Semiconductor processing equipment and gas distribution device thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to semiconductor processing equipment and a gas distribution device thereof, the gas distribution device comprises an external pipe body and an annular lining nested in a top opening of the external pipe body, and the interior of the external pipe body serves as a main gas channel; a first annular groove in the inner wall of the outer pipe body and a second annular groove in the outer wall of the annular lining jointly form an annular air uniformizing cavity, the annular air uniformizing cavity is communicated with the air inlet channel, an air uniformizing ring is arranged at the lower end of the second annular groove, and a plurality of air uniformizing through holes in the air uniformizing ring are communicated with the annular air uniformizing cavity and the main air channel respectively. Reaction gas from the gas inlet and reaction gas from the annular gas uniformizing cavity are fully mixed in the main gas channel, so that the uniformity of gas mixing and the uniformity of gas flow distribution are improved. The gap channel is reserved between the gas uniformizing ring of the annular lining and the outer pipe body, the gap channel enables the bottom of the annular gas uniformizing cavity to be communicated with the main gas channel all the time, gas is prevented from remaining at the bottom of the annular gas uniformizing cavity to affect the follow-up manufacturing process, and therefore adverse effects on substrate processing are avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor devices, and particularly to a semiconductor processing device and a gas distribution device thereof. Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, reaction gases are introduced into a reaction chamber to process a substrate disposed in the reaction chamber. In some processes, multiple gases need to be mixed before processing the substrate. In the prior art, a gas distribution device is usually used to transport different types of gases into the reaction chamber. The gas distribution device is connected to different types of gas sources through multiple channels. Different types of gases are mixed after entering the gas distribution device and finally enter the reaction chamber.

[0003] Multiple inlet pipelines on the gas distribution device are connected to a main gas flow channel, and the main gas flow channel is connected to a gas shower head in the reaction chamber to send multiple reaction gases into the reaction chamber. Most of the multiple inlet pipelines are arranged on the side wall of the gas distribution device. The lateral gas inlet directly enters the main gas flow channel, which may cause uneven mixing of the gas flow in the main gas flow channel. Due to the influence of the gas inlet speed, the lateral gas flow formed by the lateral gas inlet will carry the main gas flow distribution to one side, resulting in the reaction gas concentration distributed on the substrate surface also being biased to one side after entering the reaction chamber, further resulting in the reaction rate (deposition or etching) on the substrate also being biased to one side, showing a state of being high on one side and low on the other side, and finally resulting in uneven processing effect on the substrate, affecting the product yield.

[0004] The statements herein only provide background art related to the present invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor processing device and a gas distribution device thereof, which can improve the uniformity of gas mixing and the uniformity of gas flow distribution, avoid gas residue from affecting subsequent process technologies, and thus avoid adverse effects on substrate processing.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a gas distribution device, comprising: an outer tube body, the bottom end of which is a gas outlet, and the interior of the outer tube body serves as a main air passage; an annular bushing, at least a part of the annular bushing is nested in the top opening of the outer tube body to form an air inlet of the gas distribution device; the inner wall of the outer tube body has at least one first annular groove, and the outer wall of the annular bushing has at least one second annular groove, and the first annular groove and the second annular groove form an annular air distribution cavity; the side wall of the outer tube body has at least one air inlet passage, and the air inlet passage communicates with the annular air distribution cavity; the lower end of the second annular groove is an air distribution ring, and the air distribution ring has a plurality of air distribution through holes, and each air distribution through hole respectively communicates the annular air distribution cavity and the main air passage; there is a gap passage between the bottom edge part of the air distribution ring and the inner wall of the outer tube body, and the gap passage communicates the annular air distribution cavity and the main air passage.

[0007] Optionally, the gap passage includes a first gap and a second gap. The first gap is formed between the side wall of the bottom edge part of the air distribution ring and the vertical inner wall of the outer tube body, and the second gap is formed between the bottom surface of the bottom edge part of the air distribution ring and the horizontal inner wall of the outer tube body, and the width of the first gap is greater than the width of the second gap.

[0008] Optionally, the first gap and the second gap are connected at a right angle or with a rounded corner.

[0009] Optionally, the width of the first gap is 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0010] Optionally, the width of the second gap is 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm.

[0011] Optionally, the annular bushing is fixedly installed in the top opening of the outer tube body through a plurality of fasteners to ensure that the widths of the first gap and the second gap remain unchanged.

[0012] Optionally, a sealing ring is provided between the annular bushing and the outer tube body.

[0013] Optionally, at least a part of the top inner wall of the annular bushing is in the shape of a funnel with a gradually decreasing radius.

[0014] Optionally, a plurality of limiting components are arranged in the gap passage for limiting the widths of the first gap and the second gap.

[0015] Optionally, the limiting component includes a first limiting block and a second limiting block. The first limiting block is disposed on the side wall of the bottom edge portion of the air distribution ring or on the vertical inner wall of the outer tube body. The width of the first limiting block is equal to the width of the first gap. The second limiting block is disposed on the bottom surface of the bottom edge portion of the air distribution ring or on the horizontal inner wall of the outer tube body. The width of the second limiting block is equal to the width of the second gap.

[0016] Optionally, the limiting component includes a first limiting block and a first limiting groove adapted to the first limiting block. Any one of the first limiting block and the first limiting groove is disposed on the side wall of the bottom edge portion of the air distribution ring, and the other is disposed on the vertical inner wall of the outer tube body. The width of the first limiting block is equal to the sum of the depth of the first limiting groove and the width of the first gap.

[0017] Optionally, the limiting component includes a second limiting block and a second limiting groove adapted to the second limiting block. Any one of the second limiting block and the second limiting groove is disposed on the bottom surface of the bottom edge portion of the air distribution ring, and the other is disposed on the horizontal inner wall of the outer tube body. The width of the second limiting block is equal to the sum of the depth of the second limiting groove and the width of the second gap.

[0018] Optionally, the inner wall of the outer tube body has two first annular grooves arranged up and down, the outer wall of the annular bushing has two second annular grooves arranged up and down, the gas distribution device includes two annular air distribution cavities, and the annular bushing has two air distribution rings arranged up and down.

[0019] Optionally, the air distribution cavity includes an upper top surface and a lower bottom surface, and at least one of the upper top surface and the lower bottom surface is an arc surface.

[0020] Optionally, the intersection of the axes of a plurality of air distribution through holes is one, and the included angle between the axis of each air distribution through hole and the axis of the outer tube body is 10° to 70°.

[0021] Optionally, a plurality of air distribution through holes all face the main air passage, and the intersection of the axes of the plurality of air distribution through holes is zero or more.

[0022] Optionally, the diameter of the air distribution through hole is greater than the width of the first gap.

[0023] Optionally, the ratio of the total cross-sectional area of all the air distribution through holes to the horizontal cross-sectional area of the first gap is 200 to 500.

[0024] Optionally, the diameter of the air distribution through hole is 0.5 mm to 3 mm.

[0025] Optionally, the air distribution through-holes are evenly spaced in the circumferential direction.

[0026] Optionally, the intake passage includes at least one first intake passage and at least one second intake passage, and the first intake passage and the second intake passage communicate with the same gas source or different gas sources.

[0027] Optionally, the annular air distribution cavity has at least two isolation and sealing portions, and the isolation and sealing portions divide the annular air distribution cavity into at least one first air distribution cavity and at least one second air distribution cavity. The first air distribution cavity communicates with the first intake passage, and the second air distribution cavity communicates with the second intake passage.

[0028] Optionally, the isolation and sealing portion is fixedly connected in the first annular groove, or the isolation and sealing portion is fixedly connected in the second annular groove.

[0029] Optionally, the intake passage is inclined upward.

[0030] Optionally, the angle between the intake passage and the horizontal plane is greater than 0 and not greater than 30°.

[0031] Optionally, the distance between the outlet end of the intake passage and the upper top surface of the annular air distribution cavity is less than the distance between the outlet end of the intake passage and the lower bottom surface of the annular air distribution cavity.

[0032] Optionally, a plurality of the intake passages are evenly spaced in the circumferential direction.

[0033] Optionally, the annular bushing and the outer tube body are made of materials corrosion-resistant to the process gas.

[0034] The present invention also provides a semiconductor processing apparatus, comprising: a reaction chamber; a gas shower head disposed at the top of the reaction chamber; the gas distribution device disposed above the reaction chamber and communicating with the gas shower head; and a susceptor disposed in the reaction chamber for supporting a substrate.

[0035] Optionally, the intake port of the gas distribution device is connected to a first gas source and a cleaning gas source; the intake passage is connected to at least one second gas source different from the first gas source and a cleaning gas source.

[0036] Optionally, the semiconductor processing apparatus is a deposition apparatus or an etching apparatus.

[0037] The present invention has at least the following beneficial technical effects:

[0038] In the present invention, an annular gas distribution cavity is provided between the outer tube body and the annular bushing. The reaction gas enters the annular gas distribution cavity through the intake channel and is fully diffused therein, and then enters the main air duct of the outer tube body through a plurality of gas distribution through-holes circumferentially distributed along the gas distribution ring of the annular bushing. This can enable the reaction gas from the intake port and the reaction gas from the annular gas distribution cavity to be fully mixed in the main air duct, thereby improving the uniformity of gas mixing and the uniformity of the concentration of the reaction gas.

[0039] The upper top surface and the lower bottom surface of the annular gas distribution cavity are set as arc surfaces, which can avoid the generation of eddy currents, make it easier for gas to flow, prevent gas retention, and improve the uniformity of gas distribution in the annular gas distribution cavity. The lower bottom surface 3082 is set as an arc surface, which can also guide the air flow to be discharged from the gap channel 316, avoiding gas remaining at the bottom of the annular gas distribution cavity 308.

[0040] The axis of the gas distribution through-hole is set to face the axis of the outer tube body, so that the reaction gas entering the main air duct through the gas distribution through-hole can be fully mixed with the reaction gas from the intake port, further improving the uniformity of gas mixing.

[0041] The intake channel is set in an inclined upward manner. Compared with the horizontal intake mode, the intake angle can drive the gas near the upper top surface of the gas distribution ring downward, which is beneficial to forming a stable annular flow path in the vertical direction in the annular gas distribution cavity 308, reducing the eddy currents generated by the air flow repeatedly hitting the side walls in the annular gas distribution cavity, and facilitating the accelerated diffusion and uniform distribution of the air flow in the annular gas distribution cavity.

[0042] In the present invention, a gap channel is reserved between the gas distribution ring of the annular bushing and the outer tube body. The gap channel enables the bottom of the annular gas distribution cavity to be always communicated with the main air duct, avoiding gas remaining at the bottom of the annular gas distribution cavity. When purging the annular gas distribution cavity with clean gas, the residual gas in the annular gas distribution cavity and the gas retained in its installation gap can easily be discharged into the main air duct through the gap channel, making it easier to purge the annular gas distribution cavity clean, shortening the purging time, avoiding the influence of gas residue on subsequent process technologies, and thus avoiding adverse effects on substrate processing. Description of the Drawings

[0043] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor processing device provided by the present invention.

[0044] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of a gas distribution device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 3 is Figure 2 an enlarged view of part A in

[0046] Figure 4Yes Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the annular bushing in

[0047] Figure 5 Yes Figure 4 Enlarged view of part B in

[0048] Figure 6 Partial schematic diagram of the limiting component of the clearance channel in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 7 Schematic sectional view of the gas distribution device in another embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 8 Is another embodiment of the present invention in the gas splitting device along Figure 2 Top view cross-sectional view of the C-C plane in

[0051] Figure 9 Schematic sectional view of the gas distribution device in another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0052] The following is based on Figures 1 to 9 , and specifically describes the preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0053] As Figure 1 shown, the present invention provides a semiconductor processing device, which includes a reaction chamber 1. A susceptor 4 is arranged in the reaction chamber 1 for supporting a substrate 5 to be processed. A gas showerhead 2 is arranged at the top of the reaction chamber 1. The gas showerhead 2 is communicated with a gas distribution device 3. The gas distribution device 3 is connected to a plurality of external gas sources. After the reaction gases from the external gas sources are mixed in the gas distribution device 3, they are sent into the reaction chamber 1 through the gas showerhead 2 to perform deposition processing or etching processing on the substrate 5 to be processed located on the susceptor 4.

[0054] As Figure 2 shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, the gas distribution device 3 includes an external tube body 301 and an annular bushing 302 nested in the external tube body 301. A part of the top of the annular bushing 302 is located in the opening at the top end of the external tube body 301. The inner wall 314 of the top of the annular bushing 302 forms the inner wall of the air inlet 303. The air inlet 303 is communicated with a first gas source 6 located outside the reaction chamber 1 (as Figure 1as shown) and a cleaning gas source (not shown in the figure). The internal channel of the outer tube body 301 serves as the main air duct 305 of the gas distribution device 3, and the bottom end of the outer tube body 301 serves as the gas outlet 304 of the gas distribution device 3. The gas outlet 304 is communicated with the gas spray head 2. A part of the top inner wall 314 of the annular bushing 302 can be in a funnel shape with a gradually decreasing radius, which is beneficial to guiding the air flow into the main air duct 305.

[0055] The inner wall of the outer tube body 301 has a first annular groove 306. Correspondingly, the outer wall of the annular bushing 302 has a second annular groove 307. The first annular groove 306 and the second annular groove 307 cooperate with each other to form an annular air distribution cavity 308. At least one air inlet channel 309 is provided on the side wall of the outer tube body 301. The air inlet end of the air inlet channel 309 is communicated with a second gas source 7 located outside the reaction chamber 1 (such as Figure 1 as shown) and a cleaning gas source (not shown in the figure). If a third reaction gas is also required in some processes, then at least two air inlet channels 309 can be provided. Among them, the air inlet end of at least one air inlet channel 309 is communicated with the second gas source 7 and the cleaning gas source, and the air inlet end of at least another air inlet channel 309 is communicated with a third gas source 8 located outside the reaction chamber 1 (such as Figure 1 as shown) and a cleaning gas source (not shown in the figure).

[0056] The outlet end of the intake passage 309 communicates with the annular gas-distributing cavity 308. By arranging a plurality of the intake passages 309 at uniformly spaced intervals in the circumferential direction, the reaction gas entering the annular gas-distributing cavity 308 can be evenly distributed. The lower end of the second annular groove 307 of the annular bushing 302 is a gas-distributing ring 310. A plurality of gas-distributing through holes 311 are arranged on the gas-distributing ring 310 in the circumferential direction. Each of the gas-distributing through holes 311 communicates with the annular gas-distributing cavity 308 and the main air passage 305 respectively. The first reaction gas from the first gas source 6 enters the main air passage 305 through the air inlet 303. The second reaction gas from the second gas source 7 first enters the annular gas-distributing cavity 308 through the intake passage 309. After being fully diffused in the annular gas-distributing cavity 308, it then enters the main air passage 305 through a plurality of the gas-distributing through holes 311 arranged in the circumferential direction. The first reaction gas from the air inlet 303 and the second reaction gas from the gas-distributing through holes 311 can be fully mixed, improving the gas mixing uniformity in the main air passage 305. The mixed gas finally enters the gas spray head 2 in the reaction chamber 1 through the gas outlet 304. Since the mixed gas in the main air passage 305 is evenly distributed, the mixed gas entering the reaction chamber through the gas spray head 2 will also be evenly distributed on the substrate surface, thereby obtaining a uniform substrate treatment result and ensuring the product yield.

[0057] The annular bushing 302 and the outer tube body 301 are made of materials that are corrosion-resistant to process gases. The materials can be aluminum, stainless steel, pure nickel, Hastelloy, Teflon, ceramics, etc. If the manufacturing material is aluminum, the surface in contact with the reaction gas needs to be nickel-plated or anodized. If the manufacturing material is stainless steel, the surface in contact with the reaction gas needs to be nickel-plated.

[0058] As Figure 2 shown, the outer wall of the annular bushing 302 at the top of the annular gas-distributing cavity 308 and the inner wall of the outer tube body 301 are closely attached. A sealing ring 312 can be arranged between the annular bushing 302 and the outer tube body 301 to ensure good sealing at the top of the annular gas-distributing cavity 308 and prevent the gas entering the annular gas-distributing cavity 308 from leaking from its top.

[0059] As Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, a gap channel 316 is provided between the bottom edge portion 315 of the air distribution ring 310 and the inner wall of the outer tube body 301. The gap channel 316 communicates the annular air distribution cavity 308 and the main air duct 305. The gap channel 316 enables the bottom of the annular air distribution cavity 308 to always communicate with the main air duct 305, preventing gas from remaining at the bottom of the annular air distribution cavity 308. After the previous manufacturing process is completed, if the reaction gas type needs to be switched in the next process, a cleaning gas is first introduced to purge the annular air distribution cavity 308. At this time, the gas remaining in the annular air distribution cavity 308 and the gas trapped in its installation gap can easily be discharged into the main air duct 305 through the gap channel 316. Compared with the gas distribution device without a gap channel, the gas distribution device 3 with the gap channel 316 can more easily purge the annular air distribution cavity 308, shortening the purging time and preventing the remaining gas from affecting the subsequent manufacturing process, thus avoiding adverse effects on the substrate processing.

[0060] As Figure 3 shown, in order to accommodate the bottom edge portion 315 of the air distribution ring 310 and form the gap channel 316, a circular groove portion is provided on the inner wall of the outer tube body 301 at a position corresponding to the bottom edge portion 315. A first gap 319 is formed between the vertical inner wall 317 of the groove portion and the side wall 318 of the bottom edge portion 315 of the air distribution ring 310, and a second gap 322 is formed between the horizontal inner wall 320 of the groove portion and the bottom surface 321 of the bottom edge portion 315 of the air distribution ring 310. The first gap 319 and the second gap 322 can be set to be connected at a right angle for easy processing; alternatively, the first gap 319 and the second gap 322 can be set to be connected with a rounded corner to avoid the generation of eddy currents, making gas flow easier and improving the exhaust efficiency.

[0061] As Figure 2As shown, the annular bushing 302 is fixedly installed on the outer tube 301 through a plurality of fasteners 313. The fasteners 313 can be fastening screws. A through hole 11 is formed in the annular bushing 302, and a connection hole 22 is formed in the outer tube 301. The fastening screw 313 is passed through the through hole 11 formed in the annular bushing 302 and then arranged in the connection hole 22 on the outer tube 301. The manufacturing precision of the fastening screw 313, the through hole 11 of the annular bushing 302, and the connection hole 22 of the outer tube 301 is high enough to ensure that the relative installation position between the annular bushing 302 and the outer tube 301 remains fixed, that is, the position of the annular bushing 302 can be accurately positioned, ensuring that the widths of the first gap 319 and the second gap 322 forming the gap channel 316 remain unchanged, so as to ensure that the exhaust effect of the gap channel 316 is not affected.

[0062] To ensure that the width of the gap channel 316 remains unchanged, it is necessary to ensure that both the axial installation error and the radial installation error of the annular bushing 302 are very small. Since the annular bushing 302 is nested in the outer tube 301 and the fasteners 313 fix the annular bushing 302 and the outer tube 301 from the axial vertical direction, during the assembly of the annular bushing 302, the axial installation error is relatively easy to control to be small, while the radial installation error is relatively difficult to control. Therefore, the width of the first gap 319 in the radial direction is set to be greater than the width of the second gap 322 in the axial direction. The width of the first gap 319 can be set to 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, and the width of the second gap 322 can be set to 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm. By setting the width of the first gap 319 to be greater than the width of the second gap 322, the influence caused by the radial installation error can be reduced, ensuring uniform gas outlet of the entire gap channel 316.

[0063] As Figure 2 and Figure 4 shown, a plurality of air distribution through holes 311 formed in the air distribution ring 310 of the annular bushing 302 are evenly spaced in the circumferential direction, enabling uniform airflow to be obtained, so that the reaction gas from the annular air distribution cavity 308 is evenly distributed in the circumferential direction and enters the main air duct 305, avoiding uneven gas concentration in the main air duct 305. At the same time, it is necessary to make the diameter of the air distribution through hole 311 larger than the first gap 319 (as Figure 3For the width shown in the figure, the diameter of the gas-distributing through holes 311 is generally set to be 0.5 mm to 3 mm. The ratio of the total cross-sectional area of all the gas-distributing through holes to the horizontal cross-sectional area of the first gap is 200 to 500. The flow resistance of the first gap 319 is made greater than the flow resistance of the gas-distributing through holes 311, so as to ensure that most of the reaction gas from the annular gas-distributing cavity 308 enters the main air passage 305 through the gas-distributing through holes 311.

[0064] The axes 33 of the plurality of gas-distributing through holes 311 all face the axis 44 of the outer tube body 301, so that the second reaction gas (and / or the third reaction gas) entering the main air passage 305 through the gas-distributing through holes 311 can be fully mixed with the first reaction gas from the air inlet 303, improving the uniformity of gas mixing. In one embodiment, the directions of the axes 33 of the plurality of gas-distributing through holes 311 can be set such that all the axes 33 intersect at the same intersection point, and the angle between the axis 33 of each gas-distributing through hole 311 and the axis 44 of the outer tube body 301 is 10° to 70°. In another embodiment, there is no intersection point between the axes 33 of different gas-distributing through holes 311. For example, the gas-distributing through holes 311 are distributed on a hyperboloid structure, and the gas output from the gas-distributing ring 310 is in a spiral shape, which is conducive to fully mixing the reaction gas entering the main air passage 305 through the gas-distributing through holes 311 with the reaction gas from the air inlet 303. In other embodiments, multiple intersection points can also be provided between the axes 33 of different gas-distributing through holes 311, that is, the distribution of the axes 33 of different gas-distributing through holes 311 is irregular.

[0065] In another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of limiting components are arranged in the gap channel 316 to cooperate with the fastener 313 to keep the widths of the first gap 319 and the second gap 322 unchanged, so as to ensure that the exhaust effect of the gap channel 316 is not affected. As Figure 5 and Figure 6 shown, the limiting component includes a first limiting block 323 and a second limiting block 324.

[0066] As Figure 5As shown, the first limiting block 323 is arranged on the side wall 318 of the bottom edge part 315 of the air distribution ring 310. The width of the first limiting block 323 is equal to the width of the first gap 319. The second limiting block 324 is arranged on the bottom surface 321 of the bottom edge part 315 of the air distribution ring 310. The width of the second limiting block 324 is equal to the width of the second gap 322. The first limiting block 323 and the second limiting block 324 can be connected or separated. The first limiting block 323 and the second limiting block 324 can be made of the same material as the annular bushing 302.

[0067] Alternatively, as Figure 6 shown, the first limiting block 323 is arranged on the vertical inner wall 317 of the outer tube body 301. The width W1 of the first limiting block 323 is equal to the width of the first gap 319. The second limiting block 324 is arranged on the horizontal inner wall 320 of the outer tube body 301. The width W2 of the second limiting block 324 is equal to the width of the second gap 322. The first limiting block 323 and the second limiting block 324 can be made of the same material as the outer tube body 301.

[0068] The first limiting block 323 and the second limiting block 324 ensure that the widths of the first gap 319 and the second gap 322 remain unchanged, ensure that the exhaust effect of the gap channel 316 is not affected, make the bottom of the annular air distribution cavity 308 always communicate with the main air duct 305, and prevent gas from remaining at the bottom of the annular air distribution cavity 308.

[0069] In other embodiments, the limiting component only includes the first limiting block 323 and the first limiting groove adapted to the first limiting block 323, and does not include the second limiting block 324. Any one of the first limiting block 323 and the first limiting groove is arranged on the side wall 318 of the bottom edge part 315 of the air distribution ring 310, and the other is correspondingly arranged on the vertical inner wall 317 of the outer tube body 301. The shapes and sizes of the first limiting block 323 and the first limiting groove are the same, so that the two can be assembled together in an adapted manner. The thickness of the first limiting block 323 is equal to the width of the first limiting groove, so as to realize the radial limitation of the annular bushing 302 in the outer tube body 301 and prevent the annular bushing 302 from rotating and being misaligned. The width of the first limiting block 323 is equal to the sum of the depth of the first limiting groove and the width of the first gap 319, so as to ensure that the width of the first gap 319 remains unchanged. The first limiting block 323 and the first limiting groove ensure that the widths of the first gap 319 and the second gap 322 remain unchanged, ensure that the exhaust effect of the gap channel 316 is not affected, make the bottom of the annular air distribution cavity 308 always communicate with the main air duct 305, and avoid gas remaining at the bottom of the annular air distribution cavity 308.

[0070] As an alternative solution, the limiting component may also only include the second limiting block 324 and the second limiting groove adapted to it. Any one of the second limiting block 324 and the second limiting groove is arranged on the bottom surface 321 of the bottom edge part 315 of the air distribution ring 310, and the other is arranged on the horizontal inner wall 320 of the outer tube body 301. The thickness of the second limiting block 324 is equal to the width of the second limiting groove, so as to realize the radial limitation of the annular bushing 302 in the outer tube body 301 and prevent the annular bushing 302 from rotating and being misaligned. The width of the second limiting block 324 is equal to the sum of the depth of the second limiting groove 326 and the width of the second gap 322, so as to ensure that the width of the second gap 322 remains unchanged. The second limiting block 324 and the second limiting groove ensure that the widths of the first gap 319 and the second gap 322 remain unchanged, ensure that the exhaust effect of the gap channel 316 is not affected, make the bottom of the annular air distribution cavity 308 always communicate with the main air duct 305, and avoid gas remaining at the bottom of the annular air distribution cavity 308.

[0071] As Figure 7As shown, in another embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the upper top surface 3081 and the lower bottom surface 3082 of the annular uniform gas cavity 308 is set as an arc surface, which can reduce the generation of eddy currents relative to the right-angle transition between the upper top surface or the lower bottom surface and the side surface, making it easier for gas to circulate, preventing gas stagnation, and improving the uniformity of gas distribution in the annular uniform gas cavity 308. In addition, the lower bottom surface 3082 is set as an arc surface, which can also guide the gas flow to be discharged from the gap channel 316, and prevent gas from remaining at the bottom of the annular uniform gas cavity 308.

[0072] In another embodiment of the present invention, the air inlet channel 309 is arranged in an inclined upward manner, and the angle α between the air inlet channel 309 and the horizontal plane is set to be greater than 0 and less than 30°. By setting the air inlet angle, compared with the horizontal air inlet method, the air inlet angle can drive the gas close to the top surface of the uniform air ring downward, which is conducive to forming a stable vertical annular flow path in the annular uniform air cavity 308, reducing the vortex generated by the airflow repeatedly colliding with the side wall of the annular uniform air cavity 308, and facilitating the airflow to diffuse and evenly distribute in the annular uniform air cavity 308.

[0073] In another embodiment of the present invention, the upper top surface 3081 and the lower bottom surface 3082 of the annular air-homogenizing cavity 308 can be set as arc surfaces, and the air inlet channel 309 can be set in an inclined upward manner. This can better prevent the formation of local trapped vortices in the area close to the upper surface of the annular air-homogenizing cavity, form a stable annular flow path, and guide the air flow to be discharged from the gap channel 316, so as to prevent the gas from remaining at the bottom of the annular air-homogenizing cavity 308.

[0074] Furthermore, the outlet end of the air inlet channel 309 can be set at the upper part of the annular air uniforming cavity 308 as much as possible, so that the distance between the outlet end of the air inlet channel 309 and the upper top surface 3081 of the annular air uniforming cavity 308 is smaller than the distance between the outlet end of the air inlet channel 309 and the lower bottom surface 3082 of the annular air uniforming cavity 308, thereby maximizing the distance between the outlet end of the air inlet channel 309 and the air uniforming hole 311 on the air uniforming ring 310, so that the gas entering the annular air uniforming cavity 308 through the air inlet channel 309 can be fully diffused in the annular air uniforming cavity 308, and after being evenly distributed, enter the main air duct 305 through the air uniforming hole 311, thereby further improving the gas mixing uniformity in the main air duct 305.

[0075] In some semiconductor manufacturing processes, the types of reaction gases required are greater than or equal to three, and it is stipulated that different reaction gases cannot be pre-mixed before entering the main gas channel 305. In view of this situation, the present invention provides another embodiment. Figure 2or Figure 7 Based on the embodiments shown, by providing an isolation and sealing portion 327 within the annular gas distribution cavity 308, the annular gas distribution cavity 308 is thus divided into at least two gas cavities that are hermetically isolated from each other. Each gas cavity communicates with at least one intake passage, and different reaction gases are introduced into each gas cavity to achieve mutual isolation between different reaction gases.

[0076] As Figure 8 shown, in this embodiment, since three reaction gases are required in the manufacturing process and the second reaction gas and the third reaction gas cannot be premixed before entering the main air passage 305, two isolation and sealing portions 327 are provided within the annular gas distribution cavity 308. The two isolation and sealing portions 327 are symmetrically arranged along the radial direction, so that the annular gas distribution cavity 308 is evenly divided into two semi-annular shapes, namely the first gas distribution cavity 308-1 and the second gas distribution cavity 308-2. Correspondingly, in this embodiment, the intake passages are also divided into a first intake passage 309-1 and a second intake passage 309-2. The intake end of the first intake passage 309-1 communicates with the second gas source 7 (as Figure 1 shown), the outlet end of the first intake passage 309-1 communicates with the first gas distribution cavity 308-1, the intake end of the second intake passage 309-2 communicates with the third gas source 8 (as Figure 1 shown), and the outlet end of the second intake passage 309-2 communicates with the second gas distribution cavity 308-2. The first reaction gas from the first gas source 6 (as Figure 1 shown) still enters the main air passage 305 through the intake port 303, while the second reaction gas from the second gas source 7 enters the first gas distribution cavity 308-1 through the first intake passage 309-1. After the second reaction gas is fully diffused in the first gas distribution cavity 308-1, it enters the main air passage 305 through the gas distribution through-hole 311. Similarly, the third reaction gas from the third gas source 8 enters the second gas distribution cavity 308-2 through the second intake passage 309-2. After the third reaction gas is fully diffused in the second gas distribution cavity 308-2, it enters the main air passage 305 through the gas distribution through-hole 311. The second reaction gas in the first gas distribution cavity 308-1 and the third reaction gas in the second gas distribution cavity 308-2 are mutually isolated and will not be premixed before entering the main air passage 305, ensuring the accuracy of the manufacturing process. If the types of gases participating in the reaction increase, the number of isolation and sealing portions 327 can be correspondingly increased, so that the annular gas distribution cavity 308 is divided into multiple gas cavities that are hermetically isolated from each other. At the same time, the number of intake passages needs to be correspondingly increased to ensure that each gas cavity is connected to at least one intake passage, and different reaction gases are introduced into each gas cavity.

[0077] Similar to the setting method of the position-limiting component, the isolation and sealing part 327 can be fixedly arranged on the inner wall of the outer tube body 301, that is, the isolation and sealing part 327 is arranged in the first annular groove 306; alternatively, the isolation and sealing part 327 can be fixedly connected to the outer wall of the annular bushing 302, that is, the isolation and sealing part 327 is arranged in the second annular groove 307. The isolation and sealing part 327 is made of the same material as the outer tube body 301 or the annular bushing 302, and the isolation and sealing part 327 can be integrally formed with the outer tube body 301 or integrally formed with the annular bushing 302. After the annular bushing 302 is nested and installed inside the outer tube body 301, the isolation and sealing part 327 also divides the annular gas distribution cavity 308 into multiple mutually isolated cavities at the same time.

[0078] In some semiconductor manufacturing processes, not only is it required that different reaction gases cannot be pre-mixed, but it is also required that the flow rate of the reaction gases cannot be reduced. In view of this situation, the present invention provides other embodiments. Based on the embodiments shown in Figure 2 or Figure 9 , by providing a plurality of independent annular gas distribution cavities, each annular gas distribution cavity is communicated with at least one air inlet channel, and different reaction gases are introduced into each annular gas distribution cavity to achieve mutual isolation between different reaction gases.

[0079] As Figure 9 shown, in this embodiment, two first annular grooves 306 are provided on the inner wall of the outer tube body 301, and the two first annular grooves 306 are arranged up and down on the inner wall of the outer tube body 301. Correspondingly, two second annular grooves 307 are provided on the outer wall of the annular bushing 302, and the two second annular grooves 307 are arranged up and down on the outer wall of the annular bushing 302. The first annular groove 306 and the second annular groove 307 cooperate with each other to form two annular gas distribution cavities 308 arranged up and down. The lower end of the second annular groove 307 of the annular bushing 302 is still provided with a gas distribution ring, and the two gas distribution rings are also arranged up and down. The one located above is called the first gas distribution ring 310-1, and the one located below is called the second gas distribution ring 310-2. A plurality of gas distribution through holes 311 are also evenly spaced along the circumferential direction on the first gas distribution ring 310-1 and the second gas distribution ring 310-2, and each gas distribution through hole 311 communicates with the annular gas distribution cavity 308 and the main air duct 305 respectively.

[0080] A gap channel 316 is also provided between the bottom edge parts of the first gas distribution ring 310-1 and the second gas distribution ring 310-2 and the inner wall of the outer tube body 301 (as Figure 3As shown, the gap channel 316 communicates with the annular air distribution cavity 308 and the main air duct 305. The gap channel 316 enables the bottom of the annular air distribution cavity 308 to always communicate with the main air duct 305, preventing gas from remaining at the bottom of the annular air distribution cavity 308. Since there is a gap channel between the first air distribution ring 310-1 and the outer tube body 301, and this gap channel is between the second annular groove 307 in the upper part of the annular bushing 302 and the second annular groove 307 in the lower part of the annular bushing 302, it is equivalent to dividing the annular bushing 302 into an upper part and a lower part. In this embodiment, in order to maintain the coherence of the annular bushing 302, a first limit block 323 and / or a second limit block 324 should be provided at the bottom edge part 315 of the first air distribution ring 310-1. The upper and lower parts of the annular bushing 302 are connected together by the first limit block 323 and / or the second limit block 324. At the same time, the first limit block 323 and / or the second limit block 324 can ensure that the exhaust effect of the gap channel 316 is not affected.

[0081] Correspondingly, in this embodiment, the intake air channel is also divided into at least one first intake air channel 309-1 and at least one second intake air channel 309-2. The intake end of the first intake air channel 309-1 communicates with the second gas source 7 (as Figure 1 shown), the outlet end of the first intake air channel 309-1 communicates with the annular air distribution cavity 308 located in the upper part, the intake end of the second intake air channel 309-2 communicates with the third gas source 8 (as Figure 1 shown), and the outlet end of the second intake air channel 309-2 communicates with the annular air distribution cavity 308 located in the lower part. From the first gas source 6 (as Figure 1The first reaction gas (as shown) still enters the main air duct 305 through the air inlet 303, while the second reaction gas from the second gas source 7 enters the upper annular air distribution cavity 308 through the first air inlet channel 309-1. After the second reaction gas is fully diffused in the upper annular air distribution cavity 308, it enters the main air duct 305 through the air distribution through holes 311 on the first air distribution ring 310-1. Similarly, the third reaction gas from the third gas source 8 enters the lower annular air distribution cavity 308 through the second air inlet channel 309-2. After the third reaction gas is fully diffused in the lower annular air distribution cavity 308, it enters the main air duct 305 through the air distribution through holes 311 on the second air distribution ring 310-2. In this embodiment, by providing multiple annular air distribution cavities for gas diffusion, it is ensured that different reaction gases do not undergo pre-mixing before entering the main air duct 305, ensuring the accuracy of the manufacturing process. Each reaction gas occupies an exclusive annular air distribution cavity, without the need to divide the gas diffusion space with other reaction gases, which can ensure the flow rate of each reaction gas. Each reaction gas occupies an exclusive annular air distribution cavity and can be fully diffused throughout the annular air distribution cavity, improving the uniformity of gas distribution. After the reaction gas in the annular air distribution cavity subsequently enters the main air duct through the air distribution through holes evenly distributed along the circumference, it can also improve the uniformity of gas mixing.

[0082] In the present invention, an annular air distribution cavity is provided between the outer tube body and the annular bushing. After the reaction gas enters the annular air distribution cavity through the air inlet channel for full diffusion, it then enters the main air duct of the outer tube body through the air distribution through holes circumferentially distributed along the air distribution rings of the annular bushing, which can enable the reaction gas from the air inlet and the reaction gas from the annular air distribution cavity to be fully mixed in the main air duct, thereby improving the uniformity of gas mixing and the uniformity of the concentration of the reaction gas. By setting the upper top surface and the lower bottom surface of the annular air distribution cavity as arc surfaces, vortex formation can be avoided, gas flow is more facilitated, gas retention can be prevented, and the uniformity of gas distribution in the annular air distribution cavity is improved. By setting the axis of the air distribution through hole to face the axis of the outer tube body, the reaction gas entering the main air duct through the air distribution through hole can be fully mixed with the reaction gas from the air inlet, further improving the uniformity of gas mixing. By setting the air inlet channel in an inclined upward manner, compared with the horizontal air inlet mode, the air inlet angle can drive the gas near the upper top surface of the air distribution ring downward, which is beneficial to forming a stable vertical annular flow path in the annular air distribution cavity 308, reducing the vortex generated by the airflow repeatedly colliding with the side wall in the annular air distribution cavity, and facilitating the accelerated diffusion and uniform distribution of the airflow in the annular air distribution cavity.

[0083] In the present invention, a clearance channel is reserved between the air-distributing ring of the annular bushing and the outer tube body. The clearance channel enables the bottom of the annular air-distributing cavity to be always communicated with the main air passage, avoiding the retention of gas at the bottom of the annular air-distributing cavity. When purging the annular air-distributing cavity with clean gas, the gas remaining in the annular air-distributing cavity and the gas retained in its installation gap can easily be discharged into the main air passage through the clearance channel, making it easier to purge the annular air-distributing cavity clean, shortening the purging time, avoiding the influence of gas retention on subsequent process technologies, and thus avoiding adverse effects on substrate processing.

[0084] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present invention, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the embodiments and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus cannot be construed as a limitation on the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0085] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, terms such as "installation", "connection", "connection", "fixation", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0086] It should be understood that when used in this specification and the appended claims, the term "comprising" indicates the presence of the described features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or their combinations.

[0087] It should also be understood that the terms used in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. As used in the specification of this application and the appended claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms.

[0088] It should also be further understood that the term "and / or" as used in the specification and appended claims of this application refers to any combination and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes these combinations.

[0089] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the term "if" can be construed, depending on the context, as "when" or "once" or "in response to determining" or "in response to detecting". Similarly, the phrase "if determined" or "if [the described condition or event] is detected" can be construed, depending on the context, as meaning "once determined" or "in response to determining" or "once [the described condition or event] is detected" or "in response to detecting [the described condition or event]".

[0090] Although the content of the present invention has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, it should be recognized that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. After those skilled in the art have read the above content, various modifications and substitutions to the present invention will be obvious. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A gas distribution device, characterized in that, comprising: An outer tube body, the bottom end of which is a gas outlet, and the interior of the outer tube body serves as a main air passage; An annular bushing, at least a part of the annular bushing is nested in the top opening of the outer tube body to form an air inlet of the gas distribution device; The inner wall of the outer tube body has at least one first annular groove, and the outer wall of the annular bushing has at least one second annular groove. The first annular groove and the second annular groove form an annular air distribution cavity; The side wall of the outer tube body has at least one air inlet channel, and the air inlet channel communicates with the annular air distribution cavity; The lower end of the second annular groove is an air distribution ring, and the air distribution ring has a plurality of air distribution through holes, and each air distribution through hole respectively communicates the annular air distribution cavity and the main air passage; There is a gap channel between the bottom edge part of the air distribution ring and the inner wall of the outer tube body, and the gap channel communicates the annular air distribution cavity and the main air passage.

2. The gas distribution device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gap channel includes a first gap and a second gap. The first gap is formed between the side wall of the bottom edge part of the air distribution ring and the vertical inner wall of the outer tube body, and the second gap is formed between the bottom surface of the bottom edge part of the air distribution ring and the horizontal inner wall of the outer tube body. The width of the first gap is greater than the width of the second gap.

3. The gas distribution device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first gap and the second gap are connected at a right angle or a rounded corner.

4. The gas distribution device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The width of the first gap is 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm.

5. The gas distribution device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The width of the second gap is 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm.

6. The gas distribution device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The annular bushing is fixedly installed in the top opening of the outer tube body through a plurality of fasteners to ensure that the widths of the first gap and the second gap remain unchanged.

7. The gas distribution device according to claim 6, characterized in that, A sealing ring is provided between the annular bushing and the outer tube body.

8. The gas distribution device according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least a part of the top inner wall of the annular bushing is in a funnel shape with a gradually decreasing radius.

9. The gas distribution device according to claim 2, characterized in that, A plurality of limiting components are arranged in the gap channel for limiting the widths of the first gap and the second gap.

10. The gas distribution device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The limiting component includes a first limiting block and a second limiting block. The first limiting block is arranged on the side wall of the bottom edge part of the air distribution ring or the vertical inner wall of the outer tube body, and the width of the first limiting block is equal to the width of the first gap. The second limiting block is arranged on the bottom surface of the bottom edge part of the air distribution ring or the horizontal inner wall of the outer tube body, and the width of the second limiting block is equal to the width of the second gap.

11. The gas distribution device according to claim 9, characterized in that, the limiting component includes a first limiting block and a first limiting groove adapted to the first limiting block. Any one of the first limiting block and the first limiting groove is arranged on the side wall of the bottom edge of the air distribution ring, and the other is arranged on the vertical inner wall of the outer tube body. The width of the first limiting block is equal to the sum of the depth of the first limiting groove and the width of the first gap.

12. The gas distribution device according to claim 9, characterized in that, the limiting component includes a second limiting block and a second limiting groove adapted to the second limiting block. Any one of the second limiting block and the second limiting groove is arranged on the bottom surface of the bottom edge of the air distribution ring, and the other is arranged on the horizontal inner wall of the outer tube body. The width of the second limiting block is equal to the sum of the depth of the second limiting groove and the width of the second gap.

13. The gas distribution device according to claim 10, characterized in that, the inner wall of the outer tube body has two first annular grooves arranged one above the other, the outer wall of the annular bushing has two second annular grooves arranged one above the other, the gas distribution device includes two annular air distribution cavities, and the annular bushing has two air distribution rings arranged one above the other.

14. The gas distribution device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the air distribution cavity includes an upper top surface and a lower bottom surface, and at least one of the upper top surface and the lower bottom surface is an arc surface.

15. The gas distribution device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the intersection of the axes of the plurality of air distribution through holes is one, and the angle between the axis of each air distribution through hole and the axis of the outer tube body is 10° to 70°.

16. The gas distribution device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the plurality of air distribution through holes all face the main air passage, and the intersection of the axes of the plurality of air distribution through holes is zero or more.

17. The gas distribution device according to claim 2, characterized in that, the diameter of the air distribution through hole is greater than the width of the first gap.

18. The gas distribution device according to claim 17, characterized in that, the ratio of the total cross-sectional area of all the air distribution through holes to the horizontal cross-sectional area of the first gap is 200 to 500.

19. The gas distribution device according to claim 18, characterized in that, the diameter of the air distribution through hole is 0.5 mm to 3 mm.

20. The gas distribution device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the air distribution through holes are evenly spaced along the circumferential direction.

21. The gas distribution device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the air inlet passage includes at least one first air inlet passage and at least one second air inlet passage, and the first air inlet passage and the second air inlet passage communicate with the same gas source or different gas sources.

22. The gas distribution device according to claim 21, characterized in that, The annular gas distribution cavity has at least two isolation and sealing parts, and the isolation and sealing parts divide the annular gas distribution cavity into at least one first gas distribution cavity and at least one second gas distribution cavity. The first gas distribution cavity is communicated with the first gas inlet channel, and the second gas distribution cavity is communicated with the second gas inlet channel.

23. The gas distribution device according to claim 22, wherein, the isolation and sealing part is fixedly connected in the first annular groove, or the isolation and sealing part is fixedly connected in the second annular groove.

24. The gas distribution device according to claim 21, wherein, a plurality of the gas inlet channels are evenly spaced along the circumferential direction.

25. The gas distribution device according to claim 1, wherein, the gas inlet channel is arranged obliquely upward.

26. The gas distribution device according to claim 25, wherein, the included angle between the gas inlet channel and the horizontal plane is greater than 0 and not greater than 30°.

27. The gas distribution device according to claim 1, wherein, the distance between the gas outlet end of the gas inlet channel and the upper top surface of the annular gas distribution cavity is less than the distance between the gas outlet end of the gas inlet channel and the lower bottom surface of the annular gas distribution cavity.

28. The gas distribution device according to claim 1, wherein, the annular bushing and the external pipe body are made of materials corrosion-resistant to the process gas.

29. A semiconductor processing device, wherein, comprising: a reaction chamber; a gas shower head arranged at the top of the reaction chamber; the gas distribution device according to any one of claims 1-28, which is arranged above the reaction chamber and communicated with the gas shower head; a pedestal arranged in the reaction chamber for supporting a substrate.

30. The semiconductor processing device according to claim 29, wherein, the gas inlet of the gas distribution device is connected to a first gas source and a cleaning gas source; the gas inlet channel is connected to at least one second gas source different from the first gas source and a cleaning gas source.

31. The semiconductor processing device according to claim 29, wherein, the semiconductor processing device is a deposition device or an etching device.

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