Gas inlet assembly of an atomic layer deposition apparatus

Abstract

The application discloses an air inlet assembly of an atomic layer deposition equipment, which comprises a loading basket body, an upper sealing plate and an air inlet bottom plate, a gas chamber is arranged in the side wall of the loading basket body, a main column is arranged on the loading basket body, the upper sealing plate is fixed on the upper end surface of the loading basket body, the air inlet bottom plate is fixed on the lower end surface of the loading basket body, the main column divides the gas chamber into left and right sides, air inlet holes are arranged on the air inlet bottom plate and longitudinally penetrate through the air inlet bottom plate, a uniform gas cavity in the vertical direction is arranged in the main column, the uniform gas cavity is in abutment with the upper end of the air inlet hole, a plurality of uniform gas holes are arranged on the main column, one end of the uniform gas hole is communicated with the uniform gas cavity, the uniform gas hole uniformly sends the gas in the uniform gas cavity to the gas chamber and a loading cavity in the loading basket body, the structure is reasonable, the main column disperses the gas into the left and right gas chambers and the loading cavity, the left and right gas chambers guide the gas, the gas is blown from the two sides of the loading cavity, and the gas inlet of the loading cavity is uniform.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of atomic layer deposition equipment, in particular to a kind of gas inlet assembly of atomic layer deposition equipment. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the integrated circuit industry, the existing atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment has made significant progress in realizing accurate thin film deposition, but most of the equipment has certain limitations in the design of gas inlet assembly. In order to improve the deposition efficiency of the wafer and increase the production capacity, these devices usually use wafer loading baskets and gas inlet assemblies for batch deposition process of multiple wafers. A cavity with a circular inlet and outlet is usually used as the gas inlet assembly required for the process. At the same time, a wafer loading basket is separately configured as a wafer carrier for multiple deposition processes.

[0003] However, the above-mentioned gas inlet assembly is difficult to realize accurate control of gas flow and pressure, which can greatly reduce the uniformity of inter-wafer (wafer) and intra-wafer gas flow distribution, thereby reducing the deposition efficiency and affecting the production capacity. In addition, the wafer loading basket and the gas inlet assembly need to be separately configured, which increases the useless volume of the reaction chamber, further reduces the deposition efficiency, and increases the cost of equipment processing and maintenance. In view of the above problems, the following proposes a solution. SUMMARY

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to provide a kind of gas inlet assembly of atomic layer deposition equipment, which has solved the problem of poor inter-wafer and intra-wafer gas distribution uniformity, and has the advantage of improving deposition efficiency.

[0005] The above technical purpose of the present application is realized by the following technical scheme:

[0006] A kind of gas inlet assembly of atomic layer deposition equipment, including loading basket main body, upper sealing plate and gas inlet bottom plate, the side wall of the loading basket main body is equipped with air chamber, the loading basket main body is equipped with main column, the upper sealing plate is fixed on the upper end surface of loading basket main body, and the upper end surface of air chamber is sealed, the gas inlet bottom plate is fixed on the lower end surface of loading basket main body, and the lower end surface of air chamber is sealed, the main column is fixed in the middle of air chamber, and air chamber is divided into left and right sides, the gas inlet hole is opened on the gas inlet bottom plate, the gas inlet hole vertically penetrates the gas inlet bottom plate, the main column is equipped with vertical uniform gas cavity, the lower end of the uniform gas cavity penetrates the lower end of the main column, and the upper end of the gas inlet hole is in contact, the main column is equipped with a plurality of uniform gas holes, one end of the uniform gas hole is communicated with the uniform gas cavity, and the uniform gas hole uniformly sends the gas in the uniform gas cavity to the loading cavity in the air chamber and the loading basket main body.

[0007] As preferred, the uniform gas holes include front uniform gas holes and side uniform gas holes, the front uniform gas holes are arranged along the front side of the main column in the vertical direction, the side uniform gas holes are arranged on the left and right sides of the main column respectively and are distributed along the vertical direction, the front uniform gas holes are communicated with the loading cavity, the side uniform gas holes on the left and right sides are communicated with the left and right gas chambers respectively, the inner wall of the gas chamber is provided with a uniform gas groove, and the uniform gas groove communicates the gas chamber with the loading cavity.

[0008] As preferred, the loading basket body includes two uniform gas walls, the two uniform gas walls are arranged on the left and right sides of the main column respectively, the uniform gas wall includes an outer baffle and an inner spraying plate, the gap between the outer baffle and the inner spraying plate is a gas chamber, the left and right sides of the main column protrude outward and are inserted into the left and right gas chambers respectively, the main column seals one side of the left and right gas chambers, the inner spraying plate is the inner wall of the gas chamber, the uniform gas groove is arranged on the inner spraying plate, and the gas chamber is communicated with the loading cavity through the uniform gas groove.

[0009] As preferred, a plurality of rows of uniform gas grooves are arranged on one of the inner spraying plates, the uniform gas grooves in the same row have the same width, and the uniform gas grooves farther away from the main column have a greater width in the horizontal direction.

[0010] As preferred, the loading basket body is further provided with two side columns, the two side columns are respectively clamped on the sides of the two uniform gas walls away from the main column and seal the sides of the two gas chambers away from the main column, the main column, the two uniform gas walls and the two side columns form a uniform gas wall structure, and the curvature of the uniform gas wall structure is greater than 180° and less than 270°.

[0011] As preferred, the main column and the two side columns are respectively provided with a plurality of support blocks on the sides facing the loading cavity, the plurality of support blocks are fixed on the main column and the two side columns at equal intervals in the vertical direction, the support blocks on the main column are arranged alternately with the front uniform gas holes, the support blocks on the two side columns have the same height as one of the support blocks on the main column respectively, and the three support blocks at the same height are used for supporting the same wafer.

[0012] As preferred, the upper end and the lower end of the gas chamber are respectively provided with a gas sealing ring, and the gas sealing ring is used for enhancing the sealing performance of the upper end and the lower end of the gas chamber.

[0013] As preferred, the loading basket body further includes a gas diffusion wall, the gas diffusion wall cooperates with the uniform gas wall structure to form a complete cylindrical shape, the gas diffusion wall is communicated with the outside, and the gas in the loading cavity is diffused through the gas diffusion wall.

[0014] As preferred, the air dispersing wall comprises an inner wall and an outer wall, an air dispersing cavity is arranged between the inner wall and the outer wall, a plurality of inner air dispersing holes are arranged on the inner wall, the plurality of inner air dispersing holes are used for connecting the air dispersing cavity and the loading cavity, and an outer air dispersing hole is arranged on the outer wall, the outer air dispersing hole is used for connecting the air dispersing cavity and the outside.

[0015] The present application has the following advantages:

[0016] 1. The integrated air inlet assembly is adopted, different uniform air holes and uniform air grooves are arranged in the circumferential and vertical directions, so that the precursor vapor uniformly and quickly flows through the surfaces of each wafer in the vertical and circumferential directions, the problem of poor inter-wafer and intra-wafer uniformity of gas distribution is solved, and the deposition efficiency is improved.

[0017] 2. The loading basket structure and the air inlet structure are combined into one, the volume of the reaction cavity is greatly reduced, the heating efficiency of the wafer is ensured, the deposition efficiency is further improved, and the integrated air inlet assembly reduces the equipment cost and is convenient to disassemble, maintain and assemble. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic view of an embodiment;

[0019] Figure 2 It is a sectional view of an embodiment;

[0020] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic view of an embodiment for the main column and the air uniformizing wall structure;

[0021] Figure 4 It is an exploded structural schematic view of an embodiment of the air uniformizing wall structure;

[0022] Figure 5 It is a schematic view of the airflow direction in the air uniformizing wall structure of an embodiment;

[0023] Figure 6 It is a sectional view of the main column of an embodiment;

[0024] Figure 7 It is a schematic view of wafer loading of an embodiment;

[0025] Figure 8 It is a simulation result diagram of intra-wafer airflow of an embodiment; Figure 9

[0026] It is a simulation result diagram of inter-wafer airflow of an embodiment. Figure 10 Figure 11

[0027] ​​Fig. 1 is a loading basket body; 11 is a loading cavity; 2 is an upper sealing plate; 3 is an air inlet bottom plate; 31 is an air inlet hole; 4 is a side column; 41 is a supporting block; 5 is a main column; 51 is a uniform air cavity; 52 is a front uniform air hole; 53 is a side uniform air hole; 6 is a uniform air wall; 61 is an outer baffle; 62 is an inner spraying plate; 63 is an air chamber; 64 is a uniform air groove; 7 is a gas sealing ring; 8 is a gas diffusion wall; 81 is an inner wall; 82 is an outer wall; 83 is a gas diffusion cavity; 84 is an inner gas diffusion hole; 85 is an outer gas diffusion hole; 9 is a wafer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application, and the protection scope is not limited to the embodiment. Any technical solution falling within the concept of the present application should fall within the protection scope of the present application. The same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. It should be noted that the words "front", "back", "left", "right", "up" and "down" used in the following description refer to the directions in the drawings, and the words "bottom" and "top", "inner" and "outer" refer to the directions towards or away from the geometric center of a particular part.

[0029] As shown in Figures 1 to 11 An air inlet assembly of an atomic layer deposition device includes a loading basket body 1, the loading basket body 1 includes a gas diffusion wall 8 and two uniform air walls 6, a main column 5 is arranged at the joint of the two uniform air walls 6, and a side column 4 is arranged at the joint of the uniform air wall 6 and the gas diffusion wall 8. One side of the two uniform air walls 6 is fixedly connected with the main column 5, and the other side is fixedly connected with the side column 4; the two sides of the gas diffusion wall 8 are respectively fixedly connected with the two side columns 4. The gas diffusion wall 8 and the two uniform air walls 6 are arc-shaped plates, and after being fixedly connected by the main column 5 and the two side columns 4, a complete cylindrical loading basket body 1 is formed, and the area surrounded by the cylindrical loading basket body 1 is a loading cavity 11.

[0030] The main column 5, the two uniform air walls 6 and the two side columns 4 form a uniform air wall 6 structure, the arc of the uniform air wall 6 structure is greater than 180° and less than 270°, and in the present application, the arc of the uniform air wall 6 structure is 240°, that is, the arc between the main column 5 and the two side columns 4 and the arc between the two side columns 4 are both 120°.

[0031] The uniform gas wall 6 comprises an outer baffle 61 and an inner spray baffle 62, and the gap between the outer baffle 61 and the inner spray baffle 62 is a gas chamber 63, and the two sides of the two gas chambers 63 are blocked by the main column 5 and one of the side columns 4. The cross section of the main column 5 and the side column 4 in the design is approximately in the shape of a "cross", and when fixed with the uniform gas wall 6, the two sides of the main column 5 will be respectively inserted into one side of the two gas chambers 63, and one side of each side column 4 will also be respectively inserted into the side of the two gas chambers 63 away from the main column 5. This connection method not only facilitates the fixation of the outer baffle 61 and the inner spray baffle 62 to the main column 5 and the side column 4 through fasteners, but also enhances the sealing performance of the main column 5 and the side column 4 on the two sides of the gas chamber 63.

[0032] The upper end and the lower end of the gas chamber 63 are provided with gas sealing rings 7, and the four gas sealing rings 7 seal the upper end and the lower end of the two gas chambers 63, and the gas sealing rings 7 cooperate with the main column 5 and the side column 4 to realize the sealing of the upper and lower sides of the gas chamber 63.

[0033] The inner spray baffle 62 is provided with a uniform gas groove 64, and the uniform gas groove 64 makes the gas chamber 63 communicate with the loading cavity 11. Each inner spray baffle 62 is provided with a plurality of rows of uniform gas grooves 64, the heights of all the uniform gas grooves 64 are the same, the widths of the plurality of uniform gas grooves 64 in the same row are the same, and the width of the uniform gas groove 64 farther away from the main column 5 in the horizontal direction is larger. The gas in the gas chamber 63 can be discharged into the loading cavity 11 through the plurality of uniform gas grooves 64. In the design, the gas in the gas cavity is sprayed to both sides from the main column 5, so the uniform gas groove 64 farther away from the main column 5 is designed to have a larger width, so that the gas in the gas chamber 63 has a larger outlet when the flow rate slows down, thereby balancing the amount of gas flowing out of each uniform gas groove 64.

[0034] The gas diffusion wall 8 comprises an inner wall 81 and an outer wall 82, and a gas diffusion cavity 83 is arranged between the inner wall 81 and the outer wall 82. A plurality of inner gas diffusion openings 84 are arranged on the inner wall 81. The plurality of inner gas diffusion openings 84 are used to communicate the gas diffusion cavity 83 with the loading cavity 11, and an outer gas diffusion opening 85 is arranged on the outer wall 82. The outer gas diffusion opening 85 is used to communicate the gas diffusion cavity 83 with the outside. The gas in the loading cavity 11 will enter the gas diffusion cavity 83 through the inner gas diffusion opening 84, and gradually be discharged to the outside through the outer gas diffusion opening 85, so that the gas pressure in the loading cavity 11 can be kept stable.

[0035] The loading basket body 1 is also provided with an upper sealing plate 2 and an air inlet bottom plate 3. The upper sealing plate 2 is fixed to the upper end surface of the loading basket body 1, and seals the upper end surfaces of the gas chamber 63 and the loading cavity 11. The air inlet bottom plate 3 is fixed to the lower end surface of the loading basket body 1, and seals the lower end surfaces of the gas chamber 63 and the loading cavity 11.

[0036] The main column 5 and the two side columns 4 are each provided with a plurality of support blocks 41 fixed on the main column 5 and the two side columns 4 in the vertical direction at equal intervals, and the heights of the three support blocks 41 at the corresponding positions of the main column 5 and the two side columns 4 are the same, so that the support of the wafer 9 can be realized. The angles between the three support blocks 41 at the same height position are all 120°, so that the support of the wafer 9 can be more stably realized. Since the plurality of support blocks 41 on the same column are arranged at equal intervals, the wafer 9 supported by the support blocks 41 is also distributed at equal intervals.

[0037] The gas inlet bottom plate 3 is provided with a gas inlet hole 31 longitudinally penetrating the gas inlet bottom plate 3, and the main column 5 is provided with a vertical uniform gas cavity 51, the lower end of the uniform gas cavity 51 penetrating the lower end of the main column 5 and abutting the upper end of the gas inlet hole 31, and the external gas enters the uniform gas cavity 51 through the gas inlet hole 31. The main column 5 is provided with a plurality of uniform gas holes, one end of the uniform gas hole being communicated with the uniform gas cavity 51, and the gas in the uniform gas cavity 51 is discharged through the plurality of uniform gas holes.

[0038] The uniform gas hole includes a plurality of front uniform gas holes 52 arranged along the front side of the main column 5 in the vertical direction and a plurality of side uniform gas holes 53 arranged on the left and right sides of the main column 5. The front uniform gas hole 52 is communicated with the loading cavity 11, and the gas sprayed in the front uniform gas hole 52 enters the loading cavity 11. The support blocks 41 on the main column 5 are arranged alternately with the front uniform gas hole 52, so that the gas sprayed by each front uniform gas hole 52 except the topmost or bottommost front uniform gas hole 52 is between two wafers 9. The side uniform gas hole 53 is communicated with the left and right two gas chambers 63, and the gas sprayed by the side uniform gas cavity 51 enters the two gas chambers 63 and is finally discharged into the loading cavity 11 through the uniform gas groove 64. In this application, each uniform gas groove 64 is at the same height as one of the uniform gas holes, and the height of the uniform gas groove 64 is the same as the diameter of the uniform gas hole. Since the specifications of the uniform gas groove 64 are set, the gas sprayed in the gas chamber 63 through the uniform gas groove 64 can also be uniformly blown on the wafer 9.

[0039] Working principle: The precursor vapor (process gas) is introduced through the gas inlet hole 31 of the gas inlet bottom plate 3, uniformly distributed in three directions by the loading basket main column 5, and uniformly distributed by the uniformly distributed uniform gas holes in the vertical direction. The gas sealing ring 7 and the outer baffle 61 are closed on the outside in the circumferential direction of about 240° and on the upper and lower sides, so as to form a cavity wall with a fixed opening, preventing the gas from leaking out.

[0040] The precursor vapor rapidly diffuses in the loading cavity 11, and forms a gas flow in a certain direction under the guidance of the uniform gas groove 64 of the inner spraying plate 62 and the front uniform gas hole 52 of the main column 5, uniformly covering the surface of the wafer 9, solving the problem of poor uniformity of the gas flow in the wafer.

[0041] At the same time, the main column 5 and the inner shower plate 62 are uniformly arranged with side uniform gas holes 53 and uniform gas grooves 64 in the vertical direction, and the height is one-to-one corresponding to the position of the wafer 9, which can effectively prevent the occurrence of vortex and turbulent flow, and solve the problem of poor inter-wafer airflow uniformity in the deposition process of multiple wafers 9.

[0042] In addition, the size, shape and arrangement of the uniform gas holes and the uniform gas grooves 64 can be modified according to process requirements, so that the compatibility of the gas inlet assembly for atomic layer deposition process is maximized.

[0043] In summary, the application can effectively solve the problems of poor inter-wafer and intra-wafer airflow uniformity, improve the deposition efficiency, and increase the equipment productivity.

[0044] The uniform gas wall 6 structure of the design is an integrated structure, which not only meets the gas distribution function, but also has the function of wafer 9 loading basket, that is, a set of wafer 9 loading basket can be saved. The direction of the gas distribution wall 8 is the wafer 9 loading direction, which can cooperate with the wafer 9 robot to complete the batch feeding and discharging of the wafer 9, and improve the work efficiency. In addition, since the uniform gas wall 6 structure is a regular circular structure, the reaction chamber can be designed into the smallest circular structure, so as to reduce the dead volume of the reaction chamber. The gap between the loading basket and the wafer 9 is also minimized on the basis of meeting the loading process. Therefore, this structure not only effectively reduces the airflow path, but also effectively improves the wafer 9 heating efficiency, so as to further improve the overall deposition efficiency.

[0045] Secondly, special material screws are used to connect between each part, which can prevent the adverse effects caused by high temperature and chemical corrosion. Since the reaction chamber and the corresponding parts need to be removed and cleaned regularly in the later process, the gas inlet assembly can be easily disassembled. Considering that each part is detachable, the cleaning work is convenient and thorough, and there will be no influence of particles and dust in the process due to the inability to clean the inside of some parts.

[0046] The design effectively solves the problems of inter-wafer and intra-wafer airflow uniformity under the premise of meeting the multi-wafer deposition process, which can greatly improve the overall efficiency and equipment productivity. In addition, the integrated design of the wafer 9 loading basket and the gas inlet structure facilitates the maintenance work such as disassembly and cleaning in the later stage. At the same time, the integrated design effectively reduces the dead volume of the reaction chamber, effectively reduces the airflow path, and also effectively improves the wafer 9 heating efficiency, so as to further improve the overall deposition efficiency.

[0047] The above-described specific embodiments further illustrate the technical problems solved by the present application, technical solutions and beneficial effects, and it should be understood that the above-described are only specific embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application, and any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A gas inlet assembly of an atomic layer deposition apparatus, comprising a loading basket body (1), an upper closure plate (2) and a gas inlet bottom plate (3), characterized in that, The side wall of the loading basket body (1) is provided with an air chamber (63), the loading basket body (1) is provided with a main column (5), the upper sealing plate (2) is fixed on the upper end surface of the loading basket body (1) and seals the upper end surface of the air chamber (63), the air inlet bottom plate (3) is fixed on the lower end surface of the loading basket body (1) and seals the lower end surface of the air chamber (63), the main column (5) is fixed in the middle of the air chamber (63) and divides the air chamber (63) into left and right sides, the air inlet bottom plate (3) is provided with an air inlet hole (31), the air inlet hole (31) longitudinally penetrates the air inlet bottom plate (3), the main column (5) is provided with a vertical uniform gas cavity (51), the lower end of the uniform gas cavity (51) penetrates the lower end of the main column (5) and abuts against the upper end of the air inlet hole (31), the main column (5) is provided with a plurality of uniform gas holes, one end of the uniform gas hole communicates with the uniform gas cavity (51), and the uniform gas hole uniformly sends the gas in the uniform gas cavity (51) to the air chamber (63) and the loading cavity (11) in the loading basket body. The uniform gas hole includes a plurality of front uniform gas holes (52) and a plurality of side uniform gas holes (53), the plurality of front uniform gas holes (52) are arranged along the front side of the main column (5) in the vertical direction, the plurality of side uniform gas holes (53) are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the main column (5) and are distributed in the vertical direction, the front uniform gas hole (52) communicates with the loading cavity (11), the side uniform gas holes (53) on the left and right sides respectively communicate with the air chambers (63) on the left and right sides, and the inner wall (81) of the air chamber (63) is provided with a uniform gas groove (64), which communicates the air chamber (63) with the loading cavity (11).

2. The gas inlet assembly of an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The loading basket body (1) includes two uniform gas walls (6), the two uniform gas walls (6) are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the main column (5), the uniform gas wall (6) includes an outer baffle (61) and an inner spraying plate (62), the gap between the outer baffle (61) and the inner spraying plate (62) is the air chamber (63), the left and right sides of the main column (5) protrude outward and are respectively inserted into the left and right air chambers (63), the main column (5) seals one side of the left and right air chambers (63), the inner spraying plate (62) is the inner wall (81) of the air chamber (63), the uniform gas groove (64) is arranged on the inner spraying plate (62), and the air chamber (63) communicates with the loading cavity (11) through the uniform gas groove (64).

3. The gas inlet assembly of claim 2, wherein A plurality of uniform gas grooves (64) are arranged on one of the inner spraying plates (62), the uniform gas grooves (64) in the same column have the same width, and the uniform gas grooves (64) farther away from the main column (5) have greater width in the horizontal direction.

4. The gas inlet assembly of claim 3, wherein The loading basket body (1) is further provided with two side columns (4), which are respectively clamped on the sides of the two uniform gas walls (6) away from the main column (5) and seal the sides of the two gas chambers (63) away from the main column (5). The main column (5), the two uniform gas walls (6) and the two side columns (4) form a uniform gas wall (6) structure, and the curvature of the uniform gas wall (6) structure is greater than 180° and less than 270°.

5. The gas inlet assembly of claim 4, wherein The main column (5) and the two side columns (4) are provided with a plurality of support blocks (41) on the side facing the loading cavity (11). A plurality of support blocks (41) are fixed on the main column (5) and the two side columns (4) at equal intervals in the vertical direction. The support blocks (41) on the main column (5) are arranged alternately with the front uniform gas holes (52). The support blocks (41) on the two side columns (4) are respectively consistent in height with one of the support blocks (41) on the main column (5). The three support blocks (41) at the same height are used to support the same wafer (9).

6. The gas inlet assembly of claim 1, wherein The upper end and the lower end of the gas chamber (63) are provided with a gas sealing ring (7), which is used to enhance the sealing performance of the upper end and the lower end of the gas chamber (63).

7. The gas inlet assembly of claim 4, wherein The loading basket body (1) further comprises a gas distribution wall (8) which cooperates with the uniform gas wall (6) structure to form a complete cylindrical shape. The gas distribution wall (8) is in communication with the outside. The gas in the loading cavity (11) is distributed through the gas distribution wall (8).

8. The gas inlet assembly of claim 7, wherein The gas distribution wall (8) comprises an inner wall (81) and an outer wall (82). A gas distribution cavity (83) is arranged between the inner wall (81) and the outer wall (82). A plurality of inner gas distribution holes (84) are formed in the inner wall (81) and are used to communicate the gas distribution cavity (83) with the loading cavity (11). An outer gas distribution hole (85) is formed in the outer wall (82) and is used to communicate the gas distribution cavity (83) with the outside.

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