An etching apparatus

Abstract

This application discloses an etching apparatus, relating to the field of ion etching devices, comprising: a discharge chamber and an etching process chamber connected to the discharge chamber; the discharge chamber is used to generate etching ions; a grid assembly is provided within the discharge chamber, through which etching ions are emitted into the etching process chamber to etch the workpiece within the etching process chamber; a magnetic field generating component is fixed on the grid assembly, the magnetic field generating component is used to generate a control magnetic field, the control magnetic field being used to change the movement direction of sputtered particles generated during the etching process of the workpiece by the etching ions, thereby preventing the sputtered particles from entering the discharge chamber. The technical solution of this application, through the magnetic field generating component installed on the grid assembly, can generate a control magnetic field, and by controlling the magnetic field, can change the movement direction of sputtered particles generated during the etching process of the workpiece by the etching ions, thereby preventing the sputtered particles from entering the discharge chamber, thus avoiding the deposition and contamination of sputtered particles on the grid assembly and the surface of the discharge chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of ion etching apparatus technology, and more particularly to an etching device. Background Technology

[0002] Chip manufacturing processes are complex and numerous, especially for memory and logic devices, involving thousands of steps. In general, these include thin film growth, photolithography, etching, ion implantation, and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). Etching is an essential step in chip manufacturing, further divided into wet etching and dry etching. Dry etching is one of the most commonly used processes in semiconductor manufacturing, accounting for over 90% of the market. Wet etching, on the other hand, has limitations in small-size and complex structure applications and is currently mainly used for cleaning residues after dry etching. The advantage of dry etching lies in its ability to achieve anisotropic etching, meaning that only material in the vertical direction is etched without affecting the lateral material, thus ensuring the fidelity of transferred fine patterns. This is particularly important in advanced processes, as the requirements for etching precision and fidelity increase with the continuous shrinking of chip sizes.

[0003] However, compared with wet etching, dry etching produces sputtered particles with uncontrollable movement during the etching process. The disordered deposition of these sputtered particles within the etching equipment severely affects its performance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, this application provides an etching apparatus that can control the movement direction of sputtered particles generated during the etching process, thereby preventing the deposition and contamination of sputtered particles on the gate and discharge cavity surfaces. The specific solution is as follows:

[0005] An etching apparatus, comprising:

[0006] The discharge cavity and the etching process cavity connected to the discharge cavity;

[0007] The discharge chamber is used to generate etching ions; the discharge chamber has a grid assembly, through which etching ions are emitted to the etching process chamber to etch the workpiece to be processed in the etching process chamber.

[0008] A magnetic field generating component is fixed on the grid assembly. The magnetic field generating component is used to generate a control magnetic field. The control magnetic field is used to change the movement direction of sputtered particles generated during the etching process of the etch ions on the workpiece, so as to prevent the sputtered particles from entering the discharge cavity.

[0009] Optionally, in the above etching apparatus, the magnetic field generating component includes a plurality of magnetic field elements arranged in a coplanar manner, wherein the magnetic pole direction of the magnetic field elements is perpendicular to the plane in which the grid assembly is located.

[0010] Optionally, in the above etching equipment, at least one magnetic field element is a permanent magnet;

[0011] Alternatively, at least one magnetic field element is an electromagnetic coil.

[0012] Optionally, in the above etching apparatus, if at least one magnetic field element is an electromagnetic coil, it further includes:

[0013] The control circuit, located outside the discharge cavity, is used to control the current in the electromagnetic coil to change the control magnetic field.

[0014] Optionally, in the above etching apparatus, the control circuit includes: a current control module connected to the electromagnetic coil; and a central processing unit connected to the current control module.

[0015] If there are multiple electromagnetic coils, the control circuit includes multiple current control modules that are connected one-to-one with each electromagnetic coil.

[0016] Optionally, in the above etching apparatus, the magnetic field element is a series of nested concentric rings or a series of nested concentric polygonal frames.

[0017] Optionally, in the above etching apparatus, the magnetic field elements are arranged in a dot matrix on the surface of the grid assembly, and the magnetic field elements are identical circular rings or identical polygonal frames.

[0018] Optionally, in the above etching equipment, the magnetic field generating component further includes an insulating protective component covering the magnetic field element;

[0019] The insulating protective component includes multiple hollow tubes fixed to the surface of the grid assembly, each hollow tube containing a magnetic field element; or the insulating protective component is a flat plate housing fixed to the surface of the grid assembly, with the magnetic field elements all located inside the flat plate housing, which has multiple through holes for the passage of etching ions, and the magnetic field elements do not overlap with the through holes.

[0020] Optionally, in the above etching equipment, the magnetic poles of the magnetic field elements are all in the same direction;

[0021] Alternatively, at least two magnetic field elements may have different magnetic pole directions.

[0022] Optionally, the etching apparatus further includes a collection device, which is fixed to the inner surface of the etching process chamber for collecting sputtered particles.

[0023] Optionally, in the above etching equipment, the collection device includes multiple collection devices, each adapted to a different magnetic field configuration of the control magnetic field formed by the magnetic field generating component.

[0024] Optionally, in the above etching equipment, the grid assembly includes multiple grids stacked sequentially, with adjacent grids fixedly spaced apart by insulating column connectors;

[0025] The magnetic field generating component is fixedly connected to the grid based on the insulating column connectors on the adjacent grid.

[0026] By means of the above technical solution, the etching equipment provided in this application has a magnetic field generating component in the discharge cavity. The magnetic field generating component is installed on the grid assembly and can generate a control magnetic field. By controlling the magnetic field, the movement direction of sputtered particles generated during the etching process of the workpiece can be changed, thereby blocking the sputtered particles from entering the discharge cavity and avoiding the deposition and contamination of sputtered particles on the grid assembly and the surface of the discharge cavity. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or related technologies, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0028] The structures, proportions, sizes, etc., shown in the accompanying drawings are only for the purpose of assisting those skilled in the art in understanding and reading the content disclosed in the specification, and are not intended to limit the implementation conditions of this application. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in the proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and purposes that this application can produce, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in this application.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating the layout of a magnetic field generating component on the surface of a grid component, provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing another layout of the magnetic field generating component on the surface of the grid component, provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating another arrangement of a magnetic field generating component on the surface of a grid component, provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another etching device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the connection circuit between an electromagnetic coil and a control circuit in an etching apparatus provided in this application embodiment;

[0035] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another etching device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0036] Figure label:

[0037] 11-Discharge cavity; 12-Etching process cavity; 13-Grid assembly; 131-Grid; 14-Workpiece to be processed; 15-Magnetic field generating assembly; 16-Stage; 17-Magnetic field element; 18-Control circuit; 181-Current control module; 182-Central processing unit; 19-Collection device; Z-First direction. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The embodiments of this application will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will recognize that, with technological advancements and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0039] Dry etching primarily removes surface materials by physically bombarding them with etching ions. During the process, a large number of non-volatile sputtered particles are generated. These particles deposit on the inner surface of the etching chamber to form a coating. As the process duration increases, preventive maintenance (PM) is required to keep the etching chamber clean and maintain particle levels at a low level.

[0040] In addition, some sputtered particles diffuse onto the grid surface of the etching equipment and pass through the grid openings into the discharge chamber, forming a coating on the grid surface and the discharge chamber surface. Unlike the coating inside the etching chamber, the coatings on the grid surface and the discharge chamber surface come into contact with plasma during the process. Under the bombardment of etching ions, this coating can become a potential source of particulate contamination. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the diffusion of sputtered particles into the grid and discharge chamber during the etching process.

[0041] However, for etching equipment, the grid is an ion optical system. The plasma in the discharge cavity needs to be drawn out through the grid to form an etching ion beam. If a mechanical structure is used to block sputtered particles from splashing back into the discharge cavity, it will block the path of the etching ion beam toward the etching process cavity.

[0042] To address the aforementioned problems, embodiments of this application provide an etching apparatus, comprising:

[0043] The discharge cavity and the etching process cavity connected to the discharge cavity;

[0044] The discharge chamber is used to generate etching ions; the discharge chamber has a grid assembly, through which etching ions are emitted to the etching process chamber to etch the workpiece to be processed in the etching process chamber.

[0045] A magnetic field generating component is fixed on the grid assembly. The magnetic field generating component is used to generate a control magnetic field. The control magnetic field is used to change the movement direction of sputtered particles generated during the etching process of the etch ions on the workpiece, so as to prevent the sputtered particles from entering the discharge cavity.

[0046] In the etching apparatus provided in this application embodiment, a magnetic field generating component is provided in the discharge cavity. The magnetic field generating component is installed on the side surface of the grid assembly from which etching ions are emitted. It can generate a control magnetic field. By controlling the magnetic field, the movement direction of sputtered particles generated during the etching process of the workpiece can be changed, thereby blocking the sputtered particles from entering the discharge cavity and avoiding the deposition and contamination of sputtered particles on the grid assembly and the surface of the discharge cavity.

[0047] As can be seen from the above description, in the embodiments of this application, a physical field (i.e., the control magnetic field mentioned above) can be used to prevent sputtered particles from splashing back onto the surface of the grid assembly and the discharge cavity, which can effectively maintain the cleanliness of the surface of the grid assembly and the discharge cavity, so that the particles in the discharge cavity meet the requirements during the process, which can improve the yield of etched products and increase the maintenance cycle of the equipment.

[0048] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, the etching equipment includes, but is not limited to, ion beam shaping (IBS) equipment, and may also be other types of dry etching equipment based on ion beam etching. The workpiece to be processed includes, but is not limited to, semiconductor wafers used for chip manufacturing, and may also be a workpiece to be etched from non-semiconductor materials.

[0049] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0050] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present application. The etching apparatus includes a discharge cavity 11 and an etching process cavity 12 connected to the discharge cavity 11.

[0051] The discharge cavity 11 is used to generate etching ions; the discharge cavity 11 has a grid assembly 13, and the etching ions are emitted to the etching process cavity 12 through the grid assembly 13 to etch the workpiece 14 in the etching process cavity 12. Figure 1 The dashed arrows in the middle indicate the emission path of etching ions in the discharge cavity 11 toward the workpiece 14 to be processed in the etching process cavity 12;

[0052] A magnetic field generating component 15 is fixed on the grid assembly 13. The magnetic field generating component 15 is used to generate a control magnetic field. The control magnetic field is used to change the movement direction of sputtered particles generated during the etching process of the etch ions on the workpiece, so as to prevent the sputtered particles from entering the discharge cavity.

[0053] The etching equipment is equipped with a magnetic field generating component 15 in the discharge cavity 11. The magnetic field generating component 15 can be installed on the side surface of the grid assembly 13 that emits etching ions. It can generate a control magnetic field. By controlling the magnetic field, the movement direction of the sputtered particles generated during the etching process of the workpiece 14 can be changed, thereby blocking the sputtered particles from entering the discharge cavity 11 and avoiding the deposition and contamination of sputtered particles on the grid assembly 13 and the surface of the discharge cavity 11.

[0054] The control magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating component 15 is a physical field. Compared with the solution of using a mechanical shielding structure to block sputtered particles from splashing back into the discharge cavity 11, the technical solution of this application embodiment will not block the etching ions emitted from the discharge cavity 11. It can effectively maintain the surface cleanliness of the grid component 13 and the discharge cavity 11, so that the particles in the discharge cavity 11 meet the requirements during the process, which can improve the yield of etched products and increase the maintenance cycle of the equipment.

[0055] Optionally, such as Figure 1 As shown, the etching process cavity 12 has a stage 16 for fixing and placing the workpiece 14 to be processed.

[0056] In this embodiment, the component to be processed 14 may be an optical lens, a metal substrate, a metal alloy substrate, a semiconductor wafer, or a polymer substrate, etc. This embodiment does not limit the material of the component to be processed 14.

[0057] refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the layout of a magnetic field generating component on the surface of a grid component, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This is a top view of the grid assembly 13 on the surface of the ion-emitting side. Based on the above embodiment, Figure 2 In the illustrated configuration, the magnetic field generating assembly 15 includes multiple coplanarly arranged magnetic field elements 17, with the magnetic pole directions of the magnetic field elements 17 perpendicular to the XY plane where the grid assembly 13 is located. Etching ions in the discharge cavity 11 are emitted along the first direction Z toward the workpiece 14 in the etching process cavity 12. The plane where the grid assembly 13 is located is the XY plane, and the first direction Z is perpendicular to the XY plane.

[0058] like Figure 2As shown, the magnetic field generating assembly 15 can generate a control magnetic field through a plurality of separately arranged magnetic field elements 17. There are gaps between adjacent magnetic field elements 17 to expose the mesh openings in the grid assembly 13 for emitting etching ions.

[0059] In this embodiment of the application, at least one magnetic field element 17 may be a permanent magnet; or, at least one magnetic field element 17 may be an electromagnetic coil.

[0060] In one embodiment, all magnetic field elements 17 can be permanent magnets, thus fixing the magnetic field configuration of the control magnetic field. The magnetic field configuration, also known as magnetic shape, refers to the distribution and form of the magnetic field in space. This method eliminates the need to adjust the magnetic field configuration of the control magnetic field, requires no additional control circuitry, and simplifies the equipment structure and control method.

[0061] The magnetic poles of the permanent magnets are also perpendicular to the XY plane. The shape and arrangement of the permanent magnets can be adjusted appropriately according to the strength of the magnetic field, as well as the size and spacing of the permanent magnets. The types of permanent magnets can be samarium cobalt magnets, neodymium iron boron magnets, or ferrite magnets, etc. For permanent magnets with a fixed initial magnetic field strength, the magnetic field generating component 15 forms the target controlled magnetic field strength and configuration by the spacing of the permanent magnets and the selective assembly and disassembly of the permanent magnets.

[0062] In another embodiment, the magnetic field elements 17 can all be electromagnetic coils. In this case, the magnetic field configuration of the control magnetic field can be changed by adjusting the current in the electromagnetic coils. This method can change the magnetic field configuration of the control magnetic field, and by adjusting the magnetic field configuration of the control magnetic field, it can better prevent sputtered particles from splashing back into the discharge cavity 11, thereby improving the blocking effect of the control magnetic field on sputtered particles.

[0063] In another embodiment, some of the magnetic field elements 17 can be permanent magnets, while the rest can be electromagnetic coils. In this method, since the magnetic field generated by the electromagnetic coils can be changed by adjusting the current in the electromagnetic coils, the control magnetic field formed by the permanent magnets and electromagnetic coils in the magnetic field generating assembly 15 can also be changed by adjusting the current in the electromagnetic coils. This method can also change the magnetic field configuration of the control magnetic field, and by adjusting the magnetic field configuration of the control magnetic field, it can better prevent sputtered particles from splashing back into the discharge cavity 11, thereby improving the blocking effect of the control magnetic field on sputtered particles.

[0064] Optionally, such as Figure 2 As shown, the magnetic field element 17 consists of concentric rings nested sequentially. In this configuration, all magnetic field elements 17 in the magnetic field generating assembly 15 are rings, and each ring has a different inner diameter, allowing for... Figure 2 The rings are nested concentrically as shown. The line widths of the individual rings can be the same or different.

[0065] exist Figure 2 In the manner shown, the line width of each annular component can be set to be the same, so that each magnetic field element 17 can be fabricated based on the same line width.

[0066] refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another layout of the magnetic field generating component on the surface of the grid component, provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 This is a top view of the grid assembly 13 on the surface of the ion-emitting side. Based on the above embodiment, Figure 3 In the illustrated configuration, the magnetic field element 17 is a series of nested concentric polygonal frames. These polygonal frames can be... Figure 3 The hexagon shown, or other polygons such as triangular, quadrilateral, pentagonal, etc., can be used. In this method, the line widths of the polygonal frames can be the same or different.

[0067] exist Figure 3 In the manner shown, the line width of each polygonal frame can be set to be the same, so that each magnetic field element 17 can be fabricated based on the same line width.

[0068] It is important to understand that the "line width" mentioned above refers to the difference between the inner and outer diameters of the ring or frame component in the radial direction.

[0069] Based on the above description, it can be seen that the multiple magnetic field elements 17 in the magnetic field generating component 15 can be concentrically nested frames, which can be circular rings or polygonal frames. In this method, in order to facilitate the manufacturing and installation of the magnetic field generating component 15, the magnetic field elements 17 in the magnetic field generating component 15 can be uniformly circular rings, or all of them can be N-sided frames, where N is a positive integer not less than 3.

[0070] If the multiple magnetic field elements 17 in the magnetic field generating component 15 can be concentric nested frames, and the frames can be arranged at equal intervals, then a relatively uniform sputtering particle backsplash blocking effect can be formed in the XY plane.

[0071] If the multiple magnetic field elements 17 in the magnetic field generating assembly 15 can be concentrically nested frames, the frames can also be arranged with non-equidistant spacing. For example, in the XY plane, from the center to the edge of the magnetic field generating assembly 15, the spacing between two adjacent frames can be set to decrease or increase sequentially. This method can specifically enhance the backsplash blocking effect of sputtered particles in a specific area. For example, if sputtered particles have a serious deposition problem in a local area of ​​the discharge cavity 11 during actual production, this method can be used to enhance the effect of the magnetic field in that local area, thereby enhancing the backsplash blocking effect in that local area.

[0072] refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4This is a schematic diagram illustrating another layout of a magnetic field generating component on the surface of a grid component, based on the embodiments described above. Figure 4 In the illustrated configuration, the magnetic field elements 17 can also be arranged in a dot matrix on the surface of the grid assembly 13. The magnetic field elements are identical frames; that is, each magnetic field element 17 is an identical circular ring or an identical polygonal frame. If multiple magnetic field elements 17 are arranged in a dot matrix, in one configuration, the multiple magnetic field elements 17 can be evenly distributed on the surface of the grid assembly 13. In this case, a relatively uniform backsplash blocking effect can be formed in the XY plane.

[0073] In this embodiment, the magnetic field element 17 can be a frame, such as a circular frame, an elliptical frame, or a polygonal frame. This embodiment does not limit the shape of the magnetic field element 17.

[0074] If multiple magnetic field elements 17 are arranged in a dot matrix, in another approach, the multiple magnetic field elements 17 can be non-uniformly distributed on the surface of the grid assembly 13. For example, the circular XY plane can be divided into multiple sector regions, and the surface of each sector region has multiple magnetic field elements 17. The distribution density of the magnetic field elements 17 on the surface of at least two sector regions can be different; or, on the XY plane, from the center of the magnetic field generating assembly 15 to the edge region, the distribution density of the magnetic field elements 17 can decrease or increase sequentially. This approach can specifically enhance the backsplash blocking effect of sputtered particles in specific areas. For example, if sputtered particles have a serious deposition problem in a local area of ​​the discharge cavity 11 during actual production, this approach can enhance the effect of the control magnetic field in that local area to enhance the backsplash blocking effect in that local area.

[0075] In this embodiment, the arrangement, packaging, and fixing methods of the multiple magnetic field elements 17 can be set according to requirements, and this embodiment does not limit them.

[0076] In order to enable the etching equipment to automatically adjust the magnetic field configuration of the control magnetic field, at least one magnetic field element 17 is preferably provided as an electromagnetic coil in this embodiment. In this case, the structure of the etching equipment can be as follows: Figure 5 As shown.

[0077] refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another etching device provided in an embodiment of this application. Based on the above-described embodiments, Figure 5In the illustrated configuration, if at least one magnetic field element 17 is an electromagnetic coil, the system further includes a control circuit 18 located outside the discharge cavity 11. The control circuit 18 controls the current in the electromagnetic coil to change the magnetic field configuration of the control magnetic field. Clearly, the control circuit 18 must also be located outside the etching process cavity 12. The magnetic field formed by the electromagnetic coil can be adjusted by changing the magnitude and / or direction of the current in the electromagnetic coil, thereby adjusting the control magnetic field.

[0078] By controlling the magnitude and / or direction of the current in the electromagnetic coil, the strength and / or direction of the magnetic field formed by the electromagnetic coil can be changed, thereby changing the configuration of the control magnetic field.

[0079] In this embodiment, the shape and intensity of the control magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating component 15 can be controlled by controlling the current in the electromagnetic coil. The Lorentz force of the control magnetic field can be used to control the trajectory of the sputtered particles, thereby adjusting their deposition area and slowing down their deposition in the discharge cavity 11.

[0080] exist Figure 5 In the illustrated method, the current in the electromagnetic coil can be controlled by the external control circuit 18, thereby realizing the configuration of the control magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating component 15 inside the discharge cavity 11. The configuration of the control magnetic field can be adjusted during the etching process, so as to provide a control magnetic field with an adapted magnetic field configuration according to the actual movement state of sputtered particles during the process, which can better prevent the backsplashing of sputtered particles.

[0081] Optionally, the control circuit 18 includes a current control module 181 connected to the electromagnetic coil and a central processing unit 182 connected to the current control module 181. The central processing unit 182 can control the current of the electromagnetic coil system through the current control module 181. Plasma is generated in the discharge cavity 11, and after passing through the accelerating electric field of the grid assembly 13, it is led out to the etching process cavity 12 to form an etching ion beam. The central processing unit 182 controls the current control module 181 through control commands to adjust the magnitude of the current in the corresponding electromagnetic coil, thereby adjusting the magnetic field configuration of the control magnetic field to match the current etching process parameters, so as to adjust the back sputtering motion path of the sputtered particles.

[0082] The electromagnetic coil and the current control module 181 can be connected by wires, and the current value of each electromagnetic coil can be independently controlled by the independently connected current control module 181.

[0083] refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 This application provides a schematic diagram of the connection circuit between an electromagnetic coil and a control circuit in an etching apparatus, in conjunction with... Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the control circuit 18 includes: a current control module 181 connected to the electromagnetic coil; a central processing unit 182 connected to the current control module 181; if there are multiple electromagnetic coils, the control circuit 18 includes multiple current control modules 181 connected to each electromagnetic coil in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0084] For example, the magnetic field generating component 15 can include three electromagnetic coils. The spacing between adjacent electromagnetic coils can be 1cm to 5cm. The control magnetic field generated by the multiple spaced electromagnetic coils can cover the XY plane where the grid component 13 is located, which can reduce the backsplashing deposition of sputtered particles on the surface of the grid component 13 and the discharge cavity 11.

[0085] The grid 131 has mesh openings for emitting etching ions. An electromagnetic coil is positioned outside the mesh openings of the grid 131 to avoid obstructing them.

[0086] exist Figure 6 In the illustrated configuration, the magnetic field generating component 15 comprises three sequentially nested magnetic field elements 17. Each magnetic field element 17 is an electromagnetic coil, and each electromagnetic coil is connected to a current control module 181. This allows for independent control of the current in each electromagnetic coil, thereby adjusting and controlling the magnetic field. The current control modules 181 are connected to the same central processing unit 182, which can control each current control module 181 individually.

[0087] Optionally, the current control module 181 includes a variable resistor and control switches connected in series. The central processing unit 182 can adjust the magnetic field configuration of the control magnetic field generated by all electromagnetic coils by controlling the resistance value of the variable resistor and the switching combination state of all control switches.

[0088] Based on the above embodiments, the magnetic field generating assembly 15 further includes an insulating protective element covering the magnetic field element 17. The insulating protective element is not shown in the accompanying drawings of this application. The insulating protective element can prevent ions in the discharge cavity 11 from corroding the magnetic field element 17.

[0089] The insulating protective components can be made of materials such as ceramics, quartz, or polytetrafluoroethylene.

[0090] Optionally, the insulating protective component includes multiple hollow tubes fixed to the surface of the grid assembly 13, each hollow tube containing a magnetic field element 17. The hollow tubes can be any shape, such as circular, annular, square, rhomboid, or triangular, consistent with the shape of the coil.

[0091] Alternatively, the insulating protective component is a flat plate housing fixed to the surface of the grid assembly 13, with all magnetic field elements 17 located inside the flat plate housing. The flat plate housing has multiple through holes for the passage of etching ions, and the magnetic field elements do not overlap with the through holes. The flat plate housing can be tightly fitted and fixed to the surface of the grid assembly 13 on the side from which etching ions are emitted.

[0092] In this embodiment, the magnetic field generating component 15 can be installed on the surface of the grid assembly 13 where etched ions are emitted, i.e., on the surface of the grid assembly 13 near the etching process cavity 12, or it can be installed on the surface of the grid assembly 13 near the ion source, i.e., on the surface of the grid assembly 13 away from the etching process cavity 12. Where space permits, the magnetic field generating component 15 can also be installed between two grids 131. This embodiment does not limit the installation position or fixing method of the magnetic field generating component 15 on the grid assembly 13.

[0093] Alternatively, the material of the grid 131 can be molybdenum, tungsten, or graphite.

[0094] Through holes can be provided in the flat plate housing at locations without electromagnetic coils, so that the magnetic field element does not overlap with the through hole, thereby preventing the magnetic field element 17 inside the flat plate housing from blocking the through hole and maintaining the original path of the etching ion beam in the grid assembly 13.

[0095] To improve the protection of the electromagnetic coil, an insulating film layer can be applied to its surface. This insulating film can be a polymer such as polyimide or an inorganic material such as silicon dioxide. The electromagnetic coil itself can be made of metals such as copper or tungsten. The wire diameter of the electromagnetic coil can be 0.1mm to 0.5mm, the coil height can be 5mm to 15mm, and the difference between the inner and outer diameters can be 1mm to 4mm. The metal wires used to manufacture the electromagnetic coil can be made of metals such as copper, gold, silver, molybdenum, or tungsten.

[0096] In this embodiment, the magnetic pole directions of all magnetic field elements 17 in the magnetic field generating assembly 15 are the same; or, at least two magnetic field elements 17 have different magnetic pole directions. In this embodiment, the configuration of the control magnetic field can be adjusted by arranging the magnetic pole directions of each magnetic field element 17.

[0097] If the magnetic poles of the magnetic field elements 17 are all in the same direction, the magnetic poles of the magnetic field elements 17 can be set to be all along the first direction Z or all along the opposite direction of the first direction Z. In this embodiment, since the magnetic poles of the magnetic field elements 17 are perpendicular to the XY plane, the magnetic poles of any magnetic field element 17 are either along the first direction Z or all along the opposite direction of the first direction Z.

[0098] In the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 6As shown, the grid assembly 13 includes at least two stacked grids 131. For example, it may include two grids 131, which serve as a shielding grid and an accelerating grid, respectively. An electric field gradient can be formed between the two grids 131, thereby attracting and accelerating the etching ions, and finally forming a directional ion beam emission outside the discharge cavity 11.

[0099] The grid assembly 13 can be configured to include two layers of grid 131, three layers of grid 131, or more grids, depending on the requirements. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0100] As described above, the grid assembly 13 may include a plurality of grids 131 stacked sequentially, with adjacent grids 131 fixedly spaced apart by insulating column connectors; the insulating main connectors are not shown in the accompanying drawings of this application embodiment. The insulating main connectors may include ion-corrosion-resistant ceramic fasteners.

[0101] Optionally, the magnetic field generating component 15 is fixedly connected to the grid based on the insulating column connectors on the adjacent grid 131. This method can reuse the insulating column connectors between the grids 131 to fix the magnetic field generating component 15 to the surface of the grid component 13, eliminating the need to add separate fixing connectors for the magnetic field generating component 15, thus improving system integration.

[0102] refer to Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another etching apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application. Based on the above embodiments, Figure 7 In the illustrated configuration, the etching apparatus further includes a collection device 19 fixed to the inner surface of the etching process cavity 12, which is used to collect sputtered particles. Optionally, the magnetic field generating component 15 can generate multiple control magnetic fields with different magnetic field configurations, and correspondingly, the etching apparatus has multiple collection devices 19 adapted to different magnetic field configurations. As described above, the magnetic field generating component 15 can include at least one electromagnetic coil. By adjusting the current in the electromagnetic coil, the magnetic field configuration of the control magnetic field can be changed, thereby enabling the magnetic field generating component 15 to generate multiple control magnetic fields with different magnetic field configurations.

[0103] Collection devices 19 are fixed at different positions on the inner surface of the etching process cavity 12. In actual production, depending on the etching process parameters, different control magnetic fields of different magnetic field configurations are required to better control the backflow of sputtered particles into the discharge cavity 11. These different control magnetic fields result in different main deposition areas of the sputtered particles within the etching process cavity 12. Therefore, in this embodiment, collection devices 19 are fixed at different positions on the inner surface of the etching process cavity 12, allowing for the adaptation to control magnetic fields of different magnetic field configurations, thus facilitating efficient collection of sputtered particles.

[0104] In this embodiment, the magnetic field generating component 15 can serve as a plating device to slow down the deposition of sputtered particles within the discharge cavity 11. The magnetic field generating component 15 can generate a control magnetic field of a specific shape and intensity. This control magnetic field is a non-uniform magnetic field. When charged particles move from a weak magnetic field to a strong magnetic field, the velocity component parallel to the magnetic field gradually weakens. When the velocity component drops to zero, the particles will exhibit a reverse motion tendency. Based on this physical law, the non-uniform control magnetic field is used to change the movement path of sputtered particles toward the grid assembly 13 in the etching equipment, slowing down the deposition rate of sputtered particles on the grid assembly 13 and the inner wall of the discharge cavity 11, thereby extending the equipment's maintenance cycle.

[0105] The various embodiments in this application are described in a progressive, parallel, or combined manner. Each embodiment focuses on its differences from other embodiments, and similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. The embodiments provided in this application can be combined with each other without contradiction.

[0106] It should also be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely 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 an article or apparatus comprising a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such an 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 article or apparatus that includes the aforementioned element.

[0107] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An etching apparatus, characterized in that, include: The discharge cavity and the etching process cavity connected to the discharge cavity; The discharge cavity is used to generate etching ions; The discharge cavity has a grid assembly, and the etching ions are emitted through the grid assembly to the etching process cavity for etching the workpiece to be processed in the etching process cavity. A magnetic field generating component is fixed on the grid assembly. The magnetic field generating component is used to generate a control magnetic field. The control magnetic field is used to change the movement direction of sputtered particles generated during the etching process of the etching ions on the workpiece, so as to prevent the sputtered particles from entering the discharge cavity.

2. The etching apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The magnetic field generating component includes multiple magnetic field elements arranged in a coplanar manner, and the magnetic pole direction of the magnetic field elements is perpendicular to the plane where the grid component is located.

3. The etching apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, At least one of the magnetic field elements is a permanent magnet; Alternatively, at least one of the magnetic field elements is an electromagnetic coil.

4. The etching apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, If at least one of the magnetic field elements is an electromagnetic coil, it further includes: A control circuit, located outside the discharge cavity, is used to control the current in the electromagnetic coil to change the control magnetic field.

5. The etching apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The control circuit includes: a current control module connected to the electromagnetic coil; and a central processing unit connected to the current control module. If there are multiple electromagnetic coils, the control circuit includes multiple current control modules that are connected one-to-one with each of the electromagnetic coils.

6. The etching apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The magnetic field element is a series of concentric rings or a series of concentric polygonal frames.

7. The etching apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The magnetic field elements are arranged in a dot matrix on the surface of the grid assembly, and the magnetic field elements are either identical circular rings or identical polygonal frames.

8. The etching apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The magnetic field generating component also includes an insulating protective component covering the magnetic field element; The insulating protective component includes multiple hollow tubes fixed to the surface of the grid assembly, each hollow tube containing a magnetic field element; or the insulating protective component is a flat plate housing fixed to the surface of the grid assembly, wherein the magnetic field elements are all located within the flat plate housing, and the flat plate housing has multiple through holes for the passage of the etching ions, wherein the magnetic field elements do not overlap with the through holes.

9. The etching apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The magnetic poles of all the magnetic field elements are in the same direction; Alternatively, at least two of the magnetic field elements have different magnetic pole directions.

10. The etching apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A collection device is fixed to the inner surface of the etching process chamber for collecting sputtered particles.

11. The etching apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that, The collection device includes multiple devices, each of which is adapted to a different magnetic field configuration of the control magnetic field formed by the magnetic field generating component.

12. The etching apparatus according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The grid assembly includes multiple grids stacked sequentially, with adjacent grids fixedly spaced apart by insulating column connectors; The magnetic field generating component is fixedly connected to the grid based on the insulating column connectors on the adjacent grid.

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