Power regulation method of radio frequency power supply and semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a power regulation method of a radio frequency power supply and semiconductor process equipment. The method comprises the following steps: when a process formula is executed in a multi-station chamber, obtaining the actual load power of each station with a wafer; standard load power corresponding to the technological formula and the stations with the wafers is obtained; and adjusting the power of the radio frequency power supply according to the actual load power and the standard load power of each station with the wafer. The dynamic power of the radio frequency power supply is adjusted according to different actual states and different operation process formulas of semiconductor process equipment, so that the power output stability of each station is ensured, the film thickness consistency is improved, various process formulas can be covered, the process window is enlarged, and the production efficiency is improved. Adjusting modules do not need to be arranged at all stations respectively, the structure is simple, control calculation logic is simple, and a machine table end is easy to achieve.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular relates to a power regulation method of a radio frequency power supply and semiconductor process equipment. Background Art

[0002] When semiconductor process equipment with multi-station chambers is actually running a process, due to loading and unloading wafers, the chamber stations may not be full of wafers. The number of empty wafers in the chamber is different, and the RF impedance of the chamber is also different, which causes fluctuations in RF power transmission and wafer film thickness, leading to poor film thickness consistency between wafers. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a power regulation method of a radio frequency power supply and a semiconductor process equipment to solve the problem of poor film thickness consistency caused by different numbers of empty sheets in a multi-station chamber.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present application embodiment adopts the following technical solutions: In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a power regulation method for a radio frequency power supply, comprising: when executing a process recipe in a multi-station chamber, obtaining the actual load power of each station with a wafer; obtaining the standard load power corresponding to the process recipe and each station with a wafer; and regulating the power of the radio frequency power supply according to the actual load power and the standard load power of each station with a wafer.

[0005] In the second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a semiconductor process equipment, comprising: a radio frequency power supply, a matcher, a multi-station chamber, a controller and multiple detectors, the radio frequency power supply is connected to the non-grounded electrodes at each station in the multi-station chamber through the matcher, one detector is connected to one non-grounded electrode, and the controller is connected to the multiple detectors and the radio frequency power supply respectively; the detector is used to detect the actual load power of the corresponding station; the controller comprises at least one processor and at least one memory, a computer program is stored in the memory, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the steps of the power regulation method of the radio frequency power supply as described in the embodiment of the first aspect of the present application are implemented.

[0006] At least one of the above technical solutions adopted in the embodiments of the present application can achieve the following beneficial effects: When executing a process recipe in a multi-station chamber, the embodiment of the present application obtains the actual load power of each station with a wafer, obtains the standard load power corresponding to the process recipe and each station with a wafer, and adjusts the power of the RF power supply according to the actual load power and the standard load power of each station with a wafer. The embodiment of the present application sets different standard load powers for different process recipes, and adjusts the power of the RF power supply in combination with the actual load power of each station with a wafer, thereby realizing dynamic power adjustment of the RF power supply according to the actual state of the semiconductor process equipment and the operation of different process recipes, thereby ensuring the stability of the power output of each station, improving the consistency of film thickness, and can cover a variety of process recipes, increasing the process window. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present application and constitute a part of the present application. The illustrative embodiments of the present application and their descriptions are used to explain the present application and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present application. In the drawings: Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of semiconductor process equipment in the related art; Figure 2 A schematic flow chart of a power regulation method of a radio frequency power supply provided in one embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a semiconductor process equipment provided by one embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a film transmission process provided for one embodiment of the present application; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a power regulation process provided for an embodiment of the present application; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a power regulation process provided for another embodiment of the present application; Figure 7 A schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor process equipment provided for one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0008] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present application clearer, the technical solution of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in combination with the specific embodiments of the present application and the corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0009] The terms "first", "second", etc. in this application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described here. In addition, the "and / or" in this application represents at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally represents that the front and back associated objects are in an "or" relationship. It should be noted that the data involved in this application are all obtained on the premise of obtaining user authorization.

[0010] When semiconductor process equipment with multi-station chambers is actually running a process, due to loading and unloading wafers, the chamber stations may not be full. For example, in a six-station chamber, when the first wafer enters the chamber for processing, the remaining five stations are empty; when the second wafer enters the chamber for processing, the remaining four stations are empty; when the third wafer enters the chamber for processing, the remaining three stations are empty; when the fourth wafer enters the chamber for processing, the remaining two stations are empty; when the fifth wafer enters the chamber for processing, the remaining one station is empty; when the sixth wafer enters the chamber for processing, the stations are full. Therefore, during the process, the number of wafers in the chamber is different, the number of empty wafers is different, and the RF impedance of the chamber is also different, which causes fluctuations in RF power transmission and wafer film thickness, and then leads to poor film thickness consistency between wafers.

[0011] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of semiconductor process equipment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the process gas enters the chamber from the air inlet pipe 9, the high-frequency power supply 1 is connected to the input end of the high-frequency matcher 3 through a coaxial line, the low-frequency power supply 2 is connected to the input end of the low-frequency matcher 4 through a coaxial line, the output ends of the high-frequency matcher 3 and the low-frequency matcher 4 are respectively connected to the high-frequency input end and the low-frequency input end of the power equalizer 5, the high-frequency power and the low-frequency power are distributed to multiple stations through the power equalizer 5, the power equalizer 5 transmits the distributed power of each station to the upper electrode 6 (such as a shower head) of each station through the coaxial line, and the lower electrode 7 (such as a base) is connected to the chamber wall 8 to achieve grounding.

[0012] In order to solve the problem of film thickness consistency, Figure 1The semiconductor process equipment shown in the figure, the scheme adopted in the related technology 1 is as follows: two sets of fixed high-frequency and low-frequency compensation coefficients are pre-set, such as high frequency: A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, low frequency: B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, corresponding to the number of empty wafers in the chamber as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 respectively. When running the process, the corresponding high-frequency and low-frequency compensation coefficients are called according to the number of empty wafers in the chamber for power compensation. However, during the process of running the process, the actual state of the semiconductor process equipment is different and different process recipes are run, which will cause the power output of each station to change. Therefore, the use of fixed compensation coefficients may sometimes make the film thickness consistency worse, or limit the semiconductor process equipment to only run the process recipe corresponding to the fixed compensation coefficient, making the process window smaller.

[0013] In order to solve the problem of film thickness consistency, Figure 1 The semiconductor process equipment shown in the figure, the solution adopted in the related technology 2 is as follows: a regulating module (including variable inductance and / or capacitance, etc.) is set for each station downstream of the power divider 5, and the output power of each station is adjusted based on the actual load power of each station. However, this solution has a complex structure and cumbersome control calculation logic, and is currently difficult to implement on the machine side.

[0014] To this end, the present application proposes a power regulation method of an RF power supply, a semiconductor process equipment and a storage medium to solve the problem of poor film thickness consistency caused by different numbers of empty sheets in multi-station chambers, the fixed compensation coefficient in related technology one, which leads to poor film thickness consistency and a small process window, and the problem that the adjustment module structure is set separately for each station in related technology two, and the control calculation logic is complicated, which is difficult to achieve on the machine side at present.

[0015] The technical solutions provided by various embodiments of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0016] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a power regulation method of a radio frequency power supply provided in one embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As shown, the power regulation method of the radio frequency power supply of the embodiment of the present application may specifically include the following steps: S201, when executing a process recipe in a multi-station chamber, obtaining actual load power of each station having a wafer.

[0017] In an embodiment of the present application, the executor of the power regulation method of the RF power supply of the embodiment of the present application is a controller, which can be set in the host computer and / or the slave computer of the semiconductor process equipment (such as deposition equipment, etching equipment, etc.).

[0018] against Figure 1The structure of the semiconductor process equipment shown in FIG. 1 and the structure of the semiconductor process equipment corresponding to the power regulation method of the RF power supply of the embodiment of the present application can be as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown, in Figure 1 On the basis of the illustrated embodiment, it also includes: a plurality of detectors 10 connected to the upper electrode 6 of each station, such as a voltage and current (Volt Ampere, VI) detector, and a controller 11 respectively connected to the plurality of detectors 10, the high-frequency power supply 1 and the low-frequency power supply 2. The detector 10 is used to detect parameters such as voltage, current and power at the upper electrode in real time, and transmit the collected parameter information to the controller 11 in real time. It should be noted here that the upper electrode 6 can be connected to the chamber wall 8 to achieve grounding, and the lower electrode 7 is connected to the power divider 5 and the detector 10. The frequency of the high-frequency power supply 1 can be 13.56 megahertz (MHz), 27.12MHz, 40MHz, etc., and the frequency of the low-frequency power supply can be 400 kilohertz (kHz), 2MHz, etc.

[0019] When a process recipe is executed in a multi-station chamber, for each station with a wafer (i.e., not an empty wafer), the actual load power of these stations can be obtained through the detector 10. It should be noted here that when the RF power supply is Figure 3 When the high-frequency power supply 1 and the low-frequency power supply 2 are included, the actual load power obtained here includes the actual high-frequency load power and the actual low-frequency load power. When the RF power supply is a RF power supply, namely, the high-frequency power supply 1 or the low-frequency power supply 2, the actual load power obtained here is the actual high-frequency load power or the actual low-frequency load power. In addition, multiple stations in the chamber can share the same RF power supply, or use their own RF power supplies respectively.

[0020] S202, obtaining a standard load power corresponding to the process recipe and each station having a wafer.

[0021] In the embodiment of the present application, the standard load power is the actual load power of each station when all stations in the multi-station chamber have wafers, that is, the chamber is full of wafers. It should be noted here that when the RF power supply is Figure 3 When the high-frequency power supply 1 and the low-frequency power supply 2 are included, the standard load power obtained here includes the standard high-frequency load power and the standard low-frequency load power. When the RF power supply is a RF power supply, namely the high-frequency power supply 1 or the low-frequency power supply 2, the standard load power obtained here is the standard high-frequency load power or the standard low-frequency load power. In addition, multiple stations in the chamber can share the same RF power supply, or use their own RF power supplies respectively.

[0022] The process recipe power parameter relationship may be pre-stored, and the process recipe power parameter relationship includes the standard load power corresponding to each station of the multi-station chamber under multiple process recipes. According to the process recipe and each station with wafers, the standard load power corresponding to each station with wafers is searched in the pre-stored process recipe power parameter relationship.

[0023] The following takes six stations and the execution of six wafer processes. Each wafer needs to be processed once at each station, and the total process is completed only after six processes are executed as an example. The wafer transfer process is described in detail: the robot transfers the first wafer into the chamber and places it at station 1, and then controls various process conditions to perform the first process. At this time, there are five empty stations in the chamber; after completing the first process, the robot places the first wafer at station 2, and transfers the second wafer to station 1. At this time, there are four empty stations in the chamber, and the process is performed again. At this time, the first wafer has been processed twice, and the second wafer has been processed once; the robot places the first wafer at station 3, the second wafer at station 2, and transfers the third wafer to station 1. At this time, the chamber There are three empty stations in the chamber, and the process is executed again. At this time, the first wafer has been processed three times, the second wafer has been processed twice, and the third wafer has been processed once; the robot places the first wafer at station 4, the second wafer at station 3, the third wafer at station 2, and transfers the fourth wafer to station 1. At this time, there are two empty stations in the chamber, and the process is executed again. At this time, the first wafer has been processed four times, the second wafer has been processed three times, the third wafer has been processed twice, and the fourth wafer has been processed once; the robot places the first wafer at station 5, the second wafer at station 4, the third wafer at station 3, the fourth wafer at station 2, and transfers the fifth wafer to station 1. At this time, there are two empty stations in the chamber, and the process is executed again. At this time, the first wafer has been processed four times, the second wafer has been processed three times, the third wafer has been processed twice, and the fourth wafer has been processed once. There is an empty station, and the process is executed again. At this time, the first wafer has been processed five times, the second wafer has been processed four times, the third wafer has been processed three times, the fourth wafer has been processed twice, and the fifth wafer has been processed once; the robot places the first wafer at station 6, the second wafer at station 5, the third wafer at station 4, the fourth wafer at station 3, the fifth wafer at station 2, and transfers the sixth wafer to station 1. At this time, there is no empty station in the chamber, and the process is executed again. At this time, the first wafer has been processed six times, the second wafer has been processed five times, the third wafer has been processed four times, the fourth wafer has been processed three times, the fifth wafer has been processed twice, and the sixth wafer has been processed once; After the first wafer has completed six processes, it is transferred out of the chamber. The robot places the second wafer at station 6, the third wafer at station 5, the fourth wafer at station 4, the fifth wafer at station 3, and the sixth wafer at station 2. At this time, there is an empty station in the chamber, and the process is performed again. At this time, the second wafer performs six processes, the third wafer performs five processes, the fourth wafer performs four processes, the fifth wafer performs three processes, and the sixth wafer performs two processes. After the second wafer completes six processes, it is transferred out of the chamber. Subsequently, the six wafers are transferred out of the chamber in sequence according to the method. A total of 11 processes need to be performed, which will not be repeated here. Table 1 shows the empty wafer situation during the process, where #1~#6 represent six wafers.Therefore, since the process requires continuous transfer of wafers in and out, it may cause empty wafers to appear in the chamber.

[0024] Table 1 Empty pieces during the process

[0025] The corresponding control process is as follows: First, taking the chamber full of wafers as the standard, six wafers are introduced into the chamber, and process recipe 1 is executed. During the process, the load power collected by the detectors at stations 1 to 6 is recorded. For example, the high-frequency load power is P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, and the low-frequency load power is Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6. After the process is completed, the six wafers are retrieved; six wafers are continued to be introduced into the chamber, and process recipe 2 is executed. During the process, the load power collected by the detectors at stations 1 to 6 is recorded. For example, the high-frequency load power is M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, and the low-frequency load power is N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N6. If there are other process recipes, just repeat the above steps, which will not be repeated here. According to the process requirements, the averaging circuit of the power divider 5 can be adjusted to make the six high-frequency load powers recorded in each process recipe the same, different, or some of them the same, and the six low-frequency load powers can also be the same, different, or some of them the same. Then, the high-frequency load power P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6 and the low-frequency load power Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6 corresponding to process recipe 1, and the high-frequency load power M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6 and the low-frequency load power N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N6 corresponding to process recipe 2 are stored in the controller and saved respectively. For multiple process recipes, the identifier of the process recipe (such as the name of the process recipe) corresponds to the load power (here, the standard load power) one by one.

[0026] S203, adjusting the power of the RF power supply according to the actual load power and the standard load power of each station having a wafer.

[0027] In the embodiment of the present application, when the RF power supply includes a high-frequency power supply and a low-frequency power supply, the actual load power includes the actual high-frequency load power and the actual low-frequency load power, and the standard load power includes the standard high-frequency load power and the standard low-frequency load power. Correspondingly, this step may specifically include the following steps: adjusting the power of the high-frequency power supply according to the actual high-frequency load power and the standard high-frequency load power of each station with wafers; and / or adjusting the power of the low-frequency power supply according to the actual low-frequency load power and the standard low-frequency load power of each station with wafers.

[0028] When the RF power supply includes an RF power high-frequency power supply or a low-frequency power supply, the actual load power includes the actual high-frequency load power or the actual low-frequency load power, and the standard load power includes the standard high-frequency load power or the standard low-frequency load power. Correspondingly, this step may specifically include the following steps: adjusting the power of the high-frequency power supply according to the actual high-frequency load power and the standard high-frequency load power of each station with wafers; or adjusting the power of the low-frequency power supply according to the actual low-frequency load power and the standard low-frequency load power of each station with wafers.

[0029] When different stations share the same RF power supply, this step may specifically include the following steps: according to the actual load power and standard load power of each station with wafers, the power of the RF power supply shared by each station with wafers is adjusted.

[0030] When different stations correspond to different RF power supplies, this step may specifically include the following steps: according to the actual load power and standard load power of each station with wafers, the power of the RF power supply corresponding to each station with wafers is adjusted.

[0031] In practical applications, the difference between the actual load power and the standard load power can be used to determine whether to adjust the power of the RF power supply. Specifically, if the actual load power is within the set range near the standard load power, the RF power supply will not be adjusted; if the actual load power is outside the set range near the standard load power, the RF power supply will be adjusted. The setting range can be 0.5%~2%, for example, 1%, which can be set according to process requirements.

[0032] The power regulation of the RF power supply may specifically include the following steps: if the actual load power is less than the standard load power, the power of the RF power supply is increased; if the actual load power is greater than the standard load power, the power of the RF power supply is reduced to ensure the stability of the actual load power. Specifically, the power of the RF power supply may be regulated according to the average of the ratio of the actual load power to the standard load power of each wafer station. For example, the following formula may be used to regulate the power of the RF power supply:

[0033] in, is the power after RF power adjustment, W is the power before RF power regulation, n is the number of stations with wafers, W i实 For the i The actual load power of each station with wafers, W i标 For the i The standard load power of a station with wafers.

[0034] In the above scheme, the controller can identify which specific stations in the chamber have wafers, and then compare the actual load power detected only at the stations with wafers with the standard load power. The logic of the controller identifying which stations in the chamber have wafers and which stations are empty is as follows: Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 The example of three wafers entering and exiting the chamber includes: S401, the process starts.

[0035] S402, the first wafer is transferred to station 1. At this time, the controller records that station 1 has a wafer, and stations 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 do not have wafers.

[0036] S403, the first wafer at station 1 is transferred to station 2. At this time, the controller records that there is a wafer at station 2, and there are no wafers at stations 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

[0037] S404, the second wafer is transferred to station 1. At this time, the controller records that stations 1 and 2 have wafers, and stations 3, 4, 5, and 6 do not have wafers.

[0038] S405, the first wafer at station 2 is transferred to station 3, and the second wafer at station 1 is transferred to station 2. At this time, the controller records that stations 2 and 3 have wafers, and stations 1, 4, 5, and 6 have no wafers.

[0039] S406, the third wafer is transferred to station 1. At this time, the controller records that stations 1, 2, and 3 have wafers, and stations 4, 5, and 6 do not have wafers.

[0040] S407, the first wafer at station 3 is transferred to station 1, and the wafers at stations 1 and 2 are transferred to stations 5 and 6. At this time, the controller records that there are wafers at stations 1, 5, and 6, and there are no wafers at stations 2, 3, and 4.

[0041] S408, take out the first wafer from station 1. At this time, the controller records that stations 5 and 6 have wafers, and stations 1, 2, 3, and 4 do not have wafers.

[0042] S409, the second wafer at station 6 is transferred to station 1, and the third wafer at station 5 is transferred to station 6. At this time, the controller records that stations 1 and 6 have wafers, and stations 2, 3, 4, and 5 do not have wafers.

[0043] S410, taking out the second wafer from station 1. At this time, the controller records that station 6 has a wafer, and stations 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 have no wafers.

[0044] S411, the third wafer of station 6 is transferred to station 1. At this time, the controller records that station 1 has a wafer, and stations 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 have no wafers.

[0045] S412, the process ends.

[0046] Take the chamber executing process recipe 1 and a wafer in the chamber as an example. The specific process of power adjustment is as follows: Figure 5 As shown, including: S501, a wafer is transferred into the chamber to station 1.

[0047] S502, the controller records that there is a wafer at station 1, and there are no wafers at stations 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

[0048] S503, execute process recipe 1.

[0049] S504, the detector detects that the actual high-frequency load power of station 1 is P11, and the actual low-frequency load power is Q11.

[0050] S505 , the controller compares P11 with the standard high-frequency load power P1 , Q11 with the standard low-frequency load power Q1 , and determines whether P11 and Q11 are within the expected range.

[0051] Wherein, within the expected range, for example, |P11-P1|≤1%*P1, |Q11-Q1|≤1%*Q1. If yes, return to step S504. If no, execute step S506.

[0052] S506, the controller adjusts the power output of the high frequency power supply to P'=P / (P11 / P1), and / or adjusts the power output of the low frequency power supply to Q'=Q / (Q11 / Q1).

[0053] Specifically, if only P11 is not satisfied, the controller adjusts the high-frequency power output to P'=P / (P11 / P1), and the low-frequency power output remains unchanged. For example, when the actual high-frequency load power P11 of station 1 is low, the thickness of the thin film deposited on the wafer at station 1 will be reduced. At this time, if the power output of the high-frequency power supply is increased, the high-frequency power allocated to station 1 will also increase accordingly, thereby increasing the film thickness and meeting the standard requirements, ensuring that the process of station 1 alone is consistent with the process when the chamber is full, and forming a consistent film layer. When the actual high-frequency load power P11 of station 1 is high, the trend is opposite to the above, and will not be repeated here.

[0054] If only Q11 is not satisfied, the controller adjusts the power output of the low-frequency power supply to Q'=Q / (Q11 / Q1), and the power output of the high-frequency power supply remains unchanged. For example, when the actual low-frequency load power Q11 of station 1 is low, the compressive stress of the thin film deposited on the wafer at station 1 will be reduced. At this time, if the power output of the low-frequency power supply is increased, the low-frequency power allocated to station 1 will also increase accordingly, thereby increasing the compressive stress of the thin film, meeting the standard requirements, and ensuring that the process of station 1 alone is consistent with the process when the chamber is full, forming a consistent film layer. When the actual low-frequency load power Q11 of station 1 is high, the trend is opposite to the above, and it will not be repeated here.

[0055] If both P11 and Q11 are not satisfied, the controller adjusts the power output of the high and low frequency power supplies at the same time: P'=P / (P11 / P1), Q'=Q / (Q11 / Q1).

[0056] After the controller adjusts the power of the RF power supply, the detector detects the actual load power of station 1 again. The controller determines whether the detected actual load power is within the expected range. If it is still not within the expected range, the power output of the RF power supply is further adjusted until the actual load powers P11 and Q11 are both within the expected range.

[0057] Take the chamber executing process recipe 1 and two wafers in the chamber as an example. The specific process of power adjustment is as follows: Figure 6 As shown, including: S601, the chamber transfers two wafers to stations 1 and 2.

[0058] Specifically, after the first wafer at station 1 completes the first process (corresponding to process recipe 1), it is transferred by the robot to station 2 to prepare for the second process, and the chamber transfers the second wafer to station 1.

[0059] S602, the controller records that there are wafers at stations 1 and 2, and there are no wafers at stations 3, 4, 5, and 6.

[0060] S603, execute process recipe 1.

[0061] S604, detector 1 detects that the actual high-frequency load power of station 1 is P11, and the actual low-frequency load power is Q11, and detector 2 detects that the actual high-frequency load power of station 2 is P22, and the actual low-frequency load power is Q22.

[0062] S605, the controller compares P11 with P1, Q11 with Q1, P22 with P2, Q22 with Q2, and determines whether P11, Q11, P22, and Q22 are within the expected range.

[0063] Wherein, within the expected range, for example, |P11-P1|≤1%*P1, |Q11-Q1|≤1%*Q1, |P22-P2|≤1%*P2, |Q22-Q2|≤1%*Q2. If yes, return to step S604. If no, execute step S606.

[0064] S606, the controller adjusts the power output of the high frequency power supply to P'=P / {(P11 / P1+P22 / P2) / 2}, and / or adjusts the power output of the low frequency power supply to Q'=Q / {(Q11 / Q1+Q22 / Q2) / 2}.

[0065] In summary, the power regulation method of the RF power supply of the embodiment of the present application, when executing the process recipe in the multi-station chamber, obtains the actual load power of each station with wafers, obtains the standard load power corresponding to the process recipe and each station with wafers, and adjusts the power of the RF power supply according to the actual load power and standard load power of each station with wafers. The embodiment of the present application sets different standard load powers for different process recipes, and adjusts the power of the RF power supply in combination with the actual load power of each station with wafers, realizing dynamic power regulation of the RF power supply according to the different actual states of the semiconductor process equipment and running different process recipes, thereby ensuring the stability of the power output of each station, improving the consistency of film thickness, and can cover a variety of process recipes, increasing the process window, and there is no need to set up adjustment modules at each station, the structure is simple, the control calculation logic is simple, and it is easy to implement on the machine side.

[0066] The present application also provides a semiconductor process equipment. Figure 7 As shown, the semiconductor process equipment includes: a radio frequency power supply 70, a matcher 71, a multi-station chamber, a controller 11 and a plurality of detectors 10, and the radio frequency power supply 70 is connected to a non-grounded electrode 72 (which may be an upper electrode or a lower electrode) at each station in the multi-station chamber through the matcher 71 ( Figure 7 In the figure, the non-grounded electrode 72 is taken as the upper electrode as an example), one detector 10 is connected to a non-grounded electrode 72, and the grounded electrode 73 (which can be a lower electrode or an upper electrode) at each station is connected to the chamber wall 8 to achieve grounding, and the controller 11 is respectively connected to multiple detectors 10 and the RF power supply 70.

[0067] The detector 10 is used to detect the actual load power of the corresponding station.

[0068] The controller 11 is arranged in the host computer and / or the slave computer of the semiconductor process equipment. The controller 11 includes at least one processor and at least one memory. The memory stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by the processor, the steps of the power regulation method embodiment of any of the above-mentioned radio frequency power supplies are implemented.

[0069] The RF power source 70 may be a RF power source, i.e., a high frequency power source or a low frequency power source, and in this case, corresponds to a matcher 71, i.e., a high frequency matcher or a low frequency matcher. The RF power source 70 may also include two RF power sources, i.e., a high frequency power source and a low frequency power source, and in this case, the high frequency power source corresponds to the high frequency matcher, and the low frequency power source corresponds to the low frequency matcher.

[0070] Multiple stations in the chamber can be Figure 7 As shown, a common RF power supply (which can be a high frequency power supply or a low frequency power supply, or a high frequency power supply and a low frequency power supply) is used. In this case, a power divider 5 is required to realize multi-station power distribution. The multiple stations in the chamber can also correspond to their own RF power supplies, and the power divider 5 is not required.

[0071] The semiconductor process equipment of the embodiment of the present application, when executing the process recipe in the multi-station chamber, obtains the actual load power of each station with wafers, obtains the standard load power corresponding to the process recipe and each station with wafers, and adjusts the power of the RF power supply according to the actual load power and the standard load power of each station with wafers. The embodiment of the present application sets different standard load powers for different process recipes, and adjusts the power of the RF power supply in combination with the actual load power of each station with wafers, realizing dynamic power adjustment of the RF power supply according to the different actual states of the semiconductor process equipment and running different process recipes, thereby ensuring the stability of the power output of each station, improving the consistency of film thickness, and can cover a variety of process recipes, increasing the process window, and there is no need to set up adjustment modules at each station, the structure is simple, the control calculation logic is simple, and it is easy to implement on the machine side.

[0072] An embodiment of the present application also proposes a readable storage medium, on which one or more computer programs are stored. The one or more computer programs include instructions. When the program or instructions are executed by a processor in a semiconductor process equipment including multiple application programs, the processor in the semiconductor process equipment can execute the various processes of the above-mentioned power regulation method embodiment of the RF power supply, and is specifically used to execute the steps of any of the above-mentioned power regulation method embodiments of the RF power supply.

[0073] The readable storage medium of the embodiment of the present application obtains the actual load power of each station with wafers when executing the process recipe in the multi-station chamber, obtains the standard load power corresponding to the process recipe and each station with wafers, and adjusts the power of the RF power supply according to the actual load power and the standard load power of each station with wafers. The embodiment of the present application sets different standard load powers for different process recipes, and adjusts the power of the RF power supply in combination with the actual load power of each station with wafers, thereby realizing dynamic power adjustment of the RF power supply according to the different actual states of the semiconductor process equipment and running different process recipes, thereby ensuring the stability of the power output of each station, improving the consistency of film thickness, and can cover a variety of process recipes, increasing the process window, and there is no need to set up adjustment modules at each station, the structure is simple, the control calculation logic is simple, and it is easy to implement on the machine side.

[0074] The systems, devices, modules or units described in the above embodiments may be implemented by computer chips or entities, or by products with certain functions. A typical implementation device is a computer. Specifically, the computer may be, for example, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a cellular phone, a camera phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, a media player, a navigation device, an email device, a game console, a tablet computer, a wearable device, or a combination of any of these devices.

[0075] For the convenience of description, the above device is described in various units according to their functions. Of course, when implementing the present application, the functions of each unit can be implemented in the same or multiple software and / or hardware.

[0076] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application may be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application may adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Moreover, the present application may adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program codes.

[0077] The present application is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that each process and / or box in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the processes and / or boxes in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to generate a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in a block or multiple blocks.

[0078] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory capable of directing a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture comprising an instruction device, which implements the process Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A function specified in one or more boxes.

[0079] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions for implementing the process. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps for the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0080] In a typical configuration, a computing device includes one or more processors (CPU), input / output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

[0081] Memory may include non-permanent storage in a computer-readable medium, random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory in the form of read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM. Memory is an example of a computer-readable medium.

[0082] Computer readable media include permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can be implemented by any method or technology to store information. Information can be computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices or any other non-transmission media that can be used to store information that can be accessed by a computing device. As defined in this article, computer readable media does not include temporary computer readable media (transitory media), such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0083] It should also be noted that the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, commodity or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, commodity or device. In the absence of more restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprises a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, commodity or device including the elements.

[0084] The present application may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions executed by a computer, such as program modules. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The present application may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices connected through a communication network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in local and remote computer storage media, including storage devices.

[0085] Each embodiment in this specification is described in a progressive manner, and the same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. In particular, for the system embodiment, since it is basically similar to the method embodiment, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the partial description of the method embodiment.

[0086] The above are only embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various changes and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application should be included within the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for regulating power of a radio frequency power supply, characterized in that: include: When executing a process recipe in a multi-station chamber, obtain the actual load power of each station with wafers; Obtaining a standard load power corresponding to the process recipe and each of the stations having wafers; The power of the RF power supply is adjusted according to the actual load power and the standard load power of each station with a wafer.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The radio frequency power supply includes a high frequency power supply and a low frequency power supply, and the power of the radio frequency power supply is adjusted according to the actual load power and the standard load power of each station with a wafer, including: According to the actual high-frequency load power and the standard high-frequency load power of each station with a wafer, the high-frequency power supply is power-regulated; and / or, The power of the low-frequency power supply is adjusted according to the actual low-frequency load power and the standard low-frequency load power of each station with wafers.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Different stations share the radio frequency power supply.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The standard load power is the actual load power of each station when all stations of the multi-station chamber have wafers.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The obtaining of the standard load power corresponding to the process recipe and each station having the wafer includes: According to the process recipe and each station with wafers, the corresponding standard load power is searched in a pre-stored process recipe power parameter relationship, wherein the process recipe power parameter relationship includes the standard load power corresponding to each station of the multi-station chamber under multiple process recipes.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of adjusting the power of the RF power supply according to the actual load power and the standard load power of each station having a wafer includes: If the actual load power is within a set range near the standard load power, no power adjustment is performed on the RF power supply; If the actual load power is outside the set range near the standard load power, the power of the radio frequency power supply is adjusted.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The step of regulating the power of the radio frequency power supply comprises: If the actual load power is less than the standard load power, increasing the power of the RF power supply; If the actual load power is greater than the standard load power, the power of the RF power supply is reduced.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The step of regulating the power of the radio frequency power supply comprises: The power of the radio frequency power supply is adjusted according to the average of the ratios of the actual load power to the standard load power at each station with wafers.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The step of regulating the power of the radio frequency power supply comprises: The following formula is used to adjust the power of the RF power supply: Among them, the is the power after the RF power supply is adjusted, W is the power of the RF power source before adjustment, n is the number of stations with wafers, W i实 For the i The actual load power of the station with the wafer, W i标 For the i The standard load power of the station where the wafer is located.

10. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The setting range is 0.5%~2%.

11. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: include: A radio frequency power supply, a matcher, a multi-station chamber, a controller and a plurality of detectors, wherein the radio frequency power supply is connected to the non-grounded electrodes at each station in the multi-station chamber through the matcher, one of the detectors is connected to one of the non-grounded electrodes, and the controller is respectively connected to the plurality of detectors and the radio frequency power supply; The detector is used to detect the actual load power of the corresponding station; The controller includes at least one processor and at least one memory, wherein a computer program is stored in the memory, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 are implemented.

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