Air inlet assembly, process chamber and semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, in particular to an air inlet assembly, a process chamber and semiconductor process equipment. The gas inlet assembly comprises a first gas inlet flow uniformizing piece and a second gas inlet flow uniformizing piece, and the first gas inlet flow uniformizing piece is provided with a first fluid channel used for introducing first plasma and a second fluid channel used for introducing reaction gas; the second air inlet flow uniformizing piece is arranged below the first air inlet flow uniformizing piece at an interval, a flow uniformizing space is formed between the first air inlet flow uniformizing piece and the second air inlet flow uniformizing piece, and the second air inlet flow uniformizing piece is provided with a third fluid channel; first plasma flowing out of the first fluid channel and reaction gas flowing out of the second fluid channel enter the flow uniformizing space to form second plasma, and the second plasma flows out after being uniformized through the third fluid channel. The method can play a good role in flow uniformizing and plasma energy reducing at the same time, meets the requirement for low damage to a gate protection layer and the like during polycrystalline silicon etching, and meets the requirement of an advanced manufacturing process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and more specifically, to an air intake assembly, a process chamber, and semiconductor process equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, it is often necessary to perform plasma processing on wafers (or substrates) within a plasma processing apparatus. A typical plasma processing apparatus usually has at least one vacuum reaction chamber. A base is located at the bottom of the vacuum reaction chamber to support the substrate. An external radio frequency (RF) power supply applies an RF signal to the base, creating an RF environment within the reaction chamber. The vacuum reaction chamber also includes a gas inlet device that delivers process gases into the reaction chamber according to specific process requirements. The process gases are dissociated into plasma in the RF environment, achieving etching or deposition processing on the substrate.

[0003] Generally, air inlets are evenly distributed on the panel connecting the air inlet device to the reaction chamber to increase the uniformity of the reactant gas entering the reaction chamber. However, existing air inlet devices still have some problems in practical applications. For example, in the fabrication process of high dielectric constant metal gates, the removal of pseudo-polycrystalline silicon gates is the core step of the process. Traditional processes, due to insufficient selectivity or excessively high plasma energy, lead to irreversible defects such as gate oxide layer breakdown, increased interface state density, and material structure damage, causing gate leakage and seriously affecting device reliability and lifespan. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the plasma flow field distribution. However, current air inlet devices usually only play a role in equalizing the flow and cannot reduce the plasma energy, thus failing to solve the problems of device defects caused by excessively high plasma energy in the aforementioned processes. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an air intake component, a process chamber, and a semiconductor process equipment that can solve the problem of device defects caused by excessive plasma energy. It can not only play a good role in uniform flow, but also reduce plasma energy, thereby achieving the requirement of low damage to gate protection layers and other components during polysilicon etching and meeting the process goals of advanced processes.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide an air intake assembly, the air intake assembly comprising: The first air intake equalization component is provided with a first fluid channel and a second fluid channel. The first fluid channel is used to introduce the first plasma, and the second fluid channel is used to introduce the reaction gas. The second air intake flow equalizer is disposed at intervals below the first air intake flow equalizer, and a flow equalization space is formed between the first air intake flow equalizer and the second air intake flow equalizer. The second air intake flow equalizer is provided with a third fluid channel. The first plasma flowing out from the first fluid channel and the reaction gas flowing out from the second fluid channel enter the uniform flow space and mix to form a second plasma. The second plasma flows out after being uniformly flowed through the third fluid channel.

[0006] Optionally, the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel are arranged independently of each other; the first fluid channel includes a plurality of first air holes, and the second fluid channel includes a plurality of second air holes; the plurality of first air holes penetrate the first air inlet equalizer along the thickness direction, and the plurality of second air holes penetrate a portion of the first air inlet equalizer along the thickness direction, and the second air holes are connected to the air inlet of the first air inlet equalizer.

[0007] Optionally, the second fluid channel further includes an air inlet channel and a flow equalization channel; one end of the air inlet channel is provided with the air inlet, the air inlet is located on the side wall of the first air inlet flow equalization component, the air inlet channel is connected to the flow equalization channel, and the flow equalization channel is connected to the second air flow hole; the reaction gas enters the air inlet channel through the air inlet, then flows into the second air flow hole through the flow equalization channel and then flows out of the first air inlet flow equalization component.

[0008] Optionally, the number of the air intake channels is one or more; each of the air intake channels extends radially along the first air intake equalizer. Optionally, there are multiple flow equalization channels, and the multiple flow equalization channels are evenly distributed at radial intervals along the first air intake flow equalization component.

[0009] Optionally, a plurality of second air flow holes are evenly distributed in a plurality of uniform flow channels, and the plurality of second air flow holes extend along the axial direction of the first air inlet uniform flow member.

[0010] Optionally, the plurality of first airflow holes are evenly distributed on the first airflow equalizer; or, the plurality of first airflow holes are radially distributed on the first airflow equalizer; or, the first airflow equalizer is divided into a middle region and an edge region, wherein the distribution density of the first airflow holes in the edge region is greater than the distribution density of the first airflow holes in the middle region.

[0011] Optionally, along the axial projection direction of the first air inlet equalizer, the plurality of first air inlets and the plurality of second air inlets are staggered from each other.

[0012] Optionally, the diameter of the first air orifice is larger than the diameter of the second air orifice.

[0013] Optionally, the third fluid channel includes a plurality of third air holes; the plurality of third air holes penetrate the second air inlet uniform flow element along the thickness direction.

[0014] Optionally, the plurality of third air vents are evenly distributed on the second air inlet uniform flow member; or, the plurality of third air vents are radially distributed on the second air inlet uniform flow member; or, the second air inlet uniform flow member is divided into a middle region and an edge region, wherein the distribution density of the third air vents in the edge region is greater than the distribution density of the third air vents in the middle region.

[0015] Optionally, the first fluid channel includes a plurality of first air holes, and the second fluid channel includes a plurality of second air holes; the diameter of the first air holes is larger than the diameter of the third air holes.

[0016] Optionally, the diameter of the third air vent is greater than or equal to the diameter of the second air vent.

[0017] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention provide a process chamber, the process chamber comprising: chamber body; An air intake assembly, comprising the aforementioned air intake assembly, wherein the air intake assembly is located within the chamber body; A base, located within the chamber body, and positioned below the air intake assembly.

[0018] Optionally, the air intake assembly divides the interior of the chamber body into a first flow equalization chamber, a second flow equalization chamber, and a reaction chamber. The first flow equalization chamber is formed by the top wall of the chamber body, the first air intake equalization component, and a portion of the side wall. The second flow equalization chamber is formed by the first and second air intake equalization components, and a portion of the side wall. The reaction chamber is formed by the second air intake equalization component, the bottom wall of the chamber body, and a portion of the side wall. The base is located within the reaction chamber. The two ends of the first fluid channel are respectively connected to the first flow equalization chamber and the second flow equalization chamber. The two ends of the second fluid channel are respectively connected to the air inlet of the first air intake equalization component and the second flow equalization chamber. The two ends of the third fluid channel are respectively connected to the second flow equalization chamber and the reaction chamber.

[0019] Optionally, the top of the chamber body is provided with a dissociation zone for supplying the first plasma to the first uniform flow cavity.

[0020] Thirdly, embodiments of the present invention provide a semiconductor process apparatus, which includes the aforementioned air intake assembly and / or the aforementioned process chamber; and, Plasma source and reactive gas source.

[0021] The above-described technical solutions adopted in the embodiments of this application can achieve the following beneficial effects: The air intake assembly of this application is a dual-layer air intake structure, comprising a first air intake flow equalizer and a second air intake flow equalizer. The first air intake flow equalizer has a first fluid channel for introducing a first plasma and a second fluid channel for introducing a reactant gas. The second air intake flow equalizer has a third fluid channel. The second air intake flow equalizer is located below the first air intake flow equalizer, and there is a gap between the second air intake flow equalizer and the first air intake flow equalizer, forming a flow equalization space between them. The first plasma flowing out from the first fluid channel and the reactant gas flowing out from the second fluid channel enter the flow equalization space to form a second plasma. The second plasma flows out after being equalized through the third fluid channel. Thus, by separating the plasma and reactant gas for air intake, the dissociated process gas and the undissociated reactant gas undergo a secondary dissociation process in the flow equalization space, which greatly reduces the energy of free radicals. That is, the energy of the high-energy first plasma is reduced, forming a low-energy, high-density second plasma. This can effectively reduce the damage of high-energy particles to the wafer morphology and electrical properties. Meanwhile, the two-layer gas flow equalization device effectively equalizes the flow, achieving a uniform distribution of plasma on the substrate surface. Furthermore, this application optimizes the plasma flow field distribution, which not only provides excellent flow equalization but also reduces plasma energy, thus achieving low damage to the gate protection layer and other components during polysilicon etching and meeting the process goals of advanced manufacturing processes. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a process chamber in a semiconductor process equipment provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first air intake flow equalizer provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 A half-sectional schematic diagram of the first air intake flow equalizer provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 A schematic cross-sectional view of the first air intake flow equalizer provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 A bottom view of the first air intake flow equalizer provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a top view schematic diagram of the second air intake flow equalizer provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1-Process chamber; 10-chamber body; 20 - Intake assembly; 201-First air inlet flow equalizer; 211-First air flow hole; 212-Second air flow hole; 213-Air inlet; 214-Air inlet channel; 215-Flow equalizer channel; 202 - Second air inlet flow equalizer; 221 - Third airflow orifice; 30 - Dissociation region; 40 - Base; 50 - Wafer; 60 - First uniform flow cavity; 70 - Second uniform flow cavity; 80 - Reaction cavity. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0027] As integrated circuit manufacturing processes shrink, traditional polysilicon gates cannot meet performance requirements due to high resistance and gate depletion issues. High-k Metal Gate (HKMG) technology reduces leakage current and increases device speed by introducing a high-k dielectric layer and a metal gate. However, metal gate materials (such as TiN and TiAl) cannot directly withstand high-temperature processes, necessitating the use of a dummy polysilicon gate as a temporary structure, which is removed and replaced with a metal gate after the front-end processing is completed. Dummy polysilicon gate removal, a core step in the HKMG process, presents significant technical challenges, particularly in optimizing selectivity and minimizing damage to the gate protection layer (materials such as low-dielectric-constant silicon, silicon nitride, and oxides). Furthermore, etching the dummy polysilicon gate must avoid damaging the underlying gate oxide layer. Traditional processes suffer from irreversible defects such as gate oxide breakdown, increased interface state density, and material structure damage due to insufficient selectivity (polysilicon / low-dielectric-constant silicon, silicon nitride, oxides) or excessively high plasma energy, leading to gate leakage and severely impacting device reliability and lifespan. Due to limitations in gas chemistry and process windows, related technologies struggle to meet the stringent requirements of advanced nodes below 5nm. Therefore, breakthroughs are urgently needed through strategies such as innovative equipment structures and synergistic process optimization.

[0028] In related technologies, the provided air intake device includes an air inlet and an air intake chamber. The air intake chamber includes N levels of flow equalization layers. The first level flow equalization layer includes one sub-unit for uniformly distributing the reactant gas from the air inlet into at least two paths along a direction perpendicular to the direction of transporting the reactant gas. The i-th level flow equalization layer includes multiple sub-units, each of which corresponds to and further uniformly distributes the paths allocated by all sub-units in the (i-1)-th level flow equalization layer into at least two paths along a direction perpendicular to the direction of transporting the reactant gas, i = 2, 3, ..., N. All sub-units in the N-th level flow equalization layer are used to transport the paths allocated by each sub-unit from the top of the reaction chamber into the reaction chamber. However, this air intake device increases the height and complexity of the structure through multi-layer gas distribution, and it only serves to equalize the flow without reducing the energy of the plasma. Furthermore, related technologies also provide a flow equalization component, an air intake device, and a semiconductor device. The flow equalization component has a flow equalization cavity inside. The top wall of the flow equalization cavity has multiple air inlets penetrating the top wall along its thickness direction, and the bottom wall of the flow equalization cavity has multiple air outlets penetrating the bottom wall along its thickness direction. The flow equalization cavity has multiple air inlet pipes corresponding one-to-one with the multiple air inlets, and multiple air outlet pipes corresponding one-to-one with the multiple air outlets. One end of each air inlet pipe is connected to its corresponding air inlet, and the other end is connected to the flow equalization cavity. One end of each air outlet pipe is connected to its corresponding air outlet, and the other end is connected to the flow equalization cavity. The other end of each air inlet pipe is located below the other end of each air outlet pipe. However, this air intake device only serves to equalize the flow and does not involve reducing the energy of the plasma.

[0029] In view of this, the present invention discloses an air intake component, a process chamber including the air intake component, and a semiconductor process apparatus including the air intake component or the process chamber. This invention can be used to solve the problem of device defects caused by excessively high plasma energy in related technologies. It can optimize the plasma flow field distribution, achieving good flow uniformity and reducing plasma energy, thus meeting the low damage requirements for gate protection layers and other components during polysilicon etching, and satisfying the process goals of advanced manufacturing processes. Specific technical solutions are described below.

[0030] First, the application environment of the air intake component in this application is described. (Reference) Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, a semiconductor process apparatus is provided, which includes a process chamber 1, a plasma source and a reactive gas source. The process chamber 1 includes a chamber body 10, an inlet assembly 20 and a base 40, with the inlet assembly 20 and the base 40 disposed within the chamber body 10.

[0031] The gas inlet assembly 20 of this embodiment can be applied in semiconductor process equipment to deliver process gas into the process chamber 1, that is, to introduce external process gas into the process chamber 1. This semiconductor process equipment can be a plasma processing device, such as a plasma etching apparatus. As an example, this semiconductor process equipment includes, but is not limited to, capacitively coupled plasma devices (CCP devices), inductively coupled plasma devices (ICP devices), or remote plasma source (RPS) type plasma devices.

[0032] refer to Figure 1 As shown, the semiconductor process equipment includes a process chamber 1 that can be evacuated. Inside the process chamber 1 is a base 40 for supporting a wafer 50 (or substrate). For example, the base 40 has a support surface for supporting the wafer 50, allowing the wafer 50 to undergo processing within the process chamber 1. Optionally, the base 40 is provided with a chuck (also called an electrostatic chuck or electrostatic chuck) for supporting or fixing the wafer 50 during the process; the wafer 50 to be processed can be placed on the chuck. In some optional embodiments, such as in a CCP device, a lower electrode may also be provided at the base 40 and radio frequency power may be applied to it. For example, at least one radio frequency power supply may be applied to the lower electrode, thereby forming a radio frequency electric field within the process chamber 1, generating plasma from the introduced process gas. Of course, in other optional embodiments, such as in a remote plasma source (RPS) device, a lower electrode may not be provided. In this semiconductor process equipment, the base assembly, consisting of the base 40, chuck, and lower electrode, is located at the bottom of the process chamber 1. It is used to support the wafer 50 to be processed while controlling factors affecting the processing of the wafer 50, such as temperature and electric field.

[0033] Optionally, an exhaust zone is provided at a suitable location in the semiconductor process equipment. The exhaust zone is connected to an external exhaust device (e.g., a vacuum pump) to extract the used reaction gases and by-product gases from the processing zone during the process, and to establish appropriate pressure in the processing zone through gas flow.

[0034] In this embodiment, the semiconductor process equipment further includes a plasma source and a reactive gas source. The plasma source is a device or structure capable of converting neutral gas into plasma. Optionally, the plasma source can be a capacitively coupled plasma source, an inductively coupled plasma source, a remote plasma source, etc. As an example, the plasma source is connected to the dissociation region 30 or gas port of the process chamber 1 to input process gas; the plasma source can dissociate the process gas outside the process chamber 1 to form a remote plasma source. The reactive gas source can be connected to the inlet 213 of the process chamber 1 via a pipeline, such as to the inlet 213 located on the side wall of the inlet assembly 20, to provide reactive gas, i.e., to supply reactive gas to the inlet assembly 20. In other words, the reactive gas source is used to supply reactive gas so that the reactive gas to be fed into the process chamber 1 can be fed into the process chamber 1 through the inlet assembly 20, especially through the first inlet flow equalizer 201 in the inlet assembly 20.

[0035] In this embodiment of the application, the semiconductor process equipment has a dissociation region 30 at the top of the chamber body 10 of the process chamber 1 for supplying the first plasma to the first uniform flow chamber 60.

[0036] The aforementioned dissociation zone 30 is the main region where neutral gas molecules are decomposed and ionized to generate active particles; for example, it can activate stable gases into highly reactive particles, providing "power" for the process. This dissociation zone 30 is connected to the interior of the process chamber 1. Optionally, the dissociation zone 30 can be of various shapes, such as cylindrical, hemispherical, or domed. The specific shape and dimensions of the dissociation zone 30 can be determined based on actual conditions such as air intake requirements, and are not limited here.

[0037] As an example, process gas can be excited in the dissociation region 30 to form a first plasma, which first enters the upper part of the process chamber 1, i.e., the first uniform flow cavity 60. Alternatively, a remote plasma source can be used to form the first plasma, which enters the upper part of the process chamber 1, i.e., the first uniform flow cavity 60, after passing through the dissociation region 30. Therefore, in this embodiment, the plasma source can be capacitively coupled, inductively coupled, or a remote plasma source.

[0038] In this embodiment of the application, in the semiconductor process equipment, an air intake assembly 20 is provided inside the chamber body 10 of the process chamber 1. Inside the chamber body 10, a base 40 is disposed opposite to the air intake assembly 20, such that the base 40 is located below the air intake assembly 20. The air intake assembly 20 is connected to the aforementioned dissociation region 30 or plasma source, and the air intake assembly 20 is also connected to the aforementioned reaction gas source, enabling multi-channel air intake.

[0039] In this embodiment of the application, the air intake assembly 20 includes a first air intake equalizer 201 and a second air intake equalizer 202 arranged at intervals, with the first air intake equalizer 201 located above the second air intake equalizer 202; the air intake assembly 20 is located inside the chamber body 10, and the air intake assembly 20 can divide the interior of the chamber body 10 into a first equalizer 60, a second equalizer 70 and a reaction chamber 80, for example, from top to bottom, the first equalizer 60, the second equalizer 70 and the reaction chamber 80 are arranged sequentially.

[0040] The top wall of the chamber body 10, the first air inlet equalizer 201, and part of the side wall enclose each other to form a first equalizer cavity 60. For example, the top wall of the chamber body 10, the first air inlet equalizer 201, and the upper part of the side wall of the chamber body 10 can enclose a closed equalizer cavity, that is, form the first equalizer cavity 60. The first air inlet equalizer 201 is provided with a first fluid channel and a second fluid channel. The first fluid channel is used to introduce the first plasma, and the second fluid channel is used to introduce the reaction gas. The first fluid channel and the second fluid channel are not directly connected. The upper and lower ends of the first fluid channel can be connected to the first equalizer cavity 60 and the second equalizer cavity 70, respectively. The upper and lower ends of the second fluid channel can be connected to the air inlet 213 of the first air inlet equalizer 201 and the second equalizer cavity 70, respectively.

[0041] The first air intake equalizer 201 and the second air intake equalizer 202, along with a portion of the sidewall, enclose a second equalizer cavity 70. It should be understood that in this embodiment, the first air intake equalizer 201 and the second air intake equalizer 202 are spaced apart, and an equalizer space is formed between them. This equalizer space, together with the sidewall of the chamber body 10 (such as the middle portion of the sidewall), forms a closed equalizer cavity, i.e., the second equalizer cavity 70. Thus, the middle portion of the sidewall of the chamber body 10, the first air intake equalizer 201, and the second air intake equalizer 202 can enclose a closed equalizer cavity, i.e., the second equalizer cavity 70. The second air intake equalizer 202 is provided with a third fluid channel.

[0042] The second air intake equalizer 202 and the bottom wall of the chamber body 10, as well as part of the side wall, enclose the reaction chamber 80. For example, the bottom wall of the chamber body 10, the second air intake equalizer 202, and the lower half of the side wall of the chamber body 10 can enclose the reaction chamber 80.

[0043] Therefore, in this embodiment, the two ends of the first fluid channel are respectively connected to the first uniform flow chamber 60 and the second uniform flow chamber 70, the two ends of the second fluid channel are respectively connected to the air inlet 213 of the first air inlet uniform flow member 201 and the second uniform flow chamber 70, the two ends of the third fluid channel are respectively connected to the second uniform flow chamber 70 and the reaction chamber 80, and the base 40 is located in the reaction chamber 80.

[0044] The air intake component 20 provided in this embodiment is a double-layer air intake component 20 for semiconductor process equipment. It can be used in conjunction with process methods in advanced etching processes to reduce the total energy of plasma and optimize the plasma flow field distribution, thereby playing a good role in uniform flow and reducing plasma energy. This achieves the requirement of low damage to gate protection layers and other components during polysilicon etching and meets the process goals of advanced processes.

[0045] The structure of the air intake assembly 20 of this application is described in detail below.

[0046] refer to Figures 2 to 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the first air inlet uniform flow member 201 is provided with a first fluid channel for introducing the first plasma and a second fluid channel for introducing the reactant gas; the second air inlet uniform flow member 202 is provided with a third fluid channel. Optionally, the first fluid channel can be a through-hole structure arranged along the thickness direction of the first air inlet uniform flow member 201, with its upper and lower ends connected to the first uniform flow cavity 60 and the second uniform flow cavity 70, respectively. Optionally, the second fluid channel can include a semi-through-hole structure arranged along the thickness direction of the first air inlet uniform flow member 201, with its upper end connected to the air inlet 213 of the first air inlet uniform flow member 201. The air inlet 213 can be located on the side wall of the first uniform flow member for introducing the reactant gas, and the upper end of the second fluid channel connects to the second uniform flow cavity 70. Optionally, the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel are not directly connected, and the second fluid channel can be located near the first fluid channel. Optionally, the second air inlet flow equalizer 202 is provided with a uniformly distributed third fluid channel, which can be arranged along the thickness direction of the second air inlet flow equalizer 202 and has a through-hole structure. Thus, the first plasma flowing out from the first fluid channel and the reaction gas flowing out from the second fluid channel enter the flow equalization space, that is, enter the second flow equalization cavity 70, mix to form a second plasma, and the second plasma flows out after being evenly distributed through the third fluid channel.

[0047] Optionally, the process gas and the reactant gas used to form the first plasma can be of different types. For example, in this semiconductor etching process, there are main etching gases and non-main etching gases. The process gas used to form the first plasma can be a non-main etching gas, such as helium, argon, or hydrogen, while the reactant gas can be the main etching gas, such as a fluorine-based gas (e.g., nitrogen trifluoride, carbon tetrafluoride, etc.). Of course, other gases can also be selected for the specific types of main and non-main etching gases. This application does not limit the specific types of main and non-main etching gases; the appropriate process gas type can be selected and set according to actual needs.

[0048] The working principle of the air intake assembly 20 provided in this application embodiment is as follows: During the etching process, non-primary etching gases (such as helium, argon, hydrogen, etc.) are dissociated from energy sources such as RPS or ICP to form plasma from the dissociation zone 30, i.e., the first plasma. The first plasma enters the sealed first uniform flow cavity 60. The dissociated plasma plasma, i.e., the first plasma, enters the sealed second uniform flow cavity 70 through the first fluid channel of the first air inlet uniform flow component 201. At the same time, the primary etching gas (such as nitrogen trifluoride, carbon tetrafluoride, etc., fluorine-based gases), i.e., the reaction gas, is introduced through the side air inlet of the first air inlet uniform flow component 201. After the reaction gas is introduced through the side air inlet of the first air inlet uniform flow component 201, it flows in the internal channel of the first air inlet uniform flow component 201 and flows into the sealed second uniform flow cavity 70 through the second fluid channel. The first plasma and the reactive gas mix in the second uniform flow cavity 70. That is, the plasma formed by the non-primary etching gas and the primary etching gas mix within the sealed second uniform flow cavity 70. The non-primary etching gas plasma carrying free electrons undergoes inelastic collisions with the primary etching gas, inducing vibrational excitation, electronic excitation, or direct dissociation of the primary etching gas, generating fluorine radicals. During this process, the energy of the high-energy plasma decreases, and it eventually mixes with the primary etching gas to form an ultra-low-energy, high-density plasma. In other words, the energy of the high-energy first plasma decreases, and it eventually mixes with the reactive gas to form an ultra-low-energy, high-density second plasma.

[0049] Furthermore, the charged particles (electrons, charged plasma, radicals and other types of charged particles) in the plasma formed in the sealed second uniform flow cavity 70 will recombine during the transport process and collide, adsorb and neutralize with the top wall, side wall, bottom wall of the sealed second uniform flow cavity 70 and the third fluid channel wall of the second air inlet uniform flow device 202 and be filtered out. The high-density free radicals will diffuse fully and uniformly in the second uniform flow cavity 70 and pass smoothly through the second air inlet uniform flow device 202, flow into the main reaction chamber through the third fluid channel, that is, flow into the reaction chamber 80, and be uniformly sprayed onto the surface of the wafer 50 for isotropic etching.

[0050] Therefore, by setting the air intake component 20, problems such as vertical etching and surface material damage caused by charged particles in the plasma bombarding the surface of the wafer 50 can be effectively avoided. Thus, semiconductor process equipment such as etching equipment with the air intake component 20 can realize isotropic ultra-low energy damage free radical etching process, which can be used in advanced processes and achieve non-destructive and uniform etching structure.

[0051] In this embodiment, the first air intake equalizer 201 can be in the shape of a disc, and the first air intake equalizer 201 can also be called the first spray disc; the second air intake equalizer 202 can also be in the shape of a disc, and the second air intake equalizer 202 can also be called the second spray disc; of course, the overall structural shape of the first air intake equalizer 201 and the second air intake equalizer 202 is not limited to this.

[0052] Continue to refer to Figure 2 or Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel are arranged independently of each other; the first fluid channel includes a plurality of first air holes 211, and the second fluid channel includes a plurality of second air holes 212; the plurality of first air holes 211 penetrate through the first air inlet equalizer 201 along the thickness direction, and the plurality of second air holes 212 penetrate through part of the first air inlet equalizer 201 along the thickness direction, and the second air holes 212 are connected to the air inlet 213 of the first air inlet equalizer 201.

[0053] In order to introduce the first plasma and the reactant gas into the first air inlet equalizer 201 respectively, the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel in this embodiment are independently configured, that is, the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel are not connected to each other. The first fluid channel may include a plurality of first air inlets 211, which penetrate the first air inlet equalizer 201 along the thickness direction, that is, the first air inlets 211 are arranged along the thickness direction of the first air inlet equalizer 201, and the first air inlets 211 are through-hole structures. The second fluid channel may include a plurality of second air inlets 212, which only penetrate a portion (the lower half) of the first air inlet equalizer 201 along the thickness direction, and the second air inlets 212 are semi-through-hole structures. The upper end of the second air flow hole 212 can be connected to the air inlet 213 of the first air inlet equalizer 201. For example, a channel can be provided in the first air inlet equalizer 201 so that the second air flow hole 212 can be connected to the air inlet 213 through the channel inside the first air inlet equalizer 201; the lower end of the second air flow hole 212 can be connected to the second equalizer cavity 70.

[0054] In this embodiment, one or more air inlets 213 may be provided on the side wall of the first air inlet uniform flow member 201 so that the process gas to be fed into the first air inlet uniform flow member 201 can be fed into the second air flow hole 212 of the first air inlet uniform flow member 201 through the air inlet 213 and flow out through the bottom end of the second air flow hole 212. Optionally, the number of air inlets 213 can be one or more, and the size and shape of the air inlets 213 can be determined according to actual needs. The air inlets 213 can be interconnected with structures such as reaction gas sources through pipelines or other connecting mechanisms.

[0055] Optionally, the cross-sectional shape of the first air inlet 211 can be circular; the cross-sectional shape of the second air inlet 212 can also be circular. However, this is not a limitation. For example, the cross-sectional shapes of the first air inlet 211 and the second air inlet 212 can each independently be square, triangular, elliptical, or other regular or irregular shapes. The cross-sectional shapes of the first air inlet 211 and the second air inlet 212 can be determined according to actual conditions such as air intake requirements, and are not limited here. Furthermore, the cross-sectional shapes of the first air inlet 211 and the second air inlet 212 can be the same or different, and there are no restrictions on their comparison.

[0056] To enable the second air inlet 212 to communicate with the air inlet 213 of the first air inlet equalizer 201, a channel is also required in the first air inlet equalizer 201. As an example, in some embodiments, the second fluid channel further includes an air inlet channel 124 and an equalizer channel 215; one end of the air inlet channel 124 is provided with an air inlet 213, which is located on the side wall of the first air inlet equalizer 201; the air inlet channel 124 is connected to the equalizer channel 215, and the equalizer channel 215 is connected to the second air inlet 212; the reaction gas enters the air inlet channel 124 through the air inlet 213, then flows into the second air inlet 212 through the equalizer channel 215 and then flows out of the first air inlet equalizer 201.

[0057] In this embodiment, the second fluid channel includes a second air inlet 212, an air inlet channel 124, and a flow equalization channel 215. One end of the air inlet channel 124 is provided with an air inlet 213, which is located on the side wall of the first air inlet flow equalization component 201. The air inlet 213 is located on the side wall of the first air inlet flow equalization component 201 and on the side wall of the process chamber 1, which effectively avoids interference during the opening process, facilitates the flow of reaction gases, and also prevents interference.

[0058] Thus, the reactant gas supplied by the reactant gas source is introduced through the inlet 213 on the side wall of the first inlet flow equalizer 201, then mixed and flows into the flow equalizer 215 after passing through the inlet channel 124, and then flows into the second flow equalizer 70 through the second flow hole 212 for flow equalization and dissociation, and finally forms an ultra-low energy high density plasma, that is, a second plasma.

[0059] During the operation of the intake assembly 20, the above-mentioned uniform flow channel 215 can provide a uniform flow effect, playing the role of uniform flow and mixing gas. The reaction gas delivered to the second flow port 212 through the intake port 213 and the intake channel 124 first flows into the uniform flow channel 215, and then flows relatively evenly to the multiple second flow ports 212. Subsequently, the multiple second flow ports 212 can guide the reaction gas after being uniformly flowed by the uniform flow channel 215 to the second uniform flow chamber 70.

[0060] In this embodiment, the specific number, shape, structure, or arrangement of the first airflow holes 211, the second airflow holes 212, and the airflow channels 124 or the equalization channels 215 in the first airflow equalization component 201 can be implemented in various ways. As an example, in some embodiments, the multiple first airflow holes 211 are evenly distributed on the first airflow equalization component 201; or, the multiple first airflow holes 211 are radially distributed on the first airflow equalization component 201; or, the first airflow equalization component 201 is divided into a middle region and an edge region, and the distribution density of the first airflow holes 211 in the edge region is greater than the distribution density of the first airflow holes 211 in the middle region; that is, it can be distributed in a way that is sparse in the middle and dense at the edges.

[0061] Therefore, in this application, the distribution of the plurality of first flow vents 211 on the first air inlet uniform member 201 can be uniform, radial, or sparse in the middle and dense around the edges. For simplicity, the accompanying drawings of this application mainly use uniform distribution as an example, but it should be understood that the distribution of the first flow vents 211 is not limited to this.

[0062] In this embodiment, "uniform distribution" mainly refers to the fact that the diameters of the multiple first air holes 211 are consistent and their positions are evenly distributed on the first air inlet uniform member 201.

[0063] Furthermore, the number, specific shape, and size of the first air vents 211 can be determined according to actual conditions such as air intake requirements, and are not limited here.

[0064] In some embodiments, the number of intake channels 124 is one or more; each intake channel 124 extends radially along the first intake flow equalizer 201; the number of flow equalizer channels 215 is multiple, and the multiple flow equalizer channels 215 are radially spaced and uniformly distributed along the first intake flow equalizer 201; multiple second air holes 212 are uniformly distributed in the multiple flow equalizer channels 215, and the multiple second air holes 212 extend axially along the first intake flow equalizer 201.

[0065] In this embodiment, the number of intake channels 124 is one, or there may be multiple channels. For example, the number of intake channels 124 can be one to four, such as one, two, three, or four. In this embodiment, three intake channels 124 are used as an example for illustration, but it should be understood that the number of intake channels 124 is not limited to this and can be determined according to actual conditions such as intake requirements. Each intake channel 124 extends radially along the first intake flow equalization member 201, and each intake channel 124 has an intake port 213 at one end.

[0066] In this embodiment, the flow equalization channel 215 serves to equalize and mix the gas. There are multiple flow equalization channels 215, which are evenly distributed radially at intervals along the first air intake flow equalization component 201. That is, the flow equalization channels 215 can be evenly distributed at equal intervals along the radius. The number, specific shape, and size of the flow equalization channels 215 can be determined according to actual conditions such as air intake requirements, and are not limited here.

[0067] For example, refer to Figure 3 As shown, in the first air intake uniform flow element 201, multiple first air flow holes 211 are evenly distributed on the first air intake uniform flow element 201; multiple uniform flow channels 215 are evenly distributed along the radial direction; there are three air intake channels 124, and the air intake channels 124 extend in the radial direction; multiple second air flow holes 212 are evenly distributed at equal intervals in the uniform flow channels 215. The specific number of first air flow holes 211, second air flow holes 212, air intake channels 124, uniform flow channels 215, etc., can be freely adjusted according to the required actual etching rate; the figure is for illustrative purposes only.

[0068] refer to Figure 4 or Figure 5 As shown, in order to prevent the first airflow holes 211 and the second airflow holes 212 from communicating with each other, in some embodiments, the plurality of first airflow holes 211 and the plurality of second airflow holes 212 are staggered along the axial projection direction of the first airflow equalizer 201. For example, the projections of the plurality of first airflow holes 211 and the plurality of second airflow holes 212 on the surface direction of the first airflow equalizer 201 are staggered.

[0069] Optionally, the diameter of the first flow vent 211 is larger than the diameter of the second flow vent 212. The specific diameters of the first flow vent 211 and the second flow vent 212 can be determined based on parameters such as the specific dimensions of the process chamber 1 or process conditions, as long as the diameter of the first flow vent 211 is larger than the diameter of the second flow vent 212.

[0070] In this embodiment, the first air vent 211 and the second air vent 212 are not connected to each other. The radius of the first air vent 211 is larger than that of the second air vent 212. This is to allow more plasma to pass through the first air inlet equalizer 201 and reach the lower chamber, that is, the second equalizer chamber 70, thus achieving a dissociation effect. The radius of the second air vent 212 should be smaller to make the main etching gas distribution more uniform, thus achieving a preliminary equalization effect.

[0071] In addition, in this embodiment, the first flow vent 211 and the second flow vent 212 are set close together, which can better promote the impact of charged particles on the main etching gas particles.

[0072] refer to Figure 6As shown, in some embodiments, the third fluid channel includes a plurality of third air holes 221; the plurality of third air holes 221 penetrate the second air inlet uniform flow member 202 along the thickness direction. The third air holes 221 are arranged along the thickness direction of the second air inlet uniform flow member 202 and are through-hole structures.

[0073] In some embodiments, a plurality of third air vents 221 are evenly distributed on the second air intake equalizer 202; or, a plurality of third air vents 221 are radially distributed on the second air intake equalizer 202; or, the second air intake equalizer 202 is divided into a middle region and an edge region, wherein the distribution density of the third air vents 221 in the edge region is greater than the distribution density of the third air vents 221 in the middle region.

[0074] Optionally, the cross-sectional shape of the third air vent 221 can be circular; however, it is not limited to this. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the third air vent 221 can be square, triangular, elliptical, or other regular or irregular shapes. The cross-sectional shape of the third air vent 221 can be determined according to the actual situation such as air intake requirements, and is not limited here.

[0075] In this embodiment, the distribution of the plurality of third flow vents 221 on the second air inlet uniform member 202 can be uniform, radial, or sparse in the middle and dense around the edges. For simplicity, the accompanying drawings of this application mainly use uniform distribution as an example, but it should be understood that the distribution of the third flow vents 221 is not limited to this.

[0076] In this embodiment, "uniform distribution" mainly refers to the fact that the diameters of the multiple third air holes 221 are consistent and their positions are evenly distributed on the second air inlet uniform component 202.

[0077] In some embodiments, the diameter of the first flow orifice 211 is larger than the diameter of the third flow orifice 221; and / or, the diameter of the third flow orifice 221 is greater than or equal to the diameter of the second flow orifice 212. In this embodiment, among the first flow orifice 211, the second flow orifice 212, and the third flow orifice 221, the diameter of the first flow orifice 211 is relatively the largest, larger than the diameter of the second flow orifice 212, and also larger than the diameter of the third flow orifice 221. The diameters of the second flow orifice 212 and the third flow orifice 221 can be set according to actual needs, preferably the diameter of the third flow orifice 221 is larger than the diameter of the second flow orifice 212.

[0078] Therefore, in the second air intake uniform flow element 202, the third flow holes 221 are uniformly distributed on the air intake uniform flow element, with a consistent hole diameter, slightly smaller than the first flow holes 211, playing a secondary uniform flow role, which can further improve the uniformity of plasma on the substrate surface. The distribution of the third flow holes 221 can be adjusted according to the etching results to be uniformly arranged, radial, or sparse in the middle and dense around the edges. Furthermore, the plasma after secondary collision dissociation is further filtered out of charged particles during the process of passing through the second air intake uniform flow element 202, reducing damage to the wafer 50. Finally, low-energy free radicals reach the surface of the wafer 50 for a non-destructive etching process.

[0079] In summary, the inlet assembly 20, process chamber 1, and semiconductor process equipment provided in this application employ a measure of separating the non-main etching gas and the main etching gas to be dissociated by the plasma source, so that the dissociated non-main etching gas and the undissociated main etching gas undergo a secondary dissociation process in a closed uniform flow chamber; this greatly reduces the energy of free radicals such as fluorine, and effectively reduces the damage of high-energy particles to the morphology and electrical properties of the wafer 50.

[0080] The air intake assembly 20 of this application adopts a two-layer spray disk design, that is, it includes a first air intake uniform flow member 201 located on the upper layer and a second air intake uniform flow member 202 located on the lower layer. A primary air uniform space is formed between the first air intake uniform flow member 201 and the upper half of the chamber body 10, that is, a first uniform flow cavity 60 is formed. A secondary air uniform space is formed between the first air intake uniform flow member 201 and the second air intake uniform flow member 202, that is, a second uniform flow cavity 70 is formed. The design of the two-layer gas spray disk can realize the uniform distribution of plasma on the substrate surface. The air flow hole diameters on the two spray disks, that is, the first air intake uniform flow member 201 and the second air intake uniform flow member 202, are set to be inconsistent, which can improve the uniform distribution capability of plasma.

[0081] In the air intake assembly 20 of this application, a second air flow hole 212 is provided in the second fluid channel of the first air intake uniform flow member 201, especially in the uniform flow channel 215 of the main etching gas. The second air flow hole 212 can be used to introduce the reaction gas, that is, the main etching gas, which can improve the uniform distribution of the gas and lay the foundation for secondary dissociation. The second air flow hole 212 in the uniform flow channel 215 of the first air intake uniform flow member 201 can be arbitrarily changed in size and distribution according to different process application fields and etching rates and etching patterns, thereby improving the versatility of the etching equipment.

[0082] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air intake assembly, characterized in that, The air intake assembly includes: The first air intake equalization component is provided with a first fluid channel and a second fluid channel. The first fluid channel is used to introduce the first plasma, and the second fluid channel is used to introduce the reaction gas. The second air intake flow equalizer is disposed at intervals below the first air intake flow equalizer, and a flow equalization space is formed between the first air intake flow equalizer and the second air intake flow equalizer. The second air intake flow equalizer is provided with a third fluid channel. The first plasma flowing out from the first fluid channel and the reaction gas flowing out from the second fluid channel enter the uniform flow space and mix to form a second plasma. The second plasma flows out after being uniformly flowed through the third fluid channel.

2. The intake assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first fluid channel and the second fluid channel are configured independently of each other; The first fluid channel includes a plurality of first air holes, and the second fluid channel includes a plurality of second air holes; Multiple first air flow holes penetrate the first air inlet uniform flow device along the thickness direction, and multiple second air flow holes penetrate a portion of the first air inlet uniform flow device along the thickness direction, and the second air flow holes are connected to the air inlet of the first air inlet uniform flow device.

3. The intake assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second fluid channel also includes an air inlet channel and a flow equalization channel; The air inlet is provided at one end of the air inlet channel, the air inlet is located on the side wall of the first air inlet flow equalizer, the air inlet channel is connected to the flow equalizer channel, and the flow equalizer channel is connected to the second air flow hole. The reactant gas enters the air inlet channel through the air inlet, then flows into the second air flow hole through the uniform flow channel and then flows out of the first air inlet uniform flow element.

4. The intake assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The number of the air intake channels is one or more; each of the air intake channels extends radially along the first air intake flow equalizer. And / or, the number of the uniform flow channels is multiple, and the multiple uniform flow channels are evenly distributed at radial intervals along the first air intake uniform flow member; And / or, a plurality of second air flow holes are evenly distributed in a plurality of the equalizing channels, and the plurality of second air flow holes extend along the axial direction of the first air inlet equalizing element.

5. The intake assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first airflow holes are evenly distributed on the first airflow equalizer; or, the first airflow holes are radially distributed on the first airflow equalizer; or, the first airflow equalizer is divided into a middle region and an edge region, and the distribution density of the first airflow holes in the edge region is greater than the distribution density of the first airflow holes in the middle region. And / or, along the axial projection direction of the first air inlet equalizer, the plurality of first air inlets and the plurality of second air inlets are staggered from each other; And / or, the diameter of the first air vent is larger than the diameter of the second air vent.

6. The intake assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The third fluid channel includes multiple third flow vents; Multiple third air vents penetrate the second air inlet uniform flow element along the thickness direction; And / or, the plurality of the third airflow holes are evenly distributed on the second airflow equalizer; or, the plurality of the third airflow holes are radially distributed on the second airflow equalizer; or, the second airflow equalizer is divided into a middle region and an edge region, wherein the distribution density of the third airflow holes in the edge region is greater than the distribution density of the third airflow holes in the middle region.

7. The intake assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first fluid channel includes a plurality of first air holes, and the second fluid channel includes a plurality of second air holes; The diameter of the first air vent is larger than the diameter of the third air vent; And / or, the diameter of the third air vent is greater than or equal to the diameter of the second air vent.

8. A process chamber, characterized in that, The process chamber includes: chamber body; An air intake assembly, the air intake assembly comprising the air intake assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the air intake assembly being located within the chamber body; A base, located within the chamber body, and positioned below the air intake assembly.

9. The process chamber according to claim 8, characterized in that, The air intake assembly divides the interior of the chamber body into a first flow equalization chamber, a second flow equalization chamber, and a reaction chamber. The first flow equalization chamber is formed by the top wall of the chamber body, the first air intake equalization component, and a portion of the side wall. The second flow equalization chamber is formed by the first air intake equalization component, the second air intake equalization component, the bottom wall of the chamber body, and a portion of the side wall. The base is located within the reaction chamber. The two ends of the first fluid channel are respectively connected to the first flow equalization chamber and the second flow equalization chamber, the two ends of the second fluid channel are respectively connected to the air inlet of the first air inlet flow equalization component and the second flow equalization chamber, and the two ends of the third fluid channel are respectively connected to the second flow equalization chamber and the reaction chamber. And / or, the top of the chamber body is provided with a dissociation region for supplying the first plasma to the first uniform flow cavity.

10. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized in that, Includes the intake assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, and / or the process chamber as described in any one of claims 8 to 9; and, Plasma source and reactive gas source.

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