Rotary batch epitaxy equipment and preparation method thereof
By designing rotary batch epitaxial equipment, combining selective epitaxial and full epitaxial processes, and using plasma etching and heating volatile cavity for surface pretreatment, the problem that existing equipment cannot achieve technical fusion is solved, and the electrical performance of the chip is improved. Efficiency of epitaxial film generation.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202411566284.0
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-05
- Publication Date
- 2025-02-07
- Estimated Expiration
- 2044-11-05
AI Technical Summary
Existing semiconductor epitaxial devices cannot achieve the integration of selective epitaxial and full epitaxial technology, resulting in adhesion and nano-microparticle generation during unloading, affecting the chip's yield and electrical performance.
A rotary batch epitaxial device is designed, including a wafer loading system, a plasma etching chamber, a heating volatilization chamber and a symmetrical right and left reaction module. The selective epitaxial and full epitaxial processes are realized through robotics and wafer boat transmission mechanisms. In combination, surface pretreatment is performed using plasma etching and heating volatile chambers to ensure clean wafer surfaces.
The integration of selective epitaxial and full epitaxial technology is achieved, avoiding adhesion and rupture between the wafer and wafer, reducing epitaxial temperature and growth time, clarifying the boundaries of Si and SiGe layers, improving the electrical performance of the chip, and improving the The generation efficiency of epitaxial films is achieved.
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Figure CN119392365A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The invention relates to a semiconductor epitaxial device, and in particular to a rotary batch epitaxial device and a preparation method thereof. Background Art
[0002] Semiconductor epitaxial equipment mainly grows a new semiconductor crystal layer on the substrate material, called an epitaxial layer. The epitaxial process refers to growing a layer of single crystal material with the same lattice arrangement as the substrate on a single crystal substrate. The epitaxial layer can be a homogeneous epitaxial layer (Si / Si) or a heterogeneous epitaxial layer (SiGe / Si or SiC / Si, etc.). At present, mainstream semiconductor epitaxial equipment manufacturers use the technology of stacking epitaxial layers vertically and arranging and connecting them horizontally, but this technology is limited by the lateral space of the wafer. According to the growth method, the epitaxial process can be divided into two categories: BlanketEpi and SelectiveEpi. The temperature of the BlanketEpi process is controlled between 300-600℃, and the growth rate is relatively fast. During epitaxy, thin film deposition will occur inside the reaction chamber. The wafer in the reaction chamber is loaded on a wafer boat. After the thin film deposition exceeds 1 to 3 μm, the thin film deposited at the contact point between the wafer boat and the wafer will adhere, resulting in the following two situations when the wafer is unloaded from the wafer boat: a. The thin film breaks at the adhesion point; b. When the wafer is unloaded, nano-particles are generated, affecting the surface quality of the wafer in the reaction chamber and reducing the chip yield. Compared with the full epitaxy process, selective epitaxy can form an epitaxial layer only on the surface of the wafer. The process temperature is controlled between 600-800°C, and the growth rate is slower than that of full epitaxy. Etching gases such as HCl and Cl2 are introduced during the process. The selectivity of epitaxial growth is achieved by adjusting the relative rates of epitaxial growth and in-situ etching. When the selective epitaxy process generates Si and SiGe epitaxial stacks, due to the high process temperature, the Ge element in the SiGe layer generated after a period of reaction will diffuse into the adjacent Si layer, resulting in a blurred boundary between the Si layer and the SiGe layer. In some applications, the electrical performance of the chip will be reduced;
[0003] Chinese patent CN106663604B proposes a method and device for batch processing of substrates during epitaxial film formation, which transports the substrates to a transfer chamber, and a robot in the transfer chamber transfers the substrates to multiple pre-cleaning chambers. In the multiple pre-cleaning chambers, oxides (such as natural oxides) on the surfaces of the substrates can be removed in batches, and uniform epitaxial deposition is achieved during batch processing of the substrates, thereby increasing substrate production. However, the above technology cannot achieve the integration of selective epitaxy and full epitaxy technology. The present invention proposes a solution to the above problem as follows. Summary of the invention
[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a rotary batch epitaxial growth device and a preparation method thereof, which solves the problem that the existing wafer batch epitaxial growth device cannot realize the integration of selective epitaxy and full epitaxy technology.
[0005] The above technical objectives of the present invention are achieved through the following technical solutions:
[0006] A rotary batch epitaxial device, comprising a wafer loading system, a front-end module of the device, a left wafer vacuum chamber, a right wafer vacuum chamber, a wafer transfer chamber, a plasma etching chamber, a heating volatilization chamber, a right reaction module, and a left reaction module. The wafer loading system is used to place wafer boxes, each of which is loaded with 25 wafers. The front-end module of the device has a manipulator that takes out the wafers from the wafer box on the wafer loading system, and carries them to the left wafer vacuum chamber and the right wafer vacuum chamber after calibration and positioning. The wafer transfer chamber has a manipulator that can grab the wafers in the wafer vacuum chamber. The robot loads a single wafer and transports it to a subsequent reaction chamber. The plasma etching chamber performs the first wafer pretreatment. The plasma in the chamber reacts with the oxide on the wafer surface and converts it into volatile substances. The heating volatilization chamber performs the second wafer pretreatment. By increasing the chamber temperature, the volatile substances converted in the plasma etching chamber can be heated and sublimated. The internal structures of the right reaction module and the left reaction module are symmetrical to each other, and both can perform full epitaxy and selective epitaxy processes. The circuits and gas path modules of the two reaction modules are independent of each other, and epitaxy processes can be performed simultaneously.
[0007] Preferably, the wafer left vacuum chamber and the wafer right vacuum chamber are transition chambers to achieve switching between atmospheric environment and vacuum environment.
[0008] Preferably, the right reaction module and the left reaction module both include a vacuum loading chamber, a gas path control unit, a wafer transfer valve, a circuit control unit, a wafer boat transmission mechanism, a heater, a reaction chamber door, a wafer boat, and a reaction chamber. The pre-treated wafers in the vacuum loading chamber are sequentially loaded onto the wafer boat. The wafer boat transmission mechanism can realize the lifting and rotating functions of the wafer boat, so that the wafer boat loaded with wafers can enter the reaction chamber for epitaxial process, and the wafer boat can load 50-80 wafers at a time.
[0009] Preferably, the heater is installed outside the reaction chamber to change the temperature conditions of epitaxial growth.
[0010] Preferably, the reaction chamber door is used to seal the reaction chamber when the wafer boat is in the vacuum loading chamber to load wafers, thereby avoiding temperature loss in the reaction chamber.
[0011] Preferably, the wafer transfer valve is installed in the vacuum loading chamber, and the robot in the wafer transfer chamber transfers the wafer into the vacuum loading chamber through the wafer transfer valve.
[0012] Preferably, the circuit control unit provides electrical control for the epitaxial reaction process, and the gas circuit control unit provides pneumatic control for the epitaxial reaction process.
[0013] A method for preparing a rotating batch epitaxial device, applied to the above-mentioned epitaxial device, comprises the following steps:
[0014] Step 1: transport the wafer box to the wafer box loading platform. The atmospheric manipulator in the front-end module of the equipment moves the wafers in the wafer box to the front-end module of the equipment for calibration and positioning, and then moves them to the wafer vacuum chamber. The wafer vacuum chamber is now converted from the atmospheric environment to the vacuum environment. After the vacuum environment is completely converted, the manipulator in the wafer transfer chamber grabs the single wafer in the wafer vacuum chamber and sends it to the plasma etching chamber for the first surface pretreatment to convert the oxide on the wafer surface into a volatile solid substance. After the reaction is completed, the manipulator in the wafer transfer chamber takes the wafer out of the plasma etching chamber and puts it into the heated volatilization chamber to heat and sublimate the volatile substances on the wafer surface. When the reaction is completed, the wafer surface pretreatment is completed.
[0015] Step 2. The robot in the wafer transfer room places the pre-treated wafers into the reaction module for selective epitaxial process. The robot loads the pre-treated wafers onto the wafer boat one by one. During the process of loading the wafers, the wafer boat descends from its original position to the lowest position. During this process, the wafer boat automatically adjusts its height to accommodate each wafer. After loading, the wafer boat conveying mechanism rotates from the initial position to the working position. At this time, the reaction chamber door is opened, and the wafer boat conveying mechanism loads the wafer boat and continues to rise, and the reaction chamber is sealed, and the temperature and process gas are adjusted to perform selective epitaxial process.
[0016] Step 3: After completing the selective epitaxial process, the wafer boat in the right reaction module returns to the vacuum loading chamber, and the robot in the wafer transfer chamber transfers all the wafers in the right reaction module to the left reaction module for a full epitaxial process. After the process is completed, the wafers are transported back to the wafer box of the front-end module of the equipment, and the empty wafer boat continues to be transported back to the reaction chamber by the wafer boat transfer mechanism, and clean gas is introduced to complete the cleaning of the reaction chamber and the wafer boat, thus completing an epitaxial process.
[0017] Beneficial effects:
[0018] The present invention adopts a combination of selective epitaxy and full epitaxy, first performing selective epitaxy and then full epitaxy, a. avoiding adhesion and rupture between the wafer boat and the wafer, b. reducing the epitaxial temperature and the growth time, so that the boundary between the Si and SiGe layers is clear and the electrical performance of the chip is improved; adopting a multi-wafer batch reaction method, 50-80 wafers can be loaded on the wafer boat into the reaction chamber, which greatly improves the reaction efficiency. Single-wafer reaction equipment usually only grows on the front side of the wafer. When the film thickness generated by epitaxy is thick, the wafer will undergo stress deformation, which seriously affects the yield, so single-wafer equipment usually cannot generate thicker films. The present invention adopts furnace tube type reaction equipment to perform epitaxial growth on the front and back sides of the wafer, and when a thicker film is generated on the wafer surface, no large stress deformation will occur; the plasma in the plasma oxide removal chamber reacts with the oxide on the wafer surface to generate volatile solid substances attached to the wafer surface; the heated volatilization chamber heats and sublimates the volatile solid substances attached to the wafer surface to obtain a clean wafer surface, thereby effectively improving the quality of epitaxial film growth. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Figure 1 A top view of a rotating batch epitaxial device;
[0020] Figure 2 It is an external structural diagram of a reaction module in a rotary batch epitaxial growth device;
[0021] Figure 3 It is a diagram of the internal structure of a reaction module in a rotary batch epitaxial device;
[0022] Figure 4 A combined structural diagram of a wafer boat transport mechanism and a wafer boat in a rotary batch epitaxial device;
[0023] Figure 5 is a side cross-sectional view of a wafer transfer mode a in a rotating batch epitaxial device;
[0024] Figure 6 is a side cross-sectional view of a wafer transfer mode b in a rotating batch epitaxial device;
[0025] Figure 7 A top view of wafer transfer mode a in a rotating batch epitaxial device;
[0026] Figure 8 A top view of wafer transfer mode b in a rotating batch epitaxial growth device.
[0027] Reference numerals:
[0028] 101. Wafer loading system; 102. Equipment front-end module; 103a. Wafer left vacuum chamber; 103b. Wafer right vacuum chamber; 104. Wafer transfer chamber; 105. Plasma etching chamber; 106. Heating volatilization chamber; 200. Reaction module; 200a. Right reaction module; 200b. Left reaction module; 201. Vacuum loading chamber; 202. Gas path control unit; 203. Wafer transfer valve; 204. Circuit control unit; 205. Wafer boat transmission mechanism; 206. Heater; 207. Reaction chamber door; 208. Wafer boat; 209. Reaction chamber. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] The following is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the protection scope is not limited to this embodiment. All technical solutions under the concept of the present invention should belong to the protection scope of the present invention. At the same time, it should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, some improvements and modifications without departing from the principle of the present invention should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.
[0030] like Figure 1-8 As shown, a rotary batch epitaxial growth device includes a wafer loading system 101, a device front-end module 102, a wafer left vacuum chamber 103a, a wafer right vacuum chamber 103b, a wafer transfer chamber 104, a plasma etching chamber 105, a heating volatilization chamber 106, a right reaction module 200a, and a left reaction module 200b. The wafer loading system 101 is used to place wafer boxes, each of which is loaded with 25 wafers. The device front-end module 102 has a robot to take out the wafers from the wafer box on the wafer loading system 101, and transport them to the wafer left vacuum chamber 103a and the wafer right vacuum chamber 103b after calibration and positioning. The wafer transfer chamber 104 has a The robot arm can grab the wafer in the wafer vacuum chamber 103, load the single wafer by the robot arm, and transport it to the subsequent reaction chamber. The plasma etching chamber 105 performs the first wafer pretreatment, and the plasma in the chamber reacts with the oxide on the surface of the wafer to convert it into volatile substances. The heating volatilization chamber 106 performs the second wafer pretreatment, and the chamber temperature is increased, so that the volatile substances converted in the plasma etching chamber 105 can be heated and sublimated. The internal structures of the right reaction module 200a and the left reaction module 200b are symmetrical to each other, and both can perform full epitaxial and selective epitaxial processes. The circuits and gas path modules of the two reaction modules are independent of each other, and the epitaxial process can be performed simultaneously.
[0031] Specifically, the epitaxial process is not limited to performing the selective epitaxial process and the full epitaxial process in two reaction modules respectively. When the reaction module is overhauled or there are other process requirements, the selective epitaxial process and the full epitaxial process can also be completed in sequence in a single reaction module. The process flow and process method are the same as those of performing the selective epitaxial process and the full epitaxial process in two reaction modules.
[0032] The selective epitaxial process is as follows: the wafer after pretreatment is transferred to the reaction module 200a for selective epitaxial process. The temperature of the selective epitaxial process is controlled at 600-800°C; first, epitaxial growth of Si layer is performed on the surface of the wafer. When epitaxial growth of Si layer is performed, the gas pressure of the reaction chamber is usually controlled between 50 and 200 Torr, and the gases required for the process are introduced: ① 100 to 10000 sccm of process gas is introduced, wherein the process gas is generally any one of SiH4, SiH2Cl2 and DCS or a mixture of any of the three gases, which can be selected according to the process requirements; ② During the epitaxial process, etching gases such as Cl2, HCl, HBr are introduced at the same time, and the flow rate of the etching gas is usually controlled between 10 and 5000 sccm. The etching gas can achieve in-situ etching. By controlling the gas flow rate, the relative rate of epitaxial growth and in-situ etching can be adjusted to achieve Si epitaxial growth only on the wafer surface; ③ During the epitaxial process, 0.1L to 20L / min of H2 gas needs to be introduced at the same time. H2 is used as a protective gas to avoid oxidizing substances or oxygen-containing groups that may appear during the reaction. After a period of reaction, a Si layer with a thickness of 1 to 100nm is finally generated; then the epitaxial growth of the SiGe layer is performed. When epitaxial growth of SiGe layer is performed, the pressure of the reaction chamber is usually controlled between 10 and 200 Torr, and the gases required for the process are introduced: ① 100 to 10000 sccm of process gas is introduced, wherein the process gas includes SiH4 (or SiH2Cl2 or DCS or any mixture of the three gases) and GeH4. The ratio of the gas flow rate of GeH4 and SiH4 (or SiH2Cl2 or DCS or any mixture of the three gases) can be adjusted according to the chip performance parameters, and the ratio is usually controlled between 0.05 and 0.8; ② Cl2 and H are introduced simultaneously during the epitaxial process. Etching gases such as Cl and HBr, the flow rate of the etching gas is usually controlled between 10-500sccm, and the etching gas can achieve in-situ etching. By controlling the gas flow rate, the relative rate of epitaxial growth and in-situ etching can be adjusted to achieve SiGe epitaxial growth only on the wafer surface; ③ 0.1L~20L / min of H2 gas is introduced to avoid oxidizing substances or oxygen-containing groups that may appear during the reaction process. After a period of reaction, a SiGe layer with a thickness of 1~100nm is finally generated; after a period of alternating growth of Si layer and SiGe layer, the selective epitaxial process is terminated;
[0033] The full epitaxial process is as follows: After the self-cleaning of the reaction chamber 209 in the reaction module 200b is completed, the full epitaxial process temperature is adjusted to be controlled between 300 and 600°C, and the wafer that has completed the selective epitaxial process will be transferred to the reaction module 200b for the full epitaxial process; first, the epitaxial growth of the Si layer is performed on the surface of the wafer. When performing the epitaxial growth of the Si layer, the gas pressure of the reaction chamber is usually controlled between 50 and 200 Torr, and the gas required for the process is introduced: ① 100 to 10000 sccm of process gas is introduced, wherein the process gas is generally SiH4 (or SiH2Cl2 or DCS); ② 0.1L to 20L / min of H2 gas is introduced to avoid the possible oxidation substances or oxygen-containing groups that may appear during the reaction process. After a period of reaction, a Si layer with a thickness of 1 to 100nm is finally generated; then the epitaxial growth of the SiGe layer is performed. When epitaxial growth of the SiGe layer is performed, the gas pressure of the reaction chamber 209 is usually controlled between 50 and 200 Torr, and the gases required for the process are introduced: ① 100 to 2000 cc of process gas is introduced, wherein the process gas includes SiH4 (or SiH2Cl2 or DCS or any mixture of the three gases) and GeH4, GeH4 and SiH4 (or SiH2Cl2 or DCS or any mixture of the three gases), and the ratio of the gas introduction amount can be adjusted according to the chip performance parameters, and the ratio is usually controlled between 0.05 and 0.8; ② 0.1L to 20L / min of H2 gas is introduced to avoid the possible appearance of oxidizing substances or oxygen-containing groups during the reaction process. After a period of reaction, a SiGe layer with a thickness of 1 to 100nm is finally generated; after a period of alternating growth of the Si layer and the SiGe layer, the full epitaxial process is terminated, and an epitaxial layer is finally generated on the wafer; after the epitaxial process is completed, the thickness of the epitaxial layer can reach 1 to 8μm, the wafer exits the reaction chamber 209, the wafer boat 208 returns, the chamber door is closed, and the reaction chamber 209 begins to self-clean. After the cleaning is completed, it is put into use for the next process;
[0034] The self-cleaning process of the reaction module 200b is as follows: before the full epitaxial process is carried out, the reaction chamber 209 in the reaction module 200b is self-cleaned. This step actually occurs simultaneously with the selective epitaxial process in the previous step. In the reaction module 200b, the gas pressure in the reaction chamber 209 is adjusted to 1-200 Torr, and the gases required for pre-cleaning are introduced: ① 100-10000sccm of HCl, Cl2, HBr and other etching gases are introduced, ② H2orN2 and other gases are introduced at the same time to avoid oxidizing substances or oxygen-containing groups that may appear during the reaction process;
[0035] It is worth noting that the plasma etching chamber 105 and the heating volatilization chamber 106 can also be combined into one chamber, and heating volatilization can be directly performed in the same chamber after the plasma etching is completed.
[0036] Furthermore, the wafer left vacuum chamber 103a and the wafer right vacuum chamber 103b are transition chambers to achieve switching between the atmospheric environment and the vacuum environment;
[0037] Specifically, in the semiconductor manufacturing process, different process steps may require different environmental conditions. For example, some steps may need to be performed at atmospheric pressure, while other steps may need to be performed in a vacuum environment to reduce contamination or promote specific chemical reactions. The design of the transition chamber allows for a smooth transition between these different environments, ensuring the continuity and efficiency of the wafer processing process.
[0038] Further, the right reaction module 200a and the left reaction module 200b both include a vacuum loading chamber 201, a gas path control unit 202, a wafer transfer valve 203, a circuit control unit 204, a wafer boat transfer mechanism 205, a heater 206, a reaction chamber door 207, a wafer boat 208, and a reaction chamber 209. The wafers that have been pre-treated are sequentially loaded onto the wafer boat 208 in the vacuum loading chamber 201. The wafer boat transfer mechanism 205 can realize the lifting and rotating functions of the wafer boat 208, so that the wafer boat 208 loaded with wafers enters the reaction chamber 209 for epitaxial process, and the wafer boat 208 can load 50-80 wafers each time.
[0039] Specifically, the steps of the epitaxial preparation method are as follows:
[0040] Step 1: The wafer first enters the plasma etching chamber 105, and gases such as NF3, NH3, H2, etc. are introduced into the chamber and plasma is excited by inductive coupling, so that the oxide on the surface of the wafer reacts chemically with the plasma and is converted into a volatile solid substance;
[0041] Step 2: After the wafer has fully reacted, it is transferred from the plasma etching chamber 105 to the heating volatilization chamber 106 for heating, so that the volatile solid substances on the surface of the wafer are sublimated by heating, and a second surface treatment is performed to obtain an ultra-clean silicon wafer surface.
[0042] Further, the heater 206 is installed outside the reaction chamber 209 to change the temperature conditions of epitaxial growth;
[0043] Specifically, by installing the heater 206 outside the reaction chamber, the temperature inside the reaction chamber 209 can be controlled more accurately because the heater 206 can be adjusted independently of other variables of the reaction process. The external heater 206 can be designed to uniformly heat the entire reaction chamber 209 to ensure uniform growth of the epitaxial layer on the wafer, which is crucial to improving the performance and reliability of the device. Installing the heater 206 outside the reaction chamber 209 can simplify the maintenance and cleaning of the equipment because the heater 206 is more accessible and less susceptible to contaminants generated during the reaction process.
[0044] Furthermore, the reaction chamber door 207 is used to seal the reaction chamber 209 when the wafer boat 208 is in the vacuum loading chamber 201 to load the wafers, thereby preventing the temperature loss in the reaction chamber 209;
[0045] Specifically, the reaction chamber door 207 is closed when the wafer boat 208 is loaded with wafers, ensuring the sealing of the reaction chamber 209 to prevent external gas from entering or internal gas from leaking. By sealing the reaction chamber, heat loss can be reduced and the required high temperature environment in the reaction chamber 209 can be maintained, because temperature fluctuations may affect the growth quality and uniformity of the crystal. The reaction chamber door 207 also helps to control the gas environment in the reaction chamber. For example, when performing certain chemical reactions, it is necessary to control the inflow and outflow of specific gases to ensure the efficiency of the reaction and the quality of the product. During the wafer loading process, the sealing effect of the reaction chamber door 207 also helps to protect the operator from the influence of high temperature and harmful gases, thereby improving the safety of operation.
[0046] Furthermore, the wafer transfer valve 203 is installed in the vacuum loading chamber 201, and the robot in the wafer transfer chamber 104 transfers the wafer to the vacuum loading chamber 201 through the wafer transfer valve 203;
[0047] Specifically, the wafer transfer valve 203 allows precise control of the wafer transfer process, ensuring the stability and safety of the wafer when it is transferred to the vacuum loading chamber 201. The wafer transfer valve 203 works in conjunction with the robot in the wafer transfer chamber 104 to achieve precise wafer transfer. This coordinated operation ensures seamless transfer of wafers between different process steps.
[0048] Further, the circuit control unit 204 provides electrical control for the epitaxial reaction process, and the gas circuit control unit 202 provides pneumatic control for the epitaxial reaction process;
[0049] Specifically, the circuit control unit 204 and the gas circuit control unit 202 are monitored and adjusted by a central control system. This system can be computerized and can automatically adjust the settings of the control units according to preset process parameters. This automated control method helps to reduce human errors and improve production efficiency and product quality.
[0050] Working principle: the preparation method of the above rotary batch epitaxial device comprises the following steps:
[0051] Step 1, transport the wafer box to the wafer box loading platform 101, the atmospheric manipulator in the equipment front-end module 102 moves the wafer in the wafer box to the equipment front-end module 102 for calibration and positioning, and then moves it to the wafer vacuum chamber 103. The wafer vacuum chamber 103 is now converted from an atmospheric environment to a vacuum environment. After the vacuum environment is completely converted, the manipulator in the wafer transfer chamber 104 grabs the single wafer in the wafer vacuum chamber 103 and sends it to the plasma etching chamber 105 for the first surface pretreatment to convert the oxide on the wafer surface into a volatile solid substance. After the reaction is completed, the manipulator in the wafer transfer chamber 104 takes the wafer out of the plasma etching chamber 105 and puts it into the heating volatilization chamber 106 to heat and sublimate the volatile substances on the wafer surface. When the reaction is completed, the wafer surface pretreatment is completed;
[0052] Step 2, the robot in the wafer transfer chamber 104 places the pre-treated wafers into the reaction module 200a for a selective epitaxial process. The robot loads the pre-treated wafers onto the wafer boat 208 in sequence. During the process of loading the wafers, the wafer boat 208 descends from the original position 208a to the position 208b. During this process, the wafer boat 208 automatically adjusts its height to accommodate each wafer. After loading, the wafer boat conveying mechanism 205 rotates from the initial position 205a to the working position 205b. At this time, the reaction chamber door 207 is opened, and the wafer boat conveying mechanism 205 loads the wafer boat 208 and continuously rises, and the reaction chamber 209 is sealed, and the temperature and process gas are adjusted to perform a selective epitaxial process.
[0053] Step 3: After completing the selective epitaxial process, the wafer boat 208 in the reaction module 200a is returned to the vacuum loading chamber 201, and the robot in the wafer transfer chamber 104 transfers all the wafers in the reaction module 200a to the reaction module 200b for a full epitaxial process. After the process is completed, the wafers are transported back to the wafer box of the equipment front-end module 102, and the empty wafer boat 208 continues to be transported back to the reaction chamber 209 by the wafer boat transfer mechanism 205, and the clean gas is introduced to complete the cleaning of the reaction chamber 209 and the wafer boat 208, thereby completing an epitaxial process.
Claims
1. A method for preparing a rotating batch epitaxial device, characterized in that: The steps include: Step 1, transport the wafer box to the wafer box loading platform, the atmospheric manipulator in the front-end module of the equipment moves the wafers in the wafer box to the front-end module of the equipment for calibration and positioning, and then moves them to the wafer vacuum chamber. The wafer vacuum chamber is now converted from the atmospheric environment to the vacuum environment. After it is completely converted to the vacuum environment, the manipulator in the wafer transfer chamber grabs the single wafer in the wafer vacuum chamber and sends it into the plasma etching chamber for the first surface pretreatment to convert the oxide on the wafer surface into a volatile solid substance. After the reaction is completed, the manipulator in the wafer transfer chamber takes the wafer out of the plasma etching chamber and puts it into the heated volatilization chamber to heat and sublimate the volatile substances on the wafer surface. When the reaction is completed, the wafer surface pretreatment is completed; Step 2: The robot in the wafer transfer chamber places the pre-treated wafers into the reaction module for selective epitaxial process. The robot loads the pre-treated wafers onto the wafer boat in sequence. During the process of loading the wafers, the wafer boat drops from the original position to the lowest position. During this process, the wafer boat automatically adjusts its height to load each wafer. After loading, the wafer boat conveyor rotates from the initial position to the working position. At this time, the reaction chamber door is opened, and the wafer boat conveyor mechanism loads the wafer boat and continuously rises, and realizes the sealing of the reaction chamber, adjusts the temperature and process gas, and performs the selective epitaxial process. Step 3: After completing the selective epitaxial process, the wafer boat in the right reaction module returns to the vacuum loading chamber, and the robot in the wafer transfer chamber transfers all the wafers in the right reaction module to the left reaction module for a full epitaxial process. After the process is completed, the wafers are transported back to the wafer box of the front-end module of the equipment, and the empty wafer boat continues to be transported back to the reaction chamber by the wafer boat transfer mechanism, and clean gas is introduced to complete the cleaning of the reaction chamber and the wafer boat, thus completing an epitaxial process.
2. A rotary batch epitaxial growth device, characterized in that: It includes a wafer loading system, a front-end module of the equipment, a left wafer vacuum chamber, a right wafer vacuum chamber, a wafer transfer chamber, a plasma etching chamber, a heating volatilization chamber, a right reaction module, and a left reaction module. The wafer loading system is used to place wafer boxes, each wafer box is loaded with 25 wafers, and the front-end module of the equipment has a robot to take out the wafers in the wafer box on the wafer loading system, and transport them to the left wafer vacuum chamber and the right wafer vacuum chamber after calibration and positioning. The wafer transfer chamber has a robot that can grab the wafers in the wafer vacuum chamber. The robot loads a single wafer and transports it to the subsequent reaction chamber. The plasma etching chamber performs the first wafer pretreatment, and the plasma in the chamber reacts with the oxide on the surface of the wafer to convert it into volatile Claim 2 The material is subjected to a second wafer pretreatment in the heated volatilization chamber. By increasing the chamber temperature, the volatile material converted in the plasma etching chamber can be heated and sublimated. The internal structures of the right reaction module and the left reaction module are symmetrical with each other, and both can perform full epitaxy and selective epitaxy processes. The circuits and gas path modules of the two reaction modules are independent of each other, and the epitaxy process can be performed simultaneously.
3. The rotary batch epitaxial growth device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The wafer left vacuum chamber and the wafer right vacuum chamber are transition chambers to achieve switching between the atmospheric environment and the vacuum environment.
4. The rotary batch epitaxial growth device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The right reaction module and the left reaction module both include a vacuum loading chamber, an air path control unit, a wafer transfer valve, a circuit control unit, a wafer boat transfer mechanism, a heater, a reaction chamber door, a wafer boat, and a reaction chamber. The pre-treated wafers in the vacuum loading chamber are loaded onto the wafer boat in sequence. The wafer boat transfer mechanism can realize the lifting and rotating functions of the wafer boat, so that the wafer boat loaded with wafers can enter the reaction chamber for epitaxial process, and the wafer boat can load 50-80 wafers each time.
5. The rotary batch epitaxial growth device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The heater is installed outside the reaction chamber to change the temperature condition of epitaxial growth.
6. The rotary batch epitaxial growth device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The reaction chamber door is used to seal the reaction chamber when the wafer boat is in the vacuum loading chamber to load the wafers, thereby avoiding temperature loss in the reaction chamber.
7. The rotary batch epitaxial growth device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The wafer transfer valve is installed in the vacuum loading chamber, and the robot in the wafer transfer chamber transfers the wafer into the vacuum loading chamber through the wafer transfer valve.
8. The rotary batch epitaxial growth device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The circuit control unit provides electrical control for the epitaxial reaction process, and the gas circuit control unit provides pneumatic control for the epitaxial reaction process.
Citation Information
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Rotary batch epitaxial system
CN106663604B
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CN101048852A
Silicon epitaxial growth process
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Plasma treatment process
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