Process chambers and semiconductor processing equipment

Abstract

A process chamber and a semiconductor process equipment are disclosed, and relate to the field of semiconductor equipment. A process chamber includes a cavity, a susceptor and a process assembly disposed in the cavity respectively, the susceptor is used for carrying a wafer, the process assembly includes a deposition ring, the deposition ring is disposed outside the susceptor, the process chamber further includes a heating assembly, the heating assembly is disposed in the cavity and is used for heating at least a part of the deposition ring to melt deposition material at the deposition ring. A semiconductor process equipment includes the process chamber. The application can solve the problem that the convex spurs formed on the shielding piece are adhered to the wafer, which causes the wafer to deviate or even break.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of semiconductor equipment technology, specifically relating to a process chamber and semiconductor process equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Physical vapor deposition (PVD) is a widely used thin-film manufacturing technology in the semiconductor industry, generally referring to thin-film preparation processes that use physical methods. In the integrated circuit manufacturing industry, it often refers to magnetron sputtering, a crucial process used for depositing various thin films on chips.

[0003] To prevent particle issues caused by the coating covering the interior of the process chamber during the process, in some cases, a shielding assembly is installed inside the process chamber, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the shielding assembly is used to block the sputtered material 03 from the target. The shielding assembly may include a shielding member 01, which is located around the base 02 to provide a shielding function.

[0004] However, as the process progresses, the material deposited on the shield 01 becomes thicker and thicker, forming an inverted conical protrusion 031. As the protrusion 031 increases in height, it is very easy for it to stick to the wafer 04 supported on the base 02, causing the ejector pin to encounter resistance when lifting the wafer 04. This can lead to the wafer 04 shifting in position or even breaking. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a process chamber and semiconductor process equipment that can solve the problem of wafer displacement or even breakage caused by the adhesion of protrusions deposited on the shielding device to the wafer.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application is implemented as follows:

[0007] This application provides a process chamber, including: a chamber and a base and a process assembly respectively disposed in the chamber, wherein the base is used to support a wafer;

[0008] The process assembly includes a deposition ring disposed on the outside of the base;

[0009] The process chamber further includes a heating assembly disposed within the chamber for heating at least a portion of the deposition ring to melt the deposition material at the deposition ring.

[0010] This application also provides a semiconductor process apparatus, including the aforementioned process chamber.

[0011] In this embodiment, the process chamber can use a heating component to heat and melt the deposited material at the deposition ring, preventing the accumulation of deposited material and the formation of spikes. This effectively avoids spikes adhering to the wafer and affecting wafer transport, thus ensuring wafer transport accuracy. Furthermore, it effectively prevents spikes from adhering to the wafer and causing breakage during transport, guaranteeing high-precision wafer transport and good wafer quality. Additionally, the heating component facilitates the cleaning of deposited material at the deposition ring, preventing damage during cleaning and extending the ring's lifespan. Moreover, it eliminates the need to remove the deposition ring for cleaning, reducing the number of chamber openings, thereby increasing machine output and reducing labor costs. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the protrusions formed on the shielding component;

[0013] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the process chamber disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0014] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the heating assembly, control components, and cavity sidewalls disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0015] Figure 4 This is a front view of the heating assembly disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0016] Figure 5 This is a left view of the heating assembly disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0017] Figure 6 This is a top view of the heating assembly disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0018] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the heating assembly disclosed in the embodiments of this application emitting laser or electromagnetic waves to the deposition material in the deposition ring region;

[0019] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the deposition ring and lubricant layer disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0020] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0021] 01-Shielding component; 02-Base; 03-Sputtered material; 031-Drill; 04-Wafer;

[0022] 100-Cavity;

[0023] 200-base;

[0024] 300 - Process component; 310 - Deposition ring; 311 - First ring wall; 312 - Second ring wall; 313 - Bottom wall; 320 - Inner liner; 330 - Shielding ring; 340 - Target material; 350 - Upper electrode; 360 - Magnetron; 370 - Motor;

[0025] 400 - Heating assembly; 410 - Heater; 420 - Rotating frame; 421 - First support; 422 - Second support; 4221 - First connecting rod; 4222 - Second connecting rod; 430 - Driving component; 431 - First rotary driving component; 432 - Second rotary driving component;

[0026] 500 - Depositional materials;

[0027] 600 - Lubricant layer;

[0028] 700 - Control components;

[0029] 810 - First lifting assembly; 820 - Second lifting assembly;

[0030] a - First axis; b - Second axis; c - Third axis; d - Fourth axis; e - Fifth axis. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0032] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0033] The embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific examples and application scenarios.

[0034] refer to Figures 1 to 8This application discloses a process chamber for performing semiconductor processes, such as depositing thin films on a wafer surface. This application uses the deposition of thin films on a wafer surface as an example for detailed explanation; however, other semiconductor processes can also be performed, and no specific limitations are made here. The disclosed process chamber includes a cavity 100, a base 200, and a process assembly 300.

[0035] The cavity 100 is a basic component that provides a space for housing the base 200, process components 300, and other components, as well as a mounting base. In some embodiments, both the base 200 and the process components 300 are located within the cavity 100, with the base 200 used to support the wafer.

[0036] Considering that in the semiconductor process, the wafer is placed on the surface of the substrate 200, during the deposition of the thin film on the wafer, in order to prevent the deposition material 500 from being deposited on areas of the substrate 200 other than the wafer surface, the process assembly 300 may include a deposition ring 310. This deposition ring 310 is disposed on the outside of the substrate 200 to shield areas of the substrate 200 other than the wafer, thus preventing deposition on those areas. By setting the deposition ring 310, the surface of the deposition ring 310 can be deposited with the deposition material 500 to form a thin film.

[0037] However, as the semiconductor process progresses, the deposited material 500 accumulates on the deposition ring 310, becoming increasingly thicker. This accumulation creates protrusions on the deposition ring 310, such as... Figure 1 As shown, for example, there are inverted conical spikes, and the height of the spikes increases continuously as the semiconductor process progresses. That is, the spikes gradually approach the bottom surface of the wafer. When they reach a certain level, the spikes will contact the bottom surface of the wafer and stick together.

[0038] Considering that during the wafer transfer process, a push pin is needed to lift the wafer from the surface of the base 200, if the protrusions stick to the bottom surface of the wafer, the wafer will easily shift when lifted by the push pin, affecting the wafer transfer accuracy and even posing a risk of breakage.

[0039] Based on the above, this application provides a method to suppress burr formation, thereby overcoming the problem of burrs adhering to the wafer and affecting wafer transport accuracy or even causing breakage. Specifically:

[0040] refer to Figure 1The process chamber may further include a heating assembly 400 disposed within the chamber 100 for heating at least a portion of the deposition ring 310 to melt the deposition material 500 at the deposition ring 310. By heating the deposition material 500 at the deposition ring 310 with the heating assembly 400, the deposition material 500 can be melted and transformed from a solid to a liquid state, thus preventing the formation of protrusions on the deposition ring 310 and facilitating the cleaning of the deposition material 500 at the deposition ring 310. It should be noted that the aforementioned "at least a portion of the deposition ring 310" can be understood as a part of the deposition ring 310 or the entire deposition ring 310, depending on the actual operating conditions.

[0041] Based on the above configuration, the process chamber in this embodiment can use the heating component 400 to heat and melt the deposition material 500 at the deposition ring 310, preventing the deposition material 500 from accumulating and forming burrs. This effectively avoids burrs adhering to the wafer and affecting wafer transport, thus ensuring wafer transport accuracy. Furthermore, it effectively prevents burrs from adhering to the wafer and causing wafer breakage during transport, ensuring high-precision wafer transport and good wafer quality. In addition, the heating component 400 facilitates cleaning of the deposition material 500 at the deposition ring 310, preventing damage to the deposition ring 310 during cleaning, thereby extending the service life of the deposition ring 310. Moreover, it eliminates the need to remove the deposition ring 310 for cleaning, reducing the number of chamber openings, increasing machine output, and reducing labor costs.

[0042] In some embodiments, the heating assembly 400 may include a heater 410 disposed on the sidewall of the cavity 100, the heater 410 being used to emit laser or electromagnetic waves toward at least a portion of the deposition ring 310. Based on this, it is not necessary to directly place the heater 410 on the deposition ring 310; instead, the heater 410 can be disposed on the sidewall of the cavity 100, thus separating the heater 410 from the deposition ring 310. This effectively prevents interference between structural components and avoids requiring a large volume of the deposition ring 310 to occupy more space for assembling the heater 410. Although the heater 410 is a certain distance from the deposition ring 310, the deposition material 500 in the deposition ring 310 area can be heated by emitting laser or electromagnetic waves into the deposition ring 310 area through the heater 410, so as to melt the deposition material 500 and avoid the formation of burrs; and, by placing the heater 410 on the side wall of the cavity 100, the area on the deposition ring 310 where the deposition material 500 is prone to form can also be heated directly by the heater 410, so as to alleviate the problem of deposition material 500 accumulating on the deposition ring 310.

[0043] For example, heater 410 can be a laser emitter to emit laser light outwards, or an infrared emitter to emit infrared light outwards.

[0044] In some cases, multiple regions of the deposition ring 310 form spikes, resulting in a large area of ​​spike formation. In order to melt the spikes in each region, the heater 410 can be designed to be movable so that the heater 410 can flexibly emit lasers or electromagnetic waves to the spikes in each region, thereby expanding the cleaning area of ​​the spikes and improving the cleaning efficiency.

[0045] Based on the above, the heating assembly 400 in this embodiment may further include a rotating frame 420 and a driving component 430, such as... Figures 3 to 6 As shown, the heater 410 is connected to the rotating frame 420, and the rotating frame 420 is connected to the driving component 430. Thus, the driving component 430 can drive the heater 410 to rotate through the rotating frame 420, so as to adjust the angle of the heater 410 and thereby change the direction of the laser or electromagnetic wave emitted by the heater 410 to meet the melting requirements of the protrusions in different areas.

[0046] It should be noted that the rotating frame 420 can rotate in at least one direction to adjust the heating area of ​​the heater 410 in at least one direction. For example, the rotating frame 420 can rotate in a horizontal plane, but it can also rotate in other directions, depending on the actual working conditions.

[0047] refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, the rotating frame 420 may include a first support 421 to which the heater 410 is rotatably connected about a first axis a, such that the heater 410 can rotate about the first axis a relative to the first support 421. Exemplarily, under normal operating conditions, the first axis a may extend horizontally.

[0048] Additionally, the driving component 430 may include a first rotary driving member 431, which is tractively connected to the first support 421, allowing the first rotary driving member 431 to drive the heater 410 to rotate around the second axis b via the first support 421. Based on this, under the driving action of the first rotary driving member 431, the first support 421 can drive the heater 410 to rotate, thereby adjusting the orientation of the heater 410 in a plane perpendicular to the second axis b, thus achieving heating and melting of protrusions in multiple areas to improve cleaning efficiency.

[0049] For example, the second axis b can extend in a vertical direction, the first rotary drive 431 can be a motor 370 or a motor, the first bracket 421 can be in the shape of a gate, and the heater 410 is connected to the two legs of the first bracket 421 through the first rotating shaft so that the heater 410 can rotate (i.e., nod and swing) relative to the first bracket 421 around the axis of the first rotating shaft (i.e., the first axis a). At the same time, the first rotary drive 431 drives the first bracket 421 to rotate around the second axis b so that the heater 410 can be rotated horizontally through the first bracket 421.

[0050] To increase the coverage area of ​​the heater 410, the rotating frame 420 may further include a second support 422, which includes a first link 4221 and a second link 4222, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the heater 410 is rotatably connected to the first end of the first link 4221 about the third axis c, and the second end of the first link 4221 is rotatably connected to the first end of the second link 4222 about the fourth axis d. In addition, the driving component 430 may also include a second rotary driving member 432, which is connected to the second end of the second link 4222 and drives the second link 4222 to rotate about the fifth axis e, wherein the fifth axis e is collinear with the first axis a.

[0051] With the above configuration, under the driving action of the second rotary drive 432, the second connecting rod 4222 can rotate around the fifth axis e, and through the first connecting rod 4221, it drives the heater 410 to rotate around the first axis a. At the same time, the first connecting rod 4221 and the second connecting rod 4222 can rotate relative to each other around the fourth axis d to avoid motion interference. Based on this, the swing angle of the heater 410 can be adjusted.

[0052] In actual operation, when the axis of heater 410 is horizontal, the first axis a extends horizontally, the second axis b extends vertically, the third axis c extends vertically and is collinear with the second axis b, the fourth axis d extends horizontally and is collinear with the center line of heater 410. Of course, as heater 410 rotates around the second axis b, the fourth axis d will also form a certain angle with the center line of heater 410, such as 10°, 20°, 30°, 45°, etc. The fifth axis e extends horizontally and is collinear with the first axis a. Based on this configuration, it is possible to ensure that heater 410 can rotate in the horizontal plane (e.g., swing left and right) and also in the vertical plane (e.g., swing up and down). This allows for adjustment of the heater 410's position in various directions, expanding the heating range covered by heater 410. This ensures that the deposited material 500 in each area of ​​the deposition ring 310 can be removed, preventing the wafer transport process from being affected by spikes, and thus ensuring the wafer transport accuracy and integrity.

[0053] In other embodiments, the heating assembly 400 may further include a rotating base connected to the side wall of the cavity 100 and movable around the circumference of the process chamber, with the heater 410 disposed on the rotating base. With this arrangement, the rotating base can drive the heater 410 to rotate synchronously around the circumference of the process chamber, thereby changing the cleaning position of the heater 410 on the deposition ring 310, thus expanding the cleaning area and improving the cleaning effect.

[0054] For example, there are many ways in which the rotating seat can be connected to the side wall of the cavity 110. Specifically, it can include a groove on the side wall of the cavity 110, with the rotating seat slidably connected to the groove; or, a rail on the side wall of the cavity, with the rotating seat having a groove, so that the rotating seat and the side wall of the cavity 110 can be slidably connected through the groove and the rail. Of course, other forms are also possible, as long as the rotating seat can rotate circumferentially around the process chamber, and the specific form is not limited.

[0055] To drive the rotating seat, a matching gear and rack configuration, or a friction wheel and friction track configuration, can be used. Of course, this is not the only option; other driving configurations can also be used, but no specific limitations are made here.

[0056] In a more specific embodiment, the side wall of the cavity 110 is provided with a rack, and the rotating seat is provided with a motor and a gear connected to the transmission. The gear is also meshed with the rack. In this way, the motor drives the gear to rotate and moves the gear relative to the rack, thereby driving the rotating seat to move on the side wall of the cavity 110.

[0057] To expand the heating area covered by the heating assembly 400, the process chamber may include multiple heating assemblies 400. These multiple heating assemblies 400 are arranged circumferentially around the process chamber in a horizontal plane, and the sum of the rotation angles of the heaters 410 of each of the multiple heating assemblies 400 in the horizontal plane is greater than or equal to 360°. With this arrangement, the heaters 410 of each of the multiple heating assemblies 400 can heat a portion of the deposition ring 310, ensuring that the deposited material 500 in the corresponding area can be heated and melted, avoiding the formation of bumps that could affect the wafer's transfer accuracy and wafer integrity.

[0058] It should be noted that when the drive component 430 in each heating assembly 400 drives the heater 410 to rotate via the rotating frame 420, the sum of the rotation angles of the individual heaters 410 in the horizontal plane of the multiple heating assemblies 400 can be equal to 360° or greater, to ensure complete coverage of the area to be heated. Furthermore, in this case, the rotation angles of the heaters 410 in each heating assembly 400 can be equal or unequal, depending on the actual working conditions.

[0059] When the rotating seat in each heating element 400 drives the heater 410 to rotate, the sum of the rotation angles of the individual heaters 410 in the horizontal plane of the multiple heating elements 400 is equal to 360°, in order to avoid collisions between adjacent heating elements 400. In addition, in this case, the rotation angles of the heaters 410 in each heating element 400 can be equal or unequal, depending on the actual working conditions.

[0060] For example, the process chamber may include four heating components 400, with the central angle between any two adjacent heating components 400 being 90°. In this case, the rotation angle of the heater 410 of each heating component 400 in the horizontal plane needs to be greater than or equal to 90° to ensure that the entire ring of the deposition ring 310 in the horizontal plane can be covered by the heater 410, thus ensuring that the deposition material 500 in each area of ​​the deposition ring 310 can be heated and melted. Of course, the number of heating components 400 can also be other than that of other components, and the rotation angle of the heater 410 of each heating component 400 in the horizontal plane will also change accordingly, as long as it can ensure that the entire ring of the deposition ring 310 can be heated. The specific number and arrangement are not limited.

[0061] Specifically, when the drive component 430 in each heating assembly 400 drives the heater 410 to rotate via the rotating frame 420, since each heater 410 rotates around the second axis b, the rotation angle of the heater 410 of each of the multiple heating assemblies 400 can be greater than or equal to 90°, so as to ensure that the deposition material 500 in each area of ​​the deposition ring 310 can be heated and melted.

[0062] When the rotating seat in each heating component 400 drives the heater 410 to rotate, since each heater 410 revolves around the circumference of the process chamber, in order to prevent collisions between two adjacent heating components 400, the angle of revolution of the heater 410 of each of the multiple heating components 400 is equal to 90°. This ensures that the deposition material 500 in each area of ​​the deposition ring 310 can be heated and melted, and also avoids collisions between two adjacent heating components 400.

[0063] To further improve the removal effect on the deposited material 500, the rotation angle of the heater 410 of each heating assembly 400 in the vertical plane can be between 10° and 80°, specifically including 10°, 20°, 30°, 40°, 50°, 60°, 70°, 80°, etc., and of course, other degrees are also possible, which are not specifically limited here. With this setting, the heater 410 can swing up and down (i.e., nodding motion) to heat and melt the deposited material 500 on the side wall of the deposition ring 310 in the vertical direction.

[0064] Based on the above settings, the heater 410 of each heating component 400 can rotate in both the horizontal and vertical planes without causing motion interference. This allows each heater 410 to rotate freely within its preset angle range, improving the flexibility of the heater 410's rotation and increasing the heating range.

[0065] refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 In some embodiments, the deposition ring 310 may include a first annular wall 311, a second annular wall 312 located outside the first annular wall 311, and a bottom wall 313 connecting the first annular wall 311 and the second annular wall 312. The first annular wall 311, the bottom wall 313, and the second annular wall 312 together form an annular groove. The first annular wall 311 is sleeved on the outside of the base 200. The heating assembly 400 is used to heat the area of ​​the first annular wall 311 to melt the deposition material 500 at the first annular wall 311.

[0066] It should be noted that during the semiconductor process, the deposition material 500 is deposited into the annular groove. Since the edge of the wafer protrudes beyond the edge of the base 200, and the edge of the wafer extends locally above the annular groove, the deposition material 500 enters the annular groove through the aperture between the wafer and the second annular wall 312. As a result, the deposition material 500 tends to accumulate in the connection area between the first annular wall 311 and the bottom wall 313, and tends to form protrusions there.

[0067] Based on the above, when the heating component 400 emits laser or electromagnetic waves toward the deposition material 500, the heating component 400 can be placed on the side wall of the cavity 100 and above the deposition ring 310. In this way, the laser or electromagnetic waves can be directed at the deposition material 500 in the area of ​​the first ring wall 311 at an angle, thereby heating and melting the deposition material 500 to avoid the formation of protrusions.

[0068] In other embodiments, the heating component 400 may also be directly disposed on the deposition ring 310 to directly heat the deposition ring 310. Exemplarily, the heating component 400 may be connected to the first ring wall 311 to heat the first ring wall 311, thereby heating and melting the deposition material 500 near the first ring wall 311.

[0069] refer to Figure 8 In some embodiments, the first annular wall 311 is provided with a lubricant layer 600, which covers the surface of the first annular wall 311 facing the second annular wall 312. By providing the lubricant layer 600, the fluidity of the deposited material 500 after heating and melting can be increased, so as to facilitate the cleaning of the deposited material 500; and the lubricant layer 600 can also enhance the strength of the first annular wall 311, so that the first annular wall 311 is not easily damaged during the cleaning process, thereby increasing the number of uses of the deposition ring 310 and extending the service life of the deposition ring 310.

[0070] For example, the lubricant layer 600 can be a Ti material layer, a Ta material layer, or other material layers; in addition, the lubricant layer 600 can be a plating or coating layer, and the specific method is not limited.

[0071] To control the heating assembly 400, the process chamber may further include a control component 700, which is located on the outside of the chamber 100 and connected to the heating assembly 400. The control component 700 can control the heater 410 of the heating assembly 400 to rotate and heat, so as to heat and melt the deposited material 500 at the deposition ring 310.

[0072] To prevent burrs from affecting the transfer accuracy and integrity of the wafer, the deposition material 500 at the deposition ring 310 can be periodically treated by the heating component 400 to prevent the burrs from accumulating and sticking to the wafer.

[0073] To facilitate the removal of the deposited material 500, the heating temperature of the heating component 400 can be greater than or equal to one-third of the melting point temperature of the deposited material 500, and less than or equal to the melting point temperature of the deposited material 500. It should be noted that when the heating temperature of the heating component 400 reaches one-third of the melting point temperature of the deposited material 500, the deposited material 500 exhibits a certain degree of fluidity, which effectively mitigates the formation of burrs and facilitates the removal of the deposited material 500. Of course, the higher the heating temperature, the better; however, to prevent the deposition ring 310 from being significantly affected by high temperatures, the heating temperature will not be increased further once the melting point of the deposited material 500 is reached, to prevent damage to the deposition ring 310 due to excessively high temperatures.

[0074] refer to Figure 2 In some embodiments, the process component 300 may further include a liner 320 disposed on the sidewall of the cavity 100 and located in the peripheral area of ​​the base 200, and the liner 320 covers the sidewall of the cavity 100 to prevent the deposited material 500 from adhering to the sidewall of the cavity 100 and causing particle problems.

[0075] In order to enable the wafer to move between the transfer position and the process position, in this embodiment of the application, the base 200 is disposed in the cavity 100 in a height-adjustable manner. Thus, when the base 200 is raised to the high position, the wafer is located in the process position to facilitate process processing. When the base 200 is lowered to the low position, the wafer is located in the transfer position to facilitate wafer insertion or transfer.

[0076] In addition, the process assembly 300 may also include a shielding ring 330 disposed on the liner 320, with the inner edge of the shielding ring 330 extending above the deposition ring 310, and the inner edge of the shielding ring 330 having a certain overlap area with the edge of the wafer, so as to shield the deposition material 500 and prevent the deposition material 500 from reaching the bottom of the cavity 100 and causing contamination.

[0077] Since the base 200 is height-adjustable, when the deposition ring 310 descends to a preset position along with the base 200, the laser or electromagnetic wave emitted by the heating component 400 aligns with the deposition material 500 at the deposition ring 310, thereby allowing the deposition material 500 to be heated and melted in this state (i.e., non-process state). Figure 2 As shown. The preset position is the distance between the top surface of the deposition ring 310 and the bottom surface of the liner 320, which is between 5cm and 10cm. For example, the distances include 5cm, 6cm, 7cm, 8cm, 9cm, 10cm, etc. Of course, other distances are also possible, which are not specifically limited here.

[0078] To achieve the lifting and lowering of the base 200, the process chamber may further include a first lifting assembly 810, at least a portion of which extends into the cavity 100 and is connected to the base 200 to drive the base 200 to lift and lower. For example, the first lifting assembly 810 may include a lifting cylinder; however, other forms may also be used, which are not specifically limited here.

[0079] To facilitate wafer transfer, the process chamber may also include a second lifting assembly 820, which includes multiple ejector pins and a lifting module. The multiple ejector pins pass through the base 200 respectively, and the lifting module drives the multiple ejector pins to lift and lower, so as to lift the wafer by the multiple ejector pins, so as to remove the wafer from the base 200 or place the wafer on the base 200.

[0080] In addition to the aforementioned structure, the process chamber may also include a target 340, an upper electrode 350, a magnetron 360, and a motor 370. The upper electrode 350 provides energy to ionize the process gas, forming plasma. This plasma then bombards the target 340, enabling the deposition of a thin film on the wafer surface. Furthermore, the motor 370 drives the magnetron 360 to rotate, providing a rotating magnetic field that is more uniform. It should be noted that the specific structure and working principle of the process chamber can be found in relevant technologies and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0081] In this embodiment of the application, the specific process for removing the deposited material 500 is as follows:

[0082] During thin film deposition, spikes form in the first ring wall 311 region of the deposition ring 310, and these spikes accumulate. Based on the cumulative processing time before the spikes adhere to the wafer, within this timeframe, the base 200 and deposition ring 310 are lowered to a lower preset position. Then, the heater 410 is activated to emit laser or electromagnetic waves towards the spikes, or to directly heat the deposition ring 310 to melt the spikes. Alternatively, if the cumulative processing time is less than the required duration, the heater 410 is activated, and heating is performed sequentially at fixed intervals at a fixed frequency. Each heating session lasts 10 to 15 minutes, and the heating temperature is between one-third and the melting point of the deposition material 500. The melted deposition material 500 flows through the lubricant layer 600 to the bottom of the annular groove, allowing the thin film deposition process to continue.

[0083] In summary, the embodiments of this application can periodically clean the protrusions formed on the deposition ring 310, thereby improving the service life of the deposition ring 310, reducing the number of times the cavity is opened, increasing the machine output rate, and reducing labor costs. By adding a lubricant layer 600, the strength of the deposition ring 310 itself can be increased, making the deposition ring 310 less prone to damage during the cleaning process of repeated use, increasing the number of uses, and promoting the flow of the deposition material 500 for easy cleaning.

[0084] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A process chamber, characterized in that, include: A cavity (100) and a base (200) and a process assembly (300) respectively disposed within the cavity (100), the base (200) being used to support the wafer; The process assembly (300) includes a deposition ring (310) disposed on the outside of the base (200); The process chamber further includes a heating assembly (400) disposed within the cavity (100) for heating at least a portion of the deposition ring (310) to melt the deposition material (500) at the deposition ring (310). The heating assembly (400) includes a heater (410) disposed on the sidewall of the cavity (100), the heater (410) being designed to be movable for emitting laser or electromagnetic waves to at least a portion of the deposition ring (310).

2. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating assembly (400) also includes a rotating frame (420) and a driving component (430). The heater (410) is connected to the rotating frame (420), and the rotating frame (420) is connected to the driving component (430). The driving component (430) drives the heater (410) to rotate through the rotating frame (420).

3. The process chamber according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rotating frame (420) includes a first support (421), and the heater (410) is rotatably connected to the first support (421) about a first axis (a). The driving component (430) includes a first rotary driving component (431), which is connected to the first bracket (421) in a transmission manner. The first rotary driving component (431) drives the heater (410) to rotate around the second axis (b) through the first bracket (421).

4. The process chamber according to claim 3, characterized in that, The rotating frame (420) further includes a second support (422), the second support (422) includes a first connecting rod (4221) and a second connecting rod (4222), the heater (410) is rotatably connected to the first end of the first connecting rod (4221) about a third axis (c), and the second end of the first connecting rod (4221) is rotatably connected to the first end of the second connecting rod (4222) about a fourth axis (d); The driving component (430) further includes a second rotary driving component (432), which is connected to the second end of the second connecting rod (4222) and drives the second connecting rod (4222) to rotate around the fifth axis (e), which is collinear with the first axis (a).

5. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating assembly (400) also includes a rotating seat connected to the side wall of the cavity (100) and movable around the circumference of the process chamber; The heater (410) is located on the rotating seat.

6. The process chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The process chamber includes a plurality of heating components (400), which are arranged circumferentially around the process chamber in a horizontal plane. The sum of the angles at which the heaters (410) of each of the plurality of heating components (400) rotate in the horizontal plane is greater than or equal to 360°.

7. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The deposition ring (310) includes a first ring wall (311), a second ring wall (312) located outside the first ring wall (311), and a bottom wall (313) connecting the first ring wall (311) and the second ring wall (312). The first ring wall (311), the bottom wall (313), and the second ring wall (312) form an annular groove. The first annular wall (311) is sleeved on the outside of the base (200), and the heating assembly (400) is used to heat the area of ​​the first annular wall (311) to melt the deposited material (500) at the first annular wall (311).

8. The process chamber according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first annular wall (311) is provided with a lubricant layer (600) that covers the surface of the first annular wall (311) facing the second annular wall (312).

9. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process chamber also includes a control component (700), which is located on the outside of the chamber (100) and connected to the heating assembly (400).

10. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating temperature of the heating component (400) is greater than or equal to 1 / 3 of the melting point temperature of the deposited material (500), and less than or equal to the melting point temperature of the deposited material (500).

11. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process assembly (300) also includes a liner (320) disposed on the side wall of the cavity (100); The base (200) is vertically and vertically disposed within the cavity (100). When the deposition ring (310) descends to a preset position along with the base (200), the laser or electromagnetic wave emitted by the heater (410) is aligned with the deposition material (500) at the deposition ring (310). The preset position is a position between 5 cm and 10 cm from the top surface of the deposition ring (310) to the bottom surface of the liner (320).

12. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized in that, Includes the process chamber as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

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