Gas uniformizing assembly and semiconductor equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a gas uniformizing assembly and a semiconductor device, the gas uniformizing assembly is applied to the semiconductor device and is arranged around a wafer carrying disc, the gas uniformizing assembly comprises a plasma cut-off gas uniformizing ring and a heating unit, the plasma cut-off gas uniformizing ring comprises a plurality of hollow holes, and the heating unit is arranged at the bottom of the plasma cut-off gas uniformizing ring. The plurality of hollow holes of the plasma cut-off gas uniformizing ring allow gas to pass through, so that the flow guide efficiency of the gas can be improved; meanwhile, the plasma cut-off gas homogenizing ring is heated through the heating unit arranged at the bottom of the plasma cut-off gas homogenizing ring, by-products left on the cut-off gas homogenizing ring can be effectively removed, accumulation of the by-products on the plasma cut-off gas homogenizing ring is avoided, the by-products are not prone to polluting wafers, and the quality of the wafers is improved. Therefore, the yield of wafers is improved, and the preventive maintenance period of a machine is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, and in particular to a gas distribution component and a semiconductor device. Background Art

[0002] The etching process is a key process step in the semiconductor manufacturing process. This process is performed after the lithography process, and its purpose is to actually transfer the integrated circuit structure onto the wafer. The etching process is closely related to the lithography process, and the pattern quality during the exposure and development in the lithography process directly affects the pattern quality after etching, which is particularly important for the integrated circuit manufacturing that requires strict control of dimensions and line widths.

[0003] In the existing thin film etching process, the process equipment sprays reaction gas from top to bottom onto the wafer placed on the chuck to perform the etching process. To ensure the stability and uniformity of the thin film etching, a plasma cut-off gas distribution ring is usually configured in the process chamber to extract excess reaction gas and reaction by-products. Currently, during the thin film etching process, mainly through the side pumping or bottom pumping of the chamber, the reaction gas after reaction is transported to the exhaust gas treatment equipment through the air holes on the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring.

[0004] During the long-term etching process, the reaction by-products will adhere and accumulate on the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring. As the use time extends, these reaction by-products will cause particle contamination on the wafer, thereby affecting the product yield and extending the preventive maintenance cycle of the machine tool. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The problem solved by the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a gas distribution component and a semiconductor device, which are used to avoid the accumulation of by-products on the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring, so that the by-products are not easily contaminated on the wafer, thereby improving the wafer yield and extending the preventive maintenance cycle of the machine tool.

[0006] To solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides a gas distribution component, which is applied to a semiconductor device. The gas distribution component is disposed around the wafer carrier. The gas distribution component includes: a plasma cut-off gas distribution ring, which includes a plurality of hollow holes for gas passage; a heating unit, which is disposed at the bottom of the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring and is used to heat the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring to remove the by-products on the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring.

[0007] Optionally, the heating unit includes: one or more heating elements, and electrode terminals are disposed at both ends of each heating element.

[0008] Optionally, the heating element includes: an arc-shaped body having an inner wall surface that forms an annular channel extending circumferentially and not closed; a heating structure located in the annular channel; and the electrode terminals disposed at each end of the heating structure and exposed outside the arc-shaped body.

[0009] Optionally, the heating structure includes an infrared lamp, a halogen lamp, a xenon lamp, or a metal halide lamp.

[0010] Optionally, the plasma cutoff air distribution ring is in a disc shape and is concentrically arranged with the non-closed annular channel of the arc-shaped body.

[0011] Optionally, the number of the heating elements is multiple, and the non-closed annular channels of the multiple arc-shaped bodies are concentrically arranged.

[0012] Optionally, the electrode terminals of each heating element are located on the same side of the heating unit, and the electrode terminals at both ends of the heating element in the inner ring arc-shaped body are located between the electrode terminals at both ends of the heating element in the outer ring arc-shaped body.

[0013] Optionally, the number of the heating elements is multiple, and the multiple heating elements are connected in parallel.

[0014] Optionally, the air distribution assembly further includes: a positioning and supporting structure for fixing the plasma cutoff air distribution ring and the heating unit together. The positioning and supporting structure includes: a supporting member for supporting the heating element; and a fixing member, the bottom end of the fixing member is connected to the top of the supporting member, and the top end of the fixing member is connected to the plasma cutoff air distribution ring.

[0015] Optionally, the supporting member includes: a first engaging portion connected to the bottom of the fixing member; a second engaging portion fixedly disposed below the first engaging portion, and a through region for the heating element to pass through is jointly formed by the bottom of the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion.

[0016] Optionally, the radial dimension of the bottom of the fixing member is larger than that of the top, and the top of the fixing member penetrates through the top of the supporting member.

[0017] Optionally, the air distribution assembly further includes: an external connection structure. The external connection structure includes: an electrode base including a plurality of through holes; lead-out electrodes penetrating through the through holes. The number of the lead-out electrodes is multiple and corresponds to the electrode terminals one by one. One end of the lead-out electrode is connected to the electrode terminal, and the other end of the lead-out electrode is connected to an external power supply; and an insulating protective layer disposed between the outer sidewall of the lead-out electrode and the through hole.

[0018] Optionally, the lead-out electrode further includes: a connection jack located at an end of the lead-out electrode close to the electrode terminal, and the electrode terminal is disposed in the connection jack.

[0019] Optionally, the heating unit further includes: an insulating sealing ring wrapped around the connection between the electrode terminal and the heating element.

[0020] Optionally, the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring includes: a central hole located at the center of the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring; and the hollow holes arranged in multiple annular circles around the central hole.

[0021] A semiconductor device includes: a cavity including a reaction chamber; a wafer carrier disposed in the reaction chamber; the gas distribution assembly disposed between the periphery of the wafer carrier and the side wall of the reaction chamber; an air inlet disposed in the reaction chamber and above the wafer carrier; and an air extraction port disposed in the reaction chamber and below the wafer carrier.

[0022] Optionally, the gas distribution assembly includes an external connection structure, and the external connection structure includes: an electrode base including a plurality of through holes; a lead-out electrode passing through the through holes and connected to the heating unit; and a chamber hole is provided on the side wall of the reaction chamber, and the electrode base is fixedly disposed in the chamber hole.

[0023] Optionally, the semiconductor device further includes: a support base; the wafer carrier is located on the support base and exposes the edge of the support base; the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring of the gas distribution assembly is concentrically arranged with the wafer carrier, and the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring is fixedly disposed on the edge of the support base.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention has the following advantages:

[0025] The gas distribution assembly provided by the embodiment of the present invention is applied to a semiconductor device. The gas distribution assembly is disposed around the periphery of the wafer carrier. The gas distribution assembly includes a plasma cut-off gas distribution ring and a heating unit. The plasma cut-off gas distribution ring includes a plurality of hollow holes, and the heating unit is disposed at the bottom of the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring. The plurality of hollow holes of the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring allow gas to pass through, which is beneficial to improving the gas flow guiding efficiency; at the same time, the heating unit disposed at the bottom of the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring heats the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring, which can effectively remove the by-products on the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring, avoid the accumulation of by-products on the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring, make the by-products not easily contaminate the wafer, thereby improving the yield of the wafer and extending the preventive maintenance cycle of the machine tool.

[0026] In the semiconductor device provided by the embodiment of the present invention, a cavity is provided. The cavity includes a reaction chamber, and the reaction chamber includes a wafer carrier. A gas distribution component is arranged between the side of the wafer carrier and the side wall of the reaction chamber, and an air inlet located above the wafer carrier and an air extraction port located below the wafer carrier are also arranged in the reaction chamber. When the semiconductor device provided by the embodiment of the present invention works, after the gas enters the reaction chamber from the air inlet, it performs a process on the wafer on the wafer carrier, generating reaction by-products and impurity gases. Since the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring on the gas distribution component has a plurality of hollow holes, it is beneficial to improve the diversion efficiency of the reaction by-products and impurity gases, guiding the reaction by-products and impurity gases to flow downward from the gas distribution component between the periphery of the wafer carrier and the side wall of the reaction chamber, and finally discharging from the air extraction port located below the wafer carrier, forming a stable air flow channel inside the semiconductor structure. When the semiconductor device is not working, the heating unit at the bottom of the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring can heat the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring, enabling the by-products on the cutoff gas distribution ring to sublime, effectively removing the by-products, avoiding sediment contamination of the wafer surface, and finally improving the wafer yield and extending the preventive maintenance cycle of the machine. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the gas distribution component in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the heating unit in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the external connection structure in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 It is a front view structural diagram of the positioning and supporting structure in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 6 It is an axonometric structural diagram of the positioning and supporting structure in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of the assembly of the positioning and supporting structure, the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring and the heating unit in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 8 It is a partial enlarged view of the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 9 It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the semiconductor device in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 10 is Figure 9 A partial enlarged schematic view of the gas equalizing component in

[0037] Figure 11 is Figure 10 A partial enlarged schematic view of location A in Detailed implementation manners

[0038] As can be seen from the background art, to ensure the stability and uniformity of thin film etching, a plasma cut-off gas equalizing ring is usually configured in the process chamber to extract excess reaction gases and reaction by-products. Currently, during the thin film etching process, mainly through side pumping or bottom pumping of the chamber, the reacted gases are transported to the exhaust gas treatment equipment through the gas distribution holes on the cut-off gas equalizing ring. During long-term etching, the reaction by-products will adhere to and accumulate on the plasma cut-off gas equalizing ring. As the usage time prolongs, these reaction by-products will cause particle contamination on the wafer, thus affecting the product yield.

[0039] To solve the above technical problems, the gas equalizing component provided in the embodiments of the present invention is applied to a semiconductor device. The gas equalizing component is disposed around the wafer carrier. The gas equalizing component includes a plasma cut-off gas equalizing ring and a heating unit. The plasma cut-off gas equalizing ring has a plurality of hollow holes, and the heating unit is disposed at the bottom of the plasma cut-off gas equalizing ring. The plurality of hollow holes in the plasma cut-off gas equalizing ring allow gas to pass through, which is beneficial to improving the gas flow guiding efficiency. At the same time, by heating the plasma cut-off gas equalizing ring with the heating unit disposed at the bottom of the plasma cut-off gas equalizing ring, the by-products on the plasma cut-off gas equalizing ring can be effectively removed, preventing the by-products from accumulating on the plasma cut-off gas equalizing ring, making it difficult for the by-products to contaminate the wafer, thereby improving the wafer yield and extending the preventive maintenance cycle of the machine.

[0040] To make the above objects, features, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more obvious and understandable, the following detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present invention will be given with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] Refer to Figures 1 to 3 , the embodiments of the present invention provide a gas equalizing component 100. The gas equalizing component 100 is applied to a semiconductor device. The gas equalizing component 100 is disposed around a wafer carrier (not shown in the figure). The gas equalizing component 100 includes: a plasma cut-off gas equalizing ring 101, the plasma cut-off gas equalizing ring 101 has a plurality of hollow holes 1011 (as Figure 8 shown) for allowing gas to pass through; a heating unit 102 disposed at the bottom of the plasma cut-off gas equalizing ring 101 for heating the plasma cut-off gas equalizing ring 101 to remove the by-products on the plasma cut-off gas equalizing ring 101.

[0042] The gas distribution component 100 provided by the embodiment of the present invention is applied to a semiconductor device and is arranged around a wafer carrier. The gas distribution component 100 includes a plasma cutoff gas distribution ring 101 and a heating unit 102. The plasma cutoff gas distribution ring 101 includes a plurality of hollow holes 1011, and the heating unit 102 is arranged at the bottom of the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring 101. The plurality of hollow holes 1011 of the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring 101 allow gas to pass through, which is beneficial to improving the gas flow guiding efficiency. In addition, when the semiconductor device is not working, the heating unit 102 arranged at the bottom of the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring 101 heats the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring 101, which can effectively remove the by-products on the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring 101, prevent the by-products from accumulating on the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring 101, make the by-products less likely to contaminate the wafer, thereby improving the yield of the wafer and extending the preventive maintenance cycle of the machine tool.

[0043] In this embodiment, the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring 101 includes a plurality of hollow holes 1011 for allowing gas to pass through.

[0044] The plasma cutoff gas distribution ring 101 is arranged around the wafer carrier and plays two roles. First, during the operation of the semiconductor device, it can block the plasma above the wafer, making it difficult for the plasma to enter the space below the wafer carrier through the side wall space of the wafer, so that there is enough plasma on the wafer surface to smoothly carry out the process. Second, it can guide the reaction by-products and impurities generated during the process to flow through the side wall of the wafer carrier. This layout enables the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring 101 to effectively guide the reaction gas from the inlet to the outlet, thereby forming a stable gas flow channel inside the semiconductor device, effectively dredging the by-products generated during the process, enabling the by-products to be smoothly discharged, further improving the gas flow guiding efficiency, ensuring the uniform distribution of gas during the process, enabling the reaction by-products and impurity gases to be effectively discharged, and being beneficial to improving the yield of the wafer and extending the preventive maintenance cycle of the machine tool.

[0045] In this embodiment, the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring 101 is in a disc shape and includes a central hole 1012 located at the center of the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring 101; the hollow holes 1011 are arranged in a multi-ring shape around the central hole 1012.

[0046] Through the central hole 1012 of the plasma cutoff gas distributor ring 101, the plasma cutoff gas distributor ring 101 can be arranged on the peripheral side of the wafer carrier; by placing the plasma cutoff gas distributor ring 101 between the peripheral side of the wafer carrier and the reaction chamber, since there are multiple hollow holes 1011 arranged in multiple circles on the plasma cutoff gas distributor ring 101, it is beneficial to improve the gas diversion efficiency, so that when the semiconductor device is working, impurity gases and reaction by-products can pass through the hollow holes 1011.

[0047] The heating unit 102 is arranged at the bottom of the plasma cutoff gas distributor ring 101 and is used to heat the plasma cutoff gas distributor ring 101 to remove the by-products on the plasma cutoff gas distributor ring 101.

[0048] During the process treatment stage, the gas distributor assembly 100 is made not to work. When it is necessary to remove by-products, the heating unit 102 is used to heat the plasma cutoff gas distributor ring 101, so as to effectively remove the by-products on the plasma cutoff gas distributor ring 101, avoid the accumulation of by-products on the plasma cutoff gas distributor ring 101, make the by-products not easily contaminate the wafer, thereby improving the yield of the wafer and extending the preventive maintenance cycle of the machine.

[0049] In this embodiment, the heating unit 102 includes: one or more heating elements 1021, and electrode terminals 1022 are arranged at both ends of each heating element 1021.

[0050] The electrode terminals 1022 of the heating unit 102 serve as the input end of electric energy, cooperate with the heating element 1021 to achieve precise heating of the plasma cutoff gas distributor ring 101. After receiving electric energy, the heating element 1021 converts it into heat energy, thereby realizing the heating function; moreover, the connection between the electrode terminals 1022 and the heating element 1021 forms a complete circuit, enabling the current to flow stably in the system and ensuring a continuous heating effect.

[0051] In this embodiment, the number of the heating elements 1021 is multiple, and the multiple heating elements 1021 are connected in parallel.

[0052] When multiple heating elements 1021 are connected in parallel, according to the characteristics of the parallel circuit, each heating element 1021 bears the same working voltage, and the current magnitude of each branch can be independently controlled, so as to achieve a more flexible temperature distribution adjustment ability, making the failure of a single heating element 1021 not cause the failure of the entire heating unit, thereby improving the redundancy and reliability of the heating unit.

[0053] In this embodiment, the heating element 1021 includes: an arc-shaped body 10211 having an inner wall surface that forms an unclosed annular channel extending circumferentially (not shown in the figure); a heating structure 10212 located in the annular channel; and the electrode terminals 1022 disposed at each end of the heating structure 10212 and exposed outside the arc-shaped body 10211.

[0054] The arc-shaped body 10211 has an inner wall surface that forms an unclosed annular channel, providing space for installing the heating structure 10212 so that the heating structure 10212 is effectively protected by the arc-shaped body 10211, thus preventing by-products generated during the etching process from directly contacting the heating structure 10212, and further extending the service life of the heating structure 10212. Moreover, by providing the electrode terminals 1022 at both ends of the heating structure 10212 and exposing them outside the arc-shaped body 10211, reliable power supply for the heating element 1021 is achieved. When the system needs to adjust the temperature, the electrode terminals 1022 can ensure a stable connection between the power supply and the heating structure 10212, thereby forming a complete circuit system, and further supporting the rapid heating and cooling function of the plasma cut-off aeration ring 101, improving the reliability of the heating element 1021.

[0055] In this embodiment, the material of the arc-shaped body 10211 includes quartz. Quartz has an extremely high melting point and thermal stability, and has good light transmittance, capable of radiating the heat inside the gas.

[0056] In this embodiment, the heating structure 10212 includes an infrared lamp, a halogen lamp, a xenon lamp, or a metal halide lamp, etc. The specific light source type of the heating structure 10212 should be selected according to actual process requirements.

[0057] Specifically, the plasma cut-off aeration ring 101 is in a disc shape, and the plasma cut-off aeration ring 101 and the unclosed annular channel of the arc-shaped body 10211 are concentrically arranged. By concentrically arranging the plasma cut-off aeration ring 101 and the unclosed annular channel of the arc-shaped body 10211, the plasma cut-off aeration ring 101 is located directly above the heating structure 10211, and the heating element 1021 can stably provide stable and uniform heat to the plasma cut-off aeration ring 101, so that by-products can be evenly sublimated from the surface of the plasma cut-off aeration ring 101 and effectively removed.

[0058] In this embodiment, the number of heating elements 1021 is multiple, and the unclosed annular channels of the multiple arc-shaped bodies 10211 are concentrically arranged. Since the unclosed annular channels of the multiple arc-shaped bodies 10211 are concentrically arranged, the heat generated by the multiple heating structures 10212 can act uniformly on each area of the plasma cutoff aeration ring 101 (for example, the inner edge and the outer edge of the plasma cutoff aeration ring 101), thereby improving the uniformity of heating, and thus facilitating the uniform removal of by-products.

[0059] It should be noted that the number of the heating elements 1021 can be two, three or four. When the number of the heating elements 1021 is two, the two unclosed annular channels are concentrically arranged. When the number of the heating elements 1021 is three, the three unclosed annular channels are concentrically arranged. When the number of the heating elements 1021 is four, the four unclosed annular channels are concentrically arranged.

[0060] It should also be noted that when the number of the heating elements 1021 is multiple, the heating elements 1021 are concentrically arranged and distributed in a surrounding manner. The diameter of the heating element 1021 and its arc-shaped body 10211 located in the relatively outer ring is larger than the diameter of the heating element 1021 and its arc-shaped body 10211 located in the relatively inner ring.

[0061] In this embodiment, the electrode terminals of each heating element 1021 are located on the same side of the heating unit 102, and the electrode terminals 1022 at both ends of the heating element 1021 in the inner ring arc-shaped body 10211 are located between the electrode terminals 1022 at both ends of the heating element 1021 in the outer ring arc-shaped body 10211.

[0062] By uniformly arranging the electrode terminals 1022 of each heating element 1021 on the same side of the heating unit 102 and cleverly placing the electrode terminals 1022 of the heating element 1021 in the inner ring arc-shaped body 10211 between the electrode terminals 1022 of the heating element 1021 in the outer ring arc-shaped body 10211, centralized management of the electrode terminals 1022 is achieved, thereby reducing the complexity of wiring, and thus improving the convenience of assembly and maintenance of the aeration assembly 100, making the structure of the entire heating unit 102 more compact and reasonable, which is beneficial to improving the overall performance and reliability of the semiconductor device.

[0063] As an example, the electrode terminal 1022 has an extending direction, and the extending directions of all the electrode terminals 1022 are the same.

[0064] In this embodiment, the heating unit 102 further includes: an insulating sealing ring 1023 (as Figure 3 shown), which is wrapped around the connection between the electrode terminal 1022 and the heating element 1021.

[0065] The insulating sealing ring 1023 is wrapped around the connection between the electrode terminal 1022 and the heating element 1021, achieving electrical insulation at the connection between the electrode terminal 1022 and the heating element 1021. It can prevent accidental contact between the connection of the electrode terminal 1022 and the heating element 1021 and other conductive components, thus ensuring the safe operation of the heating unit 102 and enabling the entire gas distribution assembly 100 to work stably and reliably.

[0066] As Figure 4 shown, the gas distribution assembly 100 further includes: an external connection structure 103, and the external connection structure 103 includes: an electrode base 1031, which includes a plurality of through holes (not shown in the figure); a lead-out electrode 1032, passing through the through holes. The number of the lead-out electrodes 1032 is multiple and corresponds to the electrode terminals 1022 one by one. One end of the lead-out electrode 1032 is connected to the electrode terminal 1022, and the other end of the lead-out electrode 1032 is connected to an external power supply.

[0067] By providing a plurality of through holes in the electrode base 1031 and using the lead-out electrodes 1032 to pass through these through holes, a reliable electrical connection channel is established between the gas distribution assembly 100 and the external power supply, providing a stable energy supply for the heating unit 102. Furthermore, the heating function of the heating unit 102 is realized, enabling the by-products deposited on the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring 101 during the process to be effectively removed, which is beneficial to improving the working efficiency and product yield of the semiconductor device.

[0068] In this embodiment, the number of through holes matches the number of heating elements 1021. When the number of heating elements 1021 is two, the number of through holes is four; when the number of heating elements 1021 is three, the number of through holes is six.

[0069] The external connection structure 103 further includes: an insulating protective layer 1033, which is arranged between the outer side wall of the lead-out electrode 1032 and the through holes.

[0070] The insulating protective layer 1033 is located between the outer side wall of the lead-out electrode 1032 and the through holes, and is used to form a reliable insulating barrier, thereby preventing electrical contact between the lead-out electrode 1032 and the electrode base 1031, and further ensuring the electrical safety of the external connection structure 103, providing a guarantee for the normal operation of the heating unit 102, and enabling the entire gas distribution assembly 100 to operate safely and stably.

[0071] In this embodiment, the insulating protective layer 1033 adopts a sleeve structure, which is sleeved on the outer side wall of the lead-out electrode 1032 and extends to the through hole area.

[0072] In this embodiment, the insulating protective layer 1033 includes a ceramic insulating layer. The ceramic insulating layer material has excellent electrical insulation performance and high-temperature resistance characteristics, which can achieve reliable electrical isolation between the lead electrode 1032 and the cavity, thereby preventing electrical leakage and short circuits, and further ensuring the safety and stability of the equipment operation.

[0073] It should be noted that the electrode base 1031 further includes: a sealing groove 1034, which is located on the side of the electrode base 1031 facing the side wall of the reaction chamber. The sealing groove 1034 is used to arrange an O-ring seal.

[0074] In this embodiment, the lead electrode 1032 further includes: a connection jack (not labeled), which is located at the end of the lead electrode 1032 close to the electrode terminal, and the electrode terminal 1022 is arranged in the connection jack.

[0075] The connection jack is located at the end of the lead electrode 1032 close to the electrode terminal. The electrode terminal 1022 is arranged in the connection jack, so that the electrode terminal 1022 and the lead electrode 1032 form a stable electrical connection, thereby ensuring that the heating unit 102 obtains a reliable power supply, and thus ensuring that the heating function of the gas distribution component 100 can function normally, enabling the entire process to proceed smoothly, which is beneficial to improving the working reliability of the semiconductor equipment.

[0076] As Figures 5 to 7 shown, the gas distribution component 100 further includes: a positioning and supporting structure 104, which is used to fix the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring 101 and the heating unit 102 together. The positioning and supporting structure 104 includes: a supporting member 1041, which is used to support the heating element 1021; a fixing member 1042, the bottom end of the fixing member 1042 is connected to the top of the supporting member 1041, and the top end of the fixing member 1042 is connected to the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring 101.

[0077] The supporting member 1041 and the fixing member 1042 are combined by upper and lower connection. Among them, the bottom end of the fixing member 1042 is connected to the top of the supporting member 1041, and the top end of the fixing member 1042 is connected to the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring 101, so that the supporting member 1041 can indirectly fix the heating element 1021 below the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring 101 through the fixing member 1042. The supporting member 1041 provides support for the heating element 1021, and through the cooperative connection with the fixing member 1042, the stable positioning of the heating element 1021 is realized, thereby ensuring the structural stability of the heating element 1021 during the working process, which is beneficial to the rapid volatilization of the reaction by-products on the plasma cutoff gas distribution ring 101.

[0078] In this embodiment, the radial dimension of the bottom of the fixing member 1042 is greater than that of the top, and the top of the fixing member 1042 penetrates through the top of the supporting member 1041.

[0079] After the top of the fixing member 1042 penetrates through the top of the supporting member 1041 and is connected to the plasma cutoff air distribution ring 101, since the radial dimension of the bottom of the fixing member 1042 is greater than that of the top, the bottom of the fixing member 1042 can abut against the top of the supporting member 1041. That is to say, while the top of the fixing member 1042 is connected to the plasma cutoff air distribution ring 101, the supporting member 1041 is hung below the plasma cutoff air distribution ring 101 through the bottom of the fixing member 1042. When the air distribution assembly 100 works, the heating unit 102 can smoothly heat the plasma cutoff air distribution ring 101 above it so that the reaction by-products and impurity gases on the plasma cutoff air distribution ring 101 can be effectively removed.

[0080] Specifically, the fixing member 1042 is a bolt structure, where the top of the fixing member 1042 is a threaded area, and the bottom of the fixing member 1042 is a hexagonal or other polygonal bolt head. The threaded area penetrates through the top of the supporting member 1041 and is firmly connected to the plasma cutoff air distribution ring 101 through threaded connection, and the bolt head is in close fit with the first joint portion 1041a of the supporting member 1041.

[0081] In this embodiment, as Figure 8 shown, fixing holes 1013 are provided on the plasma cutoff air distribution ring 101, and the fixing holes 1013 are fixedly connected to the top of the fixing member 1042. As an example, the top of the fixing member 1042 has an external thread, and the fixing holes 1013 have internal threads, and the fixing member 1042 and the fixing holes 1013 are in threaded cooperation.

[0082] In this embodiment, the number of the positioning and supporting structures 104 is multiple, and they are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction on the plasma cutoff air distribution ring 101.

[0083] In this embodiment, the supporting member 1041 includes: a first joint portion 1041a connected to the bottom of the fixing member 1042; a second joint portion 1041b fixedly arranged below the first joint portion 1041a, and a through area for the heating element 1021 to pass through is jointly formed by the bottom of the first joint portion 1041a and the second joint portion 1041b.

[0084] The supporting member 1041, through the connection of the first joint portion 1041a with the bottom of the fixing member 1042, and the fixed setting of the first joint portion 1041a and the second joint portion 1041b, provides a stable support for the heating element 1021 in the first joint portion 1041a and the second joint portion 1041b, enabling the heating unit 102 to stably heat the plasma cut-off aeration ring 101, so that the by-products generated during the etching process can be effectively removed, which is beneficial to improving the working efficiency and product yield of the entire semiconductor device.

[0085] As an example, both the first joint portion 1041a and the second joint portion 1041b are sheet metal parts, which have the advantages of low cost, simple processing, light weight, high strength, good heat dissipation performance, etc. In other embodiments, the first joint portion and the second joint portion can also be components made of other suitable materials such as castings, forgings or injection moldings.

[0086] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a semiconductor device, referring to Figure 9 and Figure 10 , including: a cavity, including a reaction chamber 200; a wafer carrier 300 disposed in the reaction chamber 200; the aeration assembly 100 disposed between the periphery of the wafer carrier 300 and the side wall of the reaction chamber 200; an air inlet 400 disposed in the reaction chamber 200 and above the wafer carrier 300; and an air extraction port 500 disposed in the reaction chamber 200 and below the wafer carrier 300.

[0087] When the semiconductor device provided by the embodiment of the present invention is working, after the gas enters the reaction chamber 200 from the air inlet 400, it performs a process on the wafer on the wafer carrier 300, generating reaction by-products and impurity gases. Since the plasma cut-off aeration ring 101 on the aeration assembly 100 has a plurality of hollow holes 1011, it is beneficial to improve the diversion efficiency of the reaction by-products and impurity gases, guiding the reaction by-products and impurity gases to flow downward from the aeration assembly 100 between the side portion around the wafer carrier 300 and the side wall of the reaction chamber 200, and finally discharging from the air extraction port 500 below the wafer carrier 300, forming a stable air flow channel inside the semiconductor structure; in addition, during the process, the entering gas reacts with the wafer to generate by-products. Combining with the stable air flow channel inside the semiconductor structure, the by-products are not easily attached to the plasma cut-off aeration ring 101. After the process is completed, the heating unit 102 at the bottom of the plasma cut-off aeration ring 101 can heat the plasma cut-off aeration ring 101, enabling the by-products on the plasma cut-off aeration ring 101 to sublime, so that the by-products can be effectively removed, avoiding sediment contamination of the wafer surface, and finally achieving the wafer yield.

[0088] In this embodiment, the reaction chamber 200 of the cavity realizes the closed environment required for the process through the sealed space design and reasonable component layout.

[0089] In this embodiment, the wafer carrier 300 includes an electrostatic chuck (ESC) temperature control system, which realizes stable loading and precise temperature adjustment of the wafer. When thin film deposition is carried out, the required temperature is relatively low, and the wafer carrier 300 can control the temperature at a preset temperature (such as 30 °C).

[0090] In this embodiment, the semiconductor device further includes: a support base (not labeled); the wafer carrier is located on the support base and exposes the edge of the support base; the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring 101 of the gas distribution assembly 100 is concentrically arranged with the wafer carrier 300, and the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring 101 is fixedly arranged at the edge of the support base.

[0091] As the basic support structure of the semiconductor device, the support base not only supports the wafer carrier but also exposes the edge of the support base, providing a fixed space for the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring 101, thereby realizing the concentric arrangement of the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring 101 and the wafer carrier 300. Therefore, the stability and uniformity of gas flow are ensured, which is beneficial to improving the yield of wafers.

[0092] Specifically, the support base includes: a cathode sleeve 800 (as Figure 10 shown), which is arranged outside the wafer carrier 300. The top of the cathode sleeve 800 is fixed to the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring 101 by bolts and connects the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring 101 to the ground wire to make it in a zero-potential state. Such grounding can prevent electrostatic accumulation and ensure the safe operation of the semiconductor device.

[0093] In this embodiment, the gas distribution assembly 100 is arranged between the periphery of the wafer carrier 300 and the side wall of the reaction chamber 200.

[0094] The gas distribution component 100 is arranged between the periphery of the wafer carrier 300 and the side wall of the reaction chamber 200 and plays three roles. First, during the operation of the semiconductor device, the gas distribution component 100 can block the plasma above the wafer, making it difficult for the plasma to enter the lower part of the wafer carrier 300 through the space on the side wall of the wafer, so that there is enough plasma on the wafer surface to smoothly carry out the process. Second, it can guide the reaction by-products and impurities generated during the process to flow through the side wall of the wafer carrier 300. This layout enables the gas distribution component 100 to effectively guide the reaction gas from the gas inlet 400 to the gas outlet 500, thereby forming a stable gas flow channel inside the semiconductor device, further improving the gas diversion efficiency, and thus ensuring the uniform distribution of gas during the process, enabling the reaction by-products and impurity gases to be effectively discharged, which is beneficial to improving the yield of the wafer. In addition, when the semiconductor device is not working, by heating the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring 101 through the heating unit 102 arranged at the bottom of the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring 101, the by-products on the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring 101 can be effectively removed, avoiding the accumulation of by-products on the plasma cut-off gas distribution ring 101, making it difficult for the by-products to contaminate the wafer, and thus improving the yield of the wafer.

[0095] Combined Figure 4 , refer to Figure 11 , the gas distribution component 100 includes an external connection structure 103, and the external connection structure 103 includes: an electrode base 1031, which includes a plurality of through holes (not marked); a lead-out electrode 1032, which passes through the through holes and is connected to the heating unit 102. Specifically, the number of the lead-out electrodes 1032 is multiple and corresponds to the electrode terminals 1022 one by one. One end of the lead-out electrode 1032 is connected to the electrode terminal 1022, and the other end of the lead-out electrode 1032 is connected to an external power supply; an insulating protective layer 1033 is arranged between the outer side wall of the lead-out electrode 1032 and the through holes. The electrode base 1031 is fixedly arranged on the side wall of the reaction chamber 200, and a chamber hole (not shown in the figure) is arranged on the side wall of the reaction chamber 200 for the lead-out electrode 1032 to pass through.

[0096] By opening chamber holes on the side wall of the reaction chamber 200 and providing a plurality of corresponding through holes on the electrode base 1031, a physical channel for leading out the electrode 1032 through the reaction chamber 200 is provided, realizing a reliable electrical connection from an external power source to the electrode terminal 1022 of the heating unit 102. At the same time, by providing an insulating protective layer 1033 between the outer side wall of the leading-out electrode 1032 and the through hole, the two are insulated from each other, ensuring the electrical safety of the power supply system. And the electrode base 1031 provides stable mechanical support for the entire external structure 103 by being fixedly arranged on the side wall of the reaction chamber 200. Therefore, the cooperation between this external structure 103 and the chamber holes on the side wall of the reaction chamber 200 not only establishes a safe and reliable power supply channel but also realizes a stable structural connection, ensuring that the heating unit 102 can obtain a stable power supply, enabling the heating function of the heating unit 102 to be normally exerted, and further ensuring that the by-products generated during the etching process can be removed in a timely and effective manner, ultimately improving the working efficiency and product yield of the semiconductor device.

[0097] In this embodiment, the electrode base 1031 is fixedly arranged on the inner side wall of the reaction chamber 200 by bolts. The bolts can provide stable and reliable mechanical connection.

[0098] In this embodiment, the gas inlet 400 is arranged in the reaction chamber 200 and above the wafer carrier 300. The incoming reaction gas is ionized in the chamber to form a highly chemically active plasma, and the plasma can directly contact the wafer surface, thus ensuring that the process gas fully contacts the wafer and realizing precise processing of the wafer.

[0099] Specifically, the top of the reaction chamber 200 has a plurality of gas inlet pipelines 201 and gas inlet nozzles 202 connected to the plurality of gas inlet pipelines 201, and the gas inlet nozzles 202 are arranged in the gas inlet 400.

[0100] By the structure of providing a plurality of gas inlet pipelines 201 and gas inlet nozzles 202 at the top of the reaction chamber 200, multi-channel independent transportation of process gases can be realized, so that different types of gases can be transported to the reaction chamber 200 through independent pipelines, and further ensuring that various process gases will not be premixed or reacted in the gas inlet pipelines 201. Therefore, the composition and flow rate of various gases entering the reaction chamber 200 can be precisely controlled, enabling the process gases to reach the wafer surface according to the preset ratio and timing, which is beneficial to improving the controllability of the process and the product yield.

[0101] As an example, at low temperature conditions (30 °C), NH4F or NH4F·HF reacts chemically with SiO2 to form solid (NH4)2SiF6 and water (H2O). This reaction process can be expressed as: NH4F or NH4F·HF + SiO2 → (NH4)2SiF6(s) + H2O. The key to this reaction is that the fluoride ions (F-) in ammonium fluoride (NH4F) or ammonium fluoride hydrofluoric acid complex (NH4F·HF) react with the silicon-oxygen bonds (Si-O) in silicon dioxide (SiO2), thereby forming the reaction by-product ammonium hexafluorosilicate [(NH4)2SiF6], and then releasing water molecules. This reaction process occurs at low temperature, which is beneficial to controlling the reaction rate and avoiding material damage that may be caused by high temperature.

[0102] Secondly, ammonium hexafluorosilicate [(NH4)2SiF6] generated will sublime when the temperature exceeds 80 °C. The sublimation process can be expressed as: (NH4)2SiF6(s) → SiF4(gas) + NH3(gas) + HF(gas). In this process, solid ammonium hexafluorosilicate decomposes into gaseous silicon fluoride (SiF4), ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen fluoride (HF) under heating conditions. The key lies in the thermal instability of ammonium hexafluorosilicate. As the temperature rises, its molecular structure breaks, thereby releasing the above gas products. This process is of great significance in semiconductor processes because it can effectively remove the reaction by-products on the surface of the plasma cut-off aeration ring 101, and then improve the performance and reliability of the device.

[0103] In this embodiment, the air extraction port 500 is arranged in the reaction chamber 200 and is located below the wafer carrier 300.

[0104] The air extraction port 500 is arranged below the wafer carrier 300 in the reaction chamber 200 to form a negative pressure area in the reaction chamber 200, and cooperate with the gas introduced by the air inlet 400 to achieve the directional extraction of reaction by-products and impurity gases, thereby forming a stable air flow channel from top to bottom, and then ensuring that the process gas can be evenly distributed and effectively act on the wafer surface. Therefore, the utilization efficiency of the gas is improved, the reaction products can be discharged from the chamber in time, which is beneficial to keeping the chamber clean and improving the processing quality.

[0105] In this embodiment, the air extraction port 500 is directly communicated with a negative pressure generating device 700 (as Figure 9 shown), and the pressure difference generated by the negative pressure generating device 700 drives the directional flow of gas.

[0106] Specifically, the negative pressure generating device 700 includes a molecular pump.

[0107] The semiconductor device further includes: a pressure control and cut-off valve 600 (as Figure 9As shown, it is arranged below the air extraction port 500 and above the negative pressure emission device.

[0108] The air extraction port 500 is arranged below the wafer carrier 300 in the reaction chamber 200. In cooperation with the pressure control and the cut-off valve 600, a stable air flow channel is formed with the air inlet 400, enabling the reaction gas to be evenly distributed on the wafer surface, thus ensuring the stability of the process, and further realizing the effective diversion of reaction by-products and impurity gases. Therefore, a gas channel can be formed that flows downward from the air distribution component 100 between the peripheral side of the wafer carrier 300 and the side wall of the reaction chamber 200, making the entire semiconductor device have good gas control effect during operation, which is beneficial to improving the yield of semiconductor processing and the service life of the device.

[0109] Although the present invention is disclosed as above, the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be subject to the scope defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A gas homogenizing component, characterized in that: Applied in semiconductor equipment, the gas homogenizing component is arranged around the wafer carrier, and the gas homogenizing component includes: A plasma cut-off uniform gas ring, wherein the plasma cut-off uniform gas ring includes a plurality of hollow holes for gas to pass through; The heating unit is arranged at the bottom of the plasma cut-off uniform gas ring and is used to heat the plasma cut-off uniform gas ring and remove the by-products on the plasma cut-off uniform gas ring.

2. The gas homogenizing assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating unit comprises: One or more heating elements, each of which has electrode terminals at both ends.

3. The gas homogenizing assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The heating element comprises: An arc-shaped body, wherein the arc-shaped body has an inner wall surface, and the inner wall surface forms an annular channel extending in a circumferential direction and not closed; A heating structure is located in the annular channel; The electrode terminal is arranged at each end of the heating structure, and the electrode terminal is exposed outside the arc-shaped body.

4. The gas homogenizing assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The heating structure includes an infrared lamp, a halogen lamp, a xenon lamp or a metal halide lamp.

5. The gas homogenizing assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The plasma cut-off uniform gas ring is in the shape of a disk, and the plasma cut-off uniform gas ring and the unclosed annular channel of the arc-shaped body are concentrically arranged.

6. The gas homogenizing assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: There are multiple heating elements, and the multiple non-enclosed annular channels of the arc-shaped bodies are concentrically arranged.

7. The gas homogenizing assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: The electrode terminals of each heating element are located on the same side of the heating unit, and the electrode terminals at both ends of the heating element in the inner circle of the arc-shaped body are located between the electrode terminals at both ends of the heating element in the outer circle of the arc-shaped body.

8. The gas homogenizing assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: There are multiple heating elements, and the multiple heating elements are connected in parallel.

9. The gas homogenizing assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The gas homogenizing assembly further includes: a positioning support structure, which is used to fix the plasma cut-off gas homogenizing ring and the heating unit together, and the positioning support structure includes: A supporting member, used for supporting the heating element; A fixing member, wherein the bottom end of the fixing member is connected to the top of the supporting member, and the top end of the fixing member is connected to the plasma cut-off uniform gas ring.

10. The gas homogenizing assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that: The supporting member comprises: A first joint portion connected to the bottom of the fixing member; The second joint portion is fixedly arranged below the first joint portion, and the bottom of the first joint portion and the second joint portion together form a through area for the heating element to pass through.

11. The gas homogenizing assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that: The radial dimension of the bottom of the fixing member is greater than the radial dimension of the top, and the top of the fixing member passes through the top of the supporting member.

12. The gas homogenizing assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The gas homogenizing assembly further includes an external structure, wherein the external structure includes: An electrode base, the electrode base comprising a plurality of through holes; An extraction electrode passes through the through hole, the extraction electrode is multiple and corresponds to the electrode terminal one by one, one end of the extraction electrode is connected to the electrode terminal, and the other end of the extraction electrode is connected to an external power source; The insulating protection layer is arranged between the outer wall of the lead-out electrode and the through hole.

13. The gas homogenizing assembly according to claim 12, characterized in that: The extraction electrode further comprises: A connecting jack is located at the end of the lead-out electrode close to the electrode terminal, and the electrode terminal is arranged in the connecting jack.

14. The gas homogenizing assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The heating unit further comprises: An insulating sealing ring is wrapped around the connection between the electrode terminal and the heating element.

15. The gas homogenizing assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plasma cut-off uniform gas ring comprises: a central hole located at the center of the plasma cut-off uniform gas ring; The hollow holes are arranged in a plurality of circles around the central hole.

16. A semiconductor device, characterized in that: include: a chamber, including a reaction chamber; A wafer carrier is disposed in the reaction chamber; The gas homogenizing assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 15, arranged around the wafer carrier and between the side walls of the reaction chamber; An air inlet is disposed in the reaction chamber and is located above the wafer carrier; The gas extraction port is arranged in the reaction chamber and is located below the wafer carrier.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein: The gas homogenizing assembly includes an external structure, and the external structure includes: An electrode base, the electrode base comprising a plurality of through holes; A lead-out electrode passes through the through hole and is connected to the heating unit; A chamber hole is arranged on the side wall of the reaction chamber, and the electrode base is fixedly arranged in the chamber hole.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein: The semiconductor device further comprises: a support base; The wafer carrier is located on the support base and exposed at the edge of the support base; The plasma cut-off uniform gas ring of the uniform gas assembly is concentrically arranged with the wafer carrier, and the plasma cut-off uniform gas ring is fixedly arranged on the edge of the support seat.

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