A position-adjustable aperture-adjustable gas inlet device and method applied to a semiconductor device

Abstract

The application discloses a position-adjustable and aperture-adjustable air inlet device applied to a semiconductor device and a method, and belongs to the technical field of semiconductor device manufacturing. The position-adjustable and aperture-adjustable air inlet device applied to the semiconductor device comprises an inner ring, a first air distribution ring and a second air distribution ring are arranged outside the inner ring, the inner side of the inner ring is communicated with a cavity, inner side walls of the inner ring are uniformly provided with a plurality of inner ring air outlets, an air outlet assembly is arranged at each inner ring air outlet, the first air distribution ring comprises C and D, the second air distribution ring comprises A and B, and A, B, C and D are communicated with the inner ring. The first air distribution ring and the second air distribution ring are arranged, four ports are used to supply air to the inner ring, and the air supply uniformity of the position-adjustable and aperture-adjustable air inlet device applied to the semiconductor device is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of semiconductor equipment manufacturing technology, and specifically relates to an adjustable air intake device and method for semiconductor equipment with adjustable position and adjustable aperture. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor industry, high-density plasma equipment (HDP) is widely used. With the continuous improvement of semiconductor manufacturing processes, from 5nm to 2nm and still progressing, the requirements for HDP equipment are constantly increasing. This leads to a continuous reduction in the film thickness (THK) and the thin film thickness uniformity (THK range). Through continuous testing, it has been found that the main influencing factors on THK are the RF power and the uniformity of the intake gas flow, while the main factor affecting the THK range is the uniformity of the intake gas flow.

[0003] Existing uniformity optimization methods control gas flow by adjusting the aperture size of the gas outlet component or reducing the number of gas outlet components, but these methods are limited to devices with a process size of 28nm or larger and cannot handle devices with smaller process sizes. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides an air intake device and method with adjustable position and adjustable aperture for use in semiconductor devices, so as to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, in a first aspect, a position-adjustable and aperture-adjustable air intake device for semiconductor equipment is provided, comprising an inner ring, a first air distribution ring and a second air distribution ring disposed on the outer side of the inner ring, the inner side of the inner ring being connected to a cavity, and a plurality of inner ring air outlets uniformly disposed on the inner sidewall of the inner ring, each inner ring air outlet being provided with an air outlet component, the first air distribution ring including port C and port D, the second air distribution ring including port A and port B, and ports A, B, C and D all being connected to the inner ring.

[0006] A further improvement of the present invention is that: the plurality of inner ring air outlets include a spare air outlet and a regular air outlet.

[0007] A further improvement of the present invention is that: each of the ports A, B, C and D is connected to the air inlet of the inner ring via a connector.

[0008] A further improvement of the present invention is that: the A port and the B port are connected to form a first straight line, and the A port and the B port are connected to form a second straight line, wherein the first straight line and the second straight line are perpendicular.

[0009] A further improvement of the present invention is that: both the first gas separator ring and the second gas separator ring are semi-circular, the first gas separator ring has a first gas separator ring inlet in the middle, and the second gas separator ring has a second gas separator ring inlet in the middle.

[0010] A further improvement of the present invention is that plugs are embedded in the first air separator ring inlet and the second air separator ring inlet.

[0011] A further improvement of the present invention is that: there are 72 air outlets in the inner ring, 36 conventional air outlets, and 36 spare air outlets.

[0012] A further improvement of the present invention is that the diameter of the air outlet of the connector is larger than the diameter of the air inlet of the inner ring.

[0013] A further improvement of the present invention is that the cross-sectional area of ​​the connector is half of the cross-sectional area of ​​the first gas separator ring or the second gas separator ring.

[0014] Secondly, an air intake method based on an adjustable aperture air intake device for semiconductor equipment, as described in the first aspect, includes the following steps: A first gas is injected into the inlet of the first gas separator ring, and a second gas is injected into the inlet of the second gas separator ring. The first gas enters the inner ring through ports C and D, and then enters the cavity through the gas outlet assembly; The second gas enters the inner ring through ports A and B, and then enters the cavity through the gas outlet assembly; Obtain a film thickness uniformity distribution map, and adjust the aperture and position of the gas outlet component according to the film thickness uniformity distribution map to control the gas flow rate in the cavity.

[0015] The above technical solution has the following beneficial technical effects: This invention improves the uniformity of gas supply by setting a first gas distribution ring and a second gas distribution ring, thereby supplying gas to the inner ring through four ports. By setting up backup and conventional air outlets, this invention can not only reduce / replace air outlet components, but also add new air paths, making it easier to optimize flow field uniformity. The present invention ensures sufficient air supply by setting the air outlet diameter of the connector to be larger than the air inlet diameter of the inner ring; The present invention ensures stable flow velocity by setting the cross-sectional area of ​​the connector to be half of the cross-sectional area of ​​the first or second gas separation ring.

[0016] This invention employs a first gas distribution ring and a second gas distribution ring, each with two outlets, allowing the gas to undergo its first circumferential distribution before entering the inner ring. The four gas streams meet within the inner ring, improving circumferential uniformity and providing a similar airflow for subsequent gas outlet components.

[0017] This invention sets up a backup air outlet and a regular air outlet. The regular air outlet is responsible for the steady-state process, while the backup air outlet is normally closed. When the process window drifts or there is a systematic deviation in local film thickness, "point-to-point" flow correction can be achieved without disassembling the inner ring, simply by opening or closing the backup outlet or adding or removing air outlet components.

[0018] This invention eliminates the necking phenomenon that easily occurs in traditional equal-diameter connections by setting the outlet diameter of the connector to be larger than the inlet diameter of the inner ring. When the gas enters the inner ring from the gas separator ring, it will not suddenly accelerate, reducing the local pressure drop and turbulence intensity, ensuring that each outlet component obtains a sufficient and stable flow source, and avoiding the attenuation of the far-end flow velocity due to "insufficient gas supply".

[0019] This invention creates a "slow-release" effect by setting the cross-sectional area of ​​the connector to half that of either the first or second gas separator ring: the flow velocity and dynamic pressure are low within the gas separator ring; the velocity increases moderately as it flows through the connector, but remains within the laminar flow range; upon entering the inner ring, the cross-sectional area expands again, and the velocity decreases. This sequence of velocity increase followed by decrease effectively suppresses pressure pulses, reduces the flow rate's sensitivity to minor upstream fluctuations, and maintains temporal stability of the flow rate at each outlet, providing a repeatable flow field environment for advanced processes.

[0020] In summary, this invention, without adding external valve groups or changing the settings of existing mass flow controllers, can achieve fine adjustment of gas spatial distribution solely by relying on the distribution, redundancy, and buffering capabilities of the mechanical structure itself, providing a hardware foundation for meeting the stringent requirements of film thickness uniformity at smaller process nodes. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The accompanying drawings are provided to better understand the invention and are not intended to unduly limit the scope of the invention. Wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an adjustable orifice air intake device for semiconductor equipment according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first and second gas separator rings in an air intake device with adjustable position and adjustable aperture applied to semiconductor equipment according to the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a connector in an adjustable orifice air intake device for semiconductor equipment according to the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air outlet component in an air inlet device with adjustable position and adjustable aperture applied to semiconductor equipment according to the present invention; Figure 5 This is a distribution diagram of poor film thickness uniformity at abnormally low points in Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a distribution map of abnormally low points in the uniformity of the THK range in Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the single outer ring gas flow simulation in Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a gas uniformity distribution diagram of a single inner ring and single gas distribution ring in Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a gas uniformity distribution diagram of the single inner ring double gas separator ring in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0022] The reference numerals in the attached drawings are as follows: 1. Inner ring; 2. Cavity; 3. Air outlet assembly; 4. First air distribution ring; 41. Air inlet of the first air distribution ring; 5. Second air distribution ring; 51. Air inlet of the second air distribution ring; 6. Connector; 7. Air outlet of the inner ring; 8. Air outlet hole. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrates exemplary embodiments of the present invention, including various details to aid understanding. These details should be considered merely exemplary. Therefore, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Similarly, for clarity and brevity, descriptions of well-known functions and structures are omitted in the following description.

[0024] This invention discloses a position-adjustable orifice-adjustable air intake device and method for semiconductor equipment, belonging to the field of semiconductor equipment manufacturing technology. The position-adjustable orifice-adjustable air intake device for semiconductor equipment includes an inner ring, with a first air distribution ring and a second air distribution ring on the outer side of the inner ring. A cavity is formed inside the inner ring, and a plurality of inner ring air outlets are uniformly arranged on the inner sidewall of the inner ring. Each inner ring air outlet is equipped with an air outlet component. The first air distribution ring includes port C and port D, and the second air distribution ring includes port A and port B. Ports A, B, C, and D are all connected to the inner ring. This invention improves the uniformity of air supply in the position-adjustable orifice-adjustable air intake device for semiconductor equipment by using four ports to supply air to the inner ring through the first and second air distribution rings.

[0025] The following specific embodiments further illustrate the air intake device and method of the present invention, which are applicable to semiconductor devices with adjustable position and adjustable aperture.

[0026] Example 1 like Figure 1-4 As shown, an adjustable-position, adjustable-aperture air intake device for semiconductor equipment includes an inner ring 1. A first air distribution ring 4 and a second air distribution ring 5 are provided on the outer side of the inner ring 1. The inner side of the inner ring 1 is connected to a cavity 2. A plurality of inner ring air outlets 7 are uniformly provided on the inner sidewall of the inner ring 1. An air outlet component 3 is provided at each inner ring air outlet 7. The first air distribution ring 4 includes a C port and a D port, and the second air distribution ring 5 includes an A port and a B port. The A port, the B port, the C port, and the D port are all connected to the inner ring 1. The A port and the B port are connected to form a first straight line, and the A port and the B port are connected to form a second straight line. The first straight line is perpendicular to the second straight line. During operation, a first gas is introduced into the first gas distribution ring 4 and a second gas is introduced into the second gas distribution ring 5. The first gas is split into two and enters the inner ring 1 through the connector 6 from ports C and D respectively. The second gas is split into two and enters the inner ring 1 through ports A and B respectively. The gas in the inner ring 1 enters the cavity 2 through the gas outlet assembly 3.

[0027] Specifically, the number of air separator rings is not limited to two; more air separator rings can be added as needed. The more air separator rings there are, the better the uniformity. A dual air separator ring design can be achieved by processing the upper and lower layers separately. However, if more outer rings are designed, processing defects may occur, potentially leading to poorer uniformity. Furthermore, increasing the number of rings makes it impossible to achieve consistent air intake for each outer ring, also reducing uniformity.

[0028] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the inner ring air outlets 7 are arranged in groups of three, and the spare air outlets and the regular air outlets are arranged alternately in groups. The regular air outlets are used to supply air to the cavity 2, and the spare air outlets are used to add a new air inlet when the film thickness uniformity distribution map is abnormal, so that the map is more uniform.

[0029] Specifically, such as Figure 3 As shown, both the first gas separator ring 4 and the second gas separator ring 5 are semi-circular. The first gas separator ring 4 has a first gas separator ring inlet 41 in the middle, and the second gas separator ring 5 has a second gas separator ring inlet 51 in the middle. Different gases are evenly introduced into the inner ring 1 through the first gas separator ring inlet 41 and the second gas separator ring inlet 51. Ports A, B, C and D are each connected to the inlet of the inner ring 1 through a connector 6. The first gas separator ring 4 and the second gas separator ring 5 have the same curvature as the inner ring 1, and the connector 6 is L-shaped with the inner ring 1.

[0030] Specifically, the inner ring air outlet 7 is connected to the air outlet assembly 3 by a thread, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the bottom of the air outlet component 3 is provided with a thread that mates with the inner ring air outlet 7. The air outlet component 6 is fixed to the inner ring air outlet 7 by means of threaded connection. An air passage is opened inside the air outlet component 6. The air passage of the air outlet component 6 is connected to the air passage of the inner ring 1 through the inner ring air outlet 7. An air outlet hole 8 is provided at the top of the air outlet component. The air outlet hole 8 is used to introduce gas into the cavity 2.

[0031] Specifically, the air outlet component 6 is made of aluminum. Aluminum is lightweight, easy to replace, and integrally molded, which is beneficial for particle control during the process.

[0032] Specifically, the first gas separator ring inlet 41 and the second gas separator ring inlet 51 are embedded with removable plugs. The plugs are made of the same material as the gas separator rings and are anodized to prevent the introduction of metal contamination. By replacing plugs with different orifice diameters, the inlet cross-sectional area of ​​the first gas separator ring 4 and the second gas separator ring 5 can be finely adjusted without adjusting the external mass flow controller: increasing the center orifice diameter of the plug increases the flow rate of the corresponding gas separator ring; decreasing the orifice diameter or using a solid plug reduces the flow rate. This structure allows for precise matching of the two semi-annular gas paths during the initial commissioning stage, avoiding unilateral flow deviation caused by processing errors or differences in pipeline resistance.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the inner ring outlet 7 has a total of 72 outlets, of which 36 are conventional outlets and 36 are backup outlets, arranged alternately in the circumferential direction. During normal operation, all conventional outlets are equipped with outlet components 3, responsible for supplying the main process gas to the cavity 2. The backup outlets can be selectively opened or closed based on feedback from the film thickness uniformity distribution map, used for local flow supplementation or reduction. Due to the large number of outlets and the small spacing between adjacent outlets, the adjustment granularity is finer, enabling near-continuous airflow correction in the circumferential direction without replacing the entire inner ring 1. When a persistent low or high point occurs in a certain area, outlet components 3 can be quickly added or removed at the corresponding backup position, and combined with outlet holes 8 of different diameters, local flow fine-tuning can be achieved. This redundant design also allows for offline cleaning or replacement of some outlet components 3 during equipment maintenance without affecting the overall airflow distribution, improving equipment availability. With the flexible configuration of 72 inner ring vents 7, process engineers can gradually approach the ideal distribution based on the measured film thickness uniformity distribution diagram, and ultimately improve the THK range performance.

[0034] Specifically, the outlet diameter of the connector 6 is larger than the inlet diameter of the inner ring 1. The cross-sectional area of ​​the connector 6 is half the cross-sectional area of ​​the first air distribution ring 4 or the second air distribution ring 5. By making the outlet diameter of the connector 6 larger than the inlet diameter of the inner ring 1, it is ensured that the gas can fully enter the outlet assembly 3. An air passage is provided in the center of the connector 6, and the connector 6 can be cylindrical or cuboid in shape. By setting the cross-sectional area of ​​the connector 6 to half the cross-sectional area of ​​the first air distribution ring 4 or the second air distribution ring 5, the airflow after entering the inner ring is kept consistent with the airflow of the outer ring, increasing the stability of the intake. This is not only applicable to improving the poor uniformity of THK range in HDP equipment under high-process conditions, but also applicable to other structures, providing new ideas for other designs.

[0035] Specifically, by replacing the air outlet component 3 and adjusting the aperture of the air outlet 8, the gas flow rate in the cavity 2 can be adjusted, thus changing the unevenness problem.

[0036] Example 2 An adjustable-position-aperture-diameter air intake method for semiconductor devices, based on an adjustable-position-aperture-diameter air intake device for semiconductor devices in Embodiment 1, includes the following steps: A first gas is injected into the first gas separator ring inlet 41, and a second gas is injected into the second gas separator ring inlet 51; The first gas enters the inner ring 1 through port C and port D, and then enters the cavity 2 through the gas outlet assembly 3; The second gas enters the inner ring 1 through ports A and B, and then enters the cavity 2 through the gas outlet assembly 3; Obtain a film thickness uniformity distribution map, and adjust the aperture and position of the gas outlet component according to the film thickness uniformity distribution map to control the gas flow rate in the cavity 2.

[0037] Specifically, since the inner ring outlet 7 cannot achieve independent air intake, the flow rate of the inner ring outlet 7 near the connector 6 is large, and the flow rate of the outlet 7 far from the connector 6 is small. The evenly arranged four connectors make the airflow distribution more uniform. The diameter of the outlet hole 8 can be changed by replacing the outlet assembly 3. Rapid map adjustment can be achieved by adjusting the diameter of the outlet hole 8. The uniformity of the gas flow rate entering the cavity 2 can be changed by adjusting the position of the outlet assembly 3, increasing or decreasing the outlet assembly 3, thus achieving overall uniform gas distribution. During process debugging, if the uniformity of the THK range is found to deteriorate, the final debugging can be completed by adjusting the air intake device. Experimental data shows that this method can reduce the THK range of the map to below 20 Å.

[0038] Specifically, in the step of adjusting the aperture and position of the gas outlet component according to the film thickness uniformity distribution map to control the gas flow rate in the cavity 2, when the film thickness uniformity distribution map is found to be uneven, such as... Figure 5 As shown, when adjusting the low point map to the maximum aperture, it was found that the map at this point (abnormal low point 18) was still a low point and could not be increased. To address this, an air outlet component 3 was added at point 19 to adjust the low point. The adjustment method for the high point is the opposite.

[0039] Specifically, such as Figure 6-7 As shown in Table 1, Table 1 is... Figure 6 and Figure 7 A data comparison table under the same flow rate and pressure.

[0040] Table 1

[0041] Specifically, using the same process formulation, but without using the position-adjustable aperture air intake device for semiconductor devices as described in this embodiment, the film thickness uniformity distribution is as follows: Figure 8 As shown in the figure, when using an adjustable-position, adjustable-aperture air intake device for semiconductor devices according to this embodiment, the thin film thickness uniformity distribution is as follows: Figure 9 As shown, the original design process yielded the following results: THK range: 118, STD: 2.93%, mean value: 1055. The range exceeded the standard of the product used. After adopting an adjustable aperture air intake device for semiconductor equipment in this embodiment, the THK range was 20, STD: 0.95%, mean value: 1054. The range met the product standard.

[0042] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the above-described division of functional units and modules is merely an example. In practical applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional units and modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. The functional units and modules in the embodiments can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit. Furthermore, the specific names of the functional units and modules are only for easy differentiation and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. The specific working process of the units and modules in the above system can be referred to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0043] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can occur depending on design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this invention should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A position-adjustable and aperture-adjustable air intake device for use in semiconductor equipment, characterized in that, The inner ring (1) includes a first gas distribution ring (4) and a second gas distribution ring (5) on the outside of the inner ring (1). The inner side of the inner ring (1) is connected to the cavity (2). The inner sidewall of the inner ring (1) is uniformly provided with a plurality of inner ring air outlets (7). Each inner ring air outlet (7) is provided with an air outlet assembly (3). The first gas distribution ring (4) includes port C and port D. The second gas distribution ring (5) includes port A and port B. Port A, port B, port C and port D are all connected to the inner ring (1). Both the first gas separation ring (4) and the second gas separation ring (5) are semi-circular. The first gas separation ring (4) has a first gas separation ring inlet (41) in the middle, and the second gas separation ring (5) has a second gas separation ring inlet (51) in the middle. The first air separator ring inlet (41) and the second air separator ring inlet (51) are fitted with plugs; The plug is a detachable plug, and the surface of the plug is anodized. The plurality of inner ring air outlets (7) include a spare air outlet and a regular air outlet; The inner ring air outlets are arranged in groups of three, and the spare air outlets and the regular air outlets are arranged alternately in groups. The regular air outlets are used to supply air to the cavity.

2. The position-adjustable and aperture-adjustable air intake device for semiconductor equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, Ports A, B, C, and D are each connected to the air inlet of the inner ring (1) via a connector (6).

3. The position-adjustable and aperture-adjustable air intake device for semiconductor equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first straight line is formed by connecting port A and port B, and the second straight line is formed by connecting port C and port D. The first straight line is perpendicular to the second straight line.

4. The position-adjustable and aperture-adjustable air intake device for semiconductor equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are 72 air outlets in the inner ring (7), 36 regular air outlets, and 36 spare air outlets.

5. The position-adjustable and aperture-adjustable air intake device for semiconductor equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The diameter of the air outlet of the connector (6) is larger than the diameter of the air inlet of the inner ring (1).

6. The position-adjustable and aperture-adjustable air intake device for semiconductor equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cross-sectional area of ​​the connector (6) is half the cross-sectional area of ​​the first gas separator ring (4) or the second gas separator ring (5).

7. A position-adjustable orifice-adjustable air intake method for semiconductor devices, based on the position-adjustable orifice-adjustable air intake device for semiconductor devices according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The position-adjustable aperture air intake method applied to semiconductor devices includes the following steps: Inject the first gas into the first gas separator ring inlet (41) and inject the second gas into the second gas separator ring inlet (51); The first gas enters the inner ring (1) through port C and port D, and then enters the cavity (2) through the gas outlet assembly (3); The second gas enters the inner ring (1) through port A and port B, and then enters the cavity (2) through the gas outlet assembly (3); Obtain a film thickness uniformity distribution map, adjust the aperture and position of the gas outlet component according to the film thickness uniformity distribution map, and control the gas flow rate in the cavity (2).

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