Front feeding PEALD coating system

Abstract

The invention provides a front feeding PEALD coating system, and relates to the technical field of semiconductor equipment. Comprising a process chamber assembly, and a plasma assembly, an air inlet assembly and a vacuum assembly which are connected to the process chamber assembly, and the process chamber assembly at least comprises two process chambers; plasma channels are arranged on the back sides of the two process chambers so as to be connected with the plasma assembly; feeding openings are formed in the front sides of the two process chambers, side sliding door assemblies are arranged at the feeding openings, and the side sliding door assemblies are configured to be capable of closing or opening the two process chambers through transverse movement; a first air passage and a second air passage which are respectively used for communicating the two process cavities are symmetrically formed in the cavity door main body, and the first air passage and the second air passage are communicated to the vacuum assembly so as to exhaust air from the two process cavities at the same time. According to the scheme, the equipment depth volume can be reduced, and the reaction uniformity is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor equipment technology, and more specifically, to a front-feed PEALD coating system. Background Technology

[0002] Existing industrial PEALD equipment generally employs a single-chamber coating structure for material loading, relying on a lifting platform for material transport. Specifically, the material is first placed on the platform surface, and then the platform uses a vertical lifting mechanism to deliver the material into the chamber for coating. However, this lifting structure design has significant limitations: when equipment capacity demands increase, it is necessary to increase the platform stroke or stack chambers, directly leading to a substantial increase in the overall equipment height. In actual factory deployments, equipment height is often constrained by factory ceiling height or floor space limitations, making it difficult to adapt to standardized production environments and increasing the complexity of installation and maintenance. Furthermore, traditional PEALD equipment typically uses a fixed forward-to-back or back-to-front gas flow path. If loading is attempted on the front of the chamber, the gas inlet and outlet channels must be redesigned. This modification not only disrupts the continuity of the original process development but may also cause uneven gas distribution or unstable reactions, potentially requiring a complete readjustment of coating process parameters, resulting in production interruptions and resource waste. Another key drawback is the excessive depth between the front operating area and the material processing chamber of traditional equipment, typically ranging from 500 to 750 millimeters. This deep structure prevents efficient integration with standard EFFEM systems, usually requiring customized long-reach robotic arms for material transfer. This significantly increases equipment procurement costs and occupies valuable workshop space. Regarding vacuum piping design, when the outlet is located on the door side, manufacturing tolerances and assembly errors between the chamber and the piping are unavoidable. A corrugated pipe structure must be used to provide compressible margins to compensate for these deviations. However, corrugated pipes are prone to material fatigue or seal failure during long-term operation, increasing the risk of vacuum leakage, which in turn affects coating uniformity and raises equipment failure rates. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a front-feed PEALD coating system that effectively avoids the risk of vacuum leakage caused by the bellows structure, improves the uniformity of air extraction in the process chamber, reduces the difficulty of process debugging, and significantly reduces the depth of the equipment, making it easy to interface with standard automated equipment.

[0004] The present invention adopts the following solution: A front-feed PEALD coating system includes: a process chamber assembly, a plasma assembly, an air inlet assembly, and a vacuum assembly connected to the process chamber assembly. The process chamber assembly includes at least two process chambers, each with a rotating mechanism for driving a multi-layer material rack to rotate. Plasma channels are provided on the back sides of the two process chambers to connect to the plasma assembly. Feed openings are provided on the front sides of the two process chambers, and side-sliding door assemblies are provided at the feed openings. The side-sliding door assemblies are configured to close or open the two process chambers by lateral movement. Each side-sliding door assembly includes a door body, within which symmetrically formed first and second air passages for connecting the two process chambers are connected to the vacuum assembly to simultaneously evacuate the two process chambers.

[0005] Furthermore, the inner wall of the process chamber is provided with a bushing structure, and the bushing structure is provided with a flange structure on the side near the feed opening. The flange structure extends out of the feed opening to fit the side sliding door assembly.

[0006] Furthermore, a gap structure is formed between the bushing structure and the inner wall of the process chamber; an inner seal and an outer seal are formed on the side sliding door assembly, and an isobaric space communicating with the gap structure is formed between the inner seal and the outer seal; the outer seal is adapted to act between the isobaric space and the atmospheric side to prevent the atmospheric side from communicating with the isobaric space, and the inner seal is adapted to act between the isobaric space and the process chamber to block the process gas in the process chamber from entering the isobaric space.

[0007] Furthermore, the bushing structure is provided with a plurality of through holes to connect the slot structure, and the width gap of the slot structure is less than 2mm.

[0008] Furthermore, a coarse extraction port is provided in the process chamber, and a vacuum pump is connected to the coarse extraction port. The vacuum pump is adapted to pump the process chamber to a first pressure through the coarse extraction port. The vacuum assembly is configured to pump the process chamber to a second pressure through the first air passage and the second air passage after the process chamber is pumped to the first pressure. The second pressure is greater than the first pressure.

[0009] Furthermore, the first air passage and the second air passage extend vertically along the height direction of the process chamber, and the first air passage and the second air passage are connected by a common air passage to connect to the vacuum extraction port; the vacuum extraction port is located inside the side sliding door body facing the process chamber assembly and is connected to the vacuum assembly.

[0010] Furthermore, the inner side of the sliding door body is provided with a plurality of air extraction holes that connect to the first air passage and the second air passage along the vertical direction.

[0011] Furthermore, a clamping assembly is provided between the process chamber and the side sliding door assembly. The clamping assembly includes a clamping cylinder, which is adapted to clamp the chamber body to close the feed opening when the side sliding door assembly closes the feed opening.

[0012] Furthermore, the plasma assembly is equipped with a planar ICP coil to shorten the depth of the plasma generating cavity.

[0013] Furthermore, the air intake assembly is adapted to carry multiple precursors to achieve stacking processes of different film layers; the air intake port of the air intake assembly is connected to the plasma channel side on the back side of the process chamber.

[0014] Beneficial effects: This application provides a front-feed PEALD coating system that effectively solves the problems in the prior art, such as excessive equipment height caused by the lifting structure, vacuum leakage risk caused by the bellows, and uneven distribution of process gas, by adopting a front-feed side sliding door design, an integrated symmetrical air passage structure, and a double sealing component layout. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the back side of a front-feed PEALD coating system according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a front view of a front-feed PEALD coating system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a top cross-sectional view of a front-feed PEALD coating system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a side cross-sectional view of a front-feed PEALD coating system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of a side sliding door of a front-feed PEALD coating system according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a side cross-sectional view of the main body of a front-feed PEALD coating system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the inner side of the sliding door body of a front-feed PEALD coating system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the side sliding door body and the process chamber of a front-feed PEALD coating system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the connection between the side sliding door body and the process chamber of a front-feed PEALD coating system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure label: Process chamber assembly 1, process chamber 11, feed opening 12, coarse extraction port 13, rotating mechanism 14, plasma assembly 2, plasma channel 21, air intake assembly 3, air inlet 31, side sliding door assembly 4, door body 41, first air passage 411, second air passage 412, common air passage 413, vacuum extraction port 414, extraction hole 415, inner liner plate 42, vacuum assembly 5, extraction port 51, bushing structure 6, flange structure 61, gap structure 62, inner seal 7, outer seal 8, isobaric space 9, multi-layer material rack 10. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Combination Figures 1 to 9 As shown, this embodiment provides a front-feed PEALD coating system, including: a process chamber assembly 1, a plasma assembly 2, an air intake assembly 3, and a vacuum assembly 5 connected to the process chamber assembly 1. The process chamber assembly 1 includes at least two process chambers 11. Plasma channels 21 are provided on the back side of the two process chambers 11 to connect to the plasma assembly 2. Feed openings 12 are provided on the front side of the two process chambers 11, and a side sliding door assembly 4 is provided at the feed openings 12. The side sliding door assembly 4 is configured to close or open the two process chambers 11 by lateral movement. The side sliding door assembly 4 includes a door body 41, and a first air passage 411 and a second air passage 412 are symmetrically formed inside the door body 41 for connecting the two process chambers 11. The first air passage 411 and the second air passage 412 are connected to the vacuum assembly 5 to simultaneously evacuate the two chambers.

[0017] The process chamber assembly 1 can be understood as an integral structure composed of multiple independent chambers, whose main function is to provide the sealed environment required for coating. The number of process chambers 11 can be flexibly adjusted according to actual needs, for example, two, three, or four process chambers 11 can be arranged side by side to further improve the equipment's capacity. This embodiment uses two process chambers 11 as an example. As a preferred embodiment, the process chambers 11 can share wall panels to achieve efficient use of space and resources. The plasma channel 21 can be designed in various ways. For example, the plasma channel 21 can be designed as a linear structure, the main purpose of which is to uniformly introduce plasma into the process chamber 11. In addition, the material of the plasma channel 21 can be selected from high-temperature resistant and corrosion-resistant metal materials, such as stainless steel or ceramic coating materials, to meet the usage requirements under different process conditions. It should be noted that a rotating mechanism 14 is provided at the bottom of the process chamber 11 to drive the multi-layer material rack to rotate. The rotating mechanism 14 can be driven by a motor combined with a magnetohydrodynamic structure.

[0018] The lateral movement of the side-sliding door assembly 4 can be achieved through various driving methods. For example, it can be driven by a gear and rack mechanism, a lead screw mechanism, or a linear motor, primarily to achieve rapid opening and closing of the chamber. The first air passage 411 and the second air passage 412 within the chamber body 41 can be designed in various forms, such as circular, rectangular, or polygonal cross-sections, to ensure smooth gas flow. Through the dual-chamber layout and front-feed design, several technical problems existing in traditional PEALD equipment are systematically solved. Compared to the problem of equipment height limitation caused by the use of a lifting platform in the prior art, this application achieves effective control of equipment height by removing the lifting structure. At the same time, by placing the plasma channel 21 in the rear area, the process changes required to adjust the inlet and outlet gas paths during front-feeding are avoided. In addition, the design of the side-sliding door assembly 4 not only shortens the depth distance from the front of the equipment to the process chamber 11, but also eliminates the use of traditional bellows structures through integrated piping design, thereby reducing the risk of equipment malfunction.

[0019] On the front side, both process chambers 11 are equipped with feed openings 12, which are closed or opened via a side sliding door assembly 4. The side sliding door assembly 4 performs synchronous operation of the two process chambers 11 through lateral movement, allowing the multi-layer material rack 10 to enter through the feed openings 12 on the front. This eliminates the need for a traditional lifting structure, significantly shortening the depth distance from the front of the equipment to the process chambers 11, facilitating direct docking with standard EFFEM equipment without the need for a customized robotic arm. Furthermore, the side sliding door assembly 4 has symmetrically formed first and second air passages 411 and 412 within its main body 41. These two air passages connect to the two process chambers 11 and ultimately to the vacuum assembly 5. This symmetrical air passage layout ensures that the evacuation paths of the two process chambers 11 are completely consistent, maintaining a high degree of synchronization in evacuation efficiency and gas distribution uniformity, reducing process debugging complexity and improving film quality. The integrated design of the exhaust pipe with the side sliding door body and process chambers 11 avoids the use of traditional corrugated pipe structures, eliminating the risk of leakage due to the compression margin of the corrugated pipe. Meanwhile, the special sealing ring structure on the chamber enhances the sealing reliability during active front door contact, ensuring the stability of the vacuum environment and reducing the probability of process abnormalities. Thus, this technical solution, through front-feeding and dual-chamber integrated design, systematically solves the problems of height limitations, poor process adaptability, excessive depth, and sealing risks inherent in traditional PEALD equipment, achieving efficient and stable coating functionality.

[0020] Combination Figures 8 to 9As shown, in this embodiment, a bushing structure 6 is provided on the inner wall of the process chamber 11. A flange structure 61 is provided on the side of the bushing structure 6 near the feed opening 12. The flange structure 61 extends out of the feed opening 12 to fit the side sliding door assembly 4. In this embodiment, the process chamber 11 is a separate cavity (without inner or outer cavity structure). The bushing structure 6 is installed inside the cavity. The bushing structure 6 can be made of thin-walled aluminum alloy (usually 5-10mm), which is lightweight and can be disassembled by a single person during maintenance. Its shape fits the inside of the process chamber 11, but there is a flange structure 61 at the fitting point with the side sliding door body. The flange structure 61 can provide more fitting surface for the inner sealing element 7, making the fitting more reliable, and improving the convenience and difficulty of maintenance.

[0021] Specifically, the bushing structure 6 is a detachable component independent of the main cavity, which simplifies the maintenance of the process chamber 11 and reduces the overall weight of the equipment. The flanged structure 61, which extends outward from the edge of the bushing structure 6, primarily increases the sealing contact area, thereby improving sealing reliability. The bushing structure 6's lightweight design significantly reduces maintenance difficulty, allowing for disassembly and installation by a single person. The flanged structure 61 creates a continuous contact pressure distribution when the side sliding door assembly 4 is closed. This effectively prevents localized leakage caused by vibration or thermal deformation and, in conjunction with the inner seal 7, prevents internal gas from diffusing into the isobaric space 9. The combination of the bushing structure 6 and the flanged design not only optimizes sealing performance but also disperses mechanical stress by expanding the sealing contact area.

[0022] Combination Figures 8 to 9 As shown, a gap structure 62 is further formed between the bushing structure 6 and the inner wall of the process chamber 11; an inner seal 7 and an outer seal 8 are formed on the side sliding door assembly 4, and an isobaric space 9 communicating with the gap structure 62 is formed between the inner seal 7 and the outer seal 8; the outer seal 8 is adapted to act between the isobaric space 9 and the atmospheric side to prevent the atmospheric side from communicating with the isobaric space 9, and the inner seal 7 is adapted to act between the isobaric space 9 and the process chamber 11 to block the process gas in the process chamber 11 from entering the isobaric space 9.

[0023] Here, the gap structure 62 refers to the predetermined gap between the bushing structure 6 and the inner wall of the process chamber 11, which can be achieved using uniformly distributed microchannels to provide a directional flow path for residual process gases. The inner seal 7, located between the flange structure 61 and the side sliding door body, acts as the first barrier directly contacting the process chamber 11. It can be made of a corrosion-resistant elastic material, such as fluororubber or perfluoroether rubber, effectively blocking the penetration of highly reactive process gases. The outer seal 8 is a protective structure facing the external environment, and can be made of a composite sealing material with excellent anti-aging properties to ensure that external gases cannot enter the system. The isobaric space 9 is connected to the process chamber 11 through the gap structure 62, so that the air pressure of the isobaric space 9 formed between the two seals is the same as that of the process chamber 11. This prevents the process gas from passing through the inner seal 7 and entering the isobaric space 9 due to the higher air pressure in the process chamber 11 than that in the isobaric space 9. It also prevents the process gas from accumulating and forming a film in the isobaric space 9 formed by the two seals, and prevents the process gas from being trapped between the two seals, which would lead to the deterioration of the outer seal.

[0024] By integrating the gap structure 62 with the double-seal design, a complete protection system is constructed. The gap between the bushing structure 6 and the inner wall of the process chamber 11 is actively utilized as a built-in venting channel, allowing residual process gas in the isobaric space 9 to escape. The inner seal 7, through its tight fit with the flange of the bushing structure 6, forms the first protective barrier, effectively preventing process gas from diffusing into the interior area of ​​the isobaric space 9. The outer seal 8 ensures complete isolation between the external environment and the isobaric space 9. Together, they constitute a layered protection mechanism. This design not only solves the problem of process gas contamination of the sealing system but also significantly improves the system's reliability and maintenance cycle.

[0025] It should be noted that the bushing structure 6 has several through holes to connect with the slot structure 62, and the width gap of the slot structure 62 is less than 2 mm. In the preferred embodiment, this width gap is 1 mm. It should be emphasized that the distance from the through holes to the isobaric space 9 is usually greater than 10 mm. Gas permeation is subject to flow resistance; the narrow and long slot results in a large equivalent flow resistance, preventing the process gas from permeating into the isobaric space 9 through the slot structure 62 during the process. During the ALD process, the circulation time of each process gas in the process chamber 11 is relatively short, usually between 1s and 10s. The short gas circulation time means that after the process gas enters the process chamber 11, it can only penetrate to a depth of about 622mm through the through hole and cannot penetrate into the isobaric space 9. When switching process gases, the process chamber 11 needs to be evacuated, and the evacuation time is usually longer than the ventilation time. Moreover, the evacuation pressure is relatively high, which can easily pass through the slit structure 62 to discharge the excess gas in the isobaric space 9.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, an inner lining plate 42 is provided on the inner side of the sliding door body. The inner lining plate 42 requires sandblasting according to process requirements. The inner lining plate 42 is connected to the flanged structure 61 via an inner sealing element 7. Due to the sandblasting treatment, the surface of the inner lining plate 42 is uneven. Therefore, the squeezing action of the inner sealing element 7 can minimize the amount of process gas entering the isobaric space 9 from the process chamber 11. Combined with the fact that the isobaric space 9 is connected to the process chamber 11 via the gap structure 62, the air pressure in the isobaric space 9 is the same as that in the process chamber 11. Furthermore, by controlling the air pressure and intake time of the process gas, gas can be prevented from entering the isobaric space 9 through the gap structure 62. It should be noted that the air pressure during the process gas intake reaction is lower than the air pressure during vacuuming. Through the coordination of the above structure with pressure and intake time, gas infiltration into the isobaric space 9 can be effectively prevented.

[0027] Combination Figures 4 to 7 As shown, in a preferred embodiment, a coarse extraction port 13 is provided in the process chamber 11. The coarse extraction port 13 is connected to a vacuum pump. The vacuum pump is adapted to draw the process chamber 11 to a first pressure through the coarse extraction port 13. The vacuum assembly 5 is configured to draw the process chamber 11 to a second pressure through the first air passage 411 and the second air passage 412 after the process chamber 11 is drawn to the first pressure. The second pressure is greater than the first pressure.

[0028] The coarse extraction port 13 refers to a channel structure specifically designed on the process chamber 11 for rapid venting in the initial stage. It can be circular, rectangular, or other suitable opening shapes, aiming to provide a dedicated path independent of the fine extraction channel, avoiding flow bottlenecks caused by size limitations when relying solely on the first and second channels 411 and 412 for coarse extraction. In practical applications, the first pressure refers to the pressure value within the process chamber 11 after the coarse extraction stage, typically within a medium vacuum range. This aims to define the phased control of the pressure sequence, ensuring a smooth transition from high-flow coarse extraction to high-precision fine extraction. This staged extraction strategy significantly improves initial extraction efficiency while ensuring the stability of the process vacuum. As an independent venting path, the coarse extraction port 13 enables rapid discharge of a large flow rate of gas in the initial stage, effectively solving the problem of low extraction rate caused by insufficient flow. Once process chamber 11 is evacuated to the first pressure, the system automatically switches to fine evacuation via the first gas channel 411 and the second gas channel 412. This switching mechanism fully utilizes the symmetrical structure of the gas channels to maintain the uniformity of evacuation between the two chambers. Furthermore, the introduction of the coarse evacuation port 13 and the vacuum pump allows the most suitable evacuation method to be used at different stages of the entire evacuation process, optimizing gas handling efficiency and avoiding the problem of insufficient adaptability of a single evacuation path. Combined with the dual-chamber structure mentioned in the preceding information, this staged evacuation strategy not only improves evacuation efficiency but also further enhances the consistency of evacuation between the two chambers, thereby better meeting the vacuum environment requirements of the process.

[0029] Combination Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in this embodiment, the first air passage 411 and the second air passage 412 extend vertically along the height direction of the process chamber 11, and the first air passage 411 and the second air passage 412 are connected by a common air passage 413 to connect to the vacuum extraction port 414; the vacuum extraction port 414 is located inside the side sliding door body facing the process chamber assembly 1 and is connected to the vacuum assembly 5. After the side sliding door body closes the feed opening 12, the vacuum extraction port 414 is connected to the extraction port 51 of the vacuum assembly 5.

[0030] In this design, the first air duct 411 and the second air duct 412 are gas channels used to evacuate the process chamber 11 to the second pressure. Their vertical extension is achieved by vertically arranging straight pipe sections on the inner wall of the process chamber 11. The shared air duct 413 is a centralized channel structure integrating the two air ducts, reducing the number of pipe bends and connection complexity. The vacuum extraction port 414 is the extraction port directly facing the process chamber 11. It can be installed inside the side sliding door body using flange connections or welding, eliminating gaps in external pipe connections. This technical solution achieves a compact equipment structure by optimizing the air duct structure and the position of the extraction port 51. The vertical extension of the first air duct 411 and the second air duct 412 along the height direction allows the extraction path to fully utilize the internal space of the chamber, significantly reducing the depth dimension from the front of the equipment to the process chamber 11. The design of the shared air duct 413 not only simplifies the overall layout of the vacuum pipeline but also effectively reduces the risk of installation errors caused by pipe connections. The vacuum extraction port 414, integrated into the inner side of the sliding door body, combined with the aforementioned air duct layout, forms a complete extraction system solution. This design, organically integrated with the process chamber assembly 1, ensures extraction efficiency while also improving equipment reliability and maintenance convenience. This technical solution solves the problems of excessive equipment depth and sealing reliability, providing a reliable guarantee for film formation quality. In other embodiments, more air ducts can be provided, evenly distributed on the feed opening 12 surface of each process chamber 11, to achieve uniform extraction.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, the inner side of the sliding door body has multiple extraction holes 415 connected to the first air passage 411 and the second air passage 412 along the vertical direction. The multiple extraction holes 415 can be designed in a circular, elliptical, or other shape suitable for gas flow, and are evenly distributed along the vertical direction to ensure that the extraction path covers the entire height range of the process chamber 11. The purpose of this design is to solve the problem of uneven gas extraction caused by a single extraction port 51, especially by optimizing pressure distribution in the vertical direction, thereby improving film uniformity and process stability. The multiple extraction holes 415 on the inner side of the sliding door body form a highly efficient gas extraction channel by connecting to the first air passage 411 and the second air passage 412. Since the first air passage 411 and the second air passage 412 extend vertically along the height direction of the process chamber 11, the layout of the multiple extraction holes 415 can match the extension direction of the air passages, thereby achieving uniform gas extraction within the height range of the chamber. This design not only shortens the extraction path but also avoids installation errors and sealing reliability problems that may arise from traditional bellows structures. Furthermore, the introduction of multiple evacuation ports 415 increases the number of evacuation points, covering a wider area, reducing gas stagnation, and making the pressure distribution within the chamber more uniform. The structure connecting the first air passage 411 and the second air passage 412 ensures efficient gas extraction, maintaining a stable vacuum environment, thereby improving film uniformity and process control precision. Based on this, this design, combined with the symmetrical air passage structure of the side-sliding door body, further improves evacuation efficiency and uniformity, and reduces the difficulty of process debugging. It effectively solves the problem of uneven evacuation within the process chamber 11, especially the uneven pressure distribution in the vertical direction, significantly improving film quality and process stability.

[0032] In one embodiment, a clamping assembly is provided between the process chamber 11 and the side sliding door assembly 4. The clamping assembly includes a clamping cylinder, which is adapted to clamp the door body 41 to close the feed opening 12 when the side sliding door assembly 4 closes the feed opening 12. The clamping assembly is a mechanical structure used to enhance sealing performance, which can be implemented by pneumatic, hydraulic, or electric drive. This embodiment uses a clamping cylinder to ensure that the side sliding door assembly 4 can effectively resist the effects of external vibration and internal pressure fluctuations in the closed state. By setting the clamping assembly between the process chamber 11 and the side sliding door assembly 4, the force is applied directly to the joint area between the door and the chamber. The clamping force is output immediately after the side sliding door assembly 4 is fully in place. This timing design ensures the accuracy of the door positioning. The layout of the clamping assembly is carefully considered to evenly distribute pressure and effectively compensate for manufacturing tolerances and assembly deviations. The choice of pneumatic drive not only meets the needs of rapid response in automated production but also allows for flexible adjustment of the clamping force according to process requirements, providing continuous and reliable mechanical protection for the sealing interface. Furthermore, this design works perfectly with the lateral movement of the side-sliding door assembly 4, ensuring reliable sealing while maintaining the overall compact design of the equipment. It effectively solves the problem of inadequate sealing at the door-chamber interface due to the lack of actively applied stable pressure, significantly improving the vacuum stability of the process chamber 11 and providing a reliable guarantee for the uniformity and repeatability of the coating process.

[0033] Combination Figures 1 to 2 As shown, in this embodiment, a planar ICP coil is provided on the plasma assembly 2 to shorten the depth of the plasma generating cavity. The planar ICP coil design results in a small depth of the plasma generating cavity, allowing for good temperature uniformity through chamber heat conduction. This eliminates the need for heating systems such as mold temperature controllers to heat the plasma generating cavity, resulting in a smaller overall device size and footprint. A planar ICP coil refers to a coil structure that optimizes the layout of the plasma generating region through a flattened design. It can be implemented using multilayer printed circuit board technology or flexible circuit board technology. The design purpose of the planar ICP coil is to significantly shorten the depth of the plasma generating cavity, thereby reducing the overall space occupied by the device. Furthermore, due to the shortened heat conduction path within the cavity, the cavity's own thermal conductivity is fully utilized, thus eliminating the need for a complex additional heating system to maintain the required temperature uniformity.

[0034] In this embodiment, the air intake assembly 3 is suitable for carrying multiple precursors to achieve stacking processes of different film layers; and the air inlet 31 of the air intake assembly 3 is connected to the side of the plasma channel 21 on the back side of the process chamber 11. The air intake assembly 3 can flexibly switch the gas delivery device of different precursor materials according to process requirements, which can be achieved by using a multi-way valve group in conjunction with an independent gas source. Among them, multiple precursors refer to reaction gases suitable for different film deposition processes, such as organometallic compounds, nitride precursors, etc., with the aim of completing the deposition of complex film structures through a single device and improving process adaptability. The air inlet 31 refers to the specific location where the gas enters the process chamber 11. It can be set on the fixed flange near the side of the plasma channel 21, which can make full use of the spatial structure of the back plasma channel 21 and avoid physical conflict with the front feed opening 12. The air inlet 31 is set on the side of the plasma channel 21 on the back side of the process chamber 11. This layout not only shortens the gas flow path, but also allows it to connect naturally with the plasma generation area, effectively reducing the depth distance from the front of the equipment to the material process chamber 11. Because the air intake path is integrated into the back area, there is no need to adjust the air intake and exhaust scheme when feeding from the front, significantly reducing the difficulty of process development. Simultaneously, this design ensures that the depth of the equipment from the front to the material processing chamber 11 is controlled within 300mm, meeting the standard feeding stroke requirements of a 12-inch wafer sorter for semiconductors, enabling direct docking with EFFEM equipment, and eliminating the need for a custom robotic arm. The combined design of the air intake component 3 and the plasma channel 21 allows the gas to be fully preheated and rapidly mixed with the plasma generation area before entering the processing chamber 11, improving film quality and process stability. Through the above technical solutions, the problem of excessive depth on the front of the equipment caused by traditional air intake paths is solved, optimizing the space utilization of the equipment and reducing integration complexity and footprint.

[0035] Compared to traditional process equipment, this solution, through front-feeding, eliminates the traditional lifting structure, avoiding vertical space occupation and transforming the material transport path from vertical lifting to horizontal movement, effectively reducing the overall height of the equipment. The front employs a horizontally moving automatic door design, enabling front-feeding in conjunction with subsequent automation. This horizontally moving automatic door design allows materials to enter the process chamber 11 directly without vertical movement, significantly shortening the depth of the feeding path. A double-seal structure with cylinder clamping ensures a low vacuum leakage rate. Furthermore, this structure reduces the material position relative to the depth of the front of the equipment to within 300mm, meeting the feeding stroke requirements of 12-inch wafer sorting machines and allowing direct connection to standard EFFEM equipment, thereby improving the automation level and production efficiency. It optimizes the spatial layout of the equipment and enhances automation compatibility.

[0036] It should be understood that the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. All technical solutions that fall within the scope of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] The accompanying drawings used in the above description of the embodiments only illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

Claims

1. A front-feed PEALD coating system, comprising: The process chamber assembly, the plasma assembly, the air intake assembly, and the vacuum assembly connected to the process chamber assembly are characterized in that, The process chamber assembly includes at least two process chambers, and a rotating mechanism is provided in the process chamber for driving the multi-layer material rack to rotate. Plasma channels are provided on the rear side of the two process chambers to connect to the plasma assembly; The two process chambers are provided with feed openings on their front sides, and a side sliding door assembly is provided at the feed opening. The side sliding door assembly is configured to close or open the two process chambers by lateral movement. The side sliding door assembly includes a door body, and a first air passage and a second air passage are symmetrically formed inside the door body for connecting the two process chambers. The first air passage and the second air passage are connected to the vacuum assembly to simultaneously evacuate the two process chambers.

2. The front-feed PEALD coating system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the process chamber is provided with a bushing structure, and a flange structure is provided on the side of the bushing structure near the feed opening. The flange structure extends out of the feed opening to fit the side sliding door assembly.

3. The front-feed PEALD coating system according to claim 2, characterized in that, A gap structure is formed between the bushing structure and the inner wall of the process chamber; an inner seal and an outer seal are formed on the side sliding door assembly, and an isobaric space communicating with the gap structure is formed between the inner seal and the outer seal; the outer seal is adapted to act between the isobaric space and the atmospheric side to prevent the atmospheric side from communicating with the isobaric space, and the inner seal is adapted to act between the isobaric space and the process chamber to prevent process gas in the process chamber from entering the isobaric space.

4. The front-feed PEALD coating system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The bushing structure is provided with several through holes to connect the slot structure, and the width gap of the slot structure is less than 2mm.

5. The front-feed PEALD coating system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process chamber is provided with a coarse extraction port, which is connected to a vacuum pump. The vacuum pump is adapted to pump the process chamber to a first pressure through the coarse extraction port. The vacuum assembly is configured to pump the process chamber to a second pressure through the first air passage and the second air passage after the process chamber is pumped to the first pressure. The second pressure is greater than the first pressure.

6. The front-feed PEALD coating system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first air passage and the second air passage extend vertically along the height direction of the process chamber, and the first air passage and the second air passage are connected by a common air passage to connect to the vacuum extraction port; the vacuum extraction port is located inside the side sliding door body facing the process chamber assembly and is connected to the vacuum assembly.

7. The front-feed PEALD coating system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The inner side of the sliding door body is provided with multiple air extraction holes that connect to the first air passage and the second air passage along the vertical direction.

8. The front-feed PEALD coating system according to claim 1, characterized in that, A clamping assembly is provided between the process chamber and the side sliding door assembly. The clamping assembly includes a clamping cylinder, which is adapted to clamp the chamber body to close the feed opening when the side sliding door assembly closes the feed opening.

9. The front-feed PEALD coating system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plasma assembly is equipped with a planar ICP coil to shorten the depth of the plasma generation cavity.

10. The front-feed PEALD coating system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air intake assembly is adapted to carry multiple precursors to achieve stacking processes of different film layers; the air intake port of the air intake assembly is connected to the plasma channel side on the back side of the process chamber.

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