 Comparison diagram of the pressure distribution curve of the gas space;

[0056] Figure 15 A schematic cross-sectional view of a base body and a base shaft used in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 16 A schematic structural diagram of a process chamber of a semiconductor processing equipment used in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 17 A comparison diagram of pressure distribution curves of the gas space without and with the diameter-reducing portion in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 18 1 is a comparison diagram of film thickness distribution curves of the prior art and the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the carrier device and semiconductor processing equipment provided by the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0061] Embodiments of the present invention provide a carrier device, which may be used, for example, in semiconductor processing equipment. The carrier device is disposed within a process chamber of the semiconductor processing equipment to support wafers. In some embodiments, the carrier device may be a vacuum chuck heater, which not only secures the wafer but also controls the wafer's temperature by heating (or cooling). Furthermore, the carrier device may secure the wafer by vacuum chuck (i.e., utilizing a pressure differential between the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer to secure the wafer).

[0062] like Figure 1 As shown, the supporting device in the prior art includes a base body 01, with an annular boss 011 provided at the top edge of the base body 01. The top surface 012 of the annular boss 011 is used to support the bottom edge area of ​​the wafer 02. A gas space 04 is formed inside the annular boss 011, between the top surface of the base body 01 and the wafer 02. In addition, the top surface of the base body 01 is also provided with a plurality of adsorption holes 03 connected to the gas space 04. The plurality of adsorption holes 03 are used to connect to an external exhaust device through a gas channel. When the exhaust device is in operation, the gas in the gas space 04 flows toward the adsorption holes 03 near the center of the base body 01 and is extracted through the adsorption holes 03, thereby forming an air pressure difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer 02, thereby securing the wafer 02 to the base body 01.

[0063] Moreover, if Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in the prior art, the pressure distribution in the gas space 04 is as follows: the pressure in the central area of ​​the base body 01 located inside the circumference of the multiple adsorption pores 03 (the diameter of the circumference is, for example, 80 mm) is lower than that in other areas outside the central area, and the pressure in the inner circle area of ​​the gas space 04 located between its edge area and the above-mentioned central area (the outer diameter is, for example, 250 mm) decreases sharply along the radial direction from the outer circumference to the inner circumference, which leads to uneven pressure distribution in the inner circle area and also leads to uneven pressure distribution between different areas of the gas space 04.

[0064] The inventors have found through research that the reason for the above-mentioned uneven pressure distribution is that during the process, the edge of the wafer is prone to warping under high temperature conditions, causing external gas to directly enter the inner circle area of ​​the gas space 04 from the gap between the wafer 02 and the top surface 012 of the annular boss 011. Since the distance between the top surface of the base body 01 in the gas space 04 and the wafer 02 in the prior art is very small, the volume of the gas space 04 is limited, and the gas flowing into the inner circle area will cause the pressure of the inner circle area to be higher as it approaches the outer periphery, and lower as it approaches the inner periphery (affected by the exhaust of the adsorption holes 03), that is, the pressure decreases sharply from the outer periphery to the inner periphery in the radial direction, resulting in uneven pressure distribution in the inner circle area, and uneven pressure distribution between different areas of the gas space 04, which in turn leads to poor process uniformity (such as coating thickness uniformity). As Figure 2 Curve 1 in the figure is a curve of the prior art on different diameters of the base body and pressure. According to the curve 1, the pressure distribution uniformity of the gas space 04 in the prior art can be calculated to be 20.17. Moreover, as Figure 3 As shown in FIG, it is a simulation diagram of the pressure distribution of the gas space 04 in the prior art. Figure 2 Curve 1 and Figure 3 It can be seen that in the prior art, the pressure distribution uniformity of the base body with different diameters is poor.

[0065] In order to solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides a carrying device, which can solve the problem of uneven pressure distribution between the wafer and the base body in the prior art, thereby improving process uniformity.

[0066] For details, please refer to Figures 4 to 8 The carrier device provided by the embodiment of the present invention includes a base body 1, the plane where the base body 1 carries the wafer 2 is the reference plane H0, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown. When the wafer 2 is placed on the base body 1, the bottom surface of the wafer 2 is flush with the reference plane H0. The base body 1 has an annular protrusion 14, the top surface of which is flush with the reference plane H0. It can be used as a sealing surface to support and seal the edge area of ​​the wafer 2, and a gas space is formed on the inner side of the annular protrusion 14, between the wafer 2 and the base body 1. The gas in the gas space can exchange heat between the wafer 2 and the base body 1 to achieve temperature control of the wafer. Moreover, by extracting a portion of the gas in the gas space, a pressure difference can be generated between the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer to achieve vacuum adsorption and fixation of the wafer. For example, an adsorption hole 5 is provided in the central area of ​​the base body 1. The adsorption hole 5 is used to connect to an external exhaust device through a gas channel. When the exhaust device is working, the gas in the gas space flows toward the adsorption hole 5 and is extracted through each adsorption hole 5, thereby forming a pressure difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer 2.

[0067] On this basis, in response to the problem of uneven pressure distribution in the gas space between the wafer and the base body in the prior art, the embodiments of the present invention increase the volume of different areas in the gas space accordingly according to the pressure distribution in the gas space, so as to improve the uniformity of the pressure distribution in the gas space, thereby improving the uniformity of the wafer temperature distribution and improving the process uniformity (for example, the uniformity of the coating thickness).

[0068] Specifically, the base body 1 has a first surface 11 and a second surface 12, which are lower than the reference plane H0. The first surface 11 is located near the inner peripheral edge of the annular protrusion 14, that is, located inside the annular protrusion 14, that is, located at the edge of the aforementioned gas space. The second surface 12 is located in the center of the base body 1, that is, in the center of the aforementioned gas space. The base body 1 also has a third surface 13, located between the first and second surfaces 11, 12, and recessed away from the reference plane H0. In other words, the third surface 13 is located in the area between the edge and the center of the aforementioned gas space (hereinafter referred to as the inner circle area).

[0069] Because third surface 13 is recessed away from reference plane H0, all locations on third surface 13 are lower than first surface 11 and / or second surface 12. It is easy to understand that if first surface 11 and second surface 12 are flush, all locations on third surface 13 (excluding the interface between third surface 13, first surface 11, and second surface 12) are lower than first surface 11 and second surface 12. If first surface 11 is higher than second surface 12, all locations on third surface 13 are lower than first surface 11, while some locations on third surface 13 are lower than second surface 12 and others are higher than second surface 12. Conversely, if second surface 12 is higher than first surface 11, all locations on third surface 13 are lower than second surface 12, while some locations on third surface 13 are lower than first surface 11 and others are higher than first surface 11.

[0070] By concavely concave the third surface 13 in a direction away from the reference plane H0, the volume of the inner region of the gas space can be increased. This increased volume allows the inner region to accommodate more gas when external gas flows in, allowing more gas in the inner region to flow toward the central region with the airflow, thereby helping to achieve a more uniform radial pressure distribution in the inner region and increasing the pressure in the central region. This not only improves the uniformity of the pressure distribution in the inner region but also compensates for the pressure difference between the central and inner regions of the gas space, thereby further improving the uniformity of the pressure distribution. Furthermore, the distances between the first, second, and third surfaces and the reference plane can be adjusted based on the pressure distribution in different regions of the gas space to change the volumes of the edge, central, and inner regions of the gas space. This further compensates for the pressure difference between the central, inner, and edge regions of the gas space, thereby improving the uniformity of the pressure distribution.

[0071] Moreover, the first surface 11, the second surface 12 and the third surface 13 are all distributed with interconnected airway structures. Specifically, the first surface 11, the second surface 12 and the third surface 13 are respectively distributed with a first airway structure 41, a second airway structure 42 and a third airway structure 43, which are interconnected. With the help of the above-mentioned airway structure, on the basis of achieving the transmission and uniform gas function, not only can the volumes of the edge area, the central area and the inner circle area of ​​the gas space be further increased, but also a way to adjust the volume of the gas space is added, such as adjusting the shape, depth and width of the airway structure and other volume-related parameters to change the volume of the area where the airway structure is located, so that the pressure distribution of different diameters of the gas space can be more flexibly adjusted, and the uniformity of the pressure distribution can be further improved, thereby improving the uniformity of the temperature distribution of the wafer and improving the process uniformity (such as the uniformity of the coating thickness).

[0072] Through experiments, we know that Figure 2 Curve 2 in FIG. 1 is a pressure distribution curve in the gas space of an embodiment of the present invention. According to curve 2, the pressure distribution uniformity of the gas space of the embodiment of the present invention can be calculated to be 6.12, which is significantly better than the pressure distribution uniformity of the gas space 04 of the prior art (20.17). Figure 9 This is a simulation diagram of the pressure distribution of the gas space in the embodiment of the present invention, compared with Figure 3 and Figure 9 It can be seen that the pressure distribution uniformity of the gas space in the embodiment of the present invention is better.

[0073] In some embodiments, the air channel structure can be connected to the adsorption pores 5, so that when the air extraction device is working, a portion of the gas in the gas space flows to the adsorption pores 5 along the first air channel structure 41, the third air channel structure 43, and the second air channel structure 42 in sequence. The shape and arrangement of the first air channel structure 41, the second air channel structure 42, and the third air channel structure 43 can be set according to specific needs and are not particularly limited in this embodiment of the present invention.

[0074] It should be noted that the shapes and arrangements of the first airway structure 41, the second airway structure 42, and the third airway structure 43 can be set according to specific needs, and there is no particular limitation on this in the embodiments of the present invention. In some embodiments, the airway structure 41 distributed on the first surface 11 (i.e., the second annular surface) includes an annular airway extending along the circumference of the second annular surface. The annular airway can evenly guide the gas entering the gas space from the circumferential edge of the gas space to the airway structure 43 distributed on the third surface 13 (i.e., the first annular surface), thereby improving the uniformity of gas distribution in the circumferential direction of the gas space, and further improving the uniformity of pressure distribution in the circumferential direction of the gas space.

[0075] The second air channel structure 42 and the third air channel structure 43 are arranged between the above-mentioned annular air channel and each adsorption air hole 5. The second air channel structure 42 and the third air channel structure 43 are, for example, two parts in which multiple air guide channels are distributed on the second surface 12 and the third surface 13 respectively. The projections of the multiple air guide channels on the top of the base 1 are, for example, axially symmetrically distributed. The multiple air guide channels are configured to divert and converge the gas flowing through to improve the uniformity of gas distribution. The number and arrangement of the multiple air guide channels for realizing the above-mentioned functions can be set according to specific needs, and there is no special limitation on this in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0076] In some embodiments, to compensate for pressure differences between the center, inner, and edge regions of the gas space, thereby improving the uniformity of pressure distribution across different diameters of the gas space, the third surface 13 is a first annular surface surrounding the second surface 12; the first surface 11 is a second annular surface surrounding the first annular surface. The first and third surfaces 11 and 13 are annular surfaces. In other embodiments, multiple third surfaces 13 may be provided, surrounding the second surface 12. This also increases the volume of the inner region, thereby compensating for pressure differences between the center, inner, and edge regions of the gas space. In this case, each third surface 13 may be any shape, such as circular or polygonal, and the shapes of the multiple third surfaces 13 may be the same or different. Furthermore, if the first and second surfaces 11 and 12 are not flush, the area of ​​the inner region of the gas space excluding the multiple third surfaces 13 may be flush with either the first surface 11 or the second surface 12. If the first and second surfaces 11 and 12 are flush, the area of ​​the inner region of the gas space excluding the multiple third surfaces 13 may be flush with both the first and second surfaces 11 and 12.

[0077] In some embodiments, the third surface 13 (i.e., the first annular surface) can be an arcuate surface or a stepped surface. The depth of the depression of the arcuate surface decreases, for example, from the outer edge and inner edge of the first annular surface toward the center. The depression depth is the distance of the depression in the direction away from the reference plane H0. The stepped surface is composed of multiple planes with height differences. The distances between the multiple planes and the reference plane H0 increase one by one, for example, from the outer edge and inner edge of the first annular surface toward the center. That is, for each adjacent two-level plane, the first plane closer to the center is lower than the other plane farther from the center. Of course, the distribution of the depression depth of the arcuate surface and the height distribution of the multiple planes of the stepped surface are not limited to the distribution methods of the above-mentioned embodiments. In actual applications, the distribution method can be set according to the pressure difference between the central area, the inner circle area, and the edge area of ​​the gas space.

[0078] In some embodiments, in order to compensate for the pressure differences between the central area, inner circle area and edge area of ​​the gas space, thereby improving the uniformity of pressure distribution of different diameters of the gas space, the first surface 11 (i.e., the second annular surface) can be a plane, which can be parallel to the horizontal plane or inclined relative to the horizontal plane, for example, inclined downward from the outer peripheral edge to the inner peripheral edge of the second annular surface. In this case, the outer peripheral edge of the second annular surface can be flush with the reference plane H0, and the distance between the second annular surface and the reference plane H0 increases from the outer peripheral edge to the inner peripheral edge.

[0079] In some embodiments, in order to further increase the pressure in the central area of ​​the gas space, the second surface 12 may be a plane, and the plane may be parallel to the horizontal plane, that is, the distance between the second surface 12 and the reference plane H0 is always the same.

[0080] In some embodiments, the third surface 13 (i.e., the first annular surface) and the first surface 11 (i.e., the second annular surface) are both annular surfaces; the second surface 12 is a circular surface. Moreover, the boundaries of the first surface 11, the third surface 13, and the second surface 12 coincide. Figure 5 As shown, the outer circumference of the first surface 11 is the circumference of the K1 line. Optionally, the inner circumference of the annular protrusion 14 coincides with the outer circumference of the first surface 11. The inner circumference of the first surface 11 coincides with the outer circumference of the third surface 13, which is the circumference of the K2 line. The inner circumference of the third surface 13 coincides with the outer circumference of the second surface 12, which is the circumference of the K3 line. In this case, the inner diameter of the first surface 11 (i.e., the second annular surface) is equal to the outer diameter of the third surface 13 (i.e., the first annular surface); and the inner diameter of the third surface 13 (i.e., the first annular surface) is equal to the outer diameter of the second surface 12. By making the third surface 13 and the first surface 11 circular surfaces and the second surface 12 a circular surface, the volume of the gas space can be ensured to be consistent along the circumference of the same diameter, thereby improving the uniformity of the pressure distribution in the circumferential direction of the gas space. Of course, in actual applications, the inner edge shape (i.e., the outer edge shape of the second surface 12) and the outer edge shape (i.e., the inner edge shape of the first surface 11) of the third surface 13 (i.e., the first annular surface) can also be designed based on the circumferential pressure distribution of the gas space, and the radial distances of the inner and outer edge shapes from the center of the gas space in the circumferential direction can be different, that is, non-circular edges, such as elliptical edges or special-shaped edges.

[0081] In some embodiments, a plurality of adsorption holes 5 are formed on the second surface 12 (i.e., a circular surface) and are connected to the air channel structure 42. The centers of the plurality of adsorption holes 5 are distributed on a circumference centered on the center of the second surface 12, and the diameter of the circumference of the plurality of adsorption holes 5 is smaller than the outer diameter of the second surface 12. Preferably, the plurality of adsorption holes 5 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the second surface 12 to improve the uniformity of gas distribution in the gas space in the circumferential direction, thereby improving the uniformity of pressure distribution in the gas space in the circumferential direction.

[0082] In some embodiments, in order to increase the pressure in the central area of ​​the gas space and reduce the pressure difference between the central area and the inner circle area of ​​the gas space, the outer diameter of the second surface 12 can be set according to the diameter of the circumference of the multiple adsorption holes 5. Specifically, the ratio of the outer diameter of the second surface 12 to the diameter of the circumference of the circle where the center of the adsorption hole 5 is located is greater than or equal to 1.2 and less than or equal to 1.8.

[0083] In some embodiments, taking the maximum outer diameter of the base body 1 as 300 mm (or 12 inches) as an example, the outer diameter of the second surface 12 is greater than or equal to 80 mm and less than or equal to 120 mm.

[0084] In some embodiments, to reduce the pressure difference between the edge area, the center area, and the inner area of ​​the gas space, the outer diameter of the first surface 11 (i.e., the second annular surface) and / or the inner diameter of the first surface 11 (i.e., the second annular surface) can be determined based on the outer diameter of the second surface 12. Specifically, the ratio of the outer diameter of the first surface 11 (i.e., the second annular surface) to the outer diameter of the second surface 12 is greater than or equal to 2.35 and less than or equal to 3.73; and the ratio of the inner diameter of the first surface 11 (i.e., the second annular surface) to the outer diameter of the second surface 12 is greater than or equal to 2.16 and less than or equal to 3.48. Of course, in actual applications, the outer diameter of the first surface 11 (i.e., the second annular surface) and / or the inner diameter of the first surface 11 (i.e., the second annular surface) can also be determined based on the ratio of the maximum outer diameter of the base body 1 to the outer diameter of the first surface 11 (i.e., the second annular surface), the ratio of the maximum outer diameter of the base body 1 to the inner diameter of the first surface 11 (i.e., the second annular surface), and the maximum outer diameter of the base body 1 currently in use. In some embodiments, the ratio of the maximum outer diameter of the base body 1 to the outer diameter of the first surface 11 (i.e., the second annular surface) is, for example, greater than or equal to 1.01 and less than or equal to 1.06; the ratio of the maximum outer diameter of the base body 1 to the inner diameter of the first surface 11 (i.e., the second annular surface) is, for example, greater than or equal to 1.16 and less than or equal to 1.08. Taking the maximum outer diameter of the base body 1 as 300 mm (or 12 inches) as an example, the outer diameter of the first surface 11 (i.e., the second annular surface) is greater than or equal to 282 mm and less than or equal to 298 mm; the inner diameter of the first surface 11 (i.e., the second annular surface) is greater than or equal to 259 mm and less than or equal to 279 mm.

[0085] In some embodiments, to increase the volume of the inner region of the gas space and improve the uniformity of pressure distribution between the inner region and the central region of the gas space, the distance between the third surface 13 and the reference plane H0 is 4.5 to 15 times the distance between the second surface 12 and the reference plane H0. For example, the distance is 4.5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, 10.5, 11, 11.5, 12, and 15 times, and preferably 5 times.

[0086] In some embodiments, to increase the volume of the inner region of the gas space and improve the uniformity of pressure distribution between the inner region and the edge region of the gas space, the distance between the third surface 13 and the reference plane H0 is 4.5 to 15 times the distance between the first surface 11 and the reference plane H0, for example, 4.5 times, 5.5 times, 6 times, 6.5 times, 7 times, 7.5 times, 8 times, 8.5 times, 9 times, 9.5 times, 10 times, 10.5 times, 11 times, 11.5 times, 12 times, and 15 times, preferably 5 times.

[0087] In some embodiments, in order to further increase the pressure in the central area of ​​the gas space, the distance between the second surface 12 and the reference plane H0 is less than or equal to the distance between the first surface 11 and the reference plane H0. For example, when the distance between the second surface 12 and the reference plane H0 is equal to the distance between the first surface 11 and the reference plane H0, Figure 10 The structure of the airway structure distributed on the first surface 11 and the second surface 12 of the base body 1 is shown above the height of the airway bottom surface. Since the airway structure distributed on the third surface 13 is located below this height, Figure 10 The third surface 13 is not shown. Figure 10 It can be seen that the gas entering the gas space is first evenly guided to the inner circle area where the third surface 13 (i.e., the first annular surface) is located through the first air channel structure 41 (annular air channel) distributed on the first surface 11. Since the third surface 13 is concave in the direction away from the reference plane H0, the space volume between the third surface 13 and the wafer is larger, which helps to make the pressure in the inner circle area more evenly distributed in the radial direction and can increase the pressure in the central area, thereby not only improving the uniformity of the pressure distribution in the inner circle area, but also compensating for the pressure difference between the central area and the inner circle area of ​​the gas space, thereby improving the uniformity of the pressure distribution. Figure 11 The structure of the base body 1 below the height of the third surface 13 is shown. Since the first surface 11 and the second surface 12 and the airway structure distributed thereon are located above this height, Figure 11 Not shown in .

[0088] Through simulation experiments, it was found that Figures 12 to 14 As shown, Figure 12 This is a simulation diagram of the pressure distribution in the gas space when air channel structures are distributed on the first and second surfaces, and the third surface is concave in a direction away from the reference plane but has no air channel structure distributed. Figure 13 A simulation diagram of the pressure distribution in the gas space when the distance between the third surface and the reference plane is reduced to the same as the distance between the first surface and the second surface and the reference plane, and the first surface 11, the second surface 12 and the third surface 13 are all provided with airway structures, and the depth of the airway structure distributed on the third surface 13 is greater than the depth of the airway structure distributed on the first surface 11 and the second surface 12. Figure 14 Curve 1 in Figure 13 The pressure distribution curve of the gas space; Figure 14 Curve 2 in Figure 12 The pressure distribution curve of the gas space; Figure 14 Curve 3 in Figure 7 Comparing curves 1, 2, and 3, it can be seen that when the third surface is recessed away from the reference plane and the first surface 11, the second surface 12, and the third surface 13 are all provided with airway structures, the uniformity of the pressure distribution in the gas space is optimal.

[0089] In some embodiments, the distance between the second surface 12 and the reference plane H0 is greater than 0 μm and less than or equal to 50 μm.

[0090] In some embodiments, the distance between the first surface 11 and the reference plane H0 is greater than 0 μm and less than or equal to 50 μm.

[0091] In some embodiments, a difference between a distance between the third surface 13 and the reference plane H0 and a distance between the second surface 12 and the reference plane H0 is greater than or equal to 60 μm and less than or equal to 140 μm.

[0092] In some embodiments, a difference between a distance between the third surface 13 and the reference plane H0 and a distance between the first surface 11 and the reference plane H0 is greater than or equal to 60 μm and less than or equal to 140 μm.

[0093] In some embodiments, the air channel structures distributed on the first surface 11, the second surface 12, and the third surface 13 are respectively a first air channel structure 41, a third air channel structure 43, and a second air channel structure 42, and the depths of the air channel structures are the same. Of course, in actual applications, depending on the specific needs of adjusting the volume of the gas space, the depths of at least two of the first air channel structure 41, the third air channel structure 43, and the second air channel structure 42 can also be different.

[0094] In some embodiments, the depth of the air channel structures distributed on the first surface 11 , the second surface 12 , and the third surface 13 is greater than or equal to 60 μm and less than or equal to 140 μm.

[0095] In some embodiments, a plurality of protrusions 3 are distributed on both the second surface 12 and the third surface 13, and the top surface of each protrusion 3 is flush with the reference plane H0, for supporting the wafer 2. By using a plurality of protrusions 3 to support the wafer 2, the contact area between the base body 1 and the wafer 2 can be reduced, thereby reducing the metal ion contamination caused by the contact between the base body 1 and the wafer 2. Specifically, the protrusion 3 is, for example, columnar, and the bottom end of the protrusion 3 is connected to the second surface 12 or the third surface 13, for example, connected as a whole, and the top surface of the protrusion 3 contacts the wafer 2 to support the wafer 2, and the top surfaces of all the protrusions 3 are flush with each other to ensure the horizontality of the wafer 2.

[0096] The protrusions distributed on the third surface 13 are first protrusions 3a, and the protrusions distributed on the second surface 12 are second protrusions 3b. The percentage of the total horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the plurality of second protrusions 3b to the area of ​​the second surface 12 is greater than the percentage of the total horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the plurality of first protrusions 3a to the area of ​​the second surface 12. In other words, the distribution density of the plurality of second protrusions 3b is greater than the density of the plurality of first protrusions 3a. This further increases the volume of the inner region of the gas space and simultaneously increases the pressure in the central region, thereby improving the uniformity of the pressure distribution between the inner and central regions of the gas space. In some preferred embodiments, the total horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the plurality of protrusions on the third surface 13 (i.e., the first protrusions 3a) to the area of ​​the second surface 12 is greater than or equal to 0.8% and less than or equal to 2%. The total horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the plurality of protrusions on the second surface 12 (i.e., the second protrusions 3b) to the area of ​​the second surface 12 is greater than or equal to 1% and less than or equal to 2.2%.

[0097] In some embodiments, the volume of the inner circle area of ​​the gas space is further increased, and the pressure in the central area can be increased at the same time, thereby improving the uniformity of the pressure distribution in the inner circle area and the central area of ​​the gas space. The multiple protrusions 3 on the second surface 12 (i.e., the circular surface) and the third surface 13 (i.e., the first annular surface) are distributed along the circumference of the base body 1 for at least one circle; and the distance between adjacent protrusions in the same circle on the second surface 12 (i.e., the second protrusions 3b) is smaller than the distance between adjacent protrusions in the same circle on the third surface 13 (i.e., the first protrusions 3a); and / or the radial distance between the circumferences of two adjacent circles of protrusions (i.e., the second protrusions 3b) on the second surface 12 is smaller than the radial distance between the circumferences of two adjacent circles of protrusions (i.e., the first protrusions 3a) on the third surface 13.

[0098] In some embodiments, as Figure 15 and Figure 16As shown, the support device also includes a base shaft 7 disposed at the bottom of the base body 1. This base shaft 7 is used, for example, to drive the base body 1 up and down. A gas channel 51 is provided in the base shaft 7. One end of the gas channel 51 is connected to each adsorption hole 5, and the other end of the gas channel 51 is connected to a gas extraction device 61. The gas extraction device is, for example, a molecular pump. When the gas extraction device 61 is in operation, gas in the gas space flows toward the adsorption holes 5 and is sequentially extracted through each adsorption hole 5 and the gas channel 51, thereby creating a pressure differential between the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer 2. In a specific example, the other end of the gas channel 51 is connected to the gas extraction device 61 via a gas pipeline. A pressure controller 62 is also connected to the gas pipeline to control the pressure in the gas channel 51 to be lower than the chamber pressure within the process chamber 100, thereby creating a pressure differential between the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer 2 and achieving vacuum adsorption and fixation of the wafer. For example, if the chamber pressure is 3 Torr, the pressure in the gas channel 51 is 2 Torr.

[0099] Moreover, a reduced diameter portion 8 is provided in the gas channel 51, and the reduced diameter portion 8 is used to reduce the ventilation cross-sectional area of ​​the gas channel 51 at the location of the reduced diameter portion 8. In this way, air suffocation can be generated in the gas passage between the reduced diameter portion 8 and the air inlet end of the adsorption hole 5. Compared with the gas passage without the reduced diameter portion 8, this can not only further increase the pressure in the central area of ​​the gas space, but also reduce the pressure fluctuations in the gas passage between the reduced diameter portion 8 and the air inlet end of the adsorption hole 5 caused by the fluctuation of the chamber pressure and the pressure fluctuations generated by the pressure controller 62 during the pressure control process. In other words, the pressure stability of the gas space is improved, thereby avoiding the problem of the instantaneous pressure in the gas space being greater than the chamber pressure due to pressure fluctuations, thereby causing wafer deviation. In other words, the presence of the reduced diameter portion 8 will reduce the pressure fluctuations in the gas passage between the reduced diameter portion 8 and the air inlet end of the adsorption hole 5, and improve the pressure stability of the gas space.

[0100] like Figure 17 As shown, curve 1 is the gas space pressure distribution curve when the embodiment of the present invention is not provided with the reduced diameter portion 8; curve 2 is the gas space pressure distribution curve when the embodiment of the present invention is provided with the reduced diameter portion 8. Comparing curves 1 and 2, it can be seen that when the reduced diameter portion 8 is provided, the gas space pressure distribution is more uniform. On this basis, as Figure 18 As shown, curve 1 is the film thickness distribution curve of the prior art. According to curve 1, the uniformity of the film thickness distribution of the prior art can be calculated to be 1.19. Curve 2 is the film thickness distribution curve of the embodiment of the present invention. According to curve 2, the uniformity of the film thickness distribution of the embodiment of the present invention can be calculated to be 0.36. It can be seen that the film thickness uniformity of the embodiment of the present invention is significantly better than that of the prior art.

[0101] In some embodiments, the reduced diameter portion 8 is located at the end of the gas channel 51 away from the base body 1. This allows the reduced diameter portion 8 to be away from the base body 1, so that the airflow in the gas space near the reduced diameter portion 8 is relatively stable, thereby avoiding interference with the local airflow field caused by airflow fluctuations at the location of the reduced diameter portion 8.

[0102] In some preferred embodiments, in order to effectively increase the pressure in the central area of ​​the gas space and maintain the pressure stability of the gas space, the diameter of the reduced diameter portion 8 is three-eighths to five-eighths of the diameter of the gas channel 51 .

[0103] As another technical solution, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a semiconductor processing device, including a process chamber and a carrier device arranged in the process chamber, and the carrier device adopts the above-mentioned carrier device provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0104] The semiconductor processing equipment provided by the embodiment of the present invention can improve the uniformity of pressure distribution by adopting the supporting device provided by the embodiment of the present invention, thereby improving the uniformity of wafer temperature distribution, thereby improving process uniformity (such as uniformity of coating thickness).

[0105] It will be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments for illustrating the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and substance of the present invention, and such modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A carrying device, characterized in that: The base body includes a base body, wherein the plane on which the wafer is supported is a reference plane, the base body has an annular protrusion, the top surface of which is flush with the reference plane and is used to support and seal the edge area of ​​the wafer; the base body also has a first surface and a second surface lower than the reference plane, the first surface is close to the inner peripheral edge of the annular protrusion, and the second surface is located in the center area of ​​the base body; the base body also has a third surface located between the first surface and the second surface and recessed in a direction away from the reference plane; The first surface, the second surface and the third surface are all distributed with interconnected air channel structures, and a plurality of adsorption air holes connected with the air channel structures are formed on the base body; wherein, The distance between the third surface and the reference plane is 4.5 to 15 times the distance between the second surface and the reference plane; and / or, The distance between the third surface and the reference plane is 4.5 to 15 times the distance between the first surface and the reference plane; and / or A difference between a distance between the third surface and the reference plane and a distance between the second surface and the reference plane is greater than or equal to 60 μm and less than or equal to 140 μm; and / or, A difference between a distance between the third surface and the reference plane and a distance between the first surface and the reference plane is greater than or equal to 60 μm and less than or equal to 140 μm.

2. The carrying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The third surface is a first annular surface surrounding the second surface; or, the third surface is a plurality of surfaces surrounding the second surface; The first surface is a second annular surface surrounding the first annular surface.

3. The carrying device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The third surface is a curved surface or a stepped surface.

4. The carrying device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first annular surface and the second annular surface are both circular annular surfaces; the second surface is a circular surface; The inner diameter of the second annular surface is equal to the outer diameter of the first annular surface; and the inner diameter of the first annular surface is equal to the outer diameter of the second surface.

5. The carrying device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The air channel structures distributed on the second annular surface include annular air channels extending along the circumference of the second annular surface.

6. The carrying device according to claim 4, characterized in that: A plurality of the adsorption pores are formed on the second surface, and the centers of the plurality of the adsorption pores are distributed on a circumference with the center of the second surface as the center.

7. The carrying device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The ratio of the outer diameter of the second surface to the diameter of the circle where the center of the adsorption pore is located is greater than or equal to 1.2 and less than or equal to 1.

8.

8. The carrying device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The ratio of the outer diameter of the second annular surface to the outer diameter of the second surface is greater than or equal to 2.35 and less than or equal to 3.73; the ratio of the inner diameter of the second annular surface to the outer diameter of the second surface is greater than or equal to 2.16 and less than or equal to 3.

48.

9. The carrying device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The outer diameter of the second annular surface is greater than or equal to 282 mm and less than or equal to 298 mm; the inner diameter of the second annular surface is greater than or equal to 259 mm and less than or equal to 279 mm.

10. The carrying device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The outer diameter of the second surface is greater than or equal to 80 mm and less than or equal to 120 mm.

11. The carrying device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The distance between the second surface and the reference plane is less than or equal to the distance between the first surface and the reference plane.

12. The carrying device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The distance between the second surface and the reference plane is greater than 0 μm and less than or equal to 50 μm; and / or, The distance between the first surface and the reference plane is greater than 0 μm and less than or equal to 50 μm.

13. The carrying device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The air channel structures distributed on the first surface, the second surface, and the third surface have the same depth.

14. The carrying device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The depth of the air channel structures distributed on the first surface, the second surface, and the third surface is greater than or equal to 60 μm and less than or equal to 140 μm.

15. The carrying device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: A plurality of protrusions are distributed on both the second surface and the third surface, and the top surface of each protrusion is flush with the reference surface, for supporting the wafer; The percentage of the total horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the plurality of protrusions on the second surface to the area of ​​the second surface is greater than the percentage of the total horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the plurality of protrusions on the third surface to the area of ​​the second surface.

16. The carrying device according to claim 15, characterized in that: The percentage of the total horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the plurality of protrusions on the third surface to the area of ​​the second surface is greater than or equal to 0.8% and less than or equal to 2%; The percentage of the total horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the plurality of protrusions on the second surface to the area of ​​the second surface is greater than or equal to 1% and less than or equal to 2.2%.

17. The carrying device according to claim 4, characterized in that: A plurality of protrusions are distributed on both the second surface and the third surface, and the top surface of each protrusion is flush with the reference surface, for supporting the wafer; The plurality of protrusions on the second surface and the third surface are distributed along the circumference of the base body for at least one circle; The distance between adjacent protrusions in the same circle on the second surface is smaller than the distance between adjacent protrusions in the same circle on the third surface; and / or, the radial distance between the circumferences of two adjacent circles of protrusions on the second surface is smaller than the radial distance between the circumferences of two adjacent circles of protrusions on the third surface.

18. The carrying device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: A plurality of adsorption air holes connected to the air channel structure are formed on the second surface, and the supporting device further includes a base shaft provided at the bottom of the base body, a gas channel is provided in the base shaft, one end of the gas channel is connected to the adsorption air holes, and the other end of the gas channel is used to communicate with the gas extraction device; A diameter-reducing portion is provided in the gas channel, and the diameter-reducing portion is used to reduce the ventilation cross-sectional area of ​​the gas channel at the location of the diameter-reducing portion.

19. The carrying device according to claim 18, characterized in that: The reduced diameter portion is located at an end of the gas channel away from the base body.

20. The carrying device according to claim 18, characterized in that The diameter of the reduced diameter portion is three-eighths to five-eighths of the diameter of the gas passage.

21. A semiconductor processing device comprising a process chamber and a carrier arranged in the process chamber, characterized in that: The carrying device adopts the carrying device according to any one of claims 1-20.

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