A heating disc and thin film deposition apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a heating disc and a thin film deposition device, the heating disc comprises a main shell and an air pipe, the main shell is internally provided with a heating space, a plurality of air holes penetrating to the heating space are arranged on the upper end face of the main shell close to the edge thereof, and a through hole penetrating to the heating space is arranged on the lower end face of the main shell; one end of the air pipe is communicated with the heating space through the through hole; wherein the airflow with temperature enters the heating space along the air pipe and flows to the back side of the wafer through the plurality of air holes. The application designs the plurality of air holes on the edge of the upper end face of the main shell, and the airflow with temperature is introduced into the heating space through the air pipe, so that the airflow is blown to the back side of the wafer from the plurality of air holes, thereby directly heating the wafer, the heating temperature of the edge region of the heating disc is consistent with the heating temperature of other regions, the temperature uniformity of the heating disc is improved, the temperature uniformity of the heating temperature of the whole wafer is ensured, and the overall heating effect on the wafer is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, and more particularly to a heating plate and thin film deposition equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing technology, thin film deposition technology is one of the important and key technologies. Through thin film deposition equipment, various reactive gases are introduced into the internal reaction chamber to react and deposit thin films on the wafer surface, thereby creating micro-devices inside the chip.

[0003] In semiconductor thin film deposition equipment, the heating plate is a crucial component. It holds the wafer in place, allowing the plate to heat it rapidly and uniformly. This ensures a stable temperature environment for thin film deposition on the wafer surface. Furthermore, the heating plate plays a vital role in ensuring precise control of process parameters and improving deposition efficiency and quality. Currently, factors such as minute gaps in the actual contact between the heating plate and the back of the wafer, poor uniformity in the arrangement and resistance of the heating wires, and differences in the heat dissipation interface along the wafer transport path compared to other areas contribute to poor overall temperature uniformity of the heating plate, thus affecting the overall heating effect on the wafer. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present invention provide a heating plate and a thin film deposition apparatus to improve the temperature uniformity of the heating plate, thereby improving the overall heating effect on the wafer.

[0005] This invention provides a heating plate, comprising:

[0006] The main housing has a heating space inside. The upper end face of the main housing has a plurality of vent holes that extend into the heating space near its edge. The lower end face of the main housing has a through hole that extends into the heating space.

[0007] An air tube, one end of which passes through the through hole and communicates with the heating space;

[0008] The heated airflow enters the heating space along the air pipe and flows to the back side of the wafer through multiple air vents.

[0009] In the heating plate provided by the present invention, a plurality of vent holes are arranged circumferentially and evenly on the main housing.

[0010] In the heating plate provided by the present invention, the main housing is provided with two sets of vent holes, and the two sets of vent holes are arranged at a radial interval along the main housing.

[0011] In the heating plate provided by the present invention, the heating plate includes a plurality of independent air pipes, the heating space includes a plurality of non-communicating partitions, and each partition extends from the center of the main shell toward its edge, and one partition is connected to one air pipe.

[0012] The airflow with temperature enters the multiple partitions along the multiple air pipes, and flows to the back side of the wafer through the through-hole of each partition.

[0013] In the heating plate provided by the present invention, the heating space includes four partitions, and the four partitions are quadrant structures.

[0014] In the heating plate provided by the present invention, the main housing is provided with an isolation portion, which is located in the heating space and extends from the upper end of the main housing to its lower end, for isolating two adjacent partitions.

[0015] In the heating plate provided by the present invention, the heating plate further includes multiple pressure control units, one of which is fixedly connected to one of the air pipes to control the temperature and flow rate of the airflow.

[0016] In the heating plate provided by the present invention, the heating plate further includes a hollow lower shell, one end of which is fixedly connected to the lower end of the main shell, and the other end extends away from the main shell, and the interior of the lower shell communicates with the through hole;

[0017] One end of the air pipe passes through the interior of the lower housing and the through hole from the other end of the lower housing to enter the heating space.

[0018] In the heating plate provided by the present invention, the heating plate further includes a heating wire, which is uniformly fixed in the heating space.

[0019] The present invention also provides a thin film deposition apparatus, which includes the heating plate described in any of the above claims.

[0020] This application designs multiple vent holes at the edge of the upper surface of the main housing of the heating plate, and introduces a heated airflow into the heating space through the air pipe. The heated airflow blows towards the back side of the wafer through the multiple vent holes, thereby directly heating the wafer. This ensures that the heating temperature of the edge area of ​​the heating plate is consistent with the heating temperature of other areas, thereby improving the temperature uniformity of the heating plate, ensuring uniform heating temperature of the entire wafer, improving the overall heating effect of the wafer, and improving the quality of thin film deposition on the wafer surface. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the following description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figures 1a-1d These are structural diagrams of the heating plate in embodiments of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the heating plate in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] The labels for the attached figures are as follows:

[0025] 1. Main shell; 11. Vent hole; 12. Zone; 2. Air pipe; 3. Lower shell. Detailed Implementation

[0026] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Reference Figures 1a to 2 The image shows an embodiment of the heating plate of the present invention. The heating plate includes a main housing 1 and an air pipe 2. The main housing 1 has a heating space inside. The upper end face of the main housing 1 has a plurality of vent holes 11 extending into the heating space near its edge. The lower end face of the main housing 1 has a through hole extending into the heating space. One end of the air pipe 2 passes through the through hole and communicates with the heating space. A heated airflow enters the heating space along the air pipe 2 and flows to the back side of the wafer through the plurality of vent holes 11.

[0028] Specifically, the heating plate is mainly used in semiconductor thin film deposition equipment. The wafer enters the reaction chamber of the thin film deposition equipment from an external vacuum environment through a valve and is placed on the heating plate so that the heating plate can heat the wafer, maintain the stability of the wafer surface temperature, and ensure that the gas flow with various reaction temperatures reacts in a stable environment to deposit thin films on the wafer surface, thereby improving the thin film deposition efficiency. The heating plate includes a main housing 1 and a gas pipe 2. The main housing 1 is the basic structural component of the heating plate, supporting the entire heating system and providing a surface for direct or indirect contact with the wafer. That is, the wafer is placed on the upper surface of the main housing 1, and the upper surface of the main housing 1 transfers the heat generated by the heating plate to the wafer. The main housing 1 is usually made of a high-temperature resistant and high thermal conductivity material to ensure stable and uniform heat transfer during the thin film deposition process.

[0029] In this embodiment, the main housing 1 has a circular structure, and a heating space is provided inside the main housing 1. The heating space extends circumferentially along the main housing 1, that is, the heating space has a circular structure, and the diameter of the heating space is greater than or equal to the diameter of the wafer. This allows the entire heating space to be heated when the internal structural components of the heating space are heated or when a high-temperature airflow is introduced into the heating space. The upper surface of the main housing 1 then transfers the heat to the wafer. The main housing 1 also has multiple vent holes 11, which are located on the upper surface of the main housing 1 and near the edge of the main housing 1. The multiple vent holes 11 extend circumferentially along the main housing 1. The vents 11 are arranged circumferentially, extending downwards from the upper end of the main housing 1 into the heating space. When the wafer is placed on the upper end of the main housing 1, the airflow with temperature can flow from the heating space toward the vents 11 toward the back of the wafer, thereby further heating the wafer. At the same time, the lower end of the main housing 1 is provided with a through hole, which connects the lower end of the main housing 1 and the heating space. The through hole is used to avoid the air pipe 2, so that one end of the air pipe 2 can pass through the through hole from the outside of the main housing 1 and enter the heating space. The air pipe 2 is connected to the heating space, thereby introducing the airflow with temperature into the heating space.

[0030] When the heating plate is activated, the heating space generates heat, and at the same time, the airflow with temperature enters the heating space along the air pipe 2, flows in the heating space, and flows towards the edge of the main housing 1 until it flows out of the heating space through the vent hole 11 and flows towards the back side of the wafer, thereby improving the heating effect of the wafer.

[0031] Specifically, the temperature of the incoming airflow is not limited; hot or cold air can be introduced into the heating space. The airflow temperature is determined by the temperature difference between the edge region of the heating plate and other regions. For example, when the temperature of the edge region of the heating plate is lower than that of other regions, hot air can be introduced into the heating space. The hot air is blown towards the back of the wafer through the vent 11 to increase the temperature of the edge region of the heating plate. The hot air is blown directly from the vent 11 to the edge of the wafer, thereby improving the uniformity of the wafer's heating temperature and enhancing the heating effect of the heating plate on the wafer. Conversely, when the temperature of the edge region of the heating plate is higher than that of other regions, cold air can be introduced into the heating connection through the air pipe 2 to reduce the temperature of the edge region of the heating plate. The cold air is blown directly from the vent 11 to the edge of the wafer, thereby improving the uniformity of the wafer's heating temperature and enhancing the heating effect of the heating plate on the wafer.

[0032] This application designs multiple vent holes 11 at the edge of the upper surface of the main housing 1 of the heating plate, and introduces a heated airflow into the heating space through the air pipe 2, so that the heated airflow blows towards the back side of the wafer from the multiple vent holes 11, thereby directly heating the wafer. This ensures that the heating temperature of the edge area of ​​the heating plate is consistent with the heating temperature of other areas, thereby improving the temperature uniformity of the heating plate, ensuring the uniform heating temperature of the entire wafer, improving the overall heating effect of the wafer, and improving the quality of thin film deposition on the wafer surface.

[0033] More specifically, the through hole is located at the center of the lower end face of the main housing 1, and the air pipe 2 enters the heating space through the through hole. Therefore, the airflow introduced into the heating space by the air pipe 2 flows to each of the air holes 11 at the same time, ensuring that the overall heating temperature of the heating plate is uniform and the heating rate of the wafer is consistent, thereby improving the heating effect of the heating plate.

[0034] In one embodiment, reference is made to Figures 1a to 2 As shown, a plurality of vent holes 11 are evenly and spaced along the circumference of the main housing 1. Specifically, the vent holes 11 are used to connect the upper end of the main housing 1 and the heating space, so that the airflow with temperature flows through the vent holes 11 toward the upper end of the main housing 1 to directly contact the wafer, thereby improving heating efficiency. There are multiple vent holes 11, and the multiple vent holes 11 are evenly and spaced along the circumference of the main housing 1. That is, the multiple vent holes 11 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the main housing 1 near its edge, so that the edge area of ​​the main housing 1 is provided with vent holes 11, so as to ensure that the heating temperature of the edge area is consistent with the heating temperature of the middle area, resulting in high temperature uniformity of the heating plate as a whole and high structural stability of the heating plate.

[0035] In a specific embodiment, refer to Figures 1a to 2As shown, the main housing 1 is provided with two sets of vent holes 11, and the two sets of vent holes 11 are arranged radially spaced along the main housing 1. Specifically, the main housing 1 is provided with two sets of vent holes 11, each set of vent holes 11 including multiple vent holes 11, that is, the multiple vent holes 11 in each set of vent holes 11 are arranged circumferentially spaced along the main housing 1, and the two sets of vent holes 11 are arranged radially spaced along the main housing 1. That is, one set of vent holes 11 is located near the edge of the main housing 1, and the other set is spaced apart from the previous set of vent holes 11 in the direction near the center of the main housing 1, and both sets of vent holes 11 are located in the edge region of the main housing 1, thereby increasing the airflow to the back side of the wafer, further improving the uniformity of the heating temperature of the heating plate, and improving the heating efficiency. At the same time, the structural stability of the main housing 1 is higher.

[0036] In one embodiment, reference is made to Figures 1a to 2 As shown, the heating plate includes multiple independent air pipes 2, and the heating space includes multiple non-communicating partitions 12. Each partition 12 extends from the center of the main housing 1 toward its edge, and one partition 12 is connected to one air pipe 2. The airflow with temperature enters the multiple partitions 12 along the multiple air pipes 2 and flows to the back side of the wafer through the through hole of each partition 12. Specifically, the heating plate includes multiple air pipes 2, which are independently controlled. That is, the temperature and flow rate of the airflow entering different air pipes 2 are independently controlled. Therefore, the temperature and flow rate of the airflow flowing in different air pipes 2 can be determined according to the heating temperature of each area of ​​the heating plate. The heating space is divided into multiple non-interconnected partitions 12, each partition 12 connected to one air pipe 2, to ensure that the airflow can be evenly distributed to each partition 12. By controlling the temperature and flow rate of the airflow entering different air pipes 2, the heating temperature of each partition 12 can be independently controlled, thus achieving more precise temperature control. Each partition 12 extends from the center of the main housing 1 towards its edge, meaning each partition 12 has a fan-shaped or radial layout, better covering the underside of the wafer. The number and shape of the partitions 12 can be adjusted according to the size of the wafer and heating requirements to achieve optimal heating effect. Furthermore, the number of partitions 12 corresponds one-to-one with the number of air pipes 2.

[0037] When the heating plate is activated, a warm airflow is introduced into the multiple air pipes 2. The airflow enters the multiple partitions 12 from the multiple air pipes 2 and flows along the extension direction of the partitions 12 toward the position of the vent 11 until it passes through the vent 11 and blows toward the back side of the wafer.

[0038] In this embodiment, the heating space is divided into multiple non-interconnected partitions 12, and each partition 12 is connected to a different air pipe 2. By controlling the temperature and flow rate of the airflow in each air pipe, the temperature of each partition 12 can be independently controlled, thereby more accurately regulating the heating temperature of the heating plate, improving the temperature uniformity of the heating plate, and improving the heating effect.

[0039] In a specific embodiment, refer to Figure 1c As shown, the heating space includes four partitions 12, which are quadrant structures. Specifically, the heating space is divided into four partitions 12, and these four partitions 12 are quadrant structures. That is, with the center of the main housing 1 as the midpoint, the main housing 1 is divided into four regions by its horizontal and vertical axes. The four partitions 12 of the quadrant structure can accommodate wafers of different sizes and shapes for better heating. At the same time, setting the four partitions 12 as quadrant structures facilitates the maintenance and cleaning of the heating space.

[0040] Therefore, the heating space is precisely divided into four partitions 12, and each partition 12 occupies a 90° sector area, which facilitates the production of the heating plate and ensures high structural stability of the heating plate. At the same time, the four partitions 12 are respectively connected to four air pipes 2, which are used to deliver heating or cooling airflow to the corresponding partition 12, thereby enabling independent temperature control of each partition 12 and achieving a more refined temperature distribution. This allows for compensation for temperature differences on the heating plate, improving the uniformity of the heating temperature.

[0041] In one embodiment, the main housing 1 is provided with an isolation portion (not shown in the figure), the isolation portion is located in the heating space, and the isolation portion extends from the upper end of the main housing 1 toward its lower end, for isolating two adjacent partitions 12. Specifically, the heating space is divided into multiple partitions 12, thereby allowing independent control of the heating temperature of different partitions 12. In this embodiment, an isolation part is provided on the main housing 1, which extends from the upper end of the main housing 1 through the heating space to the lower end of the main housing 1, thereby isolating two adjacent partitions 12 and preventing them from communicating with each other. This ensures that each partition 12 is located in an independent area. When airflow flows into different partitions 12 from different air pipes 2, it can flow within the corresponding partition 12 and eventually flow towards the back side of the wafer through the multiple vent holes 11 corresponding to the partition 12 to heat or cool the wafer. This allows for precise control of the heating temperature of each partition 12 and the airflow temperature at different locations on the back side of the wafer, thereby improving the overall heating temperature uniformity of the heating plate and the overall temperature uniformity of the wafer, and improving product quality.

[0042] The isolation part has a simple structure and low production cost. It can improve the structural strength of the main housing 1 by integrally molding it with the main housing 1.

[0043] More specifically, the insulating portion extends radially from one edge of the main housing 1 to the other edge. That is, the plane containing the insulating portion is the plane containing the diameter of the main housing 1. The main housing 1 has a simple structure and is easy to manufacture.

[0044] In a specific embodiment, the heating plate further includes multiple pressure control units (not shown in the figure), one of which is fixedly connected to one of the air pipes 2 to control the temperature and flow rate of the airflow. Specifically, the heating plate also includes multiple pressure control units, which are used to precisely regulate the temperature and flow rate of the airflow entering the air pipe 2. Each pressure control unit is fixed to each air pipe 2, and each pressure control unit is independent, capable of individually adjusting the temperature and flow rate of the airflow within the connected air pipe 2. Simultaneously, multiple pressure control units can work collaboratively to achieve a uniform distribution of airflow temperature and flow rate throughout the entire heating plate.

[0045] Therefore, the airflow temperature and velocity within the multiple partitions 12 are independently controlled by the multiple pressure control units, which can significantly improve the control accuracy and stability of the airflow temperature and velocity, improve the performance and quality of the heating plate, and reduce maintenance costs and failure rate.

[0046] In one embodiment, reference is made to Figures 1a to 2 As shown, the heating plate also includes a hollow lower shell 3. One end of the lower shell 3 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the main shell 1, and the other end extends away from the main shell 1. The interior of the lower shell 3 is connected to the through hole. One end of the air pipe 2 passes through the interior of the lower shell 3 and the through hole from the other end of the lower shell 3 to enter the heating space. Specifically, the heating plate also includes a lower housing 3, which is a hollow cylindrical structure. The lower housing 3 protects the circuit, gas pipe 2, and other pipes that enter the heating space, and also supports the main housing 1. One end of the lower housing 3 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the main housing 1, and the other end extends vertically away from the main housing 1 to better support it. Both ends and the hollow structure of the lower housing 3 are connected to the through hole, meaning the lower housing 3 surrounds the outside of the through hole. The other end of the lower housing 3 and the through hole form a channel to accommodate the circuit, gas pipe 2, and other pipes that enter the heating space. The heating element comprises structural components, wherein one end of the air pipe 2 enters the interior of the lower housing 3 from the end away from the main housing 1, extends along the height direction of the main housing 1, passes through the end of the lower housing 3 connected to the main housing 1, and then passes through the through hole into the heating space, allowing airflow to flow into the heating space along the air pipe 2; apart from the air pipe 2, other circuits, other pipes, and other structural components that need to enter the heating space all enter the heating space from the outside of the main housing 1 and the lower housing 3 in the same manner as the air pipe 2; thereby protecting the circuits entering the heating space and the air pipe 2, other pipes, and other structural components inside the lower housing 3 to prevent damage, and achieving high integration, avoiding circuit chaos, and improving the structural stability of the heating plate.

[0047] In a specific embodiment, the heating plate further includes heating wires (not shown in the figure), which are uniformly fixed within the heating space. Specifically, the heating plate includes heating wires used to heat the main housing 1, thereby transferring the heat generated by the heating wires to the wafer. The uniform fixing of the heating wires within the heating space protects them from damage due to exposure, while also improving the safety of the heating plate. Furthermore, the heating space is a sealed space, allowing more heat generated by the heating wires to be transferred to the wafer, thus improving the heating efficiency of the heating plate. The uniform distribution of the heating wires within the heating space ensures a uniform heating range, improving the uniformity of the heating temperature of the heating plate, thereby improving the temperature uniformity of the wafer and enhancing the heating effect.

[0048] This embodiment also provides a thin film deposition apparatus (not shown in the figure), which includes a heating plate. The heating plate can be any type of heating plate provided by this invention. Since the specific structure and working principle of the heating plate have been described in detail in the previous specification, they will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0049] The thin film deposition equipment in this embodiment uses the heating plate provided by the present invention. The heating plate has high uniformity of heating temperature, which makes the overall temperature of the wafer uniform and the heating effect good. Therefore, the thin film deposited on the wafer surface by the thin film deposition equipment has high uniformity, thereby improving product quality.

[0050] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A heating plate, characterized in that, include: The main housing has a heating space inside, which is circular and has a diameter greater than or equal to the diameter of the wafer. The main housing also has multiple vent holes located on its upper surface near the edge, spaced circumferentially. These vent holes extend downwards from the upper surface of the main housing into the heating space. A through-hole, located at the center of the lower surface of the main housing, also extends into the heating space. An air tube, one end of which passes through the through hole and communicates with the heating space; The heated airflow enters the heating space along the air pipe and flows to the back side of the wafer through multiple air vents.

2. The heating plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main housing is provided with two sets of vent holes, which are arranged at a radial interval along the main housing, and both sets of vent holes are located near the edge of the main housing.

3. The heating plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating plate includes multiple independent air pipes, and the heating space includes multiple non-communicating partitions. Each partition extends from the center of the main housing towards its edge, and each partition is connected to one air pipe. The airflow with temperature enters the multiple partitions along the multiple air pipes, and flows to the back side of the wafer through the through-hole of each partition.

4. The heating plate according to claim 3, characterized in that, The heating space includes four partitions, which are quadrant structures.

5. The heating plate according to claim 3, characterized in that, The main housing is provided with an isolation section located within the heating space, and the isolation section extends from the upper end of the main housing toward its lower end to isolate two adjacent partitions.

6. The heating plate according to claim 3, characterized in that, The heating plate also includes multiple pressure control units, one of which is fixedly connected to one of the air pipes to control the temperature and flow rate of the airflow.

7. The heating plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating plate also includes a hollow lower shell, one end of which is fixedly connected to the lower end of the main shell, and the other end extends away from the main shell, and the interior of the lower shell communicates with the through hole; One end of the air pipe passes through the interior of the lower housing and the through hole from the other end of the lower housing to enter the heating space.

8. The heating plate according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The heating plate also includes heating wires, which are uniformly fixed within the heating space.

9. A thin film deposition apparatus, characterized in that, Includes the heating plate as described in any one of claims 1-8.

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