Gas spray head, control method thereof and semiconductor equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to a gas spray head, a control method thereof and semiconductor equipment, the gas spray head is used for the semiconductor equipment, the gas spray head comprises at least two spray areas, and each spray area comprises a plurality of nozzles. According to the gas nozzle, spraying parameters of different spraying areas can be controlled, so that the uniformity of overall film formation is guaranteed, or different thicknesses can be obtained according to actual requirements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor equipment technology, and more specifically, to a gas nozzle, a control method thereof, and a semiconductor device. Background Technology

[0002] Showerheads play a crucial role in semiconductor manufacturing processes. They spray gas evenly into the reaction chamber through their nozzles, ensuring uniform gas distribution. For example, in PECVD (plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition) processes, the gas sprayed from the nozzles of the showerhead can deposit a film on the surface of the wafer.

[0003] In related technologies, since the nozzles on the gas nozzle are uniformly distributed, after film formation, the thickness of the wafer near the center of the gas nozzle is greater than the thickness of the wafer near the edge of the gas nozzle, resulting in uneven overall film thickness. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a gas nozzle and its control method and semiconductor device. The gas nozzle includes at least two spray zones, and can ensure the uniformity of the overall film formation or obtain different thicknesses according to actual needs by controlling the spray parameters of different spray zones.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, according to a first aspect of this disclosure, a gas nozzle is provided, the gas nozzle comprising at least two spray zones, each of the spray zones comprising a plurality of nozzles.

[0006] Optionally, the gas nozzle includes a first spray zone with a plurality of first nozzles and a second spray zone with a plurality of second nozzles, wherein the second spray zone surrounds the circumference of the first spray zone.

[0007] Optionally, the first spray area is circular, and the second spray area is an annular ring surrounding the first spray area.

[0008] Optionally, the center of the first spray zone, the center of the second spray zone, and the center of the gas nozzle coincide.

[0009] Optionally, the diameter of the first nozzle is smaller than the diameter of the second nozzle; or The density of the first nozzle in the first spray zone is less than the density of the second nozzle in the second spray zone.

[0010] Optionally, the gas nozzle further includes at least one third spray zone having a plurality of third nozzles, the third spray zone being located between the first spray zone and the second spray zone.

[0011] Optionally, the diameter of the third nozzle is larger than the diameter of the first nozzle and smaller than the diameter of the second nozzle; or The density of the third nozzle in the third spray zone is greater than the density of the first nozzle in the first spray zone, and less than the density of the second nozzle in the second spray zone.

[0012] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a method for controlling a gas nozzle is provided, the method comprising: The first spray parameter is used to control the spraying zone of the gas nozzle for spraying; The second spray parameter is used to control the spraying of another spray zone of the gas nozzle; The first spraying parameters are different from the second spraying parameters.

[0013] Optionally, the first spray parameter and the second spray parameter include at least one of gas flow rate, gas pressure, and gas concentration.

[0014] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a semiconductor device is also provided, wherein the above-described gas nozzle is included.

[0015] The gas nozzle disclosed herein, through the above-described technical solution, includes at least two spray zones, and each spray zone includes multiple nozzles. In practical use, different spray parameters can be used to control each spray zone. For example, the gas flow rate, gas pressure, or gas concentration of each spray zone can be controlled to ensure relatively uniform thickness in each spray zone. Alternatively, the spray parameters can be adjusted according to the thickness requirements of each spray zone to obtain different thicknesses. Because the gas nozzle of this disclosure has at least two spray zones, the uniformity of the overall film formation can be ensured by controlling the spray parameters of different spray zones, or different thicknesses can be obtained according to actual needs.

[0016] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present disclosure and form part of the specification. They are used together with the following detailed description to explain the present disclosure, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a gas nozzle in related technologies; Figure 2 Based on Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the film thickness formed by the gas nozzle in the image; Figure 3 Based on Figure 1 Simulation diagram of film thickness from gas nozzle simulation analysis; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a gas nozzle provided in some embodiments of this disclosure; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a gas nozzle provided in some other embodiments of this disclosure; Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the film thickness formed by a gas nozzle based on some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 7 Based on Figure 4 The simulation diagram of film thickness in the gas nozzle simulation analysis.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures 10 - Spray zone; 11 - Spray nozzle; 110 - First spray zone; 111 - First nozzle; 120 - Second spray zone; 121 - Second nozzle; 130 - Third spray zone; 131 - Third nozzle. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The specific embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0020] In this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, directional terms such as "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours of the corresponding components; "far" and "near" refer to the corresponding structure or component being away from or near another structure or component. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., used in this disclosure are for distinguishing one element from another and do not have sequential or importance implications. Additionally, in the following description, when referring to the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise explained, the same reference numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The above definitions are for explanation and illustration only and should not be construed as limiting this disclosure.

[0021] In related technologies, such as Figure 1 As shown, the spray zone 10 of the gas nozzle includes multiple spaced nozzles 11, which are uniformly arranged according to a certain pattern. When the gas in the pipeline is ejected through the gas nozzle and finally forms a film on its corresponding wafer, the gas flow rate in the central region of the gas nozzle corresponding to the center of the pipeline is relatively large, while the gas flow rate in the edge region of the gas nozzle is relatively small. Therefore, as... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the thickness of the central region of the wafer is greater than that of the edge region. The uneven thickness of the film on the wafer will affect the quality of subsequent production and may even cause the wafer to be scrapped.

[0022] To achieve the above objectives, such as 4 to Figure 7As shown, according to a first aspect of this disclosure, a gas nozzle is provided, comprising at least two spray zones, each spray zone including multiple nozzles. With this configuration, the gas nozzle of this disclosure includes at least two spray zones (e.g., a first spray zone 110 and a second spray zone 120), and each spray zone includes multiple nozzles. In practical use, different spray parameters can be used to control each spray zone. For example, the gas flow rate, gas pressure, or gas concentration of each spray zone can be controlled to ensure relatively uniform thickness in each spray zone, or the spray parameters can be adjusted according to the thickness requirements of each spray zone to obtain different thicknesses. Because the gas nozzle of this disclosure has at least two spray zones, it can ensure the uniformity of the overall film formation by controlling the spray parameters of different spray zones, or obtain different thicknesses according to actual needs.

[0023] It should be noted that this gas nozzle is mainly used to spray the gas to be formed into a film. Understandably, it can also spray other media, such as etching liquids, as needed.

[0024] The spray zones can be arranged according to actual needs. For example, one spray zone may be located on the side of another spray zone, or one spray zone may be located inside another spray zone.

[0025] like Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the gas nozzle may include a first spray zone 110 having a plurality of first nozzles 111 and a second spray zone 120 having a plurality of second nozzles 121, with the second spray zone 120 surrounding the circumference of the first spray zone 110. The gas nozzle may include two spray zones: a first spray zone 110 and a second spray zone 120 surrounding the circumference of the first spray zone 110. The first spray zone 110 includes a plurality of spaced-apart first nozzles 111, and the second spray zone 120 includes a plurality of spaced-apart second nozzles 121. Gas with a first spray parameter can be introduced into the plurality of first nozzles 111 of the first spray zone 110, and gas with a second spray parameter can be introduced into the plurality of second nozzles 121 of the first spray zone 110. The first and second spray parameters can be set differently to make the gas distribution in the first spray zone 110 and the second spray zone 120 more uniform, thereby enabling the formation of a relatively uniform thickness layer on the wafer.

[0026] It should be noted that the first spray parameter and the second spray parameter include at least one of gas flow rate, gas pressure, and gas concentration. For example, the gas flow rate, gas pressure, and gas concentration of the first spray zone 110 can be designed to be larger, while the gas flow rate, gas pressure, and gas concentration of the second spray zone 120 can be designed to be smaller, thereby making the thickness of the film or deposited layer in the two zones more similar and improving the thickness uniformity.

[0027] The first spray zone 110 and the second spray zone 120 can adopt any suitable shape, such as Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first spray area 110 is circular, and the second spray area 120 is an annular ring surrounding the first spray area 110.

[0028] The first spray zone 110 can be circular, and the second spray zone 120 can be an annular ring arranged circumferentially adjacent to the outer side of the first spray zone 110. The first spray zone 110 can be located at the center of the gas nozzle, while the second spray zone 120 can be located at the edge of the gas nozzle. Furthermore, the multiple first nozzles 111 can be arranged in any suitable manner within the first spray zone 110. For example, they can be multiple concentric circles radially outward from the center of the first spray zone 110, with multiple first nozzles 111 evenly distributed on each concentric circle. Alternatively, they can be multiple nozzles arranged at intervals along the transverse and longitudinal directions, as long as the first spray zone 110 can uniformly spray gas.

[0029] The multiple second nozzles 121 of the second spray zone 120 can be arranged with reference to the first nozzles 111 of the first spray zone 110, or they can be arranged in other suitable ways, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the second nozzle 121 can be arranged at intervals along the horizontal and vertical directions. Of course, the second nozzle 121 can also be arranged on multiple concentric circles with the center of the first spray zone 110 as the center, as long as the gas can be evenly sprayed out from multiple second nozzles 121 in the second spray zone 120.

[0030] like Figure 4 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in one embodiment, the center of the first spray zone 110, the center of the second spray zone 120, and the center of the gas nozzle coincide. The gas nozzle is circular, with the first spray zone 110 located at the center of the gas nozzle and its center coinciding with the center of the gas nozzle. The second spray zone 120 is annular, and its center also coincides with the center of the gas nozzle. Thus, the first spray zone 110 is formed in the central region of the gas nozzle, and the second spray zone 120 is formed at the edge of the gas nozzle. By controlling the spray parameters of the first spray zone 110 and the second spray zone 120, the uniformity of the sprayed gas is improved.

[0031] To further improve the uniformity of the ejected gas, the diameter of the first nozzle 111 may be smaller than the diameter of the second nozzle 121; or the density of the first nozzle 111 in the first spray zone 110 may be smaller than the density of the second nozzle 121 in the second spray zone 120.

[0032] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the total amount of gas ejected from the first spray zone 110 and the second spray zone 120 can be controlled by controlling the size of the first nozzle 111 and the second nozzle 121. When using the same gas pipeline, considering that the gas flow rate near the center of the gas nozzle is relatively large and more conducive to gas discharge, while the gas flow rate in the edge region is relatively small and less conducive to gas discharge, the diameter of the second nozzle 121 is designed to be larger than that of the first nozzle 111. This increases the gas outlet area and thus increases the total amount of gas in the edge region, making it the same as or closer to the total amount of gas in the center region, thereby improving the consistency of film thickness.

[0033] In other embodiments of this disclosure, the total amount of gas ejected from the first spray zone 110 and the second spray zone 120 can be controlled by controlling the density of the first nozzle 111 in the first spray zone 110 and the density of the second nozzle 121 in the second spray zone 120. For example, the first nozzle 111 and the second nozzle 121 can be the same size. By adjusting the density of the nozzles in the first spray zone 110 and the second spray zone 120, the total amount of gas in the two spray zones can also be adjusted accordingly, thereby achieving the purpose of relatively uniform thickness in the central region and the edge region.

[0034] like Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the gas nozzle may further include at least one third spray zone 130 having a plurality of third nozzles 131, the third spray zone 130 being located between the first spray zone 110 and the second spray zone 120. The first spray zone 110 is located in the central region of the gas nozzle and may be circular; the second spray zone 120 is located in the edge region of the gas nozzle and may be annular; and the third spray zone 130 is located between the first spray zone 110 and the second spray zone 120 and is also annular. The inner side of the third spray zone 130 is connected to the first spray zone 110, and the outer side is connected to the second spray zone 120, forming a transition region between the edge of the first spray zone 110 and the second spray zone 120. In this embodiment, the gas nozzle is divided into three spray zones arranged sequentially from the inside out. The spray parameters of the first spray zone 110, the second spray zone 120 and the third spray zone 130 can be controlled respectively to achieve more uniform gas spraying and thus achieve more uniform film thickness control.

[0035] It should be noted that there can be multiple third spray zones 130, which are sequentially arranged between the first spray zone 110 and the second spray zone 120 to divide the gas nozzle into more areas for more precise control and thus improve uniformity.

[0036] Optionally, the diameter of the third nozzle 131 is greater than the diameter of the first nozzle 111 and less than the diameter of the second nozzle 121; or, the density of the third nozzle 131 in the third spray zone 130 is greater than the density of the first nozzle 111 in the first spray zone 110 and less than the density of the second nozzle 121 in the second spray zone 120.

[0037] The total amount of gas ejected from the first spray zone 110, the second spray zone 120, and the third spray zone 130 can be controlled by adjusting the dimensions of the first nozzle 111, the second nozzle 121, and the third nozzle 131. When using the same gas pipeline, considering that the gas flow rate near the center of the gas nozzle is relatively large and more conducive to gas discharge, while the gas flow rate in the edge zone is relatively small and less conducive to gas discharge, and the gas flow rate in the transition zone between the two is in between, resulting in moderate gas discharge, the diameter of the second nozzle 121 is designed to be slightly larger than that of the first nozzle 111, and the diameter of the third nozzle 131 is larger than that of the first nozzle 111 but smaller than that of the second nozzle 121. This appropriately reduces the total gas volume in the central region and appropriately increases the total gas volume in the edge region, so that the total gas volume in the transition zone is the same as or closer to that in the central and edge regions, respectively, further improving the consistency of film thickness.

[0038] In other embodiments of this disclosure, the total amount of gas ejected from the first spray zone 110, the second spray zone 120, and the third spray zone 130 can be controlled by controlling the density of the first nozzle 111 in the first spray zone 110, the density of the second nozzle 121 in the second spray zone 120, and the density of the third nozzle 131 in the third spray zone 130. For example, the sizes of the first nozzle 111, the second nozzle 121, and the third nozzle 131 can be the same. By adjusting the density of the nozzles in the first spray zone 110, the second spray zone 120, and the third spray zone 130, the total amount of gas in the three spray zones can also be adjusted accordingly, thereby achieving the goal of relatively uniform thickness in the central region, the transition region, and the edge region.

[0039] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a method for controlling a gas nozzle is provided, based on a gas nozzle of any of the above embodiments, the method comprising the following steps.

[0040] The first spray parameter is used to control one spray zone of the gas nozzle for spraying; the second spray parameter is used to control another spray zone of the gas nozzle for spraying; wherein the first spray parameter and the second spray parameter are different.

[0041] Using the above method, the gas nozzle includes at least two spray zones, each containing multiple nozzles. One spray zone is controlled using a first spray parameter, while the other spray zone is controlled using a second spray parameter different from the first. This allows for adjustment of the gas volume in both spray zones. As the gas continuously deposits on the wafer, it improves overall uniformity and enables different thicknesses through zoned control. Compared to related technologies, this method achieves thickness control in different regions, including improved overall thickness uniformity.

[0042] Optionally, the first spray parameter and the second spray parameter include at least one of gas flow rate, gas pressure, and gas concentration. The gas flow rate, gas pressure, and gas concentration of the two spray zones can be controlled to adjust the amount of gas sprayed from each zone, thus facilitating overall uniformity control.

[0043] In some embodiments, the gas nozzle may include a first spray region 110 having a plurality of first nozzles 111 and a second spray region 120 having a plurality of second nozzles 121, wherein the second spray region 120 surrounds the circumference of the first spray region 110. The gas flow rate, gas pressure, and gas concentration of the first spray region 110 can be designed to be larger, while the gas flow rate, gas pressure, and gas concentration of the second spray region 120 can be designed to be smaller. This results in a more uniform amount of gas ejected from the central and edge regions of the gas nozzle for deposition. When the gas is deposited on the wafer, the thickness of the film or deposited layer corresponding to the two regions of the wafer can be more similar, improving overall thickness uniformity.

[0044] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a semiconductor device is also provided that incorporates the aforementioned gas nozzle, thus possessing all the advantages of the aforementioned gas nozzle.

[0045] It should be noted that the semiconductor device can be a device used in the PECVD (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition) process, which may include a cavity and a mounting assembly for rotating the wafer disposed inside the cavity, and the gas nozzle is disposed inside the cavity and corresponds to the mounting assembly for spraying the gas for deposition into the cavity.

[0046] The gas nozzle, its control method, and semiconductor device disclosed herein, through a zoned design, divide the gas nozzle into at least two spray zones with nozzles (e.g., a first spray zone 110 and a second spray zone 120 surrounding the first spray zone 110). Control can be achieved by changing the size or density of the nozzles in the two spray zones, or by using different spray parameters for each spray zone. For example, the gas flow rate, gas pressure, or gas concentration in each spray zone can be controlled to ensure relatively uniform thickness in each zone, or the spray parameters can be adjusted according to the thickness requirements of each spray zone to obtain different thicknesses in different areas. The gas nozzle of this disclosure can ensure the uniformity of the overall film formation or obtain different thicknesses according to actual needs by controlling the spray parameters of different spray zones.

[0047] The preferred embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited to the specific details of the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of this disclosure, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of this disclosure, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0048] It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, this disclosure will not describe the various possible combinations separately.

[0049] Furthermore, various different embodiments of this disclosure can be combined in any way, as long as they do not violate the spirit of this disclosure, they should also be regarded as the content disclosed in this disclosure.

Claims

1. A gas nozzle, characterized in that, The gas nozzle includes at least two spray zones, and each spray zone includes multiple nozzles.

2. The gas nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas nozzle includes a first spray zone with a plurality of first nozzles and a second spray zone with a plurality of second nozzles, wherein the second spray zone is arranged around the periphery of the first spray zone.

3. The gas nozzle according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first spray zone is circular, and the second spray zone is annular, surrounding the first spray zone.

4. The gas nozzle according to claim 3, characterized in that, The center of the first spray zone, the center of the second spray zone, and the center of the gas nozzle coincide.

5. The gas nozzle according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The diameter of the first nozzle is smaller than the diameter of the second nozzle; or The density of the first nozzle in the first spray zone is less than the density of the second nozzle in the second spray zone.

6. The gas nozzle according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gas nozzle further includes at least one third spray zone having a plurality of third nozzles, the third spray zone being located between the first spray zone and the second spray zone.

7. The gas nozzle according to claim 6, characterized in that, The diameter of the third nozzle is larger than the diameter of the first nozzle and smaller than the diameter of the second nozzle; or The density of the third nozzle in the third spray zone is greater than the density of the first nozzle in the first spray zone, and less than the density of the second nozzle in the second spray zone.

8. A method for controlling a gas nozzle, characterized in that, Based on the gas nozzle according to any one of claims 1-7, the method comprises: The first spray parameter is used to control the spraying zone of the gas nozzle for spraying; The second spray parameter is used to control the spraying of another spray zone of the gas nozzle; The first spraying parameters are different from the second spraying parameters.

9. The method for controlling a gas nozzle according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first spray parameter and the second spray parameter include at least one of gas flow rate, gas pressure and gas concentration.

10. A semiconductor device, characterized in that, The semiconductor device includes the gas nozzle as described in any one of claims 1-7.

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