Upper Electrode Structure and Semiconductor Processing Equipment

Abstract

The present application discloses an upper electrode structure and a semiconductor processing device, relating to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing. The above-mentioned upper electrode structure includes a first shell, a second shell and a capacitance adjusting device. The second shell is arranged inside the first shell, and there is a gap between the first shell and the second shell. The capacitance adjusting device is arranged in the gap and is used to adjust the capacitance of a local area between the first shell and the second shell. The capacitance of the local area between the first shell and the second shell can be adjusted by using the capacitance adjusting device. Since the radio frequency energy in the second shell will be transmitted to the first shell through the way of capacitive coupling, in the area where the capacitance between the first shell and the second shell changes, the transmission amount of the radio frequency energy will also change accordingly. Therefore, the uniformity of the radio frequency energy in the second shell can be adjusted by controlling the transmission amount of the radio frequency energy, and further the uniformity of the process can be improved, ensuring the yield rate in the semiconductor manufacturing process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and particularly to an upper electrode structure and a semiconductor processing apparatus. Background Art

[0002] Semiconductor processes such as coating and etching are common process methods in the semiconductor manufacturing process. During the coating process and the etching process, it is necessary to use an upper electrode to feed radio frequency energy into the process space to ionize the process gas in the process space. The uniformity of the radio frequency energy feeding is a very critical issue, which has a great impact on the uniformity of the process.

[0003] However, in the current upper electrode structure, when feeding radio frequency energy, especially very high frequency (such as 40.68 MHz, 60.36 MHz, etc.) radio frequency energy, there is a problem of poor uniformity, which will affect the uniformity of the plasma distribution in the process space, and further affect the uniformity of the process, resulting in a decrease in the yield rate of the semiconductor manufacturing process. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application discloses an upper electrode structure and a semiconductor processing apparatus to solve the problem that the upper electrode in the related art cannot fully meet the requirement of uniform feeding of radio frequency energy.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the present application is implemented as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application discloses an upper electrode structure, which includes a first housing, a second housing, and a capacitance adjusting device;

[0007] The second housing is disposed inside the first housing, and there is a gap between the first housing and the second housing. The capacitance adjusting device is disposed in the gap and is used to adjust the capacitance of a local area between the first housing and the second housing.

[0008] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application discloses a semiconductor processing apparatus, which includes a radio frequency power supply, a reaction chamber, and the above-mentioned upper electrode structure;

[0009] The radio frequency power supply is electrically connected to the upper electrode structure, and the reaction chamber is disposed below the upper electrode structure.

[0010] The technical solution adopted by the present application can achieve the following technical effects:

[0011] The upper electrode structure disclosed in the embodiments of the present application improves the related art. The disclosed upper electrode structure includes a first housing, a second housing, and a capacitance adjustment device. The second housing is disposed within the first housing, and there is a gap between the first housing and the second housing. The capacitance adjustment device is disposed in the gap and is used to adjust the capacitance of a local area between the first housing and the second housing. When there is a uniformity problem with the radio frequency energy in the second housing, the capacitance adjustment device can be used to adjust the capacitance of the local area between the first housing and the second housing. Since the radio frequency energy in the second housing is transmitted to the first housing through capacitive coupling, a part of the radio frequency energy is transmitted to the outside through the first housing. In the area where the capacitance between the first housing and the second housing changes, the transmission amount of the radio frequency energy will also change accordingly. Therefore, by controlling the transmission amount of the radio frequency energy, the uniformity of the radio frequency energy in the second housing can be adjusted, thereby improving the uniformity of the process and ensuring the yield rate in the semiconductor manufacturing process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor processing apparatus disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0013] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the relative positions of a first insulating plate and a diffusion plate disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0014] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a first insulating plate disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0015] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the relative positions of a first insulating plate, a wafer, and a diffusion plate disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0016] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the upper electrode structure disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0017] Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a mounting bracket, a driving mechanism, and a second insulating plate disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0018] Figure 7 is a top view of a first bracket disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0019] Figure 8 is a first top view of a sub-bracket disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0020] Figure 9 is a second top view of a sub-bracket disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0021] Figure 10 is a third top view of a sub-bracket disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0022] Figure 11 One of the schematic structural diagrams of the driving mechanism and the second insulating plate disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0023] Figure 12 Two of the schematic structural diagrams of the driving mechanism and the second insulating plate disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0024] Figure 13 One of the schematic diagrams of the relative positions of the second insulating plate, the conductive cylinder, and the wafer disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0025] Figure 14 Two of the schematic diagrams of the relative positions of the second insulating plate, the conductive cylinder, and the wafer disclosed in the embodiments of the present application.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0027] 110 - First housing, 111 - Shielding plate, 112 - Shielding cylinder, 120 - Second housing, 121 - Diffusion plate, 122 - Conductive cylinder, 130 - Capacitance adjusting device, 131 - First insulating plate, 132 - Second insulating plate, 133 - Mounting bracket, 1331 - First bracket, 1332 - Second bracket, 1332a - Sub - bracket, 1333 - Avoidance hole, 1334 - Track groove, 134 - Driving mechanism, 1341 - Driving member, 1342 - Base, 1343 - Walking wheel, 140 - Conductive column, 150 - Magnetron assembly, 160 - Target, 170 - Lining, 180 - Base, 190 - Wafer. Detailed implementation manners

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present application clearer, the technical solutions of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments of the present application and the corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0029] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the description and claims of the present application are used to distinguish similar objects, rather than to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances so that the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described here, and the objects distinguished by "first", "second", etc. are generally of the same type, and the number of objects is not limited. For example, the first object can be one or multiple.

[0030] The following will describe in detail the technical solutions disclosed in each embodiment of the present application with reference to the drawings.

[0031] Semiconductor processes such as coating and etching are important links in the chip processing process. In the process, the upper electrode is required to feed RF energy into the process space to ionize the process gas in the process space. However, the upper electrode in the related art is affected by the distribution position of internal components, which will lead to poor uniformity in the process of RF energy feeding, thereby affecting the uniformity of plasma distribution in the process space, and further affecting the uniformity of the process, resulting in a decrease in the yield rate of the chip.

[0032] Based on the above, please refer to Figures 1 to 14 , the embodiment of the present application discloses an upper electrode structure, which may include a first shell 110 and a second shell 120, wherein the size of the first shell 110 is larger than that of the second shell 120, the second shell 120 is disposed within the first shell 110, and there is a gap between the first shell 110 and the second shell 120. The second shell 120 is used to connect an RF power supply. Taking PVD equipment as an example, in order to increase the sputtering rate, a DC power supply may be connected while connecting an RF power supply to form an RF-DC power supply. The first shell 110 is used to protect the second shell 120 and also acts as a shield to prevent the magnetic field and electric field inside the second shell 120 from affecting the external environment. Those skilled in the art should understand that the upper electrode structure of the embodiment of the present application is not limited to PVD equipment, but may also be applicable to any semiconductor process equipment that requires adjustment of the uniformity of RF energy feed, such as CCP (Capacitively Coupled Plasma) equipment, etc.

[0033] The RF energy generated by the RF power supply can be fed into the second shell 120 through the conductive column 140, and is diffusely distributed in the second shell 120 and fed into the target 160. A reaction chamber 200 is arranged below the upper electrode structure. The RF energy fed through the second shell 120 can ionize the process gas in the reaction chamber 200 into plasma. Under the action of the magnetic field and the electric field, the plasma will move with greater kinetic energy. Taking the PVD process as an example, Figure 1 As shown, the plasma will bombard the target material 160 under the second shell 120, so that the atoms on the surface of the target material 160 are separated from the original lattice and deposited on the surface of the wafer to form a thin film. The first shell 110 can be connected to a reference level, such as grounding. There is a gap between the inner wall of the first shell 110 and the outer wall of the second shell 120. The second shell 120 can transfer radio frequency energy to the first shell 110 in a capacitive coupling manner, thereby changing the amount of radio frequency energy in the second shell 120. The radio frequency energy transferred to the first shell 110 can be conducted out by grounding.

[0034] In the above process, the uniformity of the radio frequency energy generated by the radio frequency power supply distributed within the second housing 120 directly affects the uniformity of the plasma distribution within the reaction chamber 200, and further affects the process uniformity. As Figure 1 and Figure 5 shown, due to the relatively complex internal structure of the second housing 120, there are usually many components provided, such as motors, magnetrons, inlet and return water pipes, filter boxes, etc. Moreover, when installing the above components, it is impossible to achieve complete symmetry, which results in poor uniformity when the radio frequency energy is fed into the second housing 120, and further affects the uniformity of the distribution of the plasma energy within the second housing 120.

[0035] Based on the above situation, in the embodiment of the present application, as Figure 1 and Figure 5 shown, the upper electrode structure may further include a capacitance adjustment device 130, and the capacitance adjustment device 130 is disposed in the gap between the first housing 110 and the second housing 120. The capacitance adjustment device 130 can adjust the capacitance of a local area between the inner wall of the first housing 110 and the outer wall of the second housing 120.

[0036] Specifically, the space between the inner wall of the first housing 110 and the outer wall of the second housing 120 can be approximated as a parallel plate capacitor. A part of the radio frequency energy within the second housing 120 can be transferred to the first housing 110 and the outside in a capacitive coupling manner, so that the radio frequency energy within the second housing 120 changes. When there is a problem of unevenly fed energy in a certain area within the second housing 120 (for the convenience of subsequent description, this area can be defined as the first area), the capacitance between the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 corresponding to the first area can be adjusted accordingly. By controlling the transfer amount of the radio frequency energy in the first area, the radio frequency energy in the first area is made to be evenly distributed with other areas within the second housing 120.

[0037] In the specific adjustment process, if the radio frequency energy in the first area is higher than that in other areas within the second housing 120, the capacitance between the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 corresponding to the first area can be increased. The increased capacitance has a stronger ability to transfer radio frequency energy. Therefore, more radio frequency energy in the first area will be transferred to the first housing 110 and the outside through capacitive coupling, so that the radio frequency energy in the first area is reduced, making the radio frequency energy in this first area evenly distributed with other areas within the second housing 120, and further enabling the plasma within the reaction chamber 200 to be evenly distributed.

[0038] It should be added that if the radio frequency energy in the first region is lower than that in other regions within the second housing 120, the capacitance between the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 corresponding to the first region can also be reduced. The reduction of the capacitance weakens the transmission ability of the radio frequency energy. Therefore, less radio frequency energy in the first region will be transmitted to the first housing 110, so that the radio frequency energy in the first region increases and is evenly distributed with the radio frequency energy in other regions within the second housing 120, and then the plasma in the reaction chamber 200 can be kept evenly distributed.

[0039] By the above methods of increasing or decreasing the capacitance between the first housing 110 and the second housing 120, the uniformity of the plasma distribution in the reaction chamber 200 can be adjusted. The capacitance adjusting device 130 can be arranged on the inner wall of the first housing 110, and the first housing 110 is in contact with the capacitance adjusting device 130; the capacitance adjusting device 130 can also be arranged on the outer wall of the second housing 120, and the second housing 120 is in contact with the capacitance adjusting device 130; a support structure can also be arranged between the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 to install the capacitance adjusting device 130. At this time, the capacitance adjusting device 130 and the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can be in a non-contact relationship. The capacitance adjusting device 130 can adjust the capacitance of different regions between the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 by switching its own position, so as to be able to adjust the transmission amount of the radio frequency energy in the corresponding region according to the distribution state of the radio frequency energy in the second housing 120, so that the radio frequency energy is evenly distributed in the second housing 120.

[0040] It should be noted that the distribution state of the radio frequency energy in the second housing 120 can be directly obtained by a monitoring device, or indirectly obtained through the actual film coating situation or etching situation shown by the wafer 190. Exemplarily, taking the PVD process as an example, if there is an uneven film thickness on the surface of the wafer 190, it indicates that there is a problem of uneven distribution of the radio frequency energy in the second housing 120; similarly, if there is an uneven etching on the surface of the wafer 190, it can also indicate that there is a problem of uneven distribution of the radio frequency energy in the second housing 120.

[0041] As described above, the upper electrode structure disclosed in the embodiments of the present application improves the related art. When the uniformity problem of the radio frequency energy in the second housing 120 occurs, the capacitance adjustment device 130 can be used to adjust the capacitance of the local area between the first housing 110 and the second housing 120. Since the radio frequency energy in the second housing 120 is transmitted to the first housing 110 and the outside through capacitive coupling, in the area where the capacitance between the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 changes, the transmission amount of the radio frequency energy will also change accordingly. Thus, the uniformity of the radio frequency energy in the second housing 120 can be adjusted by controlling the transmission amount of the radio frequency energy, and further the uniformity of the coating process or the etching process can be improved, ensuring the yield rate in the manufacturing process of the wafer 190.

[0042] As Figure 1 and Figure 5 shown, the above-mentioned first housing 110 may include a shielding plate 111 and a shielding cylinder 112. Both the shielding plate 111 and the shielding cylinder 112 are made of metal materials. The shielding plate 111 is provided at the top of the shielding cylinder 112 and is joined with the shielding cylinder 112 to jointly form the first housing 110. The second housing 120 includes a diffusion plate 121 and a conductive cylinder 122. Both the diffusion plate 121 and the conductive cylinder 122 are made of metal materials. The diffusion plate 121 is provided at the top of the conductive cylinder 122. The diffusion plate 121 and the conductive cylinder 122 jointly form the second housing 120. The diffusion plate 121 is electrically connected to the radio frequency power supply, and the radio frequency power supply can transmit radio frequency energy into the second housing 120 through the diffusion plate 121. It should be noted that the top and the bottom of the conductive cylinder 122 are two ends of the conductive cylinder 122 along its own axial direction.

[0043] The first housing 110 is sleeved outside the second housing 120. The diffusion plate 121 is opposite to the shielding plate 111 and is spaced apart to form an approximate parallel plate capacitor device. The diffusion plate 121 can transmit radio frequency energy to the shielding plate 111 in a capacitive coupling manner. The shielding cylinder 112 is sleeved outside the conductive cylinder 122, and the inner wall of the shielding cylinder 112 is in clearance fit with the outer wall of the conductive cylinder 122, which can also form an approximate parallel plate capacitor device. The conductive cylinder 122 can transmit radio frequency energy to the shielding cylinder 112 in a capacitive coupling manner.

[0044] A capacitance adjusting device 130 may be provided between the diffusion plate 121 and the shielding plate 111, or between the shielding cylinder 112 and the conductive cylinder 122, or at both of the above positions. It should be noted that the capacitance adjusting device 130 may be in contact with or spaced apart from the diffusion plate 121 and the shielding plate 111; similarly, the capacitance adjusting device 130 may be in contact with or spaced apart from the shielding cylinder 112 and the conductive cylinder 122. When adjusting the uniformity of the radio frequency energy in the second housing 120, the adjustment may be made by providing the capacitance adjusting device 130 between the diffusion plate 121 and the shielding plate 111, or by providing the capacitance adjusting device 130 between the shielding cylinder 112 and the conductive cylinder 122, or by combining the adjustment of the capacitance adjusting devices 130 at both of the above positions to further improve the uniformity of the radio frequency energy.

[0045] In an alternative embodiment of the present application, as Figures 1 to 4 shown, the capacitance adjusting device 130 may include at least one first insulating plate 131. The first insulating plate 131 may be made of a dielectric material such as resin, quartz, or polytetrafluoroethylene. The first insulating plate 131 is disposed between the shielding plate 111 and the diffusion plate 121. The radio frequency power supply may be electrically connected to the diffusion plate 121 through the conductive column 140, so that the radio frequency energy can be fed into the second housing 120 through the conductive column 140 and the diffusion plate 121. The first insulating plate 131 can switch positions in a movably connected manner around the circumference of the conductive column 140, thereby adjusting the capacitance of the local area where the first insulating plate 131 is located between the shielding plate 111 and the diffusion plate 121; alternatively, the above-mentioned first insulating plates 131 may be respectively provided in different regions between the shielding plate 111 and the diffusion plate 121. The number of the first insulating plates 131 may be one, two or more, and may be specifically selected according to the capacitance adjustment requirements between the shielding plate 111 and the diffusion plate 121. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this. It should be added that along the vertical direction of the plate surface of the diffusion plate 121, the projected area of the first insulating plate 131 may be smaller than the projected area of the diffusion plate 121, so as to achieve fine adjustment of a smaller area.

[0046] Since the diffusion plate 121 can transfer radio frequency energy to the shielding plate 111 in a capacitive coupling manner, the diffusion plate 121 and the shielding plate 111 are arranged at a relative interval to form a device similar to a parallel plate capacitor. When the capacitance of each local area between the shielding plate 111 and the diffusion plate 121 changes, the transfer amount of radio frequency energy also changes. In the actual use process, taking the coating process of the wafer 190 as an example, the wafer 190 is placed below the second housing 120. Along the vertical direction of the plate surface of the diffusion plate 121, the projection area of the diffusion plate 121 can completely cover the wafer 190, and the diffusion plate 121 and the wafer 190 can also be concentrically arranged.

[0047] As Figure 4 shown, the shaded area is the wafer 190, the area shown by the dashed line is the diffusion plate 121, and the fan-shaped area is the first insulating plate 131. The film layer in the 9 o'clock direction of the wafer 190 is thicker (the thicker area). Then, the first insulating plate 131 can also be installed in the 9 o'clock direction. During the process that the radio frequency energy enters the diffusion plate 121 from the conductive column 140 and is transmitted around, a device similar to a parallel plate capacitor is formed between the shielding plate 111 and the diffusion plate 121. The radio frequency energy in the second housing 120 can be transmitted to the first housing 110 and the outside through capacitive coupling.

[0048] When the first insulating plate 131 is added between the shielding plate 111 and the diffusion plate 121, the dielectric material between the two parallel plates changes from air to insulating plate material (such as resin, quartz, polytetrafluoroethylene, etc.). Generally, the dielectric constant ε of insulating materials is greater than that of air. According to the determination formula of the parallel plate capacitor C = (εS) / (4πkd), after adding the first insulating plate 131, the capacitance between the shielding plate 111 and the diffusion plate 121 increases, and the conduction of radio frequency energy is stronger. Therefore, more radio frequency energy will be transmitted from this position to the first housing 110 and the outside, resulting in a reduction of the radio frequency energy in the 9 o'clock direction in the second housing 120. After the radio frequency energy decreases, the film layer in the thicker area on the wafer 190 will become thinner, so that the uniformity of the film layer can be adjusted.

[0049] In Figure 4 it, the shape of the first insulating plate 131 is fan-shaped. It should be added that the shape of the first insulating plate 131 can also be square, triangular, rhombic, circular, elliptical, trapezoidal or other irregular shapes. Specifically, the first insulating plate 131 with a corresponding shape can be selected according to the distribution of the film layer on the wafer 190. The thickness of the first insulating plate 131 can be selected according to the capacitance adjustment amount corresponding to the film layer thickness on the wafer 190. For example, if the thickness difference between the thicker area and the normal area of the film layer is small, the required adjusted capacitance is also small, and the corresponding thickness of the first insulating plate 131 does not need to be too large. On the contrary, if the thickness difference between the thicker area and the normal area of the film layer is large, the required adjusted capacitance is also large, and the corresponding thickness of the first insulating plate 131 needs to be large.

[0050] When installing the first insulating plate 131, it can be connected to the shielding plate 111. Exemplarily, as Figures 1 to 4 shown, bolt holes can be opened on both the first insulating plate 131 and the shielding plate 111, and bolts are used to fix the first insulating plate 131 and the shielding plate 111. The number of bolt holes on the shielding plate 111 is relatively large and should cover the entire shielding plate 111 as much as possible. When the position of the first insulating plate 131 needs to be adjusted, the first insulating plate 131 can be removed from the shielding plate 111, and after changing the position, it can be fixed again. In addition, the first insulating plate 131 and the shielding plate 111 can also be connected by a buckle, which is convenient for disassembly and can further improve the efficiency of the first insulating plate 131 when switching positions.

[0051] The first insulating plate 131 can also be connected to the diffusion plate 121. Bolt holes can be opened on both the first insulating plate 131 and the diffusion plate 121, and bolts are used to fix the first insulating plate 131 and the diffusion plate 121. The number of bolt holes on the diffusion plate 121 is relatively large and should cover the entire diffusion plate 121 as much as possible. When the position of the first insulating plate 131 needs to be adjusted, the first insulating plate 131 can be removed from the diffusion plate 121, and after changing the position, it can be fixed again. In addition, the first insulating plate 131 and the diffusion plate 121 can also be connected by a buckle, which is convenient for disassembly and can further improve the efficiency of the first insulating plate 131 when switching positions.

[0052] In an alternative embodiment of the present application, the first insulating plate 131 can also be installed by a rotational connection method. Specifically, the process chamber 100 is provided with a conductive post 140. The conductive post 140 passes through the shielding plate 111. One end of the conductive post 140 is used to connect to the RF power supply, and the other end of the conductive post 140 is electrically connected to the diffusion plate 121, so as to feed the RF energy into the second housing 120 through the diffusion plate 121. Since the RF energy will spread centered on the conductive post 140, the first insulating plate 131 can be rotationally connected to the conductive post 140 based on the conductive post 140. Specifically, it can be rotationally connected to the conductive post 140 through a bearing, or a rotational connection can also be realized through a flexible connecting member. During the rotation of the first insulating plate 131 relative to the conductive post 140, the capacitance of different regions in the circumferential direction of the conductive post 140 can be adjusted. Moreover, adopting the rotational connection method is more convenient for adjusting the position of the first insulating plate 131 and improves the flexibility of use.

[0053] Regarding the solution that the capacitance adjustment device 130 described above can also be arranged between the conductive cylinder 122 and the shielding cylinder, specifically, as Figures 5 to 14As shown, the capacitance adjustment device 130 may further include at least one second insulating plate 132. The second insulating plate 132 may be made of dielectric materials such as resin, quartz, and polytetrafluoroethylene. The second insulating plate 132 is movably disposed between the shielding cylinder 112 and the conductive cylinder 122. The radio frequency power supply is electrically connected to the diffusion plate 121 through the conductive column 140. The radio frequency energy can be fed into the second housing 120 through the conductive column 140 and the diffusion plate 121 and diffused along the axial direction of the conductive cylinder 122. The second insulating plate 132 can switch positions in a movably connected manner along the circumferential direction of the conductive cylinder 122, so as to adjust the capacitance of the local area where the second insulating plate 132 is located between the shielding cylinder 112 and the conductive cylinder 122. In addition, along the radial direction of the conductive cylinder 122, the projected area of the second insulating plate 132 can be smaller than the projected area of the conductive cylinder 122, so as to achieve fine adjustment in a smaller area. The second insulating plate 132 can be a flat plate or an arc-shaped plate.

[0054] Since the conductive cylinder 122 can transfer radio frequency energy to the shielding cylinder 112 in a capacitive coupling manner, a device with an approximately parallel plate capacitor is formed between the outer wall of the conductive cylinder 122 and the inner wall of the shielding cylinder 112. When the capacitance of the local area where the second insulating plate 132 is located between the shielding cylinder 112 and the conductive cylinder 122 changes, the loss amount of the radio frequency energy also changes. In the actual use process, taking the processing of the wafer 190 as an example, the wafer 190 is placed below the second housing 120. When there is a problem that the film layer on the wafer 190 is locally too thick, it means that the radio frequency energy above the too thick area is larger. Then, the second insulating plate 132 can be moved between the shielding cylinder 112 and the conductive cylinder 122 and close to the area with larger radio frequency energy, so that the area with larger radio frequency energy can transfer more energy to the shielding cylinder 112 and the outside through capacitive coupling, thereby reducing the radio frequency energy in this area.

[0055] The second insulating plate 132 can be disposed on the inner wall of the shielding cylinder 112 in a detachable connection manner, or can be disposed on the outer wall of the conductive cylinder 122 in a detachable connection manner. When the position of the second insulating plate 132 needs to be adjusted, the second insulating plate 132 is removed from the inner wall of the shielding cylinder 112 or the outer wall of the conductive cylinder 122, and after switching positions, it can be reassembled. The number of the second insulating plates 132 can be one, two or more, and can be specifically selected according to the capacitance adjustment requirements between the shielding cylinder 112 and the conductive cylinder 122. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0056] In an optional embodiment of the present application, as Figures 5 to 10As shown, the capacitance adjustment device 130 may further include a mounting bracket 133 and a driving mechanism 134. The mounting bracket 133 is connected to the inner wall of the shielding cylinder 112 and extends circumferentially along the shielding cylinder 112. The specific connection method may be bonding, bolt connection, snap connection, etc. The driving mechanism 134 is connected to the second insulating plate 132, and the driving mechanism 134 and the mounting bracket 133 are relatively movable, so as to be able to drive the second insulating plate 132 to move circumferentially along the shielding cylinder 112 to adjust the capacitance of each local area between the shielding cylinder 112 and the conductive cylinder 122. The connection between the driving mechanism 134 and the mounting bracket 133 may be a sliding connection or a rolling connection, and the end of the driving mechanism 134 and the second insulating plate 132 may be assembled by means such as bonding, bolt connection, and snap connection.

[0057] As Figures 6 to 10 shown, the above-mentioned mounting bracket 133 may specifically include a first bracket 1331 and a second bracket 1332. The first bracket 1331 is connected to the inner wall of the shielding cylinder 112, such as bonding, bolt connection, snap connection, etc. The first bracket 1331 and the inner wall of the shielding cylinder 112 can serve as the installation basis for the second bracket 1332, and the second bracket 1332 is fixed through the first bracket 1331 and the inner wall of the shielding cylinder 112. Since the driving mechanism 134 needs to drive the second insulating plate 132 to move circumferentially along the shielding cylinder 112, in order to avoid interference between the second bracket 1332, the driving mechanism 134 and the second insulating plate 132, an avoidance hole 1333 may be provided on the second bracket 1332. The avoidance hole 1333 extends circumferentially along the shielding cylinder 112. The driving mechanism 134 is lapped on the second bracket 1332 and moves along the avoidance hole 1333 to drive the second insulating plate 132 to move along the avoidance hole 1333. When moving along the avoidance hole 1333, the driving mechanism 134 or the second insulating plate 132 may partially extend into the avoidance hole 1333.

[0058] As Figure 5 、 Figure 6 、 Figure 11 、 Figure 12As shown in the figure, the above-mentioned driving mechanism 134 may specifically include a driving member 1341, a base 1342, and a traveling wheel 1343. The driving member 1341 may be a motor, a cylinder, etc. The driving member 1341 is disposed on the base 1342. The traveling wheel 1343 is disposed on the side surface of the base 1342 and is rotatably connected to the base 1342. The traveling wheel 1343 is lapped on the second bracket 1332 and can relatively move with the second bracket 1332 in a rolling manner. The number of the traveling wheels 1343 may be two or more. Two or more traveling wheels 1343 may be respectively disposed on two opposite side surfaces of the base 1342 to support the base 1342 and are respectively lapped on the second bracket 1332. The second insulating plate 132 is connected to the side of the base 1342 facing away from the driving member 1341. A transmission mechanism such as a gear or a belt may be used to achieve transmission between the driving member 1341 and the traveling wheel 1343. The driving member 1341 can drive the traveling wheel 1343 to rotate, so that the base 1342 moves along the avoidance hole 1333 through the traveling wheel 1343, thereby driving the second insulating plate 132 to move along the circumferential direction of the shielding cylinder 112, and flexibly adjusting the capacitance of each local area between the shielding cylinder 112 and the conductive cylinder 122. It should be added that the driving member 1341 can be driven by electricity. To facilitate the laying of power cables, a wiring hole or a wiring groove may be provided on the first bracket 1331 to accommodate the power cables.

[0059] As Figure 6 shown in the figure, to improve the stability of the second insulating plate 132 during movement, traveling wheels 1343 may be disposed on both sides of the base 1342 along the radial direction of the shielding cylinder 112. Track grooves 1334 are disposed on both sides of the second bracket 1332 along the radial direction of the shielding cylinder 112. The traveling wheels 1343 extend into the track grooves 1334 and are in guiding cooperation with the track grooves 1334, so as to improve the stability of the base 1342 during operation, and further improve the stability of the second insulating plate 132 during movement.

[0060] In an alternative embodiment of the present application, in Figures 5 to 14In the example, the capacitance adjusting device 130 includes two second insulating plates 132 and two driving mechanisms 134. It can be understood that the capacitance adjusting device 130 may include n second insulating plates 132 and n driving mechanisms 134. The second bracket 1332 includes n + 1 sub-brackets 1332a. The outermost sub-bracket 1332a is connected to the inner wall of the shielding cylinder 112, and the remaining sub-brackets 1332a are respectively connected to the first bracket 1331. The n + 1 sub-brackets 1332a are located on the same side of the first bracket 1331 and are spaced apart from each other to respectively form n avoidance holes 1333. The above-mentioned avoidance holes 1333 are formed between two adjacent sub-brackets 1332a. It should be noted that the above-mentioned n ≥ 2, and the outermost sub-bracket 1332a is the sub-bracket 1332a closest to the shielding cylinder 112 among the n + 1 sub-brackets 1332a. The driving mechanism 134 is lapped on two adjacent sub-brackets 1332a, and the driving mechanism 134 can move along the avoidance hole 1333, thereby driving the second insulating plate 132 to move along the avoidance hole 1333.

[0061] By adopting the design of at least two second insulating plates 132 as described above, the capacitance adjustment range between the conductive cylinder 122 and the shielding cylinder 112 can be expanded. Specifically, as Figure 13 shown, two second insulating plates 132 are provided on the mounting bracket 133, and two thick regions appear on the wafer 190. The circular dotted line between the wafer 190 and the mounting bracket 133 is the conductive cylinder 122. The driving mechanism 134 can be used to drive the two second insulating plates 132 to respective designated positions, and the set positions of the two second insulating plates 132 correspond to the thick film regions on the wafer 190; the two insulating plates can be respectively moved to two different positions corresponding to the wafer 190, increasing the window for adjusting the thickness uniformity.

[0062] During the process that the radio frequency energy enters the diffusion plate 121 from the conductive column 140 and is transmitted to the target 160 through the conductive cylinder 122, a device similar to a parallel plate capacitor is formed between the conductive cylinder 122 and the shielding cylinder 112, and the radio frequency energy will be transmitted through the capacitance coupling method. When a second insulating plate 132 is added between the conductive cylinder 122 and the shielding cylinder 112, the dielectric material between the two parallel plates changes from air to an insulating plate material (such as resin, quartz, polytetrafluoroethylene, etc.). Generally, the dielectric constant ε of the insulating material is greater than that of air. According to the determination formula C = (εS) / (4πkd) of the parallel plate capacitor, after adding the second insulating plate 132, the capacitance between the conductive cylinder 122 and the shielding cylinder 112 increases, and the conduction ability of the radio frequency energy is enhanced. Therefore, more radio frequency energy will be transmitted from this position to the shielding cylinder 112 and the outside, so that the radio frequency energy in the region where the second insulating plate 132 is located in the second housing 120 decreases. After the radio frequency energy decreases, the film thickness at the corresponding position on the wafer 190 will become thinner, so that the uniformity of the film thickness can be adjusted.

[0063] During use, the two second insulating plates 132 can also be moved to the position as shown in Figure 14 such that the positions of the two second insulating plates 132 overlap, which will further increase the capacitance. In this way, the transfer efficiency of the radio frequency energy will be greater, and the effect of thinning the thickness will be more obvious. In some use scenarios, the first insulating plate 131 and the second insulating plate 132 can be used in combination to increase the adjustment range and adaptation range of the capacitance.

[0064] The size of the second insulating plate 132 has a great influence on the capacitance. Along the circumferential direction of the conductive cylinder 122, the length ratio of the second insulating plate 132 to the conductive cylinder 122 can be 1:8 - 1:4. Along the axial direction of the conductive cylinder 122, the length ratio of the second insulating plate 132 to the conductive cylinder 122 can be 1:3 - 1:1. For the size of the second insulating plate 132, using a second insulating plate 132 with a smaller size is beneficial for achieving fine capacitance adjustment, and using a second insulating plate 132 with a larger size is beneficial for improving the capacitance adjustment ability. The larger the size of the second insulating plate 132, the greater the change in the capacitance between the shielding cylinder 112 and the conductive cylinder 122, and the stronger the ability to adjust the radio frequency energy loss. In actual use, the size of the second insulating plate 132 can be specifically selected according to the distribution of the film layer on the wafer 190.

[0065] Please refer to Figures 1 to 14 , this embodiment of the present application also discloses a semiconductor process equipment. The disclosed semiconductor process equipment includes a radio frequency power supply, a reaction chamber 200, and the above upper electrode structure. The radio frequency power supply is electrically connected to the upper electrode structure, and the reaction chamber 200 is disposed below the upper electrode structure. The radio frequency power supply feeds radio frequency energy into the reaction chamber 200 through the upper electrode structure to excite the process gas in the reaction chamber 200 to the plasma state.

[0066] As can be seen from the above description, the upper electrode structure disclosed in this embodiment of the present application improves the related art. When there is a uniformity problem with the radio frequency energy in the second housing 120, the capacitance of the local area between the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can be adjusted by using the capacitance adjustment device 130. Since the radio frequency energy in the second housing 120 is transferred to the first housing 110 by means of capacitive coupling, in the area where the capacitance between the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 changes, the transfer amount of the radio frequency energy will also change accordingly. Therefore, by controlling the transfer amount of the radio frequency energy, the uniformity of the radio frequency energy in the second housing 120 can be adjusted, thereby improving the uniformity of the coating process or the etching process and ensuring the yield rate of the wafer 190 during the manufacturing process.

[0067] Further, the above semiconductor processing equipment may include a physical vapor deposition equipment, which can perform a PVD process. The physical vapor deposition equipment may include a magnetron assembly 150 and a target 160. At least a part of the magnetron assembly 150 is disposed inside the second housing 120, and the target 160 is disposed at the bottom of the second housing 120. A liner 170 is further provided below the second housing 120, and a base 180 is provided at the bottom of the liner 170. The base 180 is provided with a bearing surface for bearing a wafer 190. The radio frequency power supply is fed into the diffusion plate 121 through the conductive column 140, and then fed into the target 160 through the conductive cylinder 122. The magnetron assembly 150 can rotate at a uniform speed through a rotating shaft, so that the magnetic field distributed on the surface of the target 160 can restrict free electrons, and thus it is easier to maintain the uniform distribution of the plasma in the reaction chamber 200.

[0068] In the above embodiments of the present application, the differences between the various embodiments are mainly described. As long as the different technical features between the various embodiments are not contradictory, they can be combined to form more specific embodiments. For the sake of brevity of the description, they will not be elaborated here.

[0069] The embodiments of the present application have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present application is not limited to the above specific embodiments. The above specific embodiments are merely illustrative rather than restrictive. Under the inspiration of the present application, those of ordinary skill in the art can also make many forms without departing from the purpose of the present application and the scope protected by the claims, and all of them belong to the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An upper electrode structure for a physical vapor deposition device, characterized in that, It includes a first housing (110), a second housing (120) and a capacitance adjusting device (130); The second housing (120) is disposed within the first housing (110). The second housing (120) includes a diffusion plate (121) and a conductive cylinder (122) that are used to transfer radio frequency energy and are connected. A plurality of components are asymmetrically arranged within the second housing (120), and there is a gap between the first housing (110) and the second housing (120). The capacitance adjusting device (130) is disposed in the gap and is used to adjust the capacitance of a local area between the first housing (110) and the second housing (120) so as to adjust the uniformity of the radio frequency energy within the second housing (120).

2. The upper electrode structure according to claim 1, characterized in that The first housing (110) includes a shielding plate (111) and a shielding cylinder (112). The shielding plate (111) is disposed on the top of the shielding cylinder (112), and the diffusion plate (121) is disposed on the top of the conductive cylinder (122); The diffusion plate (121) is disposed opposite to the shielding plate (111), and the conductive cylinder (122) is disposed within the shielding cylinder (112); The capacitance adjusting device (130) is disposed in at least one of the space between the diffusion plate (121) and the shielding plate (111) and the space between the shielding cylinder (112) and the conductive cylinder (122).

3. The upper electrode structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The capacitance adjusting device (130) includes at least one first insulating plate (131). The first insulating plate (131) is disposed between the shielding plate (111) and the diffusion plate (121) and is used to adjust the capacitance of the local area where the first insulating plate (131) is located between the shielding plate (111) and the diffusion plate (121).

4. The upper electrode structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first insulating plate (131) is connected to the shielding plate (111).

5. The upper electrode structure according to claim 2, wherein The capacitance adjusting device (130) includes at least one second insulating plate (132). The second insulating plate (132) is movably disposed between the shielding cylinder (112) and the conductive cylinder (122) and is used to adjust the capacitance of the local area where the second insulating plate (132) is located between the shielding cylinder (112) and the conductive cylinder (122).

6. The upper electrode structure according to claim 5, wherein, The capacitance adjusting device (130) further includes a mounting bracket (133) and a driving mechanism (134). The mounting bracket (133) is connected to the inner wall of the shielding cylinder (112) and extends along the circumferential direction of the shielding cylinder (112). The driving mechanism (134) is connected to the second insulating plate (132), and the driving mechanism (134) and the mounting bracket (133) can move relative to each other to drive the second insulating plate (132) to move along the circumferential direction of the shielding cylinder (112).

7. The upper electrode structure according to claim 6, characterized in that The mounting bracket (133) includes a first bracket (1331) and a second bracket (1332). The first bracket (1331) is connected to the inner wall of the shielding cylinder (112), and the second bracket (1332) is fixed to the inner wall of the shielding cylinder (112) through the first bracket (1331); The second bracket (1332) is provided with an avoidance hole (1333), the avoidance hole (1333) extends along the circumferential direction of the shielding cylinder (112), the driving mechanism (134) is lapped on the second bracket (1332) and moves along the avoidance hole (1333) to drive the second insulating plate (132) to move along the avoidance hole (1333).

8. The upper electrode structure according to claim 7, characterized in that, The driving mechanism (134) includes a driving member (1341), a base (1342) and a traveling wheel (1343). The driving member (1341) is arranged on the base (1342), the traveling wheel (1343) is rotatably connected to the base (1342), the second insulating plate (132) is connected to the side of the base (1342) facing away from the driving member (1341), and the driving member (1341) is used to drive the traveling wheel (1343) to rotate so that the base (1342) moves along the avoidance hole (1333) through the traveling wheel (1343).

9. The upper electrode structure according to claim 8, characterized in that, The traveling wheels (1343) are arranged on both sides of the base (1342) along the radial direction of the shielding cylinder (112), the track grooves (1334) are arranged on both sides of the second bracket (1332) along the radial direction of the shielding cylinder (112), and the traveling wheels (1343) extend into the track grooves (1334) and are in guiding cooperation with the track grooves (1334).

10. The upper electrode structure according to claim 9, characterized in that, The capacitance adjusting device (130) includes n second insulating plates (132) and n driving mechanisms (134). The second bracket (1332) includes n + 1 sub-brackets (1332a). The outermost sub-bracket (1332a) is connected to the shielding cylinder (112), and the remaining sub-brackets (1332a) are connected to the first bracket (1331). The n + 1 sub-brackets (1332a) are located on the same side of the first bracket (1331) and are spaced apart from each other to respectively form n avoidance holes (1333), where n≥2; The driving mechanism (134) is lapped on two adjacent sub-brackets (1332a) and moves along the avoidance hole (1333) to drive the second insulating plate (132) to move along the avoidance hole (1333).

11. The upper electrode structure according to claim 5, wherein, Along the circumferential direction of the conductive cylinder (122), the length ratio of the second insulating plate (132) to the conductive cylinder (122) is 1:8 - 1:4; Along the axial direction of the conductive cylinder (122), the length ratio of the second insulating plate (132) to the conductive cylinder (122) is 1:3 - 1:

1.

12. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that, Including a radio frequency power supply, a reaction chamber (200) and the upper electrode structure according to any one of claims 1 - 11; The radio frequency power supply is electrically connected to the upper electrode structure, and the reaction chamber (200) is arranged below the upper electrode structure.

13. The semiconductor processing equipment according to claim 12, wherein The semiconductor process equipment includes a physical vapor deposition equipment, the physical vapor deposition equipment includes a magnetron assembly (150) and a target (160), at least part of the magnetron assembly (150) is disposed in the second housing (120), and the target (160) is disposed at the bottom of the second housing (120).

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