Lining assembly, process chamber and semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a lining assembly, a process chamber and semiconductor process equipment, the lining assembly comprises a grounding ring and a bottom lining which are arranged around a wafer bearing seat, and the bottom lining is in lap joint with the grounding ring; the grounding ring surrounds the bottom lining, and the outer side surface of the bottom lining is in contact with the inner side surface of the grounding ring; or the bottom lining is arranged around the grounding ring, and the inner side surface of the bottom lining is in contact with the outer side surface of the grounding ring; an exhaust hole is formed in the bottom lining and penetrates through the bottom lining. The inner side face or the outer side face of the bottom lining is in lap joint with the grounding ring, so that the bottom lining is located in the grounding loop and is grounded through the grounding ring, the potential difference between the upper surface and the lower surface of the bottom lining can be effectively reduced, and therefore the probability that arc discharge occurs on the lower surface of the bottom lining can be reduced; therefore, adverse effects on a plasma loop in the process space are reduced, the uniformity of plasma distribution and the uniformity of the process can be ensured, and the yield can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a substrate assembly, process chamber, and semiconductor process equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Plasma technology is one of the core process technologies in modern semiconductor manufacturing, and it is widely used in key processes such as etching, chemical vapor deposition, and atomic layer deposition. Its basic principle is to generate plasma containing ions, electrons, and active free radicals by exciting process gases in the process chamber. These active particles then react physically or chemically with the wafer surface to achieve material removal, coating, or modification.

[0003] In related technologies, the substrate (also known as a focusing ring, base ring, etc.) is an important component of the process chamber, with its upper surface exposed to the process space. During the process, the upper surface of the substrate exposed to the plasma acquires a high radio frequency potential, resulting in a significant potential difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate. When this potential difference exceeds the breakdown threshold of the air medium at the lower surface of the substrate, an arc discharge occurs on the lower surface of the substrate. This discharge alters the plasma loop within the process space, adversely affecting the uniformity of plasma distribution and process uniformity. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application discloses a substrate assembly, a process chamber, and semiconductor process equipment to solve the problem of arc discharge easily occurring under the substrate in related technologies.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application is implemented as follows: In a first aspect, embodiments of this application disclose a liner assembly for use in a process chamber, the process chamber including a chamber body and a wafer carrier disposed within the chamber body, the liner assembly including a grounding ring for surrounding the wafer carrier and a bottom liner, the bottom liner overlapping the grounding ring; The grounding ring is disposed around the substrate, and the outer side of the substrate contacts the inner side of the grounding ring; or, the substrate is disposed around the grounding ring, and the inner side of the substrate contacts the outer side of the grounding ring. The liner is provided with an exhaust hole, which extends through the liner.

[0006] Secondly, embodiments of this application disclose a process chamber, which includes a chamber body, an upper electrode, a wafer carrier, an exhaust assembly, and the liner assembly described in the first aspect. The upper electrode is located at the opening at the top of the chamber body, the wafer carrier is located in the chamber body and is positioned opposite to the upper electrode, and the exhaust assembly is connected to the exhaust port.

[0007] Thirdly, embodiments of this application disclose a semiconductor process apparatus, which includes a radio frequency power supply and the process chamber described in the second aspect. The radio frequency power supply is electrically connected to the upper electrode and the wafer carrier, respectively.

[0008] The technical solution adopted in this application can achieve the following technical effects: The substrate assembly, process chamber, and semiconductor process equipment disclosed in this application improve upon related technologies. By connecting the inner or outer side of the substrate to a grounding ring, the substrate is placed in a grounding loop and grounded through the grounding ring. This effectively reduces the potential difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate, thereby reducing the probability of arc discharge on the lower surface of the substrate. This reduces the adverse effects on the plasma loop in the process space, ensuring the uniformity of plasma distribution and process uniformity, which is beneficial for improving yield. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the process chamber disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 2 This is a second schematic diagram of the structure of the process chamber disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the process chamber disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 4 This is one of the partial structural schematic diagrams of the process chamber disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 5 This is a second partial structural schematic diagram of the process chamber disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 6 This is the third partial structural schematic diagram of the process chamber disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 7 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the side liner disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 8 This is a second schematic diagram of the side liner structure disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the substrate disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the isolation component disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the liner disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 12This is a schematic diagram of the grounding ring structure disclosed in an embodiment of this application; Figure 13 This is a gas velocity cloud map at 1 mm above the wafer when using the scheme of this application; Figure 14 This is a gas velocity cloud map 1 mm above the wafer when using the relevant technology. Figure 15 A coordinate graph comparing the gas flow rate at 1 mm above the wafer in this application with that in related technologies.

[0010] Figure 16 This is a plasma distribution diagram when the scheme of this application is adopted; Figure 17 This is a cross-sectional electric field distribution diagram when the scheme of this application is adopted.

[0011] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 100 - Chamber body, 101 - Process space, 102 - Exhaust channel, 103 - First channel, 104 - Second channel 200-Wafer Carrier 300- Liner assembly, 301- First gap, 302- Second gap, 310- Grounding ring, 311- Stepped surface, 320- Bottom liner, 321- Exhaust hole, 322- Limiting protrusion, 323- Second protrusion, 330- Inner liner, 331- Annular sidewall, 332- Annular bottom wall, 3321- Exhaust port, 340- Isolator, 341- First protrusion, 342- Second recess, 343- Isolation body, 344- Connecting part, 345- Flow port, 350- Side liner, 351- First recess, 352- First guide surface, 353- Second guide surface, 354- Through hole, 360- Drive unit. 400 - Upper electrode, 410 - Upper electrode body, 420 - Temperature control unit, 421 - Cooling plate, 422 - Heating plate, 423 - Heat equalizing plate, 430 - Flow equalizing plate, 431 - Annular groove, 440 - Cover plate 500-vacuum gauge 600-Spectrum Analyzer 700 - Exhaust assembly, 710 - Air pump, 720 - Exhaust piping, 730 - Valve body. Detailed Implementation

[0012] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0013] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and are not limited in number; for example, a first object can be one or more.

[0014] The technical solutions disclosed in the various embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0015] Please refer to Figures 1 to 17 This application discloses a liner assembly 300 for use in a process chamber, which can be used to perform wafer etching, deposition, and other processes. The process chamber may include a chamber body 100 and a wafer carrier 200 disposed within the chamber body 100. The wafer carrier 200 can be used to support the wafer, and at the same time, the wafer carrier 200 also serves as the lower electrode of the process chamber to form a radio frequency circuit.

[0016] The liner assembly 300 is disposed within the chamber body 100 and primarily serves to protect the inner wall of the chamber body 100. In this embodiment, the liner assembly 300 may include a grounding ring 310 and a base liner 320, both of which are annular structures and are respectively arranged around the wafer carrier 200. The grounding ring 310 can be fixed to the chamber body 100 or other grounded components by screws to ensure that it is at a stable ground potential.

[0017] The substrate 320 is an important component of the process space 101. The upper surface of the substrate 320 (the surface of the substrate 320 facing the process space 101) is exposed to the plasma environment of the process space 101. Therefore, the upper surface of the substrate 320 will acquire a high radio frequency potential. In related technologies, the substrate 320 usually constitutes part of the radio frequency circuit. This results in a large potential difference between the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate 320 (the surface of the substrate 320 facing away from the process space 101). When this potential difference exceeds the breakdown threshold of the air medium on the lower surface of the substrate 320, an arc discharge phenomenon will occur near the lower surface of the substrate 320. The discharge phenomenon will cause the temperature of the area and structure near the lower surface of the substrate 320 to rise. The temperature rise will increase the local air pressure, which will further amplify the discharge phenomenon, thereby affecting the changes in the plasma circuit, and consequently affecting the uniformity of plasma distribution and process uniformity in the process space 101.

[0018] To address the aforementioned issues, the base liner 320 can be overlapped with the grounding ring 310, placing the base liner 320 within a grounding loop and grounding it through the grounding ring 310. Specifically, depending on the relative positions of the grounding ring 310 and the base liner 320, the grounding ring 310 and the base liner 320 can be assembled in the following ways: the grounding ring 310 is arranged around the base liner 320, that is, the grounding ring 310 is located outside the base liner 320, in which case the outer surface of the base liner 320 can contact the inner surface of the grounding ring 310; or, the base liner 320 is arranged around the grounding ring 310, that is, the base liner 320 is located outside the grounding ring 310, in which case the inner surface of the base liner 320 can contact the outer surface of the grounding ring 310. To improve the reliability of the assembly between the grounding ring 310 and the base 320, the grounding ring 310 and the base 320 can be fixed by screws, clips or other structures; or, steps, protrusions or other structures can be provided on the side of the grounding ring 310 to support the base 320.

[0019] It should be added that, considering that an exhaust process needs to be performed in the process space 101 during the process to remove waste gas in a timely manner, in this embodiment, an exhaust hole 321 can be provided on the substrate 320. The exhaust hole 321 penetrates the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 320, and the gas in the process space 101 can be discharged through the exhaust hole 321. An exhaust channel 102 can be provided below the exhaust hole 321, which can be used to connect the exhaust assembly 700 of the process chamber. The grounding ring 310 and the substrate 320 are assembled in the above manner, which can effectively limit the potential of the substrate 320 to near the grounding potential through the grounding ring 310, significantly reducing the potential difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 320, thereby reducing the probability of arc discharge due to excessive potential difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 320, and further reducing the probability of parasitic plasma generated in the exhaust channel 102 below the substrate 320. Parasitic plasma refers to plasma generated by arc discharge below the substrate 320.

[0020] The above-described solution of this application will not affect the plasma circuit, and is beneficial to improving the uniformity of plasma distribution and process uniformity in the process space 101. Figure 16 As shown, in the region indicated by the elliptical dashed line, parasitic plasma is essentially absent; as Figure 17 As shown, in the region indicated by the elliptical dashed line, the electric field is uniformly distributed, and no abnormal discharge phenomenon is observed.

[0021] As described above, the liner assembly 300 disclosed in this application improves upon related technologies by connecting the inner or outer side of the liner 320 to the grounding ring 310, so that the liner 320 is in the grounding loop and grounded through the grounding ring 310. This effectively reduces the potential difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the liner 320, thereby reducing the probability of arc discharge on the lower surface of the liner 320. This reduces the adverse effects on the plasma loop in the process space 101, ensuring the uniformity of plasma distribution and process uniformity, which is beneficial for improving the yield.

[0022] In one optional embodiment of this application, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 11 As shown, the aforementioned liner assembly 300 may further include an inner liner 330. The main function of the inner liner 330 is to protect the inner wall of the chamber body 100 from plasma erosion. The inner liner 330 is cylindrical and may specifically include an annular sidewall 331 and an annular bottom wall 332 connected to the bottom of the annular sidewall 331. The annular sidewall 331 is mainly used to protect the inner wall of the chamber body 100. A flange structure may be provided on the top of the annular sidewall 331. The flange structure can overlap the top of the chamber body 100 to achieve stable installation of the inner liner 330.

[0023] The annular bottom wall 332 of the inner liner 330 surrounds the wafer carrier 200, and the annular side wall 331 of the inner liner 330 surrounds the grounding ring 310 and the bottom liner 320. That is, the grounding ring 310 and the bottom liner 320 are located between the annular side wall 331 and the wafer carrier 200. An exhaust port 3321 is provided on the annular bottom wall 332. The exhaust port 3321 can be used to connect to the exhaust assembly 700 of the process chamber. Gas in the process space 101 can be discharged through the exhaust port 321 on the bottom liner 320 and the exhaust port 3321 on the annular bottom wall 332. The shape of the exhaust port 3321 can be circular, elongated, etc., and the specific number of exhaust ports 3321 can be one, two, or more. In this embodiment, such as three and... Figure 11 As shown, multiple exhaust ports 3321 can be provided circumferentially on the annular bottom wall 332 so that the gas in the exhaust channel 102 can be evenly discharged from the multiple exhaust ports 3321, which is beneficial to improving exhaust efficiency. The bottom end of the grounding ring 310 can be fixed to the annular bottom wall 332 by means of bolt connection, snap-fit, etc., so that the inner lining 330 is also connected to the grounding circuit.

[0024] In further proposals, such as Figures 1 to 6As shown, the base liner 320 can be arranged around the grounding ring 310, and correspondingly, the inner side of the base liner 320 can overlap the outer side of the grounding ring 310. The aforementioned liner assembly 300 may further include an annular isolator 340 and an annular side liner 350, with the isolator 340 arranged around the outer side of the base liner 320. The bottom end of the isolator 340 can be fixed to the annular bottom wall 332 of the inner liner 330 by means of bolt connection, snap-fit, etc. The side liner 350 is located above the isolator 340, and at the same time, the side liner 350 is also located above the base liner 320. The side liner 350, the spacer 340, and the bottom liner 320 work together to form the process space 101 described above, together with the wafer carrier 200 located in the center of the chamber body 100. The side liner 350, the spacer 340, and the bottom liner 320 can form the first layer of constraint on the plasma in the process space 101. The inner liner 330 is located on the outside of the above components and can form the second layer of constraint on the plasma in the process space 101, so as to reduce the probability of the plasma directly eroding the inner wall of the chamber body 100.

[0025] In this embodiment, to improve the stability of the assembly between the base liner 320 and the grounding ring 310, the base liner 320 can overlap the end of the grounding ring 310 away from the annular bottom wall 332. Furthermore, there is a preset distance between the base liner 320 and the annular bottom wall 332 of the inner liner 330, thereby forming an annular exhaust channel 102 between the base liner 320, the annular bottom wall 332, the separator 340, and the grounding ring 310. The exhaust channel 102 can be connected to the process space 101 through the exhaust hole 321. The exhaust assembly 700 can be connected to the exhaust channel 102 through the exhaust port 3321 on the annular bottom wall 332, thereby facilitating the exhaust of the process space 101.

[0026] Furthermore, such as Figures 1 to 6 As shown, during actual assembly, the inner liner 330 is disposed outside the side liner 350, the spacer 340, and the bottom liner 320, and there is an assembly gap between the inner liner 330 and the aforementioned components. Specifically, the annular sidewalls 331 of the side liner 350 and the inner liner 330 are spaced apart to form an annular first channel 103, and the spacer 340 is spaced apart from the annular sidewall 331 to form an annular second channel 104, with the first channel 103 and the second channel 104 communicating with each other.

[0027] During the exhaust process in the process chamber, the exhaust path can be roughly divided into a first path located inside the isolation member 340 and the side liner 350, and a second path located outside the isolation member 340 and the side liner 350. For the first path, the gas in the process space 101 is discharged through the exhaust hole 321 on the bottom liner 320, the exhaust channel 102, and the exhaust port 3321 on the annular bottom wall 332. For the second path, an overflow port 345 needs to be provided in the part of the isolation member 340 near the annular bottom wall 332. The second channel 104 can be connected to the exhaust channel 102 through the overflow port 345. The shape of the overflow port 345 can be a circular hole, a strip hole, etc., and the number of overflow ports 345 can be one, two, or more. When the number of overflow ports 345 is two or more, the two or more overflow ports 345 can be arranged circumferentially at intervals on the isolation member 340. The second path is actually that the gas in the first channel 103 and the second channel 104 is discharged through the overflow port 345, the exhaust channel 102 and the exhaust port 3321 on the annular bottom wall 332.

[0028] In one optional embodiment of this application, the side liner 350 can be connected to the chamber body 100 by suspension, and the isolation member 340 and the bottom liner 320 do not need to support the side liner 350. Then, the bottom end of the side liner 350 can be spaced apart from the top end of the isolation member 340 and the top end of the bottom liner 320 to form a first gap 301. This first gap 301 connects the process space 101 and the first channel 103. The first gap 301 can serve as auxiliary exhaust to improve the exhaust efficiency of the process space 101. Gas in the process space 101 can enter the first channel 103 through the first gap 301 and be discharged through the second channel 104, the overflow port 345, the exhaust channel 102, and the exhaust port 3321 on the annular bottom wall 332. Simultaneously, by setting the first gap 301, direct contact and collision between the side liner 350 and the isolation member 340 and the bottom liner 320 can be avoided. The width of the first gap 301 can be 0-2mm, specifically 0, 0.5mm, 1mm, 2mm, etc. When the first gap 301 is 0, the first gap 301 does not exist. That is to say, the bottom end of the side liner 350 can be directly fitted and installed with the top end of the separator 340 and the top end of the bottom liner 320.

[0029] Furthermore, a second gap 302 is provided between the outer surfaces of the isolator 340 and the substrate 320, connecting the process space 101 and the exhaust channel 102. Similarly, the second gap 302 can also serve as auxiliary exhaust to improve the exhaust efficiency of the process space 101. Gas in the process space 101 can enter the exhaust channel 102 through the second gap 302 and be discharged through the exhaust port 3321 on the annular bottom wall 332. The width of the second gap 302 can be 0-1mm, specifically 0, 0.5mm, 1mm, etc. When the second gap 302 is 0mm, it does not exist; that is, the isolator 340 and the substrate 320 can be directly fitted together.

[0030] Considering that plasma in the process space 101 may escape from the first gap 301 and cause erosion of the chamber body 100 or waste of plasma, in this embodiment, such as Figures 4 to 6 As shown, a first recess 351 can be provided in one of the side liner 350 and the spacer 340, and a first protrusion 341 can be provided in the other. The first recess 351 and the first protrusion 341 are arranged at intervals, thereby forming a maze-like first gap 301 between the side liner 350, the spacer 340, and the base liner 320. For example, the first protrusion 341 can be provided in the edge region of the top end of the spacer 340, and the first recess 351 can be provided in the edge region of the bottom end of the side liner 350. Alternatively, the first recess 351 can be provided in the edge region of the top end of the spacer 340, and the first protrusion 341 can be provided in the edge region of the bottom end of the side liner 350. Since the path in the maze-like first gap 301 is relatively tortuous, even if plasma enters the first gap 301, most of the plasma will be annihilated in the first gap 301, reducing the probability of plasma escaping from the first gap 301.

[0031] like Figures 4 to 6 , Figure 12 As shown, in order to improve the reliability of the assembly between the base liner 320 and the grounding ring 310, in this embodiment, a stepped surface 311 can be provided on the outer side of the grounding ring 310, and a limiting protrusion 322 can be provided on the inner side of the base liner 320. In actual assembly, the limiting protrusion 322 can be overlapped on the stepped surface 311. By utilizing the limiting fit between the limiting protrusion 322 and the stepped surface 311, the base liner 320 can be stably overlapped on the grounding ring 310.

[0032] Considering that plasma in process space 101 may escape from the second gap 302, in this embodiment, such as Figures 4 to 6As shown, one of the substrate 320 and the spacer 340 may have a second recess 342, and the other may have a second protrusion 323. The second recess 342 and the second protrusion 323 are arranged at intervals, thereby forming a maze-like second gap 302 between the substrate 320 and the spacer 340. Because the path in the maze-like second gap 302 is relatively tortuous, even if plasma enters the second gap 302, most of the plasma will be annihilated in the second gap 302, reducing the probability of plasma escaping from the second gap 302.

[0033] Based on the above description, the exhaust path of the process chamber can include a first path and a second path. For the second path, gas in the first channel 103 and the second channel 104 can be discharged through the overflow port 345, the exhaust channel 102, and the exhaust port 3321 on the annular bottom wall 332. To prevent dead zones in the exhaust in the first channel 103, a first guide surface 352 can be provided on the surface of the side liner 350 near the first channel 103. This first guide surface 352 gradually moves away from the annular sidewall 331 from the end near the isolator 340 to the end away from the isolator 340. By providing the first guide surface 352, a larger exhaust space can be formed in the first channel 103, allowing the airflow to smoothly transition through the first guide surface 352, thereby avoiding dead zones in the exhaust and improving the uniformity of the exhaust rate.

[0034] Figure 13 This is a gas velocity cloud map at 1 mm above the wafer when using the scheme of this application. Figure 14 The image shows the gas velocity cloud map 1 mm above the wafer when using the related technology. According to the color change of the cloud map, the gas velocity in the center and edge regions of the wafer is significantly different and the uniformity is poor. In contrast, the gas velocity distribution above the wafer in this application is more uniform.

[0035] Figure 15 The graph compares the gas flow rate at 1 mm above the wafer with the solutions of this application and related technologies. The gray line represents this application, and the black line represents related technologies. According to the change in the slope of the lines, the gas flow rate of this application is more uniform.

[0036] As can be seen from the above figures, the solution proposed in this application can effectively improve the uniformity of the flow field above the wafer, which is beneficial to improving the process uniformity.

[0037] Furthermore, the inner side of the side liner 350 has a second guide surface 353 opposite to the process space 101. The second guide surface 353 gradually approaches the annular sidewall 331 from the end away from the separator 340 to the end closer to the separator 340. During the etching process, by-products are generated in the process space 101. The design of the second guide surface 353 can increase the deposition area of ​​the by-products, which is conducive to the full deposition of the by-products. At the same time, one end of the second guide surface 353 extends to a position close to the substrate 320 and close to the vent hole 321 of the substrate 320. According to the flow field characteristics, the airflow velocity near the vent hole 321 is relatively fast. The by-products mentioned above can be directly discharged through the vent hole 321, thereby reducing the contamination of the wafer in the process space 101 and improving the wafer yield.

[0038] like Figure 2 As shown, a vacuum gauge 500 and a spectrometer 600 can be provided on the side of the chamber body 100. The vacuum gauge 500 can be used to monitor the pressure inside the process space 101, and the spectrometer 600 can be used to monitor the spectrum of the plasma inside the process space 101. Correspondingly, at least two through holes 354 are provided on the side liner 350. The through holes 354 can connect the process space 101 and the first channel 103. The at least two through holes 354 can be respectively arranged opposite to the vacuum gauge 500 and the spectrometer 600 to facilitate the vacuum gauge 500 and the spectrometer 600 to perform the corresponding monitoring processes. At the same time, the through holes 354 can also serve as an auxiliary exhaust structure to improve the exhaust efficiency of the process space 101.

[0039] The aperture of the through-hole 354 can be 1mm-2mm, specifically 1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm, etc. Considering that plasma in the process space 101 may escape from the through-hole 354, the probability of plasma escape can be reduced by increasing the aspect ratio (the ratio of the depth to the aperture of the through-hole 354). The aspect ratio of the through-hole 354 can range from 5:1 to 10:1. In specific implementation, a boss structure can be provided in a local area on the outer side of the side liner 350, and part of the structure of the through-hole 354 can be formed on the boss structure, which is beneficial to increasing the aspect ratio of the through-hole 354.

[0040] In one optional embodiment of this application, the side liner 350 may be designed with a lifting mechanism to facilitate the entry and exit of the wafer from the process space 101. Specifically, a drive unit 360 may be provided at the top of the chamber body 100. The drive unit 360 may be a motor, cylinder, or other device. Part of the drive unit 360 may extend into the chamber body 100 and be connected to the side liner 350, thereby driving the side liner 350 to move closer to or further away from the isolator 340, so that the process space 101 is in a closed or open state. When the process space 101 is in the open state, the wafer can enter and exit the process space 101. It should be noted that the inner liner 330 and the side wall of the chamber body 100 are respectively provided with wafer transfer ports, through which the wafer can enter and exit the chamber body 100.

[0041] In one optional embodiment of this application, such as Figure 10 As shown, the isolation member 340 may include an isolation body 343 and a plurality of connecting portions 344 disposed at the bottom end of the isolation body 343. The plurality of connecting portions 344 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the isolation body 343. The plurality of connecting portions 344 can be connected to the annular bottom wall 332 respectively to realize the assembly of the isolation member 340 and the inner liner 330. The specific connection method can be snap-fit, bolt connection, etc. In this embodiment, the intervals between adjacent connecting portions 344 are arranged to form a plurality of recesses at the bottom end of the isolation member 340. The recesses can serve as the flow ports 345 mentioned above to connect the second channel 104 and the exhaust channel 102.

[0042] In this embodiment, as Figure 9 As shown, the substrate 320 has vent holes 321, which extend radially along the substrate 320. Multiple vent holes 321 are arranged circumferentially around the substrate 320. The aspect ratio of the vent holes 321 affects the uniformity of exhaust flow; increasing the aspect ratio improves the uniformity of the exhaust flow. Furthermore, if an electric arc discharge occurs below the substrate 320, generating impurity gases, the larger aspect ratio of the vent holes 321 can also block these impurity gases, preventing them from flowing back into the process space 101. The width of the vent holes 321 can be 1mm-3mm, specifically 1mm, 2mm, 3mm, etc., and the depth can be 10mm-20mm, specifically 10mm, 15mm, 20mm, etc. The aspect ratio of the vent holes 321 can range from 5:1 to 10:1.

[0043] Please refer to Figures 1 to 17This application also discloses a process chamber, which may include a chamber body 100, an upper electrode 400, a wafer carrier 200, an exhaust assembly 700, and the aforementioned liner assembly 300. The upper electrode 400 may be disposed at an opening at the top of the chamber body 100. The wafer carrier 200 is disposed in the chamber body 100 and is disposed opposite to the upper electrode 400. The side liner 350, the spacer 340, the bottom liner 320, the upper electrode 400, and the wafer carrier 200 cooperate with each other to form the aforementioned process space 101. The exhaust assembly 700 is connected to the exhaust port 321 and can be used to provide the power required for exhaust. The exhaust assembly 700 may include a centrifugal air pump, a diaphragm air pump, a plunger air pump, etc.

[0044] As described above, the process chamber disclosed in this application improves upon related technologies by connecting the inner or outer side of the substrate 320 to the grounding ring 310, so that the substrate 320 is in the grounding loop and grounded through the grounding ring 310. This can effectively reduce the potential difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 320, thereby reducing the probability of arc discharge on the lower surface of the substrate 320. This reduces the adverse effects on the plasma loop in the process space 101, thereby ensuring the uniformity of plasma distribution and process uniformity, which is beneficial to improving the yield.

[0045] Furthermore, the upper electrode 400 may specifically include an upper electrode body 410, a temperature control unit 420, a flow equalization plate 430, and a cover plate 440. The cover plate 440 covers the opening at the top of the chamber body 100, providing a certain degree of sealing. Simultaneously, the cover plate 440 also provides a mounting base for components such as the temperature control unit 420, the flow equalization plate 430, and the upper electrode body 410. The temperature control unit 420, the flow equalization plate 430, and the upper electrode body 410 are stacked sequentially and interconnected. A portion of the structure of the temperature control unit 420 overlaps the side of the cover plate 440 facing away from the chamber body 100. The flow equalization plate 430 and the upper electrode body 410 extend into the chamber body 100 through clearance openings on the cover plate 440. The temperature control unit 420 is used to adjust the temperature of the upper electrode body 410 to prevent the upper electrode body 410 from being affected by excessively high or low temperatures, thus ensuring the uniformity of the plasma. The flow equalization disk 430 is used to ensure that the process gas enters the process space 101 uniformly.

[0046] Furthermore, an annular groove 431 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the flow equalization disk 430. The upper electrode body 410 can be connected to the flow equalization disk 430 via a fastener, with the end of the fastener extending into the annular groove 431. The annular groove 431 provides a space for the end of the fastener, preventing it from protruding from the upper surface of the flow equalization disk 430. The fastener can be a bolt. A threaded hole is formed on the upper electrode body 410, and a corresponding through hole 354 is formed on the flow equalization disk 430. The bolt passes through the through hole 354 of the flow equalization disk 430 and is screwed into the threaded hole of the upper electrode body 410, thus fastening the upper electrode body 410 to the flow equalization disk 430. The head of the bolt is located in the annular groove 431, and the depth of the annular groove 431 can be greater than the height of the bolt head to ensure that the bolt head is completely submerged in the annular groove 431. In addition, the aforementioned annular groove 431 can also cooperate with the first guide surface 352 formed on the side liner 350 to form a larger exhaust space and avoid dead zones in the exhaust.

[0047] In this embodiment, a heat-conducting sheet is provided between the upper electrode body 410 and the flow equalization disk 430. The heat-conducting sheet enhances the heat transfer effect between the upper electrode body 410 and the flow equalization disk 430, allowing the temperature regulation of the temperature control unit 420 to act more quickly on the upper electrode body 410. The heat-conducting sheet can be made of thermally conductive materials, such as thermally conductive silicone sheets or copper foil. The area of ​​the heat-conducting sheet matches the contact area between the upper electrode body 410 and the flow equalization disk 430, ensuring full contact between the two and improving heat conduction efficiency.

[0048] In one optional embodiment of this application, the temperature control unit 420 includes a stacked and interconnected cooling plate 421 and a heating plate 422. The cooling plate 421 overlaps on the side of the cover plate 440 facing away from the chamber body 100, and at least a portion of the heating plate 422 is located in a clearance opening of the cover plate 440. The cooling plate 421 is used to cool the upper electrode body 410, and the heating plate 422 is used to heat the upper electrode body 410. Through the synergistic effect of the cooling plate 421 and the heating plate 422, the temperature of the upper electrode body 410 can be precisely controlled within the range required by the process. The cooling plate 421 is provided with a cooling channel, through which cooling water or cooling gas, such as nitrogen, is introduced to remove the heat from the upper electrode body 410 through heat exchange. The heating plate 422 can be a resistance heating method, with a heating wire inside, which raises the temperature of the upper electrode body 410 by electrical heating.

[0049] A heat-dampening plate 423 is provided between the cooling plate 421 and the heating plate 422. The heat-dampening plate 423 enables the heat from the cooling plate 421 and the heating plate 422 to be evenly transferred to the upper electrode body 410, avoiding local temperature unevenness in the upper electrode body 410, thereby ensuring the temperature uniformity of the wafer surface. The heat-dampening plate 423 can be made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as copper, aluminum, or graphite. The upper and lower surfaces of the heat-dampening plate 423 are tightly attached to the cooling plate 421 and the heating plate 422, respectively, and the three can be fixedly connected by bolts to ensure efficient heat transfer.

[0050] In this embodiment, the exhaust assembly 700 may include an air pump 710, an exhaust pipe 720, and a valve body 730. The first end of the exhaust pipe 720 is connected to the air pump 710, and the second end is connected to the chamber body 100 and also communicates with the exhaust port 321. The valve body 730 is disposed within the exhaust pipe 720. The air pump 710 provides power for the exhaust and can be a vacuum pump, capable of pumping the air pressure in the process chamber to the required vacuum level. The valve body 730 can be a butterfly valve, gate valve, or throttle valve, used to control the on / off state of the exhaust pipe 720 and the exhaust flow rate to adapt to different process requirements. A sealing element can be provided at the connection point 344 between the exhaust pipe 720 and the chamber body 100 to ensure a tight seal and prevent air leakage into the chamber body 100, which could affect the process performance.

[0051] Please refer to Figures 1 to 17 This application also discloses a semiconductor process apparatus, which may include a radio frequency (RF) power supply and the aforementioned process chamber. The RF power supply can be electrically connected to the upper electrode 400 and the wafer carrier 200, respectively. The RF power supply can output a high-frequency voltage, thereby forming an RF electric field between the upper electrode 400 and the wafer carrier 200. Under the action of the RF electric field, the process gas is ionized to generate plasma. The plasma undergoes chemical reactions or physical interactions with the wafer surface, realizing processing processes such as etching and deposition on the wafer.

[0052] As described above, the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in this application improves upon related technologies by connecting the inner or outer side of the substrate 320 to the grounding ring 310, so that the substrate 320 is in the grounding loop and grounded through the grounding ring 310. This effectively reduces the potential difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 320, thereby reducing the probability of arc discharge on the lower surface of the substrate 320. This reduces the adverse effects on the plasma loop in the process space 101, ensuring the uniformity of plasma distribution and process uniformity, which is beneficial to improving the yield.

[0053] The above embodiments of this application focus on describing the differences between the various embodiments. As long as the different technical features between the various embodiments are not contradictory, they can be combined to form more specific embodiments. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail here.

[0054] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A liner assembly for a process chamber, the process chamber comprising a chamber body (100) and a wafer carrier (200) disposed within the chamber body (100), characterized in that, The liner assembly (300) includes a grounding ring (310) and a substrate (320) disposed around the wafer carrier (200), the substrate (320) overlapping the grounding ring (310). The grounding ring (310) is arranged around the substrate (320), and the outer side of the substrate (320) contacts the inner side of the grounding ring (310); or, the substrate (320) is arranged around the grounding ring (310), and the inner side of the substrate (320) contacts the outer side of the grounding ring (310). The liner (320) is provided with an exhaust hole (321) that passes through the liner (320).

2. The liner assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liner assembly (300) further includes an inner liner (330), which includes an annular sidewall (331) for forming protection against the inner wall of the chamber body (100) and an annular bottom wall (332) connected to the bottom of the annular sidewall (331). The annular sidewall (331) is arranged around the grounding ring (310) and the substrate (320), the annular bottom wall (332) is arranged around the wafer carrier (200), and the annular bottom wall (332) is provided with an exhaust port (3321). The bottom end of the grounding ring (310) is fixed to the annular bottom wall (332).

3. The liner assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The base liner (320) is disposed around the grounding ring (310), and the liner assembly (300) further includes an annular spacer (340) and an annular side liner (350). The isolation element (340) is arranged around the base liner (320), and the bottom end of the isolation element (340) is fixed to the annular bottom wall (332); The side liner (350) is located above the spacer (340), and the side liner (350), the spacer (340) and the bottom liner (320) cooperate to form a process space (101) together with the wafer carrier (200).

4. The liner assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The liner (320) overlaps the grounding ring (310) at the end away from the annular bottom wall (332); There is a preset distance between the liner (320) and the annular bottom wall (332) to form an annular exhaust channel (102) between the liner (320), the annular bottom wall (332), the isolation member (340), and the grounding ring (310). The exhaust channel (102) is connected to the process space (101) through the exhaust hole (321).

5. The liner assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The side liner (350) and the annular sidewall (331) are spaced apart to form a first channel (103), and the separator (340) and the annular sidewall (331) are spaced apart to form a second channel (104). The first channel (103) and the second channel (104) are interconnected. The isolation element (340) has an outlet (345) near the annular bottom wall (332), and the second channel (104) is connected to the exhaust channel (102) through the outlet (345).

6. The liner assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The bottom end of the side liner (350) is spaced apart from the top end of the separator (340) and the top end of the bottom liner (320) to form a first gap (301), the first gap (301) connecting the process space (101) and the first channel (103).

7. The liner assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The isolation element (340) has a second gap (302) between the outer side of the substrate (320) and the process space (101) and the exhaust channel (102).

8. The liner assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, One of the side liner (350) and the spacer (340) is provided with a first recess (351) and the other is provided with a first protrusion (341). The first recess (351) and the first protrusion (341) are spaced apart to form a labyrinthine first gap (301).

9. The liner assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The outer side of the grounding ring (310) is provided with a stepped surface (311), and the inner side of the liner (320) is provided with a limiting protrusion (322). The limiting protrusion (322) overlaps the stepped surface (311) and is limited to cooperate with the stepped surface (311) so that the liner (320) overlaps the grounding ring (310).

10. The liner assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that, One of the liner (320) and the spacer (340) is provided with a second recess (342) and the other is provided with a second protrusion (323). The second recess (342) and the second protrusion (323) are spaced apart to form a labyrinthine second gap (302).

11. The liner assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The side liner (350) has a first guide surface (352) on the surface near the first channel (103), and the first guide surface (352) gradually moves away from the annular sidewall (331) from one end near the isolation member (340) to the end away from the isolation member (340).

12. The liner assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The inner side of the side liner (350) has a second guide surface (353) opposite to the process space (101), and the second guide surface (353) gradually approaches the annular sidewall (331) from one end away from the isolation member (340) to one end close to the isolation member (340).

13. The liner assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The side liner (350) is provided with at least two through holes (354), which connect the process space (101) and the first channel (103). At least two of the through holes (354) are respectively arranged opposite to the vacuum gauge (500) and the spectrometer (600) on the side of the chamber body (100).

14. The liner assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The liner assembly (300) further includes a drive unit (360) for being disposed on top of the chamber body (100), and a portion of the drive unit (360) extends into the chamber body (100) and is connected to the side liner (350) to drive the side liner (350) toward or away from the spacer (340).

15. The liner assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The isolation component (340) includes an isolation body (343) and a plurality of connecting parts (344) disposed at the bottom end of the isolation body (343). The plurality of connecting parts (344) are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the isolation body (343), and the plurality of connecting parts (344) are respectively connected to the annular bottom wall (332).

16. The liner assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vent (321) extends radially along the substrate (320), and there are multiple vents (321), which are arranged circumferentially at intervals on the substrate (320).

17. A process chamber, characterized in that, It includes a chamber body (100), an upper electrode (400), a wafer carrier (200), an exhaust assembly (700), and a liner assembly (300) as described in any one of claims 1-16. The upper electrode (400) is located at the opening at the top of the chamber body (100), the wafer carrier (200) is located in the chamber body (100) and is arranged opposite to the upper electrode (400), and the exhaust assembly (700) is connected to the exhaust port (321).

18. The process chamber according to claim 17, characterized in that, The upper electrode (400) includes an upper electrode body (410), a temperature control unit (420), a flow equalization disk (430), and a cover plate (440). The cover plate (440) is placed over the opening at the top of the chamber body (100), and the temperature control unit (420), the flow equalization plate (430) and the upper electrode body (410) are stacked in sequence and connected to each other. Part of the structure of the temperature control unit (420) overlaps on the side of the cover plate (440) facing away from the chamber body (100), and the flow equalization plate (430) and the upper electrode body (410) extend into the chamber body (100) through the clearance opening on the cover plate (440).

19. The process chamber according to claim 18, characterized in that, The outer peripheral surface of the flow equalization disk (430) is provided with an annular groove (431). The upper electrode body (410) is connected to the flow equalization disk (430) by a fastener, and the end of the fastener extends into the annular groove (431).

20. The process chamber according to claim 18, characterized in that, A heat-conducting sheet is provided between the upper electrode body (410) and the flow equalization disk (430).

21. The process chamber according to claim 18, characterized in that, The temperature control unit (420) includes a stacked and interconnected cooling plate (421) and a heating plate (422), the cooling plate (421) overlapping the side of the cover plate (440) facing away from the chamber body (100), and at least a portion of the heating plate (422) being located in a clearance opening of the cover plate (440). A heat equalization plate (423) is provided between the cooling plate (421) and the heating plate (422).

22. The process chamber according to claim 17, characterized in that, The exhaust assembly (700) includes an air pump (710), an exhaust pipe (720), and a valve body (730). The first end of the exhaust pipe (720) is connected to the air pump (710), the second end of the exhaust pipe (720) is connected to the chamber body (100), and is connected to the exhaust port (321). The valve body (730) is located in the exhaust pipe (720).

23. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized in that, It includes a radio frequency power supply and a process chamber as described in any one of claims 17-22, wherein the radio frequency power supply is electrically connected to the upper electrode (400) and the wafer carrier (200), respectively.

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