Reaction chamber cleaning method and reaction chamber

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application provides a method for cleaning a reaction chamber and a reaction chamber, wherein the cleaning method comprises: performing a first cleaning process on the reaction chamber; wherein the first cleaning process generates cleaning byproducts condensed in at least a portion of the reaction chamber; and heating the at least portion of the region to clean the cleaning byproducts in the at least portion of the region in a second cleaning process for the reaction chamber. The method for cleaning the reaction chamber can improve the particle contamination in the CVD reaction chamber to a certain extent by performing a secondary cleaning on the residual cleaning byproducts existing in the first cleaning process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of semiconductor process technology, and more particularly to a cleaning method for a reaction chamber and a reaction chamber. Background Art

[0002] Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) is a deposition method in which gas or vapor reacts chemically on the surface of a wafer to form a solid film. During the CVD process, the reaction gas usually diffuses from the shower head into the reaction chamber and reacts at the appropriate temperature, pressure and gas flow rate to eventually generate the target product on the wafer. After the reaction is completed, the excess gas is pumped away.

[0003] In the related art, after processing a certain number of wafers, the reaction chamber is usually cleaned once to remove the residues of the CVD process. However, technicians have found that after multiple cleanings, the reaction chamber is prone to particle contamination. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, multiple embodiments of the present application are directed to providing a reaction chamber cleaning method and a reaction chamber, which can improve the particle contamination in the CVD reaction chamber to a certain extent.

[0005] An embodiment of the present application provides a method for cleaning a reaction chamber, the method comprising: performing a first cleaning process on the reaction chamber; wherein the first cleaning process generates cleaning by-products condensed in at least a portion of a region of the reaction chamber; and heating the at least portion of the region to clean the cleaning by-products in the at least portion of the region during a second cleaning process for the reaction chamber.

[0006] Optionally, in the step of heating the at least portion of the area to clean cleaning byproducts of the at least portion of the area during the second cleaning process for the reaction chamber, the at least portion of the area is heated to a target temperature; wherein the target temperature falls within the range of 50 degrees Celsius to 400 degrees Celsius.

[0007] Optionally, a photo heater is provided on the side wall of the reaction chamber; and the step of heating the at least partial area to clean the cleaning byproducts of the at least partial area during the second cleaning process for the reaction chamber includes: heating the at least partial area using the photo heater.

[0008] Optionally, the method also includes: obtaining byproduct distribution data for representing the distribution of cleaning byproducts in at least the partial area; and the step of using the photoheater to heat at least the partial area includes: adjusting the light emission direction and energy intensity of the photoheater according to the byproduct distribution data to heat at least the partial area.

[0009] Optionally, a wafer carrier is provided in the reaction chamber; an optical sensor is installed on the wafer carrier; the step of obtaining by-product distribution data for representing the distribution of cleaning by-products in the at least partial area comprises: emitting light to the at least partial area and receiving reflected light signals through the optical sensor; detecting the intensity of the reflected light signals to obtain light reflectivity data of the at least partial area; the light reflectivity data is used as the by-product distribution data.

[0010] Optionally, the at least partial area is the area where the nozzle arranged on the top of the reaction chamber is located; the number of the photoheaters is multiple; wherein, according to the different height differences of the photoheaters relative to the top of the reaction chamber, the multiple photoheaters are divided into a first photoheater group and a second photoheater group; according to the by-product distribution data, the step of adjusting the light emission direction and energy intensity of the photoheater to heat the at least partial area includes: when the average value of the by-product distribution data is greater than or equal to a first specified threshold, the multiple photoheaters are not turned on; or, when the average value of the by-product distribution data is less than a second specified threshold, the multiple photoheaters are all turned on; or, when the average value of the by-product distribution data falls between the first specified threshold and the second specified threshold, one of the first photoheater group and the second photoheater group is turned on.

[0011] Optionally, the area where the nozzle is located is divided into multiple sub-areas; corresponding to the multiple sub-areas, the first photoheater group and the second photoheater group are respectively divided into corresponding multiple first photoheater sub-groups and multiple second photoheater sub-groups; accordingly, according to the by-product distribution data, the step of adjusting the light emission direction and energy intensity of the photoheater to heat at least part of the area includes: according to the by-product distribution data, obtaining sub-area by-product distribution data corresponding to each sub-area; if there is a target sub-area whose average value of the sub-area by-product distribution data is less than the first specified threshold among the multiple sub-areas, turning on the first photoheater sub-group and the second photoheater sub-group corresponding to the target sub-area; or, if there is a target sub-area whose average value of the sub-area by-product distribution data falls between the first specified threshold and the second specified threshold among the multiple sub-areas, turning on one of the first photoheater sub-group and the second photoheater sub-group corresponding to the target sub-area.

[0012] One embodiment of the present application provides a reaction chamber, wherein a cleaning assembly is disposed in the reaction chamber; wherein the cleaning assembly includes a photo heater disposed on a side wall of the reaction chamber; the photo heater is used to heat at least a portion of an area of ​​the reaction chamber where condensed cleaning byproducts are generated during a first cleaning process, so that a second cleaning process for the reaction chamber can clean the cleaning byproducts in at least a portion of the area.

[0013] Optionally, a wafer carrier is provided in the reaction chamber; the cleaning component also includes an optical sensor arranged on the wafer carrier; the optical sensor is used to obtain by-product distribution data representing the distribution of cleaning by-products in at least part of the area, so that the optical heater can adjust the light emission direction and energy intensity according to the by-product distribution data to heat at least part of the area.

[0014] Optionally, the at least partial area is the area where the nozzle arranged on the top of the reaction chamber is located; the number of the photoheaters is multiple; wherein the multiple photoheaters include a first photoheater group and a second photoheater group; the first photoheater group and the second photoheater group have different height differences relative to the top of the reaction chamber.

[0015] Optionally, the area where the nozzle is located is divided into multiple sub-areas; corresponding to the multiple sub-areas, the first photoheater group and the second photoheater group respectively include a corresponding multiple first photoheater sub-groups and multiple second photoheater sub-groups, so as to heat the corresponding sub-areas through the first photoheater sub-group and the second photoheater sub-group.

[0016] In the embodiments provided in the present application, in the case where cleaning byproducts condense in at least a part of the reaction chamber during the first cleaning process, the at least part of the area is heated to perform a second cleaning process, thereby achieving secondary cleaning of the reaction chamber. The unexpected effect is that the cleaning byproducts condensed in at least a part of the area can be effectively cleaned by heating, thereby improving the particulate matter pollution in the reaction chamber caused by the residual cleaning byproducts to a certain extent. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a method for cleaning a reaction chamber provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present application.

[0018] Figure 2 A front view of a reaction chamber provided for one embodiment of the present application.

[0019] Figure 3 A top view of a reaction chamber provided for one embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Figure 4 A front view of a reaction chamber provided for one embodiment of the present application.

[0021] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a light reflectance spectrum provided for one embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the correspondence between each quadrant in a light reflectance spectrum and a light heater provided for one embodiment of the present application.

[0023] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a reaction chamber provided for another embodiment of the present application.

[0024] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a cleaning system for a reaction chamber provided in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the working process of a cleaning system for a reaction chamber provided in yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0026] Description of Reference Numerals

[0027] 10. Reaction chamber; 11. Photoheater; 12. Nozzle; 13. Wafer carrier; 14. Optical sensor; 15. Cleaning assembly; 21. First photoheater group; 22. Second photoheater group; 30. Cleaning system of reaction chamber; 31. Detector; 32. Amplifier and multi-channel analyzer; 33. Data processing module; 34. Data feedback module; 35. Light source emission module. Specific embodiments

[0029] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments.

[0030] In the present application, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and local features may be enlarged or reduced to more clearly show details of the local features.

[0031] Unless otherwise stated, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art of the technical field of this application. The terms used in this application are only for the purpose of describing the specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. The term "and / or" used in this application includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items. The singular forms of "a kind of", "above" and "the" used in the embodiments of this application and the appended claims are also intended to include majority forms, unless the context clearly indicates other meanings.

[0032] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0033] In the description of the present application, terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "height", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of simplified description of the present application, and do not indicate that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0034] In the description of this application, unless otherwise clearly defined, the terms "install", "connect", "connect", "fix", "set", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0035] When the CVD reaction chamber is performing a thin film deposition process, the reaction gas is introduced multiple times, so that in addition to the wafer surface, thin film deposition may also occur on the surfaces of other areas in the reaction chamber, resulting in the presence of CVD process residues in the reaction chamber. For example, due to the large amount of reaction gas passing through the diffusion hole of the nozzle, thin film deposition may occur on its outer surface and inside the diffusion hole. Therefore, the reaction chamber is usually cleaned regularly to remove residues, such as performing a dry clean after processing a certain number of wafers.

[0036] However, after multiple cleanings, the reaction chamber is prone to particle contamination. In this regard, the technicians have found the cause of this problem through analysis.

[0037] Specifically, the cleaning process of the reaction chamber usually uses a remote plasma source (RPS) to dissociate the cleaning gas (such as NF3) into plasma, which is passed into the reaction chamber to react with the residues, and the generated cleaning byproducts are pumped away. Taking metal tungsten CVD as an example, the reaction equation for dry cleaning of the residues in the reaction chamber using NF3 is as follows:

[0038] e+NF3(g)→NF2+F-

[0039] e + F- → F*

[0040] 6F* + W(s) → WF6(g)

[0041] At this time, since there are some areas with lower temperatures in the reaction chamber, the generated cleaning byproducts may condense in the areas with lower temperatures, resulting in incomplete cleaning. After multiple cleanings, the cleaning byproducts will accumulate more, which will cause the thin films deposited in these areas to have weak adhesion and fall off easily, causing particle contamination in the reaction chamber. For example, since the CVD reaction conditions are generally high temperature, and the wafer carrier is very close to the nozzle during the reaction, in order to prevent the reaction gas from reacting prematurely and blocking the diffusion hole of the nozzle, the reaction chamber is usually designed with a circulating cooling water device above the nozzle, so that the nozzle maintains a lower temperature, and the reaction gas can smoothly pass through the diffusion hole to reach the wafer surface for reaction. When cleaning the reaction chamber, since the circulating cooling water above the nozzle is still in a circulating state, the temperature of the nozzle is relatively low, and the cleaning byproducts may condense at a lower temperature, resulting in incomplete cleaning, which is easy to cause particle contamination.

[0042] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a method for cleaning a reaction chamber, which can improve the problem of particle contamination in the reaction chamber to a certain extent.

[0043] See also Figure 1 An embodiment of the present application provides a method for cleaning a reaction chamber, and the cleaning method may specifically include the following steps.

[0044] S110: performing a first cleaning process on the reaction chamber; wherein the first cleaning process generates cleaning byproducts condensed in at least a portion of the reaction chamber.

[0045] In this embodiment, the reaction chamber, as an important component in the semiconductor manufacturing process, can be used to provide the controlled environment required for the CVD thin film deposition process. Specifically, the reaction chamber can have a wafer carrier for accommodating wafers, and can also have a gas introduction system, a temperature control system, and a pressure control system, etc., to ensure that the reaction gas can undergo the expected chemical or physical changes on the surface of the substrate to form a uniform and high-quality film. For example, in the CVD process, the reaction chamber introduces reaction gases and causes these gases to undergo chemical reactions on the surface of the substrate under appropriate temperature and pressure conditions, thereby depositing the desired thin film on the surface of the wafer.

[0046] In this embodiment, the first cleaning process is used to clean the residues in the reaction chamber during the CVD process to ensure that the side walls and internal components of the reaction chamber are not affected by the residues, which may cause the quality of the film produced by the subsequent CVD to decrease or the performance of the device to be damaged. Specifically, the first cleaning process may include a plasma cleaning method, that is, by introducing an inert gas such as argon and exciting it into a plasma state, and using the energy of the plasma to remove the residues in the reaction chamber. For example, in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, the first cleaning process may be performed by introducing nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) gas and exciting it into a plasma. In some embodiments, fluorine-containing gases such as carbon tetrafluoride (CF4) or hydrogen chloride (HCl) may also be used for plasma cleaning. These gases can react with the residues in a plasma state to generate cleaning byproducts that are easy to remove, thereby restoring the clean state of the reaction chamber and ensuring the smooth progress of subsequent processes.

[0047] In this embodiment, the first cleaning process may refer to only one cleaning process. In some embodiments, a plurality of cleaning processes as a whole may serve as the first cleaning process.

[0048] In this embodiment, the cleaning byproduct refers to a substance produced by the interaction between the cleaning gas and the residue during the first cleaning process in the reaction chamber, so as to convert the difficult-to-remove residue into a more easily handled form and remove it from the chamber. Specifically, according to the different reaction principles of the first cleaning process, the cleaning byproducts can be different types of substances. For example, taking the above-mentioned metal tungsten CVD as an example, when nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) is used as a cleaning gas, NF3 in a plasma state will react with the residual tungsten film to generate a gaseous WF6 with high volatility, and WF6 can be discharged outside the reaction chamber through the exhaust system, thereby achieving cleaning. Of course, in some embodiments, based on different cleaning methods and reaction principles, the cleaning byproducts can also be other substances, such as silicon fluoride (SiF4), hydrogen fluoride (HF) and nitrogen (N2).

[0049] In this embodiment, since the reaction chamber has at least some areas with lower temperatures, such as the area where the nozzle is located, the cleaning byproducts will condense in at least some areas during the volatilization process, resulting in incomplete cleaning of the reaction chamber in the first cleaning process. In the case where the first cleaning process includes multiple cleanings, the cleaning byproducts accumulate more, which may cause particle pollution.

[0050] S120: Heating at least a portion of the region to clean cleaning byproducts in at least a portion of the region during a second cleaning process for the reaction chamber.

[0051] In this embodiment, the second cleaning process is used to clean the cleaning byproducts generated in the first cleaning process to achieve secondary cleaning of the reaction chamber. Specifically, the cleaning method of the second cleaning process can be the same as the cleaning method used in the first cleaning process, for example, using the plasma of the same substance to pass into the reaction chamber for cleaning. Of course, a cleaning method different from the first cleaning process can also be used, such as using other substances that can react with the cleaning byproducts and achieve cleaning, and this application does not specifically limit this.

[0052] In this embodiment, heating at least a portion of the area can increase the temperature of at least a portion of the area, provide temperature conditions for the second cleaning process, and improve the efficiency of volatilization of cleaning byproducts in the second cleaning process. Specifically, taking the area where the nozzle is located as an example, before heating, the nozzle can be closed and a circulating cooling water can be installed above the nozzle, and the cooling water can be discharged, and then the temperature of the area can be increased, and the dissociated plasma, such as the dissociated plasma of NF3, can be introduced to react to complete the second cleaning process. The plasma can also be introduced into the reaction chamber after heating and temperature increase.

[0053] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the area may be heated to a target temperature; wherein the target temperature falls within a range of 50 degrees Celsius to 400 degrees Celsius.

[0054] In this embodiment, the specific heating method can be a non-contact heating method such as light heating, that is, by emitting a light source such as laser or infrared light to at least a portion of the area to increase the temperature. Of course, in some embodiments, heating can also be based on other methods. This application does not limit the specific heating method, as long as it can increase the temperature of at least a portion of the area.

[0055] In this embodiment, by heating at least a portion of the reaction chamber, an unexpected effect is that the cleaning by-products can be volatilized more efficiently during the second cleaning process of the reaction chamber, so that the cleaning by-products condensed in at least a portion of the region can be effectively cleaned, thereby improving the particulate matter contamination in the reaction chamber caused by the residual cleaning by-products to a certain extent.

[0056] In some embodiments, a photo heater is disposed on a side wall of the reaction chamber; and the step of heating at least a portion of the area to clean cleaning byproducts in at least a portion of the area during a second cleaning process for the reaction chamber includes: heating at least a portion of the area using the photo heater.

[0057] In some embodiments, Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , a wafer carrier 13 and a shower head 12 at the top are arranged in the reaction chamber 10. A plurality of light heaters 11 are arranged on the side wall of the reaction chamber 10, and the light heaters 11 are used to heat the area where the shower head is located.

[0058] In some embodiments, the light heater can be used to emit light to at least a portion of the area to achieve temperature increase. Specifically, the light heater can be of different types depending on the type of light source. For example, the light heater can be an infrared heater that emits infrared light, or a laser heater that emits laser light, or an LED heater, a halogen heater, etc.

[0059] In some embodiments, when a laser heater is used to heat at least a portion of the area, the wavelength of the laser used is within the range of 1000nm to 20000nm. Since the cleaning byproducts are usually a variety of inorganic compounds, they have a very high absorption rate for short-wavelength lasers and will not generate excessive heat. Therefore, when the wavelength of the laser used for laser heating is within the range of 1000nm to 20000nm, the heating effect is better.

[0060] In some embodiments, the optical heater may be disposed on the side wall of the reaction chamber, and multiple optical heaters may be disposed. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , a plurality of photoheaters 11 may be disposed on the side wall of the reaction chamber 10, and the plurality of photoheaters 11 may be arranged at equal intervals around the central axis of the reaction chamber 10. The specific number of the photoheaters 11 may be determined according to Figure 3 As shown in the figure, 8 are set, and it can also be 6 or 10. This application does not make any specific limitation on this and can be flexibly adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0061] In some embodiments, due to the position of the light heater and the opacity of the reaction chamber material, the light emission angle of the light heater can fall between 0° and 90°. Of course, in some embodiments, the light emission angle of the light heater falls within the range of 30° to 60°, which can basically cover at least part of the area that needs to be heated, and can also reduce the waste of light sources to a certain extent.

[0062] In some embodiments, the cleaning method may also include: obtaining byproduct distribution data for representing the distribution of cleaning byproducts in at least a portion of the area; and the step of using a photo heater to heat at least a portion of the area includes: adjusting the light emission direction and energy intensity of the photo heater according to the byproduct distribution data to heat at least a portion of the area.

[0063] In some embodiments, the byproduct distribution data can reflect the distribution information of the cleaning byproducts in at least a portion of the area, including specific location information and cumulative amount information of the cleaning byproducts, so as to determine which positions in at least a portion of the area produce cleaning byproducts, and which positions produce more cleaning byproducts, and which positions produce less cleaning byproducts. Specifically, the distribution of cleaning byproducts can be reflected by different distribution information, so the corresponding byproduct distribution data may also be different depending on the type of distribution information. For example, the byproduct distribution data may include but is not limited to concentration data, signal intensity data, spectral intensity data, image data, etc.

[0064] In some embodiments, by-product distribution data can be obtained to evaluate the distribution of cleaning by-products in at least part of the area, so as to provide a data basis for subsequent cleaning to optimize the cleaning method. Specifically, for example, to obtain by-product distribution data, a camera or imaging device can be used to capture an image in the reaction chamber, and the grayscale value corresponding to each area or position in the reaction chamber can be identified by image analysis technology, and used as by-product distribution data. For another example, to obtain by-product distribution data, an electrochemical sensor can also be used to detect the presence and concentration of a specific chemical substance. Therefore, the response intensity of the electrochemical sensor detected at different positions can also be used as by-product distribution data.

[0065] In some embodiments, the distribution of cleaning byproducts in the reaction chamber can also be monitored by acquiring the byproduct distribution data, and the byproduct distribution data can be used as a condition to trigger whether to perform the second cleaning process. Specifically, for example, a specified threshold value can be preset for the average value of the byproduct distribution data, and the specified threshold value can be used as a criterion for judging whether the second cleaning process is needed. When the average value of the byproduct distribution data is lower than the specified threshold value, it means that there are fewer cleaning byproducts in the reaction chamber and no cleaning is needed temporarily. When the average value of the byproduct distribution data is higher than the specified threshold value, it means that there are more cleaning byproducts in the reaction chamber and cleaning is needed. At this time, the second cleaning process can be started.

[0066] In some embodiments, the light emission direction and energy intensity of the photoheater are adjusted according to the byproduct distribution data, which can be used to optimize the heating method according to the distribution of the cleaning byproducts to improve the cleaning efficiency of the second cleaning process. Specifically, for example, for a location where a large amount of cleaning byproducts are accumulated, the emission direction and energy intensity of the photoheater for that location can be adjusted so that the location is exposed to stronger light, thereby increasing the local temperature, promoting the reaction and volatilization of the cleaning byproducts, and improving the cleaning efficiency. Conversely, for a location where there are no cleaning byproducts or where there are less accumulations of cleaning byproducts, light reflection to that location may not be performed or the energy intensity of the emitted light may be appropriately reduced to avoid excessive heating.

[0067] In some embodiments, a wafer carrier is provided in the reaction chamber; an optical sensor is installed on the wafer carrier; the step of obtaining by-product distribution data for representing the distribution of cleaning by-products in at least a partial area includes: emitting light to at least a partial area and receiving reflected light signals through the optical sensor; detecting the intensity of the reflected light signal to obtain light reflectivity data of at least a partial area; the light reflectivity data is used as the by-product distribution data.

[0068] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 An optical sensor 14 is disposed on the wafer carrier 13. The optical sensor 14 has a transmitting end and a receiving end. The optical sensor 14 transmits light to the area where the nozzle 12 is located through the transmitting end, and receives the reflected light signal through the receiving end.

[0069] In some embodiments, the optical sensor may be installed at the center of the wafer carrier. Of course, the number of optical sensors may be multiple, such as 4, 5, etc. In addition to the one installed at the center of the wafer carrier, the remaining optical sensors may be arranged at equal intervals around the center. In this way, the accuracy of the obtained light reflectance data may be improved.

[0070] In some embodiments, since the cleaning byproducts are usually metal compounds with rough surfaces, and the locations where there are no cleaning byproducts in at least a portion of the area are usually smooth metal materials, there is a significant difference in the reflectivity (REF) of these two substances to light. Therefore, the distribution of the cleaning byproducts in at least a portion of the area can be determined based on the light reflectivity data. Specifically, the light reflectivity data can be a map data corresponding to the light reflectivity of at least a portion of the area presented in the form of a map. For example, in Figure 5In the light reflectivity spectrum shown, the red part indicates that the light reflectivity data is large, indicating that there are fewer cleaning byproducts at this location, while the blue part indicates that the light reflectivity data is small, indicating that there are more inorganic substances at this location that absorb light waves, resulting in a smaller wavelength of light reflected back, so more cleaning byproducts accumulate at this location. The specific location of the cleaning byproducts can be accurately and quickly located through the light reflectivity spectrum data.

[0071] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the area is an area where a nozzle is located at the top of the reaction chamber; there are multiple photoheaters; wherein, according to the different height differences of the photoheaters relative to the top of the reaction chamber, the multiple photoheaters are divided into a first photoheater group and a second photoheater group; according to the by-product distribution data, the light emission direction and energy intensity of the photoheater are adjusted to heat at least a portion of the area, including: when the average value of the by-product distribution data is greater than or equal to a first specified threshold, the multiple photoheaters are not turned on; or, when the average value of the by-product distribution data is less than a second specified threshold, the multiple photoheaters are all turned on; or, when the average value of the by-product distribution data falls between the first specified threshold and the second specified threshold, one of the first photoheater group and the second photoheater group is turned on.

[0072] In some embodiments, after the optical sensor receives the reflected light signal, the light signal can be fed back to the data processing module through the detector, amplifier and multi-channel analyzer, and presented in the form of a spectrum. According to the coordinate data on the spectrum, the specific light heater that needs to be turned on can be determined.

[0073] In some embodiments, two groups of photoheaters can be provided so as to adjust the number of photoheaters to be turned on according to the distribution of cleaning byproducts in the area where the nozzle is located. Specifically, for example, when it is determined that there are more cleaning byproducts in the area where the nozzle is located, two groups of photoheaters can be turned on at the same time to improve the cleaning efficiency. When there are fewer cleaning byproducts in the area where the nozzle is located, only one group of photoheaters can be turned on.

[0074] In some embodiments, two groups of photoheater groups can be arranged at different height planes of the reaction chamber. Specifically, the two groups of photoheater groups can be composed of a first photoheater group and a second photoheater group. Among them, the height difference between the photoheater in the first photoheater group and the photoheater in the second photoheater group relative to the top of the reaction chamber can be different. For example, the side wall of the reaction chamber can be divided into an upper side wall and a lower side wall by a plane passing through the center point of the reaction chamber and parallel to the top. The photoheater in the first photoheater group can be arranged on the upper side wall, and the photoheater in the second photoheater group can be arranged on the lower side wall.

[0075] In some embodiments, the average value of the byproduct distribution data can be used to reflect the overall accumulation of cleaning byproducts in the area where the nozzle is located. Specifically, for example, the byproduct distribution data can be in the form of a light reflectance spectrum, and the average value of the byproduct distribution data can be obtained by calculating the average value of each coordinate value in the spectrum.

[0076] In some embodiments, the first specified threshold value can be used as a preset standard for determining that the area where the nozzle is located is relatively clean as a whole. Specifically, the first specified threshold value can be a preset light reflectivity threshold value. When the average value of the byproduct distribution data exceeds the first specified threshold value, it means that there are few cleaning byproducts in the area where the nozzle is located as a whole, and cleaning is not required. At this time, both sets of light heaters can be turned off.

[0077] Similarly, the second specified threshold value can be used as a preset standard for determining that there are more cleaning byproducts in the area where the nozzle is located. Specifically, the second specified threshold value can also be a preset light reflectivity threshold value. When the average value of the byproduct distribution data does not exceed the second specified threshold value, it means that there are more cleaning byproducts that need to be cleaned in the area where the nozzle is located. At this time, the two groups of light heaters can be turned on at the same time to perform the second cleaning process.

[0078] It can be understood that when the average value of the byproduct distribution data is between the first specified threshold value and the second specified threshold value, only one of the first photoheater group and the second photoheater group can be turned on. Specifically, for example, the first specified threshold value can be set to 0.9, and the second specified threshold value can be set to 0.98. Of course, in some embodiments, the first specified threshold value and the second specified threshold value can also be flexibly set and adjusted according to the type of byproduct distribution data, and this application does not specifically limit this.

[0079] In some embodiments, the area where the nozzle is located is divided into multiple sub-areas; corresponding to the multiple sub-areas, the first photoheater group and the second photoheater group are respectively divided into corresponding multiple first photoheater sub-groups and multiple second photoheater sub-groups; accordingly, according to the by-product distribution data, the step of adjusting the light emission direction and energy intensity of the photoheater to heat at least part of the area includes: according to the by-product distribution data, obtaining the sub-area by-product distribution data corresponding to each sub-area; among the multiple sub-areas, if there is a target sub-area whose average value of the sub-area by-product distribution data is less than a first specified threshold, turning on the first photoheater sub-group and the second photoheater sub-group corresponding to the target sub-area; or, among the multiple sub-areas, if there is a target sub-area whose average value of the sub-area by-product distribution data falls between the first specified threshold and the second specified threshold, turning on one of the first photoheater sub-group and the second photoheater sub-group corresponding to the target sub-area.

[0080] In some embodiments, in order to make the control of the optical heater more precise and to heat the area where the nozzle is located more flexibly, the area where the nozzle is located can be divided into multiple sub-areas, and a corresponding optical heater can be assigned to each sub-area for heating control, which can improve the flexibility and accuracy of heating the area where the nozzle is located, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the second cleaning process.

[0081] Specifically, as an example, the area where the nozzle is located can be divided into four sub-areas by mutually perpendicular axes passing through the center. The map formed by the acquired byproduct distribution data of the area where the nozzle is located can be as follows: Figure 6 As shown in . Corresponding to the four sub-regions, the spectrum formed by the byproduct distribution data is also divided into four quadrants. The coordinate data in each quadrant represents the light reflectance of each position in the corresponding sub-region. Figure 6 The red numbers 1-4 represent the four divided quadrants. Corresponding to the four sub-areas, the first photoheater group and the second photoheater group can be divided into a plurality of corresponding first photoheater sub-groups and a plurality of second photoheater sub-groups, respectively, wherein the first photoheater sub-groups can share the same photoheater, and the second photoheater sub-groups can also share the same photoheater. Figure 6As shown in , the first photoheater group and the second photoheater group include 8 photoheaters P1-P8, and L1-L8, respectively. Among them, corresponding to the 4 sub-areas and the 4 quadrants in the atlas, the multiple first photoheater sub-groups can be respectively: L1, L7, L8 corresponding to quadrant 1, L5, L6, L7 corresponding to quadrant 2, L1, L4, L5 corresponding to quadrant 3, and L1, L2, L3 corresponding to quadrant 4. Similarly, the multiple second photoheater sub-groups can be respectively: P1, P7, P8 corresponding to quadrant 1, P5, P6, P7 corresponding to quadrant 2, P1, P4, P5 corresponding to quadrant 3, and P1, P2, P3 corresponding to quadrant 4. When the sub-area byproduct distribution data corresponding to each sub-area, that is, the coordinate data in each quadrant, is obtained, the corresponding first photoheater sub-group and / or second photoheater sub-group can be selected to be turned on for the sub-area according to the judgment logic in the aforementioned embodiment. For example, when the average value of the by-product distribution data of the corresponding sub-region in quadrant 1 is less than 0.9, L1, L8, L7 and P1, P8, P7 are activated; when the average value of the by-product distribution data of the corresponding sub-region in quadrant 2 is less than 0.9, L7, L6, L5 and P7, P6, P5 are activated; when the average value of the by-product distribution data of the corresponding sub-region in quadrant 3 is less than 0.9, L1, L4, L5 and P3, P4, P5 are activated; when the average value of the by-product distribution data of the corresponding sub-region in quadrant 4 is less than 0.9, L3, L2, L1 and P3, P2, P1 are activated; when the average value of the by-product distribution data of the corresponding sub-region in quadrant 1 is less than 0.9, L3, L2, L1 and P3, P2, P1 are activated. When the average value of the distribution data is greater than or equal to 0.9 and less than 0.98, L1, L8, L7 or P1, P8, P7 are started; when the average value of the by-product distribution data of the corresponding sub-area in quadrant 2 is greater than or equal to 0.9 and less than 0.98, L7, L6, L5 or P7, P6, P5 are started; when the average value of the by-product distribution data of the corresponding sub-area in quadrant 3 is greater than or equal to 0.9 and less than 0.98, L1, L4, L5 or P3, P4, P5 are started; when the average value of the by-product distribution data of the corresponding sub-area in quadrant 4 is greater than or equal to 0.9 and less than 0.98, L3, L2, L1 or P3, P2, P1 are started.

[0082] In some embodiments, by dividing the area where the nozzle is located into multiple sub-areas for zone heating, an unexpected effect is that while effectively cleaning the cleaning by-products, it can also reduce the etching loss on the nozzle surface and increase the service life of the nozzle.

[0083] See also Figure 7 One embodiment of the present application also provides a reaction chamber. Figure 7As shown, a cleaning component 15 is disposed in the reaction chamber 10; wherein the cleaning component 15 includes a photo heater 11 disposed on the side wall of the reaction chamber; the photo heater 11 is used to heat at least a portion of the area of ​​the reaction chamber 10 where condensed cleaning by-products are generated during a first cleaning process, so that a second cleaning process for the reaction chamber 10 can clean the cleaning by-products in at least a portion of the area.

[0084] In some embodiments, a wafer carrier 13 is disposed in the reaction chamber 10; the cleaning component 15 also includes an optical sensor 14 disposed on the wafer carrier 13; the optical sensor 14 is used to obtain byproduct distribution data representing the distribution of cleaning byproducts in at least a partial area, so that the optical heater can adjust the light emission direction and energy intensity according to the byproduct distribution data to heat at least a partial area.

[0085] In some embodiments, the at least partial area is the area where the nozzle is located; the number of the photoheaters is multiple; wherein the multiple photoheaters include a first photoheater group and a second photoheater group; the first photoheater group and the second photoheater group have different height differences relative to the top of the reaction chamber.

[0086] In some embodiments, Figure 7 As shown in , a nozzle 12 is also provided at the top of the reaction chamber 10, and at least part of the area is the area where the nozzle 12 is located. A first photoheater group 21 and a second photoheater group 22 are provided on the side wall of the reaction chamber 10, and the first photoheater group 21 includes photoheaters L1-L8, and the second photoheater group 22 includes photoheaters P1-P8. Among them, the photoheaters P1-P8 can be located in the same plane and have a first height difference relative to the top of the reaction chamber. The photoheaters L1-L8 can be located in the same plane and have a second height difference different from the first height difference relative to the top of the reaction chamber 10. In some embodiments, the first photoheater group 21 can be arranged in the upper half of the reaction chamber 10 near the top, and the second photoheater group 22 can be arranged in the lower half of the reaction chamber 10 near the bottom.

[0087] In some embodiments, by controlling the opening or closing of the photo heaters in the first photo heater group 21 and the second photo heater group 22, the area where the nozzle 12 is located can be heated according to the residual amount of cleaning byproducts in the area where the nozzle 12 is located through the acquired byproduct distribution data. The specific control method and process can refer to the description in the aforementioned embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0088] In some embodiments, the area where the nozzle is located is divided into multiple sub-areas; corresponding to the multiple sub-areas, the first photoheater group and the second photoheater group respectively include a corresponding multiple first photoheater sub-groups and multiple second photoheater sub-groups, so as to heat the corresponding sub-areas through the first photoheater sub-group and the second photoheater sub-group.

[0089] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 , the area where the nozzle 12 is located can be divided into 4 sub-areas, corresponding to Figure 6 The four quadrants in the spectrum formed by the byproduct distribution data shown. Among them, each sub-region can correspond to a first photoheater subgroup and a second photoheater subgroup, so that according to the obtained sub-region byproduct distribution data corresponding to each sub-region, the sub-region can be heated by controlling the opening or closing of the photoheaters in the first photoheater subgroup and the second photoheater subgroup corresponding to the sub-region, so as to improve the flexibility and accuracy of the area where the heating nozzle 12 is located, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the second cleaning process. Specifically, the control method and process can also refer to the description in the aforementioned embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0090] For other explanations about the reaction chamber and its components, please refer to the aforementioned embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0091] See also Figure 8 and Fig. 9 One embodiment of the present application also provides a cleaning system for a reaction chamber. Figure 8 As shown, the reaction chamber cleaning system 30 may include a reaction chamber 10 , a detector 31 , an amplifier and a multi-channel analyzer 32 , a data processing module 33 , a data feedback module 34 , and a light source emission module 35 .

[0092] In this embodiment, when the reaction chamber 10 needs to be subjected to a second cleaning process, the cleaning system 30 of the reaction chamber may perform the following steps: Fig. 9 The steps shown in the figure are used to remove the cleaning byproducts of at least a part of the area of ​​the reaction chamber 10. Specifically, when the triggering condition of the second cleaning process is met, first, the optical sensor of the reaction chamber 10 emits light to at least a part of the area where the second cleaning process is required and then reflects it back to the receiving end of the optical sensor. The received signal of the byproduct distribution data is transmitted to the detector 31 through the signal line, and is fed back to the data processing module 33 through the amplifier and the multi-channel analyzer 32. The byproduct distribution data is presented in the form of a spectrum, and then the data feedback module 34 feeds back the coordinate data on the spectrum to the light source emission module 35 to determine the light heater that needs to be turned on. In some embodiments, the light source emission module 35 can also be used as a part of the light heater and integrated in the light heater.

[0093] In this embodiment, when the optical heater starts heating and performs the second cleaning process, the cleaning system 30 of the reaction chamber can also detect at least part of the area where the second cleaning process is performed, such as detecting the light reflectivity through an optical sensor. When the preset condition is met, the second cleaning process is stopped. If the preset condition is not met, the optical sensor continues to obtain the byproduct distribution data and controls the optical heater to heat through the data processing module 33 and the data feedback module 34 until the result of detecting at least part of the area where the second cleaning process is performed meets the preset condition.

[0094] It should be understood that the specific examples in this article are only intended to help those skilled in the art to better understand the embodiments of the present application, rather than to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0095] It can be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial number of each process does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0096] It can be understood that the various embodiments described in this application can be implemented individually or in combination, and the embodiments of this application are not limited to this.

[0097] Unless otherwise stated, all technical and scientific terms used in the embodiments of the present application are the same as the meanings generally understood by those skilled in the art of the technical field of the present application. The terms used in the present application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. The term "and / or" used in the present application includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items. The singular forms "a kind of", "above" and "the" used in the embodiments of the present application and the appended claims are also intended to include majority forms, unless the context clearly indicates other meanings.

[0098] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present application, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the present technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for cleaning a reaction chamber, characterized in that: The cleaning method of the reaction chamber comprises: The reaction chamber is subjected to a first cleaning process; the first cleaning process is used to clean the residues in the reaction chamber during the chemical vapor deposition process; wherein, in the first cleaning process, the cleaning gas used reacts with the residues to produce cleaning byproducts, and the cleaning byproducts condense and accumulate in at least a portion of the reaction chamber; wherein the temperature of the at least portion of the reaction chamber is lower than that of other regions of the reaction chamber; The at least partial region is heated to clean cleaning byproducts in the at least partial region during a second cleaning process for the reaction chamber.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the step of heating the at least partial area to clean the cleaning byproducts of the at least partial area during the second cleaning process for the reaction chamber, the at least partial area is heated to a target temperature; wherein the target temperature falls within the range of 50 degrees Celsius to 400 degrees Celsius.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that A light heater is provided on the side wall of the reaction chamber; and the step of heating the at least part of the area to clean the cleaning byproducts of the at least part of the area during the second cleaning process for the reaction chamber comprises: The at least partial area is heated using the photoheater.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The cleaning method of the reaction chamber further includes: Acquiring byproduct distribution data for indicating the distribution of cleaning byproducts in the at least partial area; The step of heating the at least part of the area using the light heater comprises: The light emission direction and energy intensity of the light heater are adjusted according to the byproduct distribution data to heat the at least partial area.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that A wafer carrying platform is arranged in the reaction chamber; An optical sensor is installed on the wafer carrying platform; The step of obtaining byproduct distribution data for representing the distribution of cleaning byproducts in at least part of the area comprises: Using the optical sensor, emitting light to the at least partial area and receiving reflected light signals; The intensity of the reflected light signal is detected to obtain light reflectivity data of at least part of the area; the light reflectivity data is used as the by-product distribution data.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The at least partial area is the area where the nozzles arranged on the top of the reaction chamber are located; the number of the photoheaters is multiple; wherein the multiple photoheaters are divided into a first photoheater group and a second photoheater group according to different height differences of the photoheaters relative to the top of the reaction chamber; The step of adjusting the light emission direction and energy intensity of the light heater according to the byproduct distribution data to heat at least part of the area comprises: When the average value of the byproduct distribution data is greater than or equal to the first specified threshold, none of the plurality of photoheaters are turned on; or, When the average value of the byproduct distribution data is less than a second specified threshold, the plurality of light heaters are all in an on state; or, When the average value of the byproduct distribution data falls between the first designated threshold value and the second designated threshold value, one of the first photoheater group and the second photoheater group is turned on.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The area where the nozzle is located is divided into a plurality of sub-areas; corresponding to the plurality of sub-areas, the first photoheater group and the second photoheater group are respectively divided into a plurality of first photoheater sub-groups and a plurality of second photoheater sub-groups; Accordingly, the step of adjusting the light emission direction and energy intensity of the light heater according to the byproduct distribution data to heat the at least part of the area includes: According to the by-product distribution data, obtaining sub-region by-product distribution data corresponding to each sub-region; In the case where there is a target sub-region among the multiple sub-regions where the average value of the sub-region byproduct distribution data is less than the first specified threshold, turning on the first photoheater subgroup and the second photoheater subgroup corresponding to the target sub-region; or If, among the multiple sub-regions, there is a target sub-region where the average value of the sub-region byproduct distribution data falls between the first specified threshold and the second specified threshold, one of the first photoheater subgroup and the second photoheater subgroup corresponding to the target sub-region is turned on.

8. A reaction chamber, characterized in that: A cleaning component is disposed in the reaction chamber; wherein the cleaning component comprises a light heater disposed on a side wall of the reaction chamber; the light heater is used to heat at least a portion of the reaction chamber so that a second cleaning process for the reaction chamber can clean cleaning byproducts in at least a portion of the region; In which, in a first cleaning process for cleaning residues in a reaction chamber during a chemical vapor deposition process, cleaning by-products are generated in the reaction chamber after the cleaning gas used reacts with the residues, and the cleaning by-products are condensed and accumulated in at least a portion of the reaction chamber; wherein the temperature of at least a portion of the reaction chamber is lower than that of other areas of the reaction chamber.

9. The reaction chamber according to claim 8, characterized in that: A wafer carrier is arranged in the reaction chamber; the cleaning component also includes an optical sensor arranged on the wafer carrier; the optical sensor is used to obtain by-product distribution data representing the distribution of cleaning by-products in at least part of the area, so that the optical heater can adjust the light emission direction and energy intensity according to the by-product distribution data to heat at least part of the area.

10. The reaction chamber according to claim 9, characterized in that: The at least partial area is the area where the nozzle arranged on the top of the reaction chamber is located; the number of the photoheaters is multiple; wherein the multiple photoheaters include a first photoheater group and a second photoheater group; the first photoheater group and the second photoheater group have different height differences relative to the top of the reaction chamber.

11. The reaction chamber according to claim 10, characterized in that: The area where the nozzle is located is divided into multiple sub-areas; corresponding to the multiple sub-areas, the first photoheater group and the second photoheater group respectively include corresponding multiple first photoheater sub-groups and multiple second photoheater sub-groups, so as to heat the corresponding sub-areas through the first photoheater sub-group and the second photoheater sub-group.

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