Process chamber and semiconductor equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a process chamber and semiconductor equipment. The process chamber comprises a cavity, a tray, a preheating ring and an annular lining. Wherein the preheating ring is arranged around the tray, and an annular gap is formed between the preheating ring and the tray; a first flow channel is formed in the preheating ring in the circumferential direction, and a first air inlet communicating with the first flow channel is formed in the vertical face of the inner side of the preheating ring in the circumferential direction; the annular lining is arranged around the tray, is used for mounting the preheating ring, and is provided with a process gas inlet and a process gas outlet which are opposite in position, and a second flow channel communicated with the first flow channel; the cavity is provided with an exhaust port; and the process gas outlet and the gas outlet end of the second flow channel are communicated with the exhaust port. The protection airflow in the annular gap between the preheating ring and the edge of the tray can be guided to the exhaust port through the first flow channel and the second flow channel, so that the influence of the protection airflow on the epitaxial process airflow is reduced or even avoided, and the uniformity and the stability of an epitaxial film layer in the edge area of the wafer are improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor technology, in particular to a process chamber and a semiconductor device provided with the process chamber. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the continuous evolution of semiconductor manufacturing technology, the requirements for epitaxial process (i.e. epitaxial growth process) are getting higher and higher, especially the requirements for epitaxial film uniformity. For epitaxial equipment, its film uniformity control capability is directly related to the yield of the final product, so improving the film uniformity control capability of the epitaxial equipment is an important task for epitaxial equipment development. The film uniformity control capability of the epitaxial equipment is highly related to the design of the gas flow field. For example, for a typical single wafer epitaxial equipment, in order to ensure that the epitaxial process gas acting on the wafer does not react and deposit on the parts inside the chamber other than the wafer, thereby affecting the stability of the chamber, a variety of purge gas paths are usually designed to blow a protective gas flow (non-epitaxial process gas) near the edge of the wafer, thereby reducing the contact between the epitaxial process gas and at least part of the components inside the chamber other than the wafer.

[0003] Specifically, a tray for placing a wafer is arranged in the internal chamber of the epitaxial equipment. The upper part of the tray is usually a process gas path area for delivering epitaxial process gas (i.e. main process gas, or process gas); the lower area of the tray is usually an area that needs to avoid epitaxial process gas deposition, so a plurality of gas paths for delivering protective gas are arranged in this area to blow and protect the edge of the tray. During operation, the protective gas is usually discharged upward through the gap outside the edge of the tray, and then enters the exhaust pipeline together with the epitaxial process gas located above the tray. During this process, due to the large difference in atmosphere between the protective gas and the epitaxial process gas, the concentration of the epitaxial process gas in the edge area of the tray is diluted; at the same time, due to the rotation of the tray, the flow of the protective gas at the edge of the tray is not stable, and the flow direction of the epitaxial process gas is difficult to keep consistent, causing turbulence. Ultimately, the epitaxial film uniformity and stability of the wafer located on the tray in the edge area are not easy to control.

[0004] Therefore, how to improve the epitaxial film uniformity and stability of the edge area of the wafer is a technical problem to be solved by those skilled in the art. SUMMARY

[0005] Therefore, the present application provides a process chamber and a semiconductor device, by arranging a first flow channel and a second flow channel in the preheating ring and the annular inner liner respectively, the protective gas flow in the annular gap between the preheating ring and the edge of the tray can be guided to the exhaust port, thereby reducing or even avoiding the influence of the protective gas flow on the epitaxial process gas flow above the tray, which is conducive to improving the epitaxial film uniformity and stability of the edge area of the wafer.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned application purposes, the present application provides the following technical solutions:

[0007] A process chamber, comprising a cavity and a tray, a preheating ring and an annular inner liner arranged in the cavity;

[0008] The preheating ring is arranged around the tray with an annular gap between the preheating ring and the tray; the inside of the preheating ring is provided with a first flow channel in the circumferential direction, and the inner side of the preheating ring is provided with a first air inlet in the circumferential direction and communicated with the first flow channel;

[0009] The annular inner liner is arranged around the tray for mounting the preheating ring, and is provided with a process gas inlet and a process gas outlet in opposite positions, and a second flow channel communicated with the first flow channel;

[0010] The cavity is provided with an exhaust port capable of connecting a tail exhaust flow channel; the process gas outlet and the exhaust end of the second flow channel are both communicated with the exhaust port.

[0011] Optionally, in the process chamber, the exhaust end of the second flow channel is communicated with the process gas outlet and then communicated with the exhaust port.

[0012] Optionally, in the process chamber, the exhaust port comprises a first exhaust port and a second exhaust port, wherein:

[0013] The inlet end of the process gas outlet is capable of being communicated with a process gas path area located above the tray; the outlet end of the process gas outlet is communicated with the first exhaust port;

[0014] The outlet end of the second flow channel is communicated with the second exhaust port;

[0015] The first exhaust port is used for being communicated with a first tail exhaust flow channel, and the second exhaust port is used for being communicated with a second tail exhaust flow channel; or, the first exhaust port and the second exhaust port are capable of being communicated with the same tail exhaust flow channel.

[0016] Optionally, in the process chamber, the preheating ring comprises a first annular member and a second annular member, the first annular member is located above the second annular member, and the two are snap-fit to form the first flow channel.

[0017] Optionally, in the process chamber, the first annular member is provided with:

[0018] A first protruding part in the form of a circular arc located at the outer edge of the bottom surface of the first annular member to form part of the side wall of the first flow channel;

[0019] A plurality of second protrusions are arranged along the inner edge of the bottom surface of the first annular member, and the gaps between adjacent second protrusions form the first gas inlet.

[0020] Optionally, in the preheating ring of the process chamber described above:

[0021] The closer to the first gas inlet of the process gas inlet, the larger the flow cross-sectional area of the first gas inlet, and the closer to the first gas inlet of the process gas outlet, the smaller the flow cross-sectional area of the first gas inlet.

[0022] And / or, the closer to the first gas inlet of the process gas inlet, the greater the arrangement density of the first gas inlet, and the closer to the first gas inlet of the process gas outlet, the smaller the arrangement density of the first gas inlet.

[0023] Optionally, in the process chamber described above, the second annular member is provided with an arc-shaped notch near the exhaust port side, which is located radially inside the first protrusion and forms a first gas outlet located at the bottom of the preheating ring and communicating with the first flow channel.

[0024] The first flow channel communicates with the second flow channel through the first gas outlet.

[0025] Optionally, in the process chamber described above, the first annular member is provided with a first limiting portion;

[0026] The second annular member is provided with a second limiting portion which is clamped with the first limiting portion in the circumferential direction of the preheating ring.

[0027] Optionally, in the process chamber described above, the annular liner comprises an upper liner ring and a lower liner ring arranged coaxially:

[0028] The upper liner ring is located above the lower liner ring, and the upper liner ring and the lower liner ring form a process gas inlet and a process gas outlet for discharging process gas in opposite positions;

[0029] The lower liner ring is at least partially located below the preheating ring for supporting the preheating ring.

[0030] The lower liner ring is internally provided with the second flow channel near the exhaust port side, and the second gas inlet of the second flow channel communicates with the first gas outlet of the first flow channel, and the second gas outlet of the second flow channel communicates with the process gas outlet, thereby communicating with the exhaust port on the pedestal.

[0031] Optionally, in the process chamber described above, the lower liner ring comprises a first frame body and a second frame body, and the first frame body is located above the second frame body, and the two are clamped and spliced to form the second flow channel.

[0032] Optionally, in the process chamber, the second frame body has a ring shape, and a top surface of the second frame body is provided with a mounting groove, and an inner side of the mounting groove is provided with an arc-shaped side plate protruding upward from a bottom of the mounting groove.

[0033] The first frame body has an arc shape and is located in the mounting groove, and a gap between the first frame body and the arc-shaped side plate forms the second gas inlet, and a gap between the first frame body and a bottom surface of the mounting groove forms the second flow channel.

[0034] Optionally, in the process chamber, an inner side of the first frame body is provided with a plurality of third protruding portions capable of being in contact with the arc-shaped side plate, and the second gas inlet is formed between adjacent third protruding portions.

[0035] Optionally, in the process chamber, a bottom surface of the first frame body is provided with a fourth protruding portion for being in contact with a bottom surface of the mounting groove.

[0036] Optionally, in the process chamber, the bottom surface of the first frame body is provided with a third limiting portion, and the bottom surface of the mounting groove is provided with a fourth limiting portion, and the third limiting portion and the fourth limiting portion are in plug-in fitting.

[0037] A semiconductor device, comprising the process chamber described above; and

[0038] A first gas inlet assembly for conveying a process gas to a process gas path region in the process chamber, the process gas path region being located above the tray;

[0039] A second gas inlet assembly for conveying a protective gas to a purge gas path region in the process chamber, the purge gas path region being located below the tray;

[0040] A gas extraction assembly for extracting the process gas and the protective gas out of the cavity.

[0041] Compared with the prior art, the process chamber and the semiconductor equipment provided by the application, the preheating ring is not only used for preheating the epitaxial process gas flow, but also has a separate gas flow channel, i.e., a first flow channel, in the preheating ring, and a second flow channel is arranged in the annular inner liner, so that the protective gas flow from the purge gas path area below the tray can be guided to the exhaust port for exhaust through the first flow channel in the preheating ring and the second flow channel in the annular inner liner, i.e., the protective gas flow flowing from the area below the tray to the vicinity of the edge of the tray is separately guided, so as to reduce or even avoid the influence of the protective gas flow on the epitaxial process gas flow in the vicinity of the edge area of the wafer, thereby facilitating to improve the control ability of the equipment on the uniformity and stability of the epitaxial film layer. In addition, using the first flow channel in the preheating ring and the second flow channel in the annular inner liner as separate gas flow channels to guide the protective gas flow can increase the flow of the protective gas flow while maintaining process stability, thereby improving the blowing strength of the protective gas flow on the components in the space below the tray, improving the cleanliness of the chamber, and further reducing or even avoiding the influence of the epitaxial process gas on the components in the space below the tray, thereby facilitating to improve the process stability of the chamber of the equipment and prolong the equipment maintenance period. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0042] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or the prior art description. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained without creative labor based on these drawings.

[0043] Figure 1 The internal structure sectional view of the semiconductor equipment provided by the first embodiment of the application.

[0044] Figure 2 The exploded structural schematic view of the preheating ring and the lower liner ring provided by the first embodiment of the application.

[0045] Figure 3 And Figure 4 The structural schematic views of the first annular part and the second annular part in the preheating ring provided by the first embodiment of the application, respectively.

[0046] Figure 5 The exhaust port side sectional view of the preheating ring provided by the first embodiment of the application.

[0047] Figure 6 The process gas inlet port side sectional view of the preheating ring provided by the first embodiment of the application.

[0048] Figure 7 The sectional view of the preheating ring provided by the first embodiment of the application at the position without the inlet port.

[0049] Figure 8 This is a top view of the lower bushing ring provided in the first embodiment of this application.

[0050] Figure 9 for Figure 8 Left view of the lower liner ring.

[0051] Figure 10 for Figure 8 A structural schematic diagram of the DD section (where the third limiting part is located).

[0052] Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional view of the internal structure of a semiconductor device provided in the second embodiment of this application.

[0053] Figure 12 for Figure 11 Enlarged view of the area within the dashed rectangular line.

[0054] Figure 13 This is a cross-sectional view of the internal structure of a semiconductor device provided in the third embodiment of this application.

[0055] in:

[0056] 1-Base, 2-Upper flange, 3-Lower flange, 4-Bottom shell, 5-Second frame, 6-First frame

[0057] 7-Upper liner ring, 8-Top shell, 9-Intake structure component, 10-Intake pipe,

[0058] 11-Exhaust structure component, 12-Tail exhaust channel,

[0059] 121 - First tail exhaust channel, 122 - Second tail exhaust channel

[0060] 13-Pattern, 14-First annular component, 15-Second annular component, 16-Wafer support pin,

[0061] 17-Second bracket, 18-Third bracket, 19-First protrusion, 20-First limiting part

[0062] 21-Second protrusion, 22-Arched notch, 23-Second limiting part

[0063] 24 - Epitaxial process airflow, 25 - Protective airflow,

[0064] 26 - First air inlet, 27 - First air outlet

[0065] 28 - First flow channel, 29 - Second flow channel

[0066] 30 - Exhaust port, 301 - First exhaust port, 302 - Second exhaust port

[0067] 31 - third protrusion, 32 - fourth protrusion,

[0068] 33 - third limit, 34 - fourth limit,

[0069] 35 - process gas inlet, 36 - second inlet, 37 - second outlet,

[0070] 38 - arc-shaped side plate, 39 - process gas outlet,

[0071] 40 - vacuum pump, 41 - pressure control valve, 42 - pressure gauge,

[0072] 100 - preheating ring, 200 - inner liner, 201 - lower liner ring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0073] The embodiment of the present application provides a process chamber and a semiconductor device provided with the process chamber. By arranging a first flow channel in the preheating ring, the protective gas flow in the annular gap between the preheating ring and the edge of the tray can be guided to the exhaust port, so that the influence of the protective gas flow on the epitaxial process gas flow above the tray is reduced or even avoided, and the uniformity and stability of the epitaxial film layer in the edge region of the wafer are improved.

[0074] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0075] First embodiment

[0076] The first embodiment of the present application provides a process chamber, which can be a process chamber of an epitaxial device or a process chamber for processing a semiconductor in other semiconductor devices. The following will be illustrated by taking the process chamber of the epitaxial device as an example.

[0077] For details, please refer to Figure 1 The process chamber provided by the first embodiment of the present application comprises a cavity, a tray 13 arranged in the cavity and used for carrying a wafer, a preheating ring 100 and an annular inner liner 200 arranged around the tray 13. Wherein:

[0078] The upper space of the tray 13 comprises a process gas path area A capable of conveying the epitaxial process gas flow 24 through the wafer; the lower space of the tray 13 comprises a purge gas path area B capable of conveying a protective gas flow 25 (non-epitaxial process gas) from the lower area of the tray 13 to the edge area of the tray 13, by which the lower area and the edge area of the tray 13 can be purged and the epitaxial process gas flow 24 is blocked from flowing to the lower area of the tray 13, so as to avoid the epitaxial process gas reacting in the area outside the wafer, depositing on the internal parts of the equipment, and affecting the stability of the equipment chamber;

[0079] The preheating ring 100 is arranged around the tray 13, i.e. the preheating ring 100 is sleeved on the radial outer side of the tray 13, and there is an annular gap between the preheating ring 100 and the tray 13; the inside of the preheating ring 100 is provided with a first flow channel 28 in the circumferential direction, and the inner side of the preheating ring 100 is provided with a first gas inlet 26 in the circumferential direction, which is in communication with the first flow channel 28;

[0080] The annular inner liner 200 is arranged around the tray 13 for mounting the preheating ring 100, and is provided with a process gas inlet 35 and a process gas outlet 39 located opposite to each other, and a second flow channel 29 in communication with the first flow channel 28, the second flow channel 29 being located at the exhaust port side of the annular inner liner 200;

[0081] The base 1 of the cavity is provided with an exhaust port 30 in communication with the tail exhaust flow channel 12 of the exhaust structure 11, and the process gas outlet 39 and the exhaust end of the second flow channel 29 are both in communication with the exhaust port 30.

[0082] As can be seen, the preheating ring 100 in the present application not only serves to preheat the epitaxial process gas flow 24, but also has a separate gas flow passage (i.e., the first flow channel 28) and a ring of first gas inlets 26 arranged therein. Through the first gas inlets 26 and the first flow channel 28 in the preheating ring 100 and the second flow channel 29 in the annular inner liner 200, the protective gas flow 25 from the purge gas passage area B below the tray 13 can be guided to the exhaust port 30 for discharge, i.e., the protective gas flow 25 flowing from the area below the tray 13 to the vicinity of the edge of the tray is separately guided, so as to reduce or even avoid the influence of the protective gas flow 25 on the epitaxial process gas flow 24 near the edge area of the wafer, thereby facilitating the improvement of the control capability of the device on the uniformity and stability of the epitaxial film layer. In addition, using the first flow channel 28 in the preheating ring 100 and the second flow channel 29 in the annular inner liner 200 as a separate gas flow passage to guide the protective gas flow 25 can increase the flow of the protective gas flow 25 while maintaining process stability, thereby improving the blowing strength of the protective gas flow 25 on the components in the space below the tray 13 (especially the components in the purge gas passage area B), improving the cleanliness of the chamber, and further reducing or even avoiding the influence of the epitaxial process gas on the components in the space below the tray 13, thereby facilitating the improvement of the process stability of the chamber of the device and the extension of the maintenance cycle of the device.

[0083] It should be noted that the radially inner side of the preheating ring 100 can be a cylindrical vertical surface structure parallel to the axial direction of the preheating ring, or a conical inclined surface structure with the generatrix and the axial direction of the preheating ring forming an acute angle (preferably with the upper end opening area smaller than the lower end opening area to facilitate the entry of the protective gas into the first flow channel 28). Alternatively, in other embodiments, the cross-sectional profile of the radially inner side of the preheating ring 100 can also be stepped or any other arbitrary shape, as long as the preheating function can be ensured and the first gas inlets 26 can be arranged.

[0084] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the outlet end of the second flow channel 29 can be communicated with the process gas outlet 39, so that the second flow channel 29 and the process gas outlet 39 are communicated with the exhaust port 30 in the susceptor 1 through a common outlet, facilitating accurate docking during assembly. Figure 1

[0085] In specific implementation, the preheating ring 100 can be designed in an integral structure, or can be designed in a split structure. Designing the preheating ring 100 in a split structure facilitates the reduction of processing difficulty. For example, please refer to FIG. 7, which shows a split preheating ring 100. Figures 1 to 7 ​For example, in some embodiments, the preheating ring 100 comprises a first ring 14 and a second ring 15, the first ring 14 is located above the second ring 15, and the two are combined to form the first flow channel 28. The bottom surface of the first ring 14 is provided with a first protruding part 19 and a second protruding part 21: the first protruding part 19 is in the form of a circular arc and is located at the outer edge of the bottom surface of the first ring 14, forming part of the side wall of the first flow channel 28, i.e. the first flow channel 28 is a circular flow channel located inside the preheating ring 100, and the first protruding part 19 is the radial outer side wall of the circular flow channel; the second protruding part 21 is arranged along the inner edge of the bottom surface of the first ring 14, and a plurality of second protruding parts 21 are arranged between adjacent second protruding parts 21, and the gap between adjacent second protruding parts 21 forms a first gas inlet 26, so that a plurality of first gas inlets 26 are arranged in sequence along the circumference on the radial inner side of the preheating ring 100.

[0086] For details, please refer to Figures 5 to 7 , Figure 5 is a sectional view of the preheating ring in the region close to the process gas outlet 39 and communicating with the second flow channel 29, it can be seen that the preheating ring 100 in this region is not only provided with a first gas inlet 26 on the inner side, but also provided with a first gas outlet 27 on the bottom; Figure 6 is a sectional view of the preheating ring in the region close to the process gas inlet 35, it can be seen that the preheating ring 100 in this region is only provided with a first gas inlet 26 on the inner side; Figure 7 is a sectional view of the preheating ring at a position without a first gas inlet 26, it is only provided with a first flow channel 28 inside the preheating ring.

[0087] It can be seen that the first ring 14 and the second ring 15 can form the first flow channel 28 and the regularly arranged first gas inlets 26 after being combined, and the protective gas flow 25 can be guided, so as to reduce or even avoid the protective gas flow 25 from intersecting with the epitaxial process gas flow 24 in the edge region of the wafer and generating turbulence, thereby reducing or even avoiding the influence of the protective gas flow 25 on the epitaxial process in the edge region of the wafer, and improving the uniformity and stability of the epitaxial film. However, it is not limited to this, in other embodiments, the first ring 14 and the second ring 15 can also be designed as other forms of split structure, for example, the above-mentioned first protruding part 19 is arranged on the bottom surface of the first ring 14, and the radial outer edge of the first ring 14 is kept at a pre-set distance greater than zero; or the above-mentioned first protruding part 19 is arranged on the radial outer edge of the top surface of the second ring 15; or the above-mentioned part or all of the second protruding part 21 is arranged on the radial inner edge of the top surface of the second ring 15, etc. For the sake of convenience, only the first ring 14 and the second ring 15 shown in Figure 2 are described in detail in this paper, and for preheating rings of other structural forms, those skilled in the art can make routine adjustments based on the disclosure of this application, so it is not necessary to repeat it here.

[0088] Furthermore, in some embodiments, on the radially inner side of the preheating ring 100, the arrangement density of the first air inlets 26 closer to the process gas inlet 35 of the epitaxial device is greater, and the arrangement density of the first air inlets 26 closer to the process gas outlet 39 of the epitaxial device is smaller; and / or, on the radially inner side of the preheating ring 100, the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the first air inlets 26 closer to the process gas inlet 35 of the epitaxial device is larger, and the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the first air inlets 26 closer to the process gas outlet 39 of the epitaxial device is smaller. In short, the plurality of first air inlets 26 located on the radially inner side of the preheating ring 100 are arranged in a regular pattern, for example, in the direction of air inlet and outlet of the liner (i.e.,...). Figure 1 In the direction parallel to the thick arrow pointing to the left (in the middle horizontal direction): the cross-sectional area of ​​the first air inlet 26 gradually decreases, and / or the arrangement density of the first air inlets 26 gradually decreases. Therefore, in the preheating ring 100, the arrangement density / opening size of the first air inlets 26 closest to the epitaxial equipment process gas inlet 35 is the largest, and the arrangement density / opening size of the first air inlets 26 closest to the epitaxial equipment process gas outlet 39 is the smallest. This helps to improve the uniformity of the protective airflow entering the preheating ring, ensuring that the protective airflow 25 is sufficiently and efficiently guided into the first flow channel 28 within the preheating ring 100.

[0089] Under normal circumstances, such as Figure 1 As shown, the process gas inlet 35 and process gas outlet 39 of the epitaxial device are located radially outside the preheating ring 100, and are substantially on the same diameter of the preheating ring 100. However, this is not a limitation. In other embodiments, the process gas inlet 35 and process gas outlet 39 of the epitaxial device can be designed in different positions according to actual needs, and the flow cross-sectional shape, area, and arrangement density of the first inlet 26 can be specifically designed according to actual needs. This application does not impose specific limitations on these aspects.

[0090] Please see Figure 1 In some embodiments, the first air outlet 27 of the preheating ring 100 is located on the bottom surface of the preheating ring. For details, please refer to... Figures 1 to 5The second annular member 15 is provided with an arc-shaped notch 22 near the exhaust port side, which is located radially inside the first protruding part 19 of the first annular member 14, and constitutes a first exhaust port 27 at the bottom of the preheating ring 100 and in communication with the first flow channel 28 inside the preheating ring 100, and the first exhaust port 27 is an arc-shaped strip-shaped notch. Thus, the first flow channel 28 inside the preheating ring 100 can be in communication with the downstream exhaust port 30 through the first exhaust port 27. For example, the first exhaust port 27 is in communication with the second flow channel 29 in the lower liner ring 201 below the preheating ring 100, and then in communication with the exhaust port 30 of the epitaxial device. The exhaust port 30 is provided in the susceptor 1 and in communication with the tail exhaust flow channel 12 in the exhaust structure 11. Moreover, the exhaust port 30 is located radially outside the preheating ring 100, and not only in communication with the first flow channel 28 inside the preheating ring 100 through the second flow channel 29 in the lower liner ring 201, but also in communication with the process gas passage area A above the tray 13 through the process gas exhaust port 39. Therefore, the epitaxial process gas flow 24 passes through the wafer above the tray 13, enters the exhaust structure 11 through the process gas exhaust port 39 and the exhaust port 30, and is then discharged to the outside of the device through the tail exhaust flow channel 12 in the exhaust structure 11. At the same time, the protective gas flow 25 also passes through the first inlet port 26 and the first flow channel 28 on the preheating ring 100, and then the second flow channel 29 and the exhaust port 30, and then is discharged to the outside of the device through the tail exhaust flow channel 12 in the exhaust structure 11.

[0091] Please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the first annular member 14 is provided with a first limiting part 20, and the second annular member 15 is provided with a second limiting part 23 which is clamped with the first limiting part 20 in the circumferential direction of the preheating ring 100. Thus, the assembly, positioning and accurate fitting of the first annular member 14 and the second annular member 15 are facilitated. Specifically, either of the first limiting part 20 and the second limiting part 23 can be a limiting protruding structure, and the other can be a groove structure which is inserted and matched with the limiting protruding structure. In order to facilitate processing, it is preferred that the first limiting part 20 is a limiting protruding structure provided on the bottom surface of the first annular member 14, and the second limiting part 23 is a groove structure provided on the outer side edge of the second annular member 15.

[0092] Further, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , and Figures 8 to 10In the process chamber provided in the first specific embodiment of this application, the annular liner 200 includes a lower liner ring 201 and an upper liner ring 7 located above the lower liner ring 201. The upper liner ring 7 and the lower liner ring 201 are coaxially arranged, and the process gas inlet 35 and the process gas outlet 39 are both formed between the upper liner ring 7 and the lower liner ring 201. Specifically, the lower liner ring 201 is at least partially located below the preheating ring 100 to provide support and load-bearing capacity for the preheating ring 100. Furthermore, a second flow channel 29 is provided inside the lower liner ring 201 near the exhaust port. The second inlet 36 of the second flow channel 29 communicates with the first outlet 27 of the first flow channel 28 in the preheating ring 100, and the second outlet 37 of the second flow channel 29 communicates with the process gas outlet 39 and subsequently with the exhaust port 30 of the epitaxial device. Thus, the first flow channel 28 in the preheating ring 100 is connected to the exhaust port 30 of the extension device through the second flow channel 29 in the lower liner ring 201, which can guide and discharge the protective airflow 25 from the space below the tray 13.

[0093] In practical implementation, the lower bushing 201 can be designed as an integral structure or as a separate structure. Designing the lower bushing 201 as a separate structure helps reduce the difficulty of the manufacturing process. For example, please refer to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 ,as well as Figures 8 to 10 The lower liner ring 201 includes a first frame 6 and a second frame 5. The first frame 6 is located above the second frame 5. The first frame 6 and the second frame 5 are fastened together to form a second flow channel 29 within the lower liner ring 201. The inlet of the second flow channel 29 is a second air inlet 36 that communicates with the first flow channel 28 within the preheating ring 100, and the outlet of the second flow channel 29 is a second air outlet 37 that communicates with the process gas outlet 39.

[0094] Please see below. Figure 2 The second frame 5 has a ring-shaped structure, and its top surface has a mounting groove. The radially inner side of the mounting groove is an arc-shaped side plate 38 that protrudes upward relative to the bottom of the groove; that is, the radially inner side of the mounting groove is an arc-shaped boss structure located at the inner edge of the top surface of the second frame 5. The first frame 6 has an arc-shaped structure and is located within the aforementioned mounting groove. The gap between the first frame 6 and the arc-shaped side plate 38 constitutes the second air inlet 36, and the gap between the first frame 6 and the bottom surface of the mounting groove constitutes the second flow channel 29. For details, please refer to... Figure 2 ,as well as Figures 8 to 10, the radial inner side of the first frame body 6 is provided with a plurality of third protruding parts 31 capable of contacting the arc-shaped side plate 38, and the second gas inlet 36 is formed between adjacent third protruding parts 31; and / or, the bottom surface of the first frame body 6 is provided with a fourth protruding part 32 capable of contacting the bottom surface of the mounting groove, and the second flow channel 29 is formed between the bottom surface of the mounting groove of the second frame body 5 and the bottom surface of the first frame body 6 through the fourth protruding part 32; and / or, the bottom surface of the first frame body 6 is provided with a third limiting part 33, and the bottom surface of the mounting groove on the top surface of the second frame body 5 is provided with a fourth limiting part 34, and the fourth limiting part 34 and the third limiting part 33 are inserted and matched to facilitate the assembly positioning and accurate matching of the first frame body 6 and the second frame body 5. Specifically, either of the third limiting part 33 and the fourth limiting part 34 can be a limiting protruding structure, and the other can be a groove structure matched with the limiting protruding structure. In order to facilitate processing, it is preferred that the third limiting part 33 is a limiting protruding structure arranged on the bottom surface of the first frame body 6, and the fourth limiting part 34 is a groove structure arranged on the bottom surface of the mounting groove on the top surface of the second frame body 5.

[0095] Please refer to Figure 1 The first specific embodiment of the present application further provides a semiconductor device, which comprises the process chamber described above, and a first gas inlet assembly, a second gas inlet assembly and a gas exhaust assembly. The first gas inlet assembly is used for conveying process gas to a process gas path region A in the cavity of the process chamber, and the process gas path region A is generally located above the tray 13; the second gas inlet assembly is used for conveying protective gas to a purge gas path region B in the cavity of the process chamber, and the purge gas path region B is generally located below the tray 13; and the gas exhaust assembly is used for exhausting the process gas and the protective gas out of the cavity.

[0096] Specifically, the cavity of the process chamber is provided with the tray 13, the preheating ring 100 and the annular inner liner 200 described above, and the annular inner liner 200 comprises the upper liner ring 7 and the lower liner ring 201. Moreover, in some embodiments, the cavity of the process chamber comprises the top shell 8, the bottom shell 4 and the susceptor 1, and the upper flange 2, the lower flange 3, the wafer supporting needle 16 and the second support 17 and the third support 18; the first gas inlet assembly comprises the gas inlet structure 9 and the gas inlet pipeline 10; and the gas exhaust assembly comprises the gas exhaust structure 11 and the tail gas exhaust flow channel 12. Wherein:

[0097] The top shell 8 and the bottom shell 4 are buckled and sealingly connected to form a hollow structure, and the tray 13, the preheating ring 100 and the annular inner liner 200 are located in the hollow structure; and the tray 13 is used for placing a wafer;

[0098] The susceptor 1 provides overall support for the cavity structure in the epitaxial device, and the process gas inlet 35 and the gas exhaust 30 are reserved;

[0099] The top shell 8 and the bottom shell 4 are respectively located above and below the base 1, and enclose an internal chamber of the epitaxial device to provide a sealed environment for the epitaxial process.

[0100] The upper flange 2 and the lower flange 3 are respectively located outside the edge of the top shell 8 and the edge of the bottom shell 4, and are fixed on the base 1 by screws, so as to press the top shell 8 on the upper sealing surface of the base 1, and press the bottom shell 4 on the lower sealing surface of the base 1.

[0101] The lower liner ring 201 is composed of the first frame body 6 and the second frame body 5, and is internally provided with a second flow channel 29 for guiding and discharging the protective gas flow 25.

[0102] The upper liner ring 7 is located between the first frame body 6 and the top shell 8, and leaves a process gas inlet 35 and a process gas outlet 39 between the first frame body 6.

[0103] One end of the process gas inlet 35 is in communication with the gas inlet pipeline 10 through the gas inlet structure 9, and the other end is in communication with the process gas path area A above the tray 13, and is used for conveying the epitaxial process gas flow 24 to the wafer surface in the area.

[0104] The outlet end of the process gas outlet 39 is in communication with the exhaust port 30 and the tail exhaust flow channel 12 in the exhaust structure 11, and the other end is in communication with the process gas path area A above the tray 13, and the process gas outlet 39 is in communication with the second flow channel 29 in the lower liner ring 201, and is used for discharging the chamber exhaust gas to the rear end exhaust treatment system.

[0105] The preheating ring 100 is used for preheating the epitaxial process gas flow 24, and guiding the protective gas flow 25 from below the tray and near the edge of the tray to the first flow channel 28 in the preheating ring through the first gas inlet 26; and the preheating ring 100 is placed on the lower liner ring 201, the first gas outlet 27 of the first flow channel 28 in the preheating ring is in alignment and communication with the second gas inlet 36 on the lower liner ring 201, so as to guide the protective gas flow 25 to the exhaust port 30 through the second flow channel 29 in the lower liner ring 201, and then discharge the chamber exhaust gas to the rear end exhaust treatment system through the tail exhaust flow channel 12 in the exhaust structure 11.

[0106] The wafer supporting needle 16 is used for supporting the wafer during wafer transmission.

[0107] The second support 17 is used for supporting the tray 13.

[0108] The third support 18 is used for supporting the wafer supporting needle 16.

[0109] Specifically, the bottom shell 4, the top shell 8, the lower liner ring 201, the second support 17 and the third support 18 are all made of quartz material.

[0110] In summary, in the epitaxial equipment provided by the first specific embodiment of the present application, the annular gap between the preheating ring 100 and the edge of the tray 13 is guided to the exhaust port 30 by the first flow channel 28 arranged in the preheating ring 100, the second flow channel 29 arranged in the lower backing ring 201, and the corresponding air inlet and outlet, so as to reduce or even avoid the influence of the protective gas flow 25 on the epitaxial process gas flow 24 above the tray 13, and facilitate to improve the uniformity and stability of the epitaxial film layer in the edge region of the wafer.

[0111] The first flow channel 28 in the preheating ring 100 is arranged in a hollow annular structure, and the inner side vertical surface is provided with regularly arranged first air inlets 26. The bottom is provided with a first air outlet 27 near the air inlet end of the second flow channel 29. The second flow channel 29 in the lower backing ring 201 is arranged in a hollow structure, and the top is provided with a second air inlet 36, and the bottom is provided with a second air outlet 37. Thus, a new gas flow guide structure is formed, and the specific principle of guiding the protective gas flow 25 is as follows:

[0112] After the protective gas flow 25 sweeps the space below the tray 13, it reaches the edge of the tray 13, is guided by the first air inlet 26 into the first flow channel 28 in the preheating ring 100, and according to the low-density distribution on the exhaust side and the high-density distribution on the air inlet side of the first air inlet 26, the uniformity of the guided flow is improved, and the protective gas flow 25 is fully and efficiently guided into the first flow channel 28 of the preheating ring 100.

[0113] Since the first air outlet 27 of the first flow channel 28 in the preheating ring 100 is in communication with the second flow channel 29 in the lower backing ring 201 and connected to the exhaust port 30, after the protective gas flow 25 is guided into the preheating ring 100, it will then enter the second flow channel 29 in the lower backing ring 201, and then in turn pass through the exhaust port 30 in the base 1 and the tail exhaust flow channel 12 in the exhaust structure 11, and then enter the exhaust treatment system.

[0114] Through the above process of guiding the non-epitaxial gas protective gas flow below the tray, the interference with the epitaxial process gas flow is reduced or even avoided.

[0115] It is noted that the epitaxial process gas flow and epitaxial process gas in the present application refer to the gas used in the semiconductor industry for growing one or more layers of thin film materials on a semiconductor wafer by chemical vapor deposition, such as any one or a combination of silane, dichlorosilane, trichlorosilane, silicon tetrachloride, germane, trimethylgallium, and triethylindium, boron trifluoride, phosphine, arsine, ammonia, dichlorosilane, or other gases. The protective gas and protective gas flow in the present application refer to the gas used for purging the vicinity of the edge of the tray and wafer, so as to reduce or even avoid the contact of the epitaxial process gas with the components below the tray in the chamber. The specific cost of the epitaxial process gas flow and protective gas flow is not limited in the present application.

[0116] Second embodiment

[0117] The second embodiment of the present application provides a process chamber and a semiconductor device provided with the process chamber. The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment described above is that two flow channels independent of each other and not connected to each other are respectively formed in the annular inner liner 200, the susceptor 1, and the exhaust structure 11.

[0118] Specifically, referring to Figure 11 and Figure 12 , the second embodiment of the present application provides a process chamber, wherein the exhaust port 30 in the susceptor 1 includes a first exhaust port 301 and a second exhaust port 302, the gas outlet end of the process gas outlet port 39 in the annular inner liner 200 is communicated with the first exhaust port 301, the gas outlet end of the second flow channel 29 in the annular inner liner 200 is communicated with the second exhaust port 302, the first exhaust port 301 is communicated with the first tail exhaust flow channel 121 in the exhaust structure 11, and the second exhaust port 302 is communicated with the second tail exhaust flow channel 122 in the exhaust structure 11. That is, the annular inner liner 200, the susceptor 1, and the exhaust structure 11 are sequentially connected, and the process gas outlet port 39, the first exhaust port 301, and the first tail exhaust flow channel 121 are sequentially communicated, and the second flow channel 29, the second exhaust port 302, and the second tail exhaust flow channel 122 are sequentially communicated. Thus, the process gas from the process gas path area A above the tray 13 is independently discharged and treated, and the process gas from the purge gas path area B below the tray 13 is independently discharged and treated, and the discharge pressure and other parameters of the two can be respectively detected and controlled.

[0119] In the specific implementation, the outer connecting pipeline of the second tail exhaust flow channel 122 of the exhaust structure 11 is further provided with a pressure control valve 41 and a pressure gauge 42, and the end of the outer connecting pipeline is further provided with a vacuum pump 40. Among them:

[0120] The pressure gauge 42 is independently arranged to read the pressure in the external pipeline at the outlet of the exhaust structure 11, and cooperates with the pressure control valve 41 to complete the control of the pressure in the external pipeline.

[0121] The pressure control valve 41 is independently arranged to control the opening of the external pipeline at the outlet of the exhaust structure 11, and cooperates with the pressure gauge 42 to complete the control of the pressure in the external pipeline.

[0122] The vacuum pump 40 is located at the end of the external pipeline at the outlet of the exhaust structure 11 to provide vacuum power for the external pipeline.

[0123] It can be seen that in the second embodiment of the present application, the tail exhaust flow channel of the protective gas in the area below the tray and the tail exhaust flow channel of the main process gas in the area above the tray are separated and independently controlled. When the flow of the main process gas or the flow of the protective gas changes, the pressure control valve 41 can adjust the gas guiding capacity of the protective gas flow channel in the purge gas path area B below the tray 13 according to the pressure feedback of the pressure gauge 42, so as to ensure that the protective gas in the purge gas path area B below the tray 13 does not enter the process gas path area A above the tray 13, and also to avoid that the main process gas in the process gas path area A is sucked into the protective gas flow channel in the purge gas path area B below the tray 13. The scheme can be more flexible according to the actual process, and has a wider application range.

[0124] Third embodiment

[0125] Please refer to Figure 13 The third embodiment of the present application provides a process chamber and a semiconductor device provided with the process chamber. The difference between the third embodiment and the second embodiment is that the first exhaust port 301 and the second exhaust port 302 in the susceptor 1 are communicated, and then communicated with the same tail exhaust flow channel 12 through the same outlet. The process chamber has basically the same functions and effects as the first embodiment, except that the internal structure of the annular liner 200 and the susceptor 1 is different, and thus will not be described again.

[0126] Finally, it should be noted that in this document, the terms such as first and second are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between the entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "contain" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that the process, method, article or device including a series of elements not only includes those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed.

[0127] The various embodiments described in this specification are intended to be illustrative only and in no way limit the scope of the application. Changes and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art, which employ the principles of the application, without departing from the scope of the application. Accordingly, the application is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but instead has scope to encompass any choice whatsoever that is dependent on, or can be substituted in, the principal features of the application as recited in any issued claims.

[0128] The above description of disclosed embodiments is intended to be illustrative only and not limiting of the application. Numerous modifications to these embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the application. The scope of the application is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but rather is intended to encompass any and all changes and modifications that are within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A process chamber, comprising a cavity and a tray (13), a preheating ring (100) and an annular inner liner (200) arranged in the cavity; characterized in that, the preheating ring (100) is arranged around the tray (13) with an annular gap between the preheating ring (100) and the tray (13), and the inside of the preheating ring (100) is provided with a first flow channel (28) in the circumferential direction, and the inner side of the preheating ring (100) is provided with a first air inlet (26) in the circumferential direction, which communicates with the first flow channel (28) ; the annular inner liner (200) is arranged around the tray (13), used for mounting the preheating ring (100), and is provided with a process gas inlet (35) and a process gas outlet (39) at opposite positions, and a second flow channel (29) which communicates with the first flow channel (28) ; the cavity is provided with an exhaust port (30) capable of connecting a tail exhaust flow channel (12) ; the process gas outlet (39) and the exhaust end of the second flow channel (29) both communicate with the exhaust port (30).

2. The process chamber of claim 1, wherein, The exhaust end of the second flow channel (29) communicates with the process gas outlet (39) and then communicates with the exhaust port (30).

3. The process chamber of claim 1, wherein, The exhaust port (30) comprises a first exhaust port (301) and a second exhaust port (302), wherein: the exhaust end of the process gas outlet (39) communicates with the first exhaust port (301) ; the exhaust end of the second flow channel (29) communicates with the second exhaust port (302) ; the first exhaust port (301) is used to communicate with a first tail exhaust flow channel (121), and the second exhaust port (302) is used to communicate with a second tail exhaust flow channel (122) ; or, the first exhaust port (301) and the second exhaust port (302) can communicate with the same tail exhaust flow channel (12).

4. The process chamber of claim 1, wherein, The preheating ring (100) comprises a first annular member (14) and a second annular member (15), the first annular member (14) is located above the second annular member (15), and the two are buckled and spliced to form the first flow channel (28).

5. The process chamber of claim 4, wherein, The first annular member (14) is provided with: a first protruding portion (19), which is arc-shaped and located at the outer edge of the bottom surface of the first annular member (14), forming part of the side wall of the first flow channel (28) ; a plurality of second protruding portions (21) arranged along the inner edge of the bottom surface of the first annular member (14), and the gap between adjacent second protruding portions (21) forms the first air inlet (26).

6. The process chamber of claim 5, wherein, In the preheating ring (100), the flow cross-sectional area of the first air inlet (26) closer to the process gas inlet (35) is larger, and the flow cross-sectional area of the first air inlet (26) closer to the process gas outlet (39) is smaller; and / or, the arrangement density of the first air inlet (26) closer to the process gas inlet (35) is larger, and the arrangement density of the first air inlet (26) closer to the process gas outlet (39) is smaller.

7. The process chamber of claim 5, wherein, The second ring member (15) is provided with an arc-shaped notch (22) near the exhaust port side, which is located radially inside the first protruding part (19) and constitutes a first gas outlet (27) located at the bottom of the preheating ring (100) and communicating with the first flow channel (28); The first flow channel (28) communicates with the second flow channel (29) through the first gas outlet (27).

8. The process chamber of claim 4, wherein, The first ring member (14) is provided with a first limiting part (20); The second ring member (15) is provided with a second limiting part (23) which is clamped with the first limiting part (20) in the circumferential direction of the preheating ring (100).

9. The process chamber of claim 1, wherein, The annular inner liner (200) comprises coaxially arranged upper liner ring (7) and lower liner ring (201); The upper liner ring (7) is located above the lower liner ring (201), and the upper liner ring (7) and the lower liner ring (201) form a process gas inlet (35) and a process gas outlet (39) for discharging process gas in opposite positions; The lower liner ring (201) is at least partially located below the preheating ring (100) and is used to support the preheating ring (100); The lower liner ring (201) is provided with the second flow channel (29) inside near the exhaust port side, the second inlet (36) of the second flow channel (29) communicates with the first outlet (27) of the first flow channel (28), and the second outlet (37) of the second flow channel (29) communicates with the process gas outlet (39).

10. The process chamber of claim 9, wherein, The lower liner ring (201) comprises a first frame body (6) and a second frame body (5), the first frame body (6) is located above the second frame body (5), and the two are clamped and spliced to form the second flow channel (29).

11. The process chamber of claim 10, wherein, The second frame body (5) is annular in structure, and the top surface of the second frame body (5) is provided with a mounting groove, and the radially inner side of the mounting groove is an arc-shaped side plate (38) which is convex upward relative to the groove bottom; The first frame body (6) is arc-shaped in structure and located in the mounting groove, and the gap between the first frame body (6) and the arc-shaped side plate (38) constitutes the second inlet (36), and the gap between the first frame body (6) and the bottom surface of the mounting groove constitutes the second flow channel (29).

12. The process chamber of claim 11, wherein, The radially inner side of the first frame body (6) is provided with a plurality of third protruding parts (31) which can contact the arc-shaped side plate (38), and the second inlet (36) is between adjacent third protruding parts (31).

13. The process chamber of claim 11, wherein, The bottom surface of the first frame body (6) is provided with a fourth protruding part (32) for contacting the bottom surface of the mounting groove.

14. The process chamber of claim 11, wherein, The bottom surface of the first frame body (6) is provided with a third limiting part (33), and the bottom surface of the mounting groove is provided with a fourth limiting part (34), and the third limiting part (33) and the fourth limiting part (34) are inserted and adapted.

15. A semiconductor device, characterized by comprising: The process chamber comprises a process chamber as claimed in any one of claims 1-14; and A first gas inlet assembly is used to deliver process gas to a process gas path area (A) in the process chamber, and the process gas path area (A) is located above the tray (13); a second gas inlet assembly for delivering a shield gas to a purge gas path region (B) in the process chamber, the purge gas path region (B) being located below the tray (13); a gas extraction assembly for extracting the process gas and the shield gas out of the cavity.

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