Semiconductor process chamber, plasma build-up method and semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing, in particular to a semiconductor process chamber, a plasma luminance build-up method and semiconductor process equipment. The semiconductor process chamber comprises a cavity, an auxiliary luminance build-up assembly and a sputtering assembly, a process cavity is formed in the cavity, and a mounting hole is formed in the side wall of the cavity; the auxiliary glow build-up assembly comprises a pipeline, a valve and an electronic generator, the pipeline is arranged at the mounting hole, the valve is arranged on the pipeline, and the electronic generator is arranged at one end of the pipeline, located outside the process cavity and used for generating hot electrons and conveying the hot electrons into the process cavity through the pipeline; the sputtering assembly comprises a target material and a sputtering power supply, the sputtering power supply is electrically connected with the target material and is used for outputting sputtering power to the target material, so that an electric field is formed in the process cavity, and the process gas in the process cavity is excited to form plasma under the action of the electric field and the hot electrons. According to the invention, the problem that a large amount of process gas is needed in the luminance build-up process of the current process chamber can be solved, and the hole filling capability of the chamber can be improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing, in particular to a semiconductor process chamber, a plasma ignition method and a semiconductor process equipment. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the back-end-of-line of semiconductor manufacturing or integrated circuit chip manufacturing, magnetron sputtering in physical vapor deposition (PVD) is one of the most widely used technologies; for example, metal interconnection, hard mask, packaging, etc. all need to use PVD technology. The basic principle of PVD is that the substrate is anode and the target material is cathode, the direction of the electric field E is from the substrate to the target material, and argon gas is generally used as the gas medium in the vacuum chamber to ignite and maintain glow discharge. When the high-voltage power supply is turned on, the electrons emitted by the cathode accelerate to the anode substrate under the action of the electric field, collide with argon atoms in the process, and glow discharge occurs, which causes the ionization of argon atoms, and electrons and Ar + + ions are generated. The electrons drift under the joint action of the electric field and the magnetic field, sometimes referred to as E x B drift, and move along a cycloid-like path. Under the action of the annular magnetic field, the electrons are confined in the plasma region near the surface of the target material to provide electrons for the next collision with argon atoms. + Under the action of the electric field, the electrons fly to the cathode target material and hit the upper surface of the target material with high energy, causing the cathode target material to sputter, and the target particles (atoms, molecules or ions) are deposited on the substrate. Some atoms have strong binding with adjacent atoms to form a thin film.

[0003] In related technologies, in the self-ionization (SIP) PVD chamber process, a large amount of argon gas is needed to excite the plasma in the ignition process, and the argon gas is gradually turned off after the ignition is successful, and the plasma is maintained through the self-ionization (SIP) process of the chamber. However, because the volume of the self-ionization chamber is relatively large, the argon gas in the chamber cannot be quickly pumped out, and a large amount of argon gas is not conducive to the collimation of the chamber deposition after the ignition is successful, because a large amount of gas will collide with metal ions, causing them to lose their charge, and thus cannot be attracted vertically downward by the bias of the susceptor for deposition, ultimately leading to a decrease in the ability to fill holes. SUMMARY

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to provide a semiconductor process chamber, a plasma ignition method and a semiconductor process equipment, which can at least alleviate the problem that a large amount of process gas is needed in the ignition process of the current process chamber, can reduce the process gas needed in the ignition process, and can increase the ability to fill holes in the chamber.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a semiconductor process chamber, comprising:

[0006] a cavity, wherein the cavity has a process cavity, and a side wall of the cavity is provided with a mounting hole;

[0007] An auxiliary ignition assembly, the auxiliary ignition assembly comprises a pipe, a valve and an electronic generator, the pipe is arranged at the mounting hole, the valve is arranged on the pipe, the electronic generator is arranged at one end of the pipe and outside the process chamber, and is used for generating hot electrons and delivering the hot electrons into the process chamber through the pipe;

[0008] A sputtering assembly, the sputtering assembly comprises a target and a sputtering power supply, the sputtering power supply is electrically connected with the target, and is used for outputting sputtering power to the target, so as to form an electric field inside the process chamber, and the process gas in the process chamber is excited to form a plasma under the action of the electric field and the hot electrons.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present application, the valve comprises at least one of a pneumatic valve, an electric valve or a solenoid valve.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present application, the valve is signal-connected with a controller, so as to control the opening or closing of the valve through the controller.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present application, a temperature sensor is arranged in the process chamber, and is used for detecting the temperature in the process chamber; the temperature sensor is signal-connected with a controller, and the controller controls the opening or closing of the valve according to the information transmitted by the temperature sensor.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present application, the electronic generator comprises a shell and a filament arranged in the shell, and the filament comprises at least one of an iridium oxide filament, a yttrium iridium oxide filament or a tungsten filament.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present application, the sputtering power supply is a radio frequency power supply and / or a direct current power supply.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present application, the sputtering assembly further comprises a magnetic control element, the magnetic control element is arranged above the target, and is used for generating a magnetic field on the surface of the target.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present application, the semiconductor process chamber further comprises:

[0016] A susceptor, the susceptor is arranged in the process chamber, and is used for carrying a wafer; along the height direction of the process chamber, the susceptor is oppositely arranged below the target;

[0017] A radio frequency power supply, the radio frequency power supply is connected with the susceptor, and is used for applying a radio frequency power to the susceptor.

[0018] In a second aspect, the present application provides a plasma ignition method, which is applied to the semiconductor process chamber as described above, and the method comprises:

[0019] The process gas is introduced into the process cavity;

[0020] The sputtering power is outputted to the target material by using a sputtering power source, so that an electric field is formed inside the process cavity;

[0021] The temperature inside the process cavity is monitored, when the temperature reaches the temperature at which the thermoelectrons generated by the electron generator, the valve is opened, and the thermoelectrons generated by the electron generator are transported into the process cavity through the pipeline, the thermoelectrons excite the process gas inside the process cavity to form plasma, and the ignition is completed.

[0022] In some embodiments of the present application, before the process gas is introduced into the process cavity, the method further comprises the step of vacuumizing the process cavity.

[0023] In some embodiments of the present application, the flow rate of the process gas ranges from 30sccm to 200sccm.

[0024] In some embodiments of the present application, the process gas comprises argon.

[0025] In some embodiments of the present application, the output power of the sputtering power source ranges from 100W to 5000W.

[0026] In some embodiments of the present application, the temperature at which the thermoelectrons generated by the electron generator is adapted to the filament material in the electron generator, and the temperature at which the thermoelectrons generated by the electron generator ranges from 200℃ to 800℃.

[0027] In some embodiments of the present application, after the ignition is completed, the valve is closed.

[0028] In a third aspect, the present application provides a semiconductor process equipment, which comprises the semiconductor process cavity as described above; and the semiconductor process cavity comprises a magnetron sputtering deposition cavity.

[0029] The above-mentioned at least one technical solution adopted by the embodiments of the present application can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0030] The semiconductor process cavity of the present application not only has a sputtering assembly, but also has an auxiliary ignition assembly, which comprises a pipeline, a valve and an electron generator, the pipeline can be connected to the mounting hole of the side wall of the cavity, the valve is arranged on the pipeline, and the electron generator is arranged at one end of the pipeline and outside the process cavity, for generating thermoelectrons and transporting the thermoelectrons into the process cavity. Therefore, by arranging the electron generator capable of generating thermoelectrons, in the process of igniting the process cavity, the electron generator and the valve are opened, and the generated thermoelectrons are transported into the process cavity, so that the thermoelectrons react with the process gas in the process cavity to generate plasma, that is, the process cavity is ignited by increasing the thermoelectrons, which can improve the probability of successful ignition of the cavity, reduce the process gas required for ignition, and thus enhance the ability of the cavity to fill holes. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or related technologies, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a semiconductor process chamber provided for related technologies;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a semiconductor process chamber provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0035] 10-Cavity;

[0036] 20 - Auxiliary ignition assembly; 210 - Piping; 220 - Valve; 230 - Electron generator; 240 - Thermionic;

[0037] 30-Sputtering power supply;

[0038] 40-Target material;

[0039] 50 - Magnetically controlled components;

[0040] 60-Base;

[0041] 70-RF power supply;

[0042] 80-Plasma;

[0043] 90 - Process gas pipeline. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0045] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0046] refer to Figure 1As shown, in the related art, a semiconductor process chamber includes a cavity 10, a bottom of the cavity 10 is provided with a susceptor 60, and the susceptor 60 can be provided with a radio frequency bias to attract metal ions to be sputtered vertically downward; a top of the cavity 10 is provided with a target material 40, and an upper portion of the target material 40 is provided with a magnetron element 50 such as a magnetron, and the target material 40 is electrically connected with a sputtering power supply 30 such as a high-voltage direct-current power supply arranged outside the cavity 10. In a self-ionization (SIP) PVD process, the sputtering power supply 30 provides a high voltage for the target material 40, a process gas such as argon is introduced into the process cavity from the bottom of the cavity through a process gas pipeline, and the electrons generated by the target material 40 collide with argon atoms during movement to generate a glow discharge phenomenon, so as to ionize the argon atoms, and the ionized electrons and Ar + form a plasma 80, and the Ar + under the action of an electric field, fly to the cathode target material, and hit the upper surface of the target material with high energy to cause sputtering of the cathode target material, so that target particles (atoms, molecules or ions) are sputtered and deposited on the substrate, and the SIP chamber can maintain the plasma without relying on argon after the glow discharge is successful.

[0047] However, in the self-ionization (SIP) PVD chamber, a large amount of argon gas is required to excite the plasma during the glow discharge process, and the argon gas is gradually turned off after the glow discharge is successful, and the plasma is maintained through the self-ionization (SIP) process of the chamber. However, because the volume of the self-ionization chamber is relatively large, the argon gas in the chamber cannot be quickly pumped out, and a large amount of argon gas is not conducive to the collimation of the chamber deposition after the glow discharge is successful, because a large amount of gas will collide with metal ions, causing them to lose their charge, and thus cannot be attracted vertically downward by the bias of the susceptor, ultimately resulting in a decrease in the ability to fill holes.

[0048] Therefore, the present application discloses a semiconductor process chamber, a plasma glow discharge method and a semiconductor process equipment, which mainly solves the problem of a large amount of process gas (such as argon) required in the self-ionization (SIP) PVD chamber during the glow discharge process by providing an auxiliary glow discharge assembly, so as to reduce the process gas required during the glow discharge and increase the ability of the chamber to fill holes.

[0049] Reference Figure 2 As shown, the semiconductor process chamber provided by the embodiments of the present application comprises:

[0050] a cavity 10, the cavity 10 has a process cavity therein, and the sidewall of the cavity 10 is provided with a mounting hole;

[0051] an auxiliary glow discharge assembly 20, the auxiliary glow discharge assembly 20 comprises a pipeline 210, a valve 220 and an electron generator 230, the pipeline 210 is arranged at the mounting hole, the valve 220 is arranged on the pipeline 210, and the electron generator 230 is arranged at one end of the pipeline 210 and located outside the process cavity, and is used to generate hot electrons 240 and deliver the hot electrons 240 into the process cavity through the pipeline 210.

[0052] The sputtering assembly includes a target 40 and a sputtering power source 30 electrically connected to the target 40 to output a sputtering power to the target 40 to form an electric field inside the process chamber, and under the action of the electric field and hot electrons 240, the process gas in the process chamber is excited to form a plasma 80.

[0053] Optionally, the semiconductor process chamber can be a physical vapor deposition chamber. In some optional embodiments, the semiconductor process chamber can be a magnetron sputtering deposition chamber.

[0054] Optionally, the semiconductor process chamber can be a self-ionized physical vapor deposition chamber, i.e., a self-ionized (SIP) PVD chamber.

[0055] It should be understood that "self-ionization" mainly refers to the sputtered target 40 metal atoms being ionized by themselves to become the main ion source for maintaining the plasma. The main feature of the self-ionized (SIP) PVD chamber is that it can use the sputtered target 40 (metal) atoms themselves to generate and maintain a high-density plasma 80 without relying on traditional argon gas glow discharge or additional external ionization sources (such as radio frequency coils). The self-ionized (SIP) PVD chamber can efficiently ionize the sputtered metal atoms by chamber design (such as specific magnetic field configuration, high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering, etc.) and process parameters. The self-ionized (SIP) PVD chamber has a very high metal ionization rate, which enables the deposition particles (mainly metal ions) to be controlled in direction by the substrate bias, and has excellent step coverage and filling capability in semiconductor manufacturing.

[0056] However, the self-ionized (SIP) PVD chamber in the related art requires a large amount of process gas such as argon to excite the plasma 80 during the ignition process. In view of this, the inventors of the present application have endeavored to solve the above problems, and based on a large number of researches by the inventors, it has been found that by providing an auxiliary ignition assembly 20 in the process chamber, the problem of the self-ionized (SIP) PVD chamber requiring a large amount of process gas during the ignition process can be effectively solved. Specifically:

[0057] The auxiliary glow component 20 is mainly composed of a pipeline 210, a valve 220 and an electron generator 230. The pipeline 210 can be used as a channel for conveying hot electrons 240 to the process cavity. The valve 220 can be used to control the hot electrons 240 to enter the process cavity or prevent the gas in the process cavity from entering the electron generator 230. For example, when the hot electrons 240 are needed to enter the process cavity, the valve 220 can be opened, and when the hot electrons 240 are not needed to enter the process cavity, the valve 220 can be closed, and at the same time, the gas in the process cavity is prevented from entering the electron generator 230, so as to avoid affecting the electron generator 230. The electron generator 230 is a device capable of controllably generating and emitting hot electrons 240 (or electron beams). The hot electrons 240 are conveyed to the process cavity to provide directional energy flow (electron kinetic energy) for the process cavity, significantly reduce the energy threshold required for gas ionization (especially at low pressure), make the energy utilization of the main power source (such as a radio frequency power source or a high-voltage direct current voltage) more efficient, and thus reduce the difficulty of glow of the main power source and the process gas required for glow.

[0058] Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the sputtering power source 30 is electrically connected with the target material 40, and the sputtering power source 30 is used to supply power to the target material 40 to form an electric field inside the process cavity, which plays a role of preheating the process cavity. On this basis, in the glow process, the electron generator 230 and the valve 220 are opened, and the generated hot electrons 240 are conveyed to the process cavity, so that the hot electrons 240 react with the process gas in the process cavity to generate plasma 80, which reduces the difficulty of glow of the sputtering power source 30, significantly reduces the energy threshold required for gas ionization (especially at low pressure), and makes the energy utilization of the sputtering power source 30 more efficient. That is, by increasing the hot electrons 240 to assist the glow of the process chamber, the probability of successful glow of the chamber can be improved, and the process gas required for glow can be reduced. Further, since the amount of process gas required for glow is reduced, the collision between the process gas and the target material 40 particles is reduced, which is beneficial to the bias attraction of the susceptor 60 and the vertical deposition, and thus the hole filling capacity of the chamber is ensured.

[0059] In the semiconductor process chamber of the embodiment of the present application, the cavity 10 includes a bottom wall and a side wall, and the side wall can be arranged around the bottom wall to form a process cavity. The mounting hole for mounting the auxiliary glow component 20 can be arranged on the side wall of the cavity 10, which is convenient for subsequent maintenance. It should be understood that the size of the mounting hole is adapted to the size of the pipeline 210, and the open end of the pipeline 210 can extend into the process cavity through the mounting hole, or the open end of the pipeline 210 can be located at the mounting hole.

[0060] It should be understood that one end of the pipeline 210 is open and located at the mounting hole or in the process chamber, and the other end of the pipeline 210 is connected to the electronic generator 230, and the valve 220 is arranged on the pipeline 210, and the valve 220 and the electronic generator 230 are located outside the process chamber.

[0061] In the auxiliary ignition assembly 20 of the embodiment of the present application, the valve 220 is opened to input the hot electrons 240 into the process chamber, and the valve 220 is closed to stop inputting the hot electrons 240 into the process chamber, and at the same time, the valve 220 is closed to prevent the gas in the process chamber from entering the electronic generator 230, thereby avoiding affecting the electronic generator 230. Therefore, in order to facilitate operation, the valve 220 is preferably automatically opened or closed, or can be opened or closed by a controller.

[0062] In some embodiments, the valve 220 includes at least one of a pneumatic valve, an electric valve or a solenoid valve. For example, the valve 220 can be selected as a pneumatic valve, or can be selected as an electric valve, or can be selected as a solenoid valve.

[0063] Preferably, the embodiment of the present application selects a pneumatic valve, which is convenient to operate and control, easy to adjust and low in cost. More preferably, the valve 220 is selected as a pneumatic solenoid valve, which can indirectly control the pneumatic actuator by an electric signal, and is safe and reliable.

[0064] In some embodiments, the valve 220 is signal-connected to a controller to control the opening or closing of the valve 220 by the controller. For example, the valve 220 is a pneumatic valve or a pneumatic solenoid valve.

[0065] It should be understood that the pneumatic solenoid valve can be controlled by a PLC controller and CDA (compressed gas) to realize remote operation, thereby realizing the opening or closing of the valve 220, which is convenient to operate and high in efficiency.

[0066] It should be noted that the specific working principle of the controller for controlling the opening or closing of the valve 220 such as a pneumatic valve or a pneumatic solenoid valve can refer to related technologies, as long as the opening or closing of the valve 220 can be realized, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto, and will not be described in detail herein.

[0067] In some embodiments, a temperature sensor is arranged in the process chamber to detect the temperature in the process chamber; the temperature sensor is signal-connected to a controller, and the controller controls the opening or closing of the valve 220 according to the information transmitted by the temperature sensor. Alternatively, the controller can be a PLC controller.

[0068] In the embodiment of the present application, the PLC controller is respectively connected with the valve 220 and the temperature sensor. When the preset temperature is reached, the temperature sensor can send a temperature signal to the controller, and the controller can receive the temperature signal sent by the temperature sensor. The PLC controller can control the valve 220, such as a pneumatic valve or a pneumatic electromagnetic valve, to automatically open.

[0069] The electron generation mechanism of the electron generator 230 includes thermal emission, field emission, and secondary electron emission. The thermal emission is mainly generated by heating the cathode material (such as a heating wire) to release electrons. In the embodiment of the present application, the electron generator 230 can be a conventional thermal emission electron generation mechanism, such as a device that generates hot electrons 240 by heating the heating wire by electric current. To ensure that the hot electrons 240 can continuously escape from the heating wire, an electric field can be applied to the hot electrons 240 to stably transport the hot electrons 240 to the process chamber.

[0070] For example, in some embodiments, the electron generator 230 includes a shell and a filament arranged in the shell, wherein the filament includes at least one of an iridium oxide filament, a yttrium iridium oxide filament, or a tungsten filament. In the electron generator 230, the filament is located in the shell and generates hot electrons 240 after being heated by electric current. Specifically, the free electrons inside the metal filament can obtain enough energy by heating the metal filament, so as to overcome the potential barrier of the material surface and overflow to form an electron beam.

[0071] The shell can be made of an insulating material. The shell can have a gap inside, and the gap can be pumped to a vacuum state. In this way, the hot electrons generated by the filament will not collide with gas molecules during the process of passing through the gap, and thus unnecessary particles and plasma 80 will not be generated, that is, the generation of plasma 80 in the electron generator 230 can be prevented.

[0072] In the embodiment of the present application, the material of the filament can be iridium oxide metal, or yttrium iridium oxide metal, or tungsten, or other materials that can generate hot electrons. Preferably, the filament in the embodiment of the present application is more preferably an iridium oxide filament.

[0073] It should be understood that the temperature of the hot electrons 240 generated by the filament after being heated by electric current is different for filaments made of different materials. In the embodiment of the present application, the filament is made of yttrium oxide. When the filament is heated by electric current, the filament can generate hot electrons 240 when the temperature reaches 300°C or above. That is, the temperature at which the yttrium oxide filament generates hot electrons 240 is above 300°C, which is more appropriate and beneficial to the process of the semiconductor process chamber.

[0074] In some embodiments, the sputtering power source 30 is a radio frequency power source and / or a direct current power source. For example, the sputtering power source 30 can be a radio frequency power source, or can be a direct current power source such as a high voltage direct current power source, or can be a combination of a radio frequency power source and a direct current power source. The sputtering power source 30 is electrically connected to the target 40, and can be used to excite the process gas in the process chamber to form the plasma 80.

[0075] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, the process gas can be argon (Ar), but is not limited thereto, and other process gases known in the art can also be used.

[0076] It should be noted that the power range of the sputtering power source 30 needs to be adjusted according to the size and material of the target 40. The power required for targets 40 of different sizes or materials is different, and can be selected and adjusted according to actual conditions, and is not limited.

[0077] In some embodiments, the sputtering assembly further includes a magnetron element 50 disposed above the target 40 for generating a magnetic field on the surface of the target 40. For example, the magnetron element 50 can be a magnetron.

[0078] The magnetron is disposed above the target 40 and can be used to generate a magnetic field on the surface of the target 40 to confine electrons and help the ignition and maintenance of the plasma 80. The magnetron in the present embodiment can adopt a conventional structure as long as it can confine the electron motion trajectory through the magnetic field and significantly improve the plasma 80 density and sputtering efficiency.

[0079] In some embodiments, the semiconductor process chamber further includes a susceptor 60, a radio frequency power source 70, and a process gas pipeline 90. The susceptor 60 is disposed in the process chamber and is used to carry the substrate. The susceptor 60 is disposed below the target 40 along the height direction of the process chamber. The radio frequency power source 70 is connected to the susceptor 60 and is used to apply radio frequency power to the susceptor 60. For example, the chamber 10 is provided with a target mounting position and a susceptor mounting position. The target 40 can be disposed in the target mounting position in the chamber 10. The susceptor 60 is mainly used to carry the substrate. The susceptor 60 is disposed in the susceptor mounting position and is disposed opposite to the target 40 disposed in the target mounting position.

[0080] The bottom wall of the chamber 10 can be connected to the process gas pipeline 90. The process gas pipeline 90 is in communication with the process chamber and is used to input process gas such as argon into the process chamber.

[0081] In the process of the semiconductor process chamber of the present embodiment, the radio frequency power source 70 is applied to the susceptor 60 to attract metal ions to sputter downward and provide energy for the metal ions. The sputtering power source 30 is applied to the target 40 to excite the ionized Ar +The target (cathode) is bombarded, generating sputtering, and ultimately physical vapor deposition is achieved.

[0082] In particular, in the glow process, the filament in the electron generator 230 in the auxiliary glow assembly 20 is powered to heat up, when the temperature reaches a certain temperature (the temperature at which the filament generates hot electrons), such as when the adopted filament is a yttrium oxide filament, when the temperature reaches 300℃ or above, the filament can generate hot electrons 240, at this time the valve 220 can be opened by the controller, and the hot electrons 240 can diffuse into the process chamber; When the hot electrons 240 in the process chamber meet the argon gas in the chamber, the following reaction can occur to generate plasma 80 (the reaction formula is shown below), and the glow is successful.

[0083]

[0084] Further, when the process chamber is successfully ignited, the valve 220 can be closed to prevent the residual argon gas and the like in the process chamber from entering the electron generator 230, thereby protecting the filament.

[0085] Correspondingly, the embodiment of the present application also provides a plasma ignition method applied to the semiconductor process chamber as mentioned above, and the ignition method comprises:

[0086] Introducing a process gas into the process chamber;

[0087] Using the sputtering power supply 30 to output sputtering power to the target 40 to form an electric field inside the process chamber;

[0088] Monitoring the temperature in the process chamber, when the temperature reaches the temperature at which the electron generator 230 generates hot electrons 240, opening the valve 220 to transport the hot electrons 240 generated by the electron generator 230 to the process chamber through the pipeline 210, and the hot electrons 240 excite the process gas in the process chamber to form plasma 80 to complete the glow.

[0089] In the embodiment of the present application, through the setting of the auxiliary glow assembly 20, the probability of successful chamber glow can be greatly improved, the argon gas required for glow can be reduced, and the ability of the chamber to fill holes can be increased.

[0090] In some embodiments, the process gas includes but is not limited to argon.

[0091] In some specific embodiments, the plasma ignition method comprises:

[0092] First, the process chamber is vacuumed to make the vacuum degree of the process chamber reach the required vacuum degree; for example, the process chamber is vacuumed to 5x10 -3 Pa or below.

[0093] Then, the process gas flowmeter switch is opened, the flow is adjusted, and the process gas is input into the process chamber. For example, the argon flowmeter switch is opened, the flow is adjusted to 30sccm-200sccm, and high-purity argon is filled into the process chamber.

[0094] Generally, in the process of igniting the process chamber, the flow of the process gas such as argon is above 200sccm, and the required argon flow is large. After the ignition is successful, a large amount of argon is not conducive to the collimation of the chamber deposition, and ultimately can easily lead to a decrease in the ability to fill the hole. In the embodiments of the present application, the required process gas such as argon during ignition can be reduced, and the flow of argon can be reduced. The flow of the process gas such as argon can be in the range of 30sccm-200sccm, further in the range of 30sccm-100sccm, and further in the range of 40sccm-60sccm. That is, the flow of argon in the embodiments of the present application can be below 200sccm, for example, 30sccm, 40sccm, 50sccm, 60sccm, 70sccm, 80sccm, 100sccm, 120sccm, 150sccm, 200sccm, etc. Thus, by increasing the hot electrons 240 to assist the ignition of the process chamber, the required argon during ignition is reduced, the probability of successful ignition of the chamber is increased, the collimation of the chamber deposition is improved, and the ability to fill the hole of the chamber is further increased.

[0095] Then, the sputtering power source 30 is opened, and the sputtering power source 30 is used to output sputtering power to the target material 40. The power of the sputtering power source 30 is adjusted according to the size and material of the target material 40, and the power of the sputtering power source 30 is adjusted to the required power. In some embodiments, the output power of the sputtering power source 30 is in the range of 100W-5000W, for example, 100W, 200W, 500W, 1000W, 2000W, 3000W, 5000W, etc. For example, the diameter of the target material 40 used is 300mm, and the material of the target material 40 is aluminum oxide. The RF power of the sputtering power source 30 such as the RF power source can be adjusted to about 1000W.

[0096] It should be understood that the specific value of the power of the sputtering power source 30 described above can be adjusted according to the size and material of the target material 40, and the specific value thereof is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0097] Then, when the pressure of the process chamber is raised to about 2 Pa, the electron generator 230 is turned on, the filament in the electron generator 230 is heated by electricity, and when the temperature reaches the temperature at which the electron generator 230 generates hot electrons 240 (for example, when a yttrium oxide filament is used, the temperature reaches 300°C), a temperature sensor sends a signal to the PLC controller, and the PLC controller controls the automatic opening of the valve 220, such as a pneumatic valve. Atoms of the filament begin to vibrate, and the electrons in the atoms obtain enough energy to form hot electrons 240. The hot electrons 240 can diffuse to the process chamber through the pipeline 210, and the hot electrons 240 in the process chamber can react with the argon gas in the process chamber to generate plasma 80 (the reaction formula is shown below), and the ignition is successful.

[0098]

[0099] It should be understood that whether the ignition is successful can be determined by observing the blue color of the light in the observation window, and the pressure of the vacuum gauge is temporarily reduced, which indicates that the ignition is successful.

[0100] In some embodiments, the temperature at which the electron generator 230 generates hot electrons 240 is adapted to the material of the filament in the electron generator 230, and the temperature at which the electron generator 230 generates hot electrons 240 ranges from 200°C to 800°C, for example, can be 200°C, 300°C, 400°C, 500°C, 600°C, 800°C, etc., and can be determined according to the selected filament material.

[0101] Then, after the ignition is completed, the valve 220 is closed. That is, when the process chamber is successfully ignited, the pressure of the chamber will suddenly decrease, and at this time, the PLC controller can send a closing signal to the valve 220, such as a pneumatic valve, to automatically close the valve 220, so as to prevent the residual argon gas and other gases in the process chamber from entering the electron generator 230, thereby protecting the filament.

[0102] In some embodiments, the present application provides a semiconductor process equipment, which comprises the aforementioned semiconductor process chamber; and the semiconductor process chamber comprises a magnetron sputtering deposition chamber.

[0103] The semiconductor process equipment provided by the embodiments of the present application can improve the probability of successful ignition of the chamber, reduce the argon gas required during ignition, and increase the ability of the chamber to fill holes, because the semiconductor process chamber provided by the embodiments of the present application is used.

[0104] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and are not intended to limit the present application; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions recorded in the above embodiments can be modified, or some or all of the technical features can be replaced by equivalents; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A semiconductor process chamber, characterized in that, include: The cavity has a process chamber inside, and the side wall of the cavity is provided with mounting holes; An auxiliary ignition assembly includes a pipeline, a valve, and an electron generator. The pipeline is located at the mounting hole, and the valve is installed on the pipeline. The electron generator is located at one end of the pipeline and outside the process chamber, and is used to generate thermionic electrons and transport them to the process chamber through the pipeline. A sputtering assembly includes a target and a sputtering power source. The sputtering power source is electrically connected to the target and is used to output sputtering power to the target to form an electric field inside the process cavity. Under the action of the electric field and the thermionic electrons, the process gas inside the process cavity is excited to form plasma.

2. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The valve includes at least one of a pneumatic valve, an electric valve, or a solenoid valve. And / or, the valve is signal-connected to a controller to control the opening or closing of the valve via the controller.

3. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, A temperature sensor is installed inside the process chamber to detect the temperature inside the process chamber; The temperature sensor is connected to the controller, and the controller controls the opening or closing of the valve based on the information transmitted by the temperature sensor.

4. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electron generator includes a housing and a filament disposed within the housing, the filament including at least one of iridium oxide filament, yttrium iridium oxide filament, or tungsten filament.

5. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sputtering power supply is an RF power supply and / or a DC power supply; And / or, the sputtering assembly further includes a magnetron element disposed above the target material for generating a magnetic field on the surface of the target material.

6. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 5, characterized in that, Also includes: The base is disposed within the process cavity and is used to support the substrate; Along the height direction of the process cavity, the base is positioned opposite to the target material below; An RF power supply, connected to the base, is used to apply RF power to the base.

7. A plasma ignition method, applied to a semiconductor process chamber as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The method includes: Process gas is introduced into the process chamber; Sputtering power is output to the target material using a sputtering power source, so that an electric field is formed inside the process cavity; The temperature inside the process chamber is monitored. When the temperature reaches the temperature at which the electron generator produces thermionic electrons, the valve is opened to transport the thermionic electrons generated by the electron generator into the process chamber through the pipeline. The thermionic electrons excite the process gas in the process chamber to form plasma, thus completing the ignition.

8. The plasma ignition method for a semiconductor process chamber according to claim 7, characterized in that, Before introducing process gas into the process chamber, the method further includes a step of evacuating the process chamber. And / or, the flow rate of the process gas is in the range of 30 sccm to 200 sccm; And / or, the process gas includes argon.

9. The plasma ignition method for a semiconductor process chamber according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The output power range of the sputtering power supply is 100W to 5000W; And / or, the temperature at which the thermionic electrons are generated by the electron generator is adapted to the filament material in the electron generator, and the temperature range for the thermionic electrons generated by the electron generator is 200℃~800℃; And / or, after the ignition is completed, the valve is also closed.

10. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized in that, Includes the semiconductor process chamber as described in any one of claims 1 to 6; The semiconductor process chamber includes a magnetron sputtering deposition chamber.

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