Uniform flow structure and process chamber of semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

The application discloses a flow uniformizing structure and a process chamber of a semiconductor process equipment, and relates to the semiconductor field. The flow uniformizing structure is applied to the process chamber of the semiconductor process equipment, and comprises a first flow uniformizing part, a plurality of shielding parts and a plurality of elastic parts. The first flow uniformizing part is provided with a plurality of circles of first air holes distributed from the center to the edge of the flow uniformizing structure. The plurality of shielding parts are distributed from the center to the edge of the flow uniformizing structure and are respectively located on one side of the air outlet of the first flow uniformizing part. Each shielding part is arranged in correspondence with at least one circle of the first air holes and can be close to or away from the first flow uniformizing part in the axial direction of the flow uniformizing structure. Each shielding part is connected with at least one elastic part, and the elastic part is used for enabling the shielding part to have a movement tendency of being close to the first flow uniformizing part. The process chamber of the semiconductor process equipment comprises the flow uniformizing structure. The application can at least solve the problem that the flow field on the wafer surface has obvious differences in the radial direction.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of semiconductor, and particularly relates to a flow uniformizing structure and a process chamber of a semiconductor process equipment. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the development of integrated circuits, in the field of semiconductor manufacturing, the stripping speed of a stripping machine is increasingly important, which is related to the manufacturing efficiency and quality of chips, and the flow field distribution (such as the velocity field distribution, the flow field distribution, the pressure field distribution, etc.) in the stripping machine chamber significantly affects the stripping speed distribution. Especially in large size (such as 12-inch wafers, etc.) stripping process, the flow field on the wafer surface has obvious differences in the radial direction of the wafer, resulting in obvious differences in the stripping speed between the center region and the edge region of the wafer, and further adversely affecting the manufacturing efficiency and quality of the product. SUMMARY

[0003] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a flow uniformizing structure and a process chamber of a semiconductor process equipment, which can at least solve the problem that the flow field on the wafer surface has obvious differences in the radial direction.

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application is implemented as follows:

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a flow uniformizing structure applied to a process chamber of a semiconductor process equipment, the flow uniformizing structure comprising: a first flow uniformizing member, a plurality of shielding members and a plurality of elastic members.

[0006] The first flow uniformizing member is provided with a plurality of circles of first gas holes distributed from the center to the edge of the flow uniformizing structure.

[0007] The plurality of shielding members are distributed from the center to the edge of the flow uniformizing structure and are respectively located on one side of the gas outlet of the first flow uniformizing member, each shielding member is correspondingly arranged with at least one circle of the first gas holes, and can be close to or away from the first flow uniformizing member in the axial direction of the flow uniformizing structure.

[0008] Each shielding member is connected with at least one elastic member, and the elastic member is used to make the shielding member have a movement trend of approaching the first flow uniformizing member.

[0009] The embodiments of the present application also provide a process chamber of a semiconductor process equipment, the process chamber comprising a cavity, a bearing device and the above-mentioned flow uniformizing structure.

[0010] The bearing device and the flow uniformizing structure are both arranged in the cavity, and the gas outlet end of the flow uniformizing structure is opposite to the surface of the bearing device for bearing the wafer.

[0011] In the embodiments of the present application, under the elastic force of the elastic member, the shielding member has a movement trend of approaching the first flow uniformizing member. In the initial state, the shielding member is attached to the first flow uniformizing member and blocks the first gas holes of the corresponding ring. During the process, due to the pressure difference between the two sides of the flow uniformizing structure in the axial direction, the shielding member has a movement trend of moving away from the first flow uniformizing member under the action of the pressure difference. Thus, under the combined action of the pressure difference and the elastic force of the elastic member, at least part of the plurality of shielding members will be separated from the first flow uniformizing member and form a gap between the first flow uniformizing member. Due to the existence of the gap, the flow field distribution of the corresponding area will be changed, so that the automatic adjustment of the flow field of the corresponding area can be realized. Based on the above setting, by changing the relative position relationship between each of the plurality of shielding members and the first flow uniformizing member along the center to the edge area distribution of the flow uniformizing structure, the automatic adjustment of the flow field of the corresponding area is realized, so that the effect on the delamination rate of each corresponding area of the wafer can be achieved to improve the difference in delamination rate of each area, and further improve the manufacturing efficiency and product quality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 A structure diagram of a delamination chamber in the related art;

[0013] Figure 2 A structure diagram of a flow uniformizing plate in the related art;

[0014] Figure 3 A structure diagram of a flow uniformizing structure disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0015] Figure 4 A structure diagram of a flow uniformizing structure disclosed in the embodiments of the present application; Figure 3 A local enlarged view of A in FIG. 8;

[0016] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a first form of shielding member disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0017] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a second form of shielding member disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0018] Figure 7 A structure diagram of the first flow uniformizing member, the second flow uniformizing member, the elastic member, the shielding member and the gasket disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0019] Figure 8 A structure diagram of a process chamber disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0020] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the velocity distribution in the process chamber before improvement disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0021] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the flow line distribution in the process chamber before improvement disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0022] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the improved velocity distribution above the wafer before the process is disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0023] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the improved velocity distribution in the process chamber after the process is disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0024] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the improved flow line distribution in the process chamber after the process is disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0025] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of the improved velocity distribution above the wafer after the process is disclosed in the embodiments of the present application.

[0026] Explanation of reference signs:

[0027] 100 - flow uniformizing structure

[0028] 110 - first flow uniformizing member; 111 - first gas hole

[0029] 120 - second flow uniformizing member; 121 - second gas hole; 122 - groove; 123 - second guide cylinder

[0030] 130 - shielding member; 131 - shielding unit; 132 - first guide cylinder

[0031] 140 - elastic member

[0032] 150 - gasket

[0033] 200 - cavity

[0034] 300 - bearing device DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are some of the embodiments of the present application, but not all the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all the other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0036] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first", "second", etc. are generally of a kind and do not limit the number of objects, for example, the first object can be one or more. In addition, "and / or" in the specification and claims indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the front and rear associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0037] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to specific examples and their application scenarios in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0038] Reference Figure 1 A de-gluing chamber in the related art adopts a double-layer uniform flow plate structure. Under the action of a molecular pump, process gas mostly flows from the outer edge of a wafer, and the process gas flow rate at the wafer outer edge region is relatively fast, thereby causing the flow field and velocity field above the wafer to be non-uniform, and the flow field and velocity field cannot be adjusted.

[0039] Reference Figure 2 The related art also provides a single-layer uniform flow plate structure, a diameter of a uniform flow hole of which gradually increases in the radial direction of the uniform flow plate structure, to improve the uniformity of the flow rate above the wafer.

[0040] However, the uniform flow plate structures in the above-mentioned prior art cannot achieve self-adaptive adjustment of the flow field distribution, thereby causing the use scenarios of the uniform flow plate structure to be limited. Based on this situation, the embodiments of the present application disclose a uniform flow structure 100 applied to a process chamber of a semiconductor process equipment, for playing a uniform flow role on process gas entering an inner cavity of the process chamber, to improve the uniformity of the gas distribution on the wafer surface, thereby ensuring product quality. Reference Figures 3 to 8 The disclosed uniform flow structure 100 includes a first uniform flow member 110, a plurality of shielding members 130, and a plurality of elastic members 140.

[0041] The first uniform flow member 110 is a core component playing a uniform flow role on process gas. Process gas can be fully diffused in the inner cavity of the process chamber under the action of the first uniform flow member 110, thereby ensuring that the process gas can be distributed to the wafer surface in the process chamber for process treatment. In some embodiments, the first uniform flow member 110 is provided with a plurality of circles of first gas holes 111 distributed from the center to the edge of the uniform flow structure 100. In the process, process gas can flow to the wafer surface through the plurality of circles of first gas holes 111, so as to facilitate a reaction on the wafer surface.

[0042] Exemplarily, the first flow uniformity member 110 can be a disc-shaped member which is adapted to the shape of the wafer, in which case, the multiple rings of first gas holes 111 can be arranged in the radial direction of the first flow uniformity member 110 in sequence so as to facilitate the dispersion of the process gas to the wafer surface in the radial direction.

[0043] In addition, each ring of first gas holes 111 can include a plurality of first gas holes 111 which can be distributed in a circular manner, for example, uniformly, so as to improve the uniformity of the distribution of the process gas.

[0044] The multiple shielding members 130 are distributed along the center to the edge of the flow uniformity structure 100 and are respectively located on one side of the gas outlet of the first flow uniformity member 110, each shielding member 130 is arranged in correspondence with at least one ring of first gas holes 111 and can be close to or away from the first flow uniformity member 110 in the axial direction of the flow uniformity structure 100. Based on this arrangement, the multiple shielding members 130 can shield the multiple rings of first gas holes 111, and during the process, at least part of the multiple shielding members 130 can also be away from the first flow uniformity member 110 to remove the shielding effect on the corresponding ring of first gas holes 111, and the gap size between at least part of the shielding members 130 and the first flow uniformity member 110 can be changed, so as to automatically adjust the flow field in the corresponding area from the center to the edge of the flow uniformity structure 100.

[0045] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some more specific embodiments, in the direction from the center to the edge of the flow uniformity structure 100, the first flow uniformity member 110 can be provided with three rings of first gas holes 111, which are respectively a center ring of first gas holes 111, an intermediate ring of first gas holes 111 and an edge ring of first gas holes 111; correspondingly, the shielding members 130 can be three, which are respectively a center shielding member 130, an intermediate shielding member 130 and an edge shielding member 130. In this way, the center shielding member 130 is opposite to the center ring of first gas holes 111, the intermediate shielding member 130 is opposite to the center ring of first gas holes 111, and the edge shielding member 130 is opposite to the edge ring of first gas holes 111, so as to shield or release the corresponding ring of first gas holes 111 respectively.

[0046] In the embodiments of the present application, the flow field can be a velocity field, a flow field or a pressure field, etc., which can be determined according to the actual working condition and is not limited here.

[0047] In some embodiments, the shielding member 130 is arranged on one side of the axial direction of the first flow uniformity member 110 and is close to the gas outlet end of the first gas hole 111, so as to block or release the gas outlet end of the first gas hole 111 by the shielding member 130.

[0048] Exemplarily, each shielding piece 130 can have a ring shape, which can be adapted to the distribution of the first gas holes 111 so as to shield at least one circle of the first gas holes 111. Each shielding piece 130 can be arranged opposite to one circle of the first gas holes 111, and each shielding piece 130 can shield one circle of the first gas holes 111. Of course, each shielding piece 130 can also be arranged opposite to two or more circles of the first gas holes 111, and each shielding piece 130 can shield two or more circles of the first gas holes 111.

[0049] It should be noted that, in the process, the inner cavity of the process chamber needs to be pumped by a vacuum pump (or a molecular pump). In this case, the uniform flow structure 100 forms a pressure difference on the two sides in the axial direction. Under the action of the pressure difference, the process gas on the side of the uniform flow structure 100 far from the vacuum pump flows to the side close to the vacuum pump through the first gas holes 111. In this process, the process gas reacts on the surface of the wafer in the inner cavity of the process chamber to process the surface of the wafer, and the exhaust gas generated in the process is pumped out of the inner cavity of the process chamber by the vacuum pump.

[0050] Based on the above, under the action of the pressure difference, the process gas after passing through the first gas holes 111 will have a pressing effect on the surface of the shielding piece 130 facing the first gas holes 111, so as to make the shielding piece 130 separate from the first uniform flow piece 110 and remove the shielding effect on the first gas holes 111, so as to make the process gas flow to the corresponding area of the wafer surface through the first gas holes 111, and realize the process of the wafer.

[0051] However, because the edge of the wafer is closer to the vacuum pump in the flow path of the process gas, and the center of the wafer is farther away from the vacuum pump than the edge, during the process, the pressure difference between the center and the edge of the wafer will be different, which will cause the flow field distribution of the wafer surface from the center to the edge to be uneven, and will adversely affect the process result.

[0052] In order to improve the uniformity of the flow field distribution of each region on the wafer surface, in the embodiment of the application, each shielding piece 130 is connected with at least one elastic piece 140, and the elastic piece 140 is used to make the shielding piece 130 have a movement trend of approaching the first flow uniformizing piece 110, that is, under the action of the elastic piece 140, the shielding piece 130 can shield the first gas holes 111 of the corresponding circle, and at the same time, the pressure difference will make the shielding piece 130 have a movement trend of moving away from the first flow uniformizing piece 110. Thus, under the joint action of the pressure difference and the elastic force of the elastic piece 140, at least part of the shielding pieces 130 can form a gap with the first flow uniformizing piece 110, and the gaps between the shielding pieces 130 at different positions and the first flow uniformizing piece 110 are not completely the same, so that the flow field distribution of the center to the edge of the flow uniformizing structure 100 can be adaptively adjusted, and then the flow field distribution of each corresponding region on the wafer surface can be realized, so as to improve the uniformity of the flow field distribution on the wafer surface.

[0053] For example, one end of the elastic piece 140 is connected with the shielding piece 130, and the other end is fixed, for example, the other end of the elastic piece 140 can be fixedly connected with the first flow uniformizing piece 110, of course, the first flow uniformizing piece 110 can also be connected with other fixed structures, and the other end of the elastic piece 140 is connected with the fixed structure, no matter which way is adopted, the fixation of the elastic piece 140 can be realized, and it is ensured that the elastic piece 140 can exert an elastic force on the shielding piece 130, so that the shielding piece 130 can have a movement trend of approaching the first flow uniformizing piece 110.

[0054] In the embodiment of the application, under the elastic force of the elastic piece 140, the shielding piece 130 can have a movement trend of approaching the first flow uniformizing piece 110, in the initial state, the shielding piece 130 is attached to the first flow uniformizing piece 110, and the first gas holes 111 of the corresponding circle are blocked; during the process, due to the certain pressure difference between the two sides of the flow uniformizing structure 100 in the axial direction, the shielding piece 130 has a movement trend of moving away from the first flow uniformizing piece 110 under the action of the pressure difference. Thus, under the joint action of the pressure difference and the elastic force of the elastic piece 140, at least part of the shielding pieces 130 in the plurality of shielding pieces 130 will be separated from the first flow uniformizing piece 110, and a gap will be formed between the shielding pieces 130 and the first flow uniformizing piece 110, due to the existence of the gap, the distribution of the flow field of the corresponding region will be changed, so that automatic adjustment of the flow field of the corresponding region can be realized.

[0055] Based on the above setting, by changing the relative positional relationship between each of the plurality of shielding pieces 130 and the first flow uniformizing piece 110 distributed from the center to the edge of the flow uniformizing structure 100, automatic adjustment of the flow field of the corresponding region is realized, so that the stripping rate of each corresponding region of the wafer can be affected, the difference between the stripping rates of each region is improved, and the manufacturing efficiency and product quality are improved.

[0056] In the initial state, the plurality of shielding members 130 are attached to the first flow uniformizing member 110, and in this case, the process has not been performed, and the first gas holes 111 are not opened. At this time, the plurality of shielding members 130 can shield the plurality of first gas holes 111 under the elastic force of the elastic members 140. It should be noted that the initial state can be before the process, and at this time, the vacuum pump is not started, and the pressure difference between the two sides of the flow uniformizing structure 100 can be zero or relatively small. In this case, the pressure difference is not enough to overcome the elastic force of the elastic members 140 to separate the shielding members 130 from the first flow uniformizing member 110.

[0057] In the process state, the distance between each of the plurality of shielding members 130 and the first flow uniformizing member 110 is different. It should be noted that in order to ensure that the process gas flows in each region of the wafer surface, the plurality of first gas holes 111 of the first flow uniformizing member 110 can be opened in the process, that is, the plurality of shielding members 130 are separated from the first flow uniformizing member 110, so that the plurality of first gas holes 111 can flow through the process gas.

[0058] Further, considering the flow field distribution of the wafer surface, the flow uniformizing structure 100 also has different pressure differences between the center and the edge region, and under the joint action of the pressure difference and the elastic members 140 connected to each of the shielding members 130, the distance between each of the plurality of shielding members 130 and the first flow uniformizing member 110 is different, so that the flow field distribution of the region corresponding to each of the plurality of shielding members 130 is different, so as to automatically adjust the flow field distribution of each region, and further improve the uniformity of the flow field distribution of each region of the wafer surface.

[0059] In some embodiments, the flow field can be a velocity field or a pressure field. Considering that the vacuum pump is close to the edge region of the wafer, the flow rate of the process gas near the edge region of the wafer is faster or the pressure is larger, and the flow rate near the center region of the wafer is slower or the pressure is smaller, that is, from the center region to the edge region of the wafer, the flow rate or the pressure increases.

[0060] To further balance the velocity field distribution or pressure field distribution of the wafer center region to the edge region, the flow rate or pressure at the wafer center region needs to be increased and the flow rate or pressure at the wafer edge region needs to be decreased by the uniform flow structure 100. Based on this, in the embodiments of the present application, in the process state, the distance (or gap) between each of the plurality of shielding pieces 130 and the first uniform flow piece 110 gradually increases from the center to the edge of the uniform flow structure 100. In this way, the flow rate or pressure of the process gas can be adaptively increased by a relatively small distance and adaptively decreased by a relatively large distance, so that the distribution of the velocity field or pressure field can be balanced in the direction from the center region to the edge region of the wafer, so as to improve the uniformity of the velocity field or pressure field in each region of the wafer.

[0061] In other embodiments, the flow field can be a flow field. Considering that the vacuum pump is close to the edge region of the wafer, the flow rate of the process gas is larger near the edge region of the wafer and smaller near the center region of the wafer, that is, the flow rate gradually increases from the center region to the edge region of the wafer.

[0062] To further balance the flow field distribution of the wafer center region to the edge region, the flow rate at the wafer center region needs to be increased and the flow rate at the wafer edge region needs to be decreased by the uniform flow structure 100. Based on this, in the embodiments of the present application, in the process state, the distance (or gap) between each of the plurality of shielding pieces 130 and the first uniform flow piece 110 gradually decreases from the center to the edge of the uniform flow structure 100. In this way, the flow rate of the process gas can be adaptively increased by a relatively large distance and adaptively decreased by a relatively small distance, so that the distribution of the flow field can be balanced in the direction from the center region to the edge region of the wafer, so as to improve the uniformity of the flow field in each region of the wafer.

[0063] In the related art, most of the process gas passes through the edge region of the wafer and a small amount of the process gas passes through the center region of the wafer, which easily causes waste of the process gas and leads to low utilization rate of the process gas. The embodiments of the present application can correspondingly reduce the flow rate of the process gas at the edge region of the wafer and increase the flow rate of the process gas at the center region of the wafer, so as to reduce the waste of the process gas and improve the utilization rate of the process gas.

[0064] In order to adaptively adjust the distance (or gap) between each shield 130 and the first flow uniforming member 110, the number of elastic members 140 connected to each shield 130 is not completely equal, that is, the number of elastic members 140 connected to each shield 130 can be respectively unequal, or the number of elastic members 140 connected to some of the shields 130 can be equal, while the number of elastic members 140 connected to the other shields 130 is unequal, which can be set according to actual working conditions. Based on this, by adjusting the initial compression amount of the plurality of elastic members 140, the sensitivity of the shield 130 to the pressure difference can be changed.

[0065] In some embodiments, when the flow field is a velocity field or a pressure field, according to the above content, along the center-to-edge direction of the flow uniforming structure 100, the distance (or gap) between each shield 130 and the first flow uniforming member 110 gradually increases. The two sides of the shield 130 are respectively subjected to the action of the process gas pressure difference and the elastic member 140. If the velocity field or the pressure field at the center region of the wafer is to be relatively increased, the distance between the shield 130 and the first flow uniforming member 110 near the center region of the flow uniforming structure 100 needs to be relatively reduced. Thus, under the condition that the pressure difference is unchanged, the elastic force of the elastic member 140 needs to be increased to make the shield 130 and the first flow uniforming member 110 at the center region balanced at a smaller distance. Conversely, if the velocity field or the pressure field at the edge region of the wafer is to be relatively reduced, the distance between the shield 130 and the first flow uniforming member 110 near the edge region of the flow uniforming structure 100 needs to be relatively increased. Thus, under the condition that the pressure difference is unchanged, the elastic force of the elastic member 140 needs to be reduced to make the shield 130 and the first flow uniforming member 110 at the edge region balanced at a larger distance.

[0066] Based on the above situation, along the center-to-edge direction of the flow uniforming structure 100, the number of elastic members 140 connected to each shield 130 gradually decreases, so that the distribution of the velocity field or the pressure field in the center region to the edge region of the wafer can be balanced, so as to improve the uniformity of the velocity field or the pressure field at each region of the wafer.

[0067] In some embodiments, when the flow field is a velocity field, according to the above description, along the center-to-edge direction of the uniform flow structure 100, the distance (or gap) between each of the plurality of shielding members 130 and the first uniform flow member 110 gradually decreases, and the two sides of each of the shielding members 130 are respectively subjected to the pressure difference of the process gas and the elastic force of the elastic member 140. If the velocity field in the center region of the wafer is to be relatively increased, the distance between the shielding member 130 and the first uniform flow member 110 near the center region of the uniform flow structure 100 needs to be relatively increased, so that, under the condition that the pressure difference is unchanged, the elastic force of the elastic member 140 needs to be reduced to balance the force between the shielding member 130 and the first uniform flow member 110 in the center region at a larger distance. Conversely, if the velocity field in the edge region of the wafer is to be relatively reduced, the distance between the shielding member 130 and the first uniform flow member 110 near the edge region of the uniform flow structure 100 needs to be relatively reduced, so that, under the condition that the pressure difference is unchanged, the elastic force of the elastic member 140 needs to be increased to balance the force between the shielding member 130 and the first uniform flow member 110 in the edge region at a smaller distance.

[0068] Based on the above, in the embodiments of the present application, along the center-to-edge direction of the uniform flow structure 100, the number of elastic members 140 connected to each of the plurality of shielding members 130 gradually increases, so that the distribution of the velocity field or the pressure field in the center region to the edge region of the wafer can be balanced to improve the uniformity of the velocity field or the pressure field in each region of the wafer.

[0069] Reference Figure 5 In some more specific embodiments, the shielding member 130 can be a circular ring plate, and the end of each shielding member 130 away from the first uniform flow member 110 can be connected to a plurality of elastic members 140, and the plurality of elastic members 140 are distributed along the circumferential direction of the shielding member 130. For example, the number of elastic members 140 connected to each shielding member 130 can be the same, and the plurality of elastic members 140 connected to each shielding member 130 are uniformly distributed along the circumferential direction of the shielding member 130 to improve the force uniformity of each shielding member 130.

[0070] In addition, considering that the size of the plurality of shielding members 130 gradually increases along the center-to-edge region of the uniform flow structure 100, to ensure the force uniformity of each shielding member 130, the number of elastic members 140 connected to each of the plurality of shielding members 130 can also be different. Specifically, the number of elastic members 140 connected to each of the plurality of shielding members 130 can gradually increase along the center-to-edge region of the uniform flow structure 100 to ensure the force uniformity of each shielding member 130.

[0071] To further improve the adjustment capability of the flow field, reference Figure 6In some embodiments, each shielding piece 130 can include a plurality of shielding units 131 distributed circumferentially, and each shielding unit 131 is connected to at least one elastic piece 140 away from the end face of the first flow uniformizing piece 110. Based on the above arrangement, further division of each shielding piece 130 can reduce the individual adjustment area of each shielding piece 130, so that the sensitivity of flow field adjustment can be improved, thereby improving the adjustment capability of the flow field.

[0072] For example, each shielding unit 131 can be connected to one elastic piece 140, two elastic pieces 140 or more elastic pieces 140, which can be set according to actual needs.

[0073] Further, in the plurality of shielding pieces 130, the plurality of shielding units 131 of any shielding piece 130 are arranged correspondingly with the plurality of shielding units 131 of the adjacent shielding piece 130. Based on this, the adjustment of the flow field at the local area of the plurality of shielding pieces 130 can be realized by the plurality of correspondingly arranged shielding units 131, so as to improve the adjustment capability.

[0074] For example, each shielding unit 131 can be divided into six shielding units 131, and of course, it can also be other quantities. In theory, the more the division, the stronger the adjustment capability of the flow field. In the embodiments of the present application, the division is not specifically limited.

[0075] In the embodiments of the present application, the force balance of the shielding piece 130 can also be changed by the difference in the compression amount of each elastic piece 140 in the initial state, so as to adapt to the distribution of the flow field at each position from the center area to the edge area of the wafer. In the initial state, the compression amount of the elastic piece 140 connected to each shielding piece 130 can not be completely the same. Based on this, by adjusting the initial compression amount of the plurality of elastic pieces 140, the sensitivity of the shielding piece 130 to the pressure difference can be changed.

[0076] In some embodiments, when the flow field is a velocity field or a pressure field, according to the above, along the center-to-edge direction of the uniform flow structure 100, the distance (or gap) between each of the plurality of shielding members 130 and the first uniform flow member 110 gradually increases, and the two sides of the shielding member 130 are respectively subjected to the pressure difference of the process gas and the elastic force of the elastic member 140. If the velocity field or the pressure field at the center region of the wafer is to be relatively increased, the distance between the shielding member 130 and the first uniform flow member 110 near the center region of the uniform flow structure 100 needs to be relatively reduced, and thus, under the condition that the pressure difference is unchanged, the elastic force of the elastic member 140 needs to be increased to balance the force between the shielding member 130 and the first uniform flow member 110 at the center region at a smaller distance. Conversely, if the velocity field or the pressure field at the edge region of the wafer is to be relatively reduced, the distance between the shielding member 130 and the first uniform flow member 110 near the edge region of the uniform flow structure 100 needs to be relatively increased, and thus, under the condition that the pressure difference is unchanged, the elastic force of the elastic member 140 needs to be reduced to balance the force between the shielding member 130 and the first uniform flow member 110 at the edge region at a larger distance.

[0077] Based on the above, along the center-to-edge direction of the uniform flow structure 100, in the initial state, the compression amount of each of the plurality of elastic members 140 gradually decreases, so that the distribution of the velocity field or the pressure field can be balanced in the center region-to-edge region direction of the wafer, so as to improve the uniformity of the velocity field or the pressure field at each region of the wafer.

[0078] In other embodiments, when the flow field is a flow field, according to the above, along the center-to-edge direction of the uniform flow structure 100, the distance (or gap) between each of the plurality of shielding members 130 and the first uniform flow member 110 gradually decreases, and the two sides of the shielding member 130 are respectively subjected to the pressure difference of the process gas and the elastic force of the elastic member 140. If the flow field at the center region of the wafer is to be relatively increased, the distance between the shielding member 130 and the first uniform flow member 110 near the center region of the uniform flow structure 100 needs to be relatively increased, and thus, under the condition that the pressure difference is unchanged, the elastic force of the elastic member 140 needs to be reduced to balance the force between the shielding member 130 and the first uniform flow member 110 at the center region at a larger distance. Conversely, if the flow field at the edge region of the wafer is to be relatively reduced, the distance between the shielding member 130 and the first uniform flow member 110 near the edge region of the uniform flow structure 100 needs to be relatively reduced, and thus, under the condition that the pressure difference is unchanged, the elastic force of the elastic member 140 needs to be increased to balance the force between the shielding member 130 and the first uniform flow member 110 at the edge region at a smaller distance.

[0079] Based on the above, in the embodiments of the present application, in the initial state, the compression amount of each elastic member 140 gradually increases from the center to the edge of the uniform flow structure 100, so as to balance the distribution of the velocity field or pressure field from the center to the edge of the wafer, so as to improve the uniformity of the velocity field or pressure field in each region of the wafer.

[0080] It should be noted here that the force balance of the shielding member 130 can also be changed by the difference in the elastic coefficient of the plurality of elastic members 140, so as to adapt to the distribution of the flow field from the center to the edge of the wafer. The principle of the influence of the elastic coefficient on the force balance of the shielding member 130 can be referred to the above-mentioned related content in the compression amount of the elastic member 140 in the initial state, which will not be repeated here.

[0081] In order to further improve the uniform flow effect, the uniform flow structure 100 can further include a second uniform flow member 120, which will be described with reference to Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 7 , the second uniform flow member 120 is arranged axially spaced from the first uniform flow member 110, so that a gas conveying space can be formed between the first uniform flow member 110 and the second uniform flow member 120; at the same time, the second uniform flow member 120 is provided with a plurality of second gas holes 121, the plurality of second gas holes 121 are used to communicate with the inner cavity of the process chamber and communicate with the gas conveying space, that is, the gas conveying space and the inner cavity of the process chamber can be communicated through the plurality of second gas holes 121, so that the process gas can flow into the inner cavity of the process chamber through the plurality of second gas holes 121, and react on the surface of the wafer in the inner cavity.

[0082] Based on the above arrangement, the first uniform flow member 110 can have a primary uniform flow effect on the process gas, and the second uniform flow member 120 can have a secondary uniform flow effect on the process gas, so that the process gas can be fully diffused when entering the inner cavity of the process chamber, so as to increase the contact area between the process gas and the wafer surface, thereby improving the reaction efficiency and the reaction uniformity.

[0083] The plurality of shielding members 130 are respectively located between the first uniform flow member 110 and the second uniform flow member 120, and the plurality of elastic members 140 are respectively connected to the second uniform flow member 120, so that the second uniform flow member 120 can provide a mounting basis for the plurality of elastic members 140, so as to ensure that the end of each elastic member 140 away from the shielding member 130 can be relatively fixed; and the plurality of elastic members 140 can exert an elastic force on the corresponding shielding member 130, so that the plurality of shielding members 130 respectively have a movement trend of moving close to the first uniform flow member 110.

[0084] Specifically, in the non-process state, the plurality of shielding members 130 are respectively attached to the end surface of the first flow uniforming member 110 under the elastic force of the elastic members 140, and the first gas holes 111 of the corresponding rings are blocked; in the process state, as the pressure difference on both sides of the flow uniforming structure 100 gradually increases, when the local pressure difference is greater than the elastic force of the elastic members 140, the shielding members 130 in the corresponding area are pushed away, that is, a gap is formed between the shielding members 130 in the corresponding area and the end surface of the first flow uniforming member 110, at this time, the process gas can enter the gas conveying space through the first gas holes 111 in the corresponding area, and then pass through the second gas holes 121 of the second flow uniforming member 120 to flow into the inner cavity of the process chamber, so that the process gas can reach the wafer surface to react.

[0085] To realize the installation of the elastic members 140, the end of the second flow uniforming member 120 facing the first flow uniforming member 110 can be provided with a plurality of grooves 122, and the end of each elastic member 140 away from the shielding member 130 is arranged in the groove 122, so that the bottom wall of the groove 122 can support the corresponding elastic member 140 to enable the elastic member 140 to exert an elastic force on the corresponding shielding member 130, and the side wall of the groove 122 can also limit the side of the elastic member 140 to prevent the elastic member 140 from being twisted or bent during compression, thereby ensuring the stability of the elastic member 140 under compression. It should be noted that the above-mentioned grooves 122 can also be regarded as blind holes.

[0086] In other embodiments, the end of the elastic member 140 away from the shielding member 130 can also be directly fixed to the second flow uniforming member 120, such as by welding, bonding, riveting, clamping, screwing, etc., to ensure the firmness and stability of the installation of the elastic member 140.

[0087] Reference Figure 4In some embodiments, the end surface of each shielding piece 130 facing the second flow uniforming piece 120 can be provided with a first guide cylinder 132 extending towards the second flow uniforming piece 120, and correspondingly, each groove 122 can be provided with a second guide cylinder 123, wherein the first guide cylinder 132 and the second guide cylinder 123 are respectively sleeved on the outer side of the elastic piece 140, and the outer wall of the first guide cylinder 132 is in sliding connection with the inner wall of the corresponding second guide cylinder 123. Based on this arrangement, through the sliding fit between the outer wall of the first guide cylinder 132 and the inner wall of the second guide cylinder 123, the movement accuracy of the shielding piece 130 moving close to or away from the first flow uniforming piece 110 can be ensured; and through the inner wall of the first guide cylinder 132 and the inner wall of the second guide cylinder 123, the elastic piece 140 can also be respectively limited in position to prevent the elastic piece 140 from being twisted, bent, etc., to ensure the stability of the elastic piece 140, and at the same time, the first guide cylinder 132 and the second guide cylinder 123 can also protect the elastic piece 140, so that the elastic piece 140 is separated from the process gas, thereby effectively preventing the process gas from corroding the elastic piece 140, and further improving the service life of the elastic piece 140. Exemplarily, the first guide cylinder 132 can be fixed to the end surface of the shielding piece 130 facing the second flow uniforming piece 120 by welding, bonding or the like, to ensure the firmness and stability of the first guide cylinder 132.

[0088] Considering that in the process state, the distances between the plurality of shielding pieces 130 and the first flow uniforming piece 110 respectively have differences, so as to adapt to the flow field distribution of the wafer surface, the initial elastic force received by each of the plurality of shielding pieces 130 can be adaptively adjusted, and the initial elastic force can be adjusted in the following manner:

[0089] Reference Figure 7 In some embodiments, among the plurality of grooves 122, at least part of the grooves 122 can be provided with a gasket 150, which is located between the bottom wall of the second guide cylinder 123 and the bottom wall of the groove 122. Through the gasket 150, the relative position of the second guide cylinder 123 in the groove 122 can be adjusted, and further through the change of the position of the second guide cylinder 123, the initial compression amount of the elastic piece 140 can be adjusted, so as to adaptively adjust the initial elastic force received by each of the plurality of shielding pieces 130.

[0090] In other embodiments, a spacer 150 can be arranged in the at least partial second guiding cylinder 123, and the end of the elastic member 140 away from the shielding member 130 abuts against the spacer 150. In this way, the initial compression amount of the elastic member 140 can also be adjusted by adding the spacer 150, so as to adaptively adjust the initial elastic force applied to each of the shielding members 130, thereby adapting to the flow field distribution on the wafer surface. In this case, the initial conditions of each of the elastic members 140, such as the initial elastic coefficient and initial length, can be the same, so as to make the initial compression amount of each of the elastic members 140 different by adding the spacer 150, thereby causing the elastic force applied to the corresponding shielding member 130 to be different.

[0091] For example, the number of spacers 150 in the groove 122 can be one or more, which can be selected according to actual working conditions. In addition, the thickness of the spacer 150 can be set according to actual working conditions.

[0092] In other embodiments, the initial length of the elastic member 140 can also be changed. In the case where the initial elastic coefficient is the same, the initial length of the elastic member 140 can be changed to make the elastic force applied to the corresponding shielding member 130 different.

[0093] In other embodiments, the initial elastic coefficient of the elastic member 140 can also be changed. In the case where the initial length and initial compression amount are the same, the initial elastic coefficient of the elastic member 140 can be changed to make the elastic force applied to the corresponding shielding member 130 different.

[0094] It should be noted that in each of the above embodiments, the pressure difference and the elastic force of the elastic member 140 are much greater than the gravity of the shielding member 130, so the gravity of the shielding member 130 can be ignored. Of course, when higher precision is required, the gravity of the shielding member 130 can also be considered to improve the accuracy of the data.

[0095] In some embodiments, the second uniform flow member 120 can be provided with multiple turns of second gas holes 121 along the direction from the center to the edge of the uniform flow structure 100, and the multiple turns of second gas holes 121 are arranged in a staggered manner with the multiple turns of first gas holes 111. For example, at least one turn of second gas holes 121 can be arranged between two adjacent turns of first gas holes 111. Based on the above arrangement, the process gas flowing into the space between the first uniform flow member 110 and the second uniform flow member 120 through the first gas holes 111 can first be fully diffused therebetween, and then the process gas can flow into the inner cavity of the process chamber through the multiple turns of second gas holes 121, so as to diffuse the process gas to the wafer surface, thereby increasing the contact area with the wafer surface, and improving the process uniformity and process efficiency.

[0096] Exemplarily, the plurality of first gas holes 111 of each circle can be distributed in a circular track, the plurality of second gas holes 121 of each circle can also be distributed in a circular track, and the second gas holes 121 of each circle can be arranged outside the first gas holes 111 of the previous circle, while the first gas holes 111 of the next circle can be arranged outside the second gas holes 121 of each circle, and so on, so as to improve the diffusion degree of the process gas and further improve the contact area of the process gas with the wafer surface.

[0097] Reference Figures 3 to 8 Based on the uniform flow structure 100, the application further discloses a process chamber of a semiconductor process equipment, which can perform process reaction on a wafer in the inner cavity of the process chamber. The process chamber can be a stripping chamber, and can also be other chambers, which are not limited here.

[0098] The disclosed process chamber includes a cavity 200, a bearing device 300, and the above-mentioned uniform flow structure 100. The bearing device 300 and the uniform flow structure 100 are both arranged in the cavity 200, and the gas outlet end of the uniform flow structure 100 is opposite to the surface of the bearing device 300 for bearing the wafer.

[0099] Based on the above arrangement, the process gas entering the cavity 200 through the uniform flow structure 100 can be fully diffused on the surface of the bearing device 300, so as to react on the surface of the wafer carried by the bearing device 300, thereby realizing the process treatment of the wafer.

[0100] Of course, the semiconductor process equipment can also include other components, such as a plasma generating device, a vacuum pump, etc., and the specific structure and working principle thereof can refer to related technologies, which are not described in detail here.

[0101] In the application, the distribution of the flow field in the process chamber of the semiconductor process equipment using the above-mentioned uniform flow structure is optimized, which can be specifically referred to Figures 9 to 14 . Among them, Figures 9 to 11 is a schematic diagram of the velocity and streamline distribution in the improved process chamber and the velocity distribution above the wafer, Figures 12 to 14 is a schematic diagram of the velocity and streamline distribution in the improved process chamber and the velocity distribution above the wafer. As can be seen from the figure, the gas flow distribution in the edge region and the center region of the improved process chamber is more uniform, and the gas flow velocity above the wafer is reduced (for example, before improvement, the velocity in the edge region reaches about 1.2, and after improvement, the velocity in the edge region reaches about 0.96), which is beneficial to prolong the residence time of the gas above the wafer and prolong the reaction time, so as to make the reaction more sufficient.

[0102] In summary, the embodiment of the present application can utilize the balance between the pressure difference and the elastic force of the elastic member 140 to automatically adjust the flow field, so as to improve the uniformity of the wafer surface flow field distribution, thereby improving the process uniformity and process efficiency. In addition, the sensitivity of the shielding member 130 to the pressure difference can be changed by adjusting the initial compression amount of the elastic member 140, the number of elastic members 140, etc., so as to adapt to the differences in the pressure difference at different positions.

[0103] The above describes the embodiments of the present application in combination with the drawings, but the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, which are only illustrative but not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many forms under the inspiration of the present application without departing from the scope of the present application and the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A flow uniformity structure applied to a process chamber of a semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that, The uniform flow structure (100) comprises a first uniform flow piece (110), a plurality of shielding pieces (130) and a plurality of elastic pieces (140); The first uniform flow piece (110) is provided with a plurality of first air holes (111) distributed from the center to the edge of the uniform flow structure (100); A plurality of shielding pieces (130) are distributed from the center to the edge of the uniform flow structure (100) and are respectively located on one side of the air outlet of the first uniform flow piece (110), each shielding piece (130) is correspondingly provided with at least one first air hole (111), and is close to or away from the first uniform flow piece (110) in the axial direction of the uniform flow structure (100); Each shielding piece (130) is connected with at least one elastic piece (140), and the elastic piece (140) is used to make the shielding piece (130) have a movement trend close to the first uniform flow piece (110).

2. The flow uniforming structure of claim 1, wherein In the initial state, a plurality of shielding pieces (130) are in close contact with the first uniform flow piece (110); In the process state, the distance between each of the plurality of shielding pieces (130) and the first uniform flow piece (110) is different.

3. The flow uniforming structure of claim 2, wherein, In the direction from the center to the edge of the uniform flow structure (100), the distance between each of the plurality of shielding pieces (130) and the first uniform flow piece (110) increases or decreases in turn.

4. The flow uniforming structure of claim 1, wherein, The number of elastic pieces (140) connected to each of the plurality of shielding pieces (130) is not completely equal.

5. The flow uniforming structure of claim 1, wherein, In the initial state, the compression amount of the elastic piece (140) connected to each of the plurality of shielding pieces (130) is not completely the same.

6. The flow uniforming structure of claim 1, wherein, The shielding piece (130) is a circular ring plate, the end face of each shielding piece (130) away from the first uniform flow piece (110) is connected with a plurality of elastic pieces (140), and the plurality of elastic pieces (140) are distributed along the circumferential direction of the shielding piece (130).

7. The flow uniforming structure of claim 6, wherein, Each shielding piece (130) comprises a plurality of shielding units (131) distributed along the circumferential direction, and the end face of each shielding unit (131) away from the first uniform flow piece (110) is connected with at least one elastic piece (140).

8. The flow uniforming structure of claim 7, wherein, In the plurality of shielding pieces (130), the plurality of shielding units (131) of any shielding piece (130) are correspondingly arranged with the plurality of shielding units (131) of the adjacent shielding piece (130).

9. The flow uniforming structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The uniform flow structure (100) further comprises a second uniform flow piece (120), the second uniform flow piece (120) is spaced apart from the first uniform flow piece (110) in the axial direction of the uniform flow structure (100), a plurality of shielding pieces (130) are respectively located between the first uniform flow piece (110) and the second uniform flow piece (120), and a plurality of elastic pieces (140) are respectively connected to the second uniform flow piece (120); The second uniform flow piece (120) is provided with a plurality of second air holes (121), and the plurality of second air holes (121) are used to communicate with the inner cavity of the process chamber.

10. The flow uniforming structure of claim 9, wherein, The second flow uniformizing member (120) is provided with a plurality of grooves (122) at one end facing the first flow uniformizing member (110); Each of the plurality of elastic members (140) is provided in a corresponding groove (122) at an end away from the shielding member (130).

11. The flow uniforming structure of claim 10, wherein, Each of the shielding members (130) is provided with a first guide cylinder (132) extending towards the second flow uniformizing member (120) at an end facing the second flow uniformizing member (120), and each of the grooves (122) is provided with a second guide cylinder (123); The first guide cylinder (132) and the second guide cylinder (123) are respectively sleeved on the outside of the elastic member (140), and the outer wall of the first guide cylinder (132) is in sliding connection with the inner wall of the corresponding second guide cylinder (123).

12. The flow uniforming structure of claim 11, wherein, At least part of the grooves (122) is provided with a gasket (150) therein, and the gasket (150) is located between the bottom wall of the second guide cylinder (123) and the bottom wall of the groove (122). Alternatively, at least part of the second guide cylinder (123) is provided with a gasket (150), and the end of the elastic member (140) away from the shielding member (130) is in abutment with the gasket (150).

13. The flow uniforming structure of claim 9, wherein, In a direction from the center to the edge of the flow uniformizing structure (100), the second flow uniformizing member (120) is provided with a plurality of turns of the second gas holes (121), and the plurality of turns of the second gas holes (121) are arranged in a staggered manner with the plurality of turns of the first gas holes (111).

14. A process chamber of a semiconductor process apparatus, characterized by, The process chamber comprises a cavity (200), a carrying device (300), and the flow uniformizing structure (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 13; The carrying device (300) and the flow uniformizing structure (100) are both arranged in the cavity (200), and the gas outlet end of the flow uniformizing structure (100) is opposite to the surface of the carrying device (300) for carrying a wafer.

Images