Etching apparatus and etching method
By coordinating the rotating and distributing components, the etching gas distribution is adjusted, solving the problem of uneven wafer etching and achieving higher quality wafer processing.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202411823083.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-10
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-23
- Estimated Expiration
- 2044-12-10
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, the surface uniformity during wafer etching is poor, resulting in poor processing quality.
A rotating component drives the carrier to rotate, changing the relative position between different positions on the wafer and the etching gas. Combined with a distribution component and a thickness detection component, the distribution of etching gas is adjusted in real time to ensure that the amount of etching gas received at each position is consistent or has a small difference.
It improves the uniformity of wafer etching and enhances the quality of wafer processing.
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Figure CN119725162B_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] Embodiments of the present application relate to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and particularly relate to an etching device and an etching method. BACKGROUND
[0002] An etching process is one of the key process steps in semiconductor manufacturing, and has an important influence on the performance and reliability of semiconductor devices. The etching process etches, corrodes or scores the surface or interior of a material by chemical or physical methods to achieve a designed shape, structure or performance.
[0003] At present, when a wafer is etched by using a gas etching process, the uniformity of the wafer surface is poor. Under this background, how to provide a technical solution to improve the uniformity of wafer etching has become a technical problem that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. SUMMARY
[0004] Therefore, embodiments of the present application provide an etching device and an etching method, which can improve the uniformity of wafer etching and thus improve the wafer processing quality.
[0005] Embodiments of the present application provide an etching device, comprising: a processing chamber, wherein a bearing part for bearing a wafer is arranged in the processing chamber; a rotating assembly arranged in the processing chamber and connected with the bearing part to drive the bearing part to rotate; wherein the direction of driving the bearing part to rotate is perpendicular to the surface of the bearing part.
[0006] Optionally, the processing chamber has an opening.
[0007] The etching device further comprises: a distribution assembly arranged at the opening, wherein the distribution assembly has oppositely arranged first and second surfaces, the first and second surfaces have a spacing therebetween, and the second surface faces the bearing part, wherein the first surface has a gas passage, the second surface has a plurality of distribution openings, and the plurality of distribution openings have distribution openings with different opening sizes.
[0008] Optionally, along the radial direction of the second surface, the size of the distribution opening is positively correlated with the distance between the distribution opening and the center of the second surface.
[0009] Optionally, the etching device further comprises: a gas supply channel penetrating through the gas passage and located in the spacing between the first and second surfaces to transport etching gas.
[0010] Optionally, the gas supply channel comprises: a main pipeline penetrating through the gas passage; a plurality of branch pipelines in communication with the main pipeline and located in the spacing between the first and second surfaces, and one branch pipeline corresponds to one distribution opening.
[0011] Optionally, the rotating assembly comprises a rotating shaft connected with the bearing part, and a driver connected with the rotating shaft.
[0012] Optionally, a pipeline for containing cooling medium is arranged in the bearing part, and the pipeline has a cooling medium inlet and a cooling medium outlet.
[0013] Optionally, the etching device further comprises a first backflow valve arranged at the cooling medium inlet, and a second backflow valve arranged at the cooling medium outlet.
[0014] Optionally, the first backflow valve and / or the second backflow valve comprises:
[0015] a valve body in a cylindrical structure;
[0016] a pair of valve plates symmetrically arranged at two opposite sides inside the valve body, and the rear end of the valve plate is fixedly connected with the corresponding side;
[0017] wherein the valve plate is in a plate structure, and the front end of each pair of valve plates is symmetrically inclined towards the center axis of the front end of the valve body;
[0018] the two ends of the valve body in the axial direction are respectively a front end and a rear end, and the extension direction of the rear end towards the front end is consistent with the flow direction of the cooling medium in the valve body.
[0019] Optionally, the bearing part has a bearing surface for bearing the wafer, and a limiting member arranged on the bearing surface for limiting the movement of the wafer along the surface of the bearing part.
[0020] Optionally, the etching device further comprises:
[0021] a gas collecting device connected with the processing chamber for collecting gas.
[0022] Optionally, the etching device further comprises a thickness detection assembly located at the edge region of the bearing part, and the detection port of the thickness detection assembly faces the center of the bearing part.
[0023] Optionally, the etching device is a plasma etching device, the bearing part is a lower electrode with an electrostatic chuck, and the distribution assembly is an upper electrode.
[0024] Correspondingly, the embodiment of the present application also provides an etching method applied to an etching device, the etching device comprising: a processing chamber, the processing chamber being provided with a bearing part for bearing a wafer; a rotating assembly arranged in the processing chamber and connected with the bearing part for driving the bearing part to rotate.
[0025] The method comprises:
[0026] The rotation assembly drives the bearing part to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise.
[0027] Optionally, the etching device further comprises a thickness detection assembly located at an edge region of the bearing part, and a detection port of the thickness detection assembly faces the center of the bearing part.
[0028] The rotation assembly drives the bearing part to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise, comprising:
[0029] The thickness detection assembly is used to detect the thickness of the film layer to be measured of the wafer placed on the bearing part at a preset sampling interval, wherein the sampling interval is not an integer multiple of the time length of one rotation of the bearing part driven by the rotation assembly.
[0030] In response to the maximum thickness difference of the film layer to be measured measured within a preset time length being greater than or equal to a preset thickness, the movement direction of the rotation is changed.
[0031] Compared with the prior art, the technical scheme of the embodiment of the present application has the following advantages:
[0032] The etching device provided by the embodiment of the present application provides an application environment for the etching process of the wafer in the processing chamber, the bearing part in the processing chamber can carry the wafer, and the rotation assembly driving the bearing part to rotate is arranged, so that the relative positions between different positions of the wafer and the etching gas can be changed during the execution of the etching process, so that the amount of etching gas obtained by different positions of the wafer is basically consistent or has a small difference, which can reduce the difference of etching gas at different positions on the wafer surface, thereby improving the etching uniformity of the wafer and improving the processing quality of the wafer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0033] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional structure schematic diagram of an etching device according to a first embodiment of the present application;
[0034] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional structure schematic diagram of an etching device according to a second embodiment of the present application;
[0035] Figure 3 FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional structure schematic diagram of an etching device according to a third embodiment of the present application;
[0036] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a structure schematic diagram of a distribution assembly in the third embodiment of the present application;
[0037] Figure 5 FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional structure schematic diagram of an etching device according to a fourth embodiment of the present application;
[0038] Figure 6 Figure 1 is a schematic view of a cross-sectional structure of an etching device according to a fifth embodiment of the present application;
[0039] Figure 7 Figure 2 is a schematic view of a cross-sectional structure of a counterflow valve according to an embodiment of the present application;
[0040] Figure 8 Figure 3 is a flowchart of an etching method according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0041] As described in the background, when a wafer is etched by using a gas etching process, the etching uniformity of the wafer surface is poor, because, in the process of providing the etching gas to the wafer surface, the flow rate of the etching gas at different positions is different, so that the amount of the etching gas obtained by the wafer surface at different positions is different in the same time, and after the etching treatment, the etching uniformity of the wafer surface is poor.
[0042] In order to solve the above technical problems, the embodiment of the present application provides an etching device, which comprises: a processing chamber, a bearing part for bearing a wafer is arranged in the processing chamber; a rotating assembly is arranged in the processing chamber and connected with the bearing part to drive the bearing part to rotate; wherein the direction of driving the bearing part to rotate is perpendicular to the surface of the bearing part.
[0043] By using the etching device in the above embodiment, the processing chamber provides an application environment for the etching process of the wafer, the bearing part in the processing chamber can bear the wafer, and by arranging the rotating assembly to drive the bearing part to rotate, the relative position between the wafer at different positions and the etching gas can be changed when the etching process is performed, so that the amount of the etching gas obtained by the wafer at different positions is basically consistent or has a small difference, which can reduce the difference of the etching gas at different positions of the wafer surface, thereby improving the etching uniformity of the wafer and further improving the wafer processing quality.
[0044] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0045] Referring to Figure 1 Figure 1 is a schematic view of a cross-sectional structure of an etching device according to a first embodiment of the present application, as shown in the figure, the etching device can comprise: Figure 1
[0046] a processing chamber 10, the processing chamber 10 is provided with a bearing part 20 for bearing a wafer W;
[0047] a rotating assembly 30 is arranged in the processing chamber 10 and connected with the bearing part 20 to drive the bearing part 20 to rotate;
[0048] The direction of rotating the carrier 20 is perpendicular to the surface of the carrier 20.
[0049] Specifically, the processing chamber 10 provides an application environment for the etching process of the wafer W, and the carrier 20 can carry the wafer W, so that the etching gas can be transmitted (as indicated by the dashed arrow) to the surface of the wafer W when the etching process is performed. Figure 1
[0050] By arranging the rotating assembly 30 to rotate the carrier 20 in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the carrier 20, the relative positions between different positions of the wafer W and the etching gas can be changed, so that the amount of etching gas received by different positions of the wafer W is substantially uniform or has a small difference, which can reduce the difference in etching gas at different positions on the surface of the wafer W, thereby improving the etching uniformity of the wafer and improving the processing quality of the wafer.
[0051] It should be noted that first, Figure 1 The structure of the processing chamber 10 shown is only an example and does not represent the actual structure of the processing chamber 10, which is a device for accommodating a wafer and providing an etching environment for the wafer, and cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application; second, Figure 1 The relative arrangement between the carrier 20 and the wafer W shown is also an example and is used to indicate that the processing chamber 10 has a component for carrying the wafer; third, Figure 1 The rotating assembly 30 shown is a simplified representation and is used to indicate a device or equipment that rotates the carrier 20.
[0052] In this embodiment, the etching device is a plasma etching device, and the etching process used is plasma etching, which can achieve uniform etching on a large area of the wafer, which is very important for manufacturing uniform thin films and devices.
[0053] On this basis, the carrier 20 can be a lower electrode with an electrostatic chuck ESC.
[0054] In this embodiment, by arranging the rotating assembly 30, the position of the wafer W relative to the etching gas can be adjusted in real time according to the etching condition without changing the etching gas flow path, so as to change the dose of etching gas received by different positions on the surface of the wafer W.
[0055] In other words, during the etching process, the same position on the surface of the wafer W can obtain etching gas from different positions. In this way, when it is determined that a certain area on the wafer surface is etched insufficiently, the area can be moved to below the distribution port with relatively more etching gas to reduce the difference in etching gas dose.
[0056] More specifically, the rotating assembly 30 can include a rotating shaft (not shown) connected with the bearing part 20, and a driver (not shown) connected with the rotating shaft.
[0057] Specifically, the driver can generate a driving force, under the action of which the rotating shaft can be driven to rotate, and in turn drive the bearing part 20 to move. Since the wafer W is placed on the bearing part 20, the relative positions between the wafer W surface and the etching gas at different positions can be changed, so that the amount of etching gas at the same position on the wafer W surface can be changed in real time.
[0058] In the embodiment, in the case that the etching device includes the rotating assembly, the etching device can further include a control assembly electrically connected with the rotating assembly.
[0059] Specifically, the control assembly can generate a driving signal for controlling the movement of the rotating assembly according to the monitored amount of etching gas deposited on the wafer surface, and according to the monitored amount of etching gas, so as to accurately control the direction and angle of rotation of the rotating assembly.
[0060] That is, in the specific etching process, the driver adjusts the rotation parameters of the rotating shaft based on the received driving signal, so as to adjust the rotation state of the bearing part.
[0061] It should be noted that, first, the rotation parameters of the rotating shaft can include at least one of a rotation method, a rotation speed, and a rotation angle, and the present application does not limit the type of rotation parameters; second, in the case that the rotating assembly includes the rotating shaft and the driver, the rotating shaft is located inside the processing chamber, and the driver can be located outside the processing chamber. In some other embodiments, the rotating assembly as a whole can be located inside the processing chamber.
[0062] More specifically, referring to Figure 2 the cross-sectional structure of the etching device of the second embodiment of the present application, the same as the foregoing embodiments will not be described, and the difference between the present embodiment and the foregoing embodiments is that the etching device can further include:
[0063] a thickness detection assembly 40, which is located at the edge region of the bearing part 20, and the detection port of the thickness detection assembly 40 faces the center of the bearing part 20.
[0064] Specifically, during the movement of the rotating assembly 30, the problem of uneven etching gas on the surface of the wafer W can be improved, so that the surface thickness of the wafer W is substantially uniform. By providing the thickness detection assembly 40 for detecting the surface thickness of the wafer W, the detection port can detect the thickness of different regions of the wafer W, so as to further determine the thickness difference of different positions of the wafer W. In this way, the movement process of the rotating assembly 30 can be better controlled according to the thickness difference.
[0065] For example, if it is determined in one detection process that the thickness difference between the region A at the center of the wafer W and the region B is large, and the thickness of the region A is greater than the thickness of the region B, the rotating assembly 30 can be controlled to move so that the region B is located in the etching gas deposition region corresponding to the region A. In this way, the amount of etching gas obtained by the region B is greater than the amount of etching gas obtained by the region A in the same time, so as to further reduce the thickness difference between the region A and the region B.
[0066] It should be noted that first, the sampling interval of the thickness detection assembly 40 is not equal to an integer multiple of the time length of one rotation of the rotating assembly 30. In this way, the region sampled by the thickness detection assembly 40 each time is different from the region sampled by the thickness detection assembly 40 each time. Second, the thickness detection assembly 40 can also be arranged at any position capable of detecting the wafer W, for example, the thickness detection assembly 40 can be arranged at the upper region of the carrier 20.
[0067] In this embodiment, referring to Figure 1 , the processing chamber 10 has an opening K, which can provide a process space for the flow of etching gas.
[0068] In this case, referring to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , wherein, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional structure diagram of an etching device according to a third embodiment of the present application, Figure 4 is a structure diagram of a distribution assembly in the third embodiment of the present application. The same parts of the present embodiment as the foregoing embodiments will not be described, and the differences between the present embodiment and the foregoing embodiments are as follows:
[0069] The etching device can further include a distribution assembly 50 arranged at the opening K. The distribution assembly 50 has a first surface SF1 and a second surface SF2 arranged opposite to each other. The first surface SF1 and the second surface SF2 have a spacing therebetween, and the second surface SF2 faces the carrier 20 (i.e., the second surface SF2 is located closer to the carrier 20). The first surface SF1 has a ventilation port VP, and the second surface SF2 has a plurality of distribution ports (for example Figure 4 and Figure 5The plurality of distribution ports have different sizes (for example, the size of the distribution port P0 is different from that of the distribution port P1, and the size of the distribution port P2 is different from that of the distribution port P1).
[0070] In the embodiment, the distribution assembly 50 is arranged at the opening K of the processing chamber 10, so that the processing chamber 10 and the distribution assembly 50 are in sealing cooperation, thereby reducing or avoiding the probability of external gas (which can be understood as non-etching gas) or impurities entering the processing chamber 10, and further improving the processing quality of the wafer W.
[0071] In the embodiment, the distribution assembly 50 is used as a component for distributing etching gas (such as Figure 1 or Figure 3 indicated by the dashed arrow in the figure) so that the wafer W surface at different positions can obtain etching gas with the same dose, thereby improving the etching uniformity while keeping other etching conditions unchanged.
[0072] In one specific embodiment, the distribution assembly 50 can be an upper electrode.
[0073] It can be understood that the "wafer W surface at different positions" in the embodiment refers to the "wafer W surface to be etched". The wafer W surface to be etched can refer to the entire surface of the wafer W, or can refer to a selected region of the wafer W surface, and the present application does not make any limitation in this regard.
[0074] In the embodiment, the distribution assembly 50 has a cavity structure.
[0075] More specifically, the distribution assembly 50 has a first surface SF1 and a second surface SF2 arranged oppositely, and has a gap between the first surface SF1 and the second surface SF2, so that the etching gas can pass through the gap between the first surface SF1 and the second surface SF2 and then be transmitted to the surface of the wafer W.
[0076] In the embodiment, the first surface SF1 has a vent port VP, through which the etching gas can move in the cavity of the distribution assembly 50.
[0077] In one specific embodiment, the first surface SF1 has one vent port VP. In some other embodiments, the first surface SF1 can also have a plurality of vent ports, and the present application does not make any limitation on the number of vent ports as long as the etching gas can be introduced into the distribution assembly.
[0078] In the embodiment, the second surface SF2 has a plurality of distribution ports, and along the radial direction of the second surface SF2, the size of the distribution port is positively correlated with the distance between the distribution port and the center of the second surface SF2.
[0079] That is, the smaller the distance between the distribution port and the center of the second surface SF2, the smaller the size of the distribution port; conversely, the greater the distance between the distribution port and the center of the second surface SF2, the greater the size of the distribution port.
[0080] For example, along one of the radial directions of the second surface SF2, the distance between the distribution port P0 and the center of the second surface SF2 is smaller than the distance between the distribution port P1 and the center of the second surface SF2, so the size of the distribution port P1 is greater than the size of the distribution port P0.
[0081] In the embodiment, the reason for making the size of the distribution port along the radial direction of the second surface SF2 positively correlated with the distance between the distribution port and the center of the second surface SF2 is that:
[0082] When supplying the etching gas, the flow distance between the etching gas located at the central position of the second surface SF2 and the surface of the wafer W is the shortest, and as the distance from the central position of the second surface SF2 increases, the flow distance between the etching gas and the surface of the wafer W gradually becomes longer. Thus, under the same etching parameters, the distribution port closest to the center of the second surface SF2 will flow a greater dose of etching gas, so the etching degree of the wafer surface corresponding to this position is greater.
[0083] The greater the size of the distribution port, the more etching gas flows in the same time, and by making the size of the distribution port positively correlated with the distance between the distribution port and the center of the second surface SF2, the difference in the dose of etching gas caused by the difference in the flow distance of the etching gas can be reduced, so that the same or nearly the same amount of etching gas can be obtained at different positions on the surface of the wafer W. Thus, the difference in the etching gas at different positions on the surface of the wafer W can be reduced, so that the etching uniformity can be improved, and thus the wafer processing quality can be improved.
[0084] In the embodiment, the plurality of distribution ports P0 to P2 are concentrically arranged along the circumference of the second surface SF2. By making the plurality of distribution ports P0 to P3 concentrically arranged along the circumference of the second surface SF2, the difference in the amount of etching gas caused by the distance can be reduced, and the etching uniformity of the wafer W can be further improved.
[0085] It should be noted that, first, Figure 3 and Figure 4 The size, distribution position, number and shape of the distribution ports are only examples for illustrating that the second surface of the distribution assembly has openings with different sizes; second, there are distribution ports with the same size at different radial directions of the second surface SF2, for example, along the corresponding positions of the second surface SF2, there are distribution ports P2 with the same size. In some other embodiments, all the distribution ports on the second surface have different sizes.
[0086] In the embodiment, the etching device can further comprise a gas supply channel passing through the vent and located in the interval between the first surface and the second surface to transmit the etching gas.
[0087] By arranging the gas supply channel, the flow path of the etching gas can be regularized, and the difference in etching gas dosage at different positions on the wafer surface can be reduced or avoided.
[0088] In the embodiment, the gas supply channel can comprise a main pipe passing through the vent, and a plurality of branch pipes in communication with the main pipe and located in the interval between the first surface and the second surface, and one branch pipe corresponding to one distribution port.
[0089] Specifically, when the etching gas enters the main pipe, it can be divided by the plurality of branch pipes. Since the branch pipes and the distribution ports are in one-to-one correspondence, the etching gas in the branch pipes can be transmitted to the wafer surface through the corresponding distribution ports, so that each distribution port transmits the etching gas in the corresponding branch pipe to the wafer surface.
[0090] In the embodiment, the plurality of branch pipes are not in communication with each other and are isolated from each other, so that the distribution port can only obtain the etching gas flowing in the branch pipe corresponding to the distribution port, so as to further reduce the difference between the etching gases at different positions on the wafer surface.
[0091] In the embodiment, the carrier 20 can have a carrier surface for carrying the wafer W, and the carrier surface is provided with a through hole, and a lifting assembly is arranged through the through hole and receives and lifts the wafer; wherein the wafer can be placed on the carrier surface of the carrier by the lifting assembly, or the wafer can be removed from the carrier surface.
[0092] Specifically, the top surface of the lifting assembly can receive the wafer, and by driving the lifting assembly to move up and down along the through hole, the wafer can be placed on the carrier surface or removed from the carrier surface. That is, by controlling the moving direction of the lifting assembly, the relative position relationship between the wafer and the carrier surface can be changed.
[0093] In the embodiment, the number of through holes is multiple, and the multiple through holes are concentrically arranged along the circumference of the carrier. Correspondingly, the number of lifting assemblies is also multiple, and one lifting assembly corresponds to one through hole.
[0094] By making the number of through holes and lifting assemblies multiple, the lifting assembly and the wafer can have multiple contact surfaces (the contact surface can be the top surface of the lifting assembly) during the lifting of the wafer, so that when part of the lifting assemblies cannot work, the remaining lifting assemblies can still normally receive the wafer to realize the lifting of the wafer, thereby improving the fault tolerance and stability of the wafer lifting process.
[0095] In the embodiment, the bearing part has a bearing surface for bearing the wafer, and a limiting member (not shown) arranged on the bearing surface for limiting the wafer from moving along the surface of the bearing part.
[0096] Specifically, when the wafer is placed on the bearing part, the wafer can be limited in the area surrounded by the limiting member, so as to reduce or avoid the wafer from falling off the bearing part.
[0097] In the embodiment, when the limiting member is arranged on the bearing part, the shape of the side of the limiting member in contact with the wafer is adapted to the shape of the wafer.
[0098] For example, the shape of the side of the limiting member in contact with the wafer can be arc-shaped, so as to better fit the wafer and provide more uniform contact pressure and reduce the problem of local pressure concentration.
[0099] In the embodiment, in order to meet the diversified wafer size requirements, the limiting member can move along the surface of the bearing part, so as to change the space formed between the limiting members for limiting the wafer with different sizes from moving along the surface of the bearing part.
[0100] That is, the limiting member can form a bearing space on the surface of the bearing surface according to the size of the wafer to be lifted, which is adapted to the size of the wafer, without replacing the bearing part, thereby improving the flexibility and universality of the etching equipment and saving the design and manufacturing costs.
[0101] Furthermore, due to the presence of the limiting member, even if the bearing part is in motion during etching of the wafer, the wafer can be limited in the space surrounded by the limiting member, so as to avoid the wafer from sliding off the bearing part.
[0102] In actual application, the structure of the etching equipment can be further expanded to better improve the uniformity of wafer etching.
[0103] For example, during wafer etching, the temperature inside the bearing part will rise, and if the temperature is too high, it may cause damage to the wafer and thus reduce the processing quality.
[0104] Therefore, referring to the structure schematic diagram of the etching equipment in the fourth embodiment of the present application shown in Figure 5 The same as the foregoing embodiments will not be described, and the difference is that:
[0105] Referring to Figure 5 , the etching equipment can further include a pipeline 60 arranged in the bearing part 20 for containing a cooling medium, and the pipeline 60 has a cooling medium inlet IN and a cooling medium outlet OUT.
[0106] Specifically, in the wafer etching process, the cooling medium (which can enter the pipeline through the cooling medium inlet IN and be discharged from the cooling medium outlet OUT to form a cooling medium circulation path, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 5 , can be circulated in the direction from bottom to top) is provided in the bearing portion 20, so that the cooling process can be performed to reduce the temperature of the bearing portion 20.
[0107] In this embodiment, to prolong the flow duration of the cooling medium, improve the use efficiency of the cooling medium, and improve the cooling effect, the cooling medium inlet IN can be located below the cooling medium outlet OUT, so that a circulation path from bottom to top can be formed.
[0108] More specifically, the cooling medium inlet IN and the cooling medium outlet OUT can be located on opposite sides of the bearing portion 20, so that the distance of the cooling medium flow can be increased, so that the cooling medium can be in full contact with the bearing portion 20 and fully exchange heat.
[0109] In this embodiment, the cooling medium can be provided to the chamber in various ways. For example, the cooling medium can be provided to the cooling medium inlet through the main pipeline of the cooling system provided at the end of the machine (e.g., the end of the etching device); for another example, the cooling medium can be provided to the cooling medium inlet through a water pipe.
[0110] In some embodiments, the cooling medium can include at least one of water and coolant.
[0111] It should be noted that Figure 5 The structure of the pipeline is only an example for illustration, which indicates that the etching device in this embodiment has a component or device for cooling, and cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application. In some other embodiments, the pipeline can also have other structures, or the etching device has other types of components for cooling.
[0112] The inventor found that if the etching device simultaneously includes the rotating assembly 30 and the pipeline 60, during the movement of the bearing portion 20 driven by the rotating assembly 30, the cooling medium can flow in the opposite direction (e.g., the cooling medium directly overflows from the cooling medium inlet, or the cooling medium directly overflows from the cooling medium outlet), which will affect the cooling effect.
[0113] In this case, refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 , wherein Figure 6 is a cross-sectional structure diagram of an etching device in the fifth embodiment of the present application, Figure 7 is a structure diagram of the reverse flow valve, and the same parts as the foregoing embodiments will not be described, and the different parts are as follows:
[0114] The etching device can further comprise a first backflow valve RF1 arranged at the cooling medium inlet IN and a second backflow valve RF2 arranged at the cooling medium outlet OUT.
[0115] In this way, the cooling medium can flow along a set path, i.e. the cooling medium can enter through the cooling medium inlet IN and exit through the cooling medium outlet OUT, so as to improve the cooling effect.
[0116] In this embodiment, the first backflow valve RF1 and the second backflow valve RF2 can have the same structure.
[0117] For example, the first backflow valve RF1 and / or the second backflow valve RF2 can comprise:
[0118] a valve body VB, which has a cylindrical structure (it can be understood that in some other embodiments, the valve body VB can also have other shapes, for example, a butterfly shape);
[0119] a pair of valve plates (for example, valve plates FB1 and FB2), which are symmetrically arranged at two opposite sides inside the valve body VB, and the rear ends of the valve plates are fixedly connected to the corresponding sides (for example, the rear end of the valve plate FB1 is connected to one side wall of the valve body VB, the rear end of the valve plate FB2 is connected to the other side wall of the valve body VB, and the two side walls correspond to each other);
[0120] wherein the valve plates have a plate structure, and the front ends of each pair of valve plates are symmetrically inclined towards the central axis of the front end of the valve body.
[0121] In this embodiment, the two ends of the valve body VB in the axial direction are respectively a front end FR and a rear end BE, and the extension direction of the rear end BE towards the front end FR is consistent with the flow direction FB of the cooling medium inside the valve body VB. In this embodiment, during the wafer etching process, some waste gas and unreacted etching gas will be generated, i.e. there is a mixture of etching gas and waste gas in the processing chamber, which will seriously affect the production efficiency and the processing quality.
[0122] In this case, the etching device can further comprise a gas collecting device in communication with the processing chamber to collect the gas.
[0123] Specifically, the gas collecting device can collect the etching gas in the processing chamber in a bundled manner, and through the suction effect, the etching gas can be sucked out of the processing chamber for further processing (for example, purification treatment).
[0124] And, since the gas collecting device is located below the bearing part, even if waste such as organic pollutants and micro-particle pollutants is attached to the gas collecting device, the gas flowing along the inner wall of the processing chamber from top to bottom can successfully take the waste away from the processing chamber, without causing the waste to be back-flushed to above the bearing part, so that the waste generated by the backflow of the etching gas in the etching chamber after one etching can be effectively avoided from remaining on the wafer surface.
[0125] The embodiment of the present application also provides an etching method, which can be applied to the etching device.
[0126] Specifically, the etching device can include a processing chamber, wherein a bearing part for bearing a wafer is arranged in the processing chamber; and a rotating assembly is arranged in the processing chamber and connected with the bearing part to drive the bearing part to rotate, wherein the related descriptions of the processing chamber, the bearing part and the rotating assembly can be referred to the foregoing examples, and will not be repeated here.
[0127] Correspondingly, referring to the flow chart of the etching method in the embodiment of the present application as shown in Figure 8 , the following steps can be performed: Figure 8
[0128] S11, driving the bearing part to rotate in a clockwise direction or in a counterclockwise direction by using the rotating assembly.
[0129] By driving the bearing part to rotate in a clockwise direction or in a counterclockwise direction, the relative positions between the wafer and the etching gas at different positions of the wafer can be changed, so that the amounts of the etching gas obtained by the wafer at different positions are basically consistent or have a small difference, which can reduce the difference of the etching gas at different positions of the wafer, thereby improving the etching uniformity of the wafer and further improving the wafer processing quality.
[0130] In the embodiment, referring to Figure 2 , the etching device further includes a thickness detection assembly 40, wherein the thickness detection assembly 40 is located at an edge region of the bearing part 20, and a detection port of the thickness detection assembly 40 faces the center of the bearing part 20.
[0131] Correspondingly, driving the bearing part to rotate in a clockwise direction or in a counterclockwise direction by using the rotating assembly can include: using a preset sampling interval length to detect the thickness of a to-be-measured film layer of a wafer placed on the bearing part by using the thickness detection assembly, wherein the sampling interval length is not equal to an integer multiple of the length of one rotation of the bearing part driven to rotate by the rotating assembly; and in response to the maximum thickness difference of the to-be-measured film layer measured within a preset time being greater than or equal to a preset thickness, changing the movement direction of the rotation.
[0132] Specifically, during the movement of the rotating assembly 30, the problem of uneven etching gas on the surface of the wafer W can be improved, so that the surface thickness of the wafer W is substantially uniform. By providing the thickness detection assembly 40 for detecting the surface thickness of the wafer W, the detection port can detect the thickness of different regions of the film layer to be detected on the wafer W, so as to further determine the thickness difference of different positions of the wafer W. In this way, the movement process of the rotating assembly 30 can be better controlled according to the thickness difference.
[0133] For example, if the rotating direction is from region A to region B in a detection process, and it is determined that the thickness difference between region A and region B on the wafer W is large, and the thickness of region A is greater than the thickness of region B, then the rotating assembly 30 can be controlled to change the movement so that region B is located in the etching gas deposition region corresponding to region A. In this way, the amount of etching gas obtained by region B is greater than the amount of etching gas obtained by region A in the same time, so as to further reduce the thickness difference between region A and region B.
[0134] And by making the sampling interval of the thickness detection assembly 40 not equal to an integer multiple of the time length of one rotation of the rotating assembly 30, so that the region sampled each time by the thickness detection assembly 40 is different from the surface of the wafer W.
[0135] Although the above embodiment is disclosed, the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the scope defined by the claims.
Claims
1. An etching apparatus, characterized in that, include: A processing chamber, wherein a support portion for supporting wafers is provided within the processing chamber; A rotating assembly disposed within the processing chamber, connected to the support portion, and driving the support portion to rotate; A pipe containing cooling medium is disposed within the bearing portion, and the pipe has a cooling medium inlet and a cooling medium outlet; A first counterflow valve is disposed at the inlet of the cooling medium, and a second counterflow valve is disposed at the outlet of the cooling medium; wherein the first counterflow valve and / or the second counterflow valve includes: a valve body, the valve body having a cylindrical structure; a pair of valve plates, symmetrically disposed on two opposite sides inside the valve body, and the rear end of the valve plate being fixedly connected to the corresponding side; wherein the valve plates have a plate-like structure, and the front end of each pair of valve plates is symmetrically inclined towards the central axis of the front end of the valve body; the two ends of the valve body in the axial direction are the front end and the rear end, respectively, and the extension direction of the rear end towards the front end is consistent with the flow direction of the cooling medium inside the valve body; wherein the direction driving the bearing part to rotate is perpendicular to the surface of the bearing part.
2. The etching apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The processing chamber has an opening; The etching equipment also includes: A dispensing component disposed at the opening has a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other, with a gap between the first surface and the second surface, and the second surface facing the support portion. The first surface has a vent, and the second surface has a plurality of dispensing ports, among which there are dispensing ports with different opening sizes.
3. The etching apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, Along the radial direction of the second surface, the size of the dispensing port is positively correlated with the distance between the dispensing port and the center of the second surface.
4. The etching apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: A gas supply channel for transmitting etching gas is provided through the vent and located in the gap between the first surface and the second surface.
5. The etching apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The gas supply channel includes: a main pipe passing through the vent; and multiple branch pipes connected to the main pipe and located between the first surface and the second surface, with each branch pipe corresponding to a distribution port.
6. The etching apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating assembly includes: a rotating shaft connected to the bearing portion, and a driver connected to the rotating shaft.
7. The etching apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The carrier portion has a carrier surface for supporting the wafer, and a limiting member disposed on the carrier surface to restrict the movement of the wafer along the surface of the carrier portion.
8. The etching apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A gas collection device connected to the processing chamber to collect etching gases.
9. The etching apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A thickness detection component is located in the edge region of the support portion, and the detection port of the thickness detection component faces the center of the support portion.
10. The etching apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The etching equipment is a plasma etching equipment, the carrier is a lower electrode with an electrostatic chuck, and the distribution component is an upper electrode.
11. An etching method, characterized in that, The etching apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the etching apparatus comprising: a processing chamber, wherein a support portion for carrying a wafer is disposed in the processing chamber; and a rotating component disposed in the processing chamber, connected to the support portion, and driving the support portion to rotate. The method includes: The rotating component drives the bearing part to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise.
12. The etching method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The etching apparatus further includes a thickness detection component located in the edge region of the support portion, with the detection port of the thickness detection component facing the center of the support portion; The rotating assembly drives the bearing part to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise, including: Using a preset sampling interval, the thickness of the film layer to be measured on the wafer placed on the support is detected by a thickness detection component. The sampling interval is not an integer multiple of the time it takes for the rotating component to rotate the support for one revolution. In response to the maximum thickness difference of the film layer under test being greater than or equal to the preset thickness within a preset time period, the direction of the rotational motion is changed.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Wafer etching device and method
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