Air inlet system, control method and thin film deposition equipment

Abstract

The invention provides an air inlet system, a control method and thin film deposition equipment. The gas inlet system comprises a plurality of gas conveying branches which are used for conveying reaction gas to a plurality of corresponding process chambers respectively; the at least one heating module is arranged on the at least one gas conveying branch, the heating module comprises a first heating unit and a second heating unit, the first heating unit is arranged at the gas inlet end of the gas conveying branch, and the second heating unit is arranged at the gas outlet end of the gas conveying branch; and the controller is used for carrying out partition regulation and control on the temperature of the gas conveying branch according to a difference value between the forward conduction rate of the reaction gas in the gas conveying branch and a preset target conduction rate so as to regulate the forward conduction rate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to an air intake system, a control method for the air intake system, and a thin film deposition device. Background Art

[0002] Atomic layer deposition (ALD) tools typically require multiple reaction chambers to operate simultaneously to increase production capacity. Because these tools are often used in logic and memory processes requiring precise control of film thickness, the consistency of process parameters (such as film thickness, uniformity, and film quality) between chambers typically needs to reach 0.1nm or even 0.01nm levels.

[0003] In existing technologies, process parameter consistency between chambers is often improved through compensation functions, such as compensation for the distance between the shower plate and the heating plate, heating plate temperature compensation, or plasma energy compensation. However, existing compensation methods struggle to achieve the required consistency and accuracy required for atomic layer deposition. To overcome these shortcomings of existing technologies, a gas inlet technology is urgently needed to precisely control the gas conductivity in the gas delivery pipeline, thereby improving the consistency of process parameters between reaction chambers. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The following is a brief summary of one or more aspects to provide a basic understanding of these aspects. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of all conceivable aspects and is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of all aspects nor to define the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that will be provided later.

[0005] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, the present invention provides an air intake system, a control method of the air intake system, and a thin film deposition device for accurately controlling the gas conductivity in the gas transmission pipeline, thereby improving the consistency of process parameters between each reaction chamber.

[0006] Specifically, the air intake system provided according to the first aspect of the present invention includes: multiple gas delivery branches, which respectively deliver reaction gases to corresponding multiple process chambers; at least one heating module, which is arranged on at least one of the gas delivery branches, wherein the heating module includes a first heating unit and a second heating unit, the first heating unit is arranged at the air inlet end of the gas delivery branch, and the second heating unit is arranged at the air outlet end of the gas delivery branch; and a controller, which performs zoned control on the temperature of the gas delivery branch according to the difference between the forward conductivity of the reaction gas in the gas delivery branch and a preset target conductivity, so as to adjust the forward conductivity.

[0007] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the first temperature of the first heating unit is greater than the second temperature of the second heating unit to increase the forward conductivity of the reaction gas, and / or the first temperature of the first heating unit is less than the second temperature of the second heating unit to reduce the forward conductivity of the reaction gas.

[0008] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the air intake system further comprises: at least one first regulating mechanism, provided on at least one of the gas delivery branches, for fine-tuning the forward conductivity of the reaction gas in the gas delivery branch.

[0009] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the shape of the first regulating mechanism is selected from at least one of an arc-shaped pipeline, a bent pipeline, or a spiral pipeline.

[0010] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the first regulating mechanism includes a plurality of arc-shaped pipelines of different lengths, and / or a plurality of bent pipelines with different numbers of bends, and / or a plurality of spiral pipelines with different numbers of turns, so as to configure the first regulating mechanisms of different shapes, models and quantities on the corresponding gas transmission branches according to the target conductivity.

[0011] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the air intake system further comprises: a second regulating mechanism, provided on at least one of the gas delivery branches, for macro-regulating the reaction gas flow rate of the gas delivery branch.

[0012] In addition, the thin film deposition equipment provided according to the second aspect of the present invention includes: multiple process chambers, and reactive gases are respectively delivered to the corresponding process chambers via multiple gas delivery branches; and an air intake system as described in any one of the first aspects of the present invention.

[0013] In addition, the control method of the intake system provided according to the third aspect of the present invention includes the following steps: obtaining the forward conductivity of the reaction gas, the first temperature of the first heating unit and the second temperature of the second heating unit of at least one of the gas delivery branches in the intake system as described in any one of the first aspects of the present invention; and according to the difference between the forward conductivity of the reaction gas in the gas delivery branch and the preset target conductivity, performing zone control on the temperature of the gas delivery branch to adjust the forward conductivity.

[0014] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the step of performing zoned control on the temperature of the gas delivery branch according to the difference between the forward conductivity of the reaction gas in the gas delivery branch and the preset target conductivity includes: in response to the difference being less than a preset first threshold, adjusting the first temperature of the first heating unit to be greater than the second temperature of the second heating unit, wherein the first threshold is not greater than zero, and / or in response to the difference being greater than a preset second threshold, adjusting the first temperature of the first heating unit to be less than the second temperature of the second heating unit, wherein the second threshold is not less than zero.

[0015] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the control method of the intake system also includes the following steps: establishing a corresponding matching relationship between the forward conductivity and the shape, model and quantity of the first regulating mechanism; and configuring the first regulating mechanism of corresponding shape, model and quantity on the corresponding gas transmission branch according to the corresponding matching relationship and the target conductivity.

[0016] In addition, the computer-readable storage medium provided according to the fourth aspect of the present invention stores computer instructions thereon, and when the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the control method of the intake system as described in any one of the third aspects of the present invention is implemented. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The above features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood after reading the detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the following drawings. In the drawings, the components are not necessarily drawn to scale, and components with similar related properties or characteristics may have the same or similar reference numerals.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a thin film deposition device provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of an air intake system provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0020] Figure 3A A schematic structural diagram of an arc-shaped first adjustment mechanism provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0021] Figure 3B A schematic structural diagram of a bent first adjustment mechanism provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0022] Figure 3C A schematic structural diagram of a spiral first adjustment mechanism provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0023] Figure 4A flow chart of a method for controlling an air intake system according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0024] Reference numerals:

[0025] 10 Gas transmission branch

[0026] 20 Heating Module

[0027] 201 first heating unit

[0028] 202 Second heating unit

[0029] 30 process chambers

[0030] 40 First adjustment mechanism DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The following specific embodiments illustrate the embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention will be introduced in conjunction with the preferred embodiment, this does not mean that the features of this invention are limited to this embodiment. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the invention in conjunction with the embodiment is to cover other options or modifications that may be extended based on the claims of the present invention. In order to provide a deep understanding of the present invention, the following description will include many specific details. The present invention can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion or blurring the focus of the present invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description.

[0032] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0033] Furthermore, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "horizontal," and "vertical" used in the following description should be understood to refer to the orientations depicted in that section and the accompanying drawings. These relative terms are used solely for convenience of description and do not necessarily imply that the devices described herein must be manufactured or operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0034] It will be understood that although the terms "first," "second," "third," etc. may be used herein to describe various components, regions, layers, and / or portions, these components, regions, layers, and / or portions should not be limited by these terms, and these terms are merely used to distinguish different components, regions, layers, and / or portions. Thus, a first component, region, layer, and / or portion discussed below may be referred to as a second component, region, layer, and / or portion without departing from some embodiments of the present invention.

[0035] As mentioned above, atomic layer deposition (ALD) tools typically require multiple reaction chambers to operate simultaneously to increase production capacity. Because these tools are often used in logic and memory processes requiring precise control of film thickness, the consistency of process parameters (such as film thickness, uniformity, and film quality) between chambers typically needs to reach 0.1nm or even 0.01nm levels.

[0036] In the prior art, the consistency of process parameters between chambers is usually improved through compensation functions, such as: spacing compensation between the shower plate and the heating plate, heating plate temperature compensation, or plasma energy compensation. However, the existing compensation methods are difficult to achieve the consistency accuracy requirements required for atomic layer deposition. In order to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides an air intake system, a control method for the air intake system, and a thin film deposition device for accurately controlling the gas conductivity in the gas transmission pipeline, thereby improving the consistency of process parameters between each reaction chamber.

[0037] In some non-limiting embodiments, the air intake system provided in the first aspect of the present invention can be configured in the thin film deposition equipment provided in the second aspect of the present invention. The control method of the above-mentioned air intake system provided in the third aspect of the present invention can be implemented based on the air intake system provided in the first aspect of the present invention. Specifically, the air intake system is configured with a memory and a processor. The memory includes but is not limited to the above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium provided in the fourth aspect of the present invention, on which computer instructions are stored. The processor is connected to the memory and is configured to execute the computer instructions stored on the memory to implement the control method of the above-mentioned air intake system provided in the third aspect of the present invention.

[0038] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a thin film deposition device provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, the thin film deposition apparatus includes a plurality of process chambers 30 and a gas inlet system according to the first aspect of the present invention. The plurality of process chambers 30 are connected to a plurality of gas delivery branches 10 to deliver reaction gases to the corresponding process chambers 30 .

[0040] Here, the multiple gas delivery branches 10 respectively deliver reaction gases to the corresponding multiple process chambers 30, thereby regulating the conductivity of each branch by individually regulating the temperature thereof, and further regulating the film formation rate of each branch, so as to meet the requirements of diversification of thin film preparation processes and / or improve the consistency of thin film deposition in each process chamber 30.

[0041] Specifically, the intake system can quantitatively change the temperature of each branch pipe through the heating module 20 according to the gas pressure formula. The expression of the gas pressure formula is:

[0042]

[0043] Where ρ(kg / m 3 ) is the density of the gas, p (Pa) is the gas pressure, M (kg / mol) is the molar mass of the gas, R = 8.31 / (mol·K) is the universal gas constant, and T (K) is the thermodynamic temperature of the gas.

[0044] It can be seen that the inlet system can adjust the density of the reaction source by controlling the temperature to fine-tune the deposition rate of the gas in the pipeline. Here, the fine-tuning can reach an order of magnitude of less than 5%.

[0045] Please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of an air intake system provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the intake system includes multiple gas delivery branches 10, at least one heating module 20, and a controller. The controller regulates the temperature of the gas delivery branches 10 by zone based on the difference between the forward conductivity of the reactant gas in the gas delivery branches 10 and a preset target conductivity, thereby adjusting the forward conductivity.

[0047] The at least one heating module 20 is disposed on at least one gas delivery branch 10. The heating module 20 includes a first heating unit 201 and a second heating unit 202. The first heating unit 201 is disposed at the gas inlet end of the gas delivery branch 10. The second heating unit 202 is disposed at the gas outlet end of the gas delivery branch 10.

[0048] The first temperature of the first heating unit 201 is higher than the second temperature of the second heating unit 202 to increase the forward conductivity of the reaction gas. The first temperature of the first heating unit 201 is lower than the second temperature of the second heating unit 202 to reduce the forward conductivity of the reaction gas.

[0049] Here, this technical solution can quantitatively control the temperatures at the front and rear ends of the pipeline using the first heating unit 201 and the second heating unit 202 based on the gas pressure formula, creating a pressure differential within the pipeline to fine-tune the gas deposition rate in the pipeline, thereby achieving non-mechanical precision adjustment of gas conductivity. Here, this precision adjustment can reach an order of magnitude of less than 1%.

[0050] In some embodiments, the air intake system may further include at least one first regulating mechanism 40 , which is provided on at least one gas delivery branch 10 and is used to fine-tune the forward conductivity of the reaction gas in the gas delivery branch 10 .

[0051] Please refer to Figures 3A to 3C , Figure 3A A schematic structural diagram of an arc-shaped first adjustment mechanism 40 provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 3B A schematic structural diagram of a bent first adjustment mechanism 40 provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 3C A schematic structural diagram of a spiral first adjustment mechanism 40 provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0052] like Figures 3A to 3C As shown, the shape of the first adjustment mechanism 40 can be selected from at least one of an arc-shaped pipeline, a bent pipeline, or a spiral pipeline.

[0053] Furthermore, the first regulating mechanism 40 includes multiple arc-shaped pipelines of varying lengths, and / or multiple curved pipelines with varying numbers of bends, and / or multiple spiral pipelines with varying numbers of turns. This allows for configuration of first regulating mechanisms 40 of varying shapes, models, and quantities on corresponding gas transmission branches based on target conductivity. The system can configure corresponding shapes, models, and quantities of first regulating mechanisms 40 on corresponding gas transmission branches based on the corresponding matching relationships and target conductivity. For example, when the conductivity of the pipeline exceeds the target conductivity, the number of turns, length, and / or number of bends of the first regulating mechanism 40 can be increased; when the conductivity of the pipeline falls below the target conductivity, the number of turns, length, and / or number of bends of the first regulating mechanism 40 can be reduced.

[0054] Therefore, the configuration of the first regulating mechanism 40 can change the conductance by changing the distance the gas passes through the pipeline while keeping the gas flow rate unchanged, and avoid the particle problem that is easy to occur in existing technical means.

[0055] In addition, in some embodiments, the air intake system may further include a second regulating mechanism, which is provided on at least one gas delivery branch 10 and is used to perform macro-regulation on the flow rate of the reaction gas in the gas delivery branch 10 .

[0056] The following describes the operating principles of the aforementioned intake system, using examples of control methods for the intake system. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that these examples of control methods for the intake system are merely non-limiting implementations of the present invention, intended to clearly illustrate the main concepts of the present invention and provide specific solutions for easy implementation. They are not intended to limit the full functionality or operating methods of the intake system. Similarly, the intake systems are merely non-limiting implementations of the present invention and do not limit the execution entities or execution order of the steps in these control methods.

[0057] Please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 A flow chart of a method for controlling an air intake system according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0058] like Figure 4 As shown, the controller of the intake system can first obtain the forward conductivity of the reactant gas in at least one gas delivery branch 10 in the intake system, the first temperature of the first heating unit 201, and the second temperature of the second heating unit 202. Then, based on the difference between the forward conductivity of the reactant gas in the gas delivery branch 10 and a preset target conductivity, the temperature of the gas delivery branch 10 is controlled by zone to adjust the forward conductivity.

[0059] Specifically, in response to the difference being less than a preset first threshold, the first temperature of the first heating unit 201 is adjusted to be greater than the second temperature of the second heating unit 202. Here, the first threshold is not greater than zero. Accordingly, in response to the difference being greater than a preset second threshold, the first temperature of the first heating unit 201 is adjusted to be less than the second temperature of the second heating unit 202. Here, the second threshold is not less than zero.

[0060] Furthermore, based on the system structure of the first regulating mechanism 40, the control method may further include establishing a corresponding matching relationship between the forward conductivity and the shape, model, and number of the first regulating mechanism 40. Then, based on this matching relationship and the target conductivity, first regulating mechanisms 40 of corresponding shapes, models, and numbers are configured on the corresponding gas transmission branches. For example, a correspondence between the needle valve scale and the corresponding number of turns and / or arc length and / or number of bends can be pre-calibrated. Subsequently, the client can select one or more first regulating mechanisms 40 of corresponding shapes, models, and numbers as quickly as possible based on the scale of its conventional needle valve.

[0061] In summary, the air intake system, the control method of the air intake system and the thin film deposition equipment provided by the present invention can precisely control the gas conductivity in the gas transmission pipeline by adding an independent temperature control module to the branch pipeline and performing temperature control on the front and rear ends of each pipeline, thereby improving the process accuracy between each reaction chamber and improving the process consistency of each reaction chamber.

[0062] Although the above methods are illustrated and described as a series of acts for simplicity of explanation, it is to be understood and appreciated that these methods are not limited by the order of the acts, as some acts may occur in a different order and / or concurrently with other acts from those illustrated and described herein or not illustrated and described herein but understandable to those skilled in the art according to one or more embodiments.

[0063] The previous description of the disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modifications to the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An air intake system, characterized in that: include: Multiple gas delivery branches deliver reaction gases to corresponding multiple process chambers respectively; At least one heating module is provided on at least one of the gas delivery branches, wherein the heating module includes a first heating unit and a second heating unit, the first heating unit is provided at the gas inlet end of the gas delivery branch, and the second heating unit is provided at the gas outlet end of the gas delivery branch; as well as The controller performs zone-controlled temperature control on the gas delivery branch according to a difference between the forward conductivity of the reaction gas in the gas delivery branch and a preset target conductivity, so as to adjust the forward conductivity.

2. The air intake system according to claim 1, wherein: The first temperature of the first heating unit is greater than the second temperature of the second heating unit to increase the forward conductivity of the reaction gas, and / or The first temperature of the first heating unit is lower than the second temperature of the second heating unit to reduce forward conductivity of the reaction gas.

3. The air intake system according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: At least one first regulating mechanism is provided on at least one of the gas delivery branches, and is used to fine-tune the forward conductivity of the reaction gas in the gas delivery branch.

4. The air intake system according to claim 3, characterized in that The shape of the first adjustment mechanism is selected from at least one of an arc pipeline, a bent pipeline or a spiral pipeline.

5. The air intake system according to claim 4, characterized in that The first regulating mechanism includes a plurality of arc-shaped pipelines of different lengths, and / or a plurality of bent pipelines with different numbers of bends, and / or a plurality of spiral pipelines with different numbers of turns, so as to configure the first regulating mechanisms of different shapes, models and quantities on the corresponding gas transmission branches according to the target conductivity.

6. The air intake system according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: The second regulating mechanism is provided on at least one of the gas delivery branches and is used for macro-regulating the flow rate of the reaction gas in the gas delivery branch.

7. A thin film deposition device, characterized in that: include: Multiple process chambers, each of which is supplied with a reaction gas via a plurality of gas delivery branches; as well as The air intake system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A method for controlling an air intake system, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Obtaining the forward conductivity of the reactant gas of at least one of the gas delivery branches in the intake system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the first temperature of the first heating unit, and the second temperature of the second heating unit; and According to the difference between the forward conductivity of the reaction gas in the gas delivery branch and a preset target conductivity, the temperature of the gas delivery branch is controlled in different zones to adjust the forward conductivity.

9. The method for controlling an air intake system according to claim 8, wherein: The step of regulating the temperature of the gas delivery branch by zone according to the difference between the forward conductivity of the reaction gas in the gas delivery branch and the preset target conductivity comprises: In response to the difference being less than a preset first threshold, adjusting the first temperature of the first heating unit to be greater than the second temperature of the second heating unit, wherein the first threshold is not greater than zero, and / or In response to the difference being greater than a preset second threshold, the first temperature of the first heating unit is adjusted to be lower than the second temperature of the second heating unit, wherein the second threshold is not less than zero.

10. The method for controlling an air intake system according to claim 8 or 9, wherein: The following steps are also included: Establishing a corresponding matching relationship between the forward conductivity and the shape, model and quantity of the first regulating mechanism; as well as According to the corresponding matching relationship and the target conductivity, the first regulating mechanism of corresponding shape, model and quantity is configured on the corresponding gas transmission branch.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the control method of the intake system according to any one of claims 8 to 10 is implemented.

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