Control Method of Semiconductor Device and Semiconductor Device

Abstract

The present application provides a control method for a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device. The control method for the semiconductor device includes a purging step performed during the gas switching interval between two process gases in a gas pipeline. The purging step includes: after the control module controls a purging gas control member to introduce and discharge a purging gas into the gas pipeline to perform an initial purging operation, a gas detection device detects gas concentration information in the gas pipeline and sends it to the control module. The control module determines whether to perform a delayed purging operation according to the gas concentration information until the gas concentration in the gas pipeline does not exceed a preset gas concentration threshold; the control module obtains the initial purging parameters of the initial purging operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle according to the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the purging parameters of the delayed purging operation in the N-th cycle. The present application realizes real-time adaptive adjustment of the initial purging operation in each cycle, and effectively reduces or avoids cross-contamination of process gases.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular, to a control method for a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device. Background Art

[0002] Semiconductor manufacturing mainly includes three major steps: lithography, etching, and thin film deposition. Etching is a process of removing unnecessary materials attached to the surface of a wafer using chemical or physical methods. For example, a thin film is first deposited on the wafer for the material to depict the circuit, then a photoresist is deposited, and then lithography and development are performed according to the circuit design of the mask plate to expose the material to be etched. Subsequently, the exposed material is removed using the etching step, leaving the required material and the photoresist. Finally, the photoresist is etched and removed. Repeating the above steps multiple times can obtain an integrated circuit with a complex structure.

[0003] The Bosch process is a type of deep silicon etching process for through-silicon vias (TSV), that is, a TSV deep silicon etching process. The Bosch process achieves the processing of high aspect ratio structures by alternately introducing deposition gas and etching gas. Among them, the deposition gas and the etching gas are respectively input into the reaction chamber through separate pipelines, and complex pipelines need to be designed to meet the switching of multiple gases, which will increase the maintenance cost and the risk of failure. Therefore, considering the equipment complexity, in the prior art, the deposition gas and the etching gas usually enter the reaction chamber through a common pipeline. When switching between the deposition gas and the etching gas, a purge gas is used to purge the common pipeline; however, there is often still gas from the previous step remaining in the common pipeline after purging. If the previous step is a deposition step, the deposition gas remaining in the pipeline will enter the next process with the etching gas in the next step, such as the etching step, resulting in cross-contamination and affecting the etching rate and sidewall topography. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a control method for a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device, which can effectively reduce or avoid cross-contamination caused by the process gas of the previous process entering the next process.

[0005] To achieve the above object, a control method for the semiconductor device of the present application, the semiconductor device includes a gas pipeline connected to a semiconductor processing chamber and a control module, the gas pipeline is provided with a gas detection device and a purge gas control member; the control method includes a purge step performed during the gas switching interval between two process gases in the gas pipeline, wherein the purge step includes: after the control module controls the purge gas control member to introduce and discharge purge gas into the gas pipeline for an initial purge operation, the gas detection device detects the gas concentration information in the gas pipeline and sends it to the control module, and the control module determines whether to perform a delayed purge operation according to the gas concentration information until the gas concentration in the gas pipeline does not exceed a preset gas concentration threshold; the control module obtains the initial purge parameters of the initial purge operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle according to the purge parameters of the initial purge operation and the purge parameters of the delayed purge operation in the N-th cycle, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0006] Preferably, the gas switching interval includes at least two gas switching intervals, and the purge step is performed once in each gas switching interval, and the purge step includes: the control module obtains the initial purge parameters of the initial purge operation corresponding to the gas switching interval in the (N + 1)-th cycle according to the purge parameters of the initial purge operation and the purge parameters of the delayed purge operation in the gas switching interval in the N-th cycle.

[0007] Preferably, the delayed purge operation includes at least one sub-delayed purge operation; the step of the control module determining whether to perform a delayed purge operation according to the gas concentration information until the gas concentration in the gas pipeline does not exceed a preset gas concentration threshold includes: the control module determines that the gas concentration in the gas pipeline is greater than the preset gas concentration threshold according to the gas concentration information, and controls the purge gas control member to introduce and discharge purge gas into the gas pipeline for the sub-delayed purge operation; the gas detection device detects the gas concentration information in the gas pipeline and sends it to the control module; the control module determines whether to repeat the sub-delayed purge operation and the acquisition of the gas concentration information until the gas concentration in the gas pipeline does not exceed the preset gas concentration threshold.

[0008] Preferably, the control method of the semiconductor device is applied to a deep silicon etching process, and each cycle of the deep silicon etching process includes a first gas switching interval for switching from a deposition gas to an etching gas and a second gas switching interval for switching from the etching gas to the deposition gas; the purging step performed during the first gas switching interval includes: the control module obtaining the initial purging parameters of the initial purging operation during the first gas switching interval of the (N + 1)-th cycle according to the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the delayed purging operation during the first gas switching interval of the N-th cycle; the purging step performed during the second gas switching interval includes: the control module obtaining the initial purging parameters of the initial purging operation during the second gas switching interval of the (N + 1)-th cycle according to the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the delayed purging operation during the second gas switching interval of the N-th cycle.

[0009] Preferably, the purging parameters include purging time and / or purging pressure, and the step of the control module obtaining the initial purging parameters of the initial purging operation of the (N + 1)-th cycle according to the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the delayed purging operation of the N-th cycle includes: the control module obtaining the initial purging time of the initial purging operation of the (N + 1)-th cycle according to the sum of the initial purging time of the initial purging operation and the delayed purging time of the delayed purging operation of the N-th cycle; and / or, the control module obtaining the initial purging pressure of the initial purging operation of the (N + 1)-th cycle according to the delayed purging pressure of the delayed purging operation of the N-th cycle.

[0010] Preferably, the gas delivery pipeline is further provided with a cavity inlet control valve and at least two groups of process gas input control components. The cavity inlet control valve is arranged at the first end of the gas delivery pipeline, and the at least two groups of process gas input control components are arranged at the second end of the gas delivery pipeline. The first end is the end of the gas delivery pipeline close to the semiconductor processing cavity; the step of the control module controlling the purging gas control component to allow the gas delivery pipeline to introduce and discharge purging gas for the initial purging operation includes: after the control module controls the cavity inlet control valve and the at least two groups of process gas input control components to be in a closed state, then controlling the purging gas control component to be in an open state, so that the gas delivery pipeline continuously introduces and discharges purging gas.

[0011] Preferably, the purge gas control member includes a purge gas input control member and a purge gas output control member. The purge gas input control member is disposed at the first end of the gas pipeline, and the purge gas output control member and the at least two sets of process gas input control members are disposed at the second end of the gas pipeline through a multi-way valve. The step of the control module controlling the purge gas control member to introduce and discharge purge gas into the gas pipeline for an initial purge operation includes: the control module controlling the purge gas input control member and the purge gas output control member to be in an open state, and causing the purge gas to blow from the first end of the gas pipeline to the second end of the gas pipeline.

[0012] Preferably, the purge parameters include purge time and / or purge pressure; in the initial purge operation of the first round of cycle, the control module controls the initial purge time to be 0 - 3 s, and / or the control module controls the initial purge pressure not to exceed 0.2 MPa; in each sub-delay purge operation, the control module controls the delay purge time to be 50 ms, and / or the control module controls the delay purge pressure to increase by 0.1 MPa; in the purge operation, the control module controls the total purge time of the initial purge operation and the delay purge operation not to exceed 5 s, and / or the control module controls the maximum purge pressure of the sub-delay purge operation not to exceed 0.8 MPa.

[0013] Preferably, the purge parameters include purge time and / or purge pressure; the control method of the semiconductor device is used to control the Bosch process. In the initial purge operation of the first round of cycle of the Bosch process, the control module controls the initial purge time not to exceed 100 ms, and / or the control module controls the initial purge pressure not to exceed 0.2 MPa; in each sub-delay purge operation of the Bosch process, the control module controls the delay purge time to be 50 ms, and / or the control module controls the delay purge pressure to increase by 0.1 MPa; in the purge operation of the Bosch process, the control module controls the total purge time of the initial purge operation and the delay purge operation not to exceed 500 ms, and / or the control module controls the maximum purge pressure of the sub-delay purge operation not to exceed 0.8 MPa.

[0014] Preferably, the control method of the semiconductor device further includes the step of: the control module comparing the initial purge parameters of the initial purge operation of the (N + 1)-th round of cycle obtained with a preset threshold, and issuing an alarm when the initial purge parameters of the initial purge operation of the (N + 1)-th round of cycle obtained are greater than the preset threshold.

[0015] Second aspect, the semiconductor device includes a semiconductor processing chamber, a gas delivery pipeline, a gas detection device, a purge gas control component, and a control module; the gas delivery pipeline is communicated with the semiconductor processing chamber for inputting at least two process gases into the semiconductor processing chamber; the gas detection device is arranged in the gas delivery pipeline for detecting the gas concentration information in the gas delivery pipeline after the purge operation ends; the purge gas control component is arranged in the gas delivery pipeline for introducing and discharging purge gas into the gas delivery pipeline; the control module is connected with the gas detection device and the purge gas control component, and the control module is configured to control the purge gas control component to introduce and discharge purge gas into the gas delivery pipeline to perform an initial purge operation during the gas switching interval of the two process gases in the gas delivery pipeline, and then judge whether to perform a delay purge operation according to the gas concentration information until the gas concentration in the gas delivery pipeline does not exceed a preset gas concentration threshold; and the control module is further configured to obtain the initial purge parameters of the initial purge operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle according to the purge parameters of the initial purge operation and the purge parameters of the delay purge operation in the N-th cycle, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0016] Preferably, the semiconductor device further includes a chamber inlet control valve and at least two groups of process gas input control components, the purge gas control component includes a purge gas input control component and a purge gas output control component, the purge gas input control component and the chamber inlet control valve are arranged at the first end of the gas delivery pipeline, the purge gas output control component and the at least two groups of process gas input control components are arranged at the second end of the gas delivery pipeline through a multi-way valve, and the first end is the end of the gas delivery pipeline close to the semiconductor processing chamber.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the control method of the semiconductor device and the semiconductor device of the present application are as follows:

[0018] 1. It can dynamically judge whether to perform a delay purge operation in real time through the dynamic feedback of the gas concentration information in the gas delivery pipeline. Compared with some related technologies that rely on experience to set fixed purge parameters to control the purge operation and cannot adapt to the change of the residual concentration, resulting in poor repeatability between batches, the present application realizes automatically and dynamically judging whether to perform a delay purge operation according to the change of the residual concentration, solves the under-purge problem of the traditional fixed-parameter purge mode, is beneficial to reducing or avoiding the residual process gas in the gas delivery pipeline during the process gas switching, realizes the thorough purge of the residual gas, and effectively reduces or avoids the cross-contamination caused by the process gas of the previous process entering the next process.

[0019] 2. Compared with the related technologies that rely on experience to set fixed purging parameters to control the purging operation in each cycle, the present application controls the initial purging operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle according to the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the purging parameters of the delayed purging operation in the N-th cycle. In each cycle of the present application, the initial purging operation can be adjusted in real time according to the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the purging parameters of the delayed purging operation in the previous cycle, realizing real-time adaptive adjustment of the initial purging operation in each cycle, that is, dynamic adaptive adjustment in response to changes in the external environmental temperature, the usage of the gas pipeline, the type, concentration, and conveying rate of the process gas, etc.; which is more conducive to improving the stability and controllability of the process, and increasing the yield of the product.

[0020] 3. The present application directly controls the initial purging operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle according to the purging parameters of the entire purging step in the N-th cycle, that is, the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the purging parameters of the delayed purging operation, which can greatly reduce the input of detection time and effectively avoid over-purging and under-purging during the purging process.

[0021] 4. At least two process gases are input into the semiconductor processing chamber through the same gas pipeline, eliminating the need to design complex pipelines to meet multi-channel gas switching, reducing maintenance costs and failure risks. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0023] Figure 2 It is a structural block diagram of the semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0024] Figure 3 It is a schematic flow chart of the control method of the semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below. Apparently, the described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present application without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application. Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present application belongs. The words such as "including" used herein mean that the elements or items appearing before the word cover the elements or items listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or items.

[0026] To overcome the problems existing in the prior art, the embodiments of the present application provide a control method for a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device, which can effectively reduce or avoid cross-contamination caused by process gases in the previous process entering the next process.

[0027] In some embodiments, with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the semiconductor device includes a semiconductor processing chamber 1, a gas pipeline 2, a gas detection device 3, a control module 4, and a purge gas control member 5; the gas pipeline 2 is connected to the semiconductor processing chamber 1 for inputting at least two process gases into the semiconductor processing chamber 1; the gas detection device 3 is disposed in the gas pipeline 2 for detecting the gas concentration information in the gas pipeline 2 when the purge operation is stopped; the purge gas control member 5 is disposed in the gas pipeline 2 for introducing and discharging purge gas into the gas pipeline 2; the control module 4 is connected to the gas detection device 3 and the purge gas control member 5. After the control module 4 controls the purge gas control member 5 to introduce and discharge purge gas into the gas pipeline 2 for an initial purge operation during the gas switching interval between two process gases, it determines whether to perform a delay purge operation according to the gas concentration information until the gas concentration in the gas pipeline 2 does not exceed a preset gas concentration threshold; and the control module 4 is further configured to obtain the initial purge parameters of the initial purge operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle according to the purge parameters of the initial purge operation and the purge parameters of the delay purge operation in the N-th cycle, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0028] In this embodiment, the gas pipeline 2 is connected to the semiconductor processing chamber 1 for inputting at least two process gases into the semiconductor processing chamber 1, that is, at least two process gases are input into the semiconductor processing chamber 1 through the same gas pipeline 2, without the need to design complex pipelines to meet multi-path gas switching, reducing the maintenance cost and failure risk.

[0029] Meanwhile, the gas detection device 3 is arranged on the gas pipeline 2 and is used to detect the gas concentration information in the gas pipeline 2 after the purging operation ends. The control module 4 is connected to the gas detection device 3 and the purging gas control component 5. After the control module 4 controls the purging gas control component 5 to make the purge gas flow into and out of the gas pipeline 2 for the initial purging operation during the gas switching interval between the two process gases, it determines whether to perform a delay purging operation according to the gas concentration information until the gas concentration in the gas pipeline 2 does not exceed the preset gas concentration threshold. This enables real-time determination of whether to perform a delay purging operation through the dynamic feedback of the gas concentration information in the gas pipeline 2. Compared with some related technologies that rely on experience to set fixed purging parameters to control the purging operation and cannot adapt to the change of the residual concentration, resulting in poor repeatability between batches, the present application realizes automatic dynamic determination of whether to perform a delay purging operation according to the change of the residual concentration, solves the under-purging problem of the traditional fixed-parameter purging mode, is conducive to reducing or avoiding the residual process gas in the gas pipeline 2 during the process gas switching, realizes the thorough purging of the residual gas, and effectively reduces or avoids the cross-contamination caused by the process gas of the previous process entering the next process.

[0030] In addition, the control module 4 is further configured to obtain the initial purging parameters of the initial purging operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle according to the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the purging parameters of the delayed purging operation in the N-th cycle, so as to realize real-time adaptive adjustment of the initial purging operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle. Compared with some related technologies that rely on experience to set fixed purging parameters to control the purging operation in each cycle, the present application uses the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the purging parameters of the delayed purging operation in the N-th cycle to control the initial purging operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle. In each cycle of the present application, the initial purging operation can be adjusted in real time according to the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the purging parameters of the delayed purging operation in the previous cycle, that is, dynamic adaptive adjustment is realized for changes in the external environmental temperature, the usage condition of the gas pipeline, the type, concentration, and delivery rate of the process gas, etc.; it is more conducive to improving the stability and controllability of the process, and improving the yield of the product. Moreover, since the gas detection device 3 needs to detect the gas concentration information in the gas pipeline 2 when the purging operation is stopped, if the initial purging operation is controlled by fixed initial purging parameters, there may be an increase in the detection time investment caused by multiple stops of the purging operation for gas concentration information detection due to the relatively small set fixed initial purging parameters. If relatively large fixed initial purging parameters are set, over-purging may occur. However, in the present application, the initial purging operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle is directly controlled according to the purging parameters of the entire purging step in the N-th cycle, that is, the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the purging parameters of the delayed purging operation, so that the investment in detection time can be greatly reduced, and over-purging and under-purging during the purging process can be effectively avoided.

[0031] In this embodiment, the gas switching interval is the period or time period from the end of the introduction of one process gas into the gas pipeline 2 to the introduction of another process gas, or the gas switching interval is the purging period before the end of the first process and the switching to the second process.

[0032] In this embodiment, the purging parameters include but are not limited to purging time and purging pressure. The initial parameters include but are not limited to initial purging time and initial purging pressure.

[0033] In this embodiment, the gas detection device detects the gas concentration information in the gas pipeline 2 when the purging operation is stopped, which is beneficial to improving the detection accuracy and avoiding the errors caused by detection during the purging process.

[0034] In this embodiment, the preset gas concentration threshold is set according to the type, use, and process requirements of the semiconductor device. For example, in some embodiments, the preset gas concentration threshold is 1 ppm.

[0035] In this embodiment, the purge gas is a gas that does not react with the process gas, and is specifically selected according to the type of the process gas. For example, in some embodiments, the purge gas is nitrogen, compressed air, dry air, carbon dioxide, or other gases, etc.

[0036] In this embodiment, the present application is applicable to semiconductor equipment that requires multiple pipelines to converge into one pipeline and enter the semiconductor processing chamber, and the common pipeline needs to be purged. In some embodiments, the semiconductor equipment includes an inductively coupled plasma etching device, a capacitively coupled plasma etching device, a through-silicon via etching device, etc.

[0037] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the gas delivery pipeline 2 is further provided with a chamber inlet control valve 6 and at least two groups of process gas input control members 7 respectively connected to the control module 4. The chamber inlet control valve 6 is arranged at the first end 21 of the gas delivery pipeline 2, and the at least two groups of process gas input control members 7 are arranged at the second end 22 of the gas delivery pipeline 2. The first end is the end of the gas delivery pipeline 2 close to the semiconductor processing chamber 1, and the second end 22 is the other end of the gas delivery pipeline 2, that is, the end of the gas delivery pipeline 2 far from the semiconductor processing chamber 1. During the purge step, the control module 4 can control the chamber inlet control valve 6 and the at least two groups of process gas input control members 7 to close, so as to isolate the semiconductor processing chamber 1 and prevent the purge gas from entering the semiconductor processing chamber 1 and interfering with the stability of the process. By arranging the at least two groups of process gas input control members 7 at the second end 22 of the gas delivery pipeline 2, the at least two groups of process gases are all delivered into the semiconductor processing chamber 1 through the common gas delivery pipeline 2, reducing the complexity of the pipeline design and avoiding problems such as intake blockage caused by multiple pipeline corners when using multiple pipelines to deliver process gases.

[0038] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the at least two groups of process gas input control members 7 include, but are not limited to, a first process gas input control member 71 and a second process gas input control member 72.

[0039] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2, the first process gas input control member 71 includes a first process gas input end 711 and a first control valve 712; the first process gas input end 711 is provided at the second end 22 of the gas pipeline 2, and the first control valve 712 is provided at the first process gas input end 711; the control module 4 is connected to the first control valve 712 to control the input or stop of the first process gas into the gas pipeline 2 by controlling the opening and closing of the first control valve 712.

[0040] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the second process gas input control member 72 includes a second process gas input end 721 and a second control valve 722. The second process gas input end 721 is provided at the second end 22 of the gas pipeline 2, and the second control valve 722 is provided at the second process gas input end 721. The control module 4 is connected to the second control valve 722 to control the input or stop of the second process gas into the gas pipeline 2 by controlling the opening and closing of the second control valve 722.

[0041] In some specific embodiments, both the first process gas input end 711 and the second process gas input end 721 are a connecting branch pipe.

[0042] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the purge gas control member 5 includes a purge gas input control member 51 and a purge gas output control member 52.

[0043] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the purge gas input control member 51 is provided at the first end 21 of the gas pipeline 2, and the purge gas output control member 52 is provided at the second end 22 of the gas pipeline 2. That is, the purge gas input control member 51 is provided at the first end 21 of the gas pipeline 2 close to the cavity intake control valve 6, and the purge gas output control member 52 is provided at the second end 22 of the gas pipeline 2 far from the cavity intake control valve 6, so that the purge gas can be blown from the first end 21 to the second end 22 of the gas pipeline 2, which is beneficial to improving the purge effect, achieving thorough purge, and reducing cross-contamination.

[0044] In some embodiments, the purge gas output control member 52 and at least two groups of process gas input control members 7 are provided at the second end 22 through a multi-way valve, realizing the rapid switching of the purge gas and at least two groups of process gases, and reducing the complexity of the pipeline design. In some specific embodiments, referring to Figure 1, the purge gas output control member 52, the first process gas input control member 71, and the second process gas input control member 72 are disposed at the second end 22 through a three-way valve 8.

[0045] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the purge gas input control member 51 includes a purge gas input end 511 and a purge gas input control valve 512. The purge gas input end 511 is disposed at the first end 21 of the gas pipeline 2, and the purge gas input control valve 512 is disposed at the purge gas input end 511; the control module 4 is connected to the purge gas input control valve 512 to control the input or stop of the purge gas into the gas pipeline 2 by controlling the switch of the purge gas input end 511.

[0046] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the purge gas output control member 52 includes a purge gas output end 521 and a purge gas output control valve 522. The purge gas output end 521 is disposed at the second end 22 of the gas pipeline 2, and the purge gas output control valve 522 is disposed at the purge gas output end 521; the control module 4 is connected to the purge gas output control valve 522 to control the output or stop of the purge gas from the gas pipeline 2 by controlling the switch of the purge gas output end 521.

[0047] In some specific embodiments, both the purge gas input end 511 and the purge gas output end 521 are a section of connecting branch pipes.

[0048] In some embodiments, the cavity intake control valve 6, the first control valve 712, the second control valve 722, the purge gas input control valve 512, and the purge gas output control valve 522 all include but are not limited to solenoid valves.

[0049] In some embodiments, the gas detection device 3 is disposed on the gas pipeline 2 and close to the semiconductor processing cavity 1, that is, the gas detection device 3 is disposed close to the first end 21 of the gas pipeline 2. Since the purge gas is blown from the first end 21 of the gas pipeline 2 to the second end 22 of the gas pipeline 2, therefore, the gas detection device 3 is disposed close to the purge gas input end 511, which is more conducive to improving the accuracy of gas concentration detection.

[0050] Due to the damage of the gas detection device resulting in inaccurate gas concentration information detected, or the leakage of the process gas input control component causing the gas concentration in the gas pipeline to be consistently high, and the damage of the purge gas control component resulting in the failure to achieve the actual purge effect, etc., the semiconductor device will keep performing the delay purge operation. As a result, the initial purge parameters of the initial purge operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle obtained in this way will be inaccurate, and at this time, it is necessary to remind the staff to conduct an inspection. Therefore, in some embodiments, the semiconductor device further includes an alarm module, and the alarm module is connected to the control module. The alarm module is used to issue an alarm when the initial purge parameters are greater than a preset threshold to remind the staff to check whether the device is damaged, etc., which is beneficial to avoiding over-purging caused by inaccurate initial purge parameters due to device damage.

[0051] In this embodiment, the preset threshold is specifically set according to the machine type, gas type, process, etc. of the semiconductor device in actual applications. The preset threshold includes a preset purge time threshold and / or a preset purge pressure threshold.

[0052] In some embodiments, the control method of the semiconductor device of the present application includes a purge step performed during the gas switching interval between two process gases in the gas pipeline. Refer to Figure 3 , the purge step includes:

[0053] S1. After the control module controls the purge gas control component to allow the purge gas to enter and exit the gas pipeline to perform the initial purge operation;

[0054] S2. The gas detection device detects the gas concentration information in the gas pipeline and sends it to the control module;

[0055] S3. The control module determines whether to perform a delay purge operation according to the gas concentration information until the gas concentration in the gas pipeline does not exceed the preset gas concentration threshold;

[0056] S4. The control module obtains the initial purge parameters of the initial purge operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle according to the purge parameters of the initial purge operation in the N-th cycle and the purge parameters of the delay purge operation, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0057] In this embodiment, through S2, the gas detection device detects the gas concentration information in the gas pipeline and sends it to the control module; through S3, the control module determines whether to perform a delay purge operation according to the gas concentration information until the gas concentration in the gas pipeline does not exceed the preset gas concentration threshold, so that it is possible to determine in real time whether to perform a delay purge operation through the dynamic feedback of the gas concentration information in the gas pipeline. Compared with some related technologies that rely on experience to set fixed purge parameters to control the purge operation and cannot adapt to the change of the residual concentration, resulting in poor repeatability between batches, this application realizes automatically and dynamically determining whether to perform a delay purge operation according to the change of the residual concentration, solves the under-purge problem of the traditional fixed-parameter purge mode, is conducive to reducing or avoiding the residual process gas in the gas pipeline when switching process gases, realizes the thorough purge of the residual gas, and effectively reduces or avoids the cross-contamination caused by the process gas of the previous process entering the next process.

[0058] Meanwhile, through S4, the control module obtains the initial purge parameters of the initial purge operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle according to the purge parameters of the initial purge operation and the purge parameters of the delay purge operation in the N-th cycle, so that the initial purge parameters of the initial purge operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle are realized with real-time adaptive adjustment. Compared with some related technologies that rely on experience to set fixed purge parameters to control the purge operation of each cycle, this application uses the purge parameters of the initial purge operation and the purge parameters of the delay purge operation in the N-th cycle to control the initial purge operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle, which can make the initial purge parameters of the initial purge operation more accurate and precise. In each cycle of this application, the initial purge operation can be adjusted in real time according to the purge parameters of the initial purge operation and the purge parameters of the delay purge operation in the previous cycle, that is, it realizes dynamic adaptive adjustment for the changes of the external environment temperature, the usage condition of the gas pipeline, the type, concentration, and conveying rate of the process gas, etc.; it is more conducive to improving the stability and controllability of the process, and improving the yield of the product.

[0059] In some embodiments, the control method of the semiconductor device further includes the step: during the gas switching interval in the (N + 1)-th cycle, the control module controls the initial purge operation according to the initial purge parameters, that is, the control module controls the purge gas control component according to the initial purge parameters to make the purge gas enter and exit the gas pipeline to perform the initial purge operation, that is, controls the initial purge operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle through the initial purge parameters.

[0060] In some specific embodiments, during the gas switching interval in the (N + 1)-th cycle, after the control module controls the initial purge operation according to the initial purge parameters and the gas concentration does not exceed the preset gas concentration threshold, the purge operation is ended.

[0061] In some other embodiments, during the gas switching interval in the (N + 1)-th cycle, after the control module controls the initial purging operation according to the initial purging parameters, if the gas concentration is greater than the preset gas concentration threshold, a delayed purging operation needs to be performed until the gas concentration in the gas pipeline does not exceed the preset gas concentration threshold.

[0062] In some embodiments, the gas switching interval includes at least two gas switching intervals, and the purging step is performed once in each gas switching interval. The purging step includes: the control module obtains the initial purging parameters for the initial purging operation corresponding to the gas switching interval in the (N + 1)-th cycle according to the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the purging parameters of the delayed purging operation during the gas switching interval in the N-th cycle. Since the types, conveying speeds, temperatures, etc. of different process gases are different, the purging parameters will be different. For example, the initial purging parameters for the initial purging operation during the first gas switching interval when the first process gas is finished and the second process gas is about to be switched are obtained according to the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the purging parameters of the delayed purging operation during the first gas switching interval in the previous cycle, which can avoid errors caused by different process gases. Moreover, the initial purging operation performed during the first gas switching interval in the (N + 1)-th cycle according to the initial purging parameters can ensure that the residual gas in the gas pipeline is purged as clean as possible, reducing or avoiding the need for a delayed purging operation, thereby reducing the input of purging time.

[0063] In some embodiments, the at least two gas switching intervals include a first gas switching interval and a second gas switching interval. The first gas switching interval is the purging period before the end of the first process and the switching to the second process, and the second gas switching interval is the purging period before the end of the second process and the switching to the first process or the third process.

[0064] In some embodiments, the control method of the semiconductor device is applied to the deep silicon etching process, and each cycle of the deep silicon etching process includes a first gas switching interval for switching from a deposition gas to an etching gas and a second gas switching interval for switching from the etching gas to the deposition gas; the purging step performed during the first gas switching interval includes: the control module obtaining the initial purging parameters of the initial purging operation during the first gas switching interval in the (N + 1)-th cycle according to the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the delayed purging operation during the first gas switching interval in the N-th cycle; the purging step performed during the second gas switching interval includes: the control module obtaining the initial purging parameters of the initial purging operation during the second gas switching interval in the (N + 1)-th cycle according to the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the delayed purging operation during the second gas switching interval in the N-th cycle. The rapid switching and thorough purging of the deposition gas and the etching gas are achieved, cross-contamination during the deposition reaction and the etching reaction process is reduced or avoided, the sidewall roughness can be significantly reduced, the uniformity and aspect ratio of the deep silicon etching are improved, and the process stability is improved, which is suitable for the manufacture of high-precision semiconductor devices.

[0065] In this embodiment, the deep silicon etching process includes several cycle processes, and each cycle process includes: a deposition process step, the purging step performed during the first gas switching interval, an etching process step, and the purging step performed during the second gas switching interval.

[0066] In some embodiments, the deposition gas includes C4F8, and the etching gas includes SF6.

[0067] In some embodiments, the purging parameters include purging time and / or purging pressure. The step in which the control module obtains the initial purging parameters of the initial purging operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle based on the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the delayed purging operation in the N-th cycle includes: the control module obtains the initial purging time of the initial purging operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle based on the initial purging time of the initial purging operation and the delayed purging time of the delayed purging operation in the N-th cycle; and / or, the control module obtains the initial purging pressure of the initial purging operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle based on the delayed purging pressure of the delayed purging operation in the N-th cycle. Controlling the purging operation by adjusting the purging time and / or purging pressure is beneficial to improving the purging efficiency and avoiding or reducing damage to the semiconductor device caused by excessive purging pressure. Since a long purging time will increase the input of purging time and affect the process, and an excessive pressure will have a greater impact on the valves and pipelines. Therefore, it is necessary to make the purging pressure and purging time as balanced as possible to reduce damage to the equipment and reduce the purging time, that is, not to simply increase the purging pressure and reduce the purging time, nor to simply reduce the purging pressure and increase the purging time.

[0068] In some embodiments, the initial purging time of the initial purging operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle is equal to the sum of the initial purging time of the initial purging operation and the delayed purging time of the delayed purging operation in the N-th cycle. The initial purging pressure of the initial purging operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle is equal to the delayed purging pressure of the last delayed purging operation in the N-th cycle. In other embodiments, the initial purging parameters of the initial purging operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle are related not only to the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the delayed purging operation in the N-th cycle, but also to the type of process gas, the concentration of the process gas, the conveying rate and conveying time of the process gas in the gas pipeline, as well as the design of the gas pipeline and the ambient temperature of the gas pipeline.

[0069] In some embodiments, the delayed purging operation includes at least one sub-delayed purging operation; the step in which the control module determines whether to perform the delayed purging operation according to the gas concentration information until the gas concentration in the gas pipeline does not exceed the preset gas concentration threshold includes:

[0070] S31. The control module determines that the gas concentration in the gas pipeline is greater than the preset gas concentration threshold according to the gas concentration information, and controls the purging gas control member to make the gas pipeline pass through and discharge the purging gas to perform the sub-delayed purging operation;

[0071] S32. The gas detection device detects the gas concentration information in the gas pipeline and sends it to the control module;

[0072] S33. The control module determines whether to repeatedly perform the sub-delay purging operation and the acquisition of the gas concentration information, i.e., step S31 and step S32, until the gas concentration in the gas pipeline does not exceed the preset gas concentration threshold. That is, the purging operation during the delay purging process is performed intermittently to avoid over-purging.

[0073] In some embodiments, the step in which the control module controls the purging gas control member to allow the gas pipeline to introduce and discharge purging gas for an initial purging operation includes: after the control module controls the cavity intake control valve and the at least two groups of process gas input control members to be in a closed state, it then controls the purging gas control member to be in an open state, so that the gas pipeline continuously introduces and discharges purging gas. When performing the purging step, the control module controls the cavity intake control valve to be closed, so that the semiconductor processing cavity is in an isolated state, thereby avoiding the purging gas from entering the semiconductor processing cavity and interfering with the process stability; when performing the purging step, the control module controls the at least two groups of process gas input control members to be closed, to avoid the process gas from entering the gas pipeline during the purging stage and affecting the accuracy of the gas concentration information detection, and to avoid interfering with the purging operation.

[0074] In some embodiments, the step in which the control module controls the purging gas control member to allow the gas pipeline to introduce and discharge purging gas for an initial purging operation includes: the control module controls the purging gas input control member and the purging gas output control member to be in an open state, and makes the purging gas blow from the first end of the gas pipeline to the second end of the gas pipeline, which is beneficial to improving the purging effect, achieving thorough purging, and reducing cross-contamination.

[0075] In some embodiments, the control method of the semiconductor device further includes the step: the control module compares the initial purging parameters of the (N + 1)-th round of the initial purging operation obtained with a preset threshold, and issues an alarm when the initial purging parameters of the (N + 1)-th round of the initial purging operation obtained are greater than the preset threshold, to remind the staff to check whether the equipment is damaged, etc., which is beneficial to avoiding over-purging caused by inaccurate initial purging parameters due to equipment damage.

[0076] In some embodiments, the purging parameters include purging time and / or purging pressure; in the initial purging operation of the first round, the control module controls the initial purging time to be 0 - 3 s, and / or the control module controls the initial purging pressure not to exceed 0.2 MPa, to avoid over-purging.

[0077] In some embodiments, in each of the sub-delayed purge operations, the control module controls the delayed purge time to be 50 ms, and / or the control module controls the delayed purge pressure to increase by 0.1 MPa to avoid over-purging.

[0078] In some embodiments, during the purge operation, the control module controls the total purge time of the initial purge operation and the delayed purge operation not to exceed 5 s, and / or the control module controls the maximum purge pressure of the sub-delayed purge operation not to exceed 0.8 MPa, which helps to avoid the semiconductor device continuously performing the delayed purge operation due to equipment damage or the like, and avoids over-purging.

[0079] In some embodiments, when the total purge time of the initial purge operation and the delayed purge operation is greater than 5 s, and / or the maximum purge pressure of the sub-delayed purge operation is greater than 0.8 MPa, the control module controls the alarm module to issue an alarm to remind the staff to check whether the equipment is damaged or the like.

[0080] In some embodiments, when, during the gas switching interval in the Nth cycle, the total purge time of the initial purge operation and the delayed purge operation is greater than 5 s, and / or the maximum purge pressure of the sub-delayed purge operation is greater than 0.8 MPa, then during the gas switching interval in the (N + 1)th cycle, the control module controls the purge gas control member to perform the initial purge operation according to the initial purge time and / or the initial purge pressure in the initial purge operation of the first cycle, that is, in the initial purge operation during the gas switching interval in the (N + 1)th cycle, the control module controls the initial purge time to be 0 - 3 s, and / or controls the initial purge pressure not to exceed 0.2 MPa.

[0081] In some embodiments, the control method of the semiconductor device is used to control the Bosch process. Since the deposition gas and the etching gas need to be switched quickly when the Bosch process is performed, such as the etching and deposition gases are repeatedly switched within 1 second, in order to reduce delays, the gas pipeline will be set relatively short. Therefore, there is no need for long-term purge in the Bosch process, and the purge pressure will be appropriately reduced. For example, in some embodiments, in the initial purge operation of the first cycle of the Bosch process, the control module controls the initial purge time to not exceed 100ms, and / or the control module controls the initial purge pressure to not exceed 0.2MPa to avoid over-blowing. In some embodiments, in each sub-delayed purge operation of the Bosch process, the control module controls the delayed purge time to 50ms, and / or the control module controls the delayed purge pressure to increase by 0.1MPa to avoid over-blowing. In some embodiments, in the purge operation of the Bosch process, the control module controls the total purge time of the initial purge operation and the delayed purge operation to be no more than 500ms, and / or the control module controls the maximum delayed purge pressure of the sub-delay purge operation to be no more than 0.8MPa, which is beneficial to avoid the semiconductor equipment from being in a delayed purge operation due to equipment damage, etc., thereby avoiding over-blowing.

[0082] In some embodiments, when in the purge operation of the Bosch process, the total purge time of the initial purge operation and the delayed purge operation is greater than 500 ms, and / or the maximum purge pressure of the sub-delay purge operation is greater than 0.8 MPa, the control module controls the alarm module to sound an alarm to remind staff to check whether the equipment is damaged, etc.

[0083] In some embodiments, when in the gas switching interval in the Nth cycle of the purge operation of the Bosch process, the total purge time of the initial purge operation and the delayed purge operation is greater than 500 ms, and / or the maximum purge pressure of the sub-delay purge operation is greater than 0.8 MPa, then in the gas switching interval in the N+1th cycle, the control module controls the purge gas control component to perform an initial purge operation according to the initial purge time and / or initial purge pressure in the initial purge operation of the first cycle, that is, in the initial purge operation in the gas switching interval of the N+1th cycle, the control module controls the initial purge time not to exceed 100 ms, and / or controls the initial purge pressure not to exceed 0.2 MPa.

[0084] In the embodiments of the present application, the initial purge time in the first round of cycle for different gas switching intervals may be the same or different, and the initial purge pressure in the first round of cycle for different gas switching intervals may be the same or different. Specifically, the initial purge time and the initial purge pressure in the first round of cycle are set according to the type of different process gases, the concentration of the process gases, the conveying rate and conveying time of the process gases in the gas pipeline, the design of the gas pipeline, the ambient temperature of the gas pipeline, etc.

[0085] Although the embodiments of the present application have been described in detail above, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made to these embodiments. However, it should be understood that such modifications and changes fall within the scope and spirit of the present application described in the claims. Moreover, the present application described herein may have other embodiments and can be implemented or realized in various ways.

Claims

1. A control method for a semiconductor device, characterized in that, The semiconductor device includes a gas supply pipeline communicating with a semiconductor processing chamber and a control module. The gas supply pipeline is provided with a gas detection device and a purge gas control member; The control method includes a purge step performed during the gas switching interval between two process gases in the gas supply pipeline, where the purge step includes: After the control module controls the purge gas control member to introduce and discharge purge gas into the gas supply pipeline for an initial purge operation, the gas detection device detects the gas concentration information in the gas supply pipeline and sends it to the control module. The control module determines whether to perform a delayed purge operation based on the gas concentration information until the gas concentration in the gas supply pipeline does not exceed a preset gas concentration threshold; The control module obtains the initial purge parameters of the initial purge operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle based on the purge parameters of the initial purge operation and the purge parameters of the delayed purge operation in the N-th cycle, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

2. The control method of the semiconductor device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas switching interval includes at least two gas switching intervals. The purge step is performed once in each gas switching interval, and the purge step includes: The control module obtains the initial purge parameters of the initial purge operation in the corresponding gas switching interval in the (N + 1)-th cycle based on the purge parameters of the initial purge operation and the purge parameters of the delayed purge operation in the gas switching interval in the N-th cycle.

3. The control method of the semiconductor device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The delayed purge operation includes at least one sub-delayed purge operation; the step where the control module determines whether to perform a delayed purge operation based on the gas concentration information until the gas concentration in the gas supply pipeline does not exceed a preset gas concentration threshold includes: The control module determines that the gas concentration in the gas supply pipeline is greater than the preset gas concentration threshold based on the gas concentration information, and controls the purge gas control member to introduce and discharge purge gas into the gas supply pipeline for the sub-delayed purge operation. Then, the gas detection device detects the gas concentration information in the gas supply pipeline and sends it to the control module. The control module determines whether to repeat the sub-delayed purge operation and the acquisition of the gas concentration information until the gas concentration in the gas supply pipeline does not exceed the preset gas concentration threshold.

4. The control method of the semiconductor device according to claim 2, characterized in that, Applied to deep silicon etching process, each cycle of the deep silicon etching process includes a first gas switching interval for switching from a deposition gas to an etching gas and a second gas switching interval for switching from the etching gas to the deposition gas; The purge step performed in the first gas switching interval includes: the control module obtains the initial purge parameters of the initial purge operation in the first gas switching interval in the (N + 1)-th cycle based on the purge parameters of the initial purge operation and the purge parameters of the delayed purge operation in the first gas switching interval in the N-th cycle; The purging step performed during the second gas switching interval includes: the control module obtaining the initial purging parameters of the initial purging operation during the second gas switching interval in the (N + 1)-th cycle based on the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the purging parameters of the delayed purging operation during the second gas switching interval in the N-th cycle.

5. The control method of the semiconductor device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The purging parameters include purging time and / or purging pressure. The step of the control module obtaining the initial purging parameters of the initial purging operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle based on the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the purging parameters of the delayed purging operation in the N-th cycle includes: The control module obtaining the initial purging time of the initial purging operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle based on the sum of the initial purging time of the initial purging operation and the delayed purging time of the delayed purging operation in the N-th cycle; and / or, the control module obtaining the initial purging pressure of the initial purging operation in the (N + 1)-th cycle based on the delayed purging pressure of the delayed purging operation in the N-th cycle.

6. The control method of the semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein The gas pipeline is further provided with a cavity inlet control valve and at least two groups of process gas input control members. The cavity inlet control valve is arranged at the first end of the gas pipeline, and the at least two groups of process gas input control members are arranged at the second end of the gas pipeline. The first end is the end of the gas pipeline close to the semiconductor processing cavity; The step of the control module controlling the purging gas control member to make the gas pipeline introduce and discharge purging gas for the initial purging operation includes: after the control module controls the cavity inlet control valve and the at least two groups of process gas input control members to be in the closed state, then controlling the purging gas control member to be in the open state, so that the gas pipeline continuously introduces and discharges purging gas.

7. The control method of a semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein, The purging gas control member includes a purging gas input control member and a purging gas output control member. The purging gas input control member is arranged at the first end of the gas pipeline, and the purging gas output control member and the at least two groups of process gas input control members are arranged at the second end of the gas pipeline through a multi-way valve; The step of the control module controlling the purging gas control member to make the gas pipeline introduce and discharge purging gas for the initial purging operation includes: the control module controlling the purging gas input control member and the purging gas output control member to be in the open state, and making the purging gas blow from the first end of the gas pipeline to the second end of the gas pipeline.

8. The control method of the semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein The purging parameters include purging time and / or purging pressure; in the initial purging operation of the first-round cycle, the control module controls the initial purging time to be 0 - 3 s, and / or the control module controls the initial purging pressure not to exceed 0.2 MPa; in each sub-delayed purging operation, the control module controls the delayed purging time to be 50 ms, and / or the control module controls the delayed purging pressure to increase by 0.1 MPa; in the purging operation, the control module controls the total purging time of the initial purging operation and the delayed purging operation not to exceed 5 s, and / or the control module controls the maximum purging pressure of the sub-delayed purging operation not to exceed 0.8 MPa.

9. The control method of a semiconductor device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The purging parameters include purging time and / or purging pressure; the control method of the semiconductor device is used to control the Bosch process. In the initial purging operation of the first-round cycle of the Bosch process, the control module controls the initial purging time not to exceed 100 ms, and / or the control module controls the initial purging pressure not to exceed 0.2 MPa; in each sub-delayed purging operation of the Bosch process, the control module controls the delayed purging time to be 50 ms, and / or the control module controls the delayed purging pressure to increase by 0.1 MPa; in the purging operation of the Bosch process, the control module controls the total purging time of the initial purging operation and the delayed purging operation not to exceed 500 ms, and / or the control module controls the maximum purging pressure of the sub-delayed purging operation not to exceed 0.8 MPa.

10. The control method of the semiconductor device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It further includes the step: the control module compares the initial purging parameters of the initial purging operation of the (N + 1)-th round cycle obtained with a preset threshold value, and issues an alarm when the initial purging parameters of the initial purging operation of the (N + 1)-th round cycle obtained are greater than the preset threshold value.

11. A semiconductor device, characterized in that, It includes: A semiconductor processing chamber; A gas delivery pipeline, which is communicated with the semiconductor processing chamber to be used for inputting at least two process gases into the semiconductor processing chamber; A gas detection device, which is arranged on the gas delivery pipeline and is used for detecting the gas concentration information in the gas delivery pipeline after the purging operation ends; A purging gas control component, which is arranged on the gas delivery pipeline and is used for introducing and discharging purging gas into the gas delivery pipeline; A control module, which is connected with the gas detection device and the purging gas control component. The control module is used for controlling the purging gas control component to make the gas delivery pipeline introduce and discharge purging gas to perform an initial purging operation during the gas switching interval of the two process gases in the gas delivery pipeline, and then judging whether to perform a delayed purging operation according to the gas concentration information until the gas concentration in the gas delivery pipeline does not exceed a preset gas concentration threshold value; and the control module is further used for obtaining the initial purging parameters of the initial purging operation of the (N + 1)-th round cycle according to the purging parameters of the initial purging operation and the purging parameters of the delayed purging operation of the N-th round cycle, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein, It further includes a cavity intake control valve and at least two groups of process gas input control components. The purge gas control component includes a purge gas input control component and a purge gas output control component. The purge gas input control component and the cavity intake control valve are arranged at the first end of the gas pipeline, and the purge gas output control component and the at least two groups of process gas input control components are arranged at the second end of the gas pipeline through a multi-way valve. The first end is the end of the gas pipeline close to the semiconductor processing cavity.

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