Epitaxial growth apparatus, epitaxial growth method, and epitaxial wafer

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an epitaxial growth apparatus, an epitaxial growth method, and an epitaxial wafer; the epitaxial growth apparatus comprises: a transfer chamber; an epitaxial reaction chamber; a first gas treatment device in communication with the transfer chamber to treat gas exhausted therefrom; a second gas treatment device in communication with the epitaxial reaction chamber to treat gas exhausted therefrom; a control device configured to: in the event of a failure of either of the first gas treatment device and the second gas treatment device, interrupt communication of the transfer chamber with the first gas treatment device and communication of the epitaxial reaction chamber with the second gas treatment device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to epitaxial growth equipment, epitaxial growth methods, and epitaxial wafers. Background Technology

[0002] Epitaxial growth is a technique that enables the growth of an epitaxial layer on a polished wafer. This epitaxial layer has a different conductivity type, resistivity, and crystal structure than the polished wafer, which can meet the production requirements of a variety of different semiconductor devices and greatly improve the flexibility of semiconductor device design.

[0003] With the rapid development of semiconductor technology, the requirements for epitaxial wafers are becoming increasingly stringent, especially regarding the particle content on the wafer surface. In related technologies, the edge regions of epitaxial wafers have a higher particle content. These particle defects can lead to epitaxial defects in the epitaxial layer, thereby affecting the performance of the final product.

[0004] Therefore, particulate contamination during epitaxial growth must be strictly controlled. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides epitaxial growth equipment, epitaxial growth method, and epitaxial wafer; it can reduce the particle content in the edge region of the epitaxial wafer and improve the performance of the epitaxial wafer.

[0006] The technical solution disclosed herein is implemented as follows:

[0007] In a first aspect, this disclosure provides an epitaxial growth apparatus, the epitaxial growth apparatus comprising:

[0008] Transfer chamber;

[0009] Epitaxial reaction chamber;

[0010] A first gas processing device is connected to the transfer chamber to process the gas discharged therefrom;

[0011] A second gas processing device is connected to the epitaxial reaction chamber to process the gas discharged therefrom;

[0012] The control device is configured as follows:

[0013] In the event of a malfunction in either the first gas processing device or the second gas processing device, the communication between the transfer chamber and the first gas processing device, as well as the communication between the extensional reaction chamber and the second gas processing device, shall be interrupted.

[0014] In some examples, the control device is also configured to:

[0015] When neither the first gas processing device nor the second gas processing device malfunctions and the pressure difference between the transfer chamber and the extension reaction chamber is not within a preset threshold range, the pressure difference is controlled to be within the threshold range.

[0016] In some examples, the control device is also configured to:

[0017] The pressure difference is kept within the threshold range by controlling the suction of the first gas processing device and / or the second gas processing device.

[0018] In some examples, the pressure in the delivery chamber is greater than the pressure in the epitaxial reaction chamber, and the threshold ranges from 2 Torr to 4 Torr.

[0019] In some examples, the epitaxial growth apparatus further includes a first control valve and a second control valve.

[0020] The first control valve is disposed on the first connecting pipe between the transfer chamber and the first gas processing device, and the second control valve is disposed on the second connecting pipe between the extensional reaction chamber and the second gas processing device, so as to control the opening degree of the first connecting pipe and the second connecting pipe, respectively.

[0021] In some examples, both the first control valve and the second control valve are solenoid valves.

[0022] In some examples, the control device is also configured to determine whether the first gas processing device and the second gas processing device have malfunctioned.

[0023] In some examples, both the first gas treatment device and the second gas treatment device are wet scrubbers.

[0024] Secondly, this disclosure provides an epitaxial growth method that can be applied to the epitaxial growth equipment described in the first aspect.

[0025] Thirdly, this disclosure provides an epitaxial wafer manufactured by the epitaxial growth apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the particle content in the edge region of the epitaxial wafer is in the range of 0 to 2 particles.

[0026] This disclosure provides epitaxial growth equipment, epitaxial growth method, and epitaxial wafers. By setting a control device in the epitaxial growth equipment, and by quickly interrupting the connection between the transfer chamber and the first gas processing device and the connection between the epitaxial reaction chamber and the second gas processing device when the first gas processing device or the second gas processing device fails, it can prevent abnormal fluctuations in the pressure difference between the epitaxial reaction chamber and the transfer chamber, maintain the pressure balance between the transfer chamber and the epitaxial reaction chamber, and ensure the stability of the internal environment of the epitaxial growth equipment. On the other hand, it can also perform timely shutdown maintenance to avoid greater losses. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an epitaxial growth device in related technologies.

[0028] Figure 2 This is another structural schematic diagram of an epitaxial growth device in related technologies.

[0029] Figure 3 The pressure difference curve between the delivery chamber and the epitaxial reaction chamber provided in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a morphological image of the grain defect in the edge region of an epitaxial wafer provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an epitaxial growth apparatus provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic flowchart of an epitaxial growth method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 7 This is a comparison diagram of LLS overlay patterns with a surface size greater than 200 nm on epitaxial wafers manufactured using epitaxial growth equipment in related technologies and epitaxial growth equipment in this disclosure, respectively. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The technical solutions in this disclosure will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] It should be noted that, for clarity, not all features of a particular embodiment are described or shown in the specification and drawings. Furthermore, to avoid unnecessary details obscuring the technical solutions of interest in this disclosure, only the device structures and parts closely related to the technical solutions of this disclosure are described and shown in the specification and drawings, while other details that are not closely related to the technical content of this disclosure and are known to those skilled in the art are omitted.

[0036] Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms used in this disclosure should be understood in the ordinary sense known to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” etc., used in this disclosure do not indicate any order but are merely for distinction.

[0037] See Figure 1 The diagram shows a schematic of the structure of an epitaxial growth apparatus 1A in the related art. The epitaxial growth apparatus 1A includes two process chambers 10, a transfer chamber 20, two load lock units 30, a factory interface 40, and three load ports 50.

[0038] In some examples, the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 is connected to the transfer chamber 20.

[0039] In some examples, the load locking unit 30 is used to switch between an atmospheric environment and a nitrogen-filled environment within the transfer chamber 20.

[0040] In addition, in some examples, the front-end module 40 is used to realize the transfer of the wafer between the loading port 50 and the transfer chamber 20.

[0041] It should be noted that the two epitaxial reaction chambers 10 can be operated independently, and the two load locking units 30 can also be operated independently.

[0042] During epitaxial growth, the wafer to be epitaxialized is prepared according to... Figure 1 The route indicated by the solid arrow is transported to the epitaxial reaction chamber 10. Specifically, the front-end module 40 transfers the wafer to be epitaxially grown from the loading port 50 to the load locking unit 30. Then, a transfer device (not shown) located in the transfer chamber 20 transfers the wafer to be epitaxially grown from the load locking unit 30 to the epitaxial reaction chamber 10, where a vapor deposition reaction is performed. After the vapor deposition reaction is completed, the manufactured epitaxial wafer is processed according to… Figure 1 The route indicated by the dashed arrow returns to loading port 50 for unloading.

[0043] It should be noted that, in Figure 1 The diagram only shows two epitaxial reaction chambers 10 in the epitaxial growth apparatus 1A, but in actual implementation, the epitaxial growth apparatus 1A may include multiple epitaxial reaction chambers 10. This disclosure does not specify the number of epitaxial reaction chambers 10 in the epitaxial growth apparatus 1A.

[0044] In addition, such as Figure 2As shown, the epitaxial growth apparatus 1A further includes a first gas processing device 60 connected to the transfer chamber 20, a second gas processing device 70 connected to the epitaxial reaction chamber 10, and a gas heating processing device 80 connected to the second gas processing device 70. In some examples, both the first gas processing device 60 and the second gas processing device 70 can be wet scrubbers, which use wet substances, such as ultrapure water, to remove acidic gases from the gases discharged from the transfer chamber 20 and the epitaxial reaction chamber 10. The gas heating processing device 80 can be an electric heating device (heat scrubber) used to heat the gas discharged from the second gas processing device 70 to improve the physical or chemical properties of the gas, thereby meeting emission standards.

[0045] In the specific implementation process, the gases discharged from the transfer chamber 20, such as N2 and other reaction byproduct gases, are treated by the first gas treatment device 60 before being discharged from the epitaxial growth equipment 1A. The gases discharged from the epitaxial reaction chamber 10, such as carrier gas (e.g., H2), doping gas (e.g., B2H6), silicon source gas (e.g., TCS), and etching gas (e.g., HCl), are treated by the second gas treatment device 70 and then transported to the gas heating treatment device 80 for further treatment before finally being discharged from the epitaxial growth equipment 1A.

[0046] When the gas supply device 90 in the epitaxial growth equipment 1A is turned on, it is necessary to monitor in real time whether the first gas processing device 60 and the second gas processing device 70 have malfunctioned, and even if the first gas processing device 60 and the second gas processing device 70 have not malfunctioned, it is also necessary to monitor in real time the pressure difference between the transfer chamber 20 and the epitaxial reaction chamber 10.

[0047] It should be noted that the pressure difference between the transfer chamber 20 and the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 refers to the difference between the pressure of the transfer chamber 20 and the pressure of the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 when the pressure of the transfer chamber 20 is greater than the pressure of the epitaxial reaction chamber 10.

[0048] In addition, see Figure 3 The diagram illustrates the pressure difference variation between the transfer chamber 20 and the epitaxial reaction chamber 10. In stage I, the pressure difference between the transfer chamber 20 and the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 stabilizes within the range of 2 Torr to 4 Torr. In stage II, the pressure difference between the transfer chamber 20 and the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 gradually decreases and falls outside the range of 2 Torr to 4 Torr. In stage III, the pressure difference is adjusted to remain within the range of 2 Torr to 4 Torr.

[0049] However, the inventors discovered that particle defects appeared in the edge region of the epitaxial wafers prepared under the aforementioned pressure difference adjustment, specifically as follows: Figure 4 As shown. Analysis of the chemical composition of the above-mentioned particles using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that... Figure 4 The chemical composition of particle A in the epitaxial wafer is mainly C and Si, while that of particle B is mainly C, Si, and O. Therefore, the defect type corresponding to the particle defects in the edge region of the epitaxial wafer is an extrinsic stacking fault (ESF). This is mainly because the reaction byproducts in the connecting pipe between the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 and the second gas processing device 70 flow back to the epitaxial reaction chamber 10. As a result, during the vapor deposition reaction, these reaction byproducts are transported to the edge region of the epitaxial wafer as a contaminant, leading to particle defects in the edge region of the prepared epitaxial wafer.

[0050] Specifically, in stage II, because the pressure in the transfer chamber 20 is lower than the pressure in the epitaxial reaction chamber 10, when the wafer to be epitaxially grown or the epitaxial wafer is transferred between the transfer chamber 20 and the epitaxial reaction chamber 10, the gas in the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 flows into the transfer chamber 20. This causes reaction byproducts in the connecting pipe between the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 and the second gas processing device 70 to flow back into the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 and the transfer chamber 20. Consequently, during the vapor deposition reaction, these reaction byproducts are transported as contaminants to the edge region of the wafer to be epitaxially grown, ultimately resulting in particle defects in the edge region of the prepared epitaxial wafer.

[0051] Based on the above explanation, such as Figure 5 As shown, this disclosure provides an epitaxial growth apparatus 1, which specifically includes:

[0052] Transfer chamber 20;

[0053] Epitaxial reaction chamber 10;

[0054] A first gas processing device 60 is connected to the transfer chamber 20 to process the gas discharged therefrom;

[0055] The second gas processing device 70 is connected to the extended reaction chamber 80 to process the gas discharged therefrom;

[0056] Control device 100 is configured as follows:

[0057] In the event of a malfunction in either the first gas processing device 60 or the second gas processing device 70, the communication between the transfer chamber 20 and the first gas processing device 60, as well as the communication between the extension reaction chamber 10 and the second gas processing device 70, shall be interrupted.

[0058] In this disclosure, a control device 100 is provided in the epitaxial growth apparatus 1, and this control device 100 rapidly interrupts the communication between the transfer chamber 20 and the first gas processing device 60, and between the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 and the second gas processing device 70, when either the first gas processing device 60 or the second gas processing device 70 malfunctions. It is understood that rapidly interrupting the communication between the transfer chamber 20 and the first gas processing device 60, and between the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 and the second gas processing device 70, in this situation can help mitigate potential hazards caused by, for example, gas processing malfunctions, such as pressure imbalances. Specifically, when the first gas processing device 60 or the second gas processing device 70 malfunctions, it indicates that either the first gas processing device 60 or the second gas processing device 70 is unable to process the gas discharged from the transfer chamber 20 or the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 in a timely manner. Taking the malfunction of the second gas processing device 70 as an example, when the second gas processing device 70 malfunctions, it means that the second gas processing device 70 cannot process the gas discharged from the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 in a timely manner, or even the reaction by-product gas in the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 cannot be discharged in a timely manner. As a result, the pressure of the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 increases until the pressure of the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 is greater than the pressure of the transfer chamber 20, which causes the reaction by-product gas in the connecting pipeline between the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 and the second gas processing device 70 to flow back into the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 and the transfer chamber 20. Therefore, it is understandable that when the first gas processing device 60 or the second gas processing device 70 malfunctions, by quickly interrupting the connection between the transfer chamber 20 and the first gas processing device 60 and the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 and the second gas processing device 70, abnormal fluctuations in the pressure difference between the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 and the transfer chamber 20 can be prevented, maintaining the pressure balance between the transfer chamber 20 and the epitaxial reaction chamber 10, and ensuring the stability of the internal environment of the epitaxial growth equipment 1.

[0059] In addition, when the first gas processing device 60 or the second gas processing device 70 malfunctions, the connection between the transfer chamber 20 and the first gas processing device 60 and the connection between the extension reaction chamber 10 and the second gas processing device 70 can be quickly interrupted, so as to stop the machine for maintenance in a timely manner and avoid greater losses.

[0060] It should be noted that the control device 100 can be a wireless device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a video game console (including a video display, a mobile video game device, a mobile video conferencing unit), a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a set-top box, a tablet computer, an e-book reader, a setting or mobile media player, etc.

[0061] In some possible implementations, the control device 100 is further configured to:

[0062] When neither the first gas processing device 60 nor the second gas processing device 70 malfunctions and the pressure difference between the transfer chamber 20 and the extension reaction chamber 10 is within a preset threshold range, the pressure difference is controlled to be within the threshold range.

[0063] As previously stated, if the pressure difference between the transfer chamber 20 and the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 fluctuates abnormally, for example, if it falls outside the preset threshold range, the reaction byproduct gas in the connecting pipe between the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 and the second gas processing device 70 will flow back into the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 and the transfer chamber 20. Therefore, in this disclosure, by precisely controlling the pressure difference between the transfer chamber 20 and the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 within the aforementioned threshold range using the control device 100, it is possible to optimize the epitaxial growth conditions, ensure the stability of gas flow and reaction rate throughout the epitaxial growth process, thereby reducing defects in the epitaxial wafer and improving the quality of the epitaxial wafer.

[0064] Furthermore, when the pressure difference is not within the threshold range, the control device 100 can adjust it in a timely manner to bring the pressure difference within the threshold range, thereby enhancing the stability of the entire epitaxial growth process, helping to reduce the number of interruptions in the epitaxial production process, and improving production efficiency.

[0065] In some examples of the above-described implementation methods, the control device 100 is further configured to:

[0066] The pressure difference is kept within the threshold range by controlling the suction of the first gas processing device 60 and / or the second gas processing device 70.

[0067] First, it should be noted that both the first gas processing device 60 and the second gas processing device 70 in this disclosure have suction adjustment functions. Specifically, for example, if the suction of the second gas processing device 70 is increased, the pressure in the connecting pipe between the extended reaction chamber 10 and the second gas processing device 70 will decrease, and consequently the pressure in the extended reaction chamber will also decrease.

[0068] Based on this, when the pressure difference between the transfer chamber 20 and the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 is not within the threshold range, the control device 100 adjusts the suction of the first gas processing device 60 and / or the second gas processing device 70 to dynamically adjust the pressure difference between the transfer chamber 20 and the epitaxial reaction chamber 10, keeping it within the preset threshold range. This not only precisely controls the pressure difference between the transfer chamber 20 and the epitaxial reaction chamber 10, keeping it within the optimal range, reducing production interruptions and epitaxial wafer quality degradation caused by pressure fluctuations in the transfer chamber 20 or the epitaxial reaction chamber 10, but also improves the adaptability of the epitaxial growth equipment 1 to different pressure difference requirements.

[0069] In some embodiments described above, the pressure in the delivery chamber 20 is greater than the pressure in the epitaxial reaction chamber 10, and the threshold range is 2 Torr to 4 Torr.

[0070] This is because by setting the pressure in the transfer chamber 20 to be greater than the pressure in the epitaxial reaction chamber 10, and maintaining the pressure difference within a threshold range of 2 Torr to 4 Torr, the stability and controllability of gas flow during epitaxial growth can be ensured, preventing gas in the connecting pipe between the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 and the second gas processing device 70 from flowing back into the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 and the transfer chamber 20, thereby avoiding potential contamination and equipment damage.

[0071] In some examples of the above implementation methods, such as Figure 5 As shown, the epitaxial growth apparatus 1 further includes a first control valve 51 and a second control valve 52.

[0072] The first control valve 51 is disposed on the first connecting pipe 53 between the transfer chamber 20 and the first gas processing device 60, and the second control valve 52 is disposed on the second connecting pipe 54 between the extension reaction chamber 10 and the second gas processing device 70, so as to control the opening degree of the first connecting pipe 53 and the second connecting pipe 54 respectively.

[0073] In some examples, taking the opening degree of the first connecting pipe 53 as an example, the opening degree of the first connecting pipe 53 refers to the flow rate and velocity of the gas passing through the first connecting pipe 53, which is determined by the degree of opening of the first control valve 51. It can be understood that the larger the opening degree, the greater the flow rate and velocity of the gas passing through the first connecting pipe 53; conversely, the smaller the opening degree, the smaller the flow rate and velocity of the gas passing through the first connecting pipe 53. In specific numerical form, the opening degree is usually expressed as a percentage, where 0% indicates that the connection between the transfer chamber 20 and the first gas processing device is completely interrupted, that is, the first control valve 51 is completely closed; 100% indicates that the connection between the transfer chamber 20 and the first gas processing device is completely connected, that is, the first control valve 51 is completely open.

[0074] It is understandable that by setting a first control valve 51 on the first connecting pipe 53 and a second control valve 52 on the second connecting pipe 54, the opening degree of the first connecting pipe 53 and the second connecting pipe 54 can be controlled by the first control valve 51 and the second control valve 52 to realize the opening or closing of the first connecting pipe 53 and the second connecting pipe 54. Specifically, on the one hand, in the event of a malfunction of the first gas processing device 60 or the second gas processing device 70, by controlling the first control valve 51 and the second control valve 52 to close the first connecting pipe 53 and the second connecting pipe 54, the connection between the transfer chamber 20 and the first gas processing device 60 and the extended reaction chamber 10 and the second gas processing device 70 is interrupted, thus avoiding the gas backflow phenomenon caused by abnormal fluctuations in the pressure difference between the transfer chamber 20 and the extended reaction chamber 10. On the other hand, when the pressure difference between the delivery chamber 20 and the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 fluctuates, in addition to adjusting the suction of the first gas processing device 60 and / or the second gas processing device 70 by opening the first connecting pipe 53 and the second connecting pipe 54, the opening degree of the first connecting pipe 53 and the second connecting pipe 54 can also be adjusted by the first control 51 and the second control valve 52 to adjust the pressure difference, thereby controlling the pressure difference between the delivery chamber 20 and the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 more precisely.

[0075] In the above example, optionally, both the first control valve 51 and the second control valve 52 are solenoid valves.

[0076] It is understood that a solenoid valve opens or closes by generating electromagnetic force through an electromagnetic coil. In this disclosure, both the first control valve 51 and the second control valve 52 are solenoid valves, capable of quickly responding to the control signals from the control device 100, thereby achieving rapid control of the first connecting pipe 53 and the second connecting pipe 54. Furthermore, since both the first control valve 51 and the second control valve 52 are solenoid valves, they can easily interface with the control device 100, enabling rapid signal transmission and thus achieving remote control and intelligent management.

[0077] In some possible implementations, the control device 100 is further configured to determine whether the first gas processing device 60 and the second gas processing device 70 have malfunctioned.

[0078] In this disclosure, the control device 100 determines whether the first gas processing device 60 and the second gas processing device 70 have malfunctioned, which can quickly locate the malfunctioning chamber and promptly interrupt the connection between the transfer chamber 20 and the first gas processing device 60, as well as between the extension reaction chamber 10 and the second gas processing device 70, thereby improving the efficiency of fault handling.

[0079] In some possible implementations, both the first gas treatment device 60 and the second gas treatment device 70 are wet scrubbers.

[0080] In addition, this disclosure also provides an epitaxial growth method that can be applied to the epitaxial growth equipment 1 described in the foregoing technical solution.

[0081] Specifically, the epitaxial growth method provided in this disclosure is as follows: Figure 6 As shown:

[0082] In step S601, the gas supply device 90 is turned on.

[0083] In step S602, the control device 100 determines whether the first gas processing device 60 and the second gas processing device 70 have malfunctioned. If so, step S603 is executed, followed by step S604; otherwise, step S605 is executed.

[0084] In step S603, the first connecting pipe 53 and the second connecting pipe 54 are closed by the first control valve 51 and the second control valve 52.

[0085] In step S604, if the first gas processing device 60 and the second gas processing device 70 malfunction, the epitaxial growth equipment 1 is shut down for inspection and maintenance.

[0086] In step S605, the pressure difference between the transfer chamber 20 and the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 is monitored by the control device 100.

[0087] In step S606, it is determined whether the pressure difference is within a preset threshold range. If yes, step S607 is executed; otherwise, step S608 or step S609 is executed.

[0088] In step S607, an epitaxial wafer is prepared.

[0089] In step S608, the pressure difference is adjusted by adjusting the suction of the first gas processing device 60 and / or the second gas processing device 70.

[0090] In step S609, the pressure difference is adjusted by adjusting the opening degree of the first connecting pipe 53 and the second connecting pipe 54 through the first control valve 51 and the second control valve 52.

[0091] Understandably, when adjusting the pressure difference between the delivery chamber 20 and the epitaxial reaction chamber 10 through step S608 or step S609, it is still necessary to determine in real time whether the pressure difference is within the preset threshold range. If it is, then step S607 is executed; otherwise, step S608 or step S609 is executed.

[0092] Finally, this disclosure also provides an epitaxial wafer W, which is manufactured by the epitaxial growth apparatus 1 according to the foregoing technical solution, wherein the particle content in the edge region of the epitaxial wafer W is in the range of 0 to 2 particles.

[0093] See Figure 7 It shows a comparison of overlay images of localized light scattering defects (LLS) larger than 200 nm on the surface of epitaxial wafers fabricated using epitaxial growth equipment 1A and epitaxial growth equipment 1, respectively, used to characterize the particle content on the surface of the epitaxial wafers. Figure 7 It can be seen that the particle content in the edge region of the 200nm LLS overlay pattern of the epitaxial wafer manufactured using the epitaxial growth equipment 1 provided in this disclosure is significantly reduced. It should be noted that the epitaxial wafer manufactured using the epitaxial growth equipment 1A in the related art ( Figure 7 (As shown on the left) The average particle content in the edge region of the 200nm LLS overlay pattern is 0.37 particles / wafer. The epitaxial wafer (as shown on the left) manufactured using the epitaxial growth equipment 1 provided in this disclosure is... Figure 7 (As shown on the right) The average particle content in the edge region of the 200nm LLS overlay is 0.18 particles / wafer, further illustrating that the technical solution provided in this disclosure can improve the cleanliness inside the epitaxial growth equipment 1, especially the cleanliness inside the transfer chamber 20 and the epitaxial reaction chamber 10, reduce the particle content in the edge region of the epitaxial wafer, and improve the performance of the prepared epitaxial wafer.

[0094] It should be noted that the technical solutions described in this disclosure can be combined arbitrarily as long as they do not conflict.

[0095] 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 variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included 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. An epitaxial growth apparatus, characterized in that, The epitaxial growth equipment includes: Transfer chamber; Epitaxial reaction chamber; A first gas processing device is connected to the transfer chamber to process the gas discharged therefrom; A second gas processing device is connected to the epitaxial reaction chamber to process the gas discharged therefrom; The control device is configured as follows: In the event of a malfunction in either the first gas processing device or the second gas processing device, the communication between the transfer chamber and the first gas processing device, and the communication between the epitaxial reaction chamber and the second gas processing device, shall be interrupted. The control device is further configured to: If neither the first gas processing device nor the second gas processing device malfunctions, and the pressure difference between the transfer chamber and the epitaxial reaction chamber is not within a preset threshold range, then the pressure difference is controlled to be within the threshold range. The control device is also configured to: By controlling the suction of the first gas treatment device and / or the second gas treatment device to keep the pressure difference within the threshold range, particulate contamination during the epitaxial growth process can be controlled.

2. The epitaxial growth apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure in the delivery chamber is greater than the pressure in the epitaxial reaction chamber, and the threshold range is 2 Torr to 4 Torr.

3. The epitaxial growth apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The epitaxial growth equipment also includes a first control valve and a second control valve. The first control valve is disposed on the first connecting pipe between the transfer chamber and the first gas processing device, and the second control valve is disposed on the second connecting pipe between the extensional reaction chamber and the second gas processing device, so as to control the opening degree of the first connecting pipe and the second connecting pipe, respectively.

4. The epitaxial growth apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, Both the first control valve and the second control valve are solenoid valves.

5. The epitaxial growth apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control device is also configured to determine whether the first gas processing device and the second gas processing device have malfunctioned.

6. The epitaxial growth apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the first gas treatment device and the second gas treatment device are wet scrubbers.

7. An epitaxial growth method, characterized in that, The epitaxial growth method can be applied to the epitaxial growth apparatus described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. An epitaxial wafer, characterized in that, The epitaxial wafer is manufactured by an epitaxial growth apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and the particle content in the edge region of the epitaxial wafer is in the range of 0 to 2 particles.

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