Upper electrode assembly and semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

This invention provides an upper electrode device and semiconductor process equipment. The upper electrode device includes a shielding housing, a first coil, a second coil, a grounding assembly, and multiple connecting components. The grounding assembly and the multiple connecting components are all disposed within the shielding housing, and each connecting component is used for electrical connection to a matching component disposed outside the shielding housing. The first coil surrounds the second coil, and both the first and second coils have a feed-in end and a feed-out end. The feed-in end of the first coil, the feed-out end of the first coil, and the feed-in end of the second coil are each electrically connected to the matching component via three connecting components. The feed-out end of the second coil is grounded to the shielding housing via the grounding assembly. The upper electrode device and semiconductor process equipment provided by this invention can improve withstand voltage capability, reduce the risk of arcing, and thus improve reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and more specifically, to an upper electrode device and semiconductor process equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching is a dry etching process that uses a high-frequency current passing through a coil to generate a high-frequency electromagnetic field, which in turn excites the process gas to produce plasma, thus etching the wafer to be processed.

[0003] An upper electrode device of an inductively coupled plasma etching apparatus in the related technology includes an inner coil, an outer coil, a matching unit, and four copper strips. Both the inner and outer coils have two feed-in terminals and two feed-out terminals. The matching unit has four connection ports and is electrically connected to an RF source. The two feed-in terminals of the inner coil are connected in parallel through a copper strip and electrically connected to one connection port of the matching unit. The two feed-out terminals of the inner coil are connected in parallel through another copper strip and electrically connected to another connection port of the matching unit. The two feed-in terminals of the outer coil are connected in parallel through yet another copper strip and electrically connected to yet another connection port of the matching unit. The two feed-out terminals of the outer coil are connected in parallel through yet another copper strip and electrically connected to yet another connection port of the matching unit. The four copper strips have spaced, stacked portions.

[0004] However, in practical applications, as process requirements become more demanding and radio frequency power increases, the four copper connecting strips of the upper electrode device in related technologies have low withstand voltage, which makes the upper electrode device prone to arcing in high-power application scenarios, resulting in poor reliability of the upper electrode device. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the related art, and proposes an upper electrode device and semiconductor process equipment, which can improve the withstand voltage, reduce the risk of arcing, and thus improve the reliability of use.

[0006] To achieve the purpose of this invention, an upper electrode device is provided, comprising a shielding housing, a first coil, a second coil, a grounding assembly, and a plurality of connecting components. The grounding assembly and the plurality of connecting components are all disposed within the shielding housing, and the plurality of connecting components are all used for electrical connection with a matching component disposed outside the shielding housing.

[0007] The first coil is wrapped around the second coil. Both the first coil and the second coil have a feed-in end and a feed-out end. The feed-in end of the first coil, the feed-out end of the first coil, and the feed-in end of the second coil are electrically connected to the matching component through three connecting components respectively. The feed-out end of the second coil is connected to the shielding shell and grounded through the grounding component.

[0008] Optionally, the second coil has a plurality of feed terminals, and the grounding assembly includes a plurality of grounding components, with each of the plurality of feed terminals connected to the shielding housing for grounding through the plurality of grounding components.

[0009] Optionally, the plurality of feed ends of the second coil are spaced apart on the first axis, and each grounding component has a plurality of grounding segments, and the plurality of grounding segments of each grounding component are axially symmetrical about the first axis.

[0010] Optionally, at least one of the grounding components further has an extension section electrically connected to the corresponding feed end and extending along a first horizontal direction, and electrically connected to a plurality of grounding segments, such that there is a predetermined spacing between the plurality of grounding segments and the plurality of connecting components.

[0011] Optionally, each of the grounding components also has a transition section electrically connected to the corresponding feedout end and extending along a second horizontal direction, with the plurality of grounding sections electrically connected to the transition section respectively.

[0012] Optionally, the feed end of the second coil is grounded by connecting it to the top of the shielding housing via the grounding assembly.

[0013] Optionally, the connecting component includes a front section, a middle section, and a rear section. The front section is electrically connected to the corresponding feed end or feed end. The rear section is used to be electrically connected to the mating component. The two ends of the middle section are electrically connected to the front section and the rear section, respectively. The middle section of at least one of the connecting components extends in a straight line.

[0014] Optionally, each of the connecting components has a stacked segment, and the stacked segments of the multiple connecting components are stacked at intervals, with the spacing between two adjacent stacked segments with a larger voltage difference being greater than the spacing between two adjacent stacked segments with a smaller voltage difference.

[0015] Optionally, the spacing between two adjacent stacked segments with a large voltage difference is 43mm-47mm, and / or the spacing between two adjacent stacked segments with a small voltage difference is 13mm-17mm.

[0016] The present invention also provides a semiconductor process apparatus, including a radio frequency source and an upper electrode device as provided in the present invention, wherein the radio frequency source is electrically connected to the matching component of the upper electrode device.

[0017] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] The upper electrode device provided by the present invention connects the feed end of the second coil to the shielding shell for grounding via a grounding component. Compared with related technologies, this eliminates the need for the feed end of the second coil to be connected to the matching component via a connecting component. This reduces the number of connecting components, increases the design space for multiple connecting components, and increases the spacing between the stacked portions of two adjacent connecting components. This improves the withstand voltage of multiple connecting components, reduces the risk of arcing of multiple connecting components, and consequently improves the withstand voltage of the upper electrode device, reduces the risk of arcing of the upper electrode device, and ultimately improves the reliability of the upper electrode device.

[0019] The semiconductor process equipment provided by this invention, with the aid of the upper electrode device provided by this invention, can improve the withstand voltage capability of the semiconductor process equipment, reduce the risk of arcing in the semiconductor process equipment, and thus improve the reliability of the semiconductor process equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the front view structure of an upper electrode device and a semiconductor device in related technologies;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an inner coil and an outer coil in a related technology;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a radio frequency circuit for an upper electrode device in related technologies;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a matcher in related technologies;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of an upper electrode device in related technologies;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an external coil electrically connected to a connecting strip in a related technology.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an inner coil electrically connected to a connecting strip in a related technology.

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the equivalent circuit of an upper electrode device in related technologies;

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the upper electrode device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 10 A three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the second coil electrically connected to the grounding component and the connecting component respectively, provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 11 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the electrical connection between the first coil and the connecting component provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the uniformity of the etching effect when using an upper electrode device from a related technology.

[0032] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the uniformity of the etching effect when using the upper electrode device provided in the embodiment of the invention.

[0033] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0034] 01-Inner coil; 011-Sub-coil of inner coil; 012-Feed-in terminal of inner coil; 013-Feed-out terminal of inner coil; 02-Outer coil; 021-Sub-coil of outer coil; 022-Feed-in terminal of outer coil; 023-Feed-out terminal of outer coil; 03-Matching device; 031-Connection port; 04-Connecting strip; 05-Metal casing; 06-Reaction chamber; 07-Dielectric window; 09-Plasma; 11-Feed-in terminal of first coil; 12-Feed-out terminal of first coil; 21-Feed-in terminal of second coil; 22-Feed-out terminal of second coil; 30-Shielding housing; 40-Matching component; 50-Connecting component; 51-Front section; 52-Middle section; 53-Rear section; 54-Layered section; 60-Grounding component; 61-Grounding section; 62-Extension section; 63-Transition section. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, an upper electrode device and semiconductor process equipment in the related art will first be introduced with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] like Figures 1-7As shown, in related technologies, semiconductor process equipment includes a reaction chamber 06 and an upper electrode device. A dielectric window 07 is provided on the top of the reaction chamber 06, and the upper electrode device is disposed on the dielectric window 07. The upper electrode device includes an inner coil 01, an outer coil 02, a matching device 03, and four connecting strips 04. The inner coil 01 and the outer coil 02 are located on the same plane, and the outer coil 02 surrounds the inner coil 01. Both the inner coil 01 and the outer coil 02 include two sub-coils. The two sub-coils 011 of the inner coil 01 and the two sub-coils 021 of the outer coil 02 are both 1.5-turn involute structures and are distributed symmetrically along the axial direction at 180° rotation. The two inner ends of the two sub-coils 011 of the inner coil 01 serve as the two feed ends 012 of the inner coil 01, and the two outer ends of the two sub-coils 011 of the inner coil 01 serve as the two feed ends 013 of the inner coil 01. The two inner ends of the two sub-coils 021 of the outer coil 02 serve as the two feed ends 022 of the outer coil 02, and the two outer ends of the two sub-coils 021 of the outer coil 02 serve as the two feed ends 023 of the outer coil 02. That is to say, both the inner coil 01 and the outer coil 02 have two feed ends and two feed ends.

[0037] Matching unit 03 has four connection ports 031 for electrical connection to an RF source. The four connecting strips 04 are all copper strips. The two feed input terminals 012 and 013 of the inner coil 01, and the two feed input terminals 022 and 023 of the outer coil 02 are connected one-to-one with the four connection ports 031 of the matching unit 03 via the four connecting strips 04. In other words, one of the four connecting strips 04 connects the inner coil 01... Two feed terminals 012 are connected in parallel and connected to one connection port 031 of the matching device 03. Another connecting bar 04 connects the two feed terminals 013 of the inner coil 01 in parallel and connects to another connection port 031 of the matching device 03. Yet another connecting bar 04 connects the two feed terminals 022 of the outer coil 02 in parallel and connects to yet another connection port 031 of the matching device 03. And yet another connecting bar 04 connects the two feed terminals 023 of the outer coil 02 in parallel and connects to yet another connection port 031 of the matching device 03.

[0038] In practical applications, since the two feed-in terminals 012 and two feed-out terminals 013 of the inner coil 01, and the two feed-in terminals 022 and two feed-out terminals 023 of the outer coil 02 are distributed along a straight line at intervals, while the four connection ports 031 of the matching unit 03 are distributed in a 2*2 array, the four connecting strips 04 need to be bent on the path from the feed-in or feed-out terminal to the connection port 031. This results in the four connecting strips 04 having spaced-overlapping portions, which are sequentially spaced vertically. In high-power applications, the withstand voltage of the connecting strips 04 depends on the spacing between the spaced-overlapping portions of two adjacent connecting strips 04 and the maximum voltage difference between the spaced-overlapping portions of two adjacent connecting strips 04.

[0039] like Figure 8 As shown, in related technologies, the equivalent circuit of the upper electrode device loop includes a source generator section, a source match section, a coil section, and a plasma section. The radio frequency (RF) power provided by the RF source (SRF) is effectively fed into the inner coil 01 and outer coil 02 through the matching unit 03. The inner coil 01 and outer coil 02 transmit the RF power to the plasma section through inductive coupling. C1 and C2 in the equivalent circuit are the tuning capacitors of the matching unit 03, and R... M C3, C4, and C5 are the line loss resistors of matching circuit 03; C3, C4, and C5 are the shunt impedance adjustment capacitors of matching circuit 03; Rc1 is the loss resistor of inner coil 01; Rc2 is the loss resistor of outer coil 02; L 11 L is the inductance of the inner coil 01. 21 L is the inductance of the outer coil 02. 12 L 22 Z is the secondary inductor of the plasma 09 section. L1 Z L2 For the equivalent impedance of plasma 09, ①-④ are, in order, the feed end 012 of the inner coil 01, the feed end 013 of the inner coil 01, the feed end 022 of the outer coil 02, and the feed end 023 of the outer coil 02. Since the impedance of the connecting strip 04 itself is very small compared to the impedance of the inner coil 01, the outer coil 02, and the RF circuit impedance, the voltage change caused by the impedance of the four connecting strips 04 can be ignored. Therefore, the voltage at points ①-④ is approximately equal to the voltage of the vertically stacked portion of the four connecting strips 04 from bottom to top. Furthermore, the materials of the inner coil 01 and the outer coil 02 can both be copper, and the voltage change caused by their loss resistance is also very small and negligible. Therefore, based on the equivalent circuit, the voltage at points ①-④ can be calculated:

[0040] U1=I1·ωL 11 ;

[0041] U2 = 0;

[0042] U3=I2·(ωL 21 -1 / (ωC5));

[0043] U4 = -I2·1 / (ωC5);

[0044] In related technologies, the spacing between the interlayered portions of two adjacent connecting strips 04 is equal. Therefore, the bottleneck of the withstand voltage capability of the four connecting strips 04 depends on the maximum voltage difference between the interlayered portions of two adjacent connecting strips 04, i.e., the maximum value of the following three voltages:

[0045] U 12 =U1-U2=I1·ωL 11 ;

[0046] U 23 =U3-U2=I2·(ωL) 21 -1 / (ωC5));

[0047] U 34 =U3-U4=I2·ωL 21 .

[0048] Since the area of ​​the inner coil 01 is smaller than the area of ​​the outer coil 02, the inductive reactance ωL of the inner coil 01 is... 11 The capacitive reactance 1 / (ωC5) of the shunt impedance adjustment capacitor C5 of the matching circuit 03 is less than that of the inductive reactance ωL of the outer coil 02. 21 Therefore, the voltage difference between the interlayered portions of two adjacent connecting strips 04 varies greatly, typically satisfying U 12 <U 23 <U 34When the voltage difference between the spaced-overlapping portions of two adjacent connecting bars 04 is large, a strong transient electric field is generated between these portions. This strong electric field can cause the surrounding air molecules to break down, leading to a risk of arcing. This limits the maximum current and voltage of the upper electrode device. Due to space constraints in semiconductor process equipment, the total height of the four connecting bars 04 (H≈3d) is very limited, where H is the total height of the four connecting bars 04 and d is the spacing between two adjacent connecting bars 04. In related technologies, the spacing between the spaced-overlapping portions of two adjacent connecting bars 04 is equal. This means that the spacing between two adjacent connecting bars 04 with smaller voltage differences is equal to the spacing between two adjacent connecting bars 04 with larger voltage differences. This results in excessive redundant space being wasted in the positions of the four connecting bars 04 with lower withstand voltage requirements, while restricting the space available for positions with higher withstand voltage requirements. In high-power applications where the maximum operating power of the upper electrode device increases from 2kW to 3kW, the spacing between the two adjacent connecting bars 04 with the largest voltage difference is no longer sufficient to meet the application requirements.

[0049] In related technologies, the maximum electric field typically occurs between the spaced-overlapping portions of the connecting strip 04 connected to the feed end 021 of the outer coil 02 and the connecting strip 04 connected to the feed end 022 of the outer coil 02, with a voltage difference of U. 34 High field strength will cause nearby air molecules to break down (under standard atmospheric pressure, the DC breakdown field strength is 3kV / mm; under engineering conditions, the DC breakdown field strength is 2kV / mm; and under radio frequency conditions, the breakdown field strength is approximately 0.6kV / mm-0.7kV / mm), posing a risk of arcing. In related technologies, the spacing between the interlayered portions of two adjacent connecting strips 04 is d=20mm. When the operating power of the upper electrode device is 2kW, under extreme conditions, the voltage differences between the three layers of the four connecting strips 04 are 2.5kV, 7.5kV, and 15kV, respectively, with a maximum field strength of approximately 0.75kV / mm. This already exceeds the safety threshold (i.e., radio frequency breakdown field strength), posing a high risk of arcing. When the operating power of the upper electrode device is increased to 3kW, the maximum voltage difference between the interlayered portions of two adjacent connecting strips 04 will increase to 18.4kV (increasing to the original value). The maximum electric field strength will increase to 0.92 kV / mm, which will greatly increase the risk of sparking and may even lead to inevitable sparking.

[0050] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the upper electrode device and semiconductor process equipment provided by the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0051] like Figures 9-11As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides an upper electrode device, including a shielding housing 30, a first coil, a second coil, a grounding assembly, and multiple connecting components 50. The grounding assembly and the multiple connecting components 50 are all disposed within the shielding housing 30, and each of the multiple connecting components 50 is used for electrical connection to a matching component 40 disposed outside the shielding housing 30. The first coil surrounds the second coil, i.e., the first coil is the outer coil, and the second coil is the inner coil. Those skilled in the art should understand that with the continuous increase in wafer size, more coils are also feasible. Both the first coil and the second coil have a feed-in end and a feed-out end. The feed-in end 11 and the feed-out end 12 of the first coil, and the two feed-in ends 21 of the second coil are electrically connected to the matching component 40 respectively through three connecting components 50. The feed-out end 22 of the second coil is connected to the shielding housing 30 and grounded through the grounding assembly.

[0052] The upper electrode device provided in this embodiment of the invention connects the feed end 22 of the second coil to the shielding housing 30 for grounding via a grounding component. Compared with related technologies, this eliminates the need for the feed end 22 of the second coil to be connected to the matching component 40 via the connecting component 50. This reduces the number of connecting components 50, increases the design space for multiple connecting components 50, and increases the spacing between the stacked portions of two adjacent connecting components 50. This improves the withstand voltage of multiple connecting components 50, reduces the risk of arcing of multiple connecting components 50, and consequently improves the withstand voltage of the upper electrode device, reduces the risk of arcing of the upper electrode device, and ultimately improves the reliability of the upper electrode device.

[0053] For example, the first coil and the second coil may each have two feed-in terminals and two feed-out terminals, the matching component 40 may have four connection ports, the number of connection components 50 may be three, the number of grounding components may be one, the two feed-in terminals 11 and two feed-out terminals 12 of the first coil, and the two feed-in terminals 21 and two feed-out terminals 22 of the second coil may be distributed along a straight line at intervals, and the four connection ports of the matching component 40 may be distributed in a 2*2 array.

[0054] The two feed-in terminals 11 of the first coil, the two feed-out terminals 12 of the first coil, and the two feed-in terminals 21 of the second coil are electrically connected one-to-one with the three connection ports of the matching component 40 through three connecting components 50. That is, one of the three connecting components 50 connects the two feed-in terminals 11 of the first coil in parallel and connects them to one connection port of the matching component 40; another connecting component 50 connects the two feed-out terminals 12 of the first coil in parallel and connects them to another connection port of the matching component 40; and yet another connecting component 50 connects the two feed-in terminals 21 of the second coil in parallel and connects them to yet another connection port of the matching component 40. Thus, the feed-in terminals 11, the feed-out terminals 12 of the first coil, and the two feed-in terminals 21 of the second coil are electrically connected one-to-one with the matching component 40 through the three connecting components 50. The two feed-out terminals 22 of the second coil are connected to the shielding housing 30 and grounded through a grounding component. Compared with related technologies, the two feed ends 013 of the inner coil 01 are no longer connected to the connection port 031 of the matching device 03, but are connected to the ground of the shield housing 30. This allows the connection strip 04 connected to the two feed ends 013 of the inner coil 01 to be removed, thereby reducing the number of connection strips 04 and increasing the design space and safety distance of the other three connection strips 04.

[0055] This design allows the spacing between the stacked portions of two adjacent connecting components 50 with the largest voltage difference to be increased from d in related technologies to d2, while the spacing between the stacked portions of another two adjacent connecting components 50 can be adjusted to d1, satisfying d1+d2=3d. In this way, while the maximum voltage difference between the stacked portions of two adjacent connecting components 50 remains unchanged, the maximum field strength can be reduced, thereby improving the withstand voltage capability of the upper electrode device, reducing the risk of arcing, and thus improving the reliability of the upper electrode device.

[0056] The voltages of the three connecting components 50, arranged vertically from bottom to top in a staggered layer, are approximately equal to... Figure 8 The voltages at points ①, ③, and ④ can be calculated using the equivalent circuit:

[0057]

[0058]

[0059]

[0060] The voltage differences between the spaced-overlapping portions of two adjacent connecting components 50 are as follows:

[0061]

[0062]

[0063] To minimize the average interlayer electric field in the stacked portions of two adjacent connecting components 50, the spacing (d1 and d2) of the stacked portions of the two adjacent connecting components 50 needs to be adjusted appropriately to satisfy:

[0064]

[0065] d1 + d2 = 3d;

[0066] Calculations show that the spacing between the overlapping portions of two adjacent connecting parts 50 is:

[0067]

[0068]

[0069] The voltage difference between the spaced-overlapping portions of two adjacent connecting components 50 is because Since d2 > d, the maximum voltage difference between the stacked portions of two adjacent connecting components 50 remains unchanged, which can reduce the maximum field strength, thereby improving the withstand voltage of the upper electrode device, reducing the risk of arcing, and thus improving the reliability of the upper electrode device.

[0070] For example, the total height of the three connecting components 50 remains H = 60 mm. The spacing between the stacked portions of the adjacent connecting components 50 with the largest voltage difference can be increased from d = 20 mm in related technologies to d2 = 43 mm - 47 mm, preferably d2 = 45 mm. The spacing between the stacked portions of the other two adjacent connecting components 50 can be adjusted to d1 = 13 mm - 17 mm, preferably d1 = 15 mm. When the operating power of the upper electrode device is 2 kW, the voltage difference between the two layers of the three connecting components 50 under extreme conditions is 5 kV and 15 kV, respectively, and the maximum field strength is about 0.33 kV / mm, which is reduced to less than 0.5 times that in related technologies. It is already operating below the safety threshold. When the operating power of the upper electrode device is increased to 3 kW, the maximum voltage difference between the stacked portions of the adjacent connecting components 50 will increase to 18.4 kV, and the maximum field strength will increase to 0.41 kV / mm, but it is still below the safety threshold, thus meeting the needs of high-power application scenarios.

[0071] Furthermore, during actual testing, the connecting strip 04 of the related technology repeatedly sparked when used at a working power of 2kW or higher, leaving black marks on the copper sheet surface. However, the upper electrode device provided in this embodiment of the invention remained safe even under the extreme condition of a marathon test at a working power of 3kW, and no sparking occurred during the marathon test. Furthermore, as... Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, the upper electrode device provided in this embodiment of the invention will not cause a decrease in the uniformity of the etching effect when applied to etching equipment for etching processes. Therefore, the upper electrode device provided in this embodiment of the invention can directly replace the upper electrode device in related technologies.

[0072] The inventors of this invention were able to conceive of this design because, during their research, they discovered that in related technologies, since the matcher 03 typically has four connection ports 031, those skilled in the art, under the influence of habitual thinking, would naturally assume that four connecting strips 04 also need to be set to connect one-to-one with the four connection ports 031 of the matcher 03 to form a one-to-one closed loop. If the matcher 03 only has three connection ports 031 connected to the connecting strips 04, those skilled in the art would intuitively have the illusion of incorrect use, unreliability, and insecurity, thus leading them to habitually set four connecting strips 04 to connect one-to-one with the four connection ports 031 of the matcher 03.

[0073] However, during the research process, the inventors of this invention carefully analyzed the internal circuit structure of the matching device 03 and discovered that in related technologies, the connection port 031 of the matching device 03, which is connected to the connecting strip 04 that is connected to the two feed terminals 013 of the inner coil 01, does not have any circuit components connected inside the matching device 03. Instead, it is directly connected to the metal casing 05 of the matching device 03. From the perspective of circuit principle, it only serves to achieve the function of grounding. That is to say, the voltage of the connecting strip 04 that is connected to the two feed terminals 013 of the inner coil 01 is always zero after being connected to this connection port 031. Even if this connection port 031 is left floating, as long as the load circuit is grounded through other paths, it will not affect the normal operation of the matching device 03. Matching unit 03 typically has four connection ports 031. This is because the design of matching unit 03 usually takes into account various usage requirements. In some non-etching machine application scenarios, the load circuit is not convenient to be grounded, so it is necessary to use the connection ports provided by matching unit 03 for grounding. However, for etching machines, each component is usually equipped with a metal shell 05 for shielding radio frequency signals, which itself has good grounding conditions, and it is not necessary to achieve grounding through the connection ports 031 provided by matching unit 03.

[0074] Therefore, the inventors of this invention discovered that connecting the connecting strip 04, which connects to the two feed terminals 013 of the inner coil 01 in the related art, to the metal casing 05 can also form an RF circuit without changing the equivalent circuit. Therefore, based on careful analysis and a thorough understanding of the working principle of the matching unit 03 and the RF circuit, the inventors of this invention conceived of eliminating the need to connect the two feed terminals 013 of the inner coil 01 to ground via the connection port 031 of the matching unit 03. Instead, they proposed connecting the two feed terminals 013 of the inner coil 01 to ground via the metal casing 05. This eliminates the need for the connecting strip 04, thereby reducing the number of connecting strips 04, increasing the design space and safety distance for the remaining three connecting strips 04, and ultimately improving the withstand voltage capability of multiple connecting strips 04 in high-power applications.

[0075] like Figure 9 As shown, optionally, the matching component 40 can be disposed outside the shielding housing 30, and the matching component 40 can have multiple connection ports for electrical connection with the radio frequency source.

[0076] like Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the second coil may have multiple feedout terminals 22, and the grounding assembly may include multiple grounding components 60. The multiple feedout terminals 22 are connected to the shielding housing 30 one-to-one through the multiple grounding components 60.

[0077] For example, the second coil may have two feedouts 22, and the grounding assembly may include two grounding components 60, one feedout 22 being grounded to the shielding housing 30 via one grounding component 60, and the other feedout 22 being grounded to the shielding housing 30 via another grounding component 60.

[0078] like Figures 9-11 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of feed ends 22 of the second coil can be distributed at intervals on the first axis, and each grounding component 60 has a plurality of grounding segments 61, and the plurality of grounding segments 61 of each grounding component 60 are symmetrically distributed about the first axis.

[0079] For example, each grounding component 60 may have two grounding segments 61, and the two grounding segments 61 of each grounding component 60 are symmetrically distributed about a first axis. Such a design can improve the symmetry of the RF path and reduce the impact on the uniformity of semiconductor process results.

[0080] Optionally, the first coil may have multiple feed terminals 11 (e.g., it may have two feed terminals 11), the first coil may have multiple feed terminals 12 (e.g., it may have two feed terminals), and the second coil may have multiple feed terminals 21 (e.g., it may have two feed terminals).

[0081] Optionally, the multiple feed-in terminals 11 of the first coil, the multiple feed-out terminals 12 of the first coil, the multiple feed-in terminals 21 of the second coil, and the multiple feed-out terminals 22 of the second coil can all be distributed at intervals on the first axis.

[0082] like Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, at least one grounding component 60 may further have an extension 62, which is electrically connected to the corresponding feedout end 22 and extends along a first horizontal direction, and is electrically connected to a plurality of grounding segments 61, so that there is a preset distance between the plurality of grounding segments 61 and the plurality of connecting components 50.

[0083] For example, Figure 9 and Figure 10 The left-hand connecting component 50 has an extension 62, which is electrically connected to the feed end 22 on the left side of the second coil and extends to the left relative to the feed end 22 on the left side of the second coil, and is electrically connected to two grounding sections 61. This design increases the spacing between the two grounding sections 61 and the multiple connecting components 50, ensuring a predetermined distance between them and preventing arcing due to insufficient spacing between the two grounding sections 61 and the multiple connecting components 50.

[0084] like Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, each grounding component 60 may also have a transition section 63, the transition section 63 being electrically connected to the corresponding feedout terminal 22 and extending along the second horizontal direction, and a plurality of grounding sections 61 being electrically connected to the transition section 63 respectively.

[0085] For example, Figure 9 and Figure 10 Both connecting parts 50 have an adapter section 63. Figure 9 and Figure 10The transition section 63 on the left is perpendicular to the extension section 62, meaning the second direction can be perpendicular to the first direction. Multiple grounding sections 61 of the grounding component 60 on the left are spaced apart along the second direction on the transition section 63 on the left and are electrically connected to the transition section 63 on the left. The extension section 62 is electrically connected to the multiple grounding sections 61 through the transition section 63. The transition section 63 on the right is directly electrically connected to the feed end 22 on the right side of the second coil and extends along the second direction, meaning the transition section 63 on the right can be parallel to the transition section 63 on the left. Multiple grounding sections 61 of the grounding component 60 on the right are spaced apart along the second direction on the transition section 63 on the right.

[0086] like Figure 9 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the feed end 22 of the second coil can be connected to the top of the shield housing 30 for grounding via a grounding assembly.

[0087] Optionally, the grounding section 61 can be arranged vertically so that the feed end 22 of the second coil can be grounded to the top of the shield housing 30 via the grounding assembly.

[0088] like Figures 9-11 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the connecting component 50 may include a front section 51, a middle section 52 and a rear section 53. The front section 51 is electrically connected to the corresponding feed-in end or feed-out end, the rear section 53 is used to be electrically connected to the matching component 40, and the two ends of the middle section 52 are electrically connected to the front section 51 and the rear section 53 respectively. At least one middle section 52 of the connecting component 50 extends in a straight line.

[0089] In other words, the front section 51, the middle section 52, and the rear section 53 are electrically connected sequentially. The front section 51 is electrically connected to the corresponding feed-in or feed-out end, and the rear section 53 is electrically connected to the connection port of the corresponding matching component 40. The front section 51 and the rear section 53 are electrically connected through the middle section 52. Since the upper electrode device provided in this embodiment of the invention reduces the number of connecting components 50 and increases the design space for multiple connecting components 50 compared to related technologies, the middle section 52 of the connecting component 50 of the upper electrode device provided in this embodiment of the invention does not need to undergo complex bending to increase the spacing with the other connecting components 50, compared to related technologies. In other words, the middle section 52 of the connecting component 50 of the upper electrode device provided in this embodiment of the invention can reduce bending along a straight line compared to related technologies. Furthermore, by reducing bending and extending the middle section 52 along a straight line, the electric field abrupt changes and tip amplification effects caused by corners and sharp angles can be reduced, thereby further reducing the arcing risk of the upper electrode device and further improving the reliability of the upper electrode device.

[0090] like Figures 9-11As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, each connecting component 50 may have a stacked segment 54, and the stacked segments 54 of the multiple connecting components 50 are stacked at intervals. The spacing between two adjacent stacked segments 54 with a larger voltage difference is greater than the spacing between two adjacent stacked segments 54 with a smaller voltage difference.

[0091] The stacked segments 54 of two adjacent connecting components 50 are the spaced stacked portions of the two adjacent connecting components 50. Since the two adjacent stacked segments 54 with a large voltage difference need a large spacing to avoid arcing, while the two adjacent stacked segments 54 with a small voltage difference need a small spacing to avoid arcing, in the limited space of semiconductor process equipment, the spacing between the two adjacent stacked segments 54 needs to be reasonably adjusted in order to avoid arcing between all the two adjacent stacked segments 54.

[0092] Optionally, the front section 51 can be electrically connected to the middle section 52 via the stacked section 54.

[0093] In one embodiment of the present invention, the spacing between two adjacent stacked segments 54 with a large voltage difference can be 43mm-47mm, and / or the spacing between two adjacent stacked segments 54 with a small voltage difference can be 13mm-17mm.

[0094] Optionally, the spacing between two adjacent stacked segments 54 with a large voltage difference can be 45 mm, and / or the spacing between two adjacent stacked segments 54 with a small voltage difference can be 15 mm.

[0095] For example, when the spacing between two adjacent stacked segments 54 with a large voltage difference is 45 mm, and the spacing between two adjacent stacked segments 54 with a small voltage difference is 15 mm, and the operating power of the upper electrode device is 2 kW, the interlayer voltage differences between the two layers of the three connecting components 50 under extreme conditions are 5 kV and 15 kV, respectively, and the maximum electric field is about 0.33 kV / mm, which is lower than the safety threshold (0.6 kV / mm-0.7 kV / mm). Furthermore, when the operating power of the upper electrode device is increased to 3 kW, the maximum voltage difference between the spaced stacked portions of two adjacent connecting components 50 will increase to 18.4 kV, and the maximum electric field will increase to 0.41 kV / mm, but it is still lower than the safety threshold, thus meeting the needs of high-power application scenarios.

[0096] This invention also provides a semiconductor process apparatus, including a radio frequency (RF) source and an upper electrode device as described in this invention embodiment, wherein the RF source is electrically connected to a matching component 40 of the upper electrode device.

[0097] The semiconductor process equipment provided in this embodiment of the invention, by means of the upper electrode device provided in this embodiment of the invention, can improve the withstand voltage capability of the semiconductor process equipment, reduce the risk of arcing of the semiconductor process equipment, and thus improve the reliability of the semiconductor process equipment.

[0098] In summary, the upper electrode device and semiconductor process equipment provided by the embodiments of the present invention can improve the withstand voltage, reduce the risk of arcing, and thus improve the reliability of use.

[0099] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An upper electrode device, characterized in that, It includes a shielding housing, a first coil, a second coil, a grounding assembly, and multiple connecting components. The grounding assembly and multiple connecting components are all disposed inside the shielding housing, and the multiple connecting components are all used for electrical connection with a matching component disposed outside the shielding housing. The first coil is wrapped around the second coil. Both the first coil and the second coil have a feed-in end and a feed-out end. The feed-in end of the first coil, the feed-out end of the first coil, and the feed-in end of the second coil are electrically connected to the matching component through three connecting components respectively. The feed-out end of the second coil is connected to the shielding shell and grounded through the grounding component. Each of the connecting components has a stacked segment, and the stacked segments of the multiple connecting components are stacked at intervals. The spacing between two adjacent stacked segments with a larger voltage difference is greater than the spacing between two adjacent stacked segments with a smaller voltage difference.

2. The upper electrode device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second coil has multiple feedout terminals, and the grounding assembly includes multiple grounding components. The multiple feedout terminals are connected to the shielding housing and grounded one-to-one through the multiple grounding components.

3. The upper electrode device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The plurality of feed terminals of the second coil are spaced apart on the first axis, and each grounding component has a plurality of grounding segments, which are axially symmetrical about the first axis.

4. The upper electrode device according to claim 3, characterized in that, At least one of the grounding components further has an extension section electrically connected to the corresponding feed end and extending along a first horizontal direction, and electrically connected to a plurality of the grounding segments such that there is a predetermined spacing between the plurality of grounding segments and the plurality of connecting components.

5. The upper electrode device according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each of the grounding components also has a transition section electrically connected to the corresponding feedout terminal and extending along a second horizontal direction, with the plurality of grounding sections electrically connected to the transition section respectively.

6. The upper electrode device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feed end of the second coil is grounded by connecting to the top of the shielding housing via the grounding assembly.

7. The upper electrode device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting component includes a front section, a middle section, and a rear section. The front section is electrically connected to the corresponding feed end or feed end. The rear section is used to be electrically connected to the matching component. The two ends of the middle section are electrically connected to the front section and the rear section, respectively. The middle section of at least one of the connecting components extends in a straight line.

8. The upper electrode device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spacing between two adjacent stacked segments with a large voltage difference is 43mm-47mm, and / or the spacing between two adjacent stacked segments with a small voltage difference is 13mm-17mm.

9. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized in that, It includes a radio frequency source and an upper electrode device as described in any one of claims 1-8, wherein the radio frequency source is electrically connected to the matching component of the upper electrode device.

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