Process cavity leak detection method, control device and computer readable storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides a leak detection method of a process cavity, a control device and a computer readable storage medium. The leak detection method of the process cavity comprises the following steps: exhausting and degassing the process cavity; the workpiece bearing device is moved to the multiple leak detection positions through the moving part, and the leak detection pressure of the process cavity in the corresponding leak detection time of each leak detection position is detected to implement leak detection, so that whether the process cavity leaks or not and whether the moving part has a leak defect or not are judged. The leak detection method for the process cavity provided by the invention has the advantages that the process is simple, the process of the semiconductor process is not influenced, the detection is accurate, the moving part with the leakage defect can be timely maintained or replaced, the air tightness requirement of the process cavity is ensured to be met, the subsequent process of the semiconductor wafer is facilitated, and the yield is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a leak detection method for a process chamber, a control device, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, semiconductor process equipment is often used to place semiconductor wafers in the process chamber of the semiconductor process equipment for process treatment. Such semiconductor process equipment may be, for example, semiconductor thin film deposition equipment, plasma degumming equipment, plasma etching equipment, etc. Taking semiconductor thin film deposition equipment as an example, thin film deposition can be performed on semiconductor wafers through semiconductor thin film deposition equipment. Thin film deposition technologies generally include PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) and CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition).

[0003] Generally, in the process of implementing the above process on semiconductor wafers using semiconductor process equipment, the semiconductor wafer to be processed (for example, wafer) is placed in a closed process chamber, and the reaction gas required for the process reaction is provided to enter the process chamber to participate in the reaction. As the process quality requirements for semiconductor wafers are relatively improved, the accuracy of pressure control and airtightness requirements in the process chamber are also relatively strict. However, due to the long-term use of some components in the semiconductor process equipment, deterioration may occur and cracks may occur, resulting in gas leakage in the process chamber. For example, in the process of heating plates and other processes in some semiconductor process equipment, the position of the semiconductor wafer is lifted and lowered by lifting components. After long-term use, the lifting components are prone to cause gas leakage in the process chamber due to their own fatigue fracture, which has an adverse effect on the process results and the safety of the machine, and the leakage rate is strongly related to the position of the moving parts. Some positions do not leak, some positions leak, some positions have high leakage rates, and some positions have low leakage rates. In the related art, manual inspection is usually used to check whether there is a leak in the cavity, and the leakage rate of the lifting components at different positions is not paid attention to, and there is a large blind spot for leakage rate detection.

[0004] Therefore, it is particularly important to promptly detect abnormal conditions of the machine and replace or repair parts with leakage defects in a timely manner. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings of the related art, the purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a leak detection method, a control device, and a computer-readable storage medium for a process chamber to solve various problems in the related art.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a process chamber leak detection method, which is applied to semiconductor process equipment. The semiconductor process equipment includes a process chamber, a workpiece carrier, a moving component, at least one air intake device, and an exhaust device. An air intake main valve is provided between the at least one air intake device and the process chamber. The exhaust device includes an exhaust pipeline and an exhaust valve assembly and an exhaust pump provided on the exhaust pipeline. The process chamber leak detection method includes the following steps:

[0007] Close the main air inlet valve, open the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device, start the exhaust pump, and put the process chamber into exhaust mode to implement exhaust;

[0008] The main air inlet valve is closed, and the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device is closed, so that the process chamber enters the degassing mode to implement degassing; after the degassing is completed, the initial pressure of the process chamber is detected;

[0009] The main air inlet valve is closed, and the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device is closed, so that the process chamber enters the leak detection mode, and the workpiece carrier is moved to multiple leak detection positions by the moving parts, and the leak detection pressure of the process chamber at each leak detection position within the corresponding leak detection time is detected;

[0010] According to the detected initial pressure of the process chamber and multiple leak detection pressures, it is determined whether there is leakage in the process chamber and whether there is leakage defect in the moving parts.

[0011] In certain examples of the first aspect, the workpiece carrier device is moved to a plurality of leak detection positions by a moving component, and the leak detection pressure of the process chamber at each leak detection position within a corresponding leak detection time is detected, including: according to a movement sequence, the workpiece carrier device is moved to new leak detection positions in sequence by the moving component and the leak detection pressure of the process chamber at the new detection position within a corresponding leak detection time is detected, to obtain a corresponding number of multiple leak detection pressures.

[0012] In certain examples of the first aspect, for any leak detection position, detecting the leak detection pressure of the process chamber at the leak detection position within a corresponding leak detection time includes the following methods: moving the workpiece carrier to the leak detection position by a moving component, and detecting the leak detection pressure of the process chamber after the corresponding leak detection time; or, moving the workpiece carrier to the leak detection position at a uniform speed within the corresponding leak detection time by a moving component, and detecting the leak detection pressure of the process chamber when reaching the leak detection position.

[0013] In some examples of the first aspect, judging whether there is a leak in the process chamber and whether there is a leak defect in the moving part is based on the detected initial pressure of the process chamber and multiple leak detection pressures, including the following steps: calculating the segmented leakage rate of each detection position change within a single leak detection time based on the detected initial pressure of the process chamber and multiple leak detection pressures; the segmented leakage rate is the ratio of the pressure difference before and after each detection position change to the leak detection time; comparing each calculated segmented leakage rate with a set leakage threshold, and when any segmented leakage rate is greater than or equal to the leakage threshold, judging that there is a leak in the process chamber; when judging that there is a leak in the process chamber and there are at least two segmented leakage rates that are different, judging that there is a leak defect in the moving part.

[0014] In some examples of the first aspect, judging whether there is a leak in the process chamber and whether there is a leak defect in the moving parts is determined based on the detected initial pressure of the process chamber and multiple leak detection pressures, and also includes the following steps: calculating the overall leakage rate of the change between the initial position corresponding to the initial pressure and the final position corresponding to the last leak detection pressure within the total leak detection time based on the detected initial pressure of the process chamber and the last leak detection pressure among the multiple leak detection pressures; the overall leakage rate is the ratio of the difference between the last leak detection pressure and the initial pressure corresponding to the detection position change before and after the change to the total leak detection time; comparing the calculated overall leakage rate with a set leakage threshold, and when the overall leakage rate is greater than or equal to the leakage threshold, judging that there is a leak in the process chamber and there is a leak defect in the moving parts.

[0015] In some examples of the first aspect, the moving component is a lifting component, and the detection position includes an upper limit position, a lower limit position, and at least one interval position between the upper limit position and the lower limit position, the upper limit position refers to the highest position of the workpiece carrier device when it rises, and the lower limit position refers to the lowest position of the workpiece carrier device when it descends; the workpiece carrier device is moved to a plurality of leak detection positions by the moving component, and the leak detection pressure of the process chamber at each leak detection position within a corresponding leak detection time is detected, including: the workpiece carrier device is lifted and lowered to the upper limit position, the lower limit position, and at least one interval position by the lifting component, and the leak detection pressure of the process chamber at each leak detection position within a corresponding leak detection time is detected.

[0016] In certain examples of the first aspect, the lifting of the workpiece-carrying device to the upper limit position, the lower limit position, and at least one interval position by the lifting component includes any one of the following: first raising the workpiece-carrying device to the upper limit position by the lifting component, then lowering the workpiece-carrying device to the lower limit position by the lifting component, and then raising the workpiece-carrying device to at least one interval position by the lifting component; first raising the workpiece-carrying device to the upper limit position by the lifting component, then lowering the workpiece-carrying device to at least one interval position by the lifting component, and then lowering the workpiece-carrying device to the lower limit position by the lifting component; first lowering the workpiece-carrying device to the lower limit position by the lifting component, then raising the workpiece-carrying device to the upper limit position by the lifting component, and then lowering the workpiece-carrying device to at least one interval position by the lifting component; first lowering the workpiece-carrying device to the lower limit position by the lifting component, then raising the workpiece-carrying device to at least one interval position by the lifting component, and then raising the workpiece-carrying device to the upper limit position by the lifting component.

[0017] In some examples of the first aspect, starting the exhaust pump to perform exhaust includes: starting the exhaust pump to perform exhaust; after continuing an exhaust time, turning off the exhaust pump to stop exhausting; after completing degassing, detecting the initial pressure of the process chamber includes: performing degassing, after continuing a degassing time, ending the degassing, and detecting the initial pressure of the process chamber.

[0018] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a control device, comprising: a processor; and a memory storing a leak detection program for a process chamber; wherein the leak detection program for the process chamber is executed by the processor to perform the leak detection method for the process chamber as described above.

[0019] A third aspect of the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium on which a leak detection program for a process chamber is stored. When the leak detection program for the process chamber is executed by the processor, the leak detection method for the process chamber as described above is executed.

[0020] As described above, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a process chamber leak detection method, a control device, and a computer-readable storage medium, which can be used to detect leaks in a process chamber with moving parts. In the process chamber leak detection method, the process chamber is first vented and degassed in sequence. After the degassing is completed, the workpiece carrier is moved to different leak detection positions by the moving part and the leak detection pressure of the process chamber is detected respectively within the corresponding leak detection time to obtain different leak detection pressures, thereby determining whether there is a leak in the process chamber and whether there is a leak defect in the moving part. Compared with the related art, the process chamber leak detection method provided by the present disclosure has a simple process, will not affect the semiconductor process, has accurate detection, and can promptly repair or replace the moving parts detected to have internal leakage, ensuring that the airtightness requirements of the process chamber are met, which is more conducive to the subsequent semiconductor wafer process and improves the yield. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of a semiconductor process equipment in one embodiment to which the leak detection method for a process chamber disclosed in the present invention is applied.

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a process flow diagram of a leak detection method for a process chamber provided by the present disclosure in one embodiment is shown.

[0023] Figures 3 to 7 Display as Figure 1 Semiconductor process equipment in Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the method process at different stages.

[0024] Figure 8 Shown is a functional block diagram of a control device provided by the present disclosure in one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following is an explanation of the embodiments of the present disclosure by specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present disclosure from the information disclosed by the present disclosure. The present disclosure can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in the present disclosure can also be modified or changed in various ways according to different viewpoints and application modules without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the embodiments in the present disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0026] The following is a detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. The present disclosure can be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0027] In the representations of the present disclosure, the reference terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" and the like mean that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics represented in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics represented may be combined in any one or a group of embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine different embodiments or examples represented in the present disclosure and the features of different embodiments or examples, unless they are mutually contradictory.

[0028] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the representation of the present disclosure, "a group" means two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0029] In order to clearly describe the present disclosure, components not related to the description are omitted, and the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar components throughout the specification.

[0030] Throughout the specification, when a device is said to be "connected" to another device, this includes not only the case of "direct connection" but also the case of "indirect connection" by placing other elements therebetween. In addition, when a device is said to "include" a certain component, unless otherwise stated, it does not exclude other components, but means that other components may be included.

[0031] Although the terms first, second, etc. are used to represent various elements in this article in some examples, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, the first interface and the second interface, etc. are represented. Moreover, as used in this article, the singular forms "one", "one" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms, unless there is an opposite indication in the context. It should be further understood that the terms "comprising" and "including" indicate that there are the described features, steps, operations, elements, modules, projects, kinds, and / or groups, but do not exclude the existence, occurrence or addition of one or a group of other features, steps, operations, elements, modules, projects, kinds, and / or groups. The terms "or" and "and / or" used herein are interpreted as inclusive, or mean any one or any combination. Therefore, "A, B or C" or "A, B and / or C" means "any of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B and C". Only when the combination of elements, functions, steps or operations is inherently mutually exclusive in some way, will there be an exception to this definition.

[0032] The technical terms used herein are only used to refer to specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The singular form used herein also includes the plural form unless the sentence clearly indicates the contrary meaning. The meaning of "including" used in the specification is to specify specific characteristics, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, and does not exclude the existence or addition of other characteristics, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components.

[0033] Although not defined differently, all terms, including technical and scientific terms used herein, have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are additionally interpreted as having meanings consistent with relevant technical literature and the message of the present disclosure, and shall not be overly interpreted as ideal or very formal meanings unless defined.

[0034] In the process of semiconductor wafer manufacturing, there are strict requirements for the accuracy of pressure control and airtightness in the process chamber to ensure the product quality and yield of the semiconductor wafer process. Generally, after long-term use, some parts (such as moving parts) in semiconductor process equipment may deteriorate and cause cracks, resulting in gas leakage in the process chamber, which has an adverse effect on the process results and machine safety.

[0035] The embodiment of the present disclosure provides a process chamber leak detection method for performing gas leak detection on a process chamber used in semiconductor process equipment to determine whether there is leakage in the process chamber and whether there is leakage defect in a moving part.

[0036] See also Figure 1 , which is a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor process equipment in one embodiment of the process chamber leak detection method disclosed in the present invention.

[0037] The semiconductor process equipment is used to perform corresponding process treatments on semiconductor wafers. Such semiconductor process equipment may be, for example, semiconductor thin film deposition equipment, plasma degumming equipment, plasma etching equipment, etc. In the following description, the semiconductor wafer may be, for example, a wafer, on which a plurality of wafers are arranged. The semiconductor process equipment may be, for example, a wafer thin film deposition equipment, which is used to perform thin film deposition on a wafer. Thin film deposition techniques generally include PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition), CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition), etc.

[0038] like Figure 1 As shown, the semiconductor process equipment in this embodiment may include: a process chamber 10, a workpiece carrier 11, a moving component 12, at least one air intake device, and an exhaust device.

[0039] The process chamber 10 is suitable for performing thin film deposition on a wafer. Taking conventional chemical vapor deposition (CVD) as an example, the chemical vapor deposition heats one or more gases (called precursors) to decompose them, generate reaction products, and deposit them on the surface of the wafer to form the desired thin film.

[0040] The process chamber 10 comprises a closed chamber with side walls, and a workpiece carrying platform 11 is arranged in the central area of ​​the closed chamber.

[0041] A top cover is provided on the upper part of the process chamber 10 , and a nozzle or nozzle assembly 101 facing the workpiece carrier 11 is provided on the top cover for spraying reaction gas toward the workpiece carrier 11 .

[0042] The nozzle or nozzle assembly 101 is connected to at least one gas inlet device for delivering reaction gas into the process chamber 10. Each gas inlet device includes a gas inlet pipeline and a reaction gas source and a gas source valve arranged on the gas inlet pipeline. Figure 1 For example, the first air intake device includes a first air intake pipeline and a first reaction gas source GS1 and a first gas source valve V1 disposed on the first air intake pipeline; the second air intake device includes a second air intake pipeline and a second reaction gas source GS2 and a second gas source valve V2 disposed on the second air intake pipeline; ...; the nth air intake device includes an nth air intake pipeline and an nth reaction gas source GSn and an nth gas source valve Vn disposed on the nth air intake pipeline. The reaction gas that the reaction gas source can provide includes but is not limited to silane (SiH4), methane (CH4), ammonia (NH3), oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), etc.

[0043] In addition, a main air intake valve is provided between the multi-way air intake device and the process chamber, that is, Figure 1 As shown, an air intake main valve Vin is also provided between the multi-way air intake device and the nozzle or nozzle assembly 101 .

[0044] A material inlet and outlet may be provided on the side wall of the process chamber 10, and the material inlet and outlet may be used to transfer related workpieces, including but not limited to wafers, etc. Generally, a first slit door is provided at the material inlet and outlet, and the first slit door may move in the up-down direction or the left-right direction relative to the material inlet and outlet.

[0045] The workpiece carrier is arranged in the process chamber and is used to carry semiconductor wafers. Figure 1 As shown, the workpiece carrier 11 is disposed in the process chamber 10 for carrying the wafer 100. In some embodiments, a thin film deposition process is performed on only one wafer at a time in the process chamber 10, so the workpiece carrier 11 is located in the center of the process chamber 10.

[0046] In some embodiments, the workpiece carrier 11 is further provided with a wafer adsorption structure for adsorbing the wafer 100. Exemplarily, the wafer adsorption structure may include, for example, an adsorption groove and an adsorption pump.

[0047] In some embodiments, the workpiece carrier 11 may also be provided with a heating device (not shown in the drawings) for heating the carried wafer 100 to reach a desired temperature.

[0048] In some embodiments, the sidewall surfaces and the top cover surface of the process chamber 10 may be coated with a high reflective film or surface polished to reflect the heat radiation heated by the heating device back to the workpiece carrier 11 and the surface of the wafer 100 carried thereon.

[0049] In some embodiments, the workpiece carrier 11 may be associated with a moving component 12. The moving component 12 may be used to drive the workpiece carrier 11 to move. For example, the moving component 12 may be a lifting component, which may drive the workpiece carrier 11 and the wafer 100 carried thereon to move up and down.

[0050] In some embodiments, the carrier 11 may also be associated with a rotating device. The rotating device may include a selective rotating member and a rotating power mechanism, the rotating member may be sealed with the workpiece carrier 11 and the process chamber 10, and the selective power mechanism may drive the rotating member and the associated workpiece carrier 11 and the wafer 100 carried thereon to perform reciprocating rotation, so that the thin film deposited on the wafer 100 is more uniform.

[0051] The exhaust device is used to extract the reaction gas in the process chamber. Figure 1 As shown, the exhaust device includes an exhaust pipeline connected to the process chamber 10 and an exhaust valve assembly 13 and an exhaust pump 14 arranged on the exhaust pipeline.

[0052] In some embodiments, the exhaust valve assembly 13 includes an exhaust valve.

[0053] In some embodiments, the exhaust valve assembly 13 includes a combination of an exhaust valve and a throttle valve. Exemplarily, the exhaust valve may be, for example, a common exhaust valve. Exemplarily, the exhaust valve may be, for example, a combination of a fast exhaust valve and a slow exhaust valve, wherein the slow exhaust valve is used to establish an initial vacuum environment, and the fast exhaust valve is used to exhaust the remaining gas more quickly to achieve a lower vacuum degree. The throttle valve may be, for example, a butterfly valve, which can achieve an opening and closing degree of 0% to 100%.

[0054] When thin film deposition is performed on the wafer, the wafer can be sent into the process chamber and placed on the workpiece carrier, the wafer is heated and kept warm, and the corresponding reaction gas is introduced into the process chamber through a multi-way air inlet device to deposit the required thin film on the surface of the wafer. At the same time, according to the requirements of the process, the workpiece carrier and the wafer it carries will be driven to move up and down to different positions through the lifting component.

[0055] See also Figure 2, which is a schematic flow chart of a leak detection method for a process chamber provided by the present disclosure in one embodiment.

[0056] Step S201, closing the main air intake valve, opening the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device, starting the exhaust pump, and making the process chamber enter the exhaust mode to implement exhaust.

[0057] In step S201, the main air intake valve is closed, the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device is opened, and the exhaust pump is started to evacuate the gas in the air intake pipeline from the main air intake valve to the process chamber and the gas in the process chamber.

[0058] In some embodiments, an exhaust time may be set, and the exhaust device exhausts air according to the exhaust time. After exhausting air continuously and reaching the exhaust time, the exhaust pump is turned off to stop exhausting. Exemplarily, the exhaust time may be, for example, tens of seconds or several minutes, for example, 30 seconds, 45 seconds, 60 seconds, 75 seconds, 90 seconds, 120 seconds, etc.

[0059] Combination Figure 1 In step S201, the main air intake valve Vin is closed, the exhaust valve assembly 13 in the exhaust device is opened, and the exhaust pump 14 is started, so that the process chamber 10 enters the exhaust mode to implement exhaust. That is, the gas in the section of the air intake pipeline from the main air intake valve Vin to the process chamber 10 and the gas in the process chamber 10 are evacuated (for details, please refer to Figure 3 ,exist Figure 3 In the figure, the closing of the main intake valve Vin can be represented by "×", and the opening of the exhaust valve assembly 13 can be represented by "√").

[0060] Step S203, closing the main air inlet valve and the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device, so that the process chamber enters the degassing mode to implement degassing; after the degassing is completed, detecting the initial pressure of the process chamber.

[0061] In step S203, the main air inlet valve is closed, and the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device is closed, so that the closed space formed by the process chamber enters the degassing mode to implement degassing. After the degassing is completed, the initial pressure of the process chamber is detected.

[0062] In some embodiments, a degassing time may be set, and degassing may be performed according to the degassing time. After continuous degassing and reaching the degassing time, degassing is stopped, and the initial pressure of the process chamber is detected. Exemplarily, the degassing time may be, for example, tens of seconds or several minutes, for example, 30 seconds, 45 seconds, 60 seconds, 75 seconds, 90 seconds, 120 seconds, etc.

[0063] In some embodiments, detecting the initial pressure of the process chamber may be achieved by a pressure gauge associated with the process chamber.

[0064] Combination Figure 1 In step S203, the main air inlet valve Vin is closed, and the exhaust valve assembly 13 in the exhaust device is closed, so that the process chamber 10 forms a closed space, and degassing is performed in the closed space. After a period of degassing time, the degassing is stopped, and the initial pressure P0 of the process chamber is detected by the pressure gauge 15 (for details, please refer to Figure 4 ,exist Figure 4 In the figure, the closing of the main intake valve Vin can be represented by “×”, and the closing of the exhaust valve assembly 13 can be represented by “×”).

[0065] Step S205, close the main air inlet valve and the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device, so that the process chamber enters the leakage detection mode, and moves the workpiece carrier to multiple leak detection positions by the moving parts, and detects the leak detection pressure of the process chamber at each leak detection position within the corresponding leak detection time.

[0066] In step S203, the main air inlet valve is closed, and the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device is closed, so that the process chamber forms a closed space and enters the leakage detection mode. The moving component moves the workpiece carrier device to multiple leak detection positions to detect the leak detection pressure of the process chamber at each leak detection position within the corresponding leak detection time.

[0067] In some embodiments, there are multiple detection positions, and the workpiece carrier device is moved to different detection positions by a moving component and the leakage detection pressure of the process chamber at different detection positions within the corresponding detection time is detected. Based on the multiple detection pressures, it is determined whether there is a leak in the process chamber.

[0068] In some embodiments, for each position movement, a leak detection time may be set, and after the leak detection time has passed, the leak detection pressure of the process chamber is detected. Exemplarily, the leak detection time may be, for example, tens of seconds or several minutes, for example, 30 seconds, 45 seconds, 60 seconds, 75 seconds, 90 seconds, 120 seconds, etc.

[0069] In some embodiments, detecting the leak detection pressure of the process chamber at each leak detection position within the corresponding leak detection time may be achieved by using a pressure gauge associated with the process chamber.

[0070] Combination Figure 1, taking the moving part as a lifting part as an example, it can include multiple detection positions, which can include an upper limit position, a lower limit position, and at least one interval position between the upper limit position and the lower limit position. The upper limit position refers to the highest position where the lifting part drives the workpiece carrier to rise, and the lower limit position refers to the lowest position where the lifting part drives the workpiece carrier to descend. In this way, the workpiece carrier can be lifted and lowered to the upper limit position, the lower limit position, and at least one interval position by the lifting part, and the leak detection pressure of the process chamber can be detected at each leak detection position within the corresponding leak detection time.

[0071] In some embodiments, the lifting of the workpiece carrying device to the upper limit position, the lower limit position, and at least one interval position by the lifting component includes any one of the following:

[0072] Exemplarily, the workpiece carrier is first raised to the upper limit position by the lifting component, then lowered to the lower limit position by the lifting component, and finally raised to at least one interval position by the lifting component. In addition, if there are multiple interval positions, the multiple interval positions are transferred in sequence. For example, starting from an interval position closest to the lower limit position, it rises in sequence until it reaches an interval position closest to the upper limit position.

[0073] Exemplarily, the workpiece carrier is first raised to the upper limit position by the lifting component, then lowered to at least one interval position by the lifting component, and finally lowered to the lower limit position by the lifting component. In addition, if there are multiple interval positions, the multiple interval positions are transferred in sequence. For example, starting from an interval position closest to the upper limit position, it is sequentially lowered until it reaches an interval position closest to the lower limit position.

[0074] Exemplarily, the workpiece carrier is first lowered to the lower limit position by the lifting component, then raised to the upper limit position by the lifting component, and finally lowered to at least one interval position by the lifting component. In addition, if there are multiple interval positions, the multiple interval positions are transferred in sequence. For example, starting from an interval position closest to the upper limit position, it is sequentially lowered until it reaches an interval position closest to the lower limit position.

[0075] Exemplarily, the workpiece carrier is first lowered to the lower limit position by the lifting component, then raised to at least one interval position by the lifting component, and finally raised to the upper limit position by the lifting component. In addition, if there are multiple interval positions, the multiple interval positions are transferred in sequence. For example, starting from an interval position closest to the lower limit position, it is raised in sequence until it reaches an interval position closest to the upper limit position.

[0076] Combination Figure 1 , taking the detection position including an upper limit position, a lower limit position, and an interval position between the upper limit position and the lower limit position as an example, illustratively, the interval position may be located in the middle between the upper limit position and the lower limit position, and therefore, the middle position may also be referred to as the center position.

[0077] After the process chamber enters the leakage detection mode, the workpiece carrier 11 is first raised to the upper limit position by the lifting component as the moving component 12, and the first leakage detection pressure P1 of the process chamber 10 is detected within the corresponding first leakage detection time T1 at the upper limit position (for details, please refer to Figure 5 ,exist Figure 5 In the figure, the closing of the main intake valve Vin can be represented by “×”, and the closing of the exhaust valve assembly 13 can be represented by “×”).

[0078] Then, the workpiece carrier 11 is lowered to the center position by the lifting component as the moving component 12, and the second leak detection pressure P2 of the process chamber 10 at the center position is detected within the corresponding second leak detection time T2 (for details, please refer to Figure 6 ,exist Figure 6 In the figure, the closing of the main intake valve Vin can be represented by “×”, and the closing of the exhaust valve assembly 13 can be represented by “×”).

[0079] Then, the workpiece carrier 11 is lowered to the lower limit position by the lifting component as the moving component 12, and the third leak detection pressure P3 of the process chamber 10 in the corresponding third leak detection time T3 at the lower limit position is detected (for details, please refer to Figure 7 ,exist Figure 7 In the figure, the closing of the main intake valve Vin can be represented by “×”, and the closing of the exhaust valve assembly 13 can be represented by “×”).

[0080] Of course, the lifting sequence of the workpiece carrying device 11 at the upper limit position, the lower limit position, and the middle position driven by the lifting component as the moving component 12 may have other variations, which will not be described in detail here.

[0081] In addition, regarding detecting the leak detection pressure of the process chamber at the leak detection position within the corresponding detection time, multiple implementation methods may also be included.

[0082] In certain implementations, the workpiece carrier is moved to the leak detection position by a moving component, and after a corresponding leak detection time has passed, the leak detection pressure of the process chamber is detected.

[0083] Taking the above-mentioned detection positions including the upper limit position, the lower limit position, and the center position as an example, the workpiece carrier 11 is first raised to the upper limit position by the lifting component serving as the movable component 12. After the first leak detection time T1 is maintained, the first leak detection pressure P1 of the process chamber 10 at the upper limit position is detected.

[0084] The workpiece carrying device 11 is then lowered to the center position by the lifting component as the moving component 12 , and after the second leak detection time T2 is continued, the second leak detection pressure P2 of the process chamber 10 at the center position is detected.

[0085] Then, the workpiece carrying device 11 is lowered to the lower limit position by the lifting component as the moving component 12, and after the third leak detection time T3 is continued, the third leak detection pressure P3 of the process chamber 10 at the lower limit position is detected.

[0086] Of course, the lifting sequence of the workpiece carrying device 11 at the upper limit position, the lower limit position, and the middle position driven by the lifting component as the moving component 12 may have other variations, which will not be described in detail here.

[0087] In certain implementations, the workpiece carrying device is moved to the leak detection position at a uniform speed within a corresponding leak detection time by a moving component, and the leak detection pressure of the process chamber is detected when the workpiece carrying device reaches the leak detection position.

[0088] Taking the above-mentioned detection positions including the upper limit position, the lower limit position, and the center position as an example, the workpiece carrier 11 is first raised to the upper limit position within the first leak detection time T1 by the lifting component serving as the movable component 12, and the first leak detection pressure P1 of the process chamber 10 at the upper limit position is detected when the upper limit position is reached.

[0089] The workpiece carrier 11 is then lowered to the center position within the second leak detection time T2 by the lifting component as the moving component 12, and the second leak detection pressure P2 of the process chamber 10 at the center position is detected when the center position is reached.

[0090] Then, the workpiece carrying device 11 is lowered to the lower limit position within the third leak detection time T3 by the lifting component as the moving component 12, and the third leak detection pressure P3 of the process chamber 10 at the lower limit position is detected when the lower limit position is reached.

[0091] Of course, the lifting sequence of the workpiece carrying device 11 at the upper limit position, the lower limit position, and the middle position driven by the lifting component as the moving component 12 may have other variations, which will not be described in detail here.

[0092] Through the above step S205, the workpiece carrying device is moved to a plurality of leak detection positions by the moving component, and the leak detection pressure of the process chamber is detected at each leak detection position within the corresponding leak detection time.

[0093] Step S207 , determining whether there is leakage in the process chamber and whether there is leakage defect in the moving parts according to the detected initial pressure of the process chamber and a plurality of leak detection pressures.

[0094] In step S207, the corresponding leakage rate is calculated according to the various leakage detection pressures of the process chamber detected in step S205 and the corresponding leakage detection time, and it is judged whether there is leakage in the process chamber and whether there is leakage defect in the moving parts.

[0095] In some embodiments, judging whether there is leakage in the process chamber and whether there is leakage defect in the moving parts according to the detected initial pressure of the process chamber and multiple leak detection pressures may further include the following steps:

[0096] First, based on the initial pressure of the detected process chamber and multiple leak detection pressures, the segmented leakage rate of each detection position change within a single leak detection time is calculated; the segmented leakage rate is the ratio of the corresponding pressure difference before and after each detection position change to the leak detection time.

[0097] The calculation of the segmented leakage rate of each detection position change within a single leakage detection time is specifically the ratio of the corresponding pressure difference before and after the detection position change to the corresponding leakage detection time.

[0098] Taking the above-mentioned detection positions including the upper limit position, the lower limit position, and the center position as an example, according to the detected initial pressure P0 (in mTorr, milliTorr) of the process chamber and the first detection pressure P1 (in mTorr, milliTorr) at the upper limit position, the ratio (P1-P0) / T1 of the pressure difference (P1-P0) before and after moving from the initial position to the upper limit position and the corresponding leak detection time T1 (in min, minutes) is calculated as the first segment leakage rate S1, that is, the first segment leakage rate S1=(P1-P0) / T1 mTorr / min.

[0099] Similarly, according to the first detection pressure P1 at the upper limit position and the second detection pressure P2 at the middle position (in mTorr), the ratio (P2-P1) / T2 of the pressure difference (P2-P1) before and after moving from the upper limit position to the middle position and the corresponding leak detection time T2 (in min) is calculated as the second segment leakage rate S2, that is, the second segment leakage rate S2=(P2-P1) / T2 mTorr / min.

[0100] Similarly, according to the second detection pressure P2 at the center position and the third detection pressure P3 at the lower limit position (in mTorr), the ratio (P3-P2) / T3 of the pressure difference (P3-P2) before and after moving from the center position to the lower limit position and the corresponding leak detection time T3 (in min) is calculated as the third segment leakage rate S3, that is, the third segment leakage rate S3=(P3-P2) / T3 mTorr / min.

[0101] In some embodiments, it also includes calculating the overall leakage rate of the initial position corresponding to the initial pressure and the final position corresponding to the last leak detection pressure in the total leak detection time. The overall leakage rate is the ratio of the difference between the last leak detection pressure and the initial pressure before and after the detection position changes to the total leak detection time. Specifically, taking the above-mentioned detection positions including the upper limit position, the lower limit position, and the center position as an example, according to the initial pressure P0 of the detected process chamber at the initial position and the third detection pressure P3 at the lower limit position, the pressure difference (P3-P0) before and after the initial position moves to the lower limit position and the corresponding leak detection time T1+T2+T3 (in min) is calculated (P3-P0) / (T1+T2+T3), as the overall leakage rate S, that is, the overall leakage rate S=(P3-P0) / (T1+T2+T3) mTorr / min.

[0102] Next, the calculated leakage rate of each segment is compared with a set leakage threshold, and when the leakage rate of any segment is greater than or equal to the leakage threshold, it is determined that there is leakage in the process chamber.

[0103] The leakage threshold value may be set according to the requirements of the relevant gases involved in the semiconductor process. For example, in some embodiments, the leakage threshold value S may be set to th Set to 4 mTorr / min to 6 mTorr / min, for example 5 mTorr / min.

[0104] The calculated leakage rate of each segment is compared with the set leakage threshold to determine whether there is leakage in the process chamber.

[0105] In some embodiments, when any segment leakage rate is greater than or equal to the leakage threshold, it can be determined that the process chamber has a leak. That is, as long as there is a segment leakage rate greater than or equal to the leakage threshold, it can be determined that the process chamber has a leak.

[0106] Taking the above detection positions including the upper limit position, the lower limit position, and the center position as an example, the first segment leakage rate S1=(P1-P0) / T1 and the leakage threshold S th For comparison, the second segment leakage rate S2 = (P2-P1) / T2 is compared with the leakage threshold S th For comparison, the third segment leakage rate S3 = (P3-P2) / T3 is compared with the leakage threshold S th For comparison, when any segment leakage rate S1, S2, or S3 is greater than or equal to the leakage threshold S th When the leakage rate S1 is greater than or equal to the leakage threshold S thAnd the segment leakage rates S2 and S3 are both less than the leakage threshold S th , or, the segment leakage rate S2 is greater than or equal to the leakage threshold S th And the segment leakage rates S1 and S3 are both less than the leakage threshold S th , or, the segment leakage rate S3 is greater than or equal to the leakage threshold S th And the segment leakage rates S1 and S2 are both less than the leakage threshold S th , it is determined that there is leakage in the process chamber. For example, the segment leakage rates S1 and S2 are both greater than or equal to the leakage threshold S th And the segment leakage rate S3 is less than the leakage threshold S th , or, the segment leakage rates S2 and S3 are both greater than or equal to the leakage threshold S th And the segment leakage rate S1 is less than the leakage threshold S th , or, the segment leakage rates S1 and S3 are both greater than or equal to the leakage threshold S th And the segment leakage rate S2 is less than the leakage threshold S th , it is determined that there is leakage in the process chamber. For example, the segmented leakage rates S1, S2, and S3 are all greater than or equal to the leakage threshold S th , it is determined that there is leakage in the process chamber.

[0107] It should be noted that, in the case of the overall leakage rate calculated above, the calculated overall leakage rate can be compared with the set leakage threshold, and when the overall leakage rate is greater than or equal to the leakage threshold, it is determined that there is leakage in the process chamber. That is, the overall leakage rate S = (P3-P0) / (T1+T2+T3) is compared with the leakage threshold S th For comparison, when the overall leakage rate S is greater than or equal to the leakage threshold S th When the process chamber is leaking, it can be determined that there is leakage.

[0108] In addition, it is determined whether the leakage rates of each segment are the same. If it is determined that there is a leak in the process chamber and there are at least two segments with different leakage rates, it proves that the leakage rates of the process chamber caused by the workpiece carrier at different positions are different. The leakage rate is strongly correlated with the position of the moving part. Then, the different leakage rates are likely caused by the moving part. Therefore, it can be determined that the moving part has a leakage defect.

[0109] Taking the above detection positions including the upper limit position, the lower limit position, and the center position as an example: if the first segment leakage rate S1, the second segment leakage rate S2, and the third segment leakage rate S3 have only one segment leakage rate greater than or equal to the leakage threshold S th, and at least two of the first segment leakage rate S1, the second segment leakage rate S2, and the third segment leakage rate S3 are different (that is, excluding the first segment leakage rate S1, the second segment leakage rate S2, and the third segment leakage rate S3 being the same), it can be determined that the lifting component as the moving component has a leakage defect.

[0110] Furthermore, in the case of the aforementioned calculated overall leakage rate, the overall leakage rate may be used as a reference.

[0111] Subsequently, the moving parts determined to have leakage defects can be repaired or replaced.

[0112] The present disclosure provides a leak detection method for a process chamber, which is to first vent the process chamber and then degas the enclosed space formed by the process chamber. After the degassing is completed, the workpiece carrier is moved to a plurality of leak detection positions by a moving component and the leak detection pressure of the process chamber at each leak detection position within a corresponding leak detection time is detected to perform leak detection, thereby determining whether there is a leak in the process chamber and whether there is a leak defect in the moving component. Compared with the related art, the leak detection method for the process chamber provided by the present disclosure has a simple process, will not affect the semiconductor process, has accurate detection, and can promptly repair or replace the moving component detected to have a leak defect, thereby ensuring that the airtightness requirements of the process chamber are met, and is more conducive to the subsequent process technology of semiconductor chips and improves the yield.

[0113] The present disclosure also provides a control device. In certain embodiments, the control device may be, for example, a host computer, which is connected to at least one air intake device, an air intake main valve, and an exhaust device.

[0114] See also Figure 8 , which is a principle block diagram of a control device provided by the present disclosure in one embodiment.

[0115] like Figure 8 As shown, the control device 8 includes a processor 81 and a memory 83. The processor 81 and the memory 83 can communicate with each other through a bus 82. The memory 83 can store a leak detection program for the process chamber. The processor 81 executes each step of the leak detection method for the process chamber by running the internal leakage detection program in the memory 83.

[0116] The bus 82 may be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, although only one thick line is used in the figure, it does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0117] In some embodiments, the processor 81 may be implemented as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a system on chip (SoC), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The memory 83 may include a volatile memory for temporary storage of data when running a program, such as a random access memory (RAM). The memory 83 may also include a non-volatile memory (NVM) for data storage, such as a read-only memory (ROM), a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), or a solid-state disk (SSD).

[0118] In practical applications, the control device can be associated with at least one air intake device, an air intake main valve, an exhaust device, etc., to realize the control of various components in the air intake device, the air intake main valve, and various components in the exhaust device, thereby completing the internal leakage detection of the mass flow controller, determining whether each mass flow controller has an internal leakage, and repairing or replacing the mass flow controller with an internal leakage, ensuring the accuracy of gas flow control, which is more conducive to the subsequent process technology of semiconductor chips and improving the yield.

[0119] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium may be provided, storing a computer program or instructions, which, when executed, implements the method flow or functions in any of the previous embodiments.

[0120] That is, the method steps in the above-described embodiments are implemented as software or computer code that can be stored in a recording medium (such as a CD ROM, RAM, floppy disk, hard disk or magneto-optical disk), or are implemented as computer code originally stored in a remote recording medium or a non-transitory machine-readable medium downloaded via a network and to be stored in a local recording medium, so that the methods represented herein can be processed by such software stored on a recording medium using a general-purpose computer, a dedicated processor, or programmable or dedicated hardware (such as an ASIC or FPGA).

[0121] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer program product may be provided, which may include multiple computer programs or instructions, and when executed, the processes or functions in the embodiments of the present disclosure are fully or partially executed. The computer program product may include multiple computer programs or instructions.

[0122] The computer program or instructions may be stored in a readable storage medium or transmitted from one readable storage medium to another readable storage medium, for example, the computer program or instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center by wired or wireless means. The readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates multiple available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a magnetic tape; it may also be an optical medium, such as a digital video disk; it may also be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid state drive. The computer readable storage medium may be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or may include both volatile and non-volatile types of storage media.

[0123] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Anyone familiar with the technology may modify or change the above embodiments without violating the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes made by those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field without departing from the spirit and technical ideas disclosed in the present disclosure shall still be covered by the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A leak detection method for a process chamber, characterized in that: Applied to semiconductor process equipment, the semiconductor process equipment includes a process chamber, a workpiece carrying device, a moving part, at least one air intake device, and an exhaust device, an air intake main valve is provided between the at least one air intake device and the process chamber, the exhaust device includes an exhaust pipeline and an exhaust valve assembly and an exhaust pump provided on the exhaust pipeline; the leak detection method of the process chamber includes the following steps: Close the main air inlet valve, open the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device, start the exhaust pump, and put the process chamber into exhaust mode to implement exhaust; The main air inlet valve is closed, and the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device is closed, so that the process chamber enters the degassing mode to implement degassing; after the degassing is completed, the initial pressure of the process chamber is detected; The main air inlet valve is closed, and the exhaust valve assembly in the exhaust device is closed, so that the process chamber enters the leak detection mode, and the workpiece carrier device is moved to multiple leak detection positions by the moving component, and the leak detection pressure of the process chamber at each leak detection position within the corresponding leak detection time is detected; as well as According to the detected initial pressure of the process chamber and multiple leak detection pressures, it is determined whether there is leakage in the process chamber and whether there is leakage defect in the moving parts.

2. The process chamber leak detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The workpiece-carrying device is moved to a plurality of leak detection positions by means of a moving component, and the leak detection pressure of the process chamber at each leak detection position is detected within a corresponding leak detection time, including: in accordance with a moving sequence, the workpiece-carrying device is moved to new leak detection positions in sequence by means of a moving component, and the leak detection pressure of the process chamber at the new detection position is detected within a corresponding leak detection time, to obtain a corresponding number of multiple leak detection pressures.

3. The process chamber leak detection method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: For any leak detection position, detecting the leak detection pressure of the process chamber at the leak detection position within the corresponding leak detection time includes the following methods: Move the workpiece carrier to the leak detection position by a moving component, and detect the leak detection pressure of the process chamber after a corresponding leak detection time; or The workpiece carrying device is moved to the leak detection position at a uniform speed within the corresponding leak detection time by a moving component, and the leak detection pressure of the process chamber is detected when the leak detection position is reached.

4. The process chamber leak detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: According to the detected initial pressure of the process chamber and multiple leak detection pressures, it is determined whether there is a leak in the process chamber and whether there is a leak defect in the moving parts, including the following steps: According to the detected initial pressure of the process chamber and multiple leak detection pressures, the segmented leakage rate of each detection position change within a single leak detection time is calculated; the segmented leakage rate is the ratio of the pressure difference before and after each detection position change to the leak detection time; Comparing the calculated leakage rate of each segment with a set leakage threshold, and when the leakage rate of any segment is greater than or equal to the leakage threshold, it is determined that there is leakage in the process chamber; as well as When it is determined that the process chamber has leakage and at least two segment leakage rates are different, it is determined that the moving component has a leakage defect.

5. The process chamber leak detection method according to claim 4, characterized in that: According to the detected initial pressure of the process chamber and multiple leak detection pressures, it is determined whether there is a leak in the process chamber and whether there is a leak defect in the moving parts, and the following steps are also included: According to the detected initial pressure of the process chamber and the last leak detection pressure among multiple leak detection pressures, calculate the overall leakage rate of the change between the initial position corresponding to the initial pressure and the final position corresponding to the last leak detection pressure within the total leak detection time; the overall leakage rate is the ratio of the difference between the last leak detection pressure and the initial pressure corresponding to the change of the detection position before and after to the total leak detection time; as well as The calculated overall leakage rate is compared with a set leakage threshold, and when the overall leakage rate is greater than or equal to the leakage threshold, it is determined that there is leakage in the process chamber and there is a leakage defect in the moving part.

6. The process chamber leak detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The moving component is a lifting component, and the detection position includes an upper limit position, a lower limit position, and at least one interval position between the upper limit position and the lower limit position, wherein the upper limit position refers to the highest position of the workpiece bearing device when it rises, and the lower limit position refers to the lowest position of the workpiece bearing device when it descends; The method of moving the workpiece carrier to a plurality of leak detection positions by a moving component and detecting the leak detection pressure of the process chamber at each leak detection position within a corresponding leak detection time comprises: lifting the workpiece carrier to an upper limit position, a lower limit position, and at least one interval position by a lifting component and detecting the leak detection pressure of the process chamber at each leak detection position within a corresponding leak detection time.

7. The process chamber leak detection method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The lifting of the workpiece bearing device to the upper limit position, the lower limit position, and at least one interval position by the lifting component includes any of the following: Firstly, the workpiece bearing device is raised to the upper limit position by the lifting component, then the workpiece bearing device is lowered to the lower limit position by the lifting component, and finally the workpiece bearing device is raised to at least one interval position by the lifting component; Firstly, the workpiece bearing device is raised to the upper limit position by the lifting component, then the workpiece bearing device is lowered to at least one interval position by the lifting component, and finally the workpiece bearing device is lowered to the lower limit position by the lifting component; Firstly, the workpiece bearing device is lowered to the lower limit position by the lifting component, then the workpiece bearing device is raised to the upper limit position by the lifting component, and finally the workpiece bearing device is lowered to at least one interval position by the lifting component; as well as The workpiece bearing device is firstly lowered to the lower limit position by the lifting component, then raised to at least one interval position by the lifting component, and finally raised to the upper limit position by the lifting component.

8. The process chamber leak detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The starting of the exhaust pump to implement exhaust includes: starting the exhaust pump to exhaust; after continuing for a certain exhaust time, turning off the exhaust pump to stop exhausting; after completing degassing, detecting the initial pressure of the process chamber includes: implementing degassing, after continuing for a certain degassing time, ending the degassing, and detecting the initial pressure of the process chamber.

9. A control device, characterized in that: include: processor; A memory storing a leak detection program of the process chamber; Wherein, when the leak detection program of the process chamber is executed by the processor, the leak detection method of the process chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is executed.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having a process chamber leak detection program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the leak detection program of the process chamber is executed by the processor, the leak detection method of the process chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is implemented.

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