A process chamber and thin film deposition apparatus

Abstract

A heating plate and a pumping ring are provided for a process chamber and a thin film deposition apparatus. The heating plate is used to support and heat a wafer thereon for a thin film deposition process. The pumping ring is located below the heating plate and includes a pumping surface with a plurality of pumping holes. A first height along a radial outer side of the pumping surface is greater than a second height along a radial inner side of the pumping surface. A vacuum mechanism pumps gas obliquely from inside the process chamber through the pumping holes on the pumping surface. The particle accumulation at the bottom of the process chamber during the exhaust process is reduced, thereby improving the cleanliness of the chamber and the operation efficiency of the thin film deposition apparatus.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of thin film deposition, and more particularly to a process chamber and a thin film deposition apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor device fabrication, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is widely used to form thin films on wafers at high temperatures (e.g., 540°C). However, in CVD chambers, after a certain number of wafers have been deposited, a layer of byproduct particles accumulates on the surface of the aluminum bushing at the bottom, affecting the yield of subsequent wafers. These particles are difficult to completely remove during deposition and cleaning; even with preventative maintenance such as ultrasonic rinsing and wiping in a water bath, particulate residues remain on the bushing surface. This phenomenon reduces the lifespan of chamber components and increases equipment maintenance costs.

[0003] To overcome the above problems, there is an urgent need in the field for a thin film deposition technology to reduce particle accumulation at the bottom of the process chamber during the venting process, thereby improving the cleanliness of the chamber and the operating efficiency of the thin film deposition equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The following provides a brief overview of one or more aspects to offer a basic understanding of them. This overview is not an exhaustive summary of all conceived aspects, nor is it intended to identify key or decisive elements of all aspects, nor to define the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed descriptions that follow.

[0005] To overcome the above problems, the present invention provides a process chamber and a thin film deposition apparatus. By setting the suction surface of the suction ring to an inwardly concave structure, the airflow vortex caused by top suction and side suction in the reaction chamber is suppressed, thereby reducing particle accumulation at the bottom of the process chamber during exhaust and improving the cleanliness of the chamber and the operating efficiency of the thin film deposition apparatus.

[0006] Specifically, the process chamber provided according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a heating plate and a vacuum ring. The heating plate is used to support and heat a wafer thereon for performing a thin film deposition process. The vacuum ring is located below the heating plate and includes a vacuum surface having a plurality of vacuum holes. A first height of the vacuum surface along its radial outer side is greater than a second height along its radial inner side, and a vacuum mechanism draws air obliquely from inside the process chamber through each of the vacuum holes on the vacuum surface.

[0007] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the process chamber further includes a pin drive mechanism, which includes a pin support plate and a first support rod. The pin support plate is located below the heating plate and on the upper part of the inner side of the suction surface. The pin support plate adopts a C-shaped or O-shaped structure adapted to the shape of the suction ring. The first support rod has a first end connected to at least one end of the pin support plate, and a second end passing through the bottom surface of the process chamber to connect to an external first lifting mechanism. The first lifting mechanism lifts the pin support plate to a preset wafer transfer support plate position via the support rod, causing the tips of multiple pins on the upper surface of the pin support plate to pass upward through the heating plate to lift the wafer on the upper surface of the heating plate, or lowers the pin support plate to a preset process support plate position via the support rod, allowing the tips of the multiple pins to fall back so that the wafer falls back onto the upper surface of the heating plate.

[0008] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, when the ejector plate is located at the process position, its first inner diameter is greater than the second inner diameter of the first suction area of ​​the suction surface at the corresponding height; when the ejector plate is located at the transfer plate position, its first outer diameter is smaller than the second outer diameter of the second suction area of ​​the suction surface at the corresponding height.

[0009] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the ejector pin support plate is made of a thermally conductive material, wherein the thermally conductive material is selected from ceramics and / or aluminum alloys.

[0010] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of ejector pin fulcrums are provided on the inner side of the extraction surface. Each ejector pin fulcrum is aligned with an ejector pin through-hole on the heating plate, and is used to drive the tip of the ejector pin in the ejector pin through-hole upward through the heating plate when it is close to the heating plate, so as to lift the wafer on the upper surface of the heating plate, or to allow the tip of the ejector pin to fall back when it is away from the heating plate, so that the wafer falls back to the upper surface of the heating plate.

[0011] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the suction surface and the outer wall and bottom surface of the suction ring form an annular suction pipe, and at least one suction port is provided on the suction pipe. The vacuum mechanism draws air from the inside of the process chamber at an angle through the suction port, the suction pipe and each of the suction holes on the suction surface.

[0012] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the process chamber further includes a vacuum ring drive mechanism, comprising: a second support rod, the first end of which is connected to at least one end of the outer wall and / or bottom surface of the vacuum ring, and the second end of which passes through the bottom surface of the process chamber to connect to an external second lifting mechanism. The second lifting mechanism lifts the ejector pin support plate to a preset wafer transfer support plate position via the support rod, causing the tips of multiple ejector pins on the upper surface of the ejector pin support plate to pass upward through the heating plate to lift the wafer on the upper surface of the heating plate, or lowers the ejector pin support plate to a preset process support plate position via the support rod, allowing the tips of the multiple ejector pins to fall back to the upper surface of the heating plate.

[0013] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the outer side of the extraction surface is sealed to the sidewall of the process chamber. The inner side of the extraction surface is sealed to the bottom surface of the process chamber, forming an annular extraction conduit between the sidewall and the bottom surface of the process chamber. At least one extraction port is provided on the extraction conduit. The vacuum mechanism extracts air obliquely from inside the process chamber via the extraction port, the extraction conduit, and each of the extraction holes on the extraction surface.

[0014] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, a heat-insulating ring and a heating plate driving mechanism are also included. The heat-insulating ring is located above the heating plate. The heating plate driving mechanism is located below the exterior of the process chamber. The handle of the heating plate passes through the bottom surface of the process chamber to connect to the heating plate driving mechanism. The heating plate driving mechanism lowers the heating plate to a preset wafer transfer heating plate position via the handle, allowing the tips of multiple ejector pins to pass upward through the heating plate to lift the wafer on its upper surface, or raises the heating plate to a preset process heating plate position via the handle, allowing the tips of the multiple ejector pins to fall back, so that the wafer falls back onto the upper surface of the heating plate, and the heat-insulating ring keeps the wafer warm during the thin film deposition process.

[0015] Furthermore, the thin film deposition apparatus provided according to a second aspect of the present invention includes: a process chamber and a vacuum mechanism as described in any one of the first aspects of the present invention. The vacuum mechanism is connected to the evacuation port of the evacuation ring inside the process chamber to evacuate air obliquely from inside the process chamber via the evacuation port of the evacuation ring and a plurality of evacuation holes on the evacuation surface. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The above-described features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood after reading the following detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, components are not necessarily drawn to scale, and components having similar related characteristics or features may have the same or similar reference numerals.

[0017] Figure 1A A schematic diagram of the airflow pattern of an existing top-suction suction ring is shown.

[0018] Figure 1B A schematic diagram of the airflow pattern of an existing side-suction suction ring is shown.

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a process chamber provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0020] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the airflow pattern of an oblique suction type suction ring provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0021] Figure 4A and Figure 4B A schematic diagram showing a comparison of flow velocity distributions provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0022] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a pin support plate provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0023] Figures 6A-6B An assembly schematic diagram and an exploded schematic diagram of a pin drive mechanism provided according to some embodiments of the present invention are shown.

[0024] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the connection structure between the triangular bracket and the support adjustment mechanism provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0025] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing the relative positional relationship between the lifting section of one side of the ejector plate and the suction area of ​​the suction ring according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0026] Figure 9 A schematic diagram showing a temperature comparison between the ejector pin support plate and the disc bushing provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0027] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the structure of the vacuum ring provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0028] Figure 11 A statistical diagram of wafer surface particles provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0029] Figure Labels

[0030] 10 Heating Plates

[0031] 20. Evacuation ring

[0032] 21. Air extraction port

[0033] 30 Ejector Pin Support Plate

[0034] 40 First support rod

[0035] 50 First lifting mechanism

[0036] 51 Fixing plate

[0037] 52 Tripod

[0038] 53 Corrugated Pipe

[0039] 54 Support and Adjustment Mechanism

[0040] 60 thimble fulcrum

[0041] 70 Insulation Ring Detailed Implementation

[0042] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention is presented in conjunction with preferred embodiments, this does not mean that the features of the invention are limited to these embodiments. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the invention in conjunction with embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that may be derived based on the claims of the present invention. To provide a thorough understanding of the invention, many specific details will be included in the following description. The invention may also be implemented without using these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion or obscuring the focus of the invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description.

[0043] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0044] Furthermore, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "horizontal," and "vertical" used in the following description should be understood as the orientations shown in the relevant paragraphs and accompanying drawings. These relative terms are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply that the described apparatus must be manufactured or operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the invention.

[0045] It is understood that although terms such as "first," "second," and "third" may be used herein to describe various components, regions, layers, and / or parts, these components, regions, layers, and / or parts should not be limited by these terms, and these terms are only used to distinguish different components, regions, layers, and / or parts. Therefore, the first components, regions, layers, and / or parts discussed below may be referred to as second components, regions, layers, and / or parts without departing from some embodiments of the present invention.

[0046] As mentioned above, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is widely used in semiconductor device fabrication to form thin films on wafers at high temperatures (e.g., 540°C). However, in CVD chambers, after a certain number of wafers have been deposited, a layer of byproduct particles accumulates on the surface of the aluminum bushing at the bottom, affecting the yield of subsequent wafers. These particles are difficult to completely remove during deposition and cleaning; even with ultrasonic rinsing and wiping during preventative maintenance, particulate residues remain on the bushing surface. This phenomenon reduces the lifespan of chamber components and increases equipment maintenance costs.

[0047] Please refer to the following: Figure 1A and Figure 1B . Figure 1A A schematic diagram of the airflow pattern of an existing top-suction suction ring is shown. Figure 1B A schematic diagram of the airflow pattern of an existing side-suction suction ring is shown.

[0048] Investigations and research have revealed that existing chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques generally employ methods such as... Figure 1A The top-suction suction ring shown, or as... Figure 1B The side-suction suction ring shown is used to extract exhaust gas from the process chamber. However, top-suction suction rings tend to generate airflow vortices in the central area below the heating plate, while side-suction suction rings tend to generate airflow vortices in the edge area below the heating plate. These airflow vortices have a strong entrainment effect on by-product particles, preventing them from being extracted from the reaction chamber with the exhaust gas in a timely manner, thus causing the accumulation of particulate contaminants.

[0049] To overcome the above problems, the present invention provides a process chamber and a thin film deposition apparatus. By setting the suction surface of the suction ring to an inwardly concave structure, the airflow vortex caused by top suction and side suction in the reaction chamber is suppressed, thereby reducing particle accumulation at the bottom of the process chamber during exhaust and improving the cleanliness of the chamber and the operating efficiency of the thin film deposition apparatus.

[0050] In some non-limiting embodiments, the process chamber and vacuum mechanism provided in the first aspect of the present invention can be configured in the thin film deposition apparatus provided in the second aspect of the present invention. Specifically, the thin film deposition apparatus may include the process chamber and vacuum mechanism provided in the first aspect of the present invention. The vacuum mechanism may be a vacuum pump connected to the suction port of the suction ring inside the process chamber, so as to draw air from inside the process chamber at an angle through the suction port of the suction ring and a plurality of suction holes on the suction surface.

[0051] Please refer to the reference. Figures 2-3 . Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a process chamber provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the airflow pattern of an oblique suction type suction ring provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0052] like Figure 2 As shown, the process chamber includes a heating plate 10 and a vacuum ring 20. The heating plate 10 is used to support and heat the wafer on it for thin film deposition processes. The vacuum ring 20 is located below the heating plate 10 and includes a vacuum surface with multiple vacuum holes 21. The first height of the vacuum surface along its radial outer side is greater than the second height along its radial inner side, forming an oblique vacuum structure recessed towards the central region. A vacuum mechanism can draw air from the interior of the process chamber at an angle through the vacuum holes 21 on the vacuum surface.

[0053] like Figure 3 As shown, compared to Figure 1A and Figure 1B The top-extraction structure and side-extraction structure shown in the present invention, as well as the oblique extraction structure that is recessed towards the center region, can effectively suppress the formation of airflow vortices in the reaction chamber. By reducing flow resistance, the exhaust gas can be efficiently discharged from the process chamber, thereby reducing the deposition of particulate contaminants at the bottom of the chamber.

[0054] Furthermore, to verify the effect of the oblique extraction structure provided by the present invention on suppressing airflow vortices, the present invention also provides a set of... Figure 1A The top-suction suction structure shown is similar to Figure 3 A comparative embodiment of the gas velocity distribution of the inclined suction pump structure shown.

[0055] Please compare and refer to. Figure 4A and Figure 4B , Figure 4A and Figure 4B A simulation diagram of the flow velocity distribution provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown, wherein the direction of the arrows in each line indicates the gas flow direction, and the distribution density of each line indicates the intensity of the airflow.

[0056] By comparison Figure 4A and Figure 4BIt is known that, compared with the top suction type air extraction structure, which is prone to generating airflow vortices in the central area below the heating plate 10, when using the above-mentioned oblique suction structure provided by the present invention for air extraction, the gas flow rate in the process chamber is evenly and smoothly distributed in the process chamber, thus having less gas flow resistance and being more conducive to the efficient discharge of exhaust gas and by-product particles from the process chamber.

[0057] Furthermore, please refer to the references. Figure 2 and Figures 5-7 . Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a pin support plate provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figures 6A-6B An assembly schematic diagram and an exploded schematic diagram of a pin drive mechanism provided according to some embodiments of the present invention are shown. Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the connection structure between the triangular bracket and the support adjustment mechanism provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0058] like Figure 2 , Figure 5 and Figures 6A-6B As shown, the process chamber provided by the present invention may further include an ejector pin driving mechanism. This ejector pin driving mechanism includes an ejector pin support plate 30 and a first support rod 40. Here, the ejector pin support plate 30 is located below the heating plate 10 and above the inner side of the suction surface. It can be made of thermally conductive materials such as ceramic or aluminum alloy, and adopts a C-shaped or O-shaped structure adapted to the shape of the suction ring 20. Compared to the traditional design using a disc-shaped bushing to raise and lower the ejector pin, the thinner bushing design of the ejector pin support plate 30 based on the C-shaped or O-shaped structure can effectively save bushing material and avoid the high temperature caused by heat accumulation in the disc-shaped bushing, which leads to particle accumulation.

[0059] In addition, such as Figure 5 As shown, compared to various forms of support plate structures such as L-shaped, rectangular, and triangular, the C-shaped and O-shaped structures can better fit the shape of the suction area of ​​the suction ring 20, thus making better use of the suction effect of the suction ring 20 to remove the heat accumulated on it, thereby further improving the heat dissipation efficiency.

[0060] Furthermore, such as Figures 6A-6B and Figure 7As shown, the first end of the aforementioned first support rod 40 can be connected to at least one end of the ejector pin support plate 30, while its second end can pass through the bottom surface of the process chamber to connect to the external first lifting mechanism 50. The first lifting mechanism 50 may include a fixed plate 51 connected to the chamber, a triangular bracket 52, a bellows 53, a support adjustment mechanism 54, and a three-set screw-nut connection structure. Here, the fixed plate 51 can be fixedly connected to the chamber. The triangular bracket 52 can be used as a fixing device to prevent horizontal displacement, ensuring the accuracy and repeatability of the lifting paths of the ejector pin support plate 30 and its upper surface's multiple ejector pins. The bellows 53 surrounds the first support rod 40 and encloses the through-hole through which the first support rod 40 passes through the bottom surface of the process chamber, thereby improving the airtightness of the process chamber. The support adjustment mechanism 54 is connected to the bottom of the bellows 53, and its three circumferentially arrayed holes can be connected to the triangular bracket 52 through three sets of screws and nuts. The positions of these three sets of screws and nuts are horizontally adjustable to change the gap between the triangular bracket 52 and the support adjustment mechanism 54.

[0061] Thus, during the semiconductor device processing, the first lifting mechanism 50 can lift the ejector plate 30 to a preset wafer transfer plate position via the first support rod 40, causing the tips of multiple ejector pins on the upper surface of the ejector plate 30 to pass upward through the heating plate 10, thereby lifting the wafer on the upper surface of the heating plate 10. Alternatively, the first lifting mechanism 50 can also lower the ejector plate 30 to a preset process plate position via the support rod, allowing the tips of multiple ejector pins to fall back, so that the wafer falls back onto the upper surface of the heating plate 10.

[0062] Please refer to further information. Figure 8 , Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing the relative positional relationship between the lifting section of one side of the ejector plate and the suction area of ​​the suction ring according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0063] like Figure 8 As shown, the C-shaped or O-shaped ejector plate 30 has an inner diameter and an outer diameter. When the ejector plate 30 is in the process position (i.e., at the minimum height of its lifting range), its first inner diameter is preferably larger than the second inner diameter of the first suction area of ​​the suction surface at the corresponding height, to ensure that the innermost side of the ejector plate 30 is located within the first suction area. Alternatively, when the ejector plate 30 is in the transfer position (i.e., at the maximum height of its lifting range), its first outer diameter is preferably smaller than the second outer diameter of the second suction area of ​​the suction surface at the corresponding height, to ensure that the outermost side of the ejector plate 30 is located within the second suction area. In this way, by ensuring that the ejector plate 30 is always within the suction range of the suction surface during the lifting process, the present invention can utilize the suction of the suction surface to promptly remove heat from the ejector plate 30, thereby avoiding the accumulation of particles due to high temperatures caused by heat buildup on the plate.

[0064] Similarly, in order to verify the high heat dissipation efficiency of the ejector pin support plate 30 provided by the present invention compared with the traditional disc bushing, the present invention also provides a set of temperature comparison examples of the C-shaped ejector pin support plate 30 and the traditional disc bushing.

[0065] Please refer to Figure 9 , Figure 9 A schematic diagram showing a temperature comparison between the ejector pin support plate and the disc bushing provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0066] like Figure 9 As shown, actual temperature tests revealed that, compared to the traditional disc bushing structure, the bushing temperature in the process chamber of the C-shaped ejector plate provided by the present invention decreased by 30°C to 100°C, and the temperature of all components was below 200°C. Therefore, it can effectively reduce the generation of high-temperature fluorides and suppress the generation of particulate contamination.

[0067] Therefore, the C-type and O-type structure ejector plate 30 provided by the present invention is beneficial to enhance heat dissipation and reduce bushing temperature, thereby suppressing particle generation.

[0068] Furthermore, please refer to Figure 10 . Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the structure of the vacuum ring provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0069] exist Figure 10 In the embodiment shown, the inner side of the suction surface may preferably be provided with a plurality of ejector pin fulcrums 60, so that the suction ring 20 replaces the ejector pin support plate 30 to drive the ejector pin to rise and fall.

[0070] Specifically, each ejector pin fulcrum 60 located inside the suction surface can be aligned with a ejector pin via on the heating plate 10. Thus, when the suction ring 20 approaches the heating plate 10, each ejector pin fulcrum 60 can drive the tip of the ejector pin in the corresponding via upward through the heating plate 10, thereby lifting the wafer on the upper surface of the heating plate 10. Alternatively, when the suction ring 20 moves away from the heating plate 10, each ejector pin fulcrum 60 away from the heating plate 10 will allow the tip of the corresponding ejector pin to fall back, causing the wafer to fall back onto the upper surface of the heating plate 10 for thin film deposition. Those skilled in the art will understand that the suction ring 20 approaching the heating plate 10 can mean either the suction ring 20 is rising or the heating plate 10 is falling. Correspondingly, the suction ring 20 moving away from the heating plate 10 can mean either the suction ring 20 is falling or the heating plate 10 is rising.

[0071] Taking the example of the suction ring 20 rising closer to the heating plate 10 or descending away from the heating plate 10, the suction surface, the outer wall and bottom surface of the suction ring 20 can be closed to form an annular suction pipe. At least one suction port is provided on the side wall or bottom surface of this suction pipe. The vacuum mechanism can draw air from inside the process chamber at an angle through the at least one suction port, the suction pipe, and each suction hole 21 on the suction surface.

[0072] Preferably, the process chamber may further include a vacuum ring drive mechanism. This vacuum ring drive mechanism includes a second support rod, the first end of which is connected to at least one end of the outer wall and / or bottom surface of the vacuum ring 20, and the second end of which passes through the bottom surface of the process chamber to connect to an external second lifting mechanism. Here, the second lifting mechanism can, as described above, lift the ejector pin support plate 30 to a preset wafer transfer support plate position via the second support rod, causing the tips of multiple ejector pins on the upper surface of the ejector pin support plate 30 to pass upwards through the heating plate 10, thereby lifting the wafer on the upper surface of the heating plate 10; or, via the second support rod, lower the ejector pin support plate 30 to a preset process support plate position, allowing the tips of the multiple ejector pins to fall back, so that the wafer falls back onto the upper surface of the heating plate 10.

[0073] Furthermore, taking the heating plate 10 descending closer to the suction ring 20, or the heating plate 10 rising away from the suction ring 20 as an example, the outer side of the suction surface can be sealed to the side wall of the process chamber, while its inner side can be sealed to the bottom surface of the process chamber, thus forming an annular suction pipe between the side wall and the bottom surface of the process chamber. This suction pipe has at least one suction port. The vacuum mechanism can draw air from inside the process chamber at an angle through this suction port, the suction pipe, and each suction hole 21 on the suction surface.

[0074] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 As shown, the process chamber provided by the present invention may preferably also include a heat-insulating ring 70 and a heating plate driving mechanism. Here, the heat-insulating ring 70 may be a ceramic ring, which is mounted on the edge of the process chamber via an aluminum ring and located above the heating plate 10. The heating plate driving mechanism is located below the exterior of the process chamber. The handle of the heating plate 10 passes through the bottom surface of the process chamber to connect to the heating plate driving mechanism.

[0075] During semiconductor device fabrication, the heating plate drive mechanism can lower the heating plate 10 to a preset transfer heating plate position via the handle. As the heating plate 10 descends closer to the suction ring 20, the bottoms of multiple ejector pins contact multiple ejector pin supports 60 distributed on the suction ring 20, causing their tips to pass upwards through the heating plate 10 to lift the wafer on its upper surface. Subsequently, in response to completing the wafer transfer, the heating plate drive mechanism can also raise the heating plate 10 to a preset process heating plate position via the handle. As the heating plate 10 rises away from the suction ring 20, the tips of the multiple ejector pins will fall back as they lose support from the ejector pin supports 60, causing the wafer to fall back onto the upper surface of the heating plate 10 and be kept warm by the heat-preserving ring 70 during the thin film deposition process.

[0076] Thus, the present invention can replace the aforementioned ejector plate 30 with an extraction ring 20 having an ejector pin fulcrum 60, and achieve the switching between process state and wafer transfer state by raising and lowering the extraction ring 20 and / or the heating plate 10, thereby achieving the wafer lifting requirements of the thin film deposition process with the smallest bushing area, and further enhancing heat dissipation to reduce the deposition of by-product particles.

[0077] Please refer to the relevant effects. Figure 11 , Figure 11 A statistical graph of wafer surface particles provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown, wherein the horizontal axis represents the number of wafer fabrication processes, each process including one deposition operation and one cleaning operation, and the vertical axis represents the number of particles on the wafer surface.

[0078] Through observation Figure 11 It can be seen that after 450 wafer processing cycles, the maximum total number of particles on the wafer surface is less than the maximum particle count limit of 70. Therefore, the solution provided in this embodiment can effectively prevent the generation and accumulation of microparticles.

[0079] In summary, the process chamber and thin film deposition equipment provided by the present invention can suppress airflow vortices caused by top suction and side suction in the reaction chamber by setting the suction surface of the suction ring to an inwardly concave structure, thereby reducing particle accumulation at the bottom of the process chamber during exhaust, and thus improving the cleanliness of the chamber and the operating efficiency of the thin film deposition equipment.

[0080] Although the methods described above are illustrated and depicted as a series of actions for the sake of simplicity, it should be understood and appreciated that these methods are not limited by the order of the actions, as some actions may occur in a different order and / or concurrently with other actions from the illustrations and descriptions herein or not illustrated and described herein but which may be understood by those skilled in the art, according to one or more embodiments.

[0081] The prior description of this disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use this disclosure. Various modifications to this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A process chamber, comprising: A heating plate is used to hold and heat the wafer on it for thin film deposition processes. as well as A vacuum ring, located below the heating plate, includes a vacuum surface with a plurality of vacuum holes, characterized in that a first height on the outer side of the vacuum surface along its radial direction is greater than a second height on the inner side of its radial direction, and a vacuum mechanism draws air obliquely from inside the process chamber through each of the vacuum holes on the vacuum surface.

2. The process chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The process chamber also includes a pin drive mechanism, which comprises: A ejector pin support plate is located below the heating plate and on the upper part of the inner side of the suction surface, wherein the ejector pin support plate adopts a C-shaped or O-shaped structure adapted to the shape of the suction ring; and A first support rod has a first end connected to at least one end of the ejector pin support plate, and a second end passing through the bottom surface of the process chamber to connect to an external first lifting mechanism. The first lifting mechanism lifts the ejector pin support plate to a preset wafer transfer support plate position via the support rod, causing the tips of multiple ejector pins on the upper surface of the ejector pin support plate to pass upward through the heating plate to lift the wafer on the upper surface of the heating plate. Alternatively, the mechanism lowers the ejector pin support plate to a preset process support plate position via the support rod, allowing the tips of the multiple ejector pins to fall back down so that the wafer falls back onto the upper surface of the heating plate.

3. The process chamber as described in claim 2, characterized in that, When the ejector pin support plate is located at the process position, its first inner diameter is larger than the second inner diameter of the first suction area of ​​the suction surface at the corresponding height. When the ejector plate is located at the transfer plate position, its first outer diameter is smaller than the second outer diameter of the second suction area of ​​the suction surface at the corresponding height.

4. The process chamber as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The ejector pin support plate is made of a thermally conductive material, wherein the thermally conductive material is selected from ceramics and / or aluminum alloys.

5. The process chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inner side of the extraction surface is also provided with a plurality of ejector pin fulcrums, wherein each ejector pin fulcrum is respectively aligned with an ejector pin through hole on the heating plate, and is used to drive the tip of the ejector pin in the ejector pin through hole to pass upward through the heating plate when it is close to the heating plate, so as to lift the wafer on the upper surface of the heating plate, or to allow the tip of the ejector pin to fall back when it is far away from the heating plate, so that the wafer falls back to the upper surface of the heating plate.

6. The process chamber as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The suction surface, together with the outer wall and bottom surface of the suction ring, forms an annular suction pipe. The suction pipe is provided with at least one suction port. The vacuum mechanism draws air from inside the process chamber at an angle through the suction port, the suction pipe, and each of the suction holes on the suction surface.

7. The process chamber as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The process chamber also includes a vacuum ring drive mechanism, which comprises: The second support rod has a first end connected to at least one end of the outer wall and / or bottom surface of the suction ring, and a second end passing through the bottom surface of the process chamber to connect to an external second lifting mechanism.

8. The process chamber as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The outer side of the extraction surface is sealed to the side wall of the process chamber, and the inner side of the extraction surface is sealed to the bottom surface of the process chamber, so as to form an annular extraction pipeline between the side wall and the bottom surface of the process chamber. The extraction pipeline is provided with at least one extraction port. The vacuum mechanism extracts air from the inside of the process chamber at an angle through the extraction port, the extraction pipeline and each of the extraction holes on the extraction surface.

9. The process chamber as described in claim 2, 7, or 8, characterized in that, Also includes: A heat-insulating ring is located above the heating plate; as well as A heating plate drive mechanism is located below the outside of the process chamber. The handle of the heating plate passes through the bottom surface of the process chamber to connect to the heating plate drive mechanism. The heating plate drive mechanism lowers the heating plate to a preset wafer transfer heating plate position via the handle, allowing the tips of multiple ejector pins to pass upward through the heating plate to lift the wafer on its upper surface. Alternatively, the heating plate can be raised to a preset process heating plate position via the handle, allowing the tips of the multiple ejector pins to fall back down so that the wafer falls back onto the upper surface of the heating plate. The wafer is then kept warm during the thin film deposition process via the heat preservation ring.

10. A thin film deposition apparatus, characterized in that, include: The process chamber as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; as well as A vacuum mechanism is connected to the air extraction port of the air extraction ring inside the process chamber, so as to extract air from inside the process chamber at an angle through the air extraction port of the air extraction ring and multiple air extraction holes on the air extraction surface.

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