Air inlet system, process equipment and process method of semiconductor device

Abstract

The invention discloses an air inlet system, and process equipment and a process method of a semiconductor device. The gas inlet system comprises a first gas mixing part for introducing deposition gas or protective gas into the center of the wafer below the reaction cavity; the second gas mixing part surrounds the first gas mixing part and introduces protective gas or etching gas into the edge of the wafer in the circumferential direction; the controller is configured to control the first gas mixing part to introduce the deposition gas and the second gas mixing part to introduce the protective gas, so that the protective gas is jointly introduced around the deposition gas in the circumferential direction and is used for limiting the deposition gas to deposit a thin film in the center of the wafer; and in response to completion of deposition of the thin film, keeping the position of the wafer unchanged, and controlling the first gas mixing part to introduce the protective gas and the second gas mixing part to introduce the etching gas, so that the etching gas is jointly introduced around the protective gas in the circumferential direction, and the etching gas is limited to etch the thin film at the edge of the in-situ wafer. According to the invention, the problem of public path pollution caused by the falling of the mask on the edge of the wafer in the wafer transfer process during etching can be avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and in particular to an air intake system, a process equipment for a semiconductor device, a process method for a semiconductor device, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In the existing amorphous carbon mask technology, the hardness of the generated amorphous carbon mask is relatively high. In the wafer edge area, due to the curved surface characteristics of the wafer edge and the hardness characteristics of the amorphous carbon mask, when a certain thickness of carbon mask is deposited, the edge film may fall off or the adhesion with the next layer of film may be affected to a certain extent.

[0003] There are currently two solutions to this problem. The first is to cover the wafer with a positioned ceramic ring during the deposition process to isolate a certain plasma field, thereby isolating the thin film deposition in the edge area. This method has certain disadvantages, that is, it requires too much volume space for the deposition chamber, and the ceramic ring needs to be positioned with the heating plate, which requires complex processing for the heating plate. The second is to first deposit the thin film in the deposition chamber, and then transfer the deposited wafer to the etching machine, and etch the edge of the wafer through the etching machine. The disadvantage of this method is that the above process needs to be completed by two machines, and if the film at the edge of the wafer has fallen off, it will cause contamination of the common path during the transfer process.

[0004] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art, the art urgently needs an improved air intake technology that can realize the deposition and edge etching process of the amorphous carbon mask in situ, thereby avoiding the common path contamination problem caused by the carbon mask falling off at the edge of the wafer during the wafer transfer process during etching, and can also save process time. Summary of the invention

[0005] A brief summary of one or more aspects is given below to provide a basic understanding of these aspects. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of all conceived aspects, and is neither intended to identify the key or decisive elements of all aspects nor to define the scope of any or all aspects. Its only purpose is to give some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description that will be given later.

[0006] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, the present invention provides an air intake system, a process equipment for a semiconductor device, a process method for a semiconductor device, and a computer-readable storage medium, which can realize the deposition and edge etching process of an amorphous carbon mask in situ, avoid the common path contamination problem caused by the carbon mask falling off at the edge of the wafer during the wafer transfer during etching, and can also save process time.

[0007] Specifically, the above-mentioned gas intake system provided according to the first aspect of the present invention includes: a first gas mixing section, located at the center position above the reaction chamber, for introducing deposition gas or protective gas to the center of the wafer below the reaction chamber; a second gas mixing section, surrounding the first gas mixing section, for introducing protective gas or etching gas circumferentially to the edge of the wafer; and a controller, configured to: control the first gas mixing section to introduce the deposition gas, and the second gas mixing section to introduce the protective gas, so that the protective gas is introduced circumferentially around the deposition gas, for limiting the deposition gas to deposit a thin film at the center of the wafer; and in response to completing the deposition of the thin film, keeping the position of the wafer unchanged, controlling the first gas mixing section to introduce the protective gas, and the second gas mixing section to introduce the etching gas, so that the etching gas is introduced circumferentially around the protective gas, for limiting the etching gas to etch a thin film at the edge of the wafer in situ.

[0008] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the air intake system also includes: an air uniforming baffle, including a first baffle area and a second baffle area, wherein the first baffle area is located below the first gas mixing section, and the second baffle area is located below the second gas mixing section, and is separated from the first baffle area by a preset distance, wherein the preset distance is positively correlated with the edge etching range of the wafer.

[0009] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the second air mixing section is a combination of multiple air ducts, including a first air duct divided into two circumferential directions, a second air duct divided into four circumferential directions, and a third air duct divided into eight circumferential directions, wherein the first air duct is connected with the second air duct via two output ports, the second air duct is connected with the third air duct via four output ports, and the third air duct is connected with the second baffle area via eight output ports.

[0010] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the air intake system also includes: a spray plate, including a first spray area and a second spray area, wherein the first spray area is located below the first baffle area, and the second spray area is located below the second baffle area and is separated from the first spray area by the preset distance.

[0011] In addition, the process equipment of the above-mentioned semiconductor device provided according to the second aspect of the present invention includes: a reaction chamber, in which a wafer is placed for process treatment; and the above-mentioned air intake system provided by the first aspect of the present invention, which is arranged above the reaction chamber, so that the protective gas is introduced circumferentially around the deposition gas, so as to limit the deposition gas to deposit a thin film at the center of the wafer, and after the deposition of the thin film is completed, the position of the wafer is kept unchanged, and the etching gas is introduced circumferentially around the protective gas, so as to limit the etching gas to etch a thin film at the edge of the wafer in situ.

[0012] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the process equipment also includes: a heating plate that can be raised and lowered and is disposed in the reaction chamber, and is used to adjust the distance between the heating plate and the air intake system to a first process spacing when a thin film deposition process is performed in the reaction chamber, and when an edge etching process is performed in the reaction chamber, the distance between the heating plate and the air intake system is adjusted to a second process spacing, wherein the second process spacing is smaller than the first process spacing.

[0013] In addition, the process method of the above-mentioned semiconductor device provided in accordance with the third aspect of the present invention comprises the following steps: placing a wafer onto a heating plate in a reaction chamber in the process equipment of the above-mentioned semiconductor device provided in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention; introducing a deposition gas through a first gas mixing section in an air intake system and introducing a protective gas through a second gas mixing section, so that the protective gas is introduced circumferentially around the deposition gas to limit the deposition gas to deposit a thin film at the center of the wafer; and in response to completion of the deposition of the thin film, keeping the position of the wafer unchanged, introducing the protective gas through the first gas mixing section and introducing the etching gas through the second gas mixing section, so that the etching gas is introduced circumferentially around the protective gas to limit the etching gas to etch a thin film at the edge of the wafer in situ.

[0014] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the reaction chamber includes a heating plate that can be raised and lowered, and the step of introducing the deposition gas through the first gas mixing section in the gas intake system and the protective gas through the second gas mixing section so that the protective gas circumferentially surrounds the deposition gas and is introduced together includes: adjusting the distance between the heating plate and the gas intake system to a first process spacing; adjusting the RF power supply in the reaction chamber to a first high-frequency power; and simultaneously introducing the deposition gas and the protective gas circumferentially surrounding the deposition gas through the first gas mixing section and the second gas mixing section so that the deposition gas deposits a thin film at the center of the wafer.

[0015] Further, in some embodiments of the present invention, the steps of introducing the protective gas through the first gas mixing section and the etching gas through the second gas mixing section include: adjusting the distance between the heating plate and the gas intake system to a second process spacing, wherein the second process spacing is smaller than the first process spacing; adjusting the RF power supply in the reaction chamber to a second low-frequency power; and simultaneously introducing the protective gas and the etching gas surrounding the protective gas through the first gas mixing section and the second gas mixing section, so that the etching gas can etch a thin film at the edge of the wafer in situ.

[0016] In addition, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a computer-readable storage medium on which computer instructions are stored. When the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the process method of the semiconductor device provided by the third aspect of the present invention is implemented. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The above features and advantages of the present invention can be better understood after reading the detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the following drawings. In the drawings, the components are not necessarily drawn to scale, and components with similar related properties or features may have the same or similar reference numerals.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor device process equipment provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of an air intake system provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A partial cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the intake system shown;

[0021] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the top view of the air intake system provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0022] Figure 5 A flow chart of a process method for a semiconductor device provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0023] Fig. 6A A flow chart showing a process method for thin film deposition according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0024] Figure 6B for Fig. 6A A schematic diagram of the airflow path on the wafer surface in the process flow of thin film deposition is shown;

[0025] Fig. 7AA flow chart showing a process method for edge etching according to some embodiments of the present invention; and

[0026] Figure 7B for Fig. 7A Schematic diagram of the airflow path on the wafer surface during the edge etching process shown.

[0027] Reference numerals:

[0028] 100 Process equipment for semiconductor devices;

[0029] 110 reaction chamber;

[0030] 120 heating plate;

[0031] 121 radiofrequency electrode;

[0032] 130 air extraction port;

[0033] 200 Air intake system;

[0034] 210 first mixing section;

[0035] 220 Second mixing section;

[0036] 221 First Airway;

[0037] 222 Second airway;

[0038] 223 Third airway;

[0039] 230 gas uniformity baffle;

[0040] 231 First baffle area;

[0041] 232 Second baffle area;

[0042] 240 Spray plate;

[0043] 241 First spray area;

[0044] 242 Second spray zone;

[0045] 310 uniform air hole;

[0046] 320 spray holes;

[0047] 330 interval;

[0048] 410, 420, 430 output ports;

[0049] 440 Air intake;

[0050] Steps S510 to S530;

[0051] Steps S521 to S523;

[0052] Steps S531 to S533;

[0053] 600 wafers;

[0054] 610 Central Area; and

[0055] 620 marginal area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention will be introduced in conjunction with the preferred embodiment, this does not mean that the features of this invention are limited to this implementation. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the invention in conjunction with the implementation is to cover other options or modifications that may be extended based on the claims of the present invention. In order to provide a deep understanding of the present invention, the following description will include many specific details. The present invention can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion or blurring the focus of the present invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description.

[0057] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it 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 it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0058] In addition, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "horizontal" and "vertical" used in the following description should be understood as the directions shown in the paragraph and the related drawings. Such relative terms are only used for the convenience of description and do not mean that the device described therein must be manufactured or operated in a specific direction, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0059] It is understood that although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. may be used herein to describe various components, regions, layers and / or parts, these components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms, and these terms are only used to distinguish different components, regions, layers and / or parts. Therefore, the first component, region, layer and / or part discussed below may be referred to as a second component, region, layer and / or part without departing from some embodiments of the present invention.

[0060] As mentioned above, in the edge area of ​​the wafer, due to the curved surface characteristics of the edge of the wafer and the hardness characteristics of the amorphous carbon mask, when a certain thickness of carbon mask is deposited, the film at the edge will fall off, or the adhesion with the next layer of film will be affected to a certain extent. There are currently two solutions to this problem. The first is to cover the wafer with a positioned ceramic ring during the deposition process to isolate a certain plasma field, thereby isolating the film deposition in the edge area. This method has certain disadvantages, that is, the volume space required for the deposition chamber is too large, and the ceramic ring needs to be positioned with the heating plate, and the processing requirements for the heating plate are complicated. The second is to first deposit the film in the deposition chamber, and then transfer the deposited wafer to the etching machine, and etch the edge of the wafer through the etching machine. The disadvantage of this method is that the above process needs to be completed by two machines, and if the film at the edge of the wafer has fallen off, it will cause contamination of the common path during the transfer process.

[0061] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides an air intake system, a process equipment for a semiconductor device, a process method for a semiconductor device, and a computer-readable storage medium, which can realize the deposition and edge etching process of an amorphous carbon mask in situ, avoid the common path contamination problem caused by the carbon mask falling off at the edge of the wafer during the wafer transfer during etching, and can also save process time.

[0062] In some non-limiting embodiments, the above-mentioned intake system provided by the first aspect of the present invention can be configured in the process equipment of the above-mentioned semiconductor device provided by the second aspect of the present invention, and used to implement the process method of the above-mentioned semiconductor device provided by the third aspect of the present invention.

[0063] Specifically, in some non-limiting embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium provided in the fourth aspect of the present invention stores computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, can be used to implement the semiconductor device process method provided in the third aspect of the present invention.

[0064] The working principle of the above-mentioned air intake system will be described below in conjunction with some embodiments of process equipment for semiconductor devices and process methods for semiconductor devices. Those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments of these process equipment for semiconductor devices and process methods for semiconductor devices are only some non-restrictive implementation methods provided by the present invention, and are intended to clearly demonstrate the main concept of the present invention and provide some specific solutions that are convenient for the public to implement, rather than to limit all working modes or all functions of the air intake system. Similarly, the air intake system is also only a non-restrictive implementation method provided by the present invention, and does not constitute a limitation on other configuration objects in the process equipment for these semiconductor devices, and the implementation subjects of each step in the process method for semiconductor devices.

[0065] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor process equipment provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0066] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the process equipment 100 of the semiconductor device may include a reaction chamber 110, which may include a heating plate 120 inside, on which a wafer is placed for process treatment. An air intake system 200 may be provided above the reaction chamber 110 for introducing gases required for various process treatments. Specifically, the air intake system 200 allows the protective gas to be introduced circumferentially around the deposition gas, so as to limit the deposition gas to deposit a thin film in the center of the wafer. Moreover, after the film is deposited, the position of the wafer in the reaction chamber 110 can be kept unchanged, and the etching gas can be introduced circumferentially around the protective gas through the air intake system 200, so as to limit the etching gas to etch the film at the edge of the wafer in situ. In an embodiment of the present invention, through the air intake system 200 in the reaction chamber 110, the process flow of depositing a thin film and etching the edge can be realized in situ in the reaction chamber 110 that was originally used only for deposition.

[0067] Furthermore, in some optional embodiments, the semiconductor device process equipment 100 can be specifically used for plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and an amorphous carbon mask can be deposited by PECVD. In this regard, in this embodiment, through the air intake system 200 in the reaction chamber 110, the process flow of depositing an amorphous carbon mask and edge etching can be realized in situ in the reaction chamber 110 that was originally only used for deposition.

[0068] Specifically, Figure 1 As shown, the heating plate 120 and the air intake system 200 in the reaction chamber 110 may be provided with a radio frequency electrode 121, which can be used to provide the radio frequency energy required for the deposition process and the etching process of the amorphous carbon mask by connecting to an external radio frequency power supply. The side wall of the reaction chamber 110 may also include a gas extraction port 130, which can be connected to an external gas extraction system, and is used to extract the remaining reaction gas inside the reaction chamber 110 after a specific process flow is completed in the reaction chamber 110 to clean the chamber.

[0069] Furthermore, if Figure 1As shown, in some embodiments, the heating plate 120 is a structure that can be raised and lowered. When a thin film deposition process is performed in the reaction chamber 110, the distance between the heating plate 120 and the air intake system 200 can be adjusted to a first process spacing, and when an edge etching process is performed in the reaction chamber 110, the distance between the heating plate 120 and the air intake system 200 can be adjusted to a second process spacing, wherein the second process spacing can be smaller than the first process spacing. Since the etching rate is faster, the etching time can be reduced at a smaller process spacing, and the etching effect on the edge can be enhanced. Therefore, in this embodiment, the second process spacing in the edge etching process is preferably smaller than the first process spacing in the thin film deposition process.

[0070] Next, see Figure 2 , Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of an air intake system provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0071] like Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the intake system 200 may include a first air mixing unit 210, a second air mixing unit 220, and a controller (not shown in the drawings). Figure 1 It is commonly understood that the first gas mixing section 210 may be located at a central position above the reaction chamber 110, and is used to pass a deposition gas or a protective gas to the center of the wafer below the reaction chamber 110. The second gas mixing section 220 may surround the first gas mixing section 210, and is used to pass a protective gas or an etching gas to the circumference of the wafer edge. Therefore, the first gas mixing section 210 may include deposition gas and protective gas stored independently of each other, and the second gas mixing section 220 may include etching gas and protective gas stored independently of each other.

[0072] Since the deposition process and the etching process can be carried out separately in the reaction chamber 110 of the present invention, correspondingly, the first gas mixing section 210 and the second gas mixing section 220 can be jointly introduced into the deposition process gas group during the deposition process, and the deposition process gas group may include a deposition gas and a protective gas. Optionally, the deposition gas may include propylene (C3H6), acetylene (C2H2), etc. The protective gas may include an inert gas that is difficult to dissociate, such as nitrogen (N2), etc. Furthermore, the deposition process gas group may also include a carrier gas for carrying the deposition gas, such as argon (Ar), helium (He), etc.

[0073] During the etching process, the first gas mixing unit 210 and the second gas mixing unit 220 may jointly introduce an etching process gas group, which may include an etching gas and a protective gas. Optionally, the etching gas may include oxygen (O2), hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), etc.

[0074] The controller can be configured to: control the first gas mixing section 210 to pass deposition gas and the second gas mixing section 220 to pass protective gas, so that the protective gas is passed circumferentially around the deposition gas, so as to limit the deposition gas to deposit a thin film at the center of the wafer; and in response to completing the deposition of the thin film, keep the wafer position unchanged, control the first gas mixing section 210 to pass protective gas and the second gas mixing section 220 to pass etching gas, so that the etching gas is passed circumferentially around the protective gas, so as to limit the etching gas to etch the thin film at the edge of the wafer in situ.

[0075] Continue as Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the intake system 200 may further include an air-uniform baffle 230. The air-uniform baffle 230 may include a first baffle area 231 and a second baffle area 232. The first baffle area 231 may be located below the first air mixing portion 210, and the second baffle area 232 may be located below the second air mixing portion 220.

[0076] Specifically, please combine Figure 3 Common understanding, Figure 3 for Figure 2 The partial cross-sectional structure diagram of the intake system is shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown, a plurality of tiny gas-uniform holes 310 are distributed in the gas-uniform baffle 230, which are used to reduce the flow rate of the gas in the deposition process gas group or the etching process gas group delivered via the first gas mixing section 210 and the second gas mixing section 220, thereby facilitating the final uniform output of the gas in the deposition process gas group or the etching process gas group.

[0077] Furthermore, if Figure 2 and 3As shown, preferably, there is a preset distance interval 330 between the first baffle area 231 and the second baffle area 232. Since both the first gas mixing section 210 and the second gas mixing section 220 in the gas inlet system 200 simultaneously introduce two different gases in either the deposition process or the etching process, and each gas has a different process effect. Specifically, in the deposition process, the first gas mixing section 210 can introduce deposition gas into the central area of ​​the reaction chamber 110 for depositing a thin film, while the second gas mixing section 220 can introduce protective gas into the circumferential area of ​​the reaction chamber 110 for limiting the distribution range of the deposition gas to reduce the deposition of the thin film on the wafer. In the etching process, the second gas mixing section 220 can introduce etching gas into the circumferential area of ​​the reaction chamber 110 for etching the thin film at the edge of the wafer, while the first gas mixing section 210 can introduce protective gas into the central area of ​​the reaction chamber 110 for limiting the distribution range of the etching gas to avoid etching the thin film at the center of the wafer. Therefore, no matter which of the above process flows is used, the two gases introduced at the same time need to be mixed after entering the reaction chamber 110, rather than being mixed above the baffle of the traditional machine. If they are mixed before entering the uniform gas baffle 230, the effects of the two gases will be directly weakened, especially the effect of the protective gas on the range of the other gas, which may even be directly eliminated.

[0078] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the preset distance L of the interval 330 between the first baffle area 231 and the second baffle area 232 may preferably be positively correlated with the edge etching range of the wafer. The position of the interval 330 may be set at the edge and may be adjusted according to the actual position, mainly depending on the edge removal range required by the process, but may be located at the edge as a whole.

[0079] Continue as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the air intake system 200 may further include a spray plate 240. The spray plate 240 may include a first spray area 241 and a second spray area 242, respectively corresponding to the first baffle area 231 and the second baffle area 232 located above the spray plate 240, and a gap 330 of the same preset distance may also be provided between the second spray area 242 and the first spray area 241. Figure 3 As shown, a plurality of spray holes 320 with gradually increasing apertures from top to bottom may be distributed in the spray plate 240 to increase the flow rate of the gas so that it can be quickly sprayed downward for output. In this embodiment, the two gases entering through the first gas mixing section 210 and the second gas mixing section 220 respectively can be isolated from each other in the interval 330 area between the uniform gas baffle 230 and the spray plate 240, so that different flow fields can be formed after entering the reaction chamber 110.

[0080] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 4A schematic diagram of the structure of an air intake system provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown in a top view.

[0081] like Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the second gas mixing section 220 can be a combination of multiple gas channels. The second gas mixing section 220 can include a first gas channel 221 divided into two circumferential directions, a second gas channel 222 divided into four circumferential directions, and a third gas channel 223 divided into eight circumferential directions. The first gas channel 221 is connected to the second gas channel 222 via two output ports 410, the second gas channel 222 can be connected to the third gas channel 223 via four output ports 420, and the third gas channel 223 can be connected to the second baffle area 232 below via eight output ports 430.

[0082] Preferably, the airway circumference of the second airway 222 can be greater than that of the first airway 221, and the airway circumference of the third airway 223 can be greater than that of the second airway 222, so as to diffuse the gas circumferentially evenly layer by layer, so that the gas in the second mixing section 220 can be evenly distributed circumferentially. If such a channel is not provided, it will cause the problem of uneven circumferential gas distribution.

[0083] Specifically, if Figure 4 As shown, the protective gas in the deposition process or the etching gas in the etching process can enter from the gas inlet 440 in the second gas mixing part 220, diffuse circumferentially along the first gas channel 221, and then be divided into two through the two output ports 410 at both ends of the first gas channel 221, and enter the second gas channel 222. After that, the gas continues to diffuse circumferentially along the second gas channel 222, and is divided into four through the four output ports 420 evenly distributed in the second gas channel 222, and enters the third gas channel 223. After that, the gas diffuses circumferentially along the third gas channel 223 and is divided into eight through the eight output ports 430 evenly distributed in the third gas channel 223, and enters the second baffle area 232.

[0084] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above-mentioned second gas mixing section 220 including a combination of three circumferential gas passages is only a non-limiting embodiment provided by the present invention, which is intended to clearly demonstrate the main concept of the present invention and provide a specific solution that is convenient for the public to implement, rather than to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. In other embodiments, the number of circumferential gas passages in the second gas mixing section 220 can be increased or decreased according to the space inside the reaction chamber and the demand for uniform gas.

[0085] So far, the main structure of the above-mentioned partitioned independent air intake system 200 and the semiconductor device process equipment 100 including the above-mentioned partitioned independent air intake system 200 have been introduced. Next, the working principle of the air intake system 200 configured in the semiconductor device process equipment 100 will be further described in combination with the process method of the semiconductor device.

[0086] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5 A flow chart of a process method for a semiconductor device provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0087] like Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the process method of a semiconductor device may include the following steps: First, step S510 may be performed: a wafer is placed on a heating plate in a reaction chamber of a process equipment of a semiconductor device to prepare for process treatment.

[0088] Subsequently, step S520 may be performed: the deposition gas is introduced through the first gas mixing part in the gas inlet system, and the protective gas is introduced through the second gas mixing part, so that the protective gas is introduced circumferentially around the deposition gas to limit the deposition gas to deposit a thin film at the center of the wafer.

[0089] Specifically, it can be combined Fig. 6A and 6B Common understanding, Fig. 6A A flow chart of a thin film deposition process according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 6B for Fig. 6A Schematic diagram of the airflow path on the wafer surface during the thin film deposition process.

[0090] like Fig. 6A As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, when the process flow of thin film deposition is performed in the reaction chamber 110, step S520 can be embodied as steps S521-S523.

[0091] In some optional embodiments, the process environment in the reaction chamber 110 may be adjusted first. First, step S521 may be performed: adjusting the distance between the heating plate and the air intake system to the first process spacing. Specifically, the height of the heating plate 120 in the reaction chamber 110 may be raised or lowered to adjust the distance between the heating plate 120 and the shower plate 240 to the first process spacing. Preferably, the first process spacing may range from 5 to 20 mm.

[0092] Then, step S522 can be performed: adjusting the RF power supply in the reaction chamber to the first high-frequency power. Since the RF electrode 121 can be provided in the heating disk 120 and the shower plate 240, by connecting an external RF power supply, it can be used to provide the RF energy required for the deposition process and the etching process of the amorphous carbon mask. Optionally, the first high-frequency power range can be 500 to 6000W. The high-frequency power supply can be used to generate plasma, so that the particles in the plasma can collide more times, thereby obtaining high-density particles, which is conducive to the deposition of a dense film.

[0093] In addition, the temperature range in the reaction chamber 110 may be adjusted to 200-700° C., which is suitable for the deposition process. The pressure in the reaction chamber 110 may be adjusted to 1-20 torr.

[0094] Optionally, since both steps S521 and S522 are preparation steps before the thin film deposition process, the two steps can be interchanged.

[0095] Finally, step S523 may be performed: simultaneously introducing a deposition gas and a protective gas surrounding the deposition gas through the first gas mixing part and the second gas mixing part, so that the deposition gas deposits a thin film at the center of the wafer.

[0096] Specifically, combined Figure 6B It is commonly understood that the controller can control the first gas mixing unit 210 to introduce deposition gas, such as C3H6, C2H2, and its carrier gas Ar, He, and control the second gas mixing unit 220 to simultaneously introduce an inert gas that is difficult to dissociate as a protective gas, such as N2. Since the deposition gas is diffusible, the inert gas is circumferentially surrounded by the deposition gas and introduced simultaneously with the deposition gas, which can limit the diffusion range of the deposition gas, so that the deposition gas is distributed in the central area 610 of the wafer 600, while the edge area 620 of the wafer 600 is covered with the inert gas, thereby reducing the deposition gas distribution to the edge of the wafer, and ultimately reducing the edge deposition of the wafer 600 to a certain extent.

[0097] Furthermore, the flow rates of the two gases introduced into the first gas mixing unit 210 and the second gas mixing unit 220 may be set according to the process result requirements. In some preferred embodiments, during the deposition process, the ratio of the inert gas to the deposition gas may be less than or equal to 1:1. If the ratio is greater than this, the deposition in the central area 610 of the wafer 600 will be affected.

[0098] Please continue to return Figure 5 After the above-mentioned deposition process is completed, the wafer 600 is not transferred out, but is kept in the original position in the heating plate, and the edge thereof is etched. First, step S530 can be performed: in response to the completion of the deposition of the thin film, the position of the wafer is kept unchanged, the protective gas is introduced through the first gas mixing part, and the etching gas is introduced through the second gas mixing part, so that the etching gas is introduced around the protective gas in a circumferential direction, so as to limit the etching gas from etching the thin film at the edge of the wafer in situ.

[0099] Specifically, it can be combined Fig. 7A and 7B Common understanding, Fig. 7A A flow chart of a process method for edge etching according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 7B for Fig. 7ASchematic diagram of the airflow path on the wafer surface during the edge etching process shown.

[0100] like Fig. 7A As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, when the process flow of thin film deposition is performed in the reaction chamber 110, step S530 can be embodied as steps S531-S533.

[0101] In some optional embodiments, the process environment in the reaction chamber 110 can be adjusted first. First, step S531 can be performed: the distance between the heating plate and the air intake system is adjusted to the second process spacing. Specifically, the height of the heating plate 120 in the reaction chamber 110 can be raised and lowered to adjust the distance between the heating plate 120 and the shower plate 240 to the second process spacing, wherein the second process spacing is preferably smaller than the first process spacing. Since the etching rate is faster, the etching time can be reduced at a smaller process spacing, and the etching effect on the edge can be enhanced. Therefore, the second process spacing range can preferably be 3 to 10 mm.

[0102] Then, step S532 can be performed: adjust the RF power supply in the reaction chamber to the second low-frequency power. Optionally, the second low-frequency power range can be 100 to 1000W. The low-frequency power supply can be used to give a bias voltage, which is easier to give the particles in the plasma a higher speed and kinetic energy, so that the particles have a stronger bombardment ability, which is beneficial to improve the etching effect. Those skilled in the art can understand that the high frequency and low frequency in the first high-frequency power and the second low-frequency power in the present invention are two relative concepts, not high frequency and low frequency in an absolute sense.

[0103] In addition, the temperature range in the reaction chamber 110 may be adjusted to 200-700° C., which is suitable for the deposition process. The pressure in the reaction chamber 110 may be adjusted to 1-20 torr.

[0104] Optionally, since both steps S531 and S532 are preparation steps before the edge etching process, the two steps can be interchanged.

[0105] Finally, step S533 may be performed: simultaneously introducing a protective gas and an etching gas surrounding the protective gas through the first gas mixing part and the second gas mixing part, so that the etching gas can etch a thin film at the edge of the in-situ wafer.

[0106] Specifically, combined Figure 7BIt is commonly understood that the controller can control the first gas mixing unit 210 to introduce an inert gas that is difficult to dissociate as a protective gas, such as N2, and control the second gas mixing unit 220 to simultaneously introduce an etching gas, such as O2, H2, and CO2. Since the etching gas is diffusible, the etching gas is surrounded by the inert gas in a circumferential direction, and the inert gas is introduced simultaneously with the etching gas, so that the diffusion range of the etching gas can be limited, so that the etching gas is distributed in the edge area 620 of the wafer 600, while the central area 610 of the wafer 600 is covered with the inert gas, thereby reducing the distribution of the etching gas to the center of the wafer, and finally completing the edge etching of the wafer 600, and preventing the film in the central area 610 from being mistakenly etched.

[0107] Furthermore, the flow rates of the two gases introduced into the first gas mixing unit 210 and the second gas mixing unit 220 can be set according to the process result requirements. In some preferred embodiments, during the etching process, the ratio of the inert gas to the etching gas can be greater than or equal to 1:1. If it is less than this ratio, the central deposition area of ​​the wafer 600 will be etched.

[0108] In this embodiment, since the above-mentioned step S520 only uses an inert gas to protect the edge area 620 of the wafer 600, a certain thin film may still be deposited on the edge area 620. Therefore, step S530 is still required to etch the edge film, and the etching gas can be selected as a gas that only etches the deposited film to avoid affecting the final product.

[0109] In addition, in the subsequent effect verification process, through the result simulation diagram of the wafer surface during the thin film deposition process in which the deposition gas C3H6 flows into the first gas mixing section 210 and the inert gas Ar flows into the second gas mixing section 220, it can also be obtained that at the 1mm position on the wafer, the mass fraction of the inert gas Ar is higher in the edge area of ​​the wafer, while the mass fraction of C3H6 is higher in the center area of ​​the wafer, which is in line with expectations. Furthermore, through the stress cloud map, velocity cloud map, velocity vector map, and velocity trace map of the wafer cross section at the 1mm position on the wafer, it can be confirmed that during the thin film deposition process, the gas flow distribution in the reaction chamber is relatively uniform, which is in line with the conventional distribution of the PECVD reaction chamber.

[0110] In other optional embodiments, in the process of subsequent effect verification, through the simulation diagram of the result of the wafer surface during the edge etching process in which the inert gas N2 flows into the first gas mixing section 210 and the etching gas O2 flows into the second gas mixing section 220, it can also be obtained that at the 1mm position on the wafer, the mass fraction of the etching gas O2 is higher in the edge area of ​​the wafer, while the mass fraction of the inert gas N2 is higher in the central area of ​​the wafer, which is in line with expectations. Furthermore, through the stress cloud map, velocity cloud map, velocity vector map, and velocity trace map of the wafer cross section at the 1mm position on the wafer, it can be confirmed that during the edge etching process, the gas flow distribution in the reaction chamber is also relatively uniform, which is in line with the conventional distribution of the PECVD reaction chamber.

[0111] Furthermore, the above-mentioned air intake system 200, as well as the process equipment 100 and the process method of the semiconductor device provided by the present invention can also be applied to other thin film processes that require edge etching other than amorphous carbon masks, and only the process parameters such as the type of etching gas, gas flow rate and process conditions need to be adjusted.

[0112] Although the above methods are illustrated and described as a series of actions for simplicity of explanation, it should be understood and appreciated that these methods are not limited by the order of the actions, because according to one or more embodiments, some actions may occur in a different order and / or concurrently with other actions from those illustrated and described herein or not illustrated and described herein but understandable to those skilled in the art.

[0113] Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that the steps of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein may be directly embodied in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. The software module may reside in a RAM memory, a flash memory, a ROM memory, an EPROM memory, an EEPROM memory, a register, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor so that the processor can read and write information from / to the storage medium. In an alternative, a storage medium may be integrated into a processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In an alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside in a user terminal as discrete components.

[0114] In one or more exemplary embodiments, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented as a computer program product in software, each function may be stored on or transmitted by a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or codes. Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Storage media may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. As an example and not limitation, such a computer-readable medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a computer. Any connection is also properly referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwaves, the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwaves are included in the definition of the medium. Disk and disc as used herein include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-ray disc, wherein disk often reproduces data magnetically, while disc reproduces data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0115] In summary, the present invention provides an air intake system, a process equipment for a semiconductor device, a process method for a semiconductor device, and a computer-readable storage medium, which can realize the deposition and edge etching process of an amorphous carbon mask in situ, avoid the common path contamination problem caused by the carbon mask falling off at the edge of the wafer during the wafer transfer process during etching, and can also save process time.

[0116] The previous description of the disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modifications to the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be granted the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An air intake system, characterized in that: include: A first gas mixing part, located at the center above the reaction chamber, is used to introduce deposition gas or protective gas into the center of the wafer below the reaction chamber; A second gas mixing part, surrounding the first gas mixing part, and used for introducing protective gas or etching gas circumferentially toward the edge of the wafer; as well as The controller is configured to: control the first gas mixing part to introduce the deposition gas, and the second gas mixing part to introduce the protection gas, so that the protection gas is introduced circumferentially around the deposition gas, so as to limit the deposition gas to deposit a thin film at the center of the wafer; In response to the completion of the deposited film, the position of the wafer is kept unchanged, the first gas mixing part is controlled to introduce the protective gas, and the second gas mixing part is controlled to introduce the etching gas, so that the etching gas is introduced circumferentially around the protective gas, so as to limit the etching gas from etching the film at the edge of the wafer in situ.

2. The air intake system according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: The gas uniforming baffle comprises a first baffle area and a second baffle area, wherein the first baffle area is located below the first gas mixing section, and the second baffle area is located below the second gas mixing section and is separated from the first baffle area by a preset distance, wherein the preset distance is positively correlated with the edge etching range of the wafer.

3. The air intake system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second air mixing section is a combination of multiple air channels, including a first air channel divided into two circumferential directions, a second air channel divided into two four circumferential directions, and a third air channel divided into four eight circumferential directions, wherein the first air channel is connected to the second air channel via two output ports, the second air channel is connected to the third air channel via four output ports, and the third air channel is connected to the second baffle area via eight output ports.

4. The air intake system according to claim 2, characterized in that: Also includes: The spray plate comprises a first spray area and a second spray area, wherein the first spray area is located below the first baffle area, and the second spray area is located below the second baffle area and is separated from the first spray area by the preset distance.

5. A process equipment for a semiconductor device, characterized in that: include: A reaction chamber, in which the wafer is placed for process processing; as well as The air intake system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is arranged above the reaction chamber so that the protective gas is introduced circumferentially around the deposition gas to limit the deposition gas to deposit a thin film at the center of the wafer, and after the deposition of the thin film is completed, the position of the wafer is kept unchanged, and the etching gas is introduced circumferentially around the protective gas to limit the etching gas to etch a thin film at the edge of the wafer in situ.

6. The process equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that: Also includes: A heating plate that can be raised and lowered and adjusted is arranged in the reaction chamber, and is used to adjust the distance between the heating plate and the air intake system to a first process spacing when a thin film deposition process is performed in the reaction chamber, and to adjust the distance between the heating plate and the air intake system to a second process spacing when an edge etching process is performed in the reaction chamber, wherein the second process spacing is smaller than the first process spacing.

7. A process method for a semiconductor device, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Placing the wafer onto a heating plate in a reaction chamber of a semiconductor device process equipment as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 6; A deposition gas is introduced through a first gas mixing part in the gas inlet system, and a protective gas is introduced through a second gas mixing part, so that the protective gas is introduced circumferentially around the deposition gas to limit the deposition gas from depositing a thin film at the center of the wafer; and In response to the completion of the deposited film, the position of the wafer is kept unchanged, the protective gas is introduced through the first gas mixing part, and the etching gas is introduced through the second gas mixing part, so that the etching gas is introduced circumferentially around the protective gas, so as to limit the etching gas from etching the film at the edge of the wafer in situ.

8. The process according to claim 7, characterized in that: The reaction chamber includes a heating plate that can be raised and lowered, and the deposition gas is introduced through the first gas mixing part in the gas inlet system, and the protective gas is introduced through the second gas mixing part so that the protective gas surrounds the deposition gas and is introduced together. The steps include: adjusting the distance between the heating plate and the air inlet system to a first process distance; adjusting the radio frequency power supply in the reaction chamber to a first high frequency power; and The deposition gas and the protective gas surrounding the deposition gas are introduced simultaneously through the first gas mixing part and the second gas mixing part, so that the deposition gas deposits a thin film at the center of the wafer.

9. The process according to claim 8, characterized in that: The step of introducing the protective gas through the first gas mixing part and introducing the etching gas through the second gas mixing part comprises: adjusting the distance between the heating plate and the air inlet system to a second process spacing, wherein the second process spacing is smaller than the first process spacing; adjusting the radio frequency power in the reaction chamber to a second low frequency power; and The protective gas and the etching gas surrounding the protective gas are introduced simultaneously through the first gas mixing part and the second gas mixing part, so that the etching gas can etch a thin film at the edge of the wafer in situ.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the process method for a semiconductor device according to any one of claims 7 to 9 is implemented.

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