A solid precursor cylinder

Abstract

This invention relates to a solid precursor cylinder comprising: a cylinder body, a cylinder bottom layer, a tray, and a top cover. The tray is placed inside the cylinder body and carries a solid precursor source. Each tray layer has numerous upward through-holes penetrating the tray and the solid precursor source. An upward elbow is provided above each upward through-hole. A downward through-hole is located at the center of each tray. Adjacent trays are spaced apart, and the downward through-holes are connected by a downward through-pipe. The top cover is fixedly connected to the cylinder body by fasteners and includes a top cover plate, a clamping cover plate, and a mixing chamber cover. This invention ensures thorough mixing of the precursor source and carrier gas through cylinder structural design and systematic flow channel optimization, achieving stable concentration control and supply. The through-holes surrounding the precursor avoid the "flow channel short-circuiting" situation found in many existing technologies, which is beneficial for maintaining precursor volatilization and concentration stability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of integrated circuit technology, and in particular to a solid-state precursor cylinder. Background Technology

[0002] Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a key process technology in semiconductor chip manufacturing. In this technology, solid precursors are sublimated at high temperatures and then enter the reaction chamber as a gaseous phase. Due to the low vapor pressure of the precursor source, a carrier gas is required to transport it to the reaction chamber to provide a stable flow rate. ALD processes have extremely stringent requirements on the concentration of the solid precursor gaseous phase; the concentration must be highly uniform and supplied with a highly stable flow rate.

[0003] Existing technologies generally suffer from low transport efficiency, unstable transport processes, and difficulties in ensuring stable concentration supply, failing to meet customer requirements for semiconductor material transport control. Furthermore, due to unreasonable structures, they reduce precursor utilization efficiency and increase costs. For example, Chinese Patent Publication No. CN116288278A, entitled "A Solid Precursor Transport Device and Method," describes a solid precursor transport device in which a partition is installed in a tray to support the solid precursor. The partition, after installation, forms an angle with the bottom of the tray, and a gap exists between the bottom surface of the partition and the bottom of the tray. This increases the contact area between the solid precursor and the gas, extending the contact time to meet application requirements.

[0004] Although the aforementioned patent solves the problem of contact between solid precursors and gas, the overall structure still has certain irrationalities, such as the possibility of unstable airflow and uneven concentration.

[0005] Therefore, this invention proposes a novel solid precursor cylinder structure that, while taking into account utilization efficiency, ensures full mixing of the precursor source and carrier gas through cylinder structure design and systematic flow channel optimization, thereby achieving stable concentration control and stable supply. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention provides a solid precursor cylinder, which ensures full mixing of the precursor source and carrier gas through cylinder structure design and systematic flow channel optimization, thereby achieving stable concentration control and stable supply.

[0007] The technical problem solved by this invention is achieved by the following technical solution:

[0008] A solid precursor cylinder, comprising:

[0009] Cylinder body,

[0010] The bottom layer of the gas cylinder, located at the bottom of the main body of the gas cylinder, is in an arc shape;

[0011] Several layers of trays are placed inside the main body of the steel cylinder. Each tray carries a solid precursor source of a certain thickness. Each layer of the tray is densely covered with upward through holes that penetrate the tray and the solid precursor source. A downward through hole is provided at the center of the tray. An upward elbow is provided above the upward through hole to guide the airflow direction. There is a certain distance between two adjacent trays, and the downward through holes are connected through a downward through pipe.

[0012] The top cover, which is fixedly connected to the cylinder body by fasteners, includes a top cover plate, a clamping cover plate, and a mixing chamber cover. The top cover plate is provided with a gas source inlet and a gas source outlet. The mixing chamber cover is located above the gas source outlet and discharges gas outward through a gas outlet. The top cover plate is provided with an arc-shaped groove. One end of the arc-shaped groove starts from the gas source inlet and ends at the center of the top cover plate, and passes through the clamping cover plate to communicate with the downward through hole.

[0013] As a preferred technical solution, the outlet of each of the upper bends faces the center of the tray, and the angle of the upper bend is 90°-150°.

[0014] As a preferred technical solution, a lower bend is provided below the upper through hole to guide the airflow direction, and the outlet of each lower bend faces the center of the tray, and the angle of the lower bend is 90°-150°.

[0015] As a preferred technical solution, the upward through hole includes a row of radial through holes, which extends radially outward from the center of the tray, and the upward through hole placed on the row of radial through holes is a radial through hole.

[0016] As a preferred technical solution, the through holes between two adjacent trays are in a non-corresponding state to avoid short circuits in the flow channels, which would affect the volatilization and concentration stability of the precursor.

[0017] As a preferred technical solution, the included angle between the rows of through holes of two adjacent trays is 5°-30°.

[0018] As a preferred technical solution, the included angle between the rows of through holes of two adjacent trays is 15°.

[0019] As a preferred technical solution, the upward through hole includes a row of peripheral through holes, which are distributed in a ring shape within the tray, with their center point located at the center of the tray. The upward through hole placed on the row of peripheral through holes is a peripheral through hole.

[0020] As a preferred technical solution, the circumferential holes between two adjacent trays are in a corresponding state to achieve uniform spatial distribution of precursor volatilization and concentration.

[0021] As a preferred technical solution, the pressing cover plate is tightly fitted with the top cover plate, so that the arc-shaped groove forms a sealed channel.

[0022] As a preferred technical solution, there is a transition section between the outer edge of the bottom layer of the cylinder and the main body of the cylinder. The transition section is horizontal, and the transition between the bottom layer of the cylinder and the main body of the cylinder is achieved by rounded corners on both sides of the transition section.

[0023] As a preferred technical solution, there are at least two gas source outlets, located outside the center of the top cover plate, and completely penetrating the top cover plate and the clamping cover plate.

[0024] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0025] (1) By designing the cylinder structure and optimizing the flow channel, the precursor source and the carrier gas are fully mixed, and the concentration is stably controlled and supplied. The upper and lower bends can effectively increase the disturbance of the airflow in the cylinder, and effectively achieve the full mixing of the precursor source and the carrier gas.

[0026] (2) The bottom of the cylinder adopts an arc-shaped structure, which can reduce the gas turbulence of the upward flow and prevent the existence of flow dead zone. At the same time, the horizontal transition section design and the rounded corner transition are conducive to the stable flow of gas in the edge area.

[0027] (3) The mixing chamber cover can ensure a more stable concentration output.

[0028] (4) The through holes surround the precursor, which avoids the "flow channel short circuit" situation in many existing technologies and helps to maintain the volatility and concentration stability of the precursor. Attached Figure Description

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a solid precursor steel cylinder according to the present invention.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a top view structural diagram of a solid precursor steel cylinder according to the present invention.

[0032] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Sectional view along the AA direction.

[0033] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of the first type of structure in the Q part of the image.

[0034] Figure 5 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of the second type of structure in the Q part of the image.

[0035] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a tray for a solid precursor steel cylinder according to the present invention.

[0036] Figure 7 This is a top view of the tray structure of a solid precursor steel cylinder according to the present invention.

[0037] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the tray structure of a solid precursor steel cylinder according to the present invention.

[0038] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the top cover plate of a solid precursor steel cylinder according to the present invention.

[0039] in:

[0040] 99-Solid precursor source, 100-Cylinder body, 200-Cylinder bottom layer, 300-Pattern, 400-Top cover;

[0041] 210 - Transition section, 220 - Rounded corner;

[0042] 310 - Upper elbow, 320 - Lower elbow, 330 - Upward through hole, 340 - Downward through hole, 350 - Downward through pipe;

[0043] 3210 - Through-hole row, 3310 - Through-hole row, 3220 - Through-hole row, 3320 - Through-hole row;

[0044] 410 - Top cover, 420 - Pressing cover, 430 - Mixing compartment cover;

[0045] 4110 - Gas source inlet, 4120 - Gas source outlet, 4130 - Arc-shaped groove, 4310 - Gas outlet. Detailed Implementation

[0046] To make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described below with reference to specific illustrations.

[0047] Example 1

[0048] Reference Figure 1-8A solid precursor cylinder, as shown, includes: a cylinder body 100, a cylinder bottom layer 200, several layers of trays 300, and a top cover 400. Wherein, as... Figure 4 As shown, the bottom layer 200 of the gas cylinder is located at the bottom of the main body 100 of the gas cylinder and is in an arc shape. The arc-shaped structure of the bottom layer 200 used in this invention conforms to gas flow; this arc shape can reduce the turbulence of the upward-flowing gas while preventing the existence of dead zones. To achieve better airflow disturbance, such as... Figure 5 As shown, a further improvement of the present invention is that there is a transition section 210 between the outer edge of the bottom layer 200 of the cylinder and the main body 100 of the cylinder. The transition section 210 is horizontal, and the transition between the bottom layer 200 and the main body 100 of the cylinder is achieved by rounded corners 220 on both sides of the transition section 210, which is conducive to stable flow in the edge area.

[0049] The tray 300 of the present invention is placed inside the main body 100 of the steel cylinder. The number of trays 300 can be set as needed, such as 6, 8, or 10 layers, and is not limited to the above number of layers; there can be more. The tray 300 of the present invention contains a solid precursor source 99 of a certain thickness. The solid precursor source 99 of the present invention can be selected from the following materials: HfCl4 (hafnium tetrachloride), ZrCl4 (zirconium chloride), MoO2Cl2 (molybdenum dichlorodioxide), MoCl5 (molybdenum pentachloride), AlCl3 (aluminum chloride), Cp2Mg (magnesium pyrocene), and XeF2 (xenon difluoride).

[0050] Each tray 300 is densely covered with upward through holes 330 that penetrate the tray 300 and the solid precursor source 99. The upward through holes 330 have a spiral texture (not shown in the figure). A downward through hole 340 is provided at the center of the tray 300. There is a certain distance between two adjacent trays 300, and the downward through holes 340 are connected through a downward through pipe 350.

[0051] Specifically, an upper bend 310 for guiding airflow is provided above the upper through-hole 330. The outlet of each upper bend 310 faces the center of the tray 300, and the angle of the upper bend 310 is 90°-150°, with an angle of 135° in this embodiment. To better guide airflow and increase airflow disturbance and travel, a lower bend 320 for guiding airflow is provided below the upper through-hole 330. The outlet of each lower bend 320 faces the center of the tray 300, and the angle of the lower bend 320 is 90°-150°, with an angle of 135° in this embodiment.

[0052] More specifically, the upward through hole 330 in this invention includes a radial through hole row 3210, which extends radially outward from the center of the tray 300. The upward through hole 330 placed on the radial through hole row 3210 is a radial through hole 3310. The radial through holes 3310 can be in one row or multiple rows. Specifically, the number of radial through hole rows 3210 can be 6 or 8, or even more. The specific number depends on the actual needs and is generally an even number.

[0053] Of course, the starting point of the through hole array 3210 in this invention can be radially extended outward from the center of the tray 300, or its extension line can pass through the center of the tray 300.

[0054] In this invention, the through holes 3310 between two adjacent trays 300 are in a non-corresponding state to avoid short-circuiting of the flow channel and affecting the volatility and concentration stability of the precursor. Generally, the included angle between the through hole rows 3210 of two adjacent trays 300 is 5°-30°. Preferably, the included angle between the through hole rows 3210 of two adjacent trays 300 is 15°.

[0055] The upward through-hole 330 in this invention includes a row of peripheral through-holes 3220, which are arranged in a ring within the tray 300, with their center point located at the center of the tray 300. The upward through-hole 330 placed on the row of peripheral through-holes 3220 is a peripheral through-hole 3320, wherein the peripheral through-hole 3320 can be one ring or multiple rings. Generally, the peripheral through-holes 3320 between two adjacent trays 300 are in a corresponding state to achieve the stabilization of precursor volatilization and concentration.

[0056] Of course, the tray 300 in this invention is provided with both radial through holes 3210 and circumferential through holes 3220. There are multiple radial through holes 3210, such as four radial through holes 3210 whose starting point is from the center of the tray 300, and the extension lines of the other four radial through holes 3210 pass through the center of the tray 300. There is one circumferential through hole 3220, which intersects with all the radial through holes 3210.

[0057] In this invention, the top cover 400 is fixedly connected to the cylinder body 100 by fasteners, and includes a top cover plate 410, a clamping cover plate 420, and a mixing chamber cover 430. The top cover plate 410 is provided with a gas source inlet 4110 and a gas source outlet 4120. The mixing chamber cover 430 is located above the gas source outlet 4120 and discharges gas outward through a gas outlet 4310. An arc-shaped groove 4130 is provided on the top cover plate 410. One end of the arc-shaped groove 4130 starts from the gas source inlet 4110 and ends at the center of the top cover plate 410, and passes through the clamping cover plate 420 to communicate with the downward through hole 340. The arc of the arc-shaped groove 4130 in this invention is not less than 180°, that is, it rotates at least half a circle around the top cover plate 410, generally one circle or more circles, and in this embodiment it is one circle.

[0058] In this invention, the clamping cover plate 420 fits tightly with the top cover plate 410, and the arc-shaped groove 4130 forms a sealed channel. There are at least two air source outlets 4120, which are located outside the center of the top cover plate 410 and completely penetrate the top cover plate 410 and the clamping cover plate 420.

[0059] The structure of the invention is illustrated below with specific examples:

[0060] In use, trays 300 are placed sequentially inside the cylinder body 100. A solid precursor source 99 is placed inside each tray 300. Because the solid precursor source 99 in this embodiment is spread flat on the tray 300 and has a certain thickness, it is beneficial for the uniformity and stable output of gas concentration in space. It is worth noting that the top tray 300 may not contain the solid precursor source 99, which is even more conducive to a stable gas concentration output.

[0061] After the tray 300 is placed, the top cover 400 and the cylinder body 100 are fixedly connected by fasteners. The gas source is connected to the gas source inlet 4110 to start gas supply. Since there is a sealed channel formed by the arc-shaped groove 4130 between the pressing cover plate 420 and the top cover plate 410, the gas enters the tray 300 from the center of the top cover plate 410 after rotating one revolution from the periphery of the top cover plate 410. In this embodiment, the arc-shaped groove 4130 increases the stroke of entering the cylinder, which helps to ensure stable pressure and flow input.

[0062] In this embodiment, a downward through hole 340 is provided at the center of the tray 300, and there is a certain distance between two adjacent trays 300. The downward through holes 340 are connected through a downward through pipe 350. Therefore, the gas source directly enters the bottom of the cylinder body 100 from the center of the tray 300.

[0063] The arc-shaped bottom layer 200 of the cylinder used in this embodiment conforms to the gas flow. This arc shape can reduce the turbulence of the gas flowing back upward and prevent the existence of flow dead zones. Furthermore, there is a transition section 210 between the outer edge of the bottom layer 200 and the cylinder body 100. The transition section 210 is horizontal. The transition section 210 is connected to the bottom layer 200 and the cylinder body 100 by rounded corners 220 on both sides, which is conducive to stable flow in the edge area.

[0064] In this embodiment, the tray 300 has radial through-hole rows 3210 and peripheral through-hole rows 3220, with radial through-holes 3310 and peripheral through-holes 3320 distributed on them. Generally, the apertures of the radial through-holes 3310 and peripheral through-holes 3320 are smaller than those of the downward through-holes 340. A smaller aperture allows for a more uniform concentration distribution. To achieve better mixing efficiency, the radial through-holes 3310 and peripheral through-holes 3320 in this embodiment have a spiral texture (not shown in the figure) to enhance turbulence and further improve mixing efficiency.

[0065] In this embodiment, when arranging the trays 300 vertically, they are deflected at an angle. Simultaneously, the circumferential holes are aligned vertically, while the radial holes are misaligned but deflected at an angle. This ensures both uniform overall flow and efficient mixing in the mixing zone. The top tray 300 holds the precursor source, or preferably does not, to ensure a sufficiently long mixing channel and facilitate mixing. It is important to emphasize that the trays 300 are tightly fitted to the inner wall of the cylinder body 100 to ensure uniform and efficient heat conduction.

[0066] As the gas source ascends, it passes sequentially through the radial through-holes 3310 or circumferential through-holes 3320 of each tray 300, simultaneously passing through the solid precursor source 99, thus forming a mixed gas of a certain concentration. Finally, it enters the mixing chamber cover 430 through the gas source outlet 4120 on the outer center of the top cover plate 410 for a second thorough mixing, achieving stable concentration control and supply. The mixing chamber cover 430 is designed because the gas source gas has a slightly different concentration upon reaching the mixing chamber cover 430 due to different paths. This second thorough mixing ensures stable concentration control and supply, avoiding fluctuations in gas concentration.

[0067] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0068] (1) By designing the cylinder structure and optimizing the flow channel, the precursor source and the carrier gas are fully mixed, and the concentration is stably controlled and supplied. The upper and lower bends can effectively increase the disturbance of the airflow in the cylinder, and effectively achieve the full mixing of the precursor source and the carrier gas.

[0069] (2) The bottom layer 200 of the gas cylinder adopts an arc shape structure, which can reduce the gas turbulence of the upward flow and prevent the existence of flow dead zone. At the same time, through the design of the horizontal transition section 210 and the transition of the rounded corner 220, it is conducive to the stable flow of gas in the edge area.

[0070] (3) The setting of the mixing chamber cover 430 can ensure a more stable concentration output.

[0071] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of this invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A solid precursor steel cylinder, characterized in that, include: Cylinder body, The bottom layer of the gas cylinder, located at the bottom of the main body of the gas cylinder, is in an arc shape; Several layers of trays are placed inside the main body of the steel cylinder. Each tray carries a solid precursor source of a certain thickness. Each layer of the tray is densely covered with upward through holes that penetrate the tray and the solid precursor source. Above the upward through holes is an upward elbow for guiding the airflow. A downward through hole is provided at the center of the tray. There is a certain distance between two adjacent trays, and the downward through holes are connected through a downward through pipe. The top cover, which is fixedly connected to the cylinder body by fasteners, includes a top cover plate, a clamping cover plate, and a mixing chamber cover. The top cover plate is provided with a gas source inlet and a gas source outlet. The mixing chamber cover is located above the gas source outlet and discharges gas outward through a gas outlet. The top cover plate is provided with an arc-shaped groove. One end of the arc-shaped groove starts from the gas source inlet and ends at the center of the top cover plate, and passes through the clamping cover plate to communicate with the downward through hole.

2. The solid precursor cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outlet of each of the upper bends faces the center of the tray, and the angle of the upper bend is 90°-150°.

3. A solid precursor cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that, Below the upward through-hole is a lower bend for guiding airflow, and the outlet of each lower bend faces the center of the tray, with the angle of the lower bend being 90°-150°.

4. A solid precursor cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper through hole includes a row of radial through holes, which extends radially outward from the center of the tray. The upper through hole placed on the row of radial through holes is a radial through hole.

5. A solid precursor cylinder according to claim 4, characterized in that, The through holes between two adjacent trays are in a non-corresponding state.

6. A solid precursor cylinder according to claim 5, characterized in that, The included angle between the rows of through holes of two adjacent trays is 5°-30°.

7. A solid precursor cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper through hole includes a row of peripheral through holes, which are distributed in a ring shape within the tray, with their center point located at the center of the tray. The upper through hole placed on the row of peripheral through holes is a peripheral through hole.

8. A solid precursor cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping cover plate fits tightly with the top cover plate, making the arc-shaped groove form a sealed channel.

9. A solid precursor cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that, There is a transition section between the outer edge of the bottom layer of the cylinder and the main body of the cylinder. The transition section is horizontal, and the transition between the bottom layer of the cylinder and the main body of the cylinder is achieved by rounded corners on both sides of the transition section.

10. A solid precursor cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas source outlet has at least two outlets, which are located outside the center of the top cover plate and completely penetrate the top cover plate and the clamping cover plate.

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