Gas transfer device, gas transfer system and plasma processing apparatus

Abstract

The invention provides a gas delivery device, a gas delivery system and a plasma processing device. The gas conveying device is used for conveying process gas to an edge area distributed in the circumferential direction of a processing chamber, and comprises a first gas inlet unit which comprises a plurality of gas channels distributed in the circumferential direction of the first gas inlet unit and is configured to convey the process gas to the processing chamber; the second gas inlet unit is matched with the first gas inlet unit and comprises a plurality of gas inlet pipelines extending to the first gas inlet unit, and the gas inlet pipelines are communicated with the gas channel. In addition, the gas delivery apparatus also includes a first control unit configured to control a flow rate of the process gas delivered to the processing chamber via each of the gas inlet pipes. According to the gas conveying device disclosed by the invention, the gas inlet uniformity can be improved.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese case with the invention name "Gas delivery device, gas delivery system and plasma processing device", application number "202211669617.3", and application date of December 25, 2022. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor processing, and more particularly to a gas delivery apparatus and a gas delivery system for delivering gas, for example, to a workpiece in a processing chamber, and a plasma processing apparatus including the processing chamber. Background Art

[0003] Plasma processing equipment typically inputs an etching gas and ionizes the process gas (e.g., etching gas) into plasma to etch a workpiece (e.g., wafer). The uniformity of the etching gas distribution within the plasma equipment plays a key role in the etching results (e.g., the consistency of the etched topography) of the workpiece (e.g., wafer). Summary of the Invention

[0004] Aspects and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be learned from the description, or may be learned through practice of the embodiments.

[0005] One exemplary aspect of the present disclosure relates to a gas delivery device configured to deliver process gas to an edge region of a processing chamber distributed along the circumference thereof, the gas delivery device comprising: a first gas inlet unit including a plurality of gas channels distributed along the circumference and configured to deliver the process gas to the processing chamber; a second gas inlet unit cooperating with the first gas inlet unit and including a plurality of gas inlet pipes extending to the first gas inlet unit, wherein the gas inlet pipes are connected to the gas channels; and a first control unit configured to control the flow rate of the process gas delivered to the processing chamber via each gas inlet pipe. The gas delivery device according to the exemplary aspect of the present disclosure can improve the uniformity of edge gas intake.

[0006] An exemplary aspect of the present disclosure relates to a gas delivery system, comprising: a first gas delivery device configured to deliver process gas to a peripheral region of a processing chamber distributed along the circumference thereof, wherein the first gas delivery device comprises: a first gas inlet unit comprising a plurality of gas channels distributed along the circumference and configured to deliver the process gas to the processing chamber, respectively; and a second gas inlet unit cooperating with the first gas inlet unit and comprising a plurality of gas inlet pipes extending to the first gas inlet unit, wherein the gas inlet pipes are connected to the gas channels; and a second gas delivery device configured to deliver the process gas to a central region of the processing chamber. The gas delivery system according to the exemplary aspect of the present disclosure can improve the uniformity of gas intake.

[0007] An exemplary aspect of the present disclosure relates to a plasma processing apparatus, comprising: a processing chamber configured to accommodate a workpiece; and a gas delivery system comprising: a first gas delivery device disposed on a first side of the processing chamber and configured to deliver a process gas for processing the workpiece to an edge region of the processing chamber distributed along a circumference thereof, the first gas delivery device comprising: a first gas inlet unit comprising a plurality of gas channels distributed along the circumference and configured to deliver the process gas to the processing chamber respectively; a second gas inlet unit cooperating with the first gas inlet unit and comprising a plurality of gas inlet pipes extending to the first gas inlet unit, wherein the gas inlet pipes are connected to the gas channels; and a second gas delivery device disposed on the first side of the processing chamber and configured to deliver the process gas to a central region of the processing chamber. The plasma processing apparatus according to the exemplary aspect of the present disclosure can improve the uniformity of gas inlet.

[0008] It should be understood that the contents described in this section are not intended to identify the key or important features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The accompanying drawings are provided to facilitate a better understanding of the present invention and do not constitute a limitation of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a plasma processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 2 is another schematic diagram of a plasma processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 3 is a schematic top view of a plasma processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 4 It is along Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of line BB shown;

[0014] Figure 5 It is along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown;

[0015] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a sensing element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a first sensing element among the sensing elements of an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0017] Figure 8 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a second sensing element in the sensing element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The following description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, including various details of the embodiments of the present disclosure to facilitate understanding, which should be considered as merely exemplary. Therefore, it should be recognized by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Similarly, for the sake of clarity and conciseness, descriptions of well-known functions and structures are omitted in the following description. For example, features shown or described as part of one embodiment can be used together with another embodiment to produce yet another embodiment. Therefore, various aspects of the present disclosure are intended to cover such modifications and variations.

[0019] Variations and modifications may be made to these example embodiments of the present disclosure. As used in the specification, the singular forms "a," "an," "and," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The use of "first," "second," "third," etc., are used as identifiers and do not necessarily indicate any order, implied or otherwise. For purposes of illustration and discussion, the example aspects may be discussed with reference to a "substrate" or "workpiece." Using the disclosure provided herein, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the example aspects of the present disclosure may be used with any suitable workpiece. The term "about" used in conjunction with a numerical value means within 20% of the stated numerical value.

[0020] It should also be understood that when describing specific embodiments herein, the thickness, size, and shape of components have been slightly adjusted for ease of illustration. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not drawn strictly to scale. Furthermore, the cross-sectional views depicting the system structure are merely schematic diagrams for describing some of the steps and components of this application, as well as the relationships between these components, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0021] Generally speaking, a gas delivery system of a plasma processing apparatus is designed to deliver a process gas (e.g., an etching gas) to a plasma processing chamber. An ion source of the plasma processing apparatus is used to ionize the delivered etching gas into a plasma. In one embodiment, the uniformity of the etched topography of a workpiece (e.g., a wafer) is related to the uniformity of the etching gas.

[0022] Therefore, various aspects of the present disclosure provide many technical effects and benefits. For example, this article provides a gas delivery device, a gas delivery system, and a plasma processing device including the gas delivery system. Each of the above devices can improve the uniformity of the intake gas. Figures 1 to 7 Various embodiments of the present application are described in detail.

[0023] refer to Figure 1 The plasma processing apparatus 100 includes a gas delivery system 10 and a processing chamber 20. The gas delivery system 10 includes a first gas delivery device 11 and a second gas delivery device 12. The first gas delivery device 11 and the second gas delivery device 12 can be jointly disposed on a first side of the processing chamber 20 (e.g., on a side of the top of the processing chamber 20). In some examples, the first gas delivery device 11 can be disposed at an edge position of the top of the processing chamber 20 and configured to deliver gas for processing a workpiece (e.g., gas) to an edge region of the processing chamber 20 distributed along its circumference. Figure 2 In some examples, the second gas delivery device 12 can be disposed at a central position on the top of the processing chamber 20 and configured to deliver the process gas (e.g., etching gas) to the central area of ​​the processing chamber 20.

[0024] refer to Figure 2 A workpiece 80 to be processed may be accommodated in the processing chamber 20. An edge portion of the workpiece 80 may be located in an edge region of the processing chamber 20, and a center portion of the workpiece 80 may be located in a center region of the processing chamber 20. The workpiece 80 may be or include any suitable workpiece, such as a semiconductor workpiece, such as a silicon wafer. In some embodiments, the workpiece 80 may be or include a doped silicon wafer. For example, the silicon wafer may be doped such that the resistivity of the silicon wafer is greater than approximately 0.1 Ω·cm, such as greater than approximately 1 Ω·cm.

[0025] It should be noted that the processing chamber can be a chamber that combines a processing chamber and a plasma chamber. That is, in actual applications, the present application solution is applicable to plasma processing equipment in which the processing chamber and the plasma chamber are separate, in which case the workpiece 80 is disposed in the processing chamber. Similarly, the present application solution is also applicable to a plasma processing apparatus 100 in which the plasma sub-chamber and the processing chamber are part of the same chamber. In one specific example, the plasma processing apparatus 100 can be a plasma etcher.

[0026] In some examples, the plasma processing apparatus 100 further includes a workpiece support 50, and the workpiece 80 is supported by the workpiece support 50 in the processing chamber 20. The workpiece support 50 (e.g., a workpiece support plate) can be operated to support the workpiece 80 during thermal processing. In some embodiments, the workpiece support 50 can be configured to support multiple workpieces 80 for simultaneous processing.

[0027] In some embodiments, the workpiece support 50 can rotate the workpiece 80 before, during, and / or after plasma processing. In some embodiments, the workpiece support 50 can include one or more support pins 40 extending from the workpiece support 50. The support pins 40 can have a smaller surface area than the workpiece support 50 so that when the support pins 40 contact the workpiece 80, the contact area between the workpiece support 50 and the workpiece 80 can be minimized.

[0028] In some embodiments, the plasma processing apparatus 100 may further include a rotating shaft 60 connected to the workpiece support 50. The rotating shaft 60 is configured to support the workpiece support 50 in the processing chamber 20. Specifically, one end of the rotating shaft 60 may be connected to a surface of the workpiece support 50 facing away from the support pin 40, and the other end may pass through the processing chamber 20 and be connected to a rotating device (not shown) capable of rotating the rotating shaft 60 360°.

[0029] Continue to refer Figure 3 In some examples, the first gas delivery device 11 may include a first gas inlet unit 111 and a second gas inlet unit 112 that cooperate with each other. Figure 5 , the first air inlet unit 111 can be set as an annular structure with a groove, and the second air inlet unit 112 can be set as an annular structure with a flange. When the first air inlet unit 111 and the second air inlet unit 112 cooperate with each other, the second air inlet unit 112 extends toward the groove of the first air inlet unit 111 and cooperates with the bottom of the groove (for example, forming the second cooperation area 116 described below). The flange of the second air inlet unit 112 can cooperate with the top of the first air inlet unit 111 (for example, the first cooperation area 115). The above arrangement allows the first air inlet unit 111 and the second air inlet unit 112 to cooperate tightly.

[0030] In some examples, the first gas inlet unit 111 is configured to deliver a process gas (eg, an etching gas) to the processing chamber 20. The second gas inlet unit 112 is configured to deliver the process gas to the first gas inlet unit 111. Figure 4 , the first air inlet unit 111 may include a plurality of gas channels 111-1 distributed along the circumference of the processing chamber 20 and an injection member (e.g., a nozzle) 111-2 connected to each gas channel 111-1. The lengths of the plurality of gas channels 111-1 may be set to be the same. The injection member 111-2, for example, extends to the interior of the processing chamber 20. The injection member 111-2 may include a plurality of injection holes, and the injection holes may be, for example, circumferentially distributed on the main structure of the injection member 111-2. In some cases, the gas channels 111-1 and the injection members 111-2 may be evenly distributed in the circumferential direction in an even number of pairs, for example. In other cases, the gas channels 111-1 and the injection members 111-2 may be unevenly distributed in the circumferential direction in an even number of pairs, for example.

[0031] refer to Figure 5 The second air intake unit 112 includes a plurality of air intake pipes 112-1 extending to the first air intake unit 111, and the air intake pipes 112-1 can be connected to the gas channel 111-1. In some examples, the air intake pipes 112-1 and the gas channels 111-1 can be arranged in a one-to-one correspondence, and each air intake pipe 112-1 can be connected to the corresponding gas channel 111-1. The lengths of the plurality of air intake pipes 112-1 can be set to be the same, for example. The air intake pipes 112-1 and the corresponding gas channels 111-1 and the injection member 111-2 constitute a gas supply pipeline. A plurality of independent gas supply pipelines can be formed inside the first air intake unit 111 and the second air intake unit 112. Reference Figure 5 In some cases, the air inlet pipe 112-1 may extend to the top of the gas channel 111-1 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the top of the processing chamber 20. The air inlet pipe 112-1 may also be substantially perpendicular to the top of the first air inlet unit 111. This arrangement allows the extension direction of the air inlet pipe 112-1 to be perpendicular to the extension direction of the gas channel 111-1.

[0032] Back to Figure 2 The first gas delivery device 11 may further include a plurality of delivery lines 114. Each delivery line 114 is in communication with the gas inlet pipe 112-1 of the second gas inlet unit 112. In some cases, a process gas (e.g., an etching gas) from, for example, a gas supply (not shown) may be delivered to the gas inlet pipe 112-1 of the second gas inlet unit 112 via the delivery line 114, and then delivered through the gas channel 111-1 of the first gas inlet unit 111 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the gas inlet pipe 112-1, and injected into the interior of the processing chamber 20 via the injection holes of the injection member 111-2.

[0033] According to some first gas delivery devices 11 disclosed herein, by providing multiple one-to-one correspondence between gas inlet pipes 112-1 and gas channels 111-1, different process gases or the same process gas can be independently delivered to the edge regions of the processing chamber 20. This arrangement facilitates independent control of the gas distribution in the circumferentially distributed edge regions of the processing chamber 20, thereby improving the uniformity of edge gas intake and further improving the uniformity of plasma deposition. Moreover, the lengths of the gas delivery pipelines from the multiple gas inlet pipes 112-1 to the corresponding injection elements 111-2 are substantially the same, ensuring the transmission speed of the process gas in different pipeline paths.

[0034] In addition, according to some first gas delivery devices 11 disclosed in the present invention, the uniformity of the process gas transmission in the gas channel 111-1 can be improved by changing the transmission direction of the process gas during the transmission process (for example, changing it to be perpendicular to the original transmission direction), which is beneficial to improving the uniformity of the gas distribution in the edge area of ​​the processing chamber 20, thereby further improving the uniformity of plasma deposition.

[0035] In some examples, the diameter of each gas channel 111-1 of the first gas inlet unit 111 is uniform throughout. In some examples, each gas channel 111-1 may have a gradually decreasing radial width (e.g., diameter) along the direction of process gas transmission, thereby effectively controlling the uniformity of process gas transmission in the gas channel 111-1 and thereby improving the uniformity of gas distribution in the edge region of the processing chamber 20.

[0036] refer to Figure 5 In some examples, the mating interface between the first air inlet unit 111 and the second air inlet unit 112 includes multiple first mating areas 115. The first mating areas 115 are located near the connection between each air inlet duct 112-1 and the corresponding gas channel 111-1. In other words, the air inlet end of the gas channel 111-1 of the first air inlet unit 111 and the air inlet duct 112-1 of the second air inlet unit 112 are connected near the first mating areas 115. In addition, the mating interface between the first air inlet unit 111 and the second air inlet unit 112 also includes multiple second mating areas 116. The second mating areas 116 are located near the connection between the gas channel 111-1 and the corresponding injection member 111-2. In other words, the air outlet end of the gas channel 111-1 of the air inlet unit 111 and the injection member 111-2 are connected near the second mating areas 116. This arrangement improves the securement and airtightness of the mating connection between the air inlet duct 112-1, the corresponding gas channel 111-1, and the injection member 111-2.

[0037] In some cases, the first gas delivery device 11 further includes a first seal 117 and a second seal 118. The first seal 117 is disposed in the first mating region 115, and the second seal 118 is disposed in the second mating region 116. When process gas is delivered to the connection between the gas inlet pipe 112-1 and the corresponding gas channel 111-1, the first seal 117 can prevent the process gas from leaking outward at that location. When process gas is delivered to the connection between the gas channel 111-1 and the corresponding injection member 111-2, the first seal 118 can prevent the process gas from leaking outward at that location.

[0038] In other examples, the gas delivery system 10 may further include a control system 113, which may be configured to control the flow rate of the process gas (e.g., etching gas) delivered to the edge region of the processing chamber 20 via the first gas delivery device 11. The first gas delivery device 11 may further include a first control unit, which may be, for example, part of the control system 113, so that the first control unit may be configured to control the flow rate of the process gas delivered to the edge region of the processing chamber 20 via each gas inlet conduit 112-1. A detailed description of the first control unit can be found in the following description of the first control unit involved in the gas delivery device 11, and will not be repeated here.

[0039] refer to Figure 5 The control system 113 may include at least two control valves 113-1 and at least two flow controllers 113-2. The control valve 113-1 is correspondingly provided at the inlet end of each delivery pipeline 114 and is configured to control the on-off transmission of the process gas in the delivery pipeline 114. The control valve 113-1 may be configured as a normally closed pneumatic diaphragm valve, for example. The flow controller 113-2 is correspondingly provided at the inlet end of each delivery pipeline 114. The flow controller 113-2 may be, for example, provided between adjacent control valves 113-1 and configured to control the flow rate of the process gas in the delivery pipeline 114. In some cases, the flow controller 113-2 is, for example, a mass flow controller (MFC). By controlling the control valves 113-1 and flow controllers 113-2 of different pipelines, the on / off flow and flow rate of the process gas injected into the processing chamber 20 by each injection element 111-2 can be controlled, thereby independently adjusting and controlling the gas distribution (e.g., concentration and uniformity) in different sub-regions of the edge region of the processing chamber 20. For example, the flow rates of the process gases delivered to the edge regions via the various inlet pipes 112-1 can be controlled to at least partially differ, depending on actual needs. Furthermore, different types of process gases can be introduced into different pipelines, thereby independently adjusting and controlling the different types of process gases introduced into different sub-regions of the edge region of the processing chamber 20.

[0040] In some cases where the first gas delivery device 11 is not included, the process gas may diffuse toward the edge regions during the process of being delivered to the center region of the processing chamber 20 via the second gas delivery device 12. However, the concentration of the process gas in the edge regions is generally lower than that in the center region. In the example where the process gas is an etching gas, the concentration of the process gas received by the edge of the workpiece 80 will be lower than that received by the center, which can easily lead to significant differences in the etched morphology between the edge and center regions of the workpiece 80.

[0041] Considering the above situation, the control system 113 herein may further adjust the flow rate of the process gas delivered to the edge area through each gas inlet pipe 112 - 1 according to the difference in concentration of the process gas in the central area and the edge area of ​​the processing chamber 20 .

[0042] In some examples, the control system 113 is further configured to control the flow rate of the process gas delivered to the central region of the processing chamber 20 via the second gas delivery device 12. In a specific example, the second gas delivery device 12 further includes a second control unit, which can be, for example, part of the control system. The second control unit can be configured to control the flow rate of the process gas delivered to the central region of the processing chamber 20, thereby controlling the concentration of the process gas in the central region.

[0043] In some examples, the control system 113 may also be configured to control the control valve 113-1 and the flow controller 113-2 based on the difference in concentration of the process gas between the central area and the edge area of ​​the processing chamber 20, thereby adjusting the flow rate of the process gas delivered to the edge area through each inlet pipe 112-1 to reduce the difference in concentration of the process gas received by the edge portion and the central portion of the workpiece 80.

[0044] Through the control processing of the control system 113 , the difference between the morphology of the edge portion and the morphology of the center portion of the workpiece 80 can be controlled within a smaller range, thereby ensuring the uniformity of the etching morphology of the workpiece 80 .

[0045] In some examples, the gas concentration in each area can be monitored by gas concentration sensors provided in the central area and edge areas of the processing chamber 20. When the difference in concentration of the process gas in the central area and the edge area is greater than a threshold value, the flow rate of the process gas transported to the edge area through each air inlet pipe 112-1 can be increased (at this time, the gas channel 111-1 of the first air inlet unit 111 and the air inlet pipe 112-1 of the second air inlet unit 112 are, for example, both in an open state), thereby increasing the concentration of the process gas in the edge area until the difference in concentration of the process gas in the central area and the edge area is less than the threshold value.

[0046] In other examples, there may be multiple gas concentration sensors disposed in the edge region, for example, multiple gas concentration sensors may be evenly distributed along the circumference of the processing chamber 20, thereby enabling monitoring of gas concentrations in multiple subregions of the edge region of the processing chamber 20. When the difference in concentration of the process gas between the central region and any subregion of the edge region is greater than a threshold, the flow rate of the process gas delivered to the vicinity of the subregion via the gas inlet pipe 112-1 and the gas channel 111-1 may be increased, thereby increasing the concentration of the process gas in the subregion until the difference in concentration between the central region and the subregion of the edge region is less than the threshold.

[0047] It can be understood that the process gas near the above-mentioned sub-area can be, for example, the process gas ejected by the injection member 111-2 closest to the sub-area. The injection member 111-2 can be connected to the corresponding gas channel 111-1 air intake pipe 112-1, and the transmission speed of the process gas can be increased by controlling the valve of the flow controller 113-2 corresponding to the air intake pipe 112-1.

[0048] In some examples, the threshold value between the center region and the edge region, or between the center region and a subregion of the edge region, is, for example, in the range of 5% to 10%. In other words, when the difference in concentration between the center region and the edge region, or a subregion thereof, of the processing chamber 20 is within the range of 5% to 10%, the flow rate of the process gas delivered to the edge region or subregion through each of the inlet pipes 112-1 can be increased. In specific examples, the threshold value can be any one of 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, and 10%.

[0049] Continue to refer Figure 2 The plasma processing apparatus 100 further includes a plasma source 30, which may include, for example, an inductively coupled plasma source. Using the disclosure provided herein, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any plasma source (e.g., an inductively coupled plasma source, a capacitively coupled plasma source, etc.) may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0050] Continue to refer Figure 2 The plasma source 30 can ionize a process gas (e.g., an etching gas) that is transported via the gas delivery system 10 to the interior of the processing chamber 20 (i.e., the plasma generation region). After ionization, the process gas generates a plasma, which can be transported to the surface of the workpiece 80 (e.g., the surface facing away from the workpiece support 50) and perform an etching process on the surface of the workpiece 80. Specifically, the plasma contains a large number of active species, such as electrons, ions, excited atoms, molecules, and free radicals. These active species can undergo various physical and chemical reactions with the surface of the workpiece 20, thereby changing the surface morphology of the workpiece 20 and completing the etching process.

[0051] refer to Figure 2 At least a portion of the sidewall of processing chamber 20 (e.g., a ceiling) can be formed, for example, from a dielectric material such as quartz and / or alumina. Plasma source 30 can include an inductive element 31 and a power generator 32. Inductive element 31 is disposed on a second side of processing chamber 20 (e.g., adjacent to the first side). Alternatively, inductive element 31 can be adjacent to a portion of the sidewall of processing chamber 20 comprised of a dielectric material. In some cases, inductive element 30 can be coupled to power generator (e.g., an RF power generator) 32 via a suitable matching network (not shown). Inductive element 30 can be formed from any suitable material, including a conductive material suitable for inducing plasma within processing chamber 20. Specifically, when inductive element 31 is energized by RF power from, for example, RF power generator 32, plasma can be generated in processing chamber 20. In certain embodiments, the plasma processing apparatus 100 may include an optional grounded Faraday shield (not shown) to reduce capacitive coupling of the inductive element 31 to the plasma. The grounded Faraday shield may be formed of any suitable material or conductor, including materials similar or substantially similar to the inductive element 31 .

[0052] refer to Figure 6 The sensing element 31 includes, for example, a first sensing element 31 - 1 and a second sensing element 31 - 2 that cooperate with each other. The first sensing element 31 - 1 and the second sensing element 31 - 2 can be suspended on, for example, the side wall of the processing chamber 20 described above through a plurality of sensing element resin support blocks 33 .

[0053] refer to Figure 7 In some examples, the first sensing element 31-1 can be composed of a first sub-sensing element 31-11 and a second sub-sensing element 31-12 that are concentric. The first sub-sensing element 31-11 can have a half-circle structure, and the second sub-sensing element 31-12 can have a full-circle structure. Specifically, the diameter of the first sub-sensing element 31-11 is smaller than the diameter of the second sub-sensing element 31-12.

[0054] refer to Figure 8 In some examples, the second sensing element 31-2 is composed of a concentric third sub-sensing element 31-21 and a fourth sub-sensing element 31-22. The third sub-sensing element 31-21 can have a half-circle structure, and the fourth sub-sensing element 31-22 can have a full-circle structure. Specifically, the diameter of the third sub-sensing element 31-21 is larger than the diameter of the fourth sub-sensing element 31-22. In some examples, the diameter of the second sub-sensing element 31-12 is larger than the diameter of the third sub-sensing element 31-21, and the diameter of the fourth sub-sensing element 31-22 is smaller than the diameter of the first sub-sensing element 31-11.

[0055] Back to Figure 6 The first sub-sensing element 31-11 and the third sub-sensing element 31-21 are concentrically arranged and have a first preset height difference, which is, for example, 2 mm to 5 mm. In some examples, the first preset height difference is, for example, 3 mm. In some examples, the fourth sub-sensing element 31-22 has a second preset height difference from the second sub-sensing element 31-12, which is, for example, 2 mm to 5 mm. In some examples, the second preset height difference is, for example, 4 mm. The assembly structure of the sensing element 31 comprises three concentric circles located at different height levels. Optionally, the fourth sub-sensing element 31-22 can serve as the innermost sensing element of the four sensing elements mentioned above, and the second sub-sensing element 31-12 can serve as the outermost sensing element of the four sensing elements mentioned above. This assembly structure can achieve a uniform electromagnetic field, making the plasma distribution in the plasma region more uniform, thereby improving etching uniformity.

[0056] Some plasma processing apparatuses 100 according to the present disclosure can achieve uniformity of plasma deposition and etching by providing a gas delivery system 10 and a plasma source 30 having an inductive element 31 , thereby improving the consistency of the etching morphology of the workpiece 80 .

[0057] In some examples, a gas delivery device is further provided herein. The gas delivery device, for example, includes the first gas delivery device 11 described above and a first control unit. The first control unit may, for example, be part of the control system 113 described above, thereby enabling the first control unit to control the flow rate of the process gas delivered to the edge region of the processing chamber 20 via each gas inlet pipe 112-1. Specifically, the first control unit of the gas delivery device may adjust the flow rate of the process gas delivered to the edge region via each gas inlet pipe 112-1 based on the difference in concentration of the process gas between the central region and the edge region of the processing chamber 20 described above.

[0058] In some examples, the first control unit of the gas delivery device can be further configured to control the on / off state of control valve 113-1 and flow controller 113-2 based on the difference in process gas concentration between the center and edge regions of processing chamber 20, thereby adjusting the flow rate of process gas delivered to the edge regions via each gas inlet pipe 112-1 to reduce the difference in process gas concentration received by the edge and center portions of workpiece 80. Through this process, the difference in morphology between the edge and center portions of workpiece 80 can be controlled within a relatively small range, thereby ensuring the uniformity of the etched morphology of workpiece 80.

[0059] In some examples, the gas concentration in each area can be monitored by gas concentration sensors provided in the central area and edge areas of the processing chamber 20. When the difference in concentration of the process gas in the central area and the edge area is greater than a threshold value, the flow rate of the process gas delivered to the edge area through each air inlet pipe 112-1 can be increased, thereby increasing the concentration of the process gas in the edge area, until the difference in concentration of the process gas in the central area and the edge area is less than the threshold value.

[0060] In other examples, there may be multiple gas concentration sensors disposed in the edge region, for example, multiple gas concentration sensors may be evenly distributed along the circumference of the processing chamber 20, thereby enabling monitoring of gas concentrations in multiple subregions of the edge region of the processing chamber 20. When the difference in concentration of the process gas between the central region and any subregion of the edge region is greater than a threshold, the controller may increase the flow rate of the process gas delivered to the vicinity of the subregion via the gas inlet pipe 112-1 and the gas channel 111-1, thereby increasing the concentration of the process gas in the subregion, until the difference in concentration of the process gas between the central region and the subregion of the edge region is less than the threshold.

[0061] It can be understood that the process gas near the above-mentioned sub-area can be, for example, the process gas ejected by the injection member 111-2 closest to the sub-area. The injection member 111-2 can be connected to the corresponding gas channel 111-1 intake pipe 112-1, and the controller increases the transmission speed of the process gas by controlling the valve of the flow controller 113-2 corresponding to the intake pipe 112-1.

[0062] In some examples, the threshold range between the central region and the edge region, or between the central region and a subregion of the edge region, is, for example, 5% to 10%. In other words, when the difference in concentration between the central region and the edge region, or a subregion thereof, of the processing chamber 20 is within a range of 5% to 10%, the controller can increase the flow rate of the process gas delivered to the edge region or subregion via each of the inlet pipes 112-1. In specific examples, the threshold can be any one of 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, and 10%.

[0063] The above specific embodiments do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions may be made based on design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this disclosure shall be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A gas delivery device configured to deliver process gas to a peripheral region of a processing chamber distributed along its circumference, the gas delivery device comprising: a first gas inlet unit, comprising a plurality of gas channels distributed along the circumferential direction and configured to respectively deliver the process gas to the processing chamber; a second air intake unit, cooperating with the first air intake unit and comprising a plurality of air intake pipes extending to the first air intake unit, wherein the air intake pipes are in communication with the gas channel; and a first control unit configured to control a flow rate of the process gas delivered to the processing chamber via each gas inlet pipe; Wherein, the first control unit is further configured as: The gas concentration in each area is monitored by gas concentration sensors disposed in the central area and the edge area of ​​the processing chamber, and the flow rate of the process gas delivered to the edge area through each gas inlet pipe is adjusted according to the difference in concentration of the process gas in the central area and the edge area of ​​the processing chamber; Wherein, the first control unit is further configured as: The flow rates of the process gas delivered to the edge region via the respective gas inlet ducts are controlled to be at least partially different.

2. The gas delivery device according to claim 1, wherein: The processing chamber has a workpiece built in it, and the first control unit is further configured to: By adjusting the flow rate of the process gas delivered to the edge area through each gas inlet pipe, the difference in concentration of the process gas received by the edge portion and the center portion of the workpiece is reduced, wherein the edge portion of the workpiece is located in the edge area and the center portion of the workpiece is located in the center area.

3. The gas delivery device according to claim 1, wherein: The first control unit is further configured to: In response to a difference in concentration of the process gas between the central area and the edge area of ​​the processing chamber being greater than a threshold, a flow rate of the process gas delivered to the edge area through each gas inlet pipe is increased.

4. The gas delivery device according to claim 1, wherein: The first control unit is further configured to control the types of the process gases delivered to the edge region via the respective gas inlet ducts to be at least partially different.

5. The gas delivery device according to claim 1, wherein: The radial width of the gas channel gradually decreases along the transmission direction of the process gas.

6. The gas delivery device according to claim 1, wherein: The first air intake unit further includes: A plurality of injection members are communicated with the corresponding gas channels and are configured to inject the process gas into the processing chamber.

7. The gas delivery device according to claim 1, wherein: The mating interface between the first air inlet unit and the second air inlet unit includes a plurality of first mating areas, the first mating areas being close to the connection between the air inlet pipe and the gas channel, and the gas delivery device further includes: A first sealing member is provided in the first matching area and is used for sealing the connection between the air intake duct and the gas channel.

8. The gas delivery device according to claim 6, wherein: The mating interface between the first air inlet unit and the second air inlet unit includes a plurality of second mating areas, the second mating areas being close to a connection point between the gas channel and the injection member; and the gas delivery device further includes: A second sealing member is provided in the second matching area and is used for sealing the connection between the gas channel and the injection member.

9. The gas delivery device according to claim 1, wherein: The gas delivery device further comprises: At least two delivery pipelines are connected to the air intake duct, wherein The first control unit includes: At least two control valves, respectively provided at the inlet end of each delivery pipeline and configured to control the on-off transmission of the process gas in the delivery pipeline; and At least two flow controllers are correspondingly disposed at the inlet end of each delivery pipeline and configured to control the flow rate of the process gas in the delivery pipeline.

10. The gas delivery device according to claim 9, wherein: The first control unit is further configured to control at least one of the control valve and the flow controller according to a difference in concentration of the process gas between the central area and the edge area of ​​the processing chamber to adjust a flow rate of the process gas delivered to the edge area through each gas inlet pipe.

11. Gas delivery system, including: The first gas delivery device is configured to deliver process gas to an edge region of the processing chamber distributed along the circumference thereof, wherein the first gas delivery device comprises: a first gas inlet unit, comprising a plurality of gas channels distributed along the circumferential direction and configured to respectively deliver the process gas to the processing chamber; and a second air intake unit, cooperating with the first air intake unit and comprising a plurality of air intake pipes extending to the first air intake unit, wherein the air intake pipes are in communication with the gas channel; and a control system configured to control a flow rate of the process gas delivered to an edge region of the processing chamber via the first gas delivery device; Wherein, the control system is configured as follows: The gas concentration in each area is monitored by gas concentration sensors disposed in the central area and the edge area of ​​the processing chamber, and the flow rate of the process gas delivered to the edge area through each gas inlet pipe is adjusted according to the difference in concentration of the process gas in the central area and the edge area of ​​the processing chamber; Wherein, the control system is further configured as: controlling the flow rates of the process gas delivered to the edge region through the respective gas inlet ducts to be at least partially different; The second gas delivery device is configured to deliver the process gas to the central area of ​​the processing chamber.

12. The gas delivery system of claim 11, wherein: The control system is further configured to: A flow rate of the process gas delivered to the central area of ​​the processing chamber through the second gas delivery device is controlled.

13. The gas delivery system of claim 11, wherein: The processing chamber has a workpiece built in it, and the control system is further configured to: By adjusting the flow rate of the process gas delivered to the edge area through each gas inlet pipe, the difference in concentration of the process gas received by the edge portion and the center portion of the workpiece is reduced, wherein the edge portion of the workpiece is located in the edge area and the center portion of the workpiece is located in the center area.

14. The gas delivery system of claim 11, wherein: The control system is further configured to: In response to a difference in concentration of the process gas between the central area and the edge area of ​​the processing chamber being greater than a threshold, a flow rate of the process gas delivered to the edge area through each gas inlet pipe is increased.

15. The gas delivery system of claim 11, wherein: The control system is further configured to control the types of the process gases delivered to the edge region via the respective gas inlet ducts to be at least partially different.

16. The gas delivery system of claim 11, wherein: The radial width of the gas channel gradually decreases along the transmission direction of the process gas.

17. The gas delivery system of claim 11, wherein: The first air intake unit further includes: A plurality of injection members are communicated with the corresponding gas channels and are configured to inject the process gas into the processing chamber.

18. The gas delivery system of claim 11, wherein: The mating interface between the first air inlet unit and the second air inlet unit includes a plurality of first mating areas, the first mating areas being close to the connection between the air inlet pipe and the gas channel, and the first gas delivery device further includes: A first sealing member is provided in the first matching area and is used for sealing the connection between the air intake duct and the gas channel.

19. The gas delivery system of claim 17, wherein: The mating interface between the first air inlet unit and the second air inlet unit includes a plurality of second mating areas, wherein the second mating areas are close to a connection point where the gas channel is connected to the injection member; And the second gas delivery device further includes: The second sealing member is arranged in the second matching area and is used for sealing the connection between the gas channel and the injection member.

20. The gas delivery system of claim 11, wherein: The first gas delivery device further comprises: At least two delivery pipelines are connected to the air intake duct, wherein The control system includes: At least two control valves, respectively provided at the inlet end of each delivery pipeline and configured to control the on-off transmission of the process gas in the delivery pipeline; and At least two flow controllers are correspondingly disposed at the inlet end of each delivery pipeline and configured to control the flow rate of the process gas in the delivery pipeline.

21. The gas delivery system of claim 20, wherein: The control system is further configured to control at least one of the control valve and the flow controller according to a difference in concentration of the process gas between the central area and the edge area of ​​the processing chamber to adjust a flow rate of the process gas delivered to the edge area through each gas inlet pipe.

22. A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber configured to receive a workpiece; as well as Gas delivery systems, including: A first gas delivery device is disposed on a first side of the processing chamber and is configured to deliver process gas for processing the workpiece to an edge region of the processing chamber distributed along a circumference thereof, the first gas delivery device comprising: a first gas inlet unit, comprising a plurality of gas channels distributed along the circumferential direction and configured to respectively deliver the process gas to the processing chamber; a second air intake unit, cooperating with the first air intake unit and comprising a plurality of air intake pipes extending to the first air intake unit, wherein the air intake pipes are in communication with the gas channel; and a control system configured to control a flow rate of the process gas delivered to an edge region of the processing chamber via the first gas delivery device; Wherein, the control system is configured as follows: The gas concentration in each area is monitored by gas concentration sensors disposed in the central area and the edge area of ​​the processing chamber, and the flow rate of the process gas delivered to the edge area through each gas inlet pipe is adjusted according to the difference in concentration of the process gas in the central area and the edge area of ​​the processing chamber; controlling the flow rates of the process gas delivered to the edge region through the respective gas inlet ducts to be at least partially different; The second gas delivery device is disposed at the first side of the processing chamber and is configured to deliver the process gas to a central area of ​​the processing chamber.

23. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein: The control system is further configured to: A flow rate of the process gas delivered to the central area of ​​the processing chamber through the second gas delivery device is controlled.

24. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein: The processing chamber has a workpiece built in it, and the control system is further configured to: By adjusting the flow rate of the process gas delivered to the edge area through each gas inlet pipe, the difference in concentration of the process gas received by the edge portion and the center portion of the workpiece is reduced, wherein the edge portion of the workpiece is located in the edge area and the center portion of the workpiece is located in the center area.

25. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein: The control system is further configured to: In response to a difference in concentration of the process gas between the central area and the edge area of ​​the processing chamber being greater than a threshold, a flow rate of the process gas delivered to the edge area through each gas inlet pipe is increased.

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