A semiconductor device
The hydrogen pyrolysis device, composed of sensing elements and cooling components, solves the problems of thermal damage to wafers caused by high-temperature hydrogen atoms and low pyrolysis rate, achieving uniform pre-cleaning of the wafer surface and improving the consistency of thin film growth and device yield.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- JIANGSU ALPHA-SEMICON EQUIP CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-09
Smart Images

Figure CN121843449B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor devices, and particularly to a semiconductor device. Background Technology
[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing processes, the cleanliness of the wafer surface plays a decisive role in the quality of the final thin film. Because an oxide layer easily grows on the wafer surface, if this oxide layer is not completely removed before film deposition, it will become a source of interface defects between the thin film and the wafer, leading to crystal defects such as stacking faults and dislocations, and affecting the electrical performance of the device. Therefore, the oxide layer on the wafer surface must be removed before thin film growth to obtain a clean wafer surface.
[0003] Currently, before thin film growth, pre-cleaning gases are required to pre-clean the wafer surface to remove the oxide layer. For example, hydrogen atoms can be generated by splitting hydrogen gas, and these hydrogen atoms react with the oxide layer to achieve pre-cleaning. However, the hydrogen splitting process in existing technologies requires a high-temperature environment. The atomic hydrogen generated by high-temperature splitting remains at a high temperature after being transported to the process chamber and directly contacts the wafer, causing thermal shock or thermal damage to the wafer (especially patterned wafers). In addition, the splitting rate of hydrogen atoms in existing technologies is low, resulting in a low proportion of generated hydrogen atoms in the pre-cleaning gas, causing a large number of unsplit hydrogen molecules to mix into the gas flow. Due to the difference in reactivity between hydrogen molecules and hydrogen atoms, the distribution of active materials reaching different areas of the wafer surface is uneven, leading to differences in the degree of pre-cleaning on different areas of the same wafer surface, and significant fluctuations in the pre-cleaning effect between different batches of wafers. This pre-cleaning inhomogeneity will ultimately be passed on to subsequent thin film growth stages, causing problems such as film thickness differences and crystal quality degradation, limiting the improvement of device yield. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a semiconductor device that solves the problem of thermal damage caused by the direct contact of high-temperature atomic hydrogen generated by hydrogen decomposition with the wafer in the prior art. It also solves the problems of large differences in the pre-cleaning degree of the same wafer surface due to the low hydrogen decomposition rate and large fluctuations in the pre-cleaning effect between different batches of wafers, thereby improving the consistency of thin film growth and device yield.
[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solution:
[0006] A semiconductor device, comprising:
[0007] A process chamber for performing semiconductor processes for processing wafers, the process chamber being provided with a heating device configured to provide process temperature during the performance of the semiconductor process;
[0008] A hydrogen pyrolysis device, which is connected to the process chamber, is used to perform a pre-cleaning process before performing the semiconductor process. The heating device is also configured to provide a pre-cleaning temperature of 450°C-550°C during the pre-cleaning process.
[0009] The hydrogen cracking device includes:
[0010] Gas supply assembly for supplying hydrogen;
[0011] The first gas passage has its inlet end connected to the gas supply assembly for receiving hydrogen gas;
[0012] The heating assembly includes a sensor disposed within the first air passage, the sensor being configured to generate heat through electromagnetic induction to heat hydrogen in the first air passage to a decomposition temperature to generate hydrogen atoms; the sensor includes a plurality of guide vanes for guiding and agitating the airflow in the first air passage.
[0013] The second air passage is connected between the outlet end of the first air passage and the inlet end of the process chamber;
[0014] A cooling assembly, disposed in the second gas duct, is used to cool hydrogen atoms in the second gas duct to a target temperature, which is between 300°C and the pre-cleaning temperature; the hydrogen atoms cooled by the cooling assembly are transported through the second gas duct to a process chamber at the pre-cleaning temperature to perform the pre-cleaning process on the wafer located in the process chamber.
[0015] In some embodiments, the heating assembly further includes:
[0016] An induction coil is wound around the outside of the first airway, with its axis parallel to the axis of the sensing element, so as to heat the sensing element through electromagnetic induction.
[0017] In some embodiments, the sensor further includes a sensor body extending axially along the first air passage, and the plurality of guide vanes arranged along the length of the sensor body.
[0018] In some embodiments, the guide fin includes a first extension, one end of which is fixed to the sensor body; the first extension is inclined toward the inlet end of the first air passage, and a guide surface is formed on the side surface of the first extension toward the air intake direction of the first air passage.
[0019] In some embodiments, the angle between the extension direction of the first extension segment and the axial direction of the sensing element body is less than or equal to 45 degrees.
[0020] In some embodiments, the guide fin further includes a second extension section connected to the other end of the first extension section; the axis of the second extension section is parallel to the axis of the induction coil, so that the second extension section generates heat through electromagnetic induction.
[0021] In some embodiments, the plurality of guide fins are arranged in n rows along the axial direction of the sensing element body, and each row includes a plurality of guide fins arranged circumferentially along the sensing element body; a circumferential gap is formed between adjacent guide fins in each row, and the guide fins of the i-th row and the (i+1)-th row are staggered in the circumferential direction so that the circumferential gap of the i-th row and the circumferential gap of the (i+1)-th row are staggered; where n≥2, and i is an integer from 1 to n-1.
[0022] In some embodiments, both the flow guide fins and the sensing element body are made of graphite, and the flow guide fins and the sensing element body are integrally formed.
[0023] In some embodiments, the outer surfaces of the flow guide fins and the sensing element body are coated with a silicon carbide layer.
[0024] In some embodiments, the diameter of the sensor body is 1 / 7 to 1 / 3 of the inner diameter of the first airway.
[0025] In some embodiments, the hydrogen cracking apparatus further includes:
[0026] The mounting cavity has an internal space for accommodating the first air passage and the heating component;
[0027] A vacuum assembly, connected to the mounting cavity, is used to extract gas from the mounting cavity to maintain a vacuum environment inside the mounting cavity.
[0028] In some embodiments, the outlet end of the first airway extends out of the mounting cavity and connects to the second airway;
[0029] A sealing element is provided at the position where the first air passage extends out of the mounting cavity to seal the gap between the outlet end of the first air passage and the mounting cavity.
[0030] In some embodiments, the hydrogen cracking apparatus further includes:
[0031] A cooling component is disposed in the mounting cavity to cool the cavity wall of the mounting cavity and isolate the heat inside the mounting cavity.
[0032] In some embodiments, the cooling component includes:
[0033] A first medium channel is disposed in the cavity wall of the mounting cavity;
[0034] The first heat exchanger is connected to the first medium channel and is used to cool the medium discharged from the first medium channel and return the cooled medium to the first medium channel.
[0035] In some embodiments, the hydrogen cracking apparatus further includes:
[0036] A power control component, connected to the cooling component and / or the cooling assembly, for controlling the power of the cooling component and / or the cooling assembly.
[0037] In some embodiments, the cooling assembly includes:
[0038] The second medium channel is disposed on the channel wall of the second air passage;
[0039] The second heat exchanger is connected to the second medium channel and is used to cool the medium discharged from the second medium channel and return the cooled medium to the second medium channel.
[0040] In some embodiments, the gas supply assembly includes:
[0041] Gas source, used to supply hydrogen;
[0042] A mass flow controller, connected to the outlet of the gas source, is used to control the hydrogen flow rate.
[0043] In some embodiments, the air supply assembly is connected to the inlet end of the first air passage via a first flow-stabilizing nozzle; the outlet end of the first air passage is connected to the second air passage via a second flow-stabilizing nozzle.
[0044] In some embodiments, the process chamber includes:
[0045] A gas distribution assembly is installed on the side wall of the process chamber and is connected to the outlet end of the second gas channel. It is used to introduce hydrogen atoms into the process chamber and form a laminar flow in the upper part of the process chamber.
[0046] In some embodiments, the first airway is made of quartz.
[0047] In some embodiments, the heating component is configured to heat the hydrogen in the first gas passage to a pyrolysis temperature above 1600°C, causing the hydrogen to pyrolyze and generate non-plasma-state hydrogen atoms.
[0048] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:
[0049] First, the sensing element in this invention includes multiple guide vanes. On one hand, these vanes guide the airflow through the first gas channel, increasing the effective contact area between the sensing element and hydrogen, optimizing the airflow path, and extending the residence time of hydrogen in the high-temperature region. This ensures sufficient hydrogen decomposition and improves the hydrogen atom decomposition rate. On the other hand, the vanes disturb the flowing hydrogen, causing the high-temperature airflow near the sensing element and the low-temperature airflow away from it to mix. This mixing promotes heat transfer within the airflow, resulting in a more uniform temperature distribution. More importantly, it causes hydrogen molecules that were originally in the low-temperature region and had not yet decomposed to migrate to the high-temperature region and fully dissociate at high temperatures. This suppresses the problem of insufficient hydrogen decomposition caused by localized insufficient heating, further improving the decomposition rate. This invention enables different areas of the wafer surface to receive uniformly distributed hydrogen atoms, thus solving the problems of large differences in the pre-cleaning degree of the same wafer surface and large fluctuations in the pre-cleaning effect between different batches of wafers due to low hydrogen decomposition rates. This improves the consistency of thin film growth and device yield.
[0050] Secondly, the present invention incorporates a cooling component at the second gas duct. This cooling component cools the hydrogen atoms, after high-temperature cracking, to a target temperature set between 300°C and the pre-cleaning temperature. The cooling component reduces the temperature gradient between the hydrogen atoms entering the process chamber and the wafer at the pre-cleaning temperature. Compared to directly introducing high-temperature hydrogen atoms into the process chamber, the present invention avoids thermal damage to the wafer surface caused by contact between high-temperature hydrogen atoms and the wafer, preventing excessively high-temperature hydrogen atoms from causing the wafer temperature to exceed the pre-cleaning process window. This ensures that hydrogen atoms enter the process chamber in a stable and controllable state, improving the reaction uniformity of the pre-cleaning process. Furthermore, the selection of this target temperature range satisfies the aforementioned cooling requirements while ensuring that hydrogen atoms do not polymerize into hydrogen molecules due to excessively low temperatures.
[0051] Furthermore, the induction element in this invention heats up rapidly under electromagnetic induction, and the hydrogen gas is rapidly heated by the induced heating effect, so that the hydrogen gas can be quickly heated to the pyrolysis temperature to generate hydrogen atoms, which greatly shortens the heating waiting time and improves the pyrolysis efficiency.
[0052] Furthermore, the guide vanes in this invention include an inclined first extension and a second extension parallel to the axis of the induction coil. Because the first extension is inclined, its extension direction forms an angle with the magnetic field direction of the induction coil, making it difficult to effectively cut magnetic field lines and generate induced heat. This causes a cold zone to easily form in the radially distant area from the induction element body, affecting the overall heating effect of the airflow. Therefore, this invention provides a second extension parallel to the axis of the induction coil, enabling it to effectively cut magnetic field lines and generate induced current, thus generating heat. This makes the second extension a supplementary heat source located at a distance, specifically heating the aforementioned cold zone, eliminating the temperature gradient within the air passage, and ensuring that the flowing airflow remains within the temperature range required for pyrolysis, thereby improving the hydrogen pyrolysis rate.
[0053] Furthermore, this invention creates a vacuum environment by setting up an installation cavity and a vacuum pumping assembly in the hydrogen cracking unit, effectively isolating oxygen and water vapor. This prevents the induction coil from undergoing oxidation at high temperatures, avoiding increased resistance, inter-turn short circuits, or breakage caused by oxidation corrosion, extending the service life of the induction coil, and reducing the frequency and cost of equipment maintenance.
[0054] Finally, the present invention eliminates airflow fluctuations and ensures the efficiency of the pyrolysis process by setting a mass flow controller in the gas supply assembly to precisely control the hydrogen flow rate and setting flow-stabilizing nozzles at the inlet and outlet of the first gas channel to form a uniform laminar flow. Attached Figure Description
[0055] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are one embodiment of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort:
[0056] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a semiconductor device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0057] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a process chamber in a semiconductor device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0058] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a hydrogen cracking device in a semiconductor device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0059] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a first structure of the induction element in the hydrogen cracking device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0060] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the hydrogen flow path in the hydrogen cracking device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0061] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a second structure of the induction element in the hydrogen cracking device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0062] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A partially enlarged structural diagram of the sensing element in the image;
[0063] Figure 8 A comparison diagram of the pre-cleaning effect on wafer surfaces between existing technologies and the technical solution of this application;
[0064] Figure 9 A comparison chart showing the effects of existing technologies on pre-cleaning different batches of wafers;
[0065] Figure 10 This is a comparison diagram showing the effect of pre-cleaning different batches of wafers using the technical solution of this application;
[0066] Figure 11 Comparison of ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UVP) measurements on wafer surfaces after treatment with two methods: introducing hydrogen atoms and introducing hydrogen gas.
[0067] Figures 1 to 11 Includes:
[0068] 100 - Process chamber; 200 - Hydrogen cracking unit; 301 - First regulating valve; 302 - Second regulating valve; 400 - Tail exhaust regulating valve; 500 - Tail exhaust treatment device; W - Wafer; 101 - Upper chamber wall; 102 - Lower chamber wall; 103 - Inlet opening; 104 - Exhaust opening; 105 - Rotating shaft; 106 - Chamber heating assembly; 107 - First temperature measuring instrument; 108 - Support arm; 109 - Base; 110 - Second temperature measuring instrument ; 201-Cooling component; 202-Air supply component; 203-Power control component; 204-Air extraction component; 205-First flow stabilizer nozzle; 206-Sensor body; 207-Induction coil; 208-Mounting cavity; 209-First air passage; 210-Second air passage; 211-Cooling component; 212-Sensor; 213-Guide fins; 2131-First extension section; 2132-Second extension section; 214-Silicon carbide layer. Detailed Implementation
[0069] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, further illustrates the solution proposed by the present invention. The advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer from the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, used only to facilitate and clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention. Please refer to the drawings to make the objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable. It should be understood that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., depicted in the accompanying drawings are only for illustrative purposes to aid those skilled in the art and are not intended to limit the implementation conditions of the present invention. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and objectives achieved by the present invention, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present invention.
[0070] like Figure 1 As shown, the semiconductor device of the present invention is a semiconductor device with integrated functions for in-situ pre-cleaning of wafer surfaces and subsequent processing. This semiconductor device includes a process chamber 100, and both the hydrogen atom pre-cleaning process and the subsequent wafer processing are completed within the same process chamber 100. This semiconductor device can remove the oxide layer on the wafer surface before performing the wafer processing, and utilize the active surface treated with hydrogen atoms to directly perform subsequent wafer processing within the same process chamber 100, effectively avoiding secondary contamination of the wafer during transport. Specifically, the process chamber 100 in the semiconductor device of the present invention is equipped with a heating device (not shown); the heating device is configured to provide the process temperature during the wafer processing; the heating device is also configured to provide a pre-cleaning temperature during the pre-cleaning process, the pre-cleaning temperature being 450℃-550℃. The semiconductor device of the present invention also includes an exhaust gas pipeline and two independent intake branches, the two intake branches being a first gas path for introducing process gas and a second gas path for introducing hydrogen (H2). The first gas path is configured to supply the required process gas to the process chamber 100 during wafer fabrication. A hydrogen cracking device 200 is connected in series on the second gas path. This device is configured to crack the introduced hydrogen gas into hydrogen atoms during the pre-cleaning process and cool the generated hydrogen atoms to a target temperature, which is between 300°C and the pre-cleaning temperature (e.g., 300°C-450°C). The cooled hydrogen atoms are then introduced into the process chamber 100. A first regulating valve 301 is provided on the first gas path, and a second regulating valve 302 is provided on the second gas path. A tail exhaust regulating valve 400 is provided on the tail exhaust pipe of the process chamber 100. One end of the tail exhaust pipe is connected to the process chamber 100, and the other end is connected to a tail exhaust treatment device 500 for the harmless treatment of the emitted exhaust gas.
[0071] Based on the structure of the semiconductor device described above, the workflow of the semiconductor device of the present invention includes a pre-cleaning process and a wafer fabrication process executed sequentially, as follows:
[0072] First, a pre-cleaning process is performed. During this stage, the second regulating valve 302 is opened and the first regulating valve 301 is closed. At this time, hydrogen gas is introduced through the second gas path and is decomposed into hydrogen atoms by the hydrogen cracking device 200. After being cooled to the target temperature by the hydrogen cracking device 200, the hydrogen atoms enter the process chamber 100 at the pre-cleaning temperature. The hydrogen atoms are used to pre-clean the wafer surface to remove the oxide layer and contaminants on the wafer surface, thereby achieving cleaning and activation of the wafer surface.
[0073] Subsequently, the wafer processing technology is executed. During this stage, the first regulating valve 301 is opened and the second regulating valve 302 is closed. At this time, the supply of hydrogen is stopped, and process gas is introduced into the process chamber 100 at the process temperature to perform the wafer processing technology on the pre-cleaned wafer surface. The process temperature is preset according to the selected wafer processing technology type. The selection of process temperature parameters is common knowledge to those skilled in the art and does not require creative effort. The specific process temperature settings will not be described in detail here.
[0074] Compared to existing surface treatment methods that use chemical gas reactions within a pre-cleaning chamber, this invention utilizes hydrogen atoms for wafer surface treatment, which better overcomes the influence of initial wafer surface variations on the reaction rate. Hydrogen atoms can stably act on the wafer surface, avoiding the particulate contamination and plasma damage problems easily generated in existing technologies. This provides a stable and reliable surface foundation for subsequent wafer fabrication processes, thereby improving the yield of the final semiconductor device.
[0075] like Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, the wafer processing technology can be a film deposition process, and the process chamber 100 can be an epitaxial chamber. The process chamber 100 can be used to process wafer W, including depositing material on the upper surface of wafer W. The process chamber 100 has an upper chamber wall 101 at the top, a lower chamber wall 102 at the bottom, and sidewalls extending between the upper and lower chamber walls 101 and 102. Optionally, the upper and lower chamber walls 101 and 102 are made of optically transparent or translucent materials that are transparent to thermal energy (such as quartz materials that are transparent to specific infrared bands).
[0076] The process chamber 100 includes an air inlet 103 at one end and an exhaust 104 at the other end. The interior of the process chamber 100 includes an air inlet region corresponding to the air inlet 103, an exhaust region corresponding to the exhaust 104, and a reaction region located between the air inlet region and the exhaust region. The wafer W is located within the reaction region, such as... Figure 2 As indicated by the middle arrow, the reaction gas used for deposition flows into the interior space of the cavity from the inlet opening 103, performs the chemical vapor deposition process in the reaction area, and exits the cavity from the exhaust opening 104.
[0077] Please continue reading. Figure 2 The lower cavity wall 102 is provided with a downwardly extending extension tube, which is used to accommodate the rotating shaft 105 extending into the internal space of the process chamber 100. The top of the rotating shaft 105 includes multiple support arms 108 for supporting the base 109 and the wafer W on the base 109, so as to drive the base 109 and the wafer W supported by the base 109 to rotate in the reaction region, thereby ensuring the uniformity of thin film deposition on the wafer W. The semiconductor device also includes a driver (not shown in the figure), which is connected to the rotating shaft 105 and configured to drive the rotating shaft 105 to rotate. The two ends of the support arms 108 are respectively connected to the base 109 and the rotating shaft 105, so that the rotating shaft 105 can drive the base 109 to rotate through the support arms 108. Optionally, the rotating shaft 105 may be made of quartz to reduce the risk of particle contamination.
[0078] Furthermore, the semiconductor device also includes a heating device comprising multiple cavity heating components 106 that provide thermal radiation to the process chamber 100 and the wafer W. Each of the cavity heating components 106 is disposed outside the process chamber 100 to heat the process chamber 100 and the wafer W inside. To facilitate understanding of temperature changes within the process chamber 100, the semiconductor device also includes several pyrometers. Several pyrometers are disposed at the top and bottom of the process chamber 100 to collect temperature data at a preset sampling period; wherein, the pyrometer at the top of the process chamber 100 is a first pyrometer 107, which is used to measure the top surface temperature of the substrate or wafer; the pyrometer at the bottom of the process chamber 100 is a second pyrometer 110, which is used to measure the bottom surface temperature of the substrate. The cavity heating assembly 106 includes a first heating assembly and a second heating assembly. The first heating assembly and the second heating assembly are respectively disposed at the top and bottom of the process chamber 100. The first heating assembly located at the top heats the wafer supported on the front side of the base 109, and the second heating assembly located at the bottom heats the back side of the base 109.
[0079] Specifically, cavity heating components 106 are provided above and below the process chamber 100. Each cavity heating component 106 provides thermal radiation to the process chamber 100 and its wafer W, raising the required process temperature so that the process gases in the process chamber 100 undergo thermal decomposition, thereby depositing a thin film material on the upper surface of the wafer W. Simultaneously, a thermometer is used to measure the temperature inside the process chamber 100 in real time to control the process progress. Optionally, the thin film material deposited on the upper surface of the wafer W is a semiconductor material such as silicon-germanium or silicon-phosphorus. Further optionally, the cavity heating component 106 is a high-intensity tungsten filament lamp with a transparent quartz shell and containing a halogen gas such as iodine. Only a small portion of the radiant heat energy generated by this high-intensity tungsten filament lamp is absorbed by the upper cavity wall 101 and lower cavity wall 102 of the process chamber 100, ensuring that the heat energy generated by each cavity heating component 106 is maximized and transferred to the wafer W and the reaction gases within the process chamber 100. Of course, the cavity heating assembly 106 can also be other devices that can achieve thermal radiation, and the present invention does not limit this.
[0080] like Figure 3 As shown, the hydrogen cracking device 200 includes a gas supply assembly 202, a first gas duct 209, a heating assembly, a second gas duct 210, and a cooling assembly 211, wherein:
[0081] The gas supply assembly 202 is used to supply hydrogen;
[0082] The inlet end of the first gas passage 209 is connected to the gas supply assembly 202 for receiving hydrogen gas;
[0083] The heating component is disposed in the first air passage 209 and is used to heat the hydrogen in the first air passage 209 to the decomposition temperature, so that the hydrogen decomposes to generate hydrogen atoms; the heating component includes a sensing element 212 and an induction coil 207; the sensing element 212 is disposed inside the first air passage 209; the induction coil 207 is wound around the outside of the first air passage 209, and its axis is parallel to the axis of the sensing element 212, so as to heat the sensing element 212 through electromagnetic induction; the sensing element 212 includes a plurality of guide vanes 213, which are used to guide and disturb the airflow in the first air passage 209.
[0084] The second air passage 210 is connected between the outlet end of the first air passage 209 and the inlet end of the process chamber 100;
[0085] The cooling component 211 is disposed in the second air passage 210 and is used to cool the hydrogen atoms in the second air passage 210 to a target temperature, which is between 300°C and the pre-cleaning temperature. The hydrogen atoms cooled by the cooling component 211 are transported through the second air passage 210 to the process chamber 100 at the pre-cleaning temperature to perform the pre-cleaning process on the wafer located in the process chamber 100.
[0086] The working process of the hydrogen cracking unit 200 is as follows:
[0087] The gas supply assembly 202 introduces hydrogen into the first gas channel 209. The induction coil 207 located outside the first gas channel 209 heats the induction element 212 located inside the gas channel through electromagnetic induction, heating the hydrogen flowing through the first gas channel 209 to the decomposition temperature, causing it to decompose and generate hydrogen atoms. Then, these high-temperature hydrogen atoms enter the second gas channel 210 connected to the outlet end of the first gas channel 209. During this process, the cooling assembly 211 located on the second gas channel 210 cools the high-temperature hydrogen atoms to the target temperature (i.e., between 300°C and the pre-cleaning temperature). Finally, the cooled hydrogen atoms are transported through the second gas channel 210 to the process chamber 100 at the pre-cleaning temperature to perform a pre-cleaning process on the wafer surface to remove the oxide layer.
[0088] In this invention, the hydrogen cracking device 200 employs an electromagnetic induction heating method using an induction coil 207 in conjunction with an induction element 212. Utilizing the principle of electromagnetic induction, the induction element 212 rapidly heats itself, thereby increasing the heating rate and efficiency of the hydrogen gas, ensuring that the hydrogen gas is fully cracked into hydrogen atoms, increasing the cracking rate, and thus improving the pre-cleaning effect. Furthermore, the hydrogen cracking device 200 is equipped with a cooling component 211 after cracking, capable of cooling the high-temperature hydrogen atoms to the target temperature (between 300°C and the pre-cleaning temperature, for example, 300°C-400°C or 300°C). The target temperature range of -450℃ avoids damage to the wafer surface from excessively hot hydrogen atoms or causes the wafer temperature to exceed the pre-cleaning process window. Simultaneously, this target temperature range satisfies the cooling requirements while ensuring that hydrogen atoms do not polymerize into hydrogen molecules due to excessively low temperatures. Setting the target temperature below the pre-cleaning temperature prevents overheated hydrogen atoms from directly entering the process chamber 100, thus avoiding uneven temperature distribution within the chamber due to localized thermal shock. This allows hydrogen atoms to enter in a stable and controllable state, thereby improving the uniformity of the pre-cleaning process reaction on the wafer surface. Furthermore, setting the chamber temperature at the pre-cleaning temperature (450℃-550℃, preferably 500℃) not only provides a suitable pre-cleaning temperature for uniformly removing oxide layers from different areas of the wafer but also effectively suppresses surface roughening by controlling the temperature range, maintaining wafer surface flatness while ensuring cleaning uniformity.
[0089] Most importantly, the sensing element 212 in this invention includes multiple guide vanes 213. On one hand, the multiple guide vanes 213 can guide the airflow passing through the first gas channel 209, which not only increases the effective contact area between the sensing element 212 and hydrogen, but also optimizes the airflow path, prolongs the residence time of hydrogen in the high-temperature region, ensures that hydrogen is fully decomposed, and improves the hydrogen atom decomposition rate. On the other hand, the guide vanes 213 can disturb the flowing hydrogen, causing the high-temperature airflow near the sensing element 212 and the low-temperature airflow away from the sensing element 212 in the first gas channel to mix. This mixing promotes heat transfer within the airflow, making the airflow temperature distribution more uniform. More importantly, it also causes hydrogen molecules that were originally located in the low-temperature region and had not yet decomposed to migrate to the high-temperature region and fully dissociate at high temperatures, thereby suppressing the problem of insufficient hydrogen decomposition caused by insufficient local heating and further improving the decomposition rate. Due to the guiding and disturbing effects of the guide vanes 213, this invention can stabilize the hydrogen decomposition rate at over 95%. This invention enables different regions on the wafer surface to receive uniformly distributed hydrogen atoms, thereby solving the problems of large differences in the pre-cleaning degree of the same wafer surface due to low hydrogen cracking rate and large fluctuations in the pre-cleaning effect between different batches of wafers, thus improving the consistency of thin film growth and device yield.
[0090] Optional, please continue reading Figure 3 The hydrogen cracking device 200 further includes a mounting cavity 208 and a vacuum assembly 204, wherein:
[0091] The mounting cavity 208 has an internal space for accommodating the first air passage 209 and the heating component; the vacuum component 204 is connected to the mounting cavity 208 and is used to extract the gas inside the mounting cavity 208 to maintain a vacuum environment inside the mounting cavity 208.
[0092] This vacuum environment isolates oxygen and water vapor, effectively preventing the oxidation reaction of the induction coil 207 exposed in the containment space at high temperatures. This avoids problems such as increased resistance, inter-turn short circuits, or breakage of the induction coil 207 due to oxidation and corrosion, significantly extending the service life of the induction coil 207 and reducing the maintenance frequency and cost of the equipment. At the same time, the vacuum environment greatly reduces the heat convection loss of gas molecules to the heating components, playing a role in heat insulation and effectively avoiding unnecessary heat loss. This allows the heat generated by the heating components to be more concentrated on the cracked hydrogen, thereby improving the cracking rate.
[0093] Optional, please continue reading Figure 3 The outlet end of the first airway 209 extends out of the mounting cavity 208 and connects to the second airway 210;
[0094] A sealing element is provided at the position where the first air passage 209 protrudes from the mounting cavity 208 to seal the gap between the outlet end of the first air passage 209 and the mounting cavity 208.
[0095] By installing a seal at the point where the first gas passage 209 exits the mounting cavity 208, the gap between the outlet end of the first gas passage 209 and the mounting cavity 208 can be effectively sealed, ensuring that the vacuum environment inside the mounting cavity 208 maintains good airtightness, preventing external air from seeping in and causing a decrease in vacuum, thereby avoiding oxidation of the induction coil inside the mounting cavity 208 due to contact with oxygen, and ensuring long-term stable operation of the equipment; at the same time, this sealing structure can also effectively block the high-temperature heat generated inside the mounting cavity 208 from dissipating outward along the gap, playing a role in heat insulation and reducing unnecessary heat loss, thereby reducing energy consumption and improving the cracking rate of the hydrogen cracking device 200.
[0096] Optional, please continue reading Figure 3 The hydrogen cracking device 200 further includes:
[0097] A cooling component 201 is disposed in the mounting cavity 208 and is used to cool the cavity wall of the mounting cavity 208 to isolate the heat inside the mounting cavity 208.
[0098] Optionally, the cooling component 201 includes:
[0099] A first medium channel is disposed in the cavity wall of the mounting cavity 208;
[0100] The first heat exchanger is connected to the first medium channel and is used to cool the medium discharged from the first medium channel and return the cooled medium to the first medium channel.
[0101] By installing a cooling component 201 on the mounting cavity 208, the cavity wall of the mounting cavity 208 can be cooled, and a heat insulation barrier can be constructed, thereby effectively isolating the high-temperature heat inside the mounting cavity 208 from being conducted outward, ensuring the temperature stability of the surrounding environment; furthermore, through the circulating cooling loop formed by the first heat exchanger and the first medium channel, the medium that has absorbed heat can be continuously cooled and refluxed, realizing active thermal management. This closed-loop circulation structure improves cooling efficiency and ensures the constant temperature of the cavity wall of the mounting cavity 208.
[0102] Optionally, the cooling assembly 211 includes:
[0103] The second medium channel is disposed on the channel wall of the second air passage 210;
[0104] The second heat exchanger is connected to the second medium channel and is used to cool the medium discharged from the second medium channel and return the cooled medium to the second medium channel.
[0105] Optional, please continue reading Figure 3 The hydrogen cracking device 200 further includes:
[0106] A power control component 203, which is connected to the cooling component 201 and / or the cooling component 211, is used to control the power of the cooling component 201 and / or the cooling component 211.
[0107] By setting the power control component 203 and connecting it to the cooling component 201 and / or the cooling component 211, the cooling system can be adjusted. The power control component 203 can adjust the operating power of the cooling component 201 and / or the cooling component 211 in real time according to the actual temperature change or operating requirements of the hydrogen cracking device 200, thereby ensuring the cooling effect while avoiding energy waste and achieving accurate thermal management.
[0108] Optionally, the gas supply assembly 202 includes:
[0109] Gas source, used to supply hydrogen;
[0110] A mass flow controller, connected to the outlet of the gas source, is used to control the hydrogen flow rate.
[0111] By installing the mass flow controller in the gas supply assembly 202, the hydrogen supply flow rate can be adjusted. The mass flow controller can adjust and maintain the input hydrogen flow rate according to the specific operating conditions or reaction rate of the hydrogen cracking unit 200, ensuring the stability and accuracy of the gas supply, thereby effectively avoiding problems such as low cracking rate caused by fluctuations in hydrogen flow rate.
[0112] Optional, please continue reading Figure 3 The air supply assembly 202 is connected to the inlet end of the first air passage 209 through the first flow stabilizing nozzle 205; the outlet end of the first air passage 209 is connected to the second air passage 210 through the second flow stabilizing nozzle (not shown).
[0113] By setting the first flow-stabilizing nozzle 205 and the second flow-stabilizing nozzle at the inlet and outlet ends of the first gas channel 209 respectively, the inflow and outflow of gas can be rectified and the velocity can be regulated, effectively eliminating turbulence in the airflow to form a uniform and stable laminar flow. This design not only improves the flow stability of the gas during the transmission process in the first gas channel 209 and reduces fluctuations caused by unstable airflow, thereby improving the hydrogen cracking rate in the first gas channel 209, but also ensures that the stable airflow can ensure that the generated hydrogen atoms have more sufficient and orderly contact with the subsequent cooling components 211, thereby making the heat exchange of hydrogen atoms more uniform and ensuring that hydrogen atoms can be accurately cooled to the target temperature.
[0114] Optionally, the process chamber 100 includes a gas distribution assembly installed on the side wall of the process chamber 100 and connected to the outlet end of the second gas channel 210. The gas distribution assembly is used to introduce hydrogen atoms into the process chamber 100 and form a laminar flow in the upper part of the process chamber 100. This laminar flow effectively suppresses the turbulent diffusion of hydrogen atom flow, ensures the uniformity of hydrogen atom distribution in the process area, thereby optimizing the reaction environment between hydrogen atoms and the wafer to be processed and improving the uniformity of the pre-cleaning process.
[0115] Optionally, the heating component is configured to heat the hydrogen gas in the first gas channel 209 to a decomposition temperature of 1600°C to 1900°C (e.g., 1800°C), causing the hydrogen gas to decompose and generate non-plasma-state hydrogen atoms. Compared with the prior art of using plasma-state chemical gases to remove the oxide layer on the wafer surface in a pre-cleaning chamber, this application heats the hydrogen gas to a decomposition temperature above 1600°C using the heating component to generate non-plasma-state hydrogen atoms for oxide layer removal. This can reduce the bombardment damage caused by plasma to the wafer surface, thereby maximizing the protection of the microstructure flatness of the wafer surface. At the same time, the non-plasma-state thermally decomposed hydrogen atoms can react with the oxide layer on the wafer surface to achieve more uniform oxide layer removal.
[0116] Preferred, such as Figure 4 As shown, the sensing element 212 includes a sensing element body 206 and a plurality of guide fins 213. The sensing element body 206 extends along the axial direction of the first air passage 209, and a plurality of guide fins 213 are arranged along its length on the circumferential surface of the sensing element body 206.
[0117] By extending the main body 206 of the sensing element along the axial direction of the first gas channel 209 and providing multiple guide fins 213 arranged along the length direction on its circumference, the contact area between the sensing element 212 and the flowing hydrogen is increased. This structure not only enhances the cutting effect of the sensing element 212 on the airflow and prolongs the residence time of hydrogen in the high-temperature region, but also optimizes the heat exchange efficiency and heating uniformity of hydrogen, ensuring that hydrogen can quickly absorb heat and fully reach the decomposition conditions, thereby increasing the decomposition rate of hydrogen and maximizing the proportion of hydrogen atoms and minimizing the proportion of hydrogen gas in the generated gas. This effectively avoids the uneven distribution of gas components caused by a large amount of undecomposed hydrogen gas remaining in the gas due to the low decomposition rate, and eliminates the problem of uneven cleaning ability caused by undecomposed hydrogen gas remaining in the hydrogen atom flow during the pre-cleaning process. It ensures that the reaction rate of hydrogen atoms when acting on the wafer surface is consistent and improves the pre-cleaning uniformity of different areas of the wafer surface in the pre-cleaning process.
[0118] Preferably, the diameter of the sensing element body 206 is 1 / 7 to 1 / 3 of the inner diameter of the first gas channel 209. This size ratio maintains a suitable gas flow rate and heat exchange efficiency in the gas channel, avoiding insufficient heating capacity due to the sensing element body 206 being too small, or insufficient local pyrolysis due to uneven airflow distribution caused by the sensing element body 206 being too large. This ensures that hydrogen can maintain a high pyrolysis rate throughout the stroke of the first gas channel 209.
[0119] Preferably, the first air passage 209 is made of quartz. Since quartz is a non-magnetic material, when the induction coil 207 is energized with current to generate a magnetic field, the first air passage 209 (quartz tube wall) will not generate an induced current, so the induction coil 207 will not heat the first air passage 209. This allows the electromagnetic energy generated by the induction coil 207 to penetrate the first air passage 209 and couple to the internal sensing element body 206 without loss, ensuring that the heat is concentrated in the sensing element body 206 and transferred to the flowing hydrogen, thereby ensuring the hydrogen decomposition rate.
[0120] Optional, such as Figure 5 As shown, hydrogen enters the first gas passage 209 through the first flow stabilizer nozzle 205, and forms an airflow path around the sensor body 206 in the annular gap between the outer wall surface of the sensor body 206 and the inner wall surface of the first gas passage 209, wherein the nozzle of the first flow stabilizer nozzle 205 is arranged facing the annular gap.
[0121] Preferred, such as Figure 6-7As shown, the guide fin 213 includes a first extension 2131, one end of which is fixed to the sensing element body 206. The first extension 2131 is inclined toward the inlet end of the first gas passage, and a guide surface is formed on the side surface of the first extension 2131 facing the gas inlet direction of the first gas passage 209. The first extension 2131 can serve as a gas flow guide component, using its guide surface facing the gas inlet direction to guide hydrogen into the heating area uniformly and prolong the contact time between hydrogen and the sensing element 212 to improve the cracking rate. Specifically, the first extension 2131 of the guide fin guides and interferes with the airflow through the annular gap between the outer wall of the sensor body 206 and the inner wall of the first air passage 209 via its guide surface facing the air intake direction. This causes disturbance and mixing between the hot gas near the sensor body 206 and the cold gas away from the sensor body 206. This mixing of cold and hot gases reduces the radial temperature gradient of the airflow, raises the cold gas away from the heat source area to the high temperature required for cracking, and ensures that all gases can be fully heated, thereby improving the hydrogen cracking rate.
[0122] Preferred, such as Figure 7 As shown, the angle β between the extension direction of the first extension segment 2131 and the axial direction of the sensing element body 206 is less than or equal to 45 degrees.
[0123] For the best options, please continue reading. Figure 7 The guide fin 213 further includes a second extension 2132, which is connected to the other end of the first extension 2131; the axis of the second extension 2132 is parallel to the axis of the induction coil 207, so that the second extension 2132 generates heat through electromagnetic induction.
[0124] Because the first extension section 2131 is inclined, its extension direction forms an angle with the magnetic field direction of the induction coil 207, making it difficult for it to effectively cut magnetic field lines. The induction coil 207 hardly heats the first extension section 2131. This causes a cold zone to easily form in the radially distant area from the induction body 206, affecting the overall heating effect of the airflow. By adding a second extension section 2132 parallel to the axis of the induction coil 207, it can cut magnetic field lines and generate induced current, thus generating heat. This makes the second extension section 2132 a supplementary heat source located at a distance, capable of specifically heating the cold zone, eliminating the temperature gradient within the first gas passage 209, and ensuring that the flowing airflow is maintained within the temperature range required for pyrolysis, thereby improving the hydrogen pyrolysis rate.
[0125] The first extension 2131 of the guide fin guides and interferes with the airflow through the annular gap between the outer wall of the sensor body 206 and the inner wall of the first air passage 209 via its guide surface facing the air intake direction. This causes disturbance and mixing between the hot gas near the sensor body 206 and the cold gas far from the sensor body 206, thereby reducing the radial temperature difference. On this basis, the second extension 2132 further increases the temperature of the gas farther away from the sensor body 206. The synergistic effect of the two ensures that all gases can be fully heated, thereby improving the hydrogen cracking rate.
[0126] In this invention, the first extension section 2131 and the second extension section 2132 work together to improve the heat exchange efficiency and sufficiency of the hydrogen in the first gas channel through the mixing of hot and cold gases and the heat supplementation of the far-end cold zone. This makes the hydrogen atom decomposition rate of the hydrogen decomposition device reach 98%~100%, and the proportion of unreacted hydrogen in the output gas is extremely low, which can ensure the purity of hydrogen atoms in the output gas to meet the requirements of the pre-cleaning process.
[0127] Optional, please continue reading Figure 6 The plurality of guide fins 213 are arranged in n rows along the axial direction of the sensing element body 206, and each row includes a plurality of guide fins 213 arranged along the circumferential direction of the sensing element body 206; a circumferential gap is formed between adjacent guide fins 213 in each row, and the guide fins 213 of the i-th row and the (i+1)-th row are staggered in the circumferential direction so that the circumferential gap of the i-th row and the circumferential gap of the (i+1)-th row are staggered; where n≥2, and i is an integer from 1 to n-1.
[0128] By staggering the adjacent rows of guide vanes 213 in the circumferential direction, the circumferential gap of the upper row is aligned with the guide vanes 213 of the lower row. When the airflow passes through the circumferential gap of the i-th row, it will pass through the guide surface of the guide vanes 213 of the (i+1)-th row. This not only prolongs the actual residence time of the airflow in the high-temperature region, ensuring that the hydrogen has sufficient thermal path to complete the cracking reaction, but also makes the airflow more uniformly distributed in the cross-section, ensuring the uniformity of the overall temperature field in the gas channel, thereby improving the cracking efficiency.
[0129] For the best options, please continue reading. Figure 7 Both the flow guide fin 213 and the sensing element body 206 are made of graphite, and the flow guide fin 213 and the sensing element body 206 are integrally formed.
[0130] Optional, please continue reading Figure 7The outer surfaces of the guide fins 213 and the sensing element body 206 are covered with a silicon carbide layer 214. This is because, under high-temperature operating conditions, carbon atoms in the graphite of the sensing element body 206 and the guide fins 213 can easily contaminate the flowing air and affect the purity of the flowing gas. By covering the graphite with a silicon carbide layer 214, a protective layer is formed. This protective layer can physically isolate the graphite from the airflow and prevent carbon elements from contaminating the airflow.
[0131] like Figure 8 As shown, Figure 8 This paper compares the pre-cleaning effects of existing technologies and the present invention on wafer surfaces, specifically using film thickness distribution maps of the wafer surface. The left side of the map shows the effect of the existing technology, and the right side shows the effect of the present invention. To characterize the film thickness distribution after pre-cleaning, both film thickness maps are accompanied by color bars: the dark blue at the bottom and the dark red at the top represent film thickness from low to high, and the color change at different locations on the wafer surface intuitively reflects the film thickness distribution. This comparison is based on a strict controlled variable method; except for the surface hydrogen pyrolysis method, all other pre-treatment process parameters for the two wafers are completely identical. The existing technology uses a conventional low-pyrolysis rate hydrogen pyrolysis method, while the present invention uses the aforementioned optimized high-pyrolysis rate hydrogen pyrolysis method. Based on the film thickness map analysis, the experimental results are as follows: the wafers treated with the present invention show little difference in pre-cleaning depth compared to those treated with the existing technology, with the actual pre-cleaning removal amount remaining at approximately 35 Å. More importantly, the significant advantage of the present invention lies in the uniformity of pre-cleaning. Through comparison... Figure 8 As can be seen from the film thickness distribution color in the diagram, the pre-cleaning process of this application results in a relatively uniform color distribution on the wafer surface, while the color distribution in the prior art diagram is relatively uneven. The wafer pre-cleaned using the method of this application has a pre-cleaning uniformity (U%) of 1.48%; in comparison, the pre-cleaning uniformity (U%) of the prior art solution is 4.15%. A lower uniformity index (U%) indicates a more uniform surface treatment, demonstrating that the technical solution of this application effectively solves the problem of uneven pre-cleaning in the prior art, resulting in a more uniform pre-cleaning effect on the wafer surface.
[0132] like Figure 9 As shown, Figure 9This diagram illustrates a comparison of the pre-cleaning effects of existing technologies on different batches of wafers. The diagram comprises two sub-plots, corresponding to the test results for batch 1 and batch 2, respectively. To characterize the film thickness distribution, both sub-plots are accompanied by color bars: the dark blue at the bottom and the dark red at the top represent film thicknesses from low to high, with the color change at different locations on the wafer surface visually reflecting the film thickness distribution. Observing and comparing these two sub-plots reveals significant fluctuations in the existing technology across different batches. Data analysis shows that the pre-cleaning uniformity (U%) of batch 1 is 3.29%, while that of batch 2 rises to 4.15%. This indicates that the existing technology lacks stability in pre-cleaning effectiveness, resulting in significant differences in pre-cleaning depth (exceeding 1 Å) between different batches of wafers, failing to guarantee uniformity in pre-cleaning results. The instability in the pre-cleaning stage can become a source of defects carried over to subsequent processes, restricting the uniformity of subsequent processing. These differences in processing effectiveness ultimately accumulate in the finished wafer, leading to decreased yield and fluctuations in electrical parameters, making it difficult to meet the demands of high-precision chip manufacturing.
[0133] like Figure 10 As shown, Figure 10 This paper presents a comparison of the pre-cleaning effects after adopting the proposed solution. Similarly, the figure includes two sub-figures, batch 1 and batch 2. To characterize the film thickness distribution, both sub-figures are equipped with color bars: the dark blue at the bottom and the dark red at the top represent film thickness from low to high, and the color change at different locations on the wafer surface visually reflects the film thickness distribution. Analysis of these two sub-figures shows that the technical solution of this application exhibits good consistency in pre-cleaning effects. Figure 9 In stark contrast, batches 1 and 2 showed minimal difference in pre-cleaning depth (<1 Å), and the pre-cleaning uniformity (U%) of both was consistently controlled at approximately 1.4%. This demonstrates that the technical solution of this application effectively overcomes batch-to-batch fluctuations in pre-cleaning effects, improving the consistency and stability of the pre-cleaning results.
[0134] like Figure 11 As shown, Figure 11The results of ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UVP) tests were presented, comparing the effects of direct hydrogen (H2) introduction and the hydrogen atom (H) surface pre-cleaning method described in this application on the surface state of silicon substrates under the same temperature and processing time. The results show that the Fermi level cutoff edge of the samples treated by both methods is located near 8.7 eV, indicating that both methods can remove the oxide layer on the silicon surface. However, compared to direct H2 introduction, the silicon substrate treated with hydrogen atom splitting exhibits a stronger signal in the secondary electron emission region, with its emission edge shifting upwards by approximately 0.3 eV. This phenomenon suggests that, under the same temperature conditions, hydrogen atom splitting treatment is more effective in removing oxides and contaminants from the wafer surface, exposing a more intrinsic and activated silicon surface. The experiments demonstrate that the H-atom splitting treatment significantly improves surface cleanliness and chemical activity, providing more ideal interface conditions for subsequent processes.
[0135] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element. Additionally, the term "connection" in this document indicates a direct connection between A and B, or an indirect connection between A and B, such as an indirect connection between A and B via C, or even via C and D, or more components. The connection between A and B can be integral or separate, detachable or fixed. The term "optional" in this document indicates that the technical feature can be combined with or not combined with any feature in the document.
[0136] Although the present invention has been described in detail through the preferred embodiments above, it should be understood that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention. Various modifications and substitutions to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the above description. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A semiconductor device, characterized in that, include: A process chamber for performing semiconductor processes for processing wafers, the process chamber being provided with a heating device configured to provide process temperature during the performance of the semiconductor process; A hydrogen pyrolysis device, which is connected to the process chamber, is used to perform a pre-cleaning process before performing the semiconductor process. The heating device is also configured to provide a pre-cleaning temperature of 450°C-550°C during the pre-cleaning process. The hydrogen cracking device includes: Gas supply assembly for supplying hydrogen; The first gas passage has its inlet end connected to the gas supply assembly for receiving hydrogen gas; The heating assembly includes a sensor disposed within the first air passage, the sensor being configured to generate heat through electromagnetic induction to heat hydrogen in the first air passage to a decomposition temperature to generate hydrogen atoms; the sensor includes a plurality of guide vanes for guiding and agitating the airflow in the first air passage. The second air passage is connected between the outlet end of the first air passage and the inlet end of the process chamber; A cooling assembly, disposed in the second gas duct, is used to cool hydrogen atoms in the second gas duct to a target temperature, which is between 300°C and the pre-cleaning temperature; the hydrogen atoms cooled by the cooling assembly are transported through the second gas duct to a process chamber at the pre-cleaning temperature to perform the pre-cleaning process on the wafer located in the process chamber.
2. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The heating assembly also includes: An induction coil is wound around the outside of the first airway, with its axis parallel to the axis of the sensing element, so as to heat the sensing element through electromagnetic induction.
3. The semiconductor device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The sensor also includes a sensor body, which extends axially along the first air passage, and the plurality of guide vanes are arranged along the length of the sensor body.
4. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that, The guide fin includes a first extension section, one end of which is fixed to the main body of the sensing element; the first extension section is inclined toward the inlet end of the first air passage, and a guide surface is formed on the side surface of the first extension section facing the air intake direction of the first air passage.
5. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that, The angle between the extension direction of the first extension segment and the axial direction of the sensing element body is less than or equal to 45 degrees.
6. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that, The guide fin further includes a second extension section, which is connected to the other end of the first extension section; the axis of the second extension section is parallel to the axis of the induction coil, so that the second extension section generates heat through electromagnetic induction.
7. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that, The plurality of guide fins are arranged in n rows along the axial direction of the sensing element body, and each row includes a plurality of guide fins arranged circumferentially along the sensing element body; a circumferential gap is formed between adjacent guide fins in each row, and the guide fins of the i-th row and the (i+1)-th row are staggered in the circumferential direction so that the circumferential gap of the i-th row and the circumferential gap of the (i+1)-th row are staggered; where n≥2, and i is an integer from 1 to n-1.
8. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that, Both the flow guide fins and the main body of the sensing element are made of graphite, and the flow guide fins and the main body of the sensing element are integrally formed.
9. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that, The outer surfaces of the flow guide fins and the main body of the sensing element are covered with a silicon carbide layer.
10. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, The diameter of the main body of the sensor is 1 / 7 to 1 / 3 of the inner diameter of the first airway.
11. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The hydrogen cracking device also includes: The mounting cavity has an internal space for accommodating the first air passage and the heating component; A vacuum assembly, connected to the mounting cavity, is used to extract gas from the mounting cavity to maintain a vacuum environment inside the mounting cavity.
12. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that, The outlet end of the first airway extends out of the mounting cavity and connects to the second airway; A sealing element is provided at the position where the first air passage extends out of the mounting cavity to seal the gap between the outlet end of the first air passage and the mounting cavity.
13. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that, The hydrogen cracking device also includes: A cooling component is disposed in the mounting cavity to cool the cavity wall of the mounting cavity and isolate the heat inside the mounting cavity.
14. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that, The cooling component includes: A first medium channel is disposed in the cavity wall of the mounting cavity; The first heat exchanger is connected to the first medium channel and is used to cool the medium discharged from the first medium channel and return the cooled medium to the first medium channel.
15. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that, The hydrogen cracking device also includes: A power control component, connected to the cooling component and / or the cooling assembly, for controlling the power of the cooling component and / or the cooling assembly.
16. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling assembly includes: The second medium channel is disposed on the channel wall of the second air passage; The second heat exchanger is connected to the second medium channel and is used to cool the medium discharged from the second medium channel and return the cooled medium to the second medium channel.
17. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The gas supply assembly includes: Gas source, used to supply hydrogen; A mass flow controller, connected to the outlet of the gas source, is used to control the hydrogen flow rate.
18. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The gas supply assembly is connected to the inlet end of the first gas passage via a first flow-stabilizing nozzle; the outlet end of the first gas passage is connected to the second gas passage via a second flow-stabilizing nozzle.
19. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The process chamber includes: A gas distribution assembly is installed on the side wall of the process chamber and is connected to the outlet end of the second gas channel. It is used to introduce hydrogen atoms into the process chamber and form a laminar flow in the upper part of the process chamber.
20. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The first airway is made of quartz.
21. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The heating component is configured to heat the hydrogen in the first gas passage to a pyrolysis temperature above 1600°C, causing the hydrogen to pyrolyze and generate non-plasma-state hydrogen atoms.